A/N: I know that I've been focusing on Lydia for quite a while but this will be the last chapter with her storyline as I feel this is where I need to end it but I defiantly have some more ideas concerning her. Also I'm going to introduce two new storylines as well this chapter. Also a thank you to ArtisticCreation for you review and you'll just have to wait and see. If anyone has any storyline ideas, please don't be afraid to suggest them to me as I will try to use them.
Chris went home with Megan and Lydia in the car. Megan opened up the front door and Alice ran out to hug her. Megan carried her inside. Chris put his arm around Lydia.
"You'll be fine. Let's get in and get settled before we tell her." Chris reassured Lydia.
"Thanks…dad." Lydia said softly.
Chris and Lydia walked in to the house. Chris shut the door behind him when Nicole came out of the kitchen to say hello.
"Lydia seems in good mood. She is usually rather depressed after spending a trip home in the car with you." Nicole said as she hugged Chris.
"Shall we say me and her had a chat earlier and bridges have been built and no longer hates my guts." Chris said as they walked into the kitchen.
"That's brilliant." Nicole said as she carried on stirring the sauce in the pan.
Alice ran into the kitchen. "Daddy, can you help me? I don't get my maths homework?"
Chris picked up Alice back into the living room and sat Alice on his lap and put her homework book on her lap. They sat and worked through her homework on money. Chris treasured these moments with Alice. Having two teenage daughters was fine but they didn't want to spend time with him so he wanted to spend as much time with Alice as possible.
"How was school today anyway?" Chris asked as Alice carried on working through her homework.
"It was good. Me and Maisie had to look after a new girl in our class today." Alice said proudly.
"Really? What was her name?" Chris asked.
"Mae. We also met her twin sister who is Dolphins class with Mrs Apps. She was called Bonnie." Alice said happily as she moved the book off of her lap and snuggled into her dad. Chris sat and stroked his daughter's hair.
"I hope you looked after Mae and Bonnie and set the right example." Chris said.
"Of course we did. Miss Mitchell said she was super impressed with how well that we'd look after her." Alice said again proudly.
"Dinner!" Nicole called through to Chris and Alice.
Everyone for the first time in a very long time was sat around the table laughing and joking about their day. It seemed the happiness had been restored to the family. Chris and Lydia glanced at each other from across the table. They both knew that this happiness wouldn't last all night because of what they were going to have to tell Nicole later on. Everyone cleaned their bowls. Megan took Alice upstairs to have a bath. Chris and Nicole were loading up the dishwasher, when Lydia came into the kitchen.
"Mum, can I speak to you in the living room." Lydia said balancing on her crutches. Nicole and Lydia went into the living room. Chris followed and began working at the other end of the room. So Lydia knew he was there but not getting in the way of her telling her mum.
"Mum I have to tell you this no matter if you believe me or not. Please don't get angry at whatever I say to you. I'm also going to tell you know that Chris knows but he only found earlier today and I didn't want him to tell you as I needed to come from me. When dad was alive and he come home he used to abuse me when you weren't around but only did it in the spots where bruising wouldn't show. He hated me, he even once said that to me, he said I was an accident and mistake and never should have happened. He hated the thought of having children because it would ruin his life and your relationship with him because you would be more focused on looking after me than on him. I have always covered it by hating Chris because I thought that he was replacing dad because deep down I knew he loved you and made you happy and that's all that matter to me. The truth is at first I didn't trust Chris because I thought he'd be the same. But, when me and Chris had our chat about this earlier I realised that he made you happy and that he cared for you as well as me despite the fact that I'm not even his real daughter. Chris is the best dad a kid could ask for and I'm glad to have him as my step-dad and is one of the best men that I have ever met. You may not believe what I said about dad but what I've said about Chris has come from the bottom of my heart and is true." Lydia with such passion. Chris had never been so touched by what someone had ever said about him.
