So, the funeral. Just pretend Roxy or someone organised it because i'm too lazy to have included that part ;P Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!

The sun twinkles kindly, its light dancing through the trees and telling lies to the world that the day is cheerful, harmonious. Ronnie can hardly stand as she stares down at the earth, her sagging body only supported by her dad. A large coat buries her slight frame, her hair hanging in tangled tendrils down her back and her skin appears dead under the beams of gold spilling from the sky. She doesn't seem to feel the warmth against her face, her hands shaking uncontrollably. At her side, an ashen faced Roxy clings to her even though it would make no difference if she had stayed at home. The only thing she is aware of is the emptiness devouring her insides. Everything else seems like it belongs in a separate universe to her.

From the opposite side of the grave Jack watches her, silently aware of her every move. He wants to go to her and hold her, but he knows she won't let him and it doesn't matter because there is nothing he can say to make it better. There is no longer any animosity radiating from her towards him and it doesn't matter what she has done either because he still can't fix this. Neither of them can. And he doesn't know how to hold her, how he can possibly comfort her so they both feel something inside after everything he has done and everything they have lost.

The funeral begins then while the cadence of the wind fills their ears. Decrepit crosses accompanied by solemn angels observe the procession with unfeeling eyes. A priest begins to utter a prayer, his muffled tones losing themselves in the wind. Two men carry a tiny white coffin, masks of sorrow painted on their faces.

The green lipped mouth in the earth has never seemed as large or as dark while it waits to devour their baby into an eternity of nothing. Slowly, it disappears from view and for a while neither of them react. In their own private grief, the world comes to a standstill as other faces mar with sympathy and tissues dampen against cheeks of people who have no idea what they are going through. Jack can hardly stand to look at them and their false sadness, instead keeping a protective eye over Ronnie. He knows the real reason they are here and it certainly isn't to support Ronnie and Jack; none of them are friends, just gossiping neighbours who they share pleasantries with in passing. No, they are here for something to talk about, to watch Ronnie break, to see how long it takes for her to lose the plot; to watch as the infamous Ice Queen's exterior melts away. Anger shakes his bones to know that they dare come here as if it is some sort of circus, but he refrains from ordering them away.

What good would that do for anyone other than supply more gossip? What good would that do for Ronnie? Today can only be about her and the baby.

Finally, the coffin reaches the bottom of the hole with a hollow thud and the world is set in motion again. Ronnie staggers forward clutching her chest as if her soul has been buried to and it is now causing her physical pain. Her eyes glistening, Roxy gently tries to pull her back but Ronnie falls to her knees. Archie bends to her level but she pushes him away and falls forward, gripping the edge of the grave. A sob tears through her heart and Jack closes his eyes, her agony almost more unbearable than the death itself.

The residents of Albert Square exchange glances before bowing their heads in respect. Even the trees cease their whispering when all falls silent save for Ronnie's desperate cries for her baby as her nails dig into the dirt. Jack tries to think or something, anything, to say to her but no words of comfort spring to mind and instead remain locked hopelessly inside his chest. He desperately wants to hold her, but it won't make it any better for either of them. Finally, someone dares break the hush.

"Now don't you worry, Ronnie sweetheart. When we get back I'll have Roxy help me cook a nice family dinner to take your mind of things," Peggy ventures uncertainly, making some attempt to smile. "You're welcome too of course, Jack,"

He glares at Peggy incredulously, astounded she could possibly choose now to suggest a family dinner. It's the last thing he would ever want to do. Ronnie doesn't seem to hear, her head sinking lower as if it will somehow bring her closer to Charlie. Jack gives Peggy an icy glare that lets her know exactly what he thinks of the idea. How could she think that they would want to sit around a table where Peggy's light hearted chatter about the importance of family covers but does nothing to alleviate the sadness engulfing them all? If anything, they need to be in a place where nobody who they are, about the tragedy that has found them. What they need is normality where people don't treat them as if they are balanced on a tightrope.

