"Okay, let's see what we've got. Popcorn – check. Ridiculously large bar of chocolate – check. Pyjamas – check and a movie – check." Sam ticked of the required elements for a girls night in. "And, everything we need for a facial and pretty stuff to paint our nails." She added with a grin.

It was girls only at the apartment tonight. Lilly had, reluctantly, agreed to leave the hospital for the night. Finn had been sleeping most of the day and Jarred was happy with his condition so the promise of a home cooked meal by Sam and some quality time with her daughter had been welcoming thought. They had all enjoyed the delicious meal, courtesy of Sam's mom's secret meatloaf recipe, and it was now time to settle down with Connie to enjoy a film, Dumbo being the choice of the moment.

Daniel had left them to it. He'd decided to have his own boys night out and visit Ben in the hospital, knowing how down his friend was at the moment. He also knew that Ben and Lilly were not on the best of terms right now and wanted to offer the sick man some manly support if he could.

"We're missing something," Sam mused, "Ah, I know," she patted Lilly on the knee and then pushed off the sofa. "Wine! We can't have a girly night without a nice glass of something cold and alcoholic," she grinned and crossed to the kitchen

"Not for me," Lilly called after her. "I may be needed at the hospital."

Sam returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "One glass isn't going to hurt," she smiled as she placed them on the coffee table. "Budge up, Constance," she then gently urged the little girl who lay sprawled on the sofa. Connie grinned and clambered onto her mother's lap, dragging Muffin the bear with her.

Sam reached over and poured the wine. "Here you go," she handed Lilly a glass and then picked up the controls. "Right, are we all comfortable?" She asked and when Lilly and Connie both nodded, she pressed play.

"You're going to love this," she sighed as the familiar Disney castle logo and theme music started.

Hopefully, her friend would have a few hours escape from the stress and worry of the hospital. She needed it.

Xxx

Daniel stood in the doorway and watched as a nurse hung another bag of fluids.

Ben was lying on his side, staring out of the window, barely acknowledging her presence.

Daniel had had a quick word with Jarred and on his way in and the senior Oncologist had voiced his concerns about how depressed Ben seemed. Physically he was beginning to improve now. Although he still had a pretty high temperature, they had his vomiting under control, thankfully and he'd also been given the all clear, cardio wise. They'd put the PVC's down to being dehydrated, something they were dealing with by increased fluids and potassium.

Jarred had told him that he expected Ben to be tired and would sleep alot but he was growing concerned about his mood as he'd barely spoken two words to anyone all afternoon.

Daniel knew he had to do something about that and when the nurse smiled at him and beckoned him in; he cleared his throat and knocked on the doorframe. "You up for a visitor, Benny?" He called.

Ben just shrugged in response but that didn't deter Daniel who just strode up to the bed, giving the nurse a smile as she passed him and placed the book he'd bought for Ben on the rollaway table. He then dragged a chair round so he was facing his friend. "Hey," he greeted. "How you feeling?"

"Okay," Ben sighed, still staring out the window.

"Mr Freeman thinks you're on the road to recovery now."

"Suppose so."

"That's good isn't it?"

"Suppose so."

Daniel sat back in his chair and pursed his lips, not really knowing what to say next. It was obvious that Ben didn't want to talk. Perhaps he should leave.

"Listen, you seem tired. I should go," he pushed up out of his chair, preparing to leave but a soft sob from his friend soon had him sitting back down again. "Ah, crap Benny," he grabbed his friend's hand. "It's not that bad."

Ben turned eyes full of tears to face Daniel. "Isn't it?" He sniffed.

"No, of course not," Daniel leaned in further.

"Tell me what's not bad then? What's not bad about my son, who is serious ill with Cancer, a statement that I thought I'd never ever say. Tell me what's not bad about me dragging my family away from their home, their loved ones? Tell me what's not bad about me abandoning them all because of my own stupidity?" He angrily brushed away the tears that poured down his face. "Because, you know what Daniel? It is bad; it's so, so bad!"

"Ben don't..."

"I can't even go to my son, to support my son, to tell him that everything is gonna be okay. I've let him down when he needed me the most."

