Letting Go And Holding On

I don't really need to explain what will happen in this chapter but, RDJ and Iris have a brother/sister talk, another mysterious package is delivered to RDJ, and we will see one of the most heartwarming moments between two specific individuals! So without further ado, let's dive right back into the action shall we?

As RDJ had perched on the jagged like rock, the salty breeze tousling his short hair. The feeling of a heavy heart and a broken soul weighed heavily on him. Like an anchor had been tied to him with no chance of being lifted, weighing him down with the feeling of despair.

Just besides him on this rock, sat his older sister Iris, her presence a fragile lifeline in the tempest of his thoughts.

"Are you, okay RDJ?" She kindly asked him, as she grabbed her brother's hand in comfort. Showing how deeply she loved her brother because of how they are now the only siblings left. Considering the circumstances that had just occurred previously. "You're not hurt are you? Hanging off a cliff above swarming great white sharks must have been terrifying!"

But he was definitely not okay! Not even in the slightest way was he okay.

The image of his brother Fred plummeting into the churning sea haunted him, a vivid nightmare that replayed mercilessly in his mind. The great white sharks, drawn by the chaos he had unwittingly unleashed, circled below, their sleek bodies gliding through the water like shadows of his guilt.

Each wave that crashed against the shore seemed to echo the finality of that moment, a cruel reminder of the life that had been snuffed out in an instant.

"I…I can't…I'm trying so hard. Trying so hard not to think about what I could have done." He muttered in a deep sigh, putting his face in his hands. "If I was just a little bit faster, I could have saved him."

Iris, with her gentle touch and soothing words, tried to wrap her brother in a cocoon of comfort, but the warmth of her embrace felt distant against the cold reality of his grief.

"Please RDJ. Please don't shut me out? I want you to understand that none of this was your faul…" She was quickly cut off when he shook her off of him.

"Don't do that Iris! Please don't do that!" RDJ immediately shook her off and stormed up to the cliffside. With a couple of tears rolling down his cheeks. "You don't know what it's like to watch someone die in front of you! It has happened to me twice now! You haven't got the slightest bit of experience in this!"

"That's technically not true! I was there when my husband's mother passed away?" She answered him with a saddened look. "Fred was his own worst enemy! He did this to himself!"

"But if I hadn't of been so blinded by rage of wanting to kill him for violating Lila, then maybe he would still be alive!" He sighed once more, gripping his hands tightly on the safety railings. "That wasn't me on that cliff Iris. I felt…different."

"But if you hadn't of been enraged and stopped what they were doing, then Fred would have raped Lila and she would be traumatised all over again!" The blue and gold macaw girl made a very good point.

"That…Is a very good point." He admitted that she was right about that. "But it still doesn't make it right that he would rather have died than be pulled up by me."

No matter how hard she tried, RDJ remained ensnared in a web of rage and regret, his heart a battlefield where love and fury clashed violently. The thought of Fred's fall ignited a fire within him, a tempest of emotions that threatened to consume him whole.

It was a rage so blinding that he could hardly recognise himself, a fury that had nearly driven him to commit the unthinkable. Only the echo of their mother's voice, a soft whisper of love and reason, had pulled him back from the brink, reminding him of the bond that should have united them rather than tearing them apart.

Yet, even as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the tumultuous sea, RDJ found himself spiralling deeper into despair.

The question that gnawed at him, relentless and unforgiving, was why he hadn't reached out to save Fred in that fateful moment.

Why hadn't he taken his brother's hand, grasped it tightly, and pulled him back from the edge?

The thought tormented him, a relentless spectre that would not let him rest. In the depths of his sorrow, he realised that the true tragedy lay not just in the loss of his brother, but in the irrevocable fracture of their bond, a bond that he had allowed anger to sever.

The weight of that realisation settled heavily on his chest, a burden he feared he would carry for the rest of his days.

"Brother…Look at me." Iris placed her hand on his back, as a sign of comfort. Making him gently turn his saddened face to look at her. "I know that what happened wasn't something you intended. But Fred…he was a very disturbed individual. Only wanted what other people had. And he didn't think about how others would feel. As long as he got what he wanted, that's all that mattered to him…"

Listening to every word she was saying, he wiped his eyes and faced her head on.

