Encore

"Someone call an ambulance!" Ashley shrieked. Ellie stopped immediately and rushed to Ashley's side, where Mark lay clawing at his chest on the floor of Sean's home.

"Is he alright?" Ellie asked.

"His heart" Ashley choked out, " I think it stopped"

"Ashley move," Dylan called out, and pushed Ashley aside and began compressions on his chest, "Marco!"

"Calling!" Marco's voice shouted from across the apartment.

Tracker rushed over to the scene, "is he gunna be okay?"

"the ambulance is on it's way!" Marco shouted.

Tracker noticed the crowd forming around, and ushered everyone into the kitchen. While they waited for the paramedics, Ellie gently eased a very scared and very upset Ashley to her feet and led her to the couch, in an attempt to get her to call Mark's parents and let them know he'll be at the hospital. Ellie looked over and watched as Dylan continued to keep Mark's heart beating. Ashley reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone and walked outside to call the Jansens.

Jimmy walked over to Ellie, "you think he'll be okay?"

Without even turning to look at Jimmy she responded with, "so long as Dylan can keep that up until the paramedics get here."

He sighed, he was worried about Ashley, she wasn't so good at handling bad things happening. She wasn't so good at handling much of anything that took less than a brain cell to comprehend. When her father told her he was gay, she was a wreck. The whole ecstasy incident left her a lonely wreck. When Craig cheated on her? There never a doubt in anyone's mind that she'd take that sitting down; it just wasn't very likely. Jimmy watched her through the window. She was his best friend for so long, and now here she was, having to deal with her current boyfriend in critical condition. Looking across the kitchen he noticed Craig clinging on to Manny like there was no tomorrow. Craig had missed out on his chance to be happy once before when he chose a guitar over breaking up with Ashley. It was selfish, and he knew it. Everyone knew it.

The whole party mood had disappeared…and everyone just stared as Dylan continued compressions, having cracked Mark's ribs only a few moments before causing Paige and Hazel to cringe. "Ashley!" Dylan called out, "where is she?" he asked looking around. Ashley rushed back into the room, tears streaming down her face, "what's wrong with him?" he asked simply for the first time.

"VSD, he has a hole in his heart…" Ashley said between sobs, "he was going into surgery for it in the next few months."

"Well he might be going in for it in the next hour.," Dylan answered before turning to Marco, who was still on the phone with the emergency medical technician. "Tell them he has VSD, and we need them here immediately."

Ashley started sobbing again and both Craig and Jimmy took the leap to try and comfort her. But she only let one in, the one that new her best. Craig was pushed away as she clung to Jimmy like a personal floatation device as she was struggling in an ocean of worry and potential defeat. Craig sulked back to Manny, the only person who made him feel needed as of lately. Hazel turned to Paige, "do you think I should be worried?" she asked as her eyes watched Jimmy as he comforted Ashley, who was sobbing on the floor.

Paige shrugged, " I wouldn't…"

Hazel watched as Ashley sobbed into Jimmy's shoulder after looking over at Mark, struggling to stay alive. She reached over to grab his hand, as he remained conscious while Dylan kept his heart beating, he squeezed weakly, and tried to talk but no words came out. He just stared at Ashley as though he'd disappointed her in some way.

-X-

Ashley paced the hospital waiting room. She was an impatient, emotional wreck. This wasn't how she expected to be spending the evening with her boyfriend at a party. This wasn't what she wanted to experience with him.

"How is he!" shouted Carson Jansen, Mark's mother, "how's my baby boy?"

Ashley turned to the dark haired woman and nearly burst into tears, "he..he…he collapsed ."

Carson gasped and covered her mouth quickly, "his heart, we should have…" turning around she faced her husband, François and glared angrily, "you!" she shouted in the hospital, "this is all your fault."

François rolled his eyes, " it was going to happen sooner or later Carson, there was never any avoiding this."

Ashley fell back into a chair as she watched Mark's parents fight, and finally burst into tears, which caught the Jansen's attention. "Would you two stop fighting!" she cried, "You should be trying to help him, not fighting over him."

Carson glared at Ashley, her dark eyes fierce with worry and anger, "don't you tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing, I'm his mother, you're just some…little…" Carson struggled to find the right words, "trollop that's taking my baby away from me." Ashley burst into tears, Carson had never been fond of Ashley, who was always around Mark, when he was studying, when he was working. François frowned at his wife and sat down beside Ashley and gently comforted her.

