Sorry for the delay! Ninety percent of this story is already written but it requires A LOT of editing. Sometimes I get behind, BUT I won't stop updating. Have no fear. With that said, I've spent a lot of time researching Elena's illness...so much so that it makes my head spin. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject and I may make mistakes. Just keep that in mind. Oh, and thank you for the amazing response this story has gotten after ONE chapter! I'm touched.

Please enjoy!

Chapter Two

To say I didn't sleep well the night Damon found out I was sick would be an understatement. It really bothered me that I had to put that weight on his shoulders. Being sick was a burden that I wanted to bear alone and for good reason. Maybe, if I had access to better doctors or a bottomless pit of money I would be motivated to try harder, to fight. Besides, we hardly knew one another and if I gave him a way out right away he wouldn't be so devastated when I was gone.

My mother didn't exactly agree with my habit of holding people at arm's length. "Lena, baby…why are you so out of it this morning?"

I'd just told my mother I wouldn't be going down to the boardwalk with her. I was tired and I used that as an excuse to get out of working. "I'm just tired mom, I'll be fine. I'll get some things done around here."

She brushed my hair back from my face and kissed my forehead. "This doesn't have anything to do with that boy does it?"

I scrubbed at my face with both hands. "No…maybe. Mom, I went to dinner with him last night."

Her face warmed and she sat down in the chair across from me. "You told him?"

Nodding, I sipped at the mug of coffee that was far from warm. "I thought it was best. He's a good person."

"You're a good person too, Elena." She grabbed my hand and held it in between both of hers. "Everyone leaves this Earth sooner or later but it doesn't mean you have to live in a bubble."

Tears burned in the corners of my eyes. My mother handled me being sick better than I did. She'd been my biggest supporter, just like she'd been for my dad. When I'd made the choice to stop treatment and face my fate head on, she didn't bat an eye. When I'd cried for days after my oncologist labeled me terminal, she gave me her usual smile and told me everything would be alright. "Mom, I don't think it's fair to lead him on. So now he knows."

"I won't tell you how to spend your time, but you'll see. You'll see that you need more people in your life. I think you will find that most are willing to love you all the way to the end."

I watched my mother gather her keys and leave the house. Her dress flared out behind her as she walked with a quick gate. The door clicked shut and I was alone. I swept my eyes around our small house, taking everything in. It was tragic that I was condensing all my hopes and dreams into such a hectic time frame, but I didn't know when it would all end. I just knew that it would.

Wiping my face I stood, refusing to be bogged down with my own personal pity party. Internally, I blamed my whole mood on Damon. I had been the epitome of positive attitudes until he came along and I suspected it was because I really liked him. I turned the small radio on that sat in the middle of our kitchen table and began to clean. Something about cleaning always brightened my mood. I felt like I was wiping away all the bad feelings to see the good underneath and it cleared my head. Hours passed, though I didn't know how many but by the time I heard the knock at the front door most of the house was spotless.

I swung the door open, dust rag still dangling from my right hand. "This is a surprise." I blew some stray hair out of my face and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind me.

"Your mother gave me the address, I hope you don't mind." Damon stood before me, his hand shoved deep in the pocket of his shorts. A very rambunctious dog was doing his best to sit still next to him.

I shook my head no. "I don't mind. I'm just really surprised to see you. I thought for sure I cemented our fate last night."

He looked slightly uncomfortable but never stopped looking me directly in the eyes. "Listen, Elena. That's why I came by actually. I have something I want to say about that and I hope you'll give me the chance. Just hear me out."

"Damon, I'm not shutting you out. I'll hear whatever it is you need to say..." And I would. I meant that, but it didn't mean I was going to change my mind easily.

"You tried to push me away last night. I understand that but like I said, it's my decision. Maybe I like spending time with you. You wouldn't deny me or yourself a good friend just because you're sick would you?"

I shifted on my bare feet. "It's…just really not that simple, okay?"

Damon's dog stood up and started to bounce around. "It is that simple." He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and leaned in a little closer. "I barely know you and I get that but I wanna get to know you. You being sick is just a minor annoyance."

I frowned despite myself. I should have been angry that he suggested my being sick was an annoyance but I couldn't find it in my heart to even be slightly annoyed. He was really determined to carve a place for himself in my life. My mother's speech from that morning sat at the edge of my mind, glaring hatefully as I considered telling Damon it was a bad idea to start a friendship. "Okay," I sighed. "I suppose as long as you know up front what you're getting into that I can't stop you from wanting to be my friend." His dog bounced on her front feet and I scratched the top of her head. "Who's this?" I'd never caved faster.

