Several weeks after the three youngest Young children saw there mother for the last time, there was a week of constant rain.

Alex woke up every morning wishing for God to stop pissing on them. It made everything ten times more difficult. Go out the door and getting into the car resulted in getting soaked. Jay was living with her at her childhood home, he made things easier. But he was going back to war soon, where Alex would be if she didn't have to look after Mrs Young.

Molly was finding the weather particularly difficult as whenever it was thunder and lightning she was use to sleeping with either her Mam or Alex. She could do neither at the dumping ground, instead she lay awake or went into the kitchen and sat for hours until everyone else woke up.

One stormy Thursday, Alex was awoken by a load clap of thunder and couldn't drift off again. Being careful not to wake Jay, Alex left there bed and went to make a drink in the kitchen. She noticed that even at night, the house was too quiet without the children. She sighed. However through the silence she could here a noise. A long noise. Like a beep but strung out. Alex's eyes widened in realisation, as she dashed up stairs to her mothers bedroom.

Also on this stormy Thursday, Molly had woken with an aching in he chest, as if something was missing but she couldn't figure out what. She took off down stair, not caring about being particularly quiet, the thunder was loud enough. Whist fixing a drink she sensed rather than heard Rachel and Robbie come into the kitchen. Turning to check, she started to make them one aswell.

"Why are you two up?" Molly asked as she placed the mugs down.

"Couldn't sleep, got this feeling" Robbie replied, feeling uneasy. He had the ache aswell, so did Rachel. What was going on. They weren't that close. The siblings discussed this until morning. They could understand the twins but why Molly aswell, something was wrong.

They wouldn't find out what until there was a knock on the door in the morning.

*At the Young's*

Jay was sat with Alex curled up on his lap in her father's chair that faced out onto the garden. Tears had finally stopped crashing down her face, she had none left. Her mother had died during the night and they had just taken her body away.

It wasn't raining anymore. The sun was shining as the storm had broken. But Alex couldn't feel any relief over this, all she was think was she needed to tell the kids. She'd already rang Mark and David, they were coming home later that day, but the kids needed to be told.

Jay was holding the women he loved as she was deep in thought. He was going to have to leave soon, back to war. Maybe he could get compationate leave for a few weeks then go back. Give her time to get back on her feet. She wouldn't have long though anyway,they were just waiting until her mother was either well enough to not need a full time carer or until she died. It was inevitable that Alex would get a call soon.

Alex broke her thought, stood up and pulled Jay up with her to go get dressed. It was time.

Jay drove. Alex couldn't. She may not have any tears left but that didn't stop the dry sobbing. Jay held her hand, the same way she had with Mrs Young when they had dropped the kids off. This only made things worse ...and better at the same time. The comforting action helped but was a reminder.

Arriving at the dumping groung, Jay game her hand a squeeze and a comforting hand before getting out and opening Alex's door. They stood together hand in hand as they knock, waitimg for someone to answer. Tracy did, smiling like always. Alex just shook her head and said "She's gone, we need to tell the kids." And let Tracy pull her into a hug and lead them to a room.

They waited what seemed like an eternity before the door finally opened to reveal Mike with the kids behind him. He left them alone as Rachel and Robbie practically jumped onto Alex enveloping her in a hug. Molly stood by the door. She knew. She didn't want to hear it.

Alex looked up at Molly ready to speak but before she could Molly interrupted bluntly. "She dead isn't she." Alex just nodded in reply.

Molly looked at the floor before whispering "Okay" and running from the room. Leaving Alex to stare after her and to comfort two now hysterical 10 year olds.

Molly didnt stop running until she reached the garden. She didn't stop when Mike and Tracy called her, not when she went through the kitchen and Liam grabbed her arm and stared deep into her eyes searching for the problem. She didn't stopped until she was far enougn away to break down alone.

Please R&R