Disclaimer : I don't own anything so there!

XSARAH : It's just wishful thinking then is it lol. I promise though I'm not too cruel to her lol. Anyways thanks for the support and review. CHEERS MI DEARS!!!!

MOSHIMORO6785 : Ohh the suspense lol. Having it an Adam/Connie? Now is that you wishful thinking? Lol. Either way I ain't saying ; ) lol. Anyways thanks for the support and review. CHEERS MI DEARS!!!!

Chapter 4

To this day, I can clearly remember Charlie informing us that the test results were clear. I remember the relief as he explained that Julie had said the Doctors told her, that her passing out, was probably due to exhaustion and not eating enough of the right foods.

I remember sitting on the edge of the bed, much like I was now, and talking for hours on end with her when she came home. I had taken a week off from work so I could help Charlie with Jonah, as he was still needed for games, though his coach was being more than lenient with practices.

Things soon got back to normal, and before we knew it, it was coming up to my 2 year anniversary with Miles. Jonah was just over a year and half old, walking and unfortunately talking, or rather shouting. Though he hadn't yet grasped any idea of conversing yet.

FLASHBACK

"Say, Mommy's pretty". I sat Jonah on my knee as we watched Julie try on a few outfits for my anniversary meal/party we were having the following day for close friends and family to celebrate.

"Say, Mooommie's pwetty". Jonah babbled, whilst blowing raspberry's. Obviously bored with the whole shopping trip.

"Arr, thank you baby". Julie smiled, her eyes sparkling proudly as she watched her son. Though she knew enough to stay out of his reach whilst wearing the outfit she'd tried on. "I think I prefer this one". She told me. Referring to the last 3 outfits she'd tried.

"You know what. I think I do too". I replied.

"I'm gonna take it". She declared, as she turned round and went back into the dressing room, to put her own clothes back on.

"Are you bored Jonah"? I asked, turning my attention to the 20 month old in my lap.

"YES". He said very enthusiastically, and it was then I realized he hadn't been listening to my question.

"Shall I tickle you"? I asked, wondering if he was paying ay attention at all.

"YES". He repeated in the same upbeat tone.

"Ok then". I told him, and began tickling him.

Almost immediately he started squirming in my arms, letting out a loud piercing childlike scream, that quickly turning into a loud pitched giggle. Near by customers turned to look where the commotion was coming from, though I ignored them, and continued tickling and holding his squirming body tightly in my arms, so he couldn't wriggle away. In the midst of tickling him, I heard a thud coming from the dressing room. It immediately grabbed my attention, and I stopped tickling Jonah, lifting him up as I stood, and placing him on my hip.

"Jules, you ok in there"? I asked, as I approached.

"Oomph". Was the only response.

"Jules"? I said, yanking the curtain back, revealing Julie sat in, what I can only describe as a heap, shoe in hand. "Are you ok"? I asked, as I put Jonah down the floor, putting my wrist through the main loop of his harness to prevent him walking away, and began helping Julie to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine". She smiled as she regained herself, and easily slipped her shoe on. "I was just trying to put my shoe on, and fell backwards into the partition and bumped my head". She chuckled.

"Are you sure you're ok". The slight sweat on her forehead hadn't gone un-noticed.

"Yeah, I must be incredibly unfit. All that bouncing around, dressing and undressing just wiped me out". She smiled, as she took the handle of Jonah's harness, and I picked our bags up.

We got through the rest of the afternoon, without any further problems, Julie looked almost fine as soon as we got out of the store. I however seemed to be watching her carefully, wondering if she really had been telling the truth, or whether she was in fact feeling ill.

That evening, as we finished dinner, I voiced my concerns to Miles, who simply dismissed them, telling me I was probably reading too much into it, and to stop worrying all the time. I retaliated, telling him vividly how she looked as I helped her up from the dressing room floor.

"Look, Baby, stop worrying about it ok. She was probably telling the truth. I know how hard you two shop when you're together, but she probably gets tired more quickly with having to watch Jonah all the time, and having to make sure he doesn't get up to anything he shouldn't".

"The thing is though Miles, was that I was watching Jonah. It's not that tiring trying a few outfits on, and it certainly doesn't make you sweat like she was". I argued.

"Baby, you said yourself it was pretty hot in the store. There's probably a simple explanation, she might be coming down with a cold or just have been feeling a little under the weather. You're reading too much into it". He told me.

"Ok, you're right, I'm just worried that's all". I agreed. "It's just that she's my best friend, she's more like my sister, and I just, I just worry about her".

"I know you do, and that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with you. But I'm pretty sure the last thing she needs is for you to be is the worrier, Charlie's pretty good at that on his own". I laughed, knowing just how right he was.

For the rest of the evening, I tried my hardest to stop worrying and even thinking about Julie. I succeeded for the most part, though I sometimes felt my thoughts slowly drifting back to today's events, and it was then, that I forced myself to think of something else.

