This is the last chapter of this fic. :( I've really enjoyed writing it and I know how morbid and horrible that makes me seems but it's true. Thanks to Elledreamer for this challenge; through writing this fic I have had a whole lot more ideas sprout up for A Haunting truth. Speaking of which, I shall be concentrating on A Haunting Truth after this fic and then shudders I will attempt to finish the Dear Diary chapter I am working on, but I can't promise anything.

Amber stared at the ground, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of Alex's last moments. She still couldn't believe that he wasn't with them any more. For the first part of the service, Amber sat still, listening but not taking anything in. When it was her time to stand up and speak, she felt bile rise in her throat. Hex smiled at her reassuringly.

'You sure you still want to do this?' he whispered. Amber didn't answer; she stood up and walked up to the front of the rows of chairs. For a couple of moments, Amber looked at the piece of paper in her hands. The words had taken the majority of the past week to put together and now they seemed stupid. A lump in her throat, Amber looked at the crowd, about to apologise and say that she couldn't speak, but she caught sight of her four friends and swallowed hard. The paper crumpled in her hand, Amber started to speak.

'What can I say about Alex? To people who didn't know him, he just a quiet kid from Northumberland, but to every one here today, he obviously meant so much more. I've lost count of the times he's helped me or just been there for me, and I know my friends feel the same way. He was a true leader, the person that we would always turn to when we weren't sure which way to go.' Amber paused for a moment, looking at the crowd, before continuing. 'Alex helped teach me some important lessons; how not to be selfish, how to go with the flow, how to care for others. I'll never forget the lessons he helped me learn, or the look on his face whenever he was battling it out in some harsh environment. Alex wouldn't whinge or complain, he'd just get on with it. At times it seemed that he was enjoying himself too much and he should have been crying on the floor. But that never happened. I feel really privileged to have known Alex. He was one of my best friends and I'll never forget him. Alex's passing has taught me something else though; something of equal importance. Life is precious. Don't waste time on the little things and don't put something off because you're scared of the outcome. Go for it and deal with what comes out of it.' Amber walked back to her seat, tears welling up in her eyes.

The rest of the service past in a blur and soon it was time for everyone to go home. The Craigs left in a hurry, faces wet with tears. Li watched them go, her heart aching.

'What can you say?' she murmured.

'Huh?' Paulo asked.

'What can you say to them? We can't even tell them the real reason their son died.' Li felt angry. 'They have a right to know.'

'Alex didn't want us to tell them,' Amber said softly. 'This isn't the end of Alpha Force. We need to keep going, keep helping people.' Li nodded sadly and Paulo put his arm around her shoulders.

'You alright, Hex?' Paulo asked suddenly. They had all been quiet, lost in their thoughts, staring out across the moors.

'Um, yeah. Just... Just thinking.' He had a strange look on his face.

'You sure?' Amber put in. He nodded then mumbled, 'Can I talk to you for a minute, Amber.'

'Ok,' Amber said slowly, following Hex away from Li and Paulo. When they were out of sight and earshot she raised an eyebrow and planted her hand son her hips. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing. Um, I was just, you know, thinking about what you said before.' Amber looked at him blankly so he elaborated. 'When you said that life is precious and we shouldn't waste time avoiding things because we're scared of the outcome, it got me thinking.'

'Thinking?' Amber teased. 'You?'

Hex didn't return her smile. He looked really serious. 'Yeah.' He cleared his throat and looked at the ground. 'When we first met, I admit I hated you. You were stuck-up, spoilt, bitchy and impossible to get along with.'

'Gee. Thanks,' mumbled Amber, slightly hurt.

'But that's changed,' Hex continued as though he hadn't heard Amber. 'You've changed. I've changed. I've been meaning to tell you something for a while now, but I keep putting it off. What you said made sense, especially for us. We put ourselves in dangerous situations that we might not come out of and I want to make sure you know... how I feel about you.' The last bit came out in a rush. Hex bit his lip and looked at Amber properly. She was staring back at him, her face unreadable. What the hell, Hex thought suddenly. He leaned towards Amber and kissed her.

Hope no one minded the little moment at the end there but the idea popped into my head and refused to go away. A Haunting Truth will be commanding my attention now and I will aim to get another chapter loaded by the end of the week, maybe sooner.