Hey, Nukia here!
This fanfiction is a side story to Beyond This Love.
I don't know if any of my old readers are reading my rewrites anymore, but I'm going to keep going. I felt like I rushed this chapter, I feel like doing some fun chapters before I get to the sad chapters.
But thank you for the reviews, favorites and the alerts! Also to the unknown people who read my fanfictions, I promise it will pick up at some point! If you don't like it, then don't read it.
Chapter 17!
Christmas had come and gone, the whole seasonal period had been a blur to my family. My Aunt had returned home a few days before Christmas day, her mood had lightened for some reason and she seemed to enjoy Christmas day this year more than she normally would in the past. We had a fun New Year too, my Aunt threw a massive party in her cottage. She invited some of her old friends from the local village to come and see in the New Year with us. She actually got up and danced with me, we spent most of the night dancing around the living room like fools and eating loads of strawberry cream cake. She as even been playing board games with me, she taught me to how knit and sew buttons on clothe's properly.
But life carries on, she as days when she's to sick to get out of bed. I sit with her sometimes well she's having her afternoon tea in bed and read books to her from her childhood, she says I need to improve my reading skills because I get stuck on long words. I just nod my head at her and carry on reading, I've learned over the years to never disagree with her because you will never win.
But today was one of my Aunt's bad days, she's in her bedroom right now on her ventilator machine well she sleeps. A nurse called Alison dropped by earlier to check up on her, she seems to be stable and her lung function is fine. I'm just happy knowing she's doing okay and she's not in pain, but sometimes I think of the future which is always a bad thing. I cry sometimes in the shower without my Aunt or Rose knowing, I'm scared of what the future holds for me.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a knock at the front door, I wonder who that is? I know it can't be Rose, she just nipped out about 10 minutes ago because she needed to pick a few items up for my Aunt from town and do some food shopping. I closed my magazine and stuffed the rest of my cream cake in my mouth. I hurried out of the kitchen, I wiped my hands on my new blue dress my Aunt brought me and put the chain on the door. I unlocked the door, opened it slowly and peeped through the gap in the doorway. I frowned slightly when I saw on one there, I sighed to myself and closed the door.
" Hey!" I heard a familiar voice say from outside of the door. " Am I invisible to you? I know I've not seen you for 5 months, but that's rude!"
" I'm sorry A, I didn't see you through the gap..." I replied with a sigh. " I'll be one moment, I need to take the chain off the door..."
I shook my head and smiled to myself as I removed the chain from the door. I opened the door the wide, I was greeted by a smiling A sitting on his bike and Nonie placing her bike down on the cottage's front lawn. I watched Nonie run over to an old tall tree in the middle of the lawn, I gasped when she knocked over one of my Aunt's stone fairy statues and quickly climbed up the tree. She sat down on the highest branch of the tree, she looked down at the faerie statues at the bottom of the tree and took a lollipop from her hoody pocket.
" Sorry!" She yelled.
" It doesn't look broken from where I'm standing, I'll replace it if it's damaged..." I heard A say. " So, do you want to come out for bike ride with us? You'll have to get changed though, I can imagine it being quite tricky riding a bike in a dress. Not that I hate dresses, I just think jeans are better when cycling in the country..."
" What are you doing here?" I asked quietly, I turned my full attention to A and leant against the wall as I crossed my arms." I thought you were not allowed to leave The Wammy House without Watari escorting you to places, not since what happened last year..."
" Rude much, we're here to visit you..." He replied and then frowned slightly at me. " Hey! I'm allowed to go out by myself sometimes, I'll be 13 in October and I'm not alone. I'm with Nonie, we're allowed to go out unescorted if we're in groups or in pairs!"
" Okay, don't get your knickers in a twist..." I giggled.
" Oh you're so funny, I just popped a stitch in my side because you're a right little comedian!" He smirked and gently bumped his bike's wheel against the doorstep. " So, do you what to come for a bike ride or not? We're going to the woods behind your cottage, we plan to hangout there for an hour and throw some stones over the bridge. You should come with us, you look terrible..."
