Disclaimer: I own nothing, not the story nor characters! NO SUE DA SKINT GIRL!! Thanks :)
Summary: Abby Mills is still on the verge of moving on with her life, when she's called to come and pick up Henry's possessions left solely to one person. Abby herself.
Author's note: This story will not be long, and no idea on updates sorry :p I'm thinking three chapters at most, maybe less maybe more.
Abby's hands clenched and unclenched slowly in her lap before laying flat against her jeaned legs. She took in a long breath of air, and once again stared around the office. The dark brown walls felt nice to look at, it was a comforting and warm place. Abby could only feel trepidation though at the thought of what called her here.
Henry Dunn.
He was in her life always pulling her somewhere and she hated it! Made her feel sick inside and she hated that too. Only months had gone by since that day on the Island when Abby had lost her friends and loved ones to yet another bloodbath. This one caused by the man she trusted more than anyone else in the universe. She closed her eyes to try and block the memories once more as they played around in her mind. Henry's face as he looked at her, desperate for her to understand, to love him. . .
She had, loved him that is. Abby could never understand however, and that was what made everything now so difficult. Now she was here in this place waiting to speak to a Mr. Trevor about her best friends 'Will'. She hadn't known Henry had a Will in the first place; he'd never discussed it with her.
She was startled out of her thoughts as her bag rang and vibrated within, pulling out her phone to see the name 'Jimmy' flashing on the screen. Without thinking Abby turned the Cell off and placed it back inside the pocket, sighing. Sometimes, she couldn't deal with his need to know everything, and this was something Abby had to do alone.
Ever since the incident, as she liked to call it, Jimmy Mance had been there day and night and the two of them were certainly an item. When you go through a life or death ordeal with another it tends to bond you with them in some way, and since she and Jimmy had kind of got together again as all the horror's unfolded around them it had seemed right to continue with the relationship. Abby clenched her hand once more.
Relationship.
Had she really been in the right place to make that choice? Had he? Some days Abby felt a co-dependency between them rather than love. Maybe it was still too soon to tell, they had history after all and things were always going to be confusing.
"Ms. Mills? Mr. Trevor will see you now." The receptionist smiled reassuringly in her direction. This was a place that no one wanted to find themselves in. Abby nodded and sent a small thanks, before standing and walking to the door, hand ready to knock. The investigations of Harper's Island and everything that had come to pass there took 11 months precisely and in that time Abby had seen shrinks, Policemen, Detectives and Doctors and now she was here. To see a Solicitor of all people.
Letting her hand knock twice, Abby waited and opened the door once invited in. Mr. Trevor, a tall and wrinkled man held out one large hand and shook her own small one, smiling. "Please, take a seat!" He pushed out the back of his jacket suit and sat, pulling his own chair under the desk. Abby looked at the large seat next to her and sat down carefully, hair falling into her eyes momentarily.
"I'm sure you're wondering exactly what Mr. Dunn left you, and why you're here today." He waited for Abby to nod before continuing. "Well to be completely blunt with you Ms. Mills, Henry left you everything in his apartment, of course we had to retrieve his things previously as the lease was over. I am sure you're aware that he'd planned on not returning there after the...a..the wedding." Mr. Trevor coughed and Abby winced. 'Great even he's uncomfortable with this'.
"The fact is Henry himself came to me a few months before to talk about his Will and to write it up. Had said it was assurance, just in case. I hadn't known what he was talking about but being that isn't my job I'd accepted to oversee the entire procedure. Now, we just need you to sign a couple of papers before being allowed to take anything, and of course we need proof of identity. Did you bring anything with you?" Mr. Trevor's face scrunched up at her, and Abby felt numb just listening to his words. Realizing she was required to answer and provide, the young woman jumped to it.
"Oh U-uh yes of course, sorry. Um..." opening her bag Abby pulled out some mail addressed to herself, a passport and a couple other documents she'd received from the firm prior to the appointment. Abby didn't drive, so that was all she could offer him, but he seemed pleased with the papers in front and pulled out the things for her to signature. Her hands shook as she grabbed the pen and by the third signature the palms of her hands were sweating. All Abby could think about was what Henry might have left to her.
All the things she knew he owned ran through her head but she also knew he'd brought a lot of things to the Island with him for the- she paused. Right, so there shouldn't be much to hand over. It took a while but once done, Abby sat back as a large box was placed on the desk by the receptionist. Mr. Trevor thanked her, before turning his eyes back on the brunette. "This is it; you're officially allowed to do whatever you like with these things." He smiled as she stood up, and just when Abby was going to lift the box he said. "Oh and Ms. Mills?" Abby glanced at him.
"Yes?"
Mr. Trevor pulled out a white envelope and slipped it on top. Abby's heart jumped into the pit of her stomach as she recognised the most familiar handwriting ever, her name scrawled plainly. "He left this with me, for you." She nodded mutely before turning around and walking out the door.
