Starcrossed

"As I recall, someone has a birthday next week. Care to give a few ideas?"

Makenzie turned in his arms to look into his face. They had been talking in bed all morning, partly because they hadn't done it in ages but mostly because she hadn't the strength to walk to her spot near the fireplace just yet. Ben smoothed thin unruly strands from her face as her eyes closed. Her cheek pushed against his soft touch.

"I want to go to London one last time. You know, before the summer crowd arrives," Makenzie finally announced—a bit of teasing in her voice—after several thoughtful seconds.

Immediately, his brow furrowed in disappointment. The lovely manner in which they had spent their morning somehow vanished in an instant. It hadn't yet been determined who had been walking on more egg shells the last several weeks.

"I thought we agreed not to talk like that. And no more jokes," Ben sighed, not looking for a fight, yet trying to make his point. Her brushing off the serious made his blood boil. Did she truly not realize the extent losing her was killing him as well?

"You ordered. I simply rolled my eyes… my dear." The woman still wasn't too sick to be sassy or challenge him.

"I thought the eye roll was to show your displeasure of giving in to submission."

"No, Ben," she grinned. "The eye roll was because my husband still thinks he can tell me what to say and do. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I'm completely at your mercy, Mr. Cumberbatch."

Oh she was still feisty. She was without a doubt the woman of his dreams in every way. It would be a year this month since they had met. And there hadn't been a single day that she hadn't taught him something or brought some new revelation to his mind and heart. He wanted to pull her into him in the playful rough house manner they used to adore. But if he even tried one of his wrestling moves on her now it would send her straight to hospital. Instead he gave her a light poke near one of her many tickle spots.

"Nothing is legal yet, dear. I could still toss you out," he joked with a cheeky grin, only a fraction of playful crossness in his tone and eyes.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare," she slyly grinned, moving a bit closer with each word. To her own disappointment, her fighting words were only retaliated with another gentle poke on her nose.

Makenzie hated what their physical play fights had become. He used to toss her over his shoulder, tangle her limbs until she had to surrender, or anything more than a poke. Yes, she was much weaker than she used to be. Bruises came more often from performing everyday tasks. But he didn't have to touch her as if she were made of china. She longed for the days when each touch was rough and passionate, playful or otherwise. Those days from so long ago. She hardly remembered what it was like to live without four people constantly babying her. God forbid she get hurt in her bravest attempts of independence.

"But honestly," the determined woman began. "It would mean the world to have dad, Gran, and Sophie meet us at your place for the weekend. Have a little party of sorts. Have Amanda and Martin over if they aren't terribly busy."

"And if something happens to you while we're there?"

"London already has me in their hospital records. No one there would mind. That's why we make the party close friends and family only. You can invite a mate or three if you'd like. Maybe Tom is available," she giggled, eyes brighter than he had seen in a while.

"It would mean that much to you then?"

"I've been dying for a bit of adventure lately. Anyone wanting to quit their job and stay home needs to reevaluate what they consider a good time."

"Just a small party at my place?"

"Well, and cake." She watched him consider her idea. "You can choose the flavor and frosting," the desperate Kenzie further persuaded.

"Gran's strawberry cake? With the cream cheese frosting?"

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Especially for her favorite actor slash grandson-in-law."

Ben closed his eyes, rubbed his face twice, then glanced back over to his hopeful girl. How could he say no? If it gave her the slightest bit of hope or happiness, he simply couldn't deny her simple request. And then the final wretched thought seemed to echo in the very back of his mind. What if this was her last birthday? He forced the thought away as quickly as it had come.

"What theme does my wife have in mind?"

The doorbell announced another guest's arrival. Makenzie shuffled as quickly as she could to greet them. She struggled with the door for only a moment before a larger hand assisted her. Their stares met only briefly- his saying "you're welcome" and hers suggesting "I could have done it myself, but thanks".

"Amanda!"

"Hello birthday girl!"

Both females grabbed eachother for an overly affectionate hug as the men simply held out their hands at first, both in character.

"Love the hat," her adored friend grinned.

"It's Benedict's," Kenzie confessed. It was to cover her balding head. Besides, it was a lovely hat and she was far too old for birthday crowns.

"Thought it looked familiar. He wears the same ones over and over," the blonde giggled.

"Doctor Watson," Sherlock greeted with mostly indifference.

"You old sod," John cheekily smirked before pulling Ben into their own embrace.

"So pleased you could make it."

"It's not like we won't be together all of next week."

"Ah, the trio together once more," Ben dramatically sighed with a comical heart-melting expression.

"Oh, that's right. Your first readthrough session is next week. Sherlock season four. I can't believe it!" Kenzie nearly squealed in delight.

"Martin!" Sophie sang while coming down the hall. "Amanda! You both made it!"

