A Trip Down Memory Lane (Gabriel)

[Gabriel James]

"Well let's just remember that one of us has a very strong belief that you are, in fact, a princess," Gabe told Kiara with a chuckle as he parked the car and unbuckled his seat belt. Ken had barely met Kiara, but the little girl had become obsessed with the fact that her Uncle knew a princess. There was a possibility the 5 year old would be more excited by Kiara's presence than Gabe's. But the man was willing to share, just this once.

Gabe slipped out of the car and headed to the back seat of his car where he had left McKenna's birthday gift. Usually he'd bring in his guitar as well, but he knew visiting hours were not much longer, and McKenna would have to wait until the morning for a sing along. Gabriel had barely noticed Kiara grabbing her poster tube, but when he did notice the parcel in the blonde's hands, he raised an eyebrow. Kiara met his expression with a similar one, which told Gabe he just shouldn't ask.

He locked the car and started to the doors of the hospital. He knew his way around by now. He looked over at Kiara as she fell into step with him. "This isn't a military mission, you know," he said with a chuckle. It seemed like the blonde was nervous that she was going to some how mess up the visit. "It's really not that big of a deal," Gabe promised as the reached the sliding doors.

Inside there was a small waiting room with children playing and coloring - the kids who were just around for a checkup. McKenna wouldn't be in this area... they had to go up a couple floors to where children who were kept for Chemotherapy and Radiation were placed. While the building still had the smells and sounds one would associate with a hospital, the walls were painted a multitude of cheerful colors, and all the nurses wore brightly colored scrubs with fun patterns. "Hello Denise," Gabriel said with a smile as he approached the check in desk. He had gotten to know a lot of the employees at the hospital. He signed his name in the book quickly, having done this enough times to know the routine. He signed Kiara's name on the book as well in order to expedite the process.

In just a few moments, and a few clicks on Denise's computer, Gabe and Kiara were waved along to the elevators down the hall. Gabe stepped in, and pressed the button for the third floor. "If anyone asks you're McKenna's Aunt," he finally said. The third floor patients had a strict family-only rule... though most of the nurses(and receptionists like Denise) liked Gabe enough to not ask many questions about his guest. He may have just signed Kiara in as his fiance... but he wasn't going to bring that up.

[Deleted]

It was a big deal! Gabriel had been looking forward to this for so long and she would never forgive herself if she was the cause of a disaster. Kiara didn’t word this though. It clearly was something they wouldn’t manage to agree on, so she opted to simply nod as the softest of smiles graced her lips. If she were to stay quiet and keep to herself, surely he would give her some directions – and that way there was less chance things would get messed up.

While the man signed their names in the book, the blonde stood by the side while aimlessly tapping the poster tube against her knees, one by one. Blue eyes were settled on the children in the waiting room, and at one point her hand rose to give the ones looking over a small wave. The smile it brought to their faces effortlessly made the girl’s day. When Gabe was done, catching his movement in the corner of her eye, Kiara matched his pace and stood next to him as soon as they reached the elevator. The parcel went back to tapping one knee to the other. “Aunt. Okay.” She nodded and then continued. “Married to you then?” Just in case questions were asked? After all, McKenna’s father nor mother had her last name (for as far as she was aware).

Soon the elevator arrived at the third floor and doors slid open. Kiara followed behind Gabriel to the room where his niece resided. “I think you should go in first,” the girl looked up at him. Of course she would step in that same second, but Ki wanted her uncle to be the first person McKenna laid eyes on. She wanted him to see her smile from beginning till end. So the blonde took a miniscule step back, just to wordlessly underline her statement, and she only moved forward again to second the music teacher opened up the door and entered the hospital room.

While blue eyes didn’t fall on the little girl yet given Ki moved in behind Gabriel, she could hear the happiness in her voice that soon enough filled the room. It made her smile while closing the door behind them, practically not moving much anymore after that. Instead she couldn’t help but gaze at the man’s face for a second: to see the look on his face… It momentarily blocked out the rest of reality. This was what he had been living towards.

