Stacey lay in her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Bradley was gone FOREVER. The lover of her life, the one person she could truly open up to, let her hard extior melt away, was GONE forever and she would never be happy again. Half of her heart had genuinely been ripped out. It was the morning after that fateful night. Stacey never closed her eyes. She half expected for Bradley to come into the room, lie down beside her, wipe away her tears and rock her back and forth saying that he was alright and that he was never ever going to leave her again. And it was all her fault that Bradkey was gone forever. Why? Bradley didn't kill Archie, it was Stacey. All she wanted was for Bradley to come into bed with her, kiss her, wrap his arms around her an
She had horrible flashbacks about that night. She'd rushed up to the Vic, calling Bradley's number and frantically telling him police were everywhere. She remembered Bradley screaming her name 'Staaaace!' - and the fear in her eyes as she looked up and her heart started beating frantically. Bradley was walking along the roof with a police-man hot on his tail. He stood up and looked horrified as he saw Stacey looking up at him terrified. 'Staace, ruuun!' he yelled, just as he lost his balance and plunged to the ground.
'Bradleeeey!' Stacey screamed in horror and rushed towards where Bradley was lying, horrified. A police officer grabbed her. 'Get off me!' she screamed. 'Bradleeeey!'
Max was stopped by a police-officer as he ran towards his son. 'Let me see my son!' he demanded tearfully and finally broke free. He then saw his son, lying in a pool of blood. He was dead. 'Oh no! Oh my God, Bradley!' he broke down and threw up at the site of his son's lifeless body.
Stacey ran up and turned Bradley over. 'Bradley!' she screamed, tears streaming down her face. She was dragged off his body by a police officer, crying. Jack rushed up, opening crying. A police officer came towards Bradley. 'Leave him alone!' Jack sobbed.
Max did his best to calm Stacey down.
Residents came pouring out of the Vic and their faces registered horror as they saw Bradley lying in a crumbled heap.
A tearful Max did his best to calm Stacey down.
'Bradley didn't do it Max!' she wept.
'Ssh, stace, I knew he didn't do it!' Max sobbed.
'No, you don't understand!' Stacey's voice shook.
'Bradley didn't do it! It was me. I killed Archie. It was me!' her voice has resorted to a tearfull whisper as she looked at Max's stunned face and broke down completely, tears gushing down her face, like a water tap.
Now, Stacey couldn't produce any tears. She hadn't cried since Friday. She had spent the weekend locked in her bedroom, wearing her wedding dress with the curtains pulled. She hadn't let anyone in, not her mum, not Becca, not her Uncle Charlie, nobody. All she wanted was Bradley. She would do anything for Bradley to walk through her bedroom door and for it all to be a horrible, horrible dream. She was utterly devastated. She felt as if her heart had been completely ripped off. Tears glittered in her eyes, but she couldn't let them fall. She didn't feel anything. All she felt was emptiness and sadness. She couldn't admit to herself that the love of her life really had been ripped away from her. If she took off her wedding dress, it would be like admitting Bradley really was gone and she was in no state to cope with that, she just couldn't accept Bradley was gone, she feared if she did, she would break down uncontrollably and never be able to stop crying. She knew she had to be strong for her baby, but without Bradley, the task seemed impossible. Upstairs, when Bradley and Staey were plotting their getaway Stacey had tearfully told her new husband she had killed Archie and that Ryan was the father of her unborn baby.
She had broke down, but Bradley had comforted her and promised her everything was going to be ok, he'd take the rap for Archie's murder. That's why Bradley had screamed at Stacey to run before he fell. He died saving the girl he loved and that broke Stacey's heart.
'Why didn't I just turn myself in?!' she thought in anguish as she wrapped her hands tightly around Bradley's blue, green and purple wooly jumper. She inhaled deeply. It still smelled strongly of him.
'Stace?' Jean knocked gently on the door. 'Stace, please, can we come in. It's just me, Charlie and Becca, darling. Please open the door, Stace, we're all terribly worried, please darling' Jean pleaded anxiously.
Jean hadn't seen Stacey since Friday night, when Becca broke her devastated friend home. Stacey's expression was blank and as Becca explained what had happened to Bradley, tears filled Jean's eyes and she held out her arms. Stacey took one look and collapsed in them, sobbing.
All Jean could do was soothe Stacey and hug her tightly. There were no words that could comfort Stacey, all she wanted was Bradley.
15 minutes later, they were still crowded outside the door. Becca whispered to Charlie, 'Charlie, I'm really worried about Stace, you're gonna have to force the door open.'
'I know, love' Charlie said softly. He went downstairs and came back a few minutes later with a crowbar. Just as he was about to force the door open, it flung open and Stacey greeted them, her hair greasy,her face pale, wearing Bradley's wooly jumper and trackjuit bottoms and runners. She hadn't brushed her hair, she couldn't give a toss about her appearance. Why did it matter. Bradley was _. She couldn't bear to even whisper the word 'dead'.
'Sorry I didn't open the door, mum.' she said hoarsely, her expression blank, her eyes displaying no emotion. Jean, Charlie or Becca had no clue as to what emotion Stacey was feeling or what she was thinking. She was impossible to read. 'Oh, darling!' Jean's eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around Stacey and hugged her. Stacey rested her head on her mum's shoulder but betrayed no signs of grieving.
