Hello Everyone! I hope you had a nice weekend.

Here is the next chapter.

I own nothing, Being Human is a (now ended) TV series devised by Toby Whitehouse and shown on BBC3

Later during their shift, Tom found Hal taking great pains in straightening the large lobby mirror. Tom smiled as he saw his friend check and re-check himself in the reflection, turning his head first one way and then the other. Tom had to admit; the makeup had done the trick – even if Hal did look a little swollen and bronzy in places.

After watching him for a minute, Tom felt that Hal had had enough time to indulge himself and loudly cleared his throat striding towards his friend, trying to act normal.

'You alright Hal?' He asked in his most casual voice.

Hal turned and gave a small smile, glanced at the mirror again and stepped away. 'Tom, how can I help?' He asked, turning his head to the mirror and deciding his tie needed straightening again.

'Nothin mate. Just wanna see how ya doing.' Tom replied, again trying to seem innocent.

'Fine Tom, thank you.' He could tell the former werewolf wanted something. 'And how are you?' Did his hair always stand up at the back?

Tom tilted his head, Hal wasn't looking at him. 'Yeah grand thanks. And you?'

As soon as he said it, Tom mentally kicked himself. Hal paused and looked at his friend through the mirror, eyebrow raised. 'Actually, there were a spot of a problem with Nancy an the cheese in the kitchen but…' He was rambling.

'You're rambling Tom. Please get to the point.'

Tom's eyes widened in innocence. 'I didn't say there were a point did ah?'

Hal looked back at the mirror. 'No Tom, but it's quite clear you have something you wish to say.' He turned to face him. 'The old me would have quite easily let you get there is your own time. But I seem to prefer the direct approach.' He smiled pointedly, 'So, I reiterate: How can I help Tom?'

'Aright, aright.' Tom shuffled. 'Don rush me.'

Hal's smile thinned but he waited.

Tom inhaled a deep breath and looked just to Hal's left. 'You know this mornin' when you said I could help you from not fightin'. Did'ja mean it? Because I would be honored to take my place as your support or sponsor in this difficult time but first I would like to know your plan on just how you expect me to complete this role.'

'No Tom.' Hal said.

'No? You don't have a plan?' replied Tom finally looking at Hal.

'No Tom,' said Hal patiently, 'That's not what I said.'

Tom eyebrows knitted.

Hal sighed a little. He had hoped this would come up later. 'Tom what I said was that you would help me not get a bloody nose again. Which you will.' He stepped closer, 'You do remember how that lout managed to punch me do you?'

Tom stared, he opened his mouth, then closed it. His eyes widened.

There it was. 'You distracted me by calling my name. This caused me to lose focus and my opponent to get the upper hand.' Said Hal, softly, with no hint of malice or resentment. 'And that is something I know you can help with by not doing it again.'

Tom shifted. 'But Hal, Alex doesn't want ya to get into fights anymore.'

'I know she doesn't. And I don't want to disappoint her, really I don't.' And he meant it. 'But right now, I am finding it hard to,' he took a calming breath, 'Come to terms with who I now am. This helps give me a clarity by allowing me to see through the fog, so to speak.'

Tom looked at him blankly.

'It has helped me to understand that before, I was bottling up my more,' Hal continued, trying to express his rationalization so Tom would understand, 'expressive side, something that I am sure would have led to the same personality schism that plagued me before. I hope to eventually marry the two into one.' He knitted his hands together to better emphasize his point. 'These two halves need to be identified and brought together, and I believe it can happen. However temporarily this solution is, it has helped me.' He stepped towards Tom who had gone very quiet. 'I want to be the man Alex wants me to be, but I'm not sure I can be yet. I know you understand Tom, just as I know you need the same outlet too.' He added.

'That aint true. How'd you know that? Ya talking rubbish man.' Said Tom, his eyes roving around the room – Never a good liar, Hal thought with fondness. 'I just offered to help ya not to get into trouble, so why would ah want to join ya? Ya mad.'

'Tom, I'm not trying to attack or trap you,' said Hal. He didn't want this, it was going the wrong way, but he had to get through to him. 'Just, please, listen to me.'

'Nah, I aint gonna listen no more.' Tom said shaking his head wildly. 'We thought ya wanted help, but nah your sayin you just wanna lie some more to Alex. And you're trying to make me composite in it.'

'I think you mean 'complicit' Tom,' Hal corrected.

'That's what ah mean!' Said Tom. 'Ya mess with our minds, ya twist things Hal, you make it sound okay to go around hurtin people. And it aint right. You can't do that no more.'

'Then why were you there?' Hal asked.

The question hung in the air. Hal's mouth was set, Tom's whole body was frozen.

'Tom,' Hal said kindly, 'You were there for the same reason I was. We have spent almost our entire lives with monsters inside us, and whether we gave into them or fought against them, we got used to having them there. Now they're gone leaving gaping wounds that need to be filled. I'm not going around killing people, but I have found in necessary to …' he searched for the words, 'acknowledge what is missing in order to find the answer.'

