AN: Okay so I usually put this at the bottom but this is important so please read it! I've noticed that there are a few inconsistencies in the story so far that I want to correct. Nothing major but I still want to set everything straight:

1. I think I mentioned in an earlier chapter than Zach is three, nearly four. However, given the time Carol and Tag married and the time this is suppose to be set, Zach could only have just turned three. So yeah...Zach is just turned three. (This will come up in this chapter. He was conceived in April and born in November).
2. I've mentioned numerous times that it has been four years since Carol chose Tag and Doug left for DC. However, given that this story takes place in late November of Season 5, this is not true. It has been almost four years since then. Carol and Tag married in April, so it has been three years and eight months.

I think that's all :) I know it doesn't make much of a difference but I just had to correct myself, just incase there was anyone reading this and had noticed that the timing was slightly off.

Also, I have the rest of this story planned out and I think it will take only 4/5 chapters to finish and then maybe an epilogue :)

Okay, enough babbling on from me...So enjoy this chapter and please review afterwards :)

PS. If you are wondering why this story is called "Where We Are" they look up "Westlife Where We Are" on youtube. The story was inspired by the song and so it is named so :) It's a good song, give it a go!

Where We Are

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning, Carol woke up beside her son. His little body was curved against hers; one hand rested on his head like it always did when he slept. His curls tickled Carol's cheek and she smiled down at him, a smile that quickly turned to a frown. Zach was just three years old and his life was being torn apart. This custody battle would be a war to his young mind and he was standing in the middle with no way to escape what was coming.

As she lay in bed, Carol's mind wandered back to the beginning. This was not the first time she had to contemplate losing Zach. And not only had she almost lost him, he had almost lost his life.

Zachary Ethan Tagilieri was born on November 3rd, 1995, almost two months before his due date. Carol knew something was wrong when her newborn son did not cry. He suffered from respiratory distress syndrome and swollen internal organs which decreased his blood flow. He received emergency surgery and was placed in an incubator where he stayed for almost two months. Every single day of those two months, Carol stayed by her yet-to-be-named son's side, hoping and praying that he would make it. She felt that if she prayed long and hard enough, then God would remember there was a baby here that needed His help and she prayed that her baby would be strong enough to hold on until that happened.

On New Year's Eve, when the rest of the world, unknown to Carol and John, were on the brink of 1996, the parents received good news. Their son would be discharged the next morning. And as the clock struck midnight, they named the little baby who had held on and who God had not forgotten. Zachary (God has remembered) Ethan (Strong) Tagilieri.

Carol remembered how wrong she thought it was that Zach had had to fight such a battle so young. And now, just three years later, he would fight another. It was wrong, and Carol despised John for putting Zach through that.

Susan was already up, Carol could hear her moving around downstairs. But Carol remained where she was until Zach woke up, praying relentlessly, again, that together, she and Zach could make it through what was coming. Just as Zach's eyes fluttered open, Carol heard a knock on the front door and when it was answered, she heard the deep velvety tones of Doug's voice.

She didn't feel as conflicted as before. She didn't wonder why Doug had suddenly shown up in her life again or what that would mean. She didn't search for needless answers to her questions because she had come to the conclusion, last night as she sat in Doug's arms, that things happened, good and bad, whether you wanted them to or not and they didn't go away just because you felt them inconvenient. She should have learned that in the two months she sat by her son's side, tormenting herself about what she could have done to warrant the agony she was feeling and the battle Zach was fighting. It felt cliché to even think it, but things happened for a reason. Those reasons might not always be clear but she had to believe there were legitimate reasons, because if she didn't, she would have given up praying for Zach to survive the battle for his life.

Zach was now sitting up in bed, watching his mother. Carol smiled at him, appreciating what a little miracle he was, and ran her fingers through his curls.

'Let's go get some breakfast' she said. Zach smiled, hearing the change is his mother's mood through her voice, and nodded.

When the pair arrived in the living room, both Susan and Doug were sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and talking quietly. They stopped when they saw Carol, and Doug smiled.

