This was supposed to be the last chapter, but it was too long so I cut it into two. I'll post the last part tomorrow.

LittleBritishPerson, don't worry: I love it when a review gives me an idea of how to improve a story! I was much happier with the chapter after the rewrite. Thank you for your review.

Tanith Panic, it's possible Emilie might have seen through Taylor, but would Cal have listened? He was so besotted! She might have stopped him stealing from Ethan if she'd guessed he was considering it. Thank you for your review.

X-Sammii-X, I don't think Cal and Ethan will adopt Matilda in this story, but I might write some stories where they do. I hope the Casualty writers will too! Thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

CBloom2, thank you for your review - I'm so happy you liked it! This chapter might be emotional, if I've written it properly.

tracys dream, thank you for your review. It's really lovely to know you enjoyed it so much.

"Mum?" Cal leaned forward over the bed, his panic evident. His breath came quickly. "Mum! No! You can't leave now!"

Ethan gently pushed him back from the bed as he bent over Emilie. He heard Cal's sobs and felt like crying himself, but he had to be the doctor now. "She's still breathing, Cal." He checked her pulse. "She's still with us. I expect she's just tired." He sat back and put his hand lightly on Cal's back. "How about we go and get some fresh air and let Mum rest?"

"I don't want to leave!" Cal put his elbow on the bed and hid his face in his hand.

"I know," said Ethan, as he stroked Cal's back. "But you can't sit here the whole time and we need to eat something. We need to keep healthy for Mum."

"You go," Cal said into his hand. "I can't."

Ethan realised there was no persuading him – and with the end so near, perhaps it was better that Emilie was never alone. "You're right. I'll get us something and come back."

He stood up, preparing to leave, but he didn't want to leave his brother just yet. He sat down again and wrapped his arms around Cal. Cal reluctantly let go of Emilie's hand. He put his good arm around Ethan and cried into his shoulder for a few minutes. "Sorry, Ethan."

"Don't be silly." Ethan gave Cal a tissue and put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I'll be back soon. Please phone me if… if…"

Cal lifted his head. "I promise," he said.

Ethan walked to the other side of the bed and kissed Emilie's cheek. As he straightened up again, he realised Cal was watching him. Ethan hesitated, wondering if Cal minded, but Cal was smiling.

Ethan smiled back and left the room, stopping off at the loos so he could wash his face. Although the food had been his idea, he had never felt less like eating. He stood, looking at himself in the mirror, and suddenly the tears rose up inside him in an unstoppable wave. The violence of them pushed him to his knees and he knelt there on the floor, crying in anger and misery and he hardly knew what.

He knew why he'd held back from loving her; even liking her. Because he didn't want to feel like this again. But now he'd let himself love her and it hurt.

He knew he'd only have a few more hours with her, perhaps less, and he wanted so much more. For a moment, he raged against Matilda for taking them from Emilie, but he knew that was unfair. Matilda hadn't been the one who'd taken them and he could never regret the time he'd spent with her. So he raged against Cal instead, for keeping Emilie a secret for so long, but he couldn't even do that. He knew how Cal must have been feeling. The only person he could be angry with was himself, for pushing Emilie away when she'd tried to know him; for refusing to speak to Cal, who could have brought them together sooner.

Ethan's head flopped forward and hit the bottom of one of the sinks, but he felt no pain. Or no physical pain.

All those times when he'd thought of Cal as a bad, unfeeling, uncaring son and the opposite was true. But Ethan, on the other hand…

His chest ached with the force of his sobs, but he knew he deserved it. He'd hurt Cal and Emilie, the only two people who really belonged to him.

Ethan heard a creak, but he couldn't identify it. It made no sense to him, even though he knew that at one time, he'd known that sound. Another sound followed it: a spoken word - one he'd heard many times but was unidentifiable now. He felt an arm around him, hugging him tightly; trying to turn him and still the words came, only now they were beginning to make sense to him.

"Ethan."

There was the word again, only now, Ethan knew it was his name.

"Ethan, come on. Come here. It's okay."

Ethan realised he was moving. He turned to face Cal, and Cal put his arm around him, holding Ethan's head against his shoulder.

"I know it hurts. It's been hurting me for so long and one reason why I didn't want to tell you was because I didn't want you to feel like this too. It's so unfair, isn't it? Especially on Mum. She's suffered so much."

Ethan continued sobbing, speaking quite beyond him.

