A/N: Well, here is a new chapter, once again, I am SO sorry that it took so long to get up. And for those of you who were worried, I'll end this story around Chapter 25. I just don't want a 100 chapter story.

Please review!

Bri

Three weeks later, Dani limped through the diner, just after the dinner rush. "Dani, honey, what's wrong?" Miss Patty cornered her while she was refilling coffees.

Dani forced a smile, "I'm fine, Miss Patty. Honest."

"Good, sweetie." Miss Patty immediately turned to gossip with Babbette. Dani sighed and slowly made her way behind the counter and set down the coffee pot. She glanced around the diner and found it was in a lull, she turned and made her way upstairs, to quickly grab her guitar and practice.

She bumped into Jess at the top of the stairs. "I'm on my way down for my tutoring with Rory." He said, before she had a chance to say anything.

"Try to actually study." Dani teased.

"You mean I'm not capable of actually working?" He retorted and pushed past her.

She stared after him in disbelief. He had been like that since she had been diagnosed. Not that he hadn't been annoyingly sarcastic before, this was just weird. Shrugging it off, she entered the apartment. Crossing to the couch, she grabbed her guitar and started playing from memory.

"You said the way my blue eyes shine put those Georgia stars to shame that night. I said that's a lie." After she finished the song she set the guitar down and fell into her thoughts. The doctors were figuring a treatment plan and she had not yet heard back from them or had gone back.

She pulled out her homework, knowing it needed to be done. Several hours flew by, only interrupted by the phone ringing. She limped to get it. "Hello?"

"Kristin Mariano, please?" A woman's voice asked.

"This is she." Dani leaned against a wall,

"This is Dr Amelia Warren from Hartford Medical."

"Dr Warren, good to hear from you."

"You too. I have your treatment plan ready, I'll be your doctor for this part of the treatment."

Dani's stomach plummeted. "Excellent." She hoped she didn't sound too awkward.

"I'd like to have you and your uncle come down sometime and review it with me."

Dani cleared her thought, in an effort to not to croak out her answer. "I'll try to work something out." Dani's thoughts quickly going to the worst case scenario.

"I'll be here for the rest of the week, so just come over when you get a chance."

'I'll will." Dani promised. "Thanks, Kristin."

Dani hung up the phone, feeling faint. Jess came up and noticed her white face. "You alright?" She nodded silently, unable to speak. He came over and put an arm around her.

"I'm fine." She choked out and pushed past him, grabbing her jacket and guitar. She ran downstairs, ignoring the stabbing pain in her leg, making her way to the bridge.

"Dani, talk to me." Jess walked onto the bridge as she shifted her guitar into place.

She ignored him and began to sing. "But when you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song, the one we danced to all night long."

"Dani, stop ignoring me." Jess sat next to her.

"I hope you think that little black dress, think of my head on your chest, and my old faded blue jeans"

Jess groaned and slammed his head onto the bridge. "Danielle!"

"September saw a month of tears, and thanking God that you weren't here, to see me like that."

"Open up to me!" Jess yelled.

Dani shot to her feet, guitar in hand. "Jess, I swear!"

"What did I do?" Jess ran his hands through his hair.

"You didn't do anything!" Dani replied, her eyes darkening to a deep green, not a good sign.

Jess shouted angrily, "Then what's with the cold shoulder?"

"What's with the 'tude?" Dani retorted.

"What's with-" Jess cut himself off and turned away from her. "Dani, what's wrong?"

"They have my treatment plan ready." She said quietly.

"What?" Jess exclaimed somewhat excited that they would be working on her cure.

"I have a new doctor, they want to talk to me and Luke, and I'm dying, Jess!" She shouted.

He crossed to and shook her slightly. "Don't you dare say that! You're not dying, you're not giving up!"

"Don't you get it?" She shrieked. "I am dying, Jess! My life will end sooner than normal peoples because of an illness that is slowly destroying my body!"

"Dani-"

She quickly cut him off. "Don't you dare say anything. Don't you dare say anything, Jess. I'm going to bed." She limped past him, leaving him to stare at her retreating back.

The next morning, she woke up with a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Rolling over, she slapped the alarm that was beeping angrily in her ear. Sitting up, she noticed Jess in the kitchen. Walking over, she stopped a few feet away from him. "Jess."

"Not now." He turned to look at her, taking in her bed head and purple pajama pants with poodles on them. "It's almost time for school."

"Like you care." She shot back.

