One Week Later

Lexi lay in bed with her eyes closed. She was just waking up from a sleep. That was all she seemed to do lately. Sleep. Wake for maybe an hour or two then guess what more sleep. An she crashed to. Not a light sleep. A very deep sleep which at times she couldn't be roused from. Ethan was sat with her. Her mum and dad had went for a scan. Ethan had mentioned this to a nurse before. He'd also mentioned that the doctors were worried. Daniel's head was engaged and her mum was carrying low whatever that meant. She decided to open her eyes. She smiled a slow lazy grin at Ethan.

"Hello handsome." she murmured. "You come here often?"

"Lex, those drugs are making you delirious."

"Nope, your utter sexiness in that white shirt is making me delirious. And drool too!"

"So you admit that your delirious?" he asked.

She laughed.

"No but seriously that shirt. You look so gorgeous in it!"

"Lex, you'll make me go red!"

"Ooo a man who blushes. I just might turn suggestive on you!" she whispered naughtily.

"You do that and all bets are off!" he whispered back. His eyes hot.

"You mean that?" she asked.

"Of course not!" he said shocked.

"Ethan kiss me." she said. "I'm having serious withdrawal symptoms here!"

"Lex I wanna kiss you more than anything but I can't. it could make you ill. Your immune system is weak. I won't risk you for one kiss!"

"Even if it's what I want?"

He rolled his eyes. "You've already told me you have no willpower around me!"

"Ethan you are a guy right?"

He smiled cockily. "You KNOW I am!"

She blushed. "And you like kissing me!"

He admitted it grudgingly. "God she's coming on to me in a hospital bed!" he joked.

"So what is your problem?" she turned on her big green eyes.

Ethan felt himself melting and leaning in the realised. "NO! we are not having this conversation and you can stop looking at me like that too! If you still wanna kiss me in a few weeks when you are better!"

"God a girl can't even make a suggestion!"

"No she can't!" Ethan agreed. "Not a harebrained one anyway!"

She nodded and made a face. So did he. They both smiled at each other.

"Have mum and dad spoke to you about my illness?"

He shook his head.

"Them and the doctors talked to me last night. Confirmed what I already knew. I'm not getting better Ethan."

His face was one of shock and pain. "What? But you have to be!"

She shook her head. "The fact that I'm young is working against me. My cells multiply quicker than if I'm older. My bone marrow was - is too diseased. They're worried about it speeding to my spinal column and brain so they are going for radiation and then the transplant. Unfortunately some idiot misplaced the original blood tests results before they were checked. Thankfully they still have enough blood from the original samples to re-test them! I still can't believe HE has hung around!" she said coldly. "He doesn't care about me. He's just our for a free ride!"

"Keep calm darling. Don't think about him."

Lexi had a coughing fit. Ethan sat her up. She was breathing hard by the time she finished.

"Go in that drawer." she said breathlessly. "Take out the brown envelope. When my transplant is in progress or if I die. Which ever you think is better. Open that up and give the people some letters. Of course Daniel will be a little young but I had to write something. Tell him I loved him you know."

Ethan left the letters in the drawer. "Aw Lexi you wrote people goodbye letters!"

"I know it's cliché but I needed the chance to tell people stuff! Especially my dad. I've been so mean to him recently. And there's a letter in there for you. Just saying how much I love you and how utterly gorgeous you are!" she smiled weakly. "Talk about beauty and the beast. I'm just a hag!"

"Well firstly the letters are staying in that drawer coz you are gonna get better so there and secondly but infinitely more important is that you are the most gorgeous hag I have ever laid eyes on! Lexi you have got to know that I don't care how you look! You're the first person who has ever loved me for me. Other girls liked me coz they thought I was a bad boy or I was good looking. You love me completely flaws and all! You've seen me at my best and my worst and it doesn't bother you! Your just this amazing special girl who completely blows me away. And the thought of you gone chills me to the bone. Say you'll stay. Get better."

"Well with that type of devotion I'd be a idiot to leave." she said softly her voice thick with emotion. "I promise I'll fight this with my last breath!"

"That my love is all I ask." he then goes in his bag and pulled out a card. "Instead of kisses I have a complete bag full of these. So if I randomly give you one of these it just means I have the biggest urge to kiss you. It's a sorta little private joke between us too."

Lexi opened the envelope and pulled the card out and read the inside.

Je t'aime / je t'adore

I love thee, I love but thee. With a love that shall not die. Till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old.

William Shakespeare.

"Awww!" she crumpled. "I love you too! Your just so sweet!"

"You mean everything to me Lexi."

She smiled.

He exhaled. "I really wanna kiss you!" he moaned.

"I wanna another card!"

