By Lisa Kennard

The new nurse walked into The Beeches where she was greeted by an array of smiling friendly faces. Her nervousness was eased slightly by the welcome, as they seemed happy to allow her to enter into their little ‘family’.

The introductions were made, Kate taking her to each of her new colleagues in turn and she was pleased by the way that they all got on together. Alex and Tom seemed a happy couple and Bridget did not seem threatened at all by her arrival. Claire had been frightened of stepping on people’s toes, but it seemed that Nurse Mellors was happy to have a partner to work with. Claire relaxed a little in their company as she began to feel accepted for the first time in ages.

"And this is Dr Preston," Kate said, introducing her husband by wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Nice to have you on board," declared Will, welcoming the new nurse with a gentle handshake and a kiss on the cheek. Claire brushed her long dark hair away from her face as she smiled back at him. She was taken by his youthful good looks, kind manner and the obvious affection that he had for his wife. The body language between him and Kate left no doubt in Claire’s mind as to the intimate relationship that continued outside of work hours. She felt slightly embarrassed and jealous of their fondness as it was a connection that she had longed to find.

Claire stood in the centre of the surgery, encircled by her new friends and she felt that things were finally working out for her. Cardale seemed a cute little village; a place where she hoped to achieve happiness. It was a place where she could settle down at last – after all, she couldn’t run forever. Originally coming from a city, Claire had longed to find a place like Cardale, a practice like The Beeches, where everyone knew everybody and looked out for each other. But, with a sigh she realised that they could never truly know her.

****

"There you go Mary," Claire said as she finished bandaging her young patient’s ankle and she wiped the tears from the girl’s eyes. "All better!" She placed a teddy bear next to the girl and stood up to stand next to Bridget who was talking to the mother.

"I’ve told her not to run up and down the stairs like that," the woman declared. "But she just won’t listen!" She placed her hand to her head, frustrated by the years of being a single mother. It was difficult, hard work and there was never a moments peace. "I just can’t cope all of the time!"

Bridget put an arm around her shoulders, "We understand you know. Kids will be kids and you can’t watch them every second of the day. Accidents do happen and thankfully it wasn’t too serious, so don’t go blaming yourself."

The mother felt slightly reassured by Bridget’s kind words. She sat down on the sofa next to her daughter and stroked her hair, "I’m sorry darling. Mummy didn’t mean to be cross with you."

As Bridget and Claire left the house, Claire voiced her opinion of the situation, but it was dismissed immediately by Bridget.

"She’d never hurt her daughter Claire. She loves her too much," Bridget said unlocking her car door.

Claire opened the door her side but did not get in. "What if it just happened . . . before she had a chance to think about it? A split second of uncontrollable panic and then a lifetime of regret! I’ve seen it happen you know, with people you would never imagine could be like that!"

"I’ve seen it happen too, but I really don’t think so. Not in this case anyway!" Bridget finished and climbed into the car, shoving her work bag onto the back seat.

Claire got in next to her and said nothing more about it. However she did not feel entirely happy with the situation. Something didn’t feel right to her, but then she had had that feeling so many times before. It took over and she wondered if it would ever go away. Would she doubt everybody from now on?

It brought back too many memories; a past that she would rather forget, but she understood that she never would. She realised with dread that it would always be a part of her life and would bare some significance to her future. You can’t just close the book and forget the story, no matter how hard you try.

****

It had been a couple of weeks now since Claire had joined and she seemed to be settling in well. The patients liked their new nurse and enjoyed many of the stories that she told. She had a way of making them laugh, no matter how bad they were feeling.

"They really like you!" Bridget said over coffee in the meeting room.

"I really like them," Claire announced.

"I guess that helps," agreed Alex laughing, as she took a biscuit from the plate that Will was passing round.

He offered one to Claire.

"No thanks!" she said shaking her head. "I’ve a house-call to make." She pushed her chair back and started collecting her things together.

Bridget looked at her questioningly. It was all news to her.

"I said I would pop up to the Jameson farm and check on Mary," Claire answered the unspoken question. "See you later."

"Well she seems dedicated to her job," Will mused after she had gone.

