January 7th

It was a typical Edinburgh city January; wet, misty and cold. As Kirsten, Sandy, Seth, Ryan and Georgia got driven in a black taxi to Georgia's house the rain made patterns and lines down the windows.

As they entered the estate in silence Georgia looked out the window, recalling all her surroundings. Memories washing back to her. She saw an old friend. She straightened herself up and grew a smile. "Stop!" She yelled. "Stop here!" The taxi stopped. Sandy and Kirsten were about to ask Georgia what was wrong when she leaped out the car and ran up to a young boy.

"Matthew!" She yelled. "Matty!" Matthew was walking up to his house listening to his I-pod but he heard Georgia's voice. He turned around and stepped forward to catch her in his arms as she jumped into him. They held each other so tightly and she stayed afloat in his arms for a long time. She buried her face into his Diesel jumper she always loved and breathed in his familiar scent. "I missed you so much" She said grinning happily. He replied the same.

From the taxi door Kirsten smiled and got back in. She nodded at the driver. "Keep going." She said, letting Georgia and Matthew be.

Matthew dropped Georgia to the ground. Georgia smiled and took his hand. "Come on. We have so much to catch up on!" She dragged him into his house and into his room.

They talked and laughed for hours. "Oh my god Teddy actually said that!" Georgia said laughing about Matthew's five year old brother.

"Yeah. He came in and saw me on top of Lauren –with our clothes on!- and told my mum we were 'jumping on the bed.'" Georgia laughed. "And he asked if he could play."

Georgia was laughing so hard she was almost in tears. "I bet your mum was ragin!"

"Yeah but I'm not with Lauren anymores." Matthew said. "I kinda hate her now."

Georgia smiled. "I know you do. Tis such a turn around from a few months ago when you guys actually broke up. I remember you stayed in your room for two days and I had to drag you outside."

Matthew smiled. "Yeah that was wild."

"You think you two will ever get back together?" Georgia asked curiously.

Matthew shook his head "Nope." Georgia smiled and nodded. Maybe a little too happy about that. "Cool." She added. "I'm glad." Matthew frowned. Georgia covered her tracks. "You two just weren't suited you know?"

Matthew took a deep breath. "Georgia no offence hun but you don't really sound like a girl whose mum has just died."

"Cos she didn't. Helen wasn't my mum."

Matthew sighed. "Right…"

"Look I'm trying not to be pessimistic about it. I'm in Scotland; I'm seeing you and all my other friends." Matthew smiled. "Speaking of which where's Jamie and Iain?"

"Uh home I think."

Georgia pulled Matthew up off his bed. "Good. Come on. Lets do what we do best."

"What's that?"

"Just hang out." Georgia smiled.

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"You see last night right? I was leaving school right? And Kyle Gray, Amber's lil brother, who's a complete arse by the way, pure shot me in the ankle with a beebee-gun. And you no me; I was pure raaagin! I went 'Who do you think you are? Dinnae shot me with your lil gun right?'

And he went 'Who are you?" And I went "Who am I? Who am I? I'm Joanna!'" The class all laughed. "I was pure ragin!"

The class were in fits. It was typical of Jo to turn a class into hysterics. She usually ended up laughing herself. Jo was a close friend of Georgia's. She sat with her in English. For the last 2 months Jo was sitting by herself. She'd rather that than being stuck beside the school uber-geek; Marlene.

"Alright calm down. We've only got a single period and we need to get on with Macbeth." The class moaned. "Now Lady Macbeth manipulated Macbeth by…" Mrs McPherson stopped. "…my god I've lost my train of thought. I can't believe it.

This keeps happening to me, I swear I'm going completely barmy with old age." Mrs McPherson was in fact, not old at all. Possibly early to mid-thirties. "You can just tell this is Mr Jenkins effect on me." The class laughed. "He's one of those people who is just so intelligent he's got no common sense at all and he can be totally barmy!"

"He's also got really short arms!" Jo said and the class laughed but their eyes grew wider as she continued; mocking his short, chubby arms and waving hers around. Everyone always took the micky out of him away from class but they were all petrified Jo was about to get in deep trouble.

But Mrs McPherson surprised the class, as she usually would, with just how great a teacher she could be. She joined in. "I know! Have you ever…no I probably shouldn't say that." The class begged Mrs McPherson to continue. "No. I'm going to get back to Macbeth before I turn into the real malicious old hag that I am." They class giggled. Mrs McPherson jumped off the front desks she was sitting on while chitchatting with her class and went over to the whiteboard.

