Disclaimer: I do not own any thing from the show Hamtaro. (Has nothing else to say...for once.)

AN: Sorry about the last chapter, everyone! I really am! You have no idea how embarrassing that was! Well,...thank God only four people hit that one. (I checked before I deleted it, sneaky lil' thing I am! XD) Anyway, thanks, lupyne. Your review cheered me up! I only wish I had someone else's point of view for a few minutes to see my own work. But in my mind, it seems pretty amateur...I'll learn to do better, though. I always strive to do what's capable of me, and this is not it. (I'm a bit if a perfectionist...if only I was that ay with my room! XD) ANYWAY! Sorry if I'm boring you all here...read on! Thanks a million! Sorry for the over-a-month long wait! I truly am! XD At least the length will make up for it…(sweat drops)

Chapter Eleven: Different Kinds of Sick

Buzzzzz!

Tom stopped his pacing and froze, knowing exactly who was there. A look of dread crept upon his face as he became more heartsick. It wasn't because he didn't trust the young man there, or that he didn't believe his little girl would be happy with him, it was more like…she was no longer his full responsibility, she was no longer fully his. This scared him in more ways than one.

"Hello, Stanley." He tried to mask his feeling of deep gloom with a cheerful tone, but it showed anyway. Stan didn't know what to think, so he didn't and replied,

"Hey, Mr. Fox!"

"Come on in."

Once in the apartment, Tom had him sit down with Sandy and Maxwell to chat a bit and relax. Stan couldn't though, he kept on moving and fidgeting.

"So, I hear you two have a baby. Candace absolutely adores her," Tom said to the young couple and quickly winked at Stan, who was smiling at his sister and didn't notice as his foot tap tapped on the cold, hardwood floor.

"Mmhm. Her name is Star," Sandy informed cheerfully. Stan wiggled.

"And where is she?"

"At home, with our friend." Twitch, twitch.

"Oh." Tap, tap, tap.

"Where's Candace?" Stan questioned, bouncing his leg up and down.

"At rehearsal," Tom replied.

"When will that be done?" He asked, attempting to be casual, tapping on his legs.

"In about an hour." Slap, slap.

"Um…Mr. Fox?" Thud.

"Oh Max, just call me Tom." Thud, creak.

"Oh. Um…Tom?" Tap, tap, tap, tap. Lub dub, lub dub.

"Yes?" Teapot whistle. Fidget. Tap. Lub dub. Thud. Pop. Creak. Bang!

Stan stood up, getting strange looks from everyone.

"Where are you like, going?" Sandy asked.

"I'm gonna get Candace."

"She usually walks home alone or with a fri-"

"Bye!" Stan unintentionally cut Tom off and slammed the door.

"It's so sweet, how excited he is to see Candace and all," Maxwell said, excusing his friend.

"That's quite a brother you have there, Sandy."

"Yeah, well he has his moments…"

"He's quite the wiggle-worm."

"Tell me about it…He can be like, so immature when it comes to waiting."

The three laughed and continued on with a normal conversation.

-.-.-.

Stan was walking, well running, down the halls of the large theatre building when he heard voices loudly gossiping and that famous ringing giggle he loved so much. Candace was near, and he didn't even have to use his hiffer to find her. He just followed the sounds of the women's voices.

"I just can't believe it, Candy. I mean, Doll, you'll be here for tomorrow's performance and then…gone." Stan recognized the slightly melancholy voice as Roxanne's.

"I'll still call and visit you guys, Roxi." They weakly smiled at each other. "Plus, Stan's a wonderful guy. You have nothing to worry about."

"Well, if what your little skeptic art friends Annik and Lakin said was true about your pops' fondness of him, then it must be true!"

"So, we hear all this great stuff about him, but never once are showed a picture. How do we know you're not just making this up?" An unfamiliar voice teasingly asked.

"Because I never lie to you, that's how." Candace said in playful defense.

