Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.

Chapter 28

I awoke when someone gently shook my shoulder. Startled, I gasped and opened my eyes at the same time. Judging from the soft rays of sunlight coming into the room, I guessed that It was just after dawn. I was still lying on the sofa downstairs. My eyes settled on my mother, who was kneeling beside the sofa, staring down at me. She tenderly brushed my fringe off my forehead.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"

At that moment, I remembered exactly why I'd fallen asleep on the sofa. I was hoping it had just been a nightmare. Glancing to my left, I saw the two police officers sitting in the armchairs, sipping cups of tea. I looked back at mum.

"Tad-cu?" I whispered.

Mum's expression changed to one filled with pity. "I'm so sorry, Sam. You should never have been here alone to deal with this."

"He handled it better than most people would have," Inspector Jenkins muttered. Mum shot him a cold glare.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He and Charlie have gone to the hospital to formally identify your grandfather, and to collect his death certificate."

Hearing the word 'death', I started to cry again. Even though I was still lying down, mum put an arm around me.

"Shh… You shouldn't cry, Sam. You're too old for that."

I pushed mum's arm away. Then, I rolled onto my stomach, and I continued crying into the cushion.

"He's had a big shock, Mrs Jones," Constable Ryan explained. "Just let him cry. He'll recover from it faster if you do."

"Nonsense," mum replied. "I'm a nurse, and I know that the best thing for shock is rest. He's not going to get that if he keeps crying."

"He cried himself to sleep before you arrived."

I heard mum stand up and she went over to the sideboard. "I'm just going to give him a mild sedative to help his nerves relax."

"I don't need it, mum," I muttered as I lifted my head from the cushion.

Mum ignored me. A moment later, she came back over to me, carrying a needle and an alcohol wipe. "I know what's best for you. This will help you deal with the shock, so relax and stay still."

I rested my head back down on the cushion and I closed my eyes. Mum rolled up my left-hand pyjama sleeve. Seconds later, I felt the cooling sting of the alcohol wipe. Then, mum gave me the injection. I moaned a little as she removed the needle, but I didn't move. Mum started to pack everything away.

"Now, what would you like for breakfast, Sam?" she asked.

"Nothing," I muttered.

At that moment, I heard the front door open. "It's only us!" dad called.

"I guess we'll be going now, then," Inspector Jenkins said as he stood up. He handed his empty teacup to mum. "If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to contact me. My name and the station's phone number are on this card." And he handed it over.

"Thank you so much for your help, and for looking after Sam."

"You're very welcome," Constable Ryan said as they started to make their way to the front door. "And, on behalf of everyone at the police station, we'd like to offer your family our condolences."

"Thank you. You're very kind."

While mum was seeing the police officers out, Charlie knelt down beside the sofa. "Hey. Are you okay? You're shoulder's bleeding."

"That's because mum sedated me," I explained. Then, I rolled over onto my back. "She only did it because I was crying."

"I'm sorry. She's only trying to do what she thinks is best for you."

I made eye contact with him. "Mum said you went to the hospital."

Charlie drew in a long breath. "Yeah, and I wish I hadn't. I thought I could cope with seeing him, but… Well, anyway, it's brought some closure for me. How about you?"

I shrugged. "This seems so surreal. I just wish it was all just a horrible nightmare."

Charlie reached out and he gave my right-hand shoulder a pinch.

"Ouch!" I yelped. Instinctively, I covered the pinch with my left hand. "What was that for?"

"To prove to you that this isn't a dream."

I pouted. "Now both of my shoulders are sore. Ow."

"Sorry."

Mum and dad entered the sitting room then.

"Sam, do you know who your grandfather's lawyer was?" dad asked.

"Yes, I believe it's Thorne and Harwick. I've seen letters from them come through the mail."

Dad went over to grandad's desk in the corner of the room. It was an old-fashioned roller top desk. Dad tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Where's the key?"

With a reluctant groan, I got up and I went over to the desk. I reached over the top of the desk and a pressed a hidden button located at the back. A small drawer popped out of the elaborate top panel, revealing the key hidden inside. I handed the key to dad.

"Lucky he showed you that," dad said as he unlocked the desk.

"Yes," I agreed.

I returned to the sofa as dad started sorting through grandad's papers. Mum went into the kitchen to see about breakfast.

"Why don't you go and have a shower and get changed, Sam?" Charlie suggested.

