The Dreadful Wait

Stinging tears slid down Lacey's cheeks as she brought the knife down again and again. Sniffling, she tried to blink away the tears to no avail. Unable to stand them any longer, the petite redhead used her forearm to wipe them away, only making the situation worse as her eyes burned.

"Lace, you know better than to wipe them," Rachel reminded her daughter as she led her a few feet over to the sink. "Here, let's flush them out."

"Stupid onions," grumbled her youngest daughter before launching into a series of complaints. "Don't know why I get stuck having to help with dinner while Miss Only-Cares-About-Herself is sitting on her butt, watching Christmas movies. Could you listen any louder?" Lacey added, raising her voice on the last line.

"That's enough. You're helping me because I'm your mother, and I told you to," Rachel pointed out. "You don't see Skye complaining, do you?"

"I'm happy to help out," the brunette responded as she finished chopping up the onions that Lacey abandoned.

"All better now? Okay, then go dice those tomatoes for me," the red-haired mother directed at her youngest daughter. Grumbling under breath, Lacey went to carry out the instructions.

"So, you said this is a family recipe, Rachel?" Skye inquired.

"Yes, the recipe for the breading originated with my great-grandmother. Luckily, Harvey's biscuits are dried out enough to be used for the bread crumbs portion," Rachel explained, returning to her large bowl filled with the ingredients necessary to make the breading. "Having chicken tonight seemed like a good idea. It's one meal that most people like, and we'll have options: breaded chicken cutlets, non-breaded ones, and a chicken chef salad. Hopefully, Newt will have one of them," Rachel added at the end, lowering her voice, her eyes flickering over to the dining room table.

"Yeah, the poor kid is taking this hard," Skye whispered back. "He told me last night about his father. I remember the news coverage back when it happened."

"I wish Bridget could be here for him, but at least Peyton is helping."

Over in the dining room, Newt sat with his back to the kitchen, staring out the window toward the partially frozen Wasp Lake. On either side of him were JoJo and Peyton, with Lana sitting at the head of the table closest to her best friend. Chastity sat on JoJo's other side. The honey blonde worked incessantly on cheering everyone up, especially Newt.

"You sure you don't want to watch Home Alone with them in the living room? I know you like it," Peyton suggested, getting a twitch of a shrug back.

"Here, have another one of Mr. Harvey's donuts; they're delicious--yum!" Chastity remarked, taking a bite out of one. She next mimicked flying a plane with a second donut, bringing it close to Newt's mouth. "Open up, Newt. Here comes the little donut!"

Her face cringing in embarrassment, Lana watched as Newt shook his head no at the offer. "Geez, Chas, stop treating him like he's a toddler. He just needs to stop--" Lana's comment ended abruptly with a furious glare from Peyton, along with a jerk of her thumb to leave.

Placing her hands out front in a calming down motion, Lana mouthed, "Alright, sorry."

"C'mon, eat one, please!" JoJo begged her good friend.

"How about we skip the donuts, girls? We don't want to ruin Newt's appetite for dinner," Peyton said toward JoJo, looking at her from behind Newt's back. "Mrs. Stratton's making chicken, Newt; you like chicken. She makes an awesome breaded version that you might end up loving."

The sound of the front door opening and closing drew their attention. Any unrealistic hopes that the sound came from a returning Sean or Whitney were dashed as Finley came around the corner. Still clad in his coat, he glanced at Newt, making eye contact with Peyton, who shook her head at his unspoken question. Grimacing, he turned and entered the kitchen.

"All done, Finn?" Rachel asked, brightening up at his appearance.

"Yep, App--Ranger Vanoy just left. I don't know where Uncle Harv wanted everything, so I stashed them out in the garage," the brown-haired college student explained, opening a bag of croutons to grab a handful. "I also hung up Whitney and Sean's clothes in the laundry room. They're frozen solid."

"Good. Now, knock that off, or you'll spoil your appetite," Rachel remarked, snatching the bag of croutons away from him. "So, Apple, huh?"

"She's...uh, a nice girl," Finn responded, blushing at the knowing look from his surrogate mother. "Someone had to help her. Can't have a rookie ranger wandering around and getting lost."

"Sure, Finny. She's a cutie, isn't she?" Rachel noted, delighted to see how Finn reacted. She long hoped he could move on from the heartbreak that Lana caused. Unfortunately, each potential new love for him failed to escape the long shadow that her eldest daughter still cast over Finn's heart.