"Yeah, showing me up," laughed Bridget with only the slightest hint of resentment in her voice. "I think she’s got a soft spot for young Mary Windsor, they live in one of the houses on the Jameson farm."

"Oh right . . .yeah I know her," Alex said sipping her drink. "She’s a good kid! I think Claire likes children; she’s great with Joe, isn’t she Tom?"

Tom avoided answering the question and looked very uneasy about being asked to voice his opinion of the lovely new nurse. He just shrugged his shoulders hoping that the conversation would turn to something a little less complicated, but it didn’t, so he got up announcing that he had patients to see. The others looked strangely at Alex when he had left, but she couldn’t give any answers to his odd behaviour. She just shook her head and looked down at the table, wondering what could be wrong. He certainly hadn’t been himself lately.

****

There was a knock on Alex’s door and Tom poked his head around to greet her.

"Hiya honey," he said entering her consultation room and sitting on the edge of her desk.

"You’re a bad influence on me," she declared, pleased by the interruption and threw her pen down on the desk.

Tom lent in to kiss her tenderly on the lips; work could wait.

"So what’s up?" Alex asked curious by Tom’s behaviour earlier that morning. "What’s bugging you?"

Tom paused for a few seconds, thinking about the best way to approach the subject. "I need to tell you something Alex, but I don’t want you to be angry."

"Sounds ominous!"

Puzzled, Alex could only wait for him to go on. She was intrigued by the way he had been acting, but a sudden nervousness grew in her stomach as she waited for what he had to say. Tom could see the pain and uncertainty in her eyes and he realised he had to be totally honest with her. It had been eating him up inside and unless it was out in the open it would continue to do so, growing into something bigger than it actually was. He just had to say it and there was no easy way to do it, but he kept telling himself that there was nothing for him to feel guilty about.

"She kissed me!" he blurted it out, unable to hold it in any longer. He waited for a reaction from Alex, but for a few moments nothing came. After the information had had a chance to sink in, Alex responded.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Who? Claire?" She wasn’t sure whether to believe what she was hearing.

He nodded. "It was when we went on that house-call the night before last."

"House-call? Well that’s a novel way of describing it." She was still trying to make sense of what he was saying.

Tom realised what she was thinking. "No Alex! I didn’t kiss her back!" He looked deep into her eyes, and she could tell he was sincere. "I wouldn’t," he added. "’cause I love you! I’m in love with you!"

Shocked by his revelation, Alex let him hold her in his arms. She had never before doubted his feelings for her, but for a split second there she had thought he was finishing things. She breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that fleeting moment when she had hated him, but it had passed now and she felt contempt only for one person, Claire. What on earth was she playing at?

****

Alex and Tom walked into the surgery the next morning to find Claire already there and she was alone.

"Claire can I have a word?" Alex stormed up to her prepared for a confrontation, despite Tom’s pleas to leave things be.

Claire smiled sweetly at Alex, "What’s up?"

Alex was taken aback by her ‘innocence’. She had half expected Claire to admit everything, but Claire was acting as if nothing had happened.

"I want to know why you kissed Tom?"

Claire stood silent and showed no reaction to the question. At that moment Will and Kate walked through the door, entwined and happy, unaware of the situation they were walking into.

"Morning," Will anounced, smiling at everyone in the reception.

"Morning," Claire spoke as innocently as before, ignoring the question Alex had posed.

Alex scoffed at her audacity and headed off up the stairs to her room, unsure of Claire’s pure and saintly reaction to the ‘kiss’ she had shared with Tom. Tom, embarrassed by the whole situation, followed after her, leaving Claire explain things to Will and Kate who by now had clicked that something was wrong.

"Lover’s tiff, I think," Claire said, leaning her head to one side as she gestured to the empty space where Tom and Alex had stood.

"Oh!" Will and Kate expressed their shock in unison and worried that their two best friends were having problems.

"Well I hope they sort it out," said Will placing his case down on the reception desk. He clicked it open and searched through the papers inside. "They’ve both been through so much lately."

Claire listened intrigued by this latest news but said nothing. She did not want to appear nosy.

Will pulled a long list out of his pile of papers and handed it to Kate. "There you go darling!" he chuckled. "Don’t say I never give you anything.

