Forgiveness

Lizzy can only chuckle til her ribs started to hurt then she slowed down on laughing. 

"Ya'll can come in." Lizzy says as loud as she can.

"You sure?" Stacy cracks the door open. Lizzy nods to her.

They all quietly walk in and Alex is embarrassed sitting in the chair trying to hide his face.

"Happy birthday Lizzy!" Stacy breaks the silence. She very carefully hugs Lizzy.

"Thank you." Lizzy tries saying but her voice cracks. She reaches for her water. Grams hands it to her the rest of the way. They smile at each other.

"You want me to fix your hair? I still see straw in it." Says Stacy.

"I would like that." Lizzy says trying to reposition herself. She winces in pain.

"Are you alright?" Alex asks concerned. He leans forward in his chair braced to get up.

"Yea. I'm... fine." Lizzy takes a few breaths as deep as she can. 

"You don't seem fine." Alex mumbles.

"Lizzy hasn't been big on pain killers so she isn't on anything very strong. And if we gave her something strong she wouldn't feel the pain and would be trying to walk around." Karen explains.

"Pain means rest or don't move." Lizzy comments. Alex sits back in the chair. Not liking she is in pain but also know she is set in her ways.

"Simple as always." Dragon chuckles.

Lizzy smirks at the comment and Alex doesn't know what he means. Everyone with a Soleil asks them to change into chairs for them to stay awhile. Alex gets up so Gramps can sit in the chair he was in. He moves to stand at the head of Lizzy's bed. They do their best to talk in hushed whispers to not disturb other hospital patients. With some help Lizzy is propped up so Stacy can work on Lizzy's hair. It takes awhile but Stacy gets her hair cleaned up and tame looking.

"All better." Stacy says holding a mirror up.

"Who is that?" Lizzy jokes looking over how pretty her hair is. 

Stacy just shakes her head and takes her mirror with her. Stacy has a gentle smile on her face knowing Lizzy is happy with her work.

"We brought you presents!" Tate says. "The four of us pooled together to buy these." Lizzy opens the present to see baking utensils.

"Stacy says you guys used Grams kitchen for Valentine's day cooking. Well, we thought one day you will have your own place and will want to do some baking!" Tate has the biggest smile.

"Awww thank you guys!" Lizzy is happy to have something practical but wonders if there are any hidden agendas.

"I baked you a cake." Jay says stepping forward. He starts to pull it out of its box and puts it on the rolly table. "I hope it's not too squished."

He pulls out a yellow cake with fancy chocolate frosting rose designs all over it. One side did get squished but everyone is impressed with what isn't squished.

"Whoah! When did you get good?" Lizzy asked bluntly.

"I took what you said to Ray about practicing, and practiced. I spent hours making decorations on a tray, wiping the frosting up to reuse it, wiping the tray off and kept doing that. Soon enough this is what happened." Jay smiles brightly at her.

"Wow! I'm so proud of you!" Lizzy is impressed.

"He isn't the only one that practiced." Ray steps forward holding a very detailed figurine of Lizzy's chickens.

"Holy!" Lizzy is a bit shocked. She takes the figurine and looks it over more. The details to the feathers is perfect. "Thank you!" Ray is happy she likes it. 

Jaff, Tiger and Angel give Lizzy a combined gift of Mangas for her glass book. Which Lizzy is very happy to have since she will be resting for awhile. Tiger and Jaff give her an update of how well their schooling is going for pilot and counseling. Angel is now taking acting classes to not only model but to become an actor. Lizzy is happy with how this group is shaping up.

"This is for you." Stacy hands Lizzy a bag.

"Oh! It's the shampoo that makes my hair nice. Thank you!" Lizzy holds her arm up so Stacy can hug her.

"You're welcome." Stacy barely touches Lizzy. Lizzy still winces though. "Sorry!"

"It's fine." Lizzy whispers.

"Here Lizzy." Grams hands her a quilt. 

"Thank you! This is really nice." Lizzy runs her fingers over the neutral brown and green colored quilt on her lap.

"You're very welcome dear. I enjoyed making it for you." Her smile is kind.

Lizzy smiles back and then looks around the room at everyone that is gathered.

"Thank you everyone for coming and being here." Lizzy starts to choke back tears. 

Alex holds onto her hand to try to comfort her. Then Lizzy bursts into tears. They aren't sad ones though. She starts wiping away the tears. She is surrounded by people that she loves or cares for and they care for her. She is happy to be alive. 

