"Don't say that Steven… I'm your dad!"
Ste pushes Danny and runs past him and out of the deli door. He can't believe that Danny is his dad. They almost slept together. No wonder he ran. Mind fuzzy with vodka and body numb with grief and heartache he stumbles down the road. Voices in head scream that he should be dead instead of Doug. They scream that Brendan only killed because him, Doug died because of him and the kids would be better off without him before he gets them killed. He stumbles up to the arch and stands there holding on to the wall and feels the icy air whip around his face.
He thinks about his life: the abuse from his mum, the death of his dad, him abusing Amy, Leah and Lucas, Brendan, Doug, Brendan again and ending with more Doug. Tears stream down his face and he grips the wall so tight his knuckles go eerily white and look like they could burst out of the skin. He takes a deep breath feeling dizzy from all the vodka and the few pills he managed to take before Danny came in. He tries to figure out what to do to end it all. He didn't get to overdose so now he's thinking he'll just jump off the arch and that'll be the end.
He climbs up onto the wall and stands there for a moment. He hears a familiar voice.
"Steven, you can't do this" It whispers with a thick Irish accent
Ste turns around looking for Brendan and remembers he isn't there. Yet the voice continues.
"Steven, go back to the flat"
"You must be mad it's burnt down… in fact I'm the mad one I'm talking to myself" Ste mutters
"Do as your told Steven!"
Ste sighs and gets down and wonders why "Brendan" is telling him to go to the wreckage that was once their shag shack. The cold air has sobered him up a little now and he walks on quickly to the flat. There's no one around as it's now safe enough to be left unattended. Ste stands there, hands on his hips and looks at the place that he had called home for 7 years. He thinks about all those wonderful memories. Ok there are a lot of bad ones but at the same time that was the place where he brought the kids up, that was the place where Brendan became a domestic house daddy and baked a cake with the kids. Ste gives a slight smile and a sniff at how he remembers Brendan singing I kissed a girl when he thought no one was around. He remembers the way him and Doug used to cuddle on the sofa with the kids and watch TV all morning on a weekend.
Suddenly his thoughts are side tracked as something shiny catches his eye. He climbs over some rubble and plucks the object out of the dust and rubble. It's Brendan's cross necklace. Well, his spare. The remarkable thing is despite the explosion it's completely intact and there's barely a speck of dust on it. He sees the spot where just an hour ago he cradled Doug as he died and he started crying again.
"Ste" A thick American accent whispers
"Doug?" Ste says looking around wildly and sure enough he can see him, but it's just a ghost, a vision of his crazed mind.
"Oh Ste, I knew you'd always go back to Brendan"
"What makes you think that?"
"Oh come on Ste, you hear his voice and you stop your suicide attempt and yet when I tried talking you couldn't hear me"
"You were there too?"
"Course. Now listen to me Ste. I'm not hear anymore and I obviously didn't get a chance to tell you my one final wish"
"What is it Doug? I'll do anything I promise!"
"Go see Brendan in jail. Tell him about your mum but don't mention the explosion just yet. He'll think your just using him if he finds out I'm gone"
"Why would I that?"
"You promised me you'd do anything. It's my last wish to you Steven and when he gets out I want you and him to look after Leah and Lucas OK? In the meantime you gotta stay strong for them. No more suicide attempts ok?"
Ste chokes on tears "Ok Doug. I love you" he whispers as Doug vanishes. Ste puts the cross necklace around his neck and vows to never take it off.
"Hey mate, there ya are, I've been looking for you everywhere" Ste turns to find Darren putting his arm around him. "Got worried you've got no where to stay so I came to tell you that you can stay with me and Sienna. Ste gets led off by Darren and he rubs the cross. Surely the cross surviving that was a sign? Now he just has to grant Doug's final wishes.