The end has come at last! Thank you to all of those who have stuck with this story all this time and even more thanks to those whose continual encouragement made posting to this site such an enjoyable experience. That said, here is the final chapter of Divinity. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks again.

-glambothefirst

Life had gone back to being something close to perfect in the last weeks. She actually couldn't think of a time where she'd been closer to her best friends, or shared as many laughs and relief filled occasions. Kelly's evolving pregnancy was a source of much needed happiness during their recovery period, and they all began blocking the two terror filled nights that seemed to have happened an eternity ago. The horror had begun to fade away into distant memories, and things were perfect now. Just perfect.

Sabrina found an unoccupied stretch of wall and managed to make her way through all of the hustle and bustle to get to it.

Finally, she thought to herself, slumping against it in relief.

From her new spot, it was easier to watch the goings on of the day without getting trampled over or asked any questions. That was normal for one of these deals though, she supposed. She'd never been to an estate sale before, let alone a millionaire's estate sale so as far as they went, she figured this was probably about normal.

Several weeks after the incident at Divinity's Reach, old Robert Carlson had succumbed to his illness. The silver lining there had been that his impending death had brought him and his brother together for the first time in many, many years. At long last, Walt and Robert had finally made amends before it was too late. Now, with his older brother gone, an elaborate estate sale was what Walter Carlson had decided to do with his new found fortune.

The grizzled old man had decided to take Robert's money after all. Sabrina smiled to herself, remembering the two brothers, bickering with one another at the signing. Walt had to promise his brother he'd move into his mansion before the older man finally signed away his fortune to him.

But what Robert never could know, couldn't hurt him, Walt must have figured. He never spent a single night in the old place. Sabrina didn't blame him. Though the décor was a bit dated, the property was exquisite. Nestled back behind lush gardens and a huge fountain, the mansion looked like a hidden palace. She'd already lost count of how many rooms the place had in its three stories worth of luxury. Each room was about the size of her apartment, lavishly decorated with plush carpets, expensive artwork and beautiful furniture. Huge was the only word Sabrina could use to describe it, huge enough that she was afraid of getting lost if she wandered too far through it. Yes, the place was indeed beautiful, but how one man could live here all alone with so much space, Sabrina couldn't understand.

And now here they were getting ready to sell all of the beautiful artwork and expensive furniture to the highest bidder. The big moment was later this evening and, with nothing to do thanks to the legal nightmare of Divinity's Reach still being sorted out by Charlie, the angels, and even Kris, now gainfully unemployed due to her involvement in said nightmare, had been helping set up all week.

Deciding that no one would miss her for a few minutes, Sabrina ducked into a little alcove and allowed herself to sink down onto the shiny hardwood floor. She'd just closed her eyes for a catnap when two familiar bickering voices caught her attention.

There was no place one could really hide from Jill Munroe. The cheerful blonde's face lit up in a gleaming white smile upon spotting Sabrina. She said something to Kris, walking beside her, and the two women headed her way.

"Hey." Sabrina greeted the sisters as they plopped down in her alcove.

"Hey, yourself." Jill chirped back. She looked to be in a good mood. Sabrina fought the urge to pry, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Jill's high spirits were due to one of the handsome art experts she'd been chatting with all morning. Jill hunkered down next to Sabrina and let out a huge exaggerated sigh. "It's crazy out there, huh?"

Sabrina laughed. "Sure is. That's why I'm here." She watched as Kris set down the cardboard box she'd been carrying. "Keeping busy?" she asked her younger friend.

Kris nodded. "Walt said he'd give me twenty bucks a week to come help him sort out all of his brother's stuff." She wrinkled her nose. "Since I'm out of a job, I guess twenty a week is alot better than nothing." She brightened and then proudly patted the box beside her as if it had just done a trick. "Mostly old pictures and stuff that no one would want to buy. I don't mind it. He's a nice old guy. Real friendly. I guess he's lonely and he likes having someone around to talk to."

Sabrina shot Jill a look and did her level best not to laugh. "Yeah, I'll bet that's it." She said, smiling discreetly at Jill. "Don't do too much though. You're still recovering, you know."

