Disclaimer & Summary : See chapter 1.

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Author's Note 2005/06/06: Wow, I want to thank everyone who reviews. I'm really glad to find that many people are not only rooting for Tristan and Rory but also for Gabrielle and Jeremy. Now, this chapter has been written for little while now but every time I tried to upload it, wouldn't let me. So finally, here it is. Special thanks go to Jayde and Arlene for helping me out with the spelling and grammar.

Lastly, in response to a review, PeriPBH, please don't make your computer cry again, chapter 16 and 17 are under betaing and 18 is in progress.
Didi

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The Seventh Stranger
Chapter 15: Fading away

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Tristan was awake in a second, "What?"

Rory stood up and grabbed Tristan's hand, "Are you okay to drive or you want me to?"

He forced her to stop, "No offense Rory but I saw you drive my car. I'll manage."

She walked outside and jumped inside the Porsche and waited for him to join her. She whispered, "His heart stopped."

Tristan sped out of the driveway and broke every speed limit to reach the hospital.

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Gabrielle sat on the floor in front of Jeremy's room and hugged her knees while rocking back and for. Tristan ran to her and sat on the floor beside her, slide her on his legs to cradle her like a little girl. He rocked her softly while Rory looked from afar not knowing what to do and not wanting to intrude. Tristan waited for a coupe of seconds, "Gab, what happened?"

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"I love you Jeremy." Tears glistened in Gabrielle's eyes.

She saw Jeremy's eyes fluttered open, she grabbed his hand, he squeezed it and at the realization he smiled, his eyes illuminated in amazement. He closed his eyes, sighed in contentment, and whispered, "I've always lo.."

A long continuous beep replaced the repetitive annoying sound that was somehow more comforting than this new one. She didn't realized what the sound meant and simply asked, "You've always what Jeremy?"

Strong hands took hold of her from behind and made her exit the room as a flow of men dressed in green and women dressed in white took position around the bed. The door was shut on her face and she asked, "What's happening?" Then realization struck, she grabbed hold of her cell phone, "Come on Tristan, pick up, pick up!" The mailbox picked up and she hung up, called Rory.

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Gabrielle sobbed in Tristan's arms, "They came out a little while ago and told me he should be fine now, but they won't let me see him."

Tristan looked at Rory, and then glanced questioningly at his sister in hope that she would understand his silent plea. He saw her nod slightly and walk toward them. Tristan shifted Gabrielle into Rory's arms and whispered, "I'll go see what I can find out."

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Gabrielle and Tristan entered the room, Gabrielle with her hands filled with balloons and a cake while Tristan carried many boxes wrapped in vivid colors. They sat side by side at the end of Jeremy's bed.

Jeremy quirked an eyebrow in amusement and asked, "What is this? Am I turning four?" Then he looked at Gabrielle and asked, "Don't I get a good morning kiss anymore?"

Tristan smirked, "I can't let that happen Jey, See, you are now an adult I wouldn't want you to take advantage of an underage girl, even more my sister."

Jeremy burst in laughter, and ignored Tristan, "Come on little fury, can't I get a birthday kiss?"

Gabrielle jumped in Jeremy's arms happily to the certain discomfort of Tristan, he watched them completely wrapped into each other for a second or two and decided to give them some privacy and went to get breakfast.

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Tristan came back with a men dressed in green, Rory stood up and forced Gabrielle up. "Miss. DuGrey, with very strong arguments from your brother, I will let you see Mr. Hartman for five minutes." The doctor opened the door and Gabrielle followed closely behind.

Rory watched the closed door, uncomfortable in the strand silence. She sat on a chair near the door and knew that Tristan was close behind. She wasn't certain if she wanted to speak with him or not just yet. She stole a glance in his direction and was touched by his disheveled look as he tried to rub his tiredness from his eyes. He rested his head on her shoulder, "I'm so tired." He closed his eyes and any feelings of anger left Rory's heart. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and let him relaxed a little.

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Gabrielle sat beside Jeremy, uncomfortable to speak under the watchful eyes of the doctor. She whispered without touching him, "Please Jeremy. I did what you wanted, I've let you go. I'm asking you now to come back to me." Tears escaped her eyes, "I can't stop comparing every guy I meet with you." She was answered by silence and the annoying repetitive beep beep of the monitor. "None ever had a single chance."

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Gabrielle waltzed inside the room, dressed to go out and have a good time. She sat on the chair near Jeremy's wheelchair and kissed him but he didn't return the kiss. He turned his face away from hers and looked out the window, "What's wrong?" Gabrielle asked frowning.

Jeremy forced a smile on his face, "Happy birthday Gab." He moved his left hand slowly to pick up a box by the window, "Happy sweet sixteen.' His smile never reached his eyes.

Gabrielle frowned again, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and moved the palm of his hand slowly to caress her cheek. "Nothing." He fought the tears from his eyes, "Open your gift my love."

She looked at him uncertainly but decided to let it go for now. "Okay." Inside the box was a white-gold chain with a heart shaped locket. She opened it and on one side was a picture of Jeremy smiling, on the other side, craft in the gold was written 'Love You Forever'. She smiled happily and turned her back to him, "Put it on for me." She moved her hair aside and very slowly, Jeremy put it on, fidgeting with the clasp as he felt his fingers loose sensation again. He willed himself to finish the task hurriedly, not wanting to worry Gabrielle that day, tomorrow maybe, but not today.