"Ronnie, I know we 'aint exactly been friends, we've been the opposite really, but if you need anything then don't be afraid to pop around with uncle Jack," Bianca Jackson begins, her shrill voice cutting across Ronnie's cries. She laughs, trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, you can always have one of my kids- I got enough of 'em!"

"Bianca," Ricky hisses in her ear, giving her a sharp nudge in the in the ribs; sometimes she said the wrong thing at the most stupid of moments.

"What? I'm only trying to lighten the mood? Anyone would think the world was endin',"

All the pent up grief Jack feels come flooding out in a surge of anger towards everyone. How dare these people come here to watch their son be buried like it is some sort of circus, how dare they violate his memory like this.

"Get away from here," he says gruffly. Heads turn in his direction, a mixture of pity and fear in their eyes at the dangerous shake of his voice. His hand trembles against his side and he bunches the material from his coat in his fist. They don't need to be here and he wants them to go, all of them. All that matters is him, Ronnie and the baby. Suddenly, it doesn't matter what has happened between them and he just needs to hold her; she is the only person who understands and he needs her even if it will never be enough.

Her tear stained eyes rise to meet his and a spark of something ignites behind them, a look of understanding passing between them. Jack knows that she can feel it to, can feel that they have to go through this together because they are the only ones who know how they are really feeling. He can almost feel her ache for him to hold him and it is all the indication he needs. Approaching her, he bends to her level and pulls her into his arms, softly kissing the top of her head and gently rubbing her arm. There is no protest and she leans into him loudly sucking in breathes as she tries to stem her sobs.

"Show's over, now get out of here!" he roars looking up at the plastic faces set in a state of sorrow.

"Ooo I say!" Dot Cotton exclaims loudly, affronted at being yelled at for being supportive.

Jack ignores her, concentrating only on Ronnie as he holds her.

"Jack do something. Please, please get me my baby back," she sobs even though she knows it's the end with her hands twisting into his shirt, gripping on desperately because she needs something warm to take away the image of her freezing baby on that metal slab. Ronnie doesn't want to remember him like that, all small and cold: dead. Her head sinks into his chest and she feels the steady drum of his heart, of life, and somehow feels comforted by it. No matter what Jack has done, he is here now and that counts for so much and yet it counts for nothing at all. She hates the thought of little Charlie all alone down there in a terrifying world and all on his own and she tightens her hold on Jack. He is the man who cheated, the man who told her their baby would be better of dead, but she still needs him and hates herself for it. He is the flimsy raft keeping her from sinking and without him she knows she will drown, but the thought only makes her cry harder. Ronnie loathes relying on other people when they never bring anything but pain.

He brings a hand to the side of her face and brushes away her tears, simply holding her close and letting her grieve. Jack feels his heart break for her as her red eyes stare down into the grave as if daring the coffin to be brought back up while someone yells it was all a cruel joke. Disgust surges through him, filling his blood with a searing hatred for what he has done again. He should have been there for her these past few days, loathing the thought of her with no one left but her father, loathing the thought of her having to deal with this on her own. As she shudders hysterically in his arms, he can hardly believe that she is still holding up. If it were him, he would have broken beneath everything by now just like he did when Penny had her accident. "Hush, it's ok, Darlin'. I'm here now,"

No matter what words of comfort he whispers in her ear, she can't seem to stop crying. Behind them, he is vaguely aware of people beginning to leave and giving Roxy their condolences for her sister. She thanks them all in turn, thanks them for coming to watch their baby be swallowed up by the earth like it is some kind of show. He wraps his arms more tightly around her, needing her touch as much as she needs his. Eventually, her cries fade away but he can still hear her screams and he probably always will; they have dissolved into his bloodstream and infiltrated right into the core of his heart, now pumping through his body as sure as oxygen.

Everyone has left now apart from them, Roxy and Archie and he wishes that they would go to so they could just say goodbye in private. He starts to move his arm, but her fingers grip it and pull it back. She turns to look at him, the fear of being alone hardly masked.

"Stay," she croaks.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assures pulling her close as he hears footsteps behind them indicating Archie and Roxy must have left to give them some privacy. He rocks her back and forth like a child and neither of them dare speak but the words of goodbye linger like apparitions before them.