I nodded in agreement. I couldn't bear to stay there a moment longer. I just wanted to be alone, for once. However, as I made my way upstairs, I started feeling a bit dizzy. The dizziness increased as I came closer to grandad's bedroom. Realising that I was going to faint, I tried to hurry past the room, but that only increased the dizziness. Before I could stop myself, I felt myself falling. I was unconscious before I even hit the floor.

…

Charlie was the first to hear the soft 'thud' upstairs as Sam hit the floor. He took off running upstairs, taking them two at a time. He sighed in disbelief when he saw Sam collapsed on the floor in the middle of the hallway.

"Mum! Sam's fainted again!"

Mary left what she was doing in the kitchen, and she hurried upstairs. She knelt beside Sam before gently checking the pulse in his neck. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I think he'll be okay. It's just the shock. I'll give him a stronger sedative in a few hours, after this first dose has worn off. Can you carry him to his room?"

Charlie gave her a 'you've got-to-be-kidding' look. "Mum, in case it's escaped your notice, Sam's now taller and heavier than me. I'll need dad's help if we're going to move him."

"Right, sorry. Let's try and wake him up."

"Hey, what's that smell?"

…

I came back to consciousness just in time to hear Charlie's question. I blinked open my eyes and looked around. I was lying in the hallway where I'd fainted, with mum and Charlie leaning over me. The familiar, acrid smell made me frown with concern.

"That's smoke," I said.

"The sausages!" mum exclaimed.

She ran back downstairs. Charlie helped me up, and then we quickly followed her. My firefighting instincts kicked in now as a surge of adrenalin raced through me. I entered the kitchen just in time to see mum filling a saucepan with water at the sink. The frying pan on top of the stove was engulfed with flames. Cooking oil fire, I thought as I sprinted over to mum. I grabbed the saucepan out of her hands before she could throw the water onto the fire.

"MUM!" I shrieked. "You NEVER throw water onto a cooking oil fire!"

"Sam!" mum exclaimed with surprise.

Before she could say anything else, I opened the pantry and I pulled out the fire blanket I'd installed there a year earlier. Then, I turned off the gas under the burning frying pan before I carefully placed the blanket over the flames.

When I was sure that the fire had been smothered, I turned to face my family. Dad and Charlie were standing in the doorway, while mum stood frozen next to the sink. Nobody said anything for a moment. I finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

"The fire's out now," I told them quietly.

Dad nodded his head towards me. "You see, Mary, how handy it can be to have a fireman in the family?"

Mum was still frozen, staring at the stove. Charlie went over to her, and he gently touched her on the shoulder. She jumped. "Mum? It's okay. Sam put the fire out." To our astonishment, mum burst into tears. Charlie pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, mum. Everything's okay."

While Charlie was soothing mum, I removed the fire blanket and I carefully picked up the hot frying pan with a tea towel. "So, um, who wanted their bangers well done?"

My joke helped ease the tension. Mum started to laugh through her tears, and even dad had a chuckle. Charlie started to escort mum out of the kitchen.

"I think you're the one who needs to be sedated now, mum. Not Sam."

"Perhaps you're right, Charlie. I feel so stupid. I was so worried about Sam, that I forgot to turn the stove off."

"Why don't we go to a café for breakfast?" dad suggested. "I think it'll do us some good to get out of the house for a while. I'll phone Mr Thorne while Sam's having his shower, to arrange an appointment."

"I'll come upstairs with you this time, Sam, in case you faint again," Charlie offered.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay now."

"Amazing how it only took a small fire to snap him out of it," I heard dad say as I made my way upstairs again.

…

After I'd showered and changed, we went and had breakfast in a café a few streets away. I wasn't hungry, so I just sipped on some tea. Mum was a bit concerned by my lack of appetite, but after trying to persuade me to eat some bread, she left me alone.

Once we'd finished breakfast, we walked to the lawyer's office, arriving there just after nine o'clock. Mr Thorne showed us into his office.

"You're lucky I didn't have any scheduled appointments until ten o'clock," he said after we'd exchanged formalities and sat down. He looked at dad. "Given the circumstances, I'm happy to spend as much time as we need to spend going over the details of your father's will. May I also offer you my condolences."

"Thank you," dad replied. He handed over a document. "This is my father's death certificate. We should have the results of the autopsy by the end of the day. I've also started making funeral arrangements."

Mr Thorne nodded. He opened the folder he had on the desk in front of him. "I have your father's will right here, so let's get on with it. He last had it updated about a year ago, so we can declare this to be his final will and testament. He has named you, David, as the executor of his will."

