Author: Raven Shadowrose

Title: To Catch a Falling Star

Rating: M

Pairing: Dixie/Hannah, Jeff/Emilie, ?/?

Summary: A sequel to The Ties That Bind. What will happen to the Holby paramedics and their partners when a traumatic event tests the bonds of their relationships and friendships?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Casualty, any dialogue from the show belongs to the writers and I claim no ownership. All original characters and the story are my property and I do not give permission for them to be used.

A/N: There will be some chapters in this story that may upset some people, a warning will be placed at the start of each chapter that contains sensitive/upsetting material. Reviews are welcome :)

Thank you to BeethovenRIP, DixieandJeff forever, cenalover and olivia. c. king1 for your reviews, they are very much appreciated. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter Two.

Hannah stopped the car outside the house that Jeff and Emilie shared with Polly, she got out and closed the door behind her. Dixie got out of the other side of the car and waited until Hannah had put the alarm on. They went into the house and found Emilie sat on the sofa with Thomas and Elizabeth. Little Abs was lying on the floor, he loved the twins, and he wagged his tail when Hannah and Dixie came into the room. 'Hello Emilie, how have the twins been today?' Hannah asked as she stroked Little Abs.

'They have been just fine, they've had their tea and some warm milk. We've been reading stories, I think they are a bit tired now though.'

'Thank you for looking after them for us.'

'It's my pleasure, they are lovely children.' Hannah smiled and she sat next to Thomas, he immediately climbed into her lap and hugged her, she hugged him back and kissed his head. 'Mama.'

'Hello, my little one. Have you been good for Auntie Emilie and Little Abs?' Thomas nodded and smiled. 'That's my boy.' Hannah held Thomas close to her and she watched him yawn. 'I think my little man is tired, bath and bed for you when you get home.' Thomas shook his head.

'No, mama.' Hannah chuckled and she kissed Thomas on the head again, he was getting to be his own person. She loved that Thomas took after Dixie in many of his ways, she was beginning to see it more often as he grew up.

Dixie hugged Elizabeth, the little girl was yawning and rubbing her eyes. 'Almost time for bed for you sweet pea.'

'Mama, story.'

'You can have the princess story when you go home.' Dixie smiled, she loved it when the twins called her mama, it warmed her heart to know that the little ones loved her. She watched Hannah with Thomas, he was a very loving little boy, he liked to be cuddled. Being a mum made Dixie happy, her dearest wish had come true, and she was so glad that it had. Dixie stroked Elizabeth's hair, it had grown long and she loved it, her daughter was very beautiful. Jeff came into the room and Dixie smiled at him. 'If it isn't princess Elizabeth and prince Thomas.' Elizabeth gazed up at Jeff when he stood in front of her. 'Up,' Elizabeth said, and she held her arms out to Jeff, he picked her up and tickled her sides. Dixie smiled when Elizabeth giggled, Jeff loved the twins, and they loved him too. Jeff was the perfect uncle to the twins, he doted on them, he and Emilie were always happy to look after them if Dixie and Hannah wanted to go out for a while.

Hannah gave Thomas to Polly for a little while, Polly was an excellent auntie to the twins, she would often pop round to Hannah and Dixie's house just so that she could see them. 'Pol, having a baby on your knee suits you.'

'Do you think so?'

'Definitely, Thomas and Elizabeth love you. Are you feeling any better?'

'I'm not sure, every relationship that I have had hasn't worked out. I want to find someone that I can fall in love with, someone that wants me for who I am. I wish that life would go my way for once.'

'You will find that someone, I know you will.'

'Will I? I thought that I had that with Jay, then he decided that he didn't want to be with me.'

'Jay is an idiot, you deserve so much better. You are a beautiful woman Polly, one day you will find a man that adores you, one that wants you for who you are.'

'I hope you're right.' Hannah was mad at Jay, he had hurt Polly and she had been upset about it for some time now.

'I am, you deserve someone to love you.' Hannah hugged Polly and she hoped that she had helped her to feel a little bit better. 'Chin up Pol, we all love you.'

