Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars, or any recognisable characters.

Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews, and to all the people who read this fic! Here's the final chapter, I hope it's not as bad as I think it is. And on a little side note this is the longest chapter I've ever written!

Try listening to "Never Meant To Fail" By Alex Lloyd, I think it goes well with this chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Losing The Fight

"The news isn't good, Keith." Dr O'Farrell tells Keith as she sits him down in the oncology ward's waiting area where he's been pacing ever since Veronica was admitted several hours earlier.

Keith scrubs his hand over his face wearily before he asks her. "What happened? Was it from the treatment? …Is she going to be okay?"

Dr O'Farrell pauses for a moment before she sadly informs him. "Veronica suffered a grand-mal seizure. We did an MRI scan to look for a cause, and…"

"And?!" Keith questions as he tries, and fails not to panic. What more can go wrong for his baby girl?

Dr O'Farrell sighs, and then she says. "We found a tumour in her brain, the cancer has spread." And then just to make it devastatingly clear to Keith, she adds. "We can keep her comfortable, but… the scans show that it has also spread to her lungs and liver, and the initial tumours have grown despite the radiation and chemotherapy. We're stopping treatment …There is nothing more we can do."

Keith just looks up at Dr O'Farrell with a numb, shocked expression on his face, he is too shocked to even speak. How can this be happening?! It's not right, she's just a kid! I can't lose her too!

"I'm so sorry, Keith. I truly wish there was more I could do." Dr O'Farrell says softly, she then asks him. "I need to go speak to Veronica, do you want to be there when I tell her?"

It is all Keith can do to nod weakly before he stands up and follows Dr O'Farrell towards Veronica's room.

Veronica's POV

I have been lying awake in the hospital bed for what feels like forever, waiting to find out my fate. Dr O'Farrell said that I had a seizure, they weren't sure why, so they ran tests, but since they finished the tests, and they brought me back to this freakin room, I haven't heard anything.

I decide to have a rest for a while, while I wait, I'm still so damn tired, they said that's from the seizure, but I think my body is just giving up, not so slowly failing.

But just as I close my eyes, my dad and Dr O'Farrell walk into the room, and it only takes one look at their grim expressions to know what's happening. I'm dying.

Dr O'Farrell starts talking to me, while Dad just sits down beside me and holds me close to him. I barely even hear what she is saying, all I can think is 'It will be over soon, it won't hurt any more.' I just wish that my dad didn't have to go through this, and that he didn't have to watch me die.

Dad probably wonders why I'm not crying, he just doesn't see it how I do, I've been so sick, I just want it to be over, it doesn't seem so bad to hear that it won't be much longer, a month or two according to Dr O'Farrell.

Several hours later, Keith finally brings himself to leave Veronica, and on his way back to the apartment to pick up some thing for Veronica, Keith stops at Neptune High. It's almost three pm, and he doesn't have to wait long before students start pouring out of the exits. And each in turn, as Veronica's friends see Keith standing out the front, they walk over to him, but it isn't until everyone is gathered that Keith heartbrokenly tells them. "Veronica had a seizure this morning…"

"What!?!" Logan, Wallace, Mac, Duncan, and Weevil scream at Keith almost simultaneously.

"…" Keith is silent for a moment before he says. "The cancer has spread, her doctor has decided to stop treatment …She's… she is dying."

Suddenly they all fall into complete silent, oblivious to the masses of people surrounding them, they just stand there, the most unlikely group ever, consumed by their sadness and grief over news on one person, a person who thought no one liked her.

Back at the hospital, as soon as her father has left, Veronica rolls onto her side, and as she curls herself up, she breaks down, crying, screaming into her pillow.

It's not fair!

What's going to happen to Dad? I'm the only family he's got.

And what about everyone else, Wallace, Mac, everyone? They've been here all the way through this, and I'm still fucking going to die.

And why don't I care that I am going to die, to be gone?

