3 o'clock the next afternoon. Missy Shauna and Mrs Elliott walked into Leopards Den. They strode in the house together in a line. Saw Lexi looking distressed in the kitchen. Alice was cleaning. The 3 woman looked at each other. Alice cleaning not a good sign. Her baby monitor was on the table.

"Mum about the call yesterday…" Lexi started.

"It's ok sweetie. His flight is delayed. Don't worry."

Missy looked at Shauna. Shook her head. Alice was clearly out of it.

Shauna Missy and Mrs Elliott walked into the kitchen. Alice looked at them then returned to cleaning like she hadn't noticed them. 5 minutes later she looked up. "Hello Mrs Carr. Melissa. Shauna. Danny isn't here at the minute.

They kept looking at each other. She wasn't calling them by there usual names. Hadn't ran over to greet them. It was like they showed up like this all the time. Something was seriously wrong. And they knew what. She had switched off.

Lexi walked over to them. "She's off her rocker. Did you hear her? Not once in 18 years has she called Missy Melissa! And she only calls Shauna, Shauna when they're carrying on! And Mrs Carr I mean you've been married for like 10 years or something now!"

"Lex, do me a favour. Go in your mums room. Close the door. And turn the baby monitor off." her nana told her seriously.

She nodded.

As soon as Lexi was out of sight the 3 woman looked at each other.

"Alice?" Mrs Elliott started.

"Gotta get this place clean. I'm gonna ask Danny is he wants to bring his mum down. She's just had chemo so this stuff has gotta be clean if she does come."

"Alice Danny's mum had been dead for over 10 years."

Alice looked at her like she was stupid. "Don't be daft Mrs Carr!"

"Alice sit down!" Missy said seriously.

"Why so serious Melissa?" she asked sitting down.

"We're here for a serious reason!" Missy said.

"We heard about Danny." Shauna said. Eyes glistening. He was like a brother to her. They provoked each other but it was only banter. She loved him like she loved Alice.

"His flight it late!" Alice spat angrily.

"Alice his flight isn't late." Mrs Elliott told her

"Then where is he then?" Alice asked smugly.

They surrounded her. Closed ranks. "Alice. Danny's plane crashed. He's dead."

"NO!" Alice stood up. "I won't listen to lies!" Melissa out her hands on her shoulder and sat her back down.

"We're really sorry. We know how much you love him. We all love him too!" Shauna said a tear fell.

"There is nothing to be sorry about because he is not dead!" Alice said angrily.

"The phone call…" Melissa started.

"Was to tell me his flight wasn't going to be in on time!" She told them slowly.

Mrs Elliott nodded. "Ok Alice. When does he get in? Did they say?"

Alice frowned. "Um…soon."

"What EXACTLY did the operator say?" Mrs Elliott asked calmly.

"He said…. The operator said….." the conversation rushed back to her. Crash landed. No survivors Danny dead.

"NO! they are wrong. Everyone is wrong! OK!" her breathing changed. she was standing again. Missy went to hug her. She pulled away and pushed till she broke their circle. "Danny promised never to leave me!" her breathing grew more laboured and tears gathered. "He wouldn't do that to me!" she crumpled. "He wouldn't die!" she collapsed on the chair. She sniffed breathing heavily. "He wouldn't leave the kids! He just wouldn't." her composure evaporated. "Oh God my husband is dead!" she whispered. Her head dropped on top her arms on the table and sobbed. She inhaled deep breathes shudders wracking her body.

Her mum got up to pull her close.

"Leave me!" she said heart breaking. Still sobbing uncontrollably. "I just wanna die!"

The 3 people looked at each other worried about her state of mind.

Alice didn't move just carried on crying. Heart breaking as more tears fell.

They let her cry a little longer.

"Alice you have 4 kids in there worried about their dad. Grieving. You need to pull yourself together for them!" Shauna said and pulled her arm.

Alice snatched it back. She wasn't crying loudly anymore but her shoulders still shook slightly.

"At least she was still functioning before!" Shauna muttered. "Now she's shut down. Frozen."

"Right Missy Shauna go get Lexi and the babies out of Alice's room. Move them to Lexi's room or the living room."

"Ok mum." Shauna said.

"Alice is Ethan around. To help Lex with the kids for the time being."

Alice didn't answer. Her shoulders shook more. And she inhaled deeply.

"Alice, why was Danny on the plane? Has this got something to do with Ethan? Was he on the plane too?"

No answer. Then she looked up. "He left too. He could be on the plane." she covered her face. "My baby boy too mum!" her face was tortured. She started crying again. Deeper and harder then before.

Mrs Elliott went to the bathroom. Got her some sleeping pills. Maybe the best thing for her would be to sleep the initial shock off. She returned.

"The kids are in the living room with Lexi. Her room isn't baby proof. We asked Liv to help coz Ethan wasn't around."

"Ok Shauna you sort the kids a drink and Missy you help me."

They got to work.

"C'mon Alice." Missy said lifting her arm.

She yanked it back.

"Alice your kids can't see you like this!" Missy said softly.

She sat up and looked at her with dead eyes. "Does it matter?"

"To them yes. I mean god the babies are too young to understand why their mum is crying!"

"To be honest I don't care!" Alice said soullessly.

Melissa snapped.

"ALICE Get out of that chair and get the hell out of here now!"

