A/N: ONE DAY UNTIL CHLOE'S FINAL CHEMO! If you have a twitter account, tweet #believeforchloe to show your SUPPORT!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of its characters and affiliates.

~Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind~ - Bernard M. Baruch

December 31, 1989

Smiling as she settled back in her husband's arms, Sandy felt as though for the first time in months, she could truly relax.

The day had been peaceful. JJ had been discharged on Friday evening, after more platelets and two bags of blood, as well as the course of antibiotics. With rosy cheeks and seemingly endless energy, she had brought a smile to her parents' faces upon arriving home.

Seeing as JJ had been feeling better, Sandy and Michael had invited Katie's parents to spend New Year's Eve with them, upon hearing from Katie that their extended family were spending the holidays in Russia. Allison and Dmitri had gladly accepted the invitation, thrilled that they would have the chance to properly meet James' parents; Sandy and Dmitri had had a brief meeting at the grocery story, barely long enough to learn each other's names.

James was currently at Katie's house - he would return that evening with her family - spending time with his girlfriend in relative peace.

As Michael pressed a kiss to his wife's temple, Mr Toes came trotting into the room, leaping up onto the couch and curling up in Sandy's lap.

"Why hello Mr Toes," Sandy chuckled, lightly scratching behind the kitten's ears before rubbing his back. Mr Toes purred happily, closing his eyes as he nestled closer to his owner's mother.

Michael laughed. "He obviously got tired of the Mistress of Destruction," he joked, making Sandy laugh with him.

"Mistress of Destruction?"

Michael grinned. "Last week, when you went to the store with James...I still haven't got a clue what JJ was doing, but when I went up to check on her, her bedroom was in worse shape than a bomb site. And she was sitting in the middle of it, laughing, and telling me she couldn't find something or other. Then Mr Toes popped up from under a pile of clothes. It was a disaster zone"

Sandy laughed. "She's always been terrible with that bedroom. I wouldn't be surprised if there are rats making a home under her bed"

"Mr Toes would sort them out soon enough"

"Hey JJ?" Michael called up the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go to the video store and get a movie to watch tonight?" Michael offered, leaning against the wall at the foot of the stairs.

He heard a few muffled thumps and some laboured footsteps before JJ appeared at the top of the stairs, her IV pole (which had been graciously offered by Edmonds as a replacement for the hat stands) clutched in her hand. As well as carrying her feeds and medications, it was also making good use as a walking aid for JJ.

"Yes!" she said excitedly. Michael laughed, pushing himself off the wall and making his way up the stairs. Reaching the top, he unhooked JJ's feed pump and the bag from the pole, scooped JJ into his arms and carried her back down.

"Should we get one for James and Katie?" JJ asked as Michael set her down in her wheelchair by the front door and placed the pump and bag in her lap.

"I think we can manage that," Michael replied with a smile, grabbing his coat and his wallet. Shrugging his coat on, he put his wallet in his pocket before picking up the blanket that was draped over the handles of JJ's chair. He was quick to wrap it around her shoulders before he grabbed his car keys.

"Sandy! I'm taking JJ to get a movie!" he called out, opening the front door. Getting a muffled ok in reply, he manoeuvred the wheelchair holding his bundled up daughter out the front door, through the snow, and to the car.

"Dad, I want to walk," JJ said as soon as they were inside the video store. For the first time, Michael noticed how shaky JJ's voice was. He guessed it had been shaky since the resection, but he'd never noticed it because he had never been as aware of the changes in JJ as he was now.

"You sure peanut?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," JJ insisted.

Pushing JJ around to the front of the counter, Michael caught the eye of one of the employees, a young girl who looked about nineteen.

"Hi, do you mind if I leave her chair here? It's got her feed pump and I don't want anything to happen to it," he asked.

The girl smiled. "Not a problem"

Michael gave her a smile of thanks, reaching down to disconnect the feed tube from JJ's NJ tube.

"Wait wait, Dad, you don't know what you're doing!" JJ cut in, putting her hand out to stop him, before leaning over and fiddling with the pump to turn it off.

The girl laughed as Michael rolled his eyes.

"Ok, now," JJ told her dad. Michael grinned, pulling the tubes apart and coiling the feed tube around the pump.

Holding JJ's hands tightly, he helped her to her feet, moving one arm around her waist once she had her balance, thanking the girl. The girl took the chair behind the counter, giving JJ a smile as she did.

"Ok, what movies do you want?" Michael asked, walking slowly beside JJ as she took carefully balanced steps while clutching his hand.

"The Little Mermaid!" JJ giggled.

Michael groaned. "JJ, you've seen that only a hundred times already"

"I don't care, I like it!" JJ protested. "Can I get...I forgot what it's called. I watched it with James. It was about a dad with a shrink ray. I remember a bit in it where the mom and dad were hanging off of the washing line with torches and they were searching the grass-"

"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?" Michael said with a grin.

"Yeah!" JJ said happily as they reached the family section of the store.

