APRIL 2022
Ciara ran into the station as fast as she could and up to Shawn. "Where is she? Where's Mom?" Shawn turned around slowly, "Sis, y-you might want to sit down." Ciara scoffed, "What? I mean you found Mom right? Where is she?" Ciara looked around but saw no sign of Hope. Ciara finally noticed the solemn look on Shawn's face, "Shawn, no."
Shawn sighed, taking his baby sister's hands in his. "There was a plane crash. Mom was on her way from Brooklyn to Oklahoma. The plane went down about 30 minutes before landing. N…" Shawn tried to keep his composure, "No survivors." Ciara took a step back, "No."
After a moment Ciara asked, "Do Grandma and Grandpa know?" Shawn shook his head, "No, I-I wanted you to know first." Ciara slowly nodded, "I'll go tell them. I don't want them to just see it on the news or something." Ciara slowly back away from Shawn and ran out of the station, Shawn called after her, "Ciara! Ci-"
Ciara shoved her helmet to the ground hard. How could Hope just be gone? First her dad, then Grandma Caroline, and now her mom? It was just too much.
Ciara shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and remembered Ben slipping a piece of paper in it. She could hear Ben's voice, If you ever need anything or ever want to talk, I live above the garage at this address. Whatever it is, whatever time it is, I'm here.
Against Ciara's better judgement, started her bike riding to the address. She didn't even need to use GPS, it was as if she knew where to go.
Ben was laying in bed trying to put himself to sleep reading Alice in Wonderland like he did every night when there was a quick rapid knock at the door. Ben grabbed his phone off the nightstand. "4am? What the hell?"
Ben opened the door and found a tearful Ciara on the other side. "Ci-Ciara. What's wrong?" Ciara opened her mouth to speak, "I-I…" Ciara inhaled sharply trying to regain some semblance of composure, "I-I don't even know what I'm doing here. I'm sorry, I shouldn't of come here."
Ciara turned around to walk away and Ben put a hand on Ciara's shoulder. Ciara turned back around and Ben saw fresh tears brimming Ciara's eyes threatening to fall. Ben mouthed "It's okay" and Ciara started sobbing. Ben put his hand on the back of Ciara's neck pulling her to him. Ciara wrapped her arms around Ben's shoulder shaking as she sobbed. Ben held Ciara tightly and wrapped an arm around her back.
After a moment, Ben walked he and Ciara back into his apartment and shut the door, all without letting go of his sobbing wife. Ben walked Ciara to the edge of his bed and gently pushed her down. Ben crouched in front of Ciara, holding her hands tightly. "Do you want to talk about whatever is wrong? You can tell me or I can just hold you, whatever you need." This was the first time since Ben found Ciara that she was allowing him anywhere close to her and knew he needed to tread carefully.
Ciara sighed and stood up slipping from Ben's grasp. Ciara paced putting one hand on her back and the other in a closed fist over her mouth. Ben got up from his crouching position.
Ben walked over to the table and pulled a chair out. "Can I get you anything? Water? Or something stronger?" Ciara shook her head and walked over to the table, sitting down in the chair. Ben knelt below her, Ciara sighed heavily and finally spoke for the first time since entering Ben's apartment.
"It-it's my mom?" Ben nodded slowly, "Did Shawn find her?" Ciara nodded and fresh tears formed, "He found-he found what-" Ciara hiccupped, "what happened to her." Ben's eyes narrowed and he cocked his head slightly to the side, "'What happened to her'? Is she in the hospital somewhere or…?" Ciara bursted into tears and leaned forward sobbing into her hands. Ben sat on the floor and rubbed Ciara's upper arm with one hand and gently rested the other over her hands. Ciara spoke as she sobbed but all Ben could make out was 'crash' and 'no… no survivors'.
Ben slowly lowered Ciara's hands and Ciara looked up at Ben with a tear-stained face. "Your mom was in a plane crash?" Ciara nodded, "Shawn told me. He called me to the station and he said she was on her way from Brooklyn to Oklahoma." Ben sat on the floor, "I am so sorry, Ciara."
Ciara stood up, "I-I just had to get out of there. I found the paper you put in my pocket and next thing I knew, I was here." Ben got up and slowly walked to Ciara.
