In The Arms Of My Angel

Chapter 39 - Stop Her Interfering
"Urs." He heard Franky whispering and giving him a gentle shake. "It's nine o'clock, you're supposed to be meeting the guys for breakfast in half an hour."
"Stop teasing." He replied, sitting up and stretching himself out with his eyes closed.
"I'm not."
Urs snapped his eyes open on hearing Franky giggle and did a double take when he saw her sitting near his legs, already showered and dressed.
"You're still going out with the girls then?"
"Yes. You don't have a problem with that do you?" Franky asked, sighing slightly.
"Sort of." Urs replied, grabbing hold of her and pulling her back down onto the bed, making her yelp with happiness. "I can think of better things we could do together."
"Didn't get enough of me last night then?"
"Do I ever? Will I ever?"
"Well you'll just have to be satisfied for now." Franky smiled then placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Besides you made the arrangemens to have breakfast with the guys, not me. You know how they'll tease you if you're late or God forbid.......you don't show up at all."
"I would never hear the end of it." Urs nodded and reluctantly let her go. "You going anywhere special?"
"Just some place BJ knows. She says someone told her they serve the best French pastries outside of Paris. I'll see you after the soundcheck."
Urs nodded, watched Franky leave the bedroom with Frank in her arms once she'd given him a kiss then flopped back into the pillows for a second or two before moving to get out of bed. He heard Franky shout back that there was an envelope awaiting his attention on the coffee table as he padded to the bathroom, but decided to leave it until he'd showered and dressed. He decided to leave shaving until just before the show as he looked in the mirror.
He retrieved the envelope as he left their suite and headed up the hallway to Carlos's suite without opening it. He'd already decided he would wait to read Sylvie's medical report until he'd had the much needed talk with Carlos, David and Sebastien. He looked at his wrist as he raised his hand to knock on the door and cursed outloud when he realised he hadn't put his watch on.
"Oh well. I can take it." He huffed, hitting the piece of wood twice.
"Two minutes to spare." Carlos teased once Urs had crossed the threshold, though he didn't look as happy as he normally did when he did so. "We have an unexpected visitor. Simon turned up a few minutes ago, wanting to talk to us."
"About what?"
"Would say nada until you were here." Carlos shrugged, walking by Urs's side into the lounge area and taking one of the two spare seats.
"Simon. This is a surprise." Urs smiled, taking the free chair opposite the man who'd brought the group together.
"Yes." Simon nodded, his voice sounding terse and shooting Urs an angry glance.
"Don't worry. It's not just you he's mad with. Looked at me and Seb like that when we turned up."
"Some sort of problem Simon?" Urs asked, his head nodding at David's statment.
"Actually yes. One, you look like shit."
"You should've seen him a few days ago." David retorted, grimacing and shaking his head.
"Second. Who died and made Franky responsible for hiring who works for you? If there was some sort of problem with Naomi you should have called and I would have sent Clare over to take care of you."
"Now just a minute!" Urs yelled, angrilly leaping out of his chair and stepping close to Simon.
"Urs calm down." David instructed, pushing him back into his seat then turning to Simon as he retook his place. "One, Franky didn't decide that BJ should work for us, she proposed it and we all agreed. Two........Clare is......is......."
"Is what?"
"Ditzy. A complete airhead. Nothing was ever where it was supposed to be on the first tour, she was even worse on the second." David mumbled quietly then looked to Urs. "What was that expression Franky used when we were telling her how bad Clare is?"
"Something about being unable to organise a piss up in a brewery." Urs shrugged and heard Simon chuckle.
"Desole Simon, but David is right." Sebastien shrugged his eyes rolling backwards. "The first tour, I almost went on stage with David's suit on and he with mine, she never had her mobile away from her ear, always talking to someone or other about where she was or making arrangements to meet up with her boyfriend........or should I say boy.......I don't know. Perhaps I have the wrong end of the branch but......."
"Stick, Frenchie. The wrong end of the stick." David corrected, smirking a little.
"Whattheever. My point is that Clare could never concentrate one hundred per cent on what needed to be done. 'Ell she even forgot to have the suits dry cleaned several times. It's a wonder the fans didn't notice the smell. Also there were so many delays and misstimings on the first tour. She was the cause of Urs picking at David and myself for not being ready on time. This woman I could not work with again, that I am certain of."
"Okay. But you still should have called, I could have got someone else."
"At less than twenty-four hours notice? I think not." Urs snapped, then hissed out a breath. "BJ......Barbara-Jean is doing a great job so far."
"That's as maybe but......."
"But what Simon!" Urs raised his voice, leaping from his chair again, this time not allowing David to make him sit down. "Have you even spoken to Naomi to find out why she left?" He asked, slamming the envelope down on the coffee table and wincing at the pain he'd caused to his shoulder.
"Not yet, no." Simon's brow furrowed. "What's wrong with your arm?"
"I'll tell you in a minute." Urs huffed in reply and looked to Carlos, who took the look he received as an indication that he should say something.
"Simon, we didn't want Naomi to leave. Dios knows it took us long enough to find her, but she is ill.......and I mean seriously ill. Do not bother asking with the what? We all promised to say nada. It is up to her if she tells you or not." Carlos informed then took a deep breath. "We are not so stupid that we cannot see when someone can or cannot do the job we are asking of them. We met Barbara-Jean once before, following Franky's Denver performance and could see how organised she was. She knows what she is doing Simon and I have.......I am glad she took the job."
"Are you involved with her?"
"Si." Carlos nodded and watched shocked look spread across the Englishman's face. "What is the malo now?"
"It's not that long since Karen died. Don't you think it's a bit too soon to jump into another relationship?"
"No, I don't. She understands and we are taking things slowly. Besides the which she says she's met you before, when you were promoting the world famous wrestling company."
"That's going back a few years." Simon grimaced. "She worked for them?"
"Took care of her cousin's things, made sure they got from arena to arena." Carlos nodded, a smirk creeping across his face as he looked at David, Sebastien and Urs. "I do not think you would be wanting to be pissing that man off."
"He's someone who's still working for them?"
"He was just starting out I think when you did the promotions. Is very big star now. In more ways than one."
"There's only a couple I can think of that I know are still going. One is so picky about the way his stuff is packed he makes Urs look untidy......."
"Hey!" Urs rankled then smiled. "At least I don't have to have housekeeping iron something whenever we arrive somewhere new."
"The other........" Simon nodded just before his eyes widened and his mouth slowly dropped open. "Oh my God! You don't mean her cousin is M-M-Mark Cala.....The Under......?"
"Is exactly who he is." Carlos nodded, giggling a little. "Something wrong Simon?" He asked when he saw that the colour had drained from Simon's face.
"Erm.....I just made the mistake of saying that wrestlers weren't real athletes once, in Mark's presence. He made me do a workout with him the next morning. I slept so long I missed the show that night and could barely move the next day. Mark fought that night and the following four before he had a day or two off. With a badly twisted knee I might add. I got the shock of my life when I found him in the gym by five the following morning with a short, blond......Barbara-Jean. I remember now. He told me he'd go down to the ring looking ridiculous without her. Him and a couple of others if I remember right."
"Seven actually." Carlos nodded.
"Okay. I'm sorry Urs, all of you."
"Not me you need to be apologising to Simon." Urs shook his head as he made his way to the room service trolley.
While he chose what he wanted to eat, he listened to Simon say that now he knew who Barbara-Jean was, he was fine with her continuing to work for the guys but thought it would be a good idea for her to have an assistant, especially since there were more costume changes than the first tour, all four men agreeing quickly, each of them knowing how tired Barbara-Jean looked already.
"So. What happened to the arm?"
Urs turned to face Simon, swallowed the mouthful of coffee he'd taken then proceeded to tell him everything that had happened with Sina, why it had happened, the result of the FBI sting operation, that Sina was now in prison after both she and Rito had pleaded guilty to their crimes, that Rito had hung himself in his cell and how Franky had stuck by him through all of it.
"My God! Why did he hang himself? I mean it wasn't like he'd committed the crime of the century. Bad enough, but not like he committed murder?"
"Close enough." Urs shook his head. "He put more than enough in that beer for me to behave the way I did, much more and I wouldn't be here." He paused, shaking his own head and hearing Simon gasp. "I was shocked to hear that too, so was Franky until Agent Hunter explained that they suspect he may be the same man who used GHB to have sex with several women in Zurich, his description does match the last man almost all of them can remember talking to. They're looking into that now." He huffed out a breath. "I don't care about either of them right now or what happens to them for that matter, all I care about is Sylvie."
"You're sure she's yours?"
"Do you want a third DNA test as proof?! Sorry. My own fault I'm so stressed out, your attitude is not helping though."
"Mmmn. You need any help with the legal stuff?"
"No, that's all in hand." Urs shook his head at Simon's offer. "The only thing I'm worried about now is what's in that envelope. If the medical report confirms what I suspect.....I don't know.....I think I just might be heading back to LA."
"I think you'd better read it....settle you're mind before you go jumping on a flight back to LA. How did those three react?"
"I'm surprised Carlos didn't punch me." Urs huffed a laugh. "Seb's threatening to lay me out if I ever push Franky away again and David.......David's just been unusually quiet. Thinking about Adam I guess."
"Hmmn. There's quite a connection between Seb and Franky? Isn't there?"
"Ja. Has been from the very beginning. I even thought he was going to go after her at one point, early in our relationship. Turned out I'd got that completely wrong and I even heard him defending Franky when Marie found out who she was related to. You know how hard he finds that, he was still mad when he hung up the phone and it took him ages to calm down."
"Well he's always said he'd wanted a sister. Guess he's got one now."
"Three actually. It's good the girls actually get along. Having Jamie and Erika fighting every time they saw each other wasn't good......for anyone."
"No, it wasn't. Despite everything that's happened so far, you're all looking more relaxed. It shows in the performances. Now, about that envelope."
Urs nodded, retrieved the envelope and sat down to read Sylvie's medical report. His eyes narrowed when he saw that the bruise was considered bad and that the doctor was surprised no bones had been broken. His eyes closed completely for a few seconds after reading that Syvlie was in need of some minor dental work and a major improvement in her diet, blood tests had shown she was aneamic and had been been given an iron supplement. Her hair was so dirty and matted she'd had to have it cut off. Headlice had also contributed to her aneamia and she'd been treated for those.
"Bad?" He heard Sebastien questioning as he returned to document to the envelope.
"Not as bad as I thought it would be. At least she's safe now, that's the main thing. I'd better call Franky, she's been so worried then we'd better head for the arena."
Urs smiled at the eyerolls he received from David, Carlos and Sebastien, shook Simon's hand as he left then made the call to Franky and passed on the news.
"Don't cry angel." He sighed when he heard her sniffing.
"They're tears of relief Urs."
"I know. Where are you? Doesn't sound like a coffee shop from what I can hear."
"Oh nowhere special really. I'm just picking something up for you."
"Okay." Urs nodded, knowing she wouldn't tell him, no matter how much he pleaded. "Got to go now. I'll see you back at the hotel. I love you Fire."
"I love you too, Urs." Franky replied, Urs knowing she never used his petname in public.
Urs hung up then left the hotel with David, Sebastien and Carlos, after returning the medical report to his and Franky's room, placing it in the safe with her laptop. Soundcheck complete, he returned to find Franky settling Frank down for his afternoon nap, covering him with a new Harley Davidson blanket. He told her about the conversation he'd had with Simon and watched her roll her eyes backwards and flick her chin in the air.
"Well that explains why he sent me flowers and the apology on the card."
"He sent you flowers? Well that's a first. I've never known him do that, no matter who he's upset."
"He must be getting soft in his old age." Franky shrugged, handing him a black bag with a smile. "It's to replace the one that got ruined."
Urs nodded after opening the new Harley T-shirt, recalling that Frank had recently suffered a slight stomach bug and had thrown up all over him. Franky had thrown the T-shirt away rather than asking the hotel to clean it, For the first time he could recall, he'd even seen her retch at the smell of it and he'd almost thrown up himself.
"It's a good job you didn't come with me you know. You'd still be in there."
"Ja, I probably would." Urs laughed, admiring the fit of the new T-shirt then pulling Franky into his arms and kissing her. "I've got something for you too." He informed breathlessly, retrieving the small envelope he'd been handed on arrival at the arena and giving it to her.
"Driving lessons!"
"Ja, but I'm only paying for the first twenty. If you need more after that or you fail the test then you pay. Deal?"
"Deal." Franky nodded, her arms wrapped around his neck and her nose pressed against his. "And if I do pass, no picking fault like you do with the guys. Deal?"
"Deal." Urs nodded, holding Franky tight against him, thinking what a fool he was to argue with her about taking driving lessons in the first place.
Turn the page.
________________

Chapter 40 - Revelation
"I wonder what they're still doing here." David queried on seeing that the people carrier that transported the girls and children was still parked outside the airport entry doors. "I'll go see if there's a problem."
Urs nodded, then turned his attention to signing a few more autographs and giving a couple more photograph opportunities along with Carlos and Sebastien. He was just about to step into their vehicle when a familiar ringtone filled the air, stopping him short.
"Franky? Where are you?"
"Trapped in the toilets. Frank dirtied his nappy just after we'd come through the arrivals gate. Didn't want to be riding to the hotel smelling that through the whole journey thank you very much."
"No." Urs replied with a quick laugh, until he realised Franky wasn't laughing in response. "Is the lock broken or something?"
"Or something. There's a group of reporters outside, wanting to know who Sylvie is?"
"Shit!"
"I did try to get out while you were with your fans, but they crowded round as soon as I opened the door, one even grabbed Frank's buggy and tried to pull him away from me. I've only just managed to get him to calm down and now I don't know what to do. God knows what they'll do if I try again."
"Hey! Don't look so worried buddy. Franky's only gone to cha......... Something wrong?" David's voice laughed then turned serious.
"Franky's trapped in the toilets by reporters." Urs nodded, dropping his voice to a whisper to repeat what Franky had told him. "Sounds like something's leaked about Sylvie."
"Shit!"
"Merde!"
"Meirda!"
"It was bound to happen at some point." Urs shrugged. "I just didn't expect it to be this soon."
"Urs! What's happening out there?"
"Sorry. Trying to think of a way to get you out of there."
"Get in here.."
"Okay. There's no need to shout."
"Sorry. I'm still angry at the one who scared Frank."
"He's okay isn't he?"
"Fine now. Can't......you...hear.....him......snor.....ing?"
"No." Urs shook his head, his brow furrowing on hearing Franky gasp for breath between each word. "Are you having a reaction?"
"Yes. Lau.......ren....has....my......."
"Okay, I'm on my way in. Hold on."
He snapped his mobile closed then made a mad dash for the girls's transport, asked sharply for Franky's bag and quickly found what she needed, giving Lauren and Emma a confirmatory nod when they asked if Franky was having a reaction.
"David come with me!" He commanded, heading at a full run back into the airport and quickly spotting a huge crowd of men and women shouting questions at a wooden door, some poised with cameras, obviously waiting for Franky to emerge.
"Why don't you go in there?" One photographer asked his female companion as Urs approached. "We need this scoop."
"Get out of my way!!" Urs yelled, shoving people aside, not caring what sex they were as he made his way into the bathroom with David hot on his heels. "Franky!" He yelled, after looking around and not seeing any sign of her.
His head whipped round on hearing a couple of soft knocks on a nearby door, one look at the sign informed it was the baby-changing area and he cursed himself for not seeing it earlier. He made his way in to find a very pale looking Franky sitting on the floor with Frank against her chest.
"Here David. Take him to Lauren." He instructed after gently lifting their son and holding him up, his eyes widening when he didn't see the American in the room. "David!"
"Sorry buddy, I was trying to hold the door closed. Airport security is out there now." David stated, blowing out a breath. "Aren't you getting sick of the papperazzi grabbing hold of Franky yet buddy? If she was my wife I would have decked some of them by now."
"Ja, I am. And I intend to do something about it today." Urs replied without looking at the American before he left with Frank cradled in his arms, his eyes instead intently focused on Franky, monitoring her breathing while he tried to remember how many times she'd been grabbed by a member of the World's press since they'd been given custody of Sylvie.
"Is your wife having an allergic reaction to something?" He suddenly heard as he fumbled with the epi-pen and jabbed into Franky's thigh, his head rising to see a small, dark-haired woman squatting by his side.
"Sorry?"
"I asked if your wife is having an allergic reaction. Don't worry, I won't say anything." She returned with a smile, holding out her right hand in which she held Franky's Medicaid bracelet. "It is hers isn't it? I have to wear one myself."
"Yes it's hers. Yes she's allergic. To....." Urs informed, touching Franky's face when she shook her head, her breathing beginning to ease, her right hand raising to cover his, revealing a huge rash on her forearm.
"There's an ambulance on it's way. I just wish there was some other way out of here."
"It's all right." Urs shrugged. "What are you allergic to?"
