Chapter 24:

Important!

So, someone brought up the one thing I was hoping would be over looked...I forgot about Bella's scar. I hoped it wouldn't be noticed, but it was so I'm going to address it. Usually I would go back and insert it in, but I'm honestly so far into the story it'd be difficult, so for this story we'll say it just kind of...faded away.

Okay, continue.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

We walked out almost four hours later with sighs of relief. The duration of the remaining hours had been both amusing, boring and…interesting to say the least. I was partially amused with the Denalis—mostly Kate—with their reactions to the whole process.

Sometimes they would be surprised by how light the atmosphere in the chemo room was, or how the nurses interacted with the patients. Sometimes it was how long it took my bag to drain and how many bags I had to have during the session. Or—my personal favorite—when they asked me what I should have for lunch. As soon as I mentioned they would have to drive to get it, Kate and Irina almost bolted out of their seats to get me the food and away from just sitting.

Their overall giddiness to move around was amusing, but so was their complete interest in how the thing worked. It was like talking to a bunch of two year old kids with how many times I heard the questions "Why?" and "How?" during my treatment.

I completely understood why parents got tired after a while.

Currently, the womenfolk were standing in front of the doors as Eleazer got the SUV. While I could've walked to the SUV fully well, the others decided they didn't want to push my limits and decided to bring said SUV to me instead. I wasn't really complaining, though, since I was leaning into Tanya while we waited quite comfortably. She was a strangely comfortable being.

After Eleazer pulled the SUV to a stop out front, I was practically escorted into the car. Irina held the door open for me and Tanya helped me inside, holding my hand dutifully as she placed her other hand on my lower back. I crawled in without any issue—obviously—and moved into the very back where I began to settle myself and Tanya soon followed.

I pulled the seatbelt on as the blonde sat next to me, and practically shoved herself into my side—just in case. I took her hand in mine, letting them rest in the crevice our touching thighs. Her thumb began to run along the back of my hand contently as Eleazer pulled off after Kate and Irina were in and the door was closed.

I leaned further against my seat. "So," I said, "what did you guys think of your first chemo trip?"

"It wasn't what I expected, I will admit," Carmen said from the front seat. She turned to look back at me.

I felt my lip quirk a little in a slight smirk. "Were you guys expecting a silent room that had little optimism and a cloud of dread hanging in the air?" I asked.

Kate ducked her head. "Not the cloud."

I chuckled. My lips went from a smirk to a grin. "Not the cloud," I repeated amused.

"Is that what you expected when you first went, Bella?" Eleazer asked up front. His eyes glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "When you went to your first chemotherapy—I mean."

I took a second to think, pursing my lips as I thought of my first trip. In all honesty, that had been what I was expecting as a kid. I was terrified of being attached to these huge machines that would inject my body with what I was convinced was a poison that would kill me. However, it was much different when we got there.

Every cancer patient talked to me and the nurses were kind. I was kind of the little kid that everyone loved there, and I met a few kids that weren't much older than I was. I became decent friends with them, though we were never incredibly close.

I gave a small nod absentmindedly. "Yes," I admitted, "but it was more of a kid's mind imagining a dungeon in the form of a hospital."

Tanya's hand squeezed mine. "I sometimes forget you had cancer as a child," she frowned. She leaned closer to me. "Was it…scary for you to go to? I can understand how being a child and going through something like that would do things to your head."

I nodded, chuckling lightly. "I was horrified," I admitted. "All I heard was that they were sticking a needle in me that was attached to a machine to put a fluid in me. It took almost twenty minutes for my mom to calm me down for the first trip."

Irina glanced back at me. "I'm sorry you were that scared."

I shook my head and smiled at her gently. "Don't be," I said. I chuckled. "After we got there, everyone was fawning over me as the little kid. I got stickers, snacks, games and basically anything I wanted because of it from the nurses. Not to mention I loved everyone there. It became one of my favorite places to go."

The Denalis gave small smiles as Kate looked at me. "What about now? Do you still get your snacks and games?" she teased.

I shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't look as much like a kid as I did back in the day, but I still manage to sneak in a few tricks," I said, giving her a small wink.

Kate grinned and held out her hand expectantly. "I'll take your lifetime's worth of music and songs now, Bella—even if I didn't win the poker game," she said.

I handed my iPod over.

"Are you sure you're alright, Bella?" Carmen asked from her spot next to Eleazer on the loveseat. Her gold eyes were watching me intently where I laid curled up on the sectional in a blanket, Tanya lying behind me with her arms around me as I watched Kate and Irina play Call of Duty.

I nodded, giving the woman a small smile at the fifth time she had asked me since we came to the Denali house after the treatment. "I'm fine, Carmen."

Tanya hummed from behind me, her nose nuzzling the back of my neck. "You haven't really rested, though," she said to back up the Hispanic woman. "Not to mention you haven't eaten since about eleven and that was a few hours ago. You must be hungry by now."

I shrugged. "Not really."

"Bella…"

"I'm okay," I insisted, turning my head to look at the worried blonde behind me. I gave her a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll eat in a little while, but not right now, okay?"

Tanya studied me intently with her eyes, judging for a moment before she let out a small sigh and nodded reluctantly. "Alright," she agreed, "but you will eat something later—even if I have to shove it down your throat with a spatula."

"Are you sure you aren't the crazy girlfriend, Tanya?" Irina teased from the floor. I couldn't stop my small giggle that escaped my throat as I bit my bottom lip.

Tanya huffed and raised her head to peer over mine. "Save it, Rina. You would do that same as me if it meant she was going to eat," the blonde growled from behind me.

Irina scowled as Kate smirked. "You would, you know," she said.

"Shut it."

I chuckled at the three Denali sisters and turned my full attention back to the screen. The contest was getting intense as Irina and Kate tied practically every few seconds. One would die then the other would die. The first would die, and then the second would die.

It was going on a constant loop that was honestly hilarious to watch.

"Just die already!" Irian snapped.

"Fuck that!" Kate shouted.

The plastic controllers began to crack in their hands as they got more and more into the game. The snapping of the coating was heard every few seconds from either sister as Carmen sighed. "They break more and more of those every week," she murmured.

"At least we know they are really getting into it and don't have to worry about them for a few hours," Eleazer replied, giving a small chuckle.

Carmen smirked. "That is very true."

"Sadly," Tanya grumbled behind me.

I chuckled lightly when I suddenly felt the familiar gathering of saliva in my mouth. My stomach churned and my throat seemed to contract. My eyes widened. I grabbed at Tanya's arm wildly while simultaneously throwing the blanket off of me as her arms yanked free.

I hadn't realized how much she was supporting me on the couch until her arms were suddenly gone and I started to roll off. Fortunately, her hand—thanks to her vampire reflexes—held my hip in time to keep me from falling.

I swung my legs off the couch, and as soon as my feet touched the ground I was moving. I shot off the couch and bolted for the stairs, desperately trying to reach the toilet before the vomit shot up into my mouth. As my feet clumsily made their way, my stomach constricted and I dreadfully guessed I wouldn't be making it in time.

Just as I was about to reach the stairs, one of the vampires must have realized what was happening, because two arms suddenly scooped me off the ground and I was in front of the toilet before I could blink. My hair was held back with the lid up just as my mouth opened to let the bile shoot out into the water. I heaved as the vomit flew from my mouth and a soothing hand rubbed on my back.

"Just let it all out, Bella," Kate soothed in my ear gently, her hand running circles just under my neck.

I replied by letting more vomit fall from my mouth into the bowl of water. My eyes closed as the bile covered my tongue and invaded my nose, forcing another gag out of my throat that resulted in more vomit escaping from my stomach.

Kate's hand didn't stop stroking my back as I continued to puke or when Tanya came into the bathroom. The blonde took my hand in hers and ran soothing patterns on the back of it with her thumb, providing what support she could for me. "It's okay, Bella," she said.