Ellie rushed through the hospital doors with Sean and Tracker, "Ashley, is he okay?" and quickly rushed to her friend's side. Quickly taking François's position as her momentary hero. For the first time since she caught Craig in the middle of an adulterous lie, Ashley had a breakdown. "It'll be okay Ash, he'll be fine."

Ellie sighed, she felt like she was catching herself in the middle of a lie she couldn't get herself out of. Ashley sniffled and nodded, "yea, he'll be fine."

Ashley looked up to see Carson and François speaking to a doctor. From a distance she noticed that the Carson's tense shoulders relaxed and François let out a held back sigh of relief. Ashley jumped to her feet and rushed to the couple, "he's stable, and awake, just a minor fibrillation of the heart, we've got his heart back on track, but the hole isn't making things much better, he's agreed to push the surgery forward," the doctor explained to the Jansen's. He looked at his clipboard, "he's asking to see Ashley?" he said questioning his own notes.

"That won't be necessary, we'll see him now," Carson said making her way to the room. But Ashley had caught all she needed to hear and made her way to Mark's room. The doctor shrugged and let the Jansen's go. Carson walked into her son's room to see Ashley sitting in a chair that she should be sitting in, stroking his messing dark hair. Mark smiled.

"I'm fine sweets," he said weakly.

Ashley smiled, "I know,… you worried me back there."

"I'm sorry," he croaked, trying to sit up, "we still on for dinner with your parents?"

Ashley smiled again, her lips pressed tightly together, and nodded.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible honey," Carson said walking farther into the room.

"Mom…"

"You can leave now Ashley," she said strictly as François watched from the doorway.

"Let her stay Carson, Mark asked for her not us," he said, defending Ashley.

Ashley looked at Carson and found her presence unwanted, "I think I'm going to leave Mark," she said standing and leaning over to gently kiss him on the lips, "I'll come by after school tomorrow." Mark smiled. And kissed her back.

"Bye Sweets"

When Ashley walked out of the room Mark turned to his mother, "I can't believe you did that."

" I can't believe you're still seeing that…that…girl"

"Carson…" François said walking into the room, " you're behavior is dis—"

"stay out of this François"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Mark screamed weakly, "you guys are enough to give anyone with a healthy heart a heart attack, I'm sick of it…and you wonder why I asked to see Ash first, because she doesn't put stress on my heart like you two, leave me and her alone." He reached for the nurse call button and watched as his parents were escorted out of the room.

-X-

Jimmy had arrived moments after Ashley had disappeared into Mark's room. He'd dropped Hazel, Paige, and Spinner off moments before and immediately made his way to the hospital to check on Ashley. He'd waited in the waiting room with Ellie, Sean, and Tracker, hoping he'd be able to help.

"She'll be alright, I think she was just very scared if anything." Ellie explained as he took a seat across from her and Sean, and next to Tracker. Jimmy nodded.

Jimmy looked up to see Ashley walking into the waiting room looking incredibly depressed and just on the verge of tears. Jimmy jumped to his feet and immediately engulfed Ashley into a hug, which she warmly accepted. "Need a ride home?" he asked.

Ashley lifted her head and nodded, "thanks" she muttered.

Ellie arrived next to Jimmy and gently reached out to her friend, "everything okay?"

Ashley nodded and wiped her eyes, "yea, I'm just gunna go home and sleep or something."

Ellie nodded and followed the pair out to the parking lot with Tracker and Sean.

Jimmy opened the front passenger side door and let Ashley climb in before walking over to the driver's side and sliding in, slipping the key into the ignition. He turned down the volume in his car and began the drive to the Kerwin-Iaasacs home. Jimmy would occasionally look over at Ashley, silently hoping she'd say something to break the uncomfortable silence. She looked more helpless sitting in his front seat than he'd seen her after every emotional tear she'd been through before. It was breaking his heart. Jimmy pulled up into her driveway and turned off the ignition, "you sure you'll be okay?" he asked.

Ashley wiped her eyes and nodded; "yea I'll be fine" she smiled.

Jimmy faintly smiled back and started his car up again the moment Ashley closed the car door. He watched as she shuffled her way up to the front door, and walked inside.

Jimmy drove home and the moment he got home he was faced with an answering machine scattered with messages. He pressed the play button.

"Jimmy, it's Hazel, just wanted to talk to you, call me back."

