Too Much To Take

[Ashirr-Leigh]

The blood trickled from her pale, stiff body, following the small cracks in the tiles. Faintly, Jade could see the little red path that her blood had made but her vision was beginning to blur, her head becoming heavier and heavier by the second.

This is it..

In her mind, she silently said goodbye to her family and then closed her eyes, giving in. This world had nothing left for her anymore, she had nothing else to give it.

***

The sound of the wind had faded now, the rain was no longer beating off the windows. That meant the storm had passed, they'd all gotten through it.

"We can work this out, Dani, I know we can."

Dani looked into Kirsty's eyes and saw the lost little girl of 10 years before. This was her baby sister, how could she deny her the right to be happy?

"It won't be easy."

Kane's head darted towards Dani. That sounded like she was agreeing.

"You mean..?"

"I, I don't know.. I don't want to promise anything because I can't but.."

Before she could finish her sentence, Kirsty had grabbed her into a massive hug.

"I don't want you to promise anything. I know this is alot for you, it's a huge deal, I understand.. thank you, thank you so much."

When they looked at each other again, both sisters were able to smile. Kirsty was ecstatic that she would be able to keep Kane and Dani, Dani was happy that she'd managed to overcome a few demons at least.

"Thank you, Dani."

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Kirsty.. and if you hurt her, if you so much as lay a finger on her.."

"I won't. You have my word."

She nodded her head, believing him.

In the corner, Flynn breathed a huge sigh of relief that, finally, things seemed to have been worked out.

"Can I make a suggestion here, guys?"

They all looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Firstly, that you don't all get your hopes up because, like Dani said, this won't be easy. Secondly, I suggest that Kane and Dani should have some counselling sessions, mediations, whatever.. something to help work through all this baggage, ok?"

The very thought of counselling terrified Dani but she now realised that going on without it was not an option. She couldn't do this on her own and she wasn't expected to.

"Of course, anything you want, Dani."

***

"Daddy, daddy!!"

Rhys jumped up from his seat infront of the telly and ran outside to his daughter. As he opened the door, he looked left and right but still he could not see her. Had someone taken her?

"Jade, Jade, where are you?"

He couldn't hear her anymore, her little sobs had ceased. Where was she? Where was his daughter? He'd warned her over and over again never to go away with strangers. He was beginning to panic now, she was only 5 years old. What if she was hurt? What if she was scared?

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!"

"JADE! JADE, WHERE ARE YOU???"

Then he saw her. Tucked neatly underneath the bush against their garden fence. Immediately, he ran to her.

"What's wrong, sweetie? What's wrong?"

"It was coming for me, daddy."

Her face was stained with tears and dirt, her clothes now had a mucky shade of brown tint to them.

"What was?"

"It."

"What is it?"

"The monster."

He shook his head and smiled at his little daughter. He'd been imagining the worst when all along, she'd been hiding from an imaginary monster.

"There's no monster here, Jadie."

"You made it go away!"

She beamed from ear to ear, her daddy was a hero.

She kept dipping in and out of consciousness, her mind filled with memories of her happy childhood when her father could make everything ok. Now, no one could do that.

***

Rhys looked at his eldest daughter in disbelief. She was accepting their relationship?

"Dani, you don't know what you're doing.."

"Yes, I do."

He turned his attentions to Kane, it taking every bit of his willpower to stop him from pouncing on him.

"Mr Sutherland, I'll look after your daughter."

"Like you did Dani?"

"Dad! Stop it. You're not helping anyone. We've got to try, we've all got to try."

Everyone else in the room remained silent, understanding the family's need to talk.

"I won't allow him in my home."

"He's not going to be coming to our house, dad, we're taking it slow. Please, please try and understand."

"How can you expect me to understand, Kirsty? Do you understand what you're doing?"

"Of course I do. I love him, dad."

He turned his head away, unable to look at his daughter any longer. Love? How could she possibly love a beast like Kane Phillips?

"Mum?"

Shelley had been quiet throughout, not really knowing what to say. This wasn't what she had expected.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Say that you understand."

"I don't, I can't."

"I'm sorry.."

"Kirsty, I might not understand but, if Dani can accept it, then so can I."

