Nearly tripping over his own feet, Nick sprinted down the narrow stairs in Brian's house and ran to the front door. He shut the door with a bang and quickly locked the huge front door. His hands shook with anxiety and it made Nick's task ten times harder than it really was.

"Damn it...lock," he cursed at the door. He heard the door lock and then he swiftly pulled the key out and flew to his Durango. He dove into the drivers seat and stuck the key into the ignition and turned the steering wheel before his feet were in the car and the door was shut. Not caring and also forgetting about the speed limit, he sped to the hospital to see Autumn.

*~*

The ride to the hospital was longer than the day before. Because of the many backroads, he drove practically around the whole state of Florida before the hospital came into focus. Eager reporters and fans streamed throughout the parking lot, and security guards that were bigger than most refrigerators were stationed at entrances and exits of the hospital.

Nick sped up to the entrance and the guard stopped him. Nick rolled down his window and flung a pass at the guard before he drove the car quickly to the front of the crowd. People made way for this truck even though no one knew who was inside of it.

Nick locked the doors, hopped out and ran before any fans or reporters could get hold of him. Once the people figured out who this black-capped mystery guy was, he was already inside the hospital with their screams and flashes in the back of his mind.

*~*

The elevator doors opened just as Nick stepped in front of it and he pressed the button to the ICU and waited impatiently.

When the elevator doors chimed open, Nick dashed from inside the elevator and ran into the waiting room where everyone was waiting. His breath was short and a bead of perspiration trickled down his temple. Brad met him first and hugged him quickly.

"She was awake for about five minutes," he said. Nick shoulders slumped in defeat.

"So she's not awake now?" Nick asked, even though he knew the answer to his own question. Brad shook his head no and Nick mumbled profanities under his breath.

"How is she though?" Nick asked.

Brad sighed. "She has no clue what's going on and she didn't talk much. Only said what hurt her. She asked what happened to her, but I figured that you should be the one to tell her," Brad said.

Nick nodded slowly and sat down in the chair. He gazed about the room and stood up when he remembered that his family was here.

"Mom," he said and wrapped his arms around her. Even though he was taller than she was, he rested his head against her shoulder like a child and just cried. His mother ran a hand up and down his back, but his crying only persisted and grew heavier.

"It's ok. Shhh..." Jane coaxed him and Nick pulled away and wiped his red, puffy eyes and dried his tearstained face.

"I don't know what to do, Mom." Nick said.

"Just pray for her." His Mom said. Everyone in the room looked at one another before they all formed a large circle. With hands enclosed, they all began to pray.

*~*

Two days slowly passed with no news from the doctors. It had been a week since Autumn was admitted, and the doctors assured Nick and everyone else that she was just catching up on some well deserved sleep.

Nick was sleeping in the waiting room alone when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He blinked a few times before the image before him came into focus.

"Mr. Carter. You can visit Ms. Conroy now," the nurse said. Nick swallowed a lump the size of a tumor in his throat and exhaled the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. His heart beat multiplied and he wouldn't be surprised if his blood pressure increased a few notches, too.

"Is she awake?" He asked.

The nurse shook her head. "I just got the OK from the doctors for you to see her. Will this be your first time seeing her?" the nurse asked. Nick nodded slowly.

"I really don't know what to expect." He admitted. The nurse nodded in agreement.

"Here, put these on," she said and handed him rubber gloves and a blue hospital smock. "We don't want to give Autumn any germs," she said.

Nick did as he was told and followed the nurse down a long and disgustingly plain hallway. He kept his gaze forward, not wanting to see any patients in this unit other than Autumn.

The nurse stopped in front of a door that was sealed shut and she looked at him and smiled briefly before she turned around and walked again down the hallway.

This is it, Nick said to himself. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and quickly and quietly shut it. He took one look at the lifeless figure in the bed and he turned around and exited the room and shut the door. He clasped a hand over his mouth and leaned against the wall, trying to erase the image that he just saw out of his head. I have to do this. Be strong, have hope, Nick thought, remembering the words that Robert had said to him the first day he got there.

Without another thought, he disappeared into the room once again and stopped at the foot of her hospital bed. Nick's breath caught in his throat and he let out a sob, but quickly regained his composure. Be strong, have hope, he reminded himself. He pulled up a chair and set it down beside her. He sat down and just stared at her.

Her face was pale and limp, almost making her look gray, her lips were etched into a thin, pale line and her brown hair framed the white pillow. She had gotten extremely skinny and the hospital gown she wore was draped over her tiny frame. Her eyelids had sunk deep within her skull and they were discolored with black. If Nick didn't know any better, he would have assumed that she was dead. He slowly reached for her hand but fear rose within him and he pulled his hand away.

"Autumn..." He cried quietly as a tear slipped from his eye. He swallowed and ignored his fears and bravely took her hand in his.

"I have to wear gloves to touch you. I'm so afraid that I'm going to hurt you by just touching you," he whispered to her through his tears. A warm tear dropped from his eyelid and landed in a puddle on Autumn's cold hand.

"Please come back. I know you can hear me, Autumn. You can't leave me," he cried, and leaned in to kiss her forehead. His lips froze at the touch and he pulled away quickly.

"I have to get out of here. I love you," he said before he ran out of the room and down the hall. He didn't stop running until he realized he was in the lobby. He didn't think twice when he ran outside to his car.

