The darkness was all around her but she couldn't open her eyes!

"Mac?" she called out but no one responded, the nurses didn't rush to exchange her worry to relief, no one cared.

Her fist clenched and she felt the tears spring forming behind her closed eyes.

"Mac!" she cried out, but still on one heard her cries.

She hoped for anyone to hear her and for someone to hold her hand and help her escape from the darkness into the light.

The tiny hand reached out and touched her chest,

"Karri." The little girl whimpered.

Kaori smiled and saw the light creep up towards her.

"Chloe." Kaori smiled and then she felt secure, she knew she didn't have to see to know that her baby was there.

The little girl crawled up onto her and snuggled herself into Kaori's arms.

Mac stood in the doorway, trying desperately to hold back the tears, she couldn't be blind; she would never see her baby grow up. He just hoped that Kaori's eyes were able heal themselves and quickly to.

"Kaori…" Mac whispered, barely able to look at her without crying.

For awhile he just stood there watching his wife lying on the bed with her baby curled up in her arms, he really just couldn't imagine life without her beautiful alive eyes looking into his, her amazing hazel orbs dancing about like leaves in the wind.

He silently sat down beside her and gave a sad glance, he knew that he could pull all the faces in the world but she would never see them.

How had the glass stopped her sight?

The nurse had explained it, by saying she turned around and the glass shatters had covered her eyes completely and that her head was cut. A large gash had made its way across her forehead but she still looked beautiful to Mac.

His hand grabbed hers and she smiled but didn't move her head.

"Mac?"

"I'm here for you Kaori." Mac whispered.

"I'm so scared." Kaori whimpered and Chloe hugged her mother tighter.

"It's okay, everything will be alright." Mac tried to calm her.

"How can it be okay?! I'm BLIND!" Kaori exploded.

"I'm sure the doctors will find a solution, you'll be cured." Mac convinced himself more than her.

"I can't see you; I can't even see my baby! I'm a mother and I can't look after her if I can't see her!" Kaori cried.

"Hey, I'm here. Don't you dare think you're alone in this!" Mac grabbed her hand tighter, the more she felt him, the less worried she might be.

The nurse then wondered in, not the least bit worried if he interrupted a family moment, his job was more important.

"Excuse me but it is time for her check up and for some healing to that gash on her head." He told them.

Mac grabbed Chloe off Kaori but Chloe had glued herself to her mother and wasn't letting go without a fight.

"Karri!" Chloe squealed.

Kaori just laid there crying, she hated the sound of her own daughter crying out for her, she couldn't be there for Chloe and she then knew she couldn't be there for anyone, the only thing that she could help people with is her increased sense of hearing. She could hear the heartbeats of those around her, the tiny drumming of Chloe's to the stable heart of the doctors.

Mac's was beating hard and fast, obviously filled with fear and sadness. He was never going to be able to show Kaori new tricks if she couldn't see them. Heck, she won't be able to snowboard anymore! Well, not that she had in awhile, looking after Chloe. Usually Mac went out to board and brought home the cash, but now he's gonna have to hire a nanny or something.

Suddenly a horrible thought came into his head but at first it didn't seem so bad, what if he hired a hot nanny and it'd be cool because Kaori wouldn't know if she was hot or not, then there is more of a chance that she won't see them exchanging deals….

Mac shook his head, where the hell had that thought come from?

He wasn't going to hire a hot nanny so he'd go behind Kaori's back to trade saliva with her! NO!

Holding Chloe crying softly in his arms he thought that his daughter deserved better than to have a dad that cheated on his wife with the nanny, he knew that Chloe would have a great life, even if her mother was blind.

She'd grow up with tons of friends and she'd always have fun here on the SSX tour.

He walked outside the door and left Kaori crying while the doctors examined her.

"Come on Chloe, it's time we went home." Mac whispered.

Chloe nodded and cuddled into his arms.

The night was horrible for Kaori, she kept hearing the many heartbeats of the staff, and the patients beside her had slow and faint heartbeats, one of them stopped.

She winced and started to cry, she didn't want to think about what life would be like if she left Mac and Chloe alone in the world!

She knew that the people beside her were sleeping and she frowned, she had to get out of here! Her instincts as a mother were urging her to be with her child, it wasn't she didn't trust Mac, it was that she needed to be with little Chloe.

She sat up in her bed, pulled herself out of the bed, sensing it was night she crawled out of the room, still with the bandages around her eyes. The doctors had wanted a full recovery for her scars but her eyes weren't gonna magically make her see again.

She didn't hear anyone down the hallway, and she made her way down the stairs, holding onto the rails. She knew it was easier to use a ramp but the stairs were closer to the exit…closer to home.

It seemed almost too quite in the hallways, all the patients were either asleep or in a coma.

For Kaori, getting around without seeing was easier than expected, her ears had greatly increased in sense and she had heard footsteps but they were from a distance and then she heard the automatic doors to the hospital entrance, finally she was closer.

She walked out down the ramp, feeling the cold air freeze her legs and she remembered that she wasn't wearing much, just her hospital gown and some loose pants along with some slippers.

The street was very noisy compared to inside the hospital, which was very surprising considering that most of the patients were throwing up blood or screaming from unbearable pain.

Aside from a couple of cars, the streets were silent.

She walked along the concrete footpath with the chill crawling up her legs and back.

