X-Sammii-X, thank you for your review. I'm really happy you found the chapter emotionally involving. I love Cal as a dad. I'm glad you find the idea of a relationship between the Dylans weird - I do worry sometimes that she might seem a bit flirtatious.
Applealice, I'm glad you liked Matilda thinking Cal was gay. I wrote another story where a character thought Cal and Ethan were a couple so I recycled that slightly! There's a tiny bit of the Dylans and Luke in this chapter. Thank you for your review.
Tanith Panic, fenugreek apparently can make your breasts grow! It contains phytoestrogen, which stimulates prolactin, which makes breasts grow - though I doubt they grow much and it's not good for your health so you have to take very small quantities. I haven't been kind to Honey or Max in this story! Cal has fared quite a lot better. Thank you for your review.
ETWentHome, thank you for your review. I agree that possibly being adopted by Cal will give Matilda hope of a better future and it's also good for her to be with so many people who really like her. Even Ethan's kind and he's very distracted at the moment.
EDSidekick, I'm so glad you like this story! I get muddled all the time. I often have to search my documents to find out if an incident I'm thinking of happened in the story I'm working on or a different one. I get confused with episodes too - I'm rewatching Taylor's episodes and I keep thinking: "But what about..." only to realise it hasn't happened yet. Anyway, I digress too... thank you for your review and I loved your comment about the Next Generation!
"I just don't know what to do," said Lily.
Alicia hesitated before responding. "You mean about Robyn and Louis?"
"Who else would I mean?" said Lily, too quickly.
Alicia didn't want to upset her – but as a friend, she needed to be honest. She stroked Lily's arm. "Lily, I know it seems dodgy, but it might be completely innocent. It's not even as though you're close to Robyn."
"I work with her husband!" said Lily hotly.
"I know you do," said Alicia. "But you're not really close to Lofty either. You don't really have enough information to interfere – and besides, you have your own marriage to consider. Ethan really loves you and I know you love him. Don't throw all that away over something so small."
Lily jumped to her feet. "Ethan sacrificing his job for me is hardly small!" she yelled, and ran out of the room. Alicia heard her feet on the stairs and got up to follow but found her way blocked by Sam and Charlie.
"What's up?" she said, noting the serious expressions on their faces.
Sam put his arm around her and led her back to the sofa with Charlie sitting opposite. "It's the… living arrangements, babe. I know Lily and Luke need support and it's nice for Lily to have the children to stay, but Charlie and I have been talking and… well, it can't go on, Alicia. They've got to go home. I'm sorry."
Noel was about to leave when Louise called his name. He hesitated for a split second she caught up with him.
"Right: are we going to sort this out or not!" she said antagonistically.
Noel sighed. "I don't think this is a good time, Louise. Maybe tomorrow."
"We can't wait for tomorrow," said Louise. "We need to sort this out now!"
"There's nothing that needs sorting out except your attitude!" said Noel. "Honey's left her husband. She's hurting and she needs a place to stay. She needs her dad."
Louise seemed unmoved. "But she can't just walk into our house and set her own rules! We have to talk about this rationally."
"So, that's what you were doing last night, was it?" said Noel.
"That's what I was trying to do," said Louise. "But Honey won't listen to reason. She's like a spoiled child. She used to be lovely – a bit self-involved, maybe, but lovely-"
"Hey: that's my daughter you're insulting!"
"I just said she was lovely!" said Louise defensively.
"Yeah, but you also said she was spoiled and self-involved!"
Louise's voice rose. "Well, she is, Noel! "
"No, Louise. You're the self-involved one. Wanting to have everything your own way just because it's your house. You're the one who won't listen to reason." Noel stopped walking and glared at her. "I'm going back to my daughter tonight. If you want to come with me, then great. But you'd better bring a civil attitude with you or we've problems."
Luke was looking anxious. "Is everything okay, Dylan?"
"Not really," said Dylan. She thought for a moment. "Do you think Dylan would kill me if I got out of bed?"
Luke's expression changed to alarm. "No, Dylan, you mustn't. You might make yourself more ill."
"But I need to help find Ariana," said Dylan. She pushed the bedclothes aside, no longer caring about the skimpiness of her hospital gown. "I'm the best person at getting through to her."
"Then let someone else find her, then they can bring her here or let you talk to her on the phone," said Luke. He caught Dylan by the shoulder and she felt a bolt of electricity. "Listen to me. Everyone's already panicking about Ariana. Don't make them panic about you too."
Iain was doing his best, but it was slow-going. Alfie insisted he was fine and there was nothing going on and the reason he wasn't going out with his mates as much was because: "It's my GCSEs next year so I thought I'd get a head start on the studying."
Iain approved in theory, but it wasn't like Alfie. Alfie was usually more interested in his hair than in school.
"Look… um… that girl you were seeing. Ariana. You know it's not your fault if she… has to go to hospital?"
"Yeah, course," said Alfie.
"Okay," said Iain. "Good."
