Lee

Lee found himself waking up the next morning in Norah's bed with a deja vu feeling, but it was different this time. He looked over at her bare shoulders and relived everything they'd done since he'd barged in on her shower. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it, but now, he was wondering just what the hell he'd done. All of his fears of her getting hurt or killed were still there. Had he thought they'd leave him alone once he did this with her? He couldn't do this. He knew he couldn't do this.

She stirred, and he waited as she turned over and saw him there. He wished he could read her mind. Did she regret it? Was she wondering what the hell they were gonna do now?

"So," she said slowly. "That happened."

"It did," he replied.

"I guess we had a lot of tension building up, didn't we?" she asked.

"I guess so."

She bit her lip, and he felt a little bit of relief thinking that maybe she was going to tell him she wasn't looking for a relationship, that what happened between them had been a one off. Well, more like three...

"Lee," she said, breaking into his thoughts.

His phone vibrated from the floor, interrupting. He reached to pick it up and see who it was with the intention of ignoring it, but then he noticed all the missed text messages and phone calls. He wasn't sure how he'd missed the calls. Well, actually...he did know.

His stomach dropped when he read the first message.

"Shit," he said.

"What?" Norah asked as he leaped out of bed. "What's wrong?"

"Sasha's in the hospital," he replied, yanking his pants on.

"WHAT?!" Norah jumped up as well, rushing to get dressed. "What the hell happened?!"

"She got hit by a car," he answered, moving for the stairs.

"Oh my God." Norah was on his heels. Everything that happened between them that needed to be discussed was put on hold. Lee felt awful that he'd missed all the notifications. He'd have been there instantly if he'd known. He loved that little girl and hoped she was alright.

They fled to his truck and jumped in. Lee tore out of there at full speed, dirt flying. They got to the hospital in record time, and both of them ran inside and were breathing hard when they found the others in the waiting room.

"What the hell happened?" Lee demanded, trying to catch his breath. Barney raised a brow at him after seeing him.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I had my phone on silent," Lee lied easily. "I was whipped from work and went to bed early."

"And you?" Barney asked Norah. She hadn't even looked at her phone, but obviously someone had tried to contact her too.

"I accidentally left my phone at work," she lied.

Barney looked at both of them with a dead stare. Lee kept his facial expressions in check and hoped that Norah did too. He noticed Toll watching them carefully, Victoria sitting next to him. Gunner had his head in his hands while Yang paced. Tool was standing off to the side military style and arms crossed. Char and Caesar were nowhere to be found.

"How is she?" Lee asked, desperate to change the subject.

"They induced a coma to help with the swelling in her brain," Barney replied.

"Oh my God," Norah said again, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Where's Will?"

"With Char's mother. He's a wreck."

Lee could just imagine. He sank down onto a chair and felt numb. Precious little Sasha. Why was this happening right now? After everything they'd been through lately...

"Who did it?" he demanded, growing angry. If he could rip that person to shreds, then it would help his feelings of anger and guilt.

"We don't know," Barney answered, his voice a bit hoarse now.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Lee asked.

"It was a hit and run," Toll chimed in now, making Lee look at him. He picked up on the resentment there and had a suspicion that Toll knew why neither of them answered their phones last night.

"A hit and run," Lee echoed. He could hear the screech of tires and smashing of glass all over again and felt his hand twitch at the memory.

"My source at NOPD is looking into it, but no one saw anything," Barney said. He rubbed a hand on the back of his head angrily/anxiously. "Char described it as a black SUV, but she didn't get the plates and she didn't see the driver. That's all we got to go on."

"We can't just let this guy get away with it," Lee said, looking around at all of them.

"NOPD are doing their thing," Barney said with a shrug. "Not much else we can do about it."

"Oh, come on..."

Caesar approached then, and everyone turned to face him. Lee stood up. It caused a sinking feeling in his stomach to see Caesar look so broken.

"How is she?" Barney asked for them all.

"Still breathing," Caesar answered. He fidgeted with his hands, looking unsure of what else to do. "All we can do is wait."

