"Dec...is that you?" Ant called out.

"Yeah" came a despondent reply and Dec soon appeared in the living room after kicking his shoes off in the hall.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ant snapped "I've been worried sick"

"Just walking" Dec shrugged.

"Just walking?" Ant questioned "for hours?"

"Yeah" Dec nodded "and sat in a cafe for a while"

"Why did you storm out like that?" Ant demanded to know.

"I was upset" Dec replied.

"Well,you don't seem very upset now" Ant pointed out.

"Got it out of my system" Dec muttered,not seeming to pick up on Ant's annoyance

"So you're alright now?" Ant frowned "even though you had no thought for me or Isla?"

"What?" Dec frowned,not really sure where Ant was going with this.

"You heard me" Ant retorted angrily "you just pissed off and left me to it"

"But you said I could have the week off" Dec protested.

"Yeah" Ant frowned "to spend with Isla and sort everything out for her...not to dump her on me while I'm bloody working and all the while I was still worried sick about what might have happened to you,you're so selfish sometimes Declan"

"What?" Dec whispered,trying desperately to hold the tears back,he'd never seen this side to Ant before and it was scaring him.

"How do you think I've managed today eh?" Ant continued "I had dogs to walk,you knew that,but all of a sudden I had YOUR daughter to deal with as well,so what do you think I did?"

"Cancelled?" Dec suggested sheepishly.

"No,I didn't cancel Declan" Ant retorted "how unprofessional would that have been?although I seriously considered it,I had to drag her along with me...and do you know what else?"

"What?" Dec asked quietly.

"She's been asking for you" Ant stated.

"Has she?" Dec frowned.

"Of course she has" Ant snapped "you're her dad and this is her first week in her permanent home and you just fuck off and leave her,poor kid doesn't know if she's coming or going"

"I'm sorry" was all Dec managed to mumble,but Ant was finished with his rant just yet.

"Don't you think that poor kid has been through enough already?" Ant asked "with the mother she got lumbered with?you're her stability now,so you need to step up and act like it,you can't just run off like a stroppy teenager whenever you get upset"

"I won't do it again" Dec insisted "please stop shouting at me,I feel bad enough already,I've said I'm sorry,I'll make it up to you both,I don't know what else I can do?"

Ant suddenly began to soften a little,maybe he was being a little bit harsh on his friend,but still,he had the right to be annoyed,but he'd said his piece now.

"Look Dec" Ant stated in a much calmer voice "I'm sorry I got angry,but today has been really difficult for me and I truly understand why you're upset about Betty and I know the guilt you feel is a tough burden to bear,but you have to deal with these things in a more productive way,surely you realise that now?all today has done is cause ill feeling between us and I know neither of us want that"

"I definitely don't" Dec nodded.

"Good" Ant smiled "then maybe you can work on different ways to deal with things when you're upset?talk things through and I'm always here with a hug if you need it"

He opened his arms and Dec naturally fell into his warm embrace,where they hugged silently for a few moments as tears rolled down Dec's cheeks.

"Thanks Ant" Dec smiled "I will work on it and I am sorry for today"

"And I'm sorry I got angry,let's move on now shall we?" Ant replied kindly "I know you've been through a lot,I have a suggestion though"

"Oh yeah?" Dec enquired as he dried his eyes "what's that?"

"How about..." Ant continued "we do something to honour Betty?"

"Like what?" Dec asked curiously.

"Don't know" Ant frowned "lay some flowers at her favourite spot...something like that"

"They'd either get trampled or stolen" Dec giggled "her favourite spot was very busy"

"Got any other ideas then?" Ant asked.

"Dunno" Dec shrugged,then was deep in thought for a moment.

"You know what she did like?" He smiled.

"What?" Ant replied.

"She liked to go for walks along the Thames sometimes" Dec smiled to himself at the memory "usually at dusk,she loved to watch everything going on as the sun went down,all the commuters rushing off home after a day at work,the sightseeing boats and all that"

"She was a bit of a people watcher then?" Ant smiled.

"Yeah" Dec replied "or just a nosey old bag"

Ant laughed and rubbed Dec's back affectionately.

"So how about we take some flowers down to the river then?"

"I'd like that" Dec smiled "thanks Ant,it's a lovely idea,when shall we do it?"

"Whenever you like?" Ant replied "might be nice to do it at dusk,if that was her favourite time of day"

"Shall we bring Isla?" Dec queried.

"Totally up to you?" Ant smiled "although we won't have any choice until you find a childminder or babysitter,well unless I stay home with her"

"NO" Dec quickly replied "I want you to come,let's all go...like a family"

"Sounds like a plan" Ant beamed.

Dec spent the next day sorting out a childminder,he narrowed it down to the two he liked the best who had availability and were both happy to meet that week and have a 'settling in' session with Isla.

