Hello, it's me again.

This is planned to be a multi-chapter, but it depends on the response I get from this first chapter, to see if it is interesting, and if you'd really like more chapters, it's AU. Piper is 16 and Alex 17, I'm not sure if Alex is involved in the cartel or not, you can give me your thoughts on this if you'd like, Piper is at Smith, but apart from those facts, it'll be different.

Please forgive any grammar or spelling errors, English is not my first language.

"Alex-"

"Wait-"

"Alex!"

"What?!"

"I really have to go!" Piper laughed as she tried to free herself from the firm grip Alex had on her jacket, trying to keep her in place.

"Why, though?" Alex protested as she let go, visibly curious as to why her younger friend really wanted to go, slightly annoyed too. Lately they've been spending all the possible amount of time together.

"My parents are taking me to the doctor, I've told you" the shorter girl said timidly as she straightened her pants which was now really dirty after spending half the afternoon sitting in the grass at the park, having ice cream and talking about everything and anything, just enjoying themselves.

"Shit, I forgot, Pipes." Alex replied as she squinted her eyes suspiciously. "Are you still feeling sick? It's that intermittent fever, right? she had a knowing but concerned look. Piper didn't reply, just glanced at her knowingly. "I can't afford to fail the course" Piper sighed, visibly concerned. "I can't miss another class, Al."

"Except the ones you miss just to see me, right?" Alex grinned goofily, leaning back on her elbows, still sitting on the grass.

Piper rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically but a ghost of a smile threatened to show on her features as she reached for her bag, feeling a sudden, strong wave of exhaustion take over her that made her sink to one knee, breath hitching as she closed her eyes and tried to fight it off.

"Hey, Pipes, Are you okay?" Alex asked with too much concern as she leaned over, eyeing Piper gloomily.

"Yeah" the blonde nodded slowly, "Just tired from the day, you know?"

"You're always tired." Alex muttered playfully.

"Shut up" Piper smacked her playfully. "See you later for the movie?"

"Absolutely" Alex smiled sweetly, giving the shorter girl a fierce nod.

Piper returned the sweet smile before rising to her feet to head off. Alex watched as her figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance and immediately retrieved her glasses so she could watch Piper's figure clearly.

When she was no longer in sight, Alex stood up and stretched nonchalantly, picking up her leather jacket and headed home to prepare herself for the upcoming movie date.

She liked to think about it as a date because she was head over heels in love with her best friend, but those were territories she was too afraid to venture because she was sure that her blonde friend didn't even thought about her in that way.

So she brushed that thought off her mind as she lit a cigarette on her way home, the pang of pain that started to nest in her chest was enough for her to stop her musings and just smoke freely.

However, she relentlessly found herself thinking the same thing: I'm in love with my best friend.

Bill and Carol Chapman were sitting in Doctor Healy's office, facing the large wooden desk, without looking at each other. The doctor was on the other end of the table, trying to analyze their eactions.

Both Chapmans were at a loss of words, trying to understand and process the words they just heard.

"She…" Bill swallowed hard. "She has… cancer?" his faces contorted in a mixture of sorrow and disbelief.

"Leukemia. The Acute Lymphoblastic type." Doctor Healy continued, "To be more specific…" he took a deep breath and put his hands together, elbows on the table and a serious but kind expression, "It's when the bone marrow produces a large amount of immature white blood cells. These aren't strong enough to fight infection so the body starts to make more, but the more cells there are, the more they can find their way into her blood and bone marrow." He paused and looked at the anguished faces in front of him.

"So, these cells in her blood and bone marrow… they prevent healthy blood cells from forming properly." He finished.

"Recently, doctor" Bill spoke, swallowing thickly again. "My mother… Piper's grandmother passed away from breast cancer. Is there any chance…"

"No, Bill. I'm glad you asked." He sat straight and leaned on the back of his chair. "Some kinds of cancer are congenital, others are genetic, but cancer isn't contagious-"

"No, I know, doctor-" Bill interrupted, unable to articulate the words to make sense as to what he was trying to say "I mean…" his voice breaking "Will she… Is she going to get better?"

