Without Her

Chapter 55 - How?

"How? How are you here?" He asks, taking the veil off the persons face.

"Are, you really stupid enough to ask that?" The person responds.

"It's just-" He goes to say, before shock starts to kick in.

"I know, I'm supposed to be dead." The person smiles, "Maybe, I'm just a ghost."

"But-"

"There are no buts okay? I was never here." They reply, starting to walk away.

"Please, don't go." He says, grabbing their arm.

They turn to face him "Kian, you shouldn't know that I'm alive."

"Nobody here, should know."

"What, why?"

"Because, they put me in witness protection!" They shout.

"They put you in witness, protection?!" He shouts, confused and angry.

"It was, what was best for me." They reply, "It was so, I couldn't get injured again."

"I thought you was dead, I grieved for you!" He says, "The kids grieved for you."

"Yeah, and if I got shot again. What would you do?"

"I would of liked to know, that you was alive." He replies, his grip on her hand tightening.

"I'm sorry." She replies, hugging into him.

"Was it really what was best for you, though?" He asks, "I could of done better."

"Just because you're action man."  She says, rolling her eyes at him.

"So, do you have to go back?" He asks, sitting down on a bench.

"No, they caught him." She replies, sitting next to him.

"How am I going to tell the kids, you're alive?" Kian, asks.

"I'm sure they'll understand." She says, putting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just angry because, I really should of known you was alive."

"I know." She sighs, kissing him.

"Why? Why, did you turn up at your funeral?"

"Well I wasn't going to miss, my own funeral was I?" She smiles.

He starts to tickle her, and they laugh.

"I've missed you." Kian says.

"I've missed you too." She replies, kissing him again.

"Mum?" Emma says, walking up.

Kian turns to look over at Emma, "Hey."

"Mum, you're alive?" She says, walking up to them.

Jac stands up and walks closer to Emma, she hugs her tightly "I'm here, don't worry."

Emma starts to cry, "I thought you was dead!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I grieved for you! I thought I had lost you forever!" Emma shouts, crying.

Jac hugs her tighter, "I'm sorry."

Kian butts in, "At least we have mum back, hey?"

Emma nods, "I'm sorry for what I said to you." She says, to Kian.

"It's okay." He smiles.

"Can we go, home?" Jac asks, looking at Kian.

"Yeah, I think we should." He smiles, they get up and leave together.

Jac rushes in through the door, and sees Harriet playing on the sofa.

"Hey, baby". She says, sitting next to her and smiling.

"Mummy!" Harriet says, climbing onto her lap.

They hug, "Mummy, where you go?"

"I went somewhere very special, and I promise I'm staying now." Jac says, messing up Harriet's hair.

"Stop it!" Harriet giggles, as Jac starts to tickle her stomach.

Jac smiles at her, and then looks over to Kian "Could you bring me, Noah?"

"Yeah, sure." He smiles, walking into the bedroom and picking Noah up.

He brings him back in, and passes him to Jac.

"Hey, little man." She says, smiling down at the baby.

Noah babbles up at her, and she looks over at Kian "How's he doing?"

"He's doing good, learning to crawl."

"That's good." She smiles, playing with Noah's fingers.

"I'm going to go, take a shower." Kian says, walking away.

"Okay, see you soon." Jac says, as he goes.

Harriet comes from her room, "Mummy, I don't feel well. Me been sick."

Jac puts her hand on Harriet's forehead.

"Hmmm." She, sighs.

"Have you eaten anything funny, or something new?" Jac, asks.

"Yeah!" Harriet replies, getting excited and walking back into her room.

She comes back out, and Jac's heart stops in its tracks.

"You've taken these?!" Jac says "How many?!"

"I don't know, fwive?" Harriet says, looking confused.

Jac quickly puts Noah down "How long ago, did you take them?"

"Hours ago." Harriet replies, as Jac starts to put her fingers down her throat "I need you to be sick for me."

Harriet pulls away, "No!"

"Okay, let's get you to hospital then."

Fifteen minutes later...

Kian comes out of the shower, and sees Emma reading a book on the sofa.

"Em, wheres your mum?" He asks.

"Hospital." Emma replies.

"What, why?"

"Harriet, she took something."

Kian sighs, and rubs his head.

Noah starts to cry, and Kian picks him up to shush him.

"Come on, sleep." He says, rocking him.

"Do you know how many, she took?" Kian asks, concerned.

"Mum, said around five."

"Shit..." Kian whispers, under his breath.

"She said she'd be home soon, but Harriet will probably stay in."

"Okay." He says, walking into the kitchen and pulling something out of his trousers.

The rest of his pill packets, does he throw them?

No, you can't.

You need them, they need you.

Would Kian let his demons win, yet again?

And...

Would, Harriet be okay?