"Ben..."

"Lilly was right. What the hell was I thinking! I was just going to barge into his room you know. I knew I was sick but I was selfishly going to spend time with my son without thought for his well being. What if...what if I'd he'd got sick because of me?"

"He didn't..."

"I know but he could have! I would never have forgiven myself Daniel – never!"

Daniel sighed and hung his head, struggling to know how to placate his obviously devastated friend. "I don't know what to say Ben," he admitted. "All I know," he lifted his head and stared Ben straight in the eye "is that you are a wonderful father and would never, knowingly hurt your son. You were really sick Ben, cut yourself some slack buddy."

"Lilly's so mad with me," Ben sighed, all fight leaving him all of a sudden.

"She'll be fine. She's just exhausted and worried as hell, it's understandable. Jarred managed to persuade her to leave the hospital tonight. She's in Sam's good hands and when I left, the girls were in their pyjamas, eating pop corn and watching a movie. She is just fine."

"Really?"

"Yup, really. I think there was talk of a glass of wine, for Lilly and Sam that is – I think Connie maybe a little young," Daniel joked with a wink.

Daniel's joking managed to put a slight smile on Ben's face. "I think she maybe way too young, Daniel," he retorted with a soft chuckle.

"I don't know about that," Daniel shrugged nonchalantly and rested back in his chair with a grin. "I think that alot of babies on Abydos were given a dose of moonshine to make them sleep at night."

"Really?" Ben frowned and Daniel burst out laughing.

"Of course not! You don't really think that..."

"Okay, okay," Ben inched up in bed slightly, feeling so much brighter for the humours banter. "I knew you were joking."

"Of course you did Benny," Daniel snorted. "You should have seen your face..."

The two men then relaxed into conversation, Ben seeming much better for Daniel's company.

xxx

"You do know, Connie's asleep don't you," Sam nudged Lilly when the movie credits came on.

"She dropped off when Dumbo was being rocked by his mother," Lilly chuckled, reaching down to brush Connie's curls off her forehead. "She is going to be mad that she missed the end in the morning," she sighed, resting her head against the back of the sofa and turning her head to softly smile at her friend. "You haven't seen Constance when she's mad, have you?" She continued to chuckle.

"I don't know about that," Sam reached and grabbed the nearly empty bottle of wine and emptied what was left into their glasses. "She wasn't happy with me this morning when I told her she couldn't wear her pink fluffy dressing gown to the crèche," she laughed and rested back too. "She's a lovely girl," she added as she watched Connie as she mumbled in her sleep and then shifted slightly in Lilly's arms.

"She has her moments," Lilly agreed, nodding slowly as she too watched her daughter. "She's nothing like Finn you know. Finn is Ben through and through. He looks like Ben, talks like Ben and even walks like Ben," she sighed.

"I know, it's uncanny."

"Whereas Constance is me. She is fiery just like her mami. Poor Ben and Finn sure have their hands full with us girls." Lilly drained her glass and, careful of not disturbing her sleeping daughter, reached and placed it on the table. She leaned back again and closed her eyes, feeling quiet mellow thanks to the alcohol. "This whole experience is so surreal," she sighed sleepily.

"I'm sure it is," Sam nodded, taking a sip of wine.

"I mean, I'm sitting here, amongst all this luxury and finery longing to be at home in my pokey cottage with no heating, no lighting and barely a roof."

"Hasn't Ben fixed that yet?"

"No he hasn'," Lilly slurred slightly. "My husband tries hard but his hands aren't used to mam, um, manual labour," she hiccupped. "My husband's hands are used to, to healin' and carin' but, but he can't even help...he can't even help our son." Lilly lazily turned her head. "He feels so useless Sam, we both do. Our poor boy." A single tear fell down Lilly' cheek. "He doesn't know what's goin' on. He doesn't know how sick he really is, that he might, that he might..."

Sam reached and placed her hand on Lilly's arm. "It's alright, Lilly," she soothed. "Finn is in the best place, Mr Freeman and his team know just what they're doing and he has the best support in the world, in both worlds," she corrected with a smile.