Doctor Healy looked at him with his beady eyes "I can't say for sure, it depends on the treatment and the response it gets from her body. But the good news is that we caught it somewhat early, though I want to begin treatment as soon as possible to ensure the best possible results out of it."

"Will she need chemotherapy?" Carol finally spoke.

"Yes, Mrs. Chapman." Doctor Healy nodded. "It is the most effective treatment for Piper's type of cancer. But, I have to tell you, caution you, that the treatment is quite intense and it has a lot of undesirable side effects."

"Yes, doctor. My mother had chemotherapy and she lost her hair and always felt nauseous, but if you say that's what we need to do…" he didn't finish his thought, as reality began to sink in.

"It might help if we start as soon as possible."

"Are you certain" Carol asked with a stern tone.

"No." Doctor Healy stood up "There are no guarantees, but frankly, your daughter does not have a choice otherwise."

Piper sat in the waiting area, typing furiously on her phone. Alex just sent a text:

Alex [5:36 pm]

So, we're definitely watching Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2.

No complaints, Chapman.

Btw, are you out of the doctor's yet?

Piper [5:37 pm]

That's SO unfair, you always pick the movies!

Mhm, okay, but then you have to stay over at my place, no complaints.

No. I don't know what they could possibly be talking about for so long now.

Barely a minute later, the reply from Alex came but Piper didn't have time to read it because the door suddenly opened and she looked over to see her parents emerge, visibly concerned and paled-faced.

Piper felt unpleasant knots on her stomach and her heart raced. "Daddy, what's wrong?" she asked in confusion as Bill sat down dejectedly beside her. "What did he say?"

Alex walked happily to Piper's house, humming absentmindedly to herself. She had picked up the tickets for their movie and texted Piper over and over without getting a reply, so she figured Piper was getting ready and didn't text again, she'll just wait to see her.

She clutched their tickets on one hand as she rapped on the door with the other, waiting, as always for Piper to swing the door open with her goofy smile, jacket over her shoulder, rushing to go out but not before checking her reflection on the front room mirror to make sure she was perfect, to which Alex would make fun of and Piper would punch her lightly. And that's what Alex craved, physical contact from her beautiful friend.

It should have worried Alex a bit not to see Piper immediately appear, but she just thought that Piper didn't hear her knocking so she knocked again, considerably louder and impatient this time.

What really threw her off was, when the door finally opened, it was Bill Chapman. But okay, she thought, that's nothing to worry about, right? Maybe Piper was running late, making sure she looked flawless with her always perfect-looking hairstyle.

"Alex" Bill said strangely cordial, which, before anything, surprised Alex beyond anything, because Bill had always vocalized his disdain for her continuous presence in the Chapman house. That's why Alex would always complain to Piper that she preferred when they had sleepovers over her apartment.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid Piper won't go out tonight," Bill said firmly.

"Why?" Alex questioned, brow furrowed.

"She's… sick".

"Sick?" Alex scoffed "What do you mean, sick? Is she alright? This afternoon she was fine"

"Alex, please", Bill replied sternly.

"But we've got our tickets and everything" Alex protested, raising her hand to show him the tickets, as to prove her point.

"And you can watch your movie any other day!" Bill scolded, running out of patience.

"I'm terribly sorry but you better go home, she needs to rest."

"Alex?" Piper's voice echoed weakly from the foot of the stairs as her face slowly appeared through the open to

door.

"Pipes," Alex called her friend, noticing immediately that her hair was messy and she was wearing her pyjamas, looking nowhere near ready to go out.

"Piper, I told you to rest." Bill said tiredly

"I will, daddy," Piper nodded, "Just. Just let me talk to Alex for a minute?" she pleaded, "Please?"

