HOME | DD

Description
Finally, the month of June had finally arrived. School was out for the holiday and that meant it was time for a little fun in the sun. Stress had taken over your life for the past 10 months. Homework, constant drama, and waking up early to attend a place you loathed was enough to make anyone stressed out. Now, the next three months belonged to you. 'Freedom, freedom, and more freedom' ran through your head. You had a good feeling that this summer was to be the best of all summers. But, little did you know, that this was also the summer you found out you were going to die.

It all started on the morning of June 10th, the official first day of Summer Vacation. The morning sunlight poured into your bedroom, hitting the mirror on your vanity and reflecting directly onto your face. Your nose wrinkled in distaste and you attempted to shoo the sunlight away. Much to your dismay, it did not go away. You wanted to keep your eyes shut for just a few minutes longer, but your body seemed to have a mind of its own. Slowly opening your eyes, you turned over onto your side and glanced at your digital alarm clock. '7:45' glowed in bright green numbers. You mentally kicked yourself. This is usually the time I have to wake up for school, you thought bitterly to yourself. You savored your last few minutes you had with your bed, before kicking off your light blue comforter. You peered your tired (e/c) eyes down at yourself, and sighed with shame. You were wearing your pink Tweety Bird pajama pants and buttoned shirt, a gift you received from your father. This is what I get for not talking to the man for 8 years. Ever since your parents divorced, your father has been trying desperately to buy your love and affection, which is quite difficult on his part since you want nothing to do with him.

Pushing away your thoughts, you swung your legs over the side of the bed and planted your feet onto the cream colored carpet. You started to stand up, ready to stretch your arms over your head, until a sharp and excruciating pain shot through your lower abdomen. You gasped loudly, unable to scream in sheer pain. The pain had numbed you to the point of immobility. But, that moment only lasted briefly. You screamed, which only came out in a painful whisper, and collapsed down to your knees. Your arms involuntarily wrapped around your torso, as if trying to squeeze the pain away. Slowly, the pain started to ease away and once you were sure it was gone for good, you let yourself go. Your breaths came out in ragged pants. This is the third time this has happened. Shakingly, you stood up. You stayed still for a good five minutes, making sure it was okay to move, before you went into the bathroom. You flipped on the light and stared at yourself in the mirror.

"I wonder if I should tell Mom about this?" you thought aloud, grazing a finger over the dark circles under your eyes. This all started two months ago. You were having trouble with your sleep, you didn't have much of an appetite, and you sometimes woke up in terrible pain. You thought this was nothing more than a little growing pain, but the pain seemed to escalate. You didn't want to trouble your Mom and step-Dad so you kept this under your hat.

You grabbed a hand towel, wetted it, and patted your face lightly. Tossing the hand towel into your hamper, you walked out of the bathroom. You made your bed and walked out of your bedroom. As you walked down the stairs, you stretched your arms over your head and yawned loudly. You skipped the last two steps and walked into the kitchen, not paying any acknowledgement to your older brother on the couch.

"What, no "Good Morning" for me, ______?" he asked, in a dull voice. You rolled your eyes and popped open the fridge.

"I didn't even see you there, Emil. My bad," you pulled out a green apple and walked over to the couch. You fell back on the couch and took a bite out of the crisp fruit. "Where's Mom and Berwald?" you asked through your crunching. Emil flipped through a couple more channels before answering you.

"Mom went out somewhere and Berwald is at work," he said, not taking his eyes away from the screen. Would it kill him to look at me when he's talking to me? You swallowed the chewed up apple and cringed in disgust. It felt like acid running down your esophagus. You turned your torso around and threw the apple in the trash can. You knew you weren't going to get anything more out of Emil, so you stood up and started back up the stairs, before he said, "Oh, and another thing. You're boyfriend called and said he was coming over,"

You blinked in a bit of surprise, but then smiled when you knew who he was talking about. Gilbert Beilschmidt, your childhood friend and also your best friend. You first met Gilbert when he was the new kid in Kindergarten. He didn't seem to fit in with the other boys, so you decided to be friendly and talk to him. You learned a lot from him that day, from the country he resided from, Prussia, to his pet bird named Gilbird. Ever since then, you both became nearly inseparable at school and in the public. It was quite common for someone to ask if you and he were going out. You would blush, giggle, and politely tell the person that you were just friends.

Even though you both have been friends for years, there were still some things Gilbert hid from you. Like his family. Whenever you brought up anyone in his family, he would dismiss it like it was nothing. It irked you at first, but you then realized that if he wanted you to know something like that, he would tell you. You didn't pry any more than the last time you asked. There was something else you found intriguing about Gilbert; his eyes. They were a deep crimson color, as if blood itself surrounded his pupils. The funny part was you weren't scared. His eyes actually fit his personality; arrogant, stubborn, full of himself, and sometimes idiotic.

"He's not my 'boyfriend', Emily. He's just a really close friend," you said. Emil didn't have to look at you for you to know that he was had a sour look on his face. You would, at times, call him "Emily" just to piss him off and/or leave you alone. You giggled and once again started up the stairs, until someone knocked on the door. Emil was quicker than you to the front door, only he wished he hadn't. He opened the door to the albino Prussian, who had that same crooked smirk on his face and dangerous sparkle to his eyes. Emil sighed in annoyance and glared at Gilbert as he walked in the house.

"Wow, a glare this early in the morning, Emil. How unlike you," Gilbert smirked. You sighed softly. I will never understand why they both hate each other so much. Ever since you first introduced Gilbert to Emil, more and more tension grew between them.

