Tomorrow Never Dies

Epilogue

I had one child screaming in the nursery and another screaming in the playroom. I had three pots on the stove almost boiling over. The doorbell was going off, and the dog was barking to get in from the garden. And my husband was nowhere to be seen.

"Ella! If I come in there and you're crying because you've lost Teddy then Mummy is not going to be happy!" I shouted, and she quieted almost immediately. I turned the gas down to stop the pots boiling over, ran to let Fletch back in, and opened the door to the guest. I indicated for them to come in then sprinted upstairs to pick Kai out of his bassinet. I hushed him as I hurried back downstairs to see my father standing in the hallway, taking in my chaotic household.

"Flora," he greeted me calmly, watching me rock my three week old son back to sleep.

"Spencer," I regarded him coldly. "Matthew and Tobias should be here shortly." He nodded.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

"Michael and I married five years ago. Right now he's out with his band, they're celebrating another album release."

"Oh. Is this your only baby?"

"No, we have Kai and Ella." I called for my daughter, who came toddling through with no trousers on and her blonde hair falling over her eyes. I sighed as I pulled her up onto my other hip, balancing both my children on my body as my father watched on. The doorbell rang, and I indicated for him to get it, and he returned with my big brothers. Ella wriggled out of my grip and flung herself into Matty, giggling with glee. She absolutely adored her uncles, though I knew she had a particular soft spot for Matty as his girlfriend kept horses, and she loved to see the 'baby unicorns'. I handed Kai over to Toby, who fussed over his nephew as we went through to the lounge and sat on the sofas, my brothers and I on one and our father on the other.

"Spencer, why did you want to see us?" Matty asked, going straight in for the burning question on the tip of everyone's tongues.

"Well," he hesitated as if trying to formulate the words. "First off, I wanted to apologise. To Flora, because the way I treated you when you came to find me was cruel and unacceptable. To all three of you, because I should have been there. I didn't even pay child support, which was a dick move of me, leaving it to your mother to provide for three children, especially children as talented as you lot. And to my grandchildren, for not being a cool grandpa like I've always wanted to be. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me for being such a bad father, but I completely understand if you never want to see me again."

"You hurt me," I said. "You left me with bruises. No father should ever do that do his daughter."

"I know, and I regret it immensely. My other daughter is in her teens now, and you remind me of her. I can't imagine ever laying a finger on her and I know nothing will ever change what I did to you, but I want you to know that I feel so awful for doing what I did."

"I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that," I sighed. "Yes, we could try to start again as father and daughter, but knowing that you intentionally harmed me, I can never fully trust you." He nodded.

"I agree," Matty spoke. "You hurt my little sister, the girl I vowed to protect as soon as I realised what that meant, and I can't believe that."

"Me too," Tobias piped up, looking away from his nephew's face momentarily. "She's my little flower, and I can't have you hurting her again. I just can't risk it."

"Sorry, Spencer, could you leave the room for a minute so I can talk to my brothers? Take Ella and Kai if you want," I said, confident that he wouldn't dare touch my children. He nodded, but declined to take the kids. He got up and left, going to God knows where in the house, and I leaned in to speak to my brothers. "What are we thinking?"

"No," Matty said almost instantly. "I'm sorry, Flora, I don't like him. I don't like the vibe he gives off."

"Yeah," Toby added. "You remind him of his other kid? It should be the other way around, he should have stuck with Mum and maybe we'd have another little sister that could remind him of you."

"Guys, I agree. I have no respect for men who fuck off after they've got a woman pregnant, whether she's had the kid or not. I can't believe I ever agreed to this." My brothers nodded, and Toby called our father back in. He didn't sit down, as if anticipating bad news.

"We don't want anything to do with you," Matty said, looking Spencer up and down. "Please stay out of our lives the same way you have for twenty seven years already." Spencer nodded, and I escorted him to the door. As soon as I'd watched him drive away, I took out my phone and blocked his number. I turned around to see Matty and Toby hovering behind me.

"We both need to get going, are you going to be alright by yourself little one?" Toby asked, and I nodded, taking Kai back from him.

"Michael should be home any minute, I'll be alright," I grinned. "Come over again soon though?"

"Of course," Matty grinned. "Bring Ella over soon, I know she misses the horses." I nodded once again, and watched my brothers get into their respective cars and drive away. Almost as soon as they had left, a taxi pulled up and Michael got out. He walked straight towards me, his arms wide open. He kissed me softly, still producing the same fireworks as he had nearly ten years before, then moved his lips to brush gently against our son's head. He picked Ella up, ruffled her blonde hair, and grinned.

"How is my beautiful family?"

"I'm good Daddy!" Ella exclaimed, then started babbling away. "I just saw Uncle Matthew and Uncle Toby, and Uncle Matthew promised me I could see the baby unicorns soon and I'm very excited because I miss them so so so much!" I laughed at my daughter and her passion about the horses, which I'm sure Grace had instilled in her from a young age - probably from the day she was born.

"I've just seen my father with my brothers, and we all agreed to have nothing to do with him again," I said calmly, shrugging it off. "No big deal, if he wanted to see me more he shouldn't have pissed off when I was little."

"True," Michael grinned, leading me up to the bedroom, where we all liked to lie on the bed together from time to time. I snuggled with Kai as he started fussing, lifting his small head up to my nose and taking a deep inhale of that beautiful baby scent. The sound of dog claws scattering over hardwood floors approached and Fletch bounded into the room and onto the bed.

There we were, the Clifford family. Michael, Flora, Ella, Kai and Fletch. Lying together, Kai on my chest, Ella rolling about with Fletch, and Michael holding my hand as he watched. And, despite all the challenges we'd faced, I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

*****
this is it. the end of tomorrow never dies. thank you all so so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it... next up, beside you, a luke fic starring bonnie foster, hopeful soldier and girl next door.

song of the chapter: tomorrow never dies by 5 seconds of summer