A/N: Thanks to everyone for your feedback! This chapter took a bit longer because I was reworking it a lot. Having my mom in the hospital this week (thankfully, not for an emergency) got my writer's brain going.

"That was someone from Scripps Hospital... My dad had a heart attack."

There was absolute silence in the kitchen for what seemed like forever. And then all of the kids started talking at once.

"When?"

"What happened?"

"Is Grandpa going to be okay?"

"Can we go see him?"

Lena looked over at her wife, who appeared to still be in shock. She wasn't sure what Stef would want to do, given their earlier conversation about Frank. As the silence continued, Callie decided to take the lead. "Get shoes on," she told Jude, and Jesus followed him. "Let's put everything in the fridge," she added for Mariana. Brandon started getting out plastic containers and aluminum foil.

Lena grabbed Stef's arm and pulled her to the corner of the kitchen. "Are you okay?" she softly asked. Stef shook her head. "Are you okay with going to the hospital?"

"Yeah, we should go." She started looking around for her keys, but Lena grabbed them off the counter.

"You're not driving," she told her wife. There was no way Lena was going to let her get behind the wheel considering how out of it she currently seemed.

Stef just nodded. "Okay."

The ride to the hospital was tense and quiet. Stef seemed to come back to herself a bit along the way. Once they got to the emergency room and checked in at the desk, they found out that Frank was about to go in for surgery, but Stef could briefly see him beforehand. She quickly agreed; a few hours earlier, she'd been angry enough to cut her father out of her life. But now that there was a very real threat of losing him permanently… Her world had gone into a tailspin.

Frank was in a little curtained off section of the ER, and Stef froze when she saw him. He was pale and breathing laboriously despite the oxygen line that snaked under his nose. When she took his left hand in both of hers, his eyes fluttered open.

"Stef?" he wheezed.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm right here. You're going to be okay." Frank gave a little cough and mumbled something that she couldn't understand. "What?"

"You were right," he managed to get out on the second try. "I… I should have…" he took a few raspy breaths, "Taken better care… of myself."

"Shush," she told him. "You're going to be fine."

But he wasn't done. "You… you were right… about a lot of things… And I was wrong."

Stef shook her head. "Dad, it's okay. You don't have to do this right now. Just rest."

"I don't… don't know if... I'll get to do it later," he countered. "I was so afraid…"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Shh, Daddy. You'll be fine."

"So afraid that I wouldn't… get to talk to you again," he persisted. "My wonderful daughter… I may… I may figure things out… slower than you'd like… but I've always loved you, Stefanie... I'm in awe of... of what you've done... for those children... One day I… I hope I can earn back… your love a-and respect."

Stef bent over and kissed his forehead. "I've always loved you, Dad."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Me, too."

For a moment, Frank choked on his words again, and Stef was about to push the button to call for a nurse. "I want…" he finally managed, but then his voice disappeared.

"What? What do you want?"

"Want to go with you... Rally... Pride."

Stef was confused for a moment. "You - you mean you want to go with us to the rally during Pride Weekend?"

Frank nodded. "Maybe I… I'll learn something… And I… support... my grandson. Better than... with you." He began coughing roughly, and one of the monitors started to beep repeatedly.

"We'd love for you to come," Stef assured him as she pressed the call button. "But you've got to hang on for that, okay? Daddy, please, you've gotta hang on."

A couple nurses ran in and started checking the monitors. "You're going to need to return to the waiting area," one of them told Stef.

"What's happening to him?" she wondered as she was forced to release her father's hand and step back.

"We have to get him into surgery immediately. Please return to the waiting area; someone will come talk to know when we know something."

The scene in the waiting room was all too familiar. Lena wished she had five arms; all of the kids looked like they needed hugs. Brandon and Mariana had ended up being in the seats on either side of her, while Callie, Jude, and Jesus sat together across from them. Everyone was tense and anxious.

"I hate hospitals," Jesus muttered at one point.

Lena unwrapped her arm from around Mariana's shoulders in order to reach over and squeeze his hand. "I know, sweetheart. Me, too… Are you guys hungry?" she asked, realizing that they hadn't actually eaten dinner. "I think I've got some singles for the vending machines."

Callie shook her head when no one else responded. "We're fine."

"Mom's been gone a while," Brandon pointed out. "Do you think that means Grandpa's doing really bad?"

"I don't know," Lena admitted. "I'm sure she'll tell us what's going on when she comes back."

