Welcome to the Family

The man caught the young boy before he face planted on the floor. He carefully picked him up and carried him towards the spare bedroom where he laid him down carefully. The man's sister covered up the boy and together they went back to the kitchen. The young woman sat down at the table and then stared at her brother.

"Where did he come from?" she asked.

"I don't know, but he didn't look too good. We might have to take him to the hospital," he answered.

She nodded her head. She stood up and then headed towards her room and then started packing her clothes. She and her brother always had a weekend getaway together so that their bond could stay as strong as ever. A knock on her door made her look up.

"Ana, I'm sorry," he said.

"It's alright Grayson; it's not your fault. We can reschedule because it won't affect our relationship in the least," she said.

He grinned at her. He stepped into her room and hugged her tightly. "You're the best Ana," he whispered.

"No you are," she giggled.

Ana and Grayson finished packing their suitcases and then Grayson took them to the car. Ana grabbed a thick blanket and then sat down in the backseat while Grayson went to get the young boy. He didn't look to be older than seventeen at the least. They weren't positive because of all the cuts and bruises. Grayson laid the boy down across the backseat and Ana made sure that his head was comfortable in her lap. She stroked his brown hair gently as Grayson drove down the dirt lane to head back towards the city and away from Big Bear.

******

Rebecca was packing her clothes once again. She was getting ready to move to Matt's house for her two week stay there. Since she revealed her nightmare or one version of the nightmare that kept coming back, she'd opened up a lot more to all the guys. She had forgiven Jimmy and Zacky and everyone else for keeping the news of her family from her. She seemed to be able to actually relax around them all a little more.

"Rebecca, are you finished packing yet?" Johnny's voice came through the closed door.

"Almost," she answered.

It was a little difficult to pack while in a wheelchair, but she seemed to be getting the hang of it. She was looking forward to the check-up in a couple of weeks because that meant she might be getting at least one cast off. She was going to miss hanging out with Lacey, since she had been her real first friend that she opened up to, but she knew that she'd always be around at the many gatherings that these guys seemed to have. A knock came at her door.

"Come in," she said, just as she finished packing the rest of her clothes.

The door opened up and she turned her head to see Jimmy. She smiled wide. "Jimmy," she said.

"Hey, Becca," he said.

She enjoyed the new nickname he seemed to have given her. "Need any help?" he asked sitting down on the bed.

"Yes, I need you to get all the stuff that's on the top shelf in the closet," Rebecca said, a light blush creeping up on her cheeks.

He chuckled and stood up. Rebecca was done packing within ten minutes after Jimmy started helping her. He called Johnny back up to her room and they both carried her bags down the stairs. Jimmy came back up and picked her up from the chair and Johnny carried the chair down the stairs afterwards. Matt hadn't arrived yet, so when Jimmy got downstairs with Rebecca he placed her on the couch. Johnny put the wheelchair up next to the couch.

When Matt finally did arrive to pick up Rebecca he said that they couldn't stay long. Val was back at the house fixing up her room for her and wanted them back to his house by dinner time. Johnny helped Rebecca into the chair and then pushed her out the door as Jimmy and Matt took her suitcases to his car. Rebecca made sure to say goodbye to Lacey before she left. Johnny made sure that she was comfortable in her seat in the car before he put the chair in the back with her luggage. She was really getting tired of that chair. She was hoping that she'd be able to have at least one cast off. She was hoping that the one on her leg would be the first to be taken off. She could handle a broken wrist.

Once the chair was loaded into the trunk Matt got into the driver's side and then they both waved goodbye to Johnny who was standing by the garage. Rebecca frowned. Where was Jimmy? He had been with them a few minutes ago. She didn't know where he was now.

"HEY, REBECCA," Jimmy's loud voice said from behind her.

She jumped about a mile out of her seat and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Dammit, Jimmy, why are you here in the car?" she asked him.

"I'm coming to Matt's house," he answered.

"What about your car?" she asked.

"Leana dropped me off at Johnny's, so I didn't have a car," he grinned.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and then faced the front again. Matt chuckled at her response.

"Aw, come on Becca, you know that was funny," Jimmy said, pouting out his bottom lip.

Rebecca didn't look at him. She knew that if she did then she'd cave to his antics again. Ever since she started to really open up to all the guys, Jimmy had been able to make her smile and laugh almost all the time. She didn't mind though because it made her life a lot better than it used to be. She was putting on a bit more weight because she was eating regularly now and she was really happy about that. Matt pulled into his driveway and shut the engine off.

"Ready for another two weeks?" he asked.

"I guess so," Rebecca said.

She honestly wasn't all that sure. Moving around a lot wasn't her favorite thing, considering she's always had to move for the past ten years of her life. She just knew that she had to make the decision on who she would live with once this was all done and over with. Her choice was really limited though. She was really close to Jimmy. He had been the first person to really take an interest in her and she couldn't ever forget that. She wouldn't let herself forget how generous and loving Jimmy was to her when she first met him. Rebecca sat in the seat after she unbuckled her seatbelt waiting for the wheelchair to be brought to the front for her. She jumped a little when she felt arms snake underneath her thighs and around her waist.

