A/N: Hey all- Sorry about the wait. I had a family emergency in Nashville and ended up being gone five days, but here it is now.

This is kind of an angsty chapter, just to let you know. Mel and I have been in some weird moods lately. lol

Briannen

Dani winced as the IV needle entered her arm a week later. Dr. Shelt had stepped out of the room to talk to Lorelai who hadn't trusted her to drive back safely.

He looked up briefly before saying, "She is much weaker than she should be. I think that she needs to take things easier."

"Take things easier?" Lorelai echoed. "She's practically doing nothing as it is!"

"Ma'am, I understand that she is sitting still, but she needs sleep. The more rest she gets the easier for her to combat this illness. Much more energy is used when simply being awake than realized." Dr. Shelt said trying hard not to sound harsh.

"A nurse will be over shortly with a new prescription for Dani's sleeping pills. She is to take one twice daily."

"Sleeping pills? Doctor-" Lorelai struggled to keep her temper under control. "This child is doing nothing! The last time she was outside was when she dyed her hair a week ago. She's schooling at home and sleeping and that's it!"

"I'm sorry, but this is what is best for her." He tried.

"Best for her to not be able to live her life?" Lorelai hissed.

"She is dying, Ms Gilmore!" Dr. Shelt pointed out.

Lorelai gasped as she brought her hand across his face as hard as she could. "You insensitive bastard!"

"Do you want to know the truth or lies?"

"The truth." She said weakly, "How long?"

"I'm giving her two to five years." Dr. Shelt sighed.

"Wow." Lorelai whispered. "Does she know yet?"

"I want you to tell her." Dr Shelt nodded toward the room.

"What?" Lorelai asked, shocked and angry. "That is your job to inform your patients, not mine."

"It's my job to take care of them." He corrected. "Not to hurt them."

"So you pawn off anything bad on the family and friends? You should be reported for this." Lorelai said storming off in the direction of Dani's room.

Jess was running his long slender fingers through Rory's hair as they sat on the bridge kissing, their books disregarded long ago. They broke apart when air became a necessity, panting slightly. "Wow." Was Rory's only response through her haggard breathing.

Jess smirked as he caught his breath. "Finally managed to take away your rambling, huh?"

A blush crept up her cheeks as she smirked, "Sure did." She paused. "Ready to tell me what that fight with Emily was about?" She tried knowing Jess was going to avoid the topic.

"Nope." He tried to kiss her again, but she pushed him away.

"Tell me!" She insisted.

"Why do you need to know?" He asked annoyed

"I just want to know what was so bad Emily felt she needed to run back to New York?" She said feeling as though she was talking to a wall.

"Rory." He cursed under his breath and ran his hand through his hair. "I just really don't want to talk-" He was cut off by Lorelai running onto the bridge, tears filling her eyes.

"Mom?" Rory said as her voice showed a hint of fear.

Lorelai held up her hand stopping Rory, "Jess I really need to talk to you about Dani and her treatment with Dr. Shelt, aka The Walking Ass!" As she saw him hesitate she rushed on. "Please." She let her true fear show in this simple statement.

"Lorelai what is it, what did he say?" Jess went into panic mode.

"He- He said-" Lorelai's voice broke.

"He said what Lorelai?" Jess's voice rose to a very unnatural pitch as his mind ran every possible scenario.

"She's getting worse." Lorelai sobbed, sinking beside Rory.

Jess looked like someone had hit him in the stomach as Rory walked over and wrapped her arms around him in a sense of silent comfort. "How much worse?" he choked out in a whisper.

"She's on medication." Lorelai wiped her tears and stared out at the water.

"What kind?" He asked pitifully.

"To make her sleep, to help her body fight the illness." Lorelai had pulled herself back together and was pacing up and down the bridge, her heels clicking against the wooden planks.

"What the hell, all she does now is sleep!" He yelled

"Well, her 'doctor' says that she needs help." Lorelai spat with a venom neither of them had ever seen in her.

"What? Is he slipping himself the meds? We need a second opinion!" Jess spat walking toward the diner with one thought on his mind, 'Find Dani a new doctor'.