Jack isn't sure how long they are there, not caring when his legs go numb, but it is long enough for the sun to shy away and for a grumble of wind to emerge from the skies. Ronnie feels shivers, the iciness of her skin cutting into him "Do you want my coat?"

"No thanks,"

They sit in silence for a moment and Jack watches clouds float past in the sky, picking out different shapes they have assumed. Grief attacks him mercilessly as he imagines he can see the outline of a newborn baby. He knots her hair in his fingers and she closes her eyes, leaning into his touch.

"Jack?"

"Hmm," he mumbles, not trusting himself to speak; his thoughts are filled with Charlie, his little face whirring in every corner of his mind and he wonders if there was anything he could have done differently so right now they'd be back at home and laughing over a particularly dreadful name suggestion.

"Tell me it won't always feel like this. Please tell me I won't wake up every morning feeling like I'll never see the light again," she takes his hand in a vice grip, staring at him with an intensity that frightens him.

A tear for Ronnie escapes his eye and falls to the grass, exploding with the cold hard truth. No, they won't ever get over this, yes, it will always be at the forefront of their minds. But he can't tell her that, not able to break her heart again. But he can't lie to her either. So he does the cowardly thing: he says nothing.

Her eyes swim and her lips tremble. She drops his hand, distraught that he can't say the words she so desperately wants to hear even if she knew they weren't true. Gulping back his own sadness, he wraps both arms around her and softly kisses her cheek before whispering in her ear.

"We need each other to get through this and we both know it," she presses as closely against him as is humanely possible, his words like drugs and washing her with calmness. "I'm sorry,"

There's no point bothering with excuses anymore because there are none. He slept with Louisa and told her that Charlie was better off dead and nothing can ever change that. But she doesn't hate him; she is allowing him to look after her now even though he's never made a very good job of it before. And that must mean there is still a chance he won't have to lose two things today. God knows why she doesn't hate him though. He hates himself. Before she has time to answer, a shrill yell filled with disgust breaks their bubble of private sadness which only they understand.

"What the hell are you doing here, you little slut?" Roxy's voice rings like a bell over the graveyard. "You get away from here before I make you,"

Jack's heart plunges into its icy sea and his breath catches in his throat.

Louisa.

He'd forgotten, forgotten his cruel plan to make Ronnie jealous to win her back. But he hadn't wanted this, had told her to stay in the car. To have her here after he broke Ronnie's heart with her would just be sick.

"Get off me! Who do you think you are?" Louisa screeches back, equally angry at her half sister even though it is Ronnie she really wants to upset.

"I'm her sister. Who do you think you are?" she roars, prodding her hard in the chest. "I'll tell you, you're just some pathetic girl Jack used because he was upset and if you think i'm letting you hurt her today you can think again!"

"No, i'm her-" she begins before a warning look from Roxy silences her.

Ronnie shifts in his arms and he tries to hold her, to prevent the inevitable but it is already too late. She gets up, forcing away his hands and storms towards the fight. Jack leaps up, hopelessly trailing behind her like a child in the wrong. He starts to say something to stop her, but there is no point. He saw that look in her eye, that terrible need to blame and punish someone other than herself for the death of Charlie. Just as well it is the woman Jack betrayed her with.

"How dare you come here. It's my baby's funeral, you bitch," she says quietly, the hard, cold tone shocking them both into silence. The woman who Jack held while she cried has vanished, the Ice Queen in her place.

Louisa turns to glare at her, hate rearing behind her eyes although Jack has no idea why Louisa would hate Ronnie when she doesn't know her. The moment passes as quickly as it came and he is sure he imagined it. Roxy's lip trembles for her sister; hasn't she already been through enough without having to cope with this?

"I was waiting in the car for Jack and I just thought I would come say that I'm sorry for your loss," somehow, she manages not to yell at the woman who is responsible for ruining her life, the hatred burning inside of her.