"I think she is crying because her boyfriend doesn't have a gift for her." Karen gives Lizzy just enough to work with to express her feelings.

"No, that's not it." Lizzy slows down on crying. "I'm just... really happy you're all here for me."

Everyone is happy and reminisce on all the memories they have made so far. They end up eating all the cake too.

There is a knock on the door. Everyone looks at each other wondering who it could be.

Lizzy nods to Tiger, letting him know he can open the door. He does so. There stands the two college students from a few days ago. Anger surges in Alex and the ex thugs. The younger group is concerned about what could happen.

"What business do you have here?" Tiger growls. A bit of fear comes over the college students.

"U-um w-we... we are here to apologize... f-for what w-we did." The one stutters out quietly. They can't keep eye contact with Tiger they keep looking at the floor.

"Like an apology is going to do jac-" Tiger gets cut off.

"Let them in." Lizzy has a bit of authority in her voice.

Tiger steps to the side. The ex thugs stand up to be on guard and be intimidating. The students make it to the middle of the room. They bow deeply and start blubbering apologizes, begging for forgiveness and asking if there is anything they can do. All the guys start to say things along the lines of why should Lizzy forgive them and how their carelessness caused her to be in the hospital on her birthday.

"Enough!" Lizzy drops her voice so there was substance and authority in her words. "You're here to apologize. Yes?"

They nod.

"Did you learn your lesson on what happens when you try messing with animals you don't know anything about?" Lizzy keeps her eyes steady while they keep looking down at the floor and up at her.

They nod a bit. "Yes w-we d-didn't think and r-really d-didn't want any-wa-one hurt." The one is choking back tears.

"Good. Now, you see how those guys are listening to every word I say?"

They nod frantically.

"Lets just say I'm a lot scarier than them. Next time if you put someone in this kind of trouble, I will personally find you." Lizzy eyes them. "Now, you asked if there was anything you could do for me. Right?"

"Y-yes we will do what ever we can to show our sincerest apologizes. Thank you for forgiving us!" They bow.

"Awesome!" Lizzy's tone is a much happier one now. Cheerful even. "With my leg the way it is, I can't clean out my chickens pen for six weeks. I hope you're not too sensitive to dust." Lizzy smiles. 

"We will help!" They bow again.

Pretty much everyone but the college students knows Soleils clean the chicken coop pens. They obviously didn't pay attention to Lizzy's tour. The poor guys have no idea what hell they signed up for. Along with Speckles may or may not be in the pen with them.

"Karen? Care to go get their info in the hall? I need to have a word with the others in here." Lizzy asks.

"I don't want to but I will. Come on ding dongs follow me." Karen guides the two out. Tiger shuts the door behind them.

Lizzy relaxes quite a bit in her bed. She leans her head back into the pillow and closes her eyes.

"Looks like you need some rest. We have been here awhile." Grams informs the others causally.

"You don't ha-" Lizzy yawns before she can finish her sentence. 

"We can come back another time." Tiger smiles. "Right after we walk those guys out the main door."

"Be nice. They are idiot kids. Similar to another group of idiots I know." Lizzy teases them.

"Hey! We aren't that bad." Jaff adds fairly seriously.

Lizzy and Alex look at them questioning their judgement. They decide to let the subject drop.

"Well everyone, let's get a move on! I'm sure Lizzy would want us to give her animals attention in her absence." Gramps slaps his knees and gives Lizzy a wink. Him and Grams start shuffling people out the door.

Everyone says their goodbyes. Alex stays back with Lizzy though. Karen comes back in and fills the two of them on a schedule for the students to clean the pen on.  Karen nestles on Lizzy's bed. Lizzy is resting while Alex sits in the chair looking out the window.

"I can't forgive them." Alex says quietly.

"Forgiveness is hard." Lizzy comments resting her eyes. "Or it can be easy with hard boundaries to set and uphold."

"Why are you acting smart lately?"

"I have been reading." She smirks.

"I have noticed that." He says. He turns to give her a gentle smile. Lizzy still has her eyes closed so she can't see.

"So can I address the elephant in the room?" Karen speaks up.

"Elephant?" Lizzy opens one eye to look at Karen.

"Yea the one where Alex lied about being your fiance so he can stare at you while you were unconscious for some 39.65 hours." Karen pretends to power off after dropping the verbal bomb shell.

Lizzy rolls her head over to look at Alex with an are you serious expression. "I wake up on my eighteenth birthday to find out I'm engaged?"

"I-I can explain!" Alex is fearful that his life may be over.