"Shut it, Beilschmidt. You've been getting that look in your eyes for quite some time now, and I just know you're planning to make the moves on my sister," Emil said, pointing an accusing finger in Gilbert's face. Gilbert only rolled his eyes and attempted to bite Emil's finger, causing him to jerk his hand back and hiss violently at the man.

"If I wanted to make the moves on Ihre Schwester, don't you think I would have by now?" Gilbert asked, in a cool and slick voice. Emil gritted his teeth in anger, but before he could retort back, your mother, Tiina Väinämöinen, walked into the house. Tiina was a very cheerful woman, always having a bright smile on her face. Her almond colored eyes and long platinum blonde hair certainly did compliment her well. She also absolutely hated conflict and violence, which is how you and Emil are able to tolerate each other so well.

"Is everything okay in here?" she asked, concerned about the look on her son's face. You smiled and stepped down from the stairs.

"Everything's fine, Mom. Emil and Gilbert were just talking, nothing more," you said, after giving your mother a hug. Tiina nodded and walked into the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter.

"Can you two idiots bag the argument for later?" you hissed under your breath at two. Gilbert and Emil exchanged glances with one another and nodded at you.

"________, what is this?" you turned around to face the Finnish woman, holding your apple from earlier. You mentally gulped and scratched the back of your head.

"It was a bad apple, so I threw it away," you lied. You knew that was a bad idea, considering how good your mother was with getting the truth out of someone. She blinked once and examined the apple.

"It looks fine to me. This is the third time I've seen an apple like this in the trash," Tiina lowered her eyes at you. You sheepishly rubbed your arm, "I've also noticed that you haven't been eating anything lately," instead of looking angry, Tiina was actually looking concerned and worried. You were usually a girl that would clean your plate and ask for seconds. But, lately, you have barely even touched your plate. You looked back at Emil and Gilbert for help, but they both also looked concerned. You sighed and turned back to your mother.

"I just....haven't really been hungry lately, Mom. That's all," you said with a shrug. Tiina dropped the apple back in the trash and walked up to you, grabbing your shoulders in a motherly way.

"Is there something wrong? You haven't been yourself lately, and I've noticed you haven't been sleeping well either," you were going to argue with her that you were just fine, until she said, "I think you need to go see a doctor," your eyes widened and you shook your head violently.

"No, no, no! I'm not going to see Dr. Kirkland! I hate doctors!" you shook your mother away and tried to flee upstairs, until Gilbert grabbed your upper arm and pulled you back.

"Your mother's right, _______. I think you should go see the doc and see what's wrong. That can't hurt, can it?" Gilbert said, giving you his infamous crooked smile that he knew you adored. You sighed. What a way to ruin my summer.

"Fine, I'll go see the doctor," Gilbert let you go and you walked up the stairs to change. There was a little talking going down upstairs and then nothing but someone walking up the stairs. You walked into your bedroom and shut the door. You quickly changed into your favorite jeans and tee, before hollered at Gilbert that it was safe.

"Well, my summer just went straight to Hell," you said, as Gilbert walked in. Gilbert chuckled lightly and shut the door.

"It's just a precaution, _______. Your summer would be definitely shot to Hell if you have to be in pain the whole time," you blinked a few times in shock. How did he know I've been in pain? I don't remember telling him anything about this. You sat at the edge of your bed and sighed. "Just think of this as a regular check-up," he added, trying to cheer you up. Gilbert knew you were deathly scared of hospitals and doctors. You never know if you're going to come out of one alive or in a bag. You shivered just at the thought. Gilbert sensed your uneasiness and sat next to you, wrapping one of his arms around your shoulders.

"Hey, come on. Perk up. It's not going to be that bad," Gilbert smiled and tapped your nose, in hopes to bring a smile to your face. It worked, and now you were smiling ear to ear. Gilbert knows always what to say and do to cheer me up. You sighed for the millionth time and rested your head on his shoulder.

"But, what if I go in there and they say I have some serious disease or something?" you said, mostly to yourself. You felt Gilbert tense up.

"Don't say things like that. You'll be fine," Gilbert's voice was hard and serious. You nodded and remained cuddled up to him, until your mother came upstairs to get you.

Time Skip: At the Hospital

Never again will I come here. Never, ever. The whole experience was terrible. First, you had to wear one of those very revealing hospital gowns. And then, you had to get probed by all these metal objects and by the doctor himself. If my doctor was a female, I wouldn't have minded. Luckily, the whole experience was over and now you and your mother were sitting in Dr. Kirkland's office. Gilbert wanted to come with you, but it was family-only so he couldn't. You did promise to call him as soon as you knew what was wrong.

You were about to ask where the doctor was, when he walked into the room, holding a thick manila folder. Dr. Kirkland was a tall, fit man with sparkling green eyes and shaggy dirty blonde hair. His eyebrows were probably as thick as the folder he carried. You shifted awkwardly in your seat and tried not to look scared. What scared you was the look on the doc's face.

"________, can you please step out into the waiting room. I'd like to talk to your mother," Dr. Kirkland said in his thick British accent. You and your mother looked at one another, before you stood up and left the office. After taking a seat, a million thoughts ran through your head. Why does he want to talk to Mom alone? Do I have something bad? Is it serious? You put your elbows on your knees and placed your head in your hands. Gilbert. You pulled your phone from your pocket and, as quick as your fingers could move, typed a text out to Gilbert. You hit the send button just as the door to Dr. Kirkland's office opened. Your mother walked out first. She had tear-stained cheeks and puffy red eyes.

Oh no. This is bad. You stood up with shaking hands and looked back and forth from the doctor to your mother.

"Mom, what's wrong?" you asked, your voice shaking. Your mother put on a smile and dabbed her eyes lightly with a tissue. Dr. Kirkland spoke for her.

