Chapter 50 - Part 3 - Gen 2 - Tapestry

I am starting to get very irritated with Storm, who is messing about.  He is trying to distract me by winding me up on purpose, when he knows that I am really not in the mood for it, right now. 

While all I want to do is stand here silently ear wigging, Storm is constantly pecking my head, literally.  I am trying to listen to the conversation that Sunny and Cosmic are having, on the other side of the large rock.  Cosmic knows that we are hiding out somewhere closeby, but Sunny doesn't.

     "Slobber on my forehead one more time Orchid, and my fist will be making contact with your face, you aggravating git!!"  I snap quietly at Storm as I push him away.
     "You and who's army Shine - you know I'll kick your but easily!!"  he tuts  "Slobbering!!  I am not slobbering ... I am kissing your head you fool."  he tuts again then laughs  "I don't know what you are worrying about, five minutes with Sunny and you will have kissed and made up!!  I am just trying to take your mind off all this unnecessary stressing that you are doing!"
     "Well stop, because you are irritating me!!"

I give up on any hope of listening to anymore of Sunny and Cosmic's conversation, because I know that Storm is not going to let me.

     "You know you need to chill out Saffy - you are like a coiled spring!!"  Storm laughs at me as he grabs my hands. "You are lucky, I would give my right arm to have my twin brother here right now."
     "That is easy for you to say!!  Parsley is not a berry hole like my brother appears to be these days or the one who ended your mortal life!!  I am sure you would be singing a totally different tune if it was Forest on the other side of that rock."
     "You know I don't blame Forest for sticking the knife in, he beats himself up enough every day for what he did to me, not knowing I was his brother ... and if your theory is right about Sunny, which I don't see myself, then everything should be fine!"
     "It is not a theory it is fact!! - I have seen him performing in the past, so I know I am right!!  It is getting him to come clean and admit it, that is going to be hard work ... he is a stubborn berry hole who has turned lying into an art form!!"
     "Yeah I know someone else who is very stubborn!!"  he laughs

I know he is talking about me.

  

Without any warning Cosmic and Sunny come floating out of the rock that had divided us.  I freeze, still holding Storm's hand.  All I can do is stand, with mixed emotions, staring at my identical twin brother, who is staring back at me.  He is trying to hold back the smile that is threatening to break out on his face.  Finally he can see me again.  

It feels very strange for me and Sunny to be finally together again in the same world.  I think I have always thought that Sunny would live his whole life, fading of old age, I never really expected him to join me in the spirit world so soon.  I have tried to imagine this moment many times over the years, wandering what it would be like for us to finally come face to face again.  I thought I would be angry with him, because of what he did to me, but now he is standing in front of me, I find I can't be angry with him ... I feel more relief than anything.

     "Well?"  I frown at Cosmic

     "He says he is going to behave.  No more of his homophobic rubbish."  Cosmic laughs  "Saff, we will leave you to sort him out.  Me and Storm will go and check on Tapestry, to give you two some space." 

I watch quietly as Cosmic and Storm start to head in the direction of the den.  Storm is laughing quite loudly, while Cosmic is shouting at him, because Storm had to be the aggravating fool that he is and purposefully snogged me right in front of Sunny, trying to get a reaction out of him.  Surprisingly there was not one.

 When I turn to face Sunny, he has continued to stand there quietly staring at me.  I can not help but smile at him.  Sunny smiles back at me for a moment before he pulls a pained expression then starts to choke, almost like he is about to burst into tears, even though he physically can not cry anymore.

     "I feel sick!!"
     "Yeah I guessed you might, having to face me again after what you did to me!!  I bet you never thought you would see me again, ha!!"
     "No not that idiot!!  Look at you Saffy ... you are still a teenager!!"
     "Obviously, seeing as I was a teenager when you murdered me ... what did you think, that spirits grow and age, and that I would be a fully grown man?!"  I start to laugh at him
     "I don't know ... I haven't really thought about it."  he mumbles
     "Seriously Sun - I am stuck like this forever, and do you know just how cruel it is, never becoming an adult.  Thanks to you!!"
     "I did not murder you!!"  he snaps  "It was an accident and you know it!!  I shoved you in temper because of what we were arguing about, what you kept saying and calling me ... I even tried to stop you falling and nearly went with you!!  I am sorry!!  I NEVER meant to push you out of that tree and especially not end your life - it was a stupid accident, I swear on my life!!"
     "Your life is over Sun - swear on something that means something ... gay boy!!"

Sunny stands there laughing at me sarcastically for a moment.

     "Seriously ... do you really want to start this all over again?  I am NOT a gay boy!!"
     "Really?! ... that is what you still keep saying.  That line is wearing just a little too thin with me, along with the ACT that you have been putting on pretending to be a homophobic berry hole.  When deep down I think the only reason you are so loud and nasty with it, is because you are having to keep convincing yourself over and over that straight is the way to go!!  Gay boy!!"  I laugh sarcastically  "Seriously Sunny, it is time to fess up or fuck off!!  If you are going to continue with your shit, you can go - pass over - I don't want you here!!"
     "Come on Saff - I know you have missed me, like I have you!!  We don't function properly without each other .... we need each other ... you don't really mean that!!"
     "Oh I do mean it!!  You might need me but I need your shit like I need a hole in the head!!  I have spent my whole life cleaning up after your mess, I don't plan to do it forever!!
     "You say that like you haven't missed me!!!"  he says sulkily
     " Of course I have missed you, but I definitely have not missed your stupidity and the shit it brings!!  I can see how you have fallen to pieces without me not there to keep you on the right track!!  I just knew you would blunder through your life like a stupid idiot without me!!  I would rather be without you than have your forked tongue and phony fake acting ass in my face!!"  I laugh at the expression on his face  "What the hell happened to you?!  Playing the straight guy really doesn't suit you - your joke of a marriage and the way you have pathetically been clinging onto it to keep up your false front - shows you that!!  You might have fooled everyone else with your act, but not me!!  I know you remember!!  Genetically we are identical, we are made exactly the same you and me ..."
      "That is bollocks Saffy ...  just because we are twins, it doesn't mean that we are the same!!"  he laughs trying to make up his pathetic excuses  "Look at Storm and Parsley - one is gay, one is straight!!"

     "STOP wriggling Sunny, you are talking to me now remember!!  You know damn well, Storm and Parsley are none identical, they are two totally different people, each created in their own right, all they share is their birthday.  We are IDENTICAL!!  We are one split into two .. genetically we are EXACTLY the same, and you know we are!!  You just have a screw lose in that head of yours - you have wasted your whole miserable life pretending to be something that you are not ... Straight and homophobic, when I know damn well you are neither!!"  I laugh at him
      "I am straight - I have a wife and kids to prove it!!  What happened when we were kids, was a phase, a stupid mistake on my behalf!!"
      "Yeah Right!!  The wife and kids doesn't prove anything, I have seen how you are with that red whore of yours ... you use every excuse in the book to avoid touching her!!  I have seen you in action, as a gay boy, or do you forget that?!  You definitely didn't look very straight when you had your tongue down the back of MY boyfriends throat or mauling the pants off him quite enthusiastically ... so straight you turned his head.  I am sure you haven't forgotten all the arguments we had over him and why, because I definitely haven't!!  You steal my boyfriend and you stand there trying to make out you are straight!!  You are a lying joke!!"
     "That is not fair and you know it!!  I never encouraged him or started it, and do we seriously have to have this argument again  ... you know damn well he jumped on me thinking that I was you, because the idiot could not tell us apart!!"
      "A straight guy would have punched his lights out for jumping on him, but you didn't did you Sunny - gay boy!!  Yeah I think we do need to have this argument again ... Like I said back then, I think you asked for it, I would not be surprised if you didn't wear my jacket on purpose to confuse him, just so you could get your hands on him!!"
      "That isn't true!"

