June

"Can I get you anything?" Kelly sat down beside him on the couch. He hadn't spoken a word in nearly an hour and quite frankly she was worried. Joey wasn't the strong silent type and the fact that he wasn't talking was more troubling than anything he could have said.

Joey shook his head, barely lifting his head to look at her face. He could see she'd been crying and he knew she was hurting as well. Comforting her seemed like the most normal, natural thing to do and yet his own pain overwhelmed any instinct he had to reach out to her.

Slowly she reached out, touching his shoulder. "Please talk to me," she whispered. "I need you to talk to me."

"There's nothing to say." He stood, walking across the room to the window. As he looked outside, he stared at the trees and flowers beginning to bloom in the front yard. It seemed a cruel joke that everything was enjoying new life and yet his brother was losing his.

She didn't know what to say. What could she say? She couldn't tell him everything would be ok. It wouldn't. Kevin had pancreatic cancer. Stage four. It had spread all over his body. There was no treatment. There was no cure. It was fatal.

"I know you're hurting," she said as she walked up behind him slowly, "But I need you to listen to me. It's about what Kevin asked me."

Slowly he turned around to face her. "Kevin asked you something? What? Why didn't he ask me? I told him if he needed anything that I'd get it?"

She shook her head. "It's not like that. Kevin asked me to stop wasting time. He wants us to be together." She watched as his eyes narrowed.

"We are together, Kel," he said quietly, not feeling up to reassuring her about their relationship status.

"I don't mean like that….he wants us to be officially together." She could tell Joey still had absolutely no idea what she meant. "Joey, Kevin wants us to get married…He wants to be at our wedding."

"Joey," Kelly sighed, grateful to see him walk back through the door. "Thank God you're back. Where were you? I was worried sick."

"I just needed a minute," Joey said, looking at her. "What you said…what Kevin wants…I can't…we can't…we can't do that."

Kelly shook her head. "I know. I know what you're thinking. I thought the same thing. I said the same thing. I told him that it seemed wrong, but what he said…it kind of…"

She looked up at Joey, his eyes glaring at her.

"Kind of what?" he said, his voice harsh, more with hurt and confusion than with anger.

"It made sense, Joey. He said that he wanted to know that we were together..that we were happy. He wants to know that Zane has a happy family and he wants us to make the most of every second we have together." She took a step closer to Joey, taking his hands in hers.

"Can't you understand that?" she whispered.

He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I can understand that, but this is like giving him permission to give up, Kel. Why fight when he knows that we're together and Zane has a home and he has nothing. What's left for him then?"

"Joey…he's dying. I wish it weren't true, but it is. He just wants to know that everyone he's leaving behind is happy and ok. I don't think it's fair for us to deny him that."

"She's right you know."

They both turned to face the voice behind them. Kevin stood staring at them.

"I've always looked out for you, little brother and I'm not about to stop now." Kevin closed the distance between the two of them.

"Kev…this is…I can't think about getting married when you're…"

"When I'm here to watch you marry the woman you've been in love with since you were a teenager? When I'm here to be your best man? When your nephew is here to stand up there with you and join your new family?"

"Kevin," Joey began…

"Joe…I need this. I need to know that you're happy. I need to make sure that you and Kelly get it right this time and I need to see it…I need to see it before…"

"Kevin…don't say it. You can still. You can still beat this."

Kevin smiled at him. "You always were the dreamer."