"But we found her," said Cal. "Later than I'd have liked, but we found her and we're here. And we've just got to make the best of every moment. For us – and for her."

"I'm sorry, Cal," wept Ethan. "I'm sorry for everything I did."

Cal gasped slightly. "Ethan, what are you talking about?"

"I didn't help you. You needed me. Mum needed me. I didn't help," Ethan said between sobs.

"You were too shocked to do anything," said Cal. "And you found out in the worst possible way. I wanted to break it gently, but it was never the right time and then I had to say something before she did... You needed time, just like I needed time." Cal held Ethan tightly. "You have nothing to blame yourself for, little brother. Really. You've done nothing wrong. And you're here for us now."

"I was scared," sobbed Ethan. "I didn't want to go through it all again. I didn't want to lose another mother."

"Of course you didn't," said Cal. "And it's okay. You were here for me when it mattered – and that's a lot more than you can say for me."

"And I felt like I was being disloyal."

Cal stroked his hair. "I know. Mum brought us up; looked after us; helped make us into the people we are today. But loving Emilie doesn't mean we love Matilda any less. It doesn't mean that at all."

"I thought you were just trying to make up for last time," sniffled Ethan.

"Maybe that was part of it at first," said Cal. "Though mostly, I wanted to make up for the people who took us away from her. But it's different now. I love her, Ethan."

"I love her too." The tears were still coming. "And I don't know if I can handle it."

He felt Cal resting his cheek against his hair. "I know. But that's okay. Anyone would wonder if they could handle it or not. But you handled it last time. A lot better than I did."

"But you were there at the end," said Ethan. "Not me. I went to work."

"You didn't know it was going to happen on that day," said Cal. "We thought it would be a lot sooner. You thought by the time you started that job, that she would… that we would have said goodbye." Cal gently lifted Ethan's head from his chest. "Ethan, you have nothing to feel guilty about. You did so much for Mum. You gave up your life for her. And you're doing great now with Mum too. You have nothing to feel guilty about at all – and I know you can handle it. But you won't be on your own. I'll be here."

Ethan sniffed. "I wanted to support you. It's so much worse for you."

"And how did you figure that one out, Nibbles? She's your mum too."

"But you've known her for longer," said Ethan.

"It doesn't matter," said Cal. "You've known her for long enough." He shook his head almost affectionately. "Maybe we're more alike than we thought. I hid the truth from you because I wanted to protect you. Now you're trying to hide your feelings so you can support me. But what we should be doing is supporting each other."

"Yes… maybe…"

"So that's what we'll do, Ethan," said Cal. "And when we find out if either of us has inherited the gene, we'll support each other through that too. It will be worse for the one who's got it, but the one who hasn't will need support too."

"Yes… you're right, Cal. That's what we'll do. " Ethan found a tissue in his pocket and blew his nose. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now."

Call shook his head as he watched Ethan dry his eyes. "Ethan, weren't you listening? You don't have to be okay."

"Then I'm not okay," said Ethan shakily. "But I'm more okay than I was." He looked anxiously at Cal. "Did you leave Mum on her own?"

"No: one of the nurses came to check on her," said Cal. "I told her where I was going and she said she'd come and knock on the door if Mum... needed me." He ruffled Ethan's hair in a way that was actually quite comforting. "Now stay there and don't watch me because I came in here for conventional reasons and I don't want you seeing and getting jealous."

Ethan couldn't tell if he was serious, but it made him laugh, so that was probably good. He kept his glasses off and splashed more water on his face, trying not to think that, at any moment, there might be a knock at the door.

Cal came over to wash his hands. "Do you want me to go and get the food? Your eyes are all red."

"It doesn't matter," said Ethan, though he did cringe slightly when he put his glasses on. "So are yours anyway."

Cal smiled and patted his arm. "I'll go. You go and sit with Mum."

"Are you sure you'll be able to carry everything with one arm?" asked Ethan worriedly.

"My little brother," said Cal. "Always so practical."

"One of us has to be!" said Ethan – just as Cal said exactly the same words.

"I'll ask for a bag," said Cal. He squeezed Ethan's arm. "She's great, Ethan. Our second mum. Or possibly our first."

Ethan nodded. "She's incredible."

"So take the chance to get to know her without me being there," said Cal.

"I will, Cal," said Ethan. He surprised both of them by giving his brother another hug. "Thank you."