September came round as it did every year. A rustle of wind, temperatures cooling, leaves blowing off the treats. A flurry of activity at Horizon. New admits, new adventures, a new year. Sophie would be on maternity leave, meaning Kat was helping Charlie lead the cliff-hangers. Amari-her daughter was now 9 months old, crawling well and steadily learning how to stand up. Peter was learning how to balance work and fatherhood. Matthew was maturing and taking pride in being Amari's father.

The morning everyone went back to Horizon full time Sophie had an appointment with her doctor to check that James was growing well and that she was doing okay after giving birth to him. Sitting in the waiting room she jiggled James to keep him content when in the corner of the room she saw a familiar face.

"Frank?" She asked, going over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Sophie?" He greeted warmly. "And James." He paused. "You look just like your father." He told the baby.

"Frank. Why are you here?" Sophie asked more seriously, being able to tell her was avoiding the subject.

"I have Alzheimer's." He told her honestly. "I was going to wait until tomorrow to let everyone know." He paused and sighed. "I'm handing ownership of Horizon over to Peter on Friday." He told her the truth and then watched for her subtle changes in expression.

"Frank," She paused. "I'm sorry." Sophie had nothing else to say.

"It's okay, I've lived a good life and now my time on earth is coming to an end." He answered, having seemed to have accepted his fate. "Can you not tell anyone, until I've been into Horizon for one last time tomorrow?" He asked, not wanting people to find out from anyone other than himself.

"Of course I won't." Sophie promised, just as she was called in to see the doctor, pleased to find out that everything was going well with both her and James.

Meanwhile at Horizon the counsellors were greeting the kids back who had been home over the summer and meeting new admits. "Charlie!" Elsa greeted happily, running up and hugging her.

"Welcome back Elsa." She greeted, hugging her back. "How was your summer?" She asked, noticing that Elsa had lost weight.

"I've been slipping a bit." She answered honestly.

"Oh Else" Charlie replied sympathetically. "It's okay. We all slip. At least you're being honest with me and yourself.

"Yeah, I guess so." She responded hesitantly. "Have you been okay?" She asked.

"Yes Elsa, I've been good. I've felt free from it all recently."

"That's Amazing. I hope I get there one day."

"You will if you keep putting the hard work in. I promise." Charlie released the hug and wondered what had happened to cause Elsa to slip.

"Hopefully." Elsa responded where are the others?"

"Elliot and Ay aren't here yet but the others were in the common room last time I checked." Charlie replied. "We'll have group in about an hour."

"Okay." Elsa replied, happy to be back and scurried off into the common room to find Josh.

"Elsa!" Josh greeted happily. "Hugging her before checking no counsellors were in the room and then have her a passionate kiss. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Elsa told him, they were still hugging each other closely.

An hour later Kat and Charlie came into the common room with the new admit, Dylan. A 15 year old male, fairly tall with blonde hair. "Welcome back everyone." Kat welcomed. "This is Dylan. He is new to the cliff-hangers." She introduced him and then allowed time for everyone to introduce themselves. Lean was instantly attracted to the new admit, he felt awkward and uncomfortable and hoped his attraction wasn't showing as no one in the group knew he was gay and it worried him that if people found out he wouldn't be accepted. It's what happened in his school at home. People hid his clothes during gym, locked him inside lockers, scribbled across and destroyed his work. Once people found out his life became a living hell and he didn't want that again. He had just become comfortable.

"I need some air." Lean said, excusing himself from the group and going outside to sit by the lake where he felt peaceful and safe.

Kat and Charlie let him go, knowing that sometimes the kids needed some alone time and decided one of them could catch up with him in private after group. They both continued on with group and got the kids to discuss the summer just past and their aims for the coming school year. After the hour had passed, Charlie called Elsa to her office in order to get to the bottom of what happened over the summer whilst Kat went to find Lean in order to catch up with him about why he had left group.

"I thought I'd find you here." Kat greeted, sitting beside Lean. "What happened during group? She asked sensitively."