I took in a gasp of air just before the next mouthful fell out. I gave a slight cough and spat out what remained of the disgusting chunky liquid in my mouth. I took in a deep breath and my body stopped heaving. I stayed over the toilet for a moment, catching my breath as I waited for the next wave to come.

After a moment, I rocked back to escape the smell of the toilet and let Kate slip her arm around my shoulders to guide me back to the wall as Tanya stood. I did my best to breathe through my nose, keeping the stench from escaping my mouth while Kate kneeled next to me, smiling slightly as her hand moved up and down my arm.

"Maybe we should come up with a signal," she suggested. Tanya put down the lid and flushed the toilet. "You know, so that next time it isn't like watching a clumsy action movie as you throw the arms off of you and run to the bathroom."

I couldn't stop my tight lipped smile as Tanya pulled a rag out of one of the drawers and dampened it in the sink. "But that's the best part," I said.

She grinned as Tanya shut off the water and squatted in front of me. Her hand cupped my jaw to tilt my head to the side, giving her better access to my mouth while she began to swipe away the vomit that lined my lips and the corner of my mouth.

"I wouldn't really mind a sign, though," I added after a moment. While I did enjoy rushing to the bathroom in the last second, being able to reach the toilet a few seconds before I vomited in it would be a nice change.

"Perhaps we could use a code word?" Tanya supplied, pulling the rag away from my mouth as she finished cleaning. She tossed the rag into the hamper in the corner of the room—a new addition, most likely due to my episodes—and gently grabbed my forearm to help me stand.

Kate shook her head. "I'd rather she not try to say a word and have puke come up instead," she countered as she supported my back. Her nose crinkled. "It wouldn't be a pleasurable experience for anyone then."

I snorted in agreement as I balanced myself at the sink. I reached forward to grab the toothbrush that was reserved for me in the cup as I turned on the water. Tanya handed me the toothpaste that I gladly squeezed onto the brush.

"Then what do you propose? Morse code?" Tanya asked, raising her brow slightly at her sister.

Kate grinned. "That would be awesome, but no. I think a simple round of multiple claps with a crazed expression would be signal enough for everyone," she said as I began to brush my teeth.

Tanya blinked. "That has to be the simplest plan you have ever come up with in our entire existence," she said.

"I'm not always complex."

"You are enough."

Kate huffed and cocked her brow at me. "What do you think, Bella? Clapping or Morse?" she asked, as if I completely didn't have a mouthful of toothpaste and toothbrush in my mouth.

I stopped brushing my teeth, rolled my eyes and raised my hands to clap once. Kate smirked next to me and I went back to scrubbing away the gross taste and residue from my mouth. "Clapping it is," she said satisfied.

"I never said it was literally an option to do Morse, you know?"

"I do, but I like having my way chosen."

"You are such a—"

Tanya didn't finish because I spat out the toothpaste and washed off the brush as I rinsed my mouth out. I cleared any of the toothpaste around my lips off with water before I turned off the faucet, putting the brush back into the cup as I wiped my mouth and hand off on the towel.

I turned around to face Tanya and extended my arms towards her. "Carry me," I ordered.

The blonde raised her brow. "I cannot tell if you are being serious right now or just imitating a child," she said.

I frowned and made my fingers flap up and down in a "Come on" motion. "I don't want to walk and I am too tired to," I said. "You'll have to carry me down the stairs." In all honesty, I was tired from the episode, but I did have enough energy to walk down the stairs. I really just didn't want to.

Kate snorted. "This thing makes you lazy, Bella."

I shrugged, not answering as Tanya rolled her eyes, but complied. She slipped an arm under my leg and around my shoulders to cradle me against her chest, allowing me to slip my arms around her neck. Careful to avoid the frame colliding with my skull, she moved out of the bathroom and headed down the stairs to the couch again.

The three Denalis that had stayed in the living room looked up at me worriedly. "Are you alright, Bella?" Irina asked concerned.

