It was harder than he had imagined. The service had been a poignant reminder of how young and full of energy Jake had been. A bittersweet look back over a life taken so cruelly from the people that loved him.

It was exactly what Scott didn't need right now.

He sniffed back tears and glanced through the large crowd that had gathered around the grave. Old friends and familiar faces gazed through unseeing eyes, lost in the communal recognition of how unfair it all seemed.

And then it was suddenly over. Jake's impossibly young widow took the folded flag from the honour guard and bit back on a sob. The loud cracks of a rifle salute then broke the afternoon quiet and the mourners began to dissipate.

Scott was aware of his father moving away and followed him slowly. Knowing they could offer their words of comfort back at the house, they made their way to the waiting line of limousines and rode back through the outskirts of the city in silence.

XXXXX

The wake had a refreshingly lighter atmosphere. It seemed that everyone had breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door on what had been a difficult day. Scott mingled among the crowd, greeting former colleagues and reminiscing on their past adventures. It was a shame that such a tragedy had had to occur before they had all met up again and they made earnest pledges to stay in better contact.

His father was equally at home. Holding court over the gathering of retired officers, he laughed as he retold the same old stories and told them of his latest ventures, grinning as they called him 'Colonel'. Scott watched him for a moment and smiled fondly, glad to see him smiling after the intense meeting with Jake's father and the tears that had fallen.

Needing fresh air and a little more besides, Scott wandered through to the back of the house and stepped out into the long garden. He fished a cigarette from the packet inside his blazer and closed his eyes as the sweet smoke burned his throat. Glancing around for somewhere to drop the ash, he then saw her and his heart sank.

Unsure if he ought to leave her alone in her grief, he paused for a moment. But she looked so lost and sad. It was almost like looking into a mirror. And, knowing he would want to be comforted, he decided to take a chance and headed along the decking.

Scott crouched down beside her and followed her gaze out along the neat green lawn. He frowned and tried to find the right words to open a conversation. And then decided that perhaps nothing was more useful. He sat down beside her and matched her position, trailing his legs out across the end of the decking and the edge of the grass.

It was a while before either of them spoke. Scott finished his cigarette and buried it in the soil-filled gap beside him.

"I thought today would feel good, somehow." She began quietly, turning and taking in his face, a small smile of greeting pulling at her lips.

Scott held her gaze and let his eyes move over her flushed features. She hadn't changed. Gone were the scruffy pigtails and silk ribbons and the milky skin was lined, the dark eyes older. But it was her.

"Three weeks." She sighed, "Three weeks of bureaucracy and excuses. And all we wanted to do was bring him home and bury him."

Scott nodded slowly.

"But still there's no closure … fucking classified." Her face crumpled and fresh tears gathered. "Bastards!"

"Oh, Ruth …" Scott slipped his arm around her and pulled her close, murmuring gently in sympathy. "I'm so sorry …"

She rested her head against his shoulder and wept quietly, leaning into his embrace.

And there Ruth stayed for a long while, the tears gradually ceasing and she sighed as she then sat back upright. "Did they tell you what happened?"

Scott knew what she was seeking and shook his head slowly, "I'm not part of their circle any more, Ruthie. I know as much as you."

Ruth groaned, "Yeah. Sweet F A."

"It's how it is." Scott suggested carefully, "You know that."

"Not when it's Jake!" Ruth argued, "Not when you get some vague story about a plane crash and your brother is just gone!"

Scott's stomach turned.

"God, I'm sorry …" Ruth sighed and watched Scott fighting back tears, "This must be just as hard for you."

Scott nodded slowly. "We'd not talked for a few months … and then …" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, sudden laughter then lightening his face. "God, we thought we were invincible! We had some wild times, man …" He watched Ruth smile and saw the same memories in her eyes.

"He missed you." Ruth agreed and then frowned in intrigue, "What is it you're up to now?"

"I fly with my dad's chartered airline."

"Oh?"

Scott nodded, "We ferry people around the South Pacific."

"That explains the tan."

Scott smiled. "Jake said I was letting the side down. He thought I was selling out."

Ruth nodded slowly, "He had high hopes for you guys. He had his sights firmly set on ISA." She glanced up at the bright evening sky. "He wanted to see the stars."

A small smile quirked one corner of his mouth and Scott bit back the sudden urge to tell her how amazing it was up there. And how often he had wanted to pick up the phone to call Jake and tell him just what he did with his day, knowing how excited and proud his best friend would have been.

"What about you?" Scott asked softly, "God, Ruthie, it must be, what … six years?"