"I'm going to graduate, so I can get a job and pay off your medical bills!" He snapped, still hurt and angry with Dani's outburst.

She took a step back, stung. "I didn't choose for this to happen."

Jess swore under his breath and looked away, unable to make eye contact. Finally collecting himself, he looked at her. "I know." Her lip trembled and she stepped into his warm embrace, wrapping her arms around him, telling him silently that she needed him.

"I'm sorry." She murmured against his shoulder.

"I know." He tugged lightly on an earring as she pulled away, kissing his cheek swiftly. "Me too".

She pointed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go get dressed."

He nodded. "Go."

She gave him a small smile and grabbed her clothes.

Dani entered the diner after school to find it empty. "Where is everyone?" She asked Luke, who was wiping down the counter.

"Not here." Luke replied, ignoring the 'Duh' look, Dani shot him.

"Okay, so I don't have to work?" She asked, a plan quickly forming in her mind.

"Sure." Luke gave her a strange look.

"You don't have to work either?"

"The diner's not officially closed, but-" Luke watched her eyes change to a blue-gray, knowing she was planning something. "Dani, what's up?"

"I need you to come to the hospital with me." She looked anywhere but him, at that minute.

Luke set down the rag. "Why?" Concern evident in his tone and facial expression.

"We need to review my treatment plan so we can get started on my chemotherapy." Dani barely had time to get the sentence out before Luke spoke.

"No." He said, shaking his head adamantly.

"Luke, come on." Dani begged. "My doctor needs to speak with you. She specifically asked."

"Dani, I can't." Luke said firmly.

"Why not?" She openly dared him, staring him down as if she were challenging him.

"Have Jess go. Or Lorelai, you like Lorelai." He avoided the question, knowing Dani knew his true reasons for not wanting to go.

"Yes, I do like Lorelai, but I'm not in her custody. Or Jess' either." Dani pointed out, getting frustrated with his excuses.

Luke looked at her. "How soon do we need to leave?" Finally showing his concern and admitting his defeat.

Dani squealed and threw her arms around him, before hurrying upstairs to grab her jacket. "We can leave now."

She slid into the car beside Luke, who was looking thoroughly miserable. "Cheer up Skippy, we're not there yet." She teased.

"Why are you so happy about this?" Luke questioned.

"Because I'm getting treated for my life-threatening illness?" Dani asked sarcastically.

After bantering for a few minutes, the two fell into a comfortable silence that lasted until they reached the hospital.

Twenty minutes later, Dani found herself sitting in a room, discussing her treatment plan with Dr Warren and Luke. "So, I want to start you on chemotherapy as soon as possible, so that we can try to keep it from spreading." Dr Warren explained.

"So what kind of time frame are we talking?" Dani asked, dreading the answer.

"I want to start you by next week." The doctor said frankly.

Dani almost choked. "Next week, um, wow."

"I know it's soon, but time is of the essence." Dr Warren comforted.

"I understand." Dani lied, her insides churning. "Will I have radiation?"

"Not just yet, but there is a possibility." The young redhead, stood up. "And unless you have any more questions, we're done here."

"I think we're good, thanks." Dani shook the woman's hand.

"Okay. I'll call you later this week to work out your appointment." Amelia Warren shook Luke's hand as well.

"Bye." Dani hurried out of the hospital, almost to the point of being rude. The two sat in the car for several minutes before leaving. "Uncle Luke?" Dani asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine." Her uncle answered before she could form the question.

She settled back against the seat. "Do you want me to drive?" She asked, sensing that he wasn't as okay as he said he was.

"You can drive?" Luke sounded surprised.

"I have my learner's permit." Dani silently cheered as Luke opened the door and went around to the passenger side.

She slid to the driver's seat and headed for Stars Hollow.

"What's going on?" Dani slid out of the truck, slipping the keys into her pocket and hurrying toward Miss Patty's, where every light was on and they could hear arguing. When they went inside, they found the town in the middle of a classic clash between Taylor and the town. Dani repeated her question to Lorelai, who Luke and Dani found enjoying the show with Jelly Beans and Red Vines.

"See, Bootsy wanted to sell this really inappropriate magazine at his stand and Taylor caught him." Lorelai explained, passing Dani the Jelly Beans.

"Oops." Dani giggled, pushing her trip to the hospital to the back of her mind.

Lorelai, Rory, Dani, Luke and Jess(who had snuck in) watched the drama of the magazine unload. Dani was almost asleep when the town collectively gasped and she felt every eye in the building turn to her.