AN: Another time jump. Another month into Rory's pregnancy.

Losing hope

The day had started normally. Boo had woken up to find Callum already gone. He'd left a note telling her that he, Stephen and Freddie were out on a call. He'd left an address. It was somewhere in West London. So she had gotten showered, dressed and made her way to Goodwin's Court to see Rory. Thorpe was there too. He had a few spare minutes so he had dropped in for a cup of tea and to see how Rory was. The office tv was on. BBC news played on mute. Boo greeted them happily, made a cup of tea for herself and sat down on the couch. She had asked Rory if Stephen had also left a note telling her where he went. She replied that she was already awake when Callum and Freddie had come round for Stephen and he'd given her some address in West London. Boo confirmed that Callum had left the same address. They would probably be back in an hour. Yes, the day had started normally. Well, as normally as it could when you're a shade.

But then, as it so often did, everything went wrong.

Boo stood to look at something on the shelf. She saw the tv and froze. Rory and Thorpe were deep in conversation on the couch. Where Boo stood, she blocked the tv from their view which was probably merciful. Her blood had gone cold, her heart pounded in her chest and her lungs seemed to refuse entry to the air around her. The news was still on. The red banner had four words on it. Four words that had driven an icy stake through her heart; EXPLOSION IN WEST LONDON. She took a deep breath. West London was a large place. West London had lots of boroughs. But an explosion was a large thing. It could cover a distance. The tiny little red banner under the large one covered more information. She scanned for critical points. Explosion...West London...gas leak...several casualties...Hammersmith and Fulham...

No, she thought, her lip quivering, eyes watering. Please no. Hammersmith and Fulham. That's where Stephen, Callum and Freddie had gone. And now the large red banner had changed. It was more specific; EXPLOSION IN HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM. She heard the couch creak as someone stood. And then she heard the mug drop to the floor and smash. And then she heard the scream.

It was bloodcurdling. It was fear, pain, grief, anger, disbelief. It was a plea, a desperate cry for it not to be true. She wheeled around when she heard it and saw Rory and Thorpe on their feet. Rory had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with fear and wet with tears as she stared at the screen. She was shaking her head gently. Boo knew she was reading the information rolling along the bottom. She looked to Thorpe, silently asking what she should do. He had his hand on Rory's shoulder. "Get them on the phone," he said. "Now." She nodded quickly and pulled out her phone. Then, without removing her hands from her mouth, Rory screamed again. And she didn't stop. She bent over double, nearly falling to the floor. The only thing that stopped her collapsing completely was Thorpe. He caught her quickly and stood her upright, holding her steady. Boo's heart broke.

For Rory's sake, she tried Stephen first. If she could just get through to him, get his voice on the phone, she could reassure Rory. She watched Thorpe try to take control of the situation. Her scream had dissolved into desperate cries, her whole body heaving. She begged, she cried, she begged again. Then she screamed some more. Boo couldn't imagine what she was going through. Yes, Callum was out there too, and she was terrified, but she wasn't married to him, wasn't seven months pregnant with his child. She could barely hold it together now. If he was her husband and father to her unborn child, she would've broken by now. Like Rory had. She found herself wondering if she would ever have the chance to have those things with Callum. Or if it was too late.

She watched as Thorpe guided Rory to a couch as she dialled Stephens number. One ring, two rings, three rings, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten and then that stupid, automated voice. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She angrily ended the call and redialled. Thorpe was desperately trying to calm Rory down. They heard sirens go down the main street, ambulances likely on their way to the scene of the explosion. That made Rory scream some more. Thorpe took her shoulders in his hands. He spoke firmly and as calmly as he could. "Rory, I need you calm down. Think of the baby. You need to think of the baby. If you don't calm down, you'll hurt yourself and your child. For the sake of your baby, Rory, breathe." She looked at him and clenched her jaw to keep from sobbing. But the sobs she suppressed tore through her body and she shook. And then she wept. It was quiet. Almost as if the fight had left her and she had given up. Stephens phone rang off again, so Boo tried Callum. Rory cuddled into Thorpe and he offered whatever reassurance he could. He looked over to Boo and raised his eyebrows, silently asking if she was having any luck. As Callums number rang off the same way Stephens had done, a tear slipped down her cheek and she shook her head. She paced the floor as she redialled her boyfriends number. It rang off again. She sniffed and dialled Freddie's number. This was the last chance she had of getting through to them. If Freddie didn't answer, then there was no way of knowing where they were. Or if they were alive. They had to be alive. They had to be. But why didn't they answer? Unless...

She bit her lip and dismissed the possibility from her mind. They couldn't lose hope. She looked back to the screen and saw news footage of the street. The place was decimated. She couldn't bear it. She turned it off violently. She prayed for Freddie to answer her phone but with each little ring-ring, her hopes dwindled. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time." She tried again. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She just calmly removed the phone from her ear and set it down on the table before walking over to the couch. She gently motioned her head to Thorpe and he moved, gently letting go of the still sobbing Rory. Wordlessly, calm as water, Boo sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her pulling her close. She needed calm. She needed quiet. They both did. The baby did. She whispered, trying to reassure Rory. Trying to reassure herself. "It's alright, yeah? It's gonna be alright."

Rory's weeping stopped. Boo gently pulled back and saw Rory staring at the floor. She waved her hand in front of her but got no response. She looked to Thorpe confused. Thorpe edged nearer. "I think she's in shock. She's switched off. She'll be ok. She's not screaming anymore. At least this way the baby's a bit safer. We need to keep her as calm as possible. Stress is harmful to the baby, especially at this late stage."

