Houston opened one eye and then the other, frowning a fraction as he realised he was standing outside a small church. The car park was empty, there didn't seem to be anyone around. He looked at Paul and raised his eyebrow. "Just wait" Paul told him.

Just then a taxi pulled up in front of the church, and a familiar figure stepped out. CJ sighed as she straightened her jacket before going up the steps and entering the church, with Houston and Paul right behind her. She smiled as she saw Will turn to face her, hugging him as she came to stand next to him. She glanced around the empty church and frowned. "I thought I was a little late, but…did I miss it?"

Will sadly shook his head. "No, looks like it might be just you and me here!"

CJ gasped and shook her head in shock. "That can't be! I mean I know he got a little out of control, but…he had so many friends! How did it come to this?"

Houston looked quickly at Paul, his brow creased in concern, but his friend carried on looking forward, ignoring Houstons confusion

"When you left, he just…gave up! He lost the company, well you know that…you're still a board member…Murray couldn't be here, he is in Thailand on a new business deal!"

"Murray did what he had to do!" CJ said quickly, "if he hadn't then Houston Inc. could have been in real trouble…all the people who work for us could have lost their jobs…the charities we support would not have been able to carry in…it was the only choice!"

"Not saying otherwise, but without any reason to leave the Beach House he just lost control!" Will swallowed slightly before telling her, "And when he heard you got married, he took off…vanished! We lost track of him for almost a year…he wasn't around when dad had his stroke…and when he got back he couldn't bring himself to visit dad…in fact he yelled at me that the only reason I told him about dad was cos I wanted him to foot the medical bills…same as those people who come begging to him about new treatments and new tests…he called us all leeches!"

"Hmm, I know" CJ said softly. "I tried to get him to help me get a kid on to new stem cell treatment when it was still being pioneered…Houston wouldn't fund it and the hospital board wouldn't agree without his support…so although we tried, we failed…and Timmy died four years ago!" CJ wrapped her arms around herself and whispered. "Can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child…can't image it at all"

Will reached for her hand. "Hard to believe my cousin could have been so hard hearted…this is the same guy that flew thousands of miles and fought a warlord to set me free…who got himself shot or stabbed so many times trying to get justice for friends or help a friend out…how could such a big heart have turned to stone? Elizabeth did a lot of damage, and whatever happened to her?"

"Serial bride!" CJ told him. "She is just divorcing husband number three and already announced who number four is…richer than number three of course…older to…but apparently this is the one…well according to her statement in the Inquisitor!"

"You read that rubbish?" Will chuckled

"It was in the doctors waiting room!" CJ smiled back

"Doctors? CJ? Are you sick?" Wil asked with concern

"Ah…only in the mornings, but that should stop soon!" she grinned

""That's great CJ! It's funny, and I probably shouldn't tell you this now…but I was always so sure that one day you and Houston would have seen the light and realised just how meant for each other you were…always pictured how cute your kids would be…your looks and brains…Houstons sense of adventure…I dunno…just seemed that you two…well…belonged ya know!"

CJ nodded and told him. "I loved him Will, and for a while there I thought he loved me to…but had to be sure before I could risk our friendship…had to be him that made the first move. If he had, maybe I would have been sharing all of this with him!" Houston, who had been sat behind them listening, found himself wishing he could be sharing that joy with her to

Will hugged her quickly, stopping when there was a polite cough from the pulpit. He was just about to tell the priest to make a start when the doors opened again and in walked Michael Hoyt and his wife, followed by Randy and Vince Novelli.

The new arrivals mumbled brief apologies and came to sit behind CJ and Will, and although he now knew he could not be seen Houston automatically moved out of their way, getting up to walk and stand in front of CJ, studying her closely and reaching to stroke her hair from her face. CJ gasped slightly and looked up. "Funny," she muttered, "I can almost feel him here!"

Will patted her hand and nodded his head. "In a way he is!"

Houston followed his gaze and felt his jaw drop open. A simple black casket on a podium with a handful of floral displays, a candle flickering next to a portrait …of him! "No!" he gasped, turning to look at Paul he shook his head and repeated. "No! That can't be me…I can't be …dead!"

"Sorry pal, but this time you are. But being the kinda guy you became you didn't just kill yourself!"

"What?"

"You decided to take yourself out for a midnight drive, after drinking the best part of Russias surplus supply of Vodka…you were drunk, speeding…and ploughed into a family car…killing the parents and one son…leaving the two youngest boys as orphans …classy Houston!"

"My god!" Houston gasped before looking back at the simple casket, then turning to look at his small group of friends. "My God no! How did I fall this far?"

Paul came to stand behind him. "To proud to say you had been wrong, too stubborn to admit that there is only person who makes your heart sing with joy, too arrogant to admit that sometimes you are the one who needs help from your friends instead of the other way around…need I go on?"

Houston shook his head. "This is just a vision of things that might be, not what will be right? So how do I change, tell me Paul? What do I do?"

Paul looked at him and sighed. "I don't know Houston, maybe it would be better if you just came with me now! That way Uncle Roy won't drink himself to sleep every night and have a stroke, CJ can get through to the hospital board and save Timmy, and the family in the car you crashed into last week will live to see another Christmas…yes, perhaps that would be for the best"

"No!" Houston cried as Paul reached to grab his shoulder, "no Paul, not yet…please…I can change…I will change. I promise…please, I 'll change…you'll see!"

Paul smiled sadly as his hand came to rest on Houstons shoulder. Matt saw the blinding flash of light, felt his head spin, felt himself falling. With cry he found himself…lying flat on the floor of his penthouse having seemingly fallen from the settee.

"Sorry Mr Houston!" came a voice from the door. "Didn't know there was anyone still up here, just came up to switch everything off!"

Houston looked over and saw Andy, one of his security guards, standing in the doorway by the light switch. "It's fine Andy, my fault….guess I must have nodded off huh/"

"Guess so sir"

"Andy, what day is it today?" Houston asked as he climbed to his feet

Andy tilted his head a fraction. "23rd sir. Office has shut down for the festive break. Ms Parsons left well over an hour ago…and your Uncle, that's why I thought you had left to"

Houston grinned. "The 23rd huh? Hah…so there's still time…yeah…still time. C'mon Andy…I got some organising to do! And you can help!"

"Me sir? How?"

Houston laughed. "You'll see…just trust me!"

Andy shook his head as his boss started giggling with excitement. "Trust you sir…! Yeah…ok…why not!"