Thank to all readers and reviewers - really appreciate all of them.
There's so many great fics on this site, my favourites at the moment include: "What a beautiful mess", "Somewhere I have never travelled", "With you in my head". "Tell me a story" could possibly be the cutest fic I've ever read, it's just so nice. And "Outside of the lines" woah, that last chapter was pretty intense, cannot wait for the next one ;)
Now on to this, it's all pretty sad :(
Reviews would make me happier after writing about all these tears...
"Dead?" Naomi questioned, her eyes searching Emily's to see if it really was true.
Emily looked back at her and squeezed her hands, not quite sure of what Naomi's reaction would be.
"Yeah," Emily whispered closing her eyes, allowing tears to escape again.
"Fuck."
"I know."
"But how, I... I mean I don't get it. I mean where did they... How Ems?" Naomi asked as she stood suddenly and began to pace the room.
Emily opened her eyes and followed the blonde's erratic movements.
"Katie doesn't know much. Just Karen had phoned to tell them."
"Them? Phoned to tell who exactly?"
"Katie stayed with Effy last night, to give us space. I think it was just her and Katie when she called. I don't know," Emily replied, her voice small.
"What about Cook, where is he?"
"I don't know," the redhead sighed.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Naomi snapped.
"I don't know Naomi. I know as much as you."
"Sorry, it's just a fucking shock that's all. Sorry I'm just a bit... fuck I don't know what I'm trying to say," the blonde admitted as she leant against the kitchen worktop. Her hands found their way to her head and she ran them shakily through her hair. She looked at Emily apologetically.
"You're just shocked. I am too. This is all just a bit mental," Emily said, nodding as she spoke, acknowledging Naomi's apology.
"Yeah," Naomi agreed, sinking further against the worktop.
"Katie's coming round."
Naomi stared at her hands and looked confused when she noticed blood. Her eyes moved back over to Emily and realised where it had come from.
"You've cut your hand Emily. Let me clean it up. I think there's some glass in it," she said as she began to search through cupboards for something, slamming the doors shut in quick succession when she couldn't find what she wanted.
"Naomi, fuck, will you just stop it. Just fucking sit down for a minute. I'm freaking out too you know," Emily sobbed.
Naomi turned around and faced her, guilt etched all over her face at the sight of the other girl in tears.
"Sorry, I'm sorry. This is just so surreal," she said as she moved over to the smaller girl and wrapped her arms around her.
"I don't think I can get my head round this Nai," Emily mumbled onto her shoulder.
"Ssh. We don't know too much at the moment. I guess we've just gotta wait on Katie coming round to see if she knows more."
"You're right. This is just mad," Emily replied as she pulled back from the embrace to look at Naomi.
"Go have a shower Ems, might make you feel a bit more refreshed. I'll clean up down here before Katie comes."
...
"Hi."
Naomi was startled from her daze and turned round to face the owner of the voice that had greeted her. Katie stood at the kitchen door nervously, her face pale apart from the redness around her eyes.
"Hey," Naomi mumbled. "Emily is upstairs. Come in Katie, have a seat."
Katie sat down and fiddled nervously with tissue scrunched up in her hand. Naomi sat down opposite her and stared into the space behind Katie, not quite sure what to say. She knew that things would be easier if Emily was there.
"She shouldn't be long," Naomi mumbled.
Katie looked at her and nodded, then returned her eyes to her hands.
"I don't know what to say Katie. I can't get my head around this," Naomi admitted.
"I don't think we're meant to know what to say," Katie replied.
"Do you know what happened?"
"Cook somehow ended up at Effy's therapist's house, John something."
"Foster?"
"Yeah. Cook beat the shit out of him and called the police before he took it too far," Katie took a deep breath. "He'd found Freddie's body in Foster's house."
"Fucking hell. Freddie was killed?"
"I... I don't know. All we know is Cook called the police and handed himself in after hurting Foster. He told them where Freddie's body was." Katie's voice broke and she began to cry again.