"Fred saw all the good things that you had in your life, and he was so jealous and so angry that you were doing better than him. And the fact that mom left everything to you in her will when she died. Made him even angrier because he didn't get any of what you were given." Iris smiled at him and held onto both his hands. "Even though Fred was still trying to get what he wanted, you were going to try everything possible to stop him from taking what is rightfully yours! And unfortunately he took things way too far, and had suffered at the hands of his own stupidity."

"I guess? But I can't help but feel that his death was my fault? I mean…he already admitted to me that he was at fault for mom drowning. But even though Fred attracted the sharks here…I feel like I could have saved him."

"Maybe…And again, maybe not? But you see, you were in such a dark place in your past and Fred wanted you to feel that same pain day in day out. So he could live his life and be happy. But once you started to have good things come your way, he immediately decided that he would go to the extreme to ruin everything you have. Your friendships, your reputation…your love life…" She motioned with her eyes towards Lila. Who RDJ briefly glanced at, whilst she was on the phone to the clinic. "She is the best thing to ever happen to you the others told me."

"Yeah…She is." He spoke with a little smile, wiping away his tears.

"So…try to let go of the past now RDJ! Because even though you may not have a very happy past…that shouldn't mean that you don't get to have a very happy future!" The blue and gold female remarked and stepped aside so he could talk to her. "Now go! She is waiting for you."

"Thanks sis!" He gave her a brotherly hug and kiss on her cheek. Before approaching the girl he was still madly in love with.

As this was happening, Sofia, Pedro, Nico, Lillian, Jose, Tilly, Douglas and Iris all smiled at his friend. As they have been waiting all day for this moment.

Lila: Thank you very much! See both of you shortly!

Lila hung up the phone and instantly turned her head around to see RDJ walking straight up to her.

"Hey. The paramedics said they'll…" Lila didn't even get to finish her sentence, because she had been taken completely by surprise.

RDJ immediately walked right up to her, leaned in and instantly locked beaks with the blue macaw girl in a deep, passionate kiss.

At first, her eyes flew wide open because she wasn't expecting this at all. But upon realising that he had kissed her, she closed her eyes and started to kiss him back.

With the beautiful sunrise that had begun its ascent into the sky, both of them held onto each other closely. Whilst enjoying the loving moment they shared together.

"Well…that was totally unexpected?" Sofia randomly added, having Pedro's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

After a few seconds had passed, both of them retreated from the kiss. And she very slowly opened her eyes, catching her breath. Trying to find the right words to describe how she was feeling right now in this moment. "What…Was that?" She gasped for air, as she felt him brush her hair behind her ear.

"A long overdue kiss. For the girl for whom I would be so lucky to be with!" RDJ dreamily smiled at her, as he had his arms around her in a loving embrace. "Lila…I am so so sorry…I…I should never have been so angry and jumped to conclusions! I was such a jealous jerk."

"No RDJ! It was all my fault! I-I should have been strong enough to resist. And I shouldn't have let him touch me at the party!" She wept a few tears in high emotion. "How could I have been so foolish! When I already had the most amazing boyfriend and lover that I could have asked for?"

"But I am partly to blame for this? I should have at least let you explain the situation first instead of immediately assuming that you were going to cheat on me with him."

"But you had every right to be angry with me! Heck, I would have been pissed off if you were flirting with another woman in front of me."

"That could never ever happen! You are the only one I want to flirt with." He said with a romantic kiss on her nose, as she giggled and blushed a bright purple uncontrollably.

"I just wish that instead of me standing there terrified. I should have either slapped him or told him to go fuck himself!" Lila remarked whilst she pressed her large breasts up against his muscular chest. "Please can you forgive me for being so selfish?"

"What's done is done. Water under the bridge. The past is in the past! Look…" He took hold of her hand gently and held it onto her heart with his hand, as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes. "After all the shit we have been through these past few days. It has made me come to the conclusion, that I don't want to lose you Lila! I love you more than anything in this entire world…"

"AHEM!" Iris cleared her throat to briefly interrupt.

"Slightly more than my sister…" Both of them shared a brief laugh together, as his sister rolled her eyes and smirked in amusement. "And once I've realised that Fred was the cause of all this bullshit! It made me realise even more, that I don't want to be with anyone else! I only want to be with you." He spoke so romantically, caressing her face with his hand.

"Awwwww baby! I love you too!" Lila dreamily smiled at him. "I promise that I will never ever hurt you again! You're my soul mate."