"Oh how romantic!" she swooned playing along to his charade. Kate moved closer to her husband and looked deep into his eyes as her nose rested against his.

"Well I guess this is goodbye," she joked carrying on the dramatic style. Their long and meaningful kiss made Claire feel slightly uncomfortable, but she stood her ground. There was that slight tinge of jealousy again deep in her stomach; a desire to experience that flesh tingling sensation that she imagined you would feel when a man like Will held you close. Her day dream ended as Kate said goodbye.

"See you later Will, and don’t forget Charlie’s at his friend’s tonight." The devious glint in her eye was obvious even to Claire, and the envious feeling returned. Why couldn’t she be the one in the gloriously happy relationship? Claire always felt that she was the one watching from the sidelines and wondered if she would ever get a chance to play the game.

"Bye Kate," Claire chirped along with Will as she waved the woman goodbye. Kate headed out of the door, leaving Claire alone with Kate.

"And then there were two," she said turning to Will.

"Three!" announced Carol as she walked through the door. "Sorry I’m late Will," she smiled at the two standing in the reception area. Claire’s reaction to her arrival puzzled Carol for a few moments and she had an uneasy feeling that she had perhaps walked in on something. Surely not though?

Claire suddenly remembered to smile and Carol brushed her thought aside, realising that it was all a stupid idea. Sighing, as she got on with her work, Carol chuckled to herself for even thinking it. Will wouldn’t do a thing like that.

But would Claire?

****

Claire pulled the curtains closed and sighed. These dark lonely nights in Cardale were getting to her. It was always so silent outside and there were no neighbours. She had never felt so alone since it had all happened. Every evening reminded her of it all – when she returned to her quiet empty cottage after work she would go through it all in her mind, reliving every moment, experiencing it all again and again.

Cardale was supposed to be a new beginning, a fresh start where she would finally be able to put the past behind her, but instead it haunted her more than before. Her sleep was interrupted by nightmares and it had got to the stage where she preferred to stay awake, watching anything that might be on TV or switching on the radio to fill the silence. She felt trapped in her house and in herself, and she wondered how long she could keep her past hidden.

Claire paced the floor, bored. At work she tried to pretend that everything was ok, but now she had caused trouble with Alex and Tom. She hadn’t wanted that to happen, but somehow she didn’t seem to have control over the way she was feeling. All that she wanted was to be loved.

The anger inside Claire grew to bursting point. She slammed her fists against the wall, squealing under her breath. She couldn’t fight it any longer; her arms flayed about knocking things to the floor, smashing furniture and damaging ornaments. She had to let it all out.

Suddenly Claire stopped and looked at the devastation she had caused. An idea had come to her; and exciting idea that promised she wouldn’t spend another night alone. Having hatched a plan in her mind, she picked up the phone and dialled a number. Smiling to herself she waited for someone to pick up at the other end . . .

****

Candles flickered and danced about around the room at Will and Kate’s house. The pair lay stretched out on the sofa, holding each other close, music playing in the background creating a very romantic ambience.

"Oh, I wish we could stay like this forever," Kate dreamed, trying not to think about work the next day.

"Me too," Will agreed, as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Will and Kate were happier than they had been in a long time. They had come through so much, but the past events had brought them closer in a way that they could never have dreamed. They shared something; a history, an understanding, a life together that meant something. It may not have always been rosy, but now they were happy.

"More wine?" Kate asked stretching to reach the bottle that lay on the floor.

"Nah, I fancy something else," Will looked at his wife and she knew instantly what he meant. Pulling himself up he reached for her hand and they both stood, childlike grins developing across their face.

"Right Mrs Preston," he said hauling her into his arms, and she laughed at his effort to walk straight after drinking so much wine. "Time for bed."

"But, what about dinner?" Kate tried to look serious.

Before Will had a chance to answer, the phone started to ring.

"Oh no!" said Will. "I’m not on call tonight, leave me alone." He looked sulkily at the phone, but it didn’t stop ringing. Neither Will or Kate could ignore it. He lowered her to the ground and went to pick up the receiver. Kate could only hear his side of the conversation, but it sounded serious.