There was a knock at the door and a figure slowly opened the door. Mrs McPherson turned and saw who it was through the glass in the door frame. "Oh my gosh." She put the electronic marker pen down by the screen and turned around.

"Georgia?" She whispered. Georgia walked in and all the class saw. They all stared.

"Oh my god." Kellie said.

"It's Georgia." Rachael said.

"No shit Sherlock." Jo said.

"Hey." Mrs McPherson said softly, moving closer to Georgia. "I heard about your mum. I'm sorry" She said putting her hand on Georgia's arm. Georgia smiled.

"How are you?" Mrs McPherson asked supportively.

"That can of worms ain't worth opening." Georgia said.

"Let's just leave it at 'fine'?" Mrs McPherson said. Georgia nodded then faced the rest of the class and sighed. "You never realise how much you're gonna miss school." She smirked.

Steph got up from her seat and stopped in front of Georgia before embracing her with a tight hug. Georgia closed her eyes for a second relieved before hugging her back tightly. One by one Kellie, Jo, Rachael and some other friends of came up to Georgia and joined in the hugging.

It's not hard to see
Anyone who looks at me
Knows I am just a rolling stone
Never landed any place to call my own
To call my own

The bell rang. "Alright girls after lunch we will have to get on with Macbeth so don't be late." Mrs McPherson said.

"Chum me to get my lunch?" Rachael asked. "To the lockers!" Kellie ordered as she, Steph, Georgia and Rachael walked down the stairs together. As they got to the bottom, Georgia picked up her skateboard from under the stairs and boarded over to the lockers outside.

"Since when did you skateboard?" Rachael asked.

"Seth taught me."

As they got over to the other side of the campus, to where the labs where, and the lockers, everyone started to come out of their classes. Different pupils from the school waved, smiled or said 'hi' to Georgia as they passed. All in different years. Georgia felt very appreciated and very much at home. People had gotten taller, changed their hair, their make-up but they were still the same people. As they went into the Lab-building and walked over to their lockers, the 3rd year Biology class came out.

Georgia's friends saw her and were so surprised. Bryony shrieked. Charlotte dropped her folder and Amy screamed "Holy Fuck!" and pointed at Georgia laughing.

"Surprised to see me?" Georgia asked.

"Happy to see you!" Bryony said enfolding her in a hug. After another round of hugs Georgia went over to her locker and sighed. She stared at her purple padlock remembering the code. She opened her locker to see what was inside. A few old jotters, over read magazines and pictures on the door of her locker. She smiled. Pictures of the cast of the Valley and pictures of her and her friends. She pulled off one of her and her friends in Princes Street gardens on a day when the rain was chucking it down and they were all soaked through to their knickers. She giggled to herself.

Well it seems like so long ago
But it really ain't you know
I started off a crazy kid
Miracle I made it though
The things I did

"Georgia! You ready?" Steph called over. Georgia slid the photo into her back pocket and closed the locker door. "Yeah." She walked over to them. "To the lunch hall I'm starving."

"Well quickly cos it's Buddy-Day today." Charlotte said.

"Right I totally forgot." Georgia said. Buddy-Day was when the girls met with their 'buddies'. When junior ones first come to the school, they would be paired up with another girl in Junior 7 who would be their buddy. Their buddy would look out for them should they get into any trouble or need any help and be their friend. Georgia's little buddy was Michaela Hollis, who was now in Junior 3. She adored her. Very cute and sweet and Georgia could honestly say she missed Michaela a lot.

Lunch was bought and taken into the Junior School playground to play and eat with the little girls. When Georgia walked into the playground and saw Michaela she run up to her and scooped her up in her arms. "How have you been Mickie?"

"I've missed you!" Michaela said sweetly.

"I've missed you too. Are you still ticklish?" Georgia asked as she tickled under her arms. Soon she was chasing her around the playground and playing other games with her. She was teaching Michaela and her friends how to skateboard down the playground. Georgia held Michaela's hands as she stood on the skateboard and rolled down the slight slope in the playground. When they reached the full length of it they all cheered and girls were jumping up 'calling' and 'bagsy-ing' to have a go next.

Kirsten and Sandy drove along to Georgia's school to see how she was doing and to talk to her teachers. They walked into the playground with Mrs McPherson who they were talking to.