"You are also mine…And I promise…I will never let you go again!" RDJ wiped away her tears of joy. Kissing her on the forehead and rubbed her lower back in comfort.

"Good! Now come over here!" Lila giggled with tears in her eyes. As RDJ grabbed hold of her waist and passionately kissed her again. Lifting her up and spinning her around like she was a ballerina.

While all of this was all going on, Douglas felt that this moment was so so sweet. That he had to call his husband, and tell him how much he loved him.

Jose was on face time with Jacqueline to let her know how much he was deeply in love with her, and how happy he was that he was going to be a father.

Nico and Lillian were embracing each other and even both red crested cardinals were having a moment together.

As for Douglas' partner in crime…all he could do was just stand there and watch. The scarlet macaw man could only stand there and feel a bit left out that everyone appeared to be together and in love. And he didn't have that special someone in his life.

So…when he thought that he was going to be left out…

"You know…I do love a man in uniform…" When the man turned to his right, he saw Tilly standing next to him playing with her hair. "I'm Tilly." She stuck her hand out to shake with his.

"Lance. It's a pleasure." He spoke with a deep voice, giving her a warm smile.

"Oooo you even have a sexy voice. I love that." She giggled flirtatiously, leaning up against the car door.

"Speak for yourself." He put his hand up on the car in a flirtatious pose, as the two of them were getting better acquainted.

Meanwhile, Iris was texting her husband to let her know how much she appreciated him. And he sent a load of heart emoji's back saying he appreciated her too.

After RDJ and Lila broke off the kiss, he wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder admiring how beautiful the view was.

"Hey…Ummm, I-I know that I hated him? But I'm sorry about your brother…" Lila honestly spoke to him, feeling his hand caress her lower back gently.

"It's okay. I know that it's going to hurt for a while that he could have chosen to grab my hand and live his own life. But, he was so consumed with hatred and rage. That he decided that he wasn't going to accept any help from me. Even if it meant me saving his life. He rather would want to die and end on his own terms." RDJ came to terms with the face that he couldn't have done anything more to save his brother. Despite feeling partially responsible for him falling to his death. "But again…It's time to let go of the past…and hold onto a brighter future! With you…"

"Hmmmm, I like the sound of that." She leaned in and rested her head on his chest. As he laid his chin on top of her head.

"We're here! We're here! Sorry! Traffic was an absolute mess!" Just as everyone was enjoying each other's company, two white hawk men showed up with a bag of medical supplies and they brought out a stretcher. "Who's the one who's hurt?"

"My boyfriend." Lila remarked with a proud grin, as once again she referred to the love of her life as her boyfriend.

"Ahhh I see! Right, I need to give you a medical check. Then I would suggest that you head home and rest." One of them spoke up.

"Thanks Raul. I appreciate you and Diante coming down here to help out." RDJ shook hands with both of them, sitting down on the stretcher. As the duo had to check his blood pressure first.

While all of this was going on, Lillian and Sofia were chatting amongst themselves. Then Douglas came up to them after his phone call with his husband. Giving them a questionable look. "Hey guys? Have either of you seen my partner in crime Lance? We have to quickly shoot off to deal with the fire at the surf shack."

"The surf shack was on fire?! Does RDJ know?!" Lillian widened her eyes in horror.

"Yes. He heard it explode and burst into flames after some uses explosives were found at the scene. We have great confidence that it was Fred who set the explosives up."

"Oh of course it was!" Both of them rolled their eyes. "Besides, it's not like he can defend himself now that he's dead."

"That's very…Why is Tilly's car bouncing up and d…Ahhhh for fuck sake!" Douglas stormed up to her car and opened up the back seat passenger door. To see a semi naked Tilly having sex with his partner in crime. "Officer Lance! Get out of there! We have a 10-80 at the surf shack!"

"A 10-80?! Fuck…Well…Can you give me five more minutes?" Lance answered with a sweaty face.

"NOW OFFICER LANCE!" The green armed man grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the car. As Tilly rolled off of him and blew a kiss towards him.

"Call me!" The scarlet macaw girl called out towards him, as he waved back and winked. Before Douglas slapped him on the back of his head.

"Remember officer, you are on duty! You have to do what you do in your own time!"

"Yes sir!" He saluted him and got into the passengers seat of the cop car. Before Douglas then jumped into his seat and the car drove away immediately.