"_______, would it be alright if you stay here at the hospital for a couple of days? We'd like to run some more tests," he said, his voice cold and stern. Your face flushed to a pale white.

"Why? Is there something wrong with me?" you asked. This time, your mother spoke.

"Nothing is wrong with you, sweetheart," your mother walked over and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "All the doctor has to do is run some more tests and that's all."

"But, if nothing's wrong, than why do I need more tests?!" you asked, outraged that they just wouldn't spit out what was really going on. Dr. Kirkland sighed and took off his reading glasses.

"The sonogram we gave you earlier showed that there might something on your pancreas. Something that shouldn't be there in the first place. Just a few tests wouldn't hurt," if your skin could get any paler, it did. You gulped down a lump in your throat and said,

"Something that shouldn't be there? As in, like, a tumor?" you bit your lip saying that word, but it killed you to say the next, "Like.....cancer?" your mouth went dry. Your mother nodded and hugged you close.

"Yes, like cancer," as soon as your mother let you go, you punched in yet another text to Gilbert, telling him everything the doctor had just told you.

This is very bad.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Gilbert's crimson eyes skimmed over the text about a hundred times. Looking at every word with hard and serious eyes. Pancreatic cancer....? I've never heard of such a thing. Humans have such strange names for things. What the hell am I saying!? Gilbert jumped off his bed and grabbed his computer. After getting the internet warmed up, he opened up his browser. He used a search engine to search National Cancer Insitute's CancerNet. The first link that came up was "Pancreatic Cancer____Patient." Gilbert clicked the link. It showed what the pancreas did, stages of the disease, and treatments. It didn't seem too bad. He backed out of that and clicked another link that had "Pancreatic cancer____physician", a link only meant for doctors. It was pretty easy to hack into, and once he was in, Gilbert started to read. The first line was like a stake to his heart.

"Cancer of the exocrine pancreas is rarely curable."

Gilbert gulped hard and continued on. His eyes skimmed over the next few times, but his brain only picked up the important words. Overall survival rate......metastisis....poor response to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery....pain...

Gilbert knew how brave you were, but constant pain would crush anyone with a strong soul. Even if the outcome looked dull. Gilbert shook his head and exited out of the browser and reopened another. He looked up more facts about pancreatic cancer, and they were more terrifying than the NCI file.

The overwhelming majority of patients will die, and die swiftly, experts say....Pancreatic cancer is usually inoperable, rapid, and debilitating painful...The average survival if the cancer has spread can be three weeks to three months...

Every word was like an punch in the face for Gilbert. _______ is a strong girl, but there's no way she can fight something so severe. Gilbert closed out of the browser and shut down his laptop, pushing it away from him and putting his head in his hands.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed loudly, lifting his head and punching the headboard of his bed, leaving a huge dent, "_______'s going to die and there's nothing I can--" Gilbert stopped midsentence as a light bulb went off in his head. That's it! All I have to do is change ________ and then she'll live. But, if I do that, then I'll be breaking the laws of the Night World. Gilbert found himself pacing back and forth in his room, debating on whether or not he should obey the rules or to save his dearest friend, and perhaps his only friend.

It was decided. Gilbert grabbed his jacket and left his apartment, heading for the hospital.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Click, click, click, click. You were officially bored. The hospital never has any good channels. You sighed and threw the remote at the edge of the bed. I still can't believe I agreed to this. After you went home and packed up a few things, you came straight back to the hospital and was immediately checked in. Emil didn't say a word to you the whole time, and you still haven't seen Berwald. I wonder if Mom called him. Then, there was your father.Mom might also try calling Dad, even though I think it's better he doesn't come and see me. There's no way I'm letting that alcoholic near me. You were rattled from your thoughts when a nurse walked in to do your vitals. Her hands were cold, but your entire body was numb to the core so you didn't notice. After she left, you flopped back on your bed and sighed.

The rest of the day went by slowly and painfully. You would occasionally have a sudden moment of pain, causing the nurses to come in and inject some type of pain reliever into your blood. It only lasted for a few hours though, but that was all you needed. Berwald, Tiina, and Emil came by and checked on you and they didn't leave until you reassured them that you didn't need them to spend the night in the room. You swore you saw a Emil crying, but when you pointed it out, he would call you stupid and have a total tantrum about it. Men.

Now, it was time for everyone to go to sleep. But, you just couldn't. Where's Gilbert? Doesn't he know how much I need him right now? You almost started crying, but shook your head to stop yourself. I'm sure he'll come. You sighed and pulled your blanket over your head. There was suddenly a cold draft, causing you to shiver.

"__________," a voice said from the corner of the room. You removed your blanket and looked around the room. You stopped when your eyes met the dark silhouette in the far corner of the room. His eyes stuck out like a sore thumb, and that made you realize it was Gilbert.

"Gilbert? How did you get in here?" you asked, gently cocking your head to the side.

"It doesn't matter," he answered, walking over to you and sitting at the edge of the bed, "All that matters is I'm here now," he smiled at you, and you smiled softly back. For that brief moment, you forgot all about the cancer. All that was on your mind now was Gilbert, and nothing else.

"______, there's something.....something that you don't know about me," Gilbert started, biting his lower lip and looking anywhere but at you. There's a lot I don't know about you. You were about to say that until he continued. "But, if I were to tell you, I would be breaking the law," you blinked in surprise.

"The law?" you asked in utter curiosity. Gilbert stood up and turned to face you, his face looking serious.

"Yes, the laws. You see, I go by a different law than you humans. Your guy's laws don't mean jack shit for us, but ours....well, ours are supposed to be unbreakable," Gilbert said with humor in his voice. You blinked.

"Gilbert," you didn't know whether to be scared of angry. What the hell is his problem? You let him continue.

