A/N: Abby tells her sister the news about her husband. But Rachel being Rachel, she's refuses to breakdown in front of her sister and instead is the strong one. Abby knows her sister all too well and asks the only person she knows Rachel would open up to to be there for her when her walls come tumbling down.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

"Rachel" Abby said, her voice fading away as she looked at her sister, "We need to talk".

The look on Rachel Morgan's face was one Cammie Morgan never wanted to see again. She smiled softly at her aunt, trying to give her strength to say the words that she could never say to her mother. As she left the room, the door closed with a soft click.

"Abby?" Rachel asked her sister, her grip on Joe's hand tightening slightly.

"Rach, sit down" Abby said.

"Why?" Rachel immediately shot back, though inside a small part of her knew why. But she refused to believe it. Not until she had proof.

"Rachel. Please" Abby said and something in her voice made the headmistress obey. Joe moved over, giving her space on the bed, their hands still interlocked. Abby sat next to her, holding her other hand as she looked at the both of them.

"Rach, I'm so sor... I have some bad news for you" Abby managed to choke out, trying her best not to start crying. Rachel just looked at her, face unchanging as she patiently waited for her sister to continue.

Abby looked at Joe and that's all she needed to do to tell him that Matt was gone. That he was dead. He squeezed Rachel's hand, trying his best to comfort her from the news he knew was to come. Abby was playing with her sister's wedding band, twirling it around the slim finger it so perfectly sat on. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked up at Rachel. She smiled sadly at Abby, knowing what she was going to say yet still there was that small part of her that was hoping she was wrong.

"Matt's dead" Abby said, not saying anything else because that's all she could say.

She expected her sister to fall to her knees and cry. She expected her sister to hug her until she succumbed to exhaustion. She was prepared to be the strong one this time. She didn't expect her sister to squeeze her hand and say, "I know".

"What do you mean you know?" Abby quickly asked, unsure what was happening to her sister. A tear escaped Rachel's eye, but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

"Because death was the only thing that could keep him from us" she said, looking at Joe who smiled, knowing it was true. Abby stared at the two of, they both knew all this time.

"I didn't believe it" she said.

Abigail Cameron never expected that she would be the one crying, falling into her sister's embrace as she let her emotions over take her. Silent tears streamed down the headmistress' face as she held her sister, closing her eyes as she felt Joe wrap an arm around her.

"I know Abs. I know" she whispered to her sister as she kissed her forehead.

"You were always the strong one Rach. Always" she said against her neck. Her only reply was to tuck a strand of hair away from her sister's face.

"It's gonna be ok" Rachel said as she felt her sister start to fall asleep in her arms.

"Rach come here" Joe said, moving so that there was enough space for the two women. Rachel laid down next to him, her sister in her arms. She felt another wave of tears threatening to fall. She hated seeing her sister cry. Ever since they were little she always did everything she could to not make that happen. Seeing her so weak and vulnerable...she had to be the strong one.

"When was the last time you got any sleep?" Joe asked her.

"I can't remember" she replied, feeling sleep tugging on her tired mind, not caring how ironic that statement sounded.

"You should get some, because your daughter will need her mother" he said and she was about to get up.

"Cammie" she said, thinking of how her daughter was taking the news.

"She's with Zach" Joe said and she knew that her daughter was in good hands.

"She'll come to you Rach. When she's ready" he added before grabbing his crutches, standing up and walking over to the couch. Rachel smiled, suddenly wondering when Joe Solomon became so wise before she drifted off to sleep.

It was 5 p.m. when Abigail Cameron woke up, having the best sleep she's had in a long time.

"Rach?" she asked, seeing her sister asleep.

"How are you feeling?" Joe asked from the couch, turning the volume of the TV down.

"Better" she said smiling as she got up. She made her way to the door, but stopped before opening it, turning around.

"Joe?" Abby said, causing him to look at her.

"She's not as ok as she says she is". A look of confusion crossed his face.

"She's doing all of this for me. For Cammie. Even in times like this she's still worrying about us" Abby said, looking at her sister, wondering what she did to deserve someone like her.

"Be there for her when she wakes up?" she asked because she knew when Rachel was alone, that was when all her walls would crumble down, leaving her with more pain than a single person could deal with, should deal with alone. Her sister would need someone. And Abigail Cameron knew Joe Solomon would be that person.

"Promise"

A/N: Part 2 will be coming up soon :) Reviews make my day! Please be nice