A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my absolute best friend Megan. Slight resemblance to our relationship can be seen in this chapter, as it was a small inspiration for it. Just like the two mains focused on in this chapter say, I literally do not know what I would do without her.

Nauseous from the hyperactive energetic vibe from the club, Mulan had decided to hide away in the restroom for a while. She plopped her bag down near a sink, searching for her cell phone. After taking a brief look at her uneasy self in the mirror, she began to dial Aurora's number. Mulan hadn't been able to get her out of her mind all night, concluding to the worst possibilities. Death? Rape? Who knew what had happened? For a moment, Mulan felt like she was going to vomit into the sink.

Aurora had no idea just how much she meant to her. Without a second thought, she pressed call.

A ringtone coming from one of the stalls startled Mulan. Strangely, she felt familiar with its pop song, yet there was no reason to, as all modern songs to her sounded the same. It took a second for her to realize just how she recognized it.

Ending the call, Mulan knocked on the stall it was coming from. "Aurora?"

She heard a small whimper, then tried knocking again, but made the door open ajar. She pushed the door open to find Aurora squished into the left-hand corner between the toilet and the wall. Cheeks wet with tears, and a half-full glass of coke in her hand, it was everything Mulan's mind had been fearful about.

"Oh, my God," gasped Mulan. "What happened?"

Although it was a struggle, Mulan helped Aurora to her feet. Momentarily, it looked like Aurora was going to fall down again, but Mulan clutched her arm and placed a firm hand on her back just in time. Aurora was wearing the exact same outfit she was wearing at the diner, a lilac shirt with matching pants, and her hair was loose over her shoulders. She tried to speak, however her words were held back by tears each time.

Not knowing what else to do, Mulan just pulled in Aurora for a hug, which she definitely deserved. The embrace lasted for a while; Aurora squeezing her eyes, trying to stop her tears, ultimately resulting in more flowing out. Neither ever wanted to let go.

They finally pulled away at the same time. "I'm a mess, right now." Aurora managed to speak.

"No, you're not," assured Mulan. "Everybody's allowed to get upset sometimes. You're not any different. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Aurora nodded. "I… I fucked up. Big time."

"Surely, it's not the end of the world."

"It is, though. For me, it is."

Mulan bit her lip. She couldn't bear to see Aurora like this. But then she became distracted. "Is there alcohol in this?" Snatching the drink, she took a whiff. "Jesus, Aurora. I know you're upset, and all, yet this doesn't solve anything. You're pregnant, for Christ's sake."

"I'm not."

"What?"

"Pregnant. I'm not."

Taken aback, Mulan blinked blankly. "What do you mean you're not?"

"I told you guys before I took the test. I was so sure I was though. All the signs… Sore boobs, cravings. My exact words to you guys were 'I may or may not be pregnant.' Clearly, you all took it the wrong way."

Now that she thought about it, Mulan did remember the 'may or may not' part, though she had overlooked it at the time as she was so over the moon about the whole thing. However, later in the day, she realized that now that Aurora was going to be a mother, she had to store old feelings away and move on with her life. Lacking consent, a selfish thought entered Mulan's mind.

Vulnerable as can be, Aurora was drunk and was unlikely to remember anything in the morning. How easy would it be for Mulan to take the plunge right now, take control of her own life for once? Chances were that Aurora would dive into it. Desperate for love, lust and all things Mulan craved. A one night stand that could lead into something much bigger, better, beautiful. Taking the plunge would be a brave and daring decision. Was it one that Mulan was going to take?

"I'm… so sorry," said Mulan.

Giving a sad smile, Aurora wiped fresh tears from her eyes. "Everything's great, you know? I never really wanted to be a mother anyway, so…" Judging by the way her voice trailed off, it was certain that being a mother was, and always had been, Aurora's dream.

Aurora had always been the motherly figure of the group. The one who told you when you were making a mistake; the one who was prissy and required respect. When passing a baby shop, she always stopped and looked at all the cute little dresses in the window. Destined to have a child, Mulan knew that if Aurora truly did not want to have a baby, she wouldn't be drunk at a nightclub, crying her eyes out.

Guilt drowned Mulan's thoughts, until they were nothing but washed away, useless concepts. Here was her best friend, who was in need of nothing more than a best friend. Lost in the world, Aurora had absolutely no idea what she was going to do with her life. She had a brief flicker of hope, but it was a flicker nonetheless. Though Mulan's world was too upside down, her feelings of affection had to be hidden for now, as Aurora needed her. She needed a shoulder to cry on, and if that was all Mulan was wanted for, that was good enough for her. Mulan wasn't going to throw their amazing friendship away for the sake of her own self-regarding reasons.

"You can keep trying," Mulan suggested. "It's rare that every first attempt is successful."

"No, you don't understand. We have been trying for months. Yet every single time, there's no such luck."

"All you need to do is focus on the positives."

"I've been trying to focus on the positives, Mulan!" Aurora was now screaming at her, overpowering the thudding of the music next door. "Except everything just keeps coming up negative. Like my tests!"

Aurora looked away from Mulan, unable to look her in the eye. She felt herself burning up, both in anger and embarrassment. There was an unbreakable silence for minutes. In an attempt of comfort, Mulan began stroking Aurora's arm. Aurora flinched at first, then allowed her to continue.

"I know things don't seem easy at the moment," Mulan barely whispered. "But I promise that things will get better soon."

"How do you know?" Aurora looked directly into Mulan's eyes, questioning her almost intimidatingly; while she was on the verge of breaking down yet again.

"I may not be able to see the future. But I know that while life may bring you down, it always has a way of bringing you back up where you belong. It's a rollercoaster. You might as well stay on for the whole ride."

Deep in thought for a while, Aurora's eyes dropped to the floor. Considering Mulan's answer, she then turned back to her best friend and gradually gave her a lasting smile. Her eyes were still spilling with water, but she seemed genuinely touched by the words. Something about them just imprinted the phrases on her heart, like a tattoo. It sincerely was life advice.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Aurora finally said.

Mulan smiled, and tried her hardest to not tear up. "Neither do I."

"Still; you wouldn't mind if I got totally hammered tonight, would you?"

"I might actually join you."

"Ok, well- I'm going to head to the bar and order us two vodkas, and some shots. See you in a minute."

The second Aurora left, Mulan could feel her heart dropping to her stomach. The words
"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." circled rapidly throughout her mind. What Mulan almost did in that restroom could have destroyed their friendship forever. After that, would Aurora still have said those nine words? Or would they have been along the lines of 'I never want to see your face ever again.'?

Picking up her bag, it almost felt like the room was spinning, yet Mulan was mostly sober. The advice she had given Aurora had poured out of her mouth like vomit, word vomit. Unable to control, or stop, but it seemed like it had worked. She had also given herself some advice, along the way. Life was a rollercoaster, all right. But so was love, and heartbreak. Sometimes, she wanted to get off the ride. Even if she had to jump a thousand feet from the air, and break her leg along the way.