Disclaimer: I do not own The Fosters or any of the characters

Author's Note: Hey everyone... I'm back with another story that I've been sitting on for a while. There are no Quinns in this story, and Callie is adopted. I'm not a doctor by any means, but I'll try my best to get the medical stuff right. Apologies in advance if I get anything wrong, however this story will mostly be about the emotions, and Stef and Callie's beautiful relationship, with some inspiration drawn from my memories of when my own mother had cancer. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1.

Stef stood in front of the bathroom mirror; it was clouded with steam from the shower. She wiped away a circle with the sleeve of her robe, and studied her reflection. She looked okay. Maybe a little tired. Felt okay too, not at all like she had an 'abnormality.'

She opened her robe and ran her fingers over her breast, pressing into it, trying to find the lump she'd felt before. She couldn't find it now, and she told herself that maybe she had just imagined it, or that it had gone away on it's own. But she couldn't shake the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach that told her something was wrong.

She put on her pajamas and shut off the bathroom light, lonely, craving affection; she needed to see her babies. She hadn't said goodnight to them yet, though she was sure Lena already had. Lena was good about things like that.

She went to Brandon's room first. He was stretched out on his bed with his earphones in his ears, and his eyes closed.

"B.?" she called, trying to get her son's attention. He didn't answer, and finally, she went over and tugged one of his earbuds from his ear.

He jumped, startled. "Mooom," he groaned. "What the heck?"

"You're going to go deaf with your music up that loud," she told him. "Take it down a notch, yes?"

With a sigh, Brandon set his iPod aside. "Did you need something?"

She shrugged. "Just wanted to say goodnight to my little man." She sat down on the edge of his bed and ruffled his hair.

"Goodnight mom," said Brandon, his lips turned up in a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too," she nodded, bending down to kiss him.

She went to check on the younger boys next. Jude was sitting up in bed doing homework, and Jesus was at the computer, playing a game. "Hi, sweetie," she said, crossing the room to Jude. "What are you working on?"

Jude looked up from his book and smiled. "History."

"Well, don't stay up to late, buddy. You have school in the morning." She knew that Jude worked twice as hard as other kids just to pass, and she admired that in him, but she hated to see the young boy drive himself crazy over his schoolwork. He was a bright kid, but he'd come to Anchor Beach already so behind. Callie too. They were both smart, and so very wise beyond their years, but being shuffled around throughout their childhood had lead to gaps in their knowledge. Callie was making strides, but Jude still lagged behind.

She held out her arms, and Jude gave her a hug. She held him a little longer, planting a kiss on top of his head. "I love you, sweets. Goodnight."

"I love you too," said Jude. He gave her a quick, shy kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, mom."

Going to Jesus's desk, she put her hand on his back. "When you're finished slaying zombies, get yourself to bed young man."

"Will do," Jesus replied, without tearing his eyes from the screen.

Stef cringed as an animated zombie was beheaded on the computer screen. Quickly, she kissed her middle son's forehead. "Goodnight, kiddo. Love you."

"Love you too," he nodded.

Last of all, she went to the girls' room and stood in the doorway. "Hi there, ladies."

"Hi, mom," said Mariana.

"Hey," said Callie.

Stef went to Mariana's bedside and gave her a hug and kiss. "Goodnight, Ms. Thing. I love you."

"I love you too, mom," said Mariana. "Night."

Mariana switched off her lamp and rolled over, and Stef moved on to Callie. "What's new with you, sweetheart?"

Callie shrugged. "Nothing much."

"Did you have a good day?" Sometimes, getting a more than one word response out of Callie was like trying to get blood out of a turnip.

She shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess so. School, work, home. The usual."

Stef reached down and ran her fingers through Callie's soft hair, looking into her big brown eyes. "I love you, Slug-a-Bug. You know that, right?"

Callie nodded, giving her a genuine smile. "I love you too."

"Can I get a hug?" she pressed. "I could really use one."

Sitting up, Callie waited until Stef embraced her. When she did, Stef felt her arms circle her body. She squeezed Callie tight, burying her nose in her hair, in no hurry to let go.

"Stef?" said Callie, in a whisper-like voice.

"What, my baby?" she asked, patting her hand.

"Never mind," she sighed, her cheeks reddening. "It's silly."

"Hey..." said Stef. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. That's what mother's are for."

Callie looked down sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you could, um, tuck me in. Like you do for Mariana sometimes." She gave her an intent look. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Don't want to?" Stef asked, her heart aching. Callie was mature and independent for her sixteen years, but once in a while, she showed a more childlike side. And when Callie seemed to be in need of a little extra nurtuting, Stef was happy to give it to her; she thought of it as making up for lost time. She loved that girl more than she had the words to describe. "I would love to tuck you in," she told her. She lifted up the edge of the bedspread. "Get comfy."

Callie wriggled a little, and Stef brought the comforter up to her shoulders, tucking it around her body. "There." She leaned down and kissed the tip of her daughter's nose. "Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

"Goodnight," Callie yawned. "See you in the morning." For some reason, she phrased her words like a question rather than a statement, which struck Stef as odd.

She brushed her thumb across Callie's cheek and gave her an extra kiss before leaving the room and going on to bed.

When she reached her own room, she felt exhausted. Lena was propped up against the pillows, reading a magazine. She crawled into bed and kissed her cheek. "Hey, hon."

Lena turned to her, her dark eyes troubled. "Hi sweetie. You okay?"

Stef slowly nodded. "Yeah." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I felt for the lump, but I couldn't find it."

Lena creased her brow with concern, and she raised her hand a few inches. "May I?"

"Go for it," Stef laughed. "You know these things better than I do." She lifted up her pajama top, exposing her breasts to her wife.

Hesitantly, Lena took Stef's right breast in her hand, gently squeezing and rolling it, pressing around the nipple.

"If you didn't look so serious this would be hot," Stef joked.

"It is serious," Lena replied without laughing. "I wish you'd take it a little more seriously." Her fingers stopped at an area just under the nipple. "I found it."

Stef let her fingers hover near Lena's, and her wife guided them to the spot. "Feel right here."

Pressing down, deep into the tissue, Stef felt the small lump. It felt like a tiny marble. She felt her blood run cold through her veins as she touched it. "It's probably nothing. I don't know why we're getting so worked up."

"Honey-" Lena began, but she stopped before she finished.

Stef sighed, nodding with understanding. "You know, I think Callie senses that something's up?"

"What makes you think that?" Lena asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "She looks at me like she thinks I'm going to disappear into thin air." The bizarre way she'd said 'see you in the morning,' came back to her. It was almost as if Callie needed confirmation that she really would be there when she woke up.

"Could be," said Lena. "Callie's a perceptive girl. Don't underestimate her."

"I didn't tell her anything though," Stef mussed. "I don't want to scare the kids over nothing." She leaned over and clicked off her lamp. "Goodnight. Love you."

Lena nodded in the glow of her bedside lamp. "I love you too." She switched off the light, and the room was filled with darkness.

For a while, Stef lay there, unable to close her eyes. Then Lena moved closer to her, taking her in her arms, and for a moment, she felt that everything might truly be alright.

To Be Continued