"I'm so sorry," Norah said, moving to hug him. He let her but kept it brief.

"I should have been here," Lee said, moving towards him now. "I just...I was exhausted, and I silenced my phone to get some sleep..."

"It's fine," Caesar cut him off. "You wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway. You're here now. That's what matters."

"We're gonna get who did this," Lee promised.

"Yea," Caesar said absently, turning to go back down the hall. The others watched his slow steps. Lee felt his throat constrict. He caught Norah's eyes and saw she was crying. He resisted moving to hold her. Toll beat him to it anyway. Lee turned away, trying not to bristle inside. This was not the time to worry about that. He clenched his fists and sat back down. All they could do was wait.

He so hated waiting.

Toll

There was no doubt that something had happened between Norah and Lee last night. Toll had seen it as soon as they arrived. He just didn't know what had transpired. It couldn't have been anything too intimate because it would be Lee holding her right now and not him. As soon as Norah had started crying, Toll waited for Lee to move to comfort her, and he didn't, so he was either trying to cover up they'd done anything or he legit had fallen asleep last night. Maybe they just had a conversation about things and nothing was resolved. It was driving Toll nuts.

"It'll be alright," he told Norah now, smoothing her hair.

"She's so little," Norah whispered, gripping his back.

"I know." It pained Toll greatly to know that Sasha was in this state. He wanted to kill the driver with his bare hands. He noticed Yang was greatly struggling with all of this. It made him wonder if it hit too close to home for him.

"I'm gonna go get some food and drink," Victoria said, breaking the silence aside from Norah's sniffling. "Who wants anything?"

"Coffee," Barney said. "Just black."

"I second that," Tool chimed in. The others told her what they wanted except Lee, Norah, and Toll, who was still holding Norah in his arms. Victoria left with Gunner, who offered to help. Toll knew they just needed some air to breathe. Hell, he did too.

"Let's walk," he said to Norah. "Get some air."

"Okay."

He took her hand in his, and he caught sight of Lee's jaw clenched upon seeing it. Toll didn't care. If he was too slow, that was his problem. Norah didn't say anything as they walked. He wished he knew what she was thinking. He wished he could stop picturing Sasha lying broken in a hospital bed. He wished this hadn't happened to her.

He wished a lot of things.

Gunner

He felt like he couldn't breathe. Even being outside of the hospital wasn't helping. Gunner let Victoria do everything and was just the extra set of hands to carry stuff back to the car. Once they were in their seats, they just sat there staring out the window. Above all, he wanted to ask her if she had used last night, but he couldn't bring himself to.

"Here I thought the worst pain was giving up a child," Victoria said. "I never took into account losing a child to death. How silly of me."

"If we took on every single bit of pain outside of the pain we're already feeling in a situation, I don't think we'd be able to survive," Gunner reasoned. "Why would you consider that when the pain you were experiencing was something else?"

"You're right, but it doesn't help me feel better."

Gunner reached to hold her hand, and she let him. He was angry at this driver for hurting Sasha. He was angry that there was nothing they could do about it. It made him want to drink. Badly.

Victoria squeezed his hand as if sensing this.

"No good will come from drowning your sorrows," she reminded him.

"I know."

"Maybe we should hit a meeting."

Gunner looked at her. Did she want a meeting because of this or because she'd relapsed last night? Or maybe she'd almost relapsed last night. He didn't know. He licked his dry lips and swallowed.

"You're probably right."

"After we deliver the goods," Victoria said, referring to the coffee. "I know a place."

"Okay." Gunner kept holding her hand as she drove, and he did his best not to imagine them losing Sasha forever.

Rose

She had been in the middle of getting ready for work when Norah called the landline. By the sound of her sister's crying, Rose was transported back to the day they'd found their mother.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling scared.

"One of my friends...their little girl is in a coma," Norah cried.

"What?!"

"I don't know what to do!" Norah bawled. Rose clenched the phone tightly in her hand. She looked over at Oscar, who was writing something down in his notebook. His bird field guide was open next to it. She couldn't imagine someone telling her he was in a coma.

