The next morning Nessa woke up to the sun shining in the window and immediately her heart felt heavy as she remembered that this was the day Nick and Kelly were going back home so she got out of bed as quietly as she could to go spend some time with them.

"Where you going babe?" Joe asked and she jumped in surprise.

"You're awake."

"Yeah, you were having nightmares most of the night so I tried to stay awake the best I could to make sure you were okay."

"I'm sorry. I was just going to go ask Nicky if he wanted to go visit Serenity's grave before they go back home." Nessa explained and he nodded.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I think we better do this on our own."

"All right. Just be careful and call me if you need anything." Joe told her.

"I will." She gave him a kiss then quickly got dressed and went to go wake up Nick. "Nicky?" Nessa whispered, shaking his shoulder lightly. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled at her.

"Morning."

"Good morning...I was wondering if you wanted to go visit Serenity's grave before you guys go back home?" Nessa saw his face fall and her heart broke in two.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed." She nodded and turned to walk out of the room but he grabbed her hand. "You don't have to go anywhere, I don't have anything you haven't seen before."

"Yes, I do have to go." Nessa stated and walked out of the room without another word. A few minutes later Nick emerged from the bedroom completely dressed. "You ready?"

"Not really but let's go anyway."

"Where are you guys going?" Kelly asked, stepping out of the other guest bedroom.

"To the cemetery...we'll be back soon." Nick told him.

"All right, be careful and I'll see you when you get back." He said, hugging Nessa tightly.

Nick and Nessa left the house and drove in silence to the cemetery. She quickly scanned the area and spotted their Daughter's tombstone. "There it is." Nessa pointed out and Nick took her hand before taking a deep breath then they both walked over to it.

Serenity Paige Cvjetkovich

March 1st 2000 - March 22nd 2000

"Sometimes life's precious gifts are taken away too soon."

"I miss her so much." Nick whispered, kneeling down in front of the tombstone and brushing off some weeds.

"I know Nicky, I miss her too." Nessa replied, tears falling from her eyes as she knelt beside him. "She looked so much like you when she was born."

"Yeah but she had your eyes...why did she have to die Aness?" He asked, turning to her.

"I wish I knew Nicky, oh god I wish I knew." She stated, crying and he took her in his arms.

Nick sat there holding Nessa for a while as she cried until her tears finally subsided. "I wish Kelly and I didn't have to go today and I wish...no, I'd better not say anything." Nick said and she looked at him, confused.

"Tell me, please?"

"I wish that...you would go with me. I want things to be the way they used to be." He admitted.

"Nicky I can't. Sometimes, I'll admit that I also want things the way they used to be but...they never can be. My life is here now with Joe, he's given me everything back that I thought I had lost forever. We're having a child together and as much as that hurts you and I because of Serenity...I'm happy that I'm pregnant with Joe's child. We've been through hell and back since we first got together and we've stood tall in the end side by side now as husband and wife. I'll also admit that some of the things I did to you and Kelly when you first got here weren't fair to you guys or Joe and I regret that because I love Joe with all that I am and I don't want anything to come between us."

"I understand that and I'm sorry that I brought it up."

"Don't be, you can't help how you feel and I never would want you to hide that from me because I still do love you." Nessa said, hugging him tightly.

"I love you too Aness. We had better get back now." He told her, leaning over to place a soft kiss on the tombstone. "I'll be back to see you soon little one." Nick stood up and helped Nessa to her feet then they left the cemetery.

"You two okay?" Joe asked when they got back to the house.

"We will be, it just takes a lot out of both of us to go there." Nessa stated, cuddling up to his side on the couch and watched Nick and Kelly talking as they packed their bags in Nessa's car. I wonder what they're talking about.

"Aness we're ready." Kelly informed her, stepping inside the front door.

"Okay, be there in a minute." He nodded and walked back outside. "I won't be gone too long baby. Just long enough to drop them off at the airport and say goodbye."

"Be careful and call me if anything happens." Joe said, kissing her. "Love you babe."

