AN: Uhm. Thanks for all those who reviewed. Even if it was minimal. DX But still! I appreciate you all. Seriously. : So here's the sixth chapter. I don't care if no one's reading it too much, I just want the story to be finished. Thanks again for those who reviewed. I bow down to you. XD R&R.

Chapter Six – Surprises Are Not the Most Pleasant Things

-Jared Howe-

Beep.Beep.Beep.

Melanie's heart beat…it's faster than the usual. The improvement of her heart based on the monitor was mounting quicker and that got me promising. But the beating measured and I sighed in distress.

Here I am, sitting beside her hospital bed, hand in hand with her and have been staying here for a while now. I woke up yet again to the false excitement of the monitor; I never thought in my whole life that a little sound like that could become my momentary alarm clock.

I have become more observant for the last couple of days; the smallest glitch coming from her would always make me hold my breath because that would immediately mean that she was active and responsive and would wake up soon.

But no, there wasn't any sign of movement, no recent comeback. Just a droning Melanie, lying on the bed; in a comatose.

On the bright approach of perceiving things, it's nothing too serious, cleanly a mild coma, so she wouldn't be unconscious for too long. One of her colleagues, Wanda, and now her Doctor, told us that at least conversing with her would be a wonderful help for her to respond.

I attempted to speak another time; maybe things would get close enough.

"Hey Mel," I started off, squeezing her hand to let her know that I was here with her right now. I watched at her face keenly, so peaceful yet monotonous. "You know, I'm real grateful. Everything could've gotten worse, but words cannot put through on how relieved I am that you're not…"

Dead.

I finished in my head. No way that I would say that out loud because there truly are the odds that she could hear me, and it's not like I'm saying my goodbyes anyway.

I shuddered at that thought, but continued on.

"Well, I'll forever be indebted to God for not taking your life away, Mel. Cause, I will never be able to recover from that, never. And you know me; I'm a man who keeps his word."

And that was entirely true. She couldn't disappear forever; it would be so much more than agonizing. Losing her would not only lose 'just another friend', it'll be like losing most of my life; a piece yanked apart from the whole.

"You realize that we've known each other for a great deal of years, right?" I faintly laughed just thinking of the memories we had since high school. "No one else fully appreciates me the way you do. Sometimes even better than myself. Better than anyone, really…even better than Bell." I admitted to unconscious Mel, hoping that that would stick and she would snap. But nothing came once again, nothing new.

But then that got me viewing my options about Bell. Ah, Isobel Anne Dylan.

Since Mel's car accident with the brainless drunken jackass that was driving the other car and he so happens to still be a minor and now stripped in an orange jumpsuit and stuck in the local prison, I've gotten an enormous amount of time on judging since I spent my days here in the hospital with Jamie and Jeb. One thing that I am most certain about now is that Bell's beyond doubt not the one for me. She has never been. And I was stupid enough not to notice it before, I've been so blind with the entire infatuation!

And about that infatuation, it now took a whole new level for me to essentially get that far and almost entrusting my whole life with her. I'm absolutely staggered.

"Yeah, I'll probably end i—" I was cut off with a loud knock on the door that was relatively open so the motive was redundant. I twisted in my seat and there she was, leaning on the wall.

"Speaking of the devil." I spat out, repulsively grazing my eyes over her long body.

-Melanie Stryder-

Beep.Beep.Beep.

Hold on…was that a computer of some sort?

My thoughts of striving to grasp where I was made me tense, and the machine swiftly beeped faster. I calmed myself to confirm what I was witnessing and the machine retorted to normal; then there's my answer.

I couldn't feel any free will 'cause apparently I couldn't open my eyes or move even an inch, no matter how hard I try. Although the softness beneath me was comfortable, and it felt like something warm was in my left hand. Wherever I was reminded me of work.

Work. Uhm. Work…?

Right. I'm—a lawyer? No, no. A…masseuse? That's ridiculous. Oh, medicine. I'm a Doctor, right?

