Thanks to everyone who reviewed… and a big shout out to Swisstony for coming up with the idea of Charlotte Gregg! Told you i'd rob it! =]
A few hours later, the police had just left the house, promising to follow the lead and search for Charlotte Gregg, Vince was sat on the sofa crossed leg and smiling happily.
"I've got a good feeling about this." he beamed.
"Me too." smiled Helen encouragingly. "Why don't I go and make us a brew?"
"No we need to celebrate." beamed Vince, "I'll get the champagne."
"Vince." Jim said kindly, "Why don't we wait until Howard comes home before we break out the champagne?"
"Don't worry, I wont get the best champagne. Just the second best." And he ran off in search of ridiculously overpriced booze.
"He's optimistic." Jim frowned. "I'm a bit worried. He seems a bit naive to the situation."
"Of course he is." said Alice. "He's never had to grow up, has he?"
"I need some fresh air." sighed Helen. "It's getting stuffy in here." She left and Alice fixed her dad with a very serious look,
"I really hope they find him this time dad." she whispered.
"And me, darling." he said hugging his daughter tight. "I want to apologize to him for everything me and your mother did. I want to apologize for not supporting him from the start."
"Please don't cry dad."
"But it's like you said, it's been 15 years since I last spoke to him. I never thought… 15 years Al. That's too long."
"Yes." said Vince, returning with the champagne and setting it down on the coffee table. "But you're here now, that's all that matters. You can't change the past."
"Vince Noir." smiled Jim, letting go of his daughter and turning to hug the rock star. "You know," he whispered, so that only they Vince could hear "when Alice told me that you and Howard had moved in together I felt sure that it was a mistake."
"Everyone did."
"I thought you were this arrogant, egoistic playboy, who was going to break his heart. But now, well… I'm proud that you are the one he chose."
"Thank you." Vince choked.
During the embrace, Alice slipped out of the room and found her mother sat on one of the expensive patio chairs, fiddling with her bracelet.
"Mum, come inside. It's freezing out here."
"He needs to come back now Alice. I don't want to see hurt in that boys eyes anymore. I can cope with the pain of losing my son, I mean, I lost him years ago, didn't I? But we need people like Vince in this world, people who are positive and good at heart and I just feel that, if Howard doesn't come back soon. It'll break that boys heart forever."
---
Days went by, there was still no word from the police and, like Jim had predicted, Vince's optimism was fading fast. He would sit by the phone all day. Gaze at it. Waiting. Willing it to ring. Then it would and before it had even trilled once he would answer it.
"Hello?"… "No, I don't want any double glazing. Thanks, bye." He replaced the receiver and sighed.
"Cheer up." encouraged Alice. "They'll ring soon."
"Yeah." nodded Vince weakly, "I just thought they'd have found something by now."
"They will soon."
"Yeah."
--
"Howard!" Vince screamed. "Howard where are you?"
He was in a corridor. There was a door at the end of the corridor. He needed to reach it. He knew that Howard would be behind it. He just knew it. He was so close to him. So, so close. He ran, faster, faster, faster. But the door stayed where it was, just out of reach. He looked down at the floor. He was on a treadmill. He tried to jump off, but he couldn't. His feet were glued to the moving floor. It was dragging him backward. No. I can't. I must… must reach…"
"Howard!" he screamed again. Then a voice. A screeching, terrifying voice. A voice that turned Vince's heart to ice.
"Vince." it hissed. "Vince Noir. I've got him here. He's never coming back. He loves me now. He's always loved me."
Vince shuddered. "You're lying! Give him back to me!"
"Vince Noir - you're a nothing. You're a fake! He see's that now, you couldn't hide it forever. He hates you!"
"No, no. No. No. Howard. Howard. HOWARD!"
--
Vince sat bolt upright in his bed. He was panting heavily and his sheets were drenched in a cold sweat. He looked at the bedside table. 2.08am. Behind the clock, there was a glass of water, he picked it up to reveal two tablets. He'd forgotten to take them. He hated how dependent he'd become on them to help him sleep peacefully.
Frank had insisted he see a doctor for his depression. Vince had gone, resentfully. Fully aware that Frank was only trying to pull him through so that he'd right another album and fund Frank's bloody loft conversion he kept banning on about. The doctor had been nice enough and it had been good to talk about things with someone who legally couldn't run to the press and spill all his darkest secrets. Though at the end of the session the doctor had just handed him the pills and told him they'd help him sleep at night. He hadn't used them at first but after nights of sleepless, nightmare filled nights. Helen had suggested that maybe he try them and that had been the end of that. Now he needed them. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Vince, son, You alright in there?" came Jim's Yorkshire lilt.
"Yeah."
"Don't lie to me." Jim smiled, opening the door and stepping in. "You having nightmares again?"
"My life's a nightmare."
"Don't say that. Come downstairs with me. We'll have a hot chocolate or something."
Vince was going to say something about not feeling like it but Jim was only trying to help and besides he liked Howard's dad, so he just nodded and followed the older man in silence.
--
He was sat at the breakfast bar, sipping his drink carefully and gazing at Jim a little strangely.
"What?" smiled the older man, taking a packet of biscuits out of the cupboard and going to join the young rock star.
"You look so much like him." Vince mused.
"He is my son."
"I know, but I never looked like my parents."
"Talented people never do. They're like an entirely separate breed or something."
"Howard's a talented musician."
"Hmmm."
"You know, I can't really remember what he looks like anymore."
"What d'you mean?"
"In my head, his face is blurry. I can't remember him much at all. I can't remember what he smells like." Suddenly, he buried his face in Jim's shoulder and mumbled. "You don't smell like him though."
"Sorry." said Jim, because what do you say to that?
"You know, I ring his phone every night, just to hear his voice on that stupid answer machine."
"You're not the only one. I did it too, last night. Actually, I was going to ask you about that?"
Vince smiled, he knew what was coming.
"Do people actually hear that when they ring him?"
"Yeah, but no one knows his number except me. He can never remember it, when people ask for it so he just gives out mine."
"He remembers yours then?"
"Yeah." smiled Vince again, "Recons it's the number he dials most, usually because I make him ring me back when I've sent him a detailed text about…" suddenly he turned a furious shade of red and said "you don't need to know that."
Just then, there was a solemn knock at the front door and Vince jumped violently.
"Who's…" he started, and then, realising only the police would knock at such a stupid time, he jumped to his feet and ran to the door. He opened it quickly and found himself face to face with a solemn looking officer.
"Have you found him?" Vince asked.
"Can I come in?" The policeman asked solemnly.
"No," Vince began to shake his head like a madman, "you only say things like that if it's serious."
"Well…"
"What's happened?"
"Please Mr Noir, if you'd just let me in."
"Just tell me. Is he alive?"
--
The policeman fixed Vince with a very shocked expression. "He's fine Mr Noir. He's in hospital for a few routine check ups and I believe they're keeping him in over night, just to make sure there's no post traumatic stress. But on the whole he's fine." Vince breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes shone with tears and, without really thinking about what he was doing, he kissed the policeman full on the cheek before turning around and bellowing through the quiet house.
"THEY'VE FOUND HOWARD! HE'S ALIVE!"
Sorry if the ending seems rushed I have family coming around in five minutes so I might have tried to finish it too quickly. Just let me know if it does and I'll fix it! =]
Next chapter should be up sometime next year! lol. (I know it's a childish thing to write but... meh, I am childish!! =]])
Thanks for reading!
Happy New Year!
Sisi...xx