Return to the Bay

[Jazer]

I'm really enjoying reading this fanfic. I really hope that they find Selina and Tasha in time. Good to Sally finally letting herself go, looks like Steven telling her about Selina did the trick. Can't wait to see other old characters coming back to the bay soon.

Overall great work SKYKAT!!

Thanks,

Jarad

[I love music]

I've been managing to keep up with this by reading in work. Love that this fic is so action packed, I only wish I had half of your ideas instead of struggling with writer's block most of the time!

[Skykat]

Don't think many people are still reading this. I know I've not posed anything in a while but I've been so busy with work. Have a bit of free time next week so I'll write a couple more chapters and see if there's much response but if not I might just leave this. Here's the next chapter anyway. Thanks to those people who are still reading and reviewing, it's really appreciated. xx

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

“Belle do you have to get so close to the cliff edge?” Ric demanded.

“Why, am I scaring you?” She moved herself even closer and hopped on one foot, “is this scarier?”

“Just stop it alright!” Ric snapped.

“So you do care about me then?” Belle made her way over to him, planted a kiss on his lips and then ran off along the path.

“That girl is crazy!” Ric remarked but he was grinning.

“She seems like really good fun,” Dylan replied.

“Yeah she is, she keeps me on my toes alright, you just never know what she’s going to do next,” Ric confided.

“She’s pretty hot too, why exactly aren’t you together?” Dylan asked.

“For a start everyone in the Bay hates her except me and Irene. Plus I’ve not long split from Cassie, we split up because she didn’t trust me, she thought I was cheating on her with Belle. It looks real suss if we suddenly get together,” Ric explained.

“Right now I wouldn’t give a damn what Cassie thinks, the girl’s a psycho. Look you obviously like Belle don’t you? You should go for it,” Dylan told him.

“You’re right you know, why should I be worried what other people think? Thanks mate,” Ric replied.

“No problem.” Belle was heading back in their direction and Dylan gave Ric a reassuring smile.

“I’ll make myself scarce,” he offered as Belle reached them.

“Hey guys do you see Robbie over there, do you think he’s okay?” she asked, before Dylan could leave. The two boys looked to where she indicated. Robbie was sat, dangerously close to the cliff edge, his arms wrapped round his legs, rocking gently back and forward.

“I don’t think he looks alright at all,” Dylan remarked.

“No me neither, in fact if I didn’t know Robbie better I’d think he was planning to jump,” Ric agreed.

“Should we go talk to him? He’s probably pretty worried about Tasha,” Belle remarked.

“Yeah we should probably go and have a word. That’s Robbie, Matilda’s brother, his girlfriend’s the girl who’s missing,” Ric explained to Dylan.

“Oh right. Tell you what I’ll go because it might be easier to talk to me if he doesn’t really know me and I can understand what he’s going through a bit because Sel’s missing too,” Dylan suggested, “you two wait here.” He gave Ric a pointed look and Ric smiled in understanding. Dylan made his way slowly and quietly to where Robbie was sat. “Hey are you okay?” he asked, quietly.

“I’m fine,” Robbie snapped.

“Do you mind if I sit here with you then? It seems quite peaceful up here and I could really do with some time out to think,” Dylan explained.

“What would you have to think about?” Robbie demanded.

“Well you’ll probably have heard about the two women who are missing? Well one of them, Selina is my Auntie, not my real Auntie but she’s really close to my Mum so as good as,” Dylan explained, “so I have to stay strong for my Mum but it’s hard you know.”

“I know more than you think. The other girl who’s missing, Tasha, she was my wife,” Robbie explained.

“Was?” Dylan asked.

“She left me for that Believers cult thing, it was her choice but I can’t help feeling I should have done more to get her out of there. I knew they were dangerous and now she’s missing, it’s all my fault,” Robbie explained.

“It’s not your fault at all. From what I’ve heard of Tasha she was headstrong and stubborn and nothing you said would have got through to her. Sel’s the same, she was warned not to go near those people but she still went. At the end of the day people make their own choices, there’s nothing you could have done,” Dylan assured him.