Dad nodded in agreement. We waited in silence for Mr Thorne to continue. I wasn't expecting much from the will. I knew that grandad loved me, so I'd probably get a few personal effects to remember him, but nothing significant.

Mr Thorne continued. "I'll dispense with all the legal terminology and keep it simple for you. I'll start with property and personal belongings. David, your father has left you his fishing business, including his boat and all related equipment. He has stipulated that, upon your own death, it's to be inherited by your eldest son, Charlie. Should Charlie die before you, it is to be inherited by your youngest son, Samuel. Mary, Tomos has bequeathed to you his family jewellery. He's stipulation is that it may be valued and insured, but you are not permitted to sell it. He wants it to remain in the family."

"I understand," mum said. "I'll alter my own will so that the jewellery can be inherited by Charlie's daughter, Sarah."

Mr Thorne nodded, and he looked at Charlie. "Charlie, your grandfather has left you the family's photo albums and his grandfather's platinum pocket watch."

Charlie whistled softly. "I've seen that watch. It's worth a fortune!"

Dad patted Charlie's shoulder. "Don't get any ideas about selling it, son. It was a gift from Queen Victoria to your great-great-grandfather as a thank you for his services during the first Boar War."

Charlie pouted. Mr Thorne turned to face me. "Your grandfather seems to have had a soft spot for you, Samuel. He's left you his car, and his house here in Cardiff."

My jaw fell open and my eyes widened in disbelief. He's left me his house and car? Wow! "Are there any stipulations?"

Mr Thorne shook his head. "No. You're free to do with them as you wish. He's also left you the family's Welsh dresser. You may not sell that though. That must be inherited by your own children, when you have them."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Now, we move onto the monetary inheritance," Mr Thorne said. "Tomos has no debts that I know of, but I'll need to confirm that with the bank. Would you mind if I go and phone the bank now?"

"Not at all," dad replied.

"Thank you. Please, help yourself to the tea and coffee that's available out in the hallway. I won't be long."

Mr Thorne returned a few minutes later. He sat down at his desk before he spoke.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I can confirm that Tomos had no debts, so you won't need to worry about that. Now, for the finances…" He took a moment to consult the will. "David and Mary, you'll be receiving fifty thousand pounds, and Charlie and Sam will each receive twenty-five thousand pounds."

If I'd been a cartoon character, my jaw would have most certainly hit the floor. Twenty-five thousand pounds? I can buy a house with that! How on earth did grandad have a hundred thousand pounds?

"How much?" Charlie squeaked.

"Twenty-five thousand pounds," Mr Thorne repeated with a smile. "Your grandfather was a shrewd investor. I know he lived simply, but he was actually quite a wealthy man. The remaining twelve-thousand pounds from his investments will be donated to several charities that he's specified. Oh, and there is one more stipulation. Sam's twenty-five thousand pounds is to be kept in a trust fund, controlled by you, David, until Sam either marries or turns twenty-five; whichever comes first."

Now it was my turn to pout. "So, I can't touch the money until I'm twenty-five?"

"Not unless your father agrees to it," Mr Thorne explained. "If Charlie wasn't already married, the same stipulation would apply to him."

Charlie sniggered, earning a punch in the shoulder from me. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sniggering, and payback for pinching me before."

"All right, that's enough you two," mum snapped. "Go and wait outside while your father and I finalise everything."

Reluctantly, Charlie and I left Mr Thorne's office. Charlie grinned.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Bronwyn and I have been thinking about buying a little café in Pontypandy. We can do that now with our inheritance. What'll you do with grandad's house?"

"I'm not sure yet. I don't think I could live there though. The car will be handy, so I think I'll keep that for now. I had no idea grandad was so wealthy! How on earth did he earn so much money?"

"Didn't he tell you what he did for a living?"

I shook my head. "I thought he was just a fisherman."

"Watch it! Nobody's 'just a fisherman'."

"Right, sorry."

"Grandad was a property investor. As far as I know, he owns…owned, five houses here in Cardiff and over twenty houses in Pontypandy. He rented them out, and when he had enough money, he'd buy a new house and rent that out. I just had no idea that he'd made such a huge profit from it. I'm not sure what will happen to the houses and renters now. We'll let mum and dad sort that out."

I shook my head in disbelief. Grandad was so smart. I'm going to miss him terribly. A tear fell from my right eye before I could stop it. Charlie pulled me into a brotherly hug.

"Go ahead and cry, Sam. I know how much you loved him."

"Thanks, Charlie," I whispered. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me. "I don't know what I'd do without you."