Kris didn't catch it. "Oh no, he doesn't let me do too much." She patted her stomach gently. "I feel pretty good actually. The doctor said I was okay to go back to work next week." She made a sour face. "If I had a job to go back to. You know, in the movies when something like this happens, the good guy keeps his job, gets the girl, and he's back on his feet by the next scene." She jerked her thumb at herself. "Me? I get dumped, stabbed, and then fired on top of it. Talk about adding insult to injury."

Sabrina had to laugh. Her entire situation was quite pitiful really. It was no wonder the unemployed little blonde was getting work offered to her by both Walt and Charlie. Bosley had taken a shine to Jill's little sister directly after meeting her, and once she was able to resume activities, he had her as a personal assistant to help with paperwork. Sabrina kept her mouth shut after accidentally overhearing about a possible position for the younger Munroe.

"Well, it's been nice having you home, anyway." Jill giggled. She patted Kris's knee and then leaned over her to paw at the box she'd brought with her. "What's in that thing?"

Kris shrugged. "Old pictures. We can sell the frames, just not the photos. I'm supposed to organize them for Walt." She yawned and then popped up to her feet. "Won't lie though, I'm a little sore already. Kelly said I'll always be able to blackmail her kid by showing it my battle scars."

Jill shook her head, looking concerned. "You won't be doing any bragging about it if you tear your stitches by overdoing it." Her sister couldn't just sit still and heal, she was even becoming more restless than Kelly was. A feat in and of itself. "And now where are you going?"

"Exercise and a little soreness is good for me, Jill." She batted her eyelashes. "Walt said he had another box for me in the parlor."

Jill narrowed her eyes. "It's not heavy is it? You know you're not supposed to be lifting this much."

"It's not, I promise!" Kris laughed. "Kelly carried it earlier with one hand and she's pregnant. If she can carry a five pound box, then I think I can too. You can even help me sort through these when I get back."

Jill and Sabrina shared a look.

"Gosh, you're so considerate. I can't wait." Sabrina joked.

Kris stuck her tongue out at her and then jogged off towards the parlor, singing a tune along the way. "Lady Godiva was a freedom rider, she didn't care if the whole world looked..."

Sabrina groaned upon hearing it. The tune would probably be stuck in her head all day now. Thanks alot, Kris, she thought. Six weeks of being laid up from her injury had apparently left the poor girl with so much pent up energy, that it was nearly impossible to keep her still for more than a minute. As long as she didn't overdo it, Sabrina supposed.

She turned to Jill. "Don't bust a blood vessel, but I think Bosley is talking Charlie into hiring Kris on."

There was silence, and Sabrina could see Jill's jaw clench tightly. She turned her head slowly, a look drawn on her face that made Sabrina regret opening her mouth. "Ah-hah," Sabrina attempted to laugh, "Maybe I heard wrong. Ignore me, I have no idea what I'm talking ab-"

"I'll talk to Charlie about this." She said simply, her tone short and final. "I have a hard enough time keeping my eye on Kelly, I can't believe he would even think of hiring Kris. It's dangerous and no, no, no, no."

"Jill, just forget-"

"I am forgetting. Tomorrow," She pointed a finger at Sabrina, "I'll be mad."

Drooping her shoulders, the brunette felt guilty for ruining the relaxed mood. But soon enough Jill returned to her curious state and was already rooting through the box Kris had left behind. "Look at all these old pictures." Jill was saying as she pulled them out. "This place must have gotten a lot of action back then, look at all these people."

Curious herself now, Sabrina scooted closer to her friend to take a look. "Wow." She agreed.

Wow seemed to sum it up. The pictures were old, probably from the twenties and thirties. Pictures of the mansion in its heyday, filled to the brim with young men in tuxedos and young women with bobbed hair and fringed dresses. Robert hadn't been kidding when he'd mentioned how popular he and his brother had been in their youth. There were several pictures of them as young men, hardly recognizable from the way she knew them now. The brothers had indeed been a handsome pair back in those days. Movie star looks and deep pockets. No wonder they had been so popular.

Jill pulled out a few more photos and Sabrina burst out laughing as she caught sight of one of them. She picked it up and showed it to Jill.

"Is that Joan Crawford?" she asked, laughing.

