I want to say thank you to all those who reviewed the first chapter. It's such a good feeling to know that people like what you are writing. Here's chapter 2. I wasn't sure how to make Summer react, so i hope it's ok. I hope you enjoy, and pleas review: )

Chapter 2: Never Too Far

Kaitlin walked down the stairs behind Summer. They had both heard the doorbell, and noises from downstairs. Kaitlin looked at her mom who was on the floor hugging on to Kirsten.

"Mom?"

"Okay, would someone just tell us what's going on!" Summer said getting angry. Neil cleared his throat.

"Umm, there's some bad news…"

"Yeah I got that part," Summer said bluntly glancing at Julie then back to her dad.

"On the way to the airport Ryan and Marissa…" Neil hesitated, "they were involved in a car accident." Summer looked at Julie. She knew of only one thing that would make Julie break down like that, but she refused to believe that it could even be possible. Summer just stared at her dad. He could tell that she knew what had happened but didn't want to know.

"And Marissa, she….she didn't make it."

Summer felt a lump form in her throat. Why did he have to say it? If he hadn't said anything then it didn't have to be true. She closed her eyes as tears started rolling down her cheeks. How could she be gone? She loved her so much. And they were supposed to be best friends forever. She held on to the banister and slowly sat down on the stairs. All she could hear was Julie's sobs, and the echo of her dad's voice, - "she didn't make it."… "she didn't make it…". She looked at her dad as he held her hands and crouched in front of her. She closed her eyes again as more tears fell. Neil couldn't bare this. Her silence was worse than Julie's hysterical crying. She opened her eyes and looked down at her feet. Neil felt a shiver go through his spine, as she raised her head and met his eyes with hers

"Why?" she whispered quietly.

Kaitlin stood on the stairs not knowing what to say or do. Sure her and Marissa had never been close, but she was still her big sister. She walked down the last few steps to her mom and Kirsten. Kirsten stood up and hugged Kaitlin.

"I'm so sorry," she said quietly. If anything ever happened to Hailey she couldn't even imagine how she would feel. Kaitlin nodded at Kirsten in thanks. She knelt down on the floor beside her mom. Julie looked up and saw Kaitlin. At least she had her here.

"Oh honey," Julie wrapped her arms around Kaitlin as tears continued to spill out of her eyes. "What're we going to do? What're we….what…."she sobbed into her younger daughters shoulder. She wasn't her younger daughter anymore though. She was her only daughter.

"It's okay mom," Kaitlin reassured her mom, who was shaking in her arms. "We'll figure it out. Together," she said as a tear fell from her eye. "We Coopers always stick together."

"I'm so sorry honey," Neil said quietly to his daughter.

"It just doesn't make sense. I mean how can she be…." Summer couldn't say it, and she suddenly broke down in tears, crying into her hands. Neil moved forwards and held her close.

"It's okay, let it all out." Her small body shook as she buried her head in her dad's dressing gown. She moved her head off and stood up.

"I need to be alone," she whispered quietly, and turned around running up the stairs.

"Wait sweetie," Neil called to her.

"Let her be." Neil saw Kirsten standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Give her a bit of time." Neil nodded and stood up joining Kirsten.

"How's Ryan?"

"Physically he's not too bad, a few broken ribs, but inside….I don't know how he's going to move on from this."

"I know exactly what you mean," Neil said looking at Julie, who was still hugging Kaitlin, her sobs residing.

"Sandy, Seth and Ryan are at the hospital and I think Marissa's…." she looked at Neil who nodded knowing what she meant. "Is there but they'll have to move it soon."

"I'd better talk to Julie." Neil kissed Kirsten's head gently and walked over to Julie and Kaitlin. "Could I have a minute with your mom?"

"Uh, sure," Kaitlin let go of her mom.

"Come over here sweetie," Kaitlin walked over to Kirsten, as Neil knelt down beside Julie. Neil lifted her hands and held them in his.

"You should get ready and we'll go to the hospital."

"Umm….is….Marissa at the hospital?" she said shakily.

"She was taken there but they can't keep her there long." Julie nodded her head and Neil wiped a tear off her face.

"Come on," Neil helped Julie up off the ground. She kissed him on the lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he said kissing the top of her head.

"Kiki," Julie walked over to Kirsten and hugged her. "Thank you. For coming here…"

"Whatever I can do to help. I should get back to the boys at the hospital."

