Time: Present Day

Location: HereAfter

"Damn phone, always ringing when I'm busy!" complained Father Dan. When he answered a familiar voice said "special treatment" and hung up. Father Dan looked around instinctively even though he knew no-one was there, there never was. A celebrate life was a lonely one. He hurriedly left the church where he'd been preparing the altar for the Sunday morning mass and ran puffing up the slight hill to the seminary office. Once inside he flicked on the switch, went to the window and drew the curtains, screening off the view to the dimly lit pathway leading up from the church that he had just travelled. He went to the desk, opened the bottom draw with the key and withdrew the red phone. He punched in the speed dial code and waited.

Carter turned to glance at his Mum. She was still there but did not return his smile. She looked troubled as she indicated that he should pay attention to the screen.

He looked back in time to see Father Dan turn an ashen grey.

"A little bird in Singapore tells me a certain young lady has booked a flight to Sydney from Paris one way," said Cardinal Ramsay.

"She doesn't know that Peter is here does she?" pleaded Father Dan.

"We can't be sure. I'm calling Rome," the Cardinal said matter of factly.

"Is that really, n.n.necessary?" Father Dan stuttered, he seemed to always stutter when faced with the inevitable.

"Make preparations, just in case. I hope he has a valid passport?" the Cardinal ordered.

"Yes, all is prepared this end, but it's too soon, he's not yet ready," Father Dan stated.

"Were any of us really ready. Just do it Dan." The phone went dead and so did something inside of Father Dan. He choked back a sob, it was always harder when you knew what was coming, harder still when you knew the person at the centre of it.

It was a lovely day in Paris. Carter watched as Collette drove into Margot's driveway. Amelia and Amanda appeared in the doorway on the front landing. They ran down the path. Louise opened the front passenger door, drew Amelia into a hug then opened the back passenger side door for her. Amanda said bonjour to them all, swung open the other rear door and jumped in the rear driver's side seat. They had the whole day planned together. Collette had insisted that they spend as much time together, as soon as Amelia had told her about their plans. Carter noticed that she was hurting that her best friend now was going home, perhaps for good.

At the same time she was happy for Amelia that she was finally going to resolve the heartache she had obviously been carrying for the baby's father. Whenever Carter looked at his young Mum on the screen his cord would glow. He turned to his Mum beside him and gave her the biggest grin as he saw she was obviously enjoying this part of the story. He had watched her for so long on the screen now that it was getting difficult to distinguish between the Amelia on the screen and the Amelia seated beside him.

He watched his Mum on the screen as they sang along with the radio all the way to the Champs Elyssee where they parked and entered their favourite restaurant for lunch. Later that afternoon they spent a few hours at the Eiffel Tower doing touristy things. Taking lots of photos. Talking about their plans for the future. Later they found a quiet part of the park and sat down on their coats on the grassy slope to rest for a while.

Louise pulled out a couple of joints to share. Amelia said "Louise! You sure you know what you're doing. We could be arrested. I don't want anything ruining my plans for Australia you know."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, and such a goody two shoes! I know what you music types get up to at the academy, besides I do it here all the time, no one cares, not even the gendarmes. They are too busy trying to catch pick pockets to worry about someone smoking a joint."

Realising that the closest walking path was over the verge and at least a hundred and fifty metres away, Amelia relented and took the offered joint. She had tried it a few times at parties organised by the student body but couldn't really see the point. It didn't do that much for her and she didn't think it affected her much at all. Although people did say she came out of her shell a bit and was funnier when she'd had it.

Carter looked around at his Mum and laughed when he saw she was blushing a bit.

They drove home singing louder than ever with the windows down, home to get ready for a big night on the town.

"Where are you planning on taking me tonight?" Amelia asked.

"Where else would we take you on your last night, Le Balajo of course, to find you a man who will make you forget all about this Peter guy, at least for a night," Collette replied.

Chapter 31 - Killing Time.

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