Hope

"Say something." Said Jake looking across the table at Franky. "You're shocked aren't you?" He asked. He'd told Franky everything, his feelings about Josh and that he was confused and didn't know who to turn to. He'd gone on to say that his mother had a lot on her mind and that his Dad was busy...well he was always busy.

"Not shocked, shocked isn't the word just...it wasn't what I was expecting to hear. I had no idea, its not something that i would have guessed." Said Franky watching little Jake, well the not so little now Jake as he played around with his straw in his strawberry milkshake.

"I don't know what I feel, I'm confused." He said looking up at her, his eyes so like his fathers and she felt sorry for him.

Franky sighed, this was a tough one.

"You know Jake, you really ought to talk to your father about this." She said waiting for his reaction.

"Dad? No way." He said turning away from her, he looked disappointed in her for suggesting to talk to him, it was as though he wanted her to say something that would may be magic all these confused feelings away for him. She wished she could but it was impossible.

"You'd be surprised," said Franky unsure of how much to tell him, about how Billie had been when he was a teenager.

"What do you mean?" Jake replied, he looked even more confused now.

"Trust me. Your father...well, how can I put it....he....he went through some similar emotions as you when he was younger. I don't know the details but he told me some time ago, lots of people know about these feelings, even the fans do. Really Jake, you may not think it but he's definitely the best person to talk to. Believe me."

Jake shrugged. Franky wasn't sure if Jake would talk to his father at all but it was the only solution that she could offer him.

**

The house was in darkness when she got back and she was glad of it for she couldn't be bothered to talk to Billie, knowing it would probably end up in an argument.

She quietly looked in on Hope and once again, as always because it was starting to eat at her she looked down into her face and wondered who it could be. Sometimes she felt it overpowered her, especially knowing that she should find out, sometimes she just wanted to run away, to forget she had to face this, to just run away to where nobody realised, right now she felt she could just go off somewhere.

Billie was asleep as all was quiet in their bedroom, she slipped under the warm covers, a little part of her wanting him to wake up and take her in his arms but mainly she was grateful that he was asleep, she didn't want a confrontation right now, she just wanted to sleep and to forget.

Billie wasn't asleep though, he heard Franky come into the house and creep into their bedroom, felt the bed move as she got into it, hoping that she'd wake him so that they could talk. But she didn't, she just turned her back from him and he'd never felt so sad.

What was wrong with her?

**

Franky was the first to wake, before Hope even so she crept downstairs to make a coffee but the phone rang as she entered the kitchen and she ran to it, not wanting it to wake Hope.

"Hi princess," said her Dad, another one of his pet names for her. "You OK today?" He asked, obviously knowing it was the anniversary of her mother's death.

"Not too bad and you Dad?" She asked in return but knowing that he was doing fine. She knew he thought of her mother but he'd moved on, he had Julia now and Franky was so pleased for him.

"Fine sweetheart. Listen, you know everyone usually comes here...on the anniversary, I was thinking that may be we should give it a miss today, especially now...,"

"Now you're with Julia." Franky finished off for him.

"Yeah." Tre said, and she noticed he was a little anxious.

"Dad. Its fine, I fully understand, please don't worry about it."

"I know but, we always have it here." He said and she would miss it, it was something that they'd all done, gathered together at their house, reminisced about her mother, got out loads of photographs and told stories that they remembered about her and now it wouldn't be happening.

"Dad, like I said, its fine." Franky said but as she came off the phone to her father she felt an overwhelming sadness that she couldn't describe.

"You OK?" Billie's voice from the kitchen doorway.

She turned to him and it was obvious that she was upset.

"Hey, I think...I've missed something haven't I? I know what today is." Billie said and realised that this was probably why Franky had been off with him, how could he forget. "Come here," he said to her and she came to him and he wrapped his arms around her, comforting her and feeling her tears on his bare chest.

"That was Dad, he's not doing the get together at his house because of...Julia." Franky sobbed gently.

"Well...how about everyone comes here, we could start having it every year here. How about it?" He said, willing her to look at him. She did, her bright blue eyes soaked with tears.

"Are you sure?" Franky whispered.

"Of course I'm sure, so you'd best get on the phone and tell everyone."

**

"Hey Hannah, how are you?" Said Franky into the phone. She'd called up everyone and was pleased that they were all coming, even her Aunt Jen and then she realised she'd like Hannah to come too, it was about time they got together with their babies.

"I'm good Franky, I was just thinking I needed to call you." Hannah said then Franky went on to say about the get together and hoped that they'd all come.

"Of course we will," said Hannah, "but Franky there is something I should tell you. You may not like it but James is back in town."

"Oh." Said Franky suddenly remembering James and how he'd been to her. Then remembering he could be Hope's father too.

"Yes he's in the area and he asked me for some advice. He wants to come and see you, to apologise. He's so much better now, he's cleaned himself up, he plays in a band and he's seeing someone. She's nice. He said he wanted to make amends with you."

"Oh. Right." Said Franky, not knowing what else to say for she didn't really want to face James at all.

"What do you think? He feels it has to be done so he can move on," Hannah said.

"I suppose so," said Franky this awful feeling of dread sweeping over her, knowing how much Billie hated James.

Putting the phone down to Hannah she felt sick, Gerard was back and she'd still to tell Billie about it. Gerard had left her feeling weird again, like when she first met him and now James was back too.

It was as if they knew that they had to come back for a reason, to find out about Hope.

She definately wished she could run away.