"Penicillin. Come out in a rash just like the one on Franky's arm if the slightest bit gets into my system. You're very calm considering what's happened if you don't mind me saying so."
"Only on the outside. She'd kick my butt later if I made a fuss." Urs replied, glancing at the woman and seeing Franky nod when he turned his face back to hers. "To the moon huh?"
His head snapped around when he heard more commotion outside and stood to allow the paramedics to take a look at Franky.
"You've seen this before?"
"Just once." Urs nodded in reply.
"Then you know what needs to happen from here?"
"Ja. She has to go to the hospital for a few hours at least."
"That's right." The paramedic, named AJ replied, taking Franky's pulse. "Which means my wife is not going to get the chance for an autograph at the tv studio, she'll be too far back at the concert to get anywhere near the stage. Won't get the chance when you leave either, not with her being in a wheelchair. Man she's going to be so disappointed........again."
"What's her name?" Urs asked after seeing the look Franky gave him, seeming to indicate for him to do so.
"Lilly, Lilly Roberts." AJ replied after helping his partner, Daniel, gently lift Franky onto a stretcher.
"She has muscular dystrophy." Daniel informed, fastening the safety straps and covering Franky with a blanket. "Let's get moving."
Urs nodded and followed the group out of the bathroom, holding Franky's hand and ignoring the flashes and questions that were launched at him while they walked towards the waiting ambulance. A quick look around told him that everyone else had already left.
He took a seat close by Franky's side once inside and passed on her details when requested to do so, confirming that she was pregnant, knowing that it could go no further unless AJ wanted to risk losing his job.
On arrival at the hospital, he followed once again and stayed with her until the doctor was satisfied that she was breathing normally and she was sleeping. He left her with Barbara-Jean after asking how Sylvie was.
"Don't worry about it. Lauren's explained everything." She replied with a smile just before the door closed behind him.
He caught a taxi to the hotel and headed straight for David and Lauren's suite on his arrival. There he found an oblivious Frank sleeping soundly in Sebastien's arms, Sylvie looking at him questioningly with tear filled eyes.
"She's all right. She just needs to sleep for a little while and I'll ask her to teach you what to do in case anything like happens again. Okay?" He reassured her after pulling back from a tight hug, feeling her trembling in his arms and watching her nod.
A few moments later, it was time for him, David, Carlos and Sebastien to leave for the tv studios and on arrival, he spotted only one woman in a wheelchair.
"Lilly Roberts?" He queried after approaching and squatting in front of her.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes." Lilly nodded, her eyes flying wide. "How did you know? We've never met."
"That's my little secret." Urs winked, signing her autograph book then passing it to David to sign. "Do you have a favourite song?"
"Heroe, because my husband is my hero. He's a paramedic."
Urs smiled and nodded, handed Lilly her autograph book back once Carlos and Sebastien had signed it for her then headed inside after signing a few more. Following a brief discussion with his bandmates, they decided to change the song they were going to perform.
Those arrangements in place, dressed how they usually were for a concert the group made their way onto the set to rapturous applause which took a long time to subside. The interview began with their host asking how they had enjoyed the tour so far, each man replying they'd had a wonderful time, Carlos admitting that there was someone new in his life, though he didn't reveal her name. David grinning as usual when he confirmed that he was to become a father within a couple of weeks. Sebastien smiling just as broad when he validated that Emma was pregnant as well.
"We heard there was a little trouble at the airport this morning Urs. Nothing serious I hope."
"No." Urs shook his head then took a deep breath, knowing he was about to fib. "Franky has been suffering with a mild chest infection and I didn't realise how exhausted it had left her. She collapsed in the bathroom and I insisted on her going to hospital, just to make sure it hasn't got worse."
"The other young girl that's been travelling with you for the past few weeks, who is she?"
"My daughter. A child I knew absolutely nothing about until a few months ago. She'll be with Franky and myself from now on."
"She's beautiful. Is her natural mother dead?"
Urs nodded in response to the first question and let the gasping from the audience die down before answering the second.
"No. She's in prison for drug offences, has given up all her rights to Franky and myself. We've officially adopted her."
A few more questions were asked following that statement, particularly with regard to when work on the next CD would be ready, the entire audience releasing a long 'Awwwwww' when David replied that it probably wouldn't be finished until just after Christmas because they hadn't even begun to make a list of songs yet.
Following that, the guys stood and prepared to end the show with 'Heroe' while they listened to their host winding up, reminding the audience that they were in concert at the NEC later that night and there were a few tickets left. Urs searched the audience for Lilly and gave her a blinky wink while he sang. The song finished, the four men bowed several times then left the studio to demands for more.
Once back at the hotel, Urs made his way into his suite, surprised to find Franky there waiting for him, Frank cradled in one arm, a sleeping Sylvie, held against her on the opposite side.
"Shouldn't you still be in hospital?" He asked, shaking his head in exasperation.
"Yes, they only agreed to discharge me on condition the hotel doctor was aware of my problem. I'm tired but my breathing's fine. How did the show go?"
"Fine. They accepted the explanation I came up with, even had a few ladies tell me to take a bit better care of you as we left the studios. You want to watch it?" He asked, indicating the television, knowing that the hotel had satelitte tv and the channel that broadcast the show also had a catch-up channel running an hour behind, watching Franky nod as Sylvie began to stir.
"You all right Sylvie?" He asked with a smile, taking Frank from his mother's arms and settling himself beside her.
"Ja, Papi. I.....I was just worried about Mami." Sylvie shrugged in response, giving her father a weak smile as the programme began ignoring the headshake Franky gave her.
"Something wrong angel." Urs asked as the end credits rolled, seeing the frown on Franky's face as Sylvie stood and headed to the bathroom.
"She's almost as bad as you are for keeping her feelings hidden. You do know, up until she heard you say that, she thought you were ashamed of her?"
"I could never be ashamed of her."
"I know that. Don't tell me, go and tell her."
"Okay. I'm going." Urs sighed, handing Frank over before he stood and went in search of Sylvie, finding her in the second bedroom of the suite, reading 'Black Beauty' in German. "Can we talk?" He asked, taking a seat beside her on the bed.
"Ja, Papi" Sylvie replied, wiping her eyes.
"Sylvie, I am not ashamed of you. I know it might look as if I am when I ask you to go with Mami whenever we arrive somewhere new but I promise you I'm not. I never could be. It's just that.........."
"I know. Who I am to you is not really anyone else's business, I know that. I just got fed up with seeing Mami grabbed hold of. They don't have any right to do that."
"Nein, they don't. That's why I said what I did today. I got sick of it too. Hopefully now you'll both be left alone, that's all I care about."
Father and daughter hugged then returned to the lounge where Urs told Franky that he wanted her to stay at the hotel tonight, especially since he knew that she would have been ordered to rest without having to ask.
"I know honey." Franky reluctantly nodded then sniffed. "Your turn if I remember right."
"No problem." Urs wrinkled his nose as he usually did when it was his turn to change Frank's dirty nappy.
One look at Franky's smiling face and nodding head gave him his answer, he stood, headed for the bathroom after picking the changing bag up and looked back to the couch, a smile lighting up his face when he saw that Sylvie was standing by his side, willing to help once again.
"You did find Lilly didn't you?" She asked after disposing of the offending nappy.
"Ja. She's one of the reasons we changed the song, the other, you were sitting beside."
"I know." Sylvie nodded then ran back into the lounge, flung her arms around Franky's neck and planted a long kiss on her new mother's cheek.
Concert over, Urs climbed aboard the tour bus after replying that Franky was just fine to the multitude of ladies that asked how she was and nodded in agreement that both she and Sylvie were beautiful. He settled himself next to a dozing Franky, happy in the knowledge that no-one would have the opportunity to grab her arm or scare their son for the remaining events. He fell asleep a few miles outside Birmingham, his arms wrapped around the most wonderful woman he'd ever known.
Turn the page.
______________

Chapter 41 - A Moment To Herself
She'd spent most of the evening by his side, shaking hands and receiving kisses on the cheek from people she'd never met before or close by, talking to those she knew well or had gotten to know during the tour. Now, three hours into the party he couldn't see her anywhere in The Langham's Landau Restaurant.
He scanned every table and looked to every window his eyes not picking up one glimpse of her hair, the one thing that made her stand out in a crowd. He took one more look around, still couldn't see her and startled when he heard Doris Taylor speaking quietly.
"Looking for Franky?" She asked with a gentle smile when he turned round to face her.
"Ja. Do you know where she's gone?"
"Knowing her, probably gone for some time alone. Gathering's like this are always hard on her."
Urs looked at Doris with a furrowed brow, wondering what on earth she could mean for several minutes and taking another look around when she asked him to, this time a little more carefully. He could see Emma and Sebastien seated nearby, talking animatedly to Marie and Emma's family. On the far side of the room Carlos and Barbara-Jean were doing much the same with Catherine, Sara and Carlos's family. A small laugh escaped as he watched David's hands flying around, obviously explaining something to his mother, father and sisters, Lauren's father and Brett. A look at all the tour members informed him that they were all chatting to someone, a member of their family or at the very least a close personal friend.
Sighing out a breath, he suddenly realised why Franky had taken herself off to wherever she'd gone. Neither of her family members had been able to make the party. Her uncle still suffered the effects of the stroke and needed her aunt to care for him, Sissy was in hospital after almost suffering a miscarriage and her brother, Neil had taken his wife on honeymoon. As usual, the party had been arranged for families to meet up again and she had no-one except him and he'd been busy with his family. She never had been one to interject herself into other family's reunions, not even Lauren's, despite the fact that Doris had always told her the Taylor's thought of her as a second daughter.
"Where would you be if your parents weren't here?" Doris asked as he turned to look at her again.
"Alone in my suite probably or taking a walk perhaps."
"I suppose you want to go looking for her?"
"Ja, but I'd better not...........had I?"
"No." Doris shook her head and allowed a small laugh to escape. "She's probably sitting somewhere wondering what Frank and Serena would have to say about everything that happened during the tour. Wondering if Serena would say how proud she was of her for standing by you or if Frank would be telling her what a fool he thought she was. God I can just imagine that conversation."
"You think he would call her a fool?"
"I don't see why not, he called Serena a fool for standing by him once that I know of."
"He........cheated?"
"No, but he did get Serena thinking he still felt something for.......well you know? The Strawson bitch."
Urs felt his eyes widen as the final word dropped from Doris's mouth. Knowing that she didn't tolerate cursing, no matter how mild, it came as quite a shock to hear it.
"June kicked off one day at the garage, a few months after Franky had started senior school. Frank had to step between them both because it almost became physical and he held June back rather than Serena. He pushed her out so hard she almost fell onto the pavement, then he turned round and told Serena perhaps it would be better if she took Franky and left him. Boy did she kick his butt for even contemplating that idea."
"Franky's never told me any of this."
"That's because I don't think she knows. The only reason I know is because I was walking up the street when it happened, they were loud enough for the whole street to hear. I could hear Serena's voice well above Frank's. Yelling at him that she could take anything June had to give and calling him a bastard for even doubting her. I think she slapped him too, definitely sounded like she did. As I reached the door near the reception area, I glanced in, saw them holding each other, Frank apologising, Serena called him un gran idiota tonto. At least that's what it sounded like, I've never known what it is in English."
"A big, stupid idiot." Urs translated and watched Doris shake her head questioningly. "When David upset Lauren earlier today, Franky used exactly the same expression as we left Carlos's suite. She and Emma had been telling him for days what he was doing was upsetting Lauren and warned him not to do it again. We get back to find that he has and she wanted to go and give him a piece of her mind. Have they always been that protective of each other?"
"Yes they have. You hurt Lauren, you have Franky to deal with and vice versa. They're as close as any two women can be without being sisters. Don't get me wrong, they do fight but it's never anything serious, usually my daughter opening her mouth without engaging brain first......just like her father."
"I know, things are getting like that with Emma and BJ too." Urs nodded then looked around the room and saw the two women approaching.
"Where's Franky, Urs?" Barbara-Jean asked, scanning the room quickly.
"Lauren says she's probably taken herself off somewhere for a little time to herself." Emma laughed, her eyes searching the room.
"Probably." Urs nodded.
"You two had another argument?"
"No Emma. After all that's happened during the tour and what's happening here tonight, she just needs a little time to herself."
"Huh?" Emma shook her head, not understanding.
"Take a look around." Urs instructed, standing from the seat he'd taken. "A good look. What's the one thing everyone else has here other than Franky."
Emma's brow furrowed, as did Barbara-Jean's, for a few seconds but both women did as Urs requested, slowly turning their heads around the room and looking at each other once they'd done so.
"Her parents." Barbara-Jean sighed.
"Reminds me of your wedding day." Emma nodded, sighing heavily. "She did exactly the same that morning once she'd been to meet up with you."
"I remember." Urs nodded, recalling that he'd looked out of his bedroom window and had seen Franky heading towards the arbour still dressed in her nightwear.
He'd watched her take a seat and hug herself. Her breathing slow as though she was trying to stop herself from crying. For the briefest of moments he'd thought she'd been thinking of cancelling the wedding. Then he'd seen her pull something from the pocket of her robe and allow a few tears to fall while the index finger of her right hand touched whatever it was she held. He'd quickly figured out that it was a photograph of her parents once she'd clutched it to her chest and closed her eyes. He'd wanted to go to her and hold her tight but had thought it would be a good idea to leave it to someone who could understand how she was feeling. He couldn't even begin to imagine not having his own parents there for his wedding
A few minutes later Gabriel had approached, had said something to her and taken the photograph, his eyes closing briefly. Seeing Gabriel knock a tear from his own eyes had made him realise how close Franky and Gabriel really were. He knew the big man's mother had died when he was thirteen and Serena had become like a second mother to him. It was all too clear that he missed her terribly.
Somehow, Franky had pushed what she was feeling aside, had stood and accepted the hug Gabriel had pulled her into. The two of them spending at least five minutes like that before heading back inside, hand-in-hand and shaking their heads at each as they walked.
Once he and Franky were at their new home and had settled down to sleep he'd asked her about what he'd witnessed. As he'd thought, she'd spent her time wishing that her parents were there. Gabriel on the other hand had needed the hug to reassure him that he could do what she'd asked of him. He'd been so worried about messing something up during the ceremony he'd already thrown up three times that morning and did so again just before they left the hotel.
Urs huffed a quick laugh, knowing that he'd only thrown up thanks to Sebastien's teasing, he'd felt queasy since waking but had managed to stop himself doing so right up to that moment. Luckily it was the one and only time he'd done so.
He heard footsteps approaching and turned his head to see Franky taking a seat beside him, her eyes still glistening with tears as he took hold of her right hand.
"Feel better now?" He asked quietly, squeezing her hand a little.
"Yeah. Thanks for understanding."
"I did almost come looking for you. Thought better of it when I realised why you'd taken yourself off. It must be hard seeing everyone with their families."
"It is. Very much so." Franky nodded, drying her eyes. "And once in a while I just want to scream and shout about the unfairness of it all. Then I think about what mum would have to say. She'd be telling me that life isn't always fair and reminding me that there are people out there suffering much more than I have. Dad would be reminding me that if life was a bowl of cherries and roses round the door, I would be moaning that I was bored."
"Life's always been full of drama for you, hasn't it?" Urs questioned, laughing a little.
"In some way, shape or form, yes. When I was younger I often thought of running away from home, especially when Jamie used to kick off. Particularly after I got suspended from school for throwing a chair at her."
"What?" Urs gasped, knowing that Franky would have had to have been fuming mad to do something like that.
"She'd spread that rumour about me around school after Gabe refused to go out with her. He wasn't the only one who turned her down and I was friendly with all of them. She couldn't get her head around the fact that they weren't interested in me that way. We were all friends, nothing more except for the love of motorbikes."
"What rumour?"
"I've told you before."
"No you haven't."
"I'm sure I........" Franky began, stopping when she saw Urs shaking his head. "I could have swore I did. Anyway. She started a rumour that me and my dad were.......you know.......having an incest......a sexual relationship. I put up with the staring and the teasing for about three days before I blew my stack. We were in the dining hall, she walked passed me and asked if me and my father included Gabe in our sex sessions and I just lost it. The chair next to mine was empty because Lauren was in the bathroom. I picked it up and launched it at Jamie, it caught her on the right shoulder and she ended up on her ass. It wouldn't have happened if Mr Willis had been paying attention like he was supposed to have been rather than chatting up Miss Hammond. Both of us were sent to the head and my parents were called. Luckilly we had to go in seperately otherwise I think World War Three would have broken out. Mum and Dad were very angry and grounded me for a week after reminding me that they'd brought me up to be stronger than that and what I knew to be the truth was much more important than what anyone thought, said or did. I'd never seen mum that angry and after that day I never let Jamie wind me up to such a point that I would hit her. She got bored trying after a few months and pretty much left me alone when she got her hooks into a new guy."
"And at times like this you just wish your parents were around to tell you how proud they are of you?" Urs queried, wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her close.