She faced him and kissed him softly, this time he decided to taste her sweetness one last time. She hugged him and whispered, "Thank you." She stood up started to leave, "I'll come back tomorrow and I'll stay longer then." He nodded but didn't trust his voice to speak.

When he was certain she was gone, his smile dropped and like he had done for the previous month, he tried to convinced himself again that it was the only thing to do, that he would make this sacrifice out of love.

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Gabrielle came out of the room with the doctor in tow. She looked pale and visibly shaken. She sat down beside Tristan and rested her head on his legs, he played with her hair as he straightened up, and she was asleep in a matter of seconds. He looked at his watch, eleven thirty; he knew there was no way he would able to get Gabrielle to leave the hospital, he also knew that he wouldn't leave her alone. He grabbed Rory's hand in his, kissed her knuckles softly, "If you want to go, I'll understand. I just can't leave her alone right now."

Rory nodded feelling dismissed. She stood up and avoided his gaze, "I guess I should probably go then." She tried to get her hand back but he didn't let go, she watched him with watery eyes, "Goodbye Tristan."

He was stunned; he had expected anything but that. "Rory…" He saw her stop, "Don't end things like this."

She whipped her eyes without facing him and whispered, "I have to." She walked away without turning back.

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Gabrielle was pushing Jeremy's wheelchair outside to go to their picnic. She had insisted that he agreed and he had in the end. She helped him out of the wheelchair and they both lay on a red and black sheet that she had previously placed on the grass. As they ate, Jeremy broke the silence, "How was that sixteenth birthday celebration?"

She smiled happily, "It was great, the only thing that was missing was you even if my parents still haven't bothered to show up but I guess I'm used to it by now." She bit into her sandwich and continued, "It was even better since they weren't there. It would have been all about my wrongs and not about celebrating." She moved closer to kiss him, "I've missed you."

He gulped, "About that. We need to talk."

Her face became serious, "Uh-huh. This is not good." Her eyes filled with tears, she whispered, "You don't love me anymore."

Jeremy took hold of her hand, "Gab, this is hard for me to do. Let me say what I have to." He saw a tear fall down her cheek and his heart broke that he was the reason she was crying. "I love you too much to keep on hurting you."

Sadly, "You are hurting me right now Jeremy. You made me happy every other days."

Painfully, he chocked out, "I can't give you what you need. I'm in a wheelchair, you deserved to be treated like a princess, to be held and loved, to go out with a boyfriend who would dance with you or just be able to walk along the beach with you."

Bitterly, she said, "It wasn't a problem for you before. Why now?"

Pain in his eyes, "Because it now takes all of my willpower to move my arms. Because I had hope before, I don't anymore." He looked away, his eyes distant. "You deserve to become a mother, to be held tightly. I can barely hold you anymore. One day I won't even be able to kiss you or tell you that I love you."

Silently, she picked up the left over of the food, tears flowed down her cheeks but no sound escaped her mouth. She helped Jeremy back in the wheelchair, wheeled him back to his room. In the safety of his room, Jeremy let his tears fall and muttered, "I'm doing this for you, even if you don't believe me. I'll be lonelier than ever now." She kept on walking away.

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Three in the morning, Gabrielle woke up and looked at Tristan who had a murderous glint in his eyes. She was seized by panic, "Tell me… Don't tell me that…" She pleaded with her eyes for an answer.

Taken out of his daze, Tristan answered, "He's fine."

Gabrielle sat up and looked around. "Where is Rory?"

His voice monotonous and bitter, "She's gone."

She shivered under the coldness of his voice, "When will she come back?"

Tristan looked into Gabrielle's for the first time since she awake and her heart froze under the pain in his eyes, "Probably never." He took her hand and led her away, "Come on, you need to take a shower and I need to take care of a couple of things."

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The door of his room burst open and Jeremy didn't bother welcome the new comer as he new it wouldn't be a pleasant conversation. He simply whispered sadly, "I'm surprise you didn't come sooner."

Tristan turned the wheelchair around to place its back to the window and TV set, eliminating most of the distraction in the room. "I had warned you Jeremy, you break her heart and I break you."

Jeremy watched the coldness in Tristan's eyes, the way he stood up instead of sitting down to show who was in dominance, his posture that was stoic. Jeremy closed his eyes, "I had to, I didn't want to but I had to."

Tristan turned a chair around and sat on it, both of his forearms resting on the backside of the chair. "Who made you do it?"

Bright green eyes opened, "My heart made me do it. Don't you understand? I'll never get better, she deserves better than me." Tristan was about to speak but Jeremy was faster, "Don't you want your sister to live a real relationship with a guy? To get married and have kids? To have fun and party with her lover as well as fight instead of hiding for the rest of her teenage years in the hospital? Don't you get it, it breaks me that I hurt her but it's better that way, she'll get over me eventually."

Tristan was at lost of word and all of his anger subsided. "What changed?"

Jeremy looked at Tristan, pain, sorrow and sadness mixed up in his eyes, "I'm loosing my hands, what's next? My head? I'll be nothing except an inactive body nurtured for the rest of my life. I'm fading out."

Tristan hugged his friend, and promised him, "I'll find a cure for you, even if it's the last thing I do."

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Tristan parked the car in front of DuGrey Manor, his murderous gaze back. He unlocked the door without thinking about disarming the alarm, saw his parents run down the stairs with questioning looks as they saw their son's eyes and a tear soaked Gabrielle behind.