Chapter 22: Good Luck for Once.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fosters.

Words written in italics are flashbacks or memories.

Danny's POV:

It's April 10th, 2029, and it has been a year and a half since the worst day of my life.

It's been a year and a half since Harry was diagnosed with Leukemia, and I went to pieces in the Adams Foster apartment.

That night was not the last night I would spend on the Jude and Connor's couch crying myself to sleep. That was how the rest of the nights that week would end, with me leaving Harry at the hospital to get his rest, and end up sobbing into one of Connor or Jude's couch pillows. After the seventh day I had done it that week, I returned to the hospital with a week's worth of clothes, my acoustic guitar and a couple of blank notebooks.

After that, I rarely left the hospital. I practically lived there. Connor would check in on us every day during his lunch break, and Jude would come up and visit after he got out of work. I left the room maybe twice a day for the first two weeks to go down to the cafeteria to get myself some food. Then I realized just how much I hate hospital food, and I started having Jude bring me food after he got off work.

I spent almost every waking moment at Harry's side after that. I would entertain him while he was awake, and I would write music for the next Iron Will album while he was asleep. Harry's condition and his illness started seeping into the music, and five of the albums twelve songs are about deadly diseases.

After eight months of treatment, Harry was deemed well enough to leave the hospital. He was fighting the disease well enough that he didn't need to be kept their round the clock. I would drive him up to the hospital for his chemotherapy treatments, and then take him home and take care of him there afterwards. Connor would always drop in after work to check on him, and every day I thank god that one of my best friends is a doctor.

Now, I sit next to Jude, Connor, and Harry in the waiting room, awaiting the news of the most recent round of tests. I sat praying to whatever deity existed to spare Harry and keep him from dying like Gideon did.

"Just keep calm Danny." Harry said weakly, "Everything is gonna be fine."

It hurt to hear his voice, sounding so weak and tired. I offered him a tight smile and reached out and took his hand. I look into his eyes. Inside I didn't see the weak dejection that I remember in Gideon's eyes near the end. I saw a quiet determination.

"I'm trying, beloved." I tell him shakily, "It's just difficult."

"We know it's difficult, Danny." Connor interjected, "Hopefully, this'll be the last time we ever have to come in here."

"I have been praying for that since the day he was diagnosed." I said, "I have been praying for mercy. But I did that with Giddy too, and the prayers went unanswered. Excuse me if my faith is a bit shaken at the moment."

"And you have that right." Jude said, "But you can't give up hope. We've made it so far, we can't stop now. Everything has gone well so far. Let's hope it stays that way."

"Yeah, seriously," Harry said weakly leaning against me, "I could really use a break. I'm so tired. I'm tired of fighting. I'm ready for this all to be over. I'm ready for it to end, and for things to go back to normal."

I lurched in my seat at hearing him say that, because Giddy had said almost the exact same thing the night he died. I shook my head trying to clear the memory away, but it kept coming.

"What's wrong, love?" I said to Giddy, who was curled up, crying into my side.

"I don't want to fight anymore, Danny."

"What do you mean, Giddy?"

"I'm so tired. I'm ready for the pain to stop."

"You can't give up." I said, tear welling in my eyes.

"I gave up a long time ago." He said through his tears, "The only reason I held on to life for so long was because I didn't want to leave you here alone. But I don't think I have a choice. It's too late for me, Danny."

"How am I supposed to go on without you?" I sobbed, "I don't want to live without you. I don't know if I can, baby."

"I want you to promise me something, Danny." Giddy said weakly.

"Anything, I'll do anything you ask." I sobbed.

"Promise me that you'll keep living." He cried, "That you'll go on, even if you have to do it without me, even if you have to learn how to live again. Even if you have to find somebody who can teach you HOW to live again, you do it. Promise me?"

"I p-promise, love. I promise." I cried, tears leaking down my face.

"I... I love you Danny." Giddy sobbed, "I'm sorry it took me so long to say it aloud. But when I'm gone... I want you to know that."

"I love you too, Giddy." I sobbed back, "That's one thing that'll never change. You didn't even have to say it, I already knew. It's just one of those things that doesn't need words to be real."

"Kiss me. Please?" Giddy said.

"What?"

"I know you said you wanted to wait." Giddy cried softly, "Until I got better. But that's not gonna happen. I want know what it's like to kiss the boy I love before it's too late."

"Okay." I said, and I leaned in.

As soon as our lips made contact, I felt him relax beneath me. I opened my eyes to see his face, and through all the pain, I saw bliss.

After four minutes, his breathing got shallow. A minute later, I felt him exhale. He stopped kissing me back. I pulled away, and his eyes stared ahead, unseeing and blank.

"Giddy?" I asked fearfully. He didn't answer.

I choked out a sob.

"G-G-Giddy, d-don't do this to m-me b-baby, please."

Still no answer.

My sobs grew hysterical, loud, desperate.

"Nonononono, please. P-please w-wake up."

When my pleas went unanswered, my grief consumed me.

He was gone.

I reared my head back and screamed.

I felt a light pressure on my shoulder and it startled me out of my memory. After a second I realized that I had started crying. I looked down to see Connor kneeling in front of me.

"Sorry," I choked out, "Flashback."

"Of that night?"

"When Giddy died." I confirmed, wiping the tears away furiously, "Sorry, something Harry said triggered it."

"What was that?" Harry asked sadly.

"You saying you were tired of fighting." I answered shakily, "He said that, about six minutes before he died."

"I'm sorry, Danny." Harry apologized.

"Never be sorry." I said to him sternly, "You never have to apologize to me for anything."

Then the doctor walked up. I stood up, helping Harry to his feet.

"Mr. and Mr. Kennedy. Good to see you both." He said.

"Doctor." I said with a nod, "What did the tests say?"

"His white cell count has normalized. His blood tests are normal." The doctor said, smiling, "All the tests are showing the same thing."

"You mean?" I start to say hopefully.

"He's in remission." The doctor informed us happily, "The cancer is gone."

I could feel my knees go out, and I fell to the floor. I started crying, but they were happy tears. I could feel Harry's arms wrap around me

"Thank you god." I gasped out, "Thank you, god."

"We're gonna be okay." Harry whispers happily in my ear.

I cling to him, sobbing tears of joy.

My prayers had been answered.