First of all, I am so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been grieving a role model and a friend for the past few months. I couldn't write about sickness or death at all because I'd just start crying. Thank you for understanding, and I hope you enjoy this bittersweet, much awaited chapter. 

~&~

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Sadie's POV

Finley died that night. I don't think I've ever seen Connor cry like he did that night. He said he was prepared, but when the doctors announced her dead, he lost it. He stumbled out of the room and went mad. He punched the wall and cried and screamed. It took two of the doctors to calm him down. I spent the night with him, holding him, letting him know that I was there for him. He didn't stop crying once that night. I felt like I could see his soul dying in his eyes. 

The next morning, Dr Green woke me up quietly and asked to speak with me outside. I followed him, hoping he was about to give me good news. When we were outside Connor's room, he handed me a bible. I looked at him confused. I wasn't a Christian, and neither was Connor. Why was he giving me a bible? 

"Sorry, Dr Green, I am not a Christian. I don't have any use for this." I said politely, trying to hand it back to him. 

He smiled at me and shook his head. 

"Oh, I know, Sadie. But Finley was." he said, pointing to the bible. 

My eyes widened and opened the bible to the page. 

Finely Pearce was written neatly at the top of the page. I took a deep breath and closed the bible. It wasn't a bad thing that she was Christian, it didn't bother me. I just didn't know. A few tears streamed down my face just thinking about her. 

"Thanks, Dr Green. I'll be sure to show this to Connor." I said. 

He smiled at me and gestured to the bible. 

"She made many notes in there, maybe Connor would like to read them. She made notes right until the last night she could." he said. 

I nodded and smiled at him, bringing the bible close to my heart. I thanked him once again and then walked back into Connor's room. He was sitting on his bed, staring out the window. My heart broke for him. 

"Connor?" I called him. 

He looked my way. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips were chapped. He looked completely destroyed. I gave him a small smile and sat beside him. I placed the bible on is lap and watched as he touched it. 

"Sadie, this is not the time for jokes." he whispered. 

I smiled and told him to open the first page. After hesitating a little, he did. When he saw Finley's beautiful handwriting, the tears started flowing. As he started to page through the pages, his cries became more and more painful. He ran his fingers over the notes she made, and then grabbed my hand tightly. 

"She was my person," he whispered to me.

I smiled at him and kissed his temple. 

"Yes, she was and she will always be." I said to him. 

He closed the bible and brought it close to his heart. I embraced him while he cried for the love of his life. 

~&~

Connor had fallen asleep in his room with Finley's bible close to his chest. I had left him a minute ago to go find out where Logan had gone. I didn't know whether he knew, I didn't even know whether he had been at the hospital at all. I hadn't seen him since that night with Finley. 

I peeped through the window that looking into Finley's room and saw two bodies sitting beside each other on the small beige sofa. Logan and Isaac. I took a deep breath and entered the room. The second I entered I heard sniffing and whispering. They hadn't seen me walk in yet, so I walked up to them and placed a hand of Logan's knee. 

He looked up. His eyes were more bloodshot then anyone's I had ever seen. His face was wet with tears and his nose was bright red. He let out a sob and leaned forward into my embrace. He sobbed into my shoulder. I looked over his shoulder at Isaac, who also had tears flowing down his cheeks. He placed his hand on Logan's shoulder and whispered encouraging words into his ear. The only sound in the room were three adults crying and muffled words. 

~&~

Later on that week, Connor was called in for a check-up. 

I sat next to Connor in Dr Green's office after some scans were done and all kinds of other types of tests. Connor squeezed my hand. I looked at him with a smile. 

"Everything will be okay." I said to him. 

He nodded and smiled at me. Dr Green came in, along with his associate Dr Morgan. I looked at him, rather puzzled. We hadn't seen Dr Morgan since Connor was diagnosed. Dr Green smiled at Connor and I. 

"It's wonderful to see you two again. Dr Green called me in this morning after he looked at some of your results, Connor," Dr Morgan said to him. 

Connor looked afraid. I knew he feared the worst, even though it couldn't really get worse than this. I kept a tight grip on his hand and stroked it with my thumb.

"What's wrong with me this time?" he asked. 

Dr Green and Dr Morgan looked at each other smiled. Connor began to get impatient, and was I. 

"What is it?" Connor demanded. 

"Connor, you're in remission. Your cancer is gone." Dr Green said.

As I jumped out of my seat and hugged both doctors, Connor remained still. He sat still in his chair, staring at the ground. The office was full of joy, but Connor didn't seem to care. He just sat there, in shock I thought. That was until he started crying. I didn't know whether it was out of joy or grief. I couldn't tell the difference. I embraced him and kissed his head. 

"I told you everything was going to be okay. If only Nana could see you now." I whispered in his ear. 

~&~

After a few days, Connor could go home. The doctors said they didn't understand how his cancer disappeared or why he was healing so quickly. They were confused, but happy for us. Connor and I walked out of the hospital hand in hand. Connor looked around, in awe of the outside world. He hadn't been out and about for years. 

"How do you feel, Connor?" I asked him, opening the trunk to dump his things in.

He smiled at me and hugged me. 

"I feel good," he said, "but not great."

I pulled away and gave him a sad smile. Finley's death acted like a sickness itself. He looked sick with grief and pale with sorrow.

"Remember, Finley is happy. She isn't in pain, she isn't sick. She isn't even crying and she'll never cry again." I said to him. 

A tear escaped his eye as he nodded with a broken smile. 

"Do you feel up to doing something?" I asked him. 

He nodded and smiled brightly. 

"Finely would've wanted me to live life to the fullest from this very moment, and that is what I am going to do." he said. 

I smiled at him and cupped his cheek with my hand. 

"Then let's get out there," I said, opening the car door for him and shutting it after he got in.

Connor hadn't gotten his license since he was 18 when he was diagnosed, and never got the chance. 

I hopped into the car I had rented, which I was so glad I did, and pulled out of the hospital parking lot, but this time I had my big brother with me, and I'd never have to leave without him ever again. 

First, I took him to Roberta's, the small cafe that I worked at, and ordered him a coffee. I introduced him to all my co-workers and they were over the moon to see him and know that he was in remission. Connor and I spoke over coffee and cheesecake, his favourite treat, and made plans for the next couple weeks. Connor had decided that everything he did, he did for Finley, and wherever he did it, he would write her name. So while Connor finished his cheesecake, I asked the owner, my boss, where he could write her name. My boss was a wonderful man, and he had known us from childhood. He said it would be a great opportunity to have a 'Cancer Board' where you could write your name or anyone else's name who had/have cancer, whether they had passed or not. He took a few paintings off a wall near the coffee machines and lead Connor to the space. 

"It's all yours, son." he said and patted him on the back.

Connor smiled as a few stray years ran down his face, tears of joy, but also sorrow. He grabbed the black marker and lifted it right up to the top. 

R.I.P. Finley Pearce

Then beneath it, he wrote: 

A fighter

I smiled at my brother as he wrote beside it. 

Connor Thomas

And beneath it, he wrote: 

The luckiest man alive to have met that girl

He wrote this neatly with an arrow beside it, pointing to Finely's name. There were cheers from the people in the restaurant and when Connor turned around, he was shining. It was like writing her name down, gave the world a piece of her. And as long as everyone lived, and this cafe stayed open, they would always know about Finely. She was the founder of this board and she would always be remembered as a fighter.