“What about Selina then? You said everyone told her to stay away but not me, I encouraged her to go in, I wanted her to help Tasha,” Robbie explained.

“She’d have gone anyway whether you’d have told her to or not. Stubborn, like most women really. Guess that’s why we can’t live with them but we can’t live without them either,” Dylan replied, Robbie managed a small smile. “What you’ve got to concentrate on now is getting her out of there. Peter Baker seems like a good cop, he’ll find them and in the meantime there are other people who need you to stay strong. Your family don’t need to see you go to pieces and Irene, she’s missing two people she cares about, you need to stay strong for her. It’d be pretty selfish to do something stupid right now,” Dylan told him.

“I wasn’t going to do anything stupid... I think,” Robbie admitted.

“How about you go home then and see if there’s any news? I’ll come with you,” Dylan suggested.

“You don’t have to I’m not going to endanger myself on the way home,” Robbie snapped.

“Never thought you were, I just want to see your sister,” Dylan replied, Robbie nodded.

“Alright then, is that Ric and Belle up there?” he asked suddenly, gesturing towards the two bodies that were so closely intertwined you could not separate one from the other.

“Yeah I’ll just go tell them where I’m going, doubt they’ll miss me somehow,” Dylan remarked.

“Me and Tash were like that,” Robbie said.

“You will be again,” Dylan replied.

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“Nope, you just have to believe it. My Mum does and I do too.” He quickly ran to Ric and Belle to tell them where he was going and then he and Robbie began to head towards the Hunter’s house.

“Any news?” Stephen re-entered the beach house and looked eagerly towards Irene but she shook her head gently without looking up.

“No news is good news though, we have to keep believing.” Sally’s voice made Irene look up and as their eyes met Irene saw something that had been missing from Sally since Flynn had died; life.

“Oh Sal!” The two women embraced in a fierce hug, both gently sobbing and everyone in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness, she’s been bottling things up for far too long,” Barry remarked.

“Which one?” Angel asked, smiling, “how did you get through to Sally?” she whispered to Stephen who merely shrugged, unwilling to go into it.

“I think this calls for a celebratory cup of tea,” Barry announced.

“I’ll make it,” Angel offered.

“Angel it’s so good to see you. I’m sorry I’ve barely acknowledged you since you’ve been back,” Sally told her, hugging Angel.

“It’s no problem,” Angel assured her.

“Yeah it is, I barely said anything to Sel either and now I might not get the chance,” Sally whispered.

“Don’t think like that, she’ll be fine. Peter will find her,” Angel assured her, Sally raised an eyebrow but Angel was saved from answering by the appearance of Belle and Ric at the back door.

“Is it okay to come in?” Belle asked.

“Of course it is girlie, this is as much your house,” Irene assured her.

“Just didn’t want to intrude,” Belle replied.

“You live here, that’s not intruding, yer daft nit,” Irene told her and Belle smiled, she squeezed Ric’s hand but he was not concentrating, his eyes were locked on Sally.

“Hello Ric,” she greeted him, Ric stood fixed to the spot, his expression both confused and apprehensive. “Can we talk?” Sally asked, Ric nodded and followed her outside to the back patio. “I am so sorry,” she told him when they were alone.

“You don’t have to be sorry Sal,” Ric assured her.

“I do. I’ve been a complete cow,” Sally told him.

“You were grieving it’s okay. Did I do something wrong though?” Ric asked.

“No, it was just that I was so caught up in losing Flynn and I guess to some extent I blamed you for bringing Belle into the house and making him fall but I know it was an accident. It was stupid and I’m so sorry,” Sally told him, tears forming in her eyes, her bottom lip shaking the way it always did when she tried not to cry.

“It’s okay, it was my fault,” Ric told her.

“No it wasn’t and I never want you to think that. I’ve been so selfish, how can I ever make it up to you?” she asked him.

“There’s no need,” Ric told her.