      "Well I didn't see you pushing him away in a hurry, quite the opposite ... I was watching you two for ages, a hell of a lot longer than I let on!!  I could see where it was going - and YOU was letting it happen knowing damn well he thought you were me!!  I guessed he might have got us mixed up when I saw my jacket being slung to the floor in the heat of passion, that is why I stopped it.  If I had only kept my mouth shut and not stopped you ... I should have let you start shagging each other that day, then spoke out, then you would not be able to stand here and deny it now.  Not that you can anyway.  GAY BOY!!"
     "Shut up ... SHUT UP!!"  he yells at me.
     "Hit a raw nerve haven't I Sunshine!!  Don't think you can lie your way out of it either and say it was a one off and never went any further!!!  I saw exactly what went on between you two and how far you went after I faded ... I was there watching the pair of you up until you was sent away to that boarding school!!  It took you all of five minutes, my body had not even been buried before you started shagging my boyfriend.  You stood and held hands all through my funeral!!"
     "That ... that was just ... the grief.  It really cut him up loosing you, he leaned on me, we got carried away!"
     "Yeah right, stop lying Sun ... he loved you, and you felt the same way!!  I was there watching and listening, why do you insist on keep trying to deny it!?"  I laugh sarcastically  "I really don't get it, I honestly expected to find you with Mustard or some other bloke when I found you again.  I definitely didn't expect you to have a wife and kids!!  What happened with you and Mustard anyway?  For fudge sake ... you even named one of your kids after him!!" 
      "That was Ruby, she wanted the name Maize, and I couldn't stop her!!"  he rolls his eyes  "Saff I really don't want to talk about him!!"
      "We can not avoid talking about him, seeing as he was the one that came between us!!"  he rolls his eyes at me  "Just frigging admit it and be done with it!!  You are as gay as I am ... Berry knows why you are STILL trying to fight or hide it, especially from me!!"

Sunny just collapses to the floor.  He sits there just staring at the ground, looking defeated. 

I laugh at him as I sit down in front of him - I know my brother, and I know that defeated look, I have already cracked him.

     "Come on Sun, we have always been able to tell each other anything, whatever!!  It doesn't even have to go any further than my ears, if you don't want it too!!   We are two halves of a whole and I can read you like a book, because you are me!!  I am right aren't I ... gay boy!!"  he doesn't say anything, his eyes don't leave the ground, he just nods sulkily  "I want to hear you say it!!"
     "Okay ... okay ... I give up!!  I am ..."  he hesitates  "... what you said."  he mumbles quickly
     "You can't even say it can you!  Gay boy!!"  I laugh at him  "Why?  Why have you lived your life this way?"
     "I wanted children."  he mumbles quietly after a few minutes silence.
     "Bull shit!!  That is seriously not the real reason!!  They were just a bonus!!" 
     "You didn't tell Cosmic or Jazz the truth about me did you?!  You didn't tell them why we were really arguing?!"  he frowns at me almost in a panic, but I think it was a ploy to change the subject a little so he did not have to answer my question.
     "Yeah I bet you shit yourself when you found out they had found me in the spirit world!!"  I laugh at him sarcastically  "No ... they still think you are straight and homophobic.  After watching how you have been acting and treating your gay son, which all really confused me at first ...  I kept my mouth shut, your secret is safe, but only just, I think!!   I told Cos and the others that you was being a homophobic berry hole before I faded and they bought it.  Although Jazz has questioned me, a few things he has heard you thinking, I think he suspects something isn't quite right with you, and Shadow definitely knows!!"  I watch as his eyes widen and a pain expression washes across his face.  "That little boy is clever, he knows everything and is keeping your secret.  Not only has he been listening to you, but we didn't realize he could hear spirits thoughts, the little monkey kept that fact to himself.  He has been listening to what has been going on in my head, he pulled me to one side and interigated me.  I have since told Storm, so he also knows the truth.  Not that he believes me - proof of how good your pathetic act has been!!  You missed your calling that's for sure ... you should have tried acting for a career, because you have won an oscar for this performance!!"
     "Is that supposed to be funny Saff!?"

     "So come on, I want to know why you have been pretending to be a straight guy all these years?"
     "It ... it was for a few reason.  It was hard, after you faded, I hated myself for what happened to you, and I know it was all my fault ... and not just because I accidentally pushed you out of that tree."  he mumbles  "If I had not got off with your boyfriend we wouldn't have been falling out and fighting over him.  It was even my damn fault that kite got stuck up the tree.  It was eating me up, along with the lie I was having to tell everyone, that I went looking for you and found you just lying there faded.  I was too scared to tell them that I had been up the tree with you and I had accidentally pushed you out of it, terrified they might lock me up for fading you, I didn't even tell Mustard the truth!!  I didn't mean for any of it to happen, and I have seriously paid for it ever since ... I have punished myself every day since, living the way I have been!!"  he stares at me quietly before he carries on talking  "After you faded, Mustard got a bit ... neurotic, he just wouldn't leave me alone ..."
     "Yes, I know I saw it.  You didn't push him away then either did you!!"
     "No."  he mumbles quietly  "I won't lie, I fancied him like hell, and with you no longer there, I didn't think it mattered if I was with him or not ... I couldn't help myself, even if it did feel all wrong.  Every time I looked at him, it only reminded me of you and what had happened ... I constantly think that it was because of him we were fighting and that is why you faded.  Before you faded, remember when I was trying to convince you I was straight - I was doing it to get you off my back, to make you think I wasn't interested in your boyfriend so we could stop fighting."  he pulls a face at me
     "I knew you was lying you berry hole!!"

      "I kind of got that lie stuck in my head after you faded ... it made life easier for me in a lot of ways."  he rolls his eyes  "At school it became quite bad.  You know how they never messed with us, because if they messed with one they had to deal with us both ... after you faded it all changed.  They started to pick on me, especially after they saw me and Mustard together, we were being bullied for being the gay boys.  I also had Mom and Dad on my back, you fading didn't bring us closer together like you would expect, it drove us apart, they were upset and angry over you fading, and they took it out on me, because every time they looked at me they saw you.  They were not too happy either when they realized Mustard had moved onto me, we had some horrible arguments over it.  The arguments got pretty bad, they were peed off with me being gay, they hated it, because they thought that they were never getting any Grandchildren ... that is why they decided to have another baby.  Things got so bad, they started going on at me for not being 'normal' so I pretended me and Mustard had broke up, I had to sneak about to see him... and I tried to convince everyone it was just a phase I went through, and that I am really straight.  I even started dating that stupid girl Lemon, three doors down, trying to convince them.  I thought things were calming down, then out of the blue they sent me away to that boarding school. At the time I thought they didn't want me because of me being gay, that they were replacing me with the new baby.  It didn't help that they did not let me go home for nearly three years."
      "They didn't let you go home because they were hiding Crystal from you,  they did not want you to see the colourless baby, so they could get rid of her."
      "Yeah, I know that now, but I didn't at the time!!"  he laughs sarcastically
 

