[A/N. This was the chapter that was never going to be written, but I decided that it would be nice to have the same amount of chapters in this story, as there are in the first story. And that means there are only a few chapters to go. I have an interesting plot worked out too, which is good. And then after that I can begin the third, of four stories in the series.]

FOURTEEN:

I sighed as the plane landed in Provincetown and searched the crowds eagerly as I walked out into the airport.

"MELODY!" Cary called, waving enthusiastically. He was carrying Lara in his arms, and she looked as though she too were happy to have me back.

I took a deep breath before I walked over there, after all there were many things about this trip I couldn't tell Cary. We'd never really spoken about Billy before, so I was pretty sure he didn't know what kind of a relationship Billy and I had shared. And he certainly didn't know that Lara was really Billy's daughter, not his.

"Hi." I said, taking Lara into my arms. "Did you miss me?"

"Stupid question." Cary said. "I know you were only gone a few days but still.." He shrugged.

I smiled and leant over to kiss him. "I missed you too." I said.

"Well, let's get out of here." Cary said, and he took the bag I'd been carrying off me, and we walked outside towards the car. It wasn't until Lara was settled in the back and we were on the way home that he asked me about Billy.

"He died." I said slowly.

"That's awful." Cary sounded genuinely unhappy. "I guess now isn't exactly the time to tell you my good news."

"No- tell me." I begged.

"It can wait until later Melody. Your friend just died." Cary assured me.

I nodded. I suppose he was right, and then something occurred to me. "Do you think we could stop at Holly's place?"

Cary frowned. "Aren't you tired after your flight and the trip and all?" He asked.

"I am, but I didn't ring Holly when I was in New York to let her know what had happened. I should have, but I didn't. I better tell her now. Billy was her friend too." I said.

Cary shrugged and a few minutes later we turned off onto the road which lead to Holly and Kenneth's place. As usual Cary grumbled that they should fix the road. When we pulled up Kenneth was out the front with Nelson, and he waved to us. "We're making good use of this sunny day and going for a walk." He told us. "Me and Nelson that is. Hard to believe summer's almost upon us isn't it?"

I got out of the car. "Is Holly busy?"

"If you count cleaning as busy she is." Kenneth said, and then his face sobered up. "Are you all right Melody?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Well you go on in and see her, Cary maybe you and Lara might like to come for a walk with Nelson and I?" Kenneth asked. Cary agreed and got Lara out of the car. I stood watching a moment and then went inside the house.

Holly was on her knees cleaning out a cupboard in the kitchen, but when she heard my footsteps she got up. "You're back?"

"Yeah." I said, glancing around the kitchen with a slight smile. "Spring cleaning?"

"Something like that." Holly admitted with a grin. "Take a seat and don't mind me, I've got to get this place back into some semblance of order before tonight or it will never be done."

I nodded, and took a seat.

"So, how was New York?" Holly asked, but before I could say anything she burst out with "Listen Melody, I've got to tell you that I'm sorry for being grumpy about Billy. I practically forced you onto that plane, and I shouldn't have. I suppose it's just when it comes to Billy I'm a bit protective. In a way I almost think of him as my little brother. And I realised, after you left, that whenever I talk about Billy lately I can be really pushy, and quite rude to you. I was blaming it on lack of sleep with Nelson but I-"

I couldn't take it anymore and I interrupted. "HOLLY! Don't be sorry. I had to go, and even though it was hard, I'm glad I went."

She smiled. "Thank god, that's taken a load off my mind." She said with a sigh. And then her smile faded. "He died though, didn't he?"

"How did you know?" I asked, without thinking. Then I went red. "I mean, yes, he died."

She laughed a funny sort of laugh. "I knew it because I saw it in the crystal ball I got the other week." She said. "I just..did he..well, when he died, was he happy?"

I nodded, for the second time in practically as many minutes I wasn't capable of speech.

Holly bowed her head for a few moments, and then looked up. "He was a good man."

"I know." I said.

Holly pulled a few pots and pans out of the cupboard. "You know I think Kenneth has probably never used some of these things, and I know I haven't used them since I moved in." She commented with a grin.

"Cary wouldn't even know where we kept things like that in our house." I said with a laugh. "Ask him where any tools are, or anything like that, and he'd be right, but pots and pans, no chance."

"Men hmm?" Holly said with a laugh. "Why do we put up with them?"

"Because we're crazy..and we love them." I replied.

"I always knew you and Cary would end up together. Since the day I first saw you both together, and you weren't even together then, but I knew it. No matter what happened in the interim." Holly told me.

"I wish you had of told me that." I said, with a laugh.

"So, what do you think of Cary's big news?" Holly asked me.

"I haven't heard it. He said something about having something to tell me, but that it wasn't the time when Billy had just died." I said, wondering what it could be. "What is it?"

Holly laughed and shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you- it's not my news is it?"

"Please?" I asked sweetly, and she just shook her head.

I watched as she continued tidying things for a moment, and then heard voices outside, signaling the return of our husbands and children. And then something occurred to me. "Holly, did your crystal ball ever tell you anything about Lara?"

She stood up quickly. "What do you mean?" she asked, and for a moment I thought I saw an expression of fear cross her face, but it disappeared so fast I wasn't sure I had seen it at all.

"About her father." I said slowly. I hadn't been planning on asking this to anyone ever, it was going to be my little secret, but I wondered whether Holly had ever known, and I wanted to tell her something about it.

"No," She said slowly. "But Billy and I put two and two together awhile ago."

"So you've known and not said anything to me?" I asked shocked. I would have thought, Holly being Holly, she would have mentioned it to me. She wasn't exactly the type of person to not speak her mind!

"I guessed it wasn't exactly the sort of thing you wanted to talk about." Holly said with a smile. "And don't worry- I'm not mad at you. I'd have done the same thing."

I nodded, and then told her about how I'd told Billy how he had done something with his life- giving me a daughter I loved more than I could express, and he had died happily.

Holly was silent a moment, and then she said, in a choked voice. "Thank you for telling me that Melody. It makes me rest easier, and I know it can't have been too easy for you to have told me that."

"HEY! You girls still gossiping?" Kenneth called as they came into the kitchen.

"No," I said with a smile, feeling a lot better than I had before. "I'm ready to go home and have a rest. Travelling can really tire you out."

I got up, and Holly stood up too. "We'll see you at the wedding on the weekend?" She asked me. "We're leaving Nelson with Nelson."

I laughed. "Which one is babysitting which?" I joked. "And do you think he'd mind looking after Lara too? I would ask Aunt Sara, but it turns out that she and May are going into the city on a shopping trip- May's finally convinced her that she needs some new clothes for summer."

"I remember when she was just a kid." Kenneth said with a sigh. "Matter of fact, I remember when you two were just kids too."

"He's getting sentimental in his old age." Holly told me with a laugh, putting her arm around him. "And I'm sure Nelson would love having another child to look after. After all Lara's his Granddaughter of sorts."

As we drove off I turned to Cary, a determined look on my face. "What's this big news Holly was hinting at?" I demanded.