"No change with Newt?" Finn inquired, attempting to change the subject from the cute, ginger ranger.

"Not much. He ate one donut and has at least begun to nod and shake his head," Rachel informed him, a worried expression replacing her smile. "I don't know how much help we can be until we hear more about Sean and Whitney."

"Well, if anyone knows how to help a kid dealing with the death of a parent, it's Peyton. And I guess Lana too," he said from personal experience. "Uh, so my dad is starting to drink downstairs."

"Already? That's all we need," Rachel replied, now having another person to worry about.

"Dammit, I don't know if we should leave if he's going to be a problem," Sybil said, coming into the kitchen with Polly and their suitcases.

"But I thought you had plans?" Rachel recalled the reason for their short stay.

"We do, but Randy can go without us," Sybil said in reference to her husband. Off to her side, Polly appeared hopeful about staying as she glanced over at Newt in concern.

"Don't get too worried. Clive and Jeff are keeping an eye on him; on Owen too," Finn explained, reassuring his aunt. "I'm sure we can handle him without you until the ball."

"You sure, Finny?"

Finn nodded that his assurance.

"You already put up with way too much from my damned brother," Sybil commented, moving in to hug her nephew. Looking over his shoulder, Sybil mouthed a thank you that meant for more than just today toward Rachel.

Sighing in disappointment, Polly slid over next to Newt's chair. Opening and closing her mouth, she appeared tentative until Peyton nodded that it was okay.

"Um, bye, Newt. I'm, uh, sorry about yelling at you at the pond. And, well, for calling you a pervert. And...I-I'm sure that Wh-Whitney and Sean will be..." Polly couldn't finish as she burst into tears.

Sensing that those tears might come, Finn was there to offer a comforting hug to his younger cousin. After a couple of minutes, Polly calmed down enough to give Finn a tighter hug and say goodbye.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine," Finn whispered into her ear. Then, speaking louder, he added, "And I expect you to be ready to mingle and dance on New Year's Eve, Pols. We're going to find you a boyfriend even if I have to let Lacey do it."

Over by the sink-side of the kitchen, Lacey perked up at the possible matchmaking subject. Before she could speak, Rachel sternly ordered, "Oh, no. You're still in trouble, missy. So you're not doing any of that today. And those tomatoes won't cut themselves."

"Oh, shut up, Finn!" Polly hissed in embarrassment.

After kissing his little cousin on the cheek, Finn announced he'd be back soon. "I'm going to head over to the boathouse and get changed."

"Be a dear and check on Jared, will you? He stormed over there not long after we got back."

Nodding back at her request, Finn moved toward the French doors, looking over at the dining room table. Only JoJo watched him leave, sending him a small smile as Peyton continued her efforts to cheer up Newt. Lana appeared to be lost in her own thoughts, joining Newt in staring out the window. Chastity made a big deal of saying goodbye to the Gettinger women. Taking Harvey's request to heart, the honey blonde seemed to be wavering on heading back to town as well.

"I'm finished with the tomatoes, Mom. Am I all done?" Lacey asked, hopefully.

"No, you're not. Put those bowls in the fridge. Next, you have to peel that carrot, and I believe there's a can of black olives in the pantry that needs to be opened and drained."

Muttering to herself, Lacey followed her mother's orders. Closing the refrigerator door, she walked over to and inside the pantry.

BRRRING-BRRRING

Everyone in the kitchen and dining room jumped as the sound smashed through the silence in the rooms. Inside the pantry, several loud clunks and an "oww!" could be heard.

Reacting first, Rachel hurried over toward the phone on the wall.

BRRRING-BRR--

"Hello...oh, Bridget, how are they doing?"

Rachel nodded along with comments such as "good, good" and "wait, repeat that again." After hurrying in from the great room at the ringing of the phone, Gabriela now stood with her head close to Rachel's in an attempt to overhear Bridget's report. With their coats on, the Gettingers raced back into the dining room. Lacey moved to crowd her mom from the other side. An "oh, no!" sent a wave of terror throughout the cabin, leading the others in the great room to rush over.

Seeing all the concerned faces, Rachel spoke into the phone, "Bee, can you hang on for a moment? I want to tell everyone what's happening. Okay, thanks."

Turning around, she addressed the room, "Whitney has moderate hypothermia, and they are currently working on raising her body temperature back to normal. Her vitals aren't out of the range to be concerned, but the doctors don't believe she's in danger. Because she stopped breathing, they are monitoring her oxygen levels and keeping an eye out to make sure she doesn't develop pneumonia. Overall, they think she'll make a full recovery."