“I will though. I do love you, you know Ric and you’re as big a part of my family as Cassie or Pippa, more so because you’re the man of the house now. I’ll understand if you don’t want to but I’d like you to move back in,” Sally told him.

“I’d love to,” Ric told her. Sally’s bottom lip finally gave way and the tears fell, she opened her arms and Ric fell into them, hugging her tight.

“It’s going to be okay now you know,” she told him.

“I know, as long as we’re a family and we stick together,” Ric told her.

“Just what Flynn would have wanted, he was so proud of you, and so am I,” Sally told him.

“I’m proud of you too and Flynn. I’ll always be proud to call him my Dad,” Ric replied, fighting hard to fight back the tears.

“I know.” Squeezing his hand gently they headed back inside to be handed cups of tea by an anxious looking Belle.

“Thank you,” Sally told her, accepting the cup.

“It’s no problem,” Belle replied.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you Belle, can we start over?” Sally asked, Belle visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’d like that.” She allowed Sally to pull her into a brief hug and beamed at Ric.

“And I have no problem if you two want to see each other,” Sally added.

“Thank you,” Belle told her, Sally smiled and received a kiss on the cheek from Ric.

“We’re going to sit in Belle’s room, out of the way,” he offered.

“Okay,” Sally agreed and the two walked off leaving Sally smiling and contented for the first time in a few long, dark months.

Peter slammed down his phone in anger and sat back in his chair. “Yes?” he called out, in response to the knock on the door.

“Sorry to interrupt you Detective Baker I just wanted to tell you that there was still nothing from anyone at the camp, they’re all to scared to talk,” Jack explained.

“Damn it, someone must know something. There’s nothing from the traffic control either, nobody saw them leaving the area,” Peter explained.

“So what’s our next move?” Jack asked.

“We need to speak to Rebecca, find out what she knows, any news from the hospital?”

“Not that I know of,” Jack replied.

“Can you chase it up for me then? We really need to speak to her and will you have another word with your girlfriend see if there’s anything she remembers at all, however small,” Peter urged.

“Sure,” Jack agreed, leaving the office. Peter kicked the door closed and sat back on his chair, almost instantly the phone rang.

“Hello Detective Peter Baker?”

“So how are you getting on?” the voice on the other end demanded.

“I’m not really, I’ve been really busy with this Believers case but I’ve not lost my focus,” Peter assured his caller.

“I hope not. You need to get this case wrapped up and get back onto our case.”

“I’m trying, I want a result on this as much as you do,” Peter snapped.

“Well maybe we can help then. Fax me everything you have on this Believers case and I’ll put some people on it, see if we can’t get a result and get back to the job in hand.”

“Thanks,” Peter accepted gratefully.

“You just better not be losing focus,” his caller warned.

“I’m not I promise,” Peter assured them.

“You better be telling me the truth. That other matter you asked me to look into, I’ve accessed the prison files and it seems Gus Philips has kept a really low profile inside. Plenty of mud but nothing stuck, the only thing we do have is that he suffered a severe beating off another prisoner a few months ago and the guy who beat him seems to be the only person not afraid of him.”

“Really? Would it be possible to meet with him?” Peter asked.

“I’ll try and arrange it.”

“Great, what’s the guy’s name by the way?” Peter asked.

“McGregor, Jesse McGregor,” came back the reply.

“****!” Peter exclaimed.

“Someone who you put away?”

“Yeah but someone who was also a friend and a friend to Kane Philips, no wonder he bashed Gus. It’s okay I’ll sort the meeting out myself, this might just be the breakthrough we need to nail Gus Philips,” Peter explained.

“Your call. Just get it sorted soon and this Believers case, I can’t afford to have you compromise our case, I will pull you from it,” Peter was warned.

“You won’t have to,” Peter replied.

“I better not.” His caller hung up the phone and Peter sat back in his chair. Jesse McGregor, there was a turn up for the books, now he just needed to meet with him and get Gus Philips off Kane’s back once and for all. Peter felt a strong urge to protect Kane because he felt guilty for putting him on trial in the first place, he had known Kane was innocent, if he had worked harder to prove it in the first place then Kane would not be in this mess. Picking up the phone he placed a call to the prison where Jesse and Gus were both being held.