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love Lauren's parents very much, I know how they think of me and I'm glad they understand I can't find it within myself to think of them as my parents. They seem perfectly happy to know that I think of them as favourite aunt and uncle though."
"Of course they are."
"And I love the quiet moments but I don't think I could stand it if life was like that all the time. A little drama once in while lets you know who your real friends are, those you can really count on no matter the crisis. Brings you closer too I think. The things that happened during the tour certainly did you, Carlos, David and Seb."
"Ja they did." Urs nodded, scanning the room, a broad smile lighting up his face as he looked at each man, realised how happy they were with their lives and how he thought of them as his brothers now, much more than he ever had. "You know, if I was in your shoes or we weren't together, I wouldn't be here right now?"
"I know. Knowing you, you would be on a plane, heading to wherever you'd decided to spend your break by now."
"Yeah." Urs nodded as he stood, gently pulling Franky up after him, leading her over to the dancefloor when he saw everyone else heading that way and holding her close he whispered in her ear. "Just because your parents are dead, it doesn't mean they're gone. You carry part of them with you Franky, in your heart and I am so very glad that you do. I don't know where I would be without you."
"I'm glad I do too." Franky nodded, pressed a kiss to his lips then laid her head on his shoulder, the two of them swaying in time to the music with their eyes lightly closed.
Turn the page.
_____________

Chapter 42 - Think Of Something Else!!
"May cause drowsiness. Pfft! Not in my case." Urs huffed, tossing the packet of anti-histamines onto his nightstand, his eyes rolling backwards when he saw that it was approaching 5:00am. "At least the painkillers are working.......just about."
Other than a short doze that had lasted about forty-five minutes, he'd hadn't slept at all since Franky had come up to bed at just after midnight. Despite the medications and the treatment he was receiving, his skin still itched like something was crawling over every inch of it. The fact that he still had a slightly raised temperature didn't help either, at least it wasn't as high as it had been. He couldn't get comfortable even though the bedsheets were made of Egyptian cotton and felt cool against his skin, providing a few minutes of relief until they matched his body temperature at least.
His eyes widened, thankful that he appeared to have stopped throwing up. Then again, there wasn't anything left in his stomach to throw up. He hadn't eaten anything solid since the previous morning and didn't think he would for a while, having three blisters in his mouth was a nightmare and anything even slightly salty irritated them. He didn't even feel like eating anyway.
Feeling uncomfortable again, he eased himself away from Franky's sleeping form, slowly pulling his mitten covered hands from her grip. He sat up and looked around in the dim light his bedside lamp provided. The sound of an owl hooting nearby made him startle and he huffed a quick laugh, knowing he should be used to hearing that by now. They'd both heard the owl often enough while they lay wrapped in each other's arms, regaining their breaths after make love until the early hours.
"Don't even go there." He muttered to himself, knowing how he looked underneath his boxers and cursing the fact the blisters had broken out on that region of his body. "Think of something else."
"I could watch a DVD I suppose." He huffed looking towards Sylvie's television and DVD player. "Then again I would have to go downstairs and find something I like. I still feel dizzy every time I stand up so that's not a good idea. Besides which I wouldn't reach the door before Franky woke up and ordered me back to bed and I wouldn't be able operate the machine with these damned things on. What time is it in Switzerland? 6:00am. Hmmn. Kurt would kill me for calling at this time in a morning. I could call.........Nein. Papi's in Italy, working. I could add some songs to my list.......if I could actually remember the titles and write." He pouted, holding his hands in front of his face, wondering what Franky had meant when she'd told him they could always use them for something else when he was better.
"Oh! I think I've got it. Sensual mass.........No, no, no! Not going there. Gott! What am I like? Raised temperature, covered in blisters and horny with it. I wonder if that's a first? Not that either of us could do anything about it. The thought is just urgh given the current state of things. Going to the bathroom is about my limit when it comes to down there, Franky's too I think."
Laying back a little further, he placed his hands behind his head then looked down at the pile of motorcycle magazines he'd tossed to the floor, having read them all from cover to cover. The blisters on his scalp began to itch and he tried to scratch at them. The action reminding him of the time he'd caught headlice as an adult. His eyes narrowing when he recalled how Astrid had cursed when she'd found them and how roughly she'd yanked the comb through his hair, doing so every morning following his shower until he was clear.
"I wasn't to know Nella's daughter had them. Even she didn't realise until a couple of days after I'd given her a birthday hug." He huffed, folding his arms across his chest, itching his armpits, feeling disgusted because he couldn't even wear deodorant due to the fact that it irrated the blisters there.
He moved his nose to the left and took a deep nasal breath. Thankful that the continual sneezing feeling he'd had the past couple of days had gone and he didn't smell as bad there as he thought he would. He looked at the clock again and blew out a long breath.
"6:09am. I'd be up, getting ready to go for a run by now."
He heard Frank's cry from the nursery, felt Franky stir a little and hoped she wouldn't wake. She'd looked more tired than he could ever recall when she'd come up, protesting about his mother taking her half of the baby monitor while she undressed.
"And it took you all of five minutes to fall to sleep." He laughed and shook his head, running one cashmere covered hand down her face while he listened to his mother soothing her youngest grandchild, singing the same lullaby he had when he'd held Frank for the first time.
Her voice making his own eyes begin to droop until his back gave him a reminder of what was there. Wide awake again and with silence coming from the nursery, he turned onto his left side and watched Franky sleeping, wondering if she knew she did so with her mouth slightly open, finding what he'd never noticed before incredibly sexy.
"Damn it! Something else." He grumbled low, then started quietly humming 'Every Time I Look At You'.
He'd almost finished when Franky rolled over to lay on her back. Lightly, he carressed her upper abdomen and smiled when she moaned his name. He knew she was still asleep, she wouldn't be breathing as slow as she was if he touched her like that and she was awake. She would have kissed him too. Sighing softly, he moved his hand to her lower abdomen and left it there, recalling how shocked they both had been to discover twins were on the way.
Secretly, he was hoping for twin girls that would grow up to look like their mother. However, as with Frank, he'd be very happy with whatever they got. He grinned, knowing that he had been able to keep that little piece of information from his mother, though he had noticed she looked at Franky's stomach with her brow furrowed before giving her head a shake as though quietly answering her own unasked question, muttering to herself as she walked away.
Hearing sounds coming from the other bedrooms, he turned onto his back and closed his eyes, knowing that Franky would wake soon, a brief smile tugging at his lips when he felt her begin to move, listening to her sigh and stretch out before heading for the bathroom. He heard the toilet flush, waited for the door to open and slowly blinked his eyes the way always did on waking.
"Morning honey." Franky smiled, bending over and giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Has Frank woken up yet?"
"Don't think so. I haven't heard him. I haven't woken all night."
"Hmmn."
"What?" Urs asked with a quick shoulder shrug when Franky looked at him suspiciously.
"You know what Urs Buhler."
"Sorry. Don't have a clue what you mean."
"Of course you don't." Franky laughed, her head shaking. "I know for a fact you woke up at some point. I heard you questioning yourself. Something about a raised temperature and horny with it?"
"Shit." Urs hissed quietly while Franky giggled and slipped into a pair of pyjamas.
She continued to laugh as she moved around to his side of the bed and sat down. Smiling she checked his face over, her head nodding today rather than the headshake she'd given every other time she'd done the same thing.
"No new outbreaks."
"Good." Urs nodded. "It looks like there are at least three hundred on my face alone, never mind everywhere else."
"Two hundred and eighty nine at last count. Sylvie counted them while you were asleep yesterday afternoon. Funny though, there's only the odd one or two on your forehead."
"The ones in my mouth make up for those."
"You want to try something other than rosti for breakfast then?"
"Please. A smoothie perhaps."
Franky nodded then kissed his forehead again and stood so that he could get up and use the bathroom. He didn't really like leaning on her for support given her condition, but he was pretty weak and there was no-one else in the house either of them would allow to do it. At least she'd taken to leaving him to it once he reached the toilet, standing outside the unlocked door rather than sitting on the chair, facing away from him while he did what he needed to do. That particular morning habit finished, he made his way back to her and was soon back in bed. Uncomfortable with his position, he shifted a little and watched Franky move to leave the bedroom so that she could prepare breakfast only to pause on the threshold and turn round to face him.
"By the way, you've always been hot and horny." She teased, grinning and raising her eyebrows in a flirtatious manner.
"You'll pay for that." Urs growled, shaking his head. "Has anyone ever told you you're not supposed to tease ill people."
"Then ill people shouldn't tell fibs about sleeping all night when they've actually been awake should they? And they definitely shouldn't touch their partners while wearing cashmere mittens if they're not capable of finishing what they started."
"I guess not. By the way, we're not throwing these away once I'm well. I have plans for them."
"I'm going to make breakfast before this goes any further." Franky coughed then turned away and left quicker than he'd ever seen.
Knowing that she was as horny as he was but unable or unwilling to do anything about it, Urs took several deep breaths and wondered if she was doing the same to compose herself. He felt his boxers loosen again, blew out one final breath and relaxed into the mattress, comfortable at last.
"Just great." He mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open, suddenly feeling as though someone had given him a powerful anaesthetic.
Unable to fight the feeling any longer, he fell asleep and remained that way until 3:10pm. Hungry, but still unable to eat anything solid he asked Franky for a freshly made smoothie since she'd had the one she'd originally made him on finding him asleep and unwilling to wake him. While he drank that, savouring the taste of fresh strawberries and strawberry ice-cream, he and Franky discussed names for the babies.
Serena Ursula Karen and Ciara Grace for twin girls. Kurt Stefan Gabriel and Jordi Xavier for twin boys. Agreeing that they would use the first from each if they had a boy and girl.
Turn the page.
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Chapter 43 - This Sucks!!!
"Franky!" He yelled, taking a look in the bathroom cabinet, slamming each of the three doors, not being able to find any of his shaving equipment after waking from an afternoon nap, ten days's worth of untouched facial hair and scabbed over blisters driving him crazy. "Franky!" He yelled again, storming towards the bedroom door, seeing her pulling the nursery door shut.
"Will you keep it down? I've only just managed to get Frank to sleep." She huffed. "What's up?"
"I want to have a shave, but all my stuff is missing."
"Yes I know it is. I removed it all the other day."
"What for?"
"Doctor's orders, you're not allowed to shave until your face has healed completely. I know you Urs, that instruction you would have ignored because you can't stand more than three days' growth on you face."
"I could shave around the scabs."
"Oh don't be so stupid, your face is covered in them. There's barely room to get a pin between some of them."
"Stop treating me like a Gott-damned child, go and fetch my things from wherever you've put them."
"I will do no such thing." Franky replied, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes glaring at him.
"Es ist nicht eine, wie ich bin verdamnt gefuhl. Alles, um ihnen das leben leichter, das ist der grund, warum sie dies." Urs snapped, forgetting that she couldn't speak German fluently yet.
"Oh really?" She huffed. "You think I don't give a damn and I only took your shaving things away to make my life easier do you? Well guess what, I don't give a damn what you think or how much you strop, you are not getting them back until your face is clear and that is final." She nodded sharply then turned away from him and headed back downstairs, leaving him standing there calling her some rather foul names until his inner voice gave him a quick kick in the butt.
'Hold it right there jackass or do you want your mother to come up and sort you out?'
Feeling frustrated and angry about the way he'd handled the situation and the names he'd called Franky, he looked around the room and reached for the vase of flowers she'd placed on her dressing table intent on throwing it at the wall until he realised that the vase was a family heirloom and how much more it would upset her to lose it.
Wondering exactly how much it would cost to replace it, he carefully returned the vase to its previous position then headed back to bed where he immediately fired up his laptop and began to search for something that matched its description. He knew Franky wasn't bothered about that, because it was worth more to her in sentimental value than cash. While he searched, he recalled the story she'd told him of how it had come into the Hartford family in the first place. Serena's grandfather spotting it in a shop in Italy, buying it for his parents's silver wedding anniversary, transporting it back to England, wrapped in his underwear in his travelling truck.
He huffed a quick laugh and shook his head as he clicked onto the next page of pictures then scanned them, quickly spotting something that looked much the same and clicking on the picture to get a better look at it. His eyes flying wide after he'd read the description, realising it was exactly the same as the one Franky possessed. A rare, red aurene Steuben vase with leaf and vine decoration that had recently sold at auction for just under £14,000.
"A good job I didn't then." He mused to himself, logging out and shutting the machine down when he heard Franky's voice heading back towards him.
"You should think yourself lucky it's not your mother standing where I am now. She heard every word." She stated from the bedroom doorway. "What have you been up to? Checking up on what I told you I suppose."
"No. Something else."
"Hmmn. A likely story." Franky huffed. "Get in the bathroom."
"What for? I've already had a bath today."
"Do you want to lose some of that fuzz around your face or not? God knows you're not the only one it's annoying." She snapped back, scratching at the rash she had on her shoulder.
Urs looked at her, puzzled for a second or two, then remembered that he'd woken to find himself wrapped in her arms this particular morning and how much more sensitive her skin became whenever she was pregnant. He nodded then moved off the bed and headed where she'd asked him to go.
Wondering what she was going to do, he sat on the chair and watched as she filled the sink with warm water.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you again. You know how I get when I'm tired and bored." He apologised, enjoying the feeling of having his face washed. "Mami didn't hear everything did she?"
"Yes. Refused to translate though." Franky replied, sighing and beginning to run a comb through his beard. "It's a good job she's helping Sylvie with her science homework in between doing the laundry." She shrugged, the comb pressed lightly against his face with her left hand, raising a pair of scissors in her right.
Unsure what she was going to do, but wanting to apologise before she did it, Urs raised his left hand, took hold of her right wrist and used his right hand to lift her chin a little so that she had to look at him.
"I'm sorry for saying you were only thinking of yourself." He smiled, wiping away the tear that had made its escape from her right eye. "If anyone's being selfish, it's me. No matter how much I bathe, I still feel dirty with this lot on my face, that and I look like some sort of wild man when I wake up in the morning."
"I know. Don't think your Ubers would like the way you look right now, can't say I'm particularly keen on it myself. I can still remember that look you had on your face when they took leg cast off. I thought you were going to throw up, God knows I came close. My legs hadn't been that hairy since I was thirteen."
"Soon sorted that out though, didn't I?" Urs asked, laughing a little recalling that he'd whisked her round to a beauty salon to have her legs waxed after leaving the hospital.
"Yeah." Franky nodded, a smile now on her face. "So let me do what I can to ease your discomfort."
"Kiss first?"
"In your dreams Buhler."
Giggling, Urs released her wrist and took deep, calming breaths to keep himself under control while Franky carefully snipped away what she could of the offending facial hair. Though he was feeling much better and wanted to make love to her, he knew he couldn't until the scabs on his penis and balls had gone. He couldn't even bring himself to allow Franky to relieve him with her hand at the moment or do it himself because it felt awful, having to touch that area to go to the bathroom was bad enough. He swallowed hard, regretting his harsh treatment of her, knowing how tired she was and what could happen if he kept it up.
"Are you going to tell me what you were up to while I was downstairs checking with your doctor that it was all right for me to do this?"
"I almost threw your vase across the room in frustration until I realised what I was holding." Urs gulped. "I was just checking to see if I could find one similar, found one identical to it and got the shock of my life when I saw how much it was worth."
"Oh. That explains the stunned look I saw then." Franky smirked. "Not that it would have been the same if you had broken it, but thank you for realising what you would be destroying and being willing to replace it." She nodded then started chuckling.
"What's so funny?"
"You are." Franky nodded. "My vase isn't an original Steuben, honey, it's a copy, a very good one according to the antiques expert who valued it for me a few weeks before you and I met. It was only worth about £1,500 back then, perhaps a little bit more now but nowhere near £14,000. Though mine is priceless and irreplaceable to me."
"I know." Urs nodded once he'd stopped laughing. "I called you some rather nasty names while you were downstairs. Sorry."
"I don't want to know what do I?"
"No. If I told you, you would be the one hurling the vase. At me....once I got passed 'selfish' anyway. That's the last thing you are. I was just being stupid and I'm frustrated in more ways than one."
"I bet I would." Franky nodded, not caring what he had called her, she knew it wasn't just not being able to shave that was frustrating him, it was sexual frustration too.
She'd woken enough times to feel him hard against her thigh and unwilling to do anything about it the past few days. Her eyes widened a little, wondering what he would be like once he was completely better and coughed to compose herself, knowing that she was as horny as ever herself and wondering if he would be able to keep up with her again once he was well.
"I know that look." Urs stated, feeling her shudder a little. "Can you wait till I'm well again or do you want me to do something about it now?"
"I can wait." Franky replied, stopping his hands from sliding any further up her skirt.
"Chicken pox sucks." Urs nodded sharply, his arms moving around her legs, looking up at Franky so that she could continue her work.
"You got that right." Franky agreed, washing his face again to remove any loose hair then showing him the results in the mirror.
