"You have got to be kidding me, right?"-Rory
(finally gets the dress off and slips into her favorite pair of sweat pants and loose fitting t-shirt for bed before expressing her anger a bit better)
"Why are you so upset with this news honey."-Steve
"How could you quit both locations and not even discuss it with me first, Steve."-Rory
"Why continue pushing myself to the brink of unhealthy exhaustion everyday when money is no longer an issue for us and hasn't been for some time you know this."-Steve
(sighs) "It's not the fact that you quit both jobs, it's the fact that you didn't tell me about it before hand. We discuss everything, Steve. From what color we want our shower, or the backdrops in photos, to what flavor we want in our snow cones for the week. We discuss when to have sex in the shower. What colors to wear to society events when we meet up with Logan. But when it comes to you and deciding to quit both locations that you work at and don't even tell me beforehand. It is a bit frustrating you know?"-Rory
(sits down on the bed beside her. It was the first fight that couple had had in some time but for once he couldn't blame her for being a bit upset. She understands logically that they don't need the money, but he realizes that he should have discussed it with his soon to be wife before changing their lives in such a way)
"Look, I understand better now your anger behind my decision. It is a huge life change and for me not to have sat down and discussed all of the ramifications with you is a rather big deal. However, think of it this way at this we can focus more on wedding planning, expanding or remodeling the house as well as Flawless or anything else that goes on in our lives properly instead of wearing ourselves so thin all the time right?"-Steve
"You are right as usual. And at the risk of sounding a bit hypercritical I feel the need to disclose a bit of information that may cause another fight."-Rory
(takes her hand gently and kisses it) "Why don't we put that off for another day baby. We did just engaged this morning we have the rest of our lives to fight about things. Let us enjoy this night the proper way shall we?"-Steve (sends little kisses down her neck down to her tummy which took her breath away)
"If you insist"-Rory
(their night goes on rather well)
*Two weeks later)
(Rory went back to the doctor and was assigned her first of six treatments which started today. She had every intention of telling Steve but between readjusting to him having only one job, which he poured all of his heart into so he was almost as busy as he was before, it was rather hard to find a time to tell her future husband what was going on with her health. Finn had just rung the doorbell)
"Hey, you ready for this?"-Finn
(looking utterly terrified) "Absolutely not, but I don't really have a choice. Thanks, Finn for doing this by the way."-Rory
"Anything for you, love. Let us go."-Finn
(the two get into the car, head to the hospital, checked Rory in and she just started her first treatment)
"Say something, anything. Please just distract me from what is going on here"-Rory
(looks at her with a mixture of shock and pity. She is usually well composed with her emotions but under the circumstances he could understand the display. He asked the first thing that came to mind)
"How did Steve take the news?"-Finn
"I haven't found the time to tell him actually."-Rory
"So, where does he think that you are right now?'-Finn
(just as he gets done asking that question her cell phone goes off. Finn answers it seeing as she looks rather exhausted and in a lot of pain)
"Hello."-Finn
"Finn? Why are you answering Rory's phone? Wait why are you with her to begin with?"-Steve
(she nods her head signaling that he can tell Steve what is going on)
"Steve, mate, maybe you should come to the hospital to hear this news. It isn't a conversation that we should be having over the phone."-Finn
(starts to panic but grabs his car keys, and starts driving to where Finn and Rory are. He makes it in record time and finds his friend and fiancé in the chemo therapy room. Steve just looks at her with concern then back at Finn with confusion. He points to the other room so they can talk in private while she attempts to nap)
"Will you please explain to me what the hell is going on here?"-Steve
"Mate, she has been trying to find a proper time to inform of what has been going on but there hasn't been one. Apparently you have thrown yourself into Flawless and she hasn't found the time to let you know."-Finn
"That's terrific so I get to find out that my girlfriend has cancer not by her but her ex boyfriend. How fantastic is that?"-Steve
