Merry Christmas and/or happy holidays! I thought I would give you a dose of Amelia and Dylan as a little present, haha, enjoy!!

Don't forget to vote and comment!!

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Surgery Day

I woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed. I frowned, looking around the room for Shane. The bathroom light was off meaning he was either downstairs or in his room. I slowly waddled down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

I finally found Shane on the front porch. His body tensed as he heard the door close behind me.

"Can't sleep?" His voice came out hoarse and dry, as if he was crying. He made a move to wipe his face before slightly turning to me. "Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "I just needed to get some fresh air."

"It's okay," I replied, sitting next to him. The sky was still dark, I was guessing it was sometime between one and three in the morning.

"I-I don't know how you did it." He spoke into the quiet night. "I don't know how you went through those surgeries." I had several surgeries after the incident, including brain and abdominal to help heal the organs they had stabbed me in.

"It's because I had all of you there. Fighting for me." I've never felt more pain than I did in the few months through the surgeries. The narcotics helped, but not as much as I had liked them to.

"I told mama that I don't want any drugs to numb the pain after the surgery. It'll just be harder to recover from." I nodded, completely understanding.

"Whatever you decide, I'll be there," I replied, leaning on his shoulder, trying not to cry. I couldn't lose him. Not to this surgery. Not to cancer. Not ever.

We probably sat there for half an hour in silence before a yawn from both Shane and I disturbed the silence. "We should go sleep."

--

Shane hopped into his bed, gown on, getting prepped by the nurses for his surgery.

Since mama worked here, she was friends with a lot of doctors and managed to snag a private and decent sized room that managed to fit the lot of us.

At the moment, Julian, mama and papa were discussing Shane's procedure with the surgeon, while I snuggled up in a chair beside Enzo and next to Shane. I watched them; mama nodded, speaking more confusing medical terms to the women in the hijab. Dr. Asfour swiftly answered their questions.

"Confusing, right?" Shane mused as Tyler walked into the room. I nodded, zoning in and out, still not fully awake yet as Tyler went to console his best friend. Shane and I had slept late, and I have yet to have my daily dose of coffee yet at eight in the morning. I let out a yawn, still tired.

I looked around for Mariana and James but then realized they were downstairs grabbing food.

I felt my butt buzz, and I reached to get my phone. I immediately smiled when I saw it was Dylan who was calling. "Hello gorgeous."

"Hi," I slightly giggled. That caused both Shane and Enzo to turn with a raised eyebrow. I waved them off and walked to the corner of the room.

"Are you okay? I came into the café to see you, but Addison said that you cancelled your shift." My shoulders fell when I was reminded of the current situation. I guess my brother didn't tell him.

"Yes, I'm okay," I sighed quietly, leaning against the wall.

"What's wrong?" He asked with concern.

"I'm at the hospital. It's S-Shane. He's... getting his surgery today," I replied, my voice thick with emotion. A moment of silence was heard on his end before he spoke again.

"I'll be right there, text me the room number."

"You don't have to come, he'll j-just be in surgery the whole time." I felt my lip curl back and I tried not to cry. Just thinking about the fact that Shane had cancer; renal cancer, was something I couldn't believe.

"I'll see you soon, Lia," he promised before hanging up the phone.

Shane mentioned to me last night that he told Dylan about his hospital tests and that's why he was on edge, however, he didn't get a chance to tell him about his diagnosis. I'm sure Dylan put two and two together.

"Amelia, it's time for Shane to go," mama announced just as Mariana and James entered the room with food. However, I didn't feel like eating anything. I nodded, blinking away the tears and shoved my phone in the pocket of my hoodie.

We walked Shane's bed out to the big doors until we couldn't go any further. Behind those doors would be an operating room waiting for him. I've seen enough of Grey's Anatomy to learn the procedure. "I'll see you after the surgery, okay?" Shane spoke softly. I nodded, wiping away my tears, replacing it with a smile.

"I will see you in six hours," I promised. I couldn't lose him. "I'll be right here waiting for you, okay? I love you," I cried. At this point my tears blurred my vision, but I didn't care.

"I love you too. Remember, six hours, I'll be there." I nodded, giving Shane a last goodbye before he was wheeled in by the nurses.

"Your team better be the best team in this hospital," I expressed with emotion, wiping my tears and spinning on my heels to face one of the surgeons on his case.

She wasn't surprised by my outburst. She probably encountered these situations on a daily basis. "We will do everything we can to help your brother," she affirmed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go prep for the surgery. I'll get someone to update you once I can," she smiled before leaving.

"Come on," Julian muttered, while Enzo joined my other side.

"I'm sure you're hungry, let's go eat."

"I'm not hungry." Just when that statement came out of my mouth, my stomach rumbled. "I don't feel like eating," I revised my words. If I did eat anything, I'm sure I would just puke it back up. They sighed, but let me be, knowing how stubborn I was.