"Of course. We'll be there soon."

Kirsten smiled at her sympathetically and hugged her again. She let herself out the house and got into her car. As she sat down she let out a shaky breath. She leaned her head on the steering wheel trying to regain her composure. She still couldn't quite believe everything that was happening. It was all so surreal. She felt like she was in the middle of a nightmare, except it was real.

Neil guided Julie into the bedroom. She walked in and headed for the dresser. She picked up a picture in a beautiful gold frame and sat down on the bed. She gently ran her finger round the picture of her and her two girls taken at graduation. Julie had insisted on getting the photos developed immediately so that Marissa could take copies to her dad. It seemed a whole lifetime ago that Julie watched her little girl walk across that stage. It was the proudest moment of her life, but now none of it mattered. A tear fell from her eye and landed on the picture, rolling down Marissa. Julie watched as Marissa's perfect smile was blurred by her tear. It was as though she was disappearing in front of her eyes. Julie tried to rub away the tear off the glass of the photo frame but no matter how hard she tried she still couldn't see her properly. Because she was gone. Forever. And no photo could ever bring her back.

"Hey, hey," Neil gently took hold of her hands as she rubbed frantically at the picture.

"All the things I've said to her, all the horrible things I've done….." Julie sobbed.

"Don't matter. All that matters is that she loved you."

Julie closed her eyes remembering one of the last things that Marissa had ever said to her.

"I love you…okay, just know that."

There were no words to describe how she felt when Marissa said those three words to her. Three simple words. Yet they meant more than anything in the world. Neil took the photo out of her hands and placed it back on the dresser.

"Let's get you ready. There's still time to tell her you love her."

"She won't be able to hear me though."

"You don't know that."

"Oh so now you believe in talking to ghosts," Julie said half smiling.

"No," Neil walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed. "I believe that not matter where those closest to hearts are, it's never too far for them to hear us when we tell them that we love them."

"I love you," Julie said resting her head on his shoulder.

"See I heard that." He felt her laugh softly. "I'm going to check up on Summer. You get ready."

Neil gently knocked on the door as he heard quiet sobs coming from the other side.

"Can I come in?" he gently twisted the handle when he got no reply. The door clicked and he pushed it open. He knew that if she really didn't want to see anyone she would have locked her door. He walked in and saw Summer curled up on her bed with her back to the door. He went over and sat on the edge of her bed. He rested his hand on her arm and noticed that she was hugging on to a purple bear. Marissa's purple bear.

"I'm going with Julie and Kaitlin to the hospital, do you want to come?" He gently rubbed her arm as she continued to cry softly. "Hmm?"

"I miss her already," Summer sobbed quietly.

"I know you do." Summer sat up and let her dad hug her. She held the bear up to her face and hugged on to it. It still smelled of Marissa. The memories of when her and Seth had decorated Marissa's room and found the bear, came flooding back. At the time everything seemed so difficult but only if they knew what would be hitting them.

"We'll be leaving in about 10 minutes," Neil said, kissing the top of her head. He got up off the bed and walked to the door.

"Dad…" he turned back.

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me that you're not going to leave."

"Don't worry, you can't get rid of me," he smiled at her, and she attempted to smile back. As her dad closed the door something on her bedside table caught her eye. She picked up the picture of her and Marissa on the beach about a year ago. She felt like throwing it across the room, but she stopped herself and laid it face down on the table. She didn't want to be reminded of all the happy times they had together. Not when she knew it would never happen again.

Julie and Kaitlin met at the top of the stairs. Julie held out her hand. Kaitlin reached out and slid hers into it. Julie gently squeezed her hand and they looked at each other. This was it. This was the Cooper family.

Summer grabbed a jumper out of her drawer and roughly pulled it over head. Normally she wouldn't be seen dead in the public like this, but she really couldn't care less anymore. She walked over to her window and opened her curtains to look outside. It was completely dark, the moon covered by a cloud. "I love you Coop," she said to herself. She took a deep breath.

"Pull yourself together," she said out loud. She sniffed and wiped her face with her hand. She straightened up and walked away from the window to her bedroom door. As she walked out the door and closed it, a ray of moonlight fell through her window. It landed on her bed, shining onto Marissa's bear.
Those we love are never too far away to hear us say it.

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