Four Years Later...[James/Ash/Luke]

James waved to Leon as he left and he turned back to Evelyn and sat down at the chair next to her bed.

He stroked his finger against her cheek and whispered, "Your cousin is right, you are a bad luck magnet. I just wish that this stuff happened to me instead of you."

Ashlee walked into the room and James stood up she whispered, "I'm going to go home James."

"Do you want me to take you?" He asked.

Ashlee shook her head, "No I'm fine I'll call for a cab you stay as long as you want I'll call you tomorrow?"

James nodded, "Yeah, thanks a lot Ash for everything." He hugged her.

Ashlee hugged him back, "No problem, take care of her okay? I love you friend, good night."

"Love you too Ash goodnight." James whispered to Ashlee. Ashlee turned and walked out of the room, James went back to Evelyn's bedside and yawned. He began to realize how tired he was after watching Ashlee leave. He sat in the chair and lowered his head by her hand, taking it into his he let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes.

[[Next morning]]

Leon stifled a yawn as he sipped his coffee. He had the newspaper spread out on the bed in front of him, reading while he ate.

He almost missed it. THe article in a corner of the second page. He'd have missed it if he didn't recognize the woman in the picture.

His face paled. "Kelly...what the..."

***

Someone needs to stop tis boat...wait, this isn't a boat. Why would I be on a oat? ut then I feel seasick...or soething...

Evelyn stifled a sigh and rubbed her eyes slowly. A ceiling came into view.

A very familiar view. She'd been here enough time in the last year alone.

Evelyn propped herself up by her elbows, again feeling that odd ache in her stomach.

Her gaze fell to a dark head propped on an arm, a hand holding hers. She blinked, vaguely confused.

The memory of the night before came back full froze. Ryan...food poisoning...there was a lot of pain, ad she was coughing blood. Ryan stood there watching, but he kept pushing glass after glass of water at her...Candice there too. Her small kid asleep in a chair...

Evelyn swallowed and reached out, gently running a hand through James' hair. She wondered if it was too early to wake him. She recalled Ryan mentioning the word "midnight" at the park, but she'd been in too much pain to register that then.

Black boots... Evelyn swallowed and lightly squeezed the hand holding James'.

James stirred as he felt the light touch in his hair, he lifted his head slightly and saw that Evelyn had awoken, his back ached from the way he was positioned from falling asleep the night before.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, "Hey are you okay?"

Evelyn nodded slowly. "I guess...you know, I'm gonna start forgetting what you look like Darko. I haven't seen you in, what, half a year?" She gave a small grin, sitting up.

James smiled sitting up as well, "Well believe me I don't like this anymore than you do, but how come every time we have to meet up together its always in a hospital? At this rate we might as well get married here." He joked.

"Oh you won't believe who I saw last night?" He grinned.

Evelyn frowned. "Who...?"

"Bretha!" He laughed, "I swear she was being all serious with me and I was trying so hard not to laugh I don't think she remembered me though."

"Oh my God..." Evelyn clapped her hand sover her mouth, choking on laughter building up inside. "I jst recalled that lovely day in the hospital..."

She struggled for a moment, and then broke out laughing. "Poor COllin...I feel bad for him."

"Poor Collin?! He nearly murdered me and you felt bad for him? I'm offended!" James pouted.

"Hey, did you know Lucas made fun of me the whole week cause you got my name right? You deserve that," Evelyn told him matter-of-factly.

James laughed, "I still find that hard to believe, cause I was like doped up and forgot everyone's name and that's when we both hated each other."

"Hey, you're still an ass, if that helps." Evelyn stretched and then scooted over, patting the mattress beside her. "Lie down, you look like Lucas used you as his own personal basketball." She paused. "How long have you been here?"

James laughed, "Thanks I guess." He lay next to her putting his head on her shoulder and he yawned, "I've been here a couple of days now, I wanted to suprise you for your birthday since I'm on vacation for two weeks."

"Hm...this is a nice surprise, greeting me in the hospital." Evelyn sighed. "After all the crap that happened last year, I just want out of this place, you know? Reminds me too much of all that..." She closed her eyes as her mind flashed back to those few months. Amnesia... Evelyn swallowed, suddenly feeling sick.

