Authors note: I want to say a big thank you to everyone for reviewing, I have been most honoured and grateful of your kind words and suggestions. A special thank you to Dracohermioneshipper, yinyangqueen and Sweetpoet2003 who reviews have giving me much inspiration. For those of you who are interested, I do intend to do another fan fiction which would be a continuation of this one but not a sequel. Anyway here’s the last chapter.

Severed Ties No More

The air is thick with utter elation, disbelief and thankful prayers as I stand, here, in the City of Kiev. Today the world was rocked when the Russian Army spectacularly ended, what has proved to be, the most elaborate and shocking demonstration of an active body ever. Today it was revealed, that the unfortunate explosion three years ago of a school in the heart of Kiev, which had supposedly killed around 1000 students and teachers leaving families completely devastated, was nothing more than a cover up. It was a cover up of the biggest mass kidnapping that the Ukraine, and indeed much of the world, has ever seen.

Late last night, branches of the Russian Army, acting on an anonymous tip, broke into the factory where the hostages were being kept. Finding that the captors, ASLA, had high tailed it, the break in only helped them pursue a chase which ended abruptly in a trains’ derailment. Several of the captors died when the engine exploded but the Russian Army insists that all the pupils and teachers are safe.

Tonight, the streets of Kiev are lined with the families and friends of those who were captured as they celebrate the return of their lost ones. They await eagerly for the planes which will finally bring St Frances home, which should arrive in the next few hours.

The ASLA or Aristo Sovereignty Liberation Association was a political group formed…

Shirley pressed the stop button on her VCR and sighed happily. She was back home in Redington, now, the return of St Frances happening over a week ago. This was her first chance to watch the news clips that her parents had recorded for her.

She knew that they knew that Anna and Shirley had played a major part in solving this mystery but her parents kept quiet – admiring from afar.

Shirley was glad to be home, it was comforting being back with her own possessions. Suddenly remembering, Shirley pushed the remote across the settee and stood up, making her way to her desk. Today she was spending the night in her small apartment, which she used mainly when she was on a case. Although she loved her own room back at her parents home, when she had started working on real cases and found herself working odd hours, Shirley decided it would be best to get her own place. It was a place in which she spent most of week, mostly spending weekends with her parents. Though, when things were quiet she would often return to her old room, loving the old artefacts that always stayed there.

Searching in the bag she had bought today Shirley pulled out a shiny new book. For a moment she just stared at it, her mind casting back to joyful memories and then she grinned. Moving back over to her table the lights overhead made the words sparkle brightly. DIARY.

It had been years since she had last written in her journal and the familiarity was very comforting.

Picking up a pen, Shirley carefully opened the cover and smoothed over the first page. Then she wrote, she wrote everything from seeing Bo again to her current position. Everything was going to be okay. Bo’s Aunt and Uncle had been ecstatic when the plane had touched done. Mrs Sawchuk barely let go of Bo for the rest of the night, she had howled in pure joy. Shirley remembered the strange floating sensation which had overcome her as families reunited with happy tears. It was when she saw a lonely mother by herself, watching the plane tearfully, that Shirley understood the impact of what Ruslan, Anna and she had done. The woman, clearly a widow, stood for ages watching the plane but no child appeared. The woman had then turned and started walking away as though completely lost when a cry sounded across the hall, louder than anything else. A girl, barely fifteen, came sprinting through the crowd, knocking people over as she shoved through. The widow stopped and turned around and Shirley would never forget the look she saw in the woman’s eye. There were no words to describe it as mother and daughter embraced. Shirley understood then, that she had not failed at all and that ‘time’ was an uncounted extra.

Her next two nights in Kiev proved to be more fun than she had ever had as the city and Bo’s Aunt and Uncle celebrated. However, during the celebrations they had come to some serious decisions. One of which was; what happens now?

So they had talked. First of all the four, Anna, Ruslan, Shirley and Bo had discussed their current situations, which opened up more avenues. They had then split up to discuss things more privately. From that it turned out Ruslan had decided he wanted to come to Redington. He had seriously thought about the job Shirley had offered him ages ago and thought it would be a good idea. So it was agreed. Ruslan was moving to Redington to live with Anna. Shirley had pointed out that his knowledge on law would prove to be invaluable. Ruslan was now going through all the correct channels and to speed things along, Shirley had spoken to the chief of police who had contacts in high places.

Anna was happy and Ruslan was happy. They were together and that’s all that mattered to them. And although they expressed warnings to Shirley that it might not work out, Shirley knew deep down that they would stay together – they were a perfect match.

Bo. The name made her smile every time. In fact smile did not cover it; grin ecstatically was closer as her body heated with warmth. Well, they had talked, endlessly. At first it was mostly reminiscing the past, trying to keep the happiness going but soon they were awkwardly admitting how much they had missed each other. However, they kept avoiding the subject of what was going to happen now. It was Ruslan who noticed this and pulled Bo aside. Shirley, naturally curious had listened in, half sure that Bo knew she was. What she overheard though made her happier than she’d ever been before. It had included the word ‘love’ but not in the phrase ‘in love’ or ‘love like a sister’.

What it meant was that Bo was coming home, back to Redington to live with his parents, who were beyond emotion at hearing of his survival. Not seeing their son for three years was killing them and the fact that they couldn’t afford to go out to the Ukraine made it worse. So Bo was coming home. He even asked Shirley if there was a job for him and that was when Shirley decided that they were going to branch out into a bigger organisation.

And Shirley was satisfied. Bo was coming home and they had promised each other that they work hard to get their best-friend ship back and running. They had so much to catch up on and Shirley couldn’t wait to start.

Tucking the diary under the sofa Shirley reached for the paper where many red circles lay prominent. She had to speak to Anna.

Grabbing her backpack and shoes she hurried out the door. As she reached for the latch she changed her mind and headed back in towards the table. From there she pulled a rose out of the ornate vase and hurried out the door.

Anna heard the soft tuft of feet and glanced up. She had a look of resolute on her face and it was dry of any tears.

“Hey” she called softly.

“Hi” Shirley replied coming to a stop and gazing down to where Anna sat. Gently she crouched down on her knees and placed the single rose in front of the grave before her. As she made to sit down as well she allowed her fingers to gently brush over the grave.

“You know” Shirley said softly, “he’d be very proud of you”.

Anna nodded but remained quiet and both sat there lost in thought for ten minutes. Then Shirley said,

“I found some promising lets down in the city centre. Want to go check them out”.

Anna’s face brightened and she slowly stood up,

“Okay, I don’t want you getting any old place”.

“Hey, my taste is not that bad” Shirley replied indignantly.

Anna grinned back wickedly,

“If it’s anything like your taste in fashion then I wouldn’t take my words back”.

Shirley couldn’t help but laugh and stood up as well.

“Come on then”.

Anna looked back at the grave stone and brought her fingers up to her mouth. She placed a kiss on them then touched her fingers to the stone.

With that the two best friends walked away through the tidy graveyard.

The slight breeze barely ruffled the grass so that nothing hid the words that glinted in the sunlight.

In loving memory of

Danny Grange

‘Spring will always come again’