Jill grabbed it up and started to giggle as she stared at the younger versions of Robert and Walt, looking suave and sophisticated in their tuxes, a certain Ms. Crawford smiling between them. "It sure is."

Sabrina shook her head and laughed. "Wow. Hey, you think we'll find any more movie stars in here?" She was still in a playful mood as she reached inside the box. It wasn't until she had pulled out another armful of picture frames did she notice that Jill was no longer smiling.

The smile melted off of Sabrina's face. "What? What's wrong?"

Jill started and then set down the frame she had been looking at. "Uh... Bri," she said slowly. "You're not gonna believe this."

"What? That picture? Lemme see."

There was an odd look on Jill's face and when Sabrina picked up the frame and took a good look, she immediately knew why.

There in grainy black and white was a photo of three men sitting in a grand luxurious parlor. One of them was Robert, looking to be in his mid-thirties, a cigar jutting out of his mouth and a brandy in his hand. Beside him sat a handsome young man she hadn't recognized, and beside that man sat a younger version of Dr. Markus Rotger.

Pinned on all of their lapels was a very familiar looking symbol.

Just seeing that symbol, seeing the doctor's face smiling into the camera was enough to give Sabrina the chills.

"What in the hell?" Sabrina muttered, lowering the frame to her lap.

Jill crawled toward her. Her blonde hair bounced about as she checked in all directions for prying ears and then she pulled the frame out of Sabrina's lap and held it close to their faces. She leaned closer and her voice dropped to a harsh whisper.

"Bri! Robert... do you think... do you think he was... you know!"

Sabrina shook her head and pushed the frame away. "No, Jill. Just... put that away, huh?" This was a road she most definitely didn't feel like going down.

But Jill was adamant. Stubbornly, she tapped Robert's face in the photo. "Think about it, Bri! I mean, that would explain everything! People wanting to kill him, his brother disowning him, the reason that Walt burned their family records, the reason he didn't want any of the money!" Her blue eyes lit up. "They never said where they got their money, maybe it came from-"

"No, no, no, no, no." Sabrina interrupted, waving her hands. Against her will, her mind had jumped to the exact same conclusions that Jill had come to. But, Robert was dead. The doctor was dead. It was over and no force in the world could make her dwell on this subject any longer.

"Just think about it, Sabrina!" Jill pressed, her blue eyes lit up with an urgency Sabrina didn't like at all.

Sabrina pressed her hands over her heads and shook her head violently. "No. No, I don't want to think about it. You don't either. Trust me, just let it go."

Jill sighed and, deflated, dropped the frame to her lap. "Man," she breathed. "Kelly's gonna flip when we tell her."

"Oh no." Sabrina said immediately. "No. I'm not telling her anything. Neither are you, Jill. She can't deal with that right now, she was messed up enough as it was about Anna, just..." She threw up her hands. "Look at her. She's happy. No. No more."

Jill huffed and slumped back into the wall, thankfully seeming to drop the issue. Thank God, thought Sabrina. She shuddered and stared out into the parlor. She could see Kelly from their hiding place, sitting in the big comfortable chair Walt had insisted she sit in. She was showing now, her belly swelled up into a little bump that seemed to have Walt just as excited as if she were his own daughter. He really had been very sweet to her all week, fussing over her baby bump, her injured hand, still in a brace, and hardly letting his "Quickdraw" lift a finger to help. A far cry from what Jill had reported about their first impression of the old man and his shotgun. He was standing next to her now, looking quite handsome in a dark gray suit, with his gray beard trimmed short and his hair neatly combed, talking up a storm to her. For her part, Kelly seemed to be enjoying herself. She nodded and smiled as Walt talked animatedly with her. As Sabrina watched, Kelly's eyes drifted over to her and she grinned helplessly and gave her a little shrug.

Sabrina raised a brow and used her index fingers to trace a big heart in the air. She turned away before Kelly could have the last word and fixed her attention back on Jill.

"Do you see her?" She said again. "She's having fun. Let's not ruin it for her."

Jill was still sulking. "Yeah, I guess so."

The issue was blessedly tabled for a very peaceful fifteen seconds before Jill suddenly pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned towards Sabrina again.

