The Stronghold

Take That, The Beatles!

"I tell you, Take That is better!" Shaade yelled.

"The Beatles are a classic band!" Georgina shouted back.

"They're all dead!"

"At least they're still together!"

"Too soon!"

"Like all the solo music!"

"Take That is better than the Beatles!"

"They are not! Name one Take That song that has gone down in history."

"Rule The World."

"Wasn't that just a solo one? Anyway, I could give you hundreds of Beatles tracks for that one song!"

"Go on then," Shaade challenged.

Georgina grinned wickedly. "Well, there's Let It Be, Yellow Submarine, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds-"

"That one about drugs, you mean."

"There's a perfectly normal backstory to the title, actually," I interrupted, nerdiness shining through. "The writer's child came home one day with a picture and when the dad asked what it was of, the kid said 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds.' Lucy was a friend of his at school."

The room went silent. Slowly heads turned to where I was stood in front of the lift, battered, bruised and with the edge of a bandage poking out of the tears in my shirt.

Shaade was the first person to move, flying across the room and wrapping me up in the biggest hug he'd ever given me. And Shaade hugs people a lot.

"You're back!" he yelled directly into my ear. I jumped and winced, feeling the cast around my chest start to crack under the pressure. It was a miracle it hadn't already gone with all the work I'd been doing and the stress I'd been put under. You try running across the ocean! It took me days!

"Yes, I'm back and no, I can't breathe," I replied weakly. Shaade immediately released me, a massive smile on his face.

"Sorry," he said, eyes shining. "You're back!"

"We've established that," I said just as I was hit by the force of three people hugging me at once. Emmi, Sophie and Rebecca had raced over from where they were stood watching the bickering and had enveloped me in a massive hug.

"You're alive!" they screamed in unison. I closed my eyes and waited for them to stop squealing.

After what seemed like forever they had hugged and shrilled their fill, letting me go and jumping up and down in glee. Shaade joined them and they bounced around in circles, jabbering away like the seagulls from Finding Nemo, a cacophony of noise.

"Yeah yeah, jump it out," I muttered, passing them by and walking towards Georgina. Yet again I was halted, Lulu slamming into my legs, barking her head off. I rubbed her side and allowed her to sniff my hands before nudging her aside with my leg and continuing on my way.

But when I did look up from Lulu Georgina had vanished. I sighed and tried to find her within my head. I was a little out of practice but I finally managed to locate her (with a little help from Salt).

"Hey," I said softly, pushing open my - our - bedroom door. Georgina was sat on the bed, facing towards the window that looked out over the city.

"Why now?" she asked quietly. "Why, after so long, have you returned now? Did you have a falling out with everyone? Did you get bored?" Her tone had turned bitter and I glimpsed a tear falling from her face. "Face it, Pepper. You forgot about us. Not one word, not one thought was sent our way. You've missed so, so much and yet you haven't even said hello to anyone yet. Still living in your own little bubble, are we?" She had started sneering, angry and hurt.

"Well guess what," she spat, turning around, eyes full of tears. "Maybe we don't want you back." She turned back again, head lowered.

I froze momentarily but then walked forwards, choosing where I stepped carefully. The mess I'd left the room in was the same as ever, a little worse perhaps.

"Listen," I said gently, sitting behind her on the bed, our shoulders just touching. "I could give you so many excuses but I'm not going to. The plain and simple truth is that I was stupid. I am stupid. Stupid for leaving. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should never have gone but it wasn't that easy to come back. Wait, now I'm making excuses." I sighed and spun around on the bed, ruffling the smoothed down duvet. I wrapped my arms around Georgina and rested my head on her shoulder, looking out at the same view she saw.

"I'm back now," I murmured. "And if I ever leave with no warning again, I've been kidnapped."

Georgina laughed slightly and leaned back to me. "Sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay. I'm surprised you haven't slapped me, to be honest."

"Can I?"

"You might get seawater on your hand but feel free."