When Winter Falls

xxiv. now i'm breaking at the bridges

HIM

She was devastatingly beautiful. Even when she was breaking at the seams. Her hand had bunched his shirt in her fist as they stood outside Jordan's hospital room.

"Have you visited him in the past few years?" She asked, and he saw the question at the tip of her tongue - you knew all along, Dom? But, she also saw the determination to hold back any loose words in her eyes. Those warm brown eyes. That he was losing himself in at that moment. That he could forever look a-

"Please proceed in, Ms. Hart, Mr. Hart. I'm afraid you're going to have to stay outside until further notice, sir, we still haven't received confirmation to let outsiders in." The nurse said politely, smiling apologetically at Lance. But, he didn't want to go inside to see Jordan, he wanted to go inside for her. The nurse's eyes glazed over in thought as she held onto what he realized was an earpiece. "Oh, never mind, sir, you can go in."

May luck ever be yours, she'd said. It was proving to be positively his lately, he grinned triumphantly to himself as he followed the brother and sister in.

"Dan." Her voice was soft and melodious, hesitant to see what her twin brother had grown to look like, to be like. So was he, he couldn't deny.

"Ju? Is that you?" His eyes opened and Lance saw the striking resemblance of the twins. His eyes were the same brown, his hair the same darkness, but there was a difference. Lance loved Julia for her, not the way she looked. "You're really here?"

"Why? You thought I'd go back on my word? I'm not a coward, Dan." It was only then that Lance realized Dakota was lingering in the corner, holding a half-full cup of coffee. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Shut up, Kota." Dom spoke up. He hadn't looked at his brother, not even once, keeping his eyes trained on the dozens of UVs and wires next to him. Dakota hummed in amusement.

"Yeah, I'm here, Dan." Julia spoke, approaching him, smiling softly. Jordan grinned widely and reached out for her, folding her into his arms and sighing.

"I'm so sorry. I was so stubborn. I should've listened to you. California is nowhere near as important as you." He apologized, something that made guilt flash in Julia's eyes, and turned to his bigger brother. "Dom..."

"Lance, I'm going out to get some sandwiches. I'm hungry, you want to come along?" Dom said, suddenly. Lance opened his mouth to refuse, despite his stomach growling quietly, when Jordan interrupted.

"Who are you?" He asked Lance, narrowing his eyes and patting for Julia to sit next to him in a protective manner. "I don't know you, and I'm sure my memory is intact. The doctor said so."

"I'm," Lance cleared his throat, nervously looking at Julia and Dom and Dakota, "I'm Lance Taylors, a friend of your siblings."

"Best friend," Julia piped in, while Dakota added, "And my friend, too."

"Oh," he visibly relaxed, nodding approvingly, "Dom, please talk to me."

"Lance, are you coming or not?" Dom demanded.

Lance felt torn when he realized Dom wanted an escape, he didn't know whether yes or no was an appropriate answer. Probably sensing his dilemma, Julia insisted, "Dom, we can go somewhere after a while. Please, talk -"

"I can't forgive him, Julia. If he'd left me back there, I would've forgiven him. But, he left you. And I know I've been acting all Pro Moving On From The Past, but he's alive now, and I can't forgive him anymore." Dom declared, stubbornly. "We had made a pact, a promise, we'd sworn that we'd never leave you alone if you were upset. But, he had left because his stupid ego got the best of him."

"I can second that." Dakota raised his hand. "I was their witness for the whole swearing ceremony thing. Kiddish, it was, but now I see its true meaning. Dan, you're done for."

"You swore on it?" Julia was confused, now standing, inching closer to Lance for some unknown reason. Then she turned around, "Lance, remind me of the promise if I am close to breaking it, yeah?"

He nodded, giving her a lopsided smile. He would ground her to reality, as if he was her stability.

"We did. And I'm sorry." Jordan stood as well, eyes looking like fragments of glass. "I was going to drive back, I swear. That's when the car hit me, I think. Because she was calling and, all of a sudden, I needed to get back home to Julia even if my ego wanted otherwise because she never called after a fight. A-and the car hit me."

Realization that he'd been in an accident, in a coma for three years, seemed to hit Jordan. He breathed a huge gulp of air and panicked, "I-I was in a-an accident! It-it was James, James was in the- the other car and he - he yelled that this was for my own good. He distracted me while I was tu-turning around and slammed his c-car into mine. My driver! My dr-driver - he - he managed to get out, I saw. I ha-have to see him!"

This set Dom off, because he was pulling his brother in and calming him down, beckoning for Julia's help using his eyes as if he knew only she could help him. "Dan, Dan, it's alright. You're alright. You'll be fine, don't worry, we're all here." She met Lance's gaze. "We'll be okay. And you were right, Lance. About James Arher."

"J-James, he's - don't tr-trust him, Ju," Jordan breathed out. They whispered a few more sweet nothings to him and he visibly relaxed.

"We missed you." All three of them murmured, and Dom went on, "I know you had a reason for what you did and I'm willing to...forget it...but it doesn't mean I forgive you. I missed you too much."

"I missed you all, too." Jordan smiled and the four of them bundled into a group hug. Lance felt uncomfortable, like he was intruding on a private moment even though he knew he belonged with most of these people, but it came to a stop when Jordan turned to him, "Come on, I know you're a part of the lives of the three most important people in my life. Join us, Lance, don't stand there looking like you don't know us."

It was the homeliest hug he'd ever received, with Julia's fingers wrapping around his arm and squeezing it to let him know she was right there.

He knew he was at home.