Sabrina let out a long breath. "No, Jill." She muttered.

Jill's voice was back to the conspiratorial whisper she'd been using. "Charlie knows everything! Wouldn't you think he would have known if Robert had any ties to-"

"Would you stop?!" Sabrina groaned. "He didn't know but it... it's just a coincidence. It doesn't mean anything."

"Unless..." Jill continued. Her voice dropped even lower. "Unless he did know! Unless maybe-"

"Ugh, Jill!"

"No, look!" Jill insisted. She grabbed the photo and pushed it towards Sabrina's face, this time tapping the unidentified young man between Robert and Rutger. "We don't know what Charlie looks like, he never lets anyone see him for safety reasons, he's got connections just about everywhere, what if maybe-"

Sabrina looked at her best friend as if she had just sprouted antlers. "What are you even saying?!" she stammered.

"Nothing! It's just that... I mean, before he died, the doctor said that there were people everywhere and wouldn't it be crazy if-"

"No!" Sabrina sputtered. "I mean yes! Yes, it would be crazy! It is crazy! God, Jill."

Jill made a face at her. "Well, I'm just saying."

"Well, stop saying." Sabrina snapped. She dropped her head into her hands and shook her head. When she looked back up, she noticed Kelly walking towards them, a placid smile on her face.

Sabrina waved her over and then turned on Jill. "Hide that picture." She whispered, careful not to drop her smile. "And, please Jill, please let's not bring this up again, okay?"

Jill was already climbing to her feet. She didn't reply, but Sabrina was relieved to see her bury the picture in the box. She stood and cheerfully greeted Kelly as she approached.

Sabrina let her head thump back into the wall in relief. Thank God, she thought to herself. There wasn't time for this mess.

After all, they had an estate sale to attend.

Just perfect.

5 months later

Kelly lay propped up in bed, more exhausted than she'd ever felt in her life, yet the happiest she could ever remember being. Cradled on her chest was her newborn son, swaddled in a little blue blanket, a blue plastic band around his little wrist and his tiny head covered with a puffy little blue hat. So impossibly tiny, the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. He'd just been bathed and fed and the nurse would in in just a few minutes to check up on them, but for now, Kelly stared at her son in a sort of quiet awe, watching him as he slept and enjoying the first peaceful moment of the morning since going into labor late last night.

There was a light rap on the door and she looked up to see the door crack open and Sabrina's face peek inside.

"Hey!" Sabrina whispered excitedly. She caught sight of the sleeping baby and her face broke into a huge smile. "Can we…"

Kelly grinned back at her and wordlessly motioned her inside.

Not needing to hear another word, Sabrina eagerly pushed her way inside with Jill right on her heels.

"Oh my gosh!" Sabrina cooed, rushing in close to Kelly's bedside. She pulled up a chair, leaving Jill to set a vase of pretty yellow and white flowers on the little table in Kelly's hospital room that had been designated to hold gifts.

"Kelly... he..." Sabrina stammered, crowding in close to the baby. Being in the same room with the newborn seemed to have impaired her ability to think. "He's so perfect!" She reached out and took the little one's hand between her thumb and index finger. "Hi, baby! Hi!"

Kelly laughed softly. "Thanks, Bri."

"You look good too!" Sabrina laughed, patting Kelly's head. "He looks just like you. Yep, this one is going to be a heart breaker."

Jill quickly shoved flowers into place amongst another vase of flowers; some balloons; a big white teddy bear, and various other gifts. She then stood nervously over them, peering down at the baby but unable to speak coherently. She'd been this way since Kelly had gone into labor, completely tongue tied. Her fingers twitched with anticipation to gather him in her arms, however, she didn't voice it. Kelly noticed her eagerness right away and smiled warmly. "Jill, you can hold him, you know."

"I know! It's... just been a while."

Sabrina looked up at her friend and made a face. "I promise you're not going to drop him. Hold your arms out."

Jill took in a breath and obliged. Sabrina gently shifted the baby between arms, cradling the baby's head until he was safely tucked away in the blonde's hold. There was an small audible gasp once Jill finally got an up close look of his face. She took her hand and traced his face with a finger as her mind wrapped itself around what she was finally holding. "Wow." She said, full of disbelief and wonder. "He's amazing. He's... healthy and everything?"