After several seconds of hesitancy, Bill reluctantly agreed, realizing that it would be futile to try to make her rest now, she wouldn't do it until she spoke to Alex. He let her inside and watched cautiously as Piper started climbing the stairs, Alex trailing behind, heading to Piper's room, where she shut the door and safely locked it go avoid interruptions.

"What's going on, Pipes?" Alex asked, totally confused. She made her way to Piper's bed and sat on the edge. Here was Piper, in front of her, seemingly looking the same as she did before. So what could her father possibly mean by sick?

"Look, Al." Piper started quietly as she bit at her nails, nervously.

This made Alex anxious, Piper NEVER bit her nails, she even scolded Alex when she did, so she was really eager to know what the fuck was going on.

"Yes?" Alex voiced impatiently as she watched Piper pacing nervously. "What's wrong Pipes?" Alex caught Piper's hand as she passed in front of her and demanded her attention.

The younger girl sighed in defeat, sitting beside Alex, focusing on their hands. Alex didn't let go of her hand and it made her heart flutter. She took another deep breath before she was able to speak.

"I think…" Piper glanced at Alex "I think I won't be able to go out with you anytime soon. You should go to the movie" she said, biting her lip, "You should find someone else to go with. Besides, you'll need to replace me, you know, for the trip, it's already paid for"

"What?" Alex hissed, standing up abruptly, looking at Alex defiantly.

"Replace you? Why should I do that?"

"I can't be hanging out now, I won't be able to go with you to Europe, and I can't go to museums and movie theaters and picnics and everything you love to do every day, I can't. And I know you need… I know you need a friend that can be with you, whenever you feel like escaping that foster care, and I don't want to stop you."

"What are you talking about? Why can't you go out with me?" Alex felt as though she would cry anytime soon, so it was her turn to pace. The words Piper just told her stung deeply. For some reason felt like a break up, but it was silly because Piper was just her friend, but the pain Alex was feeling was very real at the possibility of Piper cutting her off her life.

"Because…" Piper sighed, standing up too, glancing at Alex with tired expression and worried eyes. "I…"

Alex looked at her expectantly, almost impatiently awaiting the end of that sentence. "I have a boyfriend now and I can't be seen hanging out with you, because you're gay." and all sorts of things started spinning uncontrollably through Alex's mind.

"I don't really know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to come clean." Piper blurted out, standing awkwardly and looking everywhere around her room except at Alex.

A deafening silence permeated the room for agonizing seconds before she was finally able to speak again.

"I've got cancer."

"Mhm, You'll have to do better than that to make me go away, Piper." Alex chuckled. Piper looked at her, hurt evident in her glassy eyes.

Alex stood abruptly. Piper walked towards her bedroom window and peered out into the darkened street with her back to Alex. A sense of pure panic rise within the raven haired girl when she realized what those three words meant.

Piper, her best friend, her amazing, beautiful, talented best friend, the girl she was in love with had…

No.

"No… you- you can't. Pipes… you can't have that! You're too fucking young! There's no way… Pipes…" Alex finished barely above a whisper and she sighed as she looked at her friend, concern all over her features. A painful knot starting to nest in her throat, making it difficult to breathe properly. "I…" she whispered, getting closer to Piper. "I'm sorry, I- I thought-"

"It's okay, Al" Piper said dejectedly as she finally turned around. A tear had escaped her azure eyes. She looked down to the floor, unable to look her friend in the eye.

Alex swallowed thickly, voice broken "You can't die on me, Pipes." Alex said delicatedly. She felt her stomach drop as she said the words aloud, as if the situation was an illusion. There was no way that this could really be happening to him. not now.

Her mother had just died a couple of months before and the only comfort she could find was this little girl's support and friendship. Piper was the only one who stood by her side, besides her other best friend, Nicky. There was no fucking way her beloved best friend was going to abandon her too.

"I- I don't know if I'm going to die." Piper whispered, between quiet sobs as she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. "I have an appointment tomorrow… I have to… I'm going to get chemotherapy, as soon as possible to try to fight this." She shivered at the thought.