Tilly immediately got herself dressed and then checked her phone. "Oooh! I better get set up for the beach bar that opens in an hour!"

"Tilly, take the day off! You've been working very hard lately. I've got a new waitress starting this morning. I hired a few extra people to help you and Samantha out." RDJ and Lila had decided that they were going to be dropped off home by Diante and Raul. Who were pretty good friends of the group. "Besides, I've been meaning to give you a couple days off."

"Ahhh thanks RDJ! I'm definitely going to need a lie in this morning." The scarlet girl gave her friends a hug and waves goodbye, driving off to get home.

"We are gonna head off too you guys! Sofia and I are gonna head back to my crib to sleep. "You want us to drop you home Jose?" Pedro offered his friend, who was cleaning sand out of his prosthetic foot.

"Si mi amigo! I better get home and rub my girl's feet. She must have been exhausted waiting at the motel with Samantha." Jose remarked and chuckled. "See you later everyone!"

"We are gonna head back also guys. Lillian is taking me back to her place so we can sleep." Nico smiled and grasped onto his girlfriend's hand lovingly.

One by one everyone had left the cliffside and headed for home after a pretty traumatic experience!

However…Iris had remained at the area overlooking the horizon.

Truth be told, she already mentioned that she was going to be staying at the motel where Lila currently lives. And she is staying in one of the newer refurbished rooms for the time being.

Despite not really being a part of all of the chaos that had erupted over the past few days. The blue and gold female macaw stood there with her arms crossed.

As she lowered her head, she had noticed that the sharks finally got bored of circling the cliffside and had disappeared into the vast open sea. After devouring nor just Carlos from earlier that day. But also her half brother who she really wasn't that close with.

She felt it necessary that she needed to make a phone call. So she took a deep breath in through the nose and out through the beak. Before dialling the number and pressing call.

Leandro: Hello?

Iris: Dad? It's…It's Iris

Leandro: Ahhh! Hey my baby princess! How's my favourite daughter doing? It's been a while

Iris: I'm…I've been better

Leandro: You've been better? Oh no…Did Fernando cheat on you?! I'll kill that man if he d…

Iris: No no no! Fernando would never dare cheat on me! Ummm…Are you sitting down?

Leandro: Who's that honey?

Hannah arrived in the background, and she was hugging her husband from behind.

Iris: It's me Hannah. In fact…I'm glad you are here too. Because this concerns both of you

Hannah: Oh I see! What's the matter sweetheart?

Both Hannah and Leandro sat down on the bed.

Iris: It's…It's about…It's about Fred…

Leandro: Ughhh, what did he do this time?! He better not have got himself arrested again

Iris: I'm sorry dad…I'm sorry Hannah but…Fred…He's dead…

Hannah: D-D-Dead? What…What h-happened?

Iris: He…

She paused mid sentence because she didn't want to tell her that Fred purposefully threw himself off the cliff to his death. Just to protect Hannah's feelings.

Iris: He was cliff diving with a couple of tourists after he bet them two hundred bucks that he could dive off a fifty foot cliff

Hannah: A-And?

Iris: He got too cocky and jumped backwards…but if it weren't for the sharks…

Leandro: Sharks? We rarely get sharks this time of year?

Iris: That's what I said!

Hannah: (Whimpering and crying)

Iris: I'm sorry. I wish I could have told you different news but…I had to call you and let you know

Leandro: Haaaaa…Well, looks like we are coming home earlier than we anticipated on. We are going to book a flight in the morning and then we will see you as soon as we get back! And thanks…thanks for telling us. I know that this just have been the easiest of tasks

Iris: Let's be fair. Fred continued to treat RDJ like shit! But it didn't mean that I wanted him to do something idiotic and dangerous

Hannah: (Crying and screaming)

Leandro: I better go Iris. I may try to book a late flight tonight. We are currently in Athens. So we should be home in a couple of days

Iris: Okay, see you soon dad!

Leandro: See you soon my special little cherry blossom!

Both of them had hung up the phone and sighed heavily in relief. Iris deemed it necessary to walk back to the motel room as soon as she could.

Now We Head Back To RDJ And Lila…

"So…Ummm, I was kinda hoping that, we don't have sex for a little while? I've been through so much trauma the last few days, that I may need some time to recover." Lila honestly felt like she was still shaken up from the incidents eith Manuel and Fred. That she needed to give her mind and body time to heal from the trauma that they caused her.