"Much better. Thank you, angel." He smiled on seeing that he no longer looked like some down and out, then gave Franky a gentle kiss and headed back to the bedroom holding her hand tight.
Once settled in the bed, he gently pulled Franky down to lie beside him and held her while she fell asleep. His mother came up a few moments after she'd drifted off and his head hung in shame briefly when he saw the angry look she gave him. It rose again when he heard her sigh heavily and he watched her shake her head at him with a slight smile on her face.
"Think yourself lucky that Franky stopped me coming up here to sort you out Urs. Throwing that glass at her was bad enough. I told you how well she took care of you when the fever was raging and you can see for yourself how tired she is. Do you want her to miscarry again?"
"Nein Mami."
"Gut. I know men can be big babies when they're ill, I have had to deal with your father plenty of times to know that. You behave like you have been just one more time Urs and I mean just one time and I will be sending Franky off somewhere to rest, no matter how much she protests. Then you will have me to deal with and you wouldn't dare treat me the way you have Franky..........would you?"
"Nein Mami." Urs gulped, his head shaking until he heard the bedroom door close.
He watched Franky sleeping for the next two and half hours and asked her to order in from her favourite takeaway rather than have his mother cook. With no homework to do after their Thai meal and very little washing up to do, Sylvie insisted that Franky leave it to her and almost pushed her upstairs so that she was in bed well before midnight for the first time in ten days.
Turn the page.
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Chapter 44 - Dedication
"Will you quit that?" David huffed, looking through the lists of songs they were hoping to include on the next album.
"Quit what?" Urs replied, taking a seat at the piano and nonchalantly pressing a few keys.
"The sighing and huffing like you're bored stiff already. We haven't even started yet."
"I know. I've just got something to.....it doesn't matter."
"What doesn't matter?"
"To tell us or to ask us?" Sebastien queried, shaking his head at the piece of paper he held. "Simon's list." He informed with a grimace and head shake when Urs looked at him questioningly.
"Oh. A little of both I suppose."
"You and Franky are all right aren't you? You certainly seemed it a few minutes ago."
"We're fine.....great as a matter of fact."
"So you had been up to something before we arrived?" Carlos teased, raising his eyebrows and smiling.
Urs coughed then laughed while shaking his head.
"You have a one track mind."
"Si. And?"
"What's up Carlos? Jealous or something? Barbara-Jean not given in to your charms yet?"
"No. I am not jealous. Neither of us is ready to take that step yet David."
"Get off! You had Manuela in your bed within hours of meeting her."
"I know and that wasn't right. I respect Barbara-Jean's wishes far too much to even try and get her into my bed yet . There are other reasons as well."
"Oh yeah! Sorry buddy. Slipped my mind for a minute. You coping all right with the first anniversary so close?"
"Si. I have the memories and Barbara-Jean is always wanting to know what I remember of my relationship with Karen. Even made me put her photograph back up. I took it down." Carlos smiled and shook his head. "Anyway let's get back to Ursy's little problem."
"Don't call me Ursy. You know I hate that."
"Lo siento, the grumpyguts."
"Not funny." Urs laughed, knowing that Franky had used that expression to the three men when they'd called round on his birthday hoping to see him. "Okay. I know we agreed we wouldn't record 'Thank You For Loving Me', but I'd like to for this album."
"Well Simon agrees." Sebastien replied, showing Urs the piece of paper he'd been studying and indicating the second line down. "And it was well received."
"Better than we thought it would be." Carlos nodded.
"What's changed your mind? You protested the loudest about us recording it." David shrugged.
"I know." Urs nodded. "I want to do it as a thank you to Franky, for the way she looked after me while I was ill. I have never been the world's best patient, Mami will tell you that, but Franky took all my crap without a word of complaint. Didn't even yell at me when I........"
"When you what?" Sebastien asked, arms folded across his chest.
"When I threw a glass at her and it smashed, causing a cut on her cheek."
"You didn't?" David gasped. "I know you're no fun when you're ill but you've never been that bad."
"I know. I was mad at her because she'd put mittens on my hands to stop me scratching and refused to take them off until the itching had stopped." Urs shook his head then told his giggling bandmates what had caused him to throw the glass in the first place and how Franky had forgiven him, understanding how tired, uncomfortable and bored he was.
"Was it really that bad?"
"Ja, Seb. I can't remember much of the first two days because all I seemed to do was sleep. I wasn't asleep all that time, just kept passing out because my temperature was so high. Thankfully not high enough for me to need hospital treatment, but high enough that I wasn't quite sure what was happening. Franky stayed with me most of that time, sponging me down and talking to me. She looked exhausted by the third day, my fever had only broken an hour or so before dawn. Mami told me everything while Franky was in the bath, then I go and do that to her when she's trying to help me even more."
"I would have shoved your head under the water and held you down for a few seconds once you were in that bath." David shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh.
"So that's why there are no scars on your face?" Sebastien queried, raising his eyebrows.
"Ja. My face was covered with blisters and having the beard didn't help one bit. I think would have been covered with scars if she hadn't taken such good care of me. Even though I felt ridiculous with those mittens on."
"Awww! I bet you looked muy cute." Carlos teased again, pinching his cheeks.
"And you can quit that. You're not my Aunt Gelda." Urs laughed, rubbing at his face.
"Okay. That's one song we don't have to worry about." David shook his head, placing a tick on Simon's list. "One down, fourteen to go. Simon's got 'I Miss You'.............yet again."
"Non." Sebastien shook his head.
"Nein." Urs did the same but with his eyes closed.
"Aye! How many times do I have to be telling that man? We could not be doing better with that song no matter how hard we tried or in whatever language we sing it. No!" Carlos replied, huffing out a breath as he finished. "Is not long enough anyway."
"Hey! Don't have a pop at me buddy. We've been telling him that from the very beginning but he still keeps putting it on. Hoping we'll give in one day I think." David shrugged.
"Mon ami, we agreed that will never happen."
"No it will not."
"Absolutely not."
"I've got no problem." David smiled, leafing through the papers and showing them one of his selections. "I thought we could give it a go in English first, see how we sound."
Knowing the song David had selected, Urs began to play it and listened to Sebastien sing the first verse, Carlos following him, David coming in with himself picking up the harmony. It was all sounding very good as they built towards the end until Sebastien hit F Flat and Carlos shouted at him for hitting the wrong note.
They tried again following some back and forth teasing between the French man and the Spaniard, then tried the same song in Spanish, which sounded even better. They worked through three more songs before deciding to take a break and see what the girls were up to.
They stepped out of the music/dance room almost together, each man surprised to see no-one around, Urs quickly spotting the note Franky had left and passing the information on once he'd read it.
"Great!" Urs yelled happily.
"Huh!"
"I've been waiting for her to go out so that I can organise something for her birthday and our wedding anniversary, David. I want to take her to Ramone's as usual but I want to add to that."
"Hello! There is more than one 'Ramone's' in the world you know?" David tutted and rolled his eyes.
"How about taking her to the one in Paris? She's always wanted to go to an opera as well hasn't she?"
"Ja, she has." Urs nodded, then grabbed hold of Sebastien's arm and dragged him towards Franky's office. "I don't want to mess this up so stand behind me and make sure I do it right." He instructed while starting up his laptop.
Sebastien did as he'd been asked and working slowly together, Urs had booked a suite in one of Paris's best hotels and had ordered tickets for an opera even he hadn't seen before. He'd been over the moon to find that he could book a table at 'Ramone's' online, whooped with joy when he discovered the private dining-room was available for the date he wanted and reserved that. Finished, he shut down the machine he still hated then followed Sebastien through the house to the kitchen.
"Not funny." He laughed and shook his head when Carlos teased him for the third time that day, impersonating the way he'd tapped at the keyboard with one finger jabbing here and there in the air.
"At least he doesn't send emails to himself anymore." David reminded with a smirk which caused them all to laugh for several minutes.
Once they'd calmed down, Urs thanked them for his birthday gifts and apologised for not agreeing to see them. He then explained how he'd spent the day and plans he'd made for adding a swimming pool to the house.
"Something wrong Carlos?" He asked on seeing the Spaniard's eyes close lightly.
"I have been thinking about adding the pool at my home while you have been ill. Carina loves being the water now. Barbara-Jean thinks I would lose muy of the garden if I had one put in. It would be a shame to lose what you and Franky worked so hard to help Karen create, Barbara-Jean loves being out there as much as I do. We shall see once the album is finito."
"So you're going have to carry on taking them into the city?"
"No Seb. Not after what happened the last time, they will no be going there again." Carlos shook his head, his face becoming angry and seeing Urs look at him questioningly. "I had to go and pick something up so Barbara-Jean took Carina in by herself and she was almost crying when I arrived to pick her up. She was recognised in the pool, the woman tried to take Carina from her, luckily she did not succeed. The woman was muy angry and told Barbara-Jean that she would never be Carina's mother and I would never marry her so why didn't she......fuck off back to the States. I asked her to point her out but she had already gone. I have applied to the private gym, but the pool is closed for the renewings and a seperate diving pool is being added. Those are going to take almost a year. Is expesive but worth it if it means Carina and Barbara-Jean are safe."
"Well if we get permission, you can bring her here once in while." Urs shrugged. "Application's already in and we have builder waiting. Shouldn't take more than two months, depending on the weather of course."
"You would no mind?"
"Wouldn't have offered if I did. You know Franky won't. That goes for you two as well." Urs nodded at David and Sebastien as he finished.
"Once or twice a week okay?"
"As long as you call first. Sure." Urs nodded in reply to Carlos's question and watched him nod then heard him say thank you.
He heard the front door opening and all four men left the kitchen to find that the girls had returned, chatting excitedly until they saw the men. With her sisters standing behind her, Emma stepped forward and stood in front of Sebastien, her index finger poking at his chest as she spoke.
"No way, no chance, no how are we ripping that fireplace in the lounge out Sebastien Izambard. Not when there's a matching one in the dining-room. Cleaned up, they will look amazing. Do I make myself clear?"
"Oui, but how do you know that?"
"Because we removed part of the board that covers the one in the dining-room, like I said we should yesterday."
"Okay. Fine. They stay." Sebastien replied, holding his hands up in surrender, laughing and shaking his head.
"So how much work have you managed to get done?" Franky asked, stepping into Urs arms and smiling.
"Four songs so far."
"Oh my God!" Franky gasped, pretending to faint, only opening her eyes when Urs tickled her waist. "You hadn't even got halfway through one the last time. I am shocked I tell you, shocked."
"Ja, ja. Very funny." Urs shook his laughing head then kissed her firmly before telling her about Carlos's problem.
"Okay. That's fine. So we could end up with three toddlers in the pool." Franky smirked then broke down into a fit of giggles.
"That's not funny." Urs laughed, shaking his head and kissing her again. "I'm going back to work." He huffed then playfully sulked as he headed back to the music-dance room where he turned to look at her once he reached the threshold. "You'll pay for that later." He warned, holding the door open for a laughing Carlos, David and Sebastien.
"I know. Why do you think I said it?"
Urs growled, shook his head and smiled as the door closed behind him and quickly settled down to trying a few more songs out, all the time thinking of how he could make Franky pay for teasing him and looking forward to doing so with the cashmere mittens.
Turn the page.
________________

Chapter 45 - Alone Again
"HOW COULD YOU?!" His inner voice yelled over what sounded like the entire World's collection of bass drums that pounded a steady rythmn in his head. "HOW COULD YOU LET THAT BITCH RUIN THE WONDERFUL TIME YOU AND FRANKY WERE HAVING? HOW YOU DARE EVEN SAY WHAT YOU DID IS BEYOND ME!! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!! FRANKY HAS MORE LOVE FOR YOU IN HER LITTLE FINGER THAN THAT BITCH AND THE OTHERS EVER HAD COMBINED. IT WILL SERVE YOU RIGHT IF SHE GIVES YOU WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR. YOU STUPID, STUPID, SELFISH BASTARD...............FUCKING JACKASS!!!!"
"I know, I know." Urs sighed heavilly, his head nodding slowly.
How he'd even managed to drive home from Paris without having a serious accident he didn't know. He'd had several close calls though, almost knocking down several people and having to brake sharply on the drive from Paris to Calais. Once aboard the train that would take him back to England, his anger at himself and Erika had begun to rage again. If anger had been the only emotion ruling his head, he knew he would have ripped the interior apart.
However, fury wasn't the only cause of his distress. Knowing that he'd betrayed Franky's love by saying they should get divorced had been more than enough to make him break down into tears. He knew he deserved everything she'd done to him and more. He closed his eyes tight when he felt his heart giving him a reminder of how much it was hurting, though the pain of feeling it clench was nothing in comparison to what he knew Franky was feeling. He only had to think her name for it to seize again, never mind recalling seeing her in so much distress.
"You are a real bastard Urs Buhler." He sniffed, allowing tears to run unimpeded down his face for several minutes
He fiddled with the ring Franky had given for their second wedding anniversary once he'd composed himself a little, feeling more alone in the world than ever, more than he'd ever wanted to be, trying to ignore the incessant knock at his door. Realising that whoever was on the other side wasn't going to go away, he stood and threw the flimsy piece of wood back once he'd reached it, his head immediately lowering when he saw the hotel's owner standing there, recognising her from the previous evening.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'm only doing what your friends asked me to as they left, making sure you're all right."
"I don't have any friends........not anymore." Urs informed, eyes closed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've done some damage in the bathroom, I'll pay for repairs."
"Don't worry about that. Do you need to see a doctor?"
"What for?"
"The grazes on your hand. What did you hit anyway? It wasn't any of your friends that much I do know."
"The mirror........in the bathroom."
"Well you'd better let me have a look."
"It's fine." Urs shook his head, attempting to move his injured hand from her grip, surprised at the strength she possessed for such a frail looking woman.
"And you're a qualified nurse are you?" She hissed, still holding his fingers in hers.
"Nein. Are you?!"
"I wouldn't have spent thirty years working in one of London's busiest casualty departments without being qualified, would I?"
"Nein." Urs shook his head and stopped trying to pull his hand away.
"Good boy. You wait there while I go and fetch the first aid kit."
Urs rankled at her first two words but left the door slightly ajar and moved to sit on the bed. At least she hadn't patted him on top of the head like his maternal grandmother used to do, right up until the day before she'd died when he was seventeen. He'd always hated that and had asked her many times not to do it only to be ignored and feel that familiar palm against his head when he'd done something she approved of.
He huffed out a breath, knowing exactly what she used to do if he'd been naughty and rubbed at his left ear, wondering what she would do if she was still alive and knew what he'd done to Franky. He couldn't even begin to think what his mother was going to do him, once he'd plucked up the courage to tell her of course. The thought of not being able to sit down ever again suddenly hit him and he fidgetted.
"Right. Let's have a look at you." Mrs Abbott instructed, taking hold of his hand again and giving it a very thorough inspection, making sure he could move each digit without feeling too much pain and there was no glass in the wounds. "No broken bones at least, which is amazing considering the thickness of that mirror."
"I hadn't noticed. Was it old?"
"Don't you worry about that mirror. I never liked the damned thing anyway. I've been meaning to replace it since my Jim died, just never seemed to get around to it."
"How long were you married?" Urs asked, wincing at the sting he felt when Mrs Abbott start to clean his wounds with anti-septic.
"Thirty-two years. Like any couple we had our up and downs but he was the love of my life."
"Oh! I thought it would be longer than that."
"Do I look that old that I should be married longer?"
"No. I didn't mean it like that. I just assumed you'd married quite young."
"Yes well, perhaps we would have been if I hadn't been so intent on making Frank Gibson mine instead of seeing..........Sorry. You don't want to know about that do you? Considering who you're married to I mean."
"I don't think we'll be married very much longer. I've really hurt her this time, I have a really bad feeling she won't forgive me and will give me what I asked for even though I......I don't want it."
"If she's anything like her parents she will forgive you."
"You wouldn't understand." Urs shook his head, lowering it at the same time.
"Really?" Mrs Abbott asked, taking hold of his face between her hands and gently forcing up to meet hers, searching his features as though she could read what had happened. "Some ex-girlfriend tried to get you back and you thought it better to divorce Franky and be alone for the rest of your life."
"How did you guess?"
"I didn't. I heard your friends shouting at you earlier."
"I suppose we did get quite loud, we normally do when we argue."
"I heard everything as clear as day that's for sure." Mrs Abbott sighed, taking a seat beside him. "This Erika sounds like the idiot I was years ago."
"How so?"