The following day, I slept in bed while late, being awoken by Miles who had made me breakfast in bed, complete with a rose in his mouth. We spent the day lazing around in bed, just wanting to spend most of our anniversary alone, as more than likely we would be surrounded by my parents and his parents later that evening at the meal. It was turned 3pm, before we were disturbed. Dressed simply in my sweats, I ran down the stairs to open the front door. I hadn't even had chance to see who it was, before I was lifted into someone's arms. It was then I realized, they were in fact Guy's arms, on realizing this, I hugged tightly back. After he put me down, I was picked up another million times by the rest of the ducks, that had flown from just about all over the country.

"Guy's would you look how much she's grown since the last time we saw her". Averman cooed like an Grand mother, that hadn't seen her grand child in over a year.

"Aves, we saw each other 2 months ago". I argued as I guided everyone into the living room, where we each managed to find a seat.

We settled into an easy rhythmic conversation, that I could both understand and keep up with. I had never told Miles, but often, when socializing with his circle of friends, I felt very much out of my depth. Not because his friends were so much smarter than me, more to do with the fact that they talked easily about politics and lawyer stuff. Both of which I didn't really know the first thing about, but even if I had the slight inkling, I would lose the plot of the conversation, just as quickly as I had grasped it. In these cases, I often found myself backing away from them, and socializing with partners of Miles' friends, who also weren't very involved in the easy banter of politics.

"So where's the hubby"? Russ asked.

"Oh he's upstairs in the shower". I replied. "He'll be down in a bit". I told them, immediately diving into another conversation.

A few hours later, Adam arrived, reigniting earlier conversations. Not long after him Julie, Charlie and Jonah arrived. I soon excused myself to get ready, and it was only then that I noticed Miles wasn't sat in the living room with everyone else.

As I showered, my mind drifted to all the other events we'd had, where the all ducks were in town, and it dawned on me, that Miles had never really, forced his presence in any of the occasions. Thinking back to events such as Jonah's first birthday, when we'd all gotten together, he hadn't really joined in with us, he'd almost stood back away from us, watching from afar.

I soon dismissed my thoughts, when I realized, we had to be at the party/meal in 30 minutes, and I still had to finish getting ready. Thankfully though, I was ready on time and we arrived on time. For the first part of the evening, we walked around as a couple, greeting our guests, and spending time with them. Though our guest list wasn't half as near as the one we'd had for the wedding, it was still quite large, especially since Miles had quite a large family, and I too had 2 older siblings, though only one of mine had children.

After the meal, we seemed to go our separate ways, spending time with our own family and friends, though meeting up every so often to swap stories and inform each other how it was going, for instance, he might tell me that his Grandmother was in a bad mood because his Grandfather had forgotten the camera, or I might inform him that my mom was looking for him, to check that he was looking after her only daughter properly.

By the end of all this meet and greet stuff, some music was put on, and dancing commenced. Through most of this, I danced mainly with Miles, trying to spend as much of our anniversary with him, rather than away from him. Soon the dance floor had a few more couples dancing as close as we were.

"I was thinking, maybe next year, we should go on holiday for our anniversary rather than have to do all this over again". I said after a few minutes of silence.

"And here I was thinking that this was the highlight of your year". He replied sarcastically.

"Oh it is, but a nice holiday in the sun away from friends and family would highlight it even better". I laughed in return.

"Totally with you on that score. I think I'll need a holiday just getting over this".

"JULIE". I heard someone shout. I turned automatically to see who it was shouting.

I turned to see Julie laid flat out on the floor with Charlie hovering over her. Jonah was wandering around all over the dance floor. I immediately let go of Miles and rushed over, grabbing Jonah in the process. At the sudden restriction of space, Jonah started kicking and screaming. I ignored him and continued on my way over to Julie. When I got there, the first thing I noticed was the limpness of her body, much like she had done when Jonah was 6 months old.

Someone shouted for someone to call an ambulance, though everything around me except Jonahs legs kicking against my own and his high pitched screaming, was slowly going blurred. I can't remember much of anything, except Miles stood behind me, attempting at squeezing my shoulder in comfort. I can't really remember watching as Charlie got in the back of the ambulance with Julie, except him looking at me, a worried expression on his face. I followed his eyes, as they slid further down to his son in my arms. I simply nodded in acknowledgment that I would look after him.

"Connie, you coming or staying"? Guy asked, as I stood in the middle of the parking lot, staring after the ambulance, Jonah still screaming in my arms.

"Huh". I suddenly came back to Earth with a bump. I turned to see Miles stood behind me. "Um, I have to go Miles. I'm sorry, but I just have to". I told him, and with that, I dashed as fast as I could toward Adam, who was waiting next to his car, knowing I would be going with them.

All the way to the hospital, Jonah cried, though his legs had stopped kicking, due to either getting tired, or simply giving up. Walking into the hospital brought back the memories of over a year ago, though I suppose thankfully, I wasn't on my own this time.

END FLASHBACK

To this day, I can't recall everything that happened. Miles filled me in on a few blanks about what happened later, but nothing important enough for me to remember. I do however remember that he'd had to explain the sudden disappearance of his wife to everyone I'd left at the party/meal. Though most of my family and friends wouldn't think much of me going after Julie, I knew some of Miles' family and friends would.

So what do you think? PLEASE R&R!!!!