Mountains and Valleys

Heart Break

Ant took a deep breath and winced when he pondered the reactions of the public, his heart was beating very quickly and loudly. Ant was scared, scared that the people will hate him and Dec, but how could they not? Ant and Dec had left their fans and had not been seen for a decade.
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Finally Stephen who was just as nervous as Ant and Dec gently nudged them forward the audience cheered at first, then they saw who it was and fell silent. Ant and Dec walked to centre stage and someone in the crowd shouted "It's Ant and Dec!" The judges seemed completely speechless and the awkward silence didn't do much to help the duo's nerves.
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Dec played with his shirt nervously and looked down at the ground he hadn't heard or seen Alesha walk up so that's why he was surprised to feel a pair of thin arms wrapped around him comfortingly. He looked at Alesha and hugged her back smiling. He was still nervous though his heart racing as he gazed out across at the stunned faces. The silence was stressful and when Dec looked over at Ant he could tell that Ant wasn't doing any better than him.

Suddenly a frosty and familiar voice broke the silence and lifted the mist that was clouding in the back of Dec's mind. "Declan!?" Dec looked up in the direction of the voice hopefully. It was a female voice and Dec was sure that he had heard it before. From the side of the stage where Stephen stood, biting his lip nervously, emerged two figures. One was smaller than the other.

The taller woman approached Dec and stared into his eyes. Recognition flashed across Dec's features and his shoulders slumped Ali... Dec then turned to the smaller figure, Isla, who was holding onto her mothers clothing tightly. She was 10 years old and yet she looked about 6. Her sharp eyes were greyish-blue much like that of her father. Dec smiled and opened his mouth to greet them but the next thing he heard made his heart shatter.

"Mummy? Who is that?" Isla said quietly. Dec tried his best to keep himself together. Dec opened his mouth to answer her question but Ali cut him off. "That's nobody sweetheart. We won't be seeing him again." Ali turned away and shot a menacing glare over her shoulder and nudged Isla off the stage. Dec could feel the pieces of his broken heart taunt him. Dec would have let Ali and Isla go if it weren't for the comforting squeeze on his shoulder, a burst of Determination zapped through his veins and Dec gathered his all of his courage.

"Wait!" He called. Saying something for the first time since their chat with Stephen. Ali and Isla turned their heads to look at him, they both looked surprised. Dec spoke up once again. "Why won't you tell Isla who I am?"
"Why should I?" Ali replied coldly. "You mean nothing to her!"
"And did you ask her that?!"
"I don't have to. I already know."
Dec glanced over at his daughter and was a little surprised to see a focused expression on her face then he realised that he could practically hear the wheels churning in her head.
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Isla was confused. She was thinking hard trying to figure out who the mystery man was. Mum didn't like him very much and apparently Isla wasn't supposed care about him. Then after a few moments it clicked something lined up in her head. she looked at her father her eyes widening she let go of her mother. Her dad seemed to have a smirk on his face when he realised that she had figured it out. Mummy sighed knowingly and let her say what she wanted.
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Ant watched nervously not sure what Isla was going to say, he was worried that this wasn't going to turn out quite the way Dec was hoping. Ant studied Dec's features he was looking at Isla eagerly. Ant then moved his gaze to Ali who looked sad and Ant sighed her face conforming his suspicions, he had a feeling about what they were going to hear next but nothing could fully prepare any of them for the words that came from Isla's mouth.

"I hate you so much!!!" Isla screamed, her voice piercing the air. Ant winced visibly, he didn't want to look but he had to. Dec looked strangely calm but Ant knew Dec for a long time, and unless it had changed in the past 10 years, Dec had a way of hiding things from other people. Dec's stoic expression was disturbingly familiar and he stood still and silent, blinking slowly until he closed his eyes and smiled. He then proceeded to give Ant and Alesha a one armed hug and headed to disappear into the wings. Everyone was shocked and they weren't sure what was supposed to happen now. Ali and Isla turned to leave. Ali still wore a solemn expression, and her eyes were shining a bit. Isla's face was red, and she was glaring at everyone she could see. Alesha had been staring at the scene open mouthed and now shook her head in disbelief. As Ali and Isla left, Ant turned towards the audience and smiled sadly, then trotting off to follow Dec.
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Dec looked out across London, the remainder of the suns glow quickly fading into the horizon. Dec looked up, he could see a few bright stars managing to show despite the harsh city lights that polluted the sky. The moon was a thin sliver that was hardly visible yet still beautiful.

Declan pulled his knees to his chest and contemplated all of his actions. He lost his best friend and found him again 10 years later, but they had lost a bit of of that connection and Dec was still a little mad at Ant. But to top it all off, his daughter now hated him

I hate you so much!!!

Isla's harsh words echoed through his mind. Dec closed his eyes and held back tears. The only daughter he would ever have hated him. Dec stood and looked at the long drop down to the city floor. Maybe he could escape the madness, end it all in one swift jump. He knew he wasn't thinking straight, he knew it was a bad idea, he knew it would hurt the people who cared about him, he knew it was selfish but he couldn't help it. He took a step closer to the edge of the roof but was stopped in his tracks when he heard a warm husky voice and a pair of comforting arms wrap around his shoulders.

He collapsed into the hold and cried his heart out. His sobs intermingled with the rustling of the leaves and the wailing of the sirens from below. He cried until he was numb to the world and any other feeling other than exhaustion both mentally and physically. Dec began to fall asleep and what he missed was the tear that splashed over Ant's lashes and onto Dec's greying hairs. And with that Dec slipped into a dreamless sleep against Ant who gazed out at the city with a sad smile...