Television was never able to resolve her problems, or even take her mind off of them for that matter. But as Sheridan flipped through the various channels, she prayed that this instance would be different. She tried to focus on Gilligan saying something stupid to the Skipper. She tried to focus on Danny Tanner yelling at his family to keep the house clean. She even tried to focus on Jerry Springer trying to keep the peace between the two siblings-in-love that sat before him. She laughed at herself, knowing that none of this was going to take her mind off of the days events…or what was going on at this very moment. Disgusted, she threw the remote at the television and stood up. She barely noticed that her throw caused the channel to change again, until she heard that familiar voice.

“You know, it’s just something I was born to do…”

Sheridan’s eyes widened, and she turned to face the television once again. Justin’s face filled the screen. He looked like the celebrity she knew he used to be. His hair was neatly buzzed and he was clean shaven, except for the barely noticeable goatee on his chin. It was a world away from the scruffy look he possessed now, with the beard that had long since grown in, and the mess of brown hair on his head.

He was so confident….so different from the Justin she’d come to know so well. He looked as if he could take on anything…anybody. This was a Justin that didn’t care what people thought about him. This was a Justin that did things his way…by his rules. This was a Justin that didn’t take no, or ’that’s not possible’ for an answer. She wanted to know him, she wanted to him to tell her that she was good enough for him. She wanted him to tell her that he liked her for who she was, and not just because she was the only female he could relate to within twenty miles of the ranch.

“Justified is like…my baby, my first born,“ he continued, with a sly smile. “It’s like my own personal version of Thriller, that fortunately, I‘ve been able to share with the world. I couldn’t be happier with the album…and the response I‘ve received, definitely makes all the sleepless nights worth it.” Justin’s face vanished from the screen just then, and a news anchor appeared. Not wanting to hear the press’s outlook on Justin’s condition, she flipped off the television.

She realized she couldn’t get to know that Justin, because he was gone…swept away by the same tragedy that took the life of his best friend. The Justin that now remained was simple minded, soft spoken, and had little, or no confidence in who he was. He considered himself a joke…a freak…an outcast to society. And he seemed to think that the only person in his life that could understand him at all…was herself.

Today he’d nearly drowned before her eyes. The situation was all too familiar, but Sheridan didn’t stop to think about this until after Justin was safely out of the water. She didn’t remember diving in after him. She didn’t remember pulling him out of the pool. She didn’t remember giving him CPR. The only thing she did remember thinking was, she couldn’t let him die on her like her father had all those years ago.

Then she felt his lips on hers, and was snapped back into reality. He was okay, and for the first time since she met Justin, she realized that she truly cared about him. She cared about him more than she thought. It scared her, because normally she didn’t let her emotions get the best of her. She was so closed off…so cautious as to who she trusted, and who she let inside her. For six years, she had been numb to any sort of feeling…as numb as Justin’s legs were. But Justin…he made that feeling vanish. For the first time since her father’s death, she could feel. And she felt alive.

Then her mother walked in on them, right in the middle of it all. Angry wasn’t the right word to describe her mother’s mood. It was more like enraged…infuriated. The moment she pulled away from Justin, her mother put him back in his wheelchair, and forced him out of the pool area. That was when it all came crashing down on her…Justin almost drowning…how much it reminded her of her father‘s death…how everything was always her fault.

How her mother never let her forget that everything was her fault.

“Sheridan.”

The sound of her mother’s voice, forced Sheridan out of her thoughts. She glanced toward the doorway, and met her mother’s gaze. “Mom.”

“Has Justin come in yet?,” she asked.

Sheridan swallowed hard. Her mother had put Justin to work hours ago. She said it would give him time to clear his head, and think about what was really important But ‘work’ involved giving the fence surrounding the corral a fresh coat of paint. It was something that Justin would have been able to handle under normal circumstances…but these weren’t normal circumstances. He’d nearly drowned today, and he was probably exhausted. Sheridan knew she should have told her mother about the incident, but she hadn’t been able to get the words out. She was afraid of what her mother would say to her…that she was irresponsible…a failure. It was a selfish thing to do on her part, and she knew that, but the current situation was already bad enough. There was no reason to make it worse. “No,” she managed. “I haven’t seen him.”

The door banged open just then, and Justin wheeled himself into the room. Sheridan bit her lip and watched him roll to a stop. He looked terrible. Speckles of white paint dotted his face, his hair, his army jacket. He leaned to one side in his chair, a pained, exhausted look on his face. But his eyes revealed more than his tiredness. There was despondency in them and something else. A plea. But for what? Was it a plea for sympathy, forgiveness, or for all this to be over?

