The doctor came out three hours later.

"We have found out that the knife blade was covered in codeine." the doctor said. "She seems to be highly allergic to it. That's why we thought she was poisoned. But instead she has an allergic reaction. She is still a little dizzy but she will be able to go home in a couple of hours."

The doctor left and Justin turned to Leland. "Aren't you allergic to that too?"

Leland nodded then turned towards Duane Lee. "So you were right. Jimmy was coming after me. She was protecting me."

"She's pissed at you Leland." Duane Lee said. "She's not heartless."

Zandra walked out of her room with an angry sigh. "What is it with doctors! Geesh!"

"Miss Porter please you need to rest." The doctor said chasing her down.

"Then I'll rest at the hotel." Zandra demanded. "Cause there is no way you are putting that needle in me. Needles suck. They are shiny and pointy and scary. And pointy... Very pointy and very scary."

Zandra swayed a little but caught herself. The doctor rolled his eyes and looked at the Chapman family. They were all just smirking at him. He knew there was no winning.

"Ok you may go." the doctor said and Duane Lee quickly went to Zandra's side.

"Are you ok?" Duane Lee asked. Zandra pushed him away.

"I'm fine... A little light headed but fine." Zandra replied. "But I really should get back to the hotel."

"How about you stay at the house." Dog said with a smile. "Just till the dizziness stops."

Zandra just nodded. She allowed Duane Lee to walk next to her but not touch her. He took her to her car and put her in the passenger seat. She squirmed a little knowing that she couldn't drive. Justin climbed in the back and Duane Lee took off.

"So did you know the knife Jimmy had was poisoned?" Justin asked.

"No, but I did know he was going to go after Leland." Zandra replied. "He always used to say if he got caught it would be by Dog. But he wasn't going to go down without taking Leland out."

"So have you forgave him?" Duane Lee asked and Zandra rolled her eyes.

"No, but I'm willing to tell him hello and goodbye... Oh come on don't give me that look!" Zandra said as Duane Lee gave her a look that read give my brother a break. "I'll forgive him at my own speed."

"Well right now your doing it at the speed of a sloth." Justin teased.

XOXOXOXO

When Duane Lee was sure Zandra was sleeping he went down to the lining room were every one was waiting on him.

"She admitted that she knew Jimmy was going after Leland." Duane Lee said causing every one to look at him in surprise.

"How did she know?" Leland asked.

"Jimmy once told her that if he was ever going to get caught it would be by Dog, but he was going to take Leland out first." Justin said shaking his head. "What kind of people did she hang with back in Iowa?"

"Zandra hung out with every one." Adam replied. "There isn't a single group she hadn't hung out with. The low lifes, the pot heads, the goody goods, the bad asses."

"The Goths, the Skater punks, the Car freaks." Jonas added.

"The theater nerds, the jocks, The Christians, the Rockers, The morons." Adam went on and every one rolled their eyes to show they got the point. "You name it Zandra had been friends with them at one time."

"But the only ones she really stuck with were a group of misfits." Jonas said with smile. "Michelle Rupper a pastor's daughter, Duane Douglas the SI-Fi nerd, Brent the forth generation farm boy, Jessica Vinks the city cowgirl. Trent Sampson the city boy, and Leslie Herron the book worm. Then Zandra Porter the rebel small town royalty."

"They made a promise to never part." Adam said with smile. "That no matter what happened they would always be best friends. That no matter where their lives lead them they'd never desert each other."

"Every one says those things to their child hood best friends." Leland said. "But no one keeps them. Not that often any ways."

Jonas shook his head. "Yeah they were all child hood friends. But they didn't make that promise till their high school graduation day. They were the only ones in their class to stay friends since grade school."

"They were the coolest. When ever she came down to see us she brought one of them." Adam said shaking this head. "She even took us to see Duane play football. That's why its so up setting to her that none of them are talking to her. They said she broke her promise when she left them. She didn't even say goodbye. Tommy just came to her and said lets go to Hawaii and start a family. Zandra left with him that night and didn't tell any one goodbye but us. She called at the airport and said they had enough money to get there but not enough to come back. No one else knew till they called her about a week later. But what hurt her the most was that it took them a week to realize she wasn't there."