'Blimey! You really were serious Georgia.' Susan thought when she first saw Kirsten.

"Speaking as Georgia's guidance teacher, I could honestly tell you folks that she does seem extremely happy since she has been with you. Maybe happier than she was before." Georgia had kept in touch with Mrs McPherson over the course of her stay in the OC. Sandy and Kirsten smiled. "That's good to hear." Sandy said.

"But I am concerned about what's going to happen to her now Helen has died."

"So are we." Sandy said. "We don't know what's going to happen until Helen's will is read which is on the same day as the funeral."

"I see…" Mrs McPherson said. "Well I'm sure if you have a say you'll make the right decision."

Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other and smiled, both a little anxious for the reading to come. They turned and watched Georgia laughing with her friends and little Michaela and her friends. Georgia looked up to them and smiled. She pointed to her parents and Michaela turned. They both waved and Michaela gasped smiling as Georgia told her about them. Sandy and Kirsten had no idea what their daughter was saying about them. What parents really do?

No I rather walk a windy road
Rather know the things I know
See the world with my own eye
No regrets no looking back no good byes
No good byes

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"Grandma Maggie!" Georgia screamed enveloping her in a hug as she saw in her in the house as she came through the door. "And Granddad John!" They hugged. "So good to see you both! How are you?"

"Ok." John nodded. "You?"

"I'll be ok." Georgia said with a head-bob.

"Come sit down. Have some tea. You can get to know Sandy and Kirsten." Georgia smiled as they came in shortly after her.

Georgia made some tea and got some biscuits out on her plate whilst talking to her Grandmother in the kitchen. Unfortunately Maggie suffered from MS and was now in a wheelchair.

"Listen angel you are going to have to help me find a dress. I went into Jenners today and saw an almost-skirt with 'Juicy' written on the hinie."

Georgia laughed. "Ok I'll go buy a suitable dress for you tomorrow."

Her grandmother smirked. "Coming from a girl who puts stamps over her bosoms and calls it a bikini." Georgia laughed.

Georgia paused as she passed her grandmother her mug of tea. "Grandma can I tell you a secret that you can't tell anyone?"

"I'll take it to my grave." Maggie said. "Probably tomorrow."

Georgia smiled. "I'm really scared. I don't know what's going to happen to me. I wish I could stay with you but…you're not getting any better and Granddad's arthritis is getting worse too. I don't want to end up boarding either."

"Well what do you want child?"

Georgia thought. "Someone to make my decisions for me; Make it easier. For Helen to be alive."

"She's Helen now?"

"Well she's not my mum."

"Clearly." Maggie said bluntly. "Was it any easier when your mother was alive anyway?"

"How do you mean Grandma?"

"Ever since you went to California you have never been able to make a decision; to decide when to come home or where to call home. But I think you know where you want to go. You need to go where you're mother is. Where your family is." Georgia thought and sighed. "So where's your family?" Georgia's grandma put the plate of biscuits on her lap and wheeled herself into the living room leaving her granddaughter to contemplate an answer.

Georgia sat down and thought about what she had said. She pulled out the photo of her and her friends in Princes Street Gardens and smiled at it again. She looked through to the Living Room and saw Sandy kissing Kirsten's temple as she found herself a seat. He looked through at Georgia and smiled at his princess. Georgia sighed.

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Someday I'll go where there ain't no rain or snow
Til then I'll travel alone
And I make my bed
With the stars above me head
And I dream of a place called home

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I know this chapter took a while to put up. I kinda didn't know where to go but I liked the idea of her coming back to school and seeing her friends etc. Also Sandy and Kirsten seeing Georgia in her home environment with her friends and enjoying herself despite the fact the woman who brought her up has just died; she can still have a laugh with her friends. Might this make them realise how much she needs her friends and what will this change about their plans and hopes…?

I've also started to write another fic which I am likely to start posting once I have finished this one.

The song is A Place Called Home by Kim Richey which I do not own.

Thanks to reviews from hug-me, jemmi-grace, Little Leprechaun, Panz, xkandyfanx, CynthiaB, kursk, Lu78, Sharkie2008, gumdrop17, nutluvskandy and missIda! Its good to hear I shocked you all! Lol

To save Little Leprechaun's sanity I'm gonna try to make the coming chapters the least depressing I can. :D