Chapter 22

“There she is!” Anne said with excitement as she walked up to Chelsea and hugged her.  “Look at you.” Anne spoke with a smile.  “You’ve been taking very good care of her.” She said to AJ as she looked at him and hugged him at Kevin’s door.

“I try my best.” He smiled as he looked at Chelsea and Anne.

“I’m glad you came to Cali for Christmas.” Chelsea said with a smile.

“Me too.” Anne smiled as they sat down on the couch.

“Uh oh there’s trouble.” Kevin said as he walked down the stairs with Mason in his arms.

“There’s my favorite person in the whole world.” Chelsea said standing up as she walked over to Kevin.

“Awww Chels, I love ya too.” Kevin replied.

“Not you, the cute one.” Chelsea joked as she took Mason from him.

“Burn.” AJ laughed as Chelsea, Mason and Anne walked into the kitchen and joined Kristin.

“Shut up” Kevin replied rolling his eyes.  “So how are things, I hear you have a nice long break coming up.”

“Yup, off till February, well not really off we’ll be recording.”

“Already?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah, try to get it out in the summer, fall but you know Jive.” He sighed.

“What about the wedding?” Kevin wondered.

“What about it?”

“No date yet?” He asked.

“No, we’re in no rush, we’ve thrown dates around but nothing is in stone yet.” AJ told him.  “Besides, I want her to see one of the psychiatrists Doctor Anuld from Chicago reference to us.”

“Has she seen any of them?” Kevin asked.

“No we agreed to wait till January, after the tour and holidays.” AJ replied. 

“How have her headaches been?”

“Same, just as painful, makes me think it’s not stress but her mind suppressing something.” He sighed.

“How often are they now?”

“About the same, she’ll have one once a week, sometimes twice a week.” He shrugged. 

“You’re worried about something.” Kevin said and AJ looked at him.  “You don’t hide worry to well.”

“Watch me when Chels’s around.” AJ replied with a light smile.  “What she’s not remembering just scares the crap outta me, like really fucking scares me.”

“Is that why you’re having those nightmares?” Kevin asked and AJ looked at him a little confused. “Chelsea told me about the one you had a couple of months ago, she says you haven’t been sleeping well, and she thinks your having more nightmares but not telling her.”  Kevin told him.

“Did she get you to talk to me or something?” He asked getting a little defensive.

“No actually she asked me not to say anything, she told me you’d talk to her about it when you’re ready, she’s not going to push, but that’s Chelsea.” Kevin replied. “Not me.”

“I’m fine really, like I said scared of what she doesn’t remember.” AJ said as he looked down at his nails.

“Alex.” Kristin said as she walked into the living room holding Mason.

“Yeah?” AJ replied as he looked at her.

            “It’s Chels.” Kristin told him.  Quickly AJ got up and Kevin followed as they rushed into the kitchen.  When he walked into the room he didn’t see Chelsea in her normal fit of pain, instead she was sitting on the floor against one of the island cabinets as Anne knelt beside her, her head in her hands, whimpering. 

“Chels?” AJ said as he knelt down beside her and reached for her arms.

“Don’t!” She snapped quickly and pushed his arms away.

“She wouldn’t let me either.” Anne told him.  When he looked back at Chelsea she had started to shake.

“Sweetheart what’s going on?” AJ asked her.

“Leave me alone.” She whispered.

“No, I’m not leaving you alone, what’s wrong?” He asked again and not thinking he reached for her arm.

“Don’t!!” Chelsea hollered as she swatted his arm away, she scrambled to her feet and started pacing around the kitchen, like she was lost and didn’t know where to go.  Everyone, including AJ looked at her shocked and confused, and then in the middle of a step she dropped to the floor and grabbed her head in pain. He ran over to her, picked her up and carried her into the hallway. 

“Take her to one of the guest rooms.” Kevin said as he followed behind them.  AJ walked up the stairs and down the hall till he got to the first guest room.

“Here are her pills.” Anne said to him as he laid her down on the bed.  “Kevin’s getting her some water.” She told him as he took the pills from her.

“What happen?” AJ asked when Kevin handed him a damp cloth and a glass of water.

