(Bailey P.O.V)

The twins' first Christmas passed easily and we were now counting down the hours before the New Year was upon us. Zack had organized a New Year's Eve party at his and Maya's house and Cody and I were currently getting ready for it. Well, I was getting ready. Cody was already dressed and was making sure the kids were ready to go.

"Bailey, hurry up! We're going to be late." Cody called up the stairs.

"I'm almost ready!" I called back, putting my amethyst earrings. I took a last look at myself in the mirror and smiled. The earrings and matching necklace went nicely with the purple skirt and shoes. I went downstairs to find Cody on the couch with Kimberlee sitting on the floor between his knees as he tried to braid her hair. So far, he wasn't really getting anywhere.

"Codykins. Give it to me." I said with a laugh. He dropped his attempt at a braid and I took his place behind Kimberlee, quickly pulling her pretty blonde hair into a braid.

"Why can I never do it?" Cody asked, watching me work.

"Hairstyles are a female thing, sweetie."

"They said the same thing about cooking, back in the fifties." He protested.

"Yes, but with cooking, you have complete free reign over what you do. With hair, you're restricted by your fingers." I finished the braid and turned Kimberlee around to look at her. "You look beautiful, honey."

"Am I pretty daddy?" She asked, looking at Cody.

"Always, princess." He picked her up and spun her around as she let out a high pitched giggle.

"Alright. Are Karlee and Lauchie ready?" I asked.

"Yeah. Are you good to take Kimmie to moms?"

"Yeah. Come on Kimmie, let's go see nana. Say goodnight to daddy." I said. Kimberlee gave Cody a kiss and wriggled out of his grip, running over to me.

"Night, night daddy." She said.

"I'll see you in a bit, Cody." I gave him a kiss and went out to the garage, putting Kimberlee in the backseat of my car. As we pulled out, Cody appeared with the twins, taking them to his red Toyota Kluger. I waved out the window and smiled.

"Mommy, are you seeing Uncle Zack?" Kimberlee asked after a little bit.

"Yes, I am sweetie, why?" As I talked to her, I looked at her in the rearview mirror

"Can you say hi for me?"

"Sure."

"Thank you mommy." She fell silent and for a few moments, I was left to negotiate the icy roads.

"Mommy?" We were starting up after waiting at a red light when she piped up again.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"What is that car doing?" She said pointing to my right. I turned to look at what she was talking about just in time to see a big blue Land Cruiser speeding through the intersection, clearly out of control. Willing myself not to panic, I tried to steer out of the way but the tires of my car slipped on the ice and the next thing I knew, we were spinning around and around and the other car was heading straight towards us.

"MOMMY!" Kimberlee cried from the backseat. I could hear the fear in her voice but I shut her out, focusing only on getting the car back in control. The other car came hurtling towards us.

"Kimberlee!" I cried as I felt the entire car shake from the impact and that's the last thing I remember before it all went black.

(Cody P.O.V)

It took me a while to get the twins fastened in the car but eventually, we were on the road to Zack and Maya's. Karlee was making sounds from her seat while Lauchie was sleeping. The drive was short and soon I was pulling into the driveway. Zack must have heard me because he came out to help with the twins.

"Hey, bro. Good to see you." He greeted me with a hug.

"Good to see you too. How's Maya?" I regretted asking as soon as I had. His face fell and he sighed.

"Not doing any better. She seemed to perk up a bit during the day while she was in the kitchen but she's just moping around now."

"Maybe Bailey can help."

"Yeah. Hey, where is Bailey?"

"Oh, she's taking Kimberlee to moms for the night. She shouldn't be too much longer." We took the twins inside and put them in the makeshift play pen in the living room before I went into the kitchen to find Maya.

"Hey Maya. How's it going?" I said when I found her in the kitchen.

"Hi Cody. I'm alright." There was a sadness to her voice still. I smiled at her.

"You're looking good." I told her, nodding towards her stomach.

"Thank you Cody." That was all I could get out of her so I turned to go back to the living room, finding Zack leaning on the door frame. He went into the living room but turned to me when I came in too.

