AN: Ok, so I think I'm back to my usual writing now. I hope, stuff isn't too great with things right now…but I'm trying to get on with it all and I'm keeping on writing, as it's my therapy.
I love this chapter.
The rain only suited the mood, fitting right in with the cold and harsh reality of the day they were all facing. Ice cold liquid stinging their arms, the wind whipping around them, blowing their combed hair into messy tangles.
Raindrops falling from soft petals and hitting the grass, making no sound as it did. Everything moving in slow motion, dragging out to add to the ongoing pain. Making it that much harder to bear.
Silence hanging over the crowd as they hung their heads towards the ground, staring with empty eyes at the earth that would be her final resting place. Hating themselves for this occurrence. Their minds all reeling a million times a minute, combing their memories, searching for anything that would've made a difference.
Hands laced together, hanging onto each other for dear life. Squeezing like they would break if they let go, they probably would. Heads rested on shoulders, tears running freely now as the music plays. Knees collapsing with the pressure of it all. Hands around waists, holding them back. Teeth biting down on lips, stopping the screams from letting loose. Words whispered into ears, trying to make them believe everything would be okay as she's lowered into the earth.
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
And almost on time, lightning flashed and thunder clapped violently overhead. Reflecting the inner emotions of the crowd there today. The rain lashes down harder then, but no one makes a move to get inside. Instead they all stand motionless, eyes empty looking at the whole in the ground.
A voice breaks out above them, shattering the silence. The voice is choked and cracked, barely recognisable as the man it was just last week.
His bottom lip quivers as he tries to force more words out, but he bites down on it, halting the tears desperate to fall.
He tells them that they should make a move to get inside, no use getting pneumonia. But they all were hoping that they would. Then they might be able to join her in the soil.
No body moved, not even he did. No body cared enough about themselves to. Not when they had just had to say goodbye.
.xXx.
No one dared to speak as they sat around the dinner table that night. The only noise coming from the clinking of metal hitting the plates as they pushed food around. They weren't eating, maybe on some level hoping to starve themselves into oblivion.
It was Andy that spoke first yet again he was the only one brave enough to make himself heard.
They all marvelled at how well he was holding it together, all knowing full well how much he was breaking apart inside.
"I miss her."
Words that they were all thinking, words they were all feeling. But only he would speak them out loud, only he would make her death final.
All eyes swivelled to look at him, behind wet lashes. Leo placed a hand onto his shoulder, not knowing any other way to comfort him, words wouldn't mean enough.
He nodded and forced a smile out for everyone and pushed back from the table. Turning his head making a fleeting eye contact with them all before speaking yet again.
"I'm going to check on Melinda." He stood and walked out.
A sob sliced through the tainted silence and then another. The uncontrollable tears were back, and with a fierce vengeance. Piper collapsing into Leo, hanging onto anything to could grasp in her slender hands.
Leo just let her cry, holding back his own imminent tears. She needed comfort right now, not someone to cry with. She needed someone to hold her, and tell her thing were going to be okay even if they weren't. She needed someone to lie to her.
And Leo was an expert at that by now.
.xXx.
Andy looked down at the sleeping Angel in his arms with sad eyes. Not even old enough to walk and already lost so much. She had lost her mother, what could be worse than that?
Yet he envied her. He envied the way she was too young to feel the real sting of red-raw grief. He envied the way she was small enough to be held completely and rocked slowly to sleep. She was young enough to be naive to the many evils that were present in the world. She was purely innocent and he envied her for that. Her tiny world untainted by the turmoil outside.
He kissed her forehead and breathed in her scent.
"I'm not going to lie to you Mel. I'm not going to tell you things are fine right now, or that they are ever going to be fine again. Coz I'm really not sure that they are."
AN: I don't know where that came from; it just sort of flowed out. I hope you guys liked it; I know it was depressing but I honestly loved this one so could you please, please, please review.