'Thanks Hannah.'

'You know that I am here for you whenever you need me.'

'I know, I think I am going to have a soak in the tub, I'll see you tomorrow.' Polly kissed Thomas on the head, she did the same to Elizabeth and then she left the room. Hannah watched Polly leave, she wished that she could take Polly's pain away for her.

Jeff also watched Polly leave the room, he was angry at Jay for breaking Polly's heart, he knew that she had loved him. 'Jay is lucky that he left Holby with Ruth, if he was here then I would punch him one for what he put Polly through.'

'Get in line mate,' Dixie said, Jeff heard the anger in Dixie's voice.

'She was so hurt after he left her, we came back here and she cried for a long time. I held her until she fell asleep, I don't know how he could hurt her like that.'

'I don't either,' Emilie said and she put her arms around Jeff. 'Thank goodness that there are men like you in the world, Jeff. Polly will be okay, she has all of you supporting her.'

'I hope you're right, Polly is putting a brave face on it all. I wish I knew how to help her feel better.'

'She needs time, a broken heart can only heal with time.' Jeff sighed, he knew that Emilie was right, Polly needed time to heal. He put his hand on top of Emilie's where it rested on his chest, he was glad that she was with him to help Polly. Jeff promised himself that he would give Polly hugs and bring her chocolate whenever she needed them, he would be there for her no matter what. Dixie, Hannah, and Cyd would be there for Polly too, they would look after her.

Dixie and Hannah said goodnight to Jeff and Emilie, they put the twins in their car seats and strapped them in securely. They drove home and switched on the lights and the heating when they got in the house, the nights were cold and Dixie and Hannah wanted the twins to be warm. Dixie ran a bath for the twins as Hannah got them undressed, she tested the water with her elbow to make sure that it wasn't too hot for the twins. 'Come on little pup,' Dixie said and picked Thomas up. 'Time for you to have a bath.' She carefully lowered Thomas into the water and supported him to keep him safe. Hannah put Elizabeth into the other side of the bath, bathing the twins together was a ritual for Hannah and Dixie. The twins were close as siblings, Hannah and Dixie hoped that they would stay close as they grew up. Dixie gently moved the sponge over Thomas and washed him with the baby body wash that she had bought. Elizabeth was getting the same treatment from Hannah on the other side of the bath, both of the twins looked content, they liked bath time.

Once Thomas and Elizabeth had been washed, Dixie and Hannah wrapped them in soft towels and carefully dried them both. They got the twins ready for bed and Hannah hugged Thomas close to her, she sat in the rocking chair and gently kissed his head. Dixie held Elizabeth in her arms and she stroked her hair. 'Once upon a time, there was a little girl, Ellie her name was, she lived in a house at the edge of the forest with her mum. The little girl made friends with the animals of the forest; the birds would sing with her and the squirrels sat with her and listened to her stories.' Dixie paused for a moment and then continued with the story. 'Ellie grew up and she looked after the little house at the edge of the forest for many years, her mum had died and Ellie was all alone. Ellie felt lonely, she wished on a star for someone to come to her and end her loneliness. One day, Ellie had gone out to get some blackberries for a pie when she saw some red fabric covering one of the bushes. Ellie rushed over and she found a man injured nearby. The man was barely conscious, Ellie helped him back to her house and she gave him a herb to help him sleep.' Dixie stroked Elizabeth's hair again, the little girl was almost asleep. 'When he was asleep, Ellie tended to his injuries, he had broken his leg when he had fallen off his horse. She secured his leg the best that she could and then left the man to sleep.' Dixie looked over at Thomas, he was sleeping in Hannah's arms.