[Gabriel James]

"Engaged... according to the book downstairs... and the couple of nurses that Jen may have told you were coming," Gabe said, a little mischievous glint in his eyes. His sister-in-law was happy to be part of the little scheme to get Kiara to come visit her daughter. Especially since the little girl seemed enthralled with the idea of a real princess. Before any other comment could be made the elevator doors slid open, and the two were headed down the halls again, to a door labeled "McKenna James".

When Kiara insisted Gabriel go in first, he didn't hesitate or argue. At this point he was all of 10 steps away from his niece and he was more than ready to attack the little girl with hugs and kisses. He knocked real quick, to make sure he wasn't about to interrupt a meeting with the doctor, or someone getting changed, but a voice from inside - that of Jennifer - beckoned them to come in. Gabe opened the door, and walked down the little hall created by the bathroom into McKenna's room. He peaked his head inside, having to immediately put down the gift he had brought his niece - because the little girl had jumped out of bed and run over to her uncle, a squeal in her voice as she cheered "Uncle Gabe! You're here!" Unlike the last time Kiara saw McKenna on Skype, the little girl now had some hair regrowing on her head, since the radiation therapy had ended. She did, however, also look much much thinner than last time as well... since she had been taken off the steroids that had given her chipmunk cheeks and was currently being given high doses of Chemotherapy which not only thinned her out, but made her lose her appetite. The girl still looked incredibly happy, though, and wasn't even hooked up to any machines at the moment. She was in a hospital gown, but Gabriel could see that she had all her clothes on underneath -meaning she hadn't received any serious treatment recently.

The look on Gabriel's face was one of pure joy and love for the little girl in his arms as he lifted her up and pulled her close. "Yes I'm here!" he said excitedly with a chuckle as his niece scrambled into his arms. He planted a few kisses on McKenna's cheeks and forehead as the 5 year old giggled and squirmed in his arms. "I've missed you," he said as he carried the girl a bit back into the room away from the entrance so Kiara could close the door and move into the room as well.

"Hey Jen," Gabriel also greeted the woman sitting on the edge of the bed where McKenna had flown up from. He received a soft, tired smile from his sister-in-law. "Do you guys remember Kiara?" he asked - more for McKenna then Jen, since he knew that she had known of the additional visitor. But McKenna's eyes widened slightly as she finally realized there was another visitor in the room. And even though the small smile that was creeping onto her face told Gabe she knew exactly who the blonde woman was, the little one still became suddenly shy, and wrapped her arms around Gabe's neck , resting her head on his shoulder as she peered over at the woman she believed to be a princess.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, Kiara," Jen said politely. "Right McKenna?" the little girl only nodded, her shy smile still plastered on her face.

[Deleted]

Kiara didn’t mind staying back and out of sight. Gabriel deserved the genuine reaction that came from his niece and she didn’t think he had to share it with her. This was his moment and it clearly made up for all the time that had gone by ever since the little girl’s birthday. The blonde felt very lucky to witness this as she lightly leaned against the wall of the bathroom, blue eyes lingering on the two of them. Only when the man spoke up did she snap back to reality and took a small step forward that was just enough to no longer be hidden near the entrance. While her focus initially lingered on McKenna, the blonde soon looked over at Jen and immediately plastered a more timid smile on her lips. “Hi.” Her greeting was probably rather stiff, but good impressions were important in her book. She was afraid that coming across too excited to be there would be inappropriate given the circumstances.

At least she allowed her gaze to soon drift back to the young one who was hugging her uncle’s neck in comfort. Kiara’s smile softened and a hand rose to give McKenna a gentle wave. “Hey there, Princess McKenna.” Her voice soft yet warm as Ki now made a graceful bow through her knees, holding up an invisible dress in the meanwhile, for the dark-haired child who peeked at the ‘princess’ over Gabriel’s shoulder. The sweatpants and top didn’t contribute to what a princess should look like, but at the same time she assumed it was not going to change Ken’s image of her. Ki did fear the girl felt a tad bit overwhelmed though. The best way to break some of the ice probably involved including the only man in the room.

