Disclaimer: I do not own these characters except the children and Analise.

A/N: Just a short update today…I hope to have more up in a few days.

It seemed hardly anytime at all had passed before Harm, Mac, Mic, Analise, and Lucy were all back at Dr. Jacobson's office. DJ was left off with Harriet to play with Jimmy and Lucy sat with Analise in the waiting room. Mic wanted to be with Mac, showing every image of a supportive husband to be as they heard the prognosis.

"You okay, love?" he asked her.

Mac nodded, "I just need to hear what he's going to say. I'm scared."

Harm reached over and patted her hand, "So am I, Mac."

Mic glared at him, but remained silent.

The doctor came in and sat down, "Commander Rabb, Mrs. Rabb, Commander Brumby," he said seriously. "We have the results of Lucy's spinal tap."

Mac reached out and placed a hand on Harm's knee, not caring what Mic thought about it.

"The cancer has spread from Lucy's blood into her spinal fluid, though it seems as of yet, it has not hit her brain," he told the nervous group before him.

"That's good, right?" asked Harm. "I mean, better than it could be?"

"It is better that having invaded her brain, yes, but spinal fluid metastates are very severe," he sighed. "She's been sick for awhile to have it spread like that."

Mac looked over at Harm. "How did we miss it? How could we miss that?"

"Was Lucy sick more often that normal?" the doctor asked. "Did she catch things easily?"

"Yeah, she did," said Harm. "The pediatrician always said she was just exceptionally prone to illness."

"She probably was at first," the doctor replied. "How long did that go on?"

"The better part of a year," answered Harm. "We should have known."

"It probably wasn't leukemia for the better part of the year," the doctor soothed. "If it was she'd be dead by now. Probably you missed it because she was prone to illness and when it became illness because of a reduced immunity it was hard to notice without the proper tests."

"We still should have known!" said Mac as she dissolved into tears.

Mic wrapped his arm around Mac and soothed her, "Now," the doctor continued, "We have to talk about what happens next."

"Chemotherapy?" asked Harm, intent on being brave for Mac's sake.

He nodded, "A high dosage. Along with radiation, but my first concern is going to be dealing with the effects of the spinal fluid metastases."

"Will she have to stay in the hospital?" asked Mic.

"Not initially, we'll try to let her come in for treatments and be released to her mother or father's care at home," the doctor explained.

"But if she gets sicker," began Harm. "Then you'll have to keep her?"

"If she gets worse, yes we'll keep her," he replied. "The effects of the spread...well, they can be rough for parents...There will be pain, especially in her neck and back in addition to severe headaches, progressive muscle weakness and loss of function especially in her legs. You'll also have to watch for loss of bladder and bowel control," he outlined.

Harm rubbed his forehead. "We'll do what he have to do," he said. "We'll take good care of our little girl, and we'll get her though this...somehow."

Mac nodded her agreement not trying to hide her tears from Harm or from Mic. She looked over at Harm catching his eye and asking with her own a silent question. Harm picked up the cue and asked, "What about the side effects from the chemo?"

"Well, that all depends on the drugs that we give Lucy. Given that her cancer is all ready spreading we are going to go with a very aggressive approach using a combination of drugs. The main side effects might masquerade as symptoms from the mets...back, neck, and leg pain, headache, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, stomach cramping, and with one drug in particular hair loss and wheezing or shortness of breath, though any number of things can happen," he explained.

He hung his head and swallowed hard. This was all too terrible to be real.

"I'll leave the three of you to discuss Lucy's care after treatments and with permission, I'd like to get her started as soon as you speak to her about her illness," he told them. "I'd like to get her first round of treatment done today."

"Thank you, doctor," said Harm. "Give us a little bit and we'll let you know what we decide."

The doctor nodded and left the trio alone.

"I want her home with me," Mac said firmly. It was the first time she'd really spoken since she entered the doctor's office.

"She might get too sick for that, love," said Mic.

"What do you mean she might get to sick for that?" Mac asked. "She is sick, and the medicine is going to make her sicker and she'll want her Mommy."

"Her Mommy," began Mic. "Has to be careful how worked up she gets, remember?"

"It doesn't matter, Lucy matters," Mac said softly. "Harm can help and you and Ana can help."

"Wait a minute, Mac," Harm intervened. "You matter and the baby has to matter, we all have to work together here. There are tw…four of us and I'll be there as much as I have to as long as I have to. She's my daughter, too. She'll and need us both."

Mac nodded in agreement at that statement. "I want her home. Harm, maybe on treatment days you can stay..."Mac began.

"He doesn't need to do that," said Mic emphatically. "I'm there, I can help."

"But you're not her parent," Mac insisted.

"Close enough," he replied.

"We have a more important decision to make now," said Harm. "How do we tell her and do we let them start treatment today?"

"I don't know how we tell her" said Mac softly.

"As much as I hate to say it, we just say it. We can say, Lucy, Mommy and Daddy know why you've been getting so many boo boos and feeling sick and tell her she has some bad things in her blood and needs really fancy medicine to make her better, that's all I can think of," Harm sighed. "I also think, just you and I should tell her."