"Love you too." She walked out of the house, smiling at Nick and Kelly and trying not to seem to sad. "You guys ready?"

"No but we have to go anyway." Kelly spoke up, a strange look on his face and she knew something was going on.

"Everything okay?"

"Just fine." Nick told her and she nodded. The three of them got in her car and headed off to the airport, none of them saying much at all and she could just feel that something was wrong. "Walk us to the gate?" Nick asked when they were inside the airport.

"Of course." Nessa replied. When they arrived at the gate Nick turned his back to her and handed the plane tickets to the stewardess and suddenly Kelly wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, careful not to push on her stomach too hard. "Kelly what are you doing?" She asked but he wouldn't answer her and that's when she noticed three plane tickets in the stewardess' hand. Oh god, no! Nessa struggled to get away from Kelly but he was too strong for her. "Dammit Kelly let me go!"

Kelly just stood there, holding her and watching Nick. He waited for him to get past the gate, knowing that once he was past it he couldn't come back. Once he stepped over the line Kelly let go of Nessa and she turned to look at him, anger written all over her face. "Go, get out of here! Now, before he realizes what I'm doing...he's gone insane Aness." Kelly hissed at her and she nodded. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then ran away from the gate ignoring Nick calling for her to come back.

Nessa got in her car and drove for about five minutes before tears flooded her eyes so bad that she could hardly see and had to pull over. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed the number to her house, hoping like hell Joe would pick up soon.

"Hello?"

"J..Joe?" Nessa stammered.

"Ness? Babe? You're crying, what is it? What happened?"

"Oh god Joe, it was awful!" She exclaimed.

"What was babe? Tell me what happened." He urged her.

"I felt something was wrong before we left the house but didn't pay much attention to it...then when we got to the airport Nicky asked me if I'd walk them to the gate and I told him that I would. When we got there I didn't see it at first but he...he handed the stewardess three tickets, Kelly grabbed me around the waist and I struggled to get away but he wouldn't let me go. He waited for Nicky to get past the gate so he couldn't come back and then let me go, told me to get out of there before Nicky realized what he was doing...he said Nicky had gone insane."

"He was going to take you against your will?" Joe demanded to know and she could heard the anger in his voice.

"Yes! Oh god Joe, I'm so scared!"

"Shh babe, it's okay now. Where are you?" He asked and Nessa looked around, spotting a McDonald's.

"I'm at the McDonald's that's about five minutes from the airport."

"Stay there, lock the car doors and I'll be there soon." Joe instructed.

"Please hurry."

"I will babe. Just do what I told you and remember that I love you."

"I love you too." Nessa hung up the phone and pulled into the McDonald's parking lot, locking all her doors and clutching to her cell phone tightly, jumping when it suddenly rang. "H...hello?"

"Nessa it's Chris. Joe called me and told me what happened, we're about a minute away from McDonald's."

"Hurry Chris, please."

"We're here sweetie. I can see your car, look straight ahead." Chris told her and she did what he said, spotting Chris' car. No sooner had he parked and Joe jumped out of the car, racing up to Nessa's car. She unlocked the doors and got out, falling into his arms as tears streamed down her face.

"Oh Joe!" She cried, clinging tightly to him.

"Shh Ness. I got you now, nothing's gonna happen to you." He whispered as he rubbed her back. "Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah. Kelly made sure when he held on to me not to squeeze my stomach."

"Are you okay? Did Nick hurt you in any way?"

"No, I got away from him before anything happened." Nessa replied, her tears slowing down as he held on to her. "I was so scared that I'd never see you again Joe."

"You don't have to worry about that now...I'm here and I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. Let's go home, I'll take Ness' car Chris."

"Okay, I'll follow you guys there. Are you okay Nessa?" Chris asked, smiling when she moved out of Joe's arms long enough to give him a quick hug.

"Yes and thank you so much."

"There's no need to thank me. You're one of my best friends and you were in trouble." She smiled and moved back into Joe's arms.

"I want to go home now."

"Let's go then." Joe said, opening the car door for her then he climbed in the drivers side and drove to their house with her curled up at his side.