Moved to "Highlander" because it seems that that will be the more prominent fandom.

CHAPTER 1

Shivering, Ashley tried to button up her jacket without letting the umbrella slip. When her numb fingers had managed to do so, she looked down at the crouched figure of her mother trying to concentrate on the mundane things before her.

The way her mother's jacket touched the ground, soaking in the wet grass. The way the rain dropped from the sides of the umbrella and how she needed to hold it so her mum wouldn't get any wetter.

Ashley couldn't help but think how fitting it was that the weather had decided to take a turn for the worse. She inhaled deeply and tried once more to concentrate. She knew if she let her mind wander, she would dissolve into tears.

Determined to be strong she focused on her mother draping roses beneath the headstone. Standing up straight, her mother glanced at her, trying to see if she needed support, but not wanting to intrude into her thoughts. Ashley averted her eyes, afraid she would lose composure.

Mother and daughter stood silently besides the grave of their beloved husband and father. It had been a year since his car had crashed, but still both of them felt the void his absence had left them with more than clearly.

Blinking back the rising tears, Ashley looked at her mother again. She touched her hand implying they should leave. The older woman pulled her daughter into an embrace. Walking closely together under the umbrella, they made their way up the walkway to the parking lot.

Back at the house, Ashley turned on her stereo and the warm tones of a saxophone filled the room. A smoky voice began to sing the blues as she sat down on the bed. The memory of her father listening to this kind of music in front of the fireplace washed over her. Clutching her pillow she let the tears stream down her face.

"Ashley, do you want some tea?" The voice of her mother reached her through the closed door.

Hastily dabbing at her eyes with the corner of the bed sheet she tried to regain her composure. "I'll be down in a minute."

She didn't want her mother to see she'd been crying. She felt she had to be strong, especially since her brother wasn't much of a help. At least not in the past year. The thought gave her some measure of focus, as anger usually did. No, Mum surely doesn't need another Joey.

In the bathroom, she splashed her face with cold water, hoping to remove any trace of her breakdown.

Downstairs, Rita Brennan set two cups on the table. She hadn't even bothered asking Joey if he wanted some tea, too, knowing she would be lucky if she saw him at all. He had taken to leaving his room only when it was absolutely necessary – for school, to go out with his friends or for dinner if he couldn't find an excuse to stay away. Ever since Frank had died, he'd retreated more and Rita was unsure of what to do.

She'd tried forcing him to participate in family life, but that approach had resulted in more arguments than she could bear. She'd tried offering him a shoulder to cry on or at least an ear to hear out what it was that bothered him so much, but he'd refused to talk pretending there was nothing to talk about.

She'd also tried grounding him, but after a while she got convinced that if he wouldn't confide in her, he might talk to his friends and taking that away couldn't be healthy for a boy his age either. No matter what she tried, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Seeing the watery gleam in her daughter's eyes as she came down the stairs confirmed Rita's suspicion. Ashley had been crying and judging from the fresh make up around her eyes didn't want her mother to know.

"Is everything all right?" Rita asked.

Ashley stared at the tea pot, avoiding eye contact. "Sure... It's just the rain and the date that's wearing me down a bit. " She knew she had to give her mother something, but she wasn't going to pour her heart out.

Rita nodded with a weary smile. "One year already..." She left the sentence hanging between them, unfinished like so many things had been when her husband died.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to be disrespectful to the others reverie. Finally, Ashley couldn't bear it any more. "At least today, Joey could show some support. I mean, it was his Dad just the same. How can he be so cold?"

"Maybe it's his way to deal..." Again the sentence was left unfinished. They'd discussed this a thousand times before and just because it had been exactly one year since the accident the outcome wouldn't be any more insightful.

Rita reached behind her where a stack of college brochures sat on the counter. She smiled at her daughter as she passed them to her. "Have you had a chance to look at these yet?"

Ashley kept her face neutral while she cringed inwardly. She hadn't bothered looking at them because she knew what her Mum would have picked out for her: business schools, law schools and even some science stuff.

"I haven't had the time, yet, with school being so busy." She left her excuse vague hoping her mother would fill in the blanks herself.

"I see."

Ashley could see her Mum was a bit disappointed. Evidently she'd hoped by talking about the future they could at least temporarily forget the past and the present right along with it.

"I'll look through them over the weekend", she promised, knowing that wouldn't make things much easier. Especially since she had no idea what she actually wanted to do after graduation. She just knew that a career in any of her mother's favourite fields was not it.