"I was so horrible to Ben," Lilly sobbed. "He didn't deserve what I said to him. He is a wonderful father."

"I know, I know."

"I'm just so tired Sam. So tired of trying to be strong, so tired of watching Finn disappearing before my eyes – it hurts so much, so very much."

"Shh, shh, it will be alright." Sam eased Lilly's head on to her shoulder. "You don't have to be strong on your own, we're all here for you, I promise. You're not alone."

Xxx

"Goodness me!" Daniel chuckled, "how many kisses are you putting?"

"Well, there's one from me, one from Mami, from Connie, Grandmi, Grandpi, Uncle Niall, Auntie Cara, Sophie, Rachael," Finn counted off the kisses on the piece of card he was drawing on. "Do you think that's enough?" He frowned, chewing on the end of his marker pen. Daniel reached and placed his hand over Finn's.

"That's more than enough," he smiled.

"What about you, Sam, Carolyn..."

"No. It should just be your family."

After spending time with Ben, Daniel had dropped in to see Finn and knowing how down both father and son were, had suggested that Finn might like to do his Papi a drawing. He'd had a word with Polly and she'd checked with Jarred to see if it would be okay for Finn to go and hold the drawing up at Ben's window and the Oncologist had agreed as long as it was just a quick visit.

So, they'd spent the last half an hour drawing a masterpiece to cheer Ben up.

Finn quickly coloured in the heart in the middle of the card then sat back. "I've finished," he sighed, tiredly.

"You did a great job," Daniel praised. "Are you sure you're not too tired to do this?" He added, when Finn knuckled his eyes tiredly.

"I'm fine, I wanna do it," Finn smiled. "I haven't seen papi for ages."

"I know and he misses you too." Daniel started to gather the pens but stopped when he heard the door open. He looked up and smiled at Polly who walked in pushing a wheelchair. "Looks like your ride is here."

"Are you ready, Finister?" Polly grinned, pushed the wheelchair to the side of Finn's bed and started to unhook his IV's. "Right, I need to get you sorted first," she told him as she transferred his bag of fluids onto the stand on the arm of the wheelchair.

"Are you sure that Mr Freeman said this was okay?" Daniel asked, moving to one side to allow the nurse to do her job.

"As long as you're not long. The Finster has to go down for a scan in a while."

"What? Another one?" Finn grouched with his arms folded, obviously not liking that piece of news one bit.

"'Fraid so, Buddy," Polly shrugged. "You know the drill before Chemo now," she sighed and then made quick work of reconnecting Finn's lines so he could be transferred.

Between them, she and Daniel soon had Finn settled in the chair, clutching his picture in his hands. As they started to wheel him out, Finn quickly turned and grabbed his hat off the bed and plonked it on his head.

"I'm ready," he grinned and then pointed the way with Daniel and Polly chuckling as they pushed him.

Xxx

"Hang on, I'll get the covers." Sam stretched over and pulled Connie's quilt down slightly and Lilly gently laid her sleeping daughter on the bed. She tucked Muffin under her arm and pulled her covers back up. After dimming the bedside light and kissing her cheek, she left Connie to sleep.

"Thanks for a wonderful night, Sam," she sighed as she and Sam then made their way back into the living area. "It was just what I needed," she admitted, picking up the empty wines glasses and popcorn bowl.

Sam crossed to switch of the television. "I'm glad you enjoy it," she turned and smiled. "I had a great time too. I don't get the chance to kick back and relax much these days."

"I'm sure you don't" Lilly yawned, moving to the kitchen to put the bowl and glasses in the sink before running some hot water. Sam followed her, throwing the empty chocolate wrappers in the trash on her way.

"Leave that," she echoed Lilly's yawn. "We'll do it in the morning. I don't know about you but I'm beat."

Lilly nodded as she turned the taps off. "Me too," she agreed.

"Go on to bed, I'll lock up."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, now shoo."

Lilly chuckled. "I'm going, I'm going." She surrendered and then pulled Sam in for a hug. "Thank you," she repeated. "I needed that."