"Claire? . . . . . yeah . . . look, calm down! Are you hurt? . . . . . . . . .Have you called the police? . . . . .no don’t worry . . . .that’s fine . . . . I’ll be right over. Yeah, I’ll be with you in two minutes. Be careful!"

Will put the phone down and looked at his wife. The look on his face showed disappointment, but also a growing concern. He was worried about Claire, and Kate understood that he had to go.

"What’s happened?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"It’s Claire . . . she’s been attacked."

****

Claire saw the headlights of Will’s car turn into her driveway through a little hole that she had made between the curtains. She ran to the door to meet him, summoning tears on the way. It wasn’t hard. All she had to do was remember – something which she had been trying not to do for so long. The tears fell, taking over her body as she let the grief out.

Will was shocked by her appearance when she opened the door. Her hair, which was usually tied neatly and tightly back off of her face, whilst she was at work, was snagged and tousled as if she had been in a fight. Her eyes were dark and puffy; she looked exhausted and genuinely afraid. He had an overwhelming urge to comfort her.

"Will!" she cried falling into his arms, sobbing onto his shoulder. "I was so scared!"

"Shhhhh!" he soothed her, cradling her body to him.

Claire delighted in Will’s embrace. His strong caring arms encircled her body and she felt safe, warm and loved. It was exactly how she had imagined and dreamed it would feel. Will comforted her until her tears subsided.

"Let’s get you inside," he said worried for his new friend, as she stood trembling on the doorstep. He guided her and sat her down, "Look, you’re shaking."

"They just barged in Will," she said, almost believing the story herself.

Will looked around at the mess in the living room, "Did they take anything?"

"No!" Claire looked away and Will got the impression she was keeping something back.

"Claire? . . . What’s up? . . . . Do you know who it was? Do you know who did this to you?" he asked cautiously, trying to guess what her silence meant.

Claire looked back at Will, her eyes brimming with tears again as she nodded. "It was him," her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Him?" Will was confused by her statement. "Who?"

"My husband," she said, surprising Will, as he didn’t even know she was married, "I think he’s come to get me!"

****

Will had been gone ages and Kate was beginning to get worried. She sat alone, obeying his instructions not to leave the house until he knew things were safe. He promised he’d ring and let her know what was going on, but still there was nothing. She felt helpless, like she should have gone to help too, but Will had made her stay behind. Frightened of what it was he was actually going to walk into, Will had not wanted to risk Kate getting hurt. She could only wait to hear from him and hope that everything was alright.

****

"So why would your husband want to come after you?" asked Will, curious at what he had just heard, but uncomfortable about prying into Claire’s personal life.

Claire didn’t answer, instead she changed the subject, "You’re a nice guy, do you know that?" she said, making Will blush from her flattery.

"Thanks," Will coughed embarrassed. He tried to change the subject tactfully back to her husband, but she continued on her own conversational path.

"You’d never hurt anyone would you?" Claire asked smiling at Will.

Will was beginning to feel very uneasy, but he tried to keep his professional head screwed on. He half expected to see a devilish glow n Claire’s eyes, but she was distant.

"Did your husband ever hurt you Claire?"

"She slowly shook her head, "Can I kiss you Will?" She lunged at Will, taking a chance that she knew she would never get again. Her eyelids lowered as she moved in to make contact with his lips, but Will manoeuvred quickly out of the way. He had been taken completely by surprise.

"Claire? What’s going on? What the hell are you playing at?"

She looked stunned. "I like you Will! You’ve been very nice to me – I want to repay you for your kindness. I . . . Just say you love me too Will. Please?"

"I don’t understand. I’m sorry if I’ve given you that impression, but I can’t – I’m married Claire!"

"You’re are the nicest guy I have ever met. Kate is very lucky!" Claire sighed. "I s’pose you’re going to go and leave me now?"

"If you are going to be alright? Yes, I should go!"

"I don’t want to be on my own Will!" her melancholy was evident to Will and he began to wonder about what had actually happened that evening.

"Were you really attacked tonight?" he asked in a very subdued manner, so as not to disturb the young nurse.

"Yeah," she lied, but she put no effort into it. Breaking down in tears she admitted the truth. "I just (sob)…just can’t (sob)….go on anymore. I’m fed up (sob) of being on my own."

