Rushed Goodbyes

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks, pembie, Red Ranger and -Carina- for the comments! xx

Chapter 11

Aden pulled the car up on Belle's driveway and heaved his bags out of the car. He slammed the boot shut and carried it all to the front door. He knocked hard on the door. He heard footsteps and then Belle opened the door. "Hey!" She smiled, giving him a quick kiss before helping him with his bags. "You can make a start on unpacking your things while I just finish giving Nicole a makeover."

"Anything to get away from that girly stuff you're doing in there." He laughed. Belle showed him to her room before hurrying back to Nicole. "You better not have looked!" She warned, grabbing a coral pink lipstick and spreading it over Nicole's lips. Nicole laughed. "Why would I want to ruin the surprise?" Belle rubbed some eyeshadow over her eyes and then grabbed her curling tongs. She combed Nicole's hair while she waited for them to heat up and then gave Nicole some elegant curls. She unplugged the device and then disappeared out of the room, returning with a short red number. "Put this on while I check on Aden!" She ordered, thrusting the dress into Nicole's hands and then skipping off again. Nicole giggled and changed into the dress. Belle sure was in a good mood. Nicole was trying to be too but she was still stressing a little bit about Elliot. She quickly changed her face into a smile as Belle returned.

"Oh Nic, you look fabulous!" Belle exclaimed, clapping her hands together, happily. Nicole rolled her eyes. "Can I look now?"

"I haven't done your jewellery yet!" Belle pointed out. Nicole sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Aden wandered into the room. "Have you girls had lunch- wow!" He looked over at them both. Belle had now also changed into a black dress and was just doing her make-up. "What's the occasion?" He asked. Belle put her lipstick down and walked over to him. "Do we need an occasion?" She laughed.

"Yes. Which is why I'm taking you two lovely girls out for dinner tonight. My treat." They kissed and Nicole pulled a face. "I might pass. Anyway, I'll go and make us some lunch, shall I?" She hurried out of the room. "But, Nicole, I haven't finished with you!" Belle called but she didn't go after her. Nicole groaned. "On second thought, I might actually go out for some fresh air! I'll only be ten minutes!" She changed into her jeans and and pulled on a shirt, wiping her lipstick off with some tissue. "How about I pick us some lunch up while I'm out?"

"Okay!" Belle called, not really paying attention to her. Nicole rolled her eyes and went out of the door. She headed down towards the beach, the wind whipping her hair into her face and making her nose run. She wanted to get away from that lovesick couple. Nicole didn't want to be reminded that she didn't have anybody at the moment. She pulled off her shoes and let her toes sink into the soft sand, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Belle pulled away from Aden. "I'm hungry, did Nicole say she was making lunch?" Aden thought for a moment and poked his head around the door. "Nicole?" He said. There was no reply. "Maybe she went for some fresh air. Oh yeah, I do remember her saying that she was going for a quick walk and that she would pick us all some lunch up on her way back. Do you remember, you said okay?" Belle put a hand to her mouth. "She shouldn't be going out alone. Not while Elliot's still loose!" Belle grabbed her jacket and ran out of the door. Aden wiped the lipstick of his cheek before following her.

Nicole rolled her jeans up and paddled in the sea, breathing the salty air into her lungs. She decided she should probably pick up some lunch and head back soon but she wanted to stay a little longer. "Nicole!" Nicole spun around. Belle and Aden were running up to her. "What is it?" She asked.

"Don't just disappear like that, especially when Elliot hasn't been found yet!" Belle panted. Nicole rolled her eyes. "Don't overreact Belle. I'm fine and it's very unlikely Elliot's going to be hanging around in a public place like this."

"Oh is it?" A voice drawled. They all spun around. Elliot was standing there, knife in his hand, staring at Nicole.

"Entertain me," He smiled. "Run!"

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks -Carina-, pembie and Red Ranger 1 for the comments xx

Contains similar scenario to something that happened in the show before.

Chapter 12-

They looked at each other and then at Elliot, still holding the knife. They ran. Aden could have easily overtaken the girls and sprinted ahead but instead he stayed right behind them, ushering them on. Elliot counted to five and then set off after them, still laughing. The beach was deserted. They ran up the sandy slope and into the Surf Club. It was empty. Aden wasn't sure what Elliot could have done to vacate the area. This was the busiest time of the day. He pulled Nicole and Belle behind the counter and they sat down, pressing their backs against it and hoping Elliot didn't see them run in here.

"Do you have your mobile? Me and Nic left ours at home." Belle whispered. Aden grabbed it from his pocket and quickly called the police just as Elliot ran in. Elliot dived behind the counter and made a grab for Aden's phone. Aden shouted four words into the phone before Elliot ripped it from his hands and hung up. "Elliot! Surf Club! Help!"

Elliot swore under his breath. "You really don't want to be doing that! Now we're going to have to get out of here before the police turn up." Luckily it was harder for him to get his hands around three of them at once so they kept on dancing out of his reach, trying to stall him for as long as possible.

