Thanks so much to laughter.is.the.best.medicine and as1999 for their lovely reviews :) this is for you guys. And to all of those people who read the last chapter and didn't review :( does it take that long to tell me what you thought after all I did spend quite a lot of time (as everyone on fanfic does) thinking up these ideas and penning them. It's only fair isn't it??? xxxpip
Emma and Will were still sitting in a heap, crying and holding tightly onto each other as Phil and Sam appeared at the top of the cark park. Sam rushed across to where Annie was standing scuffing her trainers and enveloped her in a hug. "Are you alright sweetheart?" She asked, bending down slightly to get a closer look at the troubled teen.
Annie quickly swiped away her tears before looking back up at Sam. "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. I was just worried about Mum." She said, her voice still wavering dangerously about to give away her mood.
"Well she's fine now, I think that your Dad is about to take her down to the hospital to get her checked over and so they can sort out her medication." Sam said as she steered Annie towards her and Phil's CID car. Sure enough, two minutes later Smithy pulled up in the area car and Will helped Emma into the back of it before he joined Smithy, Sam and Phil who were standing about discussing what had actually happened.
They all turned to Will who laughed nervously and then launched into an explanation without even being prompted because their stares were so penetrating. "I got that call out from CAD about the woman on the top of the car park and I just…I don't know how but I knew it was Emma so I ran all the way up and phoned for back up and I also called Annie. I wasn't making any head way with her…she actually climbed over the railings while I was speaking and then all of a sudden Annie was at my elbow and she…and she climbed over the edge with Emma and said that if Emma killed herself then she would too…because she didn't want to live without her."
"Jeez…poor kid." Smithy muttered as he cast a look over at Annie who was sitting up in the backseat, trying to get a better look at Emma in the car behind her.
"Yeah…it worked though. Emma came back over and helped Annie with her. I think it just shocked her back into thinking straight but I really do need to get her down the hospital…something tells me she's not been taking her medicine like she should recently." Will replied as he headed back over to the area car, Smithy following behind.
Annie sat on the table swinging her legs back and forth and Sam and Phil ran out of things to say. They were sat pretty close together and Annie squinted at them. "Something wrong Annie?" Phil asked nervously as he watched her scrutinise them.
"Oh no…nothing…but I thought that DI's weren't supposed to screw their DS's." Annie said making them both choke in surprise and look wildly around for some sort of obvious indication that they were going out. "God guys…you're supposed to be detectives…like know how to disguise stuff because your job is to work it out! Hey do you think I could become one when I'm older?" She continued and gradually Sam and Phil began to smile.
"Annie darlin' I think you could become one today." Sam sighed exasperatedly. "Oh and not a word about me and Phil to anyone mind…your right…its err frowned upon to say the least!"
Annie winked and bounced off down the stairs in the direction of the canteen where she sat at the table with a man she vaguely recognised but she couldn't quite place. "So Missy, I hear you're a right little hero!" He said extending his hand towards her and shaking it politely, a twinkle still in his eye.
"How do I know you?" Annie asked in confusion.
"Well I don't know if you do sunshine, I'm Dan, your Dad's best mate. Used to work back here a good fourteen to fifteen years ago with both your Mum and Dad but I'm only just back from Ibiza. Heard all about you saving Emma's life though, your just like her, a brave girl." He said smiling across the table at her.
Annie grinned back shyly. "Mum used to talk about you sometimes…when she was happy she used to tell me stories about you and Dad and her friend…Honey was it? She said you always made her laugh…that she missed you. So you lived in Ibiza then…bet that was nice!"
"Yeah it was great, plenty of sun, sand and girls." Dan said dreamily before he heard Annie sniggering in the background. "Yeah, yeah Missy there were plenty girls."
"I believe ya." Annie replied smirking.
"So…I think I've got some photos of your Mum and Dad together somewhere in my locker…you can come and take a look if you want?" Dan offered as he got to his feet, pushing his coffee back across the table. "Tell you what, I'll meet you in the soft interview room if you know where that is, that way you can sit at peace and not be bothered by the mob." He said gesturing to a bunch of young PCs who were pointing and talking in hushed voices about them.
"Yeah…I'd like that Dan." Annie replied as she sauntered off down the corridor to a room she was getting to know quite well now. Twenty minutes later Annie pointed to a photo and laughed. "I never knew that she was like that before." She said as she saw her Mum flashing a cheeky grin at whoever was holding the camera as she tried to manoeuvre herself around the twister mat.
