Into My Arms

We got to the house and I followed Wendy and Lucy to the door. Nick was letting me go in first before he followed as well. Lucy charged in, pulling me in behind her. A saw a whole family rise and walk over to us. They looked at me as if they were getting punked. "Come on. I'll take you to Megan’s room" she said and led me up the stairs as I heard Ms. Carter explain what was going on.

We got upstairs and to a room. I pointed to the door and looked at Lucy. All she did was nod. I knocked. "Come in" I hears a tiny voice say.

I opened the door and saw a girl with no hair, dark circles under her eyes and she was only skin in bones in baggy clothes. I looked at her as she was leaning back on some pillows and reading. "Dad, I said I’m really not hungry..."

But she stopped when she looked up and I smiled. When she stopped talking completely I took that as my cue to start talking. "Hey Megan, I'm Rachael" I said, walking over to her and sitting on her bed, beside her. I shook her hand.

"I-I know" "Your sister really wanted me to come and pay a visit"

"Umm oh my god! I don't know what to say" she said and I saw tears in her eyes.

"Well how about u say we go out and u get to spend the day with me"

"Id love to!" she said excitedly.

"Excellent!"

"Can Lucy come too? It's only fair..."

"Of course she can. And you’re right, it is only fair...but I think she'd come anyway because she's quite attached to Nick"

"Is he here too? You guys are like my favorite celebrity couple" I laughed.

"Thank you..."

Then I looked around her room and saw posters of the Jonas Brothers and i saw a guitar in the corner along with all the cds ive ever made and the Jonas Brothers have ever made.

"He's actually waiting outside. Would you like to see him?" I asked and she nodded. "Ill go get him" I said and walked out.

"Can you also ask my mom if I can go out with u guys? She's more likely to say yes to you" "Okay" I smiled and walked out.

I walked downstairs to see Lucy talking to Nick and the family was standing around. "Hey Lucy, bring Nick up to see Megan" I said and she nodded so they both walked up as I reached all of them and Anna was at my side.

"Rachael this is my husband, Mark" Wendy said and I shook a mans hand.

"Its nice to meet u"

"How are ya?" he asked.

"I’m well and you?"

"I’m good"

"Good...Mr. and Mrs. Carter, with your permission, I'd like to take Megan and Lucy out, maybe to just the beach or get some ice cream, one of you or both of you are more than welcome to come of course" I said and gave them a Rachael Lewis million dollar smile.

My POV

Megan and Lucy were incredibly sweet girls and i died a little inside when I saw how sick Megan looked. It killed me even more when I thought about Rachael looking this sick. "You play guitar?" I asked. 

"A little...not much" she blushed.

"She’s amazing!” Lucy said excitedly.

"Oh yea?" I laughed a little.

"Lucy" she scolded quietly. 

"Play something" I said as I grabbed her guitar and handed it to her. 

She sat up slowly and I saw her fringe slightly and her pain gave me pain. But she started playing Rose Garden and she was playing it perfectly. "See, it was nothing special" she said, once she stopped. 

"Are u kidding? That was great. You have real talent"

"He’s right Megan. That was amazing" Rea complimented as she walked in. "You know what else is amazing? The fact that you’re parents are letting you and Lucy spend the day with us" she smiled brightly.

"What? But how?"

"Rachael has a way with people" I informed her.

Only Rachael would be able to convince Megan’s parents. "Its true. I have a gift. Now u get ready to go out. We're in no rush at all so take your time and we'll be waiting downstairs" Rachael told her.

"Can you just send my mom up?"

"Of course" she smiled and then took my hand, leading me out as Lucy followed. She kept walking as I stopped  Rachael.

"You’re really amazing do u no that?" I told her.

"Yea I've been told...but it doesn't hurt being reminded" 

"You’re really amazing" I reminded her and I saw blush rise to her cheeks.

Rachaels POV

Nick and I took Lucy and Megan to the beach. Anna and Big Rob tagged along. Nick paid for all of our ice creams and as Anna, Nick and Big Rob entertained Lucy in the water, I hung out on the sand with Megan while we ate our ice cream.

"Can I ask you a question?" she requested. 

"Anything" I said happily, taking a bite of my ice cream.

"When you had cancer...how did u get through it...and what was it like when u found out it was gone?" I paused to think of my answer.

"Well...I was only around seen at the time...and so I was so sure I was going to die. I didn't know about many miracles or about faith and hope...I thought everything was pretty much black and white-you get cancer, you die, you don't, you live. As simple as that. I thought I wouldn't be able to drive, to have my first kiss, to get married, have kids...I thought it was all over for me...and I didn't really have a dad growing up and my mom...well she's always been a mess but I actually did used to be able to count on her for some things...this one thing though caused her to break down and take it harder than I did. Although I was only seven, I was okay with dying...of course I didn't want to die but I wasn't afraid...u can't be afraid of life. It holds you back" I stopped again and saw she was really listening to what I was saying.

Then I noticed Nick, Lucy, Anna and Big Rob have been listening. They came closer when they saw I was looking at them and they sat down to listen.

"What happened when u found out u didn't have it anymore?" Lucy asked.

