Chapter Nine
Dana’s POV
I sat on the side of Alex’s bed.  I couldn’t believe how pale she was.  I pushed a couple stray hairs behind her ear.  I bet no one knew her hair was just slicked back with water last night.  I started chuckling but stopped when Doctor Stiles came back in.
“She’s going to be okay.  She’s just had a little too much stress.  With that and the chemo, it’s a wonder why this didn’t happen sooner.”
I looked at the doctor and nodded.  “Can she go home soon?”
Dr. Stiles smiled and nodded.  “When she wakes up, if she says she’s strong enough, which I’m sure she will, you can take her home.”
“Thank you Doctor.”  Dr. Stiles left and I smiled as Stacy stuck her head in.  “Come on in Stacy.  She’s still sleeping.”  Stacy came in and stood at the end of Alex’s bed.  “She’s going to be alright.  She just needs some rest.  Did you bring Bette the plans for the display set-up?”
“Yeah but she told me something.” I looked up at Stacy.  “Um, Buckely wants to have a debate with my mom.”
“What?!  She didn’t learn anything from her debate with Bette?”  I stood up and started pacing around Alex’s room.
“Dana, you don’t understand.  My mom and Buckley have had debates before but, well, my mother always had a girlfriend and they never knew about me.”  I stopped pacing and looked at Stacy.  “She could never gather the courage to bring up her past.”  I nodded and turned to face Alex.  “We need to tell her.”
“She looks so peaceful when she’s sleeping.”  I turned back around to face Stacy again.  “She’s not supposed to have any stress.  Lets give her the day at least and see how she is tomorrow.  Lets give her today to relax and read the paper or something.”
“Better stick with or something.”  Stacy pulled something out of her back pocket and handed it to me.  “Its all over the front page of the newspaper.”  I unfolded the paper and gasped.  “The pictures are real.  They’re from the day I was conceived.  That lying bitch is saying they’re from a night that she got stoned and hitted on one of her models, who had a boyfriend and said boyfriend beat the crap out of her.”
I noticed Alex stirring and threw the paper back at Stacy.  “Do something with this please.”  I ran to Alex’s side and grabbed her hand as Stacy looked around the room then quickly threw the paper out the door and Alex’s eye lids fluttered.

Alex’s POV
*Flashback/Dream*
“Please Mommy?!”  A six year old Stacy looked up at me and pouted.
I shook my head and laughed.  “Stacy, sweetie, you know I can’t.  Aunt Marina will bring you.”  I picked Stacy up and carried her out to the living room.
“Mommy,” she whined.
Marina laughed.  “Want some cheese with that?” she asked Stacy.  Stacy just put her head in the crook of my neck.  “Aww.”
“Shut up Marina.”  Just then Stacy blew a raspberry on my neck then pulled back and gave me puppy dog eyes.  I set her down.  “Stacy that’s not playing fair.”
Stacy groaned then grabbed my hand and tried to drag me outside.  I rolled my eyes and allowed her to lead me out the door.  Marina followed us.  “Stacy, what are you doing?”
Stacy opened the passenger side door of my car and climbed in.  She buckled her seatbelt and looked at me.  “You’re taking me Mommy.  I’m not getting out of this car unless we are at the softball field.”
I sighed and looked at Marina.  She just shrugged and chuckled softly.  I stood there a few minutes, looking at my watch and Stacy.  “Let me get my jacket and wallet.”
As I walked back in the house I heard Stacy exclaim, “Yes!” and Marina laugh.
When I climbed into the driver’s seat I looked over at Stacy and saw Marina wink at her.  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Marina laughed.  “Sorry Alex.  Alex?  Alex?”
*End Flashback*
I opened my eyes and looked up to see Dana and Stacy peering down at me with concern.  “Alex, are you alright?”  I chuckled as I saw Stacy giving me puppy dog eyes.
“Mom?”
“I’m sorry sweetie.  I was remembering something as I woke up.  Remember your first softball game?”  Stacy nodded and laughed.  Dana looked at us like we were attached by a third head.  “I’ll explain later.  Come here.”  Dana leaned over me.  “I love you.  Can I go home now?”
Dana chuckled and kissed me.  “I love you too and yes you can go home now.”

Home
Stacy’s POV
As we got home I looked at Dana, silently asking her what to do about the debate.  I knew we said we would give her today to rest but I hadn’t told her about Bette yet.  Dana helped my mom over to the couch.  “Do you need anything Mom?”
“Yeah, actually, can I have some coffee and the paper?  I just want to relax today.”
“Sure.  Dana, will you help me?  I always seem to mess it up when I make it for my mother.”
Dana looked at me, a deer caught in headlights look on her face.  “Of course.”  Dana stood up and followed me into the kitchen.  “I didn’t think she would actually want to read the paper.”  I shrugged and started making the coffee.  The two of us hopped onto opposite counters.  “What are we going to do?”
“I guess we’re going to have to tell her, especially since Bette will be here in about an hour to talk about the debate.”  Dana glared at me.  “I’m sorry but Bette scares my sometimes and I couldn’t say no to her.”  I hopped off the counter and poured a cup of coffee.  As I mixed in the sugar and milk I asked, “You want to tell her?”  I turned around and saw her glaring at me.  “Or we both can tell her.”
As we were heading out the kitchen Dana said, “Don’t forget the paper.”

Two Hours Later
Bette’s POV
As I knocked on Dana’s door I could hear shouting.  “Well, at least I know Alex is home,” I mumbled.
Suddenly the door flew open and I came face to face with a very angry Alex.  “Why am I having the debate?  I’m the artist.  I’m not supposed to have to debate about my work.”
“I know Alex.  Why don’t you let me in and we can calmly talk about this, sitting down.”
“Bette, don’t talk to me like I’m a rabid dog.”  Alex snapped but moved aside to let me in.  “I’m panicked, not angry.”
As I sat down I looked at the three people in the room.  I noticed the paper on the coffee table.  “Why are you panicked?”
Alex sighed and ran her hand through her hair.  “Because whenever I have a debate with Buckley, which I’ve had several, I can never keep the courage to tell the world about Stacy.  If I had, you most likely wouldn’t have had to go through the shit you had to go through last year with her.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that.  I sighed and leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes as I felt them fill up with tears.