"I don't know how to tell you this, _______," he paused for a few moments before placing his eyes on yours, "I'm a vampire, ______." Once again, you felt both fear and anger. But, this time, anger took over you. Your fingers wrapped around a vase that rested on your bedside and chucked it his way.

"You bastard! How dare you! Why would you be messing with me right now?! I thought you were going to be serious for once!" you grabbed something else and threw it at Gilbert, who just kept ducking the random objects being flung at him.

"________, their going to hear you!" Gilbert grabbed both your wrists to stop you from throwing anything else, but you just started thrashing around.

"Good! Then they can kick your ass out of here!" angry tears built up in your eyes, but you would dare not let them spill. "Why would you play some type of joke on me?! A sick joke, at that?! Do you find this funny?!" you stopped thrashing, but you were still not done fighting.

"The nurse is coming," Gilbert said, ignoring the questions you threw at him. He let you go and you backed into the bed, away from him.

"Good! I'm going to ask her to throw you out," your body collapsed onto the bed and tears fell from your eyes, "I hate you so much right now," The door opened and a nurse walked it. It was the same nurse from earlier.

"Is anything the matter in here?" she asked. She flipped on the light switch and saw Gilbert. The nurse narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmm, let's see here, you don't appear to look or be family," the nurse smiled. But, her eyes were certainly not smiling.

"He's not at all. I want him out of here," you said, choking on every word. The nurse walked over to your bedside and fluffed your pillow and placed a gentle hand on your forehead. You sniffed and coughed, fighting back anymore tears. You glared at the TV and waited for Gilbert to leave. He didn't. Instead, he walked around the beside and stood by the nurse while she continued to straighten out your blankets. Her movements slowed and she eventually stopped moving.

You looked up at the nurse, surprised, and noticed that she was looking at Gilbert, her eyes locked in his with her hands still on the blankets. It's as if she was on some type of spell. Gilbert's eyes were dark, darker than they usually are, and his expression was bleak and empty. For the first time, you were scared of him.

"Don't worry about her. There isn't anything wrong here," Gilbert said to the nurse, giving her a toothy smile. The nurse blinked and shook her head, as if she had just woken up.

"Oh, uh....no, everything's fine. Please, call if you need anything," and with that, the nurse parted from the room. Gilbert sighed in relief and massaged his temples.

"Damn, I must've overused my powers," he groaned, continuing to rub his temples.

"You had to set this up with her," you hissed at him.

"Nope."

"Than this is just a psychic trick."

"No," Gilbert sighed and sat down in the red recliner by the window, propping his left ankle on his right knee.

"Then I'm just crazy!" you exclaimed, throwing your hands in the air and then crossing them. You lay back in your bed and looked in the opposite direction of Gilbert. Gilbert sighed.

"______, you're not crazy. I probably just told you in the wrong way. But, I did tell you that it was going to be hard to explain. Look," Gilbert stood up and walked over to your bed, sitting back at the edge. "I know you might find this difficult to believe, and that's because my people arrange it that way. They do everything in their willpower to make sure it's hard for humans to believe. Our lives depend on it,"

"Gilbert, I think you should just go," was all you said. You didn't know how to respond to such a speech. Your mind was whirling at the moment, and it was hard for you to think straight.

"______, look at me, please. I'm telling the truth. I swear to you, I am," Gilbert cupped your chin and brought you to look him in the eyes. You shook your head and tried to shoo him away. Gilbert sighed in impatience.

"I guess I have no choice now," Gilbert kept a firm grip on your chin, so you couldn't look away, and leaned his face closer to yours. You thought he was going to kiss you, but instead he stopped. His lip was pulled back over his teeth and you were horrified with what you saw.

Canines. Sharp canines. Those aren't canines....Those are fangs. He had fangs like a cat. Curving ever so slightly and dangerously pointed. Those aren't like the fake ones from the store. Those are the real deal. You opened your mouth to scream, but Gilbert clamped a hand over your mouth before you could.

"We really don't want that nurse back in here, do we?" you shook your head slowly, and he removed his hand.

"No way....oh my god, I can't believe it....Oh my god," you were at a loss for words. Gilbert smirked and pulled back away from you.

"Do you remember all those times you said that I could read your mind? Well, this is why. Because of what I am," Gilbert ran his fingers through his silver hair and smirked at you. You pulled your blanket up to your chin.

"So, did you just tell me so I knew what you were before you killed me?" you spat at him. Gilbert shook his head and turned his look to more seriousness.

"Actually, the opposite. I told you so that I could save you," he said. You wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded, but every fiber told you that that was a bad idea. You swallowed hard.

"Nothing can save me, Gilbert. I'm going to die, and nothing is going to save me," you said, not appreciating his humor anymore.

"Yes, there is something. I can change you, _______. I can turn you into a vampire. We can't get cancer and any type of other diseases," he said. You blinked multiple times.

"A vampire? Me? A vampire? You mean you want to turn me into a bloodsucking monster like you?" you asked. Gilbert rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, more or less. If it's going to save you," you bit your lip. Well, I certainly don't want to die.

"How does the change work?"

"It's quite easy. We just exchange blood. The vampire blood will fight off the human blood and eventually take over your body, turning you into something like me. It's a piece of cake," the way Gilbert was describing it sounds so simple and easy. It was tempting. "But, if you become a vampire, you have to leave behind your human life. No more school, contact with your family and friends, nothing," that made your heart shatter into a million pieces. I can't see my family? "The choice is yours, _______. Do you want to be an immortal, bloodsuckin’ monster or do you want to die slowly and painfully?" You clutched the ends of the blanket and bit your lower lip. Shutting your eyes, you answered him,

"Turn me,"

Description
Finally, the month of June had finally arrived. School was out for the holiday and that meant it was time for a little fun in the sun. Stress had taken over your life for the past 10 months. Homework, constant drama, and waking up early to attend a place you loathed was enough to make anyone stressed out. Now, the next three months belonged to you. 'Freedom, freedom, and more freedom' ran through your head. You had a good feeling that this summer was to be the best of all summers. But, little did you know, that this was also the summer you found out you were going to die.