Alice eyes sparkled with anger. "Who are you talking to like that?" she got up and pushed Missy hard. Melissa pushed back automatically.

Shauna was walking back into the kitchen.

"You shouldn't of done that!" Alice launched at her. Melissa head had cleared and she was ready to stand there and take it. Shauna and Mrs Elliott had grabbed her before Alice could hit her.

"Think about it Alice. She's our best friend!" Shauna pleaded. Alice's eyes were trained on Missy's.

"Let her go Shaun's. Mrs Elliott. If this is what she needs to get it out of her system then I'll take it. Just let me take my coat off. It's new." she shrugged out of her coat.

"No way Miss look at her, she'll kill you! Then me when I try to stop her!"

Melissa shrugged. "She's already pushed me from a second story window." she winked. "Let her go. Trust me."

Shauna and Mrs Elliott wore matching looks of dubiousness. Then they reluctantly released Alice. She was in Melissa's face in a second.

Shauna shrieked. covered her mouth with her hand.

"C'mon then Alice." Missy said calmly.

Alice stood there breathing heavily. Arms shaking. Fists clenched tightly.

"Take a swing. It might even make you feel better." Missy paused. "Won't bring Danny back though."

Alice's head moved back a fraction. She raised her fist. Tried to summon the strength to hit her best friend. But she couldn't. Pushed Melissa out of the way and walked into hers and Danny's bedroom.

The 3 woman were silent for a minute.

"Are you insane Missy? She could have killed you!" Shauna finally exclaimed.

Missy shook her head. "Would never have happened!"

"And your so sure how?"

"Same thing happened 20 years ago. With her mum. She didn't hit me then. Actually truth be told later after you had gone home we did have a scrap. I wasn't as controlled then. I don't know if you remembered but the 3 of us sorta disbanded for a month or two. Remember?"

"Oh yeah it was awful. I was lost!"

"Me and Alice caused it. Said some nasty stuff and punched each others heads in. We swore when we made up that we'd never fight again. I knew she wouldn't do it!"

(X)

The 3 woman sat down at the table. Heard something heavy hit the wall in Alice's room.

"How in the hell do we handle this?" Shauna asked.

Mrs Elliott frowned.

"Out of the three of us Alice was always the most controlled. Except when she was rattled or something major happened. Even more so when she lost someone she loved." Missy said. "Best I can figure we need to act normal." Missy told them.

"Miss…" Shauna started.

"No actually your right her normal is gone but don't you see she needs routine. Something stable she can hang on to. So how about we try and develop a new routine for her. Of course we should make it all about the kids at first and then bringing everything else slowly."

Mrs Elliott and Shauna stared at her.

"Who are you and where is Missy?" Shauna asked. "How do you know this stuff?"

"I attended a workshop years ago. Bought myself a couple of therapy books. Read them cover to cover quite a few times. They fascinated me. I act the fool but I'm not! I never thought I would use the knowledge though!"

"You'd make a good therapist Melissa. You read people well." Mrs Elliott said proudly. Mrs Elliott felt like the 3 girls were her daughters in a way. They had been close now for over 30 years watched them all grow up and blossom. She couldn't be prouder of them at the moment. Rallying around for each other!

They were soon discussing.

"Right she needs to spend as much time with the kids as possible. Starting now. It'll be easier for her to ignore them if we take over. She has to take care of them. It is essential she doesn't cut herself off. Physically or emotionally. If she does that then the kids are in trouble!"

"But Miss we came to help with the kids." Shauna told her.

"We will. But she needs to do this. We aren't here forever and she is a single parent with 2 kids under 3 and a busy vets practice. I don't wanna be leaving thinking she can't cope!"

Shauna nodded. "I can't stay long. The girls."

Melissa nodded looked at Mrs Elliott. It seemed she had been appointed leader and planner unspokenly.

"I'm retired. Can stay as long as I'm needed."

"I got about a month. There's nothing important in my diary. I'll ring my secretary and tell her to clear it and cancel all my outgoing visits. It's great owning your own company!"

"Right Shauna at first I want you to stay with her as much as possible but tell her you will be leaving. Coz she is gonna have to get used to people leaving her. Then I'll stay for a couple of weeks and follow you. Finally your mum. I think she'll be fine when she gets over the initial shock. She loves her kids and would never neglect them. The problem is if she isn't fine. With Danny gone there is only Ethan and Lexi."

"Strike that. Lexi only!" Mrs Elliott said.

Missy and Shauna looked.

"She suspects Ethan was on the flight too!"

"Damn! You know what I shouldn't be doing this. We need someone who knows what they're doing!" Missy panicked. "I shouldn't be playing amateur psychologist!" Missy declared.

"Actually I think we'll be fine between the 3 of us. We know her best. Love her. Who better to help her?" Shauna said. "Plus we aren't stupid. You can guide us in the right direction."

"I know Shauna but we're talking her husband and her son. Don't you understand the implications of that?" Missy asked. "If I'm wrong she could snap completely that'll be good. Sorry Lex but I sent your mother insane!" she said sarcastically. "Can we really risk her sanity?"

"Look we'll take it a day at a time but what you said makes sense. We can't let her distance herself from the kids!" Mrs Elliott said. "Let's go get her!"

A/N i like serious missy. abit background on missy in the next couple of chapters :) poor alice isn't copin 2 well is she? mst importantly will she snap herself out of it?