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, everyone takes their turns to visit Veronica, the ban on visitation now lifted. And last of all is Mac, and much to her surprise as she is sitting beside Veronica, Veronica quietly tells her. "I'm not scared, you know."

"What?" Mac queries, she isn't sure what Veronica means.

Veronica sighs tiredly, and she looks towards her friend before she tells her. "It's been so long since I got sick, I hate being so weak. I just want it to be over, Mac." She stops although she has more to say, seeing tears in her friend's eyes. "I'm sorry, Mac. I wish I could stay, but I can't. I just want it to be over."

Mac wordlessly moves closer to Veronica, and pulls her into a hug, and they sit there, crying together.

Veronica is released from the hospital several days later with instructions given to her and her father for how best to manage her failing health. Once they are home things cruise along much the same, just with Veronica requiring several extra medications.

But then after a little over a week, Veronica wakes up in the night, and as she is lying in bed, too tired to move, she realises that she needs to go to the bathroom, but she can't bring herself to awaken her exhausted father. Keith has done so much for her in the past months, he needs rest and she knows it, and so she chooses to hold it, but before she realises what is happening, she drifts back to sleep, only to wake up several hours later to discover that the bed is damp. Oh damn it!

With tears of humiliation and frustration in her eyes, Veronica calls out for her father, who comes running a moment later.

"Veronica? What do you ne-" Keith begins, only to stop when he notices the state of the bed. He then kindly looks at Veronica, and says. "Come on, honey. Let's get this cleaned up."

Veronica can't even bring herself to speak as her father pulls off her blankets and pyjamas, and then carries her into the bathroom. As Keith leaves Veronica sitting, wrapped in a towel on the edge of the bath, while he starts the shower and puts a plastic chair under the stream of water so that Veronica doesn't have to stand, Veronica out of the blue tells Keith. "I can't do this. I can't have you doing this, Dad. And don't say that it's just this once, cos' you know it's going to happen again." She pauses as Keith turns to face her. It's all she can do not to break down as she sees the heartbroken, weary expression his face bears. "That information Dr O'Farrell gave us, it said that there are services we can use, people to come and look after me."

"What are you asking, Veronica? Do you want me to start looking into that?"

"No, Dad. I want you to call them, and ask how soon they can start. Please, Dad, I don't want your memories of me to be this." Veronica says, motioning frustratedly to their current situation.

"Okay, honey." Keith agrees in a subdued tone. Starting hospice care is another marker of how little time he has left with his daughter.

Keith makes the phone call after breakfast, and as the receptionist stated, luckily one of their nurses would be able to come out and meet them that very afternoon.

And sure enough, just as Keith has finished helping Veronica get dressed and sit down on the couch, the doorbell rings. Keith leaves Veronica, so that he can answer it, and he returns a moment later with a relatively young, kind faced woman, who immediately extends her hand to Veronica, and introduces herself. "Hi, I'm Miley Saunders. You must be Veronica."

Unable to help herself, Veronica replies. "What gave it away? The wig, the living skeleton thing, or a combination?"

Miley smiles gently and without missing a beat, she says. "No, it was your wonderful personality that gave it away."

Keith smiles inwardly, while Veronica looks Miley up and down appraisingly.

Eventually, Miley turns to Keith, and says. "Why don't we all sit down, and I can tell you more about the service and what we offer?"

"Okay." Keith agrees as he sits down beside Veronica.

A moment later, once they are settled, Miley gets straight to the point by saying. "I and all of the nurses understand that this is an extremely difficult time for both of you and your friends and family, and we will do everything we can to make it as easy as possible. One of the ways we try to make it easier is to lessen the number of nurses who will be working with you, we try to keep it to three, who will be myself, and two of my colleagues, Shane and Lucy." She pauses before going on to explain. "As your condition progresses we will be continuously reassessing the level of care we are providing, at first it is usually night nursing, and respite time, and over time that can increase to around the clock nursing care. Our service will provide all equipment, medications, and any necessary medical paraphernalia. We will do everything in our power to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible, Veronica."

