After the End

Chapter 13 - Thunder and Lightning

             They had sat undisturbed in the living room for about half an hour before anyone dared to break the fragile silence. Allegra was sat next to Naomi on the black leather sofa, her knees pulled up to her chest and held there by her arms that were clutching desperately to the material of her lilac pyjama bottoms.

"I'm not thinking straight at the moment," Naomi began, so quietly it was almost a whisper. "I'm sorry we suggested it." She looked down at her cold hands with a delicate frown in her brow, as if the slightest change of expression could cause her tears to shatter.

"I'm not," Allegra murmured from behind her knees.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, leaning forwards to try and get a better look at Allegra from the angle she had sat at beside the sofa.

Allegra's face appeared as she raised her head. Her cheeks were stained with dried mascara, indicating that she had stopped crying a while ago. She had a light in her eyes that Naomi hadn't seen for a while, and that light filled her with hope. Hope that everything was going to be ok.

"By visiting Lucy, we unintentionally updated both the current and older case with valuable information. It was a good thing that I went, even if it did upset me." She let her blue eyes drop to the floor again, an attempt to avoid the girl's noticing her brief loss of confidence.

"Yeah..." Naomi agreed slowly, processing what her younger sister had just said.

"At least it's offered you some closure," Taylor offered with a small comforting smile.

Allegra nodded. It had offered her some closure. Andanswered some questions, which was originally the whole reason for her visit.

"Lucy told me the truth," she said eventually. "Finally. She confirmed everything you said," she looked at Taylor and placed her hand on Taylor's. "Thank you, Taylor."

"Please don't thank me," Taylor replied, squeezing Allegra's hand gently. "I'm just... I'm sorry the whole thing happened in the first place."

"Let's not speak of it anymore," Allegra smiled. Genuinely.

"I need to go home and see if anyone has tried to contact me about Jack on the home phone, or... Something," Naomi said, jumping up and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I actually need to get a move on too," Taylor added, getting ready to stand up.

Naomi turned and looked out of the window at the policemen, and then looked at Allegra once more.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be protected," Allegra nodded. "Make sure you get escorted back, Naomi."

"It's ok. I'll give her a lift on the way back to my hotel," Taylor offered, standing up and smiling at Naomi, who raised an eyebrow before reminding herself that everything was ok between them now, and let her sass settle, nodding in agreement.

"Ok," Allegra smiled.

Naomi kissed Allegra's forehead and walked quickly to the front door, greeting an officer that was stood outside as the cold evening's air embraced her. Taylor turned to Allegra before leaving and looked at her phone.

"Um..." she began and cleared her throat, putting her phone in her pocket again. "I'm supposed to be travelling back to America in a couple of days, but..." she paused, sighing. "If you need support I can cancel my plans."

"What?" Allegra asked, surprise hitting her. "No. No don't be silly," she laughed, flapping her hands. "I'll be ok."

"Well, my flight's not until Friday, so if you change your mind..." she stopped talking, pulling her phone out again and ripped a small corner off of an envelope on the coffee table. She found a pen and scribbled something down before handing it to Allegra. "Here's my number."

"Thank you," Allegra smiled as Taylor pulled her into a hug.

Allegra waited until Taylor had shut the door behind her before she laid down on the sofa, watching the flame dance in the hearth of the marble fireplace. Bobby crept into the lounge, licking her hand before he laid down on the floor beside her. She watched the flames kiss the coal, sending her into a relaxed state, before she realised that she was closing her eyes.

**

Lightning filled the dark, cold room, startling Bobby and causing him to bark as he jumped up, ready to save his master's lady.

Allegra was awoken rudely from her deep slumber, and she laughed to herself when she realised it was Bobby. She patted him on the head, ruffling the long fur behind his ears. He panted happily, closing his eyes and grinning slightly as he fully lapped up the attention.

The storm had grown louder and louder, until it sounded as if it were right above them, and Bobby hated storms. He pinned himself against Allegra's side as she paced through the house to the bathroom. She laughed as Bobby tried to go in with her, and he lay by the door crying softly until she emerged again.

They walked side by side into the lounge so that Allegra could make sure that the fire had completely died, when suddenly they both heard what sounded like keys fumbling into the front door's lock.

Allegra turned sharply, standing slowly again in front of the fireplace.

It can't be Wayne; the police would have stopped him.

Bobby trotted to the front door, giving it a sniff, and suddenly started to pant excitedly, as if someone he recognised was on the other side.

Allegra walked to the door as slowly as she could, unsure whether or not to open it. With each step she tried to convince herself not to; to just go to bed. And then her hand clutched the door handle, her other hand turning the lock, and she opened the door.

Tom was stood on the porch.