It all started on the morning of June 10th, the official first day of Summer Vacation. The morning sunlight poured into your bedroom, hitting the mirror on your vanity and reflecting directly onto your face. Your nose wrinkled in distaste and you attempted to shoo the sunlight away. Much to your dismay, it did not go away. You wanted to keep your eyes shut for just a few minutes longer, but your body seemed to have a mind of its own. Slowly opening your eyes, you turned over onto your side and glanced at your digital alarm clock. '7:45' glowed in bright green numbers. You mentally kicked yourself. This is usually the time I have to wake up for school, you thought bitterly to yourself. You savored your last few minutes you had with your bed, before kicking off your light blue comforter. You peered your tired (e/c) eyes down at yourself, and sighed with shame. You were wearing your pink Tweety Bird pajama pants and buttoned shirt, a gift you received from your father. This is what I get for not talking to the man for 8 years. Ever since your parents divorced, your father has been trying desperately to buy your love and affection, which is quite difficult on his part since you want nothing to do with him.

Pushing away your thoughts, you swung your legs over the side of the bed and planted your feet onto the cream colored carpet. You started to stand up, ready to stretch your arms over your head, until a sharp and excruciating pain shot through your lower abdomen. You gasped loudly, unable to scream in sheer pain. The pain had numbed you to the point of immobility. But, that moment only lasted briefly. You screamed, which only came out in a painful whisper, and collapsed down to your knees. Your arms involuntarily wrapped around your torso, as if trying to squeeze the pain away. Slowly, the pain started to ease away and once you were sure it was gone for good, you let yourself go. Your breaths came out in ragged pants. This is the third time this has happened. Shakingly, you stood up. You stayed still for a good five minutes, making sure it was okay to move, before you went into the bathroom. You flipped on the light and stared at yourself in the mirror.

"I wonder if I should tell Mom about this?" you thought aloud, grazing a finger over the dark circles under your eyes. This all started two months ago. You were having trouble with your sleep, you didn't have much of an appetite, and you sometimes woke up in terrible pain. You thought this was nothing more than a little growing pain, but the pain seemed to escalate. You didn't want to trouble your Mom and step-Dad so you kept this under your hat.

You grabbed a hand towel, wetted it, and patted your face lightly. Tossing the hand towel into your hamper, you walked out of the bathroom. You made your bed and walked out of your bedroom. As you walked down the stairs, you stretched your arms over your head and yawned loudly. You skipped the last two steps and walked into the kitchen, not paying any acknowledgement to your older brother on the couch.

"What, no "Good Morning" for me, ______?" he asked, in a dull voice. You rolled your eyes and popped open the fridge.

"I didn't even see you there, Emil. My bad," you pulled out a green apple and walked over to the couch. You fell back on the couch and took a bite out of the crisp fruit. "Where's Mom and Berwald?" you asked through your crunching. Emil flipped through a couple more channels before answering you.

"Mom went out somewhere and Berwald is at work," he said, not taking his eyes away from the screen. Would it kill him to look at me when he's talking to me? You swallowed the chewed up apple and cringed in disgust. It felt like acid running down your esophagus. You turned your torso around and threw the apple in the trash can. You knew you weren't going to get anything more out of Emil, so you stood up and started back up the stairs, before he said, "Oh, and another thing. You're boyfriend called and said he was coming over,"

You blinked in a bit of surprise, but then smiled when you knew who he was talking about. Gilbert Beilschmidt, your childhood friend and also your best friend. You first met Gilbert when he was the new kid in Kindergarten. He didn't seem to fit in with the other boys, so you decided to be friendly and talk to him. You learned a lot from him that day, from the country he resided from, Prussia, to his pet bird named Gilbird. Ever since then, you both became nearly inseparable at school and in the public. It was quite common for someone to ask if you and he were going out. You would blush, giggle, and politely tell the person that you were just friends.

Even though you both have been friends for years, there were still some things Gilbert hid from you. Like his family. Whenever you brought up anyone in his family, he would dismiss it like it was nothing. It irked you at first, but you then realized that if he wanted you to know something like that, he would tell you. You didn't pry any more than the last time you asked. There was something else you found intriguing about Gilbert; his eyes. They were a deep crimson color, as if blood itself surrounded his pupils. The funny part was you weren't scared. His eyes actually fit his personality; arrogant, stubborn, full of himself, and sometimes idiotic.

"He's not my 'boyfriend', Emily. He's just a really close friend," you said. Emil didn't have to look at you for you to know that he was had a sour look on his face. You would, at times, call him "Emily" just to piss him off and/or leave you alone. You giggled and once again started up the stairs, until someone knocked on the door. Emil was quicker than you to the front door, only he wished he hadn't. He opened the door to the albino Prussian, who had that same crooked smirk on his face and dangerous sparkle to his eyes. Emil sighed in annoyance and glared at Gilbert as he walked in the house.

"Wow, a glare this early in the morning, Emil. How unlike you," Gilbert smirked. You sighed softly. I will never understand why they both hate each other so much. Ever since you first introduced Gilbert to Emil, more and more tension grew between them.

"Shut it, Beilschmidt. You've been getting that look in your eyes for quite some time now, and I just know you're planning to make the moves on my sister," Emil said, pointing an accusing finger in Gilbert's face. Gilbert only rolled his eyes and attempted to bite Emil's finger, causing him to jerk his hand back and hiss violently at the man.

