Chapter 4

            Chelsea rolled over and her eyes fluttered open.  A smile broke across her face when she saw him sleeping beside her. So many mornings so many times she woke up and he wasn’t there, now he was.  Lifting her head a little she looked past him and read the time on the alarm clock.  There was still a half hour until their wake up call.  She laid her head back down on her pillow.  Her fingers crept along the sheet up to his face and she gently let her fingers trickle down his beard.  It was strange for her to see him with facial hair.  He had changed so much not just on the inside but on the outside.  His face had gotten older, no longer looking like a shy boy but a strong man.  She let her fingers drift down his jaw bone to his chin and as her fingers touched his neck she saw the skully rose tattoo on his neck. 

He mumbled and moved his head a little but didn’t wake up.  Looking up she looked at his eyes, the only thing on him that hadn’t changed.  Carefully not wanting to move the mattress to much she scooted closer to him, the tips of her lips and nose a feather width away from his.  Tenderly she pressed her lips to his and he mumbled again, when he did she trapped his bottom lip between hers and kissed him again.  Then she pulled away and opened her eyes to see him looking back at her.

“Now that’s a wake up call.” He mumbled sheepishly and she softly laughed. “What time is it?” He asked rolling over and looking at the clock.  “How long have you been up?” He asked as he looked back at her.

“Not long.” She replied her eyes still locked on his.

“Chels?” He said noticing the look in her eyes.

“Alex.” She replied with a small crooked smile as she kissed him again.

A knock at the hotel room door broke the two apart and Aj looked at her a little confused, well he wasn’t really confused, he knew what was going on. She hadn’t kissed him like that in a long time. 

“I’ll get it.” She said and he thought he saw her pout behind her smile. 

Pulling the blankets off herself she climbed out of bed in her tank top and shorts.  He sat up still a little puzzled when he heard the sliding lock and the door open.

“Did I wake you?” He heard a voice say and he got up, slipping on his jeans he wore the day before over his boxers.

“Nope come on in.” Chelsea said as he threaded his belt under the loops and peeked around the corner.

“Hey Ma.” Aj said with a light smile.

“Hi.” She said as she walked in.  Aj noticed she looked around the room and stared at the single bed.

“Anything you need?” Aj asked getting her attention as Chelsea walked by him.  Just as his Mom was about to answer he saw Chelsea heading to the door.

“Where you going darlin’?” He asked.

“Ice.” She said holding up the bucket.  “For the Orange Juice.”  He smiled as she opened the door and left the room.

“What’s this?” She asked as he looked back at her.

“A bed?” He said confused on her question.

“One bed?” She asked.

“Don’t start.” He said quickly.

“And Chris tells me you got her a ring?” Denise asked.

“A white gold band, to replace the one I got her when we were younger, that’s all, why do people think I’m gonna pop an engagement ring on her finger.” He said hoping this wouldn’t lead into the same old argument, not now, not with Chelsea.

“You got her a ring at sixteen!” Denise said upset.

“Mom, I said don’t start, don’t do this not with her.” Aj said as he walked over to his bag grabbing a shirt.

“So you’re going to tell me she’s different, she’s special?”

“She is.” Aj said as he looked back at her.

“They all were Alex.” Denise sighed. 

“And here we go.” Aj sighed as he spun around.

“You fall head over heals cause it’s new and exciting, you rush into it and you get hurt.” She said to him.

“I get hurt cause people can’t mind their damn business.” Aj told her.

“Are you talking about me?”

“You, the guys, the fans.” Aj said almost shouting.  Just then Aj’s door flew open.

“It’s Chelsea.” Chris said quickly and Aj dashed past his Mom.

“What’s going on?” Denise said confused but Aj didn’t answer her hearing Chelsea crying as he entered the hall.  He ran down the hallway towards the ice room.  His heart was racing and it wasn’t because he was running as he got closer he could hear crying and it sounded like she was in pain.  When he got to the room he saw Nick on his knees on the floor, he was holding Chelsea in his arms as she cried, covering her eyes.

“Chelsea?” Aj said as he took her from Nick.

“Her nurse is coming.” Nick told him.

“Too Bright.” She whispered as she pulled her face against his chest.  Aj scooped her up and carried her out of the Ice room.

“Tell Julia to come to our room.” Aj said to Nick.  He walked quickly down the hall holding her close to him.  Aj was relieved to see his door was still open and he walked them right into his room and laid her down on the bed.  She quickly covered her eyes but he was already on top of it turning off the lamps and the room light, he then walked over and made sure the curtains were closed tight, and then carefully closed the door, not completely just enough to keep out the hallway light.

“Better?” He whispered as he knelt down beside her.  She slowly nodded as he pulled her hair away from her sweaty face.  “Another Migraine?” He said keeping his voice low.  Her head slowly nodded as she reached out for his hand.  He wanted to tell her it was ok, that it would pass but he didn’t want to talk and make it worse for her.  He knew what it was like his drinking and drugs brought on a migraine here and there but never this quick.  Her doctors weren’t sure how long they would last or even why they were so sudden but they were improving with the medication she was, so that was hopeful.

“Julia’s here.” Aj told her as he stood up and stepped aside when the nurse walked in.  He walked around to the other side of the bed and took her hand again as Chelsea’s nurse started taking her blood pressure, and began a full check up.

“Break this and put it on her forehead, it’ll keep her head cool.” Julia said as she handed him an Ice pack.  He snapped the bag in half and instantly felt it getting colder.  Her eyes fluttered as he gently placed the pack of ice on her head.  With his right hand he held the pack gently against her and held her hand with his other hand. 

“Chelsea I need to check your eyes.” Julia told her as she grabbed her medical bag.

