Disclaimer: I don't own Ten-Inch Hero.

By Her Side

Chapter 1

Tish rushed through the door at the Beach City Grill and scurried behind the counter, stowing her purse beneath it. Her stomach twisted anxiously and her mind was still reeling after the doctor's appointment she'd had this morning.

"Heads up!"

She glanced up quickly and caught the apron that Priestly, her mohawked green-haired boyfriend of nine months, had tossed in her direction. He winked at her, and she managed a shaky smile in his direction. His brow creased in concern when her smile didn't reach her eyes, but the lunch rush was on and there was no time to talk.

"Hey, Tish," Piper smiled as she slid a notepad and pencil down the counter toward her friend. "It's been really busy today; I'm glad you were able to make it in for the lunch rush. How was the doctor's appointment?"

Tish swallowed hard, unsure of what to say when she still hadn't processed things herself. She was saved from having to answer when Priestley's voice rang out.

"Order up!"

Piper turned away to retrieve the sandwich for a customer as Tish breathed a sigh of relief. Her thoughts traveled back to her appointment this morning and the doctor's exam. All went very well until the doctor had done a breast exam and had felt a lump. Tish felt panic rise in her throat. She was young, only in her early twenties. She wasn't supposed to have a lump in her breast; she couldn't have cancer. It just couldn't happen to her, but it was happening. A mammogram had confirmed that there was something in her left breast.

"Excuse me, Tish," Piper told her friend as she pushed by her with her hands full of food.

Tish was jolted out of her stupor and dropped her notepad on the floor. She bent over to pick it up and when she stood felt Priestly behind her. She knew it was him and she glanced over her right shoulder as his warmth pressed against her back and his hand settled gently at her waist.

"Hey, are you okay, Sunshine?" he asked with concern, his green eyes searching her face carefully.

"Fine," she managed, forcing her lips upward into a grin.

Priestly could see right through her. "Not buying it," he replied. "We're talking when the lunch rush is over." His hand squeezed her side gently before he turned back to the grill.

Tish caught her bottom lip in her teeth and forced herself to step forward and help a customer at the counter. This was going to be a long day, and she had to work until closing tonight.

Tish couldn't keep her mind on her work as the afternoon wore on and felt Priestly's eyes on her from his place at the grill. A headache throbbed behind her eyes and her shoulders felt tense as she waited on yet another customer. The lunch rush had bled over into a very steady afternoon. Priestly hadn't been able to tear himself away from the grill long enough to corner her, and for that she was glad. She didn't want to talk about what had happened at the doctor's office.

"Excuse me, but my order is wrong," a voice said sharply in front of her.

Tish jumped and blinked as she focused on the unhappy customer. "What?" she stammered.

"My order," the man waved the wrapped sandwich in front of her face. "It's wrong. I said no mayo and mustard, and it's covered in it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tish managed to force out. She turned toward Priestly. "I need another sandwich. This one is wrong. No mayo or mustard."

Priestly glanced over at her. "You specifically wrote mayo and mustard on the order," he accused with a frustrated sigh.

"No, I didn't," Tish argued as she planted her hands on her hips. She was in no mood to argue with Priestly over a stupid sandwich order.

"Check the order; it's right there on the counter," he replied.

"I don't need to check it," Tish snapped even as she reached for the slip of paper. "I know I'm right. See, no mayo or…..oh…." she trailed off.

"Yeah," Priestly replied as he flipped over a burger patty. "What's up with you? You've been on edge ever since you got here."

"Nothing," Tish replied as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a trembling hand.

Priestly frowned. "Nothing much rattles you, Tish. Come on; I know something is bothering you."

"Priestly, I told you-" she began.

He cut her off. "Did something happen at the doctor's this morning?" Priestly watched in horror as tears suddenly filled Tish's eyes.

"I can't do this," she choked out, shoving the order slip into Priestly's chest as she hurried for the back door.

Priestly looked after her and then down at the grill.

"I've got it," Jen replied from the computer, concern for Tish in the blonde woman's eyes. "You go check on her." She slid off of her stool and took the spatula from Priestly.

"Thanks, Jen," Priestly nodded as he hurried in the direction his girlfriend had disappeared. His mind was running wild. What could have happened since he'd left her happy and relaxed at her apartment this morning?

Tish wasn't in the office or the back room, so Priestly exited the backdoor of the shop and found Tish leaning against the brick wall in the alley with her arms wrapped around herself. Her head was tipped back to lean against the bricks and she stared unseeing up into the blue sky.

"Tish?" he asked softly as he approached. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," she answered in a far away voice as her arms tightened around her body.

Priestly stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on her arm, rubbing up and down gently. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Tish bit her lower lip. "I don't even really know how to tell you." She pushed away from the wall and began to pace back and forth in front of her boyfriend.

"You were fine when I left your place this morning. Did something happen at the doctor's office?" he queried, concern beginning to swirl in the pit of his stomach. "Are you sick?" Then, "Are you pregnant?"

"What?" she asked in surprise as she stopped her pacing. "No, Priestly, no!"

"Are you pregnant?" he asked again, his face open and honest. "Because if that's it, I-"

"No, Priestly," she cut him off almost hysterically. "I'm not pregnant." She dashed tears from her eyes with a trembling hand. "I have a lump in my breast. I have to go for a biopsy."

