Thanks for all the reviews! They mean a lot. And don't worry Jeremy's punishment isn't over yet. Please keep reviewing! And sorry for the long time between updates. Homework is rough. I'll try to get better! Anyways here's the next chapter enjoy!

Chapter Nine: You Promised

Claudia Joy paced the waiting room. They had rushed Denise into the OR as she hung on to life by a thread. Michael was on his way. He had promised to call Frank and then come over. Claudia Joy finally sat down not trusting her legs to hold her up for much longer. She had found her. Everyone told her Denise was dead. Everyone believed it. Even she had believed it. The past couple days had been hell on earth. Her best friend had died. Claudia Joy had to face the world without her. She thought she would never be able to go to her for comfort or just comfortable friendship again. Suddenly Claudia Joy's eyes felt heavy. She hadn't realized just how tired she was until now. She hadn't slept very well lately. Deciding to just rest her eyes she laid her head back and fell asleep.

Denise slowly became aware of her surroundings. She wasn't cold anymore but the pain was still strong. Had she made it? Had Claudia Joy really found her in the woods? Or had that been a cruel trick her mind had played on her? She struggled to open her eyes but felt them become even heavier. Slowly she drifted into a painful slumber.

"Denise?! Denise?!" Claudia Joy was running through the woods searching for her best friend. She was alive she had to be. She saw something in the distance and ran towards it. But the farther she ran the farther away the figure got.

Denise awoke the feeling of pain and the cold making her take in a sharp breath. She looked around and realized she was still in the forest. It had all been a dream. Tears ran down Denise's face as she realized that Claudia Joy had not come to save her. Her mind really had been playing cruel tricks on her. She tried to stand done wallowing in self pity. It hurt like hell but she would manage. She heard someone call her name again and recognized the voice of Claudia Joy. But she knew it wasn't real. Denise felt her strength fading. All she wanted to do was close her eyes.

A doctor in blue scrubs worked quickly but cautiously on this poor woman. He was stitching up her leg but was afraid that no matter what he did it was only delaying the inevitable. Denise Sherwood had lost a lot of blood. She was dehydrated and well she was simply tired. How she had even survived this far was a miracle. She shouldn't have even survived the car crash. He heard the monitors beep as his nurse panicked.

"Doctor BP is dropping. What should we do?" Although his nurse was panicked he kept a calm demeanor.

"We keep working. All we can do is patch her up. She has to have the will to survive."

"And if she doesn't? What do we tell Claudia Joy Holden out there and everyone else who loves her?" The Doctor looked at his nurse with sad eyes.

"We tell them she's gone. This is a harsh business. No matter how hard I want to save Denise Sherwood doesn't matter. How much she wants to live is what matters. You hear me Denise?" The doctor asked looking at Denise. "You have to want to live. Do you?"

Denise heard him loud and clear. She wasn't sure what he meant but it forced her to open her to continue walking. She saw someone running towards her and stopped. Her heart had slowed and her breathing was labored. Denise knew she was dying and she was so tired of fighting.

"Denise!" Claudia Joy called to her friend. Denise was fading she knew it. She didn't know how she knew but she did. If only she could get to her. But she was powerless. Denise had to want to live she had to fight or Claudia Joy couldn't get to her. "Denise you can't give up." Claudia Joy felt a jolt and was brought back to reality. Her eyes opened and she was back in the hospital. Michael was sitting beside her reading a magazine.

"Hey, how are you?" He asked concern in his eyes. She looked at him then stood up.

"I have to get to her" Michael stood up and grabbed her arm.

"Honey I know you want to be there for Denise but right now you need to let the doctors help her."

"They can't" Michael let go of her arm. There was no emotion in her voice. She was walking slowly to the OR where Denise was when Michael finally came to his senses. He followed her in and saw the doctor look at him with a look or remorse in his eyes.

"Doctor?" The doctor shook his head sadly.

"She's alive for now. We don't expect her to last through the next hour."

"No she will make it. She wouldn't have come this far to just give up" Claudia Joy said the emotion returning to her voice in full.

"Ma'am she shouldn't have survived the car crash. And then to be in the woods for that long with no food no water and life threatening injuries it's simply a miracle. But miracles or not there is only so much the human body can take." Claudia Joy felt Michael wrap his arms around her shoulders and she turned into her embrace. "I don't mean to be harsh. But you need to face this. You need to understand this is out of anybody's hands. I can't help her anymore than I have. I'm not even sure she can help herself at this point. Well I'm sorry. I'll leave you with the patient." He left looking once more at the patient he wished he could help. It was the hardest part of the job.

Denise listened for voices but she heard nothing. She was alone and scared. She felt a searing pain in her chest as she fell to the ground. Memories swarmed her mind trapping in its web…

"I love you so much." A young Frank said to a young Denise. They were sitting on the beach in their spot. The moon was full and the lake was peaceful. "I used to wonder what my purpose was in this life. I was a reckless boy who could care less about my life before I met you. I had nothing to come home to. But you changed that. You helped me to become a man who loves to wake up in the morning next to the most beautiful woman in the world. You are light and kindness. You brighten the world. You brighten the lives of everyone you meet. I fight for you and everything you stand for. You breathed new life into me. You have made me so happy and I want to make you happy. I don't ever want to know a day that you're not in. I know this won't be easy but whether we are in the same bed or different countries when I'm on tour it doesn't matter. Our love is so strong it will stand the trials of life. Denise would you marry me?" Denise smiled though her tears. No one had ever said anything so beautiful to her in her whole life. Frank had a hard time expressing his feelings which made this even more wonderful.

