A/N: Enter more of Hayley…

Back in the peaceful surroundings of the flat she knew, Tess tried to pull herself together, scolding herself for running out on Jack. She collapsed on the couch and ran her hands through her sandy-blonde hair. What was she going to do now? How was she supposed to face him again? What was she going to say to him when he turned up at the station asking for an explanation? After sitting down for what seemed hours she finally got up from the couch and headed into the bedroom, walking to the wardrobe, she pulled out a small brown box. She hesitated before she opened it, wondering if it was only going to make things worse.

But finally she gave into the temptation, inside the box was all the contents Tess had collected when she and Jack were together, all the things that meant something special to her or had a certain meaning. Searching through it she found photo's, clippings from his arrest when he went to jail, little objects that had belonged to him that she had stolen from the station and kept as a memory when she wondered if she'd ever see him again.

It wasn't often that she looked in the box, it was too painful, but now as she searched through it, she found herself being drawn to him again, remembering all the things they did together in secret. Even the cabin where they were held hostage by thieves and how he had called her his girlfriend – Teresa – it was all there locked away deep in her heart with a lock and key.

She thought about his smile, or the way he looked at her when they first kissed before he was taken away in hand cuffs, the things he said to make her realise that he was the good guy, and teaching her it was okay to let her guard down once in a while, to take a chance when you felt it was the right time.

"Be spontaneous," he had said.

As she continued to investigate the box and all its belongings, she stumbled across a folded piece of paper, with confusion she took it from the box and unfolded it ready to read whatever was inside. She didn't remember Jack ever writing her a letter.

She instantly recognized the handwriting, but like a car crash, she couldn't seem to look away from it.

Dear Tess,

There are a lot of things I didn't get to say before I left, stuff I needed to but was too afraid in case you looked at me and begged me to stay. I knew I would have, so I had to write it instead. I know you were sad that I had to leave. I was too. But I had to look after my little brother. I know you understand that.

I will look after myself I promise, I won't let Rollo get me this time, I'll be prepared. I know you are thinking I shouldn't have to be, but you did! You had to look after your sister and protect her the same way I'm protecting my brother, against the forces of someone who is supposed to protect and love you.

But I was lucky Tess, because I had you, you loved me and protected me, and cared for me when I needed someone. You taught me what it was like to have a real family, and I want to do the same for my brother, he deserves to know what it's like to have a family that cares.

It took me a while to let you in, I'm glad I did and I know I'll miss you when I'm gone and I'll think of you always, I swear, wherever I am. I promise I'll stay in school and get an education and then maybe one day I can come back to Mt. Thomas and be a policewoman like you, I think you are the best cop ever because you not only caught the bad guys you care and love the good ones. You are one of the good guys, Tess.

I want to thank-you for taking me in, for being the best foster mom ever, and I know I was hard at times but I never once wished you away and I know that I will be sad that I had to leave you but I know it was for the best reason – the only reason. I won't forget you and I know you won't forget me either, we were too much alike, just as you told me and I felt the connection as you did but I had a family to take care of, and I couldn't just run away from that.

I love you Tess. I wish you were my mom, but the way it worked out didn't happen to be the way we wanted it to. But I swear if I can I will come back to Mt. Thomas and visit you, even if I have to run away for a while. Thank-you for loving me, I will always be your friend.

Love always

Hayley

As she ended the letter, she was unaware of the tears that were streaming down her face. How could she just put Hayley's memory into a box with Jack and make her disappear? When she had taken her in and loved her like her own daughter. Guilt started to fill through her body, she felt sick.

She cried herself to sleep that night, thinking about how different her life would be if Hayley decided to stay with her and if Jack hadn't been arrested, the way things would have been if only fate was on her side. And then she closed her eyes thinking about the last time she and Hayley were together…

Tess was packing the rest of the Hayley's clothes into her duffel bag knowing it was only going to be a few short minutes until she was gone out of her life, her mother sure as hell wasn't going to let her see Hayley, she hated Tess enough as it was, it took all the effort she had to foster Hayley as long as she did.

While Hayley sat on the couch trying to hide the tears of heartache and disappointment, she didn't have to tell Tess that she didn't want to go, and she didn't have to hide the tears from her either, but Tess knew why she was doing it – she did the same thing when she was her age – trying to be strong enough to go on with the life she had been dealt. It killed Tess to see the fear in her eyes though, knowing she'd be going back to the way it was before they met, going back to her mother and her abusive boyfriend Rollo. "She's late!" Tess exclaimed trying to make conversation. "What did she say on the phone?" she asked watching the tears finally escape her eyes; eyes that knew far too much, eyes that were full of wisdom that only an adult should know.

"She'd been delayed…" she replied forcing a smile. "I could hear music playing and Rollo singing," she said bitterly.

"Are you sure about this?" Tess commented eager to say anything to make her stay, she couldn't bare it the fact that she'd have to be the strong one, the one to fight and put herself in danger, Rollo had almost killed her once and Tess was sure if the opportunity arose that he would have no regrets doing it again.

