For All Eternity

Don't Worry

In the dance of against Ali and Emma dont know how this is going to go

You'll be fine, you and Dev were amazing, you'll smash it
I love you

Joe sent the message and immediately hurried to get his clothes on so that he could get to her as quickly as possible. Whatever the result of tonight she would need cuddles. Cuddles of relief if it went well and cuddles of condolence if it went bad.

Joe really hoped it was going to go well. He had seen Dev's talent and so was struggling to understand how the public could have ever not voted for them. He wanted his love to go as far as possible and this, he prayed, was just a bump in the road.

"Any update?" Joe asked Gorka who was sat outside the studio watching the monitor.

"They're just dancing now, she was really nervous I could tell. She's worried, I don't think it's going to be good."

"You don't think the judges will vote for her?" Joe asked stunned, sitting next to Gorka, watching his girlfriend dance. Watching her closely Joe could see the worry he was talking about in her eyes. They were darker than normal, even through the camera and Joe could see the great deal of heartache that was sat there. It wasn't noticeable to the rest of the world that anything was wrong- as far as they were concerned the smile on Dianne's face was true- but Joe could see the worry and the panic.

"It'll be difficult, tight." Was all Gorka said, his hand clapping Joe on the shoulder.

In no time it was the moment he had been dreading. He watched his girlfriend shuffle off camera into position, her fingers crossed behind her back. Joe took a deep breath as Tess addressed Craig.

Joe ignored the rabbiting that he did before, his own fingers crossed, stomach sunk low into his shoes. "And the couple I'd like to save Emma and Aljaž."

And on it went.

"I'm gonna save Emma and Aljaž."

By Bruno Joe could see the tears in Dianne's eyes and could practically hear her heart beating quickly. In an instance however it was over and the words "Emma and Aljaž" caused her to move and hug Dev tightly.

"I need to be there," Joe said and stood walking to the back of the audience where the cameras couldn't see him. He watched as she just about held it together talking about how amazing Dev had been and how much he had grown. It was breaking his heart. And making his blood boil. Neither of those couples should have been in the dance off. And he was certain that the judges knew as much.

As they stepped onto the dance floor, the cameras now filming Claudia and Tess, he had to stop his body from launching to hold her. Dianne, the love of his life, was sobbing into someone else's chest, completely distraught. The music now playing only serenaded that heartache. The only thing that made him feel a tiny bit better was the sight of Amy and Jannette running onto the floor, arms immediately holding her tightly, acting temporarily until he was allowed to reach her. Allowed to scoop her up, as he did with Connie when she was hurt, and tell her that it would all be okay.

Dianne found him first, fresh tears falling as he stood there with arms wide, waiting for her to move. She didn't, her knees appeared to be buckling and Joe took initiative stepping forward holding her tighter than he ever had. He felt her quiver and quake and it made tears prick the corners of his own eyes as he mindlessly tried to comfort her. The great draws of breath took him back to a few moments in his past. One was holding Louise in her living room. Another, a much more painful one, was that Dianne reminded him of Connie. This Dianne was crying like Connie had when she had found out that her Actually Mum had been very poorly. This Dianne reminded him of himself, falling to the floor in his Mum's house as reality hit that she had taken her own life. That his wish would never come true.