"I'm nearly home Chloe. Don't worry my child, mommy's here for you." She muttered

Without knowing it or seeing it she walked along the footpath and down a side street but it was more a dark alley than anything.

Walking down it, still without her sight, she felt uneasy.

Where was she?

All her bravery that she had a couple minutes ago just vanished and was overtaken by fear, she had no idea where she was and what was going to happen.

The faint sound of sneakers tapping the floor made her feel really scared, was someone here?

"Hello?" She called out but the footsteps only came closer.

"Is someone there?" she called out again.

This time she heard a snigger and she became more frightened.

Now she heard more footsteps, there were more of them…

The laughing came closer and Kaori knew it was a gang of thugs or a group of boys looking for some action in the silent suburban streets.

"Hey, look, we got ourselves a lost kitty cat." One of the boys laughed.

Kaori stood her ground, knowing if she showed that she was scared, they would take advantage of it so she dared not show her sweat of fear trickle down her cheek.

"I'm not lost." Kaori's voice defied her and showed her fear, the stuttering that meant that she was scared.

She heard the voices and guessed there were at least five of them there. Surrounding her and not letting her just pass by.

"Sure your not, little kitty, meow." One of them tormented.

She tried not to show her frown.

One of the boys stood closer to her.

"Whoa, little kitty can't see! Blind kitty." The boy behind her taunted.

"Leave me alone." Kaori managed to say without a tone in her voice be heard.

"Oh, Kitty not so playful? Kitty needs a spanking." The first boy laughed.

Kaori had an idea what they wanted to do but she was going to get out of it, without getting hurt.

"Mac." She whispered without realising it.

Suddenly she felt pain down in her gut, had he just struck her?

She folded in two on the floor.

"This kitty doesn't fight back, she's no fun. Let's go somewhere else." The boy said to the others.

The first boy walked closer to Kaori, who resisted the tears swelling up, even though she was blind, she could still cry.

He knelt down and picked her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked very politely.

Kaori didn't know if he was being nice or this was some kind of trick.

She slowly nodded her head.

The boy smiled and then he waved to his mates. They smiled and walked around her and then they all came closer to her.

"That's good kitty, don't want you to get hurt…much." The last word was delayed for a reason and Kaori felt the fist smash into her face.

The pain was instant but not lingering, in two seconds it was as if her face had gone numb from the shock.

Being blind made it incredibly difficult to manage to avoid hits.

Before she knew it, almost all of them were on her, jamming their fists into her, each pounding her like a hammer.

It was enough to send her into tears, they leaked through the bandages and she cried out Mac's name.

The longest tow minutes of her life were killing her, more bruises would have covered old ones and it hurt like hell.

She tried her best to scream out for help but her mouth had swollen up from a nasty bruise on her cheek, all that came out was a whimper.

Suddenly, they stopped.

Kaori's ears were still raging with pain but she could still hear them scatter around her.

"Hey what the…?" The first boy had commented.

She heard another pair of footsteps come close to the boy and she felt the ground welcome him with a gravitational hug.

The new pair of feet were kicking and hurting all the boys and Kaori wondered if it was the police.

"Dude, what's with him?" one of the other boys called out before his voice became distant as he ran off.

The footsteps were still for a moment before the owner made a sigh.

Kaori was still lying on the ground covered in bruises and was bleeding on her arm, from where a boy had scratched her with something sharp in the process of her beating.

The hands of the owner held her like a fireman and her heart still raced.

Gently and slowly she raised her hand up and her fingers touched skin, the soft, warm, smooth manly skin, Kaori felt her heart race again.

She felt the body come closer to her and the lips of the mysterious man came down onto hers, the familiar touch and the warmth of the lips made Kaori know exactly who it was.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Are you okay?" Mac whispered back with a gentle hand gliding across her bruised face.

"Who were they?" She could barely talk but she had to ask.

"Just some pathetic gang members, thinking they can go around and beating up poor defenceless women." Mac explained in a soft voice. He didn't want to speak loud and ruin the moment, besides, he knew Kaori's hearing had improved so speaking loudly would seem like he was screaming at her.

"I'm so glad you're here." Kaori cried.

"I love you Kaori, I'd always be here for you, remember?" Mac said into her ear.

"Where's Chloe?" Kaori asked.

"Shh, its okay, I left her with Gabriella. I wanted to have the night to myself but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was on my way to meet you but I saw those guys beating up a young woman and I had to stop them. I'm glad I did. I didn't know it was you until they had gone.

I'm sorry." Mac bowed his head and his bangs rested on her bandages.

"Nothing to be sorry for, I'm the one thanking you for saving me, yet again." Kaori told him.

Mac hugged her tightly and Kaori wrapped her arms tightly around him too.

"C'mon, we have to go back to the hospital to treat all those bruises." Mac said.

Kaori nodded.

Awkwardly and slowly they walked and limped back to the hospital and then Kaori was back on the bed, still hearing the heartbeats and the wind from the outside the window.

Mac sat down beside her and squeezed her hand.

"Your sight is going to be fixed, you're in for the eye operation tomorrow, you'll be able to see again!" Mac said in happiness.

Kaori smiled, she couldn't wait until then.

To be able to see again would be heaven; she wanted so much to see Mac and Chloe again, being a family again.

She wouldn't change it for the world.