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Chapter Two

After spending thirty minutes crying in her office Allison pulled herself together, standing up she brushed her pants down and wiped her eyes. Looking in the mirror she saw black marks around her eyes and she licked her finger and began wiping the marks away. After fixing her hair and making sure she was presentable she left her office and began to make her way to the Dean of Medicine of the hospital she was working at. Knocking on the door she heard the gruff male voice telling her to enter, as she stepped in and saw the old man sat in front of her she felt herself losing her composure again. The man in front of her looked up and instantly realised something was wrong.

"Allison, hello, take a seat." He stopped writing whatever he was writing on his computer and gave her his full attention. Allison stepped forward and into the seat he had indicated to. She gazed up at the man before her, he had pure white hair, gentle eyes and a round belly, he had been a true friend, a guide, a mentor, he was like an extra father to her, and Lilley and Chris called him Uncle. He had supported her through everything she had done since arriving in New York nine years ago, and she had complete faith he would support her in her decision now.

"Steve, I have a problem." She looked into his eyes and saw concern and the tears spilled from her eyes again. "Oh god, here I go again." She tried to laugh but couldn't. Steve handed her a tissue and nodded.

"Allison, what's the problem? Is there anything I can do to help?" She took a deep breath and told him what was wrong.

"Chris has cancer, leukaemia actually, I've only just found out for sure, but I've known for about two weeks."

"Oh Allison, have you admitted him and referred him to Dr Dawson? Don't worry; we will get him the best treatment. It's going to be ok Allison."

"Steve, thank you so much for the offer, but I have to take him home."

"Back to New Jersey?"

She nodded. "Yes I have a friend there at the hospital I used to work at who I'd rather be his doctor. And," she paused. "I have some lose ends to tie up down there anyway."

"Lose ends that have been lose for nine years?" She laughed and nodded; he looked at her and sighed. "Ok Allison, if that's your choice, that's fine. I can't say we wont be lost without you, you're the best head of immunology we've had, but your job will be waiting for you when you return."

Allison felt more tears in her eyes. "Thank you Steve, thank you so much. I'm so sorry, but I know that the team will be able to handle things for awhile, this is just something I have to do." He nodded and stood up she stood also.

"That's fine, I have already said Allison. Now go. Don't worry about a thing except your little boy." She made her way to the door before he spoke again. "Allison, send him my love, I'll be praying for you all." She nodded and left to gather her things from her office.

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Two hours later she pulled up outside her home, she had booked three flights back to New Jersey for that night and she had to pack for them. Turning off the engine she climbed out of the car and made her way into her home. Making her way into her bedroom she put Oasis on and turned the volume up so it filled the house. Grabbing three suitcases she filled her own first, taking most of her wardrobe with her and a few books, her laptop was in its own bag downstairs. Then making her way into Lilley's room she gathered her daughters favourite clothes, books, toys and packed them carefully into the purple suitcase.

She dragged the suitcase and put it on the landing beside her own, then made her way into her son's room. She looked around and laid the blue suitcase on the bed, opening the wardrobe she smiled, Chris like her arranged his clothes by his favourite to least favourite. Grabbing the left hand side of the wardrobe she packed it carefully into the suitcase. Once she had all his clothes she began finding some books and toys for him. She stopped in her tracks as Wonderwall came on. Her mind floated back to the mother's day just gone.

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Waking up at six am she could hear the giggles from downstairs and the hushed talking. She couldn't help smiling. She knew what today was, and she knew that they had planned something. Suddenly the smell of smoke hit her nostrils and she sat bolt up right in bed, but relaxed again as she heard Lilley's scream.

"YOU BURNT THE TOAST!"

She giggled as she heard Chris hush her and whisper an apology and Lilley fume as she continued with whatever she was doing. Allison relaxed back into her bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulder and pretended to be asleep as she heard the footsteps come up the stairs. Within moments the door had opened and she heard the cheery call of Christopher.

"Happy Mothers Day mum!"

She rolled over and pretended to have just woken up, she grinned at her children as she saw Lilley carrying a breakfast tray complete with orange juice, a flower from her garden and the burnt toast. Chris was carrying a big card and a huge teddy bear and a box of her favourite chocolates.

"Good morning you two." She sat up in bed as Lilley placed the tray on the bedside table beside her and Chris handed her the presents. She opened them slowly and thanked her children giving them a kiss and a cuddle. They hugged her tightly and then stood back up and Lilley held out a neatly wrapped small present.