"Before I met my Jim, I thought Frank Gibson loved me, we'd been friends since we were little. I tried several times to break him and Serena up, never anything physical mind. I'm not voilent. No, I spread rumours that one was cheating on the other and vice versa. It got back to Frank that I'd started the rumours. God I'd never seen him so angry when he confronted me about it. I thought he was going to hit me at one point, but he just turned and walked away, saying that he never wanted to see me again never mind talk to me. It was then that I realised I'd destroyed a wonderful friendship. Frank had been like a brother to me since I'm an only child. Serena saw me in the park one day, a few days after she'd become engaged to Frank. I got one hell of a shock when she sat down beside me and asked to talk. I knew everything that June Strawson had done to him, hated her for it, wanted to beat some sense into the selfish, conving, bitch. Yet there was me hurting him too. The best male friend any woman could ever wish for." Mrs Abbott paused to knock a tear from her eyes, her head shaking and sighing heavily before she continued. "Anyway, Serena told me what Frank couldn't. What he was feeling about our falling out. Can you imagine that bear of a man crying like a baby because he'd lost the woman he thought of as a sister?"
"Don't need to." Urs shook his head. "Franky has a male friend she considers her brother. I saw him crying like that when she'd........"
"Gabriel? When Jamie and Anthony Strawson kidnapped her?"
"Ja." Urs nodded, knowing the case had been all over the local newspapers.
"Hmmn. Somehow, Serena got the two of us together, made us talk and insisted Frank tell me how he really saw our relationship. There was love in his eyes when he told me that he cared about and would defend me if needs be, but it nothing like what I saw whenever he looked at Serena. God howthat man came alive whenever she was around." Mrs Abott smiled softly, her head shaking. "I apologised, he accepted and a few weeks later I met Jim. Fell for him hook, line and sinker straight away. I just wish we could have had children, he would have made a wonderful father. Frank even gave me away since I'd lost my father two years before. Serena was pregnant by then, I think she was more proud of him on my wedding day than she was on their own. You wouldn't think it to look at her, but she was much stronger than she looked and I'm not just talking physically. Franky reminds me of her so much."
"I know." Urs sniffed. "I just don't think Franky's strong enough to take any more."
"Who are you to decide that?" Mrs Abbott snapped. "You won't ever know how much she can take unless you open up completely will you now? Tell her everything you've been through and how you feel about it. If she loves you as much as she appears to, she'd go through Hell and back for the rest of her life to keep you by her side."
"I know. Somewhere...........Deep inside me..............There's this feeling that she still..........still loves me, despite what I've done. You're right of course, I do need to tell her everything like she does me. It's only right. She can't even begin to understand if I don't do that. Can she?" Urs finished with a long sniff and an attempted smile.
"By George I think he's finally got it." Mrs Abbott smiled, her head nodding as she stood. "I'll go and get some of that Camomile tea your friends told me you like. How about something to eat?"
"Don't think I could keep it down at the minute." Urs shook his head and held his stomach. "The Whiskey's still coming up."
"All right. Perhaps something light for breakfast?"
"Breakfast? What happened to......?" Urs paused and checked his watch, his eyes widening when he saw that it was approaching 9:00pm. "I've been asleep that long."
"You'd still be out if you'd had the whole bottle wouldn't you now?"
"Ja I guess I would." Urs nodded, watched Mrs Abbott head out of the room and thanked her for the tea once she'd brought it up.
He stood at the window again, looking at the full moon listening to the radio he'd turned on, joining Ricky Martin for the final chorus of 'She's All I'll Ever Need', though much quieter than his normal volume
She's all, she's all I ever had
She's the air I breathe, yeah
She's all, she's all I ever had, oh, huuuh

It's the way she makes me feel
It's the only thing that's real
It's the way she understands
She's my lover, she's my friend
And when I look into her eyes
It's the way I feel inside
Like the man I want to be
She's all I'll ever need

He sniffed as he turned the radio off, thinking that the song described Franky perfectly and hoping he could win back her heart as he prepared for bed. Promising himself that he would finally tell her what he'd been hiding for so long, hoping she would understand and forgive him once again.
Turn the page.
_____________

Chapter 46 - Back Where I Belong
He smiled, seeing that Franky was still asleep as he dropped his cases to the floor, a quick laugh escaping when he saw that his pillow was clutched tightly in her arms, the cold flannel discarded on the floor.
Moving quietly, he walked over to the bed, took a look at her eyes and closed his own when he realised how puffy they still were. Remaining silent, he headed for the bathroom, re-wet the flannel then returned to bedroom where he rolled Franky onto her back and returned the small piece of fabric to her eyes.
He checked his watch as he stood and quickly calculated that he would have more than enough time to unpack and return his clothing to its original position. He opened the first suitcase, retrieved a few items but didn't bother putting them away. His attention distracted by a white box that he couldn't recall seeing before sitting on top his drawers with a note atop it written in Franky's familiar hand.
'Take a look inside, perhaps this will help you see how very much I love you and trust you, honey These things mean more to me than all the diamonds in the world ever could. F"
After placing the note to one side, Urs removed the lid from the box and did as he'd been instructed. He found various sized unsealed envelopes, their contents labelled and dated.
The first contained the card that had accompanied the flowers he'd sent as an apology for calling Franky a whore. The second, admission tickets to the places they'd been during their trip to Lucerne, even the paper bag that had held the cinnamon bun was there. Others contained the remains of the ticket she'd used to surprise him before they got engaged, birthday and christmas cards and the tags from the presents, confetti from their wedding, every tag from every wedding present, Gabriel and Sebastien's speech cards, all the cards he'd attached to the roses he'd given her for Valentine's day, the one ribbon that hadn't been removed from his hair when they'd been given custody of Sylvie and the bills from each ocassion he'd taken her out dinner. Even the one that bore their waitress's phone number and a message for him to call her was still there.
He laughed quietly recalling one memory and knew he'd been right about what Erika would have said about Sylvia. He would have had to choose, his daughter or her, no way in hell would he have been able to have both.
'I don't do kids, so don't even think of asking me.......Ever.'
Those were the words she'd hissed at him when they'd paid a visit to a friend when the tour had arrived in Paris. Seeing Dietrich so happy with his wife and one month old daughter had been another reason he'd changed his mind about having children of his own.
He coughed to surpress the sting of tears when memories of how bad Sylvie had looked when he first saw her came to the fore. Never in his life had he been so angry that he would have struck a woman, that was until he'd seen the bruising. Dear Gott, he'd wanted to give Sina a dose of the same.
He shuddered recalling that Sylvie had told him and Franky that Rito would always try and come into her bedroom, only the fact that Sina went looking for him when she found the space beside her empty seemed to put him off. Always stating that she'd caught him sleep-walking the next morning at breakfast. Rito always replying that he couldn't remember anything and must have been sleep-walking, grinning at Sylvie as he spoke.
"Nein." He sighed quietly, his eyes closed and head shaking when the question of what would have happened to Sylvie if Rito and Sina's plan had worked or if he and Franky hadn't been granted custody of her.
Hearing movement on the bed, Urs turned around and saw Franky sitting up, smiling softly at him.
"So, what do you think of my little collection?" She questioned after wiping her face with the flannel.
"It does prove to me how much you do love and trust me." Urs replied, nodding his head quickly, feeling Franky move up behind him and wrap her arms around his shoulders, her right hand coming to rest on his left chest muscle, his body stiffening as she did so.
"Why do you always do that when I touch you that way Urs?" She asked, moving her hand away slightly, Urs feeling her head shake when he grabbed her hand with his own and pressed it back, swallowing hard.
"Because Astrid used to touch me like that when we'd argued and she wanted me to get her something expensive to make it up to her. If I refused, she would squeeze so hard and dig her nails in. Made me bleed more than once. I know that's not the reason you do it and I don't mean to respond that way, it's a subconscious reaction and I'll try to stop doing it." He sighed then slowly lowered his head. "The last time she did it, I almost broke her wrist pulling her off."
"Then it's a good job that relationship ended then huh? God knows how far she would have gone to get what she wanted or what she would have done to a child. The fake pregnancy was bad enough in my book."
"She hit me once too, during the fake pregnancy." Urs nodded, feeling Franky move to come and sit by his side and take hold of his hand. "She wanted to go to Rome but I had obligations to fill with the opera so I said no. The word was barely out of my mouth and the next thing I know, she's hit me twice in the ribs with a broom handle and she's screaming at me that I'm selfish. I had to sing with bruised ribs for the next ten days. She said I would never be a success when I finally left and I wouldn't find anyone better than her either. I guess I showed her huh?"
"You sure did." Franky nodded, feeling him press the side of his head against the top of hers. "What do you think of my collection then?"
"Such seemingly insignificant little things brought back so many happy memories. Memories that would probably have been lost to me if I had been with anyone other than you. I know now that each day that passes, you love me a little more than you did the day before, but a little less than you will the day that follows. My heart and all my love is yours and I will never, ever let you down again."
"Good, now come and hold me for a little while will you?"
Urs nodded, moved with Franky to the middle of the bed then let out a deep breath once he was holding her in his arms.
"I erm......Simon and .Mami called my mobile while I was at the hotel, wondering where we were. Simon wanting to know if we'd enjoyed the gift he'd sent, called me an idiot when I told him what happened. Then he asked if I wanted him to sort an injunction out once he'd calmed down. I said no, but I will take one out if Erika causes us any more trouble."
"Okay. And Mami?"
"She wanted to know if we were having a good time and became very worried when the concierge told her we'd left separately following some sort of argument."
"Oh. Did you tell her what happened?"
"Ja I did and she wasn't happy.........in fact she was more furious with me than I can ever recall. She cried because she couldn't believe what I'd done to you. She even told me she wouldn't want anything to do with me if the divorce went ahead then slammed the phone down. It hurt to hear that, but I understand why she said it. She's never thought much of the women I dated until you came along. I know I've hurt her too, I just hope she'll forgive me, if only she'd talk to me."
"Sshhhh." Franky sighed raising her head, hearing him sniff as he finished speaking. "I'm sure she'll forgive you. Have your tried calling her?"
"Ja, five times. She doesn't answer." Urs nodded sadly, swallowing hard "Verdammen caller ID. I never thought I would push her to the point where she would disown me."
Franky sat herself up, gently touched his face and watched him close his eyes before she reached over him and retrieved the housephone.
"Come on Urs, you know she only said that out of anger. Try again."
Taking a deep breath, Urs opened his eyes, took hold of the handset and slowly dialled his family home.
"Franky, liebling. I've been trying........" Urs heard the gentle tone coming down the line.
"It's me Mami."
"Oh. So she's left the house then?"
"Nein, Franky's right here beside me. We're back together, for good."
"I'd like to hear her voice for myself, so would your father. He's more angry with you than I am you know?"
"I erm.......I can imagine. I'll put Franky on." Urs nodded then handed the handset to Franky
He took deep breath and listened while she explained to his parents that he had told the truth, watching her knock a tear from her cheek while she admitted that she had kicked his butt again, very hard this time. Chewing on her bottom lip once she'd explained exactly how, himself swallowing hard at the mention of divorce papers. A smile lighting up her face as 'I love yous' were exchanged before Franky handed the phone back.
"Why Urs? Why did you hurt her again?"
"Because I didn't realise...........You know how much heartbreak I've been through with all the others. I didn't want to go there again so I locked part my heart away, thinking that I would never be hurt so deeply again if I did that. I was so wrong because it hurt worse than ever. I admitted what I'd done to Franky and I didn't think she would forgive me at first. She has though and I've promised I won't do anything to hurt her again. I really do mean it this time. I know how much you love her and you wouldn't have blamed her if we had gone our separate ways. Now I know what a diamond I married. I just need your forgive........I'm sorry Mami, forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you and I'm sorry for saying I wouldn't want anything to do with you if the divorce went ahead. You're my son and I love you Urs, we both do, very much but I wouldn't haven't taken sides like that, neither would your father."
"Can I speak to him?"
"Of course."
"Well I hope you've learned your lesson this time Urs." His father's angry tone came down the line. "If I was there I would be kicking your butt and I don't mean with words. What you did was..........Sometimes I despair of you. I love you but.......Gott! Sometimes, the things you do or say are enough to make me wonder if you really know what loving someone is all about. I suppose I'll have to be happy that Franky taught you really hard lesson this time?"
"Ja, Papi. She did. I'm........sorry."
"And I forgive you." Jordi sighed, his voice much calmer following a few words from Lorella. "You should know that we would never give up on any of you. I know you went through a lot with the other girls, but that is no reason for you not to love Franky as much as she loves you is it?"
"Nein, Papi. No it's not."
"I suppose the others know what happened?" Lorella's voice came back on the line.
"Ja and I know I'm in for a rough time when we meet up later. I can take anything they care to dish out. I know I'll deserve it because I've hurt them too. I won't give up easily."
"Good. Then we'll say goodbye for now. We love you both."
"I know. Bye Mami, bye Papi." Urs nodded then hung up and returned the handset to the cradle. "Thank you." He sighed, settling himself down with Franky in his arms again and kissing her tenderly. "You are my very special angel. I am in heaven again and I know I will be for eternity. I love you Francesca Grace Buhler."
"I love you too Urs Toni Buhler, you big..........No." Franky replied with her head tucked under his chin.
"Say it." Urs instructed with a smile and his eyes lightly closed.
"No."
"Say it."
"No."
"Say it." Urs growled, tickling Franky a little, making her move to look at him.
"Okay. I love you Urs Toni Buhler, you big, dumb dummyhead." Franky informed seriously.
Not knowing what else to do after he'd nodded and wiped the tears from Franky's eyes, Urs held her a little tighter, both of them half laughing, half crying until it was time for them to leave for David and Lauren's home.
Turn the page.
______________

Chapter 47 - Not The Only One To Be Hurt
"Gott! You must have been scared." Urs shook his head, watching Sebastien rocking Marie gently after listening to him tell the story of her birth.
"Scared?! I was terrified. Her face was completely purple, I thought we'd gone through all that only to lose another child. I still don't know why I didn't panic."
"Probably because Emma needed you more."
"Hmmmn. Perhaps. Did it hurt much?"
"The pepper spray you mean?" Urs asked, noticing that Sebastien was looking closely as his eyes and nodding his head. "It was agony, the worst pain I've ever felt, even worse than the apendicitis."
"Franky hasn't said anything about me or Carlos punching you?"
"No, even if she did, I would tell her I deserved it." Urs shrugged. "You're stronger than you look you know? How's the hand you hit me with?"
"Fine. It's only bruised. Good job David didn't punch you huh?"
"Ja." Urs nodded slowly, his eyes widening thinking that the American would more than likely have broken his jaw if he'd hit him or cracked it at the very least.
"You got to have any checks buddy?" David questioned coming into his kitchen and giving his right shoulder a squeeze.
"Ja, just to check the corneal sensitivity. The worst thing wasn't my eyes though, it was not being able to breath properly all that time, that and the coughing. My chest was killing me by the time I stopped."
"Franky must really hate Erika now."
"No Carlos." Urs shook his head, watching the Spaniard's eyes widen in surprise. "You know she's never said that about anyone, not even Jamie. In fact she said she saw a lot of pain in Erika's eyes, not real hatred for her like she did in Jamie's."
"Well, despite the confident manner, Erika rarely got the better of Jamie when they argued, did she?" David shrugged.
"Don't remind me." Urs rolled his eyes. "They had some doozies and Erika always ended up crying. I think she was worse than me for burying her pain."
"Never would talk about it?"
"Nein Seb. Wouldn't let me comfort her either."
"Didn't you ever try talking to her parents?"
"Once." Urs nodded. "At least I tried to, she wouldn't give me any contact details and the one time I did manage to make contact, her father slammed the phone down almost as soon as I mentioned her name. To this day I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure I heard him call her a worthless little bitch. He sounded drunk and there was a woman talking in the background, sounding just as drunk, presumably her mother. I thought it better to leave it alone after that. What's up with you?" He asked, looking at closed-eyed and shuddering Sebastien.
"Just remembering some of those arguments Jamie and Erika had, especially that one that got physical."
"Oh yeah! What kicked that off anyway?" David nodded slowly.
"Erika walking into the restaurant wearing the dress I'd refused to buy Jamie earlier the same day. Remember Jamie screeched at her, Erika said something back, the next thing we know they're trying to scratch each other's eyes out and we're struggling to seperate them."
"I remember." Urs nodded. "That was the night Jamie almost broke my nose. That was the one and only time I've ever been thrown out of a restaurant by the way."
"Don't remind me and we weren't thrown out, we were asked to leave......very impolitely." Sebastien shuddered. "Think yourself lucky you didn't have to deal with Jamie when we got back. Six o'clock in the morning she finally stopped raging and stormed off to bed. I ended up sleeping on the couch because I hadn't defended her. She made Carlos look like he doesn't have a temper. How did Erika react?"
"Scared. Of what Jamie might do to get her own back. She wanted to go home that night, but couldn't get a flight. Then we argued about that and other things. I ended up on the couch too. Woke up the next morning and she was gone. I called her, but she flat out refused to come back unless Jamie wasn't around. Of course she stayed until the end of the tour and Erika......Well, we all know what she did."
"What did Erika say to spark Jamie off in the first place?"
"That at least she had what it took to fill the dress and didn't look like boy wearing a dress in it, David. Did Jamie even try it on?" Urs nodded, knowing that Erika had been right, she did look good in the short, figure-hugging, one-shouldered red and black dress and recalling she'd even thanked him with a kiss when he'd told her so.
