-1Sorry I haven't written in so long I've been really busy and, I'm not going to lie, I completely blew my stories off. But I'm back! And so are my stories!!

Enjoy and, if I don't get reviews, I don't continue!!

"Daddy it hurts!" Peter cried and he squeezed his father's hand as another bolt of pain shot through his head. The cancer was all over his brain. Peter didn't have much time left. A grayish tint lay over his brown eyes that no longer saw and a blue bandana was tied over the smooth skin of his bare scalp. Chemo made it impossible to go outside, or even get out if bed and he felt nauseous all the time. Oliver felt useless, watching his son die before his eyes. There was nothing to be done. Nothing.

"I know bud, I know. It will be alright,"

"When will it be over?" he asked hopelessly.

"Real soon, real soon." Oliver's voice cracked as he said it and he tried to hold tears back but failed.

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too bud. So much." Oliver kissed Peter on the cheek. The little fingers tightened on his again and his heart ached.

"Forever?"

"Longer than that. Much, much longer than forever," Peter yelled as the pain in his head intensified.

"Nurse!" Oliver shouted out into the hall. A petite woman entered the room. "Isn't there anything you can give him for the pain?" she nodded sympathetically and injected something into his IV drip.

"This will make him go to sleep as well." she said and shuffled out of the room. Moments later Peter dozed off and Oliver carefully removed his hand from his son's. Miley sat in an armchair outside of the room with her head in her hands. Oliver knelt in front of her and wrapped his strong arms around her. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"I can't stand not doing anything! I feel like I've failed as a mom. I'm supposed to take care of him and make him feel better and there's nothing I can do! He can't die he can't! We're supposed to go first, not him, he supposed to outlive us! What the fuck did we do wrong, what did he do wrong?! He's just a child! It's not fair, it's not…"

"I know, I know. Listen you are an amazing mom but there isn't anything we can do. We just have to be there for him. I know it's hard but that's the way it is whether we like it or not." They held each other and cried in the hall before going into the hospital room to watch their son sleep.

………………………………..........

"So when exactly is she meeting us here?" Lily asked as she tapped her fingers on the wooded table of the musky restaurant where she and Oliver sat nervously waiting for Miley to arrive.

"Around 6:30, just another half hour okay. Stop fidgeting and stop asking me that."

"Sorry but I still don't understand why I have to be here for this."

"Well you seem to be very concerned that we get back together so I thought it fit to get you here." Oliver said darkly. Lily scowled at him and slouched back in her seat, sipping her beverage. While they were waiting, Oliver decided to, finally, shine the light on Lily's life.

"So, when will I finally get to meet the infamous Thomas Parker? Seeing as we didn't receive an invitation to your wedding I don't know all that much about him."

"I don't know that you will. He pretty much lives to excel at his work and has been working from our hotel since we got here. He's in the middle of a huge case. If he wins, it could be the defining point of his career. He's not always that that though, just when he has a big case. Before we started dating, we hardly spoke. He was my boss and I was just an intern at the firm and one day, he just asked me out. The rest is history. And, I'm sorry I didn't invite you. There's no excuse for it." Her eyes were sad and begged forgiveness and Oliver couldn't help but forgive her.

"I still can't believe you're a lawyer. I would've never guessed when we were younger. Too serious, much too serious a profession for little Lily Truscott." Lily smiled weakly at him and took another sip.

"Yeah well, things have changed, I've changed. so have you." An awkward silence filled the gap between them. "And I can't believe you're an author and a journalist. Never would've pegged you as the writing type."

"Well like you said, things have changed. It took me a while to discover how much writing could do for someone. It taught me how to be completely passionate towards something…or someone" Lily stared at him, mesmerized by the look on his face. Oliver's eyes snapped to the door just as Miley walked through it. She caught sight of them with her tired eyes and walked stiffly over to them. The ring in Oliver's pocket suddenly felt very heavy. Miley sat on the hard seat across from them and said stared down at the table.

"Well, I'm here, talk." Oliver leaned over the table toward her and gazed intently.

"Miley, I need you back. We both know we can't cope alone. I love you and I know that, inside, you still love me too. I know it will be hard but, we can do it. We at least have to try. You have to stop running away. It isn't healthy." Miley raised her eyes to him painfully.

"I don't know why I even came. I knew this would happen." She rose from her seat, preparing to leave.

"Miley, wait!" Lily exclaimed. "Oliver's right and you know it. I know that he looks like Peter and I understand that it's hard for you but that does not mean you get to abandon him. He is suffering just as much as you are. And you leaving sure as hell doesn't help. Think of what you're doing to him. I know that every time you look at him you see Peter and everything he does reminds you of him but there's nothing he can do about that. Yes, you're suffering but that is no excuse. You're being unbelievably selfish and selfishness doesn't suit you." Miley looked at her former best friend as though she had been slapped in the face. It was obvious that Lily's words had reached her. Oliver considered that it was painful for Miley even to look at him because of Peter's remarkable resemblance to him. It hurt to think about. Miley had tears streaming down her face.

"I have to go. I need time to think. Sorry, Oliver, Lily." she quickly turned and stormed out of the restaurant.

"I'm sorry Oliver, I tried but I just don't…." Lily trailed off and stared after Miley.

"Thank you. Really." Oliver said and hugged her tightly. The ring in his pocket still feeling extremely heavy. "Do you have a ride to your hotel?"

"Yes, I have a rental car."

"Okay, good."

"I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe I can get Thomas to take a break for once and come and meet you." She smiled cautiously.

"That would be good. Bye, Lily."

"Bye."

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