mouse | eastenders

→ the knights

(part 1/2)

It was a day of tragedy for Albert Square. The beautiful, young Lola Pearce had passed away after a long battle with a brain tumour. Those who knew her mourned her loss and those who were close to her were left devastated and in a state of shock.

For Lucy, there was only a slight comfort in the fact that her friend had gone in her sleep. However, that comfort was overwhelmed with the worry and anxieties of how does one move on? How does she deal with loss again? How will the sweet Lexi, who she had babysat many times during Lola's cancer diagnosis, grow up without a mother?

After giving her condolences and sharing some long, needed hugs with Billy and Honey, as Lola was taken away from their home, Lucy wiped the tears out of her eyes as she made her way back inside the Queen Vic. She was unaware of the three people who were about to enter her life, walking past the market stalls and towards her home.

"Oh, darling," Linda sighs, her arms already open for a hug as she walked towards Lucy. She had already noticed the slight redness around her daughter's eyes and wanted to do her best to comfort her.

Grief was hard, especially for the two of them.

"I'm just gonna head back up," Lucy spoke softly, brushing her hair out of the way of her face after pulling away from the hug.

"Okay, you make sure you get some rest," Linda began, rubbing Lucy's shoulders gently, before she quickly became agitated at the banging on the door of the pub.

Linda stormed towards the farthest set of doors and Lucy took that as her cue to escape from any possible social interaction for the time being. With each step she took, she felt a weight on her shoulders trying to drag her down. It was cruel and it was unfair that someone as young as Lola was taken away from their world.

The kettle came to a boil in the kitchen and Lucy mindlessly made herself a cup of tea. Of course, she was unable to stop thinking about the loss of her friend. Why did it feel like it had happened so suddenly when they knew Lola had come home for her end of life care? The notion of something happening so abruptly even when it was predictable was an oxymoron in itself and Lucy didn't know how to decode or rationalise her own thoughts. If she spent too long trying to do so she'd return to that pit of grief and she didn't ever want to be in that same place again.

It was where she was six months ago.

"Mum! You need to call me right now and tell me what the hell is going on!" Linda yelled furiously, capturing Lucy's attention and making her forget about her cuppa as she quickly headed for the stairs.

Who had gotten her mum so riled up, this time?

Lucy's curiosity peaked further when she heard a man's light chuckle. She came out of the back of the bar and stood to the side, watching in utter confusion at what was going on.

"Well, I can tell you that. Your mother and I have decided to run this pub together," the very tall man said, a charming smile on his face.

"Ha! That's funny. Cos she's supposed to be running it with me. And she never mentioned that she had some new, whatever you are, who was coming along for the ride," Linda waved her hand in frustration, as if trying to dismiss the newcomers away.

Lucy tried to find a point to chip in and ask what was going on but she was slowly catching on to the fact that this man was her nan's new partner. He seemed quite young for her... Lucy thought, but who knows? And as for the two girls behind him, she didn't have a clue.

"She must have done," the man tilted his head questioningly at Linda.

"No," she shook her head, arms folded.