“She was talking to Kristin at the island and she just froze up, we thought she was going to have another attack but she just started crying and wouldn’t let me go near her.” Anne told them.

AJ looked down at Chelsea as he placed the cloth across her forehead and she whimpered trying to move her head away.  Kevin and Anne left the room and left AJ to tend to her.  Slowly he reached for her hand and carefully wrapped his fingers around it.  His eyes fell in pain as he watched her softly cry, her hand squeezing his as tight as her weak state would let her.  Carefully he sat her up and she was still pretty out of it.

“Time to take your pill sweetheart.” AJ whispered to her.  She took it from him then put the pill into her mouth and he helped her with the glass of water.  Gently he laid her back down onto the pillows and slipped her underneath the blankets.  He lightly kissed her forehead before putting the cloth across it again. 

“Don’t.” She whispered as she grabbed his hand before he walked away. 

He looked at her a little stunned. “Don’t what Chels?”

“Don’t go.” She muttered and as he sat down on the edge of the bed she slowly sat up.

“Chels lay down.” AJ said with concern as her arms wrapped around him.  She didn’t reply as her head rested on his shoulder.  His shirt tightened around him as she grabbed the cotton tightly in her hands, clinging to him.  “Want me to lie down with you?” He asked and she slowly nodded.  He moved into a better position on the bed and laid down, letting her nestle against him and apparently as close as she could. 

His fingers slowly drifted through her hair as she laid against him still quietly sobbing.  He didn’t know what was wrong; she hadn’t really acted like this before.  Knowing there was no point in trying to get anything out of her right now, he did what she wanted.  Eventually she fell asleep, he wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion or if she cried her self too sleep but he was glad she was resting.

AJ slowly got up careful not to wake her and headed down stairs.  When he walked past the clock in the hallway he saw that he had been up there with her for a couple of hours.  He walked into the living room and saw the three of them sitting there staring back at him.

“She’s finally asleep.” AJ sighed as he sat down.

“Was that normal?” Kristin asked.

“No, she’s never acted like that before.” AJ said shaking his head.

“You guys should crash here tonight, who knows how long she’ll be out.” Kevin said and AJ nodded in agreement.  “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” AJ sighed and Kevin rolled his eyes knowing he should have known the answer. 

            Chelsea didn’t wake up until the next day or if she did she just stayed in bed and didn’t let anyone know she was awake.  She was quiet and withdrawn but she clung to AJ like she was a five year old and he was her blanky. But when they got home he noticed she started to separate herself from him, staying in the living room and not even sitting by him.

“Chels?” AJ said as he walked into the living room, she looked up at him, her head not moving from the back of the couch. “My Mom and Tony are here.” AJ told her as Denise walked into the room.

“Hi Chelsea” Denise said with a light smile.

“Hi” She replied a flash of a half smile and then she just stared at them.

“We’ll be in the kitchen ok sweetheart?” AJ told her as he motioned for his Mom to go there.  She nodded and then went back to the solemn state she was in before.

“You look like you haven’t slept much.” Denise said sadly as she looked at her son when he sat down at the kitchen island.

“I haven’t been, first the nightmares now with what happened last night, I got maybe a couple of hours.” AJ sighed.  “At least she’s been sleeping.”

“You think you should get her to talk to someone?” Denise asked.

“I dunno.” AJ replied with a light shrug.  “I’m really worried she remembered something, this is the first time she’s been away from me since we got home, hell since she woke up.”

“She won’t talk to you about it?” Denise inquired.

“No” He shook his head, she hasn’t really said anything just nods or shakes her head.” He sighed.  “I asked her to talk to me a couple of times today but she wouldn’t even acknowledged I asked her.”

“What are you going to do about the party tonight?” Tony asked.

“I hope she’ll be ok, it’s just the guys and you two plus Anne.” AJ replied.  “Speaking of which I need double check the food is coming.”

“You ordered out?” Denise asked.  “It’s Christmas Eve.” She sighed shaking her head as AJ picked up the phone.

AJ walked up the stairs as the people in his living room erupted into laughter; he walked down the hall and opened the door to his room.  Chelsea laid in their bed, the lights off, only the pictures on the TV screen illuminating the room.  Quietly he closed the door, walked over to the bed and crawled on top of it.

