Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters.

AN: Okay, here's Chapter Thirty-Three! YAY! Finally. And Whoa, I have reached up to 1,000 reviews! It's insane, seriously, I can't believe it! Thank you to all my awesome Reviewers. And a very special thanks to Tag14 for helping me with this chapter. I would have never been able to write all the details about Hannah's feelings and take on luekmia with out this awesome reader and reviewer. So a special shoutout to this person, Thank you very much! Read and Review Please.

Chapter Thirty Three

Wearing Away

A month went by. Thirty-three days had passed and I hadn't spoken to Paul since he had confessed of being in love with me. Confessed of imprinting on me- whatever the heck that meant. I still didn't know, and sometimes, more often than not, I wondered if I would ever get the chance to find out. I wasn't sure whether to believe Paul being in love with me, because how was that possible? I was just Hannah James, seventeen year old girl with leukemia, I wasn't anything special.

A part of me believe that Paul hated me. . .just a little bit. I hadn't said anything to him after he confessed his hopes and thoughts- or rather screamed them. I barely would look at him now when we passed in the hallways. He on the other hand had taken to now not glancing in my direction at all. He even went as far as skipping almost all the classes we had together, which consisted of Math and lunch.

I think what hurt him the most though was that I started hanging out with Caden now. . .a lot. And I knew that Paul was aware of it, every now and then I feel his presence when Caden and I are together either at the library or at some restaurant eating dinner. It could just be paranoia, or maybe just my very active over imagination hoping that he'd just pop up out of nowhere, apologizing for acting like such a jerk that day.

But it never happened.

Paul never came to me, asking, or begging for anything. And I had a strong feeling that he never would.

As the month of April progressed, my strength was disappearing and brownish-purplish bruises were forming on different parts of my body, becoming more visible each day. I had become accustomed to wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, though the weather was getting warmer. My bones and joints ached, and most days, I didn't want to even get out bed. Almost everyday I would have a migraine, and often after I would eat I would throw-up. But now, just making myself eat had become a challenge. I was losing weight again, and fast. The only good thing was that I hadn't and wouldn't be losing my hair. I wasn't doing chemo anymore.

I needed a bone marrow transplant. That's what Doctor Cullen informed us that Saturday, after Paul had his little freak-out. I didn't cry after hearing the news, honestly I didn't have any kind of reaction.

And as it got closer to the end of the month, I slept longer and longer.

"Han?"

I felt the warm large hand on my shoulder, lightly shaking me.

"Hmm?" I wasn't ready to come back to reality yet.

"How are you feeling?" Brady's low voice sounded in my ear.

The only good thing that came out of this whole mess was that Brady and I had restored out broken relationship. He was once again my rock. The one I could depend on when I felt like I had no one else anymore. He apologized for the way he acted before, mainly blaming it on the whole phasing thing, not that that was really any excuse, but I forgave him. He was my only brother, and I had remember that.

"Perfect," I mumbled sarcastically.

He grunted. "Glad you still have your sense of humor intact. But you need to wake up real fast, you have to take your medication."

Doctor Cullen had prescribed some pain medication for my soreness, and dizziness.

I groaned softly, but managed with great difficulty to push myself up onto my elbows, while resting my head against the back of the couch. I had fallen asleep while watching TV. Putting my hand out, Beady dropped the tiny tablets into my palm, handing me a glass of cranberry juice.

I popped pills into my mouth, chasing it down with the juice quickly.

"What time is it?" I questioned, yawning, and stretching while wincing as my joints protested.

"It's like seven at night. You fell asleep right after coming back from school, so I'd say you've been out like, four and half hours," he estimated, looking concerned at this information, before focusing on me. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

I didn't want to answer that. My symptoms had been more pronounced than the first time. More painful, and it coming swifter. It scared me. I was constantly wondering what would happen to me. What if a bone marrow donor wasn't found in time? Would I die quickly? And would I have to suffer in this pain the entire time?

It was a horrifying possibility.

And I knew Brady felt. . .guilty, extremely so, because he wasn't able to be tested as a possible match. Doctor Cullen explained to me in private that his wolf genes were too strong, and even if he were a match, it wouldn't work. His blood was different now, as were everything else that was a part of his body. I would die instantly if I was given his bone marrow.

So now my only option was to wait it out, and hope that somewhere out there, there was a person that would be able to heal me and my illness that was killing me slowly.

"I'm fine, Brady. It's nothing to worry over," I said, lying with ease.

Brady gave me a critical look before sighing. "I can't tell whether your telling the truth or not," he sounded angered by this. "But I just wanted to tell you that he called while you were asleep."

He, which meant Caden. Brady didn't like to say his name, and after awhile I got mad at him referring to Caden as a leech, bloodsucker, etc. So he calls Caden, him, or he, or some times if he's feeling agitated, it.

I bit my lip. "Did he say anything?" I asked, turning my body, so my legs hung off the side of the couch.

Brady scoffed to himself, and backed up a little. "Yeah, the blo-, it wanted to know if you wanted to go out and see a movie with him, or something like that. But I told him no, because obviously, if he had any common sense, he would know that it's way too cold for you to be out at this time."