"See? She's just lifeless. The spark of happiness is gone."

"I know. It'll take time, but she'll come back. I know it."

"I really hope so." Zack looked like he was about to say something else but my phone started to ring.

"Sorry, I'll just answer this." I apologized and slid the answer button across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Is this Cody Martin?" An unfamiliar voice asked. I frowned.

"Yes, this is he."

"I'm Officer Davies, your wife's been in an accident. She's being taken to the hospital now."

"Oh my god. What about my little girl, is she safe?"

"She seems to be fine, just a few bruises. We're taking her to the hospital as well to check for concussion."

"I'm on my way. Which hospital is it?"

"Mass General. An officer will meet you at the main entrance."

"Thank you, I'll be there as soon as I can." I hung up the phone and turned to look at Zack who was playing with Karlee and Lauchie.

"What's up little bro?" He asked when he realized I wasn't on the phone anymore.

"Bailey's been in an accident, she and Kimberlee are being taken to Mass General now. Can you look after the twins for me while I go to the hospital?" I begged but he shook his head.

"Uh-uh. We're coming with you. You're in no state to drive."

"But the party-"

"We'll call the guests on the way and explain the situation. Come on, get the twins in the car and give your keys to me. I'll drive you there. I'll go tell Maya." He took charge and I tossed my keys to him before picking up Lauchie and taking him out to the car. When he was in, I went back for Karlee. By that time, Maya was coming down the stairs from grabbing her jacket and was busy talking to someone on the phone, her other hand occupied by Reed's tiny hand. It was the most animated I'd seen her since before Valentine's Day. Zack was nowhere to be seen but I could hear him in the kitchen, putting things away. Maya followed me out to the car and sat in the back beside the twins, still talking on the phone. Reed was put in the fold down seats in the back. I went around and sat in the passenger seat to wait for Zack. Just as I was getting impatient, I saw him rushing out the front door. He jumped into the drivers' seat and started the car, pulling out of the driveway before he'd put his seatbelt on.

"Sorry, I remembered that we'd left the portable heater running in the basement and I thought I should probably turn it off." He apologized.

"That's okay, as long as we get to the hospital eventually." I tried to keep the panic out of my voice. He shook his head at my horrible attempt and put his foot down. Trust him to be the one with the lead foot. We eventually made it to the hospital and I bolted out of the car towards the main entrance where a police officer was waiting.

"I'm Cody Martin, I'm looking for my wife, Bailey." I said as I approached. He nodded.

"Right this way, sir." He turned around and began to lead me down the corridors till we finally came to the room Bailey was apparently in. "She's in here." He gestured and I pushed the door open. I'd seen a few patients from car accidents come through during my residency but it was still a shock to see Bailey like that. She had a neck brace on and an oxygen mask covering her face while various other instruments let tubes to various beeping machines. I could tell she wasn't awake but I still ran over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Are you Cody Martin?" I heard a voice behind me and I turned to find a doctor coming into the room.

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"I was told to give you an update on your wife and daughter."

"Oh, go ahead."

"Well, your wife is currently unconscious, as you can probably tell. She has a fairly deep cut on the side of her face from broken glass and other smaller cuts up her arm. A sprained wrist and dislocated knee complete the list of injuries for her. Your daughter, on the other hand is very lucky. She's come away with only a few scrapes and bruises. She's been checked for a concussion but seems to be fine, however because she is so young, we would like to keep her for the night for observation." I hated how monotonous he sounded but I knew he probably had to be saying things like this to people time and time again.

"Thank-you. Can I go see my daughter?"

"We can have her brought here if you'd like." He offered, sounding a little bit more like a person than a robot assigned to pass on information.

"Yes please. Oh, and my brother and sister-in-law are here somewhere too, could someone tell them where to go, please."

"Certainly, I'll just go and get your daughter for you." He left the room and I turned back to Bailey.

"Bailey, I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I want you to know, I love you so much. I don't think I could live without you, especially with three kids at home. We all need you, so please, come back to us soon." I begged.