"So…let's see it! What does he look like?" they slyly asked.

"Diane…" Candace whined, embarrassed.

"C'mon, you gotta have a picture someplace!" Diane pressed as Candace reluctantly pulled one out of her wallet. The other two snatched it out of her paw and grouped around it with their backs turned to her, gushing.

It was the one of them at the wedding almost two years before, where Stan had his nose to hers and said he wanted to get a better look at her eyes, which were now sparkling in tears of embarrassment with all the fuss her friends kept making.

"What a stud-muffin! He's so adorable!" Diana yelled appreciatively.

"I could just eat him right up!" Roxanne chimed in.

"Guys…" Candace groaned, blushing.

"Well, others do say I look better in hamster…"

"STANLEY!" Candace shouted as she leapt into his open arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the apartment," she continued, starting to nuzzle him.

"I got too anxious and figured I could walk you home," he answered innocently, her body still in his arms and his nose still rubbed against hers. The others cooed.

"That's so sweet!" she dropped down and hugged Stan.

And with that, he took her paw and they walked away, Roxanne and Diane gushing all the while.

-.-.-.

Back at the apartment, the four young adults stood around in the living room, exiled from the kitchen because Tom said he didn't want help. Sandy and Maxwell stood by Candace and they talked until they noticed Stan was being awfully quiet over where he stood, looking up at something on the fireplace mantle. He felt their stares and turned to Candace.

"Wow, Candy! You were hot in high school!" The others sweat dropped. Candace went over to investigate what Stan was looking at. She smiled at him.

"That's not me. That's my mom."

"Oh. You look just like her…"

Candace blushed. "Thanks. A lot of hamsters say that."

"So, where is she?" Stan asked, still looking at the young lady in the picture. He noticed that Candace must have inherited her brown eyes from Tom because her mother's were a very crystal blue.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her father called from the kitchen for her to help out with the meal.

"Yes, Daddy!" she ran off as Stan noticed the look of disbelief his sister gave him.

"You mean, you don't know yet?" Sandy asked with venom in her tone.

"Don't know what?"

"That Canda-"

"Sans! We need some help in here please!"

"Sure. Be there in a sec.!" And off she went as well.

Stan turned to Maxwell, confused. "What? Is there something she knows that we don't?" His friend began to look uncomfortable.

"Maybe it would be best if you heard it from Candace…"

-.-.-.

Dinner was so enjoyable and everyone was having such a good time, Stan completely forgot about what happened earlier. What made things even better was that Candace started playing a little footsie with him. He only wished Sandy and Maxwell would stay with them instead of getting a hotel room, but they insisted that they didn't want to be a bother and left at around nine.

The remaining three got ready for bed and headed for their rooms. Stan walked towards the couch but Candace grabbed his arm and led him to her room. Stan gulped as he was being dragged away and gave Tom a questioning look, getting an eased, almost given-in one in return. He weakly and gratefully smiled. Tom trusted him with his daughter and Stan silently vowed to keep that trust in him by being responsible and respecting. He could only imagine how worried sick he'd be if a boy was going to sleep in his daughter's bed as they tumbled into Candace's.

-.-.-.

The next day, Stan awoke feeling a slight chill. It was the end of June, and mornings tended to be cooler, but not like this. He thought maybe it was the thermostat setting Tom liked to keep it at.

He noticed Candace wasn't next to him and figured she had already left for another rehearsal and knew she wouldn't be back until after the cast party, when they'd leave for Pennsylvania on the late-night train.

Getting up, he realized he was breathing through his mouth instead of his nose and, no matter how many tissues he used, it wouldn't come unplugged. At breakfast with Sandy and Maxwell at this little café down the street, he didn't want to eat very much. When he talked, he sounded funny and he felt achy all over.

Stan finally decided to take some medicine, which he thoroughly loathed, and went to the show, where he kept drifting in and out of sleep. He felt guilty he had slept through most of Candace's last play.