Sam returned the hug. "You're very welcome. I just hope your boys had a restful evening too."

"Me too," Lilly pulled out of the hug. "Me too," she smiled, patted Sam's hand and made her way to Connie's room, having decided to spend the night as close as possible to her daughter. "Good night," she called over her shoulder before retiring.

"Nite Lilly. Sleep well," Sam called back clicked the kettle on, deciding that she had time for a nice cup of coffee before bed.

Xxx

Daniel reached and lifted Finn out of the wheelchair. "You okay, buddy?" He asked as Finn's head immediately came to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Finn mumbled. "Just a bit tired."

"Right, let's get this done and then you can rest." Daniel quickly knocked on Ben's door and watched, through the window as his friend slowly turned to face them, grinning from ear to ear when he noticed Finn.

"Hey," he greeted, quickly sitting up.

"Finn's got a surprise for you," Daniel smiled back and then nudged Finn who lifted his card and pressed it against the window.

"I love you Papi," Finn called, just in case his father couldn't read what he'd written.

"I love you too," Ben called back, his voice full of raw emotion and Daniel found that he actually had to swallow down his own emotions caused by the touching father and son moment.

Finn held the card up as long as he could, his head still resting on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel knew how much effort the simple task was taking so reached and took the card.

"Say goodnight, Finn," he smiled tenderly and kissed the young boy on the top of his head.

"'Nite Papi," Finn yawned.

"'Nite Finny, love you. Thank you for coming to see me," Ben replied warmly. "Sleep tight my love."

"Love you too," Finn yawned again and gave his father a quick wave.

Daniel gently lowered the sleepy boy back into the chair and smiled at Tim who was stood to one side waiting for his patient.

"He's so tired," he told him.

"This scan won't take long Finster," Tim took the wheelchair handles. "Quick in and out and you can go back to sleep again." He nodded and smiled at Daniel before slowly pushing the drowsy boy towards the elevator.

Daniel stood and watched them go before turning and poking his head round Ben's door.

"Was that a nice surprise?" He asked, watching Ben inch down in bed again.

"The best," Ben nodded. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome. Hope it cheered you up."

"It did," Ben yawned.

Daniel took that as his signal to leave, feeling rather exhausted himself. It had been a long stressful couple of days.

"Get some sleep," he smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"Before you go, could you ask someone if I can have a phone? I want to give Lilly a call."

"Sure."

"Thank you again for tonight Daniel. That meant so much."

"My pleasure. Sleep well."

"I will now."

Daniel slowly closed the door, happy to see the improvement in his friend and went in search of a nurse, knowing that the call to Lilly would be appreciated as much by her as him.

Xxx

Sam was just about to switch the lights off when the phone rang. She quickly grabbed it off its holster, hoping that the ringing would not disturb the household.

"Hello."

"Hi Sam, its Ben. Is Lilly still awake?"

"I'm not sure, I'll go and check. Is everything okay?" She asked as she crossed to Lilly's room.

"Everything's fine, I just need to talk to Lilly," Ben assured.

"Sure, hold on." Sam gently knocked on the door and poked her head round. "It's Ben," she whispered so not to wake Connie. Lilly who was just settling down in bed immediately sat up and held her hand out for the phone.

"Hey," she greeted her husband. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Good. Is Finn alright?"

"He's fine."

"Good."

"Listen Lilly...I'm..."

"Listen Ben...I'm..."

The Astons both spoke at once.

"No, you first," Ben quickly interjected.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Lilly sighed, inching down in bed again.

"Me too," Ben's sigh echoed Lilly's. "You were right."

"No – I was tired, of course you didn't get sick on purpose."

"I know, but I should have thought."

Sam watched as Lilly lay down again, the phone cradled under her chin and when she started to smile gently, Sam knew that everything was just going to be fine.

"He didn't...really...?"

Tip toeing out of the room, Sam left her friends to talk, the sound of Lilly's soft laughter a relief.

Things were getting better, there was a long way to go still but, hopefully her friends would tackle everything together and that was all they could do under the circumstances.