Author's note- sorry it's taken me so long to update I've been kind of ADD lately, oh well, I'm babbling. Enjoy. And remember reviews are not necessary but always appreciated, like tips. Just think of me as your waitress and I'm serving up a big juicy dish of CJ. See what I mean by ADD. LOL

Chapter 16- Awaken to the truth

It had been two days since the accident. Woody, Lily, and Max had been rotating between rooms. The others had gone back to the morgue to try and piece together the accident. Woody was exhausted. He had only left to change clothes and even then he wasn't gone long. He walked into Rory's room. He sat down in the chair beside her bed. As he sat there he began to feel just how just how tired he was. He took Rory's hand in his and laid his head down on the edge of the bed. He soon fell into a fit full sleep. He kept imaging the accident. Then he was in the accident. He felt something hit his head. He woke up to the feeling of being hit in the head all to real, that was when he realized it had had happened. Rory had kicked him in the head. He lifted his head in disbelief to be met with a pair of blue eyes.

" Hi, Daddy." His daughter had been unconscious for two days. Two days that were killing him and he would have gladly traded places with her to ensure her safety. Then she wakes up and she greets him as if he had just walked in on a normal day. He scooped her up into a careful hug.

Oh, Rory, everyone has been so worried. Do you feel ok?"

" My head hurts and I'm kind of sore. What happened?" She sounded tired despite her two-day nap.

" There was a car accident, you don't remember?"

" Uncle Cal was driving us home after soccer practice, Mom's car broke down again. Are they ok!" She asked realizing what had happened but regretting her quick movement as she winced in pain.

" They're fine, they were worried about you. We all were." He said planting a kiss on her forehead as he helped her lay back down in bed.

After a doctor checked her out and gave her something for pain, Woody told Jordan and the other extended family at the hospital. Then he went outside to call the morgue and tell them.

" Macy." Garret answered in his usual stern tone.

" Garret, it's Woody. Rory's awake."

" That's great Woody but I think you should come down here. We have some information on the car that hit them."

" Ok, I'm on my way." Woody wanted nothing more then to find this person so they could know what happened.

" What's up Nige?" Woody asked as he entered the morgue.

" Well we found that a store on that street had a surveillance tape. It caught the whole thing on tape." Woody watched the events that almost took his whole family away from him happen right in front of him. It was worse then he could have imagined, it wasn't an accident at all it was deliberate"

" Can you get an ID on the car?" Woody asked still staring at the footage.

" Already done. We traced it; the car belongs to an Anthony Lagoni. We cheeked his rap sheet; he works for the Italian mob Woody.

Woody's mind was racing, who would do this? He didn't have any cases involving the mob. That's when it hit him …Cal. This was all because of Cal. His gambling debts had finally gotten to big that he got involved with the wrong people. He was the reason Jordan and Rory were in the hospital. He had convinced himself it had been an accident that it wasn't his fault, but it was. He sprinted out of the morgue with Nigel calling after him. He reached the hospital in record time. He went to Cal's room to confront him but he wasn't there. He raced down the hall toward the nurse's desk when he saw Max.

" Max! Where's Cal."

" He was released. I offered him a ride but he said he was going to take a cab back to your place."

" Damn it!"

" Woody what's going on?"

" I …. I have to go." With that he left leaving Max with no explanation.

Woody took the stairs to his apartment two at a time. He had to find Cal before he had a chance to leave. He busted through the door to find Cal shoving clothes into a duffel bag.

" You son of a bitch!" Woody exclaimed as he came towards him."

" Woody can explain!" Woody stopped in his tracks. How could he explain this one?

" How? You almost took everything I care about away from me. How do you explain that? It was gambling wasn't it or maybe drugs or maybe both."

"I came to ask for money but I couldn't, so I thought I could handle it."

" Handle it, this is how you handle? Nearly killing Jordan and our babies? Nearly putting Rory in a coma?"

" No one was supposed to get hurt."

" No one was supposed to get hurt?" With that Woody lunged at Cal pinning him against the wall. He raised his fist and punched Cal hard in the face. There was blood running out of his nose and he could already feel his eye swelling. He landed on the floor after Woody released him, holding his already aching ribs.

" Get out! Leave!"

Later that night, long after Cal was gone Woody iced his bruised hand. He was actually quite numb to the pain and iced if only to avoid questions from people the next day. Part of him couldn't believe that he had finally kicked Cal out of his life. The fact was Cal wasn't his brother anymore he hadn't been for a long time, by blood yes but he had never acted like a brother. He always expected Woody to fight for him, bail him out but he had never done it for Woody.

Next chapter is the wedding!