After a brief moment of silence, Keith says. "Okay. Sounds good."

They continue to talk for a while before Miley assesses what equipment will be needed, says that it will be delivered later that day, before she leaves, promising to return that night.

Over the next three weeks Veronica's condition continues to rapidly deteriorate, and one morning, just as Miley takes over from Lucy, the night nurse, she pulls Keith aside and sits him down at the kitchen table before she says. "Veronica is becoming increasingly unstable, her body is starting to shut down."

"What are you saying?" Keith asks nervously, he thinks he knows, but he prays he's wrong.

"She probably only has a few days left, if that, in her current state she may not live through the night. I just wanted to give you some time to prepare yourself, I'm sorry." Miley says with genuine sympathy before she says. "I need to get back to Veronica, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate."

"Thanks." Keith murmurs quietly as Miley walks away, leaving him with his thoughts. Days?! I thought she has longer. I'm not ready to let her go yet.

Once he has recovered from the initial shock, Keith stands up and walks into Veronica's room, as he enters it is still hard not to be taken aback by the volume of medical equipment in such a small space, but as he sees Veronica lying in the bed, he pushes aside his own discomfort, and he goes to her side, carefully taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he says. "Hi honey, how're you feeling?"

"Shit." Veronica mumbles in return as she struggles for breathe in spite of an oxygen mask.

Keith tries to give her a reassuring smile, but fails miserably.

After a moment, Veronica says. "It's not going…" She pauses to catch her breathe. "…be long now, is it?"

"No, sweetie, it's not." Keith says, his voice cracking with sadness as he leans closer to her and gently strokes her cheek in a small attempt to offer her some comfort. "I was going to call everyone, ask them to stop by. Is that okay?"

"…" Veronica is silent for a moment, part of her desperately wants to see her friends, but another part of her doesn't want her friends to see her like this, for this to be their last memory of her, but she also knows that she isn't going to improve at all, and this will probably be the last chance she has to speak with them. "Okay."

Keith leans closer, and gives Veronica a quick kiss before he stands up, saying. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I love you, sweetheart."

Within the hour, Logan, Wallace, Mac, Duncan, and Weevil are gathered in the Mars' living room, waiting for Keith's permission to go see Veronica, eventually he emerges from her room, as he walks over he motions for them all to sit down, he had not said much over the phone, and he knows that they need some warning before they go in. "Thanks for coming."

"Is she alright?" Wallace asks quickly.

There is a pause before Keith sadly tells them. "Veronica isn't doing well, I've been warned that she might not live through the night…" Keith takes a moment to compose himself before continuing. "I wanted to give you a chance to… to say goodbye, while she still can."

Mac wipes the tears from her eyes as she asks. "Well what are we waiting for? Can we go in?"

"She is so tired, it's probably better if you just go in one at a time." Keith says before he stands up and moves towards the kitchen to get himself a drink while they decide who will go first.

Veronica's POV

Dad has just come in and woken me, he says that everyone is here to see me, I know what that means, I'm dying. He helped me put on my wig and sit more upright in the bed. Lucy has left the room with him, I guess to give us privacy.

It's so hard to stay awake, but I force myself to as I see Wallace hesitantly walk up to the doorway.

He's never looked more scared, and I know it's because of me. With as much strength I can muster, I greet him. "Hey." But much to my frustration it comes out as barely a whisper. Maybe I should just let them do the talking?

"Hey, Veronica." Wallace says, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm and energy.

I try to smile at him, but I'm not sure he can even notice it as he sits down on the bedside.

We sit there silently for what seems like ages, I don't know how I've stayed awake, but eventually he says. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you, you're the first person here in Neptune who was actually nice to me. I never thought… even when you told me you were sick that we'd end up here…"

As Wallace keeps talking to me, tears flowing unabashed down his face, all I want to do is comfort him, but I can't even move my hand enough to hold his.