Nicole has sat on the sofa with her head in her hands crying, "Why didn't you tell me about this before. I'd have believed you. You're my only daughter, I could see you weren't happy around him it was like you were always on guard. You say he hit when I wasn't around, did it happen the Christmas before he died he took you home because you were ill."
Lydia nodded. "He said I'd ruined Christmas like I ruin everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner mum. He just said that if did tell you I'd regret it. He said it would get worse."
Lydia was in sobs of tears along with her mum. Chris got up and hugged his wife and step-daughter. "I'm going to let you talk this out by yourselves, whilst I go help Megan put Alice to bed."
Chris went upstairs and into the bathroom where Megan was sat with Alice on her lap whilst she dried her hair. Chris smiled at how much Alice looked up to her older sister and how much Megan cared for her little sister. Alice got changed into her onsie and Chris went through to her bedroom. Alice climbed into her bed and Chris sat next to her. Alice snuggled up to her dad like she did earlier. Chris stroked her hair.
"I dreamed about mummy last night. Me and her were playing in the park, I was on swings and mummy was pushing me. We didn't say much to each other she just pushed me on the swings and then I woke up." Alice said rather profoundly.
"Do you often dream about mummy?" Chris asked.
"Not really. I haven't dreamt about her in months. Do you think about her, daddy?" Alice said sleepily.
"Not as much as I used too," Chris whispered to Alice before kissing her on the head. "Goodnight sweetheart."
"Goodnight daddy." Alice said just before she rolled over and fell asleep.
Chris went down stairs when there was a knock at the door. Chris looked at his watch. 7:45. He wondered who would be called at this time of night. He opened the front door and stood at the door were two police officers.
"Can I help you?" Chris asked.
"I'm Sergeant Oliver Smith and this is my colleague PC Ben Jones. Is it ok if we come in?" The more senior of the police officers asked.
"Of course come in." Chris lead the two police officers through to the living room. Lydia and Nicole had left. Chris and the police officers sat down.
"I assume that you are Chris Mead, friend of Sam Harker and his wife, Jessica." Sergeant Smith asked.
"Yes I am." Chris answered. Suddenly his mouth had gotten very dry.
"I'm to have to tell you this but there has been an accident and your friend and his wife have been killed. I'm very sorry." Sergeant Smith said rather calmly but with empathy in his voice
Three times in one day. Three times in one day Chris has been stunned to silence.
"What sort of accident?" Chris asked rather shaken.
"Car accident. They were killed instantly they did not suffer." The younger of the police officers said.
"Mia and Emily. Are they ok? They weren't in the car were they?" Chris said suddenly.
"They were fine. They weren't in the car they were at the dance class. They were on their way to pick them up when the crash happened. The girls at the station with one of our female officers." Sergeant Smith said.
"Could I go see them? They are my God-daughters. I promised Sam that if anything happened to him I would look after them." Chris asked.
"Of course." Sergeant Smith agreed.
"I just need to tell my wife what is going on." Chris said.
"Take as much time as you need." PC Jones said.
Chris went into the kitchen where he found Nicole putting the washing up away from the dishwasher.
"I'm going out with two police officers." Chris said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Why?" Nicole asked as she span around.
"Sam and Jess have been killed in a car accident. As Mia and Emily's God-father I promised that if anything happened to them I would look after them. So I'm going to the police station to see them." Chris said hunting for his house keys and the spare key to Sam's house.
"Chris I'm so sorry. I set them up a couple of beds and make them something to eat." Nicole said holding his cheek.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be. If Alice wants me tell I'll be back as soon as I can." Chris said rushing out the door with the two police officers.
Chris sat in the back of the police car. Thoughts rushing through his head about his best friend being killed and then about what he was going to say to his two young God-daughters. They pulled up outside the police station and they went through to the soft interview room where his God-daughters were and they both ran over and hugged Chris. Chris pulled them in tight and kissed them both on the tops of their heads.
