Disclaimer: I do not own Emmerdale or anything to do with Emmerdale, it all belongs to ITV.

So this is the next chapter guys! I hope you enjoy!

Save Me…

Chapter 4

Five men stood beside a freshly dug grave. The cold air and grey sky seeming to mirror there despair. As the words of the sermon Ashely the vicar read, carried away on the wind the other men tried to hide their grief.

It hadn't been that long ago when James and Emma had gone on holiday to give the boys some time together. A break for them both too as they couldn't stop arguing.

One night after a particularly heated argument, James had thrown the wedding ring he had started wearing again to the floor and Emma had fled in a towering rage. That was the last time James had seen Emma alive.

She had been found the next morning. Lying at the bottom of a cliff on the beach. She looked peaceful. As though she had simply fell asleep on the sand. No one knew if she'd fell, if she'd jumped or had even been pushed. Either way she was gone, and no one would ever know why.

Finn had tears streaming from his eyes, he had been the one to find his mother. To bring her to the village.

James had to wipe the occasional tear from his eye. She had been his wife and he still had strong feelings for her, but he knew it would never have worked out between them. It never could. They were just not meant to be together.

Pete and Ross stood stony faced and emotionless. Pete had never given his mother much thought before she had come to the village, sure he had grown closer to her before everything that had happened with Ross but she never really felt like a mother to him. Pete felt so numb these days he didn't really know how to feel at this moment.

Ross felt uncomfortable. He hadn't worn this suit since he had gone to Donna's funeral and it hung off his thinner frame. He was well aware of her body lying cold not far away from him. Ross just felt sick. The pain in his leg from standing up for so long and the constant emotions flooding through him on a daily bases had drained him completely. He could just flop down exhausted.

One thing was certain for all of them however. Today was the last day of calm before the storm….

After the funeral James had gone home. He was to return to living with Pete, Finn and Ross again. He just wanted some time by himself to think through the events of the last few months. It had certainly taken its toll on the aging father as his face seemed more lined then it had previously and his hair now completely grey.

Finn, Ross and Pete had headed straight for the pub. Finn after a few pints had decided to stick to soft drinks. Ross had had several pints and due to his smaller frame was already pissed out of his head but was trying his best to disguise it. Pete had also had several pints and was now trying to push a bottle of scotch onto his other two brothers.

"Come on! Just one more? Drown your sorrows" Pete jeered at the other two, the drink seemed to have made him inappropriately jolly. Finn just rolled his eyes and Ross tried desperately not to slump over and to appear sober.

Debbie watched from her seat at the bar. Andy was looking after Jack and Sarah, giving her time to have a catch up with her auntie over the bar.

She frowned as she took in Ross' vacant expression and the dark circles which were the only colour on his otherwise pale face. It was clear to her that Finn and Pete weren't looking after him as they should be.

"I've… had enough… going home…." Ross muttered, trying not to let his speech slur. Getting slowly to his feet.

"Shall I come too?" Finn asked, eyeing his brother wearily.

"No!" Ross hissed sharply and made his way out the pub.

He managed to keep his footing steady and only Debbie noticed him stumble slightly on his way out the door.

"Will he be okay?" Finn questioned, worriedly.

"Course!" said Pete merrily pouring himself another glass of scotch.

Debbie gave her aunt Chas a quick good bye before following Ross in quick pursuit.

Ross was stumbling down the road. His vision was swimming slightly and he was struggling to remember how to balance on his new leg and was wobbling all over the place. Maybe drinking wasn't such a good idea on his medication.

"ROSS!" Debbie shouted after him and she quickly tried to catch up to the unstable man in front of her.

"Shit!" Ross muttered to himself, and in his drunken state grabbed a branch off a bush and used it to hide his face.

"Haha Ross" Debbie muttered having finally caught up with him and pulling the branch away from his face.

"How… yyyou.. knnoow it was….meee?" Ross slurred. The cold night air seemed to have made him feel worse.

"I followed you" Debbie said simply, pulling her jacket closer to her to keep warm. Ross noticed and pulled her in for a drunken hug.

"Yourr a good… girl…Deeebs" Ross slurred drunkenly in her ear.

"Come on let's get you home" Debbie said gently trying to push him off her but at the same time savouring the feel of his warms around her and worrying about the bones she could feel through his shirt.

Ross suddenly turned and gave her a filthy look, pushing her from him.

"Don't… neeeed.. help!" Ross growled, making to dash past her

But after standing on his leg all day suddenly caused it to cramp, and being un steady on his feet anyway he went toppling over.

"How much did you have?" Debbie questioned sharply. Bending down to help him up, slightly stunned at his sudden outburst and more than a little pissed off.

"No don't!" Ross muttered weakly as she reached out to help him. Debbie's heart broke as she saw tears in his big dark eyes, whatever had happened to him in the last few months had clearly broken him.

"Why?" Debbie questioned softly and the hand she had reached out with to help Ross fell to rest on his leg.

The leg that he wore the prosthetic on.

A look of horror spread across Ross's face.

Uh Oh! sorry if the updates are short! Just love writing this but don't have the time.