Kelly nodded. "According to the doctors, and myself after checking him over a dozen times."

She grinned and looked back down at him, caressing his tiny cheek. "You were worth all the trouble we went through, little man. A million times over."

"Definitely." Sabrina agreed.

Although Kelly looked exhausted, there was a glow about her and a look of pride and happiness mixed in her facial expression. She wouldn't speak of that night but she would agree. A million times over.

For the next five minutes, Kelly took advantage of Sabrina and Jill's time with the baby and let her eyes shut. It was the first time in a long time she felt she could relax and enjoy the feeling of being at peace. Her pregnancy was over; she had a healthy baby boy to show for it, and there was nothing on her mind to worry her.

"Oh, Kelly!" Jill squealed. "You should see all the cute faces he's making! Look at him!"

Again, Kelly laughed. She felt like her smile was surely too big for her face. "I have been. I can't believe it." She murmured. With those words, he began fussing in Jill's arms. She instantly looked devastated and tried to soothe him but that only made matters worse. Perhaps there had been too much commotion for the little guy. But Kelly had heard that cry before. She merely held out her arms and smiled. "It's okay, you didn't do anything. Just pass him over."

"You sure?" Jill asked while figuring out the best way to lay him on Kelly.

Kelly gave her a quick nod, then expertly maneuvered him away from Jill and turned him over on his stomach. He laid flat against Kelly's chest as she rubbed his back, soothing him until his cries became weaker, eventually becoming nothing more than a tired whimper.

Her two friends were more than impressed, and planned to ask her later how exactly she learned that in a matter of a few hours.

"Well, now that he's feeling better..." She patted Kelly's shoulder. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"Better." Kelly answered softly. She suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "Better than the last time you saw me for sure."

That had both Jill and Sabrina laughing quietly. It had been a wild night to say the least.

"You did good, Kell." Sabrina said, playing with the baby's little hat. "So, now that he's here, it's getting kind of weird calling him 'Kelly's baby'. What's his name?"

Kelly smiled, idly playing with the plastic band around her child's wrist. 'Garrett' it read simply. That would change soon. "I think I'm going with James." She answered quietly.

Jill giggled and took the baby's little hand. "James. I like it." She stroked his tiny fingers. "You hear that? That's your name now, little Jimmy."

Apparently, Sabrina agreed with the nickname. "Hi, Jimmy!" She sang.

It suited him, Kelly decided with a tired smile. Jimmy. She could get used to that. Tired and happy, she watched her two best friends coo and fuss over her baby for a few minutes more before Sabrina suddenly looked up.

"Oh yeah." She said, looking a bit embarrassed. "Bos is waiting down the hall. He didn't want to come in if you were breastfeeding. We told him we'd check if it was safe."

Kelly laughed. "Tell him everything's covered up that needs to be covered up."

Jill volunteered herself and popped to her feet. "I'll go get him. He's gonna be disappointed the baby's name is Jimmy. He was gonna try to convince you to go with John." She rolled her blue eyes tolerantly. "For some reason."

She had just gotten to her feet when another soft knock at the door caught all three women's attention. Already up, Jill flounced over to the door and a greeting for Bosley died in her throat when Max's face appeared at the door instead.

He looked nervous, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a wrapped gift under his arm. He'd cut his shaggy hair short recently and had made good use of a comb. His normally scruffy face was clean shaven and he looked neat and put together.

"Hey, Jill-" He stammered.

"Max! I didn't know you owned a mirror." Jill teased, looking him over and trying not to laugh. She hadn't seen him this clean cut since high school. It was strange seeing him this way with his hair slicked down, wearing a button up dress shirt and khaki slacks, but he did look nice. Not at all his usual manner, but it was clear he was making an effort. "You look good!"

Max blushed. "I've never had a kid. Thought I'd make a good first impression." He glanced over her shoulder. "Is she still uh... I mean... can I come in?"

Jill rolled her eyes playfully and took his arm to lead him inside. "It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before, honey. Come on in." She teased. Both Max's and Kelly's face flushed a bright red and this amused Jill so much she made a mental note to try it again later. "Look, Kell, Max tucked in his shirt and everything."