It was hard to carry the box out of the building but somehow Abby managed it, not without bumping a few people along the way. Once outside she called for a Taxi and waited, staring back up at the structure in front.
Everything felt so strange to her now in a way they never had done before. When her mother had been killed by Wakefield Abby had been angry and afraid. She'd held a certain type of emotion within herself for a very long time and also resentment to her father. Now; it was all different. This time after coming back from Harper's Island, Abby felt afloat. So many deaths, so much loss, too many revelations. Her whole world and everything she'd known a lie? Something had to change within and now...
Taking in a long breath the woman could only shake her head. 'Too much thinking, its driving me crazy.'
It took at least twenty minutes for the Taxi to arrive, and he helped her with the box into the trunk as Abby slid into the back seat, holding onto that white envelope. She barely noticed telling him where to go and for the whole journey pretty much stared down at her name written in black ink.
Henry's face played in front of her eyes and Abby shook her head to rid herself of him. The drive home was certainly uneventful. Usually she'd find herself with chatty men who wanted to crack jokes but not this guy. Maybe he could tell she needed to be alone? No he was probably hoping she wouldn't notice as he took her the long way home.
It didn't matter.
Arriving at her apartment the driver asked for fifteen dollars and then got out her box...no Henry's. It wasn't her box. "Thank you." He grinned cheekily and Abby knew he thought she wouldn't have known his little driving stunt. Sometimes she really enjoyed not having to drive around the City and become one of those people who screamed at the traffic. Others..
Well it was a much better alternative in Abby's eyes.
Turning to go inside she heard as her neighbour argued another months' rent. 'Again? He certainly won't be staying much longer, Mrs. Gardner will have him out by the end of next week I'm sure.' It amused her how often people came and went around this street. It was one of the better places to rent yet people seemed to still mess her patient land lady around.
Ascending the steps, Abby made her way into the second floor Apartment with relative ease, only setting the box down to open her door and walk inside.
"Jimmy?"
No answer. Abby tried again but the place was silent, she was thankful for that. It would take her a little while to work up the courage to peek within the box.
Setting it down on the large wooden table the brunette walked around, taking off her coat, getting a mug of coffee and pottered about reading the mail and making phone calls. Bills were paid, appointments were made and she even managed to clean the kitchen, something that was done usually after hours putting it off.
Then, sitting down on the soft couch, Abby stared at the brown and large object she'd avoided for the last three hours. She tapped her fingers on her knees. Watched a bird fly past her window. Listened to the tap drip slowly.
"This is ridiculous; it's just a box full of stuff." Puffing out air through her nose, Abby grabbed it and opened the top. Inside the first item she found stuffed on the very top was a purple bear. It was worn and ugly, dirt and dust caked the fur and his eyes were scratched but she knew and remembered that stuffed animal so well it almost made her close the lid again.
That bear was won at a carnival just 9 years ago before everything fell apart. Henry often visited the Island as a trip but sometimes Abby went over to see him and get a break from her parents and life on the Island. You'd think living on one would make things pretty simple but, sometimes...every teen has their issues. So it was on one of these rare visits that Henry had taken Abby to a carnival.
He'd been teasing her about the shot game and saying that ever since dating Trish he'd taken shooting lessons, a Wellington requirement. Henry wanted to show her how good he'd gotten and Abby had jumped at the chance to laugh at her best friend. The handsome male took up his 'gun' and taken down three of the five. She'd laughed, secretly impressed by this and then stupidly said she would have done better.
Henry smiled and passed her the fake gun and said "Well then if you can do better I'd love to see it." He had raised those eyebrows and waited as Abby grabbed it from him and looked at the targets. They seemed more intimidating then and she hadn't been so confident once standing there. Still Abby was never one to back down and she had hit four! None in the centre and it got her a measly little present. She'd chosen the raggedy purple bear and given it to her best friend as a 'reminder'.
"I never need reminding at how awesome you are Abbs."
Abby reached over and grabbed the stuffed bear, pulling it out and setting it down. This would be harder than she had convinced herself it would be. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself otherwise, the female just knew Henry would remain lodged in her heart and memories for all the days she lived on. Still Abby knew somehow that this had to come about; she couldn't just keep locking him away and refusing to think or remember him.
Getting up some more courage for the next item, Abby pulled out a Pen she'd given him. It had his name etched onto the silver. For a moment it occurred to her that all these things in here might be the memories he'd put aside to collect another time not wanting to upset his Fiancé with dragging items that remind him of his best friend around. 'Best friend'. She still thought of him like that, of their relationship ...he was her half brother! Heat coursed through her, eyes beginning to sting painfully.
Closing those eyes, Abby waited a few minutes to calm herself down. This was no good, she'd have to continue it another time. Pulling out the letter from Henry she put that inside the box and returned the other items too. This would be put in a cupboard and then she'd return to it in a few days. The tears were already welling up!
'One step at a time.'
Ooooooh what is in that letter? I want to know!! Come back to find out, hehe.