“Your uncle Gabe told me that you have been really strong.” Ever so slowly, the college student moved to be standing next to him to see if his niece might be growing comfortable enough to shift her current position. Kiara’s head was lightly dipped to the side, lovingly smiling at the child. “And he didn’t forget to mention how beautiful you are.” For a split second the blonde gave Gabriel a sheepish grin, right before eyes drifted down to the poster tube. She considered mentioning the gift, but Gabe had been so set on finally giving his niece her birthday present. So the blonde just put it aside for now, looking up at McKenna again. She wanted to say more, but Kiara also wanted to give her a moment to adjust, and for Gabriel to be able to get some more affection.

[Gabriel James]

"Strongest little girl I know," Gabe agreed with a nod as he nuzzled his nice, rocking her slightly in his arms. McKenna smiled widely when Kiara called her a princes and giggled, and lifted her head some when Kiara curtsied. She was clearly quick to being more comfortable with Kiara in the room. Her opinion of her was already quite high.

"If you don't mind... now that you're here... I'm going to go take a walk and make some phone calls," Jen said. Gabe could see how tired she was, and knew that the entire process was harder on her than anyone else. So he nodded and smiled, happy that not only was he with his niece, but that he was able to give Jen a much needed break. As the other woman left the room with a small smile and wave to Kiara, Gabe brought McKenna back over towards her bed.

"You've been good yeah? Taking all your medicine and being nice to the nurses?" Gabe asked, a slight eyebrow raised, as he knew the five year old was prone to giving a little bit of attitude. While some found it cute, her father was not as impressed, so Gabe was trying to help her break the habit that he may have had a hand in causing.

McKenna nodded in response as she was placed back on the bed. "Yeah. I don't like it though. The medicine is gross and it makes my tummy hurt," she complained with slightly angry eyes. Gabe laughed, and rolled his eyes a little.

"Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do," he said as he took a step away from the bed. "And since I've heard you been so good... I guess i have to finally give you your birthday present," Gabe said, as if he was disappointed in the fact that he had to give McKenna a gift. The five year old's eyes lit up though, and her smile widened as she bounced in her seat.

Gabe grabbed the long box from where he had left it - wrapped in pink sparkly wrapping paper with a big yellow bow. "Happy Birthday, kid," he said as he sat on the bed next to McKenna, holding the large box over both his own and McKenna's lap.

The girl started tearing away at paper immediately, only taking a moment to take the bow off the box and stick it to Gabe's head before returning to the present. He mouth opened in shock as she revealed what was beneath the colorful paper - a kid-sized guitar, light pink and black. "Oh my GOSH!" McKenna yelled, eyes wide and mouth still open. "Is this really for me!?" she asked as if she were skeptical, like it was some sort of joke.

"Yes!" Gabe laughed, as he helped the girl finish taking the paper off and started to open the box that the guitar was in. "This way I can teach you how to play! And then you can sing to all your friends when I'm gone," Gabe explained, slipping the instrument out of the box it came in, and handing it to the little girl. McKenna smiled her toothy smile and she accepted the gift, setting it on her lap. She looked up at Kiara who was still in the room, her smile not even becoming shy like before.

"My Uncle Gabe is a ROCK-STAR did you know that?" she asked matter-of factually. "And now I get to be a rock-star too!" Gabriel kissed the top of McKenna's head as she spoke, laughing slightly at her words.

[Deleted]

Kiara quietly observed their interactions: the way McKenna blossomed again and the way Gabriel’s face lit up with every word flowing from his niece’s lips. With the parcel picked up, she wordlessly followed them to the hospital bed and stepped around it to the chair that hogged the space between the piece of furniture that they were on and the window. There she took a seat, mostly sitting on the edge to get a decent look at what Gabe might have gotten her. He had managed to keep it a secret, so the blonde quite probably was almost as eager to find out as McKenna was.

When the guitar was revealed, blue eyes immediately drifted back up to the little girl. Given her verbal reaction said more than enough, however, Ki let her gaze drift to Gabriel. The smile on her face was soft and filled with an unidentified emotion. The fact that the man didn’t appear to notice was an welcomed consequences from McKenna absorbing all of his attention.

