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Dedicated to diplomxtic for the large fangirling moment we shared over Kevin Zegers and Gossip Girl. Thanks for letting me rant about my love for cute European drug dealers.

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Soundtrack:

I'm In Here by Sia (piano/vocal version): when Candice gets the news from the nurse

Love Is A Fire by Courrier: when she goes to see Chance

Heartlines by Florence + The Machine: when she talks to the Winchesters

With Light There Is Hope by Princess One Point Five: the end of the chapter

"Sorry?" I squeaked. "W-Why would you be sorry?"

She shook her head and pushed a lock of frizzy raven hair behind her ear. "Mr. Winchester's fall was quite a serious one. He hit his head extremely hard, and head injuries are quite tricky to treat."

"But he'll be okay, right?" I asked, feeling my heart seize.

"We're not sure at the moment, as he's still unconscious. We won't really be able to make an accurate assessment of his injuries until he regains consciousness."

"And when will that be?"

"I'm not sure," she told me bluntly. "Unfortunately there are still a lot of mysteries surrounding head injuries. He could wake up in minutes, hours, weeks... I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is always a possibility that he never does."

I shook my head. "No, that's impossible. He has to be fine. We're getting married in a couple of weeks! I mean, we were just talking earlier. He has to be fine."

She patted my arm comfortingly. "I know it's a lot to take in now, but as we know more we'll be able to make a better judgment. We've got a nurse with him at all times checking his vitals and keeping an eye on him. He's in good hands, Miss Sinclair."

"Is he stable?" I croaked. "Can I see him?"

"Unfortunately, no," she told me. "He's yet to stabilize and it's very touch-and-go at the moment. Until we get a clearer picture, we can't allow any visitors."

I felt like I was going to fall down, and just as I was beginning to slip, I felt two arms encircle me and pull me into a muscular chest. I looked up to see the familiar dark curls of Jamie.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

I shook my head. "It can't be," I whispered. "He can't..."

"Mr. Ryder is awake and asking for you," the nurse said. "I know it's a lot to take in, but would you like to see him?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

Jamie slowly set me upright and stood close by to make sure I didn't faint, but when I was certain I had my bearings, I allowed the stout nurse to lead me down the corridors and towards the room where Chance would be. The whole place had a melancholy feel, and I could hear people crying and whispering to each other from different rooms. Nurses in matching pink and blue scrubs walked around checking their watches and writing things on cork clipboards. To them, the case of William Winchester was just like any other drunken head injury; they'd seen something like this happen a million times before. They didn't realize that he was somebody's world, and their whole life would come collapsing down around them if something were to happen to him.

"Here we are," she told me. "He needs his rest, so please try to keep it brief."

I nodded and pushed the door open. Through the blinds, small chinks of early-morning sunlight trailed through the window. The room smelled of cleaning products, and lying feebly in the bed was Chance, his bandaged knee propped up on a white pillow and a thin blanket draped over his body. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was mussed, and he looked pale compared to the wan hospital gown.

"You came," he breathed, a weak smile slipping onto his handsome features.

"Of course I came," I replied, stepping closer and dragging an uncomfortable-looking chair to his bedside. "You asked for me."

"I heard two nurses talking about Will," Chance said, swallowing thickly. "Candi, I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," I whispered, toying with the frayed hem of the blanket. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't fought with him like that..."

Chance grabbed my hand and held onto it tightly, his thumb rubbing comforting circles over the back of it. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. Please don't blame yourself."

"What if something goes wrong?" I whispered, my voice wobbling. "What if he dies because of me? I can't live without him."

"Will is going to be fine," Chance promised me. "He's stronger than that. You just have to think positive and have faith."

"I just wish there was something I could do," I confided. "I feel helpless. They won't let me see him and they're not really telling me anything. I feel like I'm blind to the situation."

"If something happens, I'm sure you'll be the first to know," he assured me, and I realized he was still holding onto my hand. I didn't have the heart to drop it.

"I owe you a thank you, anyway," I said, changing the subject. "You fought for my honor last night."

"And I got my ass handed to me," he reminded me, but chuckled nonetheless. "The guy was like a barbarian."

"I'm so sorry about that," I told him. "And I hate the fact you're in here because of me. Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. It was worth it, though."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"It's the first chance we'd had to have a real conversation in a long time." He winked at me.

"Next time just ask," I replied, toying with his fingers. "Save yourself the hospital bills, huh?"

Just then there was a knock at the door, and the nurse from earlier appeared. "Sorry to interrupt. Miss Sinclair, William's parents are here and asking for you."