The thin stream of light pierced through the gap in the roof and hit Selina like an anvil in the back of her head, an anvil that was continuously banging against her skull. She reached her hand to rub her aching head but she found she couldn’t move. There were people in the room, moving, talking and their conversations weaved in and out of her head like bullets but in the dark they were merely shadows and shapes. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, she wanted to cry but for some reason she could not and still her head throbbed, what was wrong with her?

“Mamma look she’s awake,” the girl’s excited voice filled Selina with apprehension but she did not know why, instinctively she knew they were referring to her.

“So she is. Hello child, did you have a nice sleep?” Selina opened her mouth to respond, to protest, to cry out but her mouth wouldn’t open, no words would come, what was wrong with her? “Not to worry child, it’s just a little tablet we put in your drink, to keep you calm. You’ll still be able to hear every word, you’ll know exactly what’s happening to you, you just won’t be able to do anything about it.” The laugh was soft and low but menacing and threatening, Selina wanted desperately to cry, to fight back but nothing was working. Things made sense now, she must have been drugged, most likely a date rape drug or something that had immobilised her without knocking her out. A date rape drug? The thought slammed hard in her stomach, they couldn’t have, could they? Her baby, what about her baby? Selina felt desperate, suffocated but there was nothing she could do, no way of knowing, she couldn’t even cry. “Not to worry pretty princess, he’ll be here soon and then all will be revealed.” The voice was tormenting her, teasing her and there was nothing she could do about it, she felt so helpless. Was she dreaming? Surely this must be a nightmare? It couldn’t possibly be real, could it? Memories filtered themselves in and out of her mind, she remembered a girl with long blonde hair, Tasha, that was her name. She remembered a camp, a drink, she had gone there voluntarily. She sighed inwardly with relief. It was all okay, she was at that camp, someone would come for her, they would know she was missing, they would guess and they would come and rescue her. It was going to be okay but where was Tasha? They really needed to be together when they were rescued, Tasha needed to be saved too, these people were evil, surely she must see that now? The question was what on Earth did they want with her? There was someone else in the room now, a man with a quiet voice.

“Do we really have to do this? Tasha’s served her purpose she bought us Selina, there’s no need to do this to her,” he was protesting. His words sank like rocks into the pit of Selina’s stomach, what did he mean Tasha had served her purpose? What were they going to do with her? What on earth could they want with Selina?

“Of course we still have to do it. Tasha may have served her purpose as far as he’s concerned but she’s still the chosen one, we still need her to provide us with our heir. It’s our destiny Jonah, it must be fulfilled,” the woman’s voice replied. An heir? God no! Poor innocent Tasha, they couldn’t do that to her, they just couldn’t. Selina fought desperately to free herself but she still couldn’t move.

“Okay Mamma I’ll do it but you know I’m not happy about this,” the boy said.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re happy it’s your destiny. Our destiny!” Selina watched the boy leave and she tried to scream, Tasha was in danger and there was nothing she could do. She kicked frantically but nothing happened so she kicked harder and this time she felt her leg connect with something.

“Did you see that Mamma, she moved!” the girl’s voice gave Selina hope, she kicked and thrashed harder but the woman merely laughed.

“You won’t do damage like that now will you? More drugs I think Charity.” Selina tried to scream but the effect of the drug had not worn off enough to allow her to so she kicked more but even in her desperate state she knew her protests were feeble.

“Where is she?” a new voice, a man’s voice could be heard as his shadow entered the room, “ah, there she is, little whore, daughter of Satan! No more drugs, I want her conscious, I want her speaking, I want her to know what she did,” the voice commanded, “leave us!” On his word everyone else exited and he was the only person left, he sat down beside her and bent over her, his face inches from hers and she could see the insanity in his wild, rolling eyes. Such familiar eyes, in a familiar face, none of this made sense, this couldn’t possibly be real, it had to be a nightmare.