"Fine, I'll just take these two beautiful girls." He smiled, grabbing Nicole and Belle. Aden picked up a chair and smashed it into Elliot's head. "Nice try," Aden smirked as Elliot fell to the floor. Aden grabbed Belle with his right hand and Nicole with his left and then they ran out of the door. Elliot, still clutching his head, stood up again and charged after them. He spotted the three of them running left and went after them. Belle,(who was still wearing the tight black dress) was the closest and Elliot stretched out a hand and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards his truck which was only a few meters away. "Belle!" Nicole squealed, turning back and dragging Aden along with her. Elliot lifted a screaming Belle up, opened up his truck and threw her inside. Elliot turned to smile at the other two.

"You can either go in with her or leave." Aden scrambled in after Belle and Nicole followed, shooting a deadly glare at Elliot as she passed him. Elliot closed the truck's compartment up and then climbed in the driver's seat. Aden hugged Belle tight. "Are you okay?" He asked. Belle nodded, rubbing her sore arm from where Elliot had chucked her in. The truck roared to life and sped away, sending them all sliding over to one side in a heap.

Watson went to stand by Charlie. "We've had a strange call. I'm not sure who it was. They said; Elliot, Surf Club, help, before hanging up." Charlie turned, to Watson quickly. "Male or female?"

"Male," Watson replied. "It sounded like Aden Jefferies. We'd better send some people down there."

"I don't know who though. We've had a call from Gina Austin. Somebody's started a fire down at the school. That's where everyone is now. I was just about to head there myself. It was in the middle of the Winter Formal. Somebody's locked all the exits and there's people injured. The ambulance is on their way but it sounds pretty serious." Charlie sighed. "Come on, let's go and check this Elliot thing out then, quickly!" They ran out of the door.

Ruby's dress was torn and dirty. She threw off her shoes and pushed her way through the crowd of screaming people. "Xavier!" She called, frantically. She tripped over an unconscious body on the floor and saw that it was Leah. Ruby gasped and shook her. "Leah!" She cried. Miles came staggering over. "Leah!" He coughed through the smoke. He picked her up and ran through the crowd, laying her on a nearby table. "The police are on their way!" Gina shouted above the noise.

Xavier groaned in pain. His arm had been badly scorched by the fire and he was searching for some water. Ruby ran over and hugged him. "There you are!" She cried. She spotted his arm and gasped. "Xavier, we need to get help!"

Annie was lying unconscious on the floor, the fire blazing up around her. Geoff was yelling and screaming, trying to find a safe route to get to her. When he realised there wasn't one, he ran through the fire at top speed, trying desperately to get to her before it was too late. The fire was spreading and if help didn't come soon, then the whole school would be destroyed.

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks for the comments Red Ranger 1, pembie, Zetti, -Carina- and Aden_Belle.

Note: Sorry, I only just realised that I had made it sound like he had squished all three of them up together in his boot. Let's just say it was one of those big delivery trucks that have those large compartments for carrying things lol. Don't ask me where he got it from x

Chapter 13-

Charlie parked the car and she and Watson climbed out. They quickly scanned the beach before running inside the Surf Club. There was nobody inside but it was obvious, there had been. A chair was broken in half and there was a small pool of blood, staining the floor.

"Let's hope that's Elliot's," Charlie said, pointing at the blood. She dialled Aden's number and jumped as Aden's ringtone started playing from behind her. The phone was lying on the ground near the counter, the screen cracked. She tried calling Nicole and Belle but their phones were both switched off. Watson sighed. "What are we going to do? They could be anywhere and we can't go looking for them without backup. By the sound of it, this Elliot is a lot smarter than Mr Gardiner." Charlie sighed. "Let's head down to the school and see what's going on there. If we help sort things out quickly then we'll be able to get a team together to track them down. But first we should rope this area off and take a sample of the blood to run some tests on." Charlie picked up Aden's phone and then turned to Watson. How about you stay here and call the forensics while I get the crime scene tape and then we can both head to the school, yeah?"

"Okay!" Watson pulled out her phone as Charlie hurried out of the door.

The police arrived at the school's entrance and unlocked the door, closely followed by the fire brigade, hoses clutched in their hands. The paramedics rushed in and began lifting injured people onto the stretchers while the fire brigade ran towards the science room where the fire was blazing. The police began ushering all of the frantic people out of the doors as quickly as they could. The paramedics were surprised with the number of people that needed help; students, teachers, parents and helpers. The screaming was finally dying down but the sound of crying still hung in the air. A sobbing Irene watched as Annie was carried into the ambulance. She peered inside to see so many other familiar faces. Geoff, Leah, Xavier, Jai, and Romeo, along with lots that she didn’t recognize. Irene put her head in her hands, and cried some more, praying that they would all be okay.

The truck shuddered to a stop and the compartment banged open.

“Home sweet home!” Elliot laughed as he grabbed them one by one and pushed them down a large hole in the ground. They screamed as they fell onto the hard, dirty soil. He chucked in a bottle of dirty looking water before heaving a metal cover over the hole and locking it with a key. They got to their feet and looked around. They were in some kind of underground room with nothing inside.