He opened his mouth in mock horror. "My kisses have been so easily replaced?"

She grinned. "How's the boxing going?"

"Hard" Thabo knocked me out last week. I'm learning not to drop my fists though. Got a couple of good jabs in myself too."

She smiled. "Keep it up. You can do anything you know!" she wanted him to have something to do. She was fairly sure this thing was gonna beat her. Not that she was admitting that to anyone!

"And your rapping? You wrote anything new?"

"I did actually but it's actually a poem not a rap. And it's not even that good to be honest."

"What's the content?"

"Sort of like a dedication to my mum and Danny and Alice.

"Really can I hear it?" she asked eagerly.

He shook his head. "It's not done. Plus I was gonna tear it up. It's rubbish and embarrasses me."

"Pleaseeeeeeeeee!"

He exhaled. Pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "I was working on it while you were asleep. Your mum and dad were talking I picked up a pen and looked at Alice as she chatted about you. She was so animated I started to wonder about my mum and then it came."

He handed her the paper.

"Will you read it to me?" she asked.

He exhaled then nodded.

For My mum By Ethan Bell

Mum, in this world full of scars.

Fights and drugs and stupid wars.

Whenever I feel sad or blue.

No matter what life puts me through.

Everything else was number 2

When it came down to you!

And your love is the greatest treasure.

When it came to dad, he just don't measure.

What he did, I just can't say.

He's nothing compared to you anyway.

You gave me the most love.

Enough for him you and god above.

My Lexi though her dad is strong.

Holding on when the ease is gone.

He'd never dream of hurting them

And loves them until God knows when.

Life was hard. But now it's alright.

Danny and Alice they hold me tight.

Help me make my dreams come true

And I'm full of love thanks to them and you.

So Linda, Danny and Alice too.

This is my tribute I love all of you.

"Aw Ethan that is amazing. I love it. They are gonna be well chuffed when they hear it!" Lexi said.

"They will never see it and never hear it. it's rubbish!" he scrumpled it up in his hand.

Lexi looked at him stubbornly. "I'll make you a deal when I get better you'll show mum and dad!"

"That's blackmail!"

She raised her eyebrows. Well if she had any she would have. She then smiled at him. Started coughing again.

"Fine deal." he said.

Her parents walked in.

"Ah sleeping beauty awakes." her dad said.

Lexi looked around. "You been on the happy gas again dad!"

"Not too loud the doctors will hear and cut off my supply!"

Lexi coughed, more violently this time.

"You ok sweet?" her mum asked.

"You know the same. Pretty much bleh!"

"You want some water?" Ethan asked.

Lexi nodded.

"I'll get it. He walked to the bottled sterile water the doctors gave her. Lexi had joked she was too good for tap water!

As he moved away Lexi sat up quickly and coughed again. More violently and forcefully then any of the other times before. Ethan spun around.

"Lexi?" Danny said worried. She tried to push him away as he came towards her but it happened too quickly, she vomited blood all down the front of his shirt. As she seen it her eyes rolled backwards in her head and her head fell on her pillow. Alice hit the emergency button. 2 nurses and a doctor arrived immediately. They took one look at Danny's shirt and ushered them outside. Alice paced. Danny removed his shirt. Ethan pulled off his jumper and handed it to Danny.

"Thanks." Danny said pulling it on. It was a size too small but Danny didn't relish the idea of walking around shirtless.

The doctor came out. "She's awake. She fainted at the sight of the blood. This is extremely worrying. I want to start the transplant as soon as possible. I'll schedule her for the radiation therapy tomorrow."

The doctor handed Alice an envelope. "Those are the results from the blood tests. The door will have to come in tomorrow. Unfortunately Lexi will be unable to have visitors over the next few days. The radiation is gruelling and more intense than the chemo. The first few days will be the worst and we would like her to sleep at this time. After 3 days of radiotherapy we begin day 0 which is when we implant the bone marrow."

They all nodded. Alice rubbed her back absently. "Hey Eth you go and sit with Lex. We'll be through in a minute."

Ethan nodded.

"Lets not waste time huh?" Alice said bitterly. "We know what this is gonna say anyway!"

She tore open the envelope.

"This is a DNA based test right?" Danny asked as she pulled out the folded paper.

"Yeah, I asked for this specifically. They said the results were more accurate this way anyway so…."

Danny nodded.

She unfolded the letter. "Lets see then."

Bell, Ethan - No Match - No Relative

Elliott, Catherine - No Match - No Relative

Alice held her breath as she read josh's results.

Templey, Joshua - No Match. Alice felt her heart stop in her chest. The next words shocked her more. She looked at Danny. No Relative? she questioned. Danny was stunned too.

