Part 76

**Warnings:** CHARACTER DEATH.......High emotional content in the next few

chapters...KLEENEX ALERT.......

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Six days into their honeymoon Dylan decided it was time to call Brian and Justin. He'd been dreading this for two days now but with Sascha's health failing and the fact that he couldn't even get her to eat he knew he needed some help.

The phone rang four times before Brian finally answered. Taking a deep breath Dylan steeled himself for the reaction of his wife's fathers.

"Brian, it's Dylan."

"Is something wrong with Sascha?"

"Yes. She hasn't been feeling well for a few days now and the staff doctor has been in to see her daily, but I think that maybe I should bring her home."

"Okay."

"There's another problem. She's refusing to leave."

"What do you mean she's refusing to leave?"

"I mean, she said that she is going to stay the full twelve days and will not even get out of the damn bed."

"Put her on the phone."

Brian waited patiently for his daughter's voice, unprepared for what he was going to say to her, but determined to make her see that she needed to come home immediatly.

"Dad?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and fear gripped Brian's heart and clung tight.

"Sascha, honey, it's time to come home. Let Dylan help you pack and bring you back to the Pitts."

"No, Dad, it's our honeymoon and I want to stay."

"Don't be ridiculous Sascha. You're sick, you need to be here where your doctor can attend to you. Now I mean it, don't make me come down there and bring you home myself."

"I'm not leaving Dad."

"Yes, you are. Now put your husband back on the phone so that we can make the arrangements."

"I'm not your little girl anymore Dad. I'm a married woman, an adult."

"I don't give a fuck if you're the Queen of fucking England, Sascha. You're sick and you are going to get your ass on that plane and come home now. And you will not argue with me or with your husband."

Sascha wearily handed Dylan the phone in defeat and sank back into the bed, asleep in mere seconds.

"Dylan, bring her home. Pack what you need for the trip home, leave the rest. I'll have someone come in and ship it home. I'll let Dr. Essig know what's going on and we'll meet you at the airport. I'm going to make all of the arrangements now and I'll call you back with your flight times."

"Thanks Brian."

"Dylan, just make sure she makes it home."

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I heard the door to my studio open, but I was lost in the canvas before me and paid little attention to Brian as he crossed the room. He stopped just a few feet from me and waited for me to finish. The second I looked into his eyes I knew.

"Is she?"

"Dylan called, she's sick, Justin. He's bringing her home today. They are leaving the island now and should be home later tonight."

"Brian?'

"I don't know, Sunshine."

I could see that he wasn't telling me everything and for once I didn't push him for answers I didn't want to hear. I let him hold me and stroke my hair.  Not because I needed it so badly but because he did.

I was amazed at how strong he'd been throughout Sascha's illness and I knew what it had cost him. I gave him a few more minutes before I pulled back to look at him.

"We have to call the girls and Gus and Lindsay. They should know what's going on."

His silence frightened me and I began to realize that this just might be more than Brian could handle. I led him to the couch, got him settled and made the necessary calls. I kept an eye on my partner, worried about his silence.

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I don't know what happened. One minute I was telling Justin about Sascha and the next thing I know I'm sitting on the couch. I don't know how long I'd been there or even how I got there.

My mind was reeling and my body felt numb. My daughter was on her way home to die. Now how the fuck was I supposed to handle that?

I heard Justin talking to the girls and was so thankful that he was handling that. I honestly didn't know if I could tell her sisters. And I knew I couldn't tell Lindsay.

My cell rang and I answered it to hear Dylan's voice.

"Brian, we're about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. I think we need to take her straight to the hospital, can you arrange for an ambulance to meet us on the runway?"

I couldn't answer him, my voice just refused to cooperate. Luckily Justin sensed it and took the phone from me. I could hear him making the arrangements.

I couldn't breathe. My throat and chest were tight, and I was sweating. I'd heard his words but I was still having trouble accepting the fact that my little girl was dying.

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Lindsay, Thea, Kaelin, Sarah, Willow and Gus were waiting for us at the hospital. Brian held tightly to my hand and I was worried about how pale he was. He hadn't said much since Dylan called. His hand was clammy and I was really worried if he was going to be okay.

Thirty minutes after we'd arrived, Sascha was rushed in with Dylan by her side. They took her straight to an exam room and Dylan came back to sit with the family. No one spoke, not because we didn't want to, but because we couldn't find the words.

It wasn't long before the doctor came out to talk to us. He told us that the end was near and there was nothing more he could except make her comfortable. We were allowed to see her, but only for a few minutes and no more than two at a time.

I pulled Dr. Essig aside and talked him into letting the girls all go into be with their sister for awhile. Dylan let them go first. I don't know how he knew but somehow he'd found it in himself to understand the bond those girls shared.

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Thea, Willow, Kaelin and Sarah sat around their sister's hospital bed and laughed with her through tears. They remembered their childhood spent being raised by two "fags". Thea reminicised about the time Sascha got suspended for fighting and how she didn't want to tell their fathers it was because someone had been teasing her about being a faggot's kid.