Ruth chuckled slightly, "Eight."

Scott groaned, "God … seems like yesterday we were building a fort in your folks back yard."

Ruth's smile faded. "Hmm … seems like longer."

Scott watched her for a moment and she looked to be aging before his eyes. And now he saw the premature flecks of grey in her dark hair and the heavy droop of her shoulders. Strange that only a seemingly short time ago she had been a cheeky teenager, chasing around the neighbourhood with her brother and his mischievous friend.

They had grown up together on the base. Their fathers deep into their rockets and shooting up the ranks of the air force, making for the stars, their wives feeling the strain of bringing up a family alone and soon firm friends. And the children inseparable. One long, seemingly endless summer, broken only by the tragic loss of his mother. But that had simply brought them closer together. And when he took a break from being an older brother, Scott would kick back with Jake and Ruth and forget it all.

"How are your brothers?" Ruth asked suddenly.

Scott turned back to her and smiled, "Good." He gave her the agreed back-story and the economical truths that made living out on an isolated island somewhere seem believable. But it felt wrong to be using this version with her.

Ruth nodded slowly, "All I remember is the geek, the sure to be an underwear model and the two brats who used to pull my hair and deflate the tyres on my bike."

Scott laughed in delight and threw his arms around her, glad for the amusing image and glad to be in her company again.

Ruth hugged him back and closed her eyes as she buried her face into his chest.

Scott let her rest there and leaned his head against the top of hers. "What about you? I guess you're a chief surgeon or something by now?" His heart racing suddenly as his mind flashed back to the many times the two of them had snuck out alone to the tree house and he had gladly been patient to her doctor fantasies.

Ruth laughed softly, "Yeah, right!" She sat back from him and shook her head. "Two years of medical school and Kathy happened."

Scott frowned.

Ruth nodded slowly and shrugged her shoulders. "I've got three kids now. Kathy's 6, Gemma's 4 and Charlie's almost 2."

Scott searched his memory and could now recall Jake talking about his nieces. It hadn't occurred to Scott that they were little scrappy Ruth's children. She was 5 years older than him and Jake but had always seemed much younger. At least, she had until that last Spring before she went away to college.

"Maybe, when they're older, I'll go back and try again." Ruth continued, "But … it's hard. Art's away all the time and …" She sighed slightly. "He's a corporate banker and spends most of his time overseas. In fact, he's rarely home." She smiled suddenly, "But we make the most of it when he is and hence my kids! But it's good. I adore them. And they keep me out of mischief."

Scott laughed in agreement.

"You got someone?"

Scott shook his head.

"No?" Ruth gasped, "God, I would have thought you'd have been snapped up long ago! Eldest heir to a vast multi-million dollar empire."

Scott shrugged. Quite where he would get the time to find someone with helping to run IR and everything else. But then, John had.

"Oh hell …" Ruth grinned up at him, "Don't tell me I moved away and I missed out on snaring my childhood sweetheart."

And Scott laughed loudly, "Oh, please! Awkward fumblings of the spotty neighbourhood flight-jock-to-be!"

Ruth's grin grew. "Don't put yourself down, Scotty-boy. You made a good first impression."

Scott felt his cheeks flush and looked away from her. "And our dads would have used my hide to shammy their cars if they'd known."

"I guess I'm just lucky to have benefited from your early development." Ruth watched his slight discomfort and was enjoying it. "The envy of the girls I giggled with in the locker room."

"Okay!" Scott laughed and cleared his throat, "Enough, already!"

Ruth slipped her arm around his and hugged him to her. "It's okay - I'm kidding! I never told. God, they'd have teased me for going with someone younger than me. It was only ever our little secret. Well, not exactly little …"

"Ruthie!" Scott protested with mock horror.

Ruth giggled merrily and put her arms around him to hold him tightly. "Okay …"

Scott smiled and returned the hug, remembering those nights all too clearly.

"Thank you." Ruth offered quietly, "I've not laughed for a long while."

Scott pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head softly. And they stayed in the tight embrace for a long while, both lost in thought.

"Scott?"

Scott turned his head and saw his father emerging from the back door. His father held up his phone, no further explanation needed, and nodded towards the house. Scott groaned and leaned back from Ruth.

Ruth listened in dismay as he offered an apology and stood from her. She watched him leave and then smiled as he suddenly reappeared.

Scott scribbled his cell phone number on the napkin he had grabbed and gave it to her, smiling fondly down at her and then hurrying after his father.

Tbc …