Capture (A Liam AU)

Fifty-Five

"You ok?" he asked me from the drivers side. I sat in the passenger's seat looking out the window at the sunny hillside. We were parked and people were milling toward the big tree at the top of the hill. "Emma?"

I ignored him and opened the car door, stepping out into the crisp January morning, I too walked toward the big tree. "Emma please! Talk to me." He said as he grabbed my arm slowing me down.

"Let go of my arm Harry before I rip yours off and beat you with it!" I snapped ripping my arm from his grasp.

"Emma, I know your hurting but I'm just trying to help." Harry said softly.

"Try helping me by telling me where Liam is."

"Em, he's dead." Harry whispered.

"I know you're hiding him Harry!"

"Emma please, I'm not. You saw him die."

"If you aren't going to tell me where your keeping him then leave me alone." I huffed walking up the rest of the hill towards the crowd gathered. I didn't know very many people and everyone was in black so it was hard to distinguish between faces. I just wanted to see Liam's face mixed into the crowd. Every where I went I imagined Liam's face on strangers I met. Then just after I convinced myself that it was him I'd realize it wasn't and my heart would die a little more each time.

This time Niall's face caught my eye from across the crowd. He looked like shit, even from this distance, his blond hair covered under a newsies style cap. I starred at him and he glanced away.

Three women stood in the front. His family, I never met them, now I would never get the chance to. The eldest was crying and her daughter's stood beside her with no expressions at all, a smaller boy was holding one of their hands and I wondered if it was one of Liam's nephews. I didn't even think to ask if he had nephews or nieces, we had barely scrapped the surface of our lives together. I watched them from a distance, it was as if they no longer could harbor any emotion. Liam's kind eyes were shared by all three. I looked away as they laid three roses on top of the coffin.

Liam's coffin.

The crowd dispersed after the ceremony, I stayed behind, not close enough to be noticed by his family. Niall cleared his throat from beside me. I didn't acknowledge him but he wrapped his arm around me, hugging me from the side. "You look like shit." I finally spoke relaxing into his embrace. He laughed a little chuckle.

"I think the girls like the rugged and scarred bad boy type."

"They do. But you still look like shit."

"I feel like shit."

"Me too." I sighed.

"That night-" Niall started but I cut him off.

"Is he alive?" I asked him. The look of pity Niall gave me needed no reply. "I feel like he is still alive. I don't know how to explain it, but if he would have died, I know part of me would die with him."

"I know how you feel. He was my best friend."

"I remember thinking you were crazy when you said he was your best friend." I smiled. "Back when I couldn't stand him."

"I could have told you from day one that you two were going to fall in love."

"Neither of us would have believed you."

"Its a shame really, I wish you could have more time with him." Niall cleared his throat.

"I do too." I cried burying my head into Niall's chest. He held me for a moment just letting me cry. "Why Are you so good to me?" I asked remembering how cruel I was to him last time we spoke.