What happened to me? I couldn't even speak! This is rather becoming confusing now; all I wanted to know is what exactly is happening.

All I remember right now is that I was at Jeb's place and it was summer. I was 14, in the Seventh Grade and I was at the backyard, playing with some dolls…

No, that couldn't probably be the last thing that happened! Things are too—dim.

"Speaking of the devil." I was dazed to hear a voice so close to me. I couldn't even cringe away…everything seems peculiar.

That warm feeling that was present carefully slipped off and there was a cool peck on my hand.

"You don't have to call me names." A familiar silky high-soprano voice coming from my northern west snapped harshly.

"Right, because you deserve much more than that!" The other husky voice who spoke earlier answered the woman's voice with an overly sarcastic tone.

"Jared, look. I'm sorry! I mean, it's not that…I didn't mean it, because it was true but—at least, could be talk about this like real adults?" The woman asked hopefully, and the man obviously stood up because there was a squeak to where he was a moment ago and that seemed to be a chair.

"How noble of you admitting that you don't regret what you said. Thank you, I feel so much better." The contempt and mockery didn't leave him; I'd say it actually became stronger. And now I was intrigued, what did this woman do to make him so bitter? I felt like I was in front-row seats to a live soap opera; too much drama.

"Be sensible." She simply said. He quietly snickered and the room was abruptly filled with yells.

"Sure, Bell! Let's be sensible here! Would you kindly explain to me to why you STILL don't understand that I'm completely infuriated with you?!" Shock combined with fear fell on me when the man spoke—no, shouted.

"God, Jared!" The woman pleaded. "How many times have I told you that I am sorry? I've apologized to Jamie and Jeb for a thousand times already. Isn't that enough?" She seemed to be on the verge of cracking up into tears, but the man didn't buy it.

"Isobel…" He calmed, but I could sense that the angst was crawling up again because for one, the man clearly called the woman by her full name. "On our rehearsal dinner, you practically screeched at them and called Jamie's sister and Jeb's niece, who just so happens to be Melanie, 'a worthless piece of junk' for ruining that night. Not to mention, you called them, and shamelessly I might add, 'home-wreckers'. You later then stopped me from going to the hospital and dragged me back to the restaurant. You went up to the stage, grabbed the microphone and insulted those whom I care about and slapped me in front of your guests." The man was trying his best not to yell another time at the woman, but I could tell that he really wanted to.

"Apologizing clearly isn't the answer!" But he ultimately got his chance.

I then realized that I was the center of this conversation. Melanie.

Well, at least I was aware of my own identity. Some things were just simply to be cleared out; if only I could wake up from this state I was stuck in then I would be able to figure out what was happening.

"Jared, come on! It's been weeks, please…just please. I'm sorry, okay?! She hasn't also woken up." She pleaded some more, her tone breaking this time.

"Your point?" He spat back.

"We could always work this out. We'll go counseling, a-and we can stay here in San Diego for a while until Mel wakes up. Don't you want that? We could continue the perfect fairy tale we had before all of this happened." Her persuasion had offended me; she's luring this man back to their past and leaving me here in this place.

"Look at me and stop staring at her like that! That look on your eyes was supposed to be only reserved for me! All tenderly…" She screamed now; her outbreak scaring me more than how the man did.

"What are you talking about? You just sound pathetic now." The man scoffed at the women's words.

"It's not like you love her, okay? Look, I had this all planned out! We were supposed to get married four weeks ago!" She said between sobs. "We'd move to California and have everything I had always wanted since I was a little girl! I'd be a famous Medical Doctor and I would live in a fabulous house! The kids running around the lawn; and I'll just be there, smiling gloriously to what the success had done to me! The happiness, Jared. Don't you care about that at all…?" Through out her little deafening speech, the man fell silent. I was anxious; would he consider this and get back together with this woman?