" Oh..." I mumbled.
" I didn't mean it in a bad way, you just look pale and withdrawn! " He said quickly and climbed off his bike. " I'm not saying you look bad or anything, you look fine to me! I mean, oh forget it! I'm waffling..."
" You're silly..." I smiled slightly as I tucked some of my hair behind my ear. " But I can't come out right now, I've got to stay at home until Rose get's back from town..."
" Are you home alone?" He asked.
" Yes, I volunteered to stay at home well she went out..." I replied, I sat down on the doorstep and pulled my knees to my chest. " My Aunt is asleep upstairs in her bedroom, I'm keeping an eye on her until Rose get's back home. I'm afraid to say you've both had a wasted journey, I'm sorry..."
" It's alright, it's doesn't matter!" He smiled. " How's the old firecracker doing anyway? Is she still slaying businessmen with her sharp tongue and killer wit?"
" She's doing okay I guess, she as her days when she get's to sick to get out of bed though..." I replied as I watched Nonie jump down from the tree. " Her lung function is fine for now, but I'm still worried about her. She seems to be having more bad days than good days, I wish I could make her better again..."
" Of course you'll worry about her, she's your Aunt after all..." He sighed, he placed his bike down on the front lawn of the cottage and sat down next to me on the doorstep. " I know it's going to get harder for you, but you've got to be there for your Aunt well you can and make hundreds of good memories with her. I don't remember much about my family anymore, I think that's one of my many regrets because when you're young you don't think about the future. But sometime life can throw you little sparks of hope, but life is full of surprises you know..."
" I know, I'm just waiting for those little sparks of hope you speak about sometimes..." I sighed. " How did you cope when you lost your Mum and Sister? I get so scared sometimes, I don't want to prepare myself for the worse..."
" I don't know, I actually still don't know how I coped..." He answered with a shrug. " I got told by L long ago when I was young to not show my emotions, they can make you weak when you need to be strong for others. But the damn panda detective is full of shit sometimes, I think your emotions can be your most powerful weapon..."
" You shouldn't swear in front of girls, it's bad form..." I said.
" Why not?" He asked.
" Because it's rude..." I replied.
" Well pardon me Miss Elizabeth, I'll remember to not swear in your presence ever again!" He chuckled, he draped his arm around my shoulders and pointed over at Nonie as he shuffled closer toward me. " Alright, I try my best to explain to you how to cope with loss and use your emotions to find your strength for others..."
" Okay..." I nodded.
" Do you see Nonie over there?" He asked quietly. "She found the courage to talk again because she used her emotions, she found her strength through them and remembered that her family wouldn't want her to be sad over their passing. She lost her family in a tragic way, but she found her strength to cope with their passing because she found the key to her emotions. The key is love, if you love your family then you will find your strength for them..."
" You've lost me, I don't understand you..." I sighed.
" No one get's me, I'm a confusing guy..." He smiled. " But you'll find your strength when the time comes, if not then you'll always have my shoulder to lean on..."
" Did love work for Nonie?" I asked.
" I think it did, she's learning to fit back into the world again..." He chuckled. " She's kind of antisocial still though, but I'm working on it..."
" Shut up!" I heard Nonie yell." Don't tell strangers stuff about me!"
" Come on Nonie, I was only giving her advise about over coming emotions..." He smirked, he removed his arm from around me and took a bag of toffee from his jean pocket." I was using you as my example, I think you've over come a lot in your short life..."
" Stop it or I'll tell Watari on you!" She frowned. " Families are meant to be nice to one another, you're being a big jerk right now!"
"And you've got to learn to be more open with people, get in touch with your fellow man and be nice for once!" He sighed and placed his bag of toffee down on my lap." Do you think I like you being a jerk to me? I'm trying my best with you, why do you have to be so difficult?"