"Yeah you should see the next one then!" Dan chuckled as he flicked over and Annie saw that Emma must have fallen as she was lying on top of Will looking very cosy, a long line of tequila shots standing empty on the coffee table standing as the cause for their 'friendly' behaviour. Annie's phone began to buzz and she stood up, taking it to the other side of the room so she could speak in private as Dan flicked over to the doubles that he had of some of the best photos. Coming to the last one, his favourite one of Will and Emma he considered it a moment before removing it from the others and leaving it sitting on the arm of the sofa.
Annie bounced back across to him. "Dad says he's coming to pick me up, he's just dropped off Mum at hers and she said she'd like him to stay with us for tonight. The doctors have sorted out her medicine so everything's gonna be great." Annie said happily and Dan nodded, his grin widening with every word. It looked like Emma was getting back on track. At the front door of the building Dan paused and then handed over the photo to Annie who's eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around Dan's neck. "Thank you." She breathed as she kissed his cheek softly and ran across the car park to where Will was standing waiting. At the last moment she turned and waved and Dan smiled as he saw Will's eyes flick up and connect with his.
Will did a double take. "Dan?" He shouted before he ran towards him, almost knocking him flying as he leapt on him, tackling him a huge bear hug. "God I missed ya mate." He said as they disentangled themselves to find Annie standing with her phone out giggling.
"Too good not to be caught on camera." She laughed and Will and Dan both rolled their eyes.
"I'll get her for that, don't worry." Will joked and he smiled genuinely at Dan. "It's great to have you back mate. If it was any other time then I'd say come over for a few drinks but tonight…I think Annie and Emz have enough going on. It's so good to see you though. We'll catch up once everything's sorted yeah?" He said as he reluctantly turned to leave.
"Oh mate…there was one thing. You got a spare room I can rent?" Dan asked cheekily.
"Only for you." Will muttered as he tossed Dan his keys. "Not the attic one, that's Annie's now. But the other one has been free for oh I don't know…the past fourteen/fifteen years." He laughed as Dan cracked another grin.
Half an hour later Will parked his car and made his way up the steps to Annie and Emma's flat. "I think Emma's sleeping so will we just make tea and watch some telly?" Will asked, not feeling like he should be the one telling Annie what to do in her own home.
"Course Dad…what do you want…I think we've got pasta…and pasta…and more pasta!" She giggled as she rifled through the cupboards.
"Pasta it is honey." He called softly from the living room where he was making room on the sofa for them both. After several hours of rubbish TV and too much to eat Annie tilted her head up to look at Will.
"Dad…why do you think Mum lied to me?" Annie whispered as she snuggled her head into his side.
"I don't know sweetie…I think she was really scared and didn't want people finding out about me and her. She was supposed to be getting married to Matt and he wasn't very nice. I think she couldn't see another way out but honey she loves you so much, she just wanted to protect you." Will said as he ruffled her hair.
"I was scared, I didn't know what else to do…I wanted to tell you so bad Annie, it's been eating away at me for fourteen years." Emma's voice said from the door and both of them whipped round. She walked forwards and perched beside Annie on the sofa.
"But why? Did you not love Dad?" Annie asked and Emma sighed, a lone tear running down her cheek.
"I loved him too much sweetie, that was the problem. I couldn't hurt him by telling him we were having a baby but I couldn't be with him because I was already engaged. It seemed like I couldn't do a thing without hurting somebody else and I didn't want to cause any more pain so I ran away and nobody saw me again…until today." She said and Will's jaw dropped open.
All these years, all this time he'd presumed it was because she didn't love him and couldn't bear the thought of having to share Annie with him or bringing her up as someone else's baby. "But you hurt Dad by running away, he still misses you, he hasn't even had a proper girlfriend since you!" Annie exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Emma.
"Oi quiet you, I don't need everybody hearing all my secrets thank you very much." Will said as he tapped Annie lightly on the arm so she giggled into Emma's side.
"I'm sorry for what I did to both of you…but…but we all know the truth now so maybe we can give Annie a proper family life…with both a Mum and a Dad." Emma said and a breath caught in Annie's throat. "After all, now you've met it's not like I can stop you seeing each other." She continued.
Looking down at the photo that was still clutched in her hand Annie smiled. Will and Emma's faces looked up at her as they had done to the person holding the camera all those years ago. Emma was sitting on Will's shoulders, their hands joined and their faces with identical expressions on them. Hugging it tight to her chest Annie wished that they could become like that once again. Annie pulled both of her parents towards her, getting squished in the middle.
"I love you Dad…I love you Mum." She whispered as she was tucked in between the two of them.
"We love you Annie." Will and Emma chorused as they both shut their eyes sleepily, their arms around what the assumed to be their teenage daughter but in fact, they'd both overstretched and had their arms wrapped around each other.
You should never fight your feelings
When your very bones believe them
You should never fight your feelings
You have to follow nature's law