<Soda's POV>

Two-Bit and I run downstairs to the kitchen and find everything where I left it. Two goes to Steve and I go to Skyler. Her eyelids flutter but do not open, she is losing too much blood. I kneel beside her limp form and begin to assess thee damage. "What did you two take?" I hear Two ask Steve. Steve finally seeming to become semi-conscious again answers Two. 

"Acid, I wanted to see her so I took acid I gave Skyler some too," Steve mumbles.

"Who did you want to see Stevie?" Two asks. Steve groans.

"My Lena." Steve seeming to give up stumbles to the couch and falls onto it. I try not to look at him and instead focus on Skyler. I rub her cheek softly and sigh.

"Sky," I say quietly. Her eyes flutter open just as Two-Bit walks over to her and I, in the puddle of blood. When her eyes open she does not look at me but instead, she focuses on Two. Her lips part slowly, and I hear her take a deep breath in. A small sad smile forms on her face. 

"Dallas," she whispers looking at Two-Bit. "Dallas I missed you, I missed you really bad." 

"Okay," Two starts, "c'mon doll, lets fix you up." Two squats down and slowly picks Skyler's body off the floor. It is not hard at all, she's so damn skinny. Skyler lays in his arms, barely there, limbs hanging heavily. She reaches one hand up, blood spilling from her wrist, and caresses Two's face. He carries her into the bathroom, motioning me to let him handle it. I stand in the living room, close to Steve, who is seemingly asleep, and watch through the open bathroom door as Two sets Skyler down onto the floor. The next half hour feels like a dream. My eyes seem to unfocus and instead my ears tune in, specifically to the conversation from the bathroom. 

"Dallas, I really missed you, why did you want to leave me, I love you," Skyler says quietly. Two just plays along. 

"I love you too Sky."

"I cut Dallas."

"I know Sky," Two replies sadly.

"It worked though Dallas, I cut and you came to get me."

"Don't do that anymore okay doll?"

"Dallas it felt good to bleed, I needed to bleed."

"No Sky, no."

"Dallas can I kiss you, I missed you," Skyler asks sadly. I let my eyes open again and stare hard at Skyler's face. Her pupils are huge, her eyes look like glass. The smokey great is milky as she stares at who she thinks is the love of her life. Two-Bit sighs and pauses cleaning the cuts for a brief second.

"Sure Sky you can kiss me." And in the midst of her trip, Two leans over her and plants a soft kiss on her cheek. Skyler smiles and her eyes shut.

"I love you Dallas." I see Sky pass out, her whole body become engulfed in sleep or unconsciousness.

"I love you too Sky," Two replies, tears running down his own face silent. I begin to cry again just as I hear Steve mumble something that chills my bones.

"She's here."

"Who Steve?" I ask confused. From the couch he points to the door.

"Don't you see her Soda," Steves voice sounds like that of a hopeful child. His eyes are wide and full of tears, glimmering in the little light provided by the surrounding lamps. "My Lena is walking through the door," he tells me and then looks back to the door where there is no Lena, but where he perceives her to be. "Hey baby."

<Skyler's POV>

I am awake, but I am afraid to open my eyes. I know my head will hurt, it is a feeling I am all to familiar with. I can already feel the pounding in my head and the dryness of my mouth. Very slowly, I let my eyes flutter open. Upon looking around I find myself on one of the couches in the living room of the Curtis house. There is a blanket thrown over me that I heavily appreciate. At a sloth's pace I stand up. The first thing I do is pull my hair into a knot on the top of my head. Its soaked in something. I glance at my arms and see the bandages. Oh, thats what. I am in one of Two-Bit's shirts and old flannel pajama pants. My feet pat the cold ground as I walk to the bathroom, my whole body spinning. It is morning, the sun is trying desperately to shine through the clouds outside the window. I stick my head under the sink and turn not he faucet to get a sip of water. Swallowing the cold liquid feels like heaven. I glance in the mirror and am ashamed to look at my face. My cheeks are sunken in, and there are dark heavy circles under my bloodshot eyes. I look dead. 

I walk slowly out of the bathroom and up the stairs, trying not to fall over. I need to see my children, they're all I have, especially after a night like last night. I open their door quietly and find Tibby, standing looking out the window, among the other sleeping children, and Two sleeping on the floor with his jacket laid over him. I tip toe over to Tibby and wrap my arms around her as she stares outside. Placing my chin on her head I tip my nose down and breathe in. She smells like Tibby, and its enough to make me cry, but I won't, not in front of her. "Morning Mommy," she whispers. I smile slightly.

"Good morning baby girl," I tell her. Even just hearing her breathe makes me feel better.

"Mommy?" she whispers again, in an effort to not wake the other.

