by Riva, Aline
“Hello to you, friend,” he said with a smile, “My name is Webster, I'm a police detective. What's your name?”
“Archie!” he said, and bounced heavily on his coat.
“Can we play a game, Archie?”
He nodded.
“Archie likes games!” he said loudly.
“It's easy,” Webster told him, “All you have to do is answer my questions. Show me what a clever boy you are!”
As Archie said Okay, Mickey looked over, visibly tense with worry as he wondered exactly what Archie would say.
“It's okay,” Carla told him, “Never underestimate my son, Mickey. He knows what to say...”
Webster looked intently at the little boy and then began to speak.
“What do you know about Mickey?”
“Uncle Mickey is Angel's Daddy.”
“And does Angel's Daddy work here?”
“No,” he said, opening his flipper hands wide as he spoke, “Mickey owns the bar with Uncle Charlie. Mummy works in the bar, Uncle Charlie works in the bar, Uncle Mickey is partner...in...invest? He can't give people drinks, his hand is bad, he has disability.”
“I see,” Webster replied, “And has Mickey ever brought lots of guns into town?”
Archie blinked.
“No. But everyone get your guns when you, police, leave us and run away when monsters came. No police to help us! Archie was chased by a monster on the pier and Archie said, NO MONSTER, NOT EAT ARCHIE! And monster not eat Archie.”
“I'm glad to hear the monster didn't eat you.. .And I'm sorry the police left town, Archie. I know you've all struggled....” he looked around, there were still people waiting to give statements, and he knew what they were going to say. Clearly, he had the wrong man.
“Thank you for your time,” he announced as he got up, and then he walked over to the bar, pausing to look back and shake his head to the armed officers, who turned away and walked out, heading back to the car.
As Webster approached the bar, Joy gave Mickey's hand a squeeze and then let go, pausing to sip her drink as he looked at the detective in confusion as Mickey, although shaking inside, managed to pull off his act of an innocent man very well as looked confused about this matter of mistaken identity.
“I've spoken to many people,” Webster said, “In fact, I have three hundred statements claiming you've lived here all your life and have no links to criminal activity. And there were more willing to say the same and in light of the fact that no police records still exist to prove or disprove this, I can only conclude you're not the man we are looking for. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
He turned away and headed back to his seat to pick up his coat. Mickey took in a shaken breath, and Joy's hand was covering his once more as she spoke softly to him.
“Keep it together, don't say a word until he's gone...”
Archie had run back over to the detective.
“You said you play with Archie!” he complained.
“Well, maybe we'll play again soon – but probably not, as I'm leaving the area, I have more important work to do than look for people I won't find in this town. Nice to meet you, Archie.”
He picked up his coat.
“Wait!” Archie said loudly as he raised his tapered hands and opened them wide as he looked up at him, “Archie have something else to tell you!”
At the bar, Carla looked on in confusion.
“Oh no...” Mickey whispered as Joy kept a tight grip on his hand, “Please be careful what you say, Archie!”
Joy looked on in silence, desperately hoping Archie had not got too carried away with what he saw as a game, as he looked up at the detective, who looked down at him, wondering exactly what Archie had forgotten to say...
Chapter 9
Mickey looked on as he sat beside Joy, dreading the reason for Archie making another announcement. Joy was equally worried: Maybe it wasn't over, maybe Archie had heard something about him and guns, or maybe he had forgotten what he was supposed to stay quiet about, and he would blurt out that Mickey had shot the people who attacked the town, because Mickey knew all about guns...
“You can trust him,” Carla said under her breath as she stood on the other side of the bar and Charlie stood beside her, “I told you, don't underestimate him. He's a clever little boy.”
“He is,” added Charlie, and then he fell silent as he thought back to memories of Anthony, who had struggled with many physical difficulties, but he had been bright too, just in his own way. Then he looked to Carla, thinking about a plan that had been at the back of his mind for a while now, in fact it had probably been there ever since he had first met that remarkable little boy who reminded him of the son he and Brad had lost so long ago. But that would have to wait, because the detective was still over the other side of the room, and he was looking down at Archie as Archie looked up at him, and he was about to say something...
Over the other side of the room, Webster looked down at Archie.
“What did you forget to tell me?” he asked.
Archie looked up, speaking loudly.
“Archie farted!” he announced, “On your coat,” he added with a broad smile, then he laughed.
Webster put on his coat, now understanding why it stunk like eggs, and as a ripple of amusement went around the room, he forced a polite smile as he looked back at the bar.
“I won't trouble you again,” he said in Mickey's direction, then he glance about the room, “Thank you for your co operation.” Then he walked out of the bar and went off towards the waiting vehicle.
Archie ran across the room and as he reached Carla he stopped, his eyes narrowed as he watched Webster leave in the same car as the man who wanted to take his Mummy away.
“Bye bye friend, NOT play again soon!” he said, and threw his head back and laughed, then he looked up at Carla and held out his arms.