Naomi sat back in her chair, dumbfounded at what she'd just heard.
"Effy's a fucking mess Naomi. She won't talk, she's gone into lockdown. She's just staring at the wall. Her mum's terrified to leave her in case she does something," Katie continued.
"Fuck," Naomi repeated.
"Is that all you can say?" Katie snapped. "Our friend is dead, been killed by some nutter, our other friend is having a mental breakdown again, she's gonna have to get sectioned again and all you can say is fuck?"
Naomi watched as tears ran freely from Katie's eyes, her whole face contorted in pain. She reached out and did the only thing she could think of.
"Katie, I'm sorry. Come here," she said as she pulled the other girl towards her.
Katie reluctantly accepted the gesture at first but soon settled into the comforting embrace.
"I just don't know what to do," she cried against Naomi's shoulder.
"We don't either," Naomi replied rubbing her back gently, "but we're here."
Katie clung onto her for several minutes, shaking as all of her emotion spilled out. Naomi lifted her head and watched as Emily stood in the door way, her eyes filled with tears. She gently pushed on Katie's shoulders and turned her round to face Emily, who immediately moved towards her sister and wrapped her arms around her.
...
"Thought I might find you out here," Emily whispered as she stepped out onto the patio.
Naomi looked over her shoulder and smiled briefly before turning back around. She put her cigarette to her lips and inhaled deeply, letting the hot smoke fill her lungs. Emily moved closer and sat on the path next to the blonde, sliding her arm around her lower back then placed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder.
"What are you doing out here? Katie will wonder where you are," Naomi said quietly.
"She's asleep. I went to your room to check that you were ok and found an empty bed. Figured you'd be out here," Emily replied as she allowed her fingers to trace along the bare skin of Naomi's back where her top had ridden up slightly.
"Our room Emily. Our room," Naomi corrected.
Emily leant into the blonde.
"You couldn't sleep?"
Naomi stubbed out her cigarette and turned to look at her.
"Keep thinking too much Ems, I'm worried sick about Cook," Naomi said as she laced her fingers with Emily's free hand.
"I know. That was a brave thing he done," Emily stated.
"He didn't have a choice. I just need to see him," the blonde sighed.
"He did have a choice; he didn't take the easy option you know. We'll make sure you do Nai, as soon as you're allowed to visit."
"Effy must just be numb. I keep thinking how I would feel if I was her and I just can't imagine the pain. She fucking loved him and never got to tell him how much. I almost never told you how much I love you..." Naomi's voice cracked on the last words of her sentence.
Emily's eyes filled up and she gripped her girlfriend's hand tighter.
"You did though," Emily whispered through her tears and brought Naomi's hand to her lips kissing it. "As hard as this is and as much as this is going to tear us all up, we've got each other. We don't know how to deal with this sort of thing, no one fucking does. But we've got each other. I can help you and you can help me."
"You always know how to make me feel better," Naomi responded.
"I love you, that's why," Emily smiled.
They sat for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, both leaning against one another. Naomi wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulders and pulled her body in close to her own.
"Right, you're getting cold. You'd better get back to bed, if Katie wakes up she's going to wonder where you are. She needs you right now," Naomi said before leaning in and kissing Emily on the cheek.
"I know," the red head replied as she stared at Naomi with her brow furrowed.
"What?"
Emily sighed and looked at Naomi sadly. "I know Katie needs me, but... but I need you. I don't want to go to sleep without you."
"I'm glad you said that. Come on," Naomi replied smiling as she stood up.
She extended her hand to Emily to pull her up too. Both of them went inside the house and Naomi led Emily upstairs towards the spare room. Naomi pushed the door open gently and stared at Katie sleeping soundly on one side the bed.
"You'd better sleep in the middle Ems. Katie will freak if she wakes up next to me," Naomi whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping girl.