"Well one day I was so sick I couldn't even get out of the hospital bed to stretch. The doctors thought I had only three to four more days to live...then the next day, all of a sudden, I felt good as new. No fevers, no ache, no more throwing up. It was almost as if I was never infected. The doctors did tests and saw it was a miracle. The cancer was gone"

My POV

I listened carefully to Rachael’s story. I couldn't explain in words what I was feeling for her at that very moment...there was one word sticking out in my head though: proud. I was so unbelievably proud of her. She got through her cancer at 7 and is now talking about it to Megan. Not just Megan though, I wouldn't doubt it if she changed the lives of girls all over the world who have cancer.

"If that one miracle didn't happen...I wouldn't be where I am today...I wouldn't have met Miley, Taylor or Demi. I wouldn't have been in the Camp Rock movies or guest starred on other shows. I wouldn't have this opportunity now to be on my own show...I wouldn't have gotten he opportunity to have Big Rob as a half time body guard" she winked at him.

"Or be able to have the relationship I have right now with Anna" She gestured with her hand toward Anna. "I wouldn't have met Kevin or Joe...or Nick" She looked at me.

"Life would’ve been completely different without Rachael...you just have to believe in miracles. That's all you can do" I said and Rea nodded.

~~~~~~~~~

Rachael’s POV

Nick and I were now in my car, on our way home. I had given Megan my number so we could keep in touch and she gave me her Twitter so I could follow her. "Lucy and Megan are really sweet. I really hope she makes it" I said, buckling my seat belt in the passenger seat. When I looked up I saw he was just looking at me.

"What?"

He didn't answer, he just kissed me.

"I love you" he said and started up the car.

I smiled at the way he said it. He says it to let me know he really does love me and in his tone, he says it in a way that should make it obvious that he loves me. I think I just like the fact that it is obvious and he feels the need to tell me anyway. He started driving. I put on the radio and sat back.

When we got back to the house, music was blasting so loud I could hear it from outside, there were a few cars and some lights flashed out the windows. He stopped the car and parked it. “You didn’t” I smiled at him as we both unbuckled ourselves.

“Oh but I did” he smirked.

We both got out of the car and he took my hand, leading me to the door. When he opened it for me, everyone yelled Happy Birthday! I loved surprises but I wasn’t exactly expecting one this year…and the fact that Nick really surprised me this time, made me feel…special. It isn’t fair how he has that effect on me. I saw Miley, Demi, Joe, Kevin, Danielle, Taylor, Selena, the guys from Honor Society, David, Justin, Jake, Collin, Austin…even Eric. Then there were others like Debby, Mitchell, Emily, Vanessa, Zach, Ashley, Corbin and so many others. I went around to say hi to my guests and spent most of my time dancing on the dance floor (which just the living room with the furniture pushed aside).

A lot of dancing and a few chocolate covered strawberries later, Nick and I walked outside, holding hands, to get some air. “Nick, when am I going to have a simple birthday with no surprise parties?” I asked.

“When you start asking for no surprises” he told me.

“Do you not like surprises anymore?”

“No I like them still…” I said but then my voice faded off.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing…it’s just this is the first birthday party I’ve had in years that didn’t have snow…I really think it turned on me” I said.

“I don’t…I think it just needed to give you a piece of reality, telling you it isn’t perfect either…” he said and I started laughing.

I loved how he would explain it so seriously to me. Sure, I used to love snow a lot but I didn’t need him to help me “forgive” the snow and I loved that he took it seriously anyway. He took everything that was important to me seriously. He smiled.

“I love you” I cooed and kissed him. He continued to smile, teeth and all.

“Okay this years present is kind of different from all the rest…” he started.

“But you already gave me a present” I reminded him, holding up the diamond N around my neck.

“That was only part of the present” he said and pulled out a piece of paper. I saw it was some kind of certificate. I got closer to his side so we could look at it together.

“Look up there. See that star?” he asked as he pointed up at a really bright star.

“Yeah?” I said, completely confused.

“Well…that’s your star” he told me.

“What?” I asked and laughed a little as I squinted my eyes at the print on the paper. I forgot to put my contacts in this morning. “You’re not serious Nick” I said, shaking my head.

“Oh, but it is” he smiled. I looked back and forth between the certified paper and the star in the sky. “I made sure it would be a star that you can see from anywhere in the world but especially from our house”

“Nick…I…” I just kept staring at the paper, dumb founded.

“Happy birthday Rea” he sang and wrapped his arms around and I put my arms on his arms as he held me close and I pulled my head away from his.

“If you say some cheesy line like I got you the star cause you’re my star or something, I’ll have to hurt you”

“Oh I’m so scared” He said in a funny voice and I laughed.

“Have I mentioned lately that I love you?” I asked.

“Mmm saying it again couldn’t hurt” he smirked.

“I love you Nicholas Jonas” I said and then kissed him. He kissed back.

When we pulled away, I placed a hand on his cheek and stared into his eyes. I listened to my friends yell the words to a popular song inside, I thought about my star being up in the sky, I looked at my wonderful boyfriend standing before me, wanting to spend the rest of my life with him…and it all made me smile so big, I felt my cheeks burn. I loved my life.