“Hello Selina.”

[Jazer]

Hey don't worry SKYKAT as I really have been enjoying reading your fanfic. Good to see Sally sorted things out with Ric and Belle and Poor Robbie, so worried about Tasha.

OMG Saul, could he still be alive???

Now I really can't wait until I read the next few chapters.

Thanks,

Jarad

[ldscott]

Fantastic chapter!

Can't wait to read some more!

[I love music]

I personally think this is a brilliant fic and I admire the way you're coping with so many different characters and stories all at once - that takes a helluva lot of talent. I must admit I'm far more interested in the Kane/Gus/Jesse storyline, partly because I know these characters but mostly because the actual story is really interesting. But I'm just as intrigued by the storylines involving the characters I don't know, especially Selina at the moment - so keep writing!

The thin stream of light pierced through the gap in the roof and hit Selina like an anvil in the back of her head, an anvil that was continuously banging against her skull.

Superb description. )

[bay girl]

I'm glad you updated this fic. It's one of my favs. Your doing a great job.

Can't wait till you update.

[sevenpuddings]

It was great SKYKAT... please, no more talk of people not enjoying this story, your work is brilliant, because it explores more than one set of characters. There's something for everyone.

I was sitting on the edge of my seat in the last chapter, your writing is truely captivating. I can't wait to see where everything leads!

[Skykat]

Right seen as everyone was being so nice to me I thought I'd write another chapter. I might have to have a moan more often! Have tried to include something for everyone in here, KK for I love Music and some Cassie/Matilda angst for you Jess plus I'm one step closer to revealing the mystery behind the believers...Please read and review. Thanks.xx

CHAPTER THIRTY

“Babe come away from the window,” Kirsty cautioned, lying back on the bed she and Kane shared.

“I can’t help it, that Detective outside’s giving me the creeps,” Kane replied.

“Well he’s here for our own good remember,” Kirsty reminded him.

“I know that but he’s not going to do us much good in this house is he? The amount of people coming in and out, how would he know somebody we know from someone we don’t?” Kane demanded.

“He can’t but do you really think that Irene would let a perfect stranger into her house? Or Barry, or anyone outside? Peter’s here every couple of hours, not to mention Jack, there’s probably nowhere safer for us right now,” Kirsty soothed.

“I guess. I just can’t believe we have to live like this, looking over our shoulders again. I’m so sorry Kirst.”

“Don’t you say that! Not ever, this isn’t your fault Kane and we’ll come out of it alright, we always do. At least we’re still together and there’s no chance of us being split up,” Kirsty told him.

“You’re right, I’m just so on edge!” Kane clenched his teeth together the way he always did when his anger was beginning to get the better of him and Kirsty knew well enough how to read the signs. She crept along the bed to massage his shoulders.

“I know you are but it’ll work out okay, you’ll see,” she assured him.

“Why can’t he just leave us alone, haven’t we got enough to be dealing with?” Kane fumed.

“I know babe but you’ve got to calm down this isn’t helping anybody,” Kirsty told him.

“I know, sorry babe, you know I’ve never been good at waiting around,” Kane reminded her.

“Impatient is the word you’re looking for,” Kirsty supplied.

“I just don’t understand why we’ve heard nothing though. Why hasn’t he been in touch? What’s he playing at?” Kane demanded.

“Exactly that Kane, he’s playing with us, you’ve got to stop letting him get to you,” Kirsty snapped.

“Easy to say babe,” Kane shot back.

“I know but I can think of one way to take your mind off it,” she teased.

“Oh yeah?” Kane smiled at her in the special way that made Kirsty’s heart flutter.

“Yeah.” She kissed him gently and he allowed himself to be pushed back onto the bed.