He ignored the harassing press and the obsessed fans and made it to his car before any damage was done. He zoomed the car out of the parking lot and drove to the hotel where his parents were staying.

*~*

The room radiated light and she blinked her eyes a few times to adjust to the new sight. She heard muffled voices and the sound of footsteps around her, and she swallowed with fear. Where was she?

When her vision came to focus again, she looked at everyone in her room. Everyone was sound asleep besides the nurses that checked every monitor that she was hooked up to.

Her brother sat on the ceramic floor and leaned against the wall, his chin resting on his chest and his arms crossed into a tight X. She called out his name, but panicked when nothing came out.

Her gaze then landed on Nick. He was curled up into a ball on the chair that sat in the corner of the room. Her heart raced when she saw him and she slowly reached towards him, but dropped her heavy arms the moment she moved them. She didn't have the energy to do anything but stare. She couldn't even speak.

The slight movement from the corner of the room made Autumn's heart skip a beat. Nick, she thought to herself as she watched him rouse himself from sleep. He shook his head a minute and then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His gaze landed on the bed and his eyes traveled along her body to meet her own eyes that gazed at him in love and fear.

His eyes widened and his mouth formed into a gigantic O as he shook his head in disbelief. Was she really awake, or was Nick just dreaming? He walked over to her side and took her face in his hands and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Autumn..." He said, looking into her eyes that filled with warm tears. She stuttered to speak but Nick just raised a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Shh, baby girl. Don't talk," he said. He held her hands in his and the two of them just gazed at one another for about ten minutes until Brad appeared by Nick's side.

"Autumn, you're awake," he said with tears of his own glistening in his eyes. She nodded. The nurse that was bustling around her room appeared between Nick and Brad and she ushered them out of the room quickly before Autumn got to say good-bye.

Before she knew it, more nurses and a doctor hovered over her and took her down for testing. Now was a good time as any to find out what happened to her.

"What..happened to me?" she managed to squeak out. The nurses looked at one another and one answered,

"We don't want to be the ones to tell you," she said simply before she injected Autumn with a medication that sent her back into blackness.

*~*

Nick couldn't help smiling as he sat in the waiting room. She was awake, she saw him and he saw her. The whole week was filled with emptiness and worry, and now those feelings were replaced with happiness and love. A pair of white, orthopedic shoes stood before him and he glanced up.

"The testing is done. She's awake and wishes to speak with you." The nurse said. Nick nodded and followed her down the hall once again. He knew that he still had to wear the gloves, so he didn't complain. All he did was fit his hands through the rubber material and opened the door to find Autumn sitting up in her bed.

Her pillows were nestled behind her back and more were placed behind her neck, allowing her to sit in an upright position. When she saw him a small smile appeared on her face. He returned her smile and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Hey baby," she said to him. Her voice was small, almost in a whisper but Nick thought that it was one of the most beautiful sounds he had heard.

"Hi," he said simply, taking her hand in his and rubbing the pads of his thumb over her knuckles.

"I'm going to be ok, right Nick? We're going to get past this?" Autumn said as a random tear trickled down her cheek.

"Baby girl, please don't cry. Yes, everything will be ok and we are going to get through this together. You're not going anywhere," he said and kissed her cheek.

After a few minutes, Autumn broke the silence.

"Nick, what happened to me?" asked Autumn. Nick gazed up at her and then adverted his gaze to the floor. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before speaking once again.

"You don't remember?" Nick asked. She shook her head.

"Just please. Tell me. I want to know." She said. Nick nodded and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Someone broke into our house last week and he...tried to kill you," he blurted. Autumn dropped his hand and placed her hands in her lap and she stared out the window.

"Is that all?" she asked him. She tore her green eyes from the window and turned to stare at him. His eyes flooded with tears and he shook his head.

"You were stabbed six times and you were raped," he said in a barely audible voice. Autumn's bottom lip began to quiver and she sat in silence, trying to comprehend all that happened to her.

"Autumn, I just want you to know that I am here for you, no matter what happens. Do you understand me?" he asked. Autumn didn't answer. "Autumn, please. I-"

"Nick, please leave."

"What? I'm not leaving, I just got here. I have been waiting to hear your voice again for the past week and I'm not going to leave once you wake up. I'm never leaving your side again."

"I'm not asking for you to leave. I'm telling you. Leave, Nick. Leave before I do something that I'm going to regret."

"Autumn! No! I'm not leaving! You are a part of my life -"

"I'm not a part of your life anymore. I'm not a part of anyone's life."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that...we're...through?" Nick asked on the verge of heartbreaking tears. Autumn didn't say anything, she just nodded.

"I don't understand you! Why are you doing this?" Nick cried. He took both of her hands in his and forced her to look at him.

"Nick, if you left when I told you to leave before we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. I just don't want anyone in my life right now. You have to understand that."

"I can't imagine all the pain and the anger you must be going through right now, but is it that much that you are pushing me out of your life? I will do anything for you, Autumn. Anything. Anything for us to stay together."

"I want you to leave." She said. Nick blinked his eyes slowly and two unshed tears chiseled their way down his cheeks.

"Look into my eyes and tell me that it's over. Tell me that we're through," he said, caressing a hand down her face as she stared at his eyes.

"It's over," she said. Nick's world became black and he stood up and walked to the door.

"If that's what you want, you got it." He said, and disappeared into the night.