“I thought he was going to kill us. What’s the point of putting us down here?” Aden asked.

“So once the water runs out, you will die a very slow painful death,” Elliot’s voice boomed from above their heads. He stomped his foot down hard and a few chunks of rock fell down onto them. Nicole sighed and grabbed the bottle of water, wearily.

“Don’t drink it!” Aden warned. “It could be contaminated.” Nicole looked at him. “I wasn’t going to, look at the state of it,” she said, swishing the dirty water around before throwing it back down on the ground. “What are we going to do?” She moaned. Aden looked over at Belle. “How are we going to cope when it’s night? It’ll be freezing and look what you’re wearing!” Belle glanced down at her black dress. The hole opened up again. It was about four meters from the floor so they had no hope of trying to get back through. Elliot’s head came into view. I wouldn’t worry about the temperature.” He stated. Aden glared at him.

“Have it your way!” Elliot smiled, closing up the hole. There was a clicking sound and then they felt warm air shoot towards them from vents in the walls. The air got warmer and warmer until it was scorching their skin. Belle screamed in pain, clutching her exposed skin. There was another clicking sound and the air got a bit cooler but it was still very warm. “We have to do something!” Nicole said. “No way, am I spending a night in this place.” The other two agreed and looked around desperately. The hole opened again but this time three shovels fell down with a clatter, narrowly avoiding Belle’s head. “Go on then!” Came Elliot’s voice. “Dig your way out but I can assure you, it will only wear you out and make you thirstier.” It closed up again and they each grabbed a shovel, determinedly. “Where should we start?” Nicole asked, looking around. Aden banged his shovel around the whole perimeter and then went back to a spot in the middle. “This dirt feels the softest.” He said, beckoning them over before slamming his shovel into the wall. It bounced off and sent him sprawling on the ground. If it were any other day, Nicole would have laughed but instead she helped him up and they all had a go at crumbling the hard walls. Elliot was right, they weren’t getting anywhere and they all could really use a big drink of cold water. They flopped back down on the ground, miserably wishing they were anywhere but here.

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks Red Ranger 1, Aden_Belle, -Carina- , pembie and ~JarlieFanEver~ for the comments. Thanks again pembie, your comment made me laugh x

Chapter 14-

Belle stared longingly at the bottle of water. Her lips were dry and her throat ached from the lack of moisture. They hadn't a clue what the time was but it was fairly dark now. They were still hot and sweaty from the heat, blowing through the vents in the walls and were trying to find the coolest spot to relax in. Nicole saw Belle staring at the water and said, "I know it looks good Belle but even if it’s not contaminated, we shouldn't drink too much now. Who knows how long we'll be in here. I don't know about you but I think it's highly unlikely that the police will be able to find us in here."

"I know," Belle sighed. "But one sip couldn't hurt."

"One sip will soon turn into two sips and before you know it, the whole bottle will be gone," Aden said but when he saw Belle's sad, longing face, he said, "Fine, let's all have a quick drink." Belle smiled and unscrewed the lid gratefully, taking a quick gulp of the water before passing it across to Nicole. Nicole did the same before passing it to Aden.

"Nah, it's okay, I'm not thirsty thanks," Aden replied quickly, handing the bottle back to Nicole but the girls could both see how hard it was for him to say it. Nicole shoved the bottle back into his hands. "Don't be stupid Aden. You're the one telling us that we'll be out of here in no time. If that's true then a quick swig of water won't make a difference."

"Fine, I take it back. We won't be out of here in no time, happy?" Belle took the water from Nicole, unscrewed the lid before pushing it into Aden's mouth, and tilting it back. Aden choked and slapped the water away, causing it to go flying across the room, its contents spilling all over the ground. They all gasped and hurried over to the bottle, trying to save the water but the bottle was already empty and the water was soaking into the earth.

"No!" Nicole moaned, picking up a patch of damp muddy dirt and running it sadly through her fingers.

"I'm so sorry!" Belle gasped, burying her face in her hands.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine," Aden assured her. "I shouldn't have knocked it away."

"No, that was just your reflexes. I shouldn't have forced you to drink it!"

"It was-"

"It was both of your faults, so please quit arguing!" Nicole sighed. She handed them both a shovel.

“It’s our only hope now,” She said, walking over to the wall and attacking it with her shovel. The other two took a deep breath, looked at each other and then went to join her.

Charlie put the phone down. She had sent some of her fellow officers out looking for Elliot, Nicole, Belle and Aden. She would be joining them shortly but first she made a quick stop by at the hospital to see how the recent patients were doing. She was told that most of the students that had been injured in the fire, were fine, just a few minor burns but then there were the less lucky ones; Geoff, Annie, Xavier and Leah. Two, were badly scorched and still had to be treated, one hadn’t yet gained consciousness and the other, unfortunately was...dead.

