Author's Note: OK, so there's one more chapter after this one. Which will be nationals, as for this chapter, um, a long time ago someone requested a certain fate for Andy and as I like to give my readers what they want, well, it took a while but it's here. I'll leave it at that!

Disclaimer: I doubt I need to keep going with this.

Chapter 18: Down the Stairs

"Theresa?" Lilly approached her quietly in the hall the next day, tears laying softly in her eyes.

"Lilly, what's wrong?" Theresa looked over.

"I, um, I need someone to talk to," she sighed.

"OK," Theresa said, "I mean, you have friends right?"

"I know, but it's just, there's, well," she sniffled, "Re, there's been some kind of accident, I'm not sure, my mom didn't have specifics, but Andy, he fell or something, and he's in the hospital, and I have to go down there," she sighed, "I'm not good at the family thing, you are, I just figured you could maybe,"

"Is he alright?" Theresa said, "Do you know?"

"No," Lilly started crying, "They won't tell me anything."

"Lilly, it's OK," Theresa said hugging her, "I'm sure he's fine. Do you want me to drive you down there?" Lilly nodded, "Come on, my car's in Chicago but,"

"Here," Lilly handed her the keys to her BMW, "I would drive but, I'm scared I'll,"

"It's fine," Theresa nodded, "Really."

"You're like way too sweet," Lilly giggled, as they drove, "You're doing all this after I spent the past few months trying to steal your boyfriend. I did just about everything but climb on top of him naked, he's a rock."

"He's great," Theresa smiled, "and I've done the family crisis thing a few times, I get how freaky it can be."

"God what if something happens to him?" Lilly sighed, "He's the only one who gives a shit you know? He always wanted to look out for me, in his screwed up way."

"I know," Theresa nodded. "He can take a punch, I know that much." Lilly laughed. "He'll be fine Lil."

"Ugh, let's just talk about something else," she smiled, "Nationals are coming up, are you freaked?"

"Totally," Theresa laughed, "God, can you believe we actually did it?"

"Not really," Lilly smiled, "It was mostly you. Don't tell any one I said that."

"I might throw it in your face one day," Re laughed, her phone started buzzing, "Hold that thought," she looked down, and confused saw Deena's name, "Hey Dee."

"Where are you?" Deena said, "The four of us were supposed to go for pizza, to celebrate my ungrounding."

"Oh I totally blanked I'm sorry!" She sighed, "Look, I can't make it I'm driving Lilly to the hospital."

"She fall off the pyramid or something?" Dee snickered.

"Andy's hurt," Theresa explained, "She needed a ride."

"Is he OK?" Deena gasped, even if the past few years had been rocky, growing up Andy had been like a second older brother. "I mean Andy's, he's,"

"Dee, I know," Theresa nodded, "We don't know anything yet, I'll call you when we do OK?"

"Tell her to call Julian," Lilly said, "If something's wrong, he'll want to know," Theresa nodded.

"Lilly says to call Julian," Theresa said.

"When you guys know the deal I will," Dee nodded, "He'll just get all panicked, if something's really wrong he'll be on the next plane."

"OK," Theresa nodded, "I have to go, apologize to the guys."

"I will, bye," Deena hung up. Theresa sighed and stared at the road, while Lilly closed her eyes.

"Re," Lilly said quietly, "Thanks."

"No problem," Theresa said, "Like I said, I get it."

"I'm sure he's fine Dee," Ryan said as she drove him home, she nodded. She had been quiet all through pizza.

"I know, it's just," she sighed, "I mean, it's Andy, they were attached at the hip for so long, I mean, it's been years, but I keep remembering when we were little and he would come over and pull quarters out my ears." She laughed. Ryan smiled. "It was all crap like that you know? He and Julian used to take me out on the pond."

"I remember him from then," he nodded, "What happened?"

"High School," she shrugged, "I mean, after Kitty and Julian got together they were never the same, and then the Lexi stuff, and the Danny stuff, it's really impossible to trace."

"It sounds more complicated than your parents," he nodded, "Did you call Julian?"

"I don't want to worry him," she shook her head, "Until I know what's happening. I know him, and he'll hop a plane here as soon as he hears anything and he doesn't have time to do that unless its serious. Not to mention Kitty's wrath will be unspeakable if he just gets on a plane to see Andy Powell, and he doesn't need that right now."

"Call him," Ryan took her phone, found Julian pressed send, "I know you want to."

"You know, sometimes it sucks that you know me so well," she sighed taking the phone.

"Hey Dee, what's going on?" Julian smiled. "Two days in a row, a lot has to be going on."

"Julian, Andy's hurt," she said. "I don't know any details, but he's in the hospital and Theresa's taking Lilly down there, and I thought you'd want to know."

"Is it serious?" She could hear him panicking, "Is he going to be OK? I'm going to the airport. Shit, the last time I saw him," he exhaled.

"Julian!" She cut him off. "Don't come here! You don't have time,"

"Dee, its Andy, I have to," he sighed, "He would." She smiled, it was true.

"Don't come alone," She said, "Bring Kitty," she heard him sniff.

"I think I have a better idea," He said, "I'll see you soon OK squirt."