Only when the dark-haired child spoke to her directly did Kiara manage to tear them away. She flashed a grin at the kid before shuffling the chair closer to the bed so that crossed arms could rest upon the mattress. “Your uncle Gabe is the most talented person that I know,” she confided to the girl – even though the man was seated right next to the young one. Eyes briefly drifted over to him at that, only to fall back down within that same second.

“Don’t tell him though,” Ki started whispering, very much aware that Gabe would hear it either way. “But you look more like a star. He kind of looks like a hobo sometimes.” The grin that joined that tell McKenna that she was joking. The blonde expected the girl to agree though. It tended to be normal for young ones to tease along like that, and Kiara also knew that his niece called him that sometimes. Being aware of that detail could also contribute to bonding with McKenna.

Straightening her back, with the smile still plastered to her lips, the young woman leaned over to pluck the parcel off the floor and studied it for a brief moment. “I got you a birthday present as well… but it isn’t as awesome as this beautiful guitar.” With that, she handed it over. Given Gabriel was seated next to his niece, he could probably offer her a hand if McKenna struggled to open the tube and to take out the poster.

[Gabriel James]

McKenna's hands flew up to her mouth as she giggled and looked up at Gabe for his reaction when Kiara called Gabe a hobo. Gabe narrowed his eyebrows as Kiara, but his smile stayed in place, especially since he was pretty sure she was teasing. He rubbed his face, where some scruff was definitely prominent and said "I shaved three days ago! I'm not that much of a hobo!"

"I think he heard you," McKenna whispered loudly to Kiara, laughing at her Uncle as he defended himself.

"I don't like that you two are teaming up on me," Gabriel said as he pulled McKenna's new guitar aside and started to tickle the little girl. McKenna squirmed and attempted to kick away, but Gabe was persistent for a few moments before releasing his niece and giving her a couple more kisses on the cheek. She tried to squirm away from these ones, though, pushing at her Uncle in an attempt to keep him and his tickling hands away. He laughed as McKenna caught her breath again.

His gaze shifted to Kiara as she began to talk again, though, picking up the tube from the ground and handing it to McKenna. He gave the blonde a look between 'What is this?' and 'You didn't have to'. He hadn't known what the parcel was, but he hadn't really expected it to be a gift for the niece Kiara had only met once over Skype. A soft smile formed on his lips as he held one end of the tube while McKenna's little hands pulled away at the other. It took a bit for her to open it, but she managed.

She peered into the tube, before reaching in and pulling out a rolled up piece of heavyweight paper. The girls face read with confusion at first, like a piece of paper couldn't possibly be that great of a gift, but as she unrolled the paper her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Uncle Gabe! Look!" she said pointing down at the poster she'd been given.

Gabe reached down and helped the little girl unroll the paper and held it open as she peered down. Kiara had given his niece a poster with all the Disney Princess and their autographs. "That's... such an amazing gift," Gabe said looking up at Kiara after he paused, a look of gratitude in his eyes as his nice's scanned over the poster in awe. He smiled at Kiara momentarily, before nudging his niece. "What do you say?" he asked.

"Thank you!" McKenna said with a big smile, only looking up at Kiara briefly before turning her attention back toward the poster. Gabe rolled his eyes, but still smiling, looked over at Kiara and said softly, "This is great... you didn't have to..."

[Deleted]

The interactions between the two of them were adorable. Kiara almost felt abundant, but not in a bad way. She absolutely didn’t mind just observing them. It actually lifted her spirits to be able to and to be allowed to be part of this. McKenna’s innocence, paired with the childish attitude, immediately won the blonde over. The way Gabriel worded it sounded nice: teaming up on him. Convinced that the kid cherished the possibility of teasing her Uncle Gabe, who was Ki to deny her that? She was more than willing to clear the way.

As for the gift… Kiara didn’t have to; she wanted to. The look that came in response to the man’s wordless reaction was a self-conscious smile. For some reason it made the blonde very aware of herself, and that led the optics falling down to the tube in order to avoid the risk of cheeks darkening.