The tears fell and she had no longer had any control over her emotions. Will pulled her close and held her. She may have got him there under false pretences but she was upset and he wanted to help. He wanted to be there for her. "Do you want to talk to me about it?" he asked softly into her ear as he held her to him.

Her body relaxed in his embrace as she pulled away modding, not trusting her voice to speak. She needed to talk to someone. She had to let all of the pain out and be free from the memories, and this man was kind enough to listen. Will wanted to help and that was more than she had ever had from anyone else before. She trusted him with the truth, she only hoped he could trust her to be honest now that she had lied to him.

"I want to tell you …" she began, and as she told her story Will could see her relive the past all over again. It was a past that struck a chord with him and he understood her frustration. He understood it all to well!

The pain was etched on Claire’s face as she began. Will sat and listened, not wanting to push her, but wanting her to feel that she could talk about it all with him. He would not judge, he would not invade or interrupt her story with questions, he would just listen, let her get it all off of her chest.

Claire understood and did not feel pressured. She had wanted to let it all out before, but had never felt she could, so instead she had kept it bottled up inside. She had run from her problems instead of facing up to them and now it was time to release all of the heartache.

"I just want to love someone that loves me back. Like you and Kate – you’re soo great together, and Tom and Alex…. It didn’t work out, it couldn’t. A part of me wouldn’t let it, I guess," she fidgets in her seat.

"His name was Simon," she smiles at the memory of him. "I really wanted to love him, but I . . . not after dad."

A stray tear falls down her cheek and she wipes it away quickly with the back of her hand. "He used to hit me!" she said, her voice full of hate. "Not Simon," she added quickly. "My dad! . . . . Simon wouldn’t do that, but I could never trust him. I tried, but I just have this sort of fear of getting too close to a man, but really it’s the only thing that I want to be able to do."

Will took in everything she said. He placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, to let her know that everything was alright and she continued. The second part of her story brought back many memories for himself and he fought back his own tears, while Claire let hers fall.

"We had a child," she looked at Will as she spoke. "I wanted to prove that there was nothing of my Dad in me, that I could love someone. I thought it might bring us closer together and it did. Things were great, until she . . . .until she died."

Will felt the air being forced out of him. He hadn’t expected that and it had hit him hard. The full explosion of his feelings for Emily brought tears to his eyes and he couldn’t hide them from Claire.

"What’s up? What’ve I done? I’m sorry!"

"No Claire, it’s just that you reminded me of my own daughter. I’m fine – tell me about yours." He shivered, not from the cold but from the memory. He loved his daughter so much!

Claire hesitated, unsure of whether to continue. She had not meant to cause Will any pain and she didn’t want to carry on if it was going to hurt him some more. At the same time, she knew she had to finish what she was saying.

"It was my fault!" she stared at Will, wanting a reaction from him, but his face didn’t change.

"It was my fault Will, I let a little bit of my Dad creep into me. I didn’t hit her – I would never have done that, but I shouted at her. The last words my daughter heard me say were not nice Will," her body stiffened, wracked with guilt. "I’ll never forgive myself! My daughter died and she didn’t know that I loved her."

"What happened?" It was the first question that Will had asked.

"She ran away from me. . . . . straight into the path of an oncoming car," Claire closed her eyes as she pictured the scene. It was something that she had relived ever since it happened and she blamed herself entirely. The street, her words, her child, the car, the screech of the brakes, her baby’s scream and then silence, darkness, a blur.

Will comforted Claire, "It’s not your fault – you didn’t know what was going to happen. Kids play up, they . . . it wasn’t your fault!"

Claire lowered her head. It was the first time she had told the whole story to someone and now she felt exhausted. "I haven’t seen Simon since."

"He left you?" Will asked.

"No, I left him! I couldn’t face him blaming me."

Will thought about what happened after Emily died; how he hadn’t been able to be with Kate, how he had run away from it all. He realised that Claire was doing the same thing and although the circumstances were slightly different, Will believed that Claire needed Simon – now more than ever!

****

Claire stayed with Will and Kate. Will had explained everything and Claire was grateful for their hospitality; she had not wanted to stay alone and Will had not wanted to leave her there. Kate had understood. The story had touched Kate’s heart and she felt sympathy for the woman. It was an accident that had very tragic consequences, but the loss of a child was a hell of a punishment. Not a day went by when she didn’t think of Emily and she didn’t know where she would be without Will by her side.

