Fast update! I really enjoyed the response I got. I forgot to mention that the summary and title are from the song Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne. Enjoy the story!

The world seemed to come to a stop as the words left Mal's mouth. He had spoken softly, but his words had been dropped like a bomb, and he watched as the expression on Natara's face changed from one of concern to one of pure shock.

She prayed that she had heard him incorrectly or that she was imagining things. But his eyes were sincere, and she finally found her voice.

"Cancer...?" she whispered, her eyes wide as she processed the word.

Mal swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "Yup." He had found out the previous day, but the doctors told him they would need to do surgery before they could give him more details, and he had spent the past twenty four hours in a nervous wreck.

"Mal, I... I'm so sorry..." Natara reached out and gently rested her hand over his. "When did you find out?"

"Yesterday. They wanted to remove the brain tumor then, but I wanted to tell you first. They're doing surgery the day after tomorrow. I wanted to know if you'd come along. You know... for moral support?"

"Of course."

Mal absently poked his food with his fork. "I already told Maria and took sick leave."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow and take the day off so I can go with you. How much do you know?"

He shrugged. "That's it. They said they would know more after the surgery. I go six o clock Friday evening."

"I'll be there." She pushed her plate aside, her appetite suddenly diminished. Mal stood up from the table, and she followed suit. They climbed into his car and drove towards her apartment, sitting in silence for several minutes.

"Good night," Mal said finally, breaking the silence.

"Good night," she echoed. She started to open the door, but paused and turned to face him. "Don't worry, Mal. I'm sure everything will work out."

He nodded. "I hope so."

She patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. "You'll be fine, Mal." She gave him a quick hug before climbing out of the car. He sat quietly for a moment, watching as she slipped into her building. With a soft sigh, he drove back to his apartment and slipped into bed under the covers. Natara's words echoed in his mind.

You'll be fine.

He only hoped she was right.

CoD-CoD-CoD

The day of Mal's surgery arrived, and the doctor had given him an anesthetic. He was lying in a stiff hospital bed as he waited for the medication to settle in. Natara sat in the chair by his side, her hand resting over his.

"Are you nervous?"

"Mm, I guess. Nothing I can't handle." He stifled a yawn. The anesthesia was kicking in, and the room began to spin. "Wow... the room's spinning..."

Natara smiled in amusement. "I'm sure it is." Before long, he had fallen asleep, and the doctor returned with a surgeon.

"Are you Agent Williams?" Dr. Lance asked. Natara nodded.

"We'll take him into surgery now. We'll let you know when he's out, alright? You can sit in the waiting room."

She nodded again and stood up. "Thank you." Although her partner was unconscious, she gave his hand a squeeze before she slipped out of the room. She settled into a vacant chair and pulled a book out of her bag to occupy herself.

The clock ticked ominously as the time dragged on. Natara nervously glanced at the clock. Mal had been in surgery for over three hours, and she hadn't received word yet. She knew that the surgery could take a while longer, but she was still deeply concerned about her partner.

He had to make it through this. He was going to be alright. Of course she knew that she could be wrong, but Natara couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Finally Dr. Lance approached and called her name, pulling her out of her train of thought. "Agent Williams?"

Natara stood up quickly. "Yeah?"

"Detective Fallon is out of surgery. We were able to remove the tumor."

She started to respond, but Dr. Lance's face was grim as he spoke. "And...?"

"The tumor is a Glioblastoma multiforme," he said gravely. "It's the most aggressive and common malignant brain tumor. There's a chance it could redevelop."

Natara felt her stomach drop ten floors. "How is his outlook?"

Dr. Lance let out a soft sigh. "Not very good. With chemotherapy, his survival estimate is around twelve to seventeen months. Without chemo, I'd say less than six. I'm very sorry," he said sincerely. "I'll let you know when you can visit him. Would you like me to tell him?"

"No... I-I will..." she whispered, her knees weak. Dr. Lance patted her on the shoulder before he turned and left. She collapsed into a chair and cradled her face in her hands, trembling.

He could have twelve to seventeen months to live... at a maximum. Natara shuddered and shut her eyes tightly. She wanted to be the one to deliver the news to him, but she didn't know how she was going to do it.

How could she tell him that he was dying?

CoD-CoD-CoD
Another hour passed before Dr. Lance told her she could visit Mal. He was unconscious, and most likely would be for several hours. Natara slipped into the room and took a seat beside the bed. Mal looked so peaceful that it surprised her.

She dreaded telling him what the doctor had said, but it had to be done. And she wasn't quite sure how he would handle. But eventually they would have to accept it, no matter how difficult it would be.
Natara let out a soft yawn and leaned back in her seat, slipping her fingers through Mal's. It was getting late, and she had been determined to stay up until he awakened. But that would be hours, and her eyes slid shut as exhaustion got the best of her.

It was early in the morning hours when Mal came to. It took him a moment to remember where he was, but once he saw the blank white walls and hospital apparatus, he remembered. A ray of sunlight spilled through the window blinds, beaming into his eyes.

He let out a soft groan and leaned back against the pillows. Natara, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to him, stirred. She opened her eyes. Seeing that Mal was awake, she sat up quickly.

"Hey. How do you feel?"

He shrugged. "Head hurts a bit..."

"The doctor told me to expect that." Natara stood up, contemplating her next words. "And they ran some tests..." she began, her voice dropping. "Mal, it's not good."

He clenched his jaw nervously. He had known from the moment he had been told that he had cancer, that his life changed in the blink of an eye. He nodded, urging her to continue. Natara sat on the edge of the bed and stared into space for a moment before she continued.

"They removed the tumor. It's called a Glioblastoma multiforme, and it's really aggressive. The doctor said with chemo, you-" She closed her eyes tightly, forcing herself to keep her tears at bay. "You have about twelve to seventeen months." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

It took him several long moments to react. "Why? It's not your fault."

Natara hadn't expected him to be so calm. She had expected anger. But she watched him closely, and she could clearly see that he was struggling to control his emotions. She reached out and squeezed his hand firmly. "Just remember that I'm here for you, alright?"

And she always would be.

Aww... review?

And I apologize if there's any spacing issues, because I'm using a different word processor this time.