'The man, David, woke up to find himself in Ellie's house, she was sat next to the bed. He asked Ellie what had happened, and told her that he was a prince and the heir to the throne of the kingdom. The prince had men out looking for him, his father and mother were very worried about him. David wanted to go home, his injured leg prevented him from doing so though. Ellie looked after David as his leg began to get better, she had noticed the way that David had begun to look at her.' Dixie smiled at Hannah, she hoped that Hannah liked her stories. 'Ellie was beginning to fall in love too, taking care of David had given her the time to get to know him. She was out getting some herbs when a white horse turned up in front of the house. David came out of the house and the horse went over to him, he stroked it and told Ellie that it was his horse from the castle. Ellie was sad, David could return to the castle, she didn't want him to let him go, she would miss him. David saw that Ellie was sad, he told her that he loved her and kissed her. He put Ellie on the back of the horse and took her to the castle where he married her and she became a princess. Ellie gave birth to a little girl and a little boy and they all lived happily ever after.' Dixie stood up and she put Elizabeth into her cot, she was fast asleep, Dixie kissed her head. 'Goodnight sweetheart, I love you.' She covered Elizabeth up to keep her warm through the night.

Hannah put Thomas in his cot, she kissed him goodnight and pulled his quilt up around his shoulders. She went to Elizabeth while Dixie wished Thomas goodnight, she gently stroked her hair and kissed her head. Hannah felt Dixie's arms move around her and she moved back into her embrace. 'Dixie, you tell wonderful stories,' Hannah whispered quietly.

'Do you think so?'

'I do. Come on Dixie, let's go to bed.'

'Sounds good to me, beautiful. I am happy that you like my stories.' Hannah and Dixie quietly left the nursery and checked the monitor was on to keep a check on the twins throughout the night. Hannah got herself ready for bed and she found Dixie already curled up under the quilt. 'Hey Dixie, you look cute all snuggled up like that.'

'It is nice and warm under here, come and join me.' Hannah smiled and she slipped under the quilt and into Dixie's arms.

'Dixie, do you believe in happily ever after?'

'I do, I found it with you.' Hannah smiled and she felt Dixie press a kiss to her forehead. 'I love you Hannah, always and forever.'

'Love you too Dixie, always and forever.' Hannah closed her eyes and snuggled herself closer to Dixie, she loved being in her arms.

Cyd knew that Polly was upset, she was putting on a brave face for all of their sakes. Polly had been very happy when Jay first asked her to go out with him. She had liked him from afar for some time, and for a while their relationship had gone well. Cyd sighed, why did life let some people down? Why was it always the nice people that ended up hurt? Jay had run back to Ruth and left Holby with her, Polly had been left behind to suffer with a broken heart. It made Cyd angry, Polly had been a good friend to her and she deserved some happiness. Cyd had tried to spend as much time with Polly as she could, listened to her when she needed to talk, and given her a hug when she needed one. Everyone had worked together to make sure that Polly wasn't alone. Cyd sighed again, she wished that Polly would be able to heal and find someone that deserved her. Dixie had wanted to go after Jay and give him a mouthful when she found out what he had done. Jeff wanted to hit him, Cyd privately agreed with Jeff, Jay deserved a good slap for what he had put Polly through. She shook her head, Polly needed their love and hugs to get through everything that she was going through. Hitting Jay wouldn't change anything, though it would make a lot of people feel a whole lot better.

Jeff knocked on Polly's door, she hadn't come back down after her bath and he wanted to make sure that she was all right. 'Come in,' Polly said from the other side of the door. He let himself in the room and closed the door behind him. 'Hey Pol, Emilie made some hot chocolate, I thought that you might like some.' Jeff handed Polly the cup of chocolate.

'Thanks Jeff.' Polly drank some of the chocolate and she wrapped her hands around the cup.

'Pol, are you all right?' Jeff sat on the edge of Polly's bed, he was worried about her.

'Yeah, I'm okay.'

'You know that I care about you Polly, we all do, we just want you to be happy.'

'I know, that means a lot, I love you all.'

'You are my Polly, I don't like seeing you sad.'

'I'm sorry Jeff, I feel like I'm letting you down.'

'You're not, it's okay to be sad. The only person that has let me down is Jay, he hurt you when he promised me that he wouldn't.'

'Was it me? Why didn't he want me?'