"If I wanted to make the moves on Ihre Schwester, don't you think I would have by now?" Gilbert asked, in a cool and slick voice. Emil gritted his teeth in anger, but before he could retort back, your mother, Tiina Väinämöinen, walked into the house. Tiina was a very cheerful woman, always having a bright smile on her face. Her almond colored eyes and long platinum blonde hair certainly did compliment her well. She also absolutely hated conflict and violence, which is how you and Emil are able to tolerate each other so well.

"Is everything okay in here?" she asked, concerned about the look on her son's face. You smiled and stepped down from the stairs.

"Everything's fine, Mom. Emil and Gilbert were just talking, nothing more," you said, after giving your mother a hug. Tiina nodded and walked into the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter.

"Can you two idiots bag the argument for later?" you hissed under your breath at two. Gilbert and Emil exchanged glances with one another and nodded at you.

"________, what is this?" you turned around to face the Finnish woman, holding your apple from earlier. You mentally gulped and scratched the back of your head.

"It was a bad apple, so I threw it away," you lied. You knew that was a bad idea, considering how good your mother was with getting the truth out of someone. She blinked once and examined the apple.

"It looks fine to me. This is the third time I've seen an apple like this in the trash," Tiina lowered her eyes at you. You sheepishly rubbed your arm, "I've also noticed that you haven't been eating anything lately," instead of looking angry, Tiina was actually looking concerned and worried. You were usually a girl that would clean your plate and ask for seconds. But, lately, you have barely even touched your plate. You looked back at Emil and Gilbert for help, but they both also looked concerned. You sighed and turned back to your mother.

"I just....haven't really been hungry lately, Mom. That's all," you said with a shrug. Tiina dropped the apple back in the trash and walked up to you, grabbing your shoulders in a motherly way.

"Is there something wrong? You haven't been yourself lately, and I've noticed you haven't been sleeping well either," you were going to argue with her that you were just fine, until she said, "I think you need to go see a doctor," your eyes widened and you shook your head violently.

"No, no, no! I'm not going to see Dr. Kirkland! I hate doctors!" you shook your mother away and tried to flee upstairs, until Gilbert grabbed your upper arm and pulled you back.

"Your mother's right, _______. I think you should go see the doc and see what's wrong. That can't hurt, can it?" Gilbert said, giving you his infamous crooked smile that he knew you adored. You sighed. What a way to ruin my summer.

"Fine, I'll go see the doctor," Gilbert let you go and you walked up the stairs to change. There was a little talking going down upstairs and then nothing but someone walking up the stairs. You walked into your bedroom and shut the door. You quickly changed into your favorite jeans and tee, before hollered at Gilbert that it was safe.

"Well, my summer just went straight to Hell," you said, as Gilbert walked in. Gilbert chuckled lightly and shut the door.

"It's just a precaution, _______. Your summer would be definitely shot to Hell if you have to be in pain the whole time," you blinked a few times in shock. How did he know I've been in pain? I don't remember telling him anything about this. You sat at the edge of your bed and sighed. "Just think of this as a regular check-up," he added, trying to cheer you up. Gilbert knew you were deathly scared of hospitals and doctors. You never know if you're going to come out of one alive or in a bag. You shivered just at the thought. Gilbert sensed your uneasiness and sat next to you, wrapping one of his arms around your shoulders.

"Hey, come on. Perk up. It's not going to be that bad," Gilbert smiled and tapped your nose, in hopes to bring a smile to your face. It worked, and now you were smiling ear to ear. Gilbert knows always what to say and do to cheer me up. You sighed for the millionth time and rested your head on his shoulder.

"But, what if I go in there and they say I have some serious disease or something?" you said, mostly to yourself. You felt Gilbert tense up.

"Don't say things like that. You'll be fine," Gilbert's voice was hard and serious. You nodded and remained cuddled up to him, until your mother came upstairs to get you.

Time Skip: At the Hospital

Never again will I come here. Never, ever. The whole experience was terrible. First, you had to wear one of those very revealing hospital gowns. And then, you had to get probed by all these metal objects and by the doctor himself. If my doctor was a female, I wouldn't have minded. Luckily, the whole experience was over and now you and your mother were sitting in Dr. Kirkland's office. Gilbert wanted to come with you, but it was family-only so he couldn't. You did promise to call him as soon as you knew what was wrong.

You were about to ask where the doctor was, when he walked into the room, holding a thick manila folder. Dr. Kirkland was a tall, fit man with sparkling green eyes and shaggy dirty blonde hair. His eyebrows were probably as thick as the folder he carried. You shifted awkwardly in your seat and tried not to look scared. What scared you was the look on the doc's face.

"________, can you please step out into the waiting room. I'd like to talk to your mother," Dr. Kirkland said in his thick British accent. You and your mother looked at one another, before you stood up and left the office. After taking a seat, a million thoughts ran through your head. Why does he want to talk to Mom alone? Do I have something bad? Is it serious? You put your elbows on your knees and placed your head in your hands. Gilbert. You pulled your phone from your pocket and, as quick as your fingers could move, typed a text out to Gilbert. You hit the send button just as the door to Dr. Kirkland's office opened. Your mother walked out first. She had tear-stained cheeks and puffy red eyes.

Oh no. This is bad. You stood up with shaking hands and looked back and forth from the doctor to your mother.

"Mom, what's wrong?" you asked, your voice shaking. Your mother put on a smile and dabbed her eyes lightly with a tissue. Dr. Kirkland spoke for her.