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks Zetti, Red Ranger 1, pembie, -Carina- and Kristen for the comments x

Chapter 15

Nicole smiled, wearily. They had made a small hole. It was a lot softer than the first layer and their shovels went through the dirt easily. Elliot checked on them twice a day to laugh in their faces a bit more but except from that, it was normally very quiet. All three of them were hungry, thirsty and hot, so they were very happy when they appeared to be making progress. Belle tried to ignore the sore blister on her right hand and carried on digging but the sweat was getting inside it and making it sting. Nicole suddenly groaned. "It's the school formal today! I had forgotten all about it!"

"Id much rather be there than here," Belle agreed. "I bet everything's going perfectly..."

Aden sighed and added some more dirt to his pile. "Wait a minute! We're trying to dig ourselves out. Shouldn't we being digging upwards to get to the surface instead of another underground room."

Belle stopped and thought about it. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But we can't reach the ceiling!"

"We might as well dig down," Nicole grumbled, sitting down and wiping her forehead.

"Well we could dig for water but it'd be quite dirty," Aden said.

"I don't care if it's dirty!" Nicole said, grabbing her shovel and digging down into the dirt, grumbling as the shovel bounced back off the hard soil. Aden turned to Belle. "While Nicole's doing that, let's see if we can find a way to reach the ceiling and make a hole."

"Okay," Belle agreed, looking up at the ceiling.

"If you step onto my hands with your shovel, I can try and lift you up, so you can make a hole," Aden said, joining his hands together and putting them flat.

Belle stepped onto them and Aden lifted her up, slowly. Belle wobbled slightly before regaining her balance and lifting the shovel above her head.

"Are you okay?" She shouted down to Aden. He nodded and she took a swing at the earth. It was softer then she thought and it crumbled onto her. Belle wiped the dirt from her eyes and did it again, until the hole was big enough. Aden lifted her up higher, wincing as his muscles ached. Belle poked her head through the hole and looked around. Elliot was nowhere to be seen. She gave the thumbs up to Aden before, chucking her shovel onto the ground above her and scrambling up, hearing the tear of her dress as she did so. Once she was up safely, she looked down to see Aden lifting Nicole up too. Belle reached out her hand and helped Nic up along side her but then thought of something. There was nobody to lift Aden up. They both looked hopelessly down at him as he realised the same thing. Belle grabbed her shovel and lowered it down.

"You won't be strong enough to pull me up," Aden pointed out. "Don't worry, you both get out of here quickly before Elliot comes. I'll find a way."

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Belle protested. There was a sound from a tent nearby.

"Run!" Aden hissed. "You can call for help when you reach a phone."

The girls took one last desperate look down at him before quickly running away.

Aden grabbed the end of his shovel and jumped up. He could touch the ceiling with the tip of his shovel. Suddenly, Elliot's head popped into view from the newly dug hole that Belle had made. "What's going-" Aden jumped up and whacked him in the face with his shovel, sending Elliot, falling down into the hole at Aden's feet. Aden quickly moved the big pile of dirt he had taken from the wall, down to the spot below the hole and he stood on it, feeling a lot taller as he struggled to get out of the hole. He made the pile a little bigger before lifting his leg up and hoisting himself out of the hole, awkwardly. Elliot stirred and Aden got to his feet and quickly dived into Elliot's tent. He looked around spotting a phone on the floor. He grabbed it, and ran, towards the two human shapes in the distance. As soon as he caught up with them, Belle wrapped her arms around him tight and Nicole gave him a happy smile. Aden showed them the phone before quickly calling Charlie. When she finally answered, she sounded very stressed but perked up when she heard Aden's voice. He looked around and saw a sign that said: You are now in Pine tree Hill

He described it to Charlie.

"Okay, hang in there Aden, we'll be there soon!"

Charlie put the phone down and went up to the front desk. She gasped as the receptionist updated her on what was going on. It turned out that Geoff and Xavier's burns had been treated successfully, Leah had finally gained consciousness but nothing had changed with Annie. She was dead and the hospital still had to ring Irene up to break the news. Charlie sighed before setting off to chase up Belle, Aden, Nicole and of course Elliot.

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks -Carina-, pembie, Red Ranger 1 and Kristen very much for the comments x

Chapter 16-

Irene picked up the ringing phone. "Hello?" She asked, nervously, hoping it was Charlie telling her that Belle, Aden and Nicole had been found or the hospital phoning with an update on Annie and Geoff.

"Hi Irene, I'm ringing from Yabbie Creek Hospital. I have news for you on Annie and Geoff Campbell. I'm told you are their guardian, am I correct?"

"Y-yes," Irene stammered, heart beating fast. "Are they okay?"

There was a long pause...

"Well, I'm afraid I have some good and bad news, for you but if you prefer for me to tell you in person then you can come by the hospital now."

Irene sighed and sat down. "Just tell me now please," She said quietly, dreading what was to come next.

"Geoff was burnt very badly while trying to save his sister but he's fine now and ready to come home. Annie on the other hand..."

Irene put her head in her hands. "P-please tell me she's okay."

"Well...I'm afraid Miss Campbell didn't quite make it."