"I'll be right there," I told her, forcing a smile. She nodded and disappeared, and I turned back to Chance. "I guess that's my cue to go."

"Will needs you," Chance told me. "I get it. Good luck."

"Thank you," I murmured and stood. I started for the door, when his voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Candi?"

I turned around and looked back at him. "Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about the airport?" Chance asked. "Do you ever regret getting on that plane?"

"No," I told him. "Because it brought me to where I am now. And despite the events of the last week, I really am happy here."

"Maybe it's the morphine talking, but I have a confession to make."

"What is it?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I booked a plane ticket," Chance told me. "For the following Wednesday after you left. I was going to find you in London and tell you I loved you no matter what. That you didn't have to choose between me and your dreams because I was willing to give you both."

"What happened?" I whispered, my heart clenching painfully.

He leaned his head back. "I chickened out. I couldn't face going there and facing the possibility of having my heart ripped out by you again. So I stayed away and hoped you'd find your way back to me. You never did."

"I didn't know," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"I wish I'd come to find you," he told me. "I should have gone no matter what. I'm sorry I didn't."

"Everything happens for a reason," I told him, forcing a smile. "Maybe it was fate."

"Fate's a real asshole," he replied, making me laugh. "Anyway, enough of my sob story. You should go be with your fiancé."

"I'll come find you later," I promised him. "And Chance?"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning his brown eyes to look at me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

~ * ~

The waiting-room was extremely full for just after six in the morning, now full of people who had obviously arrived while I'd been gone. Our friends were still there, Ava and Jamie asleep in each other's arms with cold cups of coffee in hand. The twins were curled up on an overstuffed brown couch, and look was dozing off silently alone. Shae was nowhere to be seen-perhaps using the bathroom or getting a coffee-and Léon flashed me a reassuring smile as I entered into the foyer. It was nice to see everyone gathered to hear the verdict on Will, even if there was nothing to be done. We were all acting as a pillar of support for each other.

People clad in pajamas sat around the waiting room eating finger sandwiches or drinking coffee, but amongst them, looking very out of place, was Genevieve, Richard and Lachlan Winchester. Genevieve, though wearing a mink-fur coat and smart pants, looked fairly undone, with no makeup and a worn expression. Lachlan, in his rumpled suit, looked like he hadn't even been home all night. And Richard looked the same as ever.

I slowly walked over to them, nervous after the last conversation. But eviction notices were not enough to ignore them; their son was in hospital fighting for his life and I needed to be the bigger person and initiate conversation.

"Thank you for coming," I murmured quietly as I walked up to them. I probably looked a state with my messy hair, smudged makeup and a dress that had literally come from a hooker. But they didn't seem to care about any of that.

"Where is he?" Genevieve asked, grabbing my upper arm as if she might fall at any moment. "I called him last night and he sounded like he was at some sort of club. He hung up on us and wouldn't answer his phone again. And then we got a call from the hospital saying he's been seriously injured in a fall? What happened?"

"Here, take a seat," I said, guiding her to a blue chair. Richard sat next to her and took her hand, and Lachlan stood next to me and watched with impervious eyes. It was hard not to remember the last time we'd come into contact with one another.

But we were all here for Will, and no petty dispute was going to stop us from standing together; united by our love for Will.

"What happened?" Richard asked, far more calmly than his wife had.

"Last night we were at a club with a few of our friends," I told them, gesturing to the other occupants of the waiting room that belonged to our party. "We had a bit too much to drink, and Will and I ended up in a fight. I lost sight of him for about half-an-hour, and went looking for him when a friend of ours got hurt in a fight. I walked into the bathroom and there he was lying on the ground. The floors were slippery. I think he slipped over and hit his head on the basin, but I can't be sure."

Genevieve let out a sob and buried her head in Richard's chest, and I realized then that for all of their faults, they absolutely adored Will. And maybe in their own twisted way they were doing what they thought was the best course of action by trying to break Will and I up.

"Is he going to be okay?" Richard asked, looking up at me over the crown of his wife's auburn head. "We've been trying to talk to a doctor but no one knows what's happening."

"He suffered some bad head trauma," I told them, explaining what the nurse had told me. "He hasn't stabilized and everything is very unpredictable right now. They don't know yet when he's going to wake up, or what condition he'll be in when he does. For now, they won't know anything until he wakes up, which could be at any time."

Richard, who always remained stoic despite the circumstances, looked absolutely crestfallen when I turned to look at him. He gently returned his wife into a level position and stood, clearing his throat. "Um... I should go get us some coffees," he murmured, sounding choked up.

I stepped aside and let him walk past, but I knew he had no interest in obtaining any beverages. He just needed to get away from it all.

