a/n: Let me know if this is crap, I totally don't know if writing him with an OC is an atrocious idea or not. I hope you guys enjoy it none the less, and that it can be a nice, new, fresh idea for the Keith fandom. I enjoy these two together; I liked molding a perfect girl for him instead of wondering what Natalie would say. Never fear though, I'm still a Natalie lover too- updates will come for my strictly canon stories soon.

Blessings,

Sarah.

Dying somehow seems less sad than never having really lived.

All of his life he had lived to the fullest- so finding out really hadn't affected him. People were supposed to die after they have lived good, full lives; he only felt sad when he thought over how he wouldn't gain the good, 'long' life lived, sentence.

It was Thursday, December 24th at St. Charmain's Cancer Hospital that he was first operated on. The surgery had removed what they believed to be a cancerous cyst from his stomach. It had only lasted a couple of hours, and before he knew it, he was wide-awake. Anesthesia had never really made Keith groggy when he woke-up, it only gave him a sore, scratchy throat. He awoke to his father and girlfriend, Julie, by his side. Julie had been Keith's best-friend for, pretty much, ever. She was shy, sarcastic, dramatic, caring, and funny. She was only a head shorter than him, with a skinny frame, pale skin, and small hands. She had bright, green eyes, and auburn locks that fell to her low back. She always teased Keith by saying he wouldn't love her if she lost her long waves of red; he loved running his hands through, smelling, and staring at her beautiful hair. Her hair was probably one of his favorite physical characteristics of her. Besides the physical, though, Keith adored her ability to always make him feel loved- they had been dating for a year now, and she had yet to leave his side.

"How do you feel?" She asked timidly; she hated hospitals, and was only doing this for him.

He smiled at her and held out his hand. She came to sit beside him and grasped his outstretched hand in her own.

"I'm fine." He spoke quietly, though she could always see right through him.

"You'll say just about anything to get back to your truck, huh?"

He grinned. "Well, maybe I would do anything to get back to you if you weren't always right where I am."

She smiled knowingly at him instead of taking offense, and replied: "But I do assume you enjoy me being here with you better than if I'd stay away."

Keith nodded. "You're correct."

Henry stood and came to hover over the other side of his son's bed. "I should go let the doctor know you're awake. Are you in any pain?"

"Just my throat, like always."

Henry nodded, smiling; that answer comforted him, and with that he left to go tell the doctor his son was alert.

Julie came to sit on the edge of his bed then, and sighed. "You won't be getting out for a couple days, huh?"

"Nope." He replied cheerfully.

"You'll be in here for Christmas, of course. Then you will probably be here the 26th…this is the first time you'll be in the hospital for our anniversary."

Keith looked sad then, as though he had failed her. His façade always crumbled under her disappointment, (which he knew she didn't mean to do on purpose, and even more so not to upset him), but he couldn't help to feel sorry for letting her down. He wished he could buy a different life; a life in which he wouldn't be sick, and he could offer her everything- himself, at least. But that was the reality: he had nothing to offer her, not even forever…What woman would find that appealing? He looked up at her smile, and supposed she was the one in a million that would.

"I'm sorry." He managed to get out, his jaw quivering.

Julie smiled and rested her palm against his cheek. "Don't be sorry; we can celebrate anywhere. I can't believe we're already going to be together for one year. I feel like I've known you forever." She joked; she had known him forever.

"You are so amazing." He whispered back, kissing her wrist.

"I do try terribly hard." She replied, moving her hands to rest in her lap, and sat back in her seat.

"How long are you staying for?"

"Your Dad told me if I wanted to crash at your place I could, but you aren't there, so would that be awkward? I know it's strange since I've known you guys my whole life, but I've never chilled with Henry."

Keith laughed.

"What?" Julie asked.

"Nothing," he replied, still smirking. "you're just funny."

"Well, seriously, I haven't! What if he makes me watch those terrible black and white movies without you? I can't endure another Frankenstein fest, and the first time I endured that by the skin of my teeth, you were with me!"

Keith reached out his arm- asking her silently to be close to him once more. She obliged, and pulled her chair closer, holding his hand.

"You'll survive, I'd actually like you hanging out there. You can have my bed- then once I get back it'll smell like you. Plus, my Dad is always here bright and early, so I can see your face first thing in the morning"

Julie blushed. Sometimes, it was a little interesting being told how cute or beautiful she was by someone who she still sometimes looked at as only her best-friend, but being that it was only out of habit, she easily shook it off. The opportunity to be his girlfriend had presented itself without warning, and she had said yes immediately to the question being asked after she was told the one thing that could make her life fall apart: The possibility of losing him. No, she hadn't planned to be asked out by anyone after they had just rushed into letting her know that they were dying, but as her world was falling apart, the most beautiful thing came of it: him being hers after all those years of wishing.

"I'll be going home whenever your Dad wants to take me, then."

Keith nodded. "I appreciate you being here, Julie."

"Ah, it's nothing, champ." She used the nickname she'd given him after his first round of chemo. "I have no where better to be anyway." She fake yawned.

Keith chucked and kissed her forehead. She was everything he could ever ask for in a girl, and he even had a run for his money in the sarcasm department. Keeping him on the edge of his seat was something he had a knack for, and he didn't think there would ever be a day that he found her boring.

"You could be at try-outs."

Julie had tried for the past 3 years to be on the cheerleading team, and now, it was her last chance to be on- her Senior year. Though to his surprise, she shrugged. Sitting bolt up-right, he grabbed her wrist gently.

"Julie, you aren't trying out?"

She looked at him. "I'll never make it anyway, plus I want to be here with you. I'd rather be here for, spending every second I can, then with something that will end up taking up way more of my time than just 3 hours of try-outs if I made it."

Keith couldn't argue with that; Julie was somewhat of an outcast, quite socially awkward, and very soft-spoken. Her dream of being a cheerleader was a little far-fetched, but he would never dare tell her. Instead, he pulled her closer, and finally she just sat next to him on his bed, and allowed him to wrap his arm around her. Without a comment, he picked up the remote next to him, and used the fingers that wouldn't enable his I.V. to pinch him to change the channel with.

"What do you want to watch, Pumpkin?"

"Anything." She replied, resting her head deep into his chest.

"I don't want to hold you back from anything." Keith spoke softly.

"You aren't," she grinned. "I had the perfect opportunity to change the channel, and I thank-you for being so open to letting me make the decisions in this relationship."

Letting out a bark laughter, he squeezed her tight- he had a keeper.