"I want to be there, too," said Mic flatly. "I have a right to be."

"Mic, I think it would be better if you and Ana waited outside," Harm said. "This is a family moment."

"I'm family," hissed Mic. "I have a right to be there."

"Mic," Mac said gently. "You and Lucy have had your...uh, differences and it might be easier on her with just Harm and I there. You and I talked about this when I decided, when Harm and I decided to have a more open arrangement for the kids. This is a parent and child moment."

With a deep breath and a disgusted sigh, Mic relented. "Fine. I'll wait outside."

Lucy went into her Mommy and Daddy while a disgruntled Mic sat down beside Analise. "How are they taking it?" she asked. "I know how Harm's taking it, but how is Sarah coping?"

Mic shrugged. "As well as she can, I suppose. I don't like her being up so much and getting to worked up, but I don't guess we can do anything about that."

"I think she'd be more worried if she wasn't involved with Lucy's care, Mic," Analise sighed. "And Harm and I are here to help."

"She's supposed to be resting and being careful," said Mic. "And lately she's has certainly not been either. She's barely even slept. That's not good!"

"Do you think she'll sleep any better not seeing Lucy every day?" Analise sighed. "Harm, hasn't slept either. He just lies in the bed, he's barely eaten."

"I've been on Sarah to eat," said Mic. "If I weren't, I doubt she'd give it much thought, you know?"

"They are both scared that their baby girl is dying and between you, me, and the wall..."Ana sighed.

Mic nodded softly. "Doesn't look too good, huh?"

She shook her head, "I take it they're in there telling her."

"Yeah, they are," he replied. "Wonder how she'll take it? She's so young."

"She'll probably not understand until the side effects kick in," Analise sighed. "I told Harm I'd be there for this if he needed me..."

"Sarah knows I'll be there, too" said Mic. "Sometimes, though, I wonder if she even wants me there."

"What do you mean?" Analise asked. "I don't have that worry with Harm thank Heaven."

"I don't know, really," sighed Mic as he leaned back against the wall. "I just wonder sometimes if Sarah is really as happy with me as she says she is. She thinks I hate Lucy, which I don't. I guess I just want to be sure she's happy, and that she'll let me support her through this, and I'm not. I'm just not sure."

Analise nodded, "Harm is...He's a tough act to follow Mic, even if he did make mistakes."

"Tell me about it," scoffed Mic. "I don't think I'll ever compare to him in her mind."

"That what happens when...I'm just surprised they didn't want the four of us to talk to her," Analise sighed.

"They only wanted 'family' in there," he said, obviously upset about it.

Analise was hit hard by those words and slid off the chair she was sitting on, "Oh, I see." She felt tears sting her eyes.

"Hey, I know," he said, rising to put an arm around her. "Stings, eh?"

"I have to...Tel,l Harm I went home okay," Analise said sliding out of Mic's one armed hug.

"Ana, wait," said Mic. "Don't go. He'll need you after this."

She nodded, "I need to use the bathroom though. I'll be right back."

Mic returned to his seat and fidgeted with the button on his sleeve. He was wondering how things were transpiring in the room next to him, how Lucy was taking the news. He hoped she wasn't in pieces, and more importantly, he hoped her mother was able to stay strong.

A moment later the door opened and a tearful Mac stepped out followed by Lucy chewing on her finger, and finally by Harm whose eyes immediately searched out Analise as he held himself together by a thread.

"She's in the bathroom," said Mic, rising to tend to Mac.

"Oh, uh...okay," said Harm unsteadily. "Hey, Lucy, you want to go get your medicine so you can start to get better?" He made it sound like a good thing.

"Will you come with me?" she asked softly.

Harm nodded, "Yeah, Button. Daddy will read you a story while the medicine goes in, okay?"

"Can mommy be there, too?" asked Lucy. "I want her, too."

"I don't know, Button," Harm replied. "Mommy has to rest the baby."

"Can you, mommy?" asked the frightened little girl, looking up at Mac.

"Sure, Baby," Mac replied and together Harm and Mac took Lucy down the hall.

Lucy was laid on the bed and hooked up to the machine that would administer her medicine. She took it bravely, listening as Harm read to her until the IV had drained.

"You did such a good job, Button," said Harm as the nurse was removing the IV. "You ready to go home?"

Lucy nodded, "Do I have to take that again?"

"Yeah you do," admitted Harm. "But Mommy or I will be here with you, okay?"

Lucy nodded, "Will I feel all better? I don't feel good now."

"I know, sweetie," he said. "You might not feel too good, but it'll help make you feel better."

"Can I be carried to the car?" Lucy asked. "My back is hurting."

"Of course," said Harm, reaching down to pick her up.

Mac rose from her stool and walked out after Harm and Lucy. The doctor told them to expect the side effects as soon as the medicine hit her blood stream and in a six year old child..."Daddy?" Lucy said wearily.

"What, baby?"

Her answer came in the form of a cough as she became ill over his shoulder, down the back of his shirt and on the floor.

"Oh, Lucy," he said softly, his heart breaking as he realized this was only the beginning of a very long road.