In The End (Sequel to In Real Life - Nemi)

Skyscraper (Demi POV)

My emotions were all over the place. I was sobbing by my mother's bed, praying to God she would wake up & be my mom again. Nick tried to comfort me, but I couldn't stop the tears as I faced the fact that I could lose another parent. If my mom died, I'd be an orphan, technically. My mom needed to wake up, rise up & be the amazing, strong & beautiful woman that she was.

I'm not sure how long I cried on my mom's hand, before I made Nick take me back to my room. He helped me get into bed, careful not to bump my leg. He didn't say anything. He just let me cry, quietly. He told the nurse to keep Aria in the nursery for the night so I could get some much needed rest. He climbed into bed beside me & wrapped his arms around me, making me feel somewhat safe so I could fall asleep.

When I woke up, Nick was on his phone, pacing back & forth. I sat up & caught his eye. His face was expressionless & I felt fear in my chest. He hung up his phone & sighed.. "We need to go." He said in a monotone as he moved the wheelchair to the side of my bed.

"Nick? What's wrong? Where do we have to go?" I asked, worry evident in my voice.

Nick didn't look at me & that worried me. "Let me help you into the chair."

"Nick!" I said in a louder voice. He glanced up at me. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's your mom. We need to get to her room." He said, solemnly, swallowing hard.

I stared at him, tears filling my eyes. I shook my head, slowly as I let him help me in the chair. I cried all the way to my mom's room. I held my breath as Nick opened the door for me & I wheeled myself into the room, looking down at my lap.

"There's my baby girl." I heard the most amazing voice ever. I looked up to see my mom smiling at me, from her bed.

"Mom!" I almost shouted as Nick pushed me to her bed. He handed me crutches, knowing I wasn't going to stay in that chair. I stood up on one crutch as I hugged my mom as gently as I could. She was still sore, but the tube wasn't in her mouth anymore. She wasn't hooked up to nearly as many machines. I sat on the edge of the bed, looking at my mom, who rose up from this bed, like a skyscraper. She wasn't letting this accident keep her down. Nothing was keeping her from being as strong as she could be. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"She woke up about an hour after you left last night. She's in good condition, now. The doctors say she's out of the woods. Now she just needs to rest her voice since she had that tube in." Eddie explained.

Mom smiled at me & I started crying harder. "I knew you'd be okay. You're the strongest woman I've ever known." I said, whispering.

Mom squeezed my hand & smiled even bigger. "Takes one to know one." She whispered back.

I took out my phone & started showing mom photos of Aria. She started crying from happiness & I couldn't let her cry alone. "Thanks for saving me, Mom."

"I think you probably understand why I did it, now, more than ever. You have a daughter now & you'd jump in front of a car to save her, wouldn't you?" Mom said in a raspy voice.

I nodded, then laughed. "I'd die for her." Mom nodded, understanding me completely. We looked at more pictures & laughed at the fact that in just one day, I took almost 75 photos. We were laughing & crying as we talked. Well, I talked & Eddie talked & mom, mostly, just listened.

"She really is a beautiful baby." Mom whispered. "I can't wait to meet her."

"Well, you don't have to wait any longer." I heard Nick say & we all turned to see him come through the door, pushing the plastic crib. I hadn't even seen him sneak out.

I heard my mom squeal & smack her leg with her good hand. "Oh my God, bring that precious thing over here." Mom croaked out.

Nick lifted her out of the bed, holding her close to his chest & my heart finished melting. God, he was never more sexy than when he was holding our daughter. I snapped a few photos of him & laughed when he rolled his eyes.

"She's gonna be blind before her first doctor's visit, if you don't stop with the flash." Nick chuckled as he placed Aria in Dianna's arm. I smiled, stuck my tongue out at him, then started taking photos of my mom & Aria.

Mom cried for several minutes, then sighed as she looked up at me. "She's breathtaking, Dem."

"I know." I said, sounding a little cocky. I looked up at Nick & grinned while I bit my bottom lip. "I guess Nick & I really did make a beautiful baby, just like everyone used to say we would."

"Yea. We should make more." Nick said, lifting his eyebrows up, playfully.

"Whoa. Not for a while." My mom choked out.

Nick & I laughed. "Get close together, all of you." Nick said to me, mom & Eddie. "Let me get a picture of all of you." We all leaned together so Nick could take a photo. Then Eddie jumped out so Nick could get one of me, my mom & Aria.

We hung out with my mom for a while, then headed back to my room, a nurse pushing me, while Nick pushed the rolling crib. "I'm so happy right now." I said, smiling up at Nick.

"Me, too, baby."

Nick & I were hanging out in my room, later. Aria was lying on my lap & Nick & I were examining every inch of her body. Nick held her fingers, smiling & I know he was itching to get her playing an instrument of some sort. I was so in love with this little vision on my lap. I couldn't get enough of her. My heart felt like it might explode at any moment.

Nick's phone vibrated on the small table by the bed. He reached up & answered it. "Hey, man.... yea... she's great... Dianna's awake... yea..... oh... crap... I don't know.... I mean I guess I can call the guys & see. I know you're probably in a bind, so the guys would probably do it." Nick's forehead was creased as he spoke, staying that way, as he listened. "Okay, I'll get back to you by the end of the day today." Nick put his phone on the table. "So, that was Phil. It's pretty obvious that you won't be able to perform at the Jingle Ball, so he asked if the Jonas Brothers wanted the slot to have a spontaneous reunion." He looked at me, with a worried expression in his eyes. The guys & Nick had never got back to the people in charge, so they had filled the slot in the Jingle Ball, so now they were getting a second chance. 

"That's cool. I'm a little bummed I can't go. It's next week, isn't it?"

"Yea, which is why they need to fill the slot like yesterday."

"Go, call the guys. Get the band back together." I smiled, motioning with my hand.

"Maybe we can skype you in on a big screen at the show." Nick chuckled as he stood up, straight. He leaned down to kiss me, quickly, then made my heart skip a beat when he bent down to kiss Aria's small head. "Daddy will be back soon, baby girl." He said in almost a whisper & I fell in love, with both of them, a little more. He reached out to touch my cheek for a second. "I'll just be downstairs, so I won't be far, love." Nick smiled, then grabbed his phone & headed toward the door. Right before he opened the door, he turned toward me, a sweet smile on his face. "I love you. Both of you."

I smiled, a lump in my throat. He sounded so believable that I wanted to cry. "We love you, too, Daddy. Go save the day!" He chuckled as he opened the door & left, leaving me & Aria alone for the first time. I smiled down at her & she was watching me with such intensity, that I had to laugh. "You have the best daddy in the world, you know that? You're one lucky little girl, Aria Dee." I held her in both hands to stare at her face as it was inches from mine. Her little "o" shaped mouth was making me giggle & I kissed her tiny face, loving my life right at this moment. I felt like I could never be knocked down again. I was untouchable. I now knew what was important in life. My daughter was my life now.