“Up, up!” he said.
She lifted him into her arms and hugged him.
“Did Archie do good?” he asked.
“Yes, you clever little boy, yes you did!” Carla said as she smiled brightly.
Just then he was distracted as someone ran over and he started to struggle impatiently to get down again.
“Archie wants to play with Angel!” he told her urgently.
She set him down again as Angel ran over, and then they went off together, back to the space in the corner where they had room to play.
Carla turned to Charlie and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you so much!” she said as she hugged him again, “I can't believe it! I don't have to leave my son ever again!”
Charlie smiled too, deciding he would wait a while to tell her about his idea, because it had been tough day and she had been through a lot and this would be a hell of a surprise, and she would need time to think about it...
For Mickey, the news was still sinking in:
They had gone. The police had gone and they were not coming back...
He was sitting there with tears in his eyes as people came over and hugged him, as he said thank you, they replied saying, Thank you, Mickey, thank you for getting rid of Brett, thank you for running this town fairly, thank you for helping Carla, thank you for helping to keep the town safe... The thanks went on for so much.
Joy sat there watching as Mickey was told by so many people why they appreciated him, and why they were happy to help. He listened and barely said a word, smiling, nodding, keeping back the tears that glazed his eyes, and when he finally turned to Joy, he could barley speak.
“All those people did that for me? For me, Joy?”
Joy smiled as she reached out and placed a hand on his cheek as he blinked and a tear ran down his face.
“Of course they did,” she told him, “And you've earned it, you deserve this second chance. We don't have to worry any more, Mickey. It's over, they've gone.”
Mickey said nothing as he looked at her, struggling to contain his emotions. He had feared the end for so long, thinking when the outbrea
k was over he would be arrested and spend the rest of his life locked away in a cell, never seeing Joy or Angel again. And it had not worked out that way. He had a future with his family, he had the rest of his life with Joy and he would see Angel grow up. That future he had feared he would not have was now his, and it was safe...
“Mickey?” Joy said gently, and as she reached for him, he reached for her quickly, pulling her close as she held her tightly.
“You're free,” she reminded him.
He drew back, meeting her gaze.
“I know I am!” he said as tears choked his voice, and then as he gave a sob of relief she pulled him close again, holding him as he wept quietly with his face pressed to her shoulder.
As Carla went back behind the bar, the mood was one of celebration as people headed over for drinks and Charlie turned up the music. Then someone looked round and said, “Aww, look at the little boy!”
As Joy looked over she started to smile, and so did Mickey as he wiped away his tears: There was Archie, turning in a circle and jumping side to side as he opened up his tapered hands and danced to the music. Then Angel joined him, laughing as she copied his moves.
“They're celebrating!” Mickey said.
“They've got the right idea,” Joy agreed, “That's what we need to do too.”
Mickey was smiling now, his tears had stopped as he nodded.
“Yes,” he said, “We do need to celebrate!”
Much later, after several drinks that had left him unsteady on his feet, Mickey was home and in bed, thanks to Joy helping him up the stairs. River and Chris were next to hear the good news, and River hugged Joy as she told her she was glad Mickey had his second chance. They all deserved a future to look forward to after the nightmare they had been through. At the weekend, they would meet up with Angel and Bess and Alex would come over. They would all hear the good news and she didn't doubt Mickey would be celebrating all over again. She fixed Angel's supper and then, as soon as the tired little girl went off to bed Joy had an early night, going quietly into the bedroom to get undressed and climb into bed beside Mickey, who was on his side and sleeping deeply as he started to sweat out the booze as he lay there oblivious to the fact that was beside him and smiling as she looked at him, then she put her arm around him and carried on watching him sleep. Now Mickey had accepted his worries were over, it was her turn to let the news sink in:
She was going to be with Mickey for the rest of her life. He was a free man. They would be raising Angel together. It was happy ending, and it was what they both deserved after their year of hell on the road, fighting off zombies and dangerous people along the way. They had seen terrible things, but now life was returning to normal, and their lives had changed too much to ever go back. This was a new start in a brand new future, and now nothing stood in the way of a life without fear, the zombies were gone, the world was recovering and her Mickey had no more worries...
The time passed by. December brought snow, but this time, there were no zombies to stain it red with blood. By the time the snow had stopped falling and the roads were cleared, the school was fully functional again, with more staff and new classes as those who had survived the outbreak returned to Wickstall with their children. The three classes that were started up while the town had been isolated were kept together, and Chris was delighted to learn he would be allowed to stay on in his job at the primary school. By now limited TV broadcasts were returning and every day, he turned on the TV in the classroom so the kids could listen to news of how the UK and the rest of the world was starting to rebuild. With the zombies gone, there wasn't much to do, not much held back the living once the threat was no more - everything was still out there, the only exception being buildings that had been burned or damaged during fighting and of course, the roads that needed clearing of wrecks and bodies.