Max stepped inside, laid eyes on Kelly and his son and broke into a big goofy grin. He didn't even hear Jill picking on him. "Hey." He greeted Kelly awkwardly.

"Hey." Came Kelly's equally awkward reply.

Sabrina caught Jill's eye and, with a nod of her head, both girls mutually agreed to give Max and Kelly some space. The poor guy had tried to be around as much as he could during Kelly's pregnancy but, against everyone's advice, she had kept him at a distance. It had been Jill who called him when Kelly had gone into labor last night and now, with the baby here, they probably had some talking to do.

Sabrina stood and joined Jill at the door. "Hey, we're gonna see if we can find Bos. I think he said he was going to the gift store. He'll probably be a few minutes."

"Oh and you know who I saw downstairs?" Jill continued animatedly. "Larry Donovan! Remember him from the academy?"

Sabrina made a face. "Yeah, that creep that was sucking face at the movies with some woman who wasn't his wife?"

"What?" Jill blurted out, looking confused. "Oh no, that was Gary Donahue I saw cheating on his wife. Larry was the one that was sweet on Chief Samson's secretary. I think he married her."

She fixed Kelly with a knowing look. "Anyway, we're gonna go say hi to him. And then go to the gift shop with Bos for a few minutes. More than a few actually. Maybe twenty minutes. Or more." She added very deliberately, slipping out the door. She took hold of Sabrina, whose face had gone white for some reason, and dragged her through. "Plenty of time. We'll be back, okay?"

Kelly couldn't do much but to let them go. "Okay, I'll see you-"

The door clicked shut and they were gone. Kelly glanced up at Max, still standing awkwardly by the door. His eyes were fixed on Baby Jimmy and, though he was nervous and uncertain, Kelly knew he was dying to meet his son. She smiled softly at him. "Do you want to hold him?"

Max looked thrilled. He crossed the room in a few strides and sat down in the chair Sabrina had pulled up to Kelly's bedside.

"Oh-" he said, remembering the things he was holding. "I uh… I got you something. I'll just-" He fumbled uncertainly for a moment before leaning over and depositing the gifts on the table in his over-eagerness.

"Thanks." Kelly chuckled. She gathered up the baby and managed to get him into Max's arms. Baby Jimmy fussed for a moment, wiggling his arms and legs before settling back down and falling back to sleep. Max sat back in the chair, carefully balancing the baby in his arms and stared at him as if completely amazed. He stayed that way, quietly holding Baby Jimmy, taking turns playing with his little hands, his hat, his tiny little feet. When he finally looked up, he looked as if he might cry.

But just like that it was gone. He cleared his throat and forced a smile. "I wish I had a little more practice doing this."

"You look like you're doing just fine." Kelly laughed.

"Does he have a name yet?"

Kelly nodded. "James."

"James." Max echoed. He tested it out a few more times, as if practicing before he smiled. "I like it." He looked eagerly at Kelly. "James Clarence?"

The horrified look on Kelly's face made him laugh out loud. "I'm kidding. Please don't name him Clarence."

Kelly gave a relieved giggle. "Deal. The girls are already calling him Jimmy, anyway."

Max seemed to approve. "Jimmy. Well, I like that too."

"Anyway, I was actually thinking on Munroe. James Munroe. After..." She looked down sheepishly. "Jill and Kris went through a lot for me... for him... I never could think of a way to thank them until now."

Max looked focused and repeated the name quietly to himself several times. "You know, I think I like it. Jill's bound to like it even more."

"No doubt." Kelly chuckled.

The two young parents stayed quiet for a few minutes before Max cleared his throat again. The nervousness was back. "Listen uh…" he started slowly. "I wanted to let you know that if you wanted... I could... I could come over. You know, once you go home. Not move in or anything, I mean if you don't want me to. But I could come and help when I'm not working. I mean, you shouldn't have to do it by yourself." He grinned shyly. "Besides, how am I gonna get better if I don't practice, right?"

Kelly offered him a faint smile. She stared at Jimmy's hand, looking even tinier between Max's big fingers and managed to nod her head. As anxious as it made her, it was the right thing to do for all three of them. "Yeah... I'd like that."