It took JJ less than a minute to find The Little Mermaid, and with her dad's help, she managed to find Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

As JJ was scouring the shelves to pick one more, Michael noticed a woman standing near the shelf behind them, staring at JJ.

Not wanting to call her out on it straight away, he turned back to JJ to see if she had found something she wanted. A few moments later, he turned back to see if the woman was still staring, and felt anger bubbling inside him when he saw that she was.

"Can I help you?" he asked as politely as he could manage. He didn't want JJ to notice; she was oblivious to the looks people gave her, and a part of Michael wanted to keep it that way.

The woman jumped slightly, shaking her head as she turned away, ashamed at having been caught.

"Dad, I've picked some," JJ said, turning Michael's attention back to herself.

Michael smiled. "Happy with those?"

When JJ nodded, he held her tight again, keeping her balanced as they made their way back to the counter.

When they reached the counter, Michael took the movies, setting them up on the ledge so that the other employee, an older lady, could put them through the system for them.

Meanwhile, JJ, using the counter to keep her balance, made her way to the end, where the younger girl was waiting with her chair.

"Here you go," the young girl said warmly, holding out her hand to help JJ into the chair.

"Thank you," JJ replied, making quick work of reattaching her feed tube and turning the pump back on.

"I'm Lara. What's your name?" the girl asked.

"JJ," JJ replied, smiling as Lara took the handles of the chair and pushed her back over to her dad.

"Well JJ, I'll see you around," Lara said happily, giving JJ a little wave as she turned and headed back behind the counter.

JJ smiled, waving back before turning to her dad.

As Michael went through the transaction with the older lady, JJ noticed the older woman avoiding looking at her. Even when Michael spoke to JJ, and JJ had her input into the conversation, the woman wouldn't look at her.

It made JJ angry. Why did having cancer have to make people around her act so strangely?

"You know you won't get cancer by looking at me," she said suddenly, her voice firm and confident, the shakiness barely noticeable.

Michael's eyes widened as the woman blushed.

"Jennifer Jareau!" he said scoldingly, quickly handing the woman some money to pay for the movies.

On the inside however, he was proud of his little girl. Not many kids actually had the guts to call people out on their behaviour.

With the movies in a bag, Michael thanked the woman before wheeling JJ outside to the car.

Stopping on the curb, he moved around in front of her, kneeling down so he could see her face.

"What was that?" he asked softly.

"She wouldn't look at me," JJ said tearfully. "I see how people look at me, and it hurts, and it hurts even more when they just pretend I don't exist. I'm still JJ, I'm just sick. It doesn't make me different," she explained, bursting into tears.

Michael's heart broke as he reached out and pulled JJ into a gentle hug.

"No, it doesn't make you different. But people don't understand that. People don't understand what this disease does to people, and that's why they stare. And you know what? More often than not, people have never actually seen somebody who has cancer, so it takes them by surprise. It can be extremely confronting for people to meet someone in your condition. They usually don't mean to be offensive, but they don't know what to do and when they react, it appears rude," he explained softly. "Don't cry my little Jaybird, or your mother is going to have a fit when we get home. She'll never let me leave the house with you again"

JJ let out a watery laugh, giving her dad a quick squeeze. "I know sometimes people don't get it...but it still makes me sad"

Michael pulled away, standing up and moving the wheelchair down beside the car so he could help JJ in. "I know it does peanut, and I know it's hard to ignore. But you just have to try and hold your chin up, and show people that you're still an amazing little girl who we love very much"

JJ grinned, wiping away her tears as she climbed, with the help of her dad, into the car.

"Thanks Dad"

The evening with Katie's parents had been fun, a night where Sandy and Michael had the chance to relax and let loose for once in a while. They had been enamoured to see Katie's parents take to JJ instantly and treat her as they would treat any other child. The way they acted towards her had put a big smile on JJ's face for the remainder of the night.

JJ had watched two of the three movies she had hired, falling asleep on the couch ten minutes before the end of the second one. She'd looked so peaceful that no-one had the heart to move her until they had to. Even when they moved into the room to watch the ball drop on the television, she hadn't stirred.

They had counted down to the New Year and cheered as the ball fell in Times Square. James and Katie had shared a kiss, as had both of the older couples in the room.

However, as the others celebrated around her, Sandy broke away, moving over to where JJ was still fast asleep.

Kneeling down beside the couch, Sandy placed a gentle hand on top of JJ's head, leaning down and pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. The touch caused JJ to start to stir.

"I hope this year turns out better for you my beautiful girl," she said softly.

JJ sleepily reached out for her mom, prompting Sandy to lift her into her arms, pump and all, and carry her out of the room and up to her bed.

As he watched his wife carry their ill child out of the room, Michael felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning around, he found James standing behind him.

"Dad? This year's gonna be better, right?"

Michael gave his son a gentle smile, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"It can't be any worse than last year. We'll make sure it's better for JJ. For all of us. We will"