“Hey” He said quietly. “You wanna come down for a little bit?”

“No” Chelsea replied.  “There are too many people.”

“But you know everyone.” AJ told her.

“So, I just don’t want to be around anyone.” Chelsea replied a little sharply.

“What’s going on Chelsea?” AJ asked.

“Nothing.” She mumbled.

“Bullshit.” AJ countered.  “You haven’t been the same since we got home and I want to know why.”

“Well I don’t want to talk about it.” She shot back not looking at him.  “I told you I’m fine.”

“Chelsea” AJ sighed.

“Look I agreed to back off when you had that nightmare, why can’t you do the same for me?” She asked as she sat up.

“Because this is more than some fucking nightmare.” AJ snapped at her in frustration.  “First you were all over me wouldn’t leave my side, wouldn’t let me leave you, now you’re up here while your family and friends are down stairs and you won’t talk to anyone, even me.”

“All I want is to be left alone, why is it so damn hard for you of all people to comprehend.” Chelsea yelled as she climbed from the bed and out of the room slamming the door behind her.  AJ sat there stunned as he stared at the door.  Slowly he climbed from the bed and walked out of the room, he listened when he got to the top of the stairs and heard people talking.  As he walked down the steps he heard Chelsea go off.

“Well I was told all my family and friends were here and I should be down so here I am!” She shouted.  He heard Kevin mumble something. “No I won’t calm down, I didn’t even want to be here I was happy up in my room watching TV but somebody won’t take no for a fucking answer.”

“Chelsea!” He heard Anne snap as he walked into the living room.  AJ looked at her as she sat on the couch, everyone else staring at him.

“I’m sorry I thought it would make you feel better to be down here with everyone.” AJ said quietly as he looked at her.

“Well you thought wrong.” She snapped back and then huffed as she stood up.  “I need air.” Chelsea muttered as she walked passed AJ and Kevin and out the back door.

“What the heck was that?” Nick asked looking around.  “What just happened?”

AJ looked at everyone as they looked at him waiting to answer.  “I dunno she’s been like this since we got home.”

“Are you going to go talk to her?” Denise asked.

“I’ve tried you saw what happened at my last attempt.” AJ replied about what had just transpired.

“I guess I’ll try.” Kevin said looking at him.

“Go for it.” AJ sighed as he sat down.

Kevin left the room and walked out to the back doors.  He stepped out into the cool California December air and closed the door behind him.  Looking around AJ’s back yard he saw Chelsea sitting on the other side of the yard at the patio table.  Slowly he walked over and sat down in front of her.  He looked at her as she cried, her hand resting on her forehead as he elbow leaned on the arm of the chair.  Kevin looked up at the back doors and saw AJ standing there watching them, he lightly flashed his friend a smile.

“Chels?” Kevin spoke.

“Can I go home with you tonight?” She asked as she looked up at him. “Stay for a couple of days.”

“What? Why?” Kevin asked a little stunned.

“I can’t stay here right now.” Chelsea told him as she wiped her eyes.  “I can’t…” She stopped fighting back more tears.

“Don’t you want to be here with Alex?” Kevin asked.  A few seconds past and then she shook her head no.  “Chelsea, what’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, please Kev don’t make me.” Chelsea replied as she started to cry again.

“Chels this is going to hurt him.”

“I know!” She shouted.  “Don’t you think I know that but I just can’t…” She stopped again like she was catching herself, stopping herself from saying something.

“Well if you’re not comfortable here I guess, go pack some clothes; I’ll go talk to Alex ok?” Kevin told her and she nodded.

When Chelsea and Kevin walked into the house they both saw AJ in the kitchen.  Chelsea looked away quickly and headed up to her room.  Kevin took a deep breath and looked at AJ.  “She wants to stay with us for a couple of days.”

“What?” AJ replied stunned, his face falling in confusion and a little in pain.

“Look man, don’t take this personal something is really, really wrong and we should just go with the flow for now.” Kevin told him as AJ sat down at his kitchen island.  “I’m gonna go tell Kris we’re leaving, I’ll call later let you know how she’s doing ok?”

“Yeah” AJ replied quietly and nodded. “Sure” He spoke quietly as Kevin left the room.