    
       "Even though it really hurt at the time ... going away to that boarding school, was what I needed - it got me away from Mustard and Lemon, I could start a fresh where nobody knew me.  I didn't tell anyone I was gay - I didn't want the bullying to start again.  They just presumed I was straight so I played along with it.  I was glad when there were no other yellow boys or girls there ... dating was not an option, so I could just relax.  Then Ruby happened!!  The school bike that would shag anybody no matter what colour they were.  At first I kept away, but Jazz and Alpine were shagging her and Jazz especially kept egging me on to join in.  I used the colour card, but it didn't wash with them, I wasn't as strong as Cosmic and Mango who could stand up for themselves, they stood their ground and refused to go there on principle ... Jazz called me gay, and I panicked!!   So I did it, I slept with Ruby, just to keep up the pretense that I am straight.  I thought I would only have to do it once, but it didn't quite work out that way.  I hated it at first when she kept coming back, I had to close my eyes and pretend she was Mustard - she came so often, I just kind of got used to it!!"
     "Yeah eight kids later!!"  I laugh at him  "I would say you got well used to shagging skirt!!"
     "Don't forget - only 7 of those kids are mine, and 6 of them are three sets of twins - 4 pregnancies in total, so there was not as much shagging going on as everyone thought!!"  he pulls a face  "I hated it and dodged it as often as I could, why do you think she was constantly cheating behind my back with other men, I am just glad she did it discreetly so none of our friends found out.  The bitch is a whore anyway, but I drove her to do it even more.  To be honest I didn't really care, as long as it was someone we didn't know and weren't close to, so she didn't make me look foolish being cheated on.  It saved me the job of having to be mauled by her."  This makes me laugh and Sunny frowns at me  "We only kept up the pretense of a happy marriage, for the kids sakes."  he mumbles as he continues to frown at me.
    "Well, there have been a couple right under your nose, way too close to home if you ask me!!  So yeah, they have been laughing at you behind your back.  Especially one of them, who she visits quite regularly, and has been for a few years now."  I laugh at him and the expression on his face.  "Cos has told me there has been a close shave with Scarlet too, he was having kittens when Scarlet started hanging around with her biological fathers son, he was scared they might start dating."
     "You know who he is?"
     "Yes, but I have been sworn to secrecy, Cos says I can't tell you, not yet anyway.  It will probably unhinge you when you find out who he is!!  We need to sort this shit out first."  he pulls a face at me.
     "That whore has the morals of a gutter rat, it wouldn't have surprised me if she had let Scarlet get involved with a half sibling and keep her mouth shut just to keep her dirty secret!!"

     "Yeah well, that never happened and if it had ever come remotely close then Tapestry would have been told the truth so he could put a stop to it."  I laugh at him  "You talk about the wife like you hate her!"
     "No I don't hate her!! She is the mother of my children, she is I guess one of my best friends, and that was it really, we got on well as friends.  I never loved her, for many years I fooled her into thinking I did, but the bedroom quickly became a battle ground.   I think she knew I did not love her after I found out Scarlet was not mine, I stopped putting in the effort to even pretend that I loved her.  She says she loves me, but I don't know, she's got a funny way of showing it if she does!!"
     "Why attach yourself to her forever, and carry on the pretense, putting yourself through hell when there really was no need?"
     "In the end it was because of the kids obviously, but once I had started to play the game, there was no way of stopping it as much as I wanted to ...  I was terrified of what my kids would think of me if they ever found out the truth.
     "How did you get yourself into the situation of children in the first place?"
     "Ruby was careless with her pills!!  Obviously getting Ruby pregnant sealed my fate for me ... but in my stupidity I was happy to go with it.  Even before I knew the babies were mine, Jazz and Alpine had no intention of standing by her, even if the baby was theirs.  So I jumped on the opportunity of attaching myself to her, I liked the idea of children of my own eventually and it moved me far away to a new town and away from Mustard, which I think for my own sanity I had to do at that time.  I was very torn, I loved him but I couldn't live with the constant reminder, and I saw a way out.  As it happened, the life I went with turned out to be totally the wrong choice ... I was young and stupid, and I kept digging myself bigger holes that I could not get out of.  At school I was the straight guy, they didn't have a clue that I had a boyfriend at home.  I didn't go after Ruby, she came after me, and there was nothing I could do, I just had to go with it to keep up the appearance." 

   
     "So why the raging homophobic berry hole act?"
     "Why do you think!!"  he laughs at me sarcastically  "I seriously don't need gay men around me, firstly they remind me of what I should be, which makes me angry with myself, for choosing the life that I got myself stuck in and couldn't get out of.  Secondly I had to remove all temptation far out of my reach.  If they think I detest them for being gay, they keep well away from me, which is exactly what I need them to do!!  Especially lately .."  he rolls his eyes  "It has become pretty bad, suddenly we get a load of fit gay guys land in town ... they unhinge me!!"
     "Granite and Atlas."  I laugh at him
     "Yeah ... why didn't you mention Mace?"  he frowns at me
     "We have the same taste in men remember, besides I have seen how vicious you get with Granite, I guessed you might need to drive him even further away than the others .... he seriously gets under your skin doesn't he!!"
     "Yeah just a little ... I can quite understand why Mace and Forrest are fighting over him!!"  we both start laughing.
     "So this homophobic act, I am guessing it started because of Saffron and Bayleaf?"
     "Hell no, if I had not already been playing the homophobic, then I could have handled Saffron being gay totally different ... like I said, I dig a hole which just gets deeper, I didn't think I had a choice but to continue with it to save face and keep my secret safe.  I started playing the homophobic game because of Forrest, Mango's friend.  I was very wary of him when Mango told me about him being married to a guy who had gone awol on him.  Forrest used to look at me sometimes like he could tell I am gay, he used to drop snide comments, I swear he knew or suspected.  They say don't they, it takes one to know one.  He scared me, so I started playing the homophobic game to throw him and everyone else off the scent.  Mango used to go crazy at me, lecture after lecture I used to get off him every time he heard me being nasty to or about Forrest, or gay people in general.  It wasn't too bad, Forrest has been the only gay guy in town for a long time ... until Bay and Saffron, now the town is over run with them - the more that appear the worse I have to get!!"

 
     "I want to know why, you have been treating Saffron, your own son, the way you have?"
     "Seriously, I don't want to talk about Saffron right now!!"  he mumbles
     "Well I am sorry ... you are going to at some point before today is out!!  I want everything out in the open before I decide if you are staying or not!!"
     "Saff ... really!?"  his face twists up again
     "Yes, you can't keep up this pretense any longer!!  If you are not going to come clean and step out of that closet that you have had yourself locked up in, then you may as well just go, I will wash my hands of you and I will just turn a blind eye to the shit that might be coming for your wife and children!!"  he frowns at me  "You think everyone will just remember you as being the homophobic berry hole, well think again, the truth always finds a way of coming out!!   You have already left a mess behind you, Scarlet and Saffron, and it could get a whole lot worse IF you have been carrying on with any men on the quiet lately that might come here grieving to attend your funeral and let the cat out of the bag!  Is there any evidence that you have left behind that your family might find to help them uncover the truth?"  his face drops
     "Oh fudge, I ... I just thought my secret would fade with me."
     "Yeah you would!!  You have no common sense and never think a head or about consequences!!"  I laugh at him sarcastically  "You have left behind you one hell of a an explosive bomb that is probably going to go off and destroy your family!!  We can't clean your mess up to save your family from any hurt and destruction if you don't come clean to me and those who can help you!!  As spirits there are things we can do, but thankfully we have Tapestry and Crystal who are both very good at keeping secrets, they can help to avert any trouble or at least help soften the blow!!"

Before I have even finished what I am saying Sunny has jumped to his feet, he looks alarmed and starts to pace around with his head in his hands.

     "Have you been messing about with any men?  Is there any evidence that might help your family work out the truth?"

He stands there looking mortified, but he doesn't speak.  I think I already know what the answer to those two questions are going to be.

     "Well?"  I snap at him  "Answer my questions!!"  Sunny looks at me sheepishly
     "Yes ... there is someone, and there is evidence for my family to find."  he mumbles quietly


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 50 - Part 2 - Gen 2 - Tapestry

     "Welcome .. to ..  the .. other .. side."  Sunny mumbles quietly, repeating my words very slowly, as he stares down at his new transparent form, almost in disbelief.  "Oh Fudge!!"

Sunny glances up, staring at me wide eyed as he now gingerly tries to touch me.  Being 'new' to the spirit world he has not yet mastered the art of connection, so his hand goes straight through me.  He snatches his hand back, almost like it has just been painfully burnt, and stares at it for a moment in confusion.

     "Hell!!  Cos, I can not believe I can see you standing there!!  Is this what spirits look like??!!  Is this what Tapestry sees?  Oh berry, does this mean that I am a spirit?!"
     "Yes Sunny ...  you are now in the spirit world with me."  I laugh at him
     "Hang on, if I am here ... with you ... how the hell did I get here?"