"Honestly, I completely understand! I don't want to rush into bed with you after what you've just been through. I want you to be happy with me and when you feel like the time is right. We can get back to us having fun again hehe." He cheekily wiggled his finger on her butt crack, and she shivered a little bit and gave him a nudge.

"I mean it mister! I don't mind all the spanking or the caressing of my boobs or ass. Just no penetration for a while." She honestly stated, as they were holding hands walking up to the front door of the beach house.

Just as she made it to the top step, her foot kicked up against a box that had been delivered to the front door.

"Honey? Did you order something?" Lila innocently looked over her shoulder towards her boyfriend.

"No?" He remarked and kneeled down to pick it up. "Oooh, it's a little heavy? I wonder what it is?"

After he gave the key to his beloved. She owned the door and the two of them walked inside.

"Do you want a hot chocolate?" RDJ asked her lovingly, putting the box down on the kitchen table.

"Really think I shouldn't. I already had some chocolate cake today. I'll have a decaf latte though?"

"Coming up mi lady!" RDJ bowed like a gentleman and kissed her hand romantically. Switching on the coffee maker to make the latte.

He also decided that he was going to take a look at what had been left outside.

"There's a card?" The blue and gold macaw man realised that there was a small card on top of the box.

Here! I managed to get this out after I found out what Fred was planning to do to the surf shack! Think of it as my way of saying thank you…For bailing me out! M.

"Hmmm…" He was a little bit confused as to what Manuel would be sending him. When he thought that he had left the city already.

RDJ opened up the cardboard box, and what was laying inside the box…was something that he thought he would never see again.

"My…My mother's ashes!" RDJ pulled out the urn that contained his mother's ashes, and he could tell that it was them because he got a new urn that had her name engraved.

"Her ashes? Why would someone deliver her ashes here?" Lila asked with a weird expression.

"When my surf shack burst into flames from the fire, everything in there had been destroyed! The urn was in there, and luckily it hadn't been in there when the fire started." He smiled widely, as an emotional tear rolled down his cheek.

"Huh, so who left you the box?" The blue female pondered, grabbing the latte from the machine.

At first he was going to tell her who it was that left the package by the front door.

But due to all of the trauma and high levels of emotional stress she had been through with this particular individual. He decided to leave that part out.

"Someone who owed me a favour. Nothing that important." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Right before he went over to the wall safe that he kept prized possessions in. After putting the code in and using eye analysis to get in. He then placed the urn in the safe and locked it back up safely. "There! That should prevent thieves from stealing it again."

"Have you ever thought of maybe…scattering her ashes?" Lila innocently asked, sitting down on the couch.

"My mom said when she dies she wanted me to keep her ashes close to me, because she was against the whole scattering of ashes."

"Huh. Well that's fair." Lila smiled at him and laid back on the couch. "Haaaaa, boy does it feel good to be back with you again!"

"The feeling is mutual!" RDJ remarked and kissed her on the head, making her giggle slightly. "Oh, which reminds me!"

He briefly walked away to the floor safe in the bedroom, and he pulled out of the safe a small box.

"What are you doing?" She asked him sweetly from the other room.

"I'm just giving you something." He came back into the room and he opened the box. Revealing the amethyst pendant necklace that he had given her previously before all the chaos erupted. "Now that we are back together again, I believe you deserve this."

"Awww baby!"

"May I?" He smiled at her with so much love, as she leaned forwards. Allowing him to walk up behind her and put the necklace around her neck. "There, perfect."

"Oh honey…I am so happy that we are back together again!" Lila had a few emotional tears rolling down her face. "I'm so deeply in love with you!"

"I'm deeply in love with you too! And this time…I am never letting you do again." He responded with adamancy.

She cuddled up to him when he sat down on the couch, and the two of them decided to watch a movie. Just to pass the time, as they awaited the next day to come along.

Awwwww! Isn't that sweet? RDJ and Lila are finally back together again! Iris obviously needed to tell her father and step mother about what had happened to Fred. And not only that, even Tilly got herself a man! So a lot of our favourite feathery friends are now happy! So let's keep the good times rolling, because next chapter Jacqueline and Jose have a good morning together. Pedro and Sofia have breakfast in bed. Samantha and Tilly havd a nice little chat. So light hearted and fun! See you all soon do the next chapter!