"It's almost May, Bray. I'm sure it's not that chilly out right now. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd not talk to people for me, like I'm not able to. And if I wanted to go, I'd go," I answered somewhat abrasively.

"Sure, sure," Brady said, and gave me a smile, but it didn't reach his blue eyes. I knew that seeing me like this was killing him a little. I just hoped that soon it would be over, one way or another.

I had told Kim in the beginning of April about my cancer. She had came over one day during the week when I missed school because I wasn't feeling up to it. She had brought over my homework for me, with out me knowing she was coming in advance. When I had answered the door, I was wearing a flimsy tank top, and shorts. The bruises on my arms and legs were visible, and so was my thinness. But when Kim had seen me like that she had completely freaked out. Asking insane questions about whether or not my mom was abusive, or if I was self inflicting the bruises myself- don't ask how I would be capable of dong that.

After a few minutes of letting her crazy ranting go on, I sat her down in my living room, and told her. Some part of me expected her to be a little sad about this, and probably feel sorry for me, but I was completely floored when she actually hugged me and cried. . .which ended in me holding on tighter to her, and crying just as hard along with her.

Kim had become an amazing supporter and friend, bringing me soups and stuff, with vegetables, and taking away all the junk food I tried to consume in her presence. She thought that if I ate healthier, I would magically get better. Even if it was an insane theory, I still appreciated all her efforts.

Dimitria, after she found about the leukemia reoccurring, apologized, and actually helped Kim out by coming with her to bring me stuff. Sometimes she'd drop Kim off so she could sleepover at my house. I was shocked that Dimitria would do that, considering how every time she came within fifty-feet of the house, Brady was on high alert, watching her every move word.

Right now it was May first, and summer was approaching quicker with every day that went by. I had just gotten back from a doctor's appointment, with no good news. Nothing had changed, and my condition was. . .getting worse. I felt like my body was wearing away, slowing parts of me seemed like they had just given up, not wanting to work or fight for life any longer.

When mom dropped me off in the driveway, with a kiss, and drove away, off to one of her secret affairs, I was already feeling so down. I trudged slowly and painfully up the front stairs only to be greeted by an envelope taped the front door with my name on it, in Paul's unmistakable messy scrawl.

My heart leaped into my throat just at those six little letters on the front of the paper. Shakily, I looked around my front yard, hoping that he'd magically appear, or I'd at least get a glimpse of him, But there was no such luck. So, I grabbed the envelope, and rushed as quickly as my body would let me into the house, the letter tucked safely under my arm.

My brain was thinking of so many things at once, my mouth was becoming dry, and I was starting to tremble, for either being cold, or nerves, I wasn't sure which. When I had closed the front door after entering I was ready to rip open the envelope, but something stopped me. . .prevented me from doing it. It was the strangled noise that came from the couch in the living room.

I debated for half a second about what to do. Go up straight to my room, and open the note that Paul had written, or turn my head a few inches to the right and see who the sound came from.

The noise won out, as it sounded again.

I glanced in that direction, only to suck in a breath, as I stared at my little brother, Brady, who was cuddled on the couch, knees pulled up to his chest. . . crying.

I swallowed loudly as I took in this sight. "Brady?" I whispered, unable to speak any louder.

Brady didn't respond, just shook his head, as the tears kept coming. He didn't even try to hide them or wipe them away, he just let it happen, as this horrible gasping noise let him every few seconds.

Slowly I approached, him, letting my sweater slid off my arms and onto the floor. I walked carefully around him, afraid that any sudden movement would set him off.

Lowering myself onto the edge of the couch, I placed my hand on his forearm, gently. "Brady, come on, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Did something happen?" I begged for him to tell me.

He wouldn't look at me, and shook his head again, but I couldn't tell if it was in agreement with what I had said, or disagreement. But finally after a few more harsh, ragged breaths, he breathed, "Dimitria has a son, and it's Evan's."

I think my breath caught, and I'm definitely sure my heart stopped at his words.

My first thought was, She told him? And my second was, Oh, God, what do I say?

I opened my mouth, hoping something would come out, some good strong advice, or reassurance at least, but nothing happened. I was going to try again, but then Brady's dead blue eyes turned to me. "She told me you knew." The way he said it was so casual, almost robotic. It didn't stop me from flinching though.

"Brady, I-"

"It's fine," he caught me off quietly. "I'm not. . .I'm not mad at you, Hannah."

My eyes were probably bulging out of their sockets at this point. He wasn't mad. It was. . .absurd, because he should have been mad, furious even. But he wasn't. I could see that in Brady's eyes though, that he wasn't angry, he was just sad.

"What's that?" his voice was so low that I almost didn't hear him.

I glanced down at what he was pointing at.

The letter that was still nestled in my left arm safely, just waiting to be read.

"Nothing," I breathed. "It's not important."

My brother was in pain, it was so clear, and so heartbreaking.

The letter for now, would have to wait. Brady needed me.

ANN: Hope you liked it. I'll try and update soon. The next few chapters will be crucial! And you'll neve believe who's going to be the one to save Hannah's life. It's going to be dramatic, and I can't wait til you all see what the note says! Thanks, all, Review Please. -Anya.