Once the poster was out, the woman plucked the tube out of the way and went back to studying McKenna’s delicate features. They shifted from confusion to excitement – all in a couple of seconds – much to Kiara’s relief. Her smile almost mirrored the one of the child’s face, though it definitely didn’t light up the room to an equal extent. The question whether or not she liked it, didn’t need to be asked. The answer was crystal clear.

When Gabe spoke to her, the curl on her lips softened, but her gaze didn’t undergo a change as it remained on McKenna. “You might not see it, but Tinkerbell signed it as well. Her handwriting is just so incredibly tiny.” A finger tapped where the fairy was located in the corner. By looking at the girl’s face, Kiara could tell she was trying to take in every single detail. She allowed herself to take that moment to sit up straighter once more, retrieving both hands before they settled on her lap, and to finally regain eye contact with the guy.

“I know… but I wanted to. Princesses look out for other princesses.” While speaking to Gabriel, Ki made sure to state that loud enough for his niece to hear as well. After that, the tone diminished and the conversation was more directed towards Gabe. “It was no trouble at all. I just wanted to do something for her… And her being happy makes you happy.” And the blonde wanted him to be just that; she wanted him to be happy. Adding that it in turn also affected her mood would be sappy, so the girl refrained from this.

“I… haven’t seen you smile like this before.” Of course that addition might have been silly as well. It got blurted out without any effort though – something Kiara pretty much regretted that exact same second. Her way of dealing with that was by looking down at the child again, already judging it to be a feat that eye contact had been achieved for longer than a minute.

“Hey Princess, I think Uncle Gabe is jealous of you now. He doesn’t have as many princess friends as you do.”

[Gabriel James]

McKenna scrunched her nose up and pushed her face a little closer to the poster as Kiara pointed out the details. "Oh I see it!" she said excitedly when the blonde pointed out the tiniest signature. "And look! Uncle Gabe look! It's Ariel!" the girl practically squealed as she pointed to the mermaid on the poster, and the loopy handwriting next to it. McKenna scooted onto Gabriel's lap as she further studied the poster, completely engrossed in it for the moment.

Gabriel knew that McKenna wasn't understanding much of the conversation he and Kiara were having - not only because she was five but also because her attention was seriously devided between her visitors and her excitement over the gifts. So when Kiara noted that she'd never seen him smile like this, he wasn't afraid to adress the comment. "She gives me a reason to smile," he admitted softly, running and hand through McKenna's short, still somewhat thin hair. He pulled his legs up and under McKenna so he was sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed with his niece on his lap. He leaned his cheek on the top of McKenna's head lightly as he looked over at Kiara with a smile. "I never feel as happy as I am when I'm with her," he admitted.

It was probably silly, admitting that his niece was pretty much the only thing in the world that made him this happy, but it was true. With everything Gabriel had to deal with, McKenna was the one consistent bright spot in his life. Even having to deal with his brother in order to visit her couldn't break the man's smile.

McKenna's head turned when Kiara addressed her again, and the 5 year old nodded in agreement, deciding that, yes, Uncle Gabe should and probably is quite jealous. "I think that my Uncle Gabe needs to marry you so that he can be a prince and then he can have more princess friends...," McKenna explained.

Gabe quickly responded with a shushing sound and placing both his hands over McKenna's mouth before the little girl could go on any further. "Hush you," he said as the little girl tried to wriggle free. "You just always have to go saying what's on your mind, huh?" he teased. He didn't mind the little girls innocence, but he also still had to spend a night in a hotel room with Kiara. McKenna responded to Gabe's attempts to keep her quiet by licking his hand. "EW!" Gabe yelled, pulling his hands away as McKenna started to giggle uncontrollably. "You're so gross," he said with a laugh, wiping off the spit on his jeans, and turning to Kiara. "This kid will drive me crazy one day," he told her with a laugh.

[Deleted]

Gabriel’s commitment to his niece was remarkable. Kiara had huge respect for it; she knew that not many could gather and maintain the emotional strength that he seemed to radiate during the encounter. He was caring and defensive, could act ridiculous and serious at the same time. He looked at McKenna like she was the only person who mattered to him, and he spoke just as fondly about the little girl. It quite possibly would make any woman who had at least some motherly feelings swoon – and maybe even those without it as well.