Irene tried to speak but her throat got clogged up and she started sobbing instead. "Not poor Annie!" She cried, grabbing the tissue box from the coffee table.

"We're very sorry Irene. We tried our best to save her but she was left in the fire for too long. Maybe you should come and pick up Geoff. We thought he'd prefer to hear it from you."

"O-okay," Irene sniffed. "I'll be there soon." She put the phone down, and buried her head in her hands, to muffle the sound of her wails before wiping her face with a bunch of tissues and grabbing her coat. She took a quick look at the photo of Annie on the table before walking out of the door, tissue box tucked under her arm.

Charlie pulled the police car up next to the Pine Tree Hill sign to see Aden, Belle and Nicole, sat next to it, looking very dirty and weak. Nicole perked up when she saw the police car and they all hurried over to it.

"We're so glad you came!" Nicole sighed in relief.

Charlie grabbed a bottle of water from the car. "Thirsty?" She asked, climbing out. Aden took the bottle from Charlie gratefully. "Thanks!" He smiled, unscrewing the lid and passing it to Nicole. She took a long drink before passing it to Belle and Belle did the same and passed it to Aden.

"Where's Elliot?" Charlie asked, quickly, looking around the area. Nicole took Charlie's arm and led her over to the hole where Elliot was, unsuccessfully trying to scramble out.

Charlie pointed her gun at him. "Turn out your pockets," She ordered. He did so, revealing a stick of gum, a wallet and ... a gun which he pointed up at Charlie.

"Drop your weapons and pass them up to me," Charlie demanded.

"You won't shoot me," Elliot said firmly. "But my finger might just slip," He hovered it over the trigger, threateningly. Charlie whistled and the rest of her team, ran to her side and pointed their guns at Elliot too.

"I might not shoot you but they will," Charlie said. "Now throw the weapon up by my feet."

Elliot rolled his eyes, mumbled something and threw his weapon at Charlie. Charlie dodged out of the way so it didn't hit her and Watson picked it up. A few other police officers jumped in the hole and handcuffed him while Charlie dangled a rope down. One of the other police officers in the hole grabbed the other end of the rope and tied it tightly to Elliot's handcuffs and watched as they hauled him up.

"Elliot Gillen, you are under arrest for the capture and attempted murder of Nicole Franklin, Aden Jefferies and Belle Taylor."

Irene and Geoff didn't say a word as they made their way back home. They were both devastated and lost in their own unhappy thoughts. Irene wasn't looking forward to telling people or organizing the funeral just yet. The car stopped outside their home and they climbed out, walking sadly towards the house. Geoff's burns were all bandaged up with special non-stick material and even though he was still in pain, Annie was all he could think about. He walked inside and sat on the couch, tears rolling down his face slowly. Irene sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her back, his slow tears turning into loud sobs now they were finally alone.

Once they were no longer needed at the station, Aden, Belle and Nicole went back to Belle's house. As they reached the front door, they noticed the lights on

and figured Irene must be home. Charlie had told them about how upset Irene had been when she had found out they were missing. She also said that something terrible had happened at the school formal and that Irene and Geoff would need their support.

Belle opened the door and they walked inside to the sound of crying. Irene and Geoff were sitting on the sofa, crying their eyes out. Irene looked up when they arrived.

"Oh Belle, love!" She wiped her eyes and ran over, wrapping her arms around Belle, tightly. "I was s-so w-worried." She hugged Aden and Nicole too and then led them over to the couch where a bandaged covered Geoff was busy dabbing at his wet face.

"What's wrong Irene? Charlie said that something terrible had happened! Where's Annie?" Belle said, sitting down.

Irene's eyes welled up again but she bit her trembling lip, took a deep, shaky breath and then said, "I'm really happy you're all safe and you need to tell me all about it later but...something happened at the school formal. Somebody started a fire in the science lab and locked all the doors so that nobody could get out."

Belle gasped. "Oh no! I bet it was Elliot!"

Irene continued. "The fire spread and lots of people got injured, including Geoff and...Annie. Annie was trapped in the room where the fire was at its worst and Geoff tried to save her, getting himself burnt in the process and-"

"Oh no, I see where this is going!" Belle moaned.

"-Annie didn't make it," Irene finished.

The house was filled with five sobbing people and Belle decided that she would put off telling Irene and Geoff about the cancer for a little longer. One funeral was enough to worry about for now.

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks so much for the comments. I enjoy reading them

Chapter 17-

Belle was the first to break away from the hug, mopping her eyes up and blowing her nose. The crying died down and they all looked at each other sadly. After what seemed like hours, Irene broke the silence.

"I just can't believe she's really gone."

Belle nodded, sympathetically and patted her hand. "I know."

Belle sighed.

Would it be better to wait a while or tell Irene now?

Surely she shouldn't upset Irene even more now. She has enough to deal with.

But if she waits until Irene's in a better mood then it'll be a shame to set her off again.

No, definitely not. She'd wait.

Belle stood up and sniffed. "I might go and take a shower," She said quietly, disappearing out of the room.

The others sat in silence for a bit longer before Irene said, "I better get the laundry out of the way with."