Jesse idly tossed the book aside and lay back on the cold, hard bed. It was one of those thriller type books that Sutty had left him, the sort that Sutty raved about but Jesse struggled to get into. He was bored truth known, he missed his cellmate something awful and the new guy he was sharing with was so far gone on drugs that it was not even worth starting a conversation with him. He felt troubled too. He had begged and begged Sutty not to hurt Kirsty and Kane but to let Jesse sort it and now Sutty had done as Jesse had asked and Jesse did not know what to do. He wanted to sort Gus out, the guy deserved it but the problem was that he could only think of one way to do it and it was a route he did not particularly want to take. He was not a natural killer, a fighter yeah but not a killer. But he had killed Chloe. And he was never likely to forget it either. Months down the line she still haunted him, night and day he thought about her, missed her and the guilt was like a pain he had never experienced before, it consumed him. Nothing could ever make up for the fact that he had killed her, nothing so what was to stop him taking Gus out and doing the whole of humanity a favour? After all he was going to be charged with murder, what was one more? If they threw the book at him it was the least he deserved for robbing Olivia of her mother, for robbing Chloe of her life. He looked up as somebody entered his cell.

“Well think of the devil and he appears,” Jesse remarked as Gus casually leaned against the doorway.

“If I’m the devil you’re about to go to hell,” Gus replied opening the door to admit four of his fellow prisoners.

“Wow I’m getting done in and it’s going to take five of you to do it. Oh sorry, four, I forgot your big hard leader is too scared to lay a finger on me himself. He’d rather you lot did extra time and then of course there’s the small matter that he couldn’t take me in a fight,” Jesse goaded.

“You’ve been shooting your mouth off McGregor, you’re a liability to the wing,” Gus told him.

“What you mean is that you feel threatened by me because you know deep down that you’re nothing in here and that I’m not scared of you, that makes you weak and me a threat. Admit it,” Jesse taunted.

“Do him lads,” Gus urged.

“Yeah lads do me in. Think of the extra time stuck in here while Gus here suns himself on the East Coast. Think of your poor kids when Dad isn’t coming home in two months Paul, and your Missus Atwood, what would she think? If you all walk away together he won’t be able to do anything will he?” Jesse encouraged.

“Are you going to stand there and let him dish it out to you?” Gus snarled angrily at his gang of thugs, decent guys really who were just unlucky enough to let Gus Philips get something over them. None of them moved so Jesse stood up and went over to where Gus stood in the doorway.

“We could make it fair and you could take me on but I doubt you have the guts for that. If that’s all lads I reckon I’ll go get dinner, feel starving all of a sudden.” Jesse pushed Gus aside in the doorway and exited his cell.

“You’ll keep McGregor! You better watch your back because you’re a dead man!” Gus called after him.

“Then I’ll see you in hell!” Jesse responded coolly and calmly. Ten minutes ago he had been unsure of what to do but now the decision had been taken from him, there was no longer an option. He had to kill Gus Phillips, before Gus Phillips killed him. “Sorry Rachel,” he whispered, clenching his fists together.

“Robbie where have you been? I was worried!” Beth Hunter pulled him into a hug as he entered the house.

“I just went for a walk,” Robbie explained, shooting a look at Dylan, Dylan said nothing.

“It’s Dylan isn’t it? Angel’s son?” Beth asked.

“Yes,” Dylan replied, shaking her hand.

“You’ll have come to see Matilda? She hasn’t actually come back yet though. I think her and Lucas have had a row because he’s in his room with a right face on him,” Beth remarked.

“Actually it’s Lucas I wanted to talk to,” Dylan told her.

“Oh right. Lucas, someone to see you!” Beth called. Within a few minutes Lucas had come into the room, his face sullen and angry.

“What do you want?” he demanded on seeing Dylan.

“Lucas!” Beth chided.

“It’s okay Beth. Lucas I just want to talk to you, please?” Dylan asked. Lucas shrugged and headed back towards his bedroom so Dylan took that as an indication to follow him.

“Go on then, say what you have to then get out of here,” Lucas snapped.

“I just want you to know there’s nothing going on between me and Matilda,” Dylan explained.

“Yeah right.”