"Where are you?"

"At the hospital. Rose, what do I do?"

"Pray," Rose answered. "I think that's all you can do."

"I don't think God cares anymore."

"Don't count Him out just yet," Rose countered. "Look, just be there for the family and pray. That's all I can tell you. I'm so sorry this happened."

"I feel so helpless. I hate feeling this way."

"I know."

Rose stopped and looked at the framed photo of their mother with her arms around each of them, taken a month before she died. You could clearly see the pain in her eyes in that picture. Rose didn't like thinking about it let alone feeling the emotions from it.

"Can I talk to Oscar? I just need to hear his voice," Norah said.

"Just don't..."

"Tell him about the accident. I know."

"Okay." Rose handed her phone over to her son, who brightened when he learned it was Norah wanting to talk to him.

"Hi!" he said happily, taking the phone and walking to the living room. "I miss you..."

Rose stood there watching him talk animatedly with Norah. She hoped her sister would visit soon. Oscar greatly missed his favorite aunt. He at least wasn't nightmaring about Lobster Man anymore, which was a relief. Without Norah, things were different around here.

Hell, she missed her too.

Her cell phone buzzed with a text, and she saw it was Winston asking if she and Oscar wanted to have a movie night. She smiled. At least things were going well in that area. He respected her and appreciated her. He also cherished her. She loved it.

"Aunt Norah wants to say bye," Oscar said, handing her back the roam phone. She held it to her ear.

"Stay strong," she said to her sister.

"I love you," Norah replied.

"Love you too."

After they hung up, Rose did her best to carry on with her day and not think about a little girl she'd never met being in a coma. It was just easier that way.

Yang

He was reliving the accident in his mind over and over. The sound of the engine revving. The sound of impact against his wife. The screams. The awful, sickening thud as she hit the ground. The sight of her looking at him.

Please.

He snapped his attention back when Tool stopped in front of him. They were a little ways down the hall from the others. Yang just needed some space, but at the same time, he didn't want to be alone. It was confusing.

"If I'm thinking it, then I know you are," Tool reasoned. "I'm here."

"Not much to say," Yang said.

"Maybe not, but I'm guessing there's a lot of feelings."

Yang nodded because it was true. He just didn't want to verbalize them.

"She'll be alright," Tool said confidently.

"How're you so sure?"

"I have to be. She has a lot of life ahead of her," Tool answered. "And she's Caesar's kid. She's tough as hell." Yang gave a slight chuckle at this. It was true. He didn't say anything as Tool reached over to squeeze his shoulder. There didn't need to be words said. The words unsaid said it all.

Norah

She had excused herself after a while and just walked. She was emotionally exhausted. She was glad she wasn't working tonight. She couldn't do it. Dino himself had arrived to check in and bring something for Sasha, which she thought was nice. She walked until she found herself standing outside the nursery. Looking at all the little newborn babies brought a bit of warmth to her heart. She touched her fingers to the glass, smiling when one baby started to watch her.

"Hey," Lee said, coming up behind her and touching her back lightly. She turned her head to see him. His touch briefly transported her back to last night when they'd unleashed on each other before the reality of their current situation hit hard again.

"I feel awful," she told him.

"So do I."

He didn't say anything else as he looked at the babies too. One was waving their hand in the air now, starting to cry. He swallowed.

"Can you believe we all start out that small and helpless?" Norah asked, watching as the nurse moved to pick up the baby and leave to take it to the mother.

"Not really, but obviously it happens."

She suddenly just wanted to feel his touch again, so she moved into him and slid her arms around him. He rested a hand on her lower back. She rested her right cheek on his shoulder close to his neck, breathing him in.

"We gotta talk about last night," he said, something in his tone not sounding right. She stiffened, shifting so that she was looking at him full on now.

"What about it?"

"It can't happen again."

"What?" She pushed back from him, feeling hurt all over again. How could he do this to her? Hadn't they finally gotten past this? She noticed he looked pained, but she didn't care. She wanted to hit him.

