A/N Usual disclaimer applies, Pride doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the brilliant Stephen Beresford and the people of LGSM and the Dulais Valley.

Alan Pritchard's day started like any other, slightly hung over! His wife, Gail, cooked him a full breakfast and sent him off to work.

At 12:10 pm Gail got the call miners' wives dread, Alan had been in an accident – the roof he was putting up props to support had come down on him. He was buried alive.

Gail went to the colliery straight away. Well, almost straight away, she rang her friend Steph in London to tell her first, they'd chatted for a bit. Gail usually felt better after talking to Steph but this time she felt something else: guilt.

Gail waited at the pithead for news. Sian and Margaret were with her. A couple of hours later the men started to come to the surface, all with grim faces. The rescue and recovery team had gone down an hour earlier.

"They're digging through but it is going to be a long job. Got to take it slow or risk further falls." said Martin when he joined them after he had showered and changed.

Gail started to cry. "He's dead isn't he?" she said between sobs.

"We don't know that yet." Cliff had joined them.

Margaret gives Gail a hug.

"What was that?" said Margaret, she thought she'd heard Gail whisper something but wasn't sure.

"I said I wish Steph was here. Silly I know but I do wish it."

Margaret smiled at her. "Listen, love, there's no such thing as silly in this situation. Anyone got her number? Or any of the others? They should be told."

"I've already told her, rang her when I got the news!" Gail is now sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ah" said Cliff who instinctively understood.

"Well then," said Margaret, "We'll get her here."

"Is that really what you want Gail?" Asked Cliff.

"Of course she does, look at her." said Margaret.

Sian said nothing but understood what was happening. She and Cliff had separately had suspicions about what was going on in Gail's mind regarding Steph.

"You two know don't you? I can see it in your faces!" Gail virtually screamed.

"Know what?" said Margaret, a little taken aback.

Martin looked at Sian: "What the..." suddenly the penny dropped. He's not quite as sharp as his wife but he isn't stupid.

Margaret's hand went over her mouth as she too realised what was going on. Then she grabbed Gail into a huge hug. "Oh you poor girl, you poor poor girl."

Dai walked up. "Someone had better tell LGSM. They'll want to know."

"Seems like they've been told, Dai. First thing Gail did was ring Steph..." replied Martin.

"Oh, I see."

"Do you?"

"Well they were always friendly, I thought."

"Looks like..."

"Yeah I do know. But I'll ring them anyway, make it official." said Dai, he turned to his wife "Look after her will you? I think she should stay with us tonight."

"Of course." said Margaret.

Maureen Barry had been isolated since the strike. No longer on the Welfare Committee, she was also quite bitter but when her boys came home early she was concerned. She'd lost her husband to the pit after all.

"It's Alan Pritchard." said Lee.

"Roof collapsed, buried." Johnny could barely get the words out.

Maureen hugged them.

Meanwhile Dai is on the phone talking to Gethin.

"You may already know, Gail phoned Steph..."

"Yeah she's been on. She's wondering if she should go down."

"Well, yeah that is for her and Gail to decide."

"Ah."

"Yeah. Well I thought I'd better tell you, make it official so to speak..."

"I don't suppose there is any news on Alan yet..."

"No, but it doesn't look good. Still the rescue team got here quite quickly."

They finish the phone call and Dai grabbd coats for him and Margaret. He then goes back to the pithead.

When he got there he pulled Margaret to one side.

"Listen, I've spoken to Gethin in London. Steph is wondering if she should come down, could you talk to Gail? I want her to think before she decides."

"Yes."

Margaret went back and pulled Gail to one side.

"Dai's spoken to Gethin. Steph is thinking of coming."

Gail opened her mouth to speak but Margaret carried on. "I want you to think before making a decision. I know it would be a comfort to have her here but most of the village either know or suspect."

Gail couldn't believe her ears. "Know what?"

"That you're in love with her." Gail opened her mouth and shut it. Margaret continued: "It is true I can see it on your face. Does Alan know?"

"Things haven't been good for some years but I don't think he knows."

"OK, once this is over you need to tell him. He needs to know that."

Gail paused before replying: "What if he comes out of there disabled? How am I going to tell him then? Tell me that!"

"If you don't it'll eat away at both of you. You'll end up worse than Maureen, do you want that?"

"No I don't. Oh I don't know, I'll think about it. Thanks."

They left to re-join the group.

A few hours passed with no news.

Hefina arrived in the van.

"Listen. I've got soup for everyone. Now who needs a coat fetching. Ah yes Gail I see you managed to grab yours before leaving. Now anyone rung London?" Hefina was her usual practical self.

"Yes, I've spoken to Gethin." said Dai not wanting to reveal much in front of the whole crowd.

"Now then, that's the rest of them sorted, let's look after you." she said turning to Gail, her voice softening. "Come here into the warm." she said pointing to the van, "I've had the heating on."

Gail meekly followed her into the van.

"Now love, have you told Steph." Hefina says now they were in the van.

"Don't tell me you know too!"

"I've known since our trip to London. Who else knows?"

"Dai, Margaret, Sian, Martin, Cliff and, well, it seems half the village!"

"Oh, love. Have you told her, about today I mean."

"Yes, first thing I did after I got the news."

"Now if she comes down she can't stay with you, can she? Not with half the village knowing or suspecting..."

"S'pose not!" Gail was crying again.

"I'll talk to Sian, get something sorted out. She's clever, that one."

A knock on the van. Hefina opened the door. Dai's face told them all they needed to know. The Slaughter House* had struck again. The rescue team had found Alan's lifeless body crushed under the rubble. There would be an inquiry of course but it seemed like a simple accident.

* This was actually the nick-name of a colliery further south in the Dulais Valley called Cefn Coed which is now a museum.