*****067:

She had his number memorized. Didn't even think twice about time or place.

"Hi."

"Hey! Let me sit down, I'm working out, hang on." A second later his voice came back on. "Hey you, what's up? How'd the concert go?"

Never too busy, she thought, always putting her first. She couldn't speak, the tears clogging her throat hurt too much.

"Baby? Tracy? It's okay. Shhhh.... What's happened? What's wrong? Is it Casey?"

"Casey."

"Tonight? Onstage? I haven't looked at the news yet, but... Trace, are you alone?"

"I'm alone."

"You're okay, right? You're not hurt? You've got the bracelets?" The concern was palpable. It filled the air in her room, the cord of the phone reaching into the hotel bathroom.

She had turned to him again. How could she help it? Raine was... not available. She clicked the button on the phone and tossed it out the door as she slid to the floor, her eyes squeezed shut to close out the nightmare.

It rang immediately. She stared at it, knowing it was about to wake Danny. Of course, he would call her back. She scrambled on her hands and knees. She shouldn't have called and then hung up. She took the closest thing to her, a pillow and tossed it on top of the phone and then pulled a blanket around her face so she wouldn't have to hear it. It stopped.

She lowered the wrap.

It started ringing again. Crap!

She dove for it, picked it up and swallowed her tears.

"Hey, what happened? Why'd you hang up on me?" His voice again, so reassuring.

"I didn't." She lied through her teeth, hissing, watching Danny to see if he'd awaken. He was out for the count, blissfully unaware of any drama or loss.

Richard's snort of disbelief reached her ears. "Is somebody hurt? Is Casey---."

"He collapsed---." She took a deep hysterical breath, realizing that just a few days ago she and Richard had had this discussion about whether or not facing death many times made you immune to the pain. She'd thought that it did, that she or anybody for that matter would tackle this challenge with acceptance and poise. And now she knew--

She was about to lose it.

"Is Jules there? Trace, you need to get Jules, and be with him and Bridge. This call came from the hotel. Are you all in the same hotel?"

"Yes." She held her hand to her throat, feeling the tight lump that was her tears.

"Go to Jules. I'll call Jules' room."

"No."

"What? Why?"

"They've already gone back to the hospital. They dropped me off here because I need to be with Danny." She still clutched her neck and pulled at her hair, bent over the side of the bed, on her hands and knees.

"Is Danny with you? Where is Jolie?"

"They said--- they said she went into labor when she found out he collapsed onstage. They rushed her to the hospital--- a different hospital." She stared around her, eyes blurred.

"Trace--- do you--- do you want me to come?"

"I don't know." She did know--- she wanted him there right now, very much. It was wrong, maybe the most wrong, and she needed Raine with her---

But if she couldn't have Raine----

Or even if she could.

Right now, she just wanted Richard.

The phone buzzed, and another light came on. "I have another call." She didn't wait for him to respond, but pushed that blinking button.

"Tracy, hi honey, Dad is on his way up to your room. Just stay on the phone all right?"

"Coral? Mom? Where are you? I thought you were at the hospital?" She sounded hysterical even to her own ears. Danny turned over, whimpered and sat up. She reached for him, pulling him onto her lap as she knelt beside the bed. He popped his thumb into his mouth and his eyelids fluttered closed. A knock sounded on the door.

"Dad's here."

"Set the phone down, honey and go let him in."

She struggled to set the phone down, noting that now three lights were blinking reddish. She staggered with Danny's weight attached to her to the door and opened it. It wasn't just Kirk, but Julian and Monday and Jake.

"Oh, no." She moaned, and turned back to the phone. "Mom. Mom, is he---?"

Kirk's arms came around her, as he broke down and cried, holding her and Danny to his chest, his face buried in her hair. Danny woke up and seeing Kirk, nestled into his grandfather's arms as Julian--- red-rimmed and breathless, took Tracy.

"I just--- just left him!"

"I know, I know." Julian said morosely, his hands stroking her back. Somebody got a cool cloth, somebody helped Kirk and Danny sit on the bed.

"When did it happen?"

"Just a few minutes ago. He died in Coral's arms. Real peaceful, he told her good-bye and that he loved her. It was a good leave-taking, Trace. It was right."

"Were you there?" He was rocking her now, supporting her as she clung to him, her fingers clutched in his shirt spasmodically.

"I wasn't in the room, just his mom and dad, but he knew I was there. He asked me to come take care of you. He asked me to take you to Jolie."

"Jolie? Did she have the baby? Is the baby alive?"

"She had the baby, honey, and yes, he's alive. Casey named him Steven after his older brother. He's going to have it rough for a while, but they think he'll live, and he needs his momma. I'm here to get you. You're his momma."

"Is Jolie----?" She pulled back, horror struck that both of them might have died on the same day, but Julian was shaking his tear stained face.

"She's going to make it, they're pretty sure. She just needs some TLC. But she can't take care of a special needs baby." Julian looked around for her jacket. He wrapped her in it and she forced her arms through the sleeves.

"Monday, can you stay and watch Danny? Don't talk about it yet. Please, don't talk about it." She went to Kirk and Danny, and kissed them. "Mommy will be back in a few minutes, okay?"

But Danny was falling back to sleep in his grandfather's arms, a comfort to him in his need.

Jake shut the door behind them.

*****