“No seriously. She’s a gorgeous girl and I envy you something rotten and I’ll admit I made a play for her when I first arrived here but that was before I realised she had a boyfriend. She never led me on or did any of the things Cassie accused her of. I was with Ric before and nothing went on there either, Cassie’s delusional. You’re really stupid if you let something she said ruin your relationship with Matilda. That’s all I have to say,” Dylan told him.

“You really swear nothing’s happened between you?” Lucas demanded.

“I swear,” Dylan assured him. He stood up and looked at Lucas, “you have a cracking girlfriend and if you do decide it’s all over I’ll be more than happy to step into your shoes but you’re mad if you do and I don’t think she’d have me anyway. She loves you and you’re stupid if you can’t see it.” Parting word spoken Dylan exited the Hunter/Holden house wondering what had possessed him to just do that. He had gone there with every intention of comforting Matilda through her break up and instead he had ended up encouraging Lucas to get back with her. Not very typical Dylan behaviour, he was used to getting his own way with girls and had had a pretty bad reputation in England. He had been proud of it though, his Mum had always told him how he was just like Shane had been before he had got with her. She had told him some stories about Shane, how he had got one over on a guy he hated by kissing his girlfriend in a public play and causing enough trouble that a punch up had broken out. There was so many classic Shane moments his mother had told him about and he had desperately wanted to emulate the success of the man he had considered a Dad. He had never had a problem attracting girls, especially the pretty ones but he’d never felt quite the same connection with anyone as he had with Matilda and it baffled him as to why he had just ruined his best chance to snare her. He was actually in danger of turning into a decent guy and the thought scared the hell out of him. He seriously needed to let off some steam.

Matilda had cried until she could cry no more and now the pain and sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach had been replaced by a furious anger that burned like a ball of fire in her chest.

“Cassie!” she shouted, banging on the Caravan Park door, “Cassie!” She knew Cassie was in she had seen her enter the house, she had watched her striding with her long legs and her nose in the air and Matilda’s fury had built up. “Cassie!”

“What do you want?” Cassie threw the door open.

“I want to know why the hell you just said all those things? You know full well there’s nothing between me and Dylan and there was never anything between me and Ric, how could you be so spiteful? I thought you were meant to be my best friend,” Matilda told her.

“You just do my head in the way you simmer and flirt, you’re all over every guy in town all the time, I’m sick of it!” Cassie snapped nonchantly.

“You cow, you jealous little cow because that’s what this is all about isn’t it because you fancy Dylan but he wasn’t interested, this is pure jealousy and so typical of you, everything has to be about you all the time doesn’t it?” Matilda shot back.

“It does not and anyway look who’s talking,” Cassie snapped.

“How am I selfish? I’m not the one who has deliberately tried to sabotage my best friend’s relationship because I’m too much of a tramp to get a boyfriend of my own!” Matilda shouted.

“Well at least I’m not willing to sleep with every boy in town just to get my own way, maybe I should make a move on Lucas now he doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Cassie sneered. Matilda was not sure what possessed her to do it, whether it was the smug look on Cassie’s face, her actions over the past hour or simply because Matilda was so angry she could not think straight but she raised her fist and bought it down on Cassie’s face, hard. Cassie staggered back both under the force of the blow and the surprise of it. Matilda turned on her heel and raced away clutching her hand. She had no idea what had possessed her, she had never hit anyone in her life but she felt better for having done it and Cassie deserved everything that came to her. She had not got far down the path when something grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her down to the ground. Matilda screamed in pain and clawed at her assailant. She caught a handful of long hair and pulled with all her strength, Cassie screamed in pain and the two girls rolled around on the floor pulling each others hair and clawing at each other.

“What the hell?” Sally was the first to notice the two girls and she raced towards them, “Cassie stop that! Matilda! for God’s sake what’s going on?” Sally tried desperately to separate them and was aided by Ric who grabbed hold of Cassie and pulled her away kicking and screaming. It took all Sally’s strength to restrain Matilda from attacking her again. “Will somebody explain what’s going on here?” Sally demanded angrily.

“She started it!” Cassie shrieked.

“She did!” Matilda responded.

“She punched me!” Cassie exclaimed.