A few days had passed. The others at work had not been told; Claire had not wanted them to know, not just yet anyway. She was still coming to terms with it all herself. Will and Kate had agreed, and they all tried to get through each day as normally as possible. Claire threw herself into her work; spending all her free time with her patients to take her mind off of things. To Will and Kate she seemed quiet and withdrawn, but they allowed her to get on with it all the way she wished. Everybody has a different way of coping with things – they assumed this was Claire’s.

Claire had thought hard about Will’s suggestion of getting in touch with Simon, but she always chickened out. She didn’t know how things would be between them if she suddenly turned up on the doorstop. Twice she had tried to call, but as soon as he answered she would put the phone down. His voice on the other end had seemed so close, but his heart was so far away. She longed for him to find her, to surprise her and say that everything was ok, but she knew deep down that it would never happen. Or so she thought!

"This meal is lovely darling," Will complemented Kate, as him, Kate and Charlie sat around the table eating.

"Yeah, really nice mum!" Charlie agreed.

"Thanks!" Kate smiled, "Claire’s is getting cold though."

"I think she’s still working," Will sighed. "Perhaps she can reheat it later."

"Any luck tracking down Simon?" Kate asked her husband, once Charlie had gone upstairs.

"I thought so, but it doesn’t look like it now. I left a message with his boss to get him to contact me, but I haven’t heard anything. Perhaps I never will. Perhaps he does blame her." Will hated to say it, but he was beginning to think it was true.

"Maybe," Kate agreed half-heartedly. She knew how Claire would feel if she knew they were trying to contact him, but then she remembered how she felt when Will had left her alone in America. It had been unbearable and she had a feeling that maybe Simon would care, if only he knew where his wife was. Together they made a silent prayer that Simon would call.

****

The next morning at the Beeches, Will and Kate arrived arm in arm.

"Hiya!" they beamed in unison as they saw Carol standing behind the reception desk.

"Morning," she replied, then moved closer to them and lowered her voice. "There’s a guy over there asking for you Will," she said in a whisper.

"Patient?" he asked.

"No, I don’t think so," Carol answered. "But, he doesn’t look very happy does he?"

All three glanced over at the man. He was tall and muscular with short dark hair. His furrowed brow and tired eyes added to the serious expression on his face. He had a familiar look about him, but neither Kate or Will recognised him.

"Oh, what’ve you been up to then," Kate said laughing as she nudged her husband.

"Nothing," he said bemused as to who the man could be.

He walked across to the man, who stood on his arrival. "Dr Preston?"

"Yes," said Will, "How can I help you?"

"Hi I’m Simon," the man extended his arm to shake Will’s hand. "I hope you didn’t mind me just turning up like this?"

****

Tom and Alex set off for the walk in the moors. They hadn’t understood where Will and Kate had been all day, but now that surgery was finally over they wanted to wind down. They deserved a bit of personal time and they loved the peace and quiet that could be found in the Peak District.

"I don’t think Claire’s been in either," Alex wondered. "Perhaps she’s been flirting with Will and Kate’s found out."

Tom laughed, slipping his arm behind her back as they walked.

"Maybe that’s why they haven’t been in today…. She’s seemed a bit strange lately."

"A bit quiet, I guess," Tom agreed, but his mind was somewhere else. Up ahead he could see a figure standing alone on the edge of a ravine. The wind was whipping the woman’s long hair about as they balanced, shivering on the edge of the little cliff.

Alex’s eyes followed his gaze. "That looks like Claire," she exclaimed.

Tom set off at a fast pace and as he neared the woman, he knew Alex had been right. He handed Alex his mobile, "Phone for help, I think she’s gonna jump….and call Will too."

Fiercely dialling the number, Alex watched nervously as Tom moved closer to Claire. He peered over the edge into the deep gorge below her. The Peak District was such a gorgeous place to live, but it held many dangers, especially when it was beginning to get dark. The hole was dark and threatening, as Claire tittered on the edge.

"Claire?" Tom called, making her jump slightly.