Jude reached over and put a hand on his foster brother's knee. "He'll be okay," he told Brandon, trying to echo the comfort that his foster siblings had given him when Callie was missing. "He has to get better, right?"

Brandon tried to force a little smile. "Right."

Stef came down the hallway toward them, and Brandon instantly got to his feet when he saw her. "How is he?" he asked his mother. Everyone else also got up.

"Um… He was awake and talking… They had to take him in for surgery."

"Do the doctors think he'll be okay?" Jesus wondered.

"They… they're doing the best they can," was all Stef finally said. There was no reason to scare the kids unnecessarily. And if she didn't think about the worst case scenario, then maybe it couldn't happen.

"I called Mike," Lena softly told her wife. "He said he could help out with the kids as needed so I can stay with you."

Stef nodded. "Thanks… Oh, I should call my mom and let her know. I'll be back." She pulled out her phone and headed outside to use it.

Lena looked to their kids. "Everybody stay here; we'll be back," she told them before following her wife.

Just outside the door, Stef was leaning against the wall with her hand over her face. Lena instantly went to wrap her arms around her, but she moved away. "I'm fine," Stef protested.

"It's just me," Lena told her. "You don't have to pretend anymore." And after a moment's hesitation, Stef just crumbled. Lena held her close and they stayed together in silence for a long minute.

"I scared he's not going to make it," Stef finally whispered.

"What did the doctors say?"

"They're not sure."

"You said that he's in surgery, right? So there's still hope?"

Stef nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah. That's what I keep telling myself over and over so I can stay functional for the kids, but - "

"Let me worry about the kids. You don't have to worry about anybody but Frank."

Stef took a deep breath. Depending on other people didn't come easy for her, but she knew that she could lean on her wife. "Okay."

"Do you want me to call your mom, or are you okay?"

Stef shook her head. "I'm okay… Thank you."

Lena gave her a small smile. "That's what I'm here for."

Calling Sharon wasn't easy. Even though Stef's parents had divorced years earlier, they still cared about each other. It was even later at night in Florida than it was in California and Sharon had first gone from sleepy confusion to unmasked concern. The fact that the doctors were uncertain about Frank's prognosis didn't help.

"I'll get on the first flight in the morning," she promised her daughter. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Lena and I can help with the plane ticket," Stef offered. She knew it was a lot for her mom to make another cross-country trip so soon.

"Nonsense. You've got my five grandbabies to feed and clothe."

"Are you sure?"

She could almost hear her mother rolling her eyes. "Yes, Stefanie."

"Well, we'll come get you from the airport at least."

"No, I'll take a cab. Your father needs you more."

Stef bit her lip in a futile attempt to hold back tears. "I fought with him, Mom," she finally admitted. "And I said some pretty horrible things."

"He probably had it coming," Sharon replied.

"What if he…"

"Your father can't die. The devil wouldn't want the competition; he'd throw him right back."

Stef cracked a smile at that mental picture. "That's terrible, Mom."

"Mmm. What did you fight about?"

"Me. Lena. Our family. I've just wanted him to accept us. I know I said before that I didn't care what he thought, but..."

"But he's your Daddy."

"Yeah... I talked to him before they took him in for surgery... It seems like things are different now, but what if we don't get a chance to find out?"

"Oh, Stef. You will. Frank's too stubborn to leave you now."

She sniffled. "I hope so... I guess I should get back; Lena's with all the kids and I bet they're not doing so well."

"Don't forget to take care of yourself, too."

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight. I love you, baby girl."

"Love you, too, Mom."

Stef headed back inside, and took a seat next to Brandon. Jude got up from his place next to Callie and sat on her other side. He twined their fingers together and offered a little smile. Stef had to admit that cuddling with the boys made her feel a bit better.

After about two hours, the kids were getting sleepy, but didn't want to go home yet. Finally, Lena wasn't leaving the issue up for debate anymore. "Here," she told Brandon as she gave him the keys to the car. "Take everyone home, please, and all of you get some sleep. Mari, can you pick out some clothes for Mom and I for the morning?"

"Okay."

The kids all took turns getting hugs from each of the moms and left. Lena moved over a seat to sit next to her wife and the two of them leaned against each other. "Thank you," Stef whispered at one point.

Lena wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "I'm here whenever you need me, babe."

A man in scrubs came into the waiting room, and both women looked up. Silence lingered for a long moment before Stef finally spoke up.

"How is he?"

TBC...

A/N: 2 I had to leave it there. Had to. But hopefully the next (and final) chapter will make up for having another cliffhanger.