"I got really anxious." Lean replied honestly.

"Any reason why?" Kat asked, wanting to be able to help him.

"I'm gay and I like the new guy." He confessed, feeling awkward and dipping his head down to the ground.

"There's nothing wrong with being gay Lean." She told him warmly. "Does anyone else here know?" She asked.

"No I'm scared they won't like me anymore." He answered her, tears starting to fall.

"They'll still like you Lean." Kat paused for a second. "I know coming out to them may be a scary thought, especially after what happened at your old school but it'll be okay." She explained, trying to reassure him and let him know it was okay to be himself.

"I guess they will…" He said, tailing off and sighing.

"They will." She promised, knowing that after getting to know the group that would be the case. "You should tell them next group. That way me and Charlie will be there to support you." She suggested.

"Yeah, I guess." He paused "I'll try. I'm just scared."

"I know you are and it's perfectly natural to be scared but if there's one thing I'm sure about it's that it will all be okay." She reminded him, hoping it may lessen the fear.

"Thank you Kat." Lean replied, feeling a lot calmer now he had talked it through.

Meanwhile in Charlie's office Charlie invited Elsa to sit down on the couch opposite her. "What happened over the summer?" Charlie asked once Elsa had settled.

"Mom and dad got divorced, mom has no time for me, she's too focused on work to have time for anyone and dad started drinking again. He's a mess and I didn't know what to do with myself."

"Elsa, you could always have called." She reminded, handing her a box of tissues, being able to tell she would start crying.

"I know. I didn't want to ruin your summer." She said. "I understand you need time with your baby and everything."

"Elsa. You wouldn't have ruined my summer."

"I know, I just don't want to be a burden."

"You'll never be a burden honey." Charlie reminded.

"It feels that way at times."

"I know it does honey, but it's not true. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I guess, I'm glad to be back. I feel safe here."

"I'm glad. That's what we're here for."

"I know. Is it alright if I go now?"

"Of course it is Elsa."

"Thankyou." Elsa responded, getting up to leave Charlie's office before fainting.

"Elsa!" Charlie Exclaimed, checking she was breathing and she still had a pulse. Fortunately she was awake almost straight after she fell. "Elsa…" Charlie's tone of voice was caring, almost motherly in nature.

"Did I faint?" She asked.

"Yes. Have you eaten today?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm going to get you a juice and then I'm going to take you to the infirmary."

"Charlie, I'm sorry." She apologised between sips of her juice.

"It's okay." Charlie told her and walked with her to the campus doctor for a check up.

"Your blood pressures really low." The doctor told her.

"I know." She trailed off sighing.

"I'd like you to rest for the next couple of days so no activities." The doctor ordered.

"Okay." She agreed, not feeling in the mood for activities anyway.

At home that evening Charlie decided to go straight up to bed, not feeling in the best of moods after her day at work.

"Charlie?" Matthew asked and went into her room, bringing her dinner with him. "Are you okay?" He asked, knowing she wasn't as it wasn't normal for her to be so withdrawn.

"Not really."

"How about you tell me whilst we eat?"

"I don't want anything. But I could do with talking."

"Okay." Matthew agreed, knowing Charlie would eat her dinner at some point. "You don't mind if I eat, do you?"

"No not at all Matt."

"What happened at work?"

"Elsa's slipped pretty badly."

"I'm sure you'll get her back on track. You're a miracle worker Charl." Matthew answered. "We'll snuggle later."

"Thankyou Matthew." Charlie paused. "I know I'll get her back on track, I just wish I could have protected her more."

"I know. There's only so much you can do though darling and you need to try and not be so hurt by it because we can't have you getting sick again." Matthew told her, Charlie was his top priority.

"Thankyou Matthew." Charlie told him, hearing Amari cry and got up to get her a bottle as she knew she would want her night time feed before coming back and feeding her beside Matthew.

"She doesn't want you to get sick either." Matthew responded, looking at how natural she was at being a mother and how content Amari seemed.

"I won't get sick again." She promised him.

"Good, because we all love you."