Sighs and cries of relief met the news. Tears were wiped away, and hugs were issued to one another. Austin helped hold up Ramsey, who nearly collapsed at the fantastic news. Sobbing, Lacey wrapped her arms around Rachel from behind in a tight hug.

"What about Sean?" JoJo asked.

"Sean's body temperature should be back to normal soon. However, he broke a bone in his foot. It's a serious break, Bridget said. A List--Lestac--"

"A Lisfranc fracture?" Peyton supplied, getting a nod back from Rachel.

"Yes, that's it. The doctors are concerned about possible ligament damage but need to wait for the swelling to go down before running more tests."

"What about all the blood?" JoJo asked again, fearing the worst.

"They stitched it all up. Bridget said it was several inches long, but nowhere near as bad as we all feared," Rachel finished explaining. "I think that's everything."

"When can we see them?" Lacey questioned, still hugging her mother from behind.

"Not tonight. Whitney will probably have to stay for at least a couple of days for observation and until she's back to safer levels. They're only keeping Sean for one night."

"Wait, if that's all that's wrong with Sean, why are they even keeping him for one night?" Peyton questioned, worried that they weren't being told every detail.

"Uh, it seems like they weren't going to, but Harvey caused a scene. Used his influence to get them to change their minds," Rachel revealed, reddening over how Bridget described his tantrum.

"Knowing Harvey, I bet it was one hell of a scene," Gabby speculated, lightening up the mood of the room further. "Here, let me talk to her, Rach."

Grabbing the phone, the dark-haired Latina launched into a series of questions and comments for her little cheersister. Meanwhile, Rachel clarified any questions the others still had.

"I'm going to need to go downstairs and inform the others," Rachel declared, looking back in concern at her preparations for dinner.

"I can do that, Mrs. Stratton," Austin offered, noticing most of the others weren't in any shape to do it.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, if they want to know more, they can come up here and ask."

"Okay, thank you, Austin," she said as he moved toward the stairs.

"Peyton, your mom wants to talk to you," Gabby announced, holding the phone up.

"See, everything's going to be alright," the Tarver daughter reassured Newt as she stood up.

"Okay, everybody, let's calm down," Rachel said loudly as everyone chatted away in relief or with some concern still. "Bridget said she'll call back later with another update. So, how about we all relax."

"Yeah, he's been pretty much a statue since you guys left for the hospital," Peyton quietly informed her mother. "Maybe a little better...I guess, but it might be better if he's around us...okay, let me at least ask before you call her...okay, love you too."

Hanging up the phone, Peyton made her way back to the table. Crouching down, she softly spoke to her brother's best male friend. "Newt, my mom wondered if you would feel better at home with your mom. Would you like me to drive you back?" A long pause ensued until Newt gave a slight shake of his head. "So, you want to stay?" A quick nod answered back.

"Hey, it's okay, Newt. Sean's going to be fine," JoJo reassured him, wiping away a tear that trickled down his cheek. "We're the ones that won't be; who do you think will be stuck carrying his bags and books around from now on. Watch him milk this whole broken foot thing. 'But I'm on crutches, guys.' Oh, you know he's going to do it," JoJo forced a giggle in an attempt to soothe her friend.

"Pey, I have something I need to do, but do you want me to grab his tablet from the bunkroom?" Lana inquired, surprising Peyton, who didn't notice her moving so close.

"Sure, maybe that will help distract him," she softly replied, surprised even more by her friend's offer.

"This seems like a good time for a celebration. Who wants ice cream?" Gabby cheered loudly, earning a sharp look from her best friend, who feared a roomful of ruined appetites.

"I do, I do!" Chastity cheered, jumping up and down.

"Knock, knock," Lana called out from the open doorway while also lightly tapping on the door. "You boys decent?"

"I am now," Finn responded, pulling his shirt down. "What's up?"

"Mrs. Tarver called with an update from the hospital. It sounds like Whitney and Sean will eventually be alright, although Sean broke his foot."

"Broke his foot? What about Whitney? She stopped breathing," Jared rattled off as he walked toward the redhead.

"Ugh--like I'm any good with medical talk. I'm not Peyton, you know," Lana remarked. "Go ask my mom for the details; she's the one that talked to Mrs. Tarver."

Grabbing his coat, Jared informed her and Finn that he would do just that. Although her plan to get Jared to leave worked perfectly, Lana didn't feel victorious. Instead, she dreaded the conversation she knew she had to have with Finn. With no plan for this part, she blurted out what troubled her.