Trevanion, Alice - No Match - Mother.

Alice closed her eyes she didn't match her either! Oh NO!

Trevanion, Daniel - Match - Father.

Both Danny and Alice were in shock. She handed him the letter. He stared at it. Trying to absorb the information.

"But the other test…Oh God I'm here….Alice I MATCH her!" he exclaimed. "Alice I'm her father!" he said hopping with excitement. "And she's gonna have my bone marrow and she'll be fine and everything is gonna be great!"

Alice felt herself trembling. This was too much. She was ecstatic that Danny was Lexis father but this was just one shock too many in a already overloaded system! She grabbed at Danny. He steadied her

"Whoa there honey!" he murmured and sat her down. "You ok?" he asked softly touching her face. She didn't even blink.

He spoke to a nurse who nodded then disappeared for a moment.

Alice sat there wondering when this numb feeling was gonna wear off. Danny appeared with water and put the cup to her lips.

"Sip this honey." she did. The cold seeped into her and she felt normality return.

"You're her father." she whispered.

His face split into a huge grin. "I know it's still sinking in! Wow I'm her daddy!" he said . "C'mon we gotta tell her!"

They walked towards Lexi's room. They walked in to see her asleep on her bed. They saw Ethan sat on a chair clutching a brown envelope. He open it slowly as they walked inside. Ethan looked upset. His eyes glistened.

"She told me to give you these." he said forcing the words past the lump in his throat. He inhaled a shaky breath.

"She said she knew what was going to happen to her. Wanted you to have them now!" he handed a small white envelope to Danny then Alice. There's a letter for Mrs Elliott, Shauna missy and Dee jay."

He sniffed and walked over to the window. Ran his hands through his hair. She'd half near killed him with the things she'd said. That she loved him more than anything else in the world. Wanted him to be happy. To live his life to the full. He'd interrupted her then telling her if she was saying goodbye to him then he wasn't listening coz they weren't saying goodbye ever!. And the same went for his letter. He'd never read it coz he didn't believe she'd go away. He tried desperately to hold in the tears at the resigned look on her face. She just looked at him with sympathy on her face. SYMPATHY Dammit! Why was she feeling sorry for him! She then closed her eyes. She was losing. No she wasn't she couldn't she was stronger than that! She shouldn't even be thinking about goodbye and she had already wrote letters! She opened her eyes slightly then look at him and told him she didn't want to see him in here anymore. That she loved him that much she was willing to let him go. When he tried to refuse she brought up his promise that he'd made in her room a month ago. That if she wanted him to stay away she would. And she was enforcing it now. He'd made that promise never thinking she's actually make him honour it

"Are you ok son?" came a voice from behind him jerking him from his morose train of thought.

He shook his head. Felt a soft hand on his head.

He turned and looked down slightly at Alice. He nodded. "Yeah. Lexi is just being her stubborn self you know."

Alice smiled softly. "We were hoping she was awake. We have the most amazing news. The best news ever." Alice rubbed her back again. She'd been doing that a lot over the last couple of days. The doctor had attributed it the baby being engaged. a lot of extra weight was on her lower back.

"Does someone match her?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"Danny does, he's her father. Her biological father! We had a DNA based test and it turns out Lexi is 100 percent his daughter!" Alice's eyes glistened.

Ethan smiled. "That's great news! Not that there was any doubt. Look at them!"

Danny was leant over Lexi adjusting her blankets. Alice and Ethan watched them silently. Even though Lexi was asleep the resemblance between them was obvious. It seemed more pronounced than it had before. Alice grinned.

"Yeah, she is obviously her fathers daughter in every way. Inside and out."

"I'm really happy for the both of you. And her too. I know how much this news will mean to her!"

"Thank you Eth, but I really gotta excuse myself for a minute!" she looked at Danny. "I'll be a minute."

He nodded. Ethan walked towards Danny. Stood beside him. "She's convinced herself she'd gonna die." he said without preamble. They sat on chairs beside her bed.

"She's told me to stay away. I'll go out of my mind!" he whispered.

"I know I'm worried too. This has progressed far quicker than the doctors anticipated. The chemo has slowed it down slightly and helped marginally. I'm going thought the donor procedure tomorrow. Alice's mum is staying with Lexi tonight so I can get some loose ends tied up at the hospital. It's been badly neglected recently but before I do that I am getting rid of josh for the last time!" Danny's tone sounded dangerous. "She will be fine Eth, we have to believe that!"

"Yeah but Danny she had got the wrong attitude. She's just so tired and sick of everything. She's fed up of feeling sick and being sick and feeling sore. She just wants it to end. She was in tears Danny. I swear if this was a person doing this to her I'd be doing time by now!" he sounded pained at the in tears comment. "She's going through this alone and I hate it!"