"Jess, calm down." Rory caught his arm, pulling him in a circle.

"Not when it comes to my sister." He spat as he continued his march.

"Jess." Her tone is what stopped him. "We've known this was going to happen. What have we been telling ourselves for two months? Honey, she's dying." Rory wrapped her arm around his shoulder, using her other to tip his face up to meet her gaze. "So it's coming a little quicker than we expected, but we're going to be okay."

Rory turned to her mother, "What else happened?"

"I haven't told her yet." Lorelai spoke past Rory to Jess. "I thought you should."

"Where is she?" Jess spoke without turning around.

"The diner."

When Jess entered the apartment, he found Dani on the raft, her face white, her brown hair spread around her like a fan. She didn't move as he sat beside her, slipping his hand into hers. "Hey, sis." He spoke quietly, not wanting to wake her.

Dani blinked rapidly trying to get her bearings before forcing out a strangled, "Jess?"

"Yeah Kris it's me, how ya feeling?" He asked rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

"Like crap ran over by a truck." She said smirking slightly making Jess chuckle.

"Well let's see what we can do about that, huh?" Jess said wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she cuddled into his side.

"You have bad news, don't you?" Dani said looking at their hands that were still connected.

"Sorry Kris, but I want you to see another doctor, yours is not doing any good and seems to not care." Jess said looking at her with sad eyes. "That sounds harsh, but that is how he is talking to everyone of us and you need positivity."

She stared at him, reading him like one of their books. "Jess, that's not it."

"Part of it." He protested

"Liar." She scoffed dryly frowning at him, "Well what is the rest of it then, dipstick?" Pausing, she commented "He told you how long I have, didn't he?" Dani turned away from him, closing her eyes.

Jess simply nodded as the dam broke and he clutched Dani mumbling, "I can't loose you!" She held her older brother as he cried, laying his head in her lap and brushing his hair with her slender fingers. Dani didn't cry, absorbing the news like water through her skin, being strong for Jess, her family, Emily...and for herself. Jess clutched her as close to him as possible neither noticing Luke, Lorelai and Rory walk into the door surveying the scene.

Rory walked over to them and leaned down to Jess's ear and kissed him whispering, "You won't loose her, she is always in your heart."

"She can't die." Jess snapped, startling everyone in the room.

Dani crawled in his lap after he sat up. "I'm not going anywhere." She told him firmly, kissing his cheek.

He buried his head in her shoulder as he hugged her, "I'm holding you to that!"

Dani giggled at his actions, "Hey five year old, can I have my seventeen year old brother back?"

"No." He stuck his tongue out at her, pleased he made her laugh.

Lorelai and Rory giggled at their banter as Luke watched with a smirk, his eyes showing concern for both Dani and Jess. "Although, if you lick me like you used to..." She warned. Jess leaned forward and licked her hand as she groaned, "Jess!" He laughed and deposited her beside of him as he got up to run from her wrath. She jumped on his back as he ran across the room. "You are so gross!" She told him, wiping her hand.

Luke chuckled as Jess ran past him with Dani on his back. "A little help Luke?"

"You're on your own."

"Gee thanks, Uncle Luke." Jess said, attempting to unwrap Dani from his back as she locked her wrists and ankles laughing at his attempts. Dani shrieked as Jess fell backward onto Luke's bed, squishing her.

Dani's screech made Jess jump and turn to check on her. She sat up slowly as she rubbed her side with one hand and reached behind her with the other frowning as she pulled out a book. "That so doesn't belong on a soft bed!" She whacked him with the book as he got up off her. "You suck!" Dani grumbled still holding her side as she walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Jess pulled a book out of his pocket and began to read as Luke and Lorelai returned to the diner, Rory curled up next to him, reading over his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Rory asked gently afraid that he would blow up again.

Neither noticed the door to the bathroom open as Dani walked over tossing a cup of cold water on them. "Not on my bed." She giggled.

"Jeez!" Jess leapt up, leaving most of the water to splash on his girlfriend.