I point at his mortal deceased body, which is lay not too far from his feet.  Seeing me has distracted his attention away from it and up to now, he has been quite oblivious to it.   Sunny stares down at his mortal body in horror and suddenly starts to panic and totally freak out, just like I thought he might - exactly like I did.

Looking at yourself from the outside, is the most bizarre experience that I have ever encountered.  I laugh at Sunny, as I grab his arm and try to pull him away.  He shouts at me to stop as he points towards his yellow body.  I ignore him, pulling him out of the shadow cast by the high wall, into the sunlight and away from his body.  There is nothing he can do to prevent me from pulling him away, and I don't stop until we are situated behind a collection of large rocks, which block his view, and he can no longer see himself.

     "Sunny, you do not need your mortal body anymore, and it is best that you do not see what happens to it from here on, trust me!!  Autopsy's are not pleasant things to watch!!"
     "Stop!!  They had better not be thinking about cutting me up!!"  this makes me laugh
     "Unfortunately in your case, River says your deceased body will have to have an autopsy so they can determine exactly how you faded, to rule out any fowl play."  I laugh at the expression of sheer terror on his face  "Don't worry mate ... I promise, you will not feel a thing!!!"

I crack up, after a few minutes he joins me and we both stand there laughing for a while.
     

Our laughter subsides as we stand and listen to the noise going on around us.  Police sirens and cars screeching to a halt up on the road, voices shouting, half a dozen police officers run past us.  I tell Sunny to stay where he is while I step out a little to watch the commotion.  I spot Elderberry and Mango stood over Sunny's body talking to Granite.  I watch as Mango's legs give way as he cracks up and Granite tries to comfort him and hold him up.  I can't watch anymore, I am surprised by Mango being here.  I know how much Sunny fading is going to upset him, just like the rest of his family and the extended family.

     "I don't understand!!  How did I fade?  The last thing I remember is being in the den ... with Tap, Shadow, Lime and ... Honey ... Oh Berry!!"  he looks a little alarmed  "Honey did this to me, didn't she!!"
     "Yes, she did ... I'm sorry!!"
     "What are you sorry for?"  he frowns at me
     "We are sorry that one of us was not around to stop her!!  Jazz is kicking himself for leaving you three mortals unprotected and Omri is kicking himself for giving Honey the chance to escape.  They are both in the den beating themselves up over it."  I smirk at Sunny  "Who would have thought it, Sunny fading the hero, in Jazz's eyes anyway, saving Lime from the raging vampberry!!"  I roll my eyes  "Jazz has gone totally soft in the head over that damn woman!!!"
     "Lime is okay I take it."
     "Oh yeah, isn't she always - Mother and baby are both peachy!!"
     "Typical, she gets away with it and I am the one who has copped it!!"  he rolls his eyes then sniggers  "Seriously can you believe Jazz knocking up Lime, of all people?!  You had to know he had a crush on her at school!!"
     "No, I did not have a clue either, just like you, he kept it from all of us, on purpose!!"  we both laugh, even though I am still not very amused with the Jazz and Lime situation.

Sunny just floats there as he looks down at himself again.  I am amused and can quite imagine what is going through his head, I was pretty shocked, amazed and confused when it happened to me and I did not have anyone around to help me understand or talk me through it.

     "So ... how did I get out here?"  he frowns at me  "And how did I ...?"
     "Honey smashed you up the wall, you hit it so hard your neck broke, which River says would have faded you instantly."  I smile at him sheepishly  "I am sorry Sunshine, I need to tell you something ... after Honey faded you, she turned on Tapestry ... Jazz had to dispose of her, she was half way through fading Tapestry when Jazz walked into the room ..."
     "Is Tapestry okay?"  his eyes widen  "And Shadow?"
     "Shadow is fine.  Tap said he was going at Honey like a savage dog, trying to protect the three of you, but Shadow knew you had faded, he heard your heart and thoughts stop which unhinged him."  I chuckle  "Tapestry is also fine now after they stitched his neck and filled him back up with blood.  He is just a little upset and shook up."  I frown at him  "Sunny you did hear what I just told you, didn't you ... Honey has gone, she is no more ... she is not even in the spirit world with us."
     "Yes I heard!"  he mumbles quietly

I watch Sunny hit the ground, I am not sure if his legs gave way or if he just sat down very quickly.  I join him and sit down on the ground.  We sit through quite a lengthy silently while Sunny just stares down at the floor and collects his thoughts together.  I speak when I can not stand the miserable silence anymore.

     "I am sorry Sunny!!  Jazz will explain to you himself, she really left him with no choice.  She was becoming way to uncontrollable as well as unpredictable.  If Honey had got lose again, who knows what she might have done ... You and Tapestry were the last two people we would have expected her to try and fade ... with that in mind, all we could think is nobody would have been safe from her in the future ... Crystal, Vanilla, Tap ..."
     "I know!!  I understand ... I should never have made Jazz turn her!"  he mumbles quietly  "I should have listened to Jazz and Mango!!"
      "Yeah you should, but that has always been your problem hasn't it!!  Never listening to common sense!!  If you had listened she could have been here in the spirit world now, that sweet little girl that she used to be, instead of ...."
     "Okay!!  Okay!!  Midnight don't rub it in!!"  he snaps at me. "So ... how are they covering up my fading?"
     "Me and Saffy had to carry your body out here to make it look like you have slipped and fell down those steps which broke your neck.  Your keys and wallet are half way up the steps.  River is going to jump on the autopsy, so that he can falsify it to make sure they don't spot by your bone movement that your body was moved after you faded."

     "Saffy?"  he says as he starts to look around him   "Where is he, I want to see him!"
     "You will soon, I just need to see how the land lies between you two, and of course sort out if you are staying or pass over."   he frowns at me  "The bright light that you can see.  Not all spirits hang around like we do, most go straight into the light and leave this world completely.  Don't ask me what is on the other side of that light, because none of us know."
     "Obviously I want to stay if you, Jazz and Saffy are here ... I will still be able to communicate with Crystal, Tap, Vanilla, Shadow and Magnolia and I can still watch over my kids ..."
     "And Ruby ... ?"  I ask mischievously with a smirk  "Will you be wanting to hang around and wait for Ruby to fade and join you ..."
     "Fudge berry, Cos, please tell me that is not what you are doing ... waiting for Lilly!!"
     "And what if I am?!"
     "You still have not let that go have you!!  Mate ... I hate to say this, but what you and Lilly had, doesn't even come close to Lilly and Mango!!  Since her Coma, she does not even remember you!"
     "I am not stupid, I have eyes and ears.  I have been watching them all these years and I know I am probably wasting my time!!  Still it does not change my feelings, I can't just switch it off ... unlike some!!"
     "Is that a dig at me?!"  he frowns  "I guess it must be ... if you have been lurking around watching Mango and Lilly, I guess you must also have been watching all of us, especially me and Ruby ... secretly falling apart!!"  he snaps  "So no, I have no intention of waiting for Ruby, she can go to hell alone for all I care!!"

We stare at each other for a moment, I am not even sure I should say anything on the subject of his relationship with Ruby.  I have watched him carrying his troubles around alone all these years, not even sharing his problems with Mango, or another living sole.  I have seen him crying so many times because of it, and I also know he has only stayed, put on a front and held it together because of his children.

     "So come on Cos ... I want to hear what you have to say ... I guess I told you so  is right up there!!"
     "Seriously Sunny, I was not going to say any such thing!!"  I smile at him sympathetically  "Yes I have been watching the two of you, it has been rough ... I am sorry ..."
     "Not as sorry as I am!!  Sorry that I did not listen to you and Mango at school!!  If I had listened, I would not have been shagging the slut to get myself into that mess in the first place!!  Pissing my parents off because I was colour mixing, and for what?! ... I should have known she would never stay faithful to me!!"
     "You did take one hell of a risk marrying the school bike, especially knowing her track record ... once a whore always a whore, we did try to warn you!!"
     "Yeah, and I guess you have been watching her performing haven't you ... so tell me Cos .. do I know about all of them, bar the obvious one?"  he squints at me when I stay quiet  "I want the truth, because I could never get it out of her!!  You may as well tell me everything you know, it is not like you can hurt my feelings anymore, because they faded a long time ago!!"