"Steve."-Finn
(holds up his hand) "No you don't get to Steve me at this point in time. No matter how busy I may have been my fiancé should have told me. Could have found the time to inform me of what was going on with her health."-Steve
(Finn just silently looks at him until a nurse interrupts them) "Excuse me, but whoever came with her needs to help her get ready to leave her treatment is done for the day. Try to keep fluids in her and soft gentle foods. Nothing too greasy. Preferably grapes, fruits, rice things a long that line. Have a nice day."-Nurse
"Thank you"-Finn
(the two of them go inside the room to help Rory get into more comfortable clothes and head back home. About ten to fifteen minutes later they arrive at the house. Steve helps her get to bed, grabs a few bottles of water and a package of grapes just in case she found herself a little bit hungry, then heading back downstairs to talk to Finn)
"I'm not sure what else to say otherwise than sorry. I really have been trying to get her to tell you from the beginning but she was just so worried that all you would see was the cancer and not her anymore. She wants you to still love her and spend your's live together because of what you two have worked towards."-Finn
(he sighs heavily grabs a bottle of water, and sits down at the kitchen counter)
"I understand I really do. It's just. The love of my life has cancer. This could kill her before she really has a chance to live properly once more you know."-Steve
"I know mate, believe me I know. However, what are you going to do about it though?"-Finn
(looks down at the counter then looks back up at Finn) "I'm not sure I am strong enough to watch her or help her through this."-Steve
(instantly gets angry but tries not to tell since Rory was still attempting to sleep upstairs. She and Finn had come up with the idea of keeping a baby monitor in the kitchen just in case she needed anything, and neither he nor Steve were upstairs to help her)
"You have got to be kidding me, right? She goes through her first round of chemo and you are already going to bail on her? Rory needs YOU hell she needs all of us now more then ever. She is the type of person is ALWAYS there for everyone else, she helped me get sober, helps you be a parent to Noah, learned to better her photography skills for Flawless all for you, Logan and I. It is time that we repay the favor to the best of our abilities."-Finn
"You don't think I know that already. Look I'm going to head out for a walk try to comprehend everything a little bit. I promise I will be back though. If she wakes up and needs me for anything, ANYTHING at all just call me and I will be back as soon as possible. Alright?"-Steve
(sighs because in a way it wasn't his battle that he should be fighting it really was between Steve and Rory. Finn watches him walk out the door then heads upstairs to check on her. He sees that she is awake but looks awful)
"Do you want to try taking a shower? Maybe that will help you feel better, love."-Finn
(just nods weakly, so he helps her walk to the bathroom and get into the nice warm stream of water)
"How is Steve handling it?"-Rory
"Not very well to be honest with you. He went for a walk to help clear his head a little bit."-Finn
"I don't blame him for doing that. It is quite a bit of information to comprehend at such a short span of time. Maybe I should have tried harder to tell him sooner instead of him finding out this way."-Rory
"I honestly don't think that would have helped anything though."-Finn
"Why do you say that hun?'-Rory
"He seems a bit unsteady with the information which I don't blame him for, but I feel like on one hand he might bail altogether. I am hoping with every fiber in my being that he will prove me wrong."-Finn
(they lapse into a semi comfortable silence)
"How are you feeling, Rory"-Finn
(she doesn't answer which causes him to panic a little bit)
"RORY."-Finn
(she jerks awake) "Finn, what's wrong? Why do you sound so panicked?"-Rory
"You didn't answer for a while. I was getting a bit concerned. Let us get you out of that shower, into fresh clothes and spending some time downstairs. How does that sound to you?"-Finn
"Sounds great. When we are done getting me dressed, how about we call Steve and see if he will come back home."-Rory
"No need to do that, I am already here."-Steve
(he had walked into the bathroom just a few minutes before. Finn had obviously seen him but he wanted Steve to speak up for himself and start proving to Rory that he wouldn't bail on her during her time of need)