"You're not sorry," Ronnie sneers, taking a step towards her. "You just another notch on Jack's bed post who got jealous when she realised she'd been used,"

Fury contorts Louisa's face and the space between them closes. The weight of the gun presses against her chest and any regret she has vanishes; she could just shoot them all now, make them all feel some of the hurt she has had to feel. Her hand digs in her pocket, but before she has the opportunity, Ronnie's hand collides with her cheek and she stumbles backwards. Roxy manages to catch her, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Don't touch me," Louisa spits, wrenching herself away. A red hand mark materialises on her cheek and would almost look comical under other circumstances. How dare this woman act like she has the right to be angry when it is only Louisa who has that right. She sees red and wants more than anything to shoot her now and laugh as crimson seeps onto the dark earth, but something is stopping her.

Archie places a hand on her shoulder making her hesitate; she can feel his fury with her in the tightness of his grip Archie, her dad. She has to do this his way. Has to please him as well as herself. She turns and Jack watches as a look passes between and as something changes behind her eyes. The anger dissipates and tries to let him know she is sorry, that she won't fail him again.

"You're right," she begins to back away, her hand touching the place where Ronnie slapped her. "I'm so sorry, I had no right to come here,"

"Then leave before I do something that'll make Ron's slap feel like a pillow," Roxy orders furiously, watching as Louisa heads back towards Jack's car. "You idiot!" she yells, turning on him. "Why did you bring her here,"

"I told her to wait in the car," he says quietly without really hearing, just watching Ronnie. The expression on her face is unfathomable and he isn't sure whether she is about to break down again or scream at them all.

"Why are you here, Roxy?" she snaps suddenly, but without any real anger. "You're just as bad! What about Amy? Immaculate conception was she?"

A small cry escapes Roxy, hurt flitting across her face and she doesn't answer, running back towards the car.

"Dad, please can you take me home?"

"Of course, darling," she goes to him and he puts his arm around her shoulder. He whispers something to her and she leans gratefully into him as they turn their backs on Jack.

"Ronnie, wait," he scrambles after them, voice rising several notches, words of apology ready in his mouth again. "Please,"

"Don't, Jack," she says over Archie's shoulder "I'm sick of you and your apologies. Give them to somehow who cares,"

"Ron, please. I love you," He says desperately, tears staining his cheeks. Even if it doesn't change a thing, he has to tell her, to let her know that no matter what she thinks right now that this was never what he wanted. He wanted her and Charlie, wanted them to be a family, but instead everything has fallen apart. And it is his fault.

"This isn't love," she breaks away from Archie and strides towards him until she is close enough to touch, until she is close enough to kiss. "This isn't anything,"

That voice is back, the dreadful hollow voice that could belong to anyone, not someone who has buried their baby. She takes his face in his hands and he feels his cheeks burn against her touch. Ronnie looks into his eyes, making sure he sees the wasteland of death behind hers'. "You're dead to me,"

She walks away then and there is nothing he can do but watch her go. A pain explodes in his chest as if he has been shot, his knees failing him as he groans loudly, head sinking into his hands while the wind spirals around him. He has screwed up everything all for a woman he feels nothing for. Taking a final look at where their son now lies to be ravaged by time, he heads back towards the car where Louisa awaits him because he has no other choice. Without Ronnie, there's no point to anything but at least Louisa can still numb the pain; without Ronnie and the baby, there is nothing he wants to remember.

Archie helps Ronnie into the car and she crawls into it, her heart still fluttering wildly from the confrontation. The moment the door closes her mask crumbles and her loss fills her once again and she begins to cry. Beside her, her Dad starts the engine and waits as it comes to life with a spluttering groan. He turns the key, his hands are the steering wheel and suddenly Ronnie wants to scream at him not to drive away. She doesn't want to leave her little baby here.

But she knows she has to.

As much as she doesn't want to, she has to move on. Jack and Charlie are history now, a part of her life she can never get back.

Her hand closes around her silver locket for strength.

"Goodbye," she whispers, her breath steaming the window. "Both of you,"

Rack peace didn't last long (: ... Is my writing too, uh, detached from the characters if you know what I mean or is it just me? Also does anyone have any tips for writing dialogue because it never seems to turn out well for me? Please comment and critique. Thanks!