It warmed Makenzie's heart to see those closest to her all together. Everyone was getting along quite nicely, not a single problem between any pairing of them. This was her full family, blood and extended. It was more than she could have dreamt for herself. One year ago next week…

"Are you alright, darling?" Ben whispered, taking her hand in his.

"Maybe a sit down," she smiled up at him, her face already looking a bit fatigued.

"Come on everyone," he spoke above the other conversations. "The birthday girl wishes to move the party into the dining room." Without warning, Benedict picked Makenzie up in his arms princess style and lead the rowdy group down the hall to the feast Gran had prepared.

"Tim!" Martin lit up. "Didn't expect you here, old man."

"Ah, Martin. So good to see you, son."

The men chuckled and grabbed at eachother as their wives gave delicate hugs and posh cheek kisses, a few joking comments giggled between them about their men.

"My husband absolutely adores Tim," Amanda rolled her eyes.

"Believe me, dear, the feeling is returned. Mad, the pair of them."

These were the conversations brewing when Makenzie slipped out of the room, the most content of smiles gracing her lips. She passed Benedict and her father chatting, even laughing, both relaxed with drinks in their hands. Then there was Gran, completing the finishing touches of the grand lunch.

"Need any help?"

"From you? Heavens no, dear," the old woman laughed, stars in her eyes that Makenzie had missed these last few months. "The birthday girl should never be made to help on her special day."

"Not being made to. Just offering," Kenzie replied in a half laugh. "How are things coming?"

Gran looked just out of the kitchen entrance, staring beyond the two men in the hall.

"I must say, you have yourself quite the guest list, my dearest girl." There was pride and joy overflowing in the grandmother's tone and features.

"It's a bit mad, I know," the birthday girl blushed, pulling a stool beside her grandmother.

"Who would have ever thought one year ago… How life has changed."

"For better and for worse," the girl added. "It was exactly this week last year that they told us what was 'possibly' going to happen."

"I only wish there was more we could do, my love," the old woman sighed, patting her granddaughter on the knee.

More laughter erupted from the most occupied room down the hall, people she never dreamt of seeing in the same room- much less for her. And the man she never planned to meet in person... His ring was on her finger, at least until her finger was thick enough to keep it on; probably another month at most.

"Yet look at what all I have. There is some bad in my life right now, yes. But I never imagined anything like this. Meeting Ben was completely unexpected. My class's trip to London was to be my last big adventure until I got better. And then everything else happened."

Gran gently took Kenzie's left hand, inspecting the ring for the hundredth time. Some of it still didn't seem real. Everything happened so fast yet no one important had questioned the events. It was fate if ever she saw it; things that were meant to happen and would have passed one way or another. Her wrinkled thumb traced small circles into the young soft skin.

"Are you happy, my dear?" A pause. "Are you honestly, truly, genuinely happy?"

"If I didn't feel like sleeping the rest of my life, yes. This is a much better life than I had ever planned for myself, except for the cancer of course. Perhaps the cancer came because fate knew I'd have the rest so good."

"Don't dare think like that! No one knows why these things come about. But they do. And some fight while others give into it. I've practically been your mother and I know, without a fraction of doubt, that Makenzie Daniels is a fighter." There was a brief silence after the passionate speech. "And Makenzie Cumberbatch will be victorious."

"Are you ready, Gran?" Ben asked with high energy and emense joy, only poking his head in. Quite adorable really.

"Give us five more minutes, sweetheart. Then tell everyone to come in."

He gave a nod to Gran followed by a blown kiss and a sexy wink to Makenzie. Then he was gone again.

"Of course I want you to get better but…" Gran chuckled shaking her head. "I just know if something horrible happened to you, that little bugger would hang around until the rest of us go on."

They shared another laugh, Benedict breaking the serious conversation they had been in. Yes, things were going to be alright in the end. They had to be. She didn't want to leave what had become the happiest chapter of her life.

"Happy birthday, dear Makenzie… Happy Birthday to you!"

Cheers and clapping followed the childish tune. Everyone she held most dear were gathered around the small table, the strawberry and cream cheese cake with lit candles placed directly in front of the birthday girl. It was a moment she would cherish the rest of her life. As they had sung, a few random other birthday parties crossed her mind; here she was once again, face near a blazing cake with friends and family singing the daft little song. But all things came to an end.

"Make a wish," her favorite voice in the world whispered in her ear from behind her, his hands at her hips and lips brushing her skin rather boldly.

She closed her eyes, too many emotions flooding through her to name individually. Happiness. Hopefulness. Anxious. Expectant. Determined. Desperate. Nervous. Scared. Helpless. Tired. Oh she was simply exhausted; every day all day. Suddenly the room began to spin.