"DADDY!" When I heard that magical word, I turned around to find Kimberlee being pushed in a wheelchair into the room but she jumped out when she saw me, running over. I caught her gently and hugged her.

"Hey princess. How are you?" But she wasn't interested in me anymore, she'd seen her mother over my shoulder.

"Daddy, what's wrong with mommy?"

"She's asleep, sweetie. Because she got hurt in the car and she needs lots of sleep." I tried to explain it in the simplest way. She seemed to accept that and finally returned my hug.

"Mr Martin? We need her to stay calm. If you could get her to sleep, that would help a lot." The doctor said. He looked tired and I grinned, guessing that he'd been looking after Kimberlee for a while.

"I can do that." I told him and he turned to leave, just as Zack and Maya appeared, each carrying one of the twins while Maya held Reed by the hand. Seeing her cousin, Kimberlee tried to wriggle out of my grip and I silently groaned. Now it would be really hard to get her to sleep.

"There you are." Zack sighed.

"Sorry, I would have helped but-"

"It's okay Cody. We understand." Maya said, putting Lauchie down on the sofa by the wall. Zack did the same with Karlee and told Reed to sit on the floor beside it. He did and sat drawing pictures with his fingers on the floor.

"Kimberlee, can you go and join Reed for me?" I asked.

"Yes daddy." She said. I put her on the floor and she went over to sit beside her cousin.

"She doesn't look too bad." Zack commented, looking at Bailey.

"I know. It could have been worse." I said and told them what the doctor had told me earlier. For ages, the three of us sat in silence together, just watching over Bailey and the four children.

"You know, I'm kind of thirsty, do you guys want anything?" Zack said after a while.

"Yeah, just some water for me." I said, not looking at him.

"I'll go with you." Maya offered and he didn't protest. So they went off, leaving me to make sure the kids didn't leave. Well, Karlee and Lauchie were asleep but Reed and Kimberlee were still talking.

(Maya P.O.V)

I followed Zack down to the hospital cafeteria and sat at one of the tables while he ordered some drinks. While he waited, he came and sat down with me.

"How come you offered to come with me?" He asked.

"I didn't really want to stay in there." I told him and he nodded.

"Fair enough." He smiled at me.

"Zack, I think I'm ready to tell you about my sister." I blurted after a moment. He looked at me.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

(Flashback)

Once again, Phoebe and Maya were walking home from their grandmother's apartment. This time, it was early afternoon and they were both older. Maya was almost fifteen and Phoebe was twelve. They were arguing, as usual.

"Maya! Come on, please?" Phoebe begged.

"No. We're going straight home."

"But Maya-"

"I said no Phoebe. God, grow up already."

"I'm trying to but you're not letting me."

"Really? That's what you think? I'm not letting you? Phoebe, if that's what you think, you'd better take another look at reality."

"Seriously? You're my sister Maya. You're the one who's supposed to encourage me to do things like this."

"Maybe, but that is just too crazy so I'm saying no."

"You're mean."

"And you're a baby. Do you see me complaining? No. Get over it."

"Ugh, I wish I didn't have to stay with you."

"And I wish I never had to put up with you in the first place. We don't always get what we want, stupid."

"That's a horrible thing to say." Phoebe gasped and let go of Maya's hand. Maya stopped and turned to look at her sister. Phoebe once again had a black eye. They had covered it that morning with makeup but Phoebe's tears were washing it away.

"Okay, I'm sorry. But I'm still saying no. now can we go home? I have homework to be doing."

"Fine. But I'm not holding your hand."

"Whatever." Maya stalked off, sensing Phoebe behind her. It wasn't until she reached the lobby of her apartment building that she knew Phoebe wasn't there. Paul, the doorman greeted her as usual.

"Good afternoon Miss Maya. Where's your sister today?" Maya frowned and looked behind her but Phoebe wasn't there. She ran back out into the streets, going back the way she'd come, all the way back to the café where they'd stopped. But Phoebe was nowhere to be found. Maya began to panic as she headed back to her apartment building.

