"You've got to win a little, lose a little, and always have the blues a little. That's the story of, that's the glory of love." - Bette Midler's "Glory of Love"

"Talk to me about what?" she asked with a slight smile.

Her face seemed to light up the entire room. Nick wasn't sure how to deal with any of this. The girl had just been through a night of hell and she was perky? How was he supposed to tell her any of this? "Rhiannon," he began.

"I love when you call me that," she smiled warmly.

Why was she making this harder for him? Oh hell, it's not like she was purposely doing it. If only she knew the pain he was feeling in his heart at that moment. "Rhi, God, I don't know how I'm supposed to explain any of this to you."

Sara got a look of horror on her face. "Oh God, you don't want this anymore. You don't want us." Her eyes began to water.

Nick quickly sat beside her and embraced her. "No honey, that's not even remotely close. I'm always gonna want you. I'm always gonna love you."

Her tears seemed to disappear at the sound of his words. "Then what's wrong?"

"Like I said, I don't know how I'm supposed to explain this to you, so all I can do is be straight forward with ya." Sara went to lean back, but Nick wouldn't let her go. He needed to feel her close. He knew that he was going to need the hug as much as she would. "Rhi, hon, I have an answer for why you've been getting sick without even trying."

The look of horror returned to Sara's face. It was then that Nick knew he didn't even have to say the words. "Oh, please, don't tell me what I'm thinking is true." Her tears returned. "Why didn't it occur to me sooner?" Nick began rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back to try and calm her. "Is it alive?" she sobbed.

Nick felt a lump in his throat, not being able to utter the words.

"IS IT?" she demanded, still locked in his embrace.

"The doctor said it didn't have a chance," he said through his tears. He heard her crying harder, wishing he could take every ounce of pain away.

Sara slowly pulled away from him, looking into his tear soaked eyes. "I'm a murderer," she gasped, choking on her words.

"No, sweetie, don't say that," Nick cried, grabbing her back into his arms. "You didn't know."

"I was so stupid! I should've known! I was getting sick and having unprotected sex with you! How could I have been so ignorant and not put two and two together?"

"Stop talking like that!" Nick pleaded. She looked up in surprise from the anger in his voice. He noticed the fear in her eyes and calmed down. "That's my girlfriend you're talkin' about." He tried to smile, but found it almost physically impossible.

"Nick, you should hate me! I hate me!" She was still sobbing. "It's because of my stupidity that a little life," she looked deep into his eyes, "a little life that was a part of you and me is now dead." She turned her head, ashamed of herself. "How can someone as cruel as me deserve anyone's love?"

Nick heard how serious her words were. The seriousness almost scared him. "Rhi," he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I love you. How many times do I have to say it? How many ways do I have to show it? I've loved you since forever! Whenever I had a problem, you were there. Whenever someone broke my heart, it was you that pieced it back together. When I signed on with the guys, you were practically the first person I called. And when it came time for me to experience the greatest form of love in the world, it was you that I chose to share that with. How much more is it gonna take for you to see how much I need you?" Nick was crying his eyes out in desperation. "You need a best friend to help you get through this, and it's gonna be me." His hands had a tight hold on her small face, showing her how serious he actually was.

"I need you," she sobbed, hugging him as tightly as she could.

"Good, I was gettin' worried you were wantin' to check out on me, if you know what I mean."

Sara just leaned her head against his shoulder, not answering his comment. "I'm still so sorry," she whimpered.

Nick's heart broke once more at the sound of her pain. All he wanted to do was give her a kiss and let her know it would be okay, like she had done for him all those times, but he knew that a simple kiss and rub on the back wouldn't solve this problem. For the first time in his life, he felt absolutely helpless. He did the only thing he knew of that could calm her. He began to sing softly. "I don't wanna live without your love, I don't wanna face the night alone. I could never make it through my life if I had to make it on my own. I don't wanna love nobody else, I don't wanna find somebody new. I don't wanna live without your love; I just wanna live my life with you."

Sara cried as she was held in his embrace, noticing the tune that he sang to her. It was one of her favorite songs by the band Chicago. He knew that she loved that song. She knew that he was the only one for her.