I nodded. "Just tired," I replied. Tanya carefully sat me down on the sofa and let me get situated in a seated position with the blanket again covering me. She moved to be spooning me the best she could from behind, wrapping a single arm around my waist as the other rested on the couch arm as she support her head with her hand.

"And lazy," she grumbled.

I shrugged again as Carmen looked at me. "Would you like something to eat now, Bella? Maybe something light to help settle your stomach?" she asked.

I nodded slowly. "I suppose," I said.

She smiled and moved off the loveseat. "I'll make you some soup," she said and blurred off into the kitchen before I could reply.

I shook my head, but didn't call after her as Kate settled on the ground again with Irina to start a second round at Call of Duty. I adjusted myself to be leaning back against Tanya as I set my head on the arm of the couch, suddenly feeling exhausted after sitting down.

Tanya removed her arm from around my waist to lift my head up momentarily, allowing her arm to move from supporting her head to rest under my mine. She let my head rest on it before wrapping her arm around my waist again as I made myself comfortable on the makeshift pillow.

It may have sounded odd to hear, but Tanya was actually a fantastic and comfortable person to sleep on. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as Irina again killed Kate right after Kate killed her. The dirty blonde smirked as Kate furrowed her brow in concentration, quickly regenerating and going after the blonde's character that she destroyed with a grenade.

I rolled my eyes at the two as a delicious smell began to waft into the room. My mouth immediately watered and I glanced up towards the kitchen hall as Carmen walked in with a steaming bowl of what smelt like chicken soup. I pushed myself up against Tanya's arm around my waist, raising my head from her other.

The blonde shifted once again behind me to allow me more room as she took the bowl from Carmen. "Thank you, Carmen," I said, taking the spoon and napkin from her hands.

She smiled with a nod. "Of course, miel," she said, giving my forehead a small kiss before she moved to be seated with Eleazer again. Her hand immediately took his as the couple shared a small kiss.

Tanya positioned the bowl on the armrest for me, holding it in her hand as I began to bring the soup to my mouth with the spoon. The noodles and chicken quickly slithered down my throat as I continued to watch the game that actually seemed to be coming to a close.

Irina was leaning forward with her brows furrowed in determination. Her thumbs were rapidly beating the buttons with small growls of frustration. Kate, however, looked like a child beating an older kid at their favorite game. Her tongue was stuck out of the side of her mouth as she pressed the controller buttons as she swung side to side with her character.

It was a non-stop concert of growls, snarls and giggles for five straight minutes.

I smiled as I let more of the soup slither down. Tanya chuckled behind me, enjoying the show as well. She leaned forward. "You would think they aren't any older than five or seven," she murmured in my ear.

"Or just sisters."

She chuckled again.

I took another mouthful of the soup when a sudden chorus of, "No. No! No! NO!" and "Yes. Yes! Yes! YES!" split the air. I jerked my attention back to the TV as Irina's panicked eyes widened and Kate's grin grew into a smug smirk.

BOOM!

"NO!"

"YES!"

Irina's controller was crushed into a thousand pieces as she let out a small growl. Kate stood up with a whoop, throwing her hands in the air. "Yeah! Suck it!" she called.

The dirty blonde snapped her head around and chucked her shattered controller at the vampire. Kate barely ducked in time to dodge most of the shards with a yelp. "Cheater," Irina growled.

Kate snapped her head up. "Excuse you?"

"You cheated," Irina repeated. "There is no way that last move was legal at all."

Kate scowled. "Legal?" she asked. "It's Call of Duty, dude. You can't justify the game when it's already made. I just play better than you, just like I do at everything."

"Not Guitar Hero."

"Leave that out of this."

Eleazer sighed as he shook his head. "Honestly," he said, cutting the two off from arguing again, "you two are acting like toddlers and not thousand year old women."

I felt Tanya's chest shake behind me as she chuckled. "I still hold to my theory that children's brains were placed in each of their own skulls when they were turned," she said.

"Hey!"

