"Take it easy Jason. I just had to get out of there," Adam answered as Jason eased his grip up on his brother. He could feel Adam tremble and figured it was from where he was upset over the incident with the car. But Adam was still shocked over meeting Maria.

"I also heard your comment," Jason said, still confronting Adam.

"What?" Adam said, very confused. He honestly did not know what Jason was talking about at all.

"So you wish you would have just died in that accident. I know that it is not easy for you Adam, but that it totally unfair," Jason said with an even tone.

"Unfair? You are talking to me about unfair! You are fine and you are even going to have your favorite uncle visiting soon," Adam said angrily. "But look at me! I have to highlight everything. I have to rehearse things over and over. I can't even do the simplest things. You don't know how that feels Jason! Plus, I have to live with a man that hates my guts! Don't tell me about fair!"

Jason felt every word of what Adam said. He could feel the tension and the anger that Adam had been bottling up inside of himself. Maybe Jason did react before he thought things over. He also knew that he was a little more rough with Adam than he meant to be.

"You are right Adam. I don't know how it feels and if I could have taken your place in that Cherokee, I would have. But I can't. All I can do is help you and it is very hard to see you struggle. But I know we can handle it," Jason said in a soothing voice. He wanted to calm Adam down. "But I don't want to ever hear that you regret being a survivor! Not after we worried and prayed for your recovery. Now that is unfair. As for Bill, just don't go around him. I told you that I will respect your feelings, but he is family."

Adam actually felt guilty about the comment, even though he really did not recall saying it. However, Jason did not lie to him and he had often felt that way lately. He also could not believe that Jason was being so understanding about Bill. That is until Jason added, " Besides, maybe Bill has changed. This could be a whole new beginning for the both of you."

Adam felt his gut drop. There was no way that he was going to start a new beginning with a man who has caused him and his cousin so much pain.

It was late when the boys arrived home. Bill had already gone to bed for the night and Carl was waiting up for the boys. He dosed off in front of the television with his paperwork still in his hands. Jason walked over and woke his father up.

"Boys, did you enjoy your time at the car show?" he asked, still waking up.

"Yeah. There were a lot of interesting cars there. One was like Adam's car, but I think Adam is going to beat him next year. How is Uncle Bill?" Jason asked.

"He was still very uptight and exhausted from where he had been getting threats from the community. I sent him to bed and he was out the minute that his head hit the pillow. We will have the statements tomorrow sometime so we can go over them together," Mr. Kramer said as he was getting ready for bed himself. "You guys had better get some sleep too. You have school tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," Adam muttered.

"One day you will be wishing that you were back in school, son," Mr. Kramer chuckled at his son's lack of enthusiasm for school. "All those young girls and sports, these are your glory days. Oh, I forgot you were a committed man now. Have you heard from Alyssa?"

"Her appointment is tomorrow morning so maybe I will hear from her tomorrow night," Adam replied as the Kramers went up the stairs to their bedrooms.

"Well get a good night's rest," their father said as he entered into his bedroom.

The boys walked down to Adam's room. Adam felt a chill as he walked by Jason's room. The door was closed, but Adam felt like there was a monster on the other side of the door. The boys changed into their nightclothes comprising of cut-off jogging pants and old t-shirts.

"I hope that you don't move around like you used to in your sleep," Jason said as he got under the covers of one side of the queen-sized bed. Adam had always been known as an "active" sleeper so his parents gave him the larger bedroom with a small bathroom so he could have a bigger bed. Jason was the opposite and slept in a twin bed. At first it upset him that Adam got the larger bedroom since he was the oldest, but as he got older he realized that it was not that important of an issue. He was, though; looking forward to having the van to himself once the Trans Am was road-worthy.

"Afraid that I will knock you out on your rear big brother," Adam said with a smile as he came from the bathroom.

"Me afraid of you? Hardly!" Jason said as he threw a pillow over at Adam. An old-fashioned pillow fight ensued until both brothers were breathless. "So are you ready for school tomorrow?"

"No. Miss Meade has probably been counting down the days and stacking her detention slips up," Adam said referring to one of his teachers. Miss Meade loved Jason, but seemed to not share the same feelings for Adam.

"Yeah, counting down the days of peace," Jason said as he turned over onto his side. "Too bad I can't have the same peace. Thanks to Mom and Dad and their playmate idea, I am stuck with you for the rest of my life."

"Well, we can never be any closer than we are at this moment," Adam said in a very fake romantic tone.

"You had better not tell anyone at school that we have to share this bed for awhile or I will personally strangle you," Jason muttered as Adam turned the light off.

"You wouldn't strangle me. Then our parents will have to just have another kid and then instead of having to share a room, you will be changing diapers" Adam said putting the pillow over his head. He noted his brother grumbling at that thought. "I think you will never under appreciate my presence in this family again."

But sleep did not come to Adam. He spent half the night trying to get to sleep and not move around a lot. Jason was fast asleep and didn't move a muscle. He finally did nod off out of pure exhaustion into a fitful sleep.

The next thing he knew he was in his old number 77 shirt and cut-off jeans. He was playing with his Tonka trucks in the backyard. He would have rather played in the sand on the beach, but he remembered that his parents and brother were away. His uncle Bill was in the house and his cousin Maria were playing with her car not too far from Adam. Life was good and the sun was going down into a perfect sunset. He could see Bill grilling hot dogs on the grill for supper. Adam and Maria loved hot dogs. Then his life scene did a fast forward flip to later that night. He was in the total dark and he felt like he could hardly breathe. He felt around for anything, but his hands found nothing but open air. Then he heard the screams of his cousin. He heard her voice begging and pleading and then he heard her cries. All of the visions of that night came flooding back to him in incomplete pieces. He saw himself sneaking down the hallway to see what was wrong. He peered through the door and saw the horrible vision of his uncle on top of his cousin. Adam recalled thinking that he was wrestling with her, but why was she crying. He did not understand those events and the rest of what he witnessed that night for he was only seven. Adam was compelled to go in, but something held him back. Then in the next vision, his uncle was bearing down on him and he ran for his closet. However, he never made it to the closet. His uncle spun him around and openly threatened him. Still, Adam did not understand everything that had happened at the time and he was very scared. He remembered yelling for his mother or father.

"Your parents aren't here and if you ever tell anyone what you saw tonight, I will kill your whole family and then you will have to live with me! I can't believe that you are actually part of the Kramer bloodlines. No wonder your mother babies you. You are a little brainless brat," He could hear Bill yell as he shook Adam. Adam started to cry at that point. "You baby! You had better not tell or say anything for the rest of your life or I will make sure that your family will hate you forever."

With that Adam started to scream and he could feel the fear and anger. "You can't hurt me!" he said back to his uncle. Bill was enraged that Adam even said anything to him and struck him across the face. He felt the blood start to come from his nose.