A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for all the continuous kind words and support, this story means so much to me!

"Dad…daddy? DAD!" Isabel woke up in absolute hysterics. It had been just over two weeks since her inductive chemotherapy started, and it had taken quite the toll on her little body. She had been sick to her stomach every single day, and she slept for up to thirteen hours a day, which was insane compared to her usual seven.

"What is it princess?" Will asked, sitting up in the blue hospital chair and turning to his daughter.

Sitting up in her bed, Isabel's face was red, her eyes were streaming with tears, and her lip was quivering,

"Daddy look! On my pillow! My hair!"

Will stood up so he could get a better look at what she meant. Sure enough, there were locks of her long, black hair on the pillow and stuck between the sheets.

"Oh, sweetie, come here, it's okay." Will picked her up, careful to pull on the IV lines, and held her, careful not to pull on her hair.

"The doctor, mama, and I told you this would happen, you knew it was coming." Will told her gently.

"Yeah I know but I wasn't expecting it this fast!" Isabel's voice was shaky and she started to sniffle as her crying began to cease.

Will sat back in his chair with Isabel in his lap, he looked her in the eyes,

"Isabel Marie Lamontagne, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire world, alongside your mama. You have the biggest blue eyes, the softest and fairest skin, and the biggest heart of gold. You are beautiful with or without your hair, it does not define you and it does not determine your worth. If your mama, or Henry lost their hair, they would still be beautiful and we would love them, yes?"

Isabel nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Now, no more tears, it's all gonna be okay. And you know what? You have so much hair, that no one is going to notice that you have less for a long time, okay?" Will reached over to the bedside table and handed his daughter the box of tissues.

"Okay daddy. Thanks, I love you."

"I love you too princess." Will pressed a kiss to her forehead and gently set her back in bed.

Xx

Later that morning, JJ sat in Isabel's hospital with her daughter in her lap, flipping through a magazine and letting Isabel read along. Dr. Kershaw stepped in,

"Hello ladies, is Will with Henry?"

"Yes, he's taking him down to the daycare, he should be back shortly." JJ said to him as she smiled up at him. Dr. Kershaw had been good to them, he always had time for the family and put Isabel's wants and needs first. He was patient and helpful when explaining procedures. Dr. Robins, Nurse Long, and Dr. Artino were also a part of Isabel's medical team, each one making Isabel more and more comfortable with each passing day.

Shortly, Will walked into the room with Dr. Robins. Will made his way over to JJ and Isabel while Dr. Robins and Dr. Kershaw each pulled up a chair. Dr. Kershaw cleared his throat and began,

"Alright, as Isabel's treatments progress, she's going to be in more pain more often, simply as a result of the damage chemotherapy is doing, along with stress and simple discomfort from being away from home. To manage this pain, Isabel is going to start needing stronger pain medications more often. So, as I've told you Mrs. Lamontagne, we're going to implant what is called a central line into Isabel."

"I will do the procedure," Dr. Robins spoke up, "essentially, it's a tunneled catheter that is inserted into a vein. They can be inserted in the forearm, chest, or neck, but because Isabel is so small and because she's very uncomfortable with her forearms, her's will be inserted into her chest. The tunnel runs through a vein and eventually leads to a very large vein near the heart. It will come out of her skin and on the end of it is what is commonly referred to as a "port". Through this port pain medication and blood transfusions will be given. Protruding from the port will be what is called a "triple lumen catheter", and this is basically three small tubes that connect to the port, allowing medication and blood to enter the tunnel itself. It's a fast and easy way to get essential nutrients, medications, or whatever else she needs straight to her system."

Isabel tensed up,

"Will it hurt? Will I feel anything?"

"The sight of the port will be sore, and you may feel some discomfort because it's something your body isn't used to, but you'll get used to it in a few days, and eventually you won't notice it at all." Dr. Kershaw assured her, wanting her to be as relaxed as possible.

"Is there any danger with there being tubes coming out of her skin, I mean, if they get pulled on by accident, what would happen?" JJ asked hesitantly, not wanting to scare Isabel.

"She wouldn't feel anything because the port is fairly secure, at most, just a little pressure at most." Dr. Robins responded, looking at Isabel as she did.

JJ and Isabel breathed a sigh of relief in unison, their chests feeling lighter.

"Anymore questions? Your operation is later this evening." Dr. Robins asked, looking at each of them.

When there was no response and they simply shook their heads, they thanked one another, parted ways, and went back to preparing Isabel.

Xx

JJ's foot tapped the ground repeatedly, her face in her hands and knots in her stomach. Isabel just been taken into surgery, and JJ had been regretting this wait. She reflected on the past two weeks, how Isabel had been such a champion through chemo despite how ill it had made her and the unfortunate side effect she'd begun experiencing that morning. JJ knew it would be hard as Isabel lost more and more of her hair, and JJ knew it would be up to her to make Isabel remember how beautiful she was, hair or no hair. Despite all this, Isabel had managed to keep her energy up fairly well, and she laughed and smiled everyday. She didn't look sick just yet; her lips were still full and pink, her cheeks blushed, her hair was shiny and mostly still intact, and her bright blue eyes still shone when the sun reflected off of them. This would change, and that scared JJ immensely. She didn't want people thinking of her little firecracker as a weak, sick kid, because on the inside she was the same energetic, fiery little reflection of her mother. JJ knew they would get stares in the streets; people would stare at Isabel's bald head, her dried, pale lips, her skinny frame, and the tubes peering out of the top of her shirt. JJ would have to prepare Isabel for it, even though she didn't want to. She asked herself and God everyday why her life had suddenly taken this turn. She only went to work on days where she could sit at her desk doing paperwork and talking to her friends because she couldn't go away on cases, Isabel was excused from school for who-knows-how-long, and Will had decided to take leave for the month as Isabel went through induction chemotherapy, knowing that he needed to be there for both his children. Henry hardly understood anything, just that he was going to have to be very careful with his sister within a short amount of time, and that they wouldn't be able to play together like they used to. When JJ had sat Henry down with Isabel and explained this to him, he simply said, "Okay mommy, ok Bell.", turned to his sister, gave her a hug and a kiss, and marched away with his head down. He was being braver than JJ expected, and she knew a large part of it was him watching how Will was with Isabel.

JJ was thankful for all the kindness, patience, and understanding they had all received, and hoped it would hold out in the long run.