     "As far as I know ... there were another two that you didn't know about."  I say sheepishly as I watch him close his eyes and shake his head.  "And I will put your mind at rest over one thing ... she never slept with Alpine again after school, she was telling the truth about him, he definitely is not the one!!"
     "You know who HE is don't you!!"
     "Yes I do ... but please don't ask me for his name, because it will not do you any good, you will not be impressed when you do find out who's child you have been raising ... he does not even know or realize himself and it is not like you can do anything about it now."
     "He really seriously does not know?"
     "Honestly, he does not have a damn clue!!  Trust me, the kind of guy he is, if he knew she was his kid, he would have been there!!  It only happened once with them.  Knowing him, and the kind of person he is, it had to be one hell of a drunken mistake on his behalf.  Over the years I have watched him and Ruby very carefully when I have seen their paths cross and there is absolutely nothing between them, they actually just blank each other."
     "So how exactly, do you know who he is?  You were alive when it happened."  his eyebrows rise  "Did you know it was going on?  Did he tell you?"

     "Hell no, I only found out about it after I faded.  Ruby was cracking up over it on the quiet, she was terrified about how the baby was going to turn out, she knew it was his and not yours, because you were away at your parents, when it happened.  You was trying to patch things up with your folks, as well as helping them move from Amber Meadow to Sugar Falls."
     "Yeah ... Stupid me, I gave her plenty of time to go shagging around, I was gone for nearly three weeks remember!!"  he mumbles
     "Ruby needed someone to talk to ... for some strange reason, she chose me.  She sat at my grave and spilled her guts to my headstone."  he rolls his eyes  "I sat and listened to her rambling, obviously, I couldn't do anything with it at the time, I have just had to carry it around with me.  I knew who he was before the baby was born.  I expected his colouring to come out in the baby, like Ruby was, but it didn't so ...."
      "You know I knew there was something off about that pregnancy, by how odd Ruby was acting and how quickly she wanted another baby.  There was hardly 10 months between Scarlet and Saffron!!   Ruby must have thought she had got away with it when Scarlet arrived all red and Saffron was just the bait, along with Cherry and Crimson, to keep me there if it ever came out."
     "When and how exactly did you find out?  Did she come clean?  The first I knew about you knowing was hearing you and Ruby arguing quite badly over it."
     "Hell no ... Ruby come clean, you are joking aren't you!!  I had to work it out for myself and continuously go at her to get the truth!!  She would never have told me willingly, that woman has no conscience!!"  he rolls his eyes at me  "She doesn't care about Scarlet having the right to know who her real father is, or that there is a guy walking around this town who has a kid he doesn't even know about.  Not even watching what Mango went through finding out about River, pricked her consciousness into doing the decent thing... if I had known who he was, I would have told him, as well as punched his lights out!!"

     "I don't understand, so how did you find out?"
     "I worked it out when the identical twins were born, it was after they came home.  Ruby has this box where she keeps all the babies medical books, hospital bracelets and stuff.  I was just putting away the twins hospital bracelets and medical cards and I started flicking through the books.  I noticed something odd about Scarlet, her blood type being totally different to everyone elses.  Me, Ruby and all of our children have the same blood type.  Normally I would not have thought anything of it, except only days earlier Mango had been going on about how Tapestry had his blood group and Mosaic and Coral had Lilly's, and he explained the whole parent child blood group facts to me ... you know what the nerd is like when he gets going!!"  we both laugh for a moment   "So I knew straight away, she couldn't be my child with a different blood group.   The dates didn't add up either ... Ruby has always told me that Scarlet came early, but she didn't according to her book, she was two weeks over her due date.  It also made me think about how Ruby had left me at work when she went into labour with Scarlet.  I wasn't told until after she had arrived, when with Saffron and the identical twins, she insisted on me being there.  I wasn't here when Cherry and Crimson arrived remember so I did not really have a lot to do with that pregnancy because I was at school, but Ruby totally froze me right out of the second pregnancy, yet with all the rest, she insisted I got involved, she dragged me to the scans, anti natal and everything.  Saffron's birth was the first one I was there for.  I could just feel something was not quite right around Scarlet, even back then."  he starts to choke

     "I don't get it!!  Why have you kept it from the girl?  Why have you let her go on believing that you are her biological Father."
     "How could I tell her at the time and as the years went on, it just got harder and harder to do it!!  It broke my heart when I found out the truth ... she was only six years old, how could I break her little heart when up to that point, she was my daughter and I was her Dad.  She was all me, she clung to me the most ... a proper little Daddies girl."   he chuckles to himself   "How could I tell her I am not her Dad, especially when I could not tell her who actually is ... her Mother would never damn well give him up!!  As the kids got older, we worried, if the truth ever did come out, the others might pick on her, it just got easier for me to stay quiet and not rock the boat."
     "You do realise don't you, this could still all come out and blow up ... Scarlet is pregnant, just because she has none of her Dad's colouring, doesn't mean her baby won't!!  You should have told her the truth ... she is going to have a hard enough time when this baby is born, with Cinnamon faded ... it will destroy her if the truth does have to come out!!"
     "Yeah I know ... I haven't had a decent nights sleep since she told us she is pregnant!!"  he closes his eyes for a moment  "I was too upset when Ruby finally admitted she wasn't my child, to even think about the future or think it through logically."  Sunny mumbles quietly as he looks down at the floor  "I think it only really hit me when she started dating, I shit myself to start with, wandering who the hell she might be related to ...."
     "Yeah I know I heard the arguments between you and Ruby.  You being paranoid that she might be Alpines, especially when she started dating Cinnamon."  he rolls his eyes at me
      "I really need to know Cos!!  Who is he?"
      "I am not telling you who he is, not right now anyway!!  I need you with a clear head, you will have enough to contend with getting used to your new life in the spirit world, and we have other important things to discuss and sort out first!!"
     "Like what?"  he frowns at me
     "You being homophobic and nasty with it!!"

Sunny just stares at me blankly. 

     "Seriously Sunny, what is all this homophobic crap that you have been peddling, especially in your son's direction?!"  Sunny does not say anything he just looks down to the floor.  "I am warning you now, we will not put up with your homophobic rubbish, there seriously is no need for it!!  We think it is best you pass over if you are going to carry on with it!!"
     "You can't be serious!!"  he is shocked.
     "Yes we are deadly serious!!  Saffy does not even want to see or speak to you if you intend to continue with it!!"  his eyes widen and his mouth drops open  "We have enough shit going on around here without you constantly ripping into Saffy and Storm."
     "What does Storm have to do with it?"
     "The rumors were true you know, Storm is gay, just like your brother."  I laugh quietly at the expression on his face.  "They have attached themselves together this side of life, they are all over each other constantly, so if you can not hack it and keep your mouth shut and your twisted opinions to yourself  ... it is best you go."

He just sits there and laughs at me sarcastically.

     "Sunny I am being serious!!   For once in your life, you have to listen, instead of going on in that pig head way of yours, then apologize after it is too late and admit you should have listened in the first place.  Saffy has threatened to leave if you carry on with it ... if he leaves then so will Storm.  Tapestry needs Storm and we need each other!!  We are building a spirit army around Shadow, because when the shit hits the fan with the original vampires in the future, he is going to need us, spirits are the only immortal stronger than vampires.  If you mess everything up by forcing Saffy and Storm to leave then I will never forgive you ... so for everyone's sake, especially Shadows, you need to get your act together and quit the crap or it is best for everyone you pass over willingly before you do any damage!!"

He sits there quietly in thought for quite a while.
    
      "I will cut the crap!! ... I want to stay ... I need to stay!!  I should be here to help with Shadow, he is my Grandchild, and I have to put things right with Saffy or I will never rest!!"