Hal was close; he laid a hand on his shoulder. Tom looked into Hal's eyes, he wanted to see the smirking evil Hal there, he wanted these words to be a trick, but all he saw was someone equally lost, who was trying to make sense for something that neither were prepared for.

'I know the struggle you face Tom, I've seen the way you look every full moon. It's time we faced it; right now, we need this.'

Alex stared at her phone. It was dusty now as well as being old and battered. She reached out and pressed down on the power button.

Thirty texts, five saying she had voice messages. Alex swallowed. Her finger hovered over the inbox icon. Could she face looking at them? Probably from her friends; after she'd shown up at her Dad's house, got bear hugs, tears, shouts and screams from the four of them she had run back to Barry, saying she still had things to sort out. Important things.

Dad had let her - reluctantly. It has helped that the Men in Grey had stepped in and made it look official. What was the cover story again? Kidnap attempted and amnesia, stuck in a hospital not knowing her own name with all the appropriate witness statements and documentation to go along with it. The body that was buried? Grief made her father identify someone else, remarkably similar in appearance, but definitely not their daughter. No, the dental records proved it they said. And Hal? Once she'd got her memory back she's gone to find him; the only person she knew would still be in Wales, he'd helped bring her home. Yes, she was lucky she remembered the café, that he remembered her, that he was willing to help her, wasn't he a kind and decent guy?

She said she would be back in a while. That was what… four months ago. When had she last spoken to them? A month ago? Maybe two now. Calling when she knew they would all be out, a short halting message saying she was fine, things were taking longer than expected, but she would be there soon.

She snatched the phone up, angry at her own weakness – what the Hell was wrong with her? She was never like this before, ever! She didn't do ponsing about hiding in corners. She was Alex fucking Millar, the kinda girl who challenged men twice her size to drinking contests and won; who walked up to a guy and made the first move, who saw something and went for it.

Like Hal. She mind flashed to seeing his back as he played air guitar on a broom, his little smirk when she asked if he was gay, waving from behind the counter where he'd been hiding, Then her leaning in to kiss him, opening her eyes to find him gone, the stuttering voice mail he'd left asking her out of a drink. That drink. 'I've been drinking already.' Alex's face, which had been wearing a ghost of a smile fell and became dark. She'd been so close to death and had no idea. There was no warning; no dramatic music like in films; no last minute rescue; she'd just died…

Fuck, she thought. She lifted her phone and pressed the voicemail button. She needed to snap out of this now.

First was from her Dad three weeks ago.

'Heya darling. Seem ta have missed you again. Hope everything's okay there. We're all wantin to see you again luv, I shhh, shut up ya little… what, you serious? Well how did it get there? Like Hell it did, that little shite… sorry luv, haveta go. Ryan's managed to wedge the hifi in the neighbors tree. Love ya, come back soon yeah?'

Alex smiled. She pressed to move on to the second.

It was another one from her father, and then another from Ryan saying when she came back could she pick up some of that sherbet stuff from Barry Fair they couldn't get it here. Oh and some of those gel pocket things to wash clothes in, the ones Dad bought were rubbish.

Then a couple from her friends, some clearly dialed while on the piss, asking when she was next out, they'd saved her a sambucca, did she know that club they went to had been done up? Who was this Hal guy anyway, they couldn't find him on facebook. Did she have a photo? He better not be like the other jokers she usually dated!

The sixth wasn't recent. It was from before she was human again. It was her father.

'I just called to hear ya voice message. We've just had the funeral an I needed to hear ya voice. I love ya darlin.'

She moved over to the next one fast, this time there was crackling on the line, like someone was speaking under a blanket.

Dekkie

'Alex? Where are ya Alex? I miss ya. Please come back home soon, why're you not here? (sniff). I need ya.-'

Alex hung up. She sat staring at the phone, her chest felt warm and cold at the same time, her heart was fast even though she was breathing slow. Her eyes were prickling. No, she wasn't ready for them, they had all known she was dead, now she was back, but for how long? They would have to go through all that hurt and anger and not knowing and pain when she died again. And how dare they! They were acting like it had been one long holiday for her, bring back fucking wash tabs? Sambucca? She had died? She has seen things they couldn't even imagine, she knew vampires, werewolves and ghosts existed, could be anywhere and they wanted to go to a club?

Her grip tightened and she threw the phone as hard as she could against the wall. It's back fell off, there was a crunch of shattered screen and a slap of plastic as the pieces hit the wooden floor.

Alex wrapped her hands around her head, bent over and cried.

That Hal can talk a good game to anyone. And the scary thing is - he believes what he's saying!

Is this the right way to go for them or not? What Hal says makes sense, is that half the problem?

Next chapter is due Wednesday

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