"Of course not." Hayley cried letting out a sob. "But I have to do it!" She announced bravely.

Tess put down the bag she had finally finished packing and walked over to the couch where Hayley sat, sitting beside her she said what she was thinking, knowing full well that Hayley understood. "You're too young to take all this on your shoulders." She stated matter-of-factly since the girl was only nine.

"Better grow up fast then, hadn't I?" she declared Tess knowing that she was far from kidding, because in her family she was the parent and while she had been living with Tess she had been able to be more of a child though she didn't act like it, she didn't bare any of the responsibilities she was thrown upon when she lived with her mother.

With tears streaming down her face she turned to Tess. "I'm sorry… for hurting you. I deserved a lot more than a slap."

Tess shook her head trying to hold back her own tears. "No! Children never deserve anything like that." she smiled to show she wasn't angry and then as if by cue a knock at the door forced Tess to stop talking and stand up to answer it already knowing who it was. Her heart pounded as she headed to answer it, to greet Hayley's mother and to say her goodbyes once and for all, but when Tess's back was turned Hayley pulled a white envelope from her backpack and placed it on the table in clear view for Tess to see when she was gone.

Hayley's mother passed her without acknowledging her presence; she stormed into the lounge room where Hayley was seated, "Hayley baby." She greeted excitedly as she kissed her daughters cheek, but what she refused to see was the fact that Hayley was uncomfortable and she didn't want to leave Tess.

"Hey mom." She forced a smile.

"Ya all packed?" she asked looking at the backpack on the table then she went on without waiting for a reply. "Great! Sorry I'm late babe, but Rollo and me got a bit tied up and ya brother's bein' a pain in the bum and… let's go we got a bus to catch." She announced standing up.

Tess's heart skipped a beat when she heard that sentence. "A bus?" she repeated more to herself than to Hayley's mother.

"Yeah, I told ya." She spat angrily. "We're goin' north." Tess just nodded in reply though she hadn't really gotten her head around it, watching the scene play out between Hayley and her mother. Turning to her daughter with the cigarettes in her hand, she smiled showing off her dirty yellow cigarette stained teeth. "More sun more fun."

Hayley just forced a smile, while Tess hurried to her side and attempted to pick up one of Hayley's bags to bring out to the car, not wanting the moment to end but knowing when it did she would never see Hayley again. "Let me give you a hand with some of this stuff."

Snatching the bag from Tess, Hayley's mother shot her a hard, hateful look and spitting words at her. "I got it!" She couldn't look after Hayley, she could hardly look after herself and again forcing herself not to fall apart or to show Hayley's mother that she was scared and afraid of never seeing Hayley again, she looked at her one last time. The smile that was rarely seen on her small face, her small brown eyes and that soft, silky brown hair that would without a doubt soon become mattered and destroyed, most likely full of lice and split ends, because her mother was too selfish to see anyone but herself and her own happiness. "Come on Rollo's waitin' in the car with ya brother, can't wait to see ya." She stated taking the car and heading for the door.

"Mom?" Hayley called taking a few steps towards her, she turned around. "Aren't you going to thank Tess for having me?" she wondered.

"Nuh, nuh it doesn't matter," Tess interrupted. It had been a privilege for Tess, not a chore.

"Thank her?" she shot angrily at Hayley. "Listen that Bitch tried to take you off me, I don't have to thank her for anything." Making Hayley's eyes again fill with tears she glanced back at Tess before looking at her mother once more. "Are you comin' or not?" she demanded.

Tess wanted her to say No, she would look after her, she would be he mother, she would never stop loving her no matter what she did, but even thinking that Tess knew Hayley as well as she knew herself, she had to be there for her little brother and she had to defend her mother against her violent boyfriend, even though it was the kids that Rollo targeted the most.

"Yeah I'm coming let's go…" she said hesitating so she could say her last goodbyes to Tess, with her mother disappearing out the door. Hayley turned around and looked at Tess. "I'm sorry… thank you… I love you." Then she hugged Tess one more time letting the tears stream down her face as Tess held the moment as long as she could, letting the tears from her own eyes meet with Hayley's. She kissed the top of her head and then let Hayley walk out the door, closing it behind her.

It was only then after that she was gone, that she let herself fall apart and burry her face in her hands as she started to cry hysterically. For this was the end for her and Hayley Fulton and there was no doubt in her mind that she would ever see that girl again, and what hurt the most wasn't the fact that she was just Hayley, she was almost like her daughter, she loved her, she looked after her, she cared for her, more than Tina Fulton could ever do. She just hoped that if there was a God out there that he would take special care of Hayley and make sure that where ever she went she knew that Tess Gallagher would always have a special place in her heart just for her.

She buried her head in her hands and let the tears flow this time mixing in with the guilt that was attempting to hold on as long as it could, reminding her that she had forgotten Hayley, the one person in her life that she never questioned when it came to loyalty.

Intense, yes? So what do you think of Hayley?

=)