"This is something we made for you." Allison took the present slowly and Chris cut Lilley off.

"Because you're the best mum in the world!" She looked at the small gift and then to her children who ran from the room to go and play in the garden. She opened the present and saw it was a tape and wrote on it was 'To Mum, Love Chris and Lilley.' She stood up and walked over to the CD and tape player and inserted the tape. She smiled as she heard her children's voices.

"Hey Mum, we know you love this song, and we decided that you're the best and you are our wonderwall!" Next she heard Chris strum the first few notes of the song and then he repeated them and both him and Lilley began to sing. Allison sat on her bed and listened to her children sing and play. She giggled and her heart grew bigger, she hadn't realised that anyone could experience a love so strong until she had had children. At the end of the song she heard Chris mutter.

"You were singing out of tune." She snorted as Lilley retaliated.

"Yeah because you were playing it wrong." Chris started to make another comment but the tape cut off and Allison began to eat her burnt breakfast thinking that nothing could taste sweeter.

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Allison stood frozen to the spot she stood in thinking back to that day. Her children where the most important thing to her, they brought so much life, so much happiness, so much love to her life and now she was faced with the idea that she could lose one of them. Her heart sank, as did she, to the floor she crumbled and cried in a heap.

Brining her knees to her chest she cried wondering how this could happen to her. How could she lose one of her children, how could she lose him, he was her world, along with Lilley. And what about Lilley, how would she go on without him. They were a pair, always had been, without one there couldn't the other. When Allison had sent them to different summer camps last year the two had hated it and desperately tried to come home to each other. They weren't just siblings, they were best friends. She cried for herself, she cried for her son and her daughter, she cried for things she hadn't cried about in a long time, she just sat and cried.

When she had cried all her tears she pulled herself together. After finishing the packing she made her way into her own bedroom and stripped. She had laid some clothes for her to change into before she had packed. Pulling on the jeans she did the belt up and pulled the soft thin sweater over her head. She then grabbed her pen and her notepad and began to write a letter to the school explaining why she was taking her children out of school three weeks early and why it may be they don't return next year.

When she was finished she put it in an envelope and slid it into her handbag. She called for a taxi that arrived within minutes, grabbing the passports and sliding them into a handbag she helped the taxi driver put the cases into the car. Wandering the house she checked that every window and door was locked before climbing into the taxi.

Pulling up outside the school she asked the taxi driver to wait, which he assured her, he would. Walking into the office she handed the envelope in and explained it all to the deputy head teacher anyway. The teacher told her it was fine and Allison waited till Lilley and Chris were brought to her.

"Hey!" She greeted them with a smile and a hug, which they returned, but Lilley's forehead crinkled.

"What's wrong mum? How come we are leaving early?"

"We are going on holiday." Allison told them and it was Chris this time that spoke.

"I thought we couldn't have a holiday this year, because you had to work." Allison sighed and began to make her way to the taxi.

"We are going to see Uncle James." She heard the gasps of delight from behind her and Lilley came running up to her side.

"Seriously? We've not seen him since Christmas! And we've never been to his house, he always visits us, are you serious?"

Allison nodded. "Dead serious, get in the taxi, I've already packed!" Chris and Lilley exchanged excited looks and hopped into the car.

"Awesome!" She climbed in after them and Lilley looked at her. "Did you pack Jenny?"

Allison sighed. "No Lilley I forgot I'm sorry."

"Mum, you know I can't sleep without her! We have to go back!"

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An hour later they ran into the airport Lilley and Chris pushing trolleys that wouldn't go in a straight line. Jenny, Lilley's cuddly rabbit was tucked firmly under her arm. Allison ran up to a check in point and handed them the tickets and passports. The check in woman smiled a fake smile and laughed.

"Good timing, we were just about to close check in for this flight. But you just made it!"

Allison sighed a sigh of relief and she heard Chris behind her say to Lilley.

"We almost missed the plane over your stupid rabbit."

"Yeah well if you hadn't insisted you couldn't wait till we got to the airport we wouldn't have had to stop again would we?" Lilley sneered.

She closed her eyes and muttered to herself.

"This is going to be a long day."

Ok there you have it, chapter two.

Hope you like it.

Dont be so quick to jump to conclusion though...you all think you know who the father is, but do you really?

That is the question

Review please!

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