How Soon Is Now

Part One - Chapter Twenty: Fernando's Funeral

Amber watched Nicola from where she stood, the blonde had never looked so broken in her life; she doubted that Nicola would ever recover from Fernando’s death and she feared for her friend.

Nicola was silent staring at the open grave while Fernando’s coffin was lowered into the ground, it was little comfort to her that he was being buried in the local cemetery inside of back in Madrid.

Nicola sniffled closing her eyes, she was dressed in a black animal mess dress paired with black sole court shoes; it felt unreal to her and she prayed it was some horrible dream and she would wake up soon.

Amber turned her attention over to Lydia who was stood near the back of the gathering, she had heard that their former coven-mates had all had their magic stripped from them because of what they had nearly succeeded in doing.

Amber wondered why Lydia had even come to Fernando’s funeral, everyone knew that she hadn’t liked him and the guilt that littered her face was all too clear but the witch didn’t care.

It was Lydia’s fault they were here now; it was Lydia’s fault that Nicola would never be the same; Amber felt Adrian wrap his arm around her in comfort, she forced a smile at him before she looked back at Nicola, the blonde stood alone grieving for her loss.

Olalla had brought Nora to the funeral as well as her new boyfriend, no one was pleased with her decision and Fernando’s parents looked furious with their youngest son’s former wife; they couldn’t believe that she had brought her new boyfriend to Fernando’s funeral.

Nicola knew better than to approach them, to tell them their son had been happy before he died, that he had been with her and had died for her.

Alex Morris stood next to Nicola with his wife Laura, they knew the blonde was grieving as much as Fernando’s parents; who looked confused as people kept offering them and Nicola their condolences.

“I can’t believe this…” Amber whispered softly watching them lower Fernando’s coffin into the ground; after all Nicola had done for the Greater Good, this was how they thanked her by taking her one true love away.

Nicola closed her eyes as they buried Fernando, she couldn’t watch anymore because it hurt too much; it was like someone was ripping out her heart and she wanted to be sick.

“Nicola… it wasn’t your fault,” Alex murmured softly watching Nicola, he could see that this was killing her; she shook her head wondering what there was left for her now.

People had been told that it was a robbery that had gone wrong and that he had tried to protect Nicola, sticking slightly to what had happened to Fernando; they could never reveal the total truth about how he had died.

“He’d still be alive if it wasn’t for me,” Nicola whimpered with tears in her eyes, she wanted the pain to stop and she wished that it would go away; she wanted Fernando back not to be burying him instead.

Alex looked at his wife before he wrapped an arm around Nicola and pulled her close in comfort, they were going to have to keep an extra eye on the blonde since it was clear she wasn’t dealing with Fernando’s death in any way.

Nicola stared at the coffin, she wished it had been her and that there was some way to change what had happened; there was no bringing back Fernando from the dead and it made her wonder just who wanted her to be miserable and what she had done to deserve this.

***

Ryan sighed as he orbed into Nicola’s bedroom, he frowned as he watched her sitting on her bed flipping through her Book of Shadows; she hadn’t wanted to talk to him since what had happened with Fernando.

“Nicola?” Ryan murmured wanting to speak to her, he wanted to reassure Nicola in some way but she wouldn’t listen; she wouldn’t forgive him for not saving Fernando’s life.

Nicola continued to flick through her book, she didn’t care what Ryan had to say only that he had been part of what had taken Fernando from her; he should have come to them when Amber had called for him.

“He completed his destiny Nicola… I couldn’t save him from that,” Ryan tried to explain, trying to ease her mind in some small way but she ignored him making the whitelighter sigh as he watched her sadly.

Ryan hated that he hadn’t been able to help, he had been told not to come to Nicola’s aid when he had been called and that what happened next was going to be important or the world.

Nicola continued to search through her book, she didn’t even look up as Ryan orbed out, blinking back tears she looked at the spell that she had landed on; she wanted to talk to Fernando again and have him with her.

“Hear these words, hear my cry. Spirit from the other side, Come to me I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide,” Nicola said hoping that she could talk to Fernando; she needed to see him again and to get his forgiveness for what she had done.

Nicola had barely been with Fernando for two months before he had been taken from her, it was all her fault and she would never forgive herself for causing his death.

Alexandria Matthews appeared before her daughter, she watched the look of disappointment appear on her face; she wanted nothing more than to comfort Nicola in some small manor.

“Mum?” Nicola whispered softly wondering why she was here, Alexandria sighed as she moved to sit next to her; this wasn’t an easy time and she had wanted to come and comfort her.

“I’m sorry Nicola… Fernando’s still adjusting to the afterlife,” Alexandria murmured wrapping her arms around her daughter, she was forever looking out for her only child and hated that death had taken her away when Nicola had needed her most.

Nicola looked down sadly, she didn’t know what to do anymore, life just wasn’t worth it without Fernando; she wanted to end it all but she knew it wasn’t what Fernando would want her to do.

Alexandria hugged her daughter, she felt horrible that she couldn’t be here to comfort her properly; she was so proud of what her daughter had done with her life, and she didn’t deserve this.

Alexandria had no idea what the Tribunal had planned but she hoped that it was worth her daughter’s pain, she had been through so much and Fernando was meant to spend the rest of his life with her.

There was so much that Nicola had lost in the past few years, she had been forced to grow up without her mother at a young age, lost her grandmother leaving her with no family and now she had lost the man she had been destined to grow old with.

“I just want to stop hurting…” Nicola whimpered starting to cry, Alexandria nodded as she hugged her daughter tighter; she knew that there was nothing that she could do to fix this.

Alexandria wanted Nicola to be happy but that wasn’t going to happen and she feared that the next time that she saw her daughter then it would be in the afterlife.

“It will in time Nicola… it will in time,” Alexandria said trying to sooth her, she rocked her grown daughter back and forth as she tried to calm her down; she hated everything about what had happened, it just wasn’t fair.

Alexandria sighed hoping that the Tribunal had a reason for doing what they had; it wasn’t fair after what Nicola had done in this life and her last, only to have her happiness ruined each time.