Ciara asked, "I mean, I have to ask, why are you being so nice to me? Ever since I woke up, I haven't treated you with a single ounce of love." Ben pressed his lips together for a moment, "I love you, Ciara. And I know you don't remember me or us but there is nothing you can say or do to make me stop loving you. Okay look, when I initially admitted my feelings for you, you were with Tripp. I knew there was a one in a million chance that you could've returned them but it didn't matter. I needed you to know how I felt and even if you friendzoned me forever, it wouldn't have changed things for me. I just felt lucky you wanted to be my friend and I knew I would forever love you, even if you couldn't return my feelings." Ciara pressed her lips together smiling ever so slightly.
Ciara looked to Ben's disheveled bed and ran a hand through her curls, "I should go, let you get some sleep."
Ciara turned for the door and Ben put a hand on Ciara's shoulder and Ciara slowly turned back around, Ben said "You don't have to-" Ben cleared his throat, "Go, I mean. You can stay, as long as you want. Why don't… why don't we go up to Inspiration Point? We always used to go there when we wanted to get away from the noise of Salem and just be… us." Ciara sighed heavily, "I don't know."
Ben pressed his lips together, "Look, I don't want to push you or make you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to know that if you feel like you have to run, I'm here. I am ready and willing to run with you." Ciara thought for a moment and softly said "Okay."
Ciara and Ben walked to the outside of the garage where her bike was. Ciara pulled the extra helmet out of the compartment and handed it to Ben.
Ciara sat on her bike and started it with Ben sitting behind her. Ciara couldn't ignore the surge of electricity she felt when Ben loosely wrapped her arms around her waist. Ben didn't want to make Ciara uncomfortable but also knew how his wife drove and knew he needed to hold on, especially when it comes to her curves.
Ciara turned her bike off and she and Ben got off. Ciara leaned against the bike, "It's nice up here." Ben stood next to Ciara, "It is."
Ben took Ciara's hand and slowly stepped backwards taking her away from her bike. Ciara eyed Ben nervously and curiously, "Wha... what are you doing?"
Ben looked up and stopped moving, "If you look up right here, you can see all the stars." Ciara looked up and saw Ben was right. Ciara slowly spun around and collided right into Ben. Ben chuckled, "Careful."
Ciara rested her hands on Ben's chest. A slight blush came to Ciara's cheeks and she pressed her lips together.
Ciara woke up and felt grass below her. Ciara opened her eyes and saw her bike off to the side. Ciara turned her head and saw a sleeping Ben next to her. Ciara shook Ben not-so-gently.
Ben jolted up, "What's-what's happening?" Ben squinted his eyes seeing the sun in the distance, "We fell asleep?" Ciara nodded, "Apparently. What time is it?" Ben felt his pants pockets, "I don't have my phone." Ciara reached into her pocket, "Dead."
Ciara pointed to her bike, "We should probably head back." Ben nodded and stood up brushing himself off.
Ben held his hand out and Ciara took it. Ben pulled her up and the two walked over to Ciara's motorcycle. Ciara murmured "For you" as she handed Ben his helmet.
Shawn walked into the Horton House and found Jack and Doug sitting on the couch and Julie in the nearby chair having tea. Doug stood up, "Shawn. What brings you by?" Shawn sighed solemnly, "Is Ciara still here?" Doug and Julie looked at each other confused, "Ciara? No. Why?" Shawn rubbed his forehead, "She was supposed to come to tell you…" Shawn stopped in his tracks realizing Ciara hadn't informed their grandparents.
Doug stood up, "Tell us what?" Shawn inhaled sharply and clutched his phone tightly in his hand, "I-I have to find my sister. She's not picking up."
Julie stands up, "Shawn. Tell… us… what? What could it be?" Shawn sighed, "O-okay but you may want to sit down for this." Julie sat back down in her chair and Doug sat on the arm of the couch.
"I finally found out why we haven't been able to get ahold of Mom." Julie and Doug's faces lit up, Julie leaned forward and said "That's great. Is she on her way back to Salem? Oh she must've been just over the moon when you told her about Ciara."
Shawn pressed his lips together, "I didn't get to tell her." Julie asked, "Well why not?" Julie chuckled, "You wanted to see her face in person when you gave her the news."