She smiled, finally contented. Her dad might not be willing yet but she knew that, like her, he was stubborn and it would take him longer than everyone else to accept them.

"Now there's just Jade, where is she?"

"She's in the bedroom." Sally added.

"Thanks."

As Kirsty headed to the bedroom, Kane felt extremely uncomfortable amongst a group of people who he knew hated him. He could feel their eyes on him, the hatred towards him.

"She's not there."

"What?"

"She's not there, where is she?"

Everyone looked around them but no one could see Jade.

"She didn't go outside, did she? Tell me she didn't go outside."

"No! Of course she didn't, she wouldn't be that stupid."

"Jade, Jade where are you?"

Rhys' mind flew back to 12 years earlier, when Jade was a little girl and he could not find her. Again, he panicked. Had she gone outside in the lethal storm?

Kirsty approached the bathroom and turned the handle, not expecting to find Jade inside, especially not in the state that she was.

"Nooooooooo!!"

Shelley ran to Kirsty when she heard her scream, followed by Rhys and Dani. Then they all saw her. Her wrists cut several times, the white tiles stained red with her blood. Her body was drooped on the floor, pale and lifeless.

***

[Ashirr-Leigh]

Rhys Sutherland wasn't too old but having three teenage daughters and a soon to be teenage nephew to look after had taken it's toll on him. As he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, the wrinkles on his face were more apparent than they ever had been before.

Upstairs, his wife, Shelley, lay in bed, half asleep. As she slowly opened her eyes, the events of the past few weeks hit her. For a few moments, a few, happy moments, she had forgotten but now it had hit her like a double decker bus.

In the next room, their eldest daughter, Dani, sat by the window, her boyfriend's arms entwined around hers. They hadn't slept at all that night, they'd stayed awake talking, sharing thoughts and memories. Dani turned around and found Scott gazing at her and knew that he would always be there for her, no matter what.

Upstairs again and there was the attic - bedroom of Max Sutherland. He'd always thought that the attic bedroom was a good thing, a special thing, but not now. Now, it made him feel secluded from the family that had taken him in when his father had so callously left him behind. At a time like this, he needed to be a part of the family, not shut out on his own.

Directly below Max, Kirsty lay frigid and gaunt on her bed. She too, had not slept. As a breeze blew in from the open window, she pulled the blanket over herself and squeezed her eyes shut, tight. On opening them again, she looked at the blanket that was keeping her warm and saw her sister's name - Jade. Kirsty had looked for it last night as something to comfort her but now, seeing the name, a solitary tear ran down her cheek as she gazed over in the direction of her twin's bed. The bed that was now empty, the bed that had not been slept in for four nights now, the bed that would never be slept in again.

***

"I don't know what I should do, Frankie."

Kane hadn't spoken to Kirsty since that horrible night when she'd found her sister lying unconscious on Mr Stewart's bathroom floor. Everything since that moment had been a crazy rush. Jade was dashed to the hospital, her family accompanying her, for that moment forgetting their differences.

Everyone forgot that Kane was there, their attentions turned to Jade and the Sutherlands. That, for him, was ideal as it meant he managed to slip out before anyone could blame him. He knew now that everyone was probably thinking that. The only reason they hadn't said anything was because he hadn't left the house in four days.

"You've just got to be there for her, Kane."

"She'll blame me, they all will."

"Kirsty will not blame you! She loves you."

Kane shook his head. Of course Kirsty would blame him, he was the reason why Jade had done it in the first place.

***

After Rhys, Dani and Scott cautiously walked into the kitchen.

"Dad?"

He turned to look at his daughter and found that he could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes. For four days, he had not cried, he had not shed a tear for his daughter. Now, however, he was making up for it.

Dani rushed to her father and together they cried for their loved one. It wasn't fair, nothing was fair..

"Thanks for looking after her, Scott."

"Hey, it's no problem, Mr Sutherland."

"Please, it's Rhys, call me Rhys."

As Kirsty heard this from the stairway, she had only one thought. Kane. Would her father ever tell him to call him Rhys? She very much doubted it.

***

"I need to go and see her."

"Good idea."

Although he was sure it was the right thing to do, he was incredibly nervous. Kirsty was everything to him. Without her, he didn't see the point in anything. She played a part in every one of his decisions, was the centre of all his thoughts. He needed her.