Her face turned around to meet his. It was tear stained; tears of pain, tears of grief, the tears of a child. Tom realised how vulnerable and scared she looked. Strange, he thought, how he had never noticed that distant haunting look in her eyes. She looked so different tonight, that Tom almost didn’t recognise her. Haggard even, her youthful looks were jaded by sleepless nights and constant worry.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"What does it look like." She spat back. "What do you care anyway?"

"Claire don’t do it," he shouted through the wind that was beginning to pick up. "Don’t even think about it."

Claire turned away from Tom as she lingered on the edge of the precipice, as she lowered her arms to leap, "Give me one good reason why not."

"Because I love you!" the voice was familiar, stopping her in her tracks

but Claire had never expected to hear it again. It was warm and caring, belonging to the man who fathered her child. She had not noticed Will, Kate and Simon arrive.

Claire stared at Simon, as if she couldn’t believe he was really there. She squinted at him, her eyes sore from crying, "What are you doing here?"

"I’m here because I love you Claire. I’ve never blamed you for what happened. It was a horrible, horrible accident. I loved our daughter and I miss her very much, but I miss you too. Come back to me Claire?"

Kate snuggled into Will, feeling chilly suddenly. Simon’s words were so real for her and Will. They lost each other for a while after Emily’s death; she remembered how lonely she felt, like nothing mattered anymore. But, she had had to get through it and now her and Will were together again. She only hoped that Simon and Claire stood the same chance.

"I dunno if I can," Claire said. "I don’t know if I can live with myself Si."

Tom and Alex watched from a short distance. Bits and pieces were beginning to make sense to them. They hugged each other close, as the tense situation continued.

"We could try again?" Simon had been afraid to make the suggestion, frightened that Claire would take it the wrong way.

"Have another baby?" asked Claire in disbelief. "You and me?"

Simon nodded slowly as he inched towards her. "Amy would have loved to have a brother or a sister, wouldn’t she?"

The edge of Claire’s mouth turned up slightly in a smile as she remembered her little girl. "Yes, she would."

The wind died to an insignificant breeze and it was now fairly dark. It was amazing how quickly it got dark in the hills. It seemed to happen in a matter of minutes.

"A baby won’t solve our problems," Claire finally spoke. "It won’t bring Amy back."

"But we can be together Claire, be there for each other!" he was pleading now. "I love you – I need you! We can help each other through this."

Claire shivered, "I love you too!" Claire whimpered, as Simon reached her side. One swift movement, and Simon had her in his arms, leading her away. "We are going to get through this!"

As Claire was led into the back of an ambulance, the others breathed a sigh of relief, allowing the tension to flow away. It had been a very tough ordeal, and could have gone either way. They were relieved that it had ended without anymore tragedy.

As they all walked away down the hill, Will and Kate filled Alex and Tom in on all the details. They were shocked by the story and felt guilty for pushing Claire away in the way they had.

"She just needed to feel accepted, I think," Alex mused. "Sounds like she’s been through a very tough time." Tom squeezed her shoulders as they marched back down the hill.

Kate leant against their car at the bottom and Will wrapped his arms around her. "I’m so lucky to have you," he said thinking about how he had walked away from his wife when she needed him most. "I’m sorry for the way I left after what happened with Emmy. I promise I will never do anything like that again."

Their lips met as they kissed under the stars and one star shone brighter than them all. Their angel was looking down on them and she blinked in the night sky, as her parents set off for home.

The evening had been eventful, but the new morning held hope for everyone. It would be a fresh start for Claire and Simon. It would be a long haul, but they knew their friends at the Beeches would stick by them.

A new dawn beckoned, a new life, a new beginning. Cardale was the place Claire had hoped it would be; she wasn’t going to run anymore. Cardale was home; it was the first place where Claire felt she had ever belonged and no matter what her past held, she was able to look to the future with a brighter mind. Her and Simon together. She shared in a happiness that she had only ever dreamed of before, a connection that she had admired in Will and Kate’s relationship. The child she had shared with Simon was the connection she had longed for but hadn’t realised it existed. As she held her husband close, she knew that connection would last forever no matter what happened. No-one could take that away from them. Their baby had been a part of them and she lived on in their hearts, forever.

THE END!