“Are you sure, Martin?” Adam asked gruffly. Joe turned to look at Adam kindly.

“Yes,” he replied. “As you can see on the ultrasound, your baby is just fine.” He looked to Krystal. ‘You’re going through a terrible ordeal right now, and the stress is understandable, but you must try to relax. Your baby should be fine, as long as you get plenty of bed rest and take care of yourself. I’m sure Adam can see to that.”

“Yes, of course,” Adam replied.

“Thank you so much, Joe,” Krystal said softly. “I just, when I heard about Babe, I just- it hit me, y’know?” Joe nodded. “Please,” she pleaded. “Please tell me- how is Babe? How is the surgery going?”

“The last I heard it was going successfully. They had a little trouble at the beginning, but Dr. Philips is doing the best job he can.” Krystal nodded. “I’m going to keep you here for observation tonight. I’ll see about getting you a room.”

‘A private room,” Adam put in.

“Sure,” Joe replied. “And as soon as we know anything about Babe, the doctor will be down to talk to you.” Krystal nodded again as Joe left.

‘Sweetheart are you sure you’re okay?”

“No,” Krystal replied brokenly. “How can I be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said, brushing his hands through her hair. “Do you want anything? Need anything?”

“Yes,” Krystal said. “I need Tad. And Kendall.”

“Why?” Adam asked sharply. “You heard Martin, nothing to upset yourself.”

“I know,” Krystal replied. “But I think it’d help me understand better if I knew what had happened. I just don’t understand any of this and I can’t process anything until I hear it from them.”

“Okay,” Adam nodded, kissing her on the head. He left her room, and walked with purpose back to the surgical waiting area. Tad and Dixie were sitting with Jack and Erica, their hands clasped together. Kendall and Zach were on the other side of Erica.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat.

“How’s Krystal?” Dixie asked. Adam could tell she meant it.

“She’d like to speak to Tad and Kendall,” he replied. “She would like to… understand what happened.”

“Of course,” Tad said, standing up. Kendall hesitated.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Zach murmured. Kendall shook her head.

“No, I- it’s not her fault Babe’s a murderer,” Kendall replied. “It might help her to know the truth.” She stood up, gave Adam a small smile, and then followed Tad. Adam stood there, at a loss for words, not sure what to do, until Dixie stood and grasped his hand.

“How’s the baby?” she asked.

“The baby’s fine,” he replied, and Dixie’s face visibly slackened.

“Thank god,” she murmured. “I know what it’s like and I… I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

“Not even me?” he asked ruefully.

“Of course not Adam,” she replied. “When I think that Krystal might lose Babe tonight, losing another child as well? And you- how close we came to losing JR, I don’t even want to think about it.” She visibly shuddered, drawing her hands around her stomach.

“What?” Adam asked sharply, visibly tensing.

“You didn’t know?” she asked, shocked.

“No,” Adam replied. “Winifred just told me that Babe had been shot. JR was at Fusion?”

“Yes,” Dixie replied, her voice getting emotional. “He ran in there and pulled Kendall out of the line of fire. If he had- if Babe had hurt him-“

“She’s already hurt him,” Adam growled. “That little gold digger has hurt everyone in this town. Where is JR now?”

“Visiting Amanda Dillon,” Dixie replied.

“Another one of Babe’s victims,” Adam inserted disdainfully. Dixie looked at him, and he could see it in her eyes that she agreed with him, but that for some reason, she didn’t want to voice it out loud.

“We can go see him if you want?”

“Yes,” Adam nodded. “Let’s go.”

Tad knocked gently on the door to Krystal’s room, Kendall right behind him. She looked up and motioned them in.

“Thank you for meeting me,” she told them quietly.

“Of course,” Tad said. “How’s-”

“My baby is fine,” Krystal told him.

“Krystal, I just wanted to apologize,” Kendall said, playing with her hands. “Whatever my feelings towards Babe, I’m sorry if what I said caused you to…” she trailed off, gesturing towards Krystal’s stomach.

“It’s not your fault, honey,” Krystal replied. “Nothing you said could’ve done that, believe me. I just wanted to know if y’all could tell me how this all happened. What you know. I just can’t believe my Babe would do something like this.” Tad sat gently at the foot of her bed, Kendall standing beside him.

“I talked with JR on the phone earlier today,” Tad said. “He told me that Jamie had found Amanda chained to the pipes in the Chandler tunnels.”

‘How do they know it was Babe?” Krystal asked. “It could be anyone with access to the Chandler mansion.”

“Colby found some medication in Babe’s drawer,” Tad continued. “Jamie recognized it as what killed Simone and Erin.”

“But she still could have been framed!” Krystal explained, almost outraged. She looked to Kendall. “Did she tell you anything?”