"Oui. I refused to buy it because even the smallest size would need adjustment for it to fit properly and that would have ruined the cut, according to the sales assistant."
"Why are we standing here talking about past bad relationships anyway?" Carlos asked, looking into the lounge where the women were playing with the children and smiling when he saw Barbara-Jean with Carina.
"Because it makes us appreciate the good relationships we have now I guess." David shrugged.
"When did you get so smart?" Urs asked, laughing a little.
"I have my moments......they're rare........but I do have them. Not that Grandpa would understand anyway, he's never had a bad relationship."
"You don't think so?" Carlos queried, turning back to his giggling brothers and raising one eyebrow, knowing David was referring to him.
"Who?" Urs, David and Sebastien asked almost as one, their faces changing to ones of astonishment.
"Manuela."
"No. You two got on great."
"In public si. Behind the closed doors was completely different. She would kick the leg I broke if she thought I'd flirted too much during a show, could no understand it was an act. Then I asked her to marry me and she said she would only accept if I quit the group. I refused, she kicked me and I spent that night on the couch. When I woke up the next morning she was on the phone to a friend, telling them that if I did change my mind I would never be a father by her, laughing while she asked them what woman in her right mind would want a child with me and saying she would get rid of it, like she had the others if that were to happen but that her new implant should prevent that problem arising again. I asked her to explain when she'd hung up, she refused so I ended the relationship. She kicked me again, called me of the selfish, packed and left without shedding a tear or looking back. I found out a few months later that...........that she'd had two abortions during our relationship."
"I guess Callie was yours." Sebastien asked, shaking his head at what Carlos had revealed but looking at David, both of them and Urs knowing that the Spaniard had just admitted he'd lied to them about how that relationship had ended.
"No. Don't get me wrong, I hate the way I found out about Adam, it still hurts to think about him. No Callie and me always got on great." David sighed. "The woman that really broke my heart would be Darcy. She dumped me after I refused to have cosmetic surgery." He laughed and shook his head. "Gave me a list of what she considered my flaws and what her father would charge to put them right. I told her that if she couldn't accept me the way I was there was no point our relationship continuing, she says 'fine' and tells me I'll never get anywhere with the way I look. I wonder what she would say now?" He finished, grinning.
The four men laughed together then started to move towards the lounge so that the visiting couples could go home. Each of them stopped on the threshold when they saw the image that greeted them and smiled at each other.
The four women had settled on the couches with the children and all were sleeping. Frank was on his mother's chest, Sylvie cuddled up against Franky. Stephanie was in much the same postion against Lauren who was cradling Jefferson. Barbara-Jean was seated with Carina curled up in her arms and Emma's feet in her lap.
"You got your camera handy?" Urs asked David quietly, watching Sebastien place a now peacefully sleeping Marie on her mother without disturbing either of them.
"Duuuuuuh." The tall American laughed then retrieved the camera from its current position and took five photographs, one group shot then seperate ones of each woman and with her children or child. "I suppose you all want copies?"
"Duuuuuuh." Carlos, Sebastien and Urs retorted laughingly.
Urs lay in bed later that night with a sleeping Franky snuggled up tight against him, knowing that he'd finally used some of the hurt he'd suffered in his lovelife to sing the songs on 'Dedicia' as his singing teacher had always told him to, particularly in the sad songs. He resolved to carry on in that vein with future albums and wondered if he really had seen tears in Simon Cowell's eyes after he'd listened to their most recent effort.
"Urs Buhler you do get some really stupid ideas sometimes. That'll be the day we ever manage to do that." He huffed, rolled his eyes and fell asleep.
Turn the page.
_____________

Chapter 48 - Gabriel's Fuming
Urs smiled as he looked in the mirror, happy to see that his eyes were almost back to normal, just a little bit of redness remained in the corners near his nose. The right eye looking worse than the left, as it had since Erika had sprayed him with pepper spray. He shuddered, recalling how much it had burned and how hard Franky had tried to stop him rubbing at his eyes, screaming for an ambulance to be called at the top of her lungs whilst trying to hold his hands down.
He looked at his wrists, relieved to see there were no injuries there, he couldn't remember what the paramedics had used to tie him to the stretcher once they'd arrived and didn't really care. Despite his agony they'd remained calm and had done their best to calm both himself and Franky down. He even had a very vague memory of one of them insisting on checking her blood pressure as they were driven to the hospital, though he couldn't recall hearing her protest as she normally would.
He raised his head, touched the bruises on his face and winced, they were still very sore despite the icepacks Franky had applied over the last couple of days. Thankfully they weren't a deep dark purple anymore, there were signs they were beginning to turn green, just around the edge. His eyes widened, thinking that he'd never thought Carlos or Sebastien strong enough to hurt him that badly.
"Weird how strong anger can make you huh?" He heard Franky's voice questioning from his right side, her fingers lacing with his.
"Ja. It is. Makes me wonder what damage I would have done to.......to Erika if I had hit her like I wanted to. Glad I didn't now. The kids awake yet?"
"Yeah. Sylvie's downstairs waiting for David to pick her up. Frank's in his playpen, banging away on his drumset. I only left him to get some painkillers, my head feels like there's someone pounding away on the World's biggest base drum."
"Migraine?" Urs queried, watching Franky rub at her temples, knowing that she suffered from them once in a while, particularly if she'd been under a lot of stress.
"No. I don't feel sick or sensitive to light like I normally do. I'll be fine once I've taken something."
"Okay. If you're sure. Why don't you take a shower first for change? I'll go and give Frank his breakfast." Urs nodded then placed a gentle kiss on her lips before leaving the en-suite bathroom.
He took a look over his shoulder as he reached the door and watched her swallow the pills while she looked at him. He returned the smile she gave him then moved his eyes lower down her body and saw her belly move as the twins kicked at the same time.
Smiling, he walked towards the nursery and stood over Frank, watching him pound away unrythmically on the drumset, wondering if he would ever have any talent for the instrument. Not really caring either way, he picked his son up, carried him downstairs and placed him in his highchair. With the safety straps fastened, he headed towards the fridge and pulled out his favourite breakfast food. He spooned the yogurt out into his 'Superman' dish, chopped up the fresh fruit then set the whole lot down in front of the hungry little boy.
"Dada eee." Frank gurgled, offering a slice of apple in his yoghurt covered hand.
"No. Dada's eaten already. Tummy full." Urs replied, patting his stomach.
"Fank get big stong boy too? Lie Dada?"
"Ja, you will." Urs nodded again then sat watching every mouthful Frank took until he'd finished, snatching the bowl away before he could turn it upside down and place it on his head as he usually did.
With the bowl in the sink, he returned to the fridge and huffed when he couldn't find the juice Frank usually had after his breakfast.
"It's all gone. Lauren ran out and gave Jefferson some of Frank's." He heard Sylvie informing from beside him and turned to face her. "Mami forgot to pick it up yesterday. David's just buzzed, I've got to go." She informed with a smile, standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Have a good day." Urs returned, watching Sylvie ruffle Frank's curls as she passed him. "Sorry kiddo. Looks like you'll have to have some water this morning. Good job Mami keeps some flavoured ones in huh?"
"Fank wan shawbry."
Forgetting to correct him, Urs pulled a half empty bottle of strawberry flavoured water from the fridge, filled up his cup and handed it to him, refusing to let go until he'd thanked him.
"What?" He asked when he saw Franky standing in the kitchen doorway shaking her head.
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does. What did I do wrong?"
"Okay. You know what we agreed. It's not 'I want' it's 'I wou....'."
"I would like. Sorry."
"No need to apologise, I've made the same mistake a few times. That's your first time as far as I recall."
"Yeah, I think it is." Urs smiled though it quickly dropped when he saw the anxious look on Franky's face. "What's wrong?"
"Gabe called like he usually does before he brings the paperwork over. He sounded angry. I think he knows about what happened in Paris."
"Oh. He'll probably have something to say to me then?"
"More than likely."
Urs heard her sigh heavily and walked over to her, took hold of her hands and pressed his forehead lightly against hers.
"Don't tell me you're scared?"
"That'll be the day." Franky huffed. "I could just do without him going off on one that's all. Let me deal with him."
"Look." Urs smiled. "I know how you two think of each other and I understand why Gabe is willing to hurt anyone who hurts you. If he goes too far, let me deal with him."
"Okay, but no getting physical."
"That will depend on what he says and how he says it. I'm not making any promise like that in case he oversteps the mark. Okay?"
"Okay, only if he oversteps the mark but not in front of Frank."
Urs nodded his agreement, raised his and looked towards the door as the gate buzzer went. He released Franky and moved to answer it, leaving her to take Frank out of his highchair. Informing that Gabriel was on his way up the drive as he came into the lounge. Both of them hearing the spray of gravel hit the front door as he pulled up outside. Urs opened the front door for him, saw the furious look he was given as Gabriel stormed towards the lounge and stood before Franky, who'd placed herself on one of the couches with Frank on her lap.
"Something wrong Gabe?" She asked, raising her smiling face to meet his.
"Don't Franky. Don't you even try to pretend you had a good time in Paris. I know different and it was all down to the jackass you married."
"Oh no it wasn't!" Franky yelled, standing up to face him once she'd put Frank on the couch. "And for your information I had a wonderful birthday and wedding anniversary. All that crap didn't happen until the following day and there was a third party involved. What the hell business is it of yours anyway?"
"Oh that's nice. Someone hurts my sister and I'm not supposed to do anything about it. Just great Franky. Thanks a lot."
"Now you know how I felt when Shona was pestering you to quit the garage and take up that modelling contract don't you? Calling you every five minutes and giving you a black eye when you refused to do as she'd asked."
"That was years ago." Gabriel snapped back.
"Not that long ago. Six years isn't that long." Franky yelled, her eyes angrier than Urs had ever seen them. "What did you think you were going to do? Did you think I would let you come in here and punch the crap out of Urs?"
"Why not? It's what you wanted to do to Shona once I'd told you the truth."
"Yeah! And you stopped me, said you'd finished with her anyway and got me to calm down. You should know I would handle things differently by now. Urs knows what a huge mistake he's made and I've forgiven him for it. The way you go on, anyone would think I was perfect, that I never do anything wrong. I'm damned well not Gabe, I've made mistakes too and you know it."
"Pfft! Nothing like he has though."
"So what? It's none of your business." Franky sighed, re-taking her seat. "Just give me the paperwork and go. I don't need this right now, I have a headache already, don't need you making it worse."
"I'm not the only jackass in the room, am I Gabe?" Urs asked, settling himself beside Franky and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Do you really want me to tell Franky what you'd planned to do a few weeks before your wedding and who talked you out of it?"
"You promised you never would." Gabriel replied, looking at Urs wide eyed and swallowing hard.
"And I've kept that promise, no-one else knows except you, me and Christie."
"Gabriel? What's going on?" Franky asked and watched Gabriel lower his head ashamedly, unable to say anything for several minutes.
"I was......I was going to run off okay? Had all my stuff packed, in my locker at the garage. I was just getting ready to leave when Urs turned up to pick up something for you. He figured out what I was up to and talked me out of it."
"You were going to leave Christie standing at the altar?" Franky gasped and watched her brother nod slowly. "Without so much as a reason why?"
"Yes."
"Gabriel Harris, I never thought you of all people would do something like that! Why anyway? Tell me."
"One of her exes was sniffing around and she was talking to him. I thought she was still in love with him. Didn't want to have my heart broken again so I thought it would be better if I just left them to it. I hadn't even asked her what he wanted. Urs said I couldn't hurt her like that. He made me go and talk to her."
"Damn it Gabe, how many times have I told you not to make assumptions?"
"I lost count.......after ten." Gabriel shrugged. "Anyway, turns out his mother had died and left her some money. Not much, a few hundred and she was refusing to take it. I'd never felt so stupid and I'd never seen Christie so angry at me for doubting her. I thought she was going to cancel the wedding, but she didn't. I made Urs promise never to tell you 'cos I knew how hard you would kick my ass. Christie forgave me.......just as easily as you've forgiven Urs I guess."
"Easy?!" Urs hufffed a quick laugh and took hold of head-shaking Franky's hand. "After what I did? No, Gabe it wasn't easy. At one point I really thought Franky wasn't going to forgive me at all. I got the hardest butt-kicking I've ever had the other day then she forgave me. I've never been that scared of her. I know how much she loves me now, no-one's ever going to break us apart."
"Yeah. I know." Gabriel nodded then turned to look at Franky. "I'm sorry for storming in here like a bull in a china shop."
"Why change the habit of a lifetime?" Franky laughed then stood to face him with outstretched arms, offering a hug which Gabriel quickly accepted. "I know you love me like a sister and you know I feel the same about you. When are you going to get it that I don't need you to defend me or fight my battles anymore Gabe? I'm a big girl now. I can sort my own problems out."
"Guess I've got it now." Gabriel smiled, kissed Franky's forehead then hugged her before turning his attention to Urs. "Sorry Urs. She's right. I had no right to interfere unless you'd got physical with her and I know that will never happen no matter how bad the argument."
"No. It won't." Urs shook his head as he stood and took hold the hand Gabriel was offering only to feel himself being yanked into a quick brotherly hug.
Once Gabriel had released Urs, he handed over the garage's paperwork, gave Frank's cheek a tweak then left, this time riding down the drive a lot slower than he had up it.
"You're not as angry as I thought you would be." Urs stated once he was back in the lounge.
"About what?"
"That I kept my promise to Gabe but didn't to you."
"As long as you intend to keep those promises you made after the Paris thing, because I don't want to ever get that mad at you again, I forgive you."
"We are never going there again." Urs nodded placing a quick kiss on Franky's lips. "I fully intend to keep every one of those promises I made. What mistakes have you ever made?" He asked, watching Franky flick through the papers she held and hearing her sniff. "Franky, what's wrong angel?"
"It's all right. I still can't believe I did what I did.........to my mother. That was the biggest mistake I ever made."
"What was?" Urs asked, re-taking his seat, taking the papers from her hand and placing them on the coffee table.
"When me and dad were told how long she had left.....I couldn't accept it so I.....I refused to go and see her. Buried myself in working at the garage or at the rink. Gabe had had enough by the third day and locked me in the garage at closing time. We had one hell of a shouting match, anyone walking by would have thought we were a couple the way we carried on. He said he didn't want me to live with the heartache and guilt he felt. He hadn't been to see his mother when she was dying.....despite her pleas for him to do so. He didn't even go to the funeral home once she'd gone. I only had to look at him to realise what a huge mistake I was making, I'd never seen him hurting that much. I went to see mum that night and saw much the same look in her eyes. She was in that much pain she couldn't hug me when I told her I was sorry. She couldn't really do anything except hold my hands and tell me there was nothing to forgive, she understood how hard it was for me to see her like that. Dad walked in on us, looking really angry at me until mum gave him a certain look, the look that always seemed to say she would kick his ass if he started on me. He rolled his eyes backwards, then nodded and offered me a hug. Once mum was asleep, he told me how she'd spent those days crying because I wasn't there. I felt so guilty, so ashamed, so selfish. She died two days later, with a smile on her face after watching me and dad Waltz around her room. She always loved seeing us do that even though dad did have two left feet and always trod on my toes. I really wanted to run from that room once she'd gone but I knew I had to stay for dad's sake. Once they'd taken her away, we left together and bumped into Lauren just as we stepped out onto the pavement. She was on her way to see mum. She got us both in a taxi and took us home once I'd told her mum had gone. Dad wanted to be on his own and insisted I go home with Lauren. As soon as I got through the door, I screamed like I never have before but not for what I'd lost, for the way I'd hurt my mum and dad. Don't ever let our children get like that if I ever get seriously ill. It's not any easy memory to carry with you. I don't want them to ever feel that much pain. "
"I promise." Urs nodded, sniffing back his own tears while he watched Franky dry hers and take a few deep breaths.
"Anyway, I'd better get on with the books. Don't want to be dealing with that lot if their pay isn't in their accounts by Saturday morning." Franky smiled as she picked up the papers.
"I thought you were going to start paying them monthly. Most people get paid that way now."
"I know." Franky nodded then pulled a sheet of paper out. "Just been waiting for this. One of them switched banks a couple of weeks ago and I didn't want to make those arrangments until I'd got this form. It's taken all that time for him to find it."
"Who?"
"Take a guess." Franky grunted a laugh and rolled her eyes.
"Gabe?"
"No. Blair."
Urs laughed and shook his head, knowing the man Franky had just mentioned was the most organised of her workers, could normally put his hands on anything immediately and went crazy if someone messed up his work area. He heard Franky giggling and chuckled himself as he watched her crossing the office threshold. Knowing that she would be a while, he tried to think of something he could do to keep him occupied only to come up with nothing.
The house phone rang a few moments later, he answered and quickly agreed to taking Rex for a nice long walk with David and Frank since Lauren was at work, her parents had taken Jefferson out for the day and David was bored.
