AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and a special thanks to all who replied with the name of the author/story I mentioned. I'd imagine you're all correct because you all gave the same answer. I'm really enjoying writing this story, I can feel it getting darker and darker as I think about the coming chapters, lots of angst. I am about an hour away from getting my bus to JFK airport, then I'll be on my flight and then I'll be getting a 6 hour bus ride home. So it'll be a couple of days before I can post anymore, simply because I won't have any internet access. However, I will have pen and paper, which if the mood takes me, will be filled with at least one chapter before I get home. It might be Friday until I post a chapter, it depends, I've been away for so long that there's a lot to catch up with at home. Your patience is appreciated. Thanks again. You guys make it worth writing.

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Walking through the tiny lobby of the hotel made Naomi feel uncomfortable. Two very tall, very built men were hovering in the doorway to the stairs. She watched them for a few seconds as she walked towards them. An exchange of money and a packet didn't pass her attention. She knew the hotel was bad, but she didn't except people to be buying drugs in the lobby. She waited a moment, then asked them to let her past. When she was safely in the room, she screamed loudly, before noticing her mum piling clothes into her suitcase.

"What are you doing?" Naomi asked, sitting down beside her mother's open suitcase.

Gina looked up at Naomi, "Packing."

Naomi frowned, "What for?"

"We've run out of money, I can't afford to pay for another night," Gina admitted, her face growing red with embarrassment.

"What?" Naomi asked, her lips pressed tightly together, confused.

"We have to leave first thing in the morning."

"I have money mum, I have a couple of hundred in my savings," Naomi told her, hopeful.

Gina's eyes grew deep and tears filled them, Naomi could sense regret and guilt in her mother's actions. She took a deep breath, trying not to cry too.

"No you don't," Gina whispered, her voice barely audible as she sat down beside her daughter.

Naomi's knees felt week, "What do you mean?"

"I borrowed it last week to pay off the mortgage, there's nothing left."

It was confusing. Naomi wanted to get angry, she wanted to slap her mum for stealing her money and putting her in such a position. But the look on Gina's face changed her feelings. She'd got mad, she's blamed her mother, but she'd never noticed that this was affecting her too. Probably more.

"How did this happen?" Naomi sighed, staring at Gina with equally sad eyes, "How did we get into this position?"

"I tried to make it right," Gina sobbed, "I didn't want us to live like this."

"Who would?" Naomi muttered, sarcastically.

"I just wanted to put a roof over your head and do right by you Naomi."

"Mum," Naomi cried, reaching out, but Gina wasn't listening.

"Now you hate me," she stood up, her face stained with tears, "I've ruined your life and now you hate me."

Before Naomi could say anything, she'd moved to her mother's side and she was holding her; sobbing hard against Gina's shoulder as the two of them cried over their situation. After a few minutes, Naomi pulled herself together.

"Mum, you need to tell me how we got into this mess, I need to know so what we can fix it."

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It was a dark day. The room was growing darker as the clouds turned almost black outside. Katie had always laughed at the stupidity of weather matching moods in novels and movies, but as she stared out at the darkened sky, she felt somehow comforted. She'd cried enough tears, she'd watched her family cry enough tears. Except Emily. Her family had been forced to leave the hospital once visiting hours were over and Katie was thankful for the space. It was difficult for them, she could see that. But it was even harder for her. The doctor hadn't told them much about treatment because he'd wanted them to process the information for a few hours first. Katie waited in anticipation to find out what would happen next. But somehow she didn't care. She was tired and weary and part of her wished she could give up the fight before it had even begun.

"How are we doing?" the doctor asked, a woman doctor who hadn't been there before.

"Who are you?" Katie asked, her voice crackling with vulnerability.

"I'm Doctor Colan, your parents requested that a female doctor look after your treatment," the woman smiled a sympathetic smile that made Katie want to vomit.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"You will have chemotherapy, as soon as we can book you in,"

Chemotherapy. The death of beauty. That's what she'd always thought of it as. She'd read stories about people who'd had it, how they lost their hair, their eyelashes, everything. How they became sick, picked up infections easily. The word felt like a death sentence, even though she knew it was her only hope. She gave a slight nod and the doctor continued.

"We need to do some more tests first, to establish if the disease has spread, we need to know exactly what we're dealing with."

We? Katie wanted to laugh. She was dealing with it. Just her. Doctor Colan didn't have leukemia, she didn't have to go through chemotherapy, she didn't have to have people treading on eggshells over the disease. She was only a doctor, what would she know?

"I understand this is difficult for you," she muttered, that sympathetic smile returning.

Katie bit her lip, she knew that tears had fallen down her cheeks without her knowledge. She could tell that her shield was breaking down with every word the doctor said.

"You're young, you're strong, I have every faith that you can beat this, don't think too much about the side effects."

Pulling the bed covers around her body, Katie muttered, "I want some rest."

She didn't want to hear the doctor's voice anymore, she didn't even want to tell her she didn't want to know. She just wanted to block it out as best as she could. She was sick, really sick. She didn't want to think about tomorrow, she just wanted to cry.

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AN: If you enjoyed this chapter, or even if you hated it...please leave some feedback. Got any questions? Hot any suggestions? Feel free to share them all. Basically, I love reviews, so please give me lots to read when I get home!!!