“Not about Amanda,” Kendall answered honestly. “But she did admit to killing Simone and Erin.”

“She did?’ Krystal almost whispered. “Did she say why?”

“She said,” Kendall started, not sure if she should tell the whole truth. “She said she deserved it. That she had planned all this because she and you deserved it.”

“Me?” Krystal asked aghast.

“Yeah,” Kendall said, glancing around awkwardly. There was no place she’d less like to be then in Krystal’s room. “She said she did it to give you a good life. Maybe I shouldn’t’ve said that part but-“

“No, I’m glad you told me the truth Kendall,” Krystal answered honestly. ‘Thank you. Thank both of you.”

“Whatever you need, Krystal,” Tad told her. “I’m here.” Krystal nodded tearfully.

“Uh, if you excuse me, I want to go call Rachel,” Kendall said, excusing herself.

“Can I get you anything?” Tad asked.

“Yes,” Krystal replied. “Help me get to the surgical waiting room.”

“Krystal you really should stay here and rest.”

“We’ll bring my IV,” she argued. “And I’ll sit down and put my feet up. But I just want to know as soon as possible that my little girl is ok. And Greenlee too. Because if Greenlee isn’t ok-”

“I understand,” Tad said softly.

“Tad, what if-“

“What if what?” Tad asked, prompting her gently. Krystal tugged a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“How do I know this doctor will do his best? How do-“

“Because he’s a doctor,” Tad said simply. “They have to help, no matter what. Surgeons are arrogant right? That’s what Jake always said. They can’t help but save someone’s life.”

“But what if this Dr. Philips, what if he thinks Babe should-“

“Believe me,” Tad told her, cutting her off. “I’ve known Brad Philips for a long time and he’s one of the least discriminating people I know. You can trust that.” Krystal nodded.

Tad stood and grabbed the wheelchair from the corner of the room.

Jamie knocked lightly on Amanda’s door, peering in to look at her. Her eyes were closed, but at the sound, they fluttered open. She smiled sleepily.

“Hi boys,” she murmured, and JR and Jamie took it as their cue to sit in the chairs next to her.

“Hey Amanda,” Jamie said. “You gave us a bit of a scare.”

“I hear you’re my heroes,” she replied.

“That’s more James than me,” JR confessed.

“Well thank you both,” she replied.

“You kidding?” Jamie asked. ‘We’d do anything for you.” She bit her lip, biting back a retort. She was too tired for that.

“So I guess that means Spiderman wins?” she asked.

Jamie grinned broadly. “I’m just glad you finally realized that.”

“Never,” JR scoffed. “He’s not even in the Justice League.”

“Are you actually sitting there telling me that DC Comics are superior to Marvel?” Jamie asked, affronted. “Because I know for a fact that you still keep your copy of ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died’.”

“Because it’s worth a lot of money,” JR told him.

“Not out of the package,” Jamie retorted.

“Maybe I was trying to make you jealous,” JR supplied. Jamie let out a little snort.

“Of what? The Chandler money? No thanks,” he replied, waving his hands back and forth for emphasis. “Just admit it JR. You liked it.”

“Whatever,” JR snarked, “so Marvel put out one good comic in decades. So what? Gwen was hot. That’s it.”

“She’s a cartoon character,” Amanda grumbled.

“Amanda, you made Hayley watch The Little Mermaid every time you came over our house because you had a crush on that Prince,” JR mocked her.

“His name is Eric,” Amanda sniffed.

“Mary Jane was hotter,” Jamie mumbled.

“You just have a thing for Kirsten Dunst,” JR scoffed.

“She never wears a bra,” Amanda retorted bitterly. Jamie and JR exchanged amused glances at the dark look on her face.

“And that’s a bad thing?” Jamie asked.

“Boys,” Amanda grumbled. “You’re both giving me a headache.”

“Sorry,” they mumbled, falling silent. Amanda rubbed her temples, and JR looked down at his hands.

“I can’t believe you’re defending DC Comics,” Jamie muttered. “Especially after that Crisis on Infinite Earths business.”

“That was an extremely successful series,” JR muttered back.

“That they retconned anyway with 52!” Jamie retorted.

“Who cares if it’s a multiverse or not James?” JR asked. “Batman still kicks everyone’s ass.”

“Maybe if DC Comics were better to begin with they wouldn’t’ve had to get rid of the multiverse to end the continuity problems, which by the way, Crisis didn’t fix.”

“Oh my god,” Amanda moaned. “You two are such geeks.” They stared at her.

“You’re one to talk, Dillon,” JR retorted. “Tell me, do you still have your US Presidents Pez Collection?” Jamie snorted.