Danny put his arm around Ethan's shoulder. "You get yourself home huh. You and Alice. I'll follow you in a while. You look tired. She'll be fine."

Ethan had been about to decline when Alice walked in.

"Honey Eth needs to go home. Why don't you go too. Grab a nap before I get home. Your mum has already said she'll stay with Lexi tonight while I sort stuff for later. I tested her." he elaborated. "Go on both of you are dead on your feet."

"I think I will. My back is aching and I'm so tired. Hot bath and then long sleep for me I think." Alice admitted.

"That's the spirit. Remember you were told to take it easy. The doctor warned you that if you not careful he'll come early. His head is engaged."

She smiled and kissed Danny. "Yes master."

"Ooo I definitely like the sound of that!" he said devilishly forgetting they weren't alone. His arms twined around her waist.

"O my god don't even go there I'm begging you!" Ethan said.

Sorry Danny mouthed. Then he turned his attention to his youngest son. "You just stay in there for a little while longer. Then you can keep daddy up all night wailing for food okay?" he said softly to their child.

Alice smiled. "Aw is daddy doing the night feeds?"

"Of course. Getting a head start on the male bonding. Plus I'm gonna whisper in his ear to support England and not Scotland!" he said grinning.

Ethan laughed. "I'll help you. Us men gotta stick together. Can't believe Lex supports Scotland!" Ethan said that like it was the biggest sin imaginable.

"Erm boys, what do you think I've been doing for the last 7 and ½ months. You took your time. You've lost him. Bonnie Scotland all the way aren't you Dee Jay!" she crowed.

"Damn!" Danny said playfully. "Go on sleep and I'll see you both later. Love you honey."

"Me too Danny." she hugged him once more. Kissed Lexi's head softly. Barely touched her. She and Ethan then left and walked to the car.

(X)

They arrived at leopards den. Mrs Elliott was stood at the front door.

"Hey mum." Alice said, "Felt a tight sensation but wrote it off as nothing.

"Hey how's Lex? Danny text me and told me the good news." Ethan trudged past them tiredly. He smiled as he passed Mrs Elliott.

"She's sleeping Danny is going through the donor procedure tomorrow. Lexi isn't allowed any visitors." she rubbed her back. "Look I'm gonna have a bath my back is really killing me!"

Her mum frowned. "You know Alice backache is…"

Alice smiled. "I'm ok mum really. I'm sure I'll know when I'm in labour."

"Are you sure Alice. I mean Lexi is 15 now you could have forgot!"

"Did you forget with Shauna. The birth of your child is something you never forget. Get yourself away I'll be fine!"

"I don't think you should be alone. Caroline and Nomsa are at Thandi's. Dupe is in the bush tracking and the 2 kids are still at their fathers."

"Mum I'm not alone Ethan is in here and I can use a phone if I need help. Trust me I'm fine! This back ache has been with me for 3 weeks now. Courtesy of my very tall husband! As in my son is gonna be huge!"

Mrs Elliott and Alice walked inside. Mrs Elliott sorted a bag, Alice ran a bath and added a lot of radox. Soon the room was full of steam and the scent of radox. Alice inhaled deeply. She popped in the living room.

"Hey Ethan I'm…."

She saw Ethan had fell asleep on the sofa beside a half eaten sandwich."

"Ethan son." she said softly.

"mmmm."

"C'mon baby go to bed."

"Minute mum, tired. See Lauren." he mumbled. He was obviously deeply asleep.

She smiled. "Lie down where you are baby."

He did as he was told. She took off his shoes and grabbed a blanket. Lay it over him.

"Wake me if dad starts." he said softly.

"Don't worry bout him just sleep." she smoothed his hair from his head then kissed his forehead. He didn't stir again. She walked into the kitchen.

Her mum walked in. "Dupe's home so I can go. She said. "Keep your phone handy just in case. Danny should be home soon."

"Mum I'm fine!" she insisted.

Her mum kissed her. "I'll see you in the morning."

Alice nodded. Walked into the bathroom. Quickly removed her clothes and eased herself into the water closed her eyes. And let the hot water ease her aching bones.

A/N busy chappie bt they gt the bestest news danny is her dad! this story was originally about the DNA results but it evolved wi lexi bein ill. what i was going to say happened was that a worker at the DNA testing place was pissed coz he gt a result sayin his daughter wasn't his so he tampered with all the samples comin in and swapped them just incase u were wondering y they gt it rong :) x bt there is still quite abit of the story 2 go so i cut it out along wi loads of other stuff 2 it is jst goin on 4eva!