Wow. It's been eight months since my last chapter. That is insane, and I apologize. This chapter has been beating my butt, and I'm pretty sure I have been writing it for the 8 months that is has taken me to get it up. It's very short, but hopefully it'll do for now. I need to finish this story. 1: because it's time. And 2: because now it hits a little close to home for me. My cousin was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma, so I have a feeling that will be influencing this story quite a bit. I hope I have a reader or two left, just so I don't have to make the journey to the end of this story alone. I hope you are all well in your lives, and enjoying the holiday season. Please review and give me your thoughts, I would love that. Thank you.

Disclaimer- none of it is mine.

Chapter 14

Lisbon hadn't been in the office for about two weeks. It felt weird being driven past the gaits by someone else. She waived across Jane to the guards as he drove them into the parking lot of the CBI. He parked near the front, knowing they'd be leaving again soon anyway. Lisbon had come into work with Jane so he wouldn't need to drive all the way back to her house to get her for chemo. She told him she had some things she needed to grab from her office and she'd go with him, and they'd head out from there. He had agreed, but made her promise she wouldn't do any work. Jane tried his best to keep Lisbon's stress level down, but when he was a big source of the stress half the time, it didn't work very well.

Lisbon noticed the odd looks they got from other people as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator. It seemed like everyone was watching them as the doors closed between them.

"Did you see that?" Lisbon asked him, wondering if her mind had been playing tricks on her and everyone hadn't watched them walk through the room.

"See what?" Jane had definitely seen something, but he figured if he didn't tell her, she'd forget about it and she wouldn't make a big deal.

"Nothing." Lisbon said as the doors opened into the SCU. They walked down the hallway into their bullpen, and Rigsby looked up from his desk.

"Hey Boss!" He said, standing to come closer. It was rare that any of the team members saw Lisbon anymore. She liked to keep herself at home, away from the judgmental eyes of people she didn't know. Much like what she had encountered downstairs... "What are you guys doing here?"

"I have chemo at 10, but I thought I'd come with Jane. Maybe Cho can get him to actually do a little work before he brings me to the clinic." Lisbon laughed, sitting herself by Jane, who had taken a seat on his couch.

"Haha, that's funny." Cho said straight faced as he entered the bullpen. "But Jane, I'm glad you're here. We need you to come with us, we're just about to leave for a crime scene."

"I can't, I have to bring Lisbon-" Jane began, but Van Pelt cut in as she walked into the conversation.

"Jane, I can take Lisbon to chemo, I have some sick days built up and I was in need of one anyway." she turned to Lisbon, suddenly worried about how her boss felt about her offer, "If it's okay with you, of course."

Lisbon didn't take long to think about it, "Of course, I'd love it if you came." she smiled, and rocked on her feet like she used to. She turned to Jane, "You go do something useful."

When Van Pelt went to her desk and Cho and Rigsby went off of their respective cars, Jane came up to Lisbon privately.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean... I'd like to be there, at your session today."

"Jane it's fine... you have work. Go," she shooed him away and shot him a smile, "I'll be okay." Jane said nothing else but left with Cho and Rigsby out the bullpen.

"I just need to finish up this paperwork, it'll just take a minute." Van Pelt smiled and Lisbon nodded, heading in the direction of the kitchenette. It was different, they had put in a small island in the middle of it and moved the sink. Although it was something so simple as just a rearrangement of a kitchen, it felt to Lisbon as something bigger. Something more important. The CBI had moved on without her. Life had gone on.

Lisbon walked to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, filling it to the brim with the tap water from the new sink. She drank it slowly while she examined the rest of the kitchenette. Not much had changed.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the tall red head walked through the kitchenette door, "Do you want to head over now?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure." Lisbon set her glass in the sink and followed Grace to the car. Their walk was silent, but there was unspoken gratitude in the air. It wasn't until they were both seated and buckled in Grace's car that they began to talk.

"We really miss you around here," Van Pelt said as she turned the key in the ignition, "it's weird not having you around all the time." Lisbon laughed.

"It's weird for me too." Lisbon looked out the window, "I do have Jane, so it's not like I've gone completely cold-turkey with the CBI crew."

