Hello everyone. I just want to apologise so much for taking so long to update. I have just started University and have had a few problems which have caused me to have quite a few panic attacks (I do suffer from them, and have done for a while). So I apologise as I haven't felt particularly like writing. Please bear with me as I will try to update my stories as soon and as much as I can. I have also started two blogs, one for my University work and one for my own personal, well, free for all, I suppose, so I'll pop the links on my profile for you guys to check out if you wish. There will hopefully be some book reviews and stuff going up within the next couple of weeks, anyway, I hope you're having a great week. Please leave a review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

The family had gone to bed after a couple of hours of sitting around. All of them were on edge but were determined to go back to the cave for Bloom's body. Each had had trouble with the thought that Bloom was two separate beings now. One dead and one alive. One they could touch and one they couldn't. The red head sat at the end of Faragonda's bed as she watched the family sleep. She had watched them move bed's into one room as they felt uncomfortable about being alone. She wished that she could sleep but found herself unable to do so. It gave her an unwanted amount of time to sit and reflect about what had happened. Barely twenty four hours ago she was a living breathing person and now she was what? Dead? Undead? The closest word she could choose to describe her was 'ghost'. That word filled her with terror. Could she ever touch her family again? Would they want to? She knew that every time she went near them they shivered. Would that happen if she managed to remain somewhat solid to? Her head physically spun with all the unanswered questions, and she automatically reached for her laptop wanting to do some research. A pang went through her a she realised that she couldn't touch it, nor could she touch anything else. Hell she wasn't even sure how she was sat on the bed. It all became too much for the fire fairy and she suddenly broke down into sobs that wracked her body. Could she let her family go? Should she? Or was there any hope for her? Her heart felt like it was shattering into smaller pieces each time she could find no answer in her mind to her questions.

The small family awoke to hearing sobbing and were quite surprised to see Bloom sat on the end of Faragonda's bed crying her heart out. They each wanted to help their youngest family member, but were unsure of what to do.
"Bloom?" Faragonda whispered staring into an equally surprised Bloom's eyes.
"You can see me?" Bloom asked softly, hardly able to believe it. Why could they see her now when they couldn't hours before?
"Yes dear, we can see you….. You look a bit more solid right now." Griffin told the younger woman as she moved to sit beside Faragonda. The family followed suit, cambering to situate themselves closer to the fire fairy. Slowly Palladium held out a hand palm up, and Bloom raised hers to meet him, hesitating before managing to touch him.
"How?" Bloom choked out astonished as a few more tears leaked from her eyes. The family didn't need any further encouragement as they moved to sit on the bed so they enveloped her in a huge hug. They stayed like that for a little while, each soaking up the comfort of just being with each other.
"What were you thinking about as you cried Bloom?" Griselda asked from her spot beside Du Four.
"Whether I should stay with you, or whether it would be better for both you guys and me to move on." Bloom told them honestly, wiping a few tears off her cheeks.
"Please don't say goodbye to us right now! We'll do everything we can to put this right, just please don't go!" Du Four all but pleaded with the younger girl as the others watched closely the reactions the red head was having. They knew she was hurting far beyond what she showed.
"Do you feel like you need to move on Bloom? Like you should? None of us want you to leave, but we would understand if it was what you needed." Avalon's tone was soft and gentle. He didn't want to lose the red head, but he wouldn't force her to stay if it was what she needed. They waited in suspense, while the red head sat for a few moments thinking.
"I don't have a strong urge to move on, but how many ghosts do you hear of that hang around haunting their family?" Bloom told them honestly, struggling with all the jumbled thoughts and emotions. Was this how death would always feel like? Her struggling to form more than one coherent thought?
"Then for now stay, as Du Four said we'll do everything we can to make it right. Okay?" Saladin reassured her, patting her hand gently. Bloom savoured the feeling as she nodded, turning her hand over and taking his hand. It felt so nice to be able to touch something. He sat there silently, knowing that all she needed was their physical touch for now.
"Now you all need to sleep." Bloom made a shooing motion with her hands that made them chuckle as they moved to go back to bed. Faragonda held the covers open for Bloom, who grinned and snuggled down beside the headmistress. The two closed their eyes, Faragonda drifting quickly off to sleep and Bloom relishing in the feeling of the covers. Slowly though she could feel them less and less, and knew instinctively she was fading. She scrunched her eyes up in a useless attempt to stop herself from crying again. This was just too much….