Hello people! ducks from angry readers yelling and throwing stuff so here it is. Beyond the darkness chapter 3. Eagerly awaited by um… 7 people. You'd better give us some really nice, appreciative reviews now! Aw… you know we love you really (well not really because we don't, ya know, know you, but you get our drift, we are drifting down a long river in Canada (in our heads only but still.)) We are also on happy pills (this is yet another opportunity for you to pick up on when we are joking, gullible people). Ok, so they (they being evil fanfic administrators, grr!) say you can't have a whole chapter of author's notes. Did they say anything about the notes being longer than the story? I don't think so.

Hezzie. The story. Remember? (Sorry people, she's on stuff. The net does strange things to people) :S

And is there anything about having a written conversation with your bezzie mate and co-writer instead of getting on with your story and then leaving it and publishing it just for the fun of it? No. I didn't think so.

Luke looked anxiously around the crowded synagogue. Everything was black. The clothes, the mood and the atmosphere, all pitch black. Grace stood by his side, their hands clasped tightly together. She had been persuaded to wear a skirt but she still had the leather jacket. Around her neck hung the necklace her mom had given her for her bar mitzvah. Luke had fastened the clasp.

She's hardly said one word since the hospital. Isn't she supposed to have cried or screamed or collapsed or something? That, I can deal with… but this?

Grace made a strange choking noise in her throat. She couldn't take this anymore. Watching her dad stand up there, barely able to speak but determinedly carrying on with his sermon. She had to get out. She tried her best not to look up as she ran out. The looks, concerned, disappointed, they were just about the last thing she needed. She knew her dad needed her there but she couldn't do it, just couldn't.

Joan watched her best friend run out of the synagogue. She tried to follow her without attracting any more attention. Why did she have to sit in the middle of her row?

"Grace? Grace, are you out here?"

"Stupid question Girardi," she said from behind one of the huge stone pillars that surrounded the building.

"Are you okay?"

"Again, stupid question."

If Joan didn't know better she would have though Grace was in a mood with her.

"So do you wanna talk about it or are you just gonna sit there? I know your hurting Grace but people need you in there. You have to go back."

"Just shut up Girardi. Okay? Shut up! And since when did you care all of a sudden?"

"Grace, of course I care, you're my best friend!"

"Oh yeah so you ignore me for the whole time Judith's here then as soon as she's gone, you're here for me? How the hell does that work Joan?"

"Grace…I can't believe you just said that! Judith is dead. Just like your mom. I thought you of all people would understand that now! Anyway, you had Luke. Since when did you care whether or not I'm around? Have you ever really cared about me?"

Joan realises a second to late what she's just said. "Grace, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, I…"

"Yeah you never mean anything, do you Joan? Poor Joan, always in the right, just trying to help. Just save it Joan, and leave me the hell alone."

Joan could feel the all-too-familiar feeling of tears rising. She walked away, leaving Grace behind her. She couldn't handle how right Grace sounded. Across the road she saw a hobo sat on the ground.

He wouldn't.

She caught a glimpse of his face.

Apparently he would.

He smiled, ever present and patronising. Joan had an unbelievable urge to wipe the smirk right of his face.

"What the hell is your deal? 'Everything has a reason Joan.'" She mimicked angrily. "I don't see a reason! I see Grace's mom dead, I see Judith dead, I see me being a complete bitch to Grace when she needs me most and I see you smiling at me as though you don't care. The only thing I don't see is your stupid reason! I have had just about as much as I can take of you, okay? I want my life back!"

"Sometimes you have to find the answers you need for yourself Joan. And I don't remember forcing you to shout at Grace."

Smack. Joan's hand thudded sharply across the side of his face. A stranger walked past and looks rather alarmed by her perception of what had just happened.

"You don't know," Joan spat at God, "Just how long I've wanted to do that.

"Yeah, actually. I do. You're not the first person to betray me Joan. You lack faith and you're frustrated. You've lost sight of why you're here. There is no magic fix for you Joan, only you can help yourself right now."

Joan walked away. Again. So she had hit God. The universe hadn't exploded; she hadn't zoomed straight down to hell. More than that he seemed as distant as ever, calm, unaffected. She just felt worse.

Luke walked out to the sound Grace's dad reading out the Kaddish.

"May God's great name be blessed, forever and ever.

May God's name be blessed, praised, glorified, revered, held in awe, acclaimed and revered- though it is higher than all the blessings, songs, praises and the consolations that can be spoken in this world.

May Heaven grant a universal peace and life for us and for all Israel, Amen."

"Hey Grace…" He wraps her up in a huge and much needed hug.

"Joan yelled at me."

"Aw, sweetie."

"Hey! Take that back right now and I might be persuaded not to kill you. Painfully."

"Grace. Sorry Grace."

"Luke?"

"Um?"

"I don't know if I can go back in there."

"Sure you can," he slips his hand back through hers. "You have me."

"Luke?"

"Um?"

"Don't leave me."

"Grace, I'm always gonna be here, always."

Grace smiled in spite of everything else.

"Come on."

"What?" Luke asked, bewildered.

"Let's go inside."

And hand in hand, they walked back inside.

Ha! We are so evil! Muhahahaha!

Note from Hezzie, again, she (she being me) has had some sugar in the process of writing this so she can only get higher- We apologise for the shortness of yet another chapter but it's 11o'clock already and we have a movie to see. Not that our readers aren't our highest priority, obviously, but it's American Pie. The wedding so ya know… live with it.

We may update soon. Hehe.

Kisses- x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Anything to add to that Ally? Yes, No? Would you like to tell the world about a certain French tutor we have who is undeniably spawn of the devil?

He wears pink shirts people. And … interesting ties and likes to sing the Sound of Music and intercept our notes with bits of fanfics and waddeva and then decides to share them with the whole class. Nice guy. (Again with the joking people.)

Bye for real now. We promise. Can you see the Canadian geese yet ally?

Ally and Hezzie