" Shut up, Alternative..." She smirked.
" Don't call me that name, I dislike being call Alternative!" He frowned.
" Please don't fight, you need to keep your voices down..." I sighed and grabbed the bag of toffee from my lap." My Aunt is sleeping, she needs her rest..."
" You be quiet!" She snapped.
" Just ignore her, she get's moody sometimes..." He sighed, he took his bag of toffee from my hand and ate one of his toffees. " I think it's female hormones, she get's grumpy if anyone looks at her funny these days. I can't even get her to be quiet, I end up bribing her with lollipops or chocolate bars so she will just leave me alone for 2 minutes of the day!"
" I heard that!" She frowned and crossed her arms. " I hate you and I want my Game Boy back!"
" Sticks and stones blondie!" He smiled as he gently nudged me with his elbow and chuckled." I'll sell her to you for £2, she a bit rough around the edges and mouthy. But she can be alright at times, just put a mouth gag on her and pay her in sweets..."
" I'll pass, I don't think you're allowed to sell children into slave labor..." I smiled, I got up from the doorstep and glanced back inside of the cottage." Would you both like to come in for a refreshments? All I can offer you right now is hot milk or water until Rose gets back home from shopping, but you'd have to be really quiet because of my Aunt..."
" Alternative!" Whined Nonie as she stomped her foot on the ground. " You said we were going biking in the woods, I want to go now!"
" I think we'll have to pass on that offer, I'm sorry..." He sighed.
" It's fine, maybe another time?" I asked.
" Sure, I'll arrange something with Watari for next week..." He replied.
" Good, I'll look forward to your visit..." I smiled.
" I'll remember to leave Nonie behind at The Wammy House next time, I can't cope with her that much anymore..." He replied, he walked over to his bike and picked it up from the lawn. " I think this sibling guidance counselling course is overrated, I need to talk to Watari about it again..."
" Sibling?" I asked. " Have I missed something?"
" I thought I told you, I've got a half-sister now..." He answered with a smile. " I found out last year, you see they do medical examinations on children when they first turn up at The Wammy House. They take blood and tissue samples from them, then set up files on the confidential system. They scan their fingerprints, take hair samples and basically type up all of their family history. It turns out that we share the same Father, she's a year younger than me and a mega pain in the ass though. But I overlook it because she's family, didn't I tell you about this over the phone a few months ago?"
" You didn't tell me any of this, I thought she may have been your girlfriend..." I said as I bit at my bottom lip and glanced down at the ground. " But that's great news, I'm happy that you've got a sister now!"
" You thought she was my girlfriend?" He asked and burst out laughing. " Seriously! Elizabeth, you're crazy! She's my little Sister, you've really got it all wrong..."
" I didn't know, I'm sorry..." I smiled.
" You're disgusting, I don't like you much..." I heard Nonie say. " Can we go now?"
" Alright, my side hurts now..." He chuckled.
I watched A get onto his bike, he signaled to Nonie to get onto her bike as he wheeled his bike down the pathway towards the gate. She quickly punched his arms as he wheeled past her, she got her bike from the lawn and followed after him. I walked down the pathway a few steps behind them, they both walked through the gateway and I watched Nonie jump onto her bike.
" I'll see you next week Elizabeth, don't miss me to much!" He smiled.
" Okay, I hope you both have a pleasant bike ride..." I smiled. " Goodbye Nonie!"
" Whatever!" She said in a sarcastic tone. " Let's go!"
I watched them both cycle off down the lane, I wonder why Nonie was being rude to me before she left? She seemed okay when she arrived here with A, maybe it's because he mentioned stuff about her past when he was trying to explain emotions to me. I closed the gate behind me and walked over to the tree where one of my Aunt's faerie statues lay on the grass. I got onto my knees and carefully stood it back up. I glanced over at the front door when I heard the telephone ring, I quickly got up from the grass and hurried back into the cottage.