“She accused me of sleeping with Ric and Dylan behind Lucas’s back because she’s too jealous and horrible to get a guy to herself!” Matilda screamed.

“Well she’s a little whore who’s not satisfied with one guy!” Cassie shot back.

“That’s enough! Both of you! Matilda go home please and I’ll be phoning Beth later to tell her what has just happened. I can’t believe this of you two,” Sally said furiously. Matilda wrenched herself away from Sally’s grip and took off at a run. “As for you young lady…”

“Save it, I don’t want to hear it. You don’t care about me, you haven’t given me a second thought in months so don’t you dare lecture me now!” Cassie struggled from Ric’s grip and fled in the opposite direction to Matilda. Sally stood, watching her retreating back, her bottom lip shaking dangerously.

“It’s okay Sal,” Ric soothed.

“It’s not, this family’s going to pieces and it’s all my fault,” she told him.

“No it’s not. Cassie was jealous was all, she fancies Dylan but he had the hots for Matilda so she tried to cause trouble. Dylan told me earlier, she’s only taking it out on you because she’s angry. Why don’t you go inside and get yourself a cup of tea while I go talk some sense into her?” Ric suggested, Sally nodded still to upset to trust herself to speak as Ric headed off at a sprint in the direction Cassie had gone in.

“Detective Baker?” peter answered the ringing phone.

“Peter it’s me, I think I have something for you on this Believers case you’re working on now. The woman you’re investigating, Mamma Rose has spent a significant amount of time with this one person in the past year. I’m faxing his details over to you now.”

“Great thanks a lot,” Peter replied.

“I just hope you can make some use of the information, I really need you back on our case.”

“Trust me I’m working on it.” Peter hung up the phone and headed over to the fax machine, which almost as if by magic began copying as he approached. Once the fax was completed Peter flicked through it but could pick up nothing unusual and he did not recognise the picture at all. “Jack can you just come here a sec. I’ve had a fax from a contact of mine in the city, apparently this guy has spent a fair amount of time with Mamma Rose over the past year, do you recognise him?” Peter asked. Jack headed over to the fax machine and accepted it from Peter.

“No I can’t say I do sorry, could be a really good lead though and I haven’t lived here all that long,” Jack offered.

“That was what I was thinking. Grab your coat, we’ll take it the beach house and see if anyone there recognises it,” Peter told him. Jack did as he was ordered and the two headed over to the Beach House. Peter knocked on the door and was admitted by a very anxious and tired looking Irene.

“Any news?” she asked.

“No I’m afraid not,” Peter replied looking around the room at Stephen, Barry, Robbie, Beth, Tony, Angel and Pippa. Irene looked crestfallen. “It’s possible we have a lead though, could some of you take a look at this please and tell me if you recognise this man?” Peter asked. Irene took the fax from him and looked at the picture.

“Do you think this person has got something to do with their disappearance?” Barry asked from the back of the room.

“Yes it seems this person has been meeting with Mamma Rose for the past year, so do you recognise him?” Peter demanded.

“Oh my gawd! You’ve got to be flaming kidding me!” Irene exclaimed.

“What? Do you know him?” Peter asked, eagerly as the fax was handed to Stephen.

“Yeah we know him, are you sure he’s involved with her? I can’t believe this!” Stephen exclaimed, his face white as he passed the fax to Pippa and Angel.

“So you know him then?” Jack demanded.

“Yeah I flaming well know him and Selina does too but it’s not possible that he can have anything to do with this, I can’t believe it!” Stephen replied, his voice shaking.

“Well we don’t know anything for certain but at this point in time it seems he is involved with the Believers in some way so I need to know everything you know about him,” Peter explained.

“You know better than anyone Irene,” Stephen suggested.

“Yeah, I do," she sat down and took a deep breath. "Okay his name is….”

Haha! I'm feeling particulary bitchy right now because I've just finished the report from hell and I'm applying my vindictiveness on you guys...appologies!

[Gypsy & Will Fan]

This is brilliant more soon please!