We trudged back to the room and I claimed the sofa in the corner, curling into the cushions. I threw the hood over my head, not wanting to socialize and be left alone for the next six hours.

I just hoped that the doctors would be able to get rid of every cancerous cell that resided in Shane and brought him back, alive. Stray tears wandered down my cheeks at the thought. I couldn't imagine my life without Shane. Not today; not ever. Even though they said it was a simple surgery, I couldn't help but think these thoughts.

I heard voices on the other side of the room, but I was zoned out as I faced towards the window in my own thoughts. I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I turned around, ready to cuss out the person who disturbed me. I was anxious, scared and angry. Angry at the fact that it was Shane who had cancer. He didn't deserve to have cancer. No one deserved to have cancer.

My thoughts immediately disintegrated when I saw it was Dylan. I felt my face soften before shoving my hood off, turning, so I could face him when he sat on the sofa.

"Your mom said you haven't eaten yet," he said softly, placing a bowl of fruit and a fork in my hand. "I didn't have a lot of fruit in the house, I just cut up whatever I could find. My mom also made me bring soup, it's over there on the counter," he pointed. "I didn't know if Shane could have soup, but I guess you guys can have it," he rambled.

"It's okay. Thank you, Dylan." I said quietly, not making a move to eat, even when my stomach grumbled. He waited for a minute before he softly pried the container from my hand and opened it. He took the fork and stabbed a piece of strawberry. I let out a small sigh, taking the fork from him in gratitude, not being able to resist the hunger. In a matter of minutes, I scarfed the fruit down.

I lost track of time as we sat in silence. At one point he pulled me into a side hug in which I rested my head against his shoulder.

I watched as the twins wandered in and out of the rooms, while Mariana and James went home for a while as she didn't feel well and needed to take a nap. I offered her the sofa, but she refused. Mama and papa were downstairs in the cafeteria, doing everything they could to keep their minds busy.

"You knew." I finally spoke. He hummed softly. "You knew that he was going through medical tests and that's why you kept pushing me to talk to him." I said, realizing.

"That is true. I met up with up after you showed up at my house, and to be honest my only intentions were to give him a piece of my mind. But then he sat me down and he told me, and then he made me promise not to tell you," he sighed. "Don't be mad at me," he pleaded, sitting up and facing me. "I wanted to tell you, but it wasn't my right to."

"I'm not," I shook my head. "I could never be mad at you. I-I just—I can't lose him. The doctor's told us that Scarlett had to go through a simple surgery, and in the end, she didn't make it out of the O.R alive. I'm scared, and I feel helpless because I don't know what to do," I admitted.

"It's okay to be scared," he said softly, grasping my cold hands in his warm hands. I sighed quietly at the warmth.

"Your dad had cancer, right?" I spoke gently.

"He did," he gulped, looking down. "But his cancer had taken over his entire body, while Shane has it on his kidney. My father fought hard, and no doubt Shane will to," he said, clenching my hand gently in reassurance.

"Can we go for a walk?" A look of relief spread over his face. I guess the sofa wasn't too comfortable for him either. It was difficult to get up, my legs numb. Dylan managed to catch me before I fell back on the sofa I found myself back on my two feet again.

"I hate hospitals," I admitted as we walked into the halls. "Whenever I'm here someone always ends up dying."

"Me too," he sighed, squeezing my hand out of reflex. I returned the squeeze.

"You didn't have to come," I said, making sure I said it in a way that didn't offend him. I really appreciated Dylan. "But t-thank you for being here. I really appreciate it. I appreciate you." His lips met my forehead in a kind gesture before we resumed our walk.

"If you don't mind me asking, how many surgeries did you have?"

"I-I had four surgeries in total after... There was one for the brain, a-and then there was one for my bone fractures and two for my abdominal surgery. My brain surgery... was like three surgeries in one, it took over twelve hours. I couldn't remember the medical terms even if my life depended on it," I let out a small laugh. "My uh... heart also s-stopped during a surgery, it apparently took them quite some time to bring my back. Dylan was at a loss for words once I mentioned the last part.

"Have I mentioned how much of a strong person you are?" He asked, stopping in the hallway, facing me. I looked away, not able to meet his gaze. "I just can't believe you went through this," he admitted. I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what he meant. "You always have a smile on your face, always. If I could define happy, lively, or bubbly even, I would put your face next to it."

"S-Scarlett always lived her life as if it was her last day," I breathed out. "I would always be the one who would think twice about doing anything while Scarlett just jumped right into it. She was always happy, and that was what irritated me at first, but I got used to it, I guess," I shrugged, remembering all the great times Scar and I had together. "I-I figured if I couldn't live for myself, I would d-do it for Scar since she couldn't anymore," I spoke quietly, blinking away the tears. "With a smile, just like her."