“Justin,” Sheridan gasped. She couldn’t help herself. She darted to his side, and crouched down to meet his level. “God, you look horrible.”

“That’s enough Sheridan,” her mother said. “Justin needs to get ready for bed.”

“I‘ll be okay,” Justin whispered. He grabbed her hand. It was as cold as ice. “I‘m just really tired right now.”

Sheridan didn’t acknowledge her mother. Her gaze remained focused on Justin, and she squeezed his hand tightly. “It’s okay,” she said. “You’re okay now.” She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “C’mon, let me help you.” She stood up, and began to push him out of the room

Her mother stepped in front of the doorway, blocking her path. “No,” she stated. “I’ll do it. Just go to bed, Sheridan.”

“Mom,” she whispered. “Please…just let me help him into bed.”

“I said go to bed,” her mother repeated. “Before you make him more upset.”

“But she’s not making me upset!” Justin spoke up, weakly.

“You’re in no condition to make that decision,” her mother snapped. “I’m the doctor, and I will get you into bed. Sheridan, go…now.” She moved out of the doorway and motioned for Sheridan to pass through it.

Her bottom lip quivered. She understood that her mother was angry…she did catch them kissing. But now, it was as if she didn’t trust her enough to tuck him into bed. “Was what we did so wrong, mom? Is it wrong that we care about each other…that we found a special connection between us?” she whispered. “Is it so wrong that for the first time since everything happened…Justin has opened up to somebody…even if that somebody is me?”

Her mother’s gaze remained stern. “This isn’t the time to discuss this. Please…just go.”

Sheridan nodded a little. She figured there was no sense in arguing with her mother anymore. The fact of the matter was, Justin needed to get into bed, and her mother wasn’t going to give in. With a reluctant sigh she turned on her heel and started away.

“Sheridan,” Justin called out.

She stopped. “Yes,” she said.

“I’m sorry.”

Sheridan was confused. She turned around to face him. “Sorry?” she whispered.

He looked at Karen and then back at her. “I’m sorry that everything went down this way. I never meant to make you two fight.” He shook his head sadly, and rubbed his face with his hand. “I just care about you, Sher.”

“Justin…” her mother sighed.

“I do, Karen,” he whispered. “I can’t control it…I just…I care about her. And in here,” he pointed to his chest. “In my heart, I know its not just some temporary thing. Please don’t tear us apart, Karen. Not now…not when we’ve just realized the connection between us. Please let us try this.”

Sheridan held her breath. Any moment now, she knew her mother was going to lose her patience and start ranting and raving as to why a relationship was a terrible idea. Then she would haul Justin away, and the conversation would be over with.

“You feel you can handle the responsibilities of a relationship, on top of your chores and your therapy?” her mother asked him. “Because if I agree to let you do this Justin, nothing is going to change. The therapy is going be just as intense as it is now, and the work is still going to be hard.”

“I’m in the music business,” Justin smiled. “Multi tasking is my specialty.”

“You’ll have to talk to your mother about all of this first, Justin,” her mother stated, eyeing Sheridan quickly. “I can’t agree to anything unless she’s okay with it.”

“Thank you.” Justin pulled her down to him, and pecked her on the cheek. “I won’t mess this up, Karen.”

“Mmmhmm,” she groaned. “Now into bed.”

“Can Sheridan do it?” he asked.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Go on, I’ll meet you in a few minutes to give you your bath.” She motioned for him to leave the room.

Justin rolled forward, and glanced back at Sheridan quickly. “Goodnight,” he smiled.

“Goodnight,” she managed. Once he was safely out of earshot, she met her mother’s gaze again. “Mom…” she stated, in a shocked tone. “Why?”

Her mother glared at her. “I’m doing this for his well being Sheridan. Not for some crazy sex fantasy that you‘ve conjured up,” she muttered. “Just be forewarned, if you point one foot out of line…you’re going back to New York.”

Sheridan bit her bottom lip. “You’d send me away mom?“

“I will send away anybody that interferes with my patient’s therapy.“ She glared at her once more before storming away.

For a moment, Sheridan considered not following her. She thought maybe…if she let her mother think what she wanted about her, and simply enjoyed her new relationship with Justin, she would be fine. But then she remembered what it felt like before…when her father died…when her mother made her feel like scum. She remembered crying so hard, that she would vomit because of it. She remembered all the weight she lost.

She wouldn’t let her mother do it to her again.

“Mom!” she yelled, running into the adjoining room. Her mother was seated on one of the overstuffed chairs, her eyes closed. “Mom…” she got out. “I…I won’t let you do this again.”

Her mother’s eyes snapped open, and she gasped. “Sheridan?”