"Paul I can't find her! I thought she was behind me and-"

"Hey! Miss Maya. She'll be okay. I'm sure she just went a different way home. Why don't you go up to your apartment and I'll keep an eye out for her?"

"Okay." Maya said and pushed the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for it to arrive. On the way up, she thought about what she would say to her parents. Fortunately they weren't home yet so she went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich before watching the TV for a while to take her mind off things.

(Maya P.O.V)

"She and I were walking home from our grandmother's apartment. We were fighting. I can't even remember what about. I stormed off and assumed she was following me. When I realized she wasn't I traced my footsteps to find her but I couldn't. I went back to the apartment, thinking she'd come home eventually. But before I knew it, mom and dad came home and she still wasn't there."

"So she went missing?" I shook my head.

"Let me finish. There was a huge row when my parents got home, they accused me of not looking after her properly. I cried all night but it didn't bring her back. We got a call the next day saying that her body had been found in an alleyway not far from our apartment building. From then on, my parents blamed me for her death. They barely talked to me anymore and eventually I couldn't take it anymore and applied to Seven Seas High. Getting on board that ship was the best thing in my life and from the first day on board, I blocked all memories from my life out. My parents were all too happy to pay for me to go to school there and go to a good college as long as I stayed away from them. That's why you never met them." Zack just looked at me.

"So you blame yourself for your sister's death?" I nodded.

"If I hadn't stormed off, she would have been right beside me and she wouldn't have been taken. We shouldn't have been fighting." Our drinks were delivered to us and we picked them up, slowly walking back to Bailey's room.

"Maya I-" Zack cut himself off, as if he didn't know what to say.

"Don't. Just leave it. I told you what happened so just let it go." When we got to the room, I heard voices coming through the door. Opening the door, I saw Cody talking to Reed. Kimberlee had fallen asleep on the couch beside her brother and sister. He heard us come in and turned around in his chair.

"Hey guys." Zack handed him the bottle of water and went to lean against the wall without saying anything.

"Um, is he okay?" Cody asked me.

"Yeah he's fine." Cody looked like he wanted to know more but I didn't tell him. For ages, the three of us sat in silence. Reed eventually fell asleep next to Kimberlee and the only sound in the room was the frequent beeps from the various machines. Doctors came and went, checking that Bailey was okay. Cheers from down the corridor told us that it was midnight but we still sat in silence. Eventually Zack stirred and pushed himself off the wall.

"Codester, we're going to head home. We'll take the twins and Kimberlee as well so they get some proper sleep. Call us in the morning to let us know what's going on, okay?" Cody let out an affirmative grunt but otherwise stayed silent. Zack moved over to the kids and began waking up Reed and Kimberlee. Both kids woke up and were disorientated but understood that it was time to go. Kimberlee didn't want to go without her father but we eventually encouraged her to come with us. I picked up Lauchie and took Kimberlee's hand while Zack took care of the other two, following me out the door.

"We're thinking of you, bro." He said before shutting the door. We slowly led the two half asleep children out to the car and got them in. We made the trip home in record time and it wasn't long before Reed and Kimberlee were asleep in Reed's room while Lauchie and Karlee were in the guest room. Zack and I crashed into our bed around one thirty.

"Maya, I'm really proud of you for telling me about your sister."

"I'm proud of myself. It feels like a weight off my shoulders."

"I love you Maya."

"I love you too." He pulled me closer to him and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me. I lay awake for a while, thinking over the evening. Had I been right in leaving out the most crucial detail of my story? I didn't know. The only way to find out was to see how life went for the next few weeks.

Preview: Valentine's Day has come around again and Maya is still keeping part of the story a secret from Zack. They have a horrible argument that leads to a very tough few weeks for everyone. By this time, Maya and Zack's new baby has been born and that makes it even tougher for the struggling couple.

A/N: For those of you who have worried about Phoebe, don't worry, she will make appearances still. Remember, Maya still has a small part of the story hidden from Zack. Exactly what she is hiding will be revealed in time. Thank-you to all you wonderful people who take the time to read my story, you guys make it worth while to continue :)