In a matter of days Grampa Lawyer was strong enough to be released from the hospital. He wanted nothing more than to go home as Diana insisted he come stay with the family. Grampa found an ally in Jessy who managed to convince her that, "Mom I know the guys are headed back to LA, Zac and I talked about it. Mom I met you when you were separated from Daddy and you weren't doing too well. Are you taking Grampa to LA? because I can't imagine anyone wanting to be separated for that long, unless they don't have a choice. If it would help, I could stay with him, I mean at nights after practice. And Grampa finally agreed to let a nurse in during the days at first at least so like someone would make sure he takes his meds, and eats good and I can go for a walk with him every night." Jessy presented. "Jessy I couldn't. It's too much to ask." Diana said. "Hey we've already been there, you know how much I care for your father. Besides you're not asking, I'm offering. Mom what you're not considering is how much Grampa will help me not die because I don't have a choice, Zac has to leave me and go to LA." Jessy finished almost in tears. "Baby girl we talked about this. Whether he's right here or in LA he loves you more than you can imagine." Grampa said hugging her. "I know Grampa in my head but my heart's just being stubborn and doesn't want to listen." Jessy said. "You know you're making my grandson cry don't you." Grampa shared. "Oh Zac." Jessy cried, rushing to his arms for comfort. "Baby please don't cry, I can't stand to see you cry." Zac whispered. "I'll try harder." Jessy said plastering a fake smile. "I already talked this over with Momma, and she's okay with it. Sis isn't too thrilled and we talked about her staying too but Grampa's doctor wasn't too keen on two heartsick granddaughters staying with him so she'll stay occasionally after Grampa gets stronger." Jessy explained. "You talked to my doctor, Jessy I don't believe you." Grampa said startled. "Of course I talked to him. Geez Grampa, I wouldn't want to do something that wasn't good for you. Get real, I'm a 13 year old, madly in love with the drummer in the hottest band on earth and we have to be separated not by choice, I, I, I'm high maintenance." Jessy declared. "Oh baby girl, you are so good for me." Grampa laughed. "Grampa you're laughing at me again." Jessy whined heading back to his arms. "I know, I'm sorry, but baby girl sometimes you're funny." Grampa said laughing at the pouty look on Jessy's face. "God forbid if that should freeze that way child." Grampa said causing Jessy to burst out laughing. "You two definitely are good for each other." Diana shared. "So can I move in with Grampa? Mom please?" Jessy begged. "Diana please?" Grampa begged. "Oh Daddy, I don't know what else to say." Diana shared. "Then say yes Mom." Jessy said walking towards her, adding, "I swear I'll take care of him for you and love him just like you do." "Oh Jessy, sweetie, I'd love it if you'd take care of Daddy for me. Jessy I couldn't do this without you, you know that don't you?" Diana said hugging her tight. "Yeah Mom, I know." Jessy replied. "Hey baby girl, your car is here. You coming here after or to Momma's?" Grampa asked. "Umm here is home I guess. I'll see you after practice. See ya Mom, Daddy, Grampa." Jessy said hugging and kissing them goodbye. "You going to walk me out?" Jessy asked and Zac extended his hand. When Jessy returned, she knew something was up when she saw the large van outside the house. "I'm home Grampa." Jessy called entering the front door. "We're in the living room baby girl. "Man is it a blast playing with the big girls." Jessy kidded. "So you waiting on me to get home to leave huh?" Jessy said to break the silence. "Me Essy." Zoe greeted. "Hey baby sis. The only one with enough guts to say something huh? Well you earned a cookie, but you got to swear you won't tell Grampa where we hide them." Jessy said heading to the kitchen returning with cookies but receiving nothing but "No thanks" from them all. "Your loss Momma baked, and they're good. Grampa is this how they always leave you or is it just me?" Jessy asked. "Baby girl, I don't know what to say." Grampa said. "Well I do, goodbye, I'll miss you all, especially you Zac. I've got school in the morning and I'm running home every morning to get my running