Though Lizzie had been without Fred for the space of twenty one years during his imprisonment in the Jack in a box, she had adjusted to his renewed presence in her life very quickly. Though his antics more often than not lead to things being worse for her, she also knew that they had worked in their intention to get her mind off her philandering husband and the rest of her life, as it was in such disarray. Well at least Janie hadn't lost everything.

Now, she felt the silence and loneliness pressing in on her in the small bedroom. She had thought she had cleared away all traces of the salad she had dumped upon Charles' creeping and despicable head. Yet there, a stray lettuce or rocket leaf lay conspicuously by the doorframe. She missed Fred's constant presence, irritated, happy, shocked, whatever she had been in his company, she had never been alone with him the way she had been with her husband. The euphoria that had overwhelmed her after her overcoming of all her long held fears had now melted away. Mickey had been lovely, but se was in no position to think about embarking on a new relationship right then.

She bit her lip and stood up, walking toward the kitchen, how had she been less than 48 hours ago, hard bent on removing him from her life. It had worked She turned and immediately saw the spot where she had last seen Fred in her world, lying worn out in the floor, determined to think only of her wellbeing as he lay dangerously close to oblivion. Feeling Tears well – up, she walked to the unmarked stretch of carpet and lay down silently comforting herself by curling up on the spot, drawing her knees up to her chest and under her chin. She closed her eyes and pulled her arms around to hug her legs and allowed herself to drift into a light and restless sleep.

She risked opening her eyes and found herself in an abstracted version of her mother's front room. At least it felt that way, except for the blue wooden park bench. It seemed strange and unfamiliar in this place. If you looked out into the window it made your eyes cross as if it didn't want you to see outside. In place of the bench, the seat from her mother's back garden suddenly melted into view. She approached it cautiously.

"I don't understand." She began.

"You don't have to. This place isn't to understand in, just for feelings. Unfinished business and all that, which you seem to have with me." She could hear the smile in hid voice. "I thought I'd got rid of you." She smiled too, but didn't turn around. Dreams had a way of dangling what you wanted just out of reach and snatching it away when you got too close.

"Fred?"

"Yes, stupid, who do you think it is? You can turn around you know, I'm not going to disappear or anything." She obeyed him, surprising the both of them. He was right.

"So are you a figment of my demented dream – addled state, then…?" Fred looked the same as ever if a little unsettled and nonplussed by his surroundings.

"Not exactly, I have no control over this, I just got sort if sucked in."

"You could just be saying that. Janie would say that my mind is only supplying a deficiency that can't be achieved in my waking state." Fred had walked over t stare out the window.

"Is it just me or does this thing make your eyes go all funny? You could have chosen somewhere a bit more interesting to call me into. I thought you had escaped this heinous place."

"I thought I had too, but you didn't answer my question or rather my statement. How can I know that you're real?"

"It wasn't as if that ever mattered when you were conscious… It was enough that you could see me." When he turned to her there was a sadness there that she never could have imagined.

"If you were sucked in, Fred, does that mean you were watching me?" He avoided her eyes. "How is she? Natalie, Is she as bad as I was?" She could barely control her sadness from spilling out into tears. This wasn't how her dreams usually went. This felt much more like brief time she had spent in her own imagination. "Is she more fun than me?"

"I don't think that anybody could be worse than you were. And anyway it was mostly me that came up with all the really good pranks." He sighed. "I miss you when you were little."

"I miss me too…, sometimes. Growing up wasn't all it was cracked up to be." She sat down on the bench and put her head in her hands. "I don't know who I am anymore, I mean you helped me get me back but I don't know what to do with my life, my future. Mickey wants to be a part of it but I just, I just don't know.|" She sobbed quietly.

Silently Fred sat down beside her. For once he was silent, unsure what to do with her. He settled for patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. Prompted by this small amount of contact, Lizzie threw her arms around his neck, taking comfort in his familiar presence. "I miss you, already."

Fred was well out of his depth, girls crying had never really been his strong suit. He hugged her gently and let her rest her head against his chest.

"I miss you too, Snot face." He held back all that he was feeling beyond that. It was all too confusing. In that moment, they simply held together and hoped that morning wouldn't come/.