"Jimmy it's me again, where are you? It's like … quarter after ten and you haven't called me back, I'm worried."

"It's ten of eleven…where are you?"

"Jim, it's your father, just wanted to call and let you know I'll be back next week, hold the fort down."

"Jimmy---"

Jimmy pressed the delete button on answering machine and picked up the cordless phone and dialed Hazel's number. "Hello?" asked Hazel's very tired voice.

"Hey, it's me, just getting in."

"Where were you?"

"I went back to the hospital, to keep Ashley company."

"Oh…but she had Ellie and Sean there…"

"but, I wanted to be there for her," he said hoping Hazel would realize that he just wanted to be there for his friend, one of his oldest to be exact. It was just their history together that worried her, and he found that understandable.

"Oh…" Hazel said, "well I'll see you tomorrow, kisses"

"kisses" Jimmy said before hanging up the phone and tossed it across the couch before reaching for the remote control and falling asleep in the company of the glowing television screen.

-X-

Orion sat on Marco's couch after the eventful evening, Marco had opened his house after realizing that he hadn't really gotten to spend some time with Ellie and that his grandfather couldn't return until the next evening to pick him up. "Well,…" he muttered, "that was an interesting party."

Marco looked across his couch, his heart still racing from the evening's activities. Mark had almost died, could have, and the racing around trying to get a hold of the emergency medical team had adrenaline pumping through his veins, "definitely….I hope he's alright, Ash is going to be devastated tomorrow."

"Her and Ellie are good friends, right?" Orion asked, trying to grasp the situation. Marco nodded, "who were the other people exactly?"

"Well you met Sean once before, and I'm sure you met Alex, Jay and Emma." Marco said and waited for Orion to acknowledge that he understood. " Jay and Alex are together, friends with Sean, Emma and Sean used to date." Marco imagined the party in his head, "Ash and I don't spend much time together, usually I'm with Paige, Spinner, Jimmy, and Hazel."

"Who were they?"

" the pretty people…" Marco said trying to explain them the best he could. Orion nodded. "Paige is the one who…"

"got Ellie into counseling"

"yea….how did you…"

"group sessions, Ellie told us…"

"Oh" Marco answered, "Well Spin and Paige date, Jimmy and Hazel date…Craig used to date Ash, cheated on her with Manny, the girl with him, but he's friends with us and Ellie so that's why he was here."

"One giant soap opera you've got here…"

Marco chuckled, "oh, I'm not done yet…You've met Dylan, Paige's brother and my boyfriend, and then there was Amy, who well, used to date Sean but she cheated on him."

"And the boy that collapsed, that's?"

"Mark, Ash's boyfriend, and then there's Tracker, Sean's brother."

"And that was the guy grilling outside?"

Marco nodded and Orion remembered meeting him when he arrived.

"Hi, Tracker Cameron, Sean's brother." Tracker held out his hand and shook Orion's. Orion looked down and his eyes fell upon the young man's bare forearms littered with scars.

"Nice to meet you," he responded, smiling. That one simple gesture immediately made Orion feel less alone in a crowd of strangers. "I'm Orion."

"So how do you know Ellie?" he asked cleaning the grill.

"Lake View, I left a few days before she got out." Orion answered, "we got pretty close."

Tracker nodded understandingly, "that's good, that girl needs a support team." Orion smiled. "She's a great girl, very misunderstood, but she's a lot less demanding on Sean than Emma was, kinda just respects his decisions even if they're wrong ones, they really lean on each other."

Orion felt a pang of guilt for continually trying to make Ellie his. He knew what it was like to have that type of person to lean on. His grandmother had been that person for him, someone to lean on when times got tough. Sean and Ellie were able to lean on each other and he felt terrible for trying to replace Sean as that person.

"so are you sure you're okay with the couch?" Marco asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yea, the couch is great thanks," he said and just before Marco climbed the stairs to his room for the night a knock sounded at the door.

-X-

Tracker pulled up in font of Ellie's house, putting his truck in park. Ellie looked at him pleadingly, " do I have to go in?" she asked. She didn't want to be home. Not while her mother was drinking. Her mother drinking had been the sole reason she ended up at Lake View. Her mother made and broke promises like it was her job. It wasn't like Ellie didn't love her mother, in fact Ellie loved her mother very much. And Judy Nash loved her daughter, but sometimes not more than the bottle of alcohol she kept hidden under the couch. It was Greg Nash that was the cement to that family, when he was away, the family bond chipped and fell apart.