in, check in at home and ride to school with Sis. So I got to get to bed. Grampa don't stay up late or you're grounded." Jessy teased kissing him goodnight. "Bye Mom, Dad. You two write me and tell me all about the cool guys okay. Pictures would be appreciated." Jessy said hugging Jessie and Avie. "Little dude, I sure am going to miss you." Jessy said hugging Mackie. "Man I was just starting to get used to you two." Jessy said hugging Taylor then Isaac and facing Zac. "Bye hun." Jessy said hugging him tight, laying her head on his shoulder. After a few deep breaths, Jessy raised her head, "I'm going to miss you, hurry back to me okay?" Jessy said bravely, kissing him sweetly. "Bye everyone, good night Grampa." Jessy said pulling away and heading up the stairs two at a time. She quickly dressed for bed as the tears started hearing them saying goodbye downstairs, "Zac don't make it worse on her, please?" Grampa asked stopping Zac who had made it halfway up the stairs. "If you say so Grampa, just tell her I love her, everyday?" Zac asked and Jessy closed her door, moving to set her alarma then returning to shut off the light. Jessy looked out her window, watching them load into the van, seeing Zac stop, turn back and look and they waved. Jessy cried herself to sleep that night and quite a few to follow. Grampa hated his nurse so, he was definitely motivated to get better. Jessy e-mailed Zac everyday, chatted in the private room she sat up for them, mailed him a letter everyday after school, but avoided talking to him or any of them when they called. "Zac you have to understand, it's how she's surviving. If she doesn't hear you, it's not real according to her. I won't argue with her Zac, I don't like making her cry." Grampa explained. It was a couple days after that when Jessy received and e-mail from Zac containing a video clip of him, telling her how much he loved her and missed her. After that she didn't go online anymores. "Grampa, I don't understand. Her mailbox is full, why won't she empty it." Zac asked. "Zac I didn't realize this was going on?" Grampa asked and as they discussed it. "Zac how could you? Didn't you listen to me? That explains everything. Son I told you if she doesn't hear you it's not real, that's why she couldn't talk to you on the phone and by sending the video clip, you made it real. Of course she doesn't go online, she's terrified you'll do it again. That's why I listen to her crying herself to sleep again, why she doesn't eat. I really hope you guys are done soon, I just don't know how much more she can take." Grampa shared. That was Zac's motivation, he pushed Isaac and Taylor harder and harder, finally confessing what he had done and what Grampa had shared. The three were driven to finish for Jessy, Chele and Kate, focusing on nothing but recording their best work and getting back home as soon as possible. Luckily volleyball season ended with Nathan Hale winning the State Championships but the video and clippings Grampa sent of Jessy showing she had definitely lost weight and the sparkle missing from her eyes only provided more motivation to finish and return home. Jessy replaced volleyball practice with basketball practice and now every night when they took their walk, Jessy would dribble her way through the neighborhood. "Evening Mr. and Mrs. White." Jessy greeted. "Good evening you two. So our Jessy is going to play basketball?" Mr White asked. "She's going to take them to the State Championships she says." Grampa replied. "Well we know she can but they got anybody else who can play? Guess it don't matter our Jessy can win by herself." Mr White teased. "Oh Mr White. You're a comedian, and you're good." Jessy teased back. She was practicing dribbling backwards as they turned the last corner, "Grampa what's wrong?" Jessy asked of the shock on his face. "Grampa are you okay? You're scaring me, talk to me." Jessy pleaded as she felt strange herself, "Grampa." Jessy whimpered as her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. "Baby girl you okay?" Grampa asked. "I don't know Grampa, I feel strange, like, like..." Jessy stopped as the tears started. "Like what baby girl?" Grampa asked. "Like Zac makes me feel, Grampa. I'm really losing it." Jessy complained. "No Jessy, you're doing fine baby girl, that's exactly how you should feel." Grampa