Remember Me?

Vanessa moaned and turned over in her sleep.

Meanwhile back at the warehouse, Tiny little Tessa Rhodes was huddled behind a stack of crates, hiding from the evil men she'd gown up with.

Cody didn't get on his cell phone until he was in his car "Randy it's me" he murmured, eyes glinting in anger "Listen, there's some business I need to take care of, I need you to watch Nessie until I get back. No I don't have time to explain, I'll be back as soon as I can." He hung up and slammed the gas, knowing if Randy caught him before he left he'd never be able to get away.

Though he hadn't been there in over twenty years, Cody somehow managed to find the warehouse again, dimly recognizing it from when he'd been a two year old boy about to lose his sister. Before he went in, Cody made sure he grabbed his equalizer; a nine millimeter he'd bought years ago for protection.

Sneaking into the warehouse, Cody didn't see anyone, but he was sure there had to be someone around,

"Tessa?" he whispered "Tessa, are you in here?"

Tessa whimpered, the sound of a slap echoing through the building.

"Please, please don't hurt me, I'm sorry!" a little voice cried. "I don't know where mommy is, I don't!"

Hiding behind a crate, Cody looked over and saw three large men tormenting a little girl who couldn't have been more than four years old. Her face was covered in bruises, one cheek bright red from a fresh slap. The sight was enough to make Cody forget any ideas of caution

"HEY!" he shouted, jumping out with his gun pointed at them "Get the hell away from her!"

"Who are you?" one of the men demanded, reaching for a gun of his own

"I'm her uncle" Cody snarled "And you're a dead man" He fired, killing the man instantly. Enraged the other two men pulled out their own guns and started shooting...

Tessa ran as quickly as she could to hide behind the crates again, covering her ears with her hands as she curled up into a ball, shaking in fear.

When he was sure all three of them were dead, Cody pocketed his pistol and went over to Tessa, who was hiding behind a crate. Panting heavily, he got down on his knees to talk to her,

"Tessa, sweetie" he put on his biggest smile "My name is Cody, I'm your mommy's brother, I'm here to take you back to her."

"You.....won't hurt me, will you?" Tessa whimpered.

"Oh no sweetie" Cody grinned "I love you and I'm here to help you" he held out his hands "Come on, I'm gonna take you back to your mommy now."

"Wait!" Tessa shouted as Cody picked her up "I need my medicine."

"What medicine?" Cody asked

"I need shots" Tessa murmured "Mommy usually gives them to me, it's called insa..insur..."

"Insulin?" Cody wanted to curse when Tessa nodded "Sweetie, do you know where your mommy keeps your medicine?

"Sure" Tessa nodded "It's over there in that cabinet."

With Tessa in his arms, Cody limped over and found the vials of insulin and a few clean syringes. Pocketing it all, he smiled at his niece and headed back to the car...

"You take me to mommy now?" Tessa asked. "I miss mommy," the child whimpered.

"I know you do Tessa" Cody murmured as he drove back, trying to ignore the nagging pain in his side "We're almost there alright?"

"I miss daddy too, but he can't come back," Tessa said. "He up there," she said, pointing to the sky.

"I'm sure he still loves you" Cody whispered, parking the car back in the garage. Hissing, he picked Tessa up in his arms and carried her inside.

Randy was out of his mind with worry. After getting Cody's cryptic phone call, he'd rushed back to the hotel to find Vanessa unconscious and running a high fever. Now, almost two hours later, her fever was finally starting to come down and she'd started to wake up,

"Easy" Randy whispered as Vanessa's eyes fluttered open "Easy you're okay." He turned as Cody came in with a little girl in his arms

"MOMMY!" the little girl yelled, her voice waking Vanessa all the way up instantly

"Tessa," Vanessa smiled widely. "come here baby girl."

Tessa jumped down from Cody's arms and ran to her mother.

Randy was going to be angry until he realized what Cody had done. He smiled warmly and clapped Cody on the shoulder,

"You did good" he murmured, leaning down in concern when Cody began to gasp in pain "Cody, what's wrong?"

"Here" Cody whispered, fishing two vials and some syringes out of his pocket "Tessa's insulin, she needs it."

Nodding, Randy took the items from Cody and went to give them to Vanessa. He heard a soft moan and turned just in time to see Cody collapse to the floor.

"Cody!" Running over, Randy lifted the brunette's shirt and found two perfect bullet holes in his abdomen.

Vanessa gasped sitting Tessa down on the bed she scrambled down to the floor beside her brother. "Cody, Cody come on don't leave me now," Vanessa pleaded.

Coughing, Cody weakly opened his eyes and smiled at his sister "I got Tessa for you" he whispered "She's beautiful..."

Vanessa smiled.

"And I thank you for that, but I need you too Cody," Vanessa said.

"I....I'm sorry...." Cody spat up a little blood "I'm not sure if I can make it..."

"You can Cody, you can," Vanessa said. "Just stay strong Cody, you can do it."

"I feel cold" Cody mumbled, his eyes starting to glaze over,

"Cody, it's gonna be alright," Vanessa promised. "Randy, we have GOT to get him to a hospital, now."

"I know, I know" Randy finished applying a makeshift bandage to Cody's wounds and gently picked him up,

"Hang on Codes" he murmured, as the rushed down the hall "Don't you dare die..."

Vanessa picked up Tessa and followed Randy.

"Come on Coddles, hang with me." Vanessa pleaded.

The entire drive to the hospital Cody drifted in and out of consciousness, his head resting on Vanessa's lap,

"Nessie...." he whispered, his lisp suddenly thick "Love...love...you....."

Vanessa sighed.

"Cody I know you do, I love you too, but please, don't talk like that, not right now; it sounds too much like goodbye," Vanessa sniffled as she started to cry.