'Good morning' he said.

'Morning' Carol greeted, setting Zach on the ground. He ran to the TV and switched it on. The adults retreated to the kitchen.

'How do you feel this morning?' Susan asked, pouring coffee for her friend and handing her the mug.

'Okay, I guess' Carol replied, sipping the steaming liquid.

They all fell into silence until another knock sounded at the door. Zach hopped off the couch to answer it and his yell of 'Rachel!' let the adults know who it was.

Both Mark and Jen entered the kitchen a few seconds later and Carol did not miss the bright smiles Mark and Susan shot at each other, but decided not to comment on it just now as she had a feeling Jen wanted to talk to her, otherwise she wouldn't be there now.

Jen didn't beat about the bush, either. 'I talked to my superiors and they've agreed I can take the case.'

Carol nodded in thanks then set about getting some breakfast for Zach. After returning to the kitchen, she decided it was best to tell them all her plan now.

'I'm going to go back to Chicago' she said, leaning against the counter between Susan and Mark.

To say they all looked shocked would be an understatement so Carol pressed on, explaining herself.

'I'm going to need to be in Chicago for this custody thing anyway and besides, I'm not afraid to be there anymore. I ran because of what John might do but he's done his worst now, anything else just won't matter. I can't hide out here forever. I need to get Zach back into some sort of routine before this all starts. I need to talk to Weaver about arranging time off. I know I can do that from here but there's no point. Plus, I'm going to have to explain everything to my mom and I think face to face would be the best way.'

Doug snorted in laughter at the mentioned of Carol's mother but quickly quietened. But not before he saw Carol glance at him, a small smile upon her lips.

'Well if you're sure, you can come back with me tonight' Mark offered.

Carol nodded. 'That sounds good. I'll phone the airline and see if I can get us on the flight.'

'I've been thinking' Susan said suddenly and Carol looked over at her.

'I knew you'd be going back to Chicago soon, what with all this...legal...stuff. And I want to come with you' she added.

When Carol's eyebrows came together, Susan pressed on. 'I want to help, Carol and it will be nice to see everyone on Chicago again.'

After several long and silent seconds, Carol nodded. She couldn't help feeling there was something more to Susan's decision to come back to Chicago with her but she would have to find an apartment to live in until all this was over and it would be nice to have Susan with her. Susan smiled.

But as Carol left the kitchen to phone the airline she heard Mark ask, 'What about you Doug?'

She froze to listen to his answer, afraid of what she might hear.

'I'll be flying back to DC in the morning' Doug replied, quietly. Silence fell in the kitchen then.

But out in the hall, Carol felt a little let down. God knows why, because it would surely make this a lot easier if Doug wasn't around. But she just couldn't help but feel disappointed, after Susan's announcement of coming to Chicago with her. Then she shook her head.

What did you think he was going to do? He has a job and a life in DC. He wasn't going to just drop everything for you she thought furiously to herself as she climbed the stairs.

D&C

Back in the kitchen, Doug had begun to feel slightly panicked. She would be gone in just a few hours. By tomorrow, it will be as if it had never happened. Almost four years he had been without her and now, after just two days, he would be without her again.

The night before, after he had returned to his hotel room, Doug had lay in bed and thought, guiltily, of Alicia. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since he had discovered Carol and her son, but to Alicia, it had only been three days since she and Eden had spent a wonderful afternoon with him, which had ended with a simple kiss and a promise to call as soon as he returned from Phoenix.

Around him, the other three were making plans. Jen and Rachel were flying back to St Louis that evening, then Mark, Susan, Carol and Zach would fly back to Chicago together.

Then Doug remembered the promise he had made Carol the night before, that he would not let Tag take Zach away from her. He remembered offering to ask Vanessa to help. Suddenly, he was itching to return to DC, to call Vanessa and find a way of helping Carol. This wasn't over. He had made a promise to her and he was not going to break it.

Suddenly, he had forgotten, yet again, about another mother and child that he had made a promise to.