Backstage, Candace ran up to him, squealing in all the hype and excitement of her last Broadway performance as her friends screamed behind her. Stan cringed.

"Stan! Did you like it? Was it good?" Stan opened his mouth to reply, but the lingering tickle in his throat made his eyes water and he turned away from Candace so he couldn't cough on her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But I think I'll head over to the apartment now. I'll see you later when you get home, babe. Plus, I'm sure you don't want me loafing around while you're trying to hang with your friends." He kissed the top of her head and walked dizzily back to her home.

-.-.-.

Candace, Sandy, and Maxwell walked through the door at eight-thirty. They left the party early to check on Stan. Tom, who hadn't stayed for the festivities, followed him home and put him to bed as soon as they got there.

"Candace, I don't think you can leave tonight. You'll have to stay put for a day or so."

"Daddy, I know you'll miss me and, really like Stan, but you don't have to keep us locked here," Candace said, getting the wrong message.

"No, Bun. I'm happy you're spreading your wings and going to new places, and I know you'll be happy and taken care of. It's Stan though, darling," he explained, clearing the air.

"Stan? What's wrong with Stan? Is he that sick?" Sandy asked.

I'm afraid so. I can't give him any more medicine because he took some just a couple hours ago. That, and I don't know if he's allergic to anything."

"My poor baby!" Candace rushed into her room.

"You two can go home if you don't want to stay another night. I'll call you when he's feeling better," Tom offered.

"No. It's fine. We'll just call Bijou and Pashmina when we get back to the hotel. It's fine, really," Maxwell said and Sandy vigorously nodded.

"Plus, we promised to help take Candace's things home with us."

"Well, okay. Come on by tomorrow morning for breakfast."

"Alright. Than-Q, Tom."

"Good night."

-.-.-.

"Sweetheart…? Stan…? Are you awake?" Candace whispered gently, her paws on his hot forehead and right cheek. Stan quietly groaned, slowly opening his heavy, moist eyes. He looked up at her in a daze as she lay down next to him. "Hey you…You okay?"

"Mm…" he shivered up against her. Se wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to warm him up. "I'm s-so c-cold…" he chattered.

"I know you are, Hon. I can't put any more blankets on you because you might overheat. Just try to sleep, okay?"

"Mm…"

'Poor guy…he's so miserable…' "Stan? Are you able to take Motrin? You're not allergic, are you?" Stan slowly shook his head. "I'm going to leave for a few minutes, alright? I'll be right back."

Stan curled up into even more of a ball and nearly froze until Candace returned with a small cup of orangey liquid and a half-glass of water. Then she propped his head up and made him gulp down the liquids. Resting beside him again, the two cuddled- Stan under five blankets and Candace laying on top of them all.

-.-.-.

At ten o' clock, Tom walked into the room quietly. Candace read a book as Stan, who was all snuggled up by her, snored into her ear.

"He's actually asleep?"

"Mmhm. Yep." Her father looked at her softly, shaking his head.

"How do you do it?" He smiled. She beamed back.

"Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, sweetheart…And good luck!" They laughed as he shut off the lights.

-.-.-.

Candace checked up on Stan as soon as she woke up. He was still sleeping, so she cautiously put her paws to his face again. She smiled at him, kissed his cheek, and walked into the kitchen, tripping over the blankets Stan had pushed off in his sleep.

"Hey. Good morning," Sandy said.

"Hi."

"How is he?"

"Cool as a cucumber! His fever must have broke sometime last night."

"That's good," Maxwell said.

"Sit down, Bun," Tom said, pulling out a chair for her. She sat.

"Even better," Her eyes lit up. "We may be able to leave today!"

The other two beamed and Tom just barely smiled. Candace noticed this and took his paw, smiling sympathetically at her father. It was amazing how much she was like her mother. He sighed, defeated. His little girl had grown up, but he now realized that she would always be his no matter what…