Thank you so much to all you fabulous people who read, reviewed and favourited this little story. I hope you know that your support makes me feel wonderful and keeps me writing.

So here's the second and final chapter - hope it lives up to the hype - ha ha.

Mending Fences - Chapter 2

The two young men found a spot near to where they had raced each other on the day that they had brought Emilie to the beach. Thankfully, this day was a lot warmer than the previous time that they had been there. Cal produced a small trowel from his pocket and began to dig a deep hole in the sand, "Forward planning," Ethan remarked, looking impressed. Cal smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Five minutes later, the hole was dug and Ethan took a small bag out of the box that contained Emilie's ashes and placed them gently into the hole. Immediately, tears began to pour down his cheeks, "I feel like I should say something, but I don't know what to say," Ethan mused as Cal began to cover the hole.

"Just say what you feel," Cal advised as he finished filling the hole.

Ethan nodded, "Ok. Well...I'm not very good at this..." he began, causing Cal to smile once more, "You know, or at least I hope you know, how sorry I was for being so awful to you at the beginning. I still can't believe how badly I acted towards you - but I loved getting to know you after I had got my head straight, " the young man wiped his tears, "You had so much heartache to deal with in your life, losing us the way you did, your illness...If I can be half as brave as you were mum..." he trailed off, unable to finish as he hung his head.

Cal couldn't bear to see his little brother in such agony. He scrambled to his side, "We love you mum," the older sibling said aloud as he tentatively slid an arm around Ethan's shoulders, "And I promise that whether he wants it or not, I will support Ethan through whatever he has to face - he will never be alone."

A strangled sob emerged from the younger man as he turned and buried his head into his brother's chest. Cal tightened his hold, carding a hand through the blond hair.

"I'm so sorry Cal for the way I've been acting these last few weeks," the younger man mumbled.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," Cal told him, although the incident with Lily still smarted.

"You were greiving Cal and I pushed you away when you needed my support...and when I needed yours..." Ethan pulled away from his brother, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I did and said some awful things..."

Cal knew what he meant, but he also knew that Ethan was unaware of what he had overheard.

"I said some things to Lily..."

"I know," Cal breathed before he could stop himself.

"How?" Ethan looked shocked.

"I heard you talking to Lily - about how you wished that it had been me..."

Ethan's breathing quickened, "Oh Cal, what must you think of me?"

He couldn't look his brother in the eye as he tried to control his breathing.

Cal caught Ethan under his chin and angled his face so that he could look at him, "I will admit that it was painful to hear you say that - but my overiding feeling was one of guilt. I would do anything in this world to take this illness from you. You're my little brother - there's nothing that I wouldn't do for you, but I know that I can't take this away from you and it tears me apart that I can't help you in that way..." The older man felt hot tears slide down his face as the brutal honesty came to the fore.

Ethan nodded his head slightly, "I was angry Cal, angry, scared, petrified even. I'd just seen mum die, which was bad enough, but to know...to know that will be me sometime in the future - it was to much. It's not excuse though Cal and I have to accept that. I am so very sorry that I said that about you. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all my own brother. I hope you can forgive me," he looked up at his brother, who was shaking his head, "There's nothing to forgive," he cried, "I understand the fear, the anger - I was feeling exactly the same on your behalf. I just wish that you would have talked to me instead of pushing me away."

"It's what I do," Ethan admitted sadly.

"Right, so let's make a pact. You don't push me away and I won't let you," Cal decided.

"But you can't give up your life for me," Ethan insisted, his stomach churning at the thought that everything that Cal was working towards would be lost as he spent most of his life caring for him.

"Who said anything about giving up my life? Besides, by the time you're showing symptoms we may be two doddery old men like in your story," Cal smiled at him, "We can cope with this Ethan, together...as brothers."

Ethan's smile lit up his face, "Yes, I believe we can."

Cal quickly got to his feet, holding his hand out to help Ethan up. As he pulled his brother up, Cal grabbed hold of him once again, "I love you Ethan, never forget that, no matter what happens," he whispered into his hair.

Ethan snaked his arms around his brother as well, "I love you to Cal - thank you for putting up with me."

Once more, from out of nowhere, a warm, gentle breeze enveloped them both, wrapping them in a blanket of love.

"Fish and chips?" Cal asked from out of nowhere.

Ethan burst into fits of laughter, almost making the older man cry with joy, "We were having a moment and you come out with that?"

Cal made an innocent face, "Well do you want some?"

"Only if I can have mushy peas with mine?"

So that's it. I'm sure that you're not allowed to bury someone's ashes in a beach, but a bit of dramatic licence never hurt anyone.

As for the mushy peas, I don't know if everyone who might read this know what mushy peas are? Is it a Yorkshire thing? I'm sure it's not but sometimes the things we have 'up North' are not the same elsewhere in the UK.

Hope it was ok. I'm out tomorrow night so will miss the episode although it's on record and usually when I've been out I can't go to sleep straight away, so hopefully I will still get to watch it tomorrow night, just a bit later than everyone else.

I would like to write a funny story for the boys, but all I can think about is angst, so if anyone has any ideas that may make a good funny story I would be happy to hear them.

Til next time xx