She walked out of the room, with a clump of tissues in her hand and went into the laundry. Even when the door was closed, the others could still hear her muffled sobs. Nicole looked over at Geoff who was pretending to find the box of tissues interesting. She surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on her shoulder.

Aden looked around awkwardly before standing up and disappearing out of the room too.

Geoff swallowed and hugged Nicole back, the two of them enjoying the company of one another.

Belle wrapped a towel around her wet body and walked into her room. The tears on her face were disguised, mixed along with the water from her shower. She dried herself off, slipped into some comfortable jeans and a purple top before giving her hair a comb and going out of her bedroom. Aden was wandering around outside the room but when he saw Belle, he gave her a big hug and whispered in her ear, “When are you going to tell Irene and Geoff?”

“I don’t know but it would be horrible to tell them now. Especially after the recent tragic events,” Belle gulped.

Aden stroked her hair, soothingly. “Just don’t leave it too late. They have a right to know.”

Belle nodded and they walked hand in hand back into the living room where Nicole was sat in Geoff’s lap, her arm wrapped around his neck. Aden and Belle looked at each other before turning around and walking back out of the room. Irene was bent over a washing basket, her hair plastered to her wet face. She took the clean clothes out of the basket and began folding them, giving a little sniff every now and then. Aden squeezed Belle’s hand before leading her out of the front door and into the fresh air, leaving the other three to their own thoughts. They walked down to the beach and sat on the sand, staring out into the sea.

With everything going on, Belle hadn’t really thought about the cancer but now Elliot and Gardy had been caught and she was in no more danger of being kidnapped, it all came flooding back to her. Annie’s death had made her realise just how bad her condition was.

“You need to tell them soon,” Aden persisted, breaking the silence between them both. “The sooner you do, the sooner we can get away from the bay. Go somewhere nice, just the two of us. I want you to take your last breaths, with me by your side, doing the thing you love the most. Anywhere in the world, Belle and I’ll take you there.”

It was the first time they had really talked about the cancer.

“Aden, that’s really sweet but what if my favourite place is here...in the bay. Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed here? You’ll have people who care about you to help you get past me when I’m gone.”

“What, if I don’t want to get past you when your gone? You’re the best thing that’s happened to me Belle.”

“Aden I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life, mourning me. I want you to be happy and get on with your life.”

“I can’t ever be happy without you, Belle.”

“Just give it a few weeks, Aden then I’ll tell Irene and Geoff, I swear. But I need to give them a while to cheer up a little first instead of dumping this on them as well. And as long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we are.”

“Three days,”

“Three weeks,” Belle argued.

“One week,” Aden pleaded.

“Two weeks and that’s my final offer,” Belle said, firmly.

Aden sighed. “Two weeks it is.”

TWO WEEKS LATER...

“Ready?” Aden asked.

“Ready,” Belle confirmed but she didn’t sound so sure.

They both walked into the living room where Irene and Geoff were sitting patiently. Belle sat down opposite them both. Aden made a move to leave but Belle pulled him down next to her.

“There’s something I have to tell you both,” Belle said, shakily, turning to Irene and Geoff.

“Judging by your expression, it’s bad,” Geoff sighed.

Aden opened his mouth but Belle nudged him and carried on. “I’m really sorry to tell you this especially after...well you know...but...I...I’m just going to go ahead and say it-“

“You’re pregnant?” Irene gasped.

“-No!” Belle shouted. “But don’t be relieved, it’s worse. Belle felt bad déjà vu as she said, “I have cancer...And I don’t have long left to live. A month at the most.”

[Chickiboomxx]

Thanks Kristen, Red Ranger 1, pembie, and -Carina- for the comments. I enjoy reading them.

Chapter 18-

Irene slapped her hand over her mouth and bit her lip hard while Geoff just opened his mouth and stared.

"H-how long have you known?" he spluttered.

"...A while," Belle said quietly, looking over at Irene who was trying very hard to stop herself from crying. Aden squeezed Belle's hand, comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner. I was just so scared," Belle said.

"Oh Belle, love," Irene sobbed, tearing her hand away from her face and hugging Belle tight. "Don't you be sorry. But what are you going to do now?"

"Aden and I were thinking of traveling somewhere nice together," Belle replied, nervously.

"We wanted...the rest of...her time to be special," Aden added.

Irene nodded, pulled away from the hug and looked at Belle. "That's the right thing to do but... I'm going to miss you," She said softly, tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm going to miss you too," Belle sniffed. "You've been like a mother to me, Irene."

"You've been like a daughter to me, love," Irene smiled, wiping her eyes. "Good gosh, look at me, I haven't stopped crying in weeks."

"When are you leaving?" Geoff asked.

"We were thinking sooner rather than later," Belle said, looking over at Aden. He nodded and patted her hand.

"How sooner?" Irene asked.

"Tomorrow," They said together.

"If we can book flights then it'll be sometime in the afternoon," Belle added.

"Wow," Irene's lip trembled. "We'll schedule your farewell party for the morning then."