Tracker watched her as she shifted nervously in the passenger seat of his pick up. Tracker sighed, "you really should be at home with your mother," he reasoned.

"But she doesn't even care…I mean she was too drunk to notice I even left."

Tracker sighed again and shifted out of park and pulled away from the house. Part of him knew he was going to get verbally assaulted by Judy Nash the next day; that would be if he was lucky. Unlucky would be if Ellie's mother decided to start giving a damn about her child and her own addictions, meaning he'd probably have the Mounties on his doorstep. Ellie shifted back to a comfortable state in the passenger seat, leaning her head on Sean's shoulder as he sat in between his brother and ex-girlfriend.

Tracker pulled in front of the rundown place they called home and parked the truck before unlocking the front door, letting Ellie stumble in, leaning on Sean. The pair shuffled tiredly into Sean's room and curled up on the messy bed falling asleep.

Ellie curled up on her side snuggling into Sean, burrowing her face into his chest as he laid on his back. He wrapped an arm around her thin figure and held her protectively. Even in their subconscious they knew it felt right, the way their bodies seemed to fit, the way each other smelled seemed to smell like home to both of them. Tracker walked in the door way and smiled before pulling the door shut. Sean turned his head and nuzzled it into Ellie's red hair, and gently kissed her forehead; he was glad to have her back, back in his arms, no one else's. Sean opened his eyes and ran his fingers lightly over the contours of Ellie's face and finding his way blindly in the dark he found her nose and gently kissed it. Ellie smiled in her sleep and draped her arm across Sean's chest and he rolled onto his side, and cupping Ellie's face in his hands he gently kissed her lips. Ellie's hands drifted up to Sean's neck and she pulled herself closer to him and kissed him back. Sean closed his eyes and gave in, melting into her with every kiss and then Ellie opened her eyes. Sean pulled away, and noticed that Ellie seemed nervous in her wakened state. She bit her lip and suddenly with out warning rolled on top of Sean, straddling him she leaned down and kissed him passionately on the lips. Feverishly, she began kissing her way to his neck as his hand made his way softly up her thighs. She planted one long kiss on his lips before sitting up straight and staring into his eyes, "I missed you," she said, "I missed us, I missed everything."

Sean sat up and leaned his back against the wall as Ellie fell into his lap. Her red hair, mussed up and in her face. Sean kissed her forehead gently. " I missed you, too."

"But I don't know what to do" Ellie said.

Sean placed his finger under her chin and tilted it upward, "what do you mean…it's simple we can get back together."

"it's not that simple Sean"

"why?"

Ellie was silent.

"it's because of him, isn't it?" Sean asked, "that…guy the one that came for your party, the one who was in your room…"

Ellie closed her eyes as Sean started to raise his voice, "we didn't do anything, we just kissed."

"but it's enough to make you stumble over a decision to get back together."

"the entire time I was gone, I only wanted you" she said, her eyes watering, "but you weren't there, what was I supposed to do?" she asked, " I needed someone to be there for me, he wasn't you but he was good enough."

"good enough?"

Ellie was on the brink of tears when she crawled out of Sean's lap and headed towards the door, but Sean grabbed her wrist, "what do you mean he was good enough? Were you trying to replace me?"

Ellie shook her head, "let me go," she whimpered. Sean dropped her wrist and rolled over facing the wall. "Sean?" she asked as she inched closer to the bed, "Sean look at me."

" can you just…I need to be alone."

Ellie slumped her shoulders and shuffled out the door.

Tracker who'd been laying on the couch watching the television sat up as Ellie tried to let herself out. He sat up and quickly turned off the television before rushing over to stop Ellie, "hey Red, where're you going?"

Ellie pushed him away, " I'm going home…to Ash's, to Marco's I don't care, I don't want to be here, not with him." She said pointing at Sean's bedroom door. " He doesn't understand me anymore, he just doesn't get it."

Tracker grabbed his coat and his keys and ushered her out the door, "let's go, I'll take you home." Ellie climbed into the passenger seat of the truck and brought her feat up on the seat and held her legs close. "what happened Red," he asked as he turned the key in the ignition.
" he…we…I…" Ellie groaned in frustration as she struggled to get the words out. " he wants us back together but I told him I don't know what I want."

"last time I checked isn't that what you wanted?"