The next thing I know Duncan is there, in Wallace's place, talking to me, I swear my eyes only closed for a second, but obviously not. "…I'm so sorry for how I treated you, Veronica. I didn't have a choice …Mom told me that you're my sister, I never wanted to hurt you, I swear. I love you."

Oh my god. Did he just say? Damn it, I hate this!

"Say hi to Lily …I'm never going to forget about you, Veronica." Duncan finishes in a choked voice.

And then, once again I open my eyes and someone else is there with me, it takes me a second to focus before I realise that it's Weevil, part of me didn't think he'd come. I try to focus on what he's saying, but I only catch glimpses. "…lose mates before, this is different… …gonna miss having you around… …so sorry…"

I'm getting so sick of this. Now it's Logan, even he's crying, I struggle to listen, but I can't any more, I'm so tired, I just want to sleep. I am only vaguely aware as he gently pulls off the oxygen mask, and he gives me a tender kiss before returning the mask as I finally can't avoid it any longer and I drift off to sleep.

When I next wake up I am lying down in bed, someone is wrapped around me, I must have made some kind of sound, because a moment later they let go and Mac comes into view. "You were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you. Are you alright? Do you need anything? I can go get the nurse for you if you need something."

She's panicking, it doesn't take a genius to see that. Slightly energised by my nap, I am able to move my hand to hers, as I tell her. "I'm okay. Just stay."

After a moment she lies back down next to me, and resumes her hold on me as I fall back asleep once again, unable to keep my eyes open no matter how much I may want to.

Early the next morning, Keith is awakened from his fitful sleep by Miley. He looks up at her tiredly, and she says. "Veronica is asking for you, and her mother. I don't think it will be long now. If you can, you should try to reach her mother." Miley knows full well the relationship between Lianne Mars and her ex-husband and daughter.

"She wouldn't come. I called yesterday." Keith answers bitterly, hating his ex-wife with a passion, how could she deny her child the chance to see her one last time. But never the less he stands up and begins to wake the group of teenagers camping out on the floor, they would want to be with her, and within a few minutes they follow Miley back into Veronica's room and settle in around her bed in silence.

Veronica's POV

When I awaken, I am surprised when I discover I am not in my room. I am lying on a beach, with the sun beating down on me, I notice something out of the corner of my eye and raise my hand to my head, my hair is back, long, just like it was.

I leisurely roll over to discover that Lily is lying beside me. "About time you showed up, Veronica. I've been waiting here for you." Lily says quickly, and then she must have seen the confusion in my face, because she then says. "You're dying. You should've seen them all gathered around you, don't think Duncan cried that much when I died."

I start to panic. I haven't had a chance to say goodbye to Dad, to anyone really. I'm not ready. "I can't be! I'm not ready! You have to help me."

"You can't go back, rules are rules and all that drama. But it's not so bad, I would've given anything to get to have my family with me. It's really not that bad."

Keith's POV

I sit beside my beloved daughter as I watch her fading away, and as the monitor shows her heart rate dropping, her breathe stopping, I lean close as I whisper to her. "I love you, honey."

There isn't a dry eye in the room as the Veronica slips away, the room is tense with emotions, not just sadness and grief, but relief, she's finally going to be able to rest, she won't be in pain any more.

Veronica's POV

"Come on, Ronica." Lily calls to me from where she is now standing, and with energy I haven't had since this all started, I jump up and jog over to her.

"Where're we going?" I ask her curiously, relishing the feeling of warmth and comfort that surrounds me.

"It's a secret." Lily says jokingly as she extends her hand to me.

I take it without hesitation, and she leads me towards the rising sun.

Epilogue

Two days later Veronica is buried in Neptune Cemetery, only a couple of spaces away from Lily. And even years later every day a single rose is left on the grave.

The End.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this fic. Hopefully you don't all hate me now.

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