Tears welled up in my eyes and I clutched my mothers arm tightly, too tightly. I was hurting her. Immediately letting go I ran a hand through my hair, messing up the carefully styled blonde waves.

"Which hospital?" I asked, my voice sounding incredibly calm. In reality I was freaking out, my brain working overtime as I tried not to picture Laura lying on the road, her body bloody and mangled.

"St. Lewis." I could have smiled at the memory that conjured but my worry was too great.

Laura sitting in her car, staring out the window at the brightly twinkling stars with a cute little frown on her face. How that frown had soon been transformed into a smile as I teased her. How much it meant that she had phoned me instead of anyone else. One, or all, of these things would have brought a grin to my face on any other day.

Just not today.

***

The traffic was a nightmare! I was forced to sit in ques for nearly an hour to cover a distance that would normally take just under ten minutes. With every second that trickled by my body grew tenser and my thoughts became more wild.

By the time I had parked outside the hospital I had almost convinced myself I would find her unconscious and connected to life support, with a less than ten percent chance of survival.

"I'm here to see Laura Hart," I informed the woman who sat behind the desk.

"Room six, wing two," she mumbled, sounding exhausted.

"Thank you." I hesitated only long enough to spit the words out before running in the direction she'd indicated.

Part of me knew that if I was allowed to see her she wasn't in too bad a state but I would not be satisfied until I saw her. If I did would I know for certain she was okay and could stop worrying, until then... well, I couldn't!

I pushed open the door to room six with such force that three of the four humans within looked up at me with a start.

The room was small and Laura lay on the bed with a huge grin on her face. Sitting in a chair beside her bed was a woman with shoulder length red hair-that was very obviously from a bottle- and pretty green eyes.

Sitting on the floor playing with a toy train was a little boy who had tufts of fluffy blond hair. Beside him, with his own toy train in hand, was a man who, if I was honest, scared me a little.

He had short hair that was barely there, just covering the top of his head with black stubble. He was chunky, with muscle rather than fat, and his bright blue eyes seemed to stare through me.

I tried not to focus on him and smiled at Laura.

"Hey," I said, between pants. I was still tired from running all the way here from the office.

"Hi," she grinned, "are you okay?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I joked after getting my breath back.

"I'm fine," she said airily, "just broke my wrist and cut my side, nothing too bad."

"You forgot the concussion," reminded the woman who sat beside her bed.

"You have a concussion?" I asked, my brief few seconds of relief forgotten.

"I feel fine," Laura repeated, glaring at the woman. I frowned at her.

"What did the doctor say?"

"He said I'm fine, like I told you!"

"You know I'll check so don't bother lying to me." I threatened and she relented.

"They're keeping me in overnight." I opened my mouth to say something but she spoke before I could, "just to make sure!"

"Sorry," the woman was staring at me, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but who are you?"

"Oh..." I was momentarily lost for words, unsure how to introduce myself. "I'm, uh..." Luckily Laura saved me.

"Stephanie this is Lilly, my girlfriend. Lilly this is Stephanie, my sister."

"Nice to meet you," I said politely and she smirked at me.

"And you, I've heard so much about you." I glanced at Laura and saw her cheeks turn pink.

"Steph!" She groaned and Stephanie laughed.

"This is Marc, my husband." She introduced me to the man on the floor and I nodded at him with apprehension.

Apparently feeling the urge to be well-mannered he stood up and instantly all my fear was gone. The guy was a midget. At least six inches shorter than me, and I am no giant.

He shook my hand before returning to the ground with the young boy. Stephanie introduced him next.

"That's Alexander, our son," she said with a proud smile.

"He's adorable!"

"He looks cute enough but he can be an absolute nightmare!" Stephanie's eyes danced with love as she looked at him and I knew she didn't mean it.

"Someday I want a kid like him," Laura said wistfully, "he's perfect." She was looking at me and I frowned at her.

"Hmm..."

"Do you not want kids?" Stephanie asked curiously.

"I, um, no... n-not particularly," I stuttered, trying not to look directly at Laura.

"Why not?" She asked innocently and I coughed.

"I, uh..."

"You don't have to tell her," Laura told me, glaring at Stephanie.

"What?" Stephanie asked, "what did I say?"

"Nothing, it's fine," I reassured her, "I'd just rather not talk about it."

"Oh... okay," Stephanie still looked perplexed.

"Anyway what are we all questioning Lilly for? I'm the one who got hit by a car!" Laura said. I know she was only joking and trying to move attention away from me but it managed to make me feel guilty.

"Yeah," I started, "about that. What the hell happened!?"

"Oh, um, I was just walking across the road and the car hit me." Laura said quickly, not quite meeting my eyes.

"Really?" I questioned.

"Yes, of course." She insisted and I knew she was lying.

"Where were you?" I asked and she finally looked me straight on.

"What?"

"Where were you when the car hit you?"

"Oh, I was just outside the school."

"And when did the car hit you?" I asked before she could catch her breath.

"It was about two, why are you asking all this?"

"Why weren't you teaching?" I asked, knowing two was at least half an hour after lunch ended.

"I had a free period." She rolled her eyes, "seriously what's with interrogation?"

"So you had a free period?"

"Right, bu-"

"And you decided to go for a walk," she nodded, "across the road outside the school?"

"Yes! I wanted to get out into nature."

"Laura, it's all houses over there, has been for over fifty years. What actually happened?"

For a second she looked confused, as though surprised I'd actually caught her out. Her expression quickly transformed into one of guilt and she squirmed under the itchy hospital sheets.

"Promise you wont get mad," she whispered, sounding like a child.

"I'll try not to," I said, carefully perching on the bed beside her.

She wrapped her fingers around mine and squeezed them tightly, to gain confidence before she started.

"I did have a free period, that part was true, and because it was right after lunch I went out to lunch with one of the other teachers."

"Who?" I interrupted, trying not to sound as jealous as I felt.

"Do you remember Miss Hallow?" She asked and I scowled.

"Yes."

"Don't worry," she laughed, "she is very straight."

"Hmm," I sniffed and she tightened her grip on my hand, "all right, go on."

"We were just heading towards this Greggs, because we aren't that close-" She broke off when I hit her across the head.

"I'm injured!" She gasped, trying not to laugh, "you'll make my concussion worse!"

"You're fine." She held her head in mock agony and I hit her again, softly of course.

"Unbelievable! The things I put up with!" I laughed at her expression, then turned more serious.

"Okay, what happened then?"

"Right... we were going to Greggs and I suddenly hear someone shouting my name and telling me to wait on them. I looked about trying to see who it was and eventually I spotted her, running down the path."

"Who?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't say the name I dreaded.

"Caitlin."

"Shit!" I swore, "I'll kill her!"

"You promised you wouldn't get mad!"

"I didn't know it would involve that maniac!"

"Calm down babe, she didn't shove me or anything."

"What did happen then?"

"I tried to get away from her," she shrugged, "I was an idiot and ended up on the road with a car heading right for me."

"You're not an idiot," I said, leaning in to kiss her.

"Aw!" The noise broke me out of my Laura induced trance and I pulled away with red cheeks. I'd forgotten there were other people in the room. "You guys are so cute together!"

"Stephanie!" Laura whined, "did you have to?"

"Well I don't want you to scar my son! He's too young to be exposed to things like that!"

"Whatever." Laura said with a sigh.

"Don't get down, it's nice seeing you so happy. You've not been like this for... well, ever."

Laura smiled shyly and the expression was adorable on her, I had to make her shy more often.

Suddenly, as I watched, her expression turned to one of horror and shock. She was staring past me, towards the door and I heard it close softly.

"Mum! What the hell are you doing here?"