“Oh god,” he laughed. “The mole on Lincoln’s face was the size of Montana. I forgot about that.”

“Only because someone took a sharpie to it,” Amanda yelled angrily. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that Jamie Martin.”

“What?” Jamie asked, his mouth dropping open. “That was all JR.”

“Sure it was,” JR scoffed, grinning. He let out a little laugh, but stifled it quickly. It looked like someone had slapped him in the face. His jaw set, and he glared down at his hands. Jamie and Amanda looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

“What’s wrong?” Amanda asked carefully.

“It’s nothing,” JR grumbled.

“Don’t lie to me,” Amanda said, looking at him sharply. “I almost just died. That means you don’t get to lie to me for at least a week.”

“I guess I just feel…,” JR trailed off, searching for words. “Is it okay to be laughing when Babe’s in surgery? I mean, she is my wife. And I... I'm sitting here joking and laughing with the two of you when I just found out my wife is a murderer, a kidnapper, a- I loved her. I love her. Little A's life is never going to be the same, Babe may not... may not live, and I'm sitting here laughing and talking about Batman and Kirsten Dunst. How messed up is that?” Amanda’s face fell.

“Babe’s in surgery?” she asked. “What? Why?”

“She was shot,” JR informed her. “After she shot Greenlee.” He rubbed his hands through his hair. He hadn't even really processed it all yet. He went straight from Amanda to Kendall to the hospital to Amanda, and he hadn't even stopped to think. Their life together was over. He had married a murderer. He loved a murderer. How fucked up was he?

“Oh my god,” Amanda moaned, dropping her head in her hand. Jamie looked between the two, their faces defeated, their bodies slumped, and snapped.

“You two can’t be serious?” he asked. “After everything she did? I mean, I knew you were a glutton for punishment JR, but seriously Amanda? She locked you in the tunnels and left you to die. She doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”

“She’s my friend, Jamie,” she snapped, sitting up, her eyes fiery. “And she was obviously sick when she did that. Maybe you can’t understand that, but sometimes people do things and they can’t help it, okay? That doesn’t mean they’re bad people.”

“No, just murderers,” Jamie muttered.

“I’ll be sure to give my mother your best regards when I visit her then,” Amanda said sullenly, crossing her arms. Jamie looked like he had been slapped in the face.

“Amanda,” he said softly, but she held up her hand.

“Save it.”

They all sat there, the silence practically swallowing them. Amanda glared, Jamie’s face looked apologetic, but his eyes were set, and it was obvious he stood by his words about Babe, and JR looked more than a little bit lost.

“Listen uh, maybe we should let you get your rest, okay?” JR said, breaking the tension. “We’ll come by tomorrow?” He looked to Amanda expectantly.

“That’s fine,” she sniffed. JR stood up, kissed her forehead and left. Jamie stood as well, and turned towards her. He bit his lip, wondering if he should say something, but then just shook his head. She didn’t want to hear it right now.

The boys left and turned the corner, heading back to the elevator bay. Jamie jumped when they almost walked right into Dixie and Adam Chandler.

“JR,” Adam said gruffly, and then softening a bit. “Son.” Before Jamie could blink, Adam had grabbed the back of JR’s head, pulling him into a bear hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

Amanda sighed, flicking some lint from her blanket. Jamie Martin could actually be the most insensitive prat on the planet. Forget the fact that her mom was mentally ill, blasting into JR like that two seconds after he found out his wife was a murderer? Harsh. Harsh in fact, could not adequately describe the level to which Jamie Martin was incredibly, incredibly stupid.

She sighed. “Do I still have to give him a pass because of the whole saved my life thing?” she grumbled.

Talking to yourself?” a voice asked, and she looked up. Jon was planted in the doorway.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he replied, walking inside. “Mind if I sit?”

“Sure.” He sat down in the chair Jamie had previously occupied.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “We were all so worried about you. When Jamie told me you were missing-“

“Jamie told you?” she asked incredulously. ‘Why?” Jon grinned ruefully.

“He thought I did it,” Jon replied. “A bunch of people did for awhile there. All because of Jamie Martin.” He said the last part bitterly, and looked to her, as if for confirmation.

“I know you couldn’t do that to me,” she told him quietly. He nodded, and she sensed his relief.

“So when do you get sprung from here?” he asked.

“What happened to your hand?” she asked, taking his hand carefully. His knuckles looked like someone had taken a meat grinder to them.

“I told you,” he said. “Jamie and I fought.”

“Where? A knife shop?” she asked, incredulously. He shrugged.

“It’s no big deal.”

“Right,” she said, clearly not convinced.

“So um, I should probably go,” he said. “But uh, how bout I come back tomorrow? Bring some food? It can be kind of like a-“

“A date?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Since Babe deep sixed our last one.”