Rory shrieked as she jumped up shocked, "You are so gonna get it!" she yelled as she chased after Dani following her into the diner that was full of customers.

Dani lay on the bridge late that night, the water's reflection dancing off her face. The diner had long since closed and Lorelai and Rory had gone home, leaving Jess and Luke to clean up. Dani watched her reflection in the lake, noticing the pale face and hollow cheeks. Her eyes almost looked sunken now, giving her a haunted glow. 'Jeez, I look scary.' She thought. She leaned down to touch her reflection, the water rippling around her fingers. She sighed deeply as she finally broke down to tears. She lay back down, staring at the sky as tears cascaded down her face. "Why?" She finally spoke as her voice broke. Her sobs subsided as exhaustion overcame her and she drifted off to sleep.

Jess finally found her a couple of hours later. "Kris." He said gently as he shook her shoulder, noticing the dried tears staining her cheeks. She awoke crying, a knot growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Jess, I don't feel so…" She trailed off as she leaned toward the lake, retching. Jess pulled her hair back as she coughed.

"Jeez, Kris." He rubbed her back comforting her. After she finished, she wiped her mouth, tears still tracking their way down her face.

"I'm tired of feeling like this Jess!" She cried pitifully. "Please make it stop."

As she curled into a ball, Jess pulled her into his lap, smoothing her hair and kissing her forehead. "I wish I could."

As soon as Dani's cries turned into a restless slumber Jess carried her home ignoring his uncle's questioning gaze as he entered the diner and went upstairs. Later, Jess was woken by the rustling of sheets. Sitting up, he found Dani writhing on her bed, sweat beading itself on her forehead.

He rushed over to her side and placed his hand on her forehead feeling the heat radiating off her skin. "Luke!" He yelled as he went to the bathroom to get a thermometer. The air was pierced by a scream as Dani cried in her sleep, tears of pain or fear, Jess wasn't sure which.

Luke wrapped her in her blankets as he yelled to Jess, "Come on we're taking her to the ER."

"No." Jess locked the door, standing in front of it. "We can't let that monster touch her." Taking his sister from Luke, he shook her slightly. "Kris! Wake up!"

"Jess, she needs help and we can't give it to her, please!" Luke sounded so lost. Jess stood there seeing the emotions flying across his uncles face.

Dani whimpered, twisting and thrashing in his arms. "Don't touch me." She wailed in her dream.

"Please?" Luke pleaded.

Jess looked as his sister as she flinched from some unknown creature. "Let me try."

"Whatever you do, do it quickly!" Luke agreed, keeping a careful eye on his niece.

Jess pulled off the sheets covering Dani as she sobbed. Grabbing ice packs from the freezer, he packed them around her, trying to bring her temperature down. He paused, as she shrieked, "Jess. Help me!"

"Shhh, Kris I'm here." Jess kept mumbling as Luke paced around the tiny apartment.

As she stopped crying, her eyes flew open. "Jess." She grabbed him, pulling him down beside her and curling into him. "He was coming."

"Who was?" Jess asked, knowing the answer.

"Him..." She sobbed as she clung to him.

Paul. The word echoed in his head as clearly as if she had told him. "He's not coming back." He soothed, rubbing her back as she clung to him.

"Promise?" In that one word she conveyed all the fear she had.

"I promise." He kissed her gently, feeling her shake in his arms. "He isn't coming for you." Jess tried.

"He is too, I can still feel his breath as he held me down." Dani cried hysterically.

"Shhhh." Jess tried to soothe her as he rocked her.

Jess watched as her hand traced a circle on her temple. "This is where he put the gun to my head." Dani pushed him away, "I still feel his touch, I cannot get his hands off me. I still feel him tying me to the bed, tightening it to where it cut my wrists, placing the rope around my stomach and pulling it. I can still see the scar running down his side as I fought as he tied those ropes and hear his voice as he called me a bitch." She cried. "I still feel the sting from the slap when I screamed as he forced himself into me. Told me that if I didn't hold still he'd do it again and again." Her voice had an echoing tone, living the horrible memories that were forever etched in her mind.