Suddenly he jumps to his feet so I follow him.

      "Where is Saffy?"
      "Seriously ... You best had mean it Sunshine!!  If you start on Saffy and Storm, like I have watched you carrying on at Saffron ... I will force you to pass over!!  I will even sacrifice myself and take you with me, if I have to."
      "I promise ... it will stop right now ..."
      "What the hell is wrong with you anyway ...  you was never like this when we were kids!!"
      "I ... I have my reasons ..."  he stammers  

     

     "Tell me Sunny!"
     "I can't!!  Please Cos, take me to Saffy, only he can help me to sort my head out with this!!"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 50 - Part 1 - Generation 2 - Tapestry

 When I see you again ...


I sit quietly watching Saffy who has his head in his hand while he just stares gloomily and silently at his identical twin brother's deceased body.  Saffy is not really in the mood for conversation, and I guess that I can understand that.  I do not really feel much like talking myself, after today's events. 

I know that Saffy is very nervous and apprehensive about confronting Sunny's spirit after all this time.  Even though he is looking forward to being able to communicate with his brother again, the apprehension is because of the way that they parted company.  Their relationship was pretty bad towards the end, just before Saffy's mortal life ended, plus there is the fact that Sunny was responsible for Saffy fading.

Saffy is not sure if there is still going to be bad feeling between them, especially coming from Sunny, who is homophobic and hated the fact that his brother Saffy was gay.  However, Saffy suspects there still will be trouble between them, after he has had to stand by for months and watch Sunny treating his own son Saffron, in exactly the same way as he treated him before he faded.

It's been a long day, without you my friend

Even though I am sad that Sunny's life as he knew it is over, I am actually quite excited to be able to be with Sunny again on the other side.  As a spirit, it is really frustrating being around people who can not see you being there.   Even though Sunny knew I was around, he could not see or hear me, and the only way we could communicate with each other was through Jazz, Omri, Crystal or Tapestry, which can be very frustrating!

When I was younger and alive, if the truth be told, I was closer to Sunny than Jazz.  Me and Sunny shared a room at boarding school, his shoulder was the one I cried on most, like mine was the one he used to soak with his tears and laden with all his troubles.   After we left school and moved to Sugar Valley, without Jazz, then I spent most of my time with Sunny, as well as Prelude.

      "You know Cosmic, this is pretty ironic!!  Me sat here watching him like this."  Saffy mumbles quietly  "After he pushed me out of the tree, he sat for hours just staring at my body and crying.  The pathetic idiot that he is, was too scared to leave and face anyone because of what he had done.  Not that he ever told anyone the truth!!"

and I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

   
      "Actually, that is not strictly true Saff!!  He told me ... I just never told anyone."  he frowns at me  "I had my own secrets, I accidentally faded my Sister and best mate drink driving."  Saffy stares at me wide eyed for a moment  "Don't think Sunny was not sorry for what he did either, it tore him up every day, he hated himself for it."
      "I find that hard to believe when I have watched him beating the living daylights out of his own son for being gay!!"  he frowns at me for a moment  "He hated me, I think he meant to fade me, why else would he have pushed me out of that tree on purpose."
      "He didn't hate you!!  Sunny pushing you, was a heat of the moment reaction that he regretted every second of his life afterwards."  I frown at Saffy who is sat there laughing sarcastically.  "Is that why you hung around, were you angry with him?"  
      "Obviously I was angry!!  When my spirit woke, he was just sat there crying.  He distracted me so I did not follow my light, which stopped me from passing over."  he looks up at me and frowns  "What stopped you from passing over?"
     "Lilly.  I wanted to make sure her and the baby were okay.  Also Prelude, I tried to push him out of the way of Lime's car, but I knew it had hit the both of us.  My spirit woke up virtually straight away, so I could see what was going on at the scene, probably only minutes after I faded.  Maizie trying to keep Prelude alive while Mango was trying to calm Lilly down who had gone into early labour.  Lime did not hit Lilly but she might as well have done, because she was responsible for both me and our baby fading!!"
     "Yeah I guess we both now have to live with our murderers!!"  he laughs sarcastically  "I don't know about you, but I don't think I will ever be able to forgive Sunny for taking my life away from me, especially as he got to live a lot more of his!!"     

we've come a long way from where we began

I have to think about that for a moment, because Lime is not completely to blame for my death, in a way I chose it.  I knew I was losing Lilly to Mango, and I did not want to live if that was going to happen.  I could quiet easily have jumped out of the way of the car, but I chose to try and help Prelude to get out of it's path, I did not care at the time about that car hitting me.  I also thought after what I did to my sister, it was probably what I deserved anyway!!

I let my eyes sweep around the eerily quiet meadow, all I can hear is the occasional car passing and the birds singing.  I am a little amused by how deadly quiet and unusually deserted this place is, when we really need someone to come along, to find Sunny's body.  We have been sat here for well over an hour, and not a single soul has come into the meadow and Sunny's spirit still has not woken up yet.

I stare over at the pond with it's lilly pad floating lights, the collection of stones and the patch of flowers in the grass close by.  This place really reminds me of a place in Strawberry Fields that me and Lilly used to go to, near the woods.  A vivid memory flashes back into my mind, I close my eyes and the images are very clearly imprinted there for me to relive and I can hear the conversation that we had now clearing in my head.

      "Lilly promise me something?"
      "Mmmmmm"
      "If we get separated, promise me you will come to this place."
      "Why?"
      "You will find me here -  I'll be right here waiting for you." 

     "Cosmic, we won't get separated, you promised you would love me forever."
     "I will love you forever, but if I fade before you, I'll wait here for you, promise me you will come and find me"
      "What if I fade before you?"
      "Then you wait here for me and I will come and find you - promise me Lilly - then we can share forever together."
      "Ok I promise."

I laugh out loud sarcastically as I open my eyes to try and rid my head of the memory that constantly haunts me.  Of course I know that she is never going to keep this promise, how can she when she does not even remember me, not since her coma.   Then there is Mango, who is and has always been firmly planted there in between us!!

I am actually amused with myself, I do not even know why I said that to her at the time, back then I did not even believe in ghosts and the after life, yet I was right, because there is a forever on the other side of life, if you choose to take it.

I sigh quite loudly, because I am actually getting very tired of my existence here, watching and waiting for Lilly, when I think I knew even from the start that I will not be the one that she chooses to spend forever with.  Being here now for me is just a waste of time, I am just prolonging the agony and I sometimes wander why I am even bothering to still hang around here.  I look over to my light, and the pull to pass over has been getting very strong for me lately, and not knowing what is on the other side, is the only thing that stops me from going.

I suddenly hear the sound of men laughing so I glance quickly in the direction of the noise.  There are two of them, and I recognize the brown men straight away, even though I did not know either of them in life.  Granite Rock and Mace Brownie.  Those two in particular have been talk of the town since they arrived, with the love triangle that they are tangled up in with Forrest, and all the trouble that has erupted since they both landed in Sugar Valley.  Granite is carrying Mace down the six short steps on the other side of the meadow.

Why couldn't they have used these steps, I think in irritation, but I guess I can see why, as Granite sits Mace on the bench and runs back up the steps for his wheelchair.  I forgot for a moment that Mace is paralyzed, even if I did see Granite just carrying him.  Granite would have been an idiot to have tried to carry Mace down this set of steep and narrow steps.  They would probably have joined Sunny, flat out at the bottom, if he had even attempted it.

They sit on the bench, Granite puts his arm around Mace and they start talking.  

Even though we can see Granite and Mace quite clearly, they are just a little too far a distance away for us to hear what they are saying to each other.  There are no obstacles blocking their view of the bottom of the steps,  so I am hoping that pretty soon, one of them will spot Sunny's body lying not too far away from them.