"I'm sure if she saw you now, she would be proud," he smiled, pulling me in for a hug. I took a minute to collect myself, snuggling into his neck, letting out a deep breath.

"I hope so," I whispered as I pulled back.

"This happened almost two years ago right?" I nodded. A look of realization crossed over his face.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It's just that, I thought I would have known, especially since it would have been all over the news. But the I remembered I was in Spain for that year," he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"It was all over the news," I confirmed. The reporters and news outlets were on my case for what seemed like months. "You know, I'm always the one talking, and you're always listening," I pointed out as we continued our walk, changing the subject.

We stepped into the elevator, going up one floor, not really having an exact location in mind. "What do you want to know?" He asked, following my subject change.

"Anything and everything. It feels like you know everything about me, but I don't know anything about you."

"That's a lie," he grinned. "You know my family, you know my favourite colour, you know my favourite sport and hobby, you know that I cheated on a test only once; what else is there to know?" He mused, rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of my hand.

"Tell me more about your father," I spoke, thinking back to the frame I saw on his bedside table. The picture of him and his dad. I frowned slightly remembering the rips that split the photo into numerous pieces.

"What's wrong?" He asked as we stepped out.

"The picture on your night table, it's ripped."

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You sure are observant." I waited for him to continue. "I ripped it when he passed away." I pulled him to the side, finding an empty hallway, sitting on a bench. "I was mad at him for leaving me when he promised he wouldn't. He promised me he would be there to see me get married and have kids and that the... cancer was just temporary. I was mad he lied to me, and in the heat of the moment I grabbed the closest thing next to me that reminded me of him, and that was picture. I destroyed it into pieces... but I regretted it as soon as I did." His red eyes met mine before he opened his mouth again. "You can always put something back together, but it will never be the same."

I sniffed, wiping the tears that fell. I was an emotional wreck. "T-thank you for sharing that with me. Don't let my trauma hold you back on yours," I joked, causing a small chuckle to escape from him.

"I would love to, but today is not my day; today is all about you."

"O-okay," I bit my lip.

"You have to stop doing that," he muttered, eyes zeroing in. I stopped immediately. "Come on, I know a place that I think you'll like."

He led us to a hall where the baby room was, watching the babies as they were sound asleep behind the glass door. I gasped in delight as my eyes wandered over all the tiny little cuties behind the glass. They looked so precious and adorable. I wanted one. No, I wanted more than one.

"Oh look at that one! She has a twin." My eyes looked over to where Dylan was pointing. There was a cute African-American baby with an identical one right beside her.

"They're adorable," I squealed. "I always wanted twins," I admitted.

"Wanted?" I inwardly sighed when he caught on. I shouldn't have said that.

"Mhm," I hummed. "Until I realized how much work it would be," I joked, hoping he wouldn't notice my façade.

"Well I certainly wouldn't mind," he smiled, his eyes still on the little twins. "Whenever I imagined a family, I always thought of a small football team," he chuckled, causing my breath to hitch.

"A whole football team?"

He turned to me with a grin. "Look at them and tell me you don't want several of those little ones."

"You're right," I whispered a moment later, my voice thick. We took another ten minutes looking at the little angles before I spoke again. "C-can we get back now?" I asked, reaching for his hand gently, tugging at the tips of his fingers. "I-I think the surgery is almost done."

He turned to me, his expression softened when he saw the tears at bay on my face, however, it wasn't just because of Shane. "Vamos, mi amor."

I quickly walked into the room when I noticed the doctor was also there as well. "What happened?" I interrupted, needing to know exactly how his surgery went. I looked at mama who was crying. My stomach dropped. "No," I shook my head, backing up. "No, d-don't say it."

"Everything went alright," Julian assured, coming up to me and pulling me gently into the room.

"What?" I turned to mama who was crying, papa comforting her, but also had a small smile on her face which I didn't notice before.

"The surgery went as expected. We removed all signs of the cancer, and now he just needs to follow his chemo schedule," she smiled. "If it wasn't for your mother, we wouldn't have been to diagnose Shane as quickly as we did. Your mother is a hard working one," she complimented.

I heard the sound of a bed squeak and I slightly gasped when I saw Shane being rolled into the room behind me. "He should be waking up from the anesthesia soon. I'll be back to check in the next hour just before he does," she said excusing herself while the nurses helped get Shane settled.

"I'll go get something to eat from downstairs," Dylan whispered in my ear. I nodded, giving him a smile. I'm sure he just wanted he give us space.

Immediately, I rushed to Shane's side. His face was pale and had wires running over his body as they hooked up to monitors, waiting for my twin to wake up. However, at the same time I also didn't want him to wake up, as when he would, he would be in immense pain.

"He'll be alright. He'll be alright," I repeated, engulfing mama into a hug.

"He will be, sweetie."

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