***

By now, the whole family had gathered at the table, an eerie silence lingering over them. Looking around them, everything reminded them of Jade.

"Maybe I should go, you guys need some family time."

"No.. Scott, please stay."

Scott looked at Shelley and Rhys for approval and when he found it, he sat back down. He didn't know how he could make Dani feel better, perhaps he couldn't, but he just wanted to be there for her, do what she wanted, what he thought was best.

Kirsty turned around and looked at the picture that took pride of place on the mantlepiece. It hadn't been taken too long ago, a picture of the whole family. Jade and Kirsty were sat tight together on the grass, Dani and Max beside them. Stood proudly behind the four of them were Shelley and Rhys, holding hands, smiling. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

As quickly as she turned around, she turned away and got up, ran to her room.

***

Sat on the beach, he contemplated whether or not he should go. The right thing to do was evident but whether or not he could do it, he didn't know.

As Kane lay back, he allowed himself to think of Kirsty and their few happy times together. Meeting her had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"You alright, Kane?"

He recognised the voice as Alf Stewart's and immediately got up to greet him.

"Hey. I'm fine."

"How's young Kirsty?"

He shook his head, none the wiser than Alf.

"You've not seen her?"

"Don't know what to say to her, Alf. What if she blames me?"

"Oh, don't talk alot of rubbish. That girl sacrificed everything for you. Don't now go and throw it back in her face!"

Alf's words seemed to shine a bright light on everything. He had to go to her, she would need him now more than ever.

"Thanks, Mr Stewart."

***

The family remained silent at the table for a long time before Kirsty came down, now dressed and ready to go out.

"Where are you going, Kirsty?"

"I have to go, I have to do this, dad."

Although she hadn't actually said, they all knew that she was going to Kane. And what could they do to stop her?

***

As she ran towards his house, he ran towards hers, both of them eager to see each other. Kirsty needed to let Kane know that they were ok, she didn't blame him, she loved him. Kane needed to make sure that they were ok, make sure that Kirsty still loved him.

As they ran, the both took the secluded path that had been the destination of many of their meetings. It had been a place where no one judged them, they felt free from the world.

He could make out a figure in the distance, as could she. It was running towards him, who was it?

And then he saw. It was Kirsty. Kirsty was running towards him, shouting his name. He held out his arms and finally they touched. They squeezed each other so tight that they thought they would never let go, neither or them wanting to.

"Kane, I love you."

"I love you too, Kirst, and I'm so, so sorry.."

She squeezed him even tighter, knowing that he would be blaming himself.

"Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"To my house."

Kane wildly shook his head, he didn't want to go anywhere near the Sutherlands, not now.

"Come on!"

Kirsty pulled on his arm so hard that he gave in and followed her.

***

"Uncle Rhys, why did she do it?"

That was a question that no one wanted to answer. Deep down, they all felt like they were at least a little bit to blame. Rhys and Shelley had been neglecting her, paying more attention to Dani and Kirsty. Dani had been so involved in her own problems that she hadn't even thought about her baby sister.

Just as Max was about to ask again, Kirsty walked in the door, Kane round her arm. Immediately, Dani held onto Scott tighter, Rhys stood up and Shelley let her eyes close and her head fall onto the table.

"Look at me, all of you, look at me."

The sincerity in her voice made them all look over.

"Yesterday, I buried my twin sister, the person I was closest to in the world. She killed herself because she couldn't handle being in this family anymore. We all know that's the truth, there's no point denying it..."

She faltered slightly, her voice breaking as the images of an unconscious Jade lying in a pool of blood filled her head. Kane took her hand.

"I've lost my sister, but I'm not prepared to lose anyone else. I know that you can't understand my relationship with Kane and that's fair enough... but I'm not giving him up. I'm not giving any of you up."

Dani stood up and walked towards her sister before the two of them fell into a hug. Max soon followed, as did Shelley... and finally, a reluctant Rhys stood up and tried to comfort his family. He knew that by getting up, he was accepting the relationship between Kirsty and Kane but he couldn't try and stop it anymore.

The day before, he had buried his daughter. She had only been 17, just a child. Like Kirsty had said, they all had to stick together now. He wouldn't let another one of his daughters slip away from him.

*****

THE END

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