Hi everybody! I'm so sorry for how long it has taken me to update this story. I started a new job and it completely took over my life. Things are much better now, and I'm taking the time to start writing again. I'm finishing this story and I'm also working on another story for you. You'll love it, I promise! It's a big change from this one. I keep laughing while I write it! I write in it when I can't handle the drama from this story. Sorry guys, it hasn't even begun to get dark yet… And I'm going to try really hard to make you cry… I've got some time off work, let's see if I can finish the last five chapters of this story before I have to get back to work.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters… I really don't own anything… Sorry…

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The Will to Live

Chapter Four

He knew he had to get out of the car eventually. He'd pulled into the underground parking of the apartment suites almost an hour ago. He knew his wife was several floors above him… completely unsuspecting of what fate was about to slap her in the face with…

Darien finally killed the engine of his truck and unbuckled his seatbelt. There was no way he could put it off any longer. His conversation with Andrew only hours before kept replaying in his head like a demented chant…

"It seems like you're setting into the advanced stages," Andrews voice kept saying. "We've got to start treatment immediately."

With a guttural growl, Darien slammed his fist against the wall of the elevator that carried him closer and closer to he moment he had to announce to his wife that life as they knew it was over. Breaking such traumatic news to Serena in her current condition could severely jeopardize the survival of their baby. She couldn't handle losing another one…

As soon as he stepped through the door of their apartment he could tell she was in a great mood. Her shoes and suit coat were thrown haphazardly near the couch and she was singing at the top of her lungs while she pranced about the kitchen.

"Is that you Darien?" Serena peaked her head into the room and grinned. "I have news for you!" She scurried over to him and jumped into his arms, planting several kisses on his upturned lips.

"You must have had a good day," he murmured as he lifted her into his arms and dropped down onto the couch. "Tell me your news."

"TWINS!" She squealed, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Amy says it's twins! She says everything should be okay for now, but I need to be careful and not strain myself at all. But isn't it exciting? Two babies of our very own!"

He tried to smile for her… He tried with every ounce of will power he had to just be happy with this news and let her have her moment… But his resolve crumbled before he knew it. A strangled cry escaped his throat and he buried his face into her neck. His whole body began to shake while he clung feebly to his wife's seemingly fragile frame.

"It's not fair," he whispered against her skin. "Why now? Why ever?"

Serena's wide eyes searched the room helplessly for some clue to Darien's behavior. She had expected him to be shocked by the news of twins… but to not want them? She immediately began to cry with him.

"You don't want to have twins? I thought you wanted children as badly as I do… I thought twins were a blessing to us… a miracle… what if I never conceive again? We still get two…"

Darien choked back another sob and pulled Serena closer, clinging to her like he was clinging to life itself. "No, Love. I want these twins more than anything… But I have my own news for you…"

He led her down the hallway to their bedroom and lay down on the bed. Serena snuggled herself against his muscled form. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. He had always loved her smell… Would the day ever come that he couldn't hold her in his arms? Couldn't enjoy the feeling of her body pressed against him? They had been together so long he couldn't even remember what it felt like to not be loved… But he knew he never wanted her to be alone…

"Serena…" He searched for the right words. He needed to tell her carefully. "Serena, I'm sick."

She rolled over to look him in the eye. A confused expression clouded her featured as she ran her hand up and down his arm soothingly. "What do you mean?"

"It's serious… And we need to talk about it."

She didn't say a word… She froze… Her hand slipped into his, and he could feel her begin to tremble. Her face was brave but her eyes were lost. "I'm listening," she whispered.

When he began to explain the situation to Serena, Darien's conversation with Andrew began to play through his mind like a horrible movie he had seen too many times.

"I want to get you into induction therapy immediately," Andrew announced when he looked up from the file he had compiled of Darien's medical charts. "We need to start hitting this hard and fast… I would have been worried if I had seen your blood six months ago… now I'm fucking terrified."

A sigh escaped Darien's lips. "I only remember the textbook stuff from med school… Andrew, you're the cancer specialist and you're my best friend. I need you to tell me everything you know. Serena is going to have a lot of questions."

Andrew nodded thoughtfully, then set all of his paperwork aside and folded his arms. He leaned back in his chair and stared directly into Darien's eyes. "You have Acute Myelogenous Leakemia. You're body is producing too few platelets to really function… You might have noticed a few symptoms. You might have gotten nosebleeds for no reason, bruises you couldn't explain, cuts that wouldn't stop bleeding or heal, or you might have even gotten some spots on your body that look like freckles."