"Sorry, Becca," Jimmy said.

"It's okay, Jimmy, just warn me next time," she smiled at him.

He grinned at her and then started to push her towards the door. Just as he was about to push the door open to push the chair through it opened and Val stood at the door.

"Hi, Val," Rebecca said.

"Hello, Rebecca," Val replied with a smile.

Jimmy pushed her through and Matt brought up the rear with her luggage. Rebecca was sitting on the couch when a yawn escaped her lips. She was tired. Packing and moving houses took a lot out of her.

"Matt, can you take me upstairs?" she asked.

"Of course, Rebecca," he said.

"Have a good nap," Jimmy exclaimed.

Rebecca giggled and as she wrapped her arms around Matt's neck as he carried her up the stairs. Her eyes closed once her head hit the pillow. Matt covered her up and then left her room so that she could sleep.

******

Grayson pulled into the hospital parking lot and then parked the car in an empty space. The whole car ride to the hospital was silent. He hated having to cut his vacation with his sister short, but he knew that he'd make it up to her at some point. He turned the engine off and then got out of the car. He opened the back door and carefully picked up the young boy. Ana followed him out of the car and then they walked into the hospital together. The boy had yet to wake up. Grayson walked up to the receptionist's desk with Ana close behind him. Ana cleared her throat to get her attention.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, this boy here showed up at our cabin in Big Bear a few hours ago. He passed out, but I don't know from what. We don't know his name and we don't know where he came from," Grayson answered her.

"Alright, well let's get him back into a room. Maybe he'll tell us something when he wakes up," the receptionist said with a kind smile.

Ana and Grayson followed the nurse back into the ER and towards a room. Once inside a private room the nurse said that she'd have a doctor come and see them as soon as possible. Grayson laid the young boy down on the exam table and then he sat down in a chair next to Ana.

"He's going to need guardians if he's only seventeen," Ana whispered.

"Yeah, I know, but we have to see if he's got parents first before we make that decision. I mean do you want to take care of him for a year?" Grayson asked.

Ana looked at him and frowned at his words. "It would be the right thing to do."

Ana didn't really want to look after a teenager for a year, but she knew that it would be the right thing to do. She looked at the young boy on the bed and felt her heart tug at the sight of his battered body. She couldn't just sit here and let this happen to him again. Grayson was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the door opening up. A doctor walked inside and then closed the door behind him.

"Hello," he said politely.

"Hello," Ana said.

"So, what exactly do we have here?" he asked.

"Well, my sister and I were up in Big Bear when this young boy came to our doorstep. He fainted at the door, but I managed to catch him before he fell too hard on his face. After we placed him in our extra room we realized that he should be probably brought in. He hasn't woken up since," Grayson informed him.

"Do you have any relation to this boy?" the doctor asked.

"None. We have never seen him before," Ana replied.

"I see, well I'll run some tests and see what's really wrong with him. Since you two are the ones who brought him in, I can't keep the news from you, but let's hope he wakes up so we know what happened to him," the doctor said.

"Thank you so much," Ana breathed deeply.

Grayson nodded his thanks and then doctor called in some nurses who took the boy out of the room. Grayson relaxed into the chair. He rubbed his hands over his face and then looked at his sister.

"We should start looking into Social Services if you want to be his legal guardian," he said.

Ana's eyes lit up. Even though they were brother and sister they did live together. Ana had started living with Grayson since she started going to college. Once she had finished college she still didn't want to leave her brother. She loved him and wanted to spend time with him. Besides, her brother was barely home as it was. He had a private security company that he ran and it took him all over the world for more than half the year. It was why they planned week long vacations up in Big Bear.

"I make more than enough money to support a teenager as well as the both of us," Grayson said.

Ana jumped out of her seat and tackled him in his own chair. He chuckled and hugged her tightly. Ana pulled away and then sat back down in her chair. Grayson and Ana didn't have much longer to wait for the boy to be wheeled back into the room. He was still knocked out cold, but there were signs that he was coming too. His hands were moving and he was letting out groans of pain from what Ana could tell.

The doctor followed the nurses into the room. Once the nurses left he turned to Grayson and Ana. "Well, from what the tests showed he will have a small concussion from a hit to the head. He has sustained some badly bruised ribs, which we've taped already. He hasn't broken anything, but we've wrapped his right ankle and his left wrist because they were badly bruised as well. The wrappings should help stabilize them so that they don't get worse. He has sustained a massive amount of cuts and bruises also," the doctor explained.

Ana and Grayson listened to the doctor explain the young boy's conditions. Just as the doctor was about to leave the boy stirred and Ana was by his bedside in an instant. She didn't know where these new found motherly instincts came from, but she wasn't questioning them at the moment. The boy opened his eyes to reveal the bluest eyes she'd ever seen before.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in the hospital. You came to my cabin that I share with my brother up in Big Bear and fainted, so we took you to the hospital," Ana explained.

"Son, do you have a name?" the doctor asked calmly.

The boy nodded his head. He furrowed his eyebrows as if he was trying to remember. "Hastings, Connor Hastings," he answered.