Chris made sure he explained everything to the kids, every day, so that when they were older they would understand everything about the year that had changed history forever. In two weeks, the term would end and it would be the first Christmas, post apocalypse. He told the kids to remember everything about this Christmas, because it was a special time in the world, when life was starting to get back to normal, and it was something they would always want to remember. And while he spoke of Christmas with family, he smiled as he thought about the Christmas he would share with River, their first together without fear of attack from the undead. A new year was coming, and it would be filled with hope.
Alex had been in the right place at the right time to land himself a job that he knew he was going to love. He had seen people closing off the wooded areas while they took in ladders and cages and had asked what was going on. They worked for a company called EvolvedProtect, and when he asked why they were removing the creatures from the trees, he was told the company was government funded, and would be taking the creatures out of the wild, because they needed to be cared for in a safe environment, where they could live protected and breed freely. The plan was, that everyone would have an Evolved of their own eventually, and the rest would be kept on farms where they would roam free and be taken care of. And there was a farm being built close to the town, it would take up a mile of woodland, have fencing and netting to keep them from straying, and have a vast building where the creatures could shelter from bad weather. Alex had helped to remove some of the creatures from the trees, then he had taken a ride back to the headquarters, where he had spoken to the person in charge, who had been happy to take him on. He would be working five days a week at the farm, starting January... When he got home, he told Alice the good news. He had a job that would pay well and that meant they could make their wedding plans sooner than expected.
Those who had taken in wild Evolved - as the ones born of zombies were known - would not be expected to give them back. That news had been put out on a broadcast, as Joy had looked at Mickey and breathed a relieved sigh. She knew Chris wouldn't part with Truffle, and little Archie wouldn't let anyone take Fluffle away from him. By now Poppy wanted an Evolved, and Sage had managed to catch one in the park near the promenade - and just in time too, because the next day, the people from EvolvedProtect had come along to take them away. Bess had been the one to name their little creature, she called her Fizzy, because she was in the habit of making a hissing, fizzing noise when she ran down the curtains at night.
Now, much more was known about the creatures born of dead zombies - they could not be allowed to live in the wild, because they were babies. Evolved had a lifespan of more than sixty years, and it would be two more decades before they began to breed. They needed to be kept safe, to ensure the species would always be there, thriving and ready to help when humans needed their bite. And there was always the fact that a small minority of people would never accept the notion of creatures with healing powers that had formed from the insides of zombies. Every farm had solid security to make sure the small miracle workers were protected, as information was repeatedly put out to educate those who feared them. In time, everyone would understand the Evolved were a species to be thankful for, but for now, education was an ongoing process.
Mickey and Joy were looking forward to Christmas, and the coming brand new year, with no threats lingering. Now they had a future to look forward to, one they would share with Angel, who would grow up in Wickstall. And Mickey got an early Christmas present when Charlie called him to say he wanted him to join him as a business partner running the bar. As they stood together in the warm front room while the cold wind blew in from across the sea and shook the tree limbs outside the house, Mickey had looked at Joy as he laughed, saying, First job I've ever had that's not illegal!
“I'm so proud of you!” Joy told him as she hugged him, fully understanding that Charlie's offer would reinforce all that had been said about Mickey on the day the police came searching: Now, he really was Charlie's business partner, he was Mickey Silk the businessman, who had no criminal links, and never would again.
“Well done!” she added as she let go of
him, then as Angel came into the room, she looked at them with curiosity burning in her eyes.
“What's happened?” she asked.
As Mickey smiled proudly, Joy told her Daddy Mickey was going into business with Charlie. They were going to run the bar together.
“That is good news, Mummy!” she said brightly, “Well done, Daddy Mickey!” then she hurried off to find Truffle, who was darting down the stairs chattering.
Joy turned to Mickey with a stunned look on her face.
“She just called me Mummy! At last, she actually called me -”
“Not even Mummy Joy, just Mummy!” Mickey said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her, “That was worth waiting for, wasn't it, Joy!”
The look in her eyes softened as her gaze met with his. She was sure she would never stop thinking back to all they had been through, at times like this, a happy moment that she wanted to cherish, she had to think back, remembering all they had been through, because it had eventually led to this.
“It's all been worth waiting for, Mickey,” Joy said softly, and then as the firelight flickered warmly, they shared a kiss.
For Charlie Featherstone, it would be a lonely Christmas that year - as far as his heart was concerned. His first Christmas without Bradley, and he would be facing New Year without him, too. He would forever feel lonely now his husband was gone. He had already decided he would not marry again - at least, not to a man, not for love of the romantic kind, the love of his life was dead but remained his love forever - but as for friendships, that was a different story.... Charlie had a plan in mind, and he had held off from speaking to Carla about it because the past few weeks had seen life change a lot as everything started to return to normal. Even though those changes were welcomed it was a time of adjustment and so he had held back, deciding to choose the right moment to speak to her about his idea.