“I won’t let you make me feel bad about this…like you made me feel when daddy died.” she whispered. “I-I won’t.” She felt a tear slide down her face, and she quickly flicked it away.

Her mother rose out of the chair a moment later. She had a guilty sort of expression on her face, and Sheridan didn’t know what to think. “Sherry,” she said, coming closer to her. “I would never do that to you again.” She pulled Sheridan close to her and wrapped her arms around her. “I love you more than anything in this world, and I only want the best thing for you, and your life. Please know that baby.”

“I care about him mom,” Sheridan said, her voice quivering slightly. “Please don’t hate me.”

“I could never,” her mother whispered. “I’m just afraid for you honey. I know having a relationship with Justin is a new, exciting thing. I just want you to realize what a big responsibility it is to have a relationship with somebody in his condition. Sometimes, he’ll need you more than you need him…and I don’t want either of you to get hurt if something happens.”

“But its not like that,” she said, pulling away from her mother. “I mean, half the time I don’t even remember he’s in that damn chair. He’s so normal, and laid back…” She sucked in a breath. “I can talk to him, mom. I‘ve never been able to talk to anybody like I talk to him. And I think he feels the same way about me.”

“I know,” her mother nodded. “And I think that’s what scares me. But if you two want to do this, it’s not my place to intervene. Of course, we’ll have to make some changes. You’ll have to intern elsewhere…and I know you understand why.”

Sheridan nodded. Of course she understood. It had been one of things holding her back from being with Justin in the beginning. “Yes.”

“Hey!” Justin’s voice echoed from somewhere down the hall. “I’m half naked here!”

Sheridan laughed out loud. “I think that’s your call, mom.”

“We’ll talk more tomorrow,“ her mother smiled, and kissed her forehead lightly. “Goodnight, Sheridan.” She rose from the sofa. “Patience is a virtue, Justin!,” she called out, before exiting the room.

Sheridan smiled, feeling as if a huge burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. Her mother accepted the situation. No, she may not have been totally thrilled…but still, she accepted it, and that was good enough. Of course, the trouble wouldn’t end tonight. Justin still had his mother to deal with.

And Sheridan knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy thing for him to get around.

*************

For as long as he could remember, his mother was always the one he turned to for everything. Love…guidance…and support. But today, he knew he wasn’t going to get any of that from her. He had done the one thing that she requested he not do…bring his relationship with Sheridan to the next level. He felt badly about going against his mother, she had enough on her plate as it was. But at the same time, a small part of him didn’t care. Sheridan was making him happy. The happiest he had been since Trace died. He knew his mother wasn’t going to accept his feelings for her. In fact, she would probably resent Sheridan for ‘taking advantage’ of him. But it was his life wasn’t it? Yes it was.

And it was time he started living it again.

“You scared?”

He looked up at her. Sheridan’s eyes were wide, intense, and full of fear. He didn’t know why. She wasn’t the one who had to deal with his mother. He was. He shrugged. “Maybe,” Justin whispered.

Sheridan nodded, and looked down at the floor. “Maybe we should just forget this.”

“Don’t start that again,” Justin muttered. “We’ve been there and back. Now we’re here…we care about each other, and we both know being in this relationship is the right thing to do. I’m not going to let my mother’s opinion tear us apart again, Sheridan. And you shouldn’t either.”

“I don’t want to be the cause of family turmoil,” Sheridan confessed. “You haven’t seen your mother face to face since you arrived here. Think about how much tension there will be between you when she comes for her visit.”

Justin laughed a little, and picked up the portable phone that rested at Sheridan’s side. “I can deal with my mother. It’s your mother that worries me.” So he was nervous. Really nervous. He wouldn’t let onto it though. He wanted to be strong in Sheridan’s eyes. He wanted to make her believe that this relationship was going to survive, no matter what. With a slightly trembling hand, he dialed his mother’s number, and held the phone up to his ear. After several rings, he heard somebody pick up.

“Hello?”

Even though the voice was feminine, Justin was certain it wasn’t his mother‘s. This voice was more high pitched, and soft. “Um hey, this is Justin…is my mom around?”

“Oh…hello Justin,” the woman replied. “This is Belinda.”

Justin felt his breath catch in his throat. Trace’s mother. Why did she have to be there today out of all days? He didn’t want to think about Trace, or anybody else that had to do with him at the moment. The only thing he wanted to be focused on was getting his mother to believe that he was making the right decision. “Oh…hey,” he managed to say after a moment. He looked at Sheridan. She wasn’t paying attention. “Um, how have you been?”

“Oh, you know,” Belinda replied softly. “One day at a time.”