She drew back. 'I want to go to the hospital to say a final goodbye to Bradley' she said softly.
'Of course, sweetheart!' Jean gave Stacey a watery smile and tucked her daughter's long hair behind her ears.
'I want to go now.' Stacey continued. 'Of course, love, I'll get the car ready' Charlie announced kindly, squeezing Stacey's shoulder supportingly.
A few minutes later, Stacey trudged out of the house slowly and got into the backseat of the car accompanied by Jean and Becca. Jean turned to her daughter to offer words of comfort of some kind, but Stacey turned her back to her mum and best friend and stared out of the window, looking up at the sky. The sun was blinding her and she blinked. 'It should be raining' she said blankly. Jean nodded and patted her daughter's lap. Finally, the car drew up at the chape of rest and Stacey climbed out, looking around. A priest stood at the entrance and came up to Stacey, Charlie, Jean and Becca. 'I'm terribly sorry for your loss' he said kindly to Stacey and shook her hand. Stacey didn't say anything, only stared at him blankly.
'You'll be able to see Bradley in one moment, I'll come and get you as soon as possible' he said. Stacey sat numbly down on a bench. 'Shall, we wait here?' Jean asked her daughter, squeezing her head. Stacey shook her head. 'No Mum, you and Uncle Charlie and Becca can walk around the place, I want to be on my own when I say goodbye to Bradley' Stacey said lowly.
'I understand darling' Jean gave her daughter a reassuring smile and kissed her on the forehead. Charlie nodded kindly at her and rubbed her shoulder gently. Becca hesitated. 'Stace, are you sure you're going to be ok, I can stay' she offered. Stacey shook her head. 'You go with mum and Charlie, Bec, please' Becca nodded, hugged Stacey and trailed behind Jean and Charlie, darting one last look back at Stacey.
Stacey took her red shoulder bag from her shoulder, rooted in it and produced her camera. She turned it on and clicked the buttons until she came to the video of her and Bradley's wedding day. It was when her and Bradley were coming down the steps. She pressed play and watched.
She and Bradley had kissed and Bradley was leading her down the steps. They both looked so much in love and Bradley gripped her hand protectively. Stacey giggled and beamed as Jean and Charlie threw confetti over them as they emerged from the church, her and Bradley still holding hands. They had been so happy, Stacey remembered feeling the happiest she had ever been, it had been a small ceremony, but that was all she ever wanted. The people that mattered most in the world was there. She could see Bradley staring at her, and she could see he was besotted with her and she was besotted with him. The look of the love they gave one another and the way he had held her hand so protectively, showed that. To think they had been blissfully unaware that on her wedding night, Bradley would die.
Stacey started to weep, as her emotions finally caught up with her. She switched the camera off and put it in her bag, wiping her tearstained face.
'Stacey?' the priest approached her gently.
She looked up at him, her eyes red rimmed. 'You can see Bradley now' he told her softly.
She nodded and followed him as he led her to Bradley's room. 'I'll leave you to mourn your husband alone' he whispered kindly and walked off. Stacey opened the door, her eyes shut tightly. She opened them and thought she was going to be sick. 'Bradley!' she let out a choked up sob.
Suddendly all of her emotions burst out like a pipe burst. She began to shake uncontrollably and ran towards Bradley, crying hysterically. 'Bradley!' she wept again. 'Please, no! Bradley!'
Bradley's lifeless body lay on a hospital bed, his whole body up to his chest was covered with a white sheet. His skin was ghostly pale, his eyes snapped shut.
Stacey's body was shook with sobs that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Her stomach felt sick and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
'Bradley, no please, Bradley, wake up!' she begged, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She kneeled down and reached under the sheet to find Bradley's hand. She curled her fingers around it. His hand was colder than ice. She sobbed harder. 'Bradleyyy!' she wept, more tears glittering in her eyes. 'Bradleyy, why you?!' she cried. 'It should be me Bradley, it should've been me that fell off the roof that night Bradley, not you! I was the one that killed Archie Bradley, and you were willing to risk your freedom for me Bradley, that was the kind of bloke you were Bradley, so sweet and kind. Oh Bradley, how can I go on without you?! You're the love of my life!' Stacey wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her head on Bradley's chest.
Her voice was thick with emotion. Tears still spilling down her cheek, her whole body shook as she planted a kiss on Bradley's lips. They were ice cool. Suddendly, Stacey became overcome with grief. She let out wracking sobs, crying uncontrollably as she fled Braldey's room and fleed from the mortuary. She saw her mum, Uncle Charlie and Becca sitting on the bench. 'Oh Stace!' Jean said anxiously. Stacey sobbbed and ran far away from the church, stumbling down the pathway. She had to get away. There was no way she could face life in Walford without Bradley.
Still crying uncontrollably, she ran and ran and ran. Finally, she came into Walford, after half an hour. She put a hand to her mouth to stifle another sob that was threatening to burst out of her.
She raced inside her house and rushed upstairs, breathless and weeping as she grabbed her suitcase and stuffed clothes, runners and socks into it. She pulled out a drawer and wept as she threw a pile of Bradley's jumpers in. Finally, she grabbed the silver framed photo of her and Bradley beaming at the camera on their wedding day.
She sobbed harder and kissed it tenderly and placed it inside her suitcase. She then zipped it up and grabbed it as she stumbled tearfully down the stairs and out the door.