They were all proud of their parents, but Sascha was the one who was willing to fight to prove it. Kaelin joked with her sister about the time they snuck off to Babylon only to find their daddy on his knees in front of dad. They all laughed about how dramatic it had all been.

Willow reminded Sascha of the time when they were five and ran away from home and went to Grandma Debbie's. For days they thought they were so grown up and that their parents had no idea where they were only to find out years later that Brian and Justin had known all along. But at five, they'd been given enough independence to figure out that home was better than anywhere else.

Sarah kissed her sister's cheek and whispered to her how much she looked up to her. Sarah talked about how Sascha's strength and laughter gave her the courage to keep BJ and make a life with Amy.

The girls spent an hour laughing and crying before leaving the room so that other's would have a chance to say goodbye to Sascha.

Gus was the next to see his sister. He spent his time with her sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hand. They talked about how alike they were and how strong Sascha had been.

Sascha told her brother to live his life by his rules and to let their father in. She told him about Brian's love for his son and that she expected Gus to repair the relationship. He kissed the top of her head and made room for their mother.

LIndsay sat with her daughter and talked about how much she loved her.

"Sascha, I'm so proud of you. You've lived your life according to you and you never let anyone change you. I know it hasn't been easy for you the last year, but you've lived it gracefully. You found love in the midst of all of this and Dylan loves you so much."

"Thank you Mama. Promise me that you'll help him. He's going to need all of you."

"Don't you worry about your Dylan, Sascha. He has family here to lean on."

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Brian and I waited for our turn with our daughter and I couldn't help but worry about Brian. He was so pale and hadn't said much the whole day. His skin was cold against my hands. I could only assume it was because he was upset, but to be honest I'd never seen him like this.

It was finally our turn to say goodbye. I held Brian's hand as we walked down the hall. He was moving slowly and my worry grew. I'd tried to prepare myself for seeing Sascha but I wasn't ready for what I found.

She lay in bed, propped up against the pillows and she looked so frail. She was paler than Brian, though I couldn't imagine how that could be. She smiled weakly up at us and Brian let go of my hand and lay down next to her.

I watched him as he wrapped her in his arms and tried his best not to cry.  To see them there, in bed together was almost too much for me to bear. I was reminded of all the times he'd laid next to her when she was sick with the flu. Brian had always been so protective of Sascha. It was as if he'd known all of her life that this was going to happen.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to them, taking Sascha's hand in my own and kissing it softly. For just a moment she looked away from Brian and up at me. Her smile was so weak, her eyes dark. I knew in my heart it wouldn't be long before she slipped away.

"I love you Sascha."

"I love you too Dad." She reached out a cold hand and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall from my eyes. "Don't cry. I'm ready to go. Let me go Daddy, it's time."

"I'm not ready for you to go, Sascha. It's not supposed to happen like this.  I'm supposed to go first. It should be me."

"You're still needed here, Daddy. You have to help Dad. He needs you to be strong."

"I don't think I can."

"You have to. You're the only one who can help him and you know it. Don't let him face this alone, he'll never make it without you."

"Bossy til the end."

"Promise me Daddy."

"I promise."

"I need a moment alone with Dad. Can you go get Dylan for me?"

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you too."

With one last look at my partner and our daughter I knew that she was right, Brian needed me and I had to be there for him no matter what.

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The tightness in my chest was unbearable and had been for the last few hours. Justin led me down the hall to Sascha's room and I could tell by the way he looked at me that he was worried not only about her but about me as well.

As soon as I saw her, I had to be with her. I needed to hold her, to protect her, to love her. I climbed into the bed with her, just like I'd done when she was little and held her close. Justin's eyes were on me and I knew that he was worried about more than my mental health at the moment.

Even in her last moments on Earth, my baby girl was worried about me. As soon as Justin left the room I let my tears escape. She wiped them away and pressed a kiss to my lips, just like she'd done when she was little and heading off to school.

"Don't cry Dad. I'm okay with this. I'm finally at peace and not in pain anymore."

I wanted to say so much to her, but I had no clue how to begin. She silenced me with a finger to my lips.

"Shhh. Just let me finish or else I may never get through this. Thank you Dad. Thank you for giving me the courage to be myself. Thank you for loving me enough to let me go. I need you to do me a favor, Dad. Lean on Daddy. Let him help you through this. Forget all that old Kinney logic and let him love you. Please?"

"Sascha," she interrupted me again.

"Dad, just do it. It's my last request."

"Yes, ma'am." I pulled her close, ignoring the overwhelming pain with each breath I took and held her until Justin returned with Dylan. I let my partner help me to my feet and we stood just outside of her door so that she had time alone with her husband one last time.

Several minutes later the door opened and Justin, Lindsay and I were ushered back in by a teary eyed Dylan. Justin held her hand, while Lindsay sat at the end of the bed. I, once again climbed into bed with her and Dylan and held her close while her husband whispered words of love to her.

Just moments later my little girl slipped quietly away.

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Dylan and Lindsay left the room, but I couldn't leave Brian all alone. Not right then. His face went even more pale and the sweat poured down his face mixing with his tears. I had to pry his hands apart in order to get him off of the bed.

I was leading him out of the room in order to give her sisters some time alone with her when Brian collapsed.

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