A/N: Sorry for the late update but I have had some things to deal with and it took me a while to get in the mood to write. This chapter is a little sad, but trust me, it gets better
Angela sat in the waiting area, her hands in her lap. Sara sat next to her and placed a hand on top of hers.
"Honey I am sure everything is fine" she tried to assure the older woman. Angela didn't look at her. She just kept starring ahead. Having the tests done was a nerve wracking experience in itself. Now she was finally getting the results.
"Miss Rizzoli" the doctor calls out. Sara stands up and pulls Angela with her. They follow the doctor back into his office and both take a seat opposite him.
"Sorry for the wait" he says with a soft smile. He brings up Angela's file on the computer and then sits forward in his seat.
"Can you just tell me the results please" Angela almost begged. He gave a soft sigh.
"I am sorry to say you have stage three breast cancer. You are lucky you caught it when you did or it could have been much worse" he said in a soft tone. Angela's heart was racing. Deep down she knew it was cancer but she prayed for two days for it to just be a fatty mass. Sara reached over and took one of Angela's hands. Angela squeezed it tight.
"So what does that mean? What are our treatment options?" she asked. It was clear that Angela was in no fit state to ask the important questions. The doctor nodded, expecting these questions.
"Well it is stage three so we need to act fast. I advise two or three rounds of Chemotherapy, then do a scan to see how much the tumour has shrunk, then hopefully remove the tumour and follow up with another one or two treatments of Chemotherapy to make sure all the cancer cells are gone. Once all that is gone, I would like to get follow ups every month or so for at least six months just to keep an eye on it" He carefully explains not wanting to scare them anymore then he has to. Sara nodded and watched Angela who was still frozen.
"And what happens if the tumour doesn't shrink?" Sara continues with her questions. The doctor gives a sigh.
"We will have to remove the breast" he states. Sara lets out a deep breath. They both discuss setting up Angela's fist chemo session. All Angela can do is sit there. She can't believe what she is hearing. She feels numb inside.
"Thank you Doctor Stevens. Come one sweetie. Let's go home" Sara said as she stood up, shook the doctor's hand and helped Angela stand up. Sara escorted Angela out the car. She went to get in the driver's side but stopped when she saw Angela standing there. Then all of a sudden she burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. Sara quickly ran around to her and wrapped her arms around her shaking body tightly.
"Honey it's all going to be okay. You will be fine. You are the strongest woman I know" Sara told her trying to soothe her. She kissed the top of Angela's head. It hurt seeing the woman she loved like this. Angela took a few calming breaths and removed her hands to look at Sara.
"I-I need to tell my kids" she sobbed.
"Of course. We will go home and I will call them" Sara said. There was no way Angela call make that call. She wouldn't be able to get a word out in the state she was in. Angela nodded and held Sara. She was so thankful she had her. If she had gotten this news alone she wouldn't know what she would do. Sara kissed a tear stained cheek.
"I love you. So much" she said softly. This made Angela smile a little.
"I love you too. So much" she replied and kissed Sara softly. Sara opened her door and helped her into the car before going around to the driver's side again. She paused and took a calming breath herself before she got in the car and drove them home.
Sara opened the front door and lead Angela inside.
"How about you go sit down on the couch and I will make us some tea?" she suggested with a smile. She read somewhere that it is best to try and be positive when horrible things like this. Positive energy can play a big part in some ones fight for life. Angela nodded and went and sat on the couch with a sigh.
"Could you invite them all over today? I would like to tell them at the same time and as soon as possible" Angela said from the couch. She just sat there starring at the coffee table.
"Of course honey" Sara quickly made two cups of green tea and brought them over. She gave a mug to Angela who gave her a soft smile as a thank you.
"Is there anyone else you want me to call? Your brother perhaps?" she asked taking a small sip of the still extremely hot tea. Angela shook her head.
"No just the kids" she said as she sipped her own tea. She put it back on the table with a sigh. Sara had never seen Angela this quiet. She out her own tea on the table ad moved closer to her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her fiancée's cheek.
"It will all be okay. How about I go call them now to get it over and done with" Sara suggested as she got up and grabbed her phone and started making the calls. Angela laid down on the couch and closed her eyes. She had never thought this day would come. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Angela woke up to whispers of familiar voices. She opened her eyes and saw her family standing around talking to each other. She stretched and sat up. Frankie was the first one to notice she was up.
"Ma, what's going on? Sara called us all over here and hasn't told us what's going on" he said, walking over to her and sitting down next to her. Angela tried to smile as she noticed the other and then Sara who was still keeping quiet.
"Yeah ma, what's going on?" Jane asked, folding her arms over her chest. Angela sighed and looked at the ground.
"Sara and I got some bad news today and I wanted to tell you all at once. Please, I think you should all sit down" she said softly. They all looked at her and took a seat. Sara, sitting on the other side of Angela and taking her hand. Paige sat with Natalia on one of the arm chairs, Maura in the other with Jane sitting on the armrest, while Tommy refused to sit down. Angela took a deep breath before she started explaining.
"A few days ago Sara noticed a lump in my breast and so she took me to the doctors to get it checked out. And well, we got the results today. Turns out it is cancer. Stage three" she said softly. She looked around at her children and she could see the shock on their faces. Even Paige and Maura.
"What? Are they sure?" Tommy asked. Angela nodded.
"They even booked me in for my first chemotherapy treatment for next week" she told them.
"Angela. I am so, so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Paige asked as she held Natalia close to her as she started to fuss. Angela shook her head.
"Thanks sweetie, but Sara and I will be fine" she squeezes Sara's hand and tries to smile to try and harden the blow of the news.
"Ma, I-I don't even know what to say" Frankie said as he put his arm around her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek which made her heart ache. She doesn't want to leave any of them. Especially not before getting to know her two month old granddaughter.
"It will be okay" she told them all again as she kiss his cheek. Maura went to say something but stopped when Jane got up and stormed out of the room, then the house, slamming the door behind her.
"I'll go talk to her" Maura said as she stood up.
"No, Maura I think I should go" Angela stood up and went after Jane.
When Angela got outside she saw Jane out by the cars pacing up and down.
"Janie?" she asked as she walked over to her. Jane stopped and looked at her mother. Angela hadn't seen that look on Jane's face for a very long time. Not even when Frank left.
"Ma" she couldn't even form a sentence. She turned away and wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn't one to show her emotions, but right now she couldn't help it. Angela walked over to her and wrapped one arm around her.
"Jane please talk to me" she said softly. Jane quickly moved away and looked at her.
"This family has been through so much. And just when I finally think things are finally going to be okay. And now this. Now you may be dying on us. That is the worst news any of us could have gotten" she sniffled. Angela's heart was breaking for her daughter. She had never really opened up like this before. She went to say something but Jane kept going.
"When pop left it hurt. It hurt because he abandoned us on his own accord. But this. This is the work of god. Or the devil, I am not quite sure. But Ma, you could die, and I don't want you too" she said as she vigorously wiped away a tear.
"Oh honey" Angela said as she wrapped Jane in a big hug, this time Jane didn't pull away. She hugged her mother back.
"I will be fine honey. We Rizzoli's are tough" she told her oldest daughter. Jane rested her head on Angela's shoulder and took a deep calming breath.
"We are. But I swear, if you die on me, I am coming after you" she said with a small laugh. Angela let out a laugh herself.
"Well I won't be going anywhere" they kept hugging for a while, just enjoying the moment with each other before going inside and answering questions from the others.