"yes" Ellie said exasperated, "but other stuff came along while I was away, I met someone."

"that guy from the party?" he asked pulling out onto the street.

Ellie nodded, "he was my support while Sean and I were apart, he was my someone to lean on and I don't think I can just forget all that he's done for me."

Tracker nodded, "understandable."

Ellie sighed heavily, "he hates me."

"he doesn't hate you, he's just mad." Tracker stopped at the stop light and looked over at the girl, "where am I taking you?" he asked.

"take me to Marco's I think that's where Orion's staying."

Tracker agreed as Ellie gave him directions to the Italian's house, " come by tomorrow when you have yourself figured out, I'll talk to him."

Ellie smiled weakly and gave him a hug before getting out of the car and knocked on Marco's door. A very tired, and about to head to bed Marco answered the door, and ready to shoo the nightly visitor away when he noticed the vibrant head of red hair. "El?" he asked confused, she threw herself into his confused arms. Between the surprise of her being there and the sound of her upset mumbling into his shirt Marco wasn't sure what happened or what to do.

-X-

Orion sat up on the couch and adjusted his glasses as Ellie was led into the room. She fell back on the couch played with the hem of her shirt. "Ellie, what's wrong, why are you here?" Marco asked. "Is it Mark, is Ash, okay?"

Ellie's eyes widened and she quickly jumped to mend his conclusions of her upset silence, "No, Mark's okay, he's awake Jimmy took Ash home about an hour or so ago…"

"then what is …"

"it's Sean isn't it?" Marco suddenly got somewhat angry and punched her in the shoulder, "don't scare me like that!"

Ellie laughed, "ow" she feigned, "and yes it is Sean, he hates me."

"Sean doesn't hate you" Marco answered, rolling his eyes.

"no he really does," she responded before Orion butted his way into the conversation.

"you told him."

Marco and Ellie turned to the blonde.

"you told him about us and he got mad, jealous, what ever other chivalrous thing he could possibly do."

Ellie was stunned silent.

"That's it isn't it?" Orion said, " you told him and now he's upset because he doesn't want to share you?"

" I guess," Ellie finally answered, " I told him and he's just…he told me to leave, he wants to be alone."

Marco chuckled, "no mi amore, he wants you all to himself."

"why is he so mad then?"

"because you told him you couldn't make up your mind." Orion answered

"would you quit reading my mind!" Ellie shouted, but quickly quieted her voice as she was reminded she wasn't in her own home.

"I don't need to read your mind when it's written all over your face milady."

Marco laughed.

Ellie glared.

"What?" Marco shrugged, "it's true."

Ellie pouted and crossed her arms, "well can I stay the night anyways?" Ellie asked.

"of course, mi amore."

"Yea, I'll bring down another blanket and pillow and you can have my bed."

Ellie smiled and protested, "I'll just stay down here,"

" well no funny business missy," and then fiercely pointed a finger at Orion, "and you too"

Ellie rolled her eyes, "goodnight DAD," watching as Marco walked up the stairs. Orion felt guilty as he watched her on the couch. Ellie never wanted to pursue their relationship; in fact it was completely surprising to find that Ellie couldn't make a decision. She's always pushed him away for the sake of wanting Sean, and now she had him and she didn't know if she really wanted him. It was almost mind-boggling, now he had a chance, the moment he gave her up. "Would you quit looking at me?" Ellie asked blushing. Orion apologized. "I messed up, didn't I?" she asked.

"No you didn't."

Ellie scoffed and scooted over on the couch, " I messed up, I let myself believe I could only love Sean when I knew I was capable of being with someone else."

"Milady…I was the one in the wrong, you never should mess with true love."

A/N: I apologize for the long wait, but you have to understand the schedule I'm on, going to school literally 7 days a week and 8 hours everyday from 5-9. I try to get some writing in during breaks in class, and when ever I can, but I'm literally exhausted and when I get a chance to be with my sorta kinda guy, or to study, and hang out with friends I need that mental break to calm down. I literally spent a week trying to write this new chapter and believe me parts kept getting re-written over and over again. It was really hard for me to finally be decently happy with the direction it's going on.

I'm gunna try and push this story to 25 chapters, like the last one, and I have few ideas in the making for a third one, making this a triology. I hoping to entitle it: Reprise. But we'll see how it goes the closer I get to chapter 25. Well I'm off to study, I have far too much homework to do this weekend.

Enjoy

MJ