"The tears I cried as he continued to threaten your life if I didn't shut up completely soaked the blanket on the bed. I covered the bruises the best I could and avoided you until they healed. I can still hear my screams echoing in here." Dani began to pace the apartment as if in a trance. "I can still hear his voice leaving threats on the answering machine. I can still feel the fear."

She began to shake, but kept pacing. "I can still feel the pain from the clothes being torn off, from the buttons popping off and hitting me. He told me he would come after me again, and I can't stop him!" She stopped and collapsed onto the floor sobbing. "I'm not strong enough to stop him." She looked up at Jess and her eyes flickered with hate, malice, and fear. "He's coming."

Jess sat shocked on the bed unable to move. She had never told him what happened before and he was so shocked he couldn't move. 'Must Kill Paul' was the first thing that popped into his head as he looked at Dani's broken form.

His sister was hurt and broken. And there was nothing he could do to change that.

Luke was the first to break his trance as he crawled over to Dani gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder to help her up. She cringed as he touched her and yelled, "No, please not again!" before everything became black.

Luke picked Dani up and jogged to his beat up green truck with Jess following closely. Once inside Dani was propped up beside Jess as he ran his fingers through her hair and murmured, "Please be ok." Over and over again.

Once at the ER Jess ran ahead of Luke to get some help, "My sister woke up with a fever and has collapsed. She has cancer, her doctor is Dr. Shelt."

The nurse looked at her list of available doctors and said "Dr. Shelt is out of town, Dr. Shirley Chitty will be taking over his cases while he is gone." Jess stood there biting his lip trying to keep his laughter under control as they placed Dani on the gurney and rolled her into an examining room.

Luke looked at Jess, "What are you laughing at?" Jess's laughter filled the room as he just pointed to the doctor's name on the attending board behind him. "Dr Shirley Chitty?" Luke scoffed. "My god, that must be embarrassing."

"Ya think?" Jess said sarcastically.

Luke's face lit up as he fought the urge to laugh and lost. "That is just so wrong!"

Jess looked at Luke smirking, "Lorelai and Rory would love this." He said as he walked over toward the payphones.

"Hello?" Rory sounded half-asleep. Jess mentally kicked himself as he realized it was 1:30 in the morning.

"Hey, sorry I woke you." Jess said as he stuffed his free hand into his pocket.

"Jess?" Rory yawned, making Jess grin.

"I'm at the ER." He blurted.

"What?" Rory said suddenly completely awake.

He sighed and leaned against the payphone, "Dani had a-" He paused, struggling for the right word. "A thing."

"What kind of thing?" Rory asked as she started up the stairs to wake Lorelai.

"She had some kind of dream and had a major temperature and was screaming and stuff." Rory gently shook her mother's shoulder as she listened to Jess.

"What kind of Dream? What was she screaming?" she asked as Lorelai sat up mouthing 'what?'

"'Don't touch me.'" After a moments pause he added, "She told me what happened."

"Oh." She said shocked. "Um, we'll be there shortly ok?"

"Thanks."

Jess looked over toward Luke who had leaned against the wall staring at the double doors leading to the examining rooms with a blank expression obviously in deep thought. "Jess?" Her voice stopped him as he moved to hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Will she be okay?"

Jess paused. "I think so."

"Good." Rory said as she pulled on a hoodie over her camisole and pulled out a pair of jeans "We'll be there soon, ok?"

Jess sighed, "Thanks Ror. I'll be by the doors waiting and I lo..."

Rory took a deep breath as Jess stuttered to amend the statement "Um I'll be looking for you by the doors, bye." he slammed down the phone leaving Rory stunned and speechless.

"Rory hun, are you ok?" Lorelai asked as she noticed her daughter's catatonic stance.

"Yeah." Rory said, grabbing a jacket. "But Dani's in the hospital." When her mother started to speak, Rory cut her off. "I'll explain on the way."

The girls drove to Hartford in record time as Rory explained everything but the near slip from Jess. Jess was leaning against the wall, eyes closed when the two hurried through the doors. "How is she?" Lorelai asked, turning to Luke.

