Chapter 5

BethBobbyxoxo

'Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think,

So don't blink,

Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand,

You can't flip it over and start again,

Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth'

Kenny Chesney: Don't Blink (amazing song)

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After the funeral, things seemed to improve with Grace.

It was almost as though in saying goodbye to her parents, she had accepted what had happened to her and had decided to move on with her life.

However, the nightmares hadn't gone away.

Night after night Steve woke to the sound of her screams.

She screamed for Danny and Rachel, sometimes for her Grandparents and sometimes for him.

Tonight it was for him.

'STEVE STEVE STEVE!' woke him from his sleep and he stood up, pulling on a t-shirt before hurrying into her room.

Grace was sat up in bed, visibly shaking.

'Hey, hey Gracie, come on, I'm here its okay.' Steve said, sitting on the edge of the bed and touching the little girl's hand.

'I don't want to go back to sleep, I can't. I can't, Steve.' Grace shuffled over to where Steve sat and crawled into his lap.

He stroked her back and sighed 'you don't have to go back to sleep Grace, why don't you tell me what you keep seeing?'

That panicked her and she shook her head violently, pressing her face against his chest so that he couldn't read the fear in her eyes.

Steve thought for a second before lifting Grace's chin with a finger so that she was looking up at him.

'You wanna go for a ride? Get out of this house?'

Grace nodded slightly, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.

Steve wiped them away and kissed her forehead.

'Come on then, get dressed,' Steve handed her the shorts and t-shirt she'd been wearing the day before.

Grace nodded again, slowly climbing out of bed, clearly confused.

'Just give me two minutes,' Steve told her as she picked up her clothes.

He didn't wait for her to reply before he slipped out of her room, into his own and pulled off his shorts.

Steve threw on a pair of jeans, his eyes searching the room for his phone and car keys.

'I'm ready,' Grace said quietly as she came into his room.

'Me too,' Steve snagged his keys and ushered her out of the house and into the Camero.

'Where are we going?' Grace asked as she buckled her seatbelt, the bags under her eyes clear.

'We're just going for a drive, okay?' Steve said softly as he swung the car out of the driveway and onto the empty street.

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Steve had no idea where they were going, he was just driving.

When he had lost his Mom, walking had helped him more than anything, just a change of scenery.

Grace was too little for Steve to let her wander around on her own, but he hoped that she would be able to relax a bit.

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After a while she spoke.

'Steve, can we get something to eat? And can I ask you something?'

'Sure, what do you want?'

'Fried chicken.'

Just like your father, Steve thought.

'Boneless?' he asked, taking a right.

She nodded.

Just like Danny, Steve thought again as he took a left, turning into the car park of Zippy's, a local fast food restaurant that did take-out until late.*

'You coming in?' Steve asked gently.

Grace nodded, rubbing her arms.

'You cold?' Steve asked

'A little.'

Steve frowned, it wasn't cold outside.

He leaned into the back of the car and pulled out a jacket, handing it to Grace.

'Thanks.' She muttered.

'Come on,' Steve said walking around to her side of the Camero and opening the door for her.

The jacket, which he now realised was Danny's, not his, buried her.

It came down to her knees and her hands were completely hidden.

'Sorry Gracie, it's a little big.'

'It's Danno's. He always used to lend me his jacket.' She sniffed sadly and Steve thought she was going to cry.

'Hey, hey, don't, come on; let's go get you some fried chicken. Okay?' he said closing the car door.

Grace nodded, pulling the jacket around herself and following Steve into the restaurant.

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Steve watched the little girl as she sat on a stool while he ordered the food and paid for it. Usually he wouldn't have touched fried chicken, or any fast food, but if it helped her then he was sure he could manage it for once.

The server handed him the bucket of chicken and Steve took it, grateful to leave the building.

Grease seemed to leak out of every crack.

'Let's go Gracie,' he said, shepherding her outside.

Once they were in the car he handed her the bucket of chicken and pulled out of the car park.

'Tuck in,' Steve told her, reaching over and taking a piece of chicken himself.

It was actually pretty good, his first piece of junk food in years.

Grace took a piece and chewed it slowly.

Steve knew she hadn't been eating much lately, so any food was good, she needed the strength. He was worried that the stress was going to make her ill and had even considered taking her to see a therapist.

Just someone who could sit and listen to her and be impartial.

Someone who wasn't part of their world who she could trust, but Mary had talked him out of it, saying that she just needed time.

If she doesn't improve then we'll think more about it, it just takes some time, us two of all people should know that, Mary had said, ever the voice of reason.

Steve had agreed, it had taken him a while to get over his Mom's death, especially when his father had sent them away.

'What are you thinking about?' he heard a small voice ask, dragging him out of his memories.

'I was just thinking about my Mom.' Steve replied, indicating right, suddenly knowing where to go.

'How did she die?' Grace asked.

'She was murdered. Just like your Mom.' Steve told her.

'Oh. What about your Daddy?'

'He was murdered too.'

'Like Danno?'

'Yeah.'

She fell silent again before she looked up at him 'why can't I sleep?'

Steve sighed thoughtfully before stopping the car 'Grace? Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?'

'Why?'

'Because the beach is the best place for answers. That's where I used to go when I was a kid.'

'Okay.'

Her little voice was small, her eyes wide and trusting as she took his hand, the other still clutching her food and followed him out onto the empty beach.

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*I googled Zippy's and that was the take-out restaurant that had the latest opening hours x

Sorry for short chapter but when I sat down to write I was having one of those days where the words just won't come. Will have another chapter up Thursday/Friday.

Please review – I got like 20 reviews on chapter two and then like three on chapter 3 was it really that bad?