I sit watching Saffy who is now muttering under his breath as he stares over at the two men sat on the bench.  Since we found Saffy in the Amber Meadow cemetery, I have always found it pretty amusing, him being Sunny's identical twin brother.  When I look at him, he is the spit of the boy that I used to share a room with at boarding school, sometimes my mind tricks me into thinking it is Sunny by sight, however, their characters and personalities are like chalk and cheese, in that way they are nothing alike.

     "Hell!!  Those two are making me horny!!"  he says suddenly.

I glance over towards the benches to see what is gripping Saffy's attention, and laugh.  Granite and Mace's faces are now permanently glued together at the lips, they look like they are seriously going for it.

     "Sorry they are doing nothing for me, I like skirt!!"  I laugh at Saffy  "Maybe you should be watching your brother's body instead of watching those two!!  I doubt Storm will be too impressed if he hears you have been perving over those two making out."
     "Making out!!  Hell, they will be tearing each others clothes off in a minute!!"  he frowns at me  "Seriously, what is going on with those two, I thought they had broke up."
     "Search me!!  As far as I know Granite has dumped Mace and is back with Forrest."  I laugh  "However Mace doesn't look very dumped to me!!"
     "They must still be carrying on behind Forrest's back ..."  he mumbles as he continues to watch them.  "Unless ... they are having an open three way relationship."
     "No I doubt that very much, Forrest is as straight laced as they come, he would never allow it!!  I know for a fact he is really struggling just knowing that Granite has been with Mace for the past five years.  I have heard and seen him crying on Mango shoulder, on more than one occasion ... Granite and Mace's relationship has broken him.  Forrest would be mortified if he could see them right now!!  Although he has no right after what he has been doing for the past twenty years on the sly!!"  I start laughing  "You need to stop drooling!!  Talk of the devil and he shall appear ... your boyfriend is coming."

I start laughing as I see Storm approaching us, his eyes are also firmly fixed on the kissing couple, instead of where he is going.  Storm is laughing as he approaches us.

     "Seriously!!  Granite is a dog, he had his tongue down Forrest's throat this morning!"  he laughs  "Mind you he did not look so enthusiastic this morning, not like he does now!"
     "Have you been creeping around their house and drooling over Mace again Orchid?!"  Saffy snaps at Storm.
     "The house yes, Mace No!!"  Storm laughs at Saffy  "I was just doing the rounds and checking up on Slate and Bay, it's been a while since I have seen either of them."
     "Huh!!  That is even worse!!  The ex and the I wished!!"  Saffy snaps in irritation
     "Eww we have a Jealous bitch in the house!!"  Storm starts teasing Saffy  "You won't be impressed then when I tell you, they put flowers on my grave yesterday!" 
     "Get lost you wind up merchant!!  It was Lilly, I watched her doing it, she put flowers on all the graves!!"  Saffy snaps at him and Storm just laughs at him.  "What are you doing here anyway, aren't you supposed to be watching over Tapestry just in case he goes off on one!!"
      "He is fine!!  Tap sent me to check up on what's going on, he is getting agitated waiting for his phone to start ringing.  He is fretting over Crystal even though I have told him Glimmer is with her."  he rolls his eyes as he stares at Sunny's body.  "I can't believe nobody has found his body yet!!"
     "No those two are irritating me, they have not once looked in this direction yet."  I snap as I glance back in Granite and Mace's direction.

     "Seriously Saff, you need to chill out over Slate and Bay!!"  Storm laughs at Saffy  "Honestly if either of them were this side of life, I wouldn't be interested in either of them, not any more!!"
     "I don't believe you, you are just saying that!!"  Saffy snaps at him 
     "Seriously not and you are such a girl!!"  Storm laughs at Saffy  "Why are you such a paranoid freak anyway?  It is not like I give you cause to be!!"
     "You know why!!"  Saffy mumbles 
     "Well he isn't me and you need to quit your shit with me!!"  Storm snaps  "I have you now don't I, so why would I want them?!  I am over them and you know what I think, that we both faded young for a reason ... so we could be together, forever!"
     "Oh pleeease ... get the sick bucket out, you'll be telling him you love him in a minute!!"  I start laughing at Storm who is showing me a side of him that I have never seen before.  "Storm romantic mush seriously does not suit your hard man image!!"  I laugh at him and he sticks his fingers up at me.

Storm and Saffy start to mess about right under my nose which irritates me.  Saffy has now totally forgotten that he is supposed to be watching his brother's body!!

     "Hell!! Seriously guys if you want to mess about and touch each other up, go and do it somewhere where Sunny can not see you!!  If he wakes up right now he is going to go off on one - you two here and the kissing couple over there and not a female in sight!!  He will go ballistic!!"
     "Yeah well, if he doesn't like it then he can sling it!!  I am not having him here if he is going to carry on with his anti gay crap!!  Either he goes or I will!!"
     "You are going nowhere!!"  Storm snaps
     "Look, just do one you two.  I will talk to him when he wakes and we will get this sorted out, but there is no need you rubbing it in his face straight off!!   Don't forget, I have the job of telling him about Honey first, so he will be upset enough without you two winding him up!!"
     "You just make sure you tell him Cos!!  If he is going to carry on with his crap, then I don't even want to see or speak to him!!  He can pass over and do us all a favour!!"    

I watch laughing, as Storm and Saffy float off hand in hand, until they are out of view.

I don't plan to sit here for hours watching Granite and Mace making out, and am just surveying my surroundings, trying to find something, like a large rock, that I can throw at the steps or wall to try and attract their attention in this direction when, almost like magic, Sunny's phone suddenly starts ringing in his pocket, much to my amusement.

While Sunny's phone is ringing I am watching Granite and Mace, waiting for their reaction to it.  The ringing phone does not seem to be even registering with them at first, as they carry on making out, they must be so totally oblivious to everything but each other.  The call cuts off and I am a little annoyed, but thankfully a few seconds later it starts to ring again.

After about four more rings, I am just beginning to think that they actually can not hear the phone, when suddenly Granite and Mace both jump apart like startled rabbits, as they do finally turn to look in the direction of the ringing phone.  They both appear shifty, a little too worried and guilty looking I think, like they really should not be sat there snogging and are nervous that they might have just been caught.

I see Granite frowning over towards the ringing phone and Sunny's body, as he stands up slowly, frowns and stares.  He has spotted what I expects looks to him just like a yellow mass on the floor at the bottom of the steps.

Granite walks a few steps forward in this direction, then starts running towards Sunny's body.  He drops to his knees and his fingers automatically go to check for a pulse.  He tries to pull his eyelids back, then he just shakes his head, stands up and stares down at the body.  He pulls his phone quickly out of his pocket, not taking his eyes off Sunny's body, while he hits one of his contacts and waits for whoever he has called to answer their phone.

      "El this isn't a social call.  I need you to come to the Meadow, it is urgent.  Whatever you do, DO NOT bring Crimson with you.  We have just found Sunny's deceased body at the bottom of the old road steps."

There is a slight pause as he listens to whatever Elderberry is saying to him.

     "Just me and Mace."  he chuckles quietly  "You know, the steep steps at the back end of the meadow that lead down from the woods.  I can't see any blood, it looks likes a broken neck from what I can see, and he has been faded for quite a while too, rigor mortis is already starting to set in, so I would say he has been here for two hours at least."  he pulls a face
     "Don't worry, I only checked his neck for a pulse, and his eyes, other than that I haven't touched or moved him."  he laughs quietly  "Seriously El stop stressing!!  I have attended possible crime scenes in a professional capacity before, so no, I have not trampled all over your crime scene, especially not the steps!!"  he rolls his eyes  "Okay!"

Granite stands thoughtfully staring down at Sunny's body with his hand on his chin with almost a look of confusion on his face, which makes me wander what he might be thinking.  We are worried that the police or doctors might suspect something is out of place, and Granite is a doctor, so now I am worried.

Mace has managed to get himself off the bench and into the wheelchair and is struggling to move himself over the grass towards Granite.

      "Gran?"  Mace mumbles  "Baby what's wrong?  Who is it?  Is he drunk?"
      "Mace don't look!!"