"What I don't get is why he was there getting drunk in the first place," Lachlan puzzled, pacing back and forth as he tapped his chin decisively. "It's really not his style anymore."

"We decided to make an exception," I said slowly and Genevieve raised her puffy eyes to meet mine.

"It's because of us, isn't it?" she murmured. I noticed that even without makeup or the aura of sophistication she was still a beautiful and enchanting woman. "He got drunk because of us."

"Yeah," I admitted finally. "We were trying to forget about everything for a little while."

"It's all our fault," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

"Mother..." Lachlan protested gently, obviously upset by his mother's hysteria. It wasn't often she showed any emotion.

"It's okay, I've got this," I told him quietly, pitching my voice low enough so she wouldn't hear. "Would you mind getting me some water?"

He nodded. "Of course." I waited until he was out of eyesight to talk again.

"Genevieve, I want you to know that none of this is your fault," I promised her, kneeling down in front of her so that she would look me in the eye. I gently grabbed her hands and brought them back down into her lap, and she looked up at me through glittering green eyes. "Will and I made the conscious decision to go out drinking. I started the argument and left him alone. It's not your fault that this all happened."

"Why are you comforting me right now?" she whispered. "I have been a horrible person to you. I deserve to wallow in my own guilt. Why are you trying to make me feel better?"

"Because I think I finally realize why you were trying to keep us apart," I told her. "You only want the best for Will, and I see that now. Mrs. Winchester, I know I'm not rich, and I'll never be the perfect society girl. I don't know how to run a red-carpet event or which spoon is meant for soup, I'll never be on a garden committee or at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, but I love your son. And even if I can't bring a fortune to the table, I can give him a life of happiness. Please don't keep playing these games. Because right now we're all losing."

And then the woman with no heart did something I'd never expect. She reached around and grabbed me into a crushing hug. "I am so sorry, Candice," she whispered into my ear. "I never should have done those things to split you up. I always knew deep down you loved him in a way I used to love Richard, but I just couldn't admit it. I'm sorry I put you through that pain. But you have stuck by him through everything, and he has done the same for you. So you have our blessing."

I leaned back and smiled at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Winchester."

"You're going to be my daughter-in-law in less than a month," she reminded me with a smile. "Please, call me Genevieve."

"Will do," I replied, laughing.

"Miss Sinclair?"

I looked up at the sound of the voice, and saw the same nurse standing there. I walked over, and heard Genevieve trotting gallantly by my side. For the first time it felt like we actually might be a team.

"Yes," I said.

"You must be William's mother," the nurse said, smiling kindly. She didn't seem the least bit intimidated, which was more than I could ever say for myself. "I just got back from talking with the doctors looking after your son."

"What did they say?" Genevieve asked breathlessly.

"William has just awoken, and it seems he's one lucky man," she replied, her face splitting into a relieved grin. "As far as the doctors can tell, there are no serious injuries, just a concussion and a bump to the head. He's got a little bit of memory loss surrounding last night, but nothing major. We're going to keep him here for a few days just to monitor him, as complications have been known to arise after accidents like this. Things like hemorrhaging are possible, but we're going to be keeping a close eye on him. For now, though, everything seems to be fine."

"Oh, thank goodness," Genevieve said, clutching onto my sleeve.

I smiled. "Thank you so much. When can we see him?"

"The doctor is just running a brain scan, and then you should be good. However we do suggest packing a few things for him for the next few days from home."

I nodded. "I'll do that now."

The nurse drifted off, and I threw Genevieve a comforting smile. "Everything's going to be all right, Mrs. Winches-" I cut myself off. "Genevieve."

She nodded, and I started for Luke, who had driven here separately in his own car. I was hoping he would be kind enough to give me a lift to the apartment and back. "Candice?" Genevieve asked.

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for not giving up on William," she said, and I knew it was taking all of her pride to say this to me. "Thank you for... for loving him like you do."

I smiled. "Thank you for raising him to be the incredible man he is."

She shook her head and stepped forward. "No. The boy I raised was careless and drug-addled. He only really turned around when he met you. I think it only took me until now to realize that."

"Thank you," I whispered.

And I meant it.

Maybe, even if my mother wasn't in my life anymore, I had a new maternal figure.

She wasn't perfect, but she would do.

~ * ~

I can't believe how many people thought I was going to kill Will off!

Am I an evil person? Well, yes.

Would I kill off my own characters? We all know that's a yes, but still.

Would I kill off a character I happen to love? Hell, no. Will is safe for now hahaha.

But did anyone feel some Chandice sparks at the beginning of this chapter? Vote and comment your ships!

xXx