Without You

30. There's No Excuse

A/N - Here we go, then. We're rapidly heading towards the conclusion of this story....Or are we? 😉🤭 Enjoy, and thank you so much, as always, for all your support! 💗 -H. x

Ali checked her watch anxiously, resting one hand on her gently rounded abdomen as she sat in a quiet corner of the bustling Faro Airport terminal. One of Dec's connecting flights had been slightly delayed, but was due to be arriving any minute now. She'd gotten a very subdued-sounding text from her husband earlier in the day saying he would be arriving about an hour later than expected, but that he "couldn't wait" to see her.

Ali had been beyond concerned about her hubby ever since he'd left for Orlando the previous Monday. Despite multitudinous attempts on her part to check up on his mental and physical health throughout the week, Dec had avoided giving her a solid answer on either front, which was worrying to say the least. But he'd actually seemed okay during the show yesterday, she'd thought – Ali had caught a couple bobbles here and there, but he'd seemed in relatively good spirits considering everything, despite looking utterly exhausted by the end. Admittedly, she'd been ever so slightly distracted by just how mouth-wateringly fit he looked in that outfit, but she'd still managed to spend a little bit of time scrutinizing him objectively as well.

There. His flight had landed. Now it was just a matter of waiting for them to disembark. Ali's heart fluttered excitedly. She'd really missed Dec this past week and she was looking forward to getting some quiet quality time with him without the constant intrusion of the British press. But at the same time, she was a bit nervous. Dec had really changed these past few weeks, becoming much more taciturn and withdrawn, which from experience was never a good sign for his mental health. Ali had never dealt with a mentally unwell Declan all by herself before – Ant had always been there to lend a helping hand and sympathetic ear to get him through the sticky patches in life. She wasn't quite sure how things would go without Ant in Dec's life...It hadn't exactly been easy the year prior when Ant went away to rehab, and the circumstances hadn't been nearly as horrific that time around...

Another 20 minutes, and Ali suddenly hopped up from her seat as she spotted Dec walking towards her amongst a little crowd of about 10 other travelers, his backpack haphazardly slung over one shoulder. Ali frowned as Dec pulled a hanky out of his pocket and dabbed at his nose for a moment before letting out a violent sneeze, his whole upper body doubling over with the intensity of it as his backpack tumbled to the ground. The sneeze then seemed to bring on a coughing fit, and now Ali understood why Dec had seemed so unenthusiastic during their little text exchanges throughout the day. He was ill. Great, just what she needed when she was pregnant – a poorly husband to look after, whilst simultaneously trying really, really hard to stay well herself.

Pulling her spare water bottle out of her bag – Ant and Dec often joked she carried half her life's possessions in her voluminous bag – Ali trotted forward to meet Dec, shoving the water into his hands without saying a word as her husband's body continued to convulse with harsh coughs. He looked terrible. His face was flushed with what she could only presume was a raging fever, his hair all mussed up and slightly damp-looking, and there were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. And his eyes....His eyes always were a bit dull when he was under the weather, but now they looked almost lifeless...Almost, but not quite. Deep in those shimmering orbs, now swimming with tears of exertion from his coughing fit, was an indescribable pain and sadness. That indomitable sparkle of life that Ali had always loved so much had gone.

"Hello, love," Ali murmured, gathering her broken husband up in a gentle embrace. It felt good to feel him again, but this wasn't exactly how she'd envisioned things. Pulling away after a long moment, Ali scrutinized her husband's worn face before leaning forward and pressing a loving kiss to his damp forehead. It was only then that she became aware of just how scorching hot her husband was – he felt like he was burning up! Shaking her head sadly at him, Ali hooked a hand around his arm and started pulling him towards the baggage claim area. She needed to get him out of here and "home" to their villa. A feeble croak drew her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Al," he apologized, sad doe eyes meeting hers as he trudged alongside, barely able to keep up with her in his weakened state. Ali tutted, rolling her eyes at him. "It's not your fault, you silly!" she exclaimed, but then added, "You could've warned me, though!"