"We don't know." Jess said hollowly. "They aren't telling us a single damn thing."

"What exactly happened? Where is Dr. Shithead Shelt?" Lorelai asked with distain dripping from his name.

"He's not on duty." Jess informed her. "Dr. Shirley Chitty is."

Giggles erupted from the Gilmore girls as Lorelai yelped, "No way, you are making that up!"

"Look at the board." Jess pointed behind her.

Rory pointed her finger to the board and bent over grasping her stomach with her other hand as she choked out. "It definitely is surely shitty to be stuck with that name."

Jess stared at his normally quiet girlfriend in shock. "What did you just say?"

Rory's eyes sparkled. "You heard me." she said lifting her head and erupted into laughter again as she saw the faces of her shocked boyfriend, mother and father figure.

"Since when do you curse so casually?" Jess asked.

"Since my boyfriend called and woke me up at 1:30 in the morning." Rory teased.

Lorelai pointed a finger in Rory's direction her facial features cold, "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, I am appalled, shocked, and..." Lorelai paused as a grin took over her features. "Completely proud of you! You really are my mini me!" She hugged Rory as they giggled at Luke's reaction.

"You're impossible." Jess groaned, taking a seat.

Rory curled up on his lap, kissing him deeply. "And you love me anyway."

Jess stiffened in his seat as Rory grinned down at him innocently, "What?" Jess was saved from having to answer to the knot in his throat by a nurse calling: "Family of Kristin Mariano?"

"I'm Dr Shirley Chitty." The doctor introduced herself when the four had gathered in her office. "I'm the one on duty and I'm taking care of Kristin."

"How is she?" Jess asked, voice tense.

"She will be fine with a few days in the hospital. We are giving her some medication to make her sleep and to fight the pain that she is in, also we are giving her some fluids, since she is dehydrated." The doctor smiled.

"Will you be taking over her case for good?" Rory asked already liking Dr. Chitty much better than Dr. Shelt.

"But there's also bad news." The doctor continued. Jess closed his eyes, steeling himself for the worst. "I want her on partial bedrest. We did some tests, the leukemia is taking over her body far quicker than we thought. Apparently sometime during her rape, she was cut, losing a fair amount of blood, thereby weakening her immune system that much more."

"What do you mean by cut?" Lorelai asked fearing the answer.

"You'll have to get her to show you." Dr Chitty said. "But you can go in and see her now."

Jess was the first one in the room, stopping abruptly in the doorway at the sight of his sister. "What is this quack talking about? Were you cut?" He asked in tears.

"Hello to you too." She told him, voice soft and cracking.

"Kris?" His voice was breaking as he asked. She sighed, pushed down the sheets to reveal a pair of initials carved into her hip. 'PA', was written clearly on her skin. Jess started swearing as he punched the wall. Luke stood in shock as Lorelai and Rory turned their heads as Rory started to cry.

"Jess." Her soft voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, more pronounced by her white face. "I'm going to get better. Not all the way, I know. But Jess, please, don't push me away." When he started to protest, she placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him effectively. "I know you don't mean to. But right now, I don't need my brother, I need my best friend."

Jess looked at her and he immediately leaned down to her level wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry Kris."

"I know." She soothed. "But you can make it up to me."

"Um, how?" He asked nervously, worried about what she would ask.

She looked smaller than ever when she looked up at him, scooting over in the bed. "Hold me." It was such a childlike request, Lorelai felt her heart break for the little girl in the bed.

Jess complied letting Dani snuggle into his side.

Rory decided to ease some of the tension by saying through a smirk, "Hey, get your own man." That sentence caused the room to giggle.

"Dirty." Dani teased quietly.

"Gross Kris." Jess yelled as he jumped from the bed causing Luke and Lorelai to laugh harder.

"Get back here." Dani commanded, pointing to her bed.

"Make me." Jess dared her.

"Hey Rory." Dani beckoned to her. "You will never guess what Jess did."

"I'm coming!" Jess yelped.

The room laughed as Jess grumbled as he got into the bed. Luke tugged on Lorelai's hand leaning down to her ear, "Can we talk outside for a minute?"