With Frank well bundled up against the cold and in his pushchair, he met David where they'd agreed and ended up taking Rex at least five miles for his walk. Frank enjoying every minute, babbling excitedly or laughing at the dog's antics. David looking very red-faced and breathing very hard as they split and headed for home, having been pulled over twice and got tangled up in the leash, though Urs could swear he'd done that on purpose.
He walked through the door to find Franky curled up on the sofa, fast asleep with a smile on her face and her hands resting on her bulge. A look towards the tv told him she'd been watching their wedding DVD and it was just reaching the point where they'd danced together to Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' as man and wife for the first time. He took a seat close by and continued to watch with Frank on his lap.
"Mamiangel."
"Ja, she is." Urs nodded in agreement with yawning Frank, watching the loving way Franky looked at him as they finished the dance thinking what a prize idiot he'd been to ever deny her all of his heart but happy and relieved that he'd finally found the courage to tell her and she loved him enough to forgive him for hurting her like that.
Finally, that slight heavy pain he'd carried in his heart for so long was gone, leaving him feeling freer than ever and it felt so good to have let it go. Hearing a noise come from Frank's direction, he sniffed and knowing exactly what he'd done, took him upstairs to change him.
"Ich kann nicht warten, bis sie WC sind geschult." He informed with a nod and wrinkled nose as he removed the dirty nappy.
He watched a look of bemusement spread across Frank's face and, knowing that he didn't understand a word, laughed heartly as he set about cleaning him up.
Turn the page.
___________________

Chapter 49 - Please Don't Leave Me
"Did they say how long it's going to take?" Urs heard Sebastien questioning as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's been a while since we arrived."
"No. At least an hour I should imagine. What time is it anyway?"
"Almost four." Carlos replied on seeing that Urs wasn't wearing his watch and the clock in the room wasn't working.
"Already? Gott." Urs exclaimed, trying to remember what time the police officer had dropped him outside Accident and Emergency and closed his eyes when he couldn't.
He let out a long breath, knowing that Franky's collapsed lung had been dealt with before she'd been taken to an operating theatre. He didn't have clue how long it would take to repair her spleen or to remove it if it couldn't be saved. He had an idea that would have to be dealt with before the broken femur, but was it possible that two doctors were working on her at the same time? The fracture looked like it would need a lot of metalwork inserting to fix it and the surgeon hadn't been able to say for sure if Franky would ever skate again on seeing the x-rays. The only two things he was certain of right now, were that she would be immobile for a while and would be on strong painkillers.
"Aren't you going to find the bastard that caused the so called accident?" His inner voice continually kicked. "Cause him the same amount of pain at least, if not more? It's what he deserves, isn't it?"
"I want to but Franky wouldn't want me to. Despite the fact he's in pain already, I want to cause him more. Beat him within an inch of his life." Urs muttered, his hands covering his face for a few seconds.
"Have you called your mother yet? You know how she feels about Franky." David asked with a heavy sigh, not knowing what Urs had just said because he'd spoken in less than a whisper and no-one else seemed to have heard him.
"No. I erm......I want to be sure Franky makes it through the operation all right before I do that." Urs closed his eyes and shook his head after looking down to a sleeping Sylvie.
"There's a chance she could.....die?"
"There's always a chance of that happening with any operation Seb. You know that." Emma sniffed and shook her head. "And with those injuries.........."
"They erm......They said she's probably going to need physio therapy to.....to get the feeling back in her legs. I suppose similar to what Seb went through, Emma?"
"Yeah. Swimming will do her good too."
"That's all right then. She'll be able to do that when she comes home."
"She won't be home for a while Urs. If the damage is that bad, they won't let her leave until she can manage steps on crutches at the very least."
"I could carry her upstairs."
"No. You can't baby her like that." Emma snapped and looked to Lauren. "She has to get back on her feet and it's going to be a long road by the sound of things. Torn ligaments can take a long time to heal. She might even limp for a while."
"They said." Urs nodded, running his hands down his face as a knock came at the door and Franky's surgeon walked in, carrying a brown envelope in her left hand. "How's she doing?" He asked the tired looking, dark-haired woman who'd taken a seat opposite him.
"Just fine." She smiled, retrieving an x-ray from the envelope and raising it towards the light.
"That will be permanent won't it?" Urs asked, his eyes wide after seeing the metalwork they'd used to mend Franky's broken thigh.
"I'm afraid so. Her leg will be almost as before and if she wants to skate again, she will have to wear a full-length brace, a strong sports one."
"I'm going to kill him!" Urs yelled, launching from his seat and heading for the door only to feel someone grabbing hold of his arm and turning him back.
"Don't talk like that." Sebastien requested with an attempted smile, reminding Urs of what he'd said to his French friend following Jamie's running down of Emma when Sebastien had said much the same thing. "You're not certain he's involved yet are you?"
"Nein. Nein I'm not. Thanks Seb." Urs nodded with his eyes closed before turning his attention to the surgeon who'd performed Franky's operation. "Can I see her now?"
"In moment or two." Sarin, nodded, rubbing her tired face. "I just need to prepare you for what you'll see first."
Urs nodded, retook his seat and listened carefully to Sarin while she explained that Franky was breathing on her own but they did have her connected up to heart and blood pressure monitor, that enough blood had leaked into her abdomen for her to need a blood transfusion and they would be keeping a very close eye on her for the next twenty-four hours.
Following that Urs gently woke Sylvie and the whole group made their way up to the floor where Franky's room was. Urs decided to go in first leaving Sylvie to head for another waiting room with Lauren and everyone else once he'd told her what she would see. He pushed the door open after taking a deep breath and moved to sit beside her, carefully taking hold of her free hand while he looked at the monitors, still able to hear his heart pounding in his chest, the way he had since he'd got the news of what happened.
"Urs." Franky sighed quietly after a few moments, her eyes barely open, gripping his right hand tightly.
"I'm here angel. I'm here." He smiled, lifting himself from the chair and leaning over so that she could see him. "You're going to be okay."
"No. I can't.......can't feel my legs."
"I know. I know." Urs nodded, wiping her tears away, ignoring his own. "It's okay Franky, it's just nerve and tendon damage, that's all."
"Don't lie. I'm paralysed aren't I? Please, tell me the truth. Please Urs. Please." Franky demanded, wriggling, trying to get her legs to move.
"No. I'm not lying." Urs shook his head, pressing the call button. "Please keep still Franky, you could do more damage to yourself than has already been done. Please, please keep still." He commanded as the door flew open. "She's panicking. Can't you give her something to calm her down?"
"Already in hand." The nurse smiled, pushing a syringe into the catheter in back of Franky's hand and pressing the plunger. "It's only a mild sedative to keep her calm. I'll get Doctor Knight to come in and talk to her, she'll be under his care from now on."
"Thank you." Urs nodded then turned his attention back to Franky. "Everyone's waiting to see you."
"Not right now." Franky shook her head, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I don't want them to see me like......"
"Hey! Don't push them away. You wouldn't let me when I was blind, I'm not going to let you now."
"Okay. When I've......"
Urs watched tears rolling down her cheeks while he sniffed back his own, wanting to take her in his arms and hold her tight, but knowing that he couldn't at the moment. He swallowed hard, took hold of both her hands and squeezed gently until he heard Doctor Knight come in.
Keeping his eyes focused on Franky while he listened to the man explain everything, only moving them to glance at the x-rays again when they were shown to Franky.
"I'm sorry." Franky sniffed once Doctor Knight had left.
"It's all right." Urs shook his head, wiping her face gently with a tissue and attempting a smile. "Can they come in now? Just for a minute or two? They're really worried, especially Sylvie."
Franky nodded and took a few deep breaths while Urs went to fetch Sylvie. He returned quickly and simply listened while the two of them talked. Smiling a little as he watched Franky wipe Sylvie's tears away while telling that she was going to be just fine and asking her to be good because she was going to be in hospital for a while. Swallowing hard as the two hugged lightly before saying goodbye.
Allowing a slow, rumbling growl to escape as each couple made their way in and she asked them to keep an eye on him. His eyes rolling backwards when they agreed without question. Giving her a kiss on the cheek when everyone decided it was time to leave and holding Sylvie's hand until she was strapped into the people carrier. Looking at the ambulance that pulled up as they drove away, but ignoring it once it stopped outside the Oncology Department and turning back into the hospital without so much as a second thought.
Stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the same two police officers he'd spoken to while Franky was being operated on and listening carefully to what they told him. Argung quietly with Doctor Knight about telling her, eventually agreeing that she'd been caused enough distress for the day. Spending a few minutes pacing angrilly in the corridor outside Franky's room before taking a deep breath and making his way back in.
"Problem? You look angrier than I've ever seen." Franky asked drowsily as he took hold of her hands again.
"No. No problem. Just tired and upset about what's happened, that's all." Urs smiled and shook his head. "You just rest. I'm not going anywhere, not yet anyway."
"Okay." Franky nodded, closing her eyes and finally allowing sleep to take over.
Recalling the pain he'd seen Sebastien in and knowing that Franky faced a much longer road to recovery than he had, Urs placed himself in the easy chair and resolved to be there for her every step of the way while he watched her sleep.
"This has got to stop somewhere angel." He sighed, touching her face and fighting to stop his tears from falling again. "I can't take much more of this. It's killing me........sitting here.....seeing you like this.....wishing it was me. I know that bastard was involved now but I......Gott Franky, whatever the reason he's in here, I hope he dies. I'm sitting here wishing there was a way for......a way for me to get into that prison. I don't understand how you can say you don't want Ja........that bitch dead. She doesn't deserve to go on living and believe me........if I could I would put an end to her, even if it meant I would......Oh I don't know.........I don't know. While I was waiting I thought about selling the house, moving away from here to keep you safe, but that would be running away.......wouldn't it? And I promised not to run away anymore didn't I? Besides which I love living here, never thought I would but I do. So I'm going to hold on to the hope that the po.......that one day Ja.....one day Jamie will get what she truly deserves."
He dried his eyes, called home, told Saskia that he would not be going back until the next morning at the earliest then closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, dreams of all the good times he and Franky had shared filling every second.
Turn the page.
_______________

Chapter 50 - More Upset
Showered and dressed, Urs made his way downstairs to the kitchen where he found Merle busy preparing breakfast, Frank sitting in his highchair, Sylvie feeding him.
"You all right liebling?" He asked, giving the puffy-eyed girl's head a touch.
"Nein. Mir gefiel ihr Vater. Wirklich, wirklich mochte sie."
"I know you did." Urs sighed, taking a seat beside Sylvie, recalling how hard she'd cried after being told what Saskia had done. "But I'm not sorry I fired her. I couldn't let her get away with what she did."
"I know." Sylvie nodded. "Have you told Mami yet?"
"Nein. I'm going to do it today."
"Are we going to get another au pair?"
"I don't know yet. I'll have to wait and see what Mami says. Left to me, I would hire someone much older. Don't think we'll be able to start looking until Mami's out of hospital though and they'll have to be free to start work, we can't expect Aunt Merle to stay for too long."
"You know Moritz is fine with me staying as long as you need me." Merle reminded, setting a plateful of freshly made rosti on the table and nodding at her brother to help himself.
"I'm not hungry." Urs shook his head, though the aroma filling the kitchen reminded him of home.
"Don't care, you're not leaving this house until you've eaten." Merle returned, grabbing a plate, dumping several rosti onto it and shoving it at him. "You hardly touched your dinner last night. Knowing you're tired is bad enough, you're not going out hungry too. Now eat."
"You're worse than Mami."
"And don't you forget it."
Urs huffed a laugh then picked up his fork and started eating, wondering where on earth his sister had got the idea that he could manage four, he'd never eaten that many when his mother had made rosti for breakfast. A smile found its way across his face as he looked towards where the freezer was housed, knowing that there were still a few of his favourites in there, made by his mother while he'd been suffering with Chicken Pox. His eyes widened a little, recalling the familiar aromas he smelled drifting their way up to the master bedroom and the frown he'd worn when what he'd recognised the smell of wasn't served up at mealtimes. Franky explaining after a day or so what was happening downstairs, telling him how full the freezer was and how his mother had patiently shown her how to make a few simple dishes, most of them his favourites.
Hearing the gate buzzer go, he stood quickly, made his way to the front door and looked at the small screen before pushing the button to allow David to pass through. He opened the door and stood waiting, yawning loudly until he'd heard David's car pull to a stop and he was standing in front of him.
"You look like shit."
"Thanks. I feel like it too." Urs replied, taking the brochures David had in hand and giving one a quick flick through as the two of them made their way into the house.
"Don't tell me you broke another bed before all this crap happened."
"No!" Urs yelled then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry David. I haven't had much sleep, been trying to think how I should tell Franky that I fired Saskia yesterday."
"You did what? Why?"
Urs took a deep breath then told David what he'd seen and heard the au pair doing in the master bedroom when he'd taken Merle to the house.
"My God! No wonder you look furious. Does Sylvie know?"
"Told her last night. She spent most of the night crying about it."
"And you? How did you handle it?"
"Spent I don't know how long down in the gym once she was in bed." Urs shrugged. "She was my choice you know? Franky wanted someone else, the only other one who actually paid attention to what she was asking and didn't try flirting with me."
"The one who'd only just qualified but didn't have any experience of working for a family?"
"Ja." Urs sighed and shook his head. "The one who's now working for minor royalty."
"Well you're not psychic are you? You weren't to know what she would get up to and she did come with excellent references. Think she'll go to the press?"
"Doubt it after the phone call I made to the agency. Anyway, thanks for these." Urs shrugged again, holding up the brochures. "I'd better go and tell Franky what happened."
"No worries." David shook his head as he stood. "Look, why don't you let us take Sylvie and Frank for a few days. Merle's got enough on her plate with the twins."
"You want to try telling her that?" Urs shook his head, knowing that David and Lauren had made the same offer the day before.
"That stubborn streak runs in the family huh?"
"I guess it does." Urs nodded, huffing a quick laugh at David's teasing.
"Well the offer's there if you or Merle change your minds."
"I know. Thanks."
After David had left, Urs returned to the kitchen, retrieved the key to the Odyssey and kissed Sylvie and Frank before heading out to the garage, swallowing hard when he heard Frank ask where Sakia was. Telling Sylvie had been hard enough, he couldn't even begin to think how he should tell the little boy in a way that he would understand. God knows he'd spent most of the previous night tossing and turning, pacing up and down the bedroom, trying to think of what to say. Finally deciding that perhaps it would be better if he and Franky told him together.
He drove to the hospital, stopping off on the way to pick up a large bunch of Roses and a basket of fruit and paid for three hours parking once he'd found a space. Once inside, he made his way quickly to Franky's room and smiled when Nurse Brooker told him that she'd had a relatively comfortable night.
Quietly, he pushed the door open and smiled a little broader when he saw Franky sitting up a little, though still with all the equipment attached to her battered body.
"You look like shit." Franky informed as he pulled back from a kiss, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his hair. "What's up? Couldn't sleep without me?"
"No. I erm.........I fired Saskia yesterday morning."
"What?! Why?" Franky shook her head. "Don't you tell me you got home to find her abusing or neglecting the children!"
"No. The kids are fine." Urs informed, perching on the bed and taking hold of her hands before telling her what had happened, watching her eyes fill with tears, feeling her body shaking with anger.
"GOD DAMN IT!! WHY DID I LISTEN TO YOU? I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING NOT RIGHT WITH HER. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD, THREE AU PAIR POSITIONS ALREADY BEHIND HER. I KNEW THAT WASN'T............GOD!" Franky yelled, tears streaming down her face and her head shaking for a few moments. "I'm sorry for blaming you. I thought you were right to choose someone with plenty of experience and such glowing references. I never thought she would do anything like that. How have Sylvie and Frank reacted? What about the money we owe her."
"It's okay. I'm just as angry as you are. Sylvie cried, Frank I haven't told yet. Don't know how to tell him. Thought we should do that together. She'll get paid, then fired by the agency too." Urs informed, wiping Franky's eyes and watching her nod. "What are we going to do about it? Find someone else?"
"If you want us to go on tour with you we're going to have to honey. Frank's getting to be a bit of handful, always running off when he sees something he likes the look of."
"I know." Urs nodded, recalling that he'd let Frank out of his pushchair while on a visit to the city, how he'd refused to hold his hand and had run off towards a display of Superman toys before he could get hold of him.
He couldn't even begin to imagine having that happen if he'd had Kurt and Serena with him as well. It had taken him over a minute to get to him, doing so with a double-buggy would have been a nightmare within the narrow confines of the particular shop. He sighed, remembering how angry he'd been at his son for doing what he had and how the little boy had cried while he snuffled an apology. No, Franky was not going to go through that.
"All right, we'll find another one. Once you're out of here though."
"You can't expect Merle to stay that long."