“Look Jonathan,” Amanda said, choosing her words carefully. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“You want to wait until you’re out of the hospital then?” he asked.

“No,” she said softly. “Look Jon, what happened to me? It was a big deal. And I need time to process it, and I don’t think a relationship will help me. And you-“

“What about me?” he asked sharply.

“I think you have stuff you need to deal with too,” she told him. “And maybe later, maybe when we’re both-“

“Yeah,” Jon said huffily. “Maybe never, you mean. I get it Amanda, really. I’ll see you around.” He stood up and stalked out. Amanda sighed. She had done the right thing. Right?

Leo rubbed his hands through his head, elbows centered on his knees. What the hell had she been thinking? Of all the stupid, inane, self-destructive thing- and with his wife, there was a big list to choose from- what the hell had made her jump in front of a bullet for him? Granted, she had done it before, but that was a hell of a lot different.

Greenlee wasn’t supposed to save him. It had been an impulsive move, and impulsive moves on Greenlee’s part never ended well for her. People got pushed off of yachts, they got stranded on deserted islands with rabid girl scouts, loan sharks shot at them… An impulsive Greenlee ended in disaster. He ran his hands down his face and prayed this time would be different.

He felt a hand on his, and strawberry scented hair on his shoulder. He looked to the side, and saw Maggie, her mouth set, and her eyes looking up at him.

“Trey called,” Maggie said. “Bridget’s still asleep. Your daughter is fine.” Leo nodded. Bridget had her mother’s eyes. Best eyes he had ever seen. He had thought so even that day he and his mother had caught her in a terrycloth robe with Ryan Lavery. He knew right then Ryan was terrible for her- terrycloth did not suit a girl like Greenlee.

“She’ll be fine, Leo.” He looked up, and saw Kendall standing before him.

“I know,” he said, though he wasn’t sure he believed it.

“Greenlee’s like a bug okay?” she said. “Like a cockroach. They always survive.”

“You do have a way with words, Kendall,” Leo told her, an attempt at a smirk on his face.

“What can I say?’ she said, tossing her hair. “It’s a gift.”

Footsteps approached and Leo actually felt his heart stop. He turned towards the sound, but it wasn’t David- it was Dr. Philips. He walked with purpose towards Krystal and Tad. Leo couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he motioned towards a private room. Krystal shook her head furiously, so he sat down, across from her, hands clasped, eyes on hers. She screamed, a blood curdling, primal, terrible scream, and he didn’t think it was possible but he felt even worse.

He shuddered, jerking away from the sound, from her, from her pain, thanking god that news wasn’t for him, and praying he wouldn’t look like her when David came out of the O.R. He knew he should feel sorry for her, but he couldn’t because hearing her right now, like this, repelled him. He could feel what she was feeling, feel it all over, and he didn’t like it. He couldn’t survive it. How the hell could she?

He felt hands pulling at him, but he jerked away from the strawberries, from pink nail polish, from that horrible, terrible sound. He just wanted to hit her, he just wanted to shut her up. He didn’t want to feel what that woman felt- the woman whose daughter had tried to kill his wife, the reason he was here. He stumbled, away from the sound, away from everything.

He wasn’t even sure if he stumbled, he couldn’t tell because he couldn’t see anything or feel anything or hear anything but that sound but he knew he just needed to get away. He walked somewhere- it was all black and dark and swirls and there was no sound but her voice and he could probably live another hundred years and he’d always hear that scream.

Why couldn’t they get her to shut up? Was it so hard? He was walking away, he knew, or at least he thought he was but that sound- it just followed him everywhere. He think he might have coughed, but he wasn’t sure.

Thud. Solid. Something solid. Had he walked into a wall? What the hell?

“Leo.”

And suddenly everything cleared, and it wasn’t black any more and he was back in the hospital, in a hallway, staring into dark brown eyes. Greenlee’s eyes were brown too, but they sparkled. These eyes gleamed. But they were familiar- he knew them, he could focus on them. They made him forget the scream.

“Leo.”

He glanced down, past his nose, to his mouth. David didn’t smile a lot, but his mouth was twitching upward. He glanced back up, to his eyes.

“The surgery was a success,” he said. “She’s in recovery. You can go see her within the hour.”

And just like that David had broken the spell of the scream, and he pulled his brother into a hug. David wasn’t one for overt affection but he returned it, until Leo felt him stiffen and pull back.

“Who is that?” The gleam in his eyes was gone, and Leo knew he didn’t even need to say it because David knew. He heard the scream again, but now the sound that made him feel anger, resentment, helplessness- now he only felt pity. He gulped, and breathed out, and looked his brother straight in the eye.

“Krystal.”