said smiling. "What?" Jessy asked looking at his smiling and instinctively turning to see Zac headed their way. "Zac." Jessy screamed racing to his arms as the tears flowed. "Jessy I missed you so much." Zac said throwing his arms around her, twirling her as their lips met for what seemed an eternity. It was long enough for Grampa to dribble his way past them, "Welcome home Zac, we missed you in case you hadn't noticed." Grampa teased heading to the rest of the family. Not even Chele's blaring horn stopped them, nor Kate's. "Zac the rest of us want to hug her too." Diana yelled as Jessy wrapped her legs around his waist and Zac walked slowly back to them their lips still no parting. "Man you guys going for some sort of record?" Walker teased. "Dear maybe they're frozen that way, you know you better hope your face doesn't freeze that way." Diana teased. "Real funny Mom." Jessy said letting her legs back down. "No I won't let you go." Zac whispered. "I'm glad." Jessy whispered back. "Well I'll have to use my secret weapon, you leave me no choice." Diana said. "Oh I'm scared Mom." Zac said as Diana reached in the van unbuckling Zoe causing her to wake. "Me Essy, me Essy" she called. "Oh Zac, baby sis." Jessy said, "I can't hurt her feelings Zac." Jessy finished pulling away from their kiss. "Dirty pool Mom." Zac complained bending to pickup Zoe and the two of the hugged and kissed her. "Can I at least say hi." Diana complained. "Hi Mom." Jessy said turning to hug her. "Jessy she used the secret weapon on us." Zac complained. "Zac hun, you're talking about your mother. You know the woman that labored for what was Mom?" Jessy teased. "That's not funny Jessy." Zac pouted. "Oh Mom isn't he just the cutest thing when he pouts?" Jessy said kissing Zac's pouty face. "Just adorable." Diana said grabbing him by the chin then kissing his face. "Me do." Zoe squealed grabbing Zac's chin then kissing his face. "What I feared all along, another woman actually two other women, one older, one younger." Jessy teased pretending to sob. "No me Essy. Bad Zac." Zoe blamed. "She's right son, Bad Zac, make our Jessy cry." Diana said kissing Jessy's cheek, then taking Zoe to see her Grampa. "Alone again." Zac declared pulling Jessy to him. "Now what?" Zac asked annoyed. "Before you start there son, could I?" Walker asked. "Daddy." Jessy said turning and hugging him tight. "Grampa looks great Jessy. I think you were better for him than he was for you. You're skinny baby." Walker whispered. "It's not Grampa's fault Daddy, he nagged me constantly, I just, I. I didn't do so good without him is all." Jessy whispered back as Walker drew Zac over to her as she started to cry. "Essy, Essy me?" Zoe asked with book in hand. "What you got there baby sis?" Jessy said wiping away her tears, bending to Zoe. "Oh my favorite, 'Funny Bunny'. Want me to read to you Zoe?" Jessy asked picking her up and heading to the steps. "Hey what about me?" Zac asked. "I'll read to you too." Jessy teased taking Zac's hand. Zac sat on the steps pulling Jessy to his lap as she started to read to Zoe. Soon the whole family sat listening to the story and when it ended, "Zac did you tell her?" Diana asked. "Tell her what?" Jessy asked. "Son I can't believe you haven't told her." Walker said with surprise in his voice. "Zac, man, how could you not tell her. You better tell her before Chele gets mad at me because you didn't tell her sister." Taylor said wrapping his arms around Chele.. "Zac that's my little sister you haven't told." Isaac warned wrapping his arms around Kate. "Somebody tell me. Zac?" Jessy pleaded. "I don't know what the fuss is about, we decided that we're building a recording studio with the money from this album." Zac explained. "Zac that's wonderful, no more LA?" Jessy asked. "Yeah babe, no more LA living." Zac answered. "Well you guys better promote this album so it gets it built." Grampa shared. "Geez Grampa make a girl feel good. Was I that bad?" Jessy asked making a funny face at him. "You better hope that don't freeze that way." Grampa teased as Zac put up two fingers on the top of her head, "Funny Bunny Essy." Zoe squealed pointing at Jessy and everyone laughed. "Zac Hanson you're terrible, but I love you even terrible." Jessy declared kissing him deeply.
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