"I can't do this," he went on. "I'm not built for relationships. I'm not good for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Norah, trust me," he said, gripping her shoulders now. "You don't want to be involved with me."

"Is it because of what you do for work? Cos I don't care," she said. "I don't even know what you do aside from my own imaginings. I don't need to know. It's fine..."

"Norah," he said strongly, stopping her. "This isn't going to work. I'm sorry."

"So what? You just shag me and dump me? Was that all I was to you? A good time?" She couldn't believe it. Had everything he'd said and done been a lie? Her mind ran over all three times he'd been intimate with her in the span of 12 hours. Had there been a clue that she missed? How foolish she had been, thinking he might love her.

"No! That's not..." he started, trying to answer her question.

"Then why are you doing this?" she cut him off, her voice sounding desperate now. "Why are you pushing me away again? Why are you hurting me again?!"

"I can't answer that."

"Yes, you can!"

"I'm going to be going away for a while," he tried.

"What are you doing?" she cut him off, feeling so hurt. He was leaving?!

"I have to do this."

"Lee..."

"Please don't make this harder than it already is," he begged. She stared at him. He was the one ending it. He was the one bailing on her and leaving. He was the one making things hard. Without fully realizing what she was doing, she reached to slap him. Then she felt bad because all those newborn babies just witnessed their first act of violence, the ones that had their eyes open anyway. Lee took it with only a slight turn of his head. She could see a small mark blossoming on his cheek where she'd struck him.

"I hate you," she ground out through her tears.

"Norah..."

She backed away from him before turning to run. She just had to get away from him. The pain in her heart was immense. How could she have let herself be so vulnerable with him and think that he actually wanted to be with her? What was wrong with her?! Then her heart twisted. It's how Lynn had felt. Without knowing it, Norah had caused this pain to her, and it made her feel even worse about it.

"Norah?" Toll asked as she rushed by. She ignored him, continuing to run. She just needed to get the hell out of there. She burst out the doors and breathed hard, trying not to cry. Then she saw Barney alone for the first time in a while, and without realizing why, she blurted out what she'd wanted to say to him ever since the flashback happened at the bar.

"You knew my mother."

Lee

His heart pained. Seeing Norah so devastated had cut him to the core, but he had to do this. He had to end it. She wasn't safe with him, but he couldn't tell her that. He reached for his phone again, pulling it out. The text was still there. It had taken all the air from his lungs when he received it ten minutes ago.

He looked at the dead body staring back at him, felt the rage in his veins at the sight of the caption above.

This is just the beginning...

His past was catching up to him, and he wanted Norah to be as far away from him as possible. It was the only way he could guarantee she survived.

Barney

Barney sighed heavily as soon as Norah spit out the words. He was thinking of how to say it out loud.

"You're my uncle," she said, saying it for him. He nodded slowly.

"I am."

"You knew this whole time," she accused. There was hurt in her eyes now.

"Let me explain..."

"Why couldn't you tell me?!"

"I didn't know how to," he confessed. "It was all so messy, Norah."

"I remembered you," she whispered. "You used to throw me up in the air and make me laugh."

"I know."

"Why did you leave and never come back? Why were there no photos of you? Why didn't anyone talk about you?" she asked, hugging herself tighter. Barney cleared his throat carefully.

"Your father wanted me out of your lives."

"Why?"

Here was his opportunity to tell her who he was, who his team was, but he couldn't do it. He wanted her to be innocent to it all. He didn't want her to worry about him, and he didn't want her to imagine the things he or the others experienced.

"He had his reasons."

"But why did that mean you had to go away? I cried for nights after you left."

"Your father asked me to leave, and I obeyed his wishes. I'd just lost my sister, and I figured I might as well lose you two right after and get through the grief of it all at once." Norah was crying a little now, and he felt bad.

"Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I thought it was best if I stayed forgotten."

"Well, I remembered you," she said. "It all came rushing back about a couple of weeks ago, but you wouldn't let me near you to talk to you."

"I know."

"So...now what?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered. "I'm your uncle. That's it."