Oh wow, this almost-soap-opera was kicking effect on me.

"Run that little rant of yours again in your head. Just…replay it." The man said without really making any sense. "Done? Now, did you realize how neurotic and self-centered you just sounded?" He said with a straight forward tone. Ooh, this is getting good.

"You're just obsessed with yourself, Bell. You're blinded by the real things that actually give meaning to this world. You're addicted to the success I'm making and the outcome it'll do to your life. You haven't thought about the future; course not. You've thought about, and only just, the good it'll give you."

"So you're saying you love her more than me? You're giving it all away just to bear with her for a couple more weeks and then what, Jared? Hmm? There would be nothing."

"You're becoming more petty by the second. Aren't you her friend? Well I suppose that term isn't in your vocabulary, huh? The world doesn't revolve around you, you know." The man opposed to her boldly.

"That wasn't the answer I was looking for in my previous question." She defied bolder.

"I love her, definitely. She's been family ever since. And I wasn't always around her because I was too deceived into your dishonesty. She's always been there, and now; I'll be with her. No matter what happens. And her being here; it's made everything clear. I'm sorry, Bell. But I'm through with this." The way he stated it had a hint of finality. And—well, it sounded reasonable in my ears.

"I-I…I don't know what to say to that." The woman hesitated; each word becoming distant and inaudible.

"Then let me enlighten you. There is no wedding, no California…most especially, there is no us." He finished off for her, the bitterness wearing off but evidently still there.

"We're through?" She asked, grief reigning over her.

"We're through."

Suddenly, I remembered everything.

Well, that wasn't true. Not exactly everything—

-Jared Howe-

Who knew I had all those locked inside me? It's astonishing to see that one little event could open your eyes forever.

Bell had walked out of the room, and that was it. The closure sealing in.

I sat back at the chair and exhaled in relief; I shouldn't feel guilty in any way. She had disrespected all those I care for and she didn't really consider me, did she?

I glanced back at Mel's face and just smiled at her. Standing up, I reached over and kissed her forehead.

"It's all over now, Mel. I'll be here for you always" And that promise was solemnly going to be kept.

I strode out of the room and took in a deep breath, weakly glad I've gotten that out of my chest. No worries now; except perhaps about Melanie. But I wouldn't be bothered for too long, she would wake up soon and I just felt that. And everything would go back to how it used to be and we would just be Mel and Jared from then.

Yeah, I'd be an optimist and I would go with that.

I decided on taking a break and started toward the cafeteria where Jeb and Jamie would be. They'd probably like a moment alone with Mel too since I had mine, even if it was slightly shrill.

On my way there, someone had gotten my attention.

"Excuse me, Jared?" A female voice asked. I turned to see Wanda and was hoping for some good news.

"Hey Doc, anything new?" No one would be able to miss the expectation seeping through my tone.

"Not exactly. But, I just want to tell you something…" She played around with her fingers and was hesitating, rolling back and forth on her heels like a high school teenager.

"Go ahead." I assured her, attempting to get the information out as soon as possible.

"If you hadn't noticed, Melanie and I are real close since we're in the same department and she's been sharing a lot of things lately. Mostly about you and now that I've met you, I gotta say; who can blame her? I mean, you're cute by the way" She laughed nervously but I couldn't catch up with her, I was lost from all her fast words. "Anyway, I just thought about this idea, thinking maybe it would quicken up the time of her in the coma and maybe she would hear you talking about it with her and she'd freak out and eventually wake up!" She clapped her hands at the end, shocking me. Her theory didn't really make any sense.

"Ohh….Uhm. What?"

"Melanie's in love with you, Jared. I know it's the wrong time, but I thought you needed to know, especially from what's going on right now." She said those with an apologetic smile on her face, saying each statement slowly for it to sink in.

Wait, did I just hear her right?

"…in love?" I checked; and she nodded

Impossible.

AN: CRAP. Jared Knows. XD