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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