I giggled and took another mouthful of the soup, feeling my stomach start to send the "Full" message up to my head. I forced myself to take a few more bites as Kate huffed. "You can talk to the hand for the next hour, Tanya, because the face isn't listening," she said, sticking up her hand as she turned her head to look in the opposite direction.

"Oh, no," Tanya drawled. "Not the hand."

"Yes, the hand."

"Then why are you answering me?"

"I'm not," Kate said, keeping her head away. "This is merely my voice traveling to you through my hand."

"Uh-huh," the blonde behind me smirked. To me, she murmured, "I think I'll enjoy not having to hear Kate's voice for the next hour."

I giggled as the pale blonde turned her outstretched hand into a hand puppet. She began to move her fingers to make it talk. "This is my hand glaring daggers." She leaned forward dramatically in a way that was actually kind of creepy while I stared at the puppet.

I set the spoon down in the soup—knowing I couldn't eat any more—and made my own hand a puppet. "And this is my hand challenging yours to a duel on Tanya's behalf."

Kate peeked over her shoulder at me and smirked. "Bring it."

Her hand lunged for mine with a "pwoo" sound effect. Its "teeth" grabbed my hand with a growl. I shook my hand and snuck out of her grasp to start hitting the top of her hand with my fingers.

"Fast as a viper!" I called, striking her hand.

Kate grinned. "You want fast?" Before I could blink, her hand blurred and I was suddenly yanked off the couch and on the floor with Kate kneeling over me. She smirked at me before her fingers began to tickle my sides at impossible speeds. "How's that for fast?"

I burst into laughter as I squirmed, desperately trying to swat her hands away from me in vain. "K-K-Kate!" I called between laughs. "S-st-stop i-i-it!"

"What was that?" she asked.

"Kate!"

"More? Okay."

One of her hands moved to be tickling my neck as the other worked on my ribs. Tears pricked my eyes and I swore I started laughing harder than before. Around me, I heard the Denalis begin to chuckle as they watched me basically die of laughter in front of them. "S-s-stop!" I called, tucking my head to the side to try and block her fingers.

"Say I'm awesome," Kate demanded.

I laughed, a single tear leaving my eye. I barely managed to turn my head and say, "I-I'm a-awesome!"

Kate growled, "Smartass." Both of her hands tickled either side of my neck now, making it impossible for me to completely block out her hands as I continued to squirm.

"Kate!"

"Say it."

"N-No!"

"Say it."

"Uh-uh."

"Say it!"

"N-No…!"

My eyelids began to feel heavy even though the laughs kept working their way out of my throat. Instead of just feeling Kate's fingers tickle me, I could feel the exhaustion begin to mix with it as it began to force itself to sleep even with her tickling me.

"I think you're tickling her to sleep," Irina said, peering over to see my falling eyelids as I slowed in my laughing.

"She's exhausted," Tanya spoke up from the couch as she set the bowl on a table. "You can ease up, Kate. I don't think she'll be very comfortable passed out on the floor."

The blonde over me shrugged, trying to look indifferent, but her fingers did begin to slow on my neck as my eyelids drooped more. "If she says it, I'll stop tickling her and let her up," she claimed. "So you better say it nice and loud, Bella, or else you are going to have to pass out before I stop."

I shook my head as the tickling became more bearable. A dopey grin on my face as my eyes began to close with little giggles in my chest. I barely pried them open enough to allow a small crack.

Irina chuckled. "I think she's already gone, Kate."

The fingers stopped tickling my skin and pulled back. "Oh, alright…but when she wakes up I'm going to tickle her until she pees or says the two dang words," she claimed, plopped down next to me on the ground to punctuate her sentence.

Irina snorted. "We'll see."

A yawn worked its way up my chest and out my mouth as my eyelids closed. Two arms picked me up from the floor and set me on the couch, allowing another pair to wrap around me as a blanket was thrown over me. I turned my body to burry my face in a cold chest, inhaling the scent of vanilla almonds just before I passed out.