Ethereal

Chapter 9: Missed

A/N: So I'm feeling meh, the next chapter of Montana Sky is stuck somewhere between my brain and the screen, and then I remembered I still haven't published this one. I wrote it an eternity ago, but then the year decided to go haywire and I didn't feel like posting it - the year is still haywire, but oh well, here it is anyway. No one probably remembers what's happened in this story anymore, seeing it's been a while since the last update. Sorry...

By the way, how awesome were the VMA's? The Queen totally ruled, just like I knew she would.

******

Bradley stepped out of his trailer, illuminated the screen of his phone to check the time, just about to start making his way to the set when he heard running steps; turning around, his eyes fell on Stefani. Even from this distance, her appearance made him freeze on the spot, take a small shocked inhale; something was wrong, terribly wrong.

She reached him, her face pale, eyes wide and so full of pain and he automatically grasped a hold of her shoulder, terrified by the tears running down her face.

"Stef?"

"B." She was breathing rapidly, trembling like a leaf. "B, Sonja..."

She doubled over, bursting into full crying and Bradley closed his eyes tightly for a moment, taking a more secure hold of her. "Oh God, Stef. Is she...?"

"She... she doesn't have long." Stefani straightened, supported herself against his arm, pulling in air with deep, panicked gulps. "I... I have to go. I'm so sorry, I..."

"No, no, of course." He pulled her into a hug, felt her shaking, his heart just breaking for her, breaking from the agony he knew she was in; on top of everything else that was going on, she would now have to go through losing a very dear friend. "You really shouldn't drive; I can take you."
She shook her head, wiped some tears from her cheeks, new ones staining her skin immediately. "Nat's on her way over, she'll drive. I know we're not done with the day; I'm sorry, I will try to..."

"Stef, stop apologising; there's absolutely no need." He kissed her forehead, held her close for a while longer, trying to support her in the only way he could, spotting a familiar car arriving in the distance. "Nat's here. Go."

She nodded, sniffling, her green eyes finding his for a second before she turned, ran across the set to her sister, her auburn hair flowing behind her in a shiny curtain. She passed Sam on the way, the older man asking her something with a worried frown, but Stefani didn't stop, and Bradley leaned against the side of his trailer with a heavy sigh, watched Sam make his way over.

"What's going on?"

"It's Sonja," he said quietly, rubbing a hand across his face. "I think it's time."

Sam cursed under his breath, shook his head. "Damn. You might have to postpone the Shrine then; that scene will be tough enough for her even under normal circumstances and now..."

"Yeah." Bradley swallowed, his fingers enclosing around the phone in his pocket but still something prevented him, kept him from making the call. It was the last day of filming and they only had the use of the Shrine Auditorium for this afternoon, but right now he couldn't have cared less about the movie or his filming schedule getting messed up; he just wanted Stefani to be okay, his heart and mind filled with worry.

Sam headed towards the parking lot a while later and he sighed, frowning, tapping his fingers against the phone and trying to decide what to do; it rang just when he was about to dial a number, displaying Natali's name and Bradley squeezed his eyes shut briefly, exhaling deeply before picking up the call.

"Hey."

"Hi." The brunette sniffled, released a small sob. "We... we were too late. Sonja passed away fifteen minutes before we got here."