Alfie nodded at him. Iain nodded back at Alfie.
"So… um… is there a lot of gossip at school?" said Iain.
Alfie shrugged. "It's a school. There's girls there. Of course there's going to be gossip."
"But you don't pay too much attention to it?"
"Why would I?" said Alfie. "Half of its exaggerated anyway and the rest is made up. You know what girls are like."
Iain nodded, grinning. He'd known a lot of girls in his time, though the last fifteen years had been all about Rita.
He'd always thought Rita was different, but perhaps the fact she was so fussed about this gossip business showed she was just a girl at heart.
Just a girl… but the only girl for Iain.
Matilda sat trembling in the front seat as Cal drove.
He'd been very clever. Matilda had given him Ariana's phone number and he'd tracked the position of her phone online, but Matilda was still terrified.
Some things never became less terrifying, no matter how many times you faced them.
"Not far to go now, Tilly," said Cal reassuringly, but Matilda could tell he was frightened too.
Matilda looked out of the window. With Ariana, so many places were dangerous. There were so many places and ways she could hurt herself.
But one place worried her more than any other – and the closer they got, the more convinced Matilda became that this was where they were going.
The railway.
Zoe was glad Max was driving. She didn't know where they were going: although her eyes were pointed at the road ahead, she saw nothing and knew nothing except that her daughter was missing. "It's my fault, Max. It's all my fault."
"No, it's not," said Max. "It's my fault too." He reached across and touched her arm. "I'm sure she is upset about you going back to work, but I think it was the argument that really got to her."
Zoe couldn't believe it. Even now, he was making a dig. Anger rose inside her and she wanted to scream. For a second or two, she thought she would. But then slowly, the emotion dyed down and she became outwardly calm. "Stop the car, please."
Max slammed on the break. "What? Where? What did you see?"
Zoe unclipped her seatbelt and opened the door.
"Zoe?" said Max.
Zoe opened the door and got out. "I've had enough, Max. You search your way and let me search mine."
"Zoe, don't be stupid." Max got out of the car and ran over to her. "We tracked Ariana's phone. We know where she is. The sooner you stop behaving like a child and get back in the car, the sooner we can find our daughter."
Dylan K was hovering again. Eavesdropping. Neglecting his duties.
But two of the people he cared most about were a few feet away from him and he was worried about both of them.
It sounded like Dylan was on the phone. She seemed to be organising something. "No, Mum, don't come back here. I'm fine. I've got Luke and Dylan. Just go to the bridge. Okay?"
"Don't you think you should rest now?" said Luke, once Dylan had finished speaking to her mum.
"No: I need to speak to Dylan. Could you ask someone to find him, please? I'm assuming you won't go yourself."
Dylan K didn't wait for Luke's reply. "Luke, visiting hours are over. Please leave. I need to check on Dylan."
Luke looked rebellious, but Dylan spoke softly. "Go on, Luke. I'll phone you when he's gone and you can come back."
"You most certainly won't! Out!" said Dylan K, as Luke kissed Dylan and left.
"I'm not sure that's the way to get through to him," said Dylan. "But there's no time to argue. We might be about to have an urgent admission."
Dylan K couldn't help but smile slightly. "We?"
"Okay: you," said Dylan. "Ariana's disappeared. I've tracked her phone: she's at the railway bridge. I've got Zoe, Max, my mum, Matilda and Cal converging on the bridge. The first person to arrive will report back to me. If she is there, I'll notify the emergency services. If not, I'll contact the others and co-ordinate a search of the..." Her eyes closed.
"Dylan? What's wrong?"
Cal didn't want to look at the tracks, but his gaze was drawn to them involuntarily. There was no sign of Ariana, but she could be on the other side of the bridge or still up there.
Matilda was out of the car too. Cal went quickly over to her. "Maybe you should wait here, darling."
"I can't," said Matilda. "I do think you're wonderful, Cal, but Ariana doesn't know you. She's more likely to listen to me."
Cal knew she was right. He'd known all along, but he hated putting his daughter in this situation. "I need to look on the other side of the bridge."
"Then I'm coming with you."
Cal heard the tremor in her voice and wrapped an arm around her. Cal's legs felt heavy as he walked. Their feet tapped on the gravel, louder than he would have expected.
They reached the other side of the bridge.
No Ariana.
"Okay: I'm going up," said Cal, looking up at the bridge. "You stay here."
"No, I'm coming," said Matilda.
"You're scared of heights."
"I'm more scared of not being there for Ariana!"
Cal gave a reluctant nod. If he said no, she might easily try to get up of her own accord. He held her tightly as they climbed the steep steps, Matilda's breathing fast and anxious. He could feel her trembling; see the tears forming in her eyes. "I'm here, Tilly. I'm here. Don't look down, okay?"
She was shaking so hard now, Cal felt he was all but keeping her upright. He held her tightly, supporting her in the way he used to hold Ethan when he was afraid.
They watched as the top of the bridge slowly came into view.
Matilda burst into tears.