How My World Changed Forever...Again

Reunited at Last

A/N just wanted to apologize for this update lol! It's probably one of the most important and also most horribly written. I finished it during class today (our quarter ends today so I had one free period) after wrapping up my work and then just hit publish at the beginning of my next class. I wanted to quickly get this up because it had been a couple days. Plus, I thought it was one of the more interesting parts.
I was just about to go back through and edit the grammar and spelling plus make sure everything flows but...I don't want too lol. I want to start another chapter tonight and hopefully write a lot in the next week because I'm off until next Tuesday or Wednesday for Easter/Spring break.
So yeah! Thanks for reading and putting up with my rushed updates.

Annie's POV
I wake up to the feeling of Colleen's hand on my back. "Annie?" She whispers.
I rub my eyes and see the clock; 5:30?! "What?" I say, suddenly concerned.
"Sorry that Rachel and I didn't tell you last night. She and I have to go to our brother's house in Santa Barbra today and have to take you with us. It's pretty far away so we're getting an early start. We may end up staying the night, depending on how things go, so please get all your electronics and school stuff and other little things like that. We already got you some clothes to take. Just wear the clothes you have on now. I'm gonna get your sister up, okay?" She whispers quietly.
I nod in shock. Now I'm worried that something happened to their family. Colleen isn't crying though, which seems like a good sign.
I get out of the bed and go in her bathroom. When I'm done, I go in my room and get my school stuff and charger and things. I'm so tired that I'm not even paying attention. I pack up Hayley's backpack too and carry everything downstairs. Rachel is in the living room, straightening things up. She doesn't seem upset either so I can't imagine what's going on. Just a few minutes later, Colleen comes down with Hayley behind her. "Okay girls," she says, "we gotta go!"
Rachel says goodbye to Matt who is also in the living room, and we are on our way. In Colleen's car, Rachel drives and Hayley and I sit in the back. The car is silent as Hayley and I both doze back to sleep.

Colleen's POV
Our plan is working perfectly. Both girls are asleep so they won't even notice when we go to LAX.
When Rachel pulls into long term parking and turns the car off, Annie sits up. "Where are we?" She asks, obviously still exhausted.
"Hayley," I say, with a smile on my face.
Hayley sits up too and opens her eyes. "Girls," I say, "we aren't driving to Santa Barbra today..."
I look over at Rachel and she says, "...we're flying back to Maryland!"
"Really!?" Annie asks, suddenly awake.
"Yep!" I say.
"But we have to go, like now. Our flight leaves at eight and it's 6:30 now. Come on!"
Both girls, now smiling and wide awake, get out. Hayley says, "But what about our stuff?"
"Oh don't worry, Colleen and I packed it all last night while you were asleep," Rachel says.
She pulls the suitcases out of the trunk and sets them in the parking lot.  "Okay, here ya go, girls.  Lets go in.  We'll get something to eat and then we'll wait around," she says.
     We all grab as many bags as possible.  Inside, we print luggage tags and take care of everything else.  Thank god we aren't flying internationally because customs are pretty much impossible, especially with kids that don't belong to you.  We all get through security just fine, much to my surprise.
We sit at our gate waiting to board. Hayley has fallen back asleep on a chair and Annie is sitting on her phone. I have headphones on, just trying to edit a few freaking videos because I haven't been the greatest at posting consistently. Rachel is doing the same. My Miranda and Colleen videos are sporadic, though they usually eventually get up. My vlogs are completely nonexistent and I've pretty much given up on that for the time being. It's hard to film your life when it involves other people who may not want something you accidentally catch online for everyone to see. At 8:30, we board the plane. Thank god we managed to get rows of two because one of my biggest fears is sitting by creepy strangers on planes who's going to, like, fall asleep on my shoulder and drool or try to get their hands all over me if you know what I mean.
I sit next to Annie and Rachel takes Hayley. I sit in the isle across from Rachel and both girls sit on the inside.  As soon as we're stable in the air, the girls fall asleep.  I feel so bad about how busy this day has already been and it's not even 10 AM yet.  Plus, a six hour flight is going to take nine hours since the east coast is three hours ahead.
     I end up falling asleep with Annie asleep on my shoulder.  When I wake up, we're beginning our descent.
     By the time we have our bags in the airport in Maryland, it's literally 6 PM.  We traveled all day.
     Rachel calls an über while I call Katie Leblanc.
     "Hey Katie," I say, "we just landed and Rachel is getting an über.  Where are we going?"
     "Okay, first of all, I'm glad to hear you got here safely and thanks again for doing all this. We're all...hold on a second..." Katie says to me. I hear her talking out loud saying, "Jill?!" Then she puts me on hold.
"Okay, to be clear," Katie says, her voice low, "Katie doesn't know the girls are coming home and she definitely doesn't know you're here. She really likes you so I think she'd be really excited if she got to meet you....I know that's a lot to ask, but it would definitely make her day."
     "Of course I'll be there. So what's the plan?"
"Okay, if you could über back to our house, then you can leave all your stuff there; I'm not too concerned how neat it is, just throw it in the house. Billy is at our house now. He will drive you guys out to John Hopkins, where I am now. Katie doesn't have anymore treatments for the rest of the day so everyone is good to be here. As far as what to tell the girls to bring, nothing really."
"I don't mean to invade on your decisions because it really is up to you guys, but are you vlogging all this? I have been filming the girls for you, but nothing about Katie. I would be happy to film their "reunion" but only if you want it."
"Yeah, go ahead and film everything. Billy is going to film what's going on and we'll tack that on the beginning of what will be the vlog in two days (the footage from today).  But yeah, it'd be great if you filmed today.  Everything.  And just have Annie vlog like normal, as if they already knew what was going on. Thanks Colleen."
     "Of course.  Rachel's getting ready to get an über now.  Do you want to text me your address.  I mean, I'm sure the girls know it, I just want to be sure."
     "Yep.  I'll text you in a second.  Thanks, bye bye"
     "Bye."