Max beamed. "Yeah?"

He looked so excited that Kelly couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped her. "Yeah." She said again. "This might surprise you, but I don't know what I'm doing either."

"Well, hey, so far so good, right?"

There was a knock on the door and a blonde nurse backed into the room pulling a little bassinet behind her. Her long blonde hair spilled out from under her nurse's cap and until she turned around, Kelly would have sworn it was Jill who had entered the room. "Good morning, Ms. Garrett." The nurse greeted her quietly. "If you don't mind, I'm going to be giving the baby his vaccinations."

Kelly sat up in bed. "Oh... okay." She agreed. "Thanks."

The nurse set up the bassinet a few feet from Kelly's bed and then came to collect Jimmy from Max's arms. Kelly had been used to hearing all her nurses cooing lovingly at her baby and some even at herself and noticed that this blonde nurse hadn't made a noise. She studied him rather curiously and then smiled, laying him down inside the bassinet. He squirmed and made small pitiful cries, protesting being taken from his mother's arms.

Max stood up in concern. It was the first time he'd heard his son cry. "Hey, buddy, it's okay. Daddy's right here." He hovered over the young nurse, who tilted her head to look at him.

"Sir, would you mind stepping outside for a moment? After I give him his vaccination he'll need to be fed."

"Oh... I guess I can wait until you guys are finished..." His tender gaze reached Kelly and he looked for her approval. She gave it to him with a small nod, and an unexpected warm smile. Max felt his face flush, and he reached down and rubbed a gentle finger over Jimmy's tiny little stomach. "Okay, bud. Daddy will be back in a little bit." He headed outside and then stopped suddenly in the doorway.

"Oh, hey," He said, turning. "My parents are here. And my brother and sister. They wanna… I mean… would you be okay with them meeting Jimmy today? Only if you.. I mean he's- and you... you're family now."

Family? It might still have been the drugs but the idea didn't seem as terrifying to Kelly as it had when she'd thought about it earlier in the year. Jimmy needed a family, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and beyond Jill and Sabrina, she didn't have much to offer him in the way of that. "Yeah." She said with a faint smile. "I think he'd like that."

With a new found purpose in life, Max proudly left the room with a small wave to Kelly. Things were looking up.

Kelly watched him go, turning back towards her son when she heard him whimper. She saw the needle about to be injected into her newborn baby and she winced. "What exactly is that for?"

"To boost his immune system, prevent him from catching anything that could harm him." When the needle pieced the skin the baby let out a high pitched wail, and Kelly's stomach knotted with desperation to comfort her son. But the blonde nurse had suddenly found her bedside manner. She leaned lower and whispered soft coos as she rubbed the top of Baby Jimmy's head with a free hand. "All done."

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. The woman folded him back into his blanket while he gave her disapproving grunts, but they all subsided once he laid back into the familiar arms of his mother. "Thank you." Kelly mumbled, glancing up at her face. "Hey, you know what's funny? You look a lot like my friend. She does her hair just like you. You probably saw her on the way into the room?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, I can't say that I did."

"Oh." Kelly couldn't quite get the goofy grin to leave her face. "Oh. Well, anyway. You look familiar that's all."

"I get that quite often. I must have one of those faces." She touched the baby's cheek with her finger one last time. "Congratulations, Ms. Garrett. He is quite beautiful. Just perfect." The nurse pulled away and grinned down at Kelly, who found her tone a bit different now. Kelly lifted her head and looked up into deep, dark brown eyes who staring intently at her.

As she stared at her face, Kelly noticed for the first time, a long faded scar running down the nurse's cheek.

Just perfect.

The unnamed woman raised her arm into the air as a wave of goodbye. "I'll be seeing you around, Kelly." She never lost her air of pleasantness as she sauntered away and let herself out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Just perfect.

Kelly froze into place, even as her baby squirmed innocently in her arms. There was a sudden blood curdling scream that echoed the halls, causing a swarm of nurses to scatter out to find the source. Two ran into her room, followed by Max, and she desperately tried to tell them what had occurred, only she was unable.

She was the one screaming.

THE END