Alex threw her arms around Piper in a tight embrace, nodding dumbly, in total disbelief of how your life can change in just a matter of seconds. She wouldn't let go, and felt Piper's body trembling as she continued sobbing. She felt her eyes prickling, she never knew anyone who had cancer before, she only heard it mentioned from Piper when she talked about her grandmother, who had died only a month before her own mother.

To Alex, cancer was something that didn't happen to young people, this wasn't meant to happen to her. Not to Piper. It was a prolonged death sentence. And certainly, Piper didn't deserve it.

Alex wasn't able to contain her own dread that she was going to lose her forever. First his mother, who was her everything, she was her rock, and now Pipes who was… everything to her. Alex placed a small kiss at the top of Piper's head. "How- how are you feeling?" was all Alex could whisper in that moment, trying to fight her own tears.

"Okay." Piper's reply came muffled, she had her head buried in Alex's chest and she didn't want to move from there. She had a mixture of feelings that made her weak. "I'm scared, Alex." she admitted after a few moments. "Chemo is a bitch, and I know they're going to destroy me, that's why you should find someone else to live your adventures with." she said trying to sound calm.

"No," Alex shook her head vehemently and stopped hugging Piper just so she could look her in the eye as she continued, "No, Pipes, I won't do that, I don't care if you can't go out, and I'm not going on that stupid trip without you."

"Why not? It was expensive and you've been planning it forever." Piper insisted weekly. Alex took her hand and walked to Piper's bed, sitting down again.

"I don't care, Pipes," Alex said, still holding her hand. "Fuck it, it doesn't matter, at all. We'll go some day… just- just focus on getting better, yeah?" she caressed Piper's knuckles with her thumb.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Piper asked slowly, feeling guilty that the trip that Alex dreamed about and had been planning for ages was ruined because of her.

"Yes, you idiot!" Alex nodded and try to smile reassuringly.

Piper was terrified of what would happen to her, she was scared because she didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave Alex, she had so much to do.

"How can you possibly be thinking about this right now? Any trip, and any "adventure" as you said it, isn't nearly as important as you are to me, Pipes." Alex confessed honestly. "You should be resting, you know? Bill was right."

Piper smiled weakly at Alex, before shuffling over and sliding underneath the covers.

Alex didn't know how to act. She didn't even know what she was thinking, every awful thought was passing through her mind over and over again.

"Hey, I know that you said earlier that… you know, if you need space I can go" Alex finally said standing up. "Or if you want me to, I could stay." she was rambling. Of course Alex wanted to stay, she didn't want to miss a moment with Piper now that they could be the last ones. She suddenly felt as if she could lose Piper at any moment. So she decided that staying around her as long as possible would be the only way.

Again, swirling darkness inside her head. "What about the movie?" Piper asked as she looked up at Alex.

"What about it?" Alex raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk on her worried face. "You're a dork, Pipes." she said as she turned off the light and went to lay down on the bed, still fully dressed.

Piper smiled gratefully before letting her heavy eyelids fall shut.

Alex stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. "Pipes?" she whispered carefully.

"Mhm?"

"You're not alone. I'm- I'm always here and I will make sure you're fine, I'm going to take good care of you and I won't let anything happen-" Alex said as she nervously ran her fingers through her black mane while making a vow to herself. She definitely was going to do everything she could to make Piper better.

Piper shifted her position, getting closer to Alex and hugged her tightly by the waist, resting her head on Alex's chest. "I know. Thank you, Al. Please don't go" Alex froze at the contact and fell silent. Her heart caught in her throat and her lungs stopped for a moment.

"I'm here, Pipes," she let out the breath she was holding and wrapped her right arm around Piper as her heart raced dangerously. Piper definitely was able to hear it from her position, but the feeling was indescribable and her heart fluttered wildly. "I love you." she whispered too quietly.

So, what do you think? Should I continue with this? I'd love yo hear your thoughts.