'It wasn't you Polly, it was him. Jay didn't want you because he is stupid, forget him sweetheart, you deserve a better man than him.'

'Can I have a hug?'

'Of course you can.' Jeff hugged Polly when she got close enough to him. 'Everything is going to be all right princess. You'll always have us, nobody is going to take us away from you.'

'I am glad to hear that.' Jeff just held Polly in his arms, he would give her all of the time she needed.

Polly was glad to have Jeff with her, she was hurting after Jay's betrayal of her, she had thought that everything had been going well between them. She didn't understand why he had suddenly abandoned her, then she found out from Tess that he was leaving Holby with Ruth. He had tried to explain, but she hadn't wanted to hear it. Polly closed her eyes, Jeff was warm and his embrace was comforting. 'Jeff, will you stay with me for a little while?'

'Of course I will.'

'Won't Emilie mind that you're here with me?'

'She doesn't mind, she knows what you're going through. Emilie wanted to hit Jay when she found out what he had done to you.'

'She wasn't the only one, I know that you wanted to as well.'

'I did, Dixie said that I wasn't allowed to do it.'

'I am glad that you didn't, I don't want you to lose your job.'

'Yeah, I know princess.' Polly rested her head on Jeff's shoulder.

'I'm tired.'

'Go to sleep Polly, you need to get some rest.'

'Will you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?'

'Of course I will.' Polly smiled and she got into her bed, having Jeff by her side made her feel so much better. She closed her eyes and tried to relax so that she could go to sleep.

Jeff sat by Polly's side, he had switched the light off and left her small lamp on, he held Polly's hand in his own and gently stroked it. He just watched her as she slowly fell asleep. Once Jeff was sure that Polly was asleep he quietly got up. He kissed her on the head and made sure that she was covered up by the quilt. 'Goodnight Polly, one day you will be happy princess.' Jeff switched the lamp off and left Polly's room, he shut the door behind him and went into his bedroom. Emilie was already in bed and she was reading. He sat down on the bed with a sigh and Emilie closed her book. 'That was quite the sigh, Jeff.'

'Yeah, Polly is so unhappy right now.'

'She will be all right, she has you looking after her.'

'Polly asked me to stay with her until she fell asleep.'

'It is the nights that are the hardest when you're suffering from a broken a heart, being alone makes it feel so much worse.'

'I don't know if I am helping her or not.'

'You are, having you by her side as she falls asleep is what she needs.'

'I hope so,' Jeff said quietly, he just wanted to help Polly get over her broken heart. Jay had betrayed Polly in the worst possible way and Jeff wished that he could make him suffer for it.

Emilie put her arms around Jeff and she hugged him, she knew that he wanted to help Polly. 'Jeff, I am lucky to have you. You're a wonderful man, your devotion to your friends and your children proves that. I hope that Polly finds someone as lovely as you.' Emilie kissed Jeff on the cheek and she rested her head on his shoulder. 'Come to bed Jeff, you've had a long day.'

'I have.' Emilie lay back on her pillow as Jeff got undressed and then he climbed into bed with her. She felt Jeff rest his head on her shoulder and she put her arms around him. 'Everything will be all right Jeff, I promise.' Emilie was happy that Jeff still wanted her to hold him from time to time, he cuddled up to her when he needed to be comforted. 'Will it?'

'Yes, in time, just keep being there for Polly when she needs you.'

'I will, I won't let her down.'

'You're a good man, Jeffrey Collier.' Emilie stroked her hand over Jeff's head, she knew that he was finding it hard to see Polly suffering. Jeff loved Polly like a daughter and he wanted the best for her. 'I love you Jeff.'

'I love you too Emilie.'

'Try and get some sleep.'

'Okay.' Emilie gently stroked her hand over Jeff's head and his back until he fell asleep in her arms. She pressed a gentle kiss to Jeff's forehead and listened to him breathing gently in his sleep. Emilie was certain that Jeff was asleep, she closed her eyes and soon joined him, she hoped that tomorrow would be a better day for them all.