Amy stopped dead in her tracks and literally felt her heart stop beating at the sound of Karma's voice. She stopped listening to the message after the first sentence. She felt her knees start to give way a little and split second later one of the glasses she was carrying came crashing down onto the floor, smashing as it landed. Hearing the crash, Kate opened the door to the bathroom.

"Ams?" she called out. "Are you OK?" Amy open her mouth to speak, but no sound came "AMY?" Kate cried out again "what's happened?"

Amy finally snapped out of the frozen state she had been in, and looked down at the floor and the smashed glass. "Shit!" She shouted. "It's OK Kate. I just stupidly dropped a glass and it's smashed everywhere, so don't come in without shoes on OK?Amy shouted back in the direction of the bathroom.

"I'll go and get some stuff to clean up the glass stay there OK?" She added as she walked out the bedroom door and saw a very pale and ill looking Kate staying at the bathroom door looking sorry for herself.

Amy walked over to Kate and planted a gently kiss on her forehead that felt all clammy. "How you feeling? Any better?" Amy asked as she took pity on the state of her.

"I feel like I have no stomach lining left and like in never EVER want to see, let alone DRINK a shot of tequila again in my life!"

Amy laughed softly before adding "babes. You say that every time! Now you head back an hug that toilet some more whilst I clean that mess up." Amy hurried down the stairs and closed the kitchen door behind her.

"FUUUUCK!" She said out loud. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were shaking slightly. Her heart was making up for it's earlier 'downtime' and was now beating as fast as anything. Karma had called her! Wow!

Amy took a seat at the kitchen table and dialled the number to access the voicemail so she could finish listening to the message. br /What on earth could she want after all this time of not speaking to each other? Amy took a deep breath and played the message /br

"...Amy...it's...it's me. Karma..." Amy could now tell that Karma was crying. "I...I'm...sorry for calling...but I, I just didn't know who else to call...I just wanted you...I..."

There was a lengthy pause as Karma broke down fully on the phone. Amy felt tears start to form in her own eyes at the sound of Karma crying.

Karma continued "...I know I have no right to call you...that you probably...hate me...but...I.." Amy's heart was literally in her mouth as she listened to the message. What had happened? Why was she calling after all these years?

"...there was an accident...it's my...my mum and dad...they they were in an accident and ...and" more sobbing "...I'm sorry. I'm sorry...I...don't know how to explain, I just really need you..."

There were more tears and muffled sounds and then that was it. The call ended.

"Shit!" Amy said out loud to herself as her brain tried to processed the questions that were quickly forming. What had happened exactly? What kind of an accident? Were her parents dead? Why was she calling her after all this time? How did she get her number?

And then the final words of the message just kept repeating over and over again. I just really need you! Karma needed Amy. She had said it herself. Amy took a deep breath and tried to think straight. What should she do?

Just then she heard a yelp from the bedroom and realised she had forgotten the broken glass and that Kate had obviously stepped in some. She quickly grabbed some newspaper and a dustpan and brush and headed back up stairs to find a very sorry looking Kate now sat on the bed trying to pull some glass out of her.

"Oh no. I'm sorry babe" Amy said when she saw the blood. "Let me get you a plaster. I told you not to come in without shoes on" Amy added as she popped to the bathroom cabinet to the first aid pack.

"I know you did" Kate replied " it's my own fault. Let's just say I'm not having one of my finest moments!" Kate looked up at Amy and gave a cheeky smile. Amy smiled back and walked over and knelt down in front of her girlfriend and tended to her cut foot. "How about once I've cleaned up all this mess, I'll pop out to the shops and get us some supplies and then we spend the whole day, we'll what's left of it, in bed?" Amy leant in and planted a kiss on Kate's lips. "Sounds perfect" Kate replied before adding "I love you." Amy looked back at Kate, smiled and replied "I love you too".

As Amy walked to the shops, she listened to Karma's voicemail again. And again. She was really torn over what to do. Whilst it was obviously upsetting to hear Karma crying so much, Amy couldn't easily forget the way Karma had treated her. She had broken her heart and then pushed her away as a friend. It infuriated Amy that she had to nerve to call up after all these years and expect Amy to drop everything for her. Amy stopped and sat on a bench as she contemplated her options.

Option 1. The angry 'how dare you contact me after all these years' option: do nothing. Delete the voicemail and pretend it never happened. Karma would have to find other people to help her through whatever had happened. She had made that decision when she had turned her back on Amy.

Option 2. The less angry, but still keeping my distant option: Send a text message back, saying that she was sorry to hear that there had been and accident, and that she hoped her parents were OK, but that she had moved on and didn't want to be reminded of the past.

Or Option 3. The what are you waiting for you idiot? It's Karma.. Call her back NOW option.

Amy stared at the number the phone as she worked out what to do. Her head was saying option 1. Screw her. You owe her nothing after the way she treated you, but her heart was saying option 3...it's Karma and she needs you. She's your best friend.

Amy's heart was pounding as pressed the screen and watched the word 'calling' appear.