The words that she had once spoken, about him being a great father one day, gained confirmation. All of it made the blonde look at him with a smile that, despite being incredibly soft, managed to reach her eyes anyway. “She is so very lucky to have you,” Ki concluded in a genuine whisper before McKenna once more became the center of attention.

The second the child gave her opinion on the matter, Kiara breathed out a chuckle and couldn’t help but take a moment to look at the man. “I don’t think Uncle Gabe would want to be a prince.” The blonde stated matter-of-factly during his futile attempts to make the young one keep her mouth shut. Her meaning behind it was that she judged him to be happy with his life, but based on the kid’s statement, it could also be interpreted as him not wanting to marry her. “Besides,” a laugh slipped past her lips upon witnessing the typical defensive mode of children: saliva. “We don’t want to share him with those pretty princesses, now do we?” Despite joking, a truth was hidden underneath. Then again, marrying one of those on the poster would make him a prince as well.

While the last words of the rhetorical question were spoken, Kiara was looking over at Gabriel again. Her grin was wide, very much entertained by the little scene. “Not sure if you can get any crazier though.” It wasn’t a remark especially made for McKenna, but if she did hear, it wouldn’t matter. At that, features softened again and she placed the tube against the bed bars – not in the way, yet still within reach - just in case they wanted to put the poster away during their teasing sessions.

[Gabriel James]

"I'm too much of a hobo to be a prince," Gabe concurred with a nod, causing McKenna to laugh - making fun of himself always seemed to have that effect. He smiled at the concept of not wanting to be shared, though it may have been masked by his chuckling at himself and his niece. There was something about the way Kiara said that which made Gabe feel... special almost. Like at least there was someone (McKenna right?... not possibly Kiara) who didn't want to have to let him go for anything. Who didn't have to share him. He let the thought pass pretty quickly.

"Here kid, let's put the poster on your wall," Gabe offered, lifting McKenna off his lap, and setting her back on the bed. He went into the small basket to the side of McKenna's bed opposite of Kiara where the little girl could keep a few toys and art supplies. Gabe knew Ken had some masking tape she liked to use to hang up drawings. He found the roll and took the poster from his niece. "Wanna help Ki?" he asked, holding out the far end of the poster for Kiara to hold while McKenna placed the tape.

The poster went up... not quite straight... but it was up. And McKenna looked thrilled about it. And that was all that really mattered in the end. The five year old plopped down at the far end of the hospital bed, and pulled the guitar into her lap, facing the poster so she could admire it some more.

Gabe put the tape back in its place, but before he could sit back down Jen was coming back into the room. "Wow! What do you have here!?" she asked excitedly, observing McKenna with her new toy, as well as the artwork on the wall. "Did your Uncle finally give you a birthday gift?" Jen asked with a grateful glance toward Gabe.

"Yeah!" McKenna said happily. "Uncle Gabe got me this!" She said holding out the guitar at arms length for a moment before her weak limbs required her to pull the instrument back toward her. "And Princess Kiawa... she got all of her friends to write on the picture for me!" MeKenna added. She hadn't ever really been able to pronounce Kiara's name right... this was probably the first time the blonde would have heard it though. Gabe chuckled at her inability to make 'r' sounds when she spoke too fast.

Jen gave the blonde girl a look similar to the one Gabriel had sent her way just a few minutes prior. "Wow... that's such a great gift huh?" she said more to McKenna, though she still faced Kiara. "Thank you," she said, her look turning to one that read as impressed, almost. "That's incredibly kind of you," Jen said with a smile.

Gabe looked over and smiled at Kiara as well... in a sort of reassuring way that was meant to reinforce Jen's genuine thanks. Gabe knew that Jen and Kiara would get along fine, but now he was even more sure since the woman's first impression of the blonde was that she was willing to go so far out of her way to make little McKenna smile.