"Yes baby?"

"When is Daddy coming home?" My heart drops, my skin turns to ice, and my breathing all but stops. She has asked me before, she is the oldest, old enough to know something isn't right, but I have been able to avoid it up until now. I debate telling her he is dead, but I know I shouldn't. I grab her belly and turn her around so that she is facing me. The blue of her eyes pierces through me. I love her eyes, I don't want to see tears fall from them.

"Baby, you know you are my big girl, so I know that I can tell you this," I start. Tibby bites her bottom lip, like she does so often. I take a deep shuttering breath in. "Daddy has something he needs to do."

"Like a job?" Tibby asks, eyes wide. I nod.

"Yes like a job," I lie, "he has a job to do, and it is going to take a very long time, maybe even forever." I now bite my lip, trying desperately not to cry or look sad. I try to make this as normal as possible for her. 

"Forever?" She asks confused.

"Yes forever. He is doing something really nice for a lot of people, everyone is very grateful for him," I tell my daughter. 

"Can I see him ever?" She asks sadly.

"No baby, Daddy is very very far, but he loves you, all four of you, more than anything." At least that time I was telling the truth. A single tear manages to slip from my eye. Tibby places her hand on my cheek.

"Daddy loves you too Mommy," she whispers. Another tear falls, but I refuse to cry. A sad smile spreads across my face.

"Thank you Tib, can you give Mommy a hug?" I ask stretching out my arms. Tibby jumps into them. I hold her close to me, just a little tighter than usual. Her heart beats against my chest and I can feel Dallas's necklace she wears around her neck pressing into my collarbone. I think of everything I went through to bring Tibby into this world, and it was all worth it. "I love you Tibby."

"I love you too Mommy." After awhile of squeezing my first born I grab her hand and walk her downstairs. I sit her down in the kitchen with a glass of orange juice and a bowl of her favorite cereal. Upon entering the kitchen I found the mess I made last night, miraculously cleaned up. It must have been Two and Soda. I pick up some of my old jeans from the living room floor along with one of my white shirts. I throw my leather jacket on and find a bag to pile the rest of my clothes in. With bags in my hands I pace around the house picking up any and all of mine and my children's belongings, throwing them in the bags. When I am finished I go to the bathroom and stick my head under the sink yet again. I quickly rinse my hair of most of the blood and liquor that resides in it and then throw it back into a soppy wet bun, out of my face. The next thing I do is find my purse and collect any drugs and paraphernalia from it. I don't think twice before dumping it all in the garbage. 

Feeling just a little bit lighter, I walk upstairs back into the children's room. My kids are all awake, along with their cousins and Henry and Steve's twins. I greet my kids and grab Kaya first, holding her to my chest. Aiden and Shai stumble out of bed and grab onto my legs as I walk them towards the door. Josh and Wesley follow me, but not before Josh grabs Lynn from her bed. Henry takes up the rear, leaving Steve's little ones to continue sleeping, they are to little to be waking up with everyone else. It crosses my mind that Steve still has not named them. Well, at least he hasn't told us anyways. 

The train of children follow me downstairs to the kitchen. They all sit down and I take Lynn from Josh's arms and bring her and Kaya to the living room to sit on the couch where I can watch them from the kitchen. Walking back to the kitchen, I find Josh, of course sitting next to Tibby and the others climbing into their chairs. I make bowls of cereal for all of them and they munch on it happily. I then walk back upstairs to check on Steve and Lena's twins. They are now both awake, cooing softly. I scoop them both up carefully and carry them back downstairs where I can prep their formula. With haste, I place them in high chairs. I honestly can not look at them to long. They look to much like their mother, it hurts. Prepping their formula takes no time at all. By the time I am done, Chris is awake and walking towards me, holding her swollen belly. I smile at her, almost sadly. She does the same to me. "I see your bags are packed," Chris says, leaning against the kitchen counter. I again smile dismally. 

"I think it's time don't you?" Chris bites her bottom lip.

"I suppose this is starting to feel real, life without him, without them, no time like the present to start moving on," Chris states, her hand grabbing her belly again, "especially since it is almost time fro this little one to join the world, I don't want them to join a broken world, so yes I think its time." I place the formula on the counter and take small steps towards Chris before embracing her in a hug. She tucks her head in my boney shoulder. "Hey Skyler?"

"Yeah Chrissy?" I respond, using the nickname Dallas gave her.

"Thank you for loving him." I hold back tears and tighten my grip on my sister in law. I hear steps entering the kitchen and pull slowly away from Chris. I find Soda looking at us smiling. 

"Having a good morning?" He asks me, glancing at the bandages on my body. I smile at Soda.

"It's time to start living."