"Don't you start." Urs commanded with a huffed laugh. "I had that argument with her last night and she called Moritz. He's fine with her staying as long as we need her. Told me it would give him chance to make a good start on his next project. Apparently it's going to be big, a twelve foot statue, though he wouldn't say who it is."
"Whoever it is, he'll do a wonderful job." Franky nodded. "Those of me and my mother are amazing. No wonder you wanted them on display above the fireplace. It's the perfect position for them."
"I'm a bit good at that aren't I? Deciding where our works of art should go I mean."
"Careful now or that head of yours won't fit through the door." Franky teased back, smiling broadly. "But yes you are. I never thought you would find that box with my medals and trophies in, never mind that you would display them in my office like that."
"I don't know why you hid them from me. So what if they're mostly second and third places. Nothing to be ashamed of you know?" Urs nodded, smiling more before reliving the memory of finding the old shoebox on the top shelf in the closet near the front door.
He'd discovered that a waterpipe had developed a leak shortly after New Year and everything had had to be taken out for a plumber to repair it. Franky hadn't been home at the time and the shoebox had been the last item to be removed. He'd taken it into the lounge, discovered the medals, still in their boxes and two trophies, dull and tarnished all bearing Franky's full name.
Following a quick check in the garage, he'd found an appropriate piece of wood and had crafted a display for them once he'd polished everything up. He could still remember the look of astonishment he'd seen on Franky's face when he'd shown her what he done on her return and how he'd playfully scolded her for lying to him about never competing on the ice. Her reminding him that she'd never said any such thing, what she'd actually said was that she preferred performing and if he'd looked at the dates on the medals he would have realised than there were none dated after she'd turned twelve years of age.
"So. I guess the brochures are for us to choose a new bed?" Franky's voice brought him back from his reverie.
"Yeah." Urs nodded, handed her the catalogues and watched her turn a few pages, showing him what she liked and curling his nose up in disgust at several selections until they reached the final catalogue.
"How about this one then?" She asked exasperatedly, showing him a picture of a chocolate coloured leather sleigh bed, blowing out a breath at the price.
"That's the one. I'll order it as soon as I get home." Urs nodded in agreement, snatching the book from her hand and marking the page by turning the corner down then checking his watch, sighing when he calculated that he only had half an hour left, his head snatching up when he heard the motor on the bed whirring and watching Franky raise herself to a more upright position.
"Come and sit here with your back towards me." She instructed, patting the space between her slightly open legs.
Knowing that it was all right for her to be in that position for a short while, Urs did as she requested. Almost as soon as she began the stress busting massage, he felt the tenseness leave his body, his eyes closing lightly when her fingers found their way to the back of his head. His right hand moving to grab hers as she finished and gently placing a kiss in the middle of her palm before he stood and turned to face her.
"I want to stay for your physio session. Why isn't Chad here yet? He should have been here half an hour ago." He sniffed after giving her a kiss on the lips, holding her gently.
"His car broke down this morning, he's running two hours behind schedule." Franky returned. "Go home Urs. The children need you and I can get through one session without you, you know?"
"I know you can." Urs nodded, kissed her again and held her hand as he reluctantly stepped away from the bed. "I love you, Fire."
"I love you too, Ice." Franky nodded a smile on her face as she returned the bed to its previous position.
After leaving her, Urs headed out of the private wing, pausing at the reception desk when a nurse demanded his attention. His eyes widening at the number of flowers and get well soon cards she showed him, knowing that what had happened to Franky had been reported in the local newspaper and had made it to a least one national. He headed out of the hospital through the main entrance, thankful that the press outside were more interested in hearing from the wife of the local MP rather than him. He made his way back to the car, hoping that the man had survived the heart attack and would see his two boys reach adulthood.
Once back at home, he ordered the bed he and Franky had decided on and was very much surprised when he was told they could deliver the next day, though he resolved he wouldn't sleep in it until Franky was home. Instead he would sleep where he'd spent the previous evening, on the bed Carlos had slept on following Karen's death, though for the next few nights, he would sleep much better than he had the evening Saskia had betrayed his and Franky's trust.
Turn the page.
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Chapter 51 - Confronting Jamie
"You're remarkably calm, considering what you're about to do." Detective Constable Rice stated, he and Urs sitting in a small room at the hospital, waiting for technicians to arrive with recording equipment.
"It's not the first time and it's only on the outside that I appear calm." Urs shrugged and gave the man a brief smile. "You're sure this is the only way to get what you need?"
"Considering Miss Strawson walked around the gardens when she talked to her uncle? Yes, should we ever be in a position to charge her. How do you think she'll react when she sees you?"
"Not a bloody clue. Not that I care, I'm more worried about Franky at the moment. I've never seen her so down."
Urs caught the questioning look Rice gave him after he'd checked his watch but gave no reply other than a slow, headshake with his eyes closed, a hard swallow and a heavy sigh.
"Everything been a little too much for her to deal with?" Rice queried, noticing how tired Urs looked.
"Her injuries she could have coped with that much I am sure of. It's what happened with our au pair that's really hurt her. Even I'm finding that hard to deal with myself, she seemed so trustworthy, so professional. I found Sylvie crying in her room again this morning. Gott help me if I ever see that woman again."
"Do you think she'll go to the press with her story or her version of it?"
"Not a chance on that. Her contract was worded in such a way that makes it impossible for her to do so, our legal team made sure of that."
"Good." Rice nodded, his mobile held at his right ear waiting for someone to answer and questioning where the technicians were. "No. I said 234....Get your arses in gear, Mr Buhler hasn't got all day." He huffed, snapped the handset closed and rolled his eyes backwards. "They've been waiting in room 224 for the last ten minutes."
Urs grunted a quick laugh then snapped his head up and round as the door flew open and two women stepped in.
"Sorry 'Pudding'. Not our fault." A sheepish looking, brown haired and brown eyed woman informed, shoving a piece of paper towards Detective Constable Rice.
Rice coughed at the mention of his station nickname, looked at Urs and saw him smirk then rolled his eyes backwards again before he took the paper. His head shaking when he saw what looked like '224' written in a very poor hand.
"That man of yours should have been a doctor with handwriting like that." Rice grumbled, passing the paper back to the woman. "Anyway, you're here now, that's all that matters. Let's get things moving Eve."
Urs stood while Eve opened the case she'd entered with and removed his shirt, knowing that the microphone would have to be hidden so that Jamie wouldn't see it.
"How's Franky doing?" Eve asked, paying him no attention, her complete attention focused on checking her equipment was working.
"You know her?"
"No. Not really. I've met her once but she probably wouldn't remember me. It was the day before her mother died. My mum was in the next room."
Urs nodded, watched Eve knock a couple of tears from her eyes before she stepped towards him so that she could attach the microphone and camera. He thought about asking her when her mother had passed away, but decided it wasn't any of his business and kept his mouth shut. He replaced his shirt then listened to her check that her colleague had a good reception before he left the room with Rice.
Taking a deep breath when he saw the two guards outside Jamie's room, he looked at both men, watched them nod then pushed the door open, made his way over to the glass window and sat down on the chair.
He spent a few moments looking through the glass, watching a peacefully sleeping Jamie for a while. His eyes narrowed, seeing how thin and pale she looked, her hair gone, her lips cracked and dry looking. Everything he saw reminded him of paying Francesca DeNapoli a visit, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to feel the same sympathy for Jamie.
Slowly he raised his right hand to the handset that would allow him to talk to her and watched her begin to stir as the buzzer went off in her room. Her eyes opened slowly, her head turned towards the glass then her eyes flew wide when she saw him. With a scowl on her face, she moved out of the bed and slowly moved to the chair in her room.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed once she'd picked up her part of the intercom system.
"You look surprised to see me."
"What do you want Urs?" Jamie hissed. "Come to take a good look at the hairless freak? I don't want your pity."
"You wouldn't ever get that. I could care less what happens to you. Unlike Franky. I promised her I would come and see for myself. You're looking better than I expected."
"Pffft! So are you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I want Franky's life to be as miserable as mine is, worse preferably. True, I did want her dead a couple of years ago, but I quickly realised that wouldn't bring me as much satisfaction, so I changed my mind. You Urs, you should be dead or at the very least brain dead in ICU, that whore unable to bear the thought of turning the machinery off."
"Really?" Urs queried, his eyebrows raising and attempting to keep the smile off his face when his inner voice yelled 'Gotcha bitch!'. "Now why would that be I wonder?"
"Because that's what I told my uncle I wanted. You dead preferably. Franky alone for the rest of her life."
"Hmmn. Why? What's she ever done wrong to you?"
"Oh come on." Jamie huffed. "She's done nothing but wreck my life. Kept my real father from me and taken everything that should have been mine. I know she persuaded Seb to dump me, you'll never convince me different. But for her I could have had very lucrative modelling contract with any of the big names by now."
"Funny, don't........Oh yes I do." Urs nodded, recalling that Sebastien had told him a minor designer had asked him about Jamie modelling some of her designs and she'd turned it down simply because the name wasn't well known.
"Who knows who I would be with now, Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, the list of men who would want me is endless. Not that they would have stood a chance of course."
"No, the Sultan of Brunei wouldn't have enough money to keep you happy." Urs muttered, his eyebrows raising quickly just before his head shook.
"What was that?"
Urs huffed then repeated his previous statement.
"Who?" Jamie asked, her brow furrowing and head shaking.
"Never mind." Urs smirked in response, coughing to supress the laugh that was desparately trying to make its escape.
"Anyway, add to that, the fact that it was her who got me locked up and she refused to help me twice. I told you all, I will have my revenge. I'll just have to think of something else."
"You really are as psychotic as they say you are. Get over yourself Jamie, you're nothing special to look at. Remember I've seen you without your make-up." Urs laughed, shook his head and smirked when Jamie scowled at him. "You know Karen once told Carlos that 'Revenge is the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind' and that's exactly what you are. Weak, small and narrow minded. It's pathetic really. I'll tell you what Jamie, you keep trying to get your revenge, you'll never win. Franky is and will always be much stronger than to allow you to destroy her and I will always be there for her, no matter what. Same goes for the rest of us."
"If she's that strong why isn't she here instead of you?" Jamie smiled. "You still want me yourself, don't you?"
"What?!" Urs yelled then cracked up laughing. "Oh Mein Gott. You thought......? Oh Gott. That's so funny. Me? Want you? In your dreams Jamie and my nightmares."
"What about that night in Madrid?"
Urs thought back in time and quickly remembered tripping as he stepped into the hotel lift, falling against Jamie slightly. Just the two of them occupying the lift, both of them spending a few seconds standing very close to each other staring into each other's eyes until he'd belched rather loudly. He smiled, knowing that he'd had more than usual to drink that night because Erika hadn't turned up again, but also knowing that he hadn't had enough to make him ever want Jamie.
"I could have drunk the world dry that night. It would never have made me want you Jamie."
"Liar! All of you wanted me at some point or another. You just couldn't deal with the fact I picked Seb because he was the easiest to control."
"And that's what it's all about isn't it? Control and money. That makes you no better than a prostitute in my book. Gott knows where you got that stupid idea from."
"Don't call me stupid!"
"You are stupid. You're so selfish, you didn't realise what a good man you had in Seb. He would have given you the world, if you hadn't treated him worse than shit Jamie. I've never heard David have anything nasty to say about any woman, but he did you, almost as soon as he'd met you. Carlos? He's not as stupid as you think he is. He saw through you straight away, just like I did."
"Unlike you didn't Erika." Jamie sneered.
"Ja, well she's a little like you, I'll admit that, but at least she now has the sense to see that I love Franky and nothing will ever break us apart."
"Love! Pfft! Tell me Urs, how much do you pay Franky every time she lies down and spreads her legs for you?"
Unwilling to answer Jamie's question, Urs narrowed his eyes and glared at her, thinking it was a very good job there was a thick piece of glass separating them as she opened her mouth again.
"You know Urs, you're a fool if you think that Frank is yours. I know someone who saw Franky with another man just after you married her. She said they were very close, hugging and kissing. One of her employees I believe."
"Blair to be precise." Urs nodded with a smile on his face. "His grandfather had just been diagnosed with kidney cancer. I was in the garage at the time, I saw and heard everything. He really needed that hug and the time off she gave him. My trust in Franky is complete and she knows it. You know, I'm surprised you didn't go to the celebrity magazine's when Seb dumped you." He stated, watching Jamie's face carefully, waiting for a reply. A smile crossed his face when he saw her turn away and mutter something inaudible. "You did, didn't you? And they didn't want to know. Ha! See? That's how transparent you are, even they could see what you're all about."
"Shut up!"
"Your uncle not been to see you yet then?" Urs queried, biting the inside of one cheek to stop himself from laughing.
"No. Not that I really care about him, I just thought he would have dropped by to tell me how my plan went."
"He won't be doing that I'm afraid. He's the one that ended up in ICU in critical condition, he hurt Franky, but she'll be fine, got nowhere near the rest of us though. So really your plan for revenge has failed once again."
"She's in the hospital?"
"Ja. In a very nice private room." Urs informed with a grin that dropped quickly when he saw a smirk spread across Jamie's face. "Don't even think about trying to get out of there to go looking for her Jamie. All the staff know how you feel about her, what you look like and that you might be prepared to try and harm her. Do you really think you could get passed your guards or the CCTV anyway? Nein, you wouldn't have a prayer."
"It's not fair!" Jamie screeched, her bare feet hitting the floor rapidly for a few moments, then a sadistic smile crept across her gaunt features. "Perhaps I could go after what the two of you have created together."
Realising that she was threatening their children, Urs took a deep breath and continued to do so in an attempt to keep calm when all he really wanted to do was launch himself through the glass and throttle the life out of the psychopath on the other side, thinking that no-one but Anthony would mourn her passing.
"Try it." He smirked. "Or have you forgotten Eva Kendrick? I hear she has some friends at the new prison. I'm sure a word in the right ear would soon put a stop to whatever plans you made."
Jamie's eyes widened on hearing the name and she swallowed hard as her eyes closed for a few seconds. "Well, perhaps I won't get my revenge this time, but I will at some point. I don't care how long it takes, I will..........."
Urs heard nothing more since he'd hung up the phone, however he continued to watch Jamie rant for a few moments before he stood and left to return to room 234.
"Psychotic isn't in it. I've never seen anyone that deranged." Detective Rice proclaimed once the recording had been played back.
"Is it enough?" Urs asked, allowing Eve to remove the equipment.
"In my view yes, but it will be down to the CPS to decide if she should be charged. You know, I'm kind of hoping she does get better and gets sent to general population. From what I've seen and heard at Dalkeith, Franky has a lot of fans there. Who put that performance she did in Denver on 'YouTube' anyway?"
"Lauren. Franky hasn't seen it yet though. Last time I checked there had been three million hits."
"You'd better check again, it's pushing four million now." Eve informed with a smile. "It makes me cry every time I watch it. Just like I did when she skated for Karen. I don't think Marnie's brother would be doing so well if she hadn't raised all that money that night either." She finished with a nod to her blonde-haired, blue-eyed assistant.
"Aaron thought he would never be able to paint again when both of his hands were crushed in freak car accident. The hospital contacted the charity and they've taught him how to paint with his mouth. He's currently working on piece featuring Franky, it's almost finished and he wants her to have it when it is."
"I'm sure she'll be delighted to accept." Urs nodded with a smile on his face once Marnie had finished speaking and he'd pulled back from the hug he'd given her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really do have to go. I'm already late for Franky's physio session." He continued following a quick check of the time, looking back over his shoulder to see Marnie blushing as he pulled the door open.
Deciding that it would be quicker to take the stairs rather than wait for the lift, he ran down to Franky's floor and through the corridors once he was on the right level. Quietly he pushed the door open, heard Franky yelling at Chadwick to get lost and leave her alone.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" She snapped, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at him.
"Helping the police get the evidence they needed on Jamie's involvement."
"A waste of time. They'll never be in a position to charge her with anything."
"You don't know that for sure."
"What are you still doing here?" Franky huffed, her attention back on Chadwick. "You can stand there all day for all I care. I told you I'm not going, I'm too tired."
"Fine." Chadwick snapped in reply then gave Urs a look before leaving the room.
Wanting to tell Franky everything that happened that morning, but seeing how tired she was, Urs said nothing to her. Instead he watched her drift off to sleep, perched himself on the edge of the bed and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
"I did it for you angel in the hope that one day she will get what she truly deserves. I did want to be here with you, I just thought......" He paused when he felt Franky's right hand grabbing his left, holding it tight against her chest.
"Sorry, I've just........" She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks again.
"It's okay, I know you've had more than your share to deal with and it's all been too much. Just sleep angel. I'll tell you everything when you wake up." Urs instructed, caressing her face and remaining silent until he was sure she was asleep. "Refuse to go to physio tomorrow and see what happens Frau Buhler."
He watched over her for the next three hours then told her everything that Jamie had said once she was awake, seeing her eyes widen and watching her nod with tears threatening to fall again when he mentioned the painting.
Turn the page.
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