His heart sunk. The guilt was back again, as strong as ever.

“Your mother tells me that you’re therapy has been going well.”

Belinda’s voice snapped him out of the memory. “Yes,” he said, looking at Sheridan again. This time she was paying attention, and he shot her a reassuring smile. “It’s been going very well.”

“That’s good to know,” Belinda replied. “Soon, you’ll be better, and back where you belong. Trace…he would be proud of you for coming so far.”

He heard what sounded like a small sob come over the line. She was crying. She was crying and it was all his fault. He drew in a long breath, not wanting to lose control of himself before he got the chance to speak with his mother. “I-I know he would,” Justin managed.

“Here comes your momma now,” she said softly. “You take care of yourself, okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered. “Tell the family hello for me.”

“I will sweetheart,” Belinda said. “Goodbye.”

“Are you okay?” Sheridan whispered.

“Trace’s mom,” he told her quietly.

Sheridan frowned, and she looked away from him. “Oh.”

After a moment, his mother’s voice came on the line. “Justin?”

“Hi mom,” he half smiled. “How are you?”

He heard her smile. “Better now that you’re on the phone with me. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you for a few more days.”

“Yeah…” he got out. He was scared. He had no idea how he was supposed to come out and tell his mother that he wanted to be with Sheridan, because he knew how she would react. She would be angry with him. She wouldn’t understand. He didn’t need any more pressure. But he knew he had to say something. He couldn’t hide this from his mother…just like Sheridan couldn’t hide it from her own mother. “I…I need to talk to you mom. That’s why I’m calling.” He glanced at Sheridan. She rose out of the chair she was sitting in, and walked past him out of the room. He almost wanted to call out and tell her to come back, but then he realized that it was for the best.

She didn’t need to stick around for the grueling conversation that was about to take place.

“You can always talk to me baby. You know that.”

“I…okay…” he said, letting out a long sigh. “Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” she replied, lovingly.

“You have to promise that you’ll listen to me until I’m finished talking.”

“Is everything okay, Justin?” she questioned. “You sound so…on edge.”

“Mom,” he said, with more force. “Just promise me.”

She was silent for a moment. “Okay, Justin…I promise.”

He let out a relieved sigh, knowing he had just gotten over the first hurdle. “Okay…the past few days have been a little different mom. Sheridan and I--we realized that we have a connection. Not just a friendship connection, but a serious one. And the other day…yesterday to be exact…we kissed, and it was just so…amazing. I haven’t felt this way in such a long time, and I want to be with her mom. I want to be with Sheridan.”

Silence.

Justin bit his bottom lip, and waited for a response from his mother. For a moment, he thought she might have hung up on him, but then he heard what sounded like a cough, and knew she was still there. “Momma?”

“You want to be with Sheridan,” Lynn stated.

“Yes I do.”

“Justin,” she began, seemingly trying to hold her anger back. “What did we discuss?”

“Mom, look…I know what we talked about. I know I told you I wouldn’t take this to another level. But…I thought…we both thought we could hold our feelings back. I mean, it worked for awhile, but we can’t lie to ourselves anymore mom. We like each other. And we want to give this relationship a chance.”

“This relationship?” Lynn scoffed. “You call this a relationship Justin? She wants you for your money…and you want her because she’s the only one that’s around.”

Justin grit his teeth. “That’s not true,” he whispered. “You don’t know her.”

“I know her type, Justin.”

“Her mother has money…she doesn’t need mine,” Justin provided. “She wants to be with me for me mom. I know she does.”

More silence.

“Mom?”

“Well what? Am I supposed to break down and accept this because you seem to think it’s the right thing to do, Justin? Well…I’m not accepting anything. Trace is gone, you‘re in that chair, and you need to focus on getting past it all. This girl, she isn‘t anything but a nuisance…a distraction. You don‘t need it.”

His mother’s words stung him. He cringed, and for a moment, he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. “Momma…”

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I…I shouldn’t have said that. I wasn‘t thinking.”

He was angry now. Angry that she rubbed everything that happened in his face. She was his mother. She was supposed to support him, and be there for him no matter what. But she wasn’t. She didn’t seem to care an ounce for his feelings. “This is how you’re gonna treat me momma…after everything else?”

“Justin, please try to understand my position. I lost my head for a moment.”

“No!” he yelled. “You’re…you’re not allowed to do this to me! You’re supposed to understand it all…Trace…this fucking wheelchair…you’re supposed to understand Sheridan. You’re supposed to say it’s okay to have feelings for her, momma.” He rubbed a hand over his head and down the back of his neck. “You’re supposed to.”

