After Life

CHAPTER NINETEEN- A GOODBYE

     "Robert you should have seen me I gave her a good crack across the gob. You should've seen her face! It was priceless!" The old lady says cheering with her husband. After the boys, all broke the necklace they teleported back into the building they are so familiar with. Robert smiles and goes into a fighting stance, "Good show my love!"
Jonathan did not leave Maisie's side when they came back into the house. He places a hand on her cheek and asks, "You all right darling?" Maisie can't help but blush at that, "Yeah I'm okay." She looks at everyone and smiles, "You guys are amazing..." All the ghosts smiled at that comment. After many months of living in this house, everyone enjoys each other's company. "We won the war!" Richard cheered, lifting his hands in the air and looking at Elizabeth who sadly is still in the house. Cornelius looks at Elizabeth and fixes his hat, "Revenge is sweet."
Elizabeth has a hand placed on her heart and looks like she is ill. She starts to slowly fade away. She looks at the boys, "I think you'll find soon enough that I actually won." Cornelius scoffs and points to her body, "Look you're fading we won!"
"With me gone the remains of the curse will be lifted." She looks at Maisie, "It is time to say your goodbyes, Maisie." That would be Elizabeth's last words before disappearing, leaving everyone with sadness and confusion. Jonathan finally lets go of Maisie's grasp and looks at the ghost petrified. The ghost can hear a noise. The noise was so calming that it freaked them out. "Can anyone else hear that?" Without a reply from Eidth, she walks to where the portal was in the living room. Everyone forgot that portal where Cornelius and Richard fell through all those months ago. The blonde and brunette look at each other, "I remember that sound..." and they follow the old lady.
As they all made it into the living room Robert screams, "Oh blooming heck Eidth I think it's finally time for us to cross over to the other side. When we get to the afterlife we should all go for a trip to the pub-" And before he can say his thoughts Edith hits him with his shoe, "Shut up you twit, you seem to be forgetting someone can't cross over with us..." Everyone turns to look at Maisie who looks beyond confused, "Wait...What is going on? What's happening?" The ghost frowns and Edith rushes to her side, "Oh my darling come here." Edith grabs her hands in her's trying so hard not to cry right there and then.
"What's going on?" Maisie asks again and looks around her at everyone. All of them have the same expression: Sadness. Edith tries not to cry "I think it's time to go, my love." Maisie's expression changes in an instant, "No you can't go, what will I do without you?"
"It's all right poppit we will always be with you. If anyone messes with you, just know I will always have a slipper in my hand." Tears start forming in Maisie's eyes, "I'm going to miss you so much..." And before Edith says another word she pulls Maisie into a tight hug, never wishing to let go. They have become so unbelievably close that it feels like time flew so fast.
Let time stop for just a moment...
"I'm going to miss you more," Edith says, her voice cracking from hiding her tears. When they finally let go Richard pulls his arms out ready to hug Maisie, "I'll make sure to take good care of her." Maisie joins her embrace and laughs, "Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." "No promises there you know what she's like." They didn't know each other for long, and they didn't have much time to get to know each other. But they knew they both made some kind of impact on Edith's life. They hold each other for another minute before letting go. When Maisie finally lets go she takes a minute to look at him, make mental notes of his face and the way he looks at Edith, and then she turns to the tall blonde who has tried not to cry this entire time.
He salutes to her, "Maisie Baker it's been an honor and a privilege to" Before he can finish his statement Miaise runs into his arms and hugs him, "Maisie doesn't do that you're going to make me all emotional and captains don't cry." Richard gives him a confused look, "Yes they do I've seen it like the time when you-" "All right dicky boy.." for a moment they sat there like that as Maisie gasp slight sobs when she lets go Cornelius lifts her chin, "Chin up and remember we must keep calm and carry on." Cornelius will always have a place in Maisie's heart. He went through a ton: hiding his sexuality, becoming captain, hiding a secret from his best friend, and looking at how good he turned out.
       Maisie looks at Richard and he smiles, "It's been fun hasn't it Maisie?" she smiles and walks closer to him, "It really has.." Richard looks down and picks at his hands, "I really hope we get to see each other again someday." Maisie nods in agreement making Richard look back at her, "You know being your past life, it gives me a huge comfort in knowing what an amazing person my future life is." She pulls him into a hug smiling and Richard whispers into her ear, "See you on the other side."  Richard is her past life, which doesn't mean there isn't him in her. She gets a fear of heights because of him and she gets her brains about WW2. He is and will be an important aspect of Maisie's life forever and she couldn't have it any other way. 
     She lets go of Richard and turns to the last person she needs to say goodbye to...Jonathan. When she looks at him his body turns pointing to the wall in front of him. She walks over to him and places a hand on his shoulder and he finally turns around. His eyes are puffed and tears are shooting down his eyes. She steps back and starts sobbing, "No not you too. No, Jonathan, I can't do this." He walks toward her putting a hand on her cheek and another on her waist forcing her to look at him. "Maisie I have waited 76 years for you to come into my life and I will wait for another 76 if it means I'll be reunited with you again one day. I don't know what is waiting for me on the other side, whether it's heaven but just know that I've had a choice what heaven looked like it would be to stay here with you." She looks at him while he wipes her tears away, "I want you to stay..."
"I was cheated out of my life but you have a chance to live and I have no doubt you are going to do incredible things. You're the most wonderful person I've ever met, and I'm so glad I'm leaving this Earth knowing what truly loving someone feels like..."
"I adore you Maisie Baker."
Slight sobs escape Maisie, "I love you Jonathan." He smiles and rubs his thumb on her cheek, "I love you Maisie Baker." He pulls away and looks at her. Touching her hair as she cries. He can't believe he's leaving her. He knows he will wait for her. He always will. He gives her a sad smile and steps back, letting go of her warm hands and makes his way toward the portal with the others, leaving Maisie to sit and watch. He looks back to look at her once more, taking in her presence for the last time.
He pulls a hand out and slowly puts it toward the portal and.....