[Deleted]

Kiara was more than happy to help put the poster up. With the tape not placed as strategically as expected, it almost surprised the woman that it didn’t slide down the wall. Just to make certain, however, her thumb smoothed over each piece of duct tape. And then a step was taken back till she was mostly standing next to the seated child, observing the nice addition which helped brighten up the room even more.

Eyes were torn away from it when McKenna’s mother entered the room and an empathic smile curled her lips in automatic reaction to Jen’s playful attitude to her daughter. The blonde felt incredibly relieved that the guitar didn’t have to hand in any excitement after the kid had received the princess present. Children were known for their fleeting attention (or lack thereof in general) and Ki would never have forgiven herself had McKenna prioritized the poster over the gift Gabriel had been so eager to give.

The bright smile once more got replaced by a more timid one when Jen praised her for the gift though. She really didn’t expect to receive so much gratitude and it actually made the girl feel a tad bit uncomfortable if only because it had never been her forte to handle compliments or people praising her. Instinct created the reaction of looking over at Gabriel for a second – the brief moment of eye contact soothing her and forming an appreciated interruption from facing Jen. Kiara didn’t know why, but that quick glimpse offered comfort – comfort she couldn’t explain.

“My pleasure,” the college student eventually responded as arms now folded against her chest and feet shuffled a tad bit to form her own personal distraction. “It was the least I co-“ A nurse stepped in before that sentence could be finished, momentarily peeking into the room before emerging further. The fact that one of her hands held on to the small clock that most nurses had attached to their uniform’s chest pocket should have been a cue about what was to follow. Her suspicion ended up being correct.

“I must inform all visitors that the visiting hours have ended for today.” During that statement, soft dark eyes already drifted to her patient. The development on McKenna’s face was fast: the first realization when the nurse stepped into the room, the quick eye movements to Uncle Gabe (possibly in an attempt to have him reassure her that he wasn’t going anywhere yet) and the big pout that tugged at the child’s bottom lip the second the ‘bad news’ seemed to hit her like a train.

Kiara had expected some sulking, but the look of defeat on McKenna’s delicate face tore at her heart. Her own features fell as blue optics settled on Gabriel for a second. “We… are coming back in the morning,” she tried to reassure the girl.

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel saw this coming - it happened nearly every time he visited and McKenna still wasn't thrilled about the routine. Even when Gabe promised he would come back in the morning, McKenna would still be far from thrilled that her Uncle had to leave at all. "Oh, chin up kid," Gabe said, pulling his finger at McKenna's pouting lip. "I'm pretty sure princesses can't lie... and you know I always come back in the morning," Gabe reminded the little girl, and McKenna pulled herself back into Gabe's arms in her vain attempt to make him stay.

Gabe sighed, but chuckled. Though he was being the adult in the situation, the sudden lack of glint in his eyes could tell anyone he was disappointed about having to leave as well. He still took the girl up in his arms knowing at the least she'd be able to walk with them to the elevator. She couldn't go much farther or otherwise risk getting sicker due to being immuno-compromised.

"You know..." the nurse said upon viewing the interaction between the Uncle and niece, "I may be able to think of a way your Uncle Gabe can stay a few extra minutes," the nurse offered, a somewhat sly look on her lips. It was pretty clear the nurse knew Gabe pretty well, and understood that he couldn't visit little McKenna often. "We have a few new families that are having a hard time adjusting... think you could go to the activities room and sing your song?" she asked.

"YEAH!" McKenna yelled before Gabe could even have the chance to reply. "Yeah Uncle Gabe you HAVE to sing the song!" McKenna pleaded. It wasn't clear whether the girl really wanted to hear the song, or just have a reason for her Uncle to stay longer.

"Ok! Ok!" Gabe said with a laugh to quiet his niece down. "I'd love to Jane..." he addressed the nurse, who smile and turned to walk out and continue clearing the floor of visitors. It was almost dinner time, after all, and the children needed to eat before being given their medicine and nighttime treatment.

"YAY!" McKenna yelled wriggling down from Gabe's arms. She ran around to the opposite side of the bed, and took Kiara's hand. "Come on! You get to see the play room!" she said excitedly, tugging at the blonde's hand lightly as she reached for Gabe's hand as well.