Damon smiled and dropped his hands from my shoulders. "This is Journey. She likes new people." He leaned down to Journey's level. "Don't ya girl? You love new friends." He made a big show of ruffling her coat and she bit playfully at his fingers.

"She's really cute," I said, admiring his love for the dog.

"We're actually headed to the boardwalk. Did you want to come along?"I stared at the dust rag in my hand. "Unless you have things to do, that is..." He wrapped Journey's leash tightly around his fist and started for the screen door on the porch.

"You know, I need to get out. I can clean another time." I tossed the rag in the door, grabbed my keys and followed him down the sidewalk to the street.

We walked in silence, side by side. Journey practically skipped along in front of us, smelling everything her nose came in contact with. The air was heavy with heat and I could almost taste the salt from the ocean. It was surprising to me how I automatically committed every detail to memory, and how easily I faced all the impending doom, for lack of a better term. I wanted to enjoy everything life was offering me and suddenly I was extremely happy that I hadn't sent Damon away.

"You okay?"

I laughed and shook my head. I'd almost forgotten where I was. "I'm fine, just thinking."

"Well, I happen to be a professional listener." He smiled, aiming those dimples right at me.

"I was just thinking about how salty the air tastes. I never noticed before." It sounded silly but the look on his face told me he didn't think so.

He stopped walking and turned toward the ocean. "Have you ever noticed how the sand smells when the sun heats it up?"

"No," I answered with a warm heart. "What does it smell like? Tell me?"

"It smells like coconuts and suntan lotion," He answered with a grin and a wink.

"I thought for sure you'd say it smelled like ass."

"Oh but see, I knew you were expecting me to say that so I recalculated my game and came in from a different angle."

I snapped my fingers and did my best to look disappointed. "Well I guess I'm not as good as I thought at reading people."

Damon laughed. "I'm glad you gave me my ten dollars back!"

I shoved his right shoulder in mock annoyance. We grew silent and Journey was growing bored so we began to walk again. My mother was right as usual. Damon was a good guy and he just wanted the chance to know me. I wasn't in any position to deny anyone anything for obvious reasons.

"So…do you mind me asking-"

"What I've got?"

He nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah...what's your damage?"

"Well," I sighed but laughed, "Lymphoma. I was in remission for a long time...years, but last summer it came back. Mom and I were struggling to pay my dad's medical bills still and they couldn't guarantee chemo would do anything beyond giving me a little more time." I cleared my throat, trying to rid the emotions building in my voice. "So, I decided to refuse treatment. They offered me a trial spot for a new radiation...I refused. It's not realistic."

"Wow, Elena. I don't know what to say to that." He gave me a sad smile, which was what usually happened but he didn't push the issue. He didn't accuse me of giving up or ask me why I didn't go for the treatment regardless of cost. It was...different.

I had seen every reaction a person could have. Everyone usually had an opinion but in the end it was my life, or the end of it, and I would live as I saw fit. My mom always says I'm living with an illness and I'd never agreed more with those words than that moment, walking in the afternoon sun with my new friend.

"I'm not afraid or anything like that. I feel great now and that's what I'm concentrating on."

Damon nodded in agreement. "So do you have a list…things you want to do before you go? I guess you could call it a bucket list. Things to do before you kick the bucket."

I cringed slightly, but eventually grinned and shook my head. If I were honest with myself, I hadn't thought that far ahead. "How sensitive of you, Damon," I offered sarcastically.

"Shit…yeah, maybe I should have said that differently." He stopped and grabbed me by both shoulders again. "I just had the best idea, Elena." I just stared as he held me tightly in place. "Don't you have things that you've always wanted to do? I mean, there has to be things you want to do before-"

"Before I kick the bucket," I said giggling uncontrollably.

Damon released me with a smart ass look on his face. "Okay, yes I know that's a stupidly offensive term but it's the best I had at the moment. This is all new territory for me." He released me and put his hands on his hips.

"I'm sorry." I tried my best to catch my breath. "Really, I think you have a wonderful idea. Really."

He stood back and waited for my breathing to return to normal. "Let's make a deal, right here and now. We'll shake on it."

"All right," I nodded. "I'll play your game."