As Chelsea’s nurse pulled out the small pin light Aj felt her grip tighten around his hand.  He pressed the back of her hand to his lips as the light flashed over her eyes.  She flinched a little but it was over quick. As Julia asked Chelsea to answer some questions, Aj called down and canceled the wake up call.

“Does she need to go to the hospital?” Aj asked.

“No not right now, it was sudden which triggered her panic attack, mind and body receiving so much at once.” She told him.  “She stays in bed as much as possible today, no concert.  I’ll come back in 15 mins and check up.” She explained as she stood up.

“Ok, thanks Julia.” Aj said as he walked with the woman to the bedroom door.

“She’ll be ok.” She smiled at him and then headed back to her room.

“How is she?” Brian asked as him, Nick and Chris walked up to him.

“Julia says she’ll be fine, it was a migraine but it came on so quick it threw her into one of her panic attacks.” Aj told them.

“Want me to call Kevin?” Brian asked.

“Naw, I’m sure he’ll call later, she’s not going to the hospital Julia didn’t seem too worried.” Aj said as he looked back at the doorway.  “Where did Mom go?” He asked looking around.

“She went to her room I think.” Nick said with a shrug.

“Well I need to get back in there, don’t want to leave her alone for too long.” Aj said as he nodded to his room.  “Thanks man.”

“No problem, just glad she’s ok.” Nick said as he headed to his room.

Aj walked into the room and closed the door carefully.  He walked over to the bed and leaned against the wall, resting his head on the corner.  She was laying on her side now, the ice pack sitting on the nightstand.  He watched her for a little bit and he started to remember what happened before his Mom knocked on the door.  How he was woken up, the way she looked at him before they kissed, and the way they kissed. 

Pushing himself off of the wall he walked over to the side of the bed and carefully pulled the blankets out from under her.  Chelsea slowly rolled over as he slipped in under the covers.  She cuddled herself into him as he pulled the blankets over them.  He reached over her and grabbed the ice pack, placing it back on her head. 

“Need to keep this on until Julia get’s back.” Aj whispered.

“It’s c-cold.” She forced out in a low mumble. Aj hated when she got like this after her migraines.  Her doctor said the best way to describe it would be like her brain was on over load and speaking was the last thing it was trying to do.  It was like this ever since the surgery, ever since she was almost crushed under the bookshelf. “W-want M-midrin.” She mumbled asking for her medication.

“Not yet darlin’ gotta wait to make sure your blood pressure goes down.” He said as he moved the pack to the back of her neck.  “That better?” He asked and she slowly nodded.

He laid there with her until Julia came back.  The Nurse gave her another check up and checked her eyes again, she still needed Aj too hold her hand.  He noticed then she was shivering.

“Can I have my Midrin now?” She asked

“Yes” Julia said.  Aj walked over to her bag and went into the side pocket; it was the only pocket he ever went into.  He pulled out a bottle of red cap pills and brought them over too her.

“I’ll grab you some water.” He said as he handed her the bottle.  As he walked to the bathroom someone knocked on his door and he changed directions.  When he opened the door he saw his Mom there.

“Is everything alright now?” She asked.

“Sort of” He said as he opened the door for her to walk in.  He walked into the bathroom as she closed the door.  He grabbed a glass and ran the water for a second, and then filled the cup.  Passing his Mom as he walked out of the bathroom, he walked over to Chelsea, and gave her the glass of water.

“Are you ok for a second? I wanna go to go talk to Mom.” He said as he sat down on the bed.

“Yeah.” She said as she lightly nodded.  He smiled at her and gently kissed her on the top of the head as he stood up.  Walking over to his Mom he motioned for her to come outside the room with him and she followed.

“So what’s up?” He asked as he closed the door behind them, making sure not to bang it.

“Should she be here?” She asked concerned.

“Her doctors say its fine, she’d have these whether or not she was here, and there more concern with her mental state and social state.” He told her.

“She’s not your responsibility.” Denise told him.

“We’ve been through this. I asked you not to start.” Aj said to her.  “What’s so wrong about wanting to help someone I care about?”

“Care about; she’s sleeping in your bed.” Denise said both keeping their voices low. 

“I’m not getting into this with you.” Aj said as he turned around.

“Alex listen to me.” His Mom said stopping him.  “You can’t open yourself up so much, she’s still getting use to a life again, who knows what’s going to happen, who she’s going to be in a year.”

“She’ll be Chelsea, she wasn’t dead Ma, she didn’t just sleep for 13 years, yeah ok she has a lot to get over, and it’s something that can’t be done alone, her doctors told me so.” Aj said to her standing firm.  “I’m not pushing her into anything she doesn’t want to do, she needs me, and you know what I need her.”

“Oh Alex.” Denise sighed.

“Yeah, thanks for the support Ma.” Aj said as he turned around and went back into the room.

“When do we leave?” Julia asked.

“What?” Aj said still a little heated from the conversation with his Mom.

“When do we leave? Chelsea should sleep as much as she can right now.”

“Oh, right.” Aj said calming down, he then walked out of the small hallway and looked at the clock.  “In an hour, hour and a half.” Aj said as he looked at Chelsea under the covers.

“Alright, let her sleep till then, wake her about 15 minutes before you go, so she has time to wake up.” Julia told him.

“Ok.” Aj nodded.  He walked the Nurse out of the room and then closed the door gently.

He then walked back into the room and slowly crawled on the bed.  He didn’t get under the covers as he laid down beside her and pulled her back against him. Brushing her hair away he leaned in and gently kissed the back of her neck.

“Do you want to go home?” Aj asked.

“No” Chelsea said as she tangled her fingers with his, her eyes remaining close.

“Just checking.” He said as he laid his head back down and held her until she fell sleep.