"Yeah, I was going to ask you about that," Van Pelt pulled the car out of the parking space and continued out of the CBI parking lot, "what's up with you two?"

Lisbon looked to Grace, expressing most of the question on her face, "What do you mean?"

"You guys just seem... different. The whole CBI is talking about it, there's even a rumor that you're-" Grace's face blushed and she stopped herself, this was not a conversation she wanted to be having, why did she have to bring it up?

"That we're what?"

"That you're... sleeping together." Grace whispered her words as if not to be heard by a bystander.

"What?!" That's impossible! What would give people that impression? Lisbon thought. Just because I'm sick and I need someone with me, it can't be on a strictly friendship basis? Lisbon could feel her blood boil. She knew something like this was bound to happen at some point, but she could never have guessed how it would make her feel. Wasn't it enough that she was going through something as drastic as cancer? Did people really need to be spreading rumors?

"I mean, I haven't said anything to anyone, but that's mostly cause I wasn't sure myself. I mean, you guys seem to be getting awfully close..." Grace continued, unaware at the fiery temper building behind the petite agent's eyes.

"No of course we are not sleeping together!" Lisbon defended her and Jane's relationship.

"Yeah yeah I didn't think so," Grace was apologetic about her disbeliefs, "I didn't mean to say anything, just forget I brought it up." She attempted to dismiss a subject that was not easily forgotten.

"Grace, if we're going to be friends, you're going to need to be more comfortable around me," Lisbon laughed, "I mean, God, what'll happen after chemo today when I'm vomiting out your car window!" She laughed again, only realizing Grace had not completely picked up on the fact that she was joking, "... Grace I won't do that, I'm just kidding." She laughed at the younger agent's awkwardness, even after all of the years together, and after a moment had passed, "I'll definitely ask you to pull over before I start to heave..."

Both women laughed at Lisbon's last comment, pulling into the hospital entrance. Grace parked a bit away from the hospital, but it was the only free spot left.

"You may have to pull the car up to the front to get me, I won't be in the mood for a long stroll to the car," Grace was very taken aback by Lisbon's nonchalantness about the whole thing, but she didn't expect any less from her tough boss. Lisbon unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Grace, "here we go."

Lisbon was situated in her chair and the nurse had just finished putting the IV into her arm when Van Pelt returned from her coffee trip. She was taken aback at first, when she entered the room full of 10 other chemo patients. Her boss looked so tiny in the chair, covered in a big blue blanket. Van Pelt was practically baking in the warm room, she wondered why each of the patients had such a large amount of blankets on them.

"Pull up a chair and talk to me," Lisbon said, somewhat woozily. Van Pelt figured the IV in her arm was attached to her treatment, and they must have already started. She grabbed a wooden chair from across the room and pulled it up beside Lisbon. But she couldn't think of anything to say. Her brain seemed to be silenced by the image of her boss, her tough, independent, headstrong boss, practically being destroyed by cancer. "How are things with you and O'Loughlin?"

"They're... they're great." Van Pelt didn't answer honestly, for if she were to, she would definitely not have that answer. Things were not great between her and O'Laughlin, but she would spare her boss the drama.

"That's good, great." Lisbon smiled, her eyes closing as she did and she turned her head away. Lisbon took a deep breath. She was feeling sick. This new treatment was taking it out of her, and her body began to tremble.

"Boss, you okay?" Van Pelt spoke worriedly as she noticed her boss began to shake, "do you need me to get a nurse?" Van Pelt was standing before Lisbon could stop her.

"No.. I always shiver during treatments.. just keep talking." Lisbon summed as much as she could of a smile and Van Pelt did her best to continue the conversation.

Eventually Lisbon nodded off to sleep, and Van Pelt took out her phone and texted Rigsby. Grace couldn't help the fear that had planted itself in her chest. The worry for her boss that engulfed her mind. The pain that soon absorbed her entire being, over the thought that they could be losing someone that meant so much to each of them. That Lisbon may not get to have the life they all had the privilege of having. That soon, Lisbon would be gone.