Boo nodded and stood. She picked up her phone from the table. "I'm going to phone Jazza and Jerome. Rory needs more people here to help her if..." Her voice caught. She couldn't say the words. She inhaled deeply. "If we get any news..." She looked at Thorpe, praying he understood what she had meant without her having to say the words. He nodded solemnly and she walked into the small kitchen, dialling Jazzas number on the way. She closed the door behind her.

"Hello?" Jazzas voice was shaky.

"Hey Jaz."

"Hey Boo. What's up?"

"Em...quite a lot actually." She fought the tears. "Are you ok, love? You sound shaky."

"Yeah. Just had a bit of a shock. There was an explosion in Hammersmith. I work on the street over from where it happened. I was due to go in in an hour. Works phoned though. Everyone's got a paid week off while they clean up."

Boo sobbed. "Thank god you weren't there too."

"Too?"

Boo's lip quivered and she sobbed again. "Stephen, Callum and Freddie had to go to Hammersmith this morning. They aren't back yet and we can't get through to them."

There was a quiet gasp on the other end of the phone. "Oh my god..."

Boo's voice was shaking now as she spoke through the tears she tried hard to suppress. "I phoned because...well I was wondering if you and Jerome could come over to Goodwin's Court? I just think that Rory should have more people around her in case...in case we get bad news."

She heard Jazza sniff on the other end. "Of course. We'll be right there."

"Thanks love. See you in a bit." She hung up the phone and went back through to the office. Rory still sat quietly, transfixed by the table. Boo rubbed her shoulder and began pacing the room. Thorpe sat on an armchair glancing between Rory and Boo. He checked his phone for calls. Boo checked hers and Rory's. Nothing. No one was trying to phone them. And that is how they stayed for 10 minutes until the front door opened. "Hello?" Jazzas voice. They were here. Rory turned her head slowly to the office door and watched as Jazza and Jerome walked in. Jazza was red eyed. Jerome was wringing his hands. He smiled to Rory gently, sadly, and she attempted one back. Jazza came across the room to Boo. "Have you heard from them yet?" Boo looked into Jazzas bloodshot eyes and wished she could say yes, they just called, they're safe and on their way back. But she couldn't. Instead, she just shook her head softly. Jazza rubbed her shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine."

Boo attempted a smile. "Yeah, you're probably right." She hugged Jazza. Sweet Jazza. Perhaps she could make it better. Over Jazzas shoulder, she watched as Rory stood up slowly and walked calmly over to Jerome, wrapping her arms around his middle. Boo pulled back and motioned for Jazza to look. They both smiled gently as Rory sought comfort from Jerome. He gave as much comfort as he could. He held her close and let her hold onto him, knowing that she needed to hold onto something. He also held her steady because it felt to him like she was unsteady on her feet and allowing his heavily pregnant best friend to crumple to the ground was not something he was prepared to do. He tried to reassure her but his voice was uncertain. "It'll be ok. Listen, Hammersmith and Fulhams a big place. They probably weren't near the..." He looked for a gentle way to say the explosion but here wasn't one. So he didn't say anything. He just rubbed her back. She nodded against him gently and Boo could tell that she didn't believe him but was grateful that he had tried. Boo sighed. "I'll make some tea."

She walked into the kitchen with her phone, shutting the door behind her again. She put the kettle on. She put her phone on speaker and set it down on the counter. She dialled Stephens number and counted the rings as she got mugs from the cupboard. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She calmly ended the call and dialled Callums number as she placed the teabags in the mugs. She walked to the fridge to get the milk as she counted the rings. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She calmly ended the call and dialled Freddie's number as the kettle boiled. She lifted it from the base and poured the water and then the milk. She stirred the tea as she counted the rings. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She ended the call and leant against the counter for support. She threw the spoon into the sink violently as she sank to the ground weeping. This wasn't fair. Just when everything was going to be ok, this happened. Freddie couldn't be dead. She was too sweet, too kind, so full of life and loving it. Callum couldn't be dead. He was the one she had loved for years. She needed him like she needed to breathe. Stephen couldn't be dead. Not again. Not now that he was happy and going to be a father. She thought about how excited he had been but would he ever meet his child? Would his child ever know their father?

The injustice of it angered her and she sobbed. She reached up to the counter and got her phone, pulling it down to the floor. She tried each number again only to hear that cursed automated message. "We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is not available at this time."

She cuddled up into a ball and wept. She didn't even acknowledge the kitchen door opening. Jazza crept in quietly and sat down on the floor by Boo. She put an arm around her shoulder. Boo raised her head gently and smiled weakly. "You're sweet love, but Rory needs you more."

"Jerome's with Rory. You need someone too."

Boo sniffed and cuddled closer. "Thank you Jaz."

"I'm sure it'll be ok. Jerome's right. Hammersmith and Fulhams a big place. Likelihood is they were no where near the street it happened on." Her voice, like Jerome's had been, was uncertain.

"But if they're ok, why don't they answer their phones? Or come home?"

Jazza looked at Boo sadly. "I don't know. What time did they leave?"

"Early. They should've been back by now."

Jazza picked up Boo's phone with her spare hand and went into the history. She pressed Stephen's number and they waited. Nothing but the automated voice. Callum's number was the same and so was Freddie's. Boo wept gently again and this time Jazza joined her.