"She must have a lot of pain in her life." Beth said sounding very upset. She didn't like the fact that sweet little Zandra had so much pain in her life.

"She calls it the adoption curse. The day she was adopted there was a tornado right out side the hospital. Things have gone wrong since." Jonas replied. "When she was in third grade her Grandpa died because the ambulance went by his house twice. In sixth grade her best friend moved away then got hurt in a four-wheeler accenent."

"In seventh she rebelled against the world and the world rebelled back." Adam said sadly. "Her best friends were the Gothic punks. She got suspended for throwing her text book out the window and the teacher was so upset he had a heart attack. he retired that year. and he was her favorite teacher."

"In eight grade she ran away from home and two or three hours after she left the house was busted for drugs." Jonas said with a sigh. "Their were six kids in that house and four in the one next to it that got busted as well. all ten kids were her only friends in school. when they got sent away the kids she used to bully ganged up on her. Zandra won but it wasn't pretty."

"Her freshman year she was dating the first good guy she had ever dated. He was in a bike accident and was one of the people she took care of back in Iowa at the Place for the disabled." Adam said looking at his brother."

"Sophomore year was when She was in the wreck with JJ." Jonas said sadly.

"Junior year her cousin that she called her superman was murdered by his friends Ex-husband." Adam said. "Bryce had helped his friends serve divorce papers to her husband on Monday. Friday the ex-husband ran them off the road and shot both of them. Every one knew he did it. he admitted it to Zandra but the cops couldn't find any evidence of it. the guy is still at large."

"Senior year a young girl she baby sat for four years died of cancer. then her aunt got sick. her friends started to desert her because Michelle's boyfriend was abusive but Michelle wouldn't admit it and her other friends didnt believe her." Jonas said. "she almost died that year too. she had a black out spell and took a whole bottle of pain pills. her cat saved her when he woke up her parents. thats why you'll never see her take meds."

"Freshman year of college. her best friend Amanda ran away from home and came to stay with her at college." Adam said knowing it didnt sound that bad. but to Zandra it was the most stressful time of her life. "She then became known as the school slut. her parents made her transfer to a school closer to them."

"The next year she started a good job and everything started looking good." Jonas said with a smile. "THen the Eli thing happened. then she moved to Hawaii leaving all that stuff behind. i dont even know what has happened since she came here."

"No wonder she shelters herself so much." Jesse said sadly. "She cares so much for others that she's scared this so called curse will end up hurting them."

Adam and Jonas nodded. Duane lee stood up. Stretched and yawned.

"I think I'm going to hit the sack. This day has warn me out." he said walking up the stairs. Leland smirked over at Justin. He had a feeling Duane lee was going to see Zandra.

Duane lee walked into the room Zandra was staying in. He was surprised to see her awake.

"Hey, your supposed to be sleeping." Duane Lee whispered.

"couldn't. My head keeps spinning and when I lied down and it was making me icky feeling." Zandra replied. "What are you doing in here Mr. DL?"

"Checking up on you." Duane Lee said with a smile. Zandra patted the bed and moved over so he could sit next to her. He smiled and sat down. She then laid her head on his shoulder. Duane Lee hugged her closer to him.

"Are you happy?" Duane Lee asked and Zandra smiled.

"Yes." Zandra replied "I am happy. I have a family again."

"But other than that are you happy?" Duane Lee asked. "Are you happy with your job? Your home? Your life?"

"Duane Lee where are you getting all these questions from?" Zandra asked. Duane Lee shrugged and Zandra sighed. "To tell you the truth no. I though I'd be traveling the world as a nurse, helping those in poverty. Or that Eli and I would be married with a couple of kids. And every one I loved back in Iowa still talked to me. So to answer your question its a maybe. I could be happy if I just let my past be just that... My past."

Duane Lee moved her chin up so she was looking up at him. Slowly he moved closer to her as if nervous. His lips lightly brushed hers. He pulled away as if worried he had done some thing wrong but she moved closer to him. He smiled and kissed her with more confidence. Zandra put her hand on the back of his neck and brought him closer to her and deepened the kiss.

"Hey DL how's..." Leland said as he walked into the room. Zandra and Duane Lee quickly moved apart.