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This work is fictitious, and any similarities to any persons, alive or dead, are purely coincidental.

I have based the tragic incident in the first chapter on a real event, and I salute those public servants and volunteers who worked so hard to manage the event, from every angle. My heart goes out to those directly and indirectly involved in the whole horrible affair, and I hope that I can, in some small way, pay homage to those who sought to bring relief and help.

I dedicate this work to the police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, doctors and nurses and all the other professionals and volunteers who give of themselves on a daily basis for the sake of others.

Mention is made of persons in public life only for the purposes of realism and for that reason alone. Certain licence is taken in respect of medical procedures, terms and conditions, and the author does not claim to be the fount of all knowledge.

The author accepts the right of the individual to hold his/her (or whatever) own political, religious and social views, and there is no intention to deliberately offend anyone. If you wish to take offence, that is your problem.

This is only a story, and it contains adult material, which includes sex and intimate descriptive details pertaining to genitalia. If this is likely to offend, then don't read it.

I brought my scooter to a halt on the gravel outside Tim's house. I'd passed my CBT and was finally allowed on the road. Dad was flying and Richard was back at school, so the only person I could tell was Tim.

It was cold, so we went indoors. I said hello to his mum and we went up to his room. We spent the next ten minutes snogging. I was so close to wanting him to make love to me properly, but something held me back.

We chatted about Christmas. From dreading the event, ours had been actually pretty good. We'd gone to the Stewarts, taking the starters - a smoked salmon, and the mince pies, fruit and brandy butter. They'd done the main course, so together we had the whole caboodle.

Matt and Sally had been there. Sally was looking quite pregnant now and it was like coming home for me. They were all very friendly, and it turned out that Dad and Maria had taken to E-mailing each other every day.

It had started with her asking him about a central heating problem. He replied with a possible solution, it worked and that was it. We could all see that something was happening between them so Annie and I did what we could to fan the flames.

Although Matt was a teacher, Richard took to him really well. I spent ages chatting to Sally and Annie, feeling so pleased we'd all got together. In the afternoon, we all went to the two graves, sharing a time of real sadness. I'd not seen Tom's grave, so it was so strange looking down at something that I didn't believe was actually finished. I looked at Maria, as the tears rolled down her cheek. Dad was next to her, holding her hand and crying through sympathy.

We moved on to Mum's grave, to repeat the performance. I didn't like it, as life should be for the living and we should all look forward. It made me think about death again. There was the light and the void. I wasn't religious, but knew with total certainty that the void was to be avoided.

Annie looked at me and through her tears, she smiled and winked. I cried too, for the hurt that had been caused. It made me think about life and death. About where we come from and where we go to after life finishes. It was all rather too much, so I was more than happy when we returned to Shiplake.

We'd exchanged gifts before visiting them, but were surprised when they gave us each a gift. The nature of the gifts displayed the level of communications that had gone on between Dad and Maria. They gave Richard a game for his X-Box, a Genesis compilation CD for me, and a bottle of malt whisky for Dad.

Dad produced a huge box of chocolates and half a dozen bottles of wine for them. We stayed and had tea; followed by a light supper as we all watched a film on their television. I sat, looking round the room, receiving a warm family feel about the whole scenario. I belonged here, not necessarily in the house, but with those around me.

Returning home was a slight anticlimax. Dad was very thoughtful, seeming to be more relaxed than I had seen him before. Richard went up to his room, eager to try out his new game on his X-Box. I put the kettle on and watched Dad as he put his new bottle in his drinks cupboard. He stopped by the sketch I had drawn, looking up at the image of his late wife.

“Oh, Ellie, my love. I so wish you could have been with us. Jenny is so like you, but I do so miss you. I'd like you to meet Maria, I think you'd like her, and it's so important to me that you would!”

Tears came to my eyes so I left him as quietly as I had come. He never realised I had been there.

Tim brought me back to the present. Christmas was now in the past, with so much, it seems.

“I bought you this, but never got a change to give it to you for Christmas. Too many people milling about. Thanks for my new guitar strap and spare strings.” He handed me a small wrapped gift.

“That's okay. I know how often you break them, and your old strap was getting so tatty.”

I started opening the box. I'd guessed it was jewellery, from the size of box if nothing else. I was amazed when I opened it.

It was a ring, with matching bracelet, necklace and earrings. It looked like they silver, studded with diamonds. I was speechless, for a change.

“Shh, they're only zirconian stones; that's man-made diamonds. I promise, when we get engaged, I'll buy you the real thing!”

“Jenny, don't you get it? I'd buy the world for you if it meant I could have you forever!”

I started to cry then, just when I wanted to be cool, calm and collected, my bloody hormones made me cry!

He took me in his arms and I thanked him the only way I could, by kissing him. He then helped me put them on. I felt daft wearing them with my leathers.

“There's only one girl for me. Shit, Jenny, if I feel like this now, what the hell am I going to do when we get old and in our twenties?”

“Seriously, Jenny, I love you so much. I know we aren't supposed to be old enough to form lasting and meaningful relationships, but I don't think I want to lose you.”

“Life. I mean, we're going to leave school, move on to university or work and drift apart. They say if you form a relationship when you are too young, it's good for experience but that's all. You have to wait for the right person to come along. I want that person to be you, Jen!”

“Oh Tim, stop planning the rest of your life. I'm with you now, be happy about that. Tomorrow, you or I might get run over. Live for the day, stop getting wound up over what might or might not be in the future. If we're still together in five or ten year's time, great, if not, then let's deal with that if and when it happens. As for me, I'm with who I want to be right now, and that's what matters to me!”

“And you are far too hunky to be allowed to look at other girls, Mr Barton!”