Priestly froze, his wide green eyes locked on his girlfriend's face. They looked even greener complimented by the bright green of his Mohawk. "Tish," his brow wrinkled with worry and he stepped toward his girlfriend.

"I don't know…." she began before trailing off, her arms wrapping around her torso once again. "It doesn't seem real. I'm young. This can't happen to me."

Priestly caught her arm gently. "Tish, you don't know that anything is wrong yet. Let's wait and hear what your doctor says first."

Tish stood in front of him with his hands trailing gently up and down her arms and felt her face crumble. "I'm scared, Priestly." Her voice shook and then the sobs began to convulse her body.

"Me, too, Sunshine," he murmured as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "But whatever happens, I'm right here." Priestly pressed a kiss into her dark hair and wrapped her snuggly in his arms. He felt Tish bury her face in his shoulder and then her tears dampened his t-shirt.

Tish didn't know how long she stood there crying hot tears into Priestly's collarbone, but Trucker's voice in the backdoor of the Grille made them both jump.

"Everything okay?"

Priestly's hand crept up to her head and he kept her pressed against her shoulder as he answered their friend. "She's really not feeling well, Trucker. I need to get her home."

Trucker took another look at the young woman clinging to Priestly and nodded. "I'll get her things and bring them back to you."

When Trucker disappeared inside, Tish sniffled and pressed a kiss against the skin of Priestly's neck. "Thank you." She felt his strong hand rub up and down her back and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Trucker reappeared with Tish's purse. "The girls are worried, but I told them that you had everything taken care of," he explained to Priestly. "You take good care of our girl and call me if you need anything at all."

"Thanks, Trucker," Priestly murmured as he stroked Tish's hair.

She pulled back from her boyfriend and sucked in a deep breath as Priestly pushed back the hair that clung to her damp face. "Thank you, Trucker."

"Are you going to be okay, Angel?" the sandwich shop owner asked softly.

"I don't know," she shrugged with a sniffle, "but Priestly will take good care of me."

"You betcha," the green-haired young man answered. "Thanks again, Trucker. I'm gonna get her home."

Trucker nodded and waved at the pair before heading back inside.

Tish sighed as Priestly's arm encircled her shoulders and he led her to his truck. "Your place or mine?" he asked softly.

"Mine," she replied. "Unlike you, I go to the grocery store on a regular basis." Tish wiped at her eyes and managed a wobbly smile when her boyfriend opened the passenger door for her. She scooted inside the truck and buckled her seatbelt as she watched Priestly jog around to the other side of the truck.

He climbed inside and reached out a finger to trace the line of her jaw. Without saying anything, he started the truck and headed for her apartment. Reaching between them at the first stoplight, he clasped her hand and twined their fingers together.

Tish looked over at him and smiled. She was so blessed to have this man in her life. Behind the spikey hair, and the make-up, and the crazy clothes, Priestly was really an amazing, interesting guy with a huge heart.

Priestly parked in a visitor space at her complex and cut the engine. Tish waited in her seat, knowing Priestly would fuss if she didn't wait and let him open the door for her. She watched as her green-mohawked boyfriend hurried around the car to her side and opened the door. Tish slid out of the truck and felt the thud rumble through her body as her feet hit the blacktop.

Priestly took her hand in his and shut the car door behind them before leading the way to her apartment. Tish slipped her hand into her purse and produced the key which Priestly took from her trembling fingers and used to open the door to her small home.

Tish dreaded the talk they were about to have. It meant admitting that everything that happened this morning was real – that she really did have a lump in her breast. She allowed Priestly to lead her to the couch and she sank wearily into its soft cushions.

Priestly left and disappeared into the kitchen only to reappear a few moments later with a glass of water which he placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Then he sat down next to her and cupped her chin in his hand, turning her face so that she had to look at him.

"Talk to me, Tish. What happened this morning?"

Tish captured her lower lip between her teeth and began to fiddle with the hem of her tank top. "The doctor felt a lump in my left breast when she was examining me. I told her there had to be a mistake, but she said she could definitely feel something. She wanted me to have a mammogram right away."

Priestly reached out to still Tish's hand which was quickly unraveling the hem to her shirt. He captured it in both of his. "And?"

"They were able to get me in for one this morning, and there is definitely something there," Tish's voice shook as she looked into her boyfriend's face. "I'm so scared, Priestly."

"Come here," he murmured as he reached forward and tugged his shaking girlfriend into his arms. Tish's hands twisted into the front of his t-shirt as she crumpled against his chest. Sobs racked her slender frame as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"I've got you," he murmured as she continued to cry against him. Priestly stroked her back and pressed tender kisses to her hair. He didn't know if there were any words he could say right now to make things better.

Finally, Tish pulled back and wiped at her red, teary face with shaking hands. Priestly reached forward and helped to thumb some of the tears away. "So what's next?" he murmured as he brushed an errant strand of hair from her cheek.

"Um," Tish began, her voice raspy with tears. She reached for the glass of water and took a sip before continuing. "I have an ultrasound and a biopsy scheduled for next week."

"Whatever you need, Tish, I'm there," Priestly offered earnestly, his green eyes full of concern.

"Will you go with me for the ultrasound and biopsy?" Tish asked as her fingers once again played with the fraying bottom of her tank top.

"Of course!" Priestly answered as he leaned forward and placed a tender kiss to her lips. "I love you," he whispered against their softness.

"I love you, too," Tish whispered, still terrified of what the days and months ahead might hold.

To be continued….