Annie's POV
     Pulling all of our bags out of the über, I am so excited.  We go in the house and are greeted by dad.  He squats down on the floor as he pulls Hayley and I into his arms at the same time.  "I love you girls and I missed you both and I'm sorry."
     "I love you too," Hayley and I both say, muffled into his shoulder.
     After just a few minutes, we're walking out the door again. This time, withy dad, getting ready to go to the hospital.  Colleen makes Rachel sit in the front and she sits with Hayley and me in the back.  Hayley sits between Colleen and me.  I'm so nervous that I'm shaking.  I haven't seen Katie in years, and now...now everything's so different.  We've been texting a lot, but Katie doesn't know we're even coming, so I still don't know what to expect.  I'm glad Hayley's here.  She was really young in the larger sense when we stopped seeing Katie.
     And I'm really nervous to see Katie sick.  I've never seen a cancer patient in the hospital. Mommy tells me that she looks really good and just has her IV plus some other needles in her arm.  I'm still scared.
     As I'm staring out the window as I notice Hayley falling asleep on Colleen's shoulder. I lean my head against the door and close my eyes.
Arriving at the hospital, I wake up and stretch. Daddy says, "okay, ready?"
We all nod in agreement and get out. While walking through the parking lot, Hayley grabs my hand. I gladly take her's. I shouldn't be nervous. Katie was of is, I don't really know anymore, my best friend in the entire world.
We walk through the colorful lobby, down the hallway painted green, into the purple elevator, down the orange hallway, and right up to Katie's door. I look back at Colleen and she has our camera out. "Aww! She says, just from my face, "come here." She hugs me then says, "you know, it's not scary. I've visited kids with cancer before. Breath Annie.  Look," placing my hand in Hayley's once again, "you and your sister are gonna do this together."
     I turn back around and face Daddy.  "Ready?" he asks, sympathetically.
     I nod my head.  He knocks on the door three times.  My hand in Hayley's is sweating. I don't let go.
     Mommy opens the door and gestures for us to come in.  Hayley and I cautiously walk through the door first.  As soon I see Katie, everything changes.  I pull my hand away from Hayley's and run to Katie's bed.  Sitting down on the side, I wrap my arms around her and she does the same to me.  I burry my head in her shoulder and say with tears streaming down my face, "I missed you so much!"
     "Me too!" She says through tears.
     After a minute of our embrace, I let go and just sit.  Hayley goes to the other side of the bed and Katie grabs her.  "You're so big!" she exclaims, wiping tears from her face.
     "Annie?" my mom interrupts.
     "Oh yeah!  I forgot!" I say, standing up from the bed.  "Katie, we have another surprise," I say, smiling.

Colleen's POV
     Annie runs back into the hallway after a few minutes to get Rachel and me.  The smile on her face is priceless.  The last month has been really hard.  I've loved having the girls, but I've never raised kids.  The tears, the worries, I've never dealt with any of it with kids.  Also, it's been so hard to get videos up on time.  There were moments when I asked myself why did I agree to this?  This is why.  This smile.  This happiness.
     Annie whispers, "Come on!"
     She grabs both of our hands and pulls us into the room.  I compose myself and put my "Colleen" smile on.  Not the freakin weird Miranda one, the one that actually makes me look semi human.
     "Oh my gosh!" Katie tells, throwing her hands over her smiling face.
      This is why I do what I do.  I live to be able to make kids happy.  Every time I can bring a smile to one kids face, I am reminded of why I love my job.  All the long nights, endless hours, and constant stress, it's all for this.  This is why I make so many impossible decisions and keep going even when I cried all night.  To know that I can make just one kid happy is my absolute favorite thing.  I will never get tired of it.
     And to know that I am making a kid happy who has been dealing with something no child should ever go through is even better.  That's why I spend hours in the Children's Hospital.  That's why I raise thousands of dollars.  These kids, they're no different than any other kid.  They just happened to be the unfortunate ones.  If I can make one of their days better, I'll do it in a heartbeat.
     Annie leads us over to Katie.  She reaches her arms up, so I bend down and hug her.  "You're amazing!" I whisper in her ear.
     I back away and she reaches for Rachel.  As Rachel hugs her, I look over at her mom.  She's smiling.  I think, that woman probably hasn't seen her daughter smile in months.  Her smile is what makes a tear fall from my right eye.