"So--so, you're he--here for two whole weeks, then?" she stammered, hastily changing the subject.

James shrugged, "Well here, there, wherever for two weeks and then I'm back to New York to train with the team and yeah I don't know when I'll be off again. How long are you here for?"

Evelyn closed her eyes. "Um...James, that whole case thing I was doing...was a fraud...they just wanted to bring me back to WIllchester...She droped her head so her cheek rested on James' head. "There's...something about your uncle...um, Kelly...went out...with him, and they planned to blame you for my dying..."

"They're sick, all of them. My uncle he was so messed up, honestly my family was sick with the exception of Haley, my father, and my aunt. The Darko family is full of nut jobs." James sighed, "I'm sorry you had to get involved with me, I mean..." James let out an annoyed sigh.

Evelyn sighed. "Apparently my family is just as messed up...I--I found out a lot of crap while I was imprisoned. Apparently, Kent, Kelly, and the whole lot are out for taking everything belonging to either you or me. My dad...um...booth my parents' accidents were set ups..." Evelyn felt her voice fade and sat up as a sharp pain shot through her.

"Crap, what did they do?" She keeled over slightly and then straightened. "It's good now. I cannot wait to get out of here!"

She paused and then looked down at James. "Wait, what?" His last comment sank in. "You had nothing to do with this. We're both just unlucky we're related to gold-diggers, James." She bit her lip to hide a grin. "Besides, I'd have to find someone to argue with and you'd never get knocked off your high horse." She paused. "I don't suppose you didn't get back up, did you?"

"No kidding about our families right?" James said clicking his tounge. Evelyn's last comment sank into him. "Ha right my high horse. Believe me I fell off it a long time ago, and unfortunatley I do not meet the height requirements in my ego to climb back on it, unless I become extremely famous with my basketball career then who know's I'll bring you up there with me." James grinned.

Evelyn reached down and yanked on James' dark hair. "Jamesy boy, I knocked you off that horse once, I can do it again."

James flicked Evelyn's nose, "You're lucky you're crippled unlike you I'm actually nice to those who can't defend themselves." James sighed and stared at the wall, "Hey Ev, what do you think about having kids?"

Evelyn had moved her head to try to dodge the flick, but froze when his next comment sank in. "Oh..."

She paused, feeling her cheeks tinge pink, but took the plunge anyways. "So far, haven't had much experience with them unless you count Kelly's devilish nieces and nephews...but yeah, I'd love a kid of my own. And if I ever have one, I'd make sure they never went through what I did..." She shifted and winced in pain, looking back down at him. "That was random, James."

James shrugged, "I know, but I guess same thing I'd want them to have a better life then I had. Anyway, I'm exhausted. Trying to get a hold of you is like Mission Impossible these days so for the next hour you're going to be my pillow."

James lay his head down on her shoulder and closed his eyes, he felt himself begin to drift off.

"Aww isn't that precious."

James opened his eyes and in the doorway his eyes almost rolled out of his head, he saw Chris standing in the door way his gray eyes boring into his.

James sat up, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Chris walked in closing the door behind him he tutted,"James is that anyway to talk to your big brother?"

Evelyn blinked, looking from Chris to James. They looked nothing alike. "Um...excuse me?" She looked at James questioningly.

James opened his mouth then closed it he blinked several times and stood up now facing Chris, "I don't have a brother, I'm an only child I think I would have been aware of your prescence if you were my brother!"

Chris smirked, "Actually you're aware that I'm two years older than you, first off Claire and John they had me first but they weren't prepared for me so they gave me up." Chris paced the room and stopped to look back at James, "Oh the gray eyes, you remember Grandpa Joesph right? What color were his eyes?"

"Gray..." James muttered quietly.

"Exactly." Chris replied, "Any way why the decidede to keep you is beyond me but anyway after I heard you were coming to Duke when you graduated I figured that it was time I claimed some of the money that you have in that inheritance."

James shook his head, "That money was left to me alone you can't touch it."

"Actually I can. See our father wrote in his will that his money go to his kids, and well I find it pretty unfair that you get to have all of it and I get none, I don't think our dad would be too happy to know you were holding out on me." Chris mocked James.