"Do you hate me, Finny?"

In the process of disconnecting his phone from a brief stint on the charger, Finn fumbled it several times with his hands before it fell to the floor with a clang. Leaving the phone there, he stared incredulously at his close friend.

"Hate you? Why--where did this come from?"

"Lace and I had that fight down by the pond, and she said some hurtful things," his ex-girlfriend relayed with glistening eyes. "They hurt because I worry she's right."

"Lan, you know how protective Lace gets over people. You were teasing Sean, and she didn't like it."

"She was mad over that, but she threatened me too. Said that I better not hurt Sean the way I hurt you," Lana swallowed hard before her next comment. "I know I hurt you when we broke up, probably broke your heart. Do you hate me over it? Are you still in love with me too?"

Taking a deep breath, Finn tried to make sense of her questions and explain his feelings. "Hate and love you at the same time? No, I don't hate you, Lana. When you broke up with me, I'll admit I went through a lot of feelings, but hate wasn't one. Instead, I felt disappointed, confused, hurt, ashamed, and foolish."

"Why would you feel ashamed or foolish?" Lana asked, shocked at his choice of words.

"For believing that you were ready to settle down. No, don't give me that look. I don't mean marriage, but that you were happy enough with me not to need any other guys."

"But I was happy with just you!" the redhead protested.

"No, you were happy to have the classic high school romance. And for me, I was foolish enough to let my crush on you ignore the truth," Finn admitted, his eyes glistening now too. "I guess I also got what I wanted from our relationship: a fairy tale brought to life. But just like in those stories, my carriage turned into a pumpkin once college began."

"So, you do hate me," Lana sobbed.

"I said I don't, and I meant it," he replied, walking over and gently taking hold of each of Lana's upper arms. "I can never hate you, no matter what crappy thing you did to me in the past, or shitty thing you might do to me in the future. You're one of my two best friends, one of the same two that didn't give up on healing me after the accident."

"Are you still in love with me?" the teary-eyed woman asked, unable to meet his eyes.

"A part of me will always love you that way, but I took that part, shoved it into a compartment, and locked it away," Finn told her, moving one hand under her cheek, lifting her head so that she looked at him. "I had to do that to still love you as a friend. You and Peyton mean the world to me. I would never risk our friendship by getting bitter or resentful."

Lunging forward, Lana gripped Finn in a fierce hug. One that felt like her life depended on it. Moving her mouth to his ear, she began to whisper.

"And I'll always love you too, Finley Singer. I'm sorry for using you to get that high school relationship. I should have waited until later in life, once I was done having fun. You will always be the one that got away, the one that I pushed away," she revealed, pulling back away to look him in the eyes. "But you need to move on; you need to find happiness. You deserve it."

"Lana, I'm not holding back for you. Things have just--"

"Hush," Lana told her best friend and ex-boyfriend, moving a finger to his lips. "Lacey's right. Even though we broke up more than two years ago, I'm still hurting you. I'm sorry for getting mad last night over Ellie Ridge. I know I suck at matchmaking, but I'll make sure you find the perfect person. Hell, I'll even beg Lacey for help if I have to."

"Lan, you don't need to do that. No, I really mean it," Finn said with a laugh. "Having both Stratton sisters playing matchmaker for me will likely result in my death. Not to mention, your mom keeps on hinting at finding me someone too."

"Well, pick whomever you want. You can pick the biggest bitch on the planet in Teresa Zuccaro, and I'll be happy for you," Lana said, mentioning her bitter rival. "All I ask is that you don't pick Peyton. I know that makes me sound like a selfish bitch, but I don't think I can bear the pain of watching her have what I threw away."

"Peyton and me?" Finn repeated with a chuckle. "Yeah, that ain't happening. The two of us already had that conversation after you dumped me. We agreed never to go down that route. The three of us survived the Finn and Lana thing but might not survive another pairing."

"Good. And thank you, Finny, for always putting up with my shit," Lana said, along with a softer hug. "We better head back. You can ask Peyton, the future doctor, all about Whitney and Sean's diagnoses. Afterward, the two of us can then interrogate you over that piece of fruit you picked up out in the woods."

"So, that's how you want to play it, huh?" Finn responded to her comment about the new ranger. "You did say Peyton was the only off-limits girl, right? Hmm, good to know. You do have some hot cousins. Maybe I need to sample a few."

The gasp and slap to his arm, Finn fully expected and warmed his heart.