Aden and Belle looked at each other. "Farewell party?" Aden asked.

"Well you can't leave without saying goodbye," Irene pointed out.

Belle forced a smile. "Thanks Irene, we'll be there."

"Well I do hope so, or else it won't really be a farewell party," Irene smiled. The smile soon faded and she began crying again, hugging Belle harder.

A few minutes later Aden yawned. "Well I'm heading to bed. I'll see you in the morning for the party," He said, looking at Irene and Geoff sadly. They nodded.

"Eleven o clock at the diner," Irene informed him, giving him a sad smile as he walked away.

The next morning, Belle's alarm went off for ten thirty and she climbed out of bed. It all came flooding back to her and she groaned. Irene had told Belle, she would be calling up people that night to tell them what was going on and invite them to the party tomorrow. They had agreed that for now Irene would just say she and Aden were leaving the bay and not mention the cancer. Belle looked through her wardrobe until she found a nice blue dress that she slipped on along with some matching heels. She combed her hair, brushed her teeth and washed her face, waking her up a bit more. She then put some jewellery on and did her make-up before heading down the stairs, dreading this party even more.

When she arrived at the diner everyone was already there, including Aden, Geoff, Nicole and Irene. There were two tables piled with food and drinks and colourful streamers were strung around here and there. Belle quickly put on a smile as she walked in, brushing her hair from her face and walking over to where the main group of people were standing. She said a quick hello to everyone before making her way over to Aden's side, biting her lip and looking at him in a way that made him say, "Aw come on Belle it's not that bad. I know there's lots of people and maybe Irene went a little over board with the decorating but it just shows she cares about you."

She nodded and poured herself a strong alcoholic drink, gulping it down quickly and pouring another.

"Hey, hey steady there miss. You don't want to get tipsy before the party's even started," Aden took the drink from her and led her away from the table, leading her over to where Geoff and Nicole were standing.

"Hey," Nicole smiled, tearing her eyes away from Geoff and giving Belle a big hug. "I can't believe you're really leaving," She sniffed as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Whoa there Nic, don't get teary on me just yet," Belle smiled, handing her a tissue from a table nearby. Irene must have known, there would be a lot of crying. Nicole laughed and wiped her face. "I'm going to really miss you, Belle!"

"I'm going to miss you too Nic," Belle sighed, looking around. A crowd began to form around them, complimenting Belle's outfit and saying how much they were going to miss her. Belle took a deep breath. "Thanks," Her eyes began to get watery. "I'm really sorry, it's all a bit much. Excuse me for a moment," She ran into the toilets and locked herself in a cubicle letting the tears fall freely down her face. She heard the door open and she quickly stopped crying, sniffing and wiping her eyes.

"Belle?" Nicole asked, banging softly on the door of the cubicle. Belle hesitated before opening the door.

"I must look a right sight," She said. "It's only now, I've realised just how much I'm going to miss everyone here in Summer Bay."

Nicole hugged her. "It's okay, let's get you sorted out so you can go back out there and try and have a good time."

"Thanks Nic. You've been such a good friend to me."

Nicole led her over to the mirror and Belle flinched as she saw her reflection. Her hair was a mess and her face was sticky with tears, not to mention the mascara that had smudged all around her eyes. Nicole quickly went outside to grab some tissues and then soaked them with water and wiped Belle's face clean, applying more make-up from the little black clutch in her hand.

"Much better," Nicole smiled, fixing Belle's hair and leading her out of the door.

The party finished a couple of hours later and Belle and Aden said goodbye to everyone except Irene, Geoff and Nicole who were all accompanying them to the airport. Belle and Aden finished packing before heaving the suitcases into the car and climbing in themselves. Belle sat in the front next to Irene, and Aden sat in the back with Nicole and Geoff. Belle took one last sad look at the house before they sped away, towards the airport and out of Summer Bay.

[Chickiboomxx]

Note: This is the last chapter of this fan fiction. Thanks so much for the comments! They mean a lot. I wasn’t really sure how to end this fan fiction happily so sorry if the ending is bad but I tried my best.

Chapter 19

The car pulled up outside the airport and Aden and Belle climbed out of the car, lifting their suitcases from the boot. Irene and Nicole were already beginning to cry and even Geoff had watery eyes. They walked inside the airport, their thoughts immediately interrupted by the noise. Belle and Aden turned to the others, sadly

. "We're going to miss you all terribly," Belle finally said, looking up at each of them in turn. Irene whimpered and put her hand over her mouth, Geoff let a single tear escape and roll down his cheek and Nicole began sobbing, oblivious to the stares of people around her. Aden squeezed Belle's hand and said quietly,

"It's time to go Belle." Belle nodded and hugged them all tightly, before she and Aden took a step away. Belle turned around and quickly whispered one more word before they walked away slowly.

"Goodbye."

The others watched them go before turning around and walking back out of the airport doors towards the car.

The rest of the journey back home was a quiet one; the only sounds were occasional sniffing from Geoff and soft cries from the other two.