Granite move quickly and swings Mace's chair around so that Mace has his back to the body.

     "The yellow berry hole has faded and we know what your squeamish stomach is like, you'll be throwing up all over yourself or passing out on me!!"
     "WHAT?!"  Mace stares wide eyed at Granite  "Sunny?!  Faded!?  Shit!!  How?"
     "If I had to hazard a guess, I would say he has fallen down those steps and broken his neck."  Granite frowns as he looks up the steps  "Berry knows why he would even be walking down them, he lives on the other side of town and they lead up into the woods ... "
    "We need to phone Atlas, he is better breaking this news to Saffron ... "
    "Leave it to the police Mace, they will deal with it, I phoned El, she is on her way."
    "How do you think Saffron is going to take this?  They hated each other!"  Mace frowns
    "On the surface maybe.  Obviously it is his Dad, it is going to hurt him!!!"  Mace laughs almost sarcastically  "Saffron might put up a cold front, but that is because of how Sunny treated him, but ... deep down, you know they would have loved each other!!  A bit like me and my Dad."  he smiles at Mace

Mace tries to turn and look over his shoulder at Sunny's body, but Granite grabs his head and stops him from looking.

      "Tell me Sunny has been there all the time we were on the bench?"
      "Yeah."  Granite mumbles  "I think he has been here quite a few hours, he is stone cold and turning stiff, I couldn't open his eyes, rigor mortis generally tends to take the eyelids first."
      "Hell!!  I feel sick!!"
      "So do I suddenly ... feel sick!!"  Granite pulls a face at Mace.  "Now how the hell are we going to explain this one away to Leafy!?  He is going to rip Dad and T to shreds letting us two go out and be left alone together!!  It is not like we can hide being here alone now is it, you know we are going to get dragged into this, seeing as we found the body.  Forrest is going to go ballistic!! "
     "Let him go ballistic, like he ever stops yelling at you anyway!!  I swear you must have been so pissed and high twenty years ago, you could not see he is far from Mr Perfect and you need to get your eyes tested ... what the hell did you ever see in him??!!"
     "Mace stop!!"
     "No I won't!!  He is a control freak, he doesn't love you, he thinks he owns and controls you, there is a difference ... and  he knocks and runs you down just as much as Gravel does!!  I bet my wheels on it that he accuses you of bumping Sunny off and he will spend the rest of the day laying into you over it, because he won't trust or believe you!!  Seriously, why do you let him treat you like he does?"
     "Mace, please don't start this again!!"
    

     "You need to wake up, seriously Gran, even T and Atlas can see it now they have seen you two together!!  You spent years knocking me for making up our fairy tale romance in my head, when all along, you were doing it yourself!!  The picture you painted of you two is nothing like what we are seeing!!"  he snaps  "Hell even at our worst, we were a damn sight better than the shit he is dishing out!!"
     "We are working on being mates again, he needs time  ... to forgive me!!  You know the last five years, because of me and you being together, has changed everything, especially for him ..."
     "Stop making excuses for the berry hole!!  Like he hasn't done worse!!  Don't think I can not see what is going on, Gravel was right, HE pulls your strings so tight he chokes you, and you can't hack not being the one in control, especially of yourself, and that is why you kicked back and rebelled using booze and drugs!!  I think you know yourself, what we have now is so much better ...  you are just too stubborn and pigheaded to admit it, and stupid enough to let him suck you right back in!!"
     "Okay!  Okay!!"
     "I know, if you stay here with him, you are going to go off the rails and hit the booze while I am inside, HE is going to drive you back to it ... and there isn't a damn thing I will be able to do about it!!"  Mace starts choking  "And I never will if he has his way ... T has told me what HE is STILL trying to make you do ... completely and permanently cut all ties with me the minute I am sent down, just like Atlas plans to do."

They stare at each other for a moment then Mace starts to crack up.  Granite amuses me when he sits himself across Mace's lap and starts to wipe the tears off his face as they fall.

 
     "Baby I swear that will never happen!!"  Mace laughs sarcastically  "Me going back on the booze or him keeping us apart ... I won't let it happen!!"
     "He is already breaking his neck to try and part us, it is only going to get worse and you don't stand up to him!!  I am scared, that he will get his way and you won't have anything to do with me after I go down ....."
     "Don't bet your wheels on it ..."  Granite smirks at Mace  "... or I just might end up carrying you around for the rest of my life!"
     "Bullshit ... don't mess with me Gran!!  I don't need you humouring me until I get sent down, then you go and slap me with it when I only have four walls to stare at ... you will destroy me!!  I already don't even know how I am going to get through this or cope without you and I don't know if I can trust what you say is going to happen, will actually happen!!"
    "Trust me ... I am not humouring you!!"  Granite smiles at Mace  "I told you I would look after you and I promise I will, with or without his permission!!  I ... "  he hesitates  "I love you!!  I already can not bear the thought of you being locked up instead of being here!!  I bloody love you!!"  Now it is Granites turn to start choking  "So you just hold onto that thought to get you through, and I will be here counting down the days until you are released.  Please trust what I'm saying.  You could be out in a year and as soon as you have done your time, you will see ... this is not going to be the end of us Mace, I promise!!"

They are both now crying as they start kissing again, like they have now totally forgotten about the faded body lying only a few feet away from them, and that the police are due to arrive any minute!!  This amuses me, I hear yet another conversation that they would not have had if they had known I was here listening.  Not that I can do anything with the the secrets and information that I over hear so many people spilling behind closed doors.  This is just something else that I will have to carry around until the fall out erupts, that I suspect is coming sometime in the future.

A bright white object and movement distracts me when it catches my attention from the corner of my eye.  I glance over in the direction of the movement, at Sunny's body.  I laugh quietly to myself as I see Sunny's spirit, sitting up and staring at his transparent hand in confusion as he keeps turning it over and trying to touch himself.

Sunny starts to look around then, he does not spot me sat to the side of him, the kissing couple catch his attention first.  His eyes move straight to Granite and Mace who are still sat right in front of him making out, an expression of disgust washes over Sunny's face as he starts scowling.

Sunny starts to swear at them quite loudly for a while, before he just sits quietly and watches them, a look of confusion on his face, probably wandering why they have not reacted to his shouting and name calling.  I expect Sunny is probably disorientated with his new form, he does not yet realize what he now is or that they can no longer see or hear him.

     "Hey Faggots!!  Are you deaf suddenly!!"  he yells at them as he jumps to his feet.

I laugh at him quite loudly, as I float in front of him.  His mouth drops open and I grin at him.

     "They can not see or hear you anymore Sunny!!"
     "What the ........!?"
     "So my favourite little ray of yellow sunshine is finally awake!"

     "COSMIC?!  Is that really you?!"

He stares up at me for a moment, almost disbelieving at first.  Sunny's face starts to do somersaults as he glances down at himself for a moment.

     "Yes Sunny, you have now joined me in the spirit world!!"
     "Oh Berry!!  Midnight, you look ... funny!!"
     "So do you mate!!"

I hold my hand out to him, which he tries to touch gingerly.  I grab his arm, pulling him towards me, hugging him happily.  I am seriously made up that we are finally together again, even if he can be a right pain in the backside and very annoying at times.  I have missed him.

He steps back laughing.

     "Mate, I hope you have not turned into a wuss in my absence!!"  he laughs at me
     "Fat chance of that, as well you know!!"  I laugh at him  "Wuss!!  You have been spending way too much time with Prelude!!"  we both start laughing.
     "Hell!!  Jazz and Tapestry really were not joking were they!!"  he grins at me  "You really have been here, watching us, all this time!!"
     "Yes I have!"  I grin at him

     "Welcome to the other side!"



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 This song will be covering this and the next two chapters
I think this song fits the three different relationships perfectly
Comic and Sunny ~ Granite and Mace ~ Sunny and Saffy 

See You Again ... Wiz Khalifa 
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