"_______, would it be alright if you stay here at the hospital for a couple of days? We'd like to run some more tests," he said, his voice cold and stern. Your face flushed to a pale white.

"Why? Is there something wrong with me?" you asked. This time, your mother spoke.

"Nothing is wrong with you, sweetheart," your mother walked over and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "All the doctor has to do is run some more tests and that's all."

"But, if nothing's wrong, than why do I need more tests?!" you asked, outraged that they just wouldn't spit out what was really going on. Dr. Kirkland sighed and took off his reading glasses.

"The sonogram we gave you earlier showed that there might something on your pancreas. Something that shouldn't be there in the first place. Just a few tests wouldn't hurt," if your skin could get any paler, it did. You gulped down a lump in your throat and said,

"Something that shouldn't be there? As in, like, a tumor?" you bit your lip saying that word, but it killed you to say the next, "Like.....cancer?" your mouth went dry. Your mother nodded and hugged you close.

"Yes, like cancer," as soon as your mother let you go, you punched in yet another text to Gilbert, telling him everything the doctor had just told you.

This is very bad.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Gilbert's crimson eyes skimmed over the text about a hundred times. Looking at every word with hard and serious eyes. Pancreatic cancer....? I've never heard of such a thing. Humans have such strange names for things. What the hell am I saying!? Gilbert jumped off his bed and grabbed his computer. After getting the internet warmed up, he opened up his browser. He used a search engine to search National Cancer Insitute's CancerNet. The first link that came up was "Pancreatic Cancer____Patient." Gilbert clicked the link. It showed what the pancreas did, stages of the disease, and treatments. It didn't seem too bad. He backed out of that and clicked another link that had "Pancreatic cancer____physician", a link only meant for doctors. It was pretty easy to hack into, and once he was in, Gilbert started to read. The first line was like a stake to his heart.

"Cancer of the exocrine pancreas is rarely curable."

Gilbert gulped hard and continued on. His eyes skimmed over the next few times, but his brain only picked up the important words. Overall survival rate......metastisis....poor response to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery....pain...

Gilbert knew how brave you were, but constant pain would crush anyone with a strong soul. Even if the outcome looked dull. Gilbert shook his head and exited out of the browser and reopened another. He looked up more facts about pancreatic cancer, and they were more terrifying than the NCI file.

The overwhelming majority of patients will die, and die swiftly, experts say....Pancreatic cancer is usually inoperable, rapid, and debilitating painful...The average survival if the cancer has spread can be three weeks to three months...

Every word was like an punch in the face for Gilbert. _______ is a strong girl, but there's no way she can fight something so severe. Gilbert closed out of the browser and shut down his laptop, pushing it away from him and putting his head in his hands.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed loudly, lifting his head and punching the headboard of his bed, leaving a huge dent, "_______'s going to die and there's nothing I can--" Gilbert stopped midsentence as a light bulb went off in his head. That's it! All I have to do is change ________ and then she'll live. But, if I do that, then I'll be breaking the laws of the Night World. Gilbert found himself pacing back and forth in his room, debating on whether or not he should obey the rules or to save his dearest friend, and perhaps his only friend.

It was decided. Gilbert grabbed his jacket and left his apartment, heading for the hospital.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Click, click, click, click. You were officially bored. The hospital never has any good channels. You sighed and threw the remote at the edge of the bed. I still can't believe I agreed to this. After you went home and packed up a few things, you came straight back to the hospital and was immediately checked in. Emil didn't say a word to you the whole time, and you still haven't seen Berwald. I wonder if Mom called him. Then, there was your father.Mom might also try calling Dad, even though I think it's better he doesn't come and see me. There's no way I'm letting that alcoholic near me. You were rattled from your thoughts when a nurse walked in to do your vitals. Her hands were cold, but your entire body was numb to the core so you didn't notice. After she left, you flopped back on your bed and sighed.

The rest of the day went by slowly and painfully. You would occasionally have a sudden moment of pain, causing the nurses to come in and inject some type of pain reliever into your blood. It only lasted for a few hours though, but that was all you needed. Berwald, Tiina, and Emil came by and checked on you and they didn't leave until you reassured them that you didn't need them to spend the night in the room. You swore you saw a Emil crying, but when you pointed it out, he would call you stupid and have a total tantrum about it. Men.

Now, it was time for everyone to go to sleep. But, you just couldn't. Where's Gilbert? Doesn't he know how much I need him right now? You almost started crying, but shook your head to stop yourself. I'm sure he'll come. You sighed and pulled your blanket over your head. There was suddenly a cold draft, causing you to shiver.

"__________," a voice said from the corner of the room. You removed your blanket and looked around the room. You stopped when your eyes met the dark silhouette in the far corner of the room. His eyes stuck out like a sore thumb, and that made you realize it was Gilbert.

"Gilbert? How did you get in here?" you asked, gently cocking your head to the side.

"It doesn't matter," he answered, walking over to you and sitting at the edge of the bed, "All that matters is I'm here now," he smiled at you, and you smiled softly back. For that brief moment, you forgot all about the cancer. All that was on your mind now was Gilbert, and nothing else.

"______, there's something.....something that you don't know about me," Gilbert started, biting his lower lip and looking anywhere but at you. There's a lot I don't know about you. You were about to say that until he continued. "But, if I were to tell you, I would be breaking the law," you blinked in surprise.

"The law?" you asked in utter curiosity. Gilbert stood up and turned to face you, his face looking serious.

"Yes, the laws. You see, I go by a different law than you humans. Your guy's laws don't mean jack shit for us, but ours....well, ours are supposed to be unbreakable," Gilbert said with humor in his voice. You blinked.

"Gilbert," you didn't know whether to be scared of angry. What the hell is his problem? You let him continue.