He grinned. Those dimples would be the death of me…if I hadn't already been dying. "I mean every word. We can start today. Tell me one thing you want to do that you haven't already." He held out his hand for me to shake. "Deal?"

I took a deep breath and took his hand. "Deal."

"Okay, lay it on me."

I took Journey's leash and started to walk again. "Since we're really doing this…I've been meaning to get a tattoo." I looked up at him bashfully as we fell into step alongside one another.

"A tattoo it is then." Damon didn't even blink as he steered us into the next tattoo shop along Venice Beach.

I explained to the artist exactly what I wanted and he disappeared into the back room to make a stencil and work out a price. I watched Journey, tied to the light pole in front of the shop while Damon looked through the artist's book.

"I've got this," he said out of nowhere.

"The tattoo?" I asked confused, trying to look over his shoulder.

"No," he chuckled. "I'm paying for the tattoo and don't argue because you won't win."

I picked at my fingernails. "I appreciate that."

"I know you do." He handed the man, who had just returned, a credit card without even letting me hear the price. "I'll be outside keeping Journey company."

"That your boyfriend?" The tattoo artist asked as I settled into his chair.

"Oh, no he's just a friend. We're new friends." I felt myself blush at the thought of Damon and I together.

"Could've fooled me," the man mumbled over the din of the tattoo gun.

An hour later I was the proud owner of one very brightly colored Poppy tattoo. It sat right next to my hip bone and I couldn't stop admiring it in the mirror. I let the man bandage it up before I found Damon out front and motioned him in to get his card back.

"How did it go?" He asked as he signed the sales receipt and thanked the guy.

"It stung a little but…I feel really good about this." Getting my first tattoo was such a small change in my life but I felt fantastic. I felt alive. The feeling of accomplishing something you'd always wanted to do was like a natural high.

"I got you something while you were in there getting inked like a badass," he said pulling a drawstring bag from his pocket.

"Don't you want to see what the tattoo looks like?"

He shook his head and handed me the small cloth bag. "It's yours, just like what's in this bag." He smiled evilly and I began to wonder what I would find in that small blue pouch.

I pulled the top apart and pulled out a fine gold chain with a 'D' charm hanging from the end. "You know, my name starts with a 'E'."

He laughed and put the necklace around my neck. "And mine starts with a 'D'. They were all out of 'E's."

"Seriously, Damon?" I rolled my eyes and held the charm between my thumb and index finger to get a better look at it. "What do I say when someone asks me why I have a 'D' hanging around my neck?"

"Tell them that The Jewelry Box in Venice needs to order better stock in the letter E."

I smirked and began to walk back in the direction of my house. Damon fell in step beside me along with Journey. "Thank you again…for the tattoo, the necklace. For everything."

Damon sighed and looked down at the cement, watching his feet. "Elena, I just hope you know I didn't do any of those things out of guilt or because you're…because you're, sick."

"Hey," I grabbed his arm to stop him from walking. "I know you didn't. It's nice to just live and have someone else living with me for once. It's gonna be nice having a friend."

He looked down at my hand holding his arm and I released him. He smiled warmly. "Don't mention it. It's not every day a guy meets a girl like you."

I looked away toward the afternoon sun. "So, what do you think I should try and accomplish next?"

"It's your list."

"I know it's my list but you put this whole idea into motion. I say you should help me choose things to do."

We continued to walk and it wasn't until I was on my street and could see my house that Damon responded to me. "Alright, I can figure out a few things if that's what you want," He said as we approached the steps and he opened the screen door on the porch for me.

"Yeah," I nodded, letting the door close softly. I stared at Damon through the screen. "I think seeing life through your eyes would be very interesting so you pick our next adventure."

"Okay then…Listen, I had a good time today. Don't be a stranger." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a ragged piece of paper. I opened the door so he could hand it to me. "Here's my number."

"Thanks," I called as he and Journey walked away.

The house was extra warm when I unlocked the door and let myself in. The central air was acting up as usual. I thought about Damon as I walked around the house, opening all the available windows. He was quickly turning out to be just what I needed to keep myself sane. I sat down at the kitchen table and just let the events of the day wash over me. For the first time in a long while I felt the pathetic gnawing of sadness. It was one of the reasons I didn't want to let Damon into my life in the first place.

The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint anyone but I'd cemented my future already. Damon was involved and I'd quickly become far too selfish to push him away. I eyed a pen and envelope for the electric bill sitting where my mother had left it that morning. I pulled them over to me and wrote down the top five things I wanted to accomplish before I died.