Shawn took a deep breath, "There was a plane crash. Mom… Mom didn't make it. No one did." Julie covered her mouth with her hands and started shaking her head rapidly, "No. No, no, no." Shawn hugged Julie, "I'm so sorry." Julie sniffed and turned to Doug, "She never knew, she never knew our girl was alive."
Ben opened the door to his apartment and Ciara walked in first. Ben closed the door behind him.
Ben pointed to his nightstand, "You can use the charger over there." Ciara smiled slightly, "Thanks." Ciara plugged her phone in and handed Ben his phone. Ben placed his phone in his pocket and handed Ciara a water bottle.
Ciara sat down on the edge of the bed and slapped her thigh with her hand, not quite knowing what to say. Ciara blew a raspberry and Ben sat on the edge of the bed next to Ciara.
Ciara took a sip of water, "Thank you. Y-you could've slammed the door in my face and told me to go shove it. I can't say I would've reacted the same had you come a'knockin' on my door at 4am."
Ben rubbed Ciara's knee with his thumb. Ciara looked down at Ben's hand on her knee. Ben softly said "Ciara, I meant what I said when I gave you the address. Anything I can do to help you, I want to. I so wish this wasn't what you came by for and that there was something I could do to take your pain away and make it all okay."
Ciara slowly and hesitantly placed her hand on top of Ben's. Ciara looked up at Ben sadly smiling, "You did. For a little while I could forget that my mom was…" Tears formed in Ciara's eyes again, "…that she is gone." Ben rubbed Ciara's shoulder with his free hand, "I know. I can't imagine how hard this is for you but whatever you need and whatever time you need it, I'm here for you. Whether it's you missing her or wanting to talk about her or wanting someone to go with you to…" Ben didn't finish his sentence, he wasn't sure whether or not Ciara was ready to hear the words 'service' or if she had started thinking about it. Ciara just looked at Ben not quite knowing what to say.
Ben felt his phone buzzing and without looking away from Ciara picked it up, "Hello?" Shawn's voice poured through the phone "Ben, I know it's early and a long shot but have you heard from Ciara this morning?" Ben looked right at Ciara and enarmoredly said, "Yeah, she's right next to me." Shawn sighed, relieved "Thank God. She hasn't been answering her phone. Did she tell you about…" Ben finished, "Hope? Yeah. I'm sorry, man."
Shawn sighed, "I'm just glad she's safe and she's not alone. If she'd taken off on her bike and…" Shawn couldn't finish his sentence. Ben looked at Ciara, he couldn't imagine if Ciara had taken off riding and crying instead of coming to him. Ben rubbed Ciara's knee again, "She's with me. She's safe." Ben hung up his phone and gently threw it on the bed.
Ciara stood up straightening her shirt out and pulling on her leather jacket, "I-I should probably go. You probably have to get ready for work…" Ciara trailed off, "…or something." Ben stood up and shook his head. Ben gently said, "No, I don't have anywhere to be. And there's nowhere I'd rather be." Ciara pressed her lips together knowing what Ben meant.
"I'm gonna go change out of these grassy clothes." Ben walked to the dresser and pulled out a wifebeater and sweatpants. "There's sweatpants and a shirt if you want to change too." Ben stood up and walked into the bathroom taking his leather jacket off shaking it.
Ciara walked over to the dresser and pulled a grey pair of sweatpants and unkowningly picked up the shirt that Ben gave her in the cabin. Ciara held the shirt in her hands and flashed back to being given a foot sponge bath by Ben in the cabin. It was a fuzzy image but Ciara was certain it was her and Ben.
Ben stood in the bathroom starting to put on his wifebeater when all of the sudden he was hit was a flash of giving Ciara her foot sponge bath in the cabin. He hadn't thought about that moment in quite a while. Why now?
Ben peered out of the bathroom and saw Ciara tightly grasping the shirt he'd given her in the cabin. Ben smiled slightly to himself realizing Ciara had to of been having a flash of the cabin too. Ben placed a hand over his heart and closed his eyes concentrating on the flashback.
The image suddenly got clearer for Ciara. She saw herself kick Ben across the cabin.
Ciara gasped and shook her head and looked down at the shirt in her hands and the death grip she was giving it, "What the hell was that?"