[Deleted]

“Chin up or your tiara will fall off.” Kiara added to encourage the girl to limit the sulking. In this case the accessory would have to be invisible, but her prediction was that it would be effective and also very ‘realistic’ to the young girl to hear it in such context. Then again, the nurse’s words appeared to have a bigger effect, even though it merely postponed the unavoidable. As long as it would make McKenna more acceptant of the approaching goodbye, however, it was a decent enough technique. Plus, it also sounded like a solution that others would enjoy as well.

Gabriel hadn’t told the blonde anything about singing songs in the activities room though. Of course it couldn’t be more complicated than it sounded, but it still stirred some curiosity. She didn’t have time to ask for McKenna soon rushed on sock-covered feet, grabbed Kiara’s hand and tugged her to the exit of the room. It made the blonde emit genuine laughter, more than okay with tagging along and to be guided given she absolutely had no idea on where to go. The bright smile, however, did decrease some upon arrival.

While the children there clearly were having fun, the concern and sadness was still evident on their parents’ faces. It felt inappropriate to be beaming around them, hence the reason Kiara limited her expression some – not fully though, given she wanted to keep a soft smile there for McKenna.

“Don’t you need a guitar?” Ki asked Gabriel while only just being subjected to McKenna the Guide of the Play Room. She didn’t mind though. The kid’s excitement gave her strength to roam amongst those families, and surely it wouldn’t be long until Gabe started to play a song and McKenna would be the one shuffling closest to his feet (and maybe even proudly announcing that was her Uncle Gabe!).

After another minute or so, the suspicions were confirmed as the girl was the one to hog the spot closest to the man as he got comfortable. Kiara, on the other hand, stayed more to the back. It had been an option to sit next to McKenna, but she didn’t want to block a child’s view. Most parents seemed to reason like that as well, much to her relief. As well as some of the nurses. It brought a smile to her lips and she gave the man a quick thumbs up when he seemed to spot her amongst the others for a second. Soon arms folded again though, feeling a tad bit sheepish standing there… As big a fan as McKenna was.

[Gabriel James]

McKenna skipped excitedly as they traveled down the hall to the activities room. It wasn't a far walk, as the area was centralizes so it wasn't too far for any of the kids who had extended stays in the hospital. The room was large, and about a ten other kids along with parents and nurses were inhabiting various space in the room. The walls were bright shades of yellow and blue. Drawings and paintings created by patients were plastered all over the walls. Plenty of toys were organized neatly in bins along the walls - hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes along with them. And in the far corner of the room... an upright piano - painted purple.

"Nope... no guitar needed," Gabriel explained to Kiara as they entered the space, and he gestured to the piano. Gabe had played the instrument many times. It had a lot of wear and tear, as it was occasionally abused by the children, but it was still a good piano. Gabe had even paid to have it fixed up once - his own contribution to the hospital and one of the reasons he was so adored by the staff.

The nurse got the attention of the families as Gabe made his way to the piano with McKenna, Kiara falling behind and choosing to stay toward the doors. "Everyone..." the nurse said... gaining more attention from the adults than the children... "This is McKenna's Uncle Gabriel. When McKenna was first diagnosed, he wrote a song for her and all the other children going through her same battle... He would like to play itfor you!" she said with a smile.

The knowing parents smiled, having heard the song quite a few times before. It had become a sort of anthem for the pediatric cancer department at the hospital. The newer parents, those who actually looked much more exhausted with permanent expressions of worry on their face, looked more intrigued and a bit confused. Some of the children who knew Gabe and the song hopped over toward the piano, finding a plastic chair near by or taking a seat on the soft baby blue carpet. Younger kids who didn't understand continued to play innocently.

Gabe smiled sheepishly at the introduction as he slid onto the piano bench. McKenna scooted next to him as she often liked to do. "It's called Not Alone Gabe didn't feel any other words needed to be said in regard to his song. The lyrics would be enough, as they often were. He glanced back at Kiara briefly, and then once to Jen, and locked eyes with a couple other parents he'd gotten to know a little better... and then began to sing his song.