“I can’t let you be distracted.”

“Yeah?” he grunted. “Well…I don’t really care what you think.”

“Who else do you have right now Justin? Who else is going to put up with you when you become stubborn and impossible? Sheridan? Oh sure, it’ll be okay at first, but after awhile she’s going to get sick of it. She’s not going to think dating you is worth all of that.”

“She’s already been there,” he mumbled. “She’s used to me.”

“This isn’t a good idea, honey. I know you can’t understand that right now, but please believe me when I tell you that I’m right.”

“But you’re not right,” he told her. “You can’t be, because you don’t know her. Hell, momma, I don’t even know if you know me anymore. You left me here, alone…you should be happy that I’ve bonded with somebody I don’t know, after everything I’ve been through.”

“You can’t focus on yourself, and a woman at the same time, Justin. I know you…I know how you treat a woman when you care about her. You never put yourself first. You can’t afford to do that right now. Can’t you just wait?”

“Wait,” he laughed. “Wait for what, mom?”

“Until you can walk again,” Lynn whispered.

“I can’t wait that long,” he replied. “Who knows if it’ll ever happen.”

“Maybe…maybe I should just bring you home,” Lynn reasoned. “Then you won’t be distracted by this girl.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he stated.

“Okay, Justin. It’s your life,” Lynn mumbled. “I’ll just stay out of it for now, I guess. That is, until you realize the mistake you‘ve made.”

He let out a sad laugh. “I’m not making a mistake. I know how I feel, and I know that Sheridan isn’t like the other girls I’ve dated. She’s not into me because of my money, or because of who I am or who I know. She’s sees me for who I am…Justin, and only Justin. Can’t you please open your eyes a little, and try to see that too?”

“No,” Lynn whispered. “I can’t. If you’re happy, then that’s wonderful…but I’m not about to accept this relationship, so don’t expect me to.”

“I understand,” he managed.

“I love you Justin,” Lynn sighed. “Remember that.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but found that he couldn‘t get the phrase out. He couldn‘t tell her he loved her. “Okay,” was all he could get out. He felt sick. That never happened before. Normally, he was the first one to say the words. He was frightened.

What happened to the wonderful bond he shared with his mother?

“We’ll talk soon,” Lynn spoke up. “Take care of yourself, Justin..”

“Yeah.” He hung up, before she could get another word in.

In the past he would have cried. But this time it was different. Something inside him was telling him not to care…that she didn’t matter…that she couldn’t understand him now that he was here and she was back home. He was a different person now. He felt that if his mother came up for a visit, she wouldn’t even know him anymore. It was hard for him to come to terms with all of this, because before everything happened, his mother had been the only woman in his life that he truly cared about.

Now she was just another face…another person. Like some random friend he met up with once in awhile.

“Justin?”

He glanced over his shoulder. Sheridan was peeking her head in the doorway. He smiled a little. “Hey.”

“What happened?”

He shrugged. “Who cares,” he whispered. He held a hand out to her. “C’mere.”

She obeyed, and swaggered over to him. “Who cares?” she laughed. “Justin…this is your mother. I think you should care what she thinks.”

He pulled her down toward him. “Just…don’t worry about it for now Sheridan. It’s been a long couple of days. Can’t we just be together right now?” He caressed her face with his hand. “Just you and me?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

“Close the door,” he told her, letting go of her hand. “And lock it.”

“Lock it?,” she giggled, making her way over to the door. “Why?”

“So mother dearest can’t come in,” he winked.

She raised and lowered her eyebrows. “And why wouldn’t we want her to come in?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Sher,” he whispered. “Just lock the door.”

She hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the lock in. “Now what?”

She seemed nervous. Justin didn’t understand. She was never nervous around him before, really…unless you counted the bath. But that was a totally different situation. They barely knew each other then. Now they knew each other well. Sheridan should have been comfortable being locked in a room with him. “Are you nervous or something?” he finally asked.

She slowly walked back over to him. “A little bit,” she said quickly. “But, only because this you and me stuff is kinda new to me.”

He smiled. “It’s just me. I mean, I know I’m a freak and all…but…”

“Stop,” Sheridan said. “No degrading yourself in here…or else I’ll unlock the door.”

“Are you threatening me?,” he laughed.

“Maybe.”

“Let’s go sit on the floor over there.” He pointed to a spot in the corner of the room.. “We can talk for awhile.”

“You‘re sure that‘s all you‘ve got in mind, Mr. Timberlake?” she asked him, her eyes glinting with mischief.

He winked at her, and smiled. “Maybe, Ms. Williams. But then again…” He kissed her softly. “…I’ve got a pretty wild imagination.”