Disclaimer: I own nothing except characters I made up such as Fancy, Patrick, Shawn, etc.

A/N: I can't believe I'm really on chapter four already! If anyone actually reads this I hope you enjoy. Also I've decided this story is set about five years before The Truth About Forever. Also here's a list of everyone's age in the story just in case anyone gets confused:

Monica: 14Jared: 17

Wes: 16Shawn:13

Patrick: 19

Kristy: 12

Bert: 11

Fancy: 14

So anyway on with the story. Please R&R. NO FLAMES!

It was five past ten when we arrived at the hospital. The ride there had been surprisingly happy. Patrick was filling us in on what'd been going on in his life. We'd even laughed a couple times. However that all changed when we drove into the hospital parking lot.

"Patrick! You're here!" yelled a very excited Kristy.

"Of course I'm here, kid." Said Patrick trying to hide the surprise on his face when he saw hers. "Are you o.k?" he asked as he gave her the teddy bear he's just bought in the hospital giftshop.

"Patrick thank you! I'm fine. It's sucks being stuck in this bed all the time though. I still don't think it was all that necessary to cut all my hair off though. That's just not fare! Stella, Nic, hey I didn't see you two. Come here and give me a hug everyone!" said Kristy as though nothing big had just happened.

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"Well, I'm gonna go check on you're mother. Are you gonna be alright, Kristy?" asked Stella after we'd been there for about half an hour.

"I'll be fine. Go check on Mom."

"I'll come with you." Said Patrick giving Kristy a hug and giving me a squeeze on the shoulder before following Stella out of the room.

"Why are you so quiet?" Kristy asked me after about five minutes of silence.

"I guess I just don't really have much to say." I told her lying through my teeth.

"I'm shocked! You Monica never shuts up Palmetto speechless? I don't believe you."

"Kristy… I was just… I was so scared I was gonna loose you." I admitted no longer being able to hold back the tears in my eyes. I hugged her for a good minute or so until I pulled back and looked up to see she too had tears in her eyes. "Kristy what-"

"I was scared too, Nic. When we went off the road I was so scared. The we hit that fence and then the tree. Before I blacked out I really thought 'This is it. I'm gonna die' I as so scared, Nic." She sobbed into my shoulder.

"When I woke up," she continued after a minute "the nurse gave me a mirror and I saw myself… I didn't even recognize me at first. I thought it was some kind of joke. My hair was all just…gone. I had these scars on my face. I know it could be worse. I could've had more scars, I could've lost an eye or something, I could've died. But that didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was that I was no longer the same me I was before the accident. I was someone I could barely stand to look at. Nic, I don't see how you or anyone else can stand to look at me when I can barely stand to look at myself!"

"Kristy…" I was at loss for words. I knew I should tell her that I didn't care how she looked and neither did anyone else who loved her, but I just couldn't. The truth is I was still hoping that this was a some kind of nightmare I would wake up from any minute. So I just held her again.

"I love you sis. No matter what alright. And you're right, it could've been worse. It could've been a lot worse. Look, I know that you feel terrible right now but… it will get better. I promise. I'm here for you and so are Stella and Patrick and Mom. Shawn and Jared are coming over tomorrow and they'll be here for you too." I didn't want to bring up Dad because he was still a sore subject to Kristy.

My parents were never married. They dated on and off for a really long time though, ever since high school my mom told me. When my mom found out she was pregnant with Patrick they almost got married. They moved in together and everything but then as soon as Patrick was born Dad left. Mom didn't here from him again for three years. When he finally did come back he apologized to my mom and for some reason she took him back. Then three years later, I was born. He actually stuck around this time. Two years after I was born came Kristy. He left when she was four. He went back to his other family though we didn't know it at the time, he had two sons with a women named Claire Ann Wilson. Those to sons were Jared and Shawn. We see him now and then. When I was younger I used to always hear my mom cry and call out his name when she thought no one heard her. For that I've always hated Michael Andrew Larson. For some reason though Kristy has always been really attached to him. I never knew why. Patrick felt the same way about him that I did, so why didn't Kristy? Even after he would always leave no matter how much she protested. She would always cry for days sometimes even weeks after he left. And then every time he comes back she always forgives him like Mom. I'll never understand that.

"Monica!" said Kristy drawing me out of my thoughts "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important. So did the doctor say when you can come home?" I asked her.

"Monday. The doctor said I can come home Monday. They wanted to keep me here for a little while just to make sure I'm fine."

"Great, I can't wait…"

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"Monica, so you want to come say hello to you're mother." Said Stella seeming very nervous for some reason. I wonder what that's all about.

"Sure."

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"Hey Mom-what's going on? Sis the doctors say you can come home now? Is that why you're packing?" I asked her wondering why she seemed so rushed.

"The doctor's said I can leave, Monica, but… I'm not going home."

"Are we gonna stay at Stella's?" I asked suddenly feeling very nervous.

"You are, honey. You're gonna stay with Stella for a while. Me, I'm gonna… I'm leaving, Monica. I can't do this anymore. I just know there has to be more to life than…than this life I'm living. Please understand Monica. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe months…maybe years. I don't know when I'll see you again. I just wanted to let you know that I do love you. And Kristy. I just can't live this life anymore. I'm sorry, sweaty. Please try to understa-"

"No! No! No! No! I'm not hearing this! How can you just pack up and leave us? Why can't you take us with you?" I asked not wanting to believe anything that she was saying. She couldn't leave she just couldn't.

"I can't take you with me, Monica I just can't." she told me.

"Why?"

"I just can't Monica. Look don't make this any harder than it is. Just accept it and move on! I want you to be the one to tell Kristy. I already told Mom and Patrick but she's closest to you. She needs to hear it from you. I'm sorry. Goodbye." And with that she left.

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I wasn't sure how long I wandered the halls before Patrick found me.

"Ready to go?" he asked me.

"…"

"I take it Mom told you."

"…"

"Come here." He said pulling me into a tight hug.

"How could she just up and leave like that? She didn't even tell Kristy goodbye. She told me I should be the one to tell her."

"If you want I can tell her for you."

"No. She should here it from me. But you should definably be there when I tell her. She's gonna need more support than any of us. They were really close." I told him.

"When are you gonna tell her?"

"Tomorrow. I can't handle it today. I just wanna go home." I said into his shoulder.

"Tomorrow it is." And with that we walked back to Kristy's room.

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"See you tomorrow Kristy." I said giving her one last hug and trying to look as cheerful as I possibly could.

"O.K. Later Nic, Patrick you coming tomorrow too?"

"Yeah. I'll be here." He said while giving her a hug and briefly glancing at me.

Tomorrow. And with that we left.