Darien's heart pounded harder and harder with each work that his best friend spoke. He had noticed all of those symptoms. And he had ignored each and every one of them. His wish to not be paranoid had become somewhat of a death wish. "What do we need to do?" He tried to sound brave.

"I'm scheduling you for your first round of chemotherapy within this week. We don't have time to mess around. I'll tweak a few appointments and get you in after hours. You're going to have to lighten your workload. Your body can't stand up to strain while you're fighting something this serious."

"And if the chemo doesn't work?"

Silence followed his question. Darien could see the near panic floating behind Andrew's eyes. "There are other options. But this is our best shot."

Serena remained silent while Darien related the details of his sickness. Her breathing was short and shallow, but he could tell she was still completely aware of everything he was saying.

"Andrew is getting me in for the first round of treatment in three days. He says we'll try half a dozen sessions, and go from there. Serena, I'm probably going to get worse before I get any better. And I won't be able to work as much if my body reacts poorly."

"As long as you're still here with me," She choked out after a long silence. "We can get through this. I know we can. We're meant to be together forever."

Tears welled into Darien's eyes at his wife's brave words. "I'm never thought this would happen to me," he whispered. "I never thought we would have to go through this… and I'm so scared. I'm scared for you… for the babies… and I'm so scared of dying…"

Serena burst into tears and huddled closer to her trembling husband. "We're going to be okay. And we're going to have twins. And we're going to raise them together!"

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Time is a cruel thing. Darien carefully removed his scrubs and folded them neatly, placing them on a chair near the window. It seemed as if time had a cruel vendetta against him and had flown by in the blink of an eye merely to drop him at the moment he had been dreading with his entire being. He glanced at himself in the mirror that hung on the door. He couldn't tell just by looking at himself that there was such a serious problem lurking inside. His skin was still tanned to a pale brown that made his blue eyed seem even lighter. His muscles were still clearly defined across his entire body from his arms to his chest… from his stomach down his legs… His eyes still glowed like the sea on the morning after a harsh storm… still as clear as any day… But the spots still stood out on his skin. A spattering of what looked like innocent freckles. Innocent… Like they were mocking him with their mere presence...

A knock at the door tore Darien away from his thoughts. Serena carefully slipped into the room and shut the door. She stared at his boxer-clad form and a pink hue stained her cheeks. She walked over to him and pulled his mouth down to meet hers. She poured all of her love and passion into the kiss as her support for him. When they parted, he knew that, no matter what happened, she would love him forever.

"You should get your hospital gown on before Andy comes in here and makes some comment about us standing around with you in your underwear."

A chuckle drifted over from the doorway and the couple turned to see Andrew standing just inside the entrance. "I was going to ask if I should come back later and hang a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door, but we're on a schedule here."

He stepped over to a wall lined with chemicals and instruments. He began grabbing some of the supplies he'd need to begin the process. If only it were just another treatment… just another person…

Darien pulled a hospital gown over his arms and Serena helped him tie it closed. As soon as she finished she slid into his arms and settled her head against his chest. "I'll be here with you for the whole thing," she stated, helping him settle into the bed that would become quite familiar to him for the next few hours. "I'm going to stay with you for everything."

Somehow, Darien knew she wasn't just referring to this one moment… this one treatment… but to everything they knew they would be going through for the next few months.

"I love you," he whispered, grabbing her hand.

"Let's get started," Andrew interrupted.

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Well, there's another chapter for you. It's kinda short…. And it only took me… what… two hours to write? Hahaha That's not so bad. Sorry again for the delay. I won't let it happen again! Five more chapters to go and I'm on a roll now!

Thank you so much to all of you that reviewed. Your wonderful comments keep me going! And an especially big thank you to those of you that kept reviewing even though I hadn't posted in a while. Opening my e-mail and seeing those reviews reminded me that there were people that were actually reading something I cared so much about. And they're great for making me feel guilty for not writing in a while!

Will you guys kill me if I post a chapter for my next story before I post another chapter of this one? Hmm…. Should I risk it? Maybe…

As usual, feel free to flame if you hate it, but please throw some marshmallows in with the flame!

Fiara