"OK," she hung up, "I knew it, he's coming."

"Remind me why we're here?" Lexi said as they walked into the hospital.

"Because it's Andy," Julian said, "Come on Lex, I know you want to know that he's alright."

"Julian!" He heard Theresa exclaim and run to him and hug him. "Lexi?" She looked confused, Lexi shrugged.

"Re, is everything OK?" Julian asked.

"He's fine," she rolled her eyes, "The idiot fell down the stairs and broke his leg in three places, he was knocked out for a while, but he's fine now."

"And you're still here because?" Lexi asked.

"While Lilly Powell is not necessarily my favorite person alive," Theresa explained, "Stealing her Beemer isn't exactly my idea of fun. You guys want to come see him?"

"I was so worried," Lilly was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed hugging Andy, he laughed. "Don't laugh! It's not funny!"

"No, I'm laughing at the prospect that you have actual feelings," He smiled, she whacked him in the shoulder, "Thanks for coming down Lillian."

"Like I'd leave you Andrew," she smiled, she looked over, and saw Julian and Lexi standing in the door. "I'll go." She stood up and hugged Julian.

"Wow," he said, "I should get hurt more often, how long's it been Banksie?" Julian laughed and sat down. "Why'd you come?"

"Because Deena didn't know how serious it was," he laughed, "I didn't like to think that something was really wrong and I was sitting on my ass in New Jersey while my best friend was dying."

"And you?" He said softly looking over at Lexi.

"About the same," she sighed and sat down, "We tried to get Kitty to come, but she's busy, with the wedding and everything. You had us worried Powell."

"Lex, I'm sorry, about," she shook her head cutting him off.

"Forget it," she said, "It's fine, really. So you fell down the stairs you moron?"

"I was shocked into it," he laughed, "My ex girlfriend, the one who I had just broken up with when I so wonderfully revealed my feelings to you showed up."

"An angry ex made you fall down the stairs?" Julian asked confused.

"A pregnant angry ex," Andy held up a finger. "I'm gonna be a daddy."

"Oh dear God!" Lexi put her hand over her mouth, and stood up and walked out, gasping for air.

"She's upset," Andy nodded.

"Well, she did think she was pregnant with your kid for a week," Julian nodded, "Are you going to marry her?"

"No," he shook his head, "We broke up for all the right reasons, I'll be there for the kid though."

"So what, it's been four years right?" Julian sighed. "A lot happened."

"Yeah," Andy said, "Do you have a best man yet?" Julian looked down. "Danny Portman right?" He nodded. "Should have figured."

"It's just well," Julian sighed, "I'm not so sure how happy Kitty would be if I asked you."

"She'd kill you," Andy smiled, "How long are you staying."

"Just the night," Julian shrugged, "Spend some time with Dee and my parents, maybe go see Coach." Andy nodded.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Not good man," Julian shook his head, "She just sort of exists you know, it's sad. When you told her, did you mean it?"

"I don't know," he shook his head, "Probably not, I always did care about her though, even when I pretended it was just about the sex. Talk about your blown opportunities, God she's fantastic."

"Hey," Julian walked out later and saw Lexi standing in a doorway, her hand still covering her mouth gently crying. "What's going on?"

"It's not fair," she said, "It's not fair that he gets to have a kid! It's not fair that everyone gets a life but me. You and Kitty are getting married, Danny has a girlfriend and he's graduating college, Andy Powell is going to be a father! What the hell do I have?" She sighed. "That could have been my kid Julian."

"Six years ago," Julian sighed, "When neither of you were anywhere near ready for it, shit, he's still probably not ready," She laughed, "And you have us right? And Danny, you're always going to have Danny."

"I don't know how much longer I'll have Danny," she shook her head. "I wanted to push him away, and I'm pretty sure I did."

"He'll come back," Julian hugged her, "He will, he's a Portman, they tend to do that." She laughed.

Late that night Theresa wandered to the dorm pretty late, and as she approached she saw Dom sitting outside having a cigarette.

"I thought you promised me you'd quit," she sat down next to him. He laughed.

"I know," he said, "It's the last one I swear."

"Yeah yeah," she rolled her eyes, and lowered her head onto his shoulder. He kissed her hair.

"How'd you get back?" He asked.

"Lexi and Julian," she shrugged, "They came, the nut jobs." She sighed.

"To paraphrase Ryan," Dom laughed, "You're all nut jobs." She laughed. "That was nice of you."

"I've been there," She said, "That panicky feeling when you don't know what's going to happen next. I hated it, and there was a time when Andy was really important to Kitty and to Julian, so there's that."

"Still," He kissed her, "You didn't have to take her down there, especially after,"

"She did everything but climb on top of you naked?" She laughed. "She's highly impressed by your resistance skills."

"It's just that I've only got one girl on my mind," He started kissing her.

"Do you want to come up?" She whispered.

"Mm, yes I do," he said, "But do you really want me to?"

"Can't we just sort of be together?" She asked, "Without it going to that?"

"You want to sleep together," he laughed, "like literally sleep together."

"I think it would be nice," she smiled, "Please?"

"OK," he nodded and kissed her. "I would love to sleep with you Theresa." She smiled and they walked up softly holding hands.

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