"I don't know how to tell you this, _______," he paused for a few moments before placing his eyes on yours, "I'm a vampire, ______." Once again, you felt both fear and anger. But, this time, anger took over you. Your fingers wrapped around a vase that rested on your bedside and chucked it his way.

"You bastard! How dare you! Why would you be messing with me right now?! I thought you were going to be serious for once!" you grabbed something else and threw it at Gilbert, who just kept ducking the random objects being flung at him.

"________, their going to hear you!" Gilbert grabbed both your wrists to stop you from throwing anything else, but you just started thrashing around.

"Good! Then they can kick your ass out of here!" angry tears built up in your eyes, but you would dare not let them spill. "Why would you play some type of joke on me?! A sick joke, at that?! Do you find this funny?!" you stopped thrashing, but you were still not done fighting.

"The nurse is coming," Gilbert said, ignoring the questions you threw at him. He let you go and you backed into the bed, away from him.

"Good! I'm going to ask her to throw you out," your body collapsed onto the bed and tears fell from your eyes, "I hate you so much right now," The door opened and a nurse walked it. It was the same nurse from earlier.

"Is anything the matter in here?" she asked. She flipped on the light switch and saw Gilbert. The nurse narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmm, let's see here, you don't appear to look or be family," the nurse smiled. But, her eyes were certainly not smiling.

"He's not at all. I want him out of here," you said, choking on every word. The nurse walked over to your bedside and fluffed your pillow and placed a gentle hand on your forehead. You sniffed and coughed, fighting back anymore tears. You glared at the TV and waited for Gilbert to leave. He didn't. Instead, he walked around the beside and stood by the nurse while she continued to straighten out your blankets. Her movements slowed and she eventually stopped moving.

You looked up at the nurse, surprised, and noticed that she was looking at Gilbert, her eyes locked in his with her hands still on the blankets. It's as if she was on some type of spell. Gilbert's eyes were dark, darker than they usually are, and his expression was bleak and empty. For the first time, you were scared of him.

"Don't worry about her. There isn't anything wrong here," Gilbert said to the nurse, giving her a toothy smile. The nurse blinked and shook her head, as if she had just woken up.

"Oh, uh....no, everything's fine. Please, call if you need anything," and with that, the nurse parted from the room. Gilbert sighed in relief and massaged his temples.

"Damn, I must've overused my powers," he groaned, continuing to rub his temples.

"You had to set this up with her," you hissed at him.

"Nope."

"Than this is just a psychic trick."

"No," Gilbert sighed and sat down in the red recliner by the window, propping his left ankle on his right knee.

"Then I'm just crazy!" you exclaimed, throwing your hands in the air and then crossing them. You lay back in your bed and looked in the opposite direction of Gilbert. Gilbert sighed.

"______, you're not crazy. I probably just told you in the wrong way. But, I did tell you that it was going to be hard to explain. Look," Gilbert stood up and walked over to your bed, sitting back at the edge. "I know you might find this difficult to believe, and that's because my people arrange it that way. They do everything in their willpower to make sure it's hard for humans to believe. Our lives depend on it,"

"Gilbert, I think you should just go," was all you said. You didn't know how to respond to such a speech. Your mind was whirling at the moment, and it was hard for you to think straight.

"______, look at me, please. I'm telling the truth. I swear to you, I am," Gilbert cupped your chin and brought you to look him in the eyes. You shook your head and tried to shoo him away. Gilbert sighed in impatience.

"I guess I have no choice now," Gilbert kept a firm grip on your chin, so you couldn't look away, and leaned his face closer to yours. You thought he was going to kiss you, but instead he stopped. His lip was pulled back over his teeth and you were horrified with what you saw.

Canines. Sharp canines. Those aren't canines....Those are fangs. He had fangs like a cat. Curving ever so slightly and dangerously pointed. Those aren't like the fake ones from the store. Those are the real deal. You opened your mouth to scream, but Gilbert clamped a hand over your mouth before you could.

"We really don't want that nurse back in here, do we?" you shook your head slowly, and he removed his hand.

"No way....oh my god, I can't believe it....Oh my god," you were at a loss for words. Gilbert smirked and pulled back away from you.

"Do you remember all those times you said that I could read your mind? Well, this is why. Because of what I am," Gilbert ran his fingers through his silver hair and smirked at you. You pulled your blanket up to your chin.

"So, did you just tell me so I knew what you were before you killed me?" you spat at him. Gilbert shook his head and turned his look to more seriousness.

"Actually, the opposite. I told you so that I could save you," he said. You wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded, but every fiber told you that that was a bad idea. You swallowed hard.

"Nothing can save me, Gilbert. I'm going to die, and nothing is going to save me," you said, not appreciating his humor anymore.

"Yes, there is something. I can change you, _______. I can turn you into a vampire. We can't get cancer and any type of other diseases," he said. You blinked multiple times.

"A vampire? Me? A vampire? You mean you want to turn me into a bloodsucking monster like you?" you asked. Gilbert rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, more or less. If it's going to save you," you bit your lip. Well, I certainly don't want to die.

"How does the change work?"

"It's quite easy. We just exchange blood. The vampire blood will fight off the human blood and eventually take over your body, turning you into something like me. It's a piece of cake," the way Gilbert was describing it sounds so simple and easy. It was tempting. "But, if you become a vampire, you have to leave behind your human life. No more school, contact with your family and friends, nothing," that made your heart shatter into a million pieces. I can't see my family? "The choice is yours, _______. Do you want to be an immortal, bloodsuckin’ monster or do you want to die slowly and painfully?" You clutched the ends of the blanket and bit your lower lip. Shutting your eyes, you answered him,

"Turn me,"