"Of course I will marry you" Frank smiled and slipped the ring on her finger. Denise looked at it smiling then kissed her soon to be husband…

"MOMMY!!! Come and find me" three year old Jeremy giggled. Denise scanned the room knowing full well her son was under the blanket on the couch.

"Hmmm I don't know I'm kind of tired maybe I'll just take a nap" Denise laid out on the couch her head on the blanket. She heard Jeremy giggle. "Is my blanket giggling?" Denise asked in a mock confused voice. The 'blanket' giggled again before Denise swooped down on it tickling Jeremy until he shrieked in laughter.

"Mommy it's me its Jeremy" He jumped out of the blanket and settled himself on Denise's lap.

"Jeremy there you are I thought you were hiding" Jeremy giggled and laid his head on her chest.

"You're silly mommy" Denise smiled and ruffled his light brown hair. His big brown eyes looked at her the laughter still shining through. "Mommy I wanna dance" Denise stood up pulling Jeremy with her shifting him to her hip.

"You want to dance huh?"

"Dance mommy dance!" Jeremy squealed in childish delight…

Denise walked into the extravagant yard clutching her invitation tightly in her hand. It was her first week on the new post and she had been invited to a tea party. She had been to enough to know it was going to be boring. An older woman walked up to her followed by a young woman about Denise's age. She had long dark hair and the same 'I don't want to be here' expression on the Denise did.

"Denise Sherwood so glad you could make it. My name is Dorothy welcome to my home. This is Claudia Joy Holden. She moved in last year. Denise you have a little boy abut eight years old right?" Denise nodded. "Well Claudia Joy has a little girl about that age. So you tow should have lots to talk about. Excuse me" Both women smiled at the kind old woman than looked uncomfortably at each other.

"Hi I'm Denise Sherwood" Denise said extending her hand.

"Claudia Joy Holden" Claudia Joy took Denise's hand and smiled…

"So Denise you've lived in one post or another your whole live?" Roxy asked astonished. Denise nodded.

"My father was in the army until he retired a little while after Frank and I got married. He was so happy when I told him I was marrying a soldier. In his mind that was the worthiest man for his daughter. That was until he actually met Frank. Now he's living the good life in Florida with my mother."

"He didn't like Frank?" Pam laughed knowing it was common for a father to not like his daughters husband but it was still funny to hear the fathers' reasons.

"Frank was a little different back then. We met when he came into the ER with a broken arm and leg. But he was happy as can be. He told me he just won a bet with his buddies that he could jump off a water tower and live." The room erupted with laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me" Roxy said through her laughter.

"I swear it he had his buddies and the prize money to prove it. I told him he was the most foolish man I had ever met. And he looked at me and he said I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met."

"Awe" The girls said in unison. Denise smiled…

"Yea I'm good. I think I'm going to just watch some TV maybe take a nap. Oh and mom do you know why Mr. Holden wants to see me?" Denise's heart sped up. She tried to keep the fear and nervousness out of her voice but failed miserably.

"No w-why would I know why? Maybe he just wants to talk to you to see how you're doing. He promised your father he would look out for us when he was gone so I'm sure that's all." Jeremy's eyes darkened.

"You told him didn't you?" he asked grabbing her arms hard.

"Ow" Denise yelled out at the sudden pain. "No I didn't tell him"

"Then you told Claudia Joy and she told him. Who do you think you are? Just because I don't want to go to West Point you're going to betray me?"

"No I wasn't-"

"Shut up!" Jeremy yelled covering her mouth with his hand and pushing her against the wall. "I don't want to hurt you but you make me. If you would just stop doing stupid stuff like this then I wouldn't get so angry and loose my temper!"…

"Who hurt you?" Denise looked her friend in the eye trying not to cry. She looked away in shame. "Denise I will never pass judgment on you. The only person at fault here is whoever hurt you. You are my best friend and I am here for whatever you need. Please tell me who hurt you?"

"I'd like to know that too." Michael's voice sounded from the door way. "You're husband isn't here to protect you right now. Let me fill in for him until he gets back." Denise nodded and let a tear slip from her blue eyes.

"Jeremy" she whispered. Claudia Joy could barely hear her but when she did she took Denise into her arms. Feeling the warmth and comfort of her best friend's arms she let out a sob…

Denise finally forced her mind to stop remembering her life. It was too awful to relive all those moments. Maybe it was better to just let go. She was tired and she was hurting. It would be so much easier to just let go.

Headlights blurred her vision for a second before they turned off their high beams. She saw the car swerving to the left than the right, slowing down than speeding up. She decided it was better if she just got out of these peoples way. But before she could do that the car swerved hard leaving no time for Denise to react. The cars hit head on sending both flying in different directions. Denise's car flipped several times before finally landing and exploding into flames…

Denise shut her eyes tight trying not to remember that awful night. She tried hard to block out the feeling of the pavement under her broken body…

Denise opened her eyes and looked around. Her car was a little ways off and on fire. She felt the pain in her leg and in her chest. She felt like she was dying. No not yet. She couldn't die yet. She had to get to Frank. She looked up and saw she was lying under the sign that marked the way to her destination. She pulled herself up and made her way into the forest…

Claudia Joy sat in the chair holding Denise's hand tightly. She couldn't die yet. She hadn't come so far only to give up now. Michael came over and said something about getting coffee but she didn't really hear him. Once he was gone she turned to Denise.

"Open your eyes please. You can't leave yet I still need you. Frank needs you, Jeremy needs you. It is not your time to die!" Claudia Joy shouted through her tears still holding on to Denise's hand. She kissed Denise on her forehead her tears spilling onto Denise's face. "Open your eyes!! Please. You promised you would always be here." When she got no response Claudia Joy hung her head in devastation.

"I always keep my promises" Claudia Joy picked her head up and almost laughed. Denise was looking at her awake and alive.