Belle and Aden sat on the plane, arms wrapped around each other, lost in their own thoughts. They were going to Hawaii, home of romance, happiness and beauty. Belle thought it would be perfect but she couldn't help feeling that she was making a big mistake. Summer Bay was her home now and the thought of leaving it was scary. But she knew that even if she stayed in Summer Bay, it wouldn't be for long. It also meant, telling everyone the truth about the cancer which she couldn't face doing. Hawaii was a place she had longed to visit for a while but Belle knew she wouldn't enjoy it as much as she would have before.

Quite a while later ...

Once Belle and Aden had sorted everything out, the two of them stepped out of the airport doors and smiled as they looked at the beautiful place in front of them.

“Well here we are,” Aden said.

“Here we are,” Belle repeated, looking around, happily.

For Irene, the rest of her day had been very long and sad. It was horrible not having Belle (or Annie for that matter) around anymore. The house was very quiet. Nicole had moved back into her apartment and Geoff, not wanting to leave her alone had moved out too to stay with Nicole for a while. Irene knew there was something more between the two of them then just friendship. Geoff had been very worried about Irene being alone and had been having second thoughts about moving out with Nicole but Irene assured him, she would be okay. Right now, she was anything but okay. The doorbell rang and Irene went to answer it.

“Hi!” Geoff said as he and Nicole smiled at Irene. “We hope you don’t mind us staying for lunch, it’s just we don’t really have any food in that hasn’t gone rotten.”

“No, no of course not,” Irene said, gesturing for them to come inside.

Irene took a loaf of bread out of the bread bin and made them some quick toasted cheese sandwiches before joining them at the table. They all tried to quickly think of something to talk about but there was nothing really to talk about that didn’t involve Belle, Annie or Aden.

“Mmm, these are really nice thanks Irene,” Geoff finally said, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Yeah, my favourite,” Nicole chipped in, taking another bite too.

“It’s no worries. The least I can do,” Irene said, taking her plate over to the sink. The new silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. Irene put the dishcloth down, wiped her hands and then went to open it. Standing in the doorway was...Belle and Aden.

FLASHBACK

“The doors will be closing in five minutes,” The speaker announced. Belle looked at Aden.

“Aden, I don’t think I can do it. Hawaii is supposed to be romantic and happy. I don’t think I’ll be feeling any of those things when we get there. I’ve accepted the fact that I’m going to die soon. There’s nothing I can do about it but I’d rather spend my last moments being happy, just like you wanted me to be. The only place I can do that is in Summer Bay.”

Aden raised his eyebrows but he was smiling. “Then we better get off this plane before the doors close.”

They grabbed their suitcases and hurried off the plane, apologizing to the staff that they passed.

Once Belle and Aden had sorted everything out, the two of them stepped out of the airport doors and smiled as they looked at the beautiful place in front of them.

“Well here we are,” Aden said.

“Here we are,” Belle repeated, looking around, happily.

END OF FLASHBACK

“Belle!” Irene pulled Belle into a big hug and Nicole and Geoff came rushing to the door to hug them both as well.

“What’s going on? What about the plane you were supposed to catch?” Nicole spluttered, refusing to let go of Belle.

“What plane?” Belle smiled, easing Nicole off so she could hug Geoff.

Two weeks later...

Belle flopped on the sofa, happily and smiled up At Aden who was stroking her hair and Irene who was grinning back at her. Nicole and Geoff were on the other sofa, kissing.

Aden pulled his hand away from Belle’s head and looked at Nicole and Geoff. He sighed. “Will you two lovebirds please stop the smoochy noises?”

“Like you can talk,” Nicole retorted, breaking away from the kiss and glaring at Aden. “You two have been at it all week.”

The microwave beeped and Irene stood up and removed the hot chocolate from it and handed it to Belle.

“Here you go, love,” Irene said.

“Thanks Irene,” Belle smiled, taking a slurp of the hot chocolate and then changing her position so she was lying down. She yawned and rested the mug on her belly, letting her eyes droop.

“Hey you, don’t fall asleep just yet,” Aden said. “It’s not even eight,”

Belle just smiled and Aden rolled his eyes, turned away and began talking to the others. After a while, there was a loud smashing noise and they all turned around to see Belle’s hand had flopped off her belly and her drink had fallen to the floor. Aden’s face crinkled and a tear rolled down his eye as he saw Belle’s belly was no longer going up and down.

“No, Belle! Please no!” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a shake but when she didn’t move, he began crying harder, hugging her tight and burying his face in her hair, The other gasped and stood up, forming a circle around Belle. Irene found that she couldn’t cry. She was so sad but she knew that crying wouldn’t bring her back. Crying would do nothing to help Belle. So instead she made herself be glad. Not that Belle had died but because she had lived a very happy life and had passed away with all her closest friends around her. The others eventually seemed to realise that too and the crying stopped, all except for Aden.

He smiled weakly and held Belle’s hand. “I love you,” He whispered. “But I’ll see you again. It may be in about eighty years or so but I promise you, it’ll happen. Just you wait and see.”

THE END

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