AJ pulled his chair as close to the bed as possible and eagerly took his mom's hand. Marissa looked just the same. Always like she was just asleep and would wake up any moment.

The little boy looked at the clock by the bedside it was ten minutes to three. The small carriage clock had been a gift from Bianca and her sister Kendall, who had both been in long comas themselves. It chimed every hour and it was to help Marissa know that time was passing and encourage her to wake up. AJ liked that idea and so when he came to sing to his mom just as he had promised, he would always wait until the clock struck three.

He had come every single day without fail. When Nana Krystal was there she would sometimes sing along with him. When Miranda and Gabby were there they sang their own song about ponies and bunnies, to make it doubly special. Krystal had to see Jenny's teacher this evening, so was worried they would arrive too late to sing so Dixie had offered to bring him instead.

AJ looked at his other Nana smiling expectedly at him.

"So are you ready to sing your special song?" she asked.

"It's not time yet." said AJ, "The clock has to strike three."

"Oh, okay." said Dixie, looking towards the door briefly. AJ frowned; she was acting shifty, like she was waiting for something. AJ sighed and turned back to his mom, he had so much to tell her.

He began with all the good news about Bianca, and how soon she would be able to give them all cuddles. He told her about the picture of the house he had drawn and about all the other pictures everyone had done to help Bianca get better. He then told her about school and how he came second in the spelling-bee by spelling 'mountain' and 'bicycle' correctly, beating Amber and Bobby. Miranda had won by spelling 'delicious' which he didn't mind that much.

Dixie coughed interrupting his train of thought.

"You know." she said, a little impatiently "We could just move the clock hands forward to make it chime three, she would never know."

"Yes she would." said AJ, getting a little annoyed at his nana. "You just said it out loud. And anyway that would be cheating."

He didn't know why she was getting so restless; there were only a few minutes to wait until the chime. AJ turned back to continue to talk to his mom only to be disturbed by the door opening. AJ looked up to see his father walk in, a smile on his face.

"Daddy!" AJ exclaimed. Part of him wanted to run and give his father a hug, the other part was still a little scared of him.

"It's okay AJ." said JR, walking across the room and kneeling in front of his son. "It's all okay now. The judge has given me back custody. You can come home to the mansion and be with your family again."

"Isn't that wonderful." said Dixie, joining him. "You can stay with your daddy again."

JR smiled at his mother. It had surprised him how quickly she had forgiven his outburst at the airport. Her guilty conscious about abandoning him so many times made her easy for JR to sway. She really wanted to believe him, really wanted to believe he was a hero and had turned over a new leaf. JR used that to his advantage and now it was all going to plan. He was getting back his son and then he would get back his life.

AJ stared at his father; he wasn't sure if this was wonderful news at all.

"But I want to stay here." said AJ quietly.

"Oh I promise I'm not going to stop you seeing you mom whenever you want." said JR, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. He gave his son a reassuring smile but was slightly distracted by the glare he was getting from the other Marissa that only he could see and hear. The one who knew he was lying. He was trying hard to block her out, but she was a presence that wouldn't leave him and wouldn't let him be.

AJ looked back at Dixie, who was also smiling. AJ didn't know what to do, he was confused.

JR took his son by hand and started to lead him away, ignoring the protests and accusations coming from Marissa's spectre. AJ found himself following, he wanted to trust his daddy; he had missed him.

"What the hell is going on?"

An astonished Krystal was blocking the doorway looking from Dixie to JR.

"I should have known you couldn't be trusted." she snapped, rounding on Dixie, "Has coming back from the dead scrambled you brain cells that much. Marissa has a restraining order against JR coming within 10 feet of her and AJ."

"Which has been overturned." said JR, showing Krystal the legal documents. "The courts have now granted me full custody, due to his mother's current condition. They didn't think it right that a child be passed from house to house. Not when he had a home and family to go to."

"Like hell I'm gonna let you take him!" exclaimed Krystal, refusing to believe that such a thing was possible. "How much did you bribe the judge this time?"

At the same time Dixie responded,

"JR loves his son. You have no right to try to keep them apart; he has surly proved himself…"

Amongst all the arguing AJ was the only one to hear the clock begin to chime three.

"I have to sing to mommy!" he cried, but JR couldn't hear him, he was too busy shouting for Krystal to get over herself. AJ tried to pull away but his daddy wasn't letting go of his hand.

"Daddy." he cried in vain, struggling to pull his arm away; but JR was too caught up in the argument to notice his son's distress. AJ started crying as the clock gave its final chime.

The little boy began hitting and kicking his daddy, he was suddenly so angry at him.

"You ruined it! You ruined it." he cried, so upset that his father had made him break his promise.

Both his Nanas were still arguing but he had all of daddy's attention now.

JR grabbed his son by the arms and stared at him. "AJ what is up with you." he demanded. He couldn't understand why his son had suddenly turned on him.

"I was supposed to sing to mommy when the clock struck three." sobbed AJ trying to escape his father's tight grasp. "You ruined it. You ruin everything."

AJ just wanted to kick his daddy and punch him. How he hated his daddy. How he hated how daddy made mommy cry. How he hated that his daddy didn't understand how important the song was. How he hated that his daddy didn't want him to love his mommy anymore.

"AJ, stop this right now! You're not a baby!" snapped JR in frustration, shaking his son sharply. AJ's anger vanished and he was suddenly scared of his father's temper all over again.

"What is going on?" demanded a bemused voice, breaking through the tense atmosphere.

Silence fell as everyone turned towards the new speaker. AJ couldn't stop the smile that exploded across his face.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed.

Marissa was sat up in bed starring at them. Only her brow was furrowed in confusion; her face lost as she looked at them.

"Where am I?" she asked perplexed. "Who are all you people?"

…