After both sessions,he chose the childminder that Isla seemed to prefer and luckily was nearest to home as well.

"I'm glad that's all sorted" he told Ant that evening "she starts full time on Monday"

"That's great" Ant smiled "it'll be good for her to have some kind of routine"

"Exactly" Dec agreed "everything is coming together now"

"Good" Ant nodded "so when are we going to do this thing for Betty?"

"Tomorrow?" Dec suggested "once you've finished work?"

"Sounds good" Ant smiled.

So the following day,Ant,Dec and Isla made their was to the river,to the spot where Dec knew Betty liked to sit to watch the sun go down,having stopped at a florist first to pick up some roses,Betty's favourite flowers.

The three of them sat on a bench watching the sunset.

Isla was perfectly content watching the boats travel up and down the river,but both Ant and Dec were perfectly aware that she could get bored very easily,so didn't want to drag it out too much.

"Come on Dec" Ant beckoned and walked over to the riverside "let's do this"

Dec nodded and followed Ant,stopping close by his side,roses in one hand and Isla's tiny hand in the other.

"What are you doing Daddy?" She looked up at her loving father.

"Well,sweetheart" Dec smiled down at her "you know that daddy is sad because his friend died and he didn't get to say goodbye to her?"

"Yes Daddy" Isla beamed.

"Well" Dec replied "this is kind of another way of saying goodbye,just so Betty knows I'm thinking of her as she looks down from heaven"

"Heaven is nice isn't it Daddy?" Isla asked.

"Apparently so" Dec nodded.

"So Dec?" Ant enquired "do you want to say a few words?"

Dec brought the roses up to his nose and took a deep breath in,smiling to himself at their delicate aroma.

"Dear Betty" he said sadly "you were one very special lady and I'll never forget you,you made me laugh,you made me cry,you made me feel loved and safe,I just wish I could have done the same for you"

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you at the end" Dec continued "but you're free now,searching through the pearly bins in the sky"

Ant let out a little giggle at that sentence and Dec gave him a sideways grin.

"Fly with the angels beautiful lady" he finished and dropped the flowers over the wall,picking Isla up and all three watched them drift away.

"Bye bye flowers" Isla waved as she watched them go.

"Bye bye Betty" Dec said sadly.

Ant placed an arm around his shoulder.

"You did great kidda" he smiled "now how about we go home and make a toast to Betty?"

"Yeah,I'd like that" Dec replied.

A couple of hours later,after putting Isla to bed,Ant opened a bottle of champagne that he'd had chilling for a while.

"To Betty" he announced and clinked his glass against Dec's.

"To Betty" Dec repeated.

"It's been quite the journey hasn't it?" Ant stated,as the two men sat down on the garden chairs,basking in the warm spring sunshine.

"For Betty?" Dec frowned confused.

"Well,maybe for her" Ant laughed "but I mean for us,today has made me think a bit about our immortality and where we are in life"

"I've come a long way" Dec nodded "that's for sure"

"We both have" Ant agreed.

"Well,you saved me" Dec replied "in more ways than one,you gave me my life back Ant and I'm probably the happiest I've ever been"

"That's good to hear" Ant smiled "but you saved me too"

"What?" Dec laughed "saved you from what?this lovely house?this amazing swimming pool?all the spare cash you've got lying around?"

"That's all material stuff" Ant shrugged "and of course all those things are nice and it's great to have no money worries,but you've heard the saying 'money doesn't buy happiness' haven't you?"

"Yeah" Dec nodded "but neither does poverty"

"Fair point" Ant smiled "but back when I first met you,I wasn't living,I was merely existing,I was just a robot"

"What do you mean?" Dec asked.

"I mean" Ant sighed "that I wasn't happy,I wasn't content,there was no joy and laughter in my life,I just worked every hour God sent because that's all I had to do,or so I thought"

"I thought you were happy there?" Dec frowned "when we first met anyway?"

"No,I wasn't" Ant shook his head "I hadn't been for years,I just hadn't realised it,but do you see what I mean Dec?if I hadn't met you,I'd still be doing that job,basically sleepwalking through my life,now I have a job I love,I'm living with people I love,seeing much more of my friends and family,if it hadn't been for you,none of this would have happened"

"Oh" Dec replied,not really knowing what to say.

"So you see Dec" Ant smiled "you saved me too,like you can't imagine and I hate to think how my life would still be if we hadn't met"

"Me too" Dec sighed "it doesn't bear thinking about does it?"

"No" Ant replied "who would have thought two men with such different lives would end up like this"

"Thank God we did" Dec smiled.

Neither of them could deny that the future was now looking very bright,the business was thriving,Isla was settling well in her new home and seemed happy and Dec's divorce was going through.

Dec rested his head on Ant's shoulder as he often did when he was tired and made the statement that hit home for both of them.

"We saved each other!"

End!