"Teach me how to do that." Rory leaned on the bedrail.

"No, don't." Jess whined as Dani opened her mouth to start her lesson she noticed Luke whispering in Lorelai's ear.

"Hey, hey, hey, no secrets in here, love birds." She said giggling.

Lorelai looked put-out. "Meanie." Dani just pointed to the door. Lorelai silently cheered, just what she had wanted.

Dani looked proud of herself, "They are so getting together!" She pushed Jess off the bed. "Go listen."

"Why me?" He whined

"Rory and I need to talk and you can't be here, now shoo!" She said waving him away.

"Fine." He grumbled, heading for the door.

Dani pulled herself onto her pillows, patting the bed, gesturing for Rory to sit. "I want you to promise me something."

"Anything just name it." Rory said with a smile. "You want me to break you out of here?"

"Not exactly." Dani considered her next words carefully. "I'm dying." She blurted. "I know it. I don't think there's much they can do for me anymore."

"Dani." Rory took the girl's hand. "Don't talk like that."

Dani stared at something in the distance. "If something happens to me, I want you to take care of Jess."

Rory looked at Dani and sat lost in her own thoughts, "What if I fail?" She whispered in a small voice. "I can't do that to you or him."

Dani looked surprised at Rory's response, "Why do you think you will fail?"

"Jess is pretty stubborn." She tried looking toward Dani knowing she wasn't buying the story.

"Oh puh-leez!" Dani said making her voice sound like Daffy Duck.

Rory giggled slightly and looked toward the door making sure Jess wasn't listening, "I guess I'm scared." She finally admitted.

"Scared of what?" Dani asked twisting her body into a more comfortable position.

"Well..." Rory trailed off as she played with the edge of the sheet that was covering Dani. "I think I'm afraid to become too dependant on him. I mean just look at my mom, she is great but no man has ever stuck around. I don't want to have that kind of disappointment. I feel like I would be forcing Jess to be near me if I made that promise to you." Rory looked ashamed at her admission she finally whispered, "I'm falling in love with him and I can't let that happen."

"Why not?" Dani asked sympathetically.

"Why what?" Rory looked confused not realizing that Dani had heard her last confession.

"Why can't you fall in love with Jess?" Dani repeated.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." Rory said looking at her hands.

"Well, I did. And Rory-" The older girl looked up. "I need you to make me this promise."

"Dani…" Rory whined, biting her lip trying to think of a response.

"Please, Rory." Dani pleaded.

Rory looked at Dani's hopeful expression and smirked slightly, "Two things before I agree."

"Name 'em."

"First teach me how you get Jess to bend to your will all of the time." Rory said smiling.

Dani smirked. "Gladly."

Rory's face turned serious as she looked Dani in the eye, "Promise me you won't leave until I'm sure I can handle this responsibility." She finished looking afraid as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I promise." Dani didn't know why she wasn't crying. Dani smiled sadly. "I don't know why I'm not crying. I feel like I should."

Rory wiped her tears and hugged Dani, "I promise I will look after him, I kinda have to when I love him."

"Good." Dani returned the hug.

"What's good?" Jess asked as he, Luke and Lorelai walked back into the door.

Rory smiled brightly, "Dani is teaching me how to make you do tricks!"

"Danielle!" Jess whined, sending her a pleading look.

"What?" She asked innocently, "I get something out of the deal too," She winked in Rory's direction.

Lorelai bellowed, "Dirty!"

Dani laughed, "I couldn't help it."

"Aww, jeez!" Luke grumbled walking out into the hall.

"I love you too, Uncle Luke." Dani teased, yawning widely.

"Time for the princess to go to bed." Lorelai caught the yawn. "Good night, Dani."

"Or good morning, depending on how you look at it." Jess pointed out, as Rory hugged Dani and left the room.

"Night." Dani said through another yawn.

"Good night, Kris." Jess kissed her forehead gently.

As he pulled open the door, she called after him. "I love you."

"Love you too, sis!" He replied as he gently shut the door with a soft click.