Ben's grip on her tightened just as she felt herself begin to involuntary lean into the small flames. She blew out the number two and four candles but it hadn't been her intention.

"Are you alright?" Ben whispered discretely, not to embarrass her in front of her guests.

Makenzie gave a gracious smile to the faces all around, passing the incident off as if nothing had gone wrong. Perhaps his stellar acting skills were rubbing off on her. Everyone smiled back, completely unaware of the pain coursing through her in unbearable waves, the doubled vision that began about thirty minutes ago, her inability to stand if Ben wasn't holding her, and her sudden need for a lie down. It felt like falling into a pit of flames with her body inside-out. Her legs gave out completely, causing everyone to gasp and stutter their shocked statements of concern.

Without needing to be asked, Benedict gently took her into his arms and carried her away from the crowd.

"Everyone go ahead and cut the cake. We won't be long. Enjoy." It's not like she would have been able to eat more than a bite or two anyway. She hardly finished the small plate of her favorite foods Gran had prepared.

"Thanks," she breathed while throwing her arms around his neck.

"I've pushed you too hard again," he replied in a cracking voice.

"This was my idea, remember?"

He managed getting her up the stairs without a problem, she weighed almost twenty pounds less than the already petite student he met this time last year. The healthy Makenzie wasn't much more than skin and bones to begin with. How he missed the curve of her hips, full cheeks, and the general feel of her- so different than the thin porcelain doll he placed in his bed now.

"Such a lovely day and I'm ruining it all," she tried to laugh, the cry caught in her throat more than noticeable.

"Don't do that to yourself. Just a little nap. You'll be up again in no time," her lover said more for himself than for her, also noticeable.

"I'm dying, Benedict," she replied with a sneer, more bitter than he had ever seen. "Naps do almost nothing at all anymore. I hurt more than you could ever know." For several moments, she didn't feel like herself. The beast whom she had contained in the deepest, darkest parts of her being was finally fighting for its long awaited liberation. Fighting to regain composure, she sighed, "Maybe a number of actors know, you included."

Hesitantly, he lay beside her, covering and propping her up the way she liked. It was true, he had studied and even acted the sickness out in films and lately in his mind, over and over. But he would never know how she felt this precise moment. The only thing he knew to be fact was that her fighting spirit—that had kept her healthier than expected much longer than expected—was fading. She was fading.

Makenzie curled into his side as the treacherous tears began streaming down her face. The scared girl placed a quivering hand on his chest. Ben held and lovingly shushed her, his hands caressing all the spots that usually soothed her- he was going to be the perfect father. Despite her outburst, he was still here holding her, doing absolutely everything he knew to do and then some. They hadn't gone to a church or minister, but she genuinely considered him her husband in every way. If only the two of them could disappear to some magical place where it could be just the two of them, somewhere warm where she wasn't sick and he had nowhere to be.

"Neverland," she sighed after the last of her whimpers.

"Hm?"

"Neverland. You and me. You could be my Peter Pan." It wasn't a dreamy but factual voice, as if such things were undoubtedly possible. He could get them there tomorrow.

"Would you be my Wendy?"

Makenzie hummed against his chest in response, her fingers sliding just under his shirt to feel his warm skin against her cold hand.

"We could stay just as we are forever. Live off the exotic land, away from the pirates and ticking crock. Could steal some pixie dust and fly around till we found a vacant stretch of beach. We'd make love there for hours, stare at the stars in a tangled mess of limbs, and then do it all again the next day."

She didn't understand why he was brushing her cheek until she felt the cool trail of an unnoticed tear. Looking up at him, his face tight and red from holding in his own built sobs, she brushed a few curls from his own watery eyes.

"I'm terrified. Properly terrified for my life," the girl began to cry, voice unwavering and eyes begging for a solution for her hopeless situation. "I don't want to leave you. We were going to get married in two months. I was supposed to give you little Cumberbatch babies and show your early films to our grandchildren. We had a whole life together waiting for us. And now..."

"Oh, my darling girl," he finally sobbed, his head falling atop hers. "Please don't leave me."

Makenzie moved him around so that his head was on her chest. For the time, neither worried if he'd crush her. She played with his hair as he soaked her shirt with tears of uncertainty. Kenzie held him there until they fell asleep, wrapped tightly in the other's arms.

When they didn't come down, Gran went up and cracked the door open. The sight was breathtaking. It was horrible and perfect all at once. The lovers were frozen in a moment so precious. She tip toed back downstairs, whispering the closest thing to a prayer she had spoken in months.

The moment she went to hide in the kitchen, cleaning the table from nerves, a ghostly pale James approached her with wide eyes. She couldn't even voice her questions, still too moved from the sight she had found upstairs.

"That was Kenzie's doctor. They might have found a cure."