"I want to hear everything that's happened since you left," she demanded. He chuckled.

"That'll take years," he replied. "How about we just start fresh now?"

"You promise not to abandon me again?"

"I'll do my best."

She gave him a wary look but nodded. Barney felt a huge weight get lifted. She knew the truth, and she didn't hate him, or if she did, she was hiding it. He wondered how long it would take before she started asking him questions about her mother.

"Can I tell Rose?" she asked. He felt a little surprised. She hadn't asked about her mother first. Maybe she'd get to it later.

"Sure."

They were quiet for a moment, and he felt almost fatherly towards her in that moment. She looked so small, so fragile.

"I don't know what to do right now," she said.

"Me either," he confessed. He spun his ring slowly. After all that horror with those other kids, they were going through this. He couldn't take it. He saw Norah stiffen as Lee appeared. He wondered what had happened between the two of them.

"Barns," Lee said hoarsely. "We gotta talk."

Norah wasn't looking at him. Lee was looking at her. Barney felt caught in the middle.

"Sure," he said. He gestured, and they started walking together. Lee looked back at Norah once, but she was already heading back inside, her back to him. They rounded the corner, and Barney rounded on Lee.

"What happened between you two?" he asked.

"Nothing," Lee answered. Barney knew he was lying, but because Lee was so jittery and anxious, he let it go.

"What's going on then?"

"This," Lee answered, shoving his phone into Barney's hands. He squinted at the photo and the caption, and he felt his heart drop.

"Who is this?"

"Melanie."

"Who's she?"

"My last girlfriend," Lee answered. Barney stared at him. The pain on his friend's face was enormous.

"Who did it?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit. You know. Is this part of the whole 'someone's coming after me' spiel you gave me a while ago?"

"It could be," Lee answered.

"It is," Barney confirmed. "You're a terrible liar, Lee. Just like I know you didn't silence your phone last night and that something happened between you and Norah."

"And that's why she cannot be with me," Lee said firmly.

"You ended it," Barney realized. "Whatever it is you started. That's why she can't look at you."

"It's for her own protection..."

"Damn it, Christmas, that's my niece's heart you're playing with!" Barney burst out unintentionally. Lee's eyebrows shot up, and he looked stunned.

"Come again?" he asked.

"That's right. She's my niece. Her and Rose. It's not common knowledge, so shut the hell up about it," Barney growled. Lee opened and closed his mouth a few times, no doubt wanting to ask a million questions, but he let it go.

"Alright," he said simply.

"What are we gonna do about this?" Barney asked, gesturing to Lee's phone.

"I'm gonna go investigate."

"That's what this guy wants," Barney said, reaching to give Lee a shake. "You can't just go running over there. He is expecting that."

"Then let him get caught off guard when he realizes too late that I'm expecting it," Lee argued.

"No. You gotta sit tight."

"And let him kill someone else I care about?" Lee asked, incredulous. "Are you kidding me?"

"Who is he?" Barney asked. "Who is doing this to you?"

"Barney!" Toll called, making them both turn to see him. "Caesar's having a freak out, man, we gotta intervene." Barney and Lee moved quickly, rushing after Toll and finding Caesar in the midst of a rage because the doctor couldn't tell him if Sasha was ever going to wake up or not. Char was still in the room with Sasha.

"Come on, brother," Barney said, taking one of Caesar's arms. Gunner had the other. They walked him back to a chair and sat him down. Caesar was breathing hard, his eyes enraged.

"They won't tell me anything, Barney," Caesar said, his voice tight. "They won't."

"Because they don't know," Barney said back. "They can't tell you what they don't know."

Caesar buried his face in his hands, and Gunner met Barney's eyes. Barney rested his hand on Caesar's back as his friend sobbed. Lee, Tool, Yang, and Toll just stood by helplessly, looking as broken as Barney felt. Norah was in the shadows alone until Toll went over to her. Barney was struggling to think straight. He just wanted Sasha to be okay. She had to be okay.

He knew Caesar would never recover if she wasn't.