Silent Winter

He hated funerals. He never wanted to attend another one after his brother's death. He couldn't bare the thought of losing another loved one. But of course, fate had different plans for him--a part of him knew that fate never enjoyed letting him have nice things, he was just spared a few nice things, two being his children and one being his close friend and neighbor, Chase Hawthorne. Death just had to take his dear wife away from him--his loving Dylan.

He walked over to the coffin, and there she laid, in a beautiful baby blue dress--her favorite during the summer time. Her hair let down from it's normally tied up state, he carefully brushed a piece of hair from her closed eyelids, trying so hard not to touch her pale, snow-like, skin. He moved back towards his seat; a distant thought that was almost curious to know who would show up.

The last few days had been rough for the man, he was just lucky that his friend allowed his children to stay at his house for the last two days--he tried to manage with the kids but he just couldn't. All he did was sit home and stare at the wall, and it was obvious that he was not doing too well. But he did his best to spruce himself up a little, but did nothing to get rid of the bags under his eyes or the glassy red hue from his normally vibrant green eyes. Dressed in all black, he sat in the front row with his fingers laced together, his eyes fixated on the coffin before him. His son came running up to him, "Daddy, is mommy sleeping?" The child asked innocently. Ari bit his lower lip.

"Yes, son. She is."

"Should we wake her up?" The tears formed once more in Ari's eyes as he shifted his gaze between his son and his wife.

"I don't think so, Jethro."

Genna's heart sank. Dylan had died. Tears filled her green eyes and she often cried herself to sleep. Although she realized something, Dylan had died the same way that Genna's mother did. Giving birth to a second child.

Genna wore a black dress that cut right under her knees along with a coat. She walked into the church but her black heels made a tapping noise which disturbed her. She could see Alisa and Ari. She felt terrible for Ari. being a single father with two kids was going to be tough.

"Ari, Alisa...."

Genna said, a frown on her pale face. She usually never frowned. She was very bubbly but now she could just cry for days that her friend died. first, her mother, then her sister, and now Dylan.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Ari,"

Genna said quietly, trying to hide her tears.

Was life ment to be lived this way?
It seemed only days ago Kitty was sitting at Dylan's bar sipping a drink and now the woman layed dead. Ultimatley this was a message: you can't evade misfortune forever. Listening to the woman at the bar, Kitty took her as the luckiest woman ever. She seemed so carefree, so kind, and so gentle. Never would she have expected her to die so young, she couldn't help but wish she died in her place. Ian would have a panic attack if he knew this thought, but it was the truth. Dylan was a far too sweet person to deserve this fate. Of all people why was it her?

Her memories of the brunette were few, but still important. Her favorite one was simple, but she thought it showed Dylan's best traits:

Kitty was sitting alone at Dylan's bar looking into her empty glass. It was right after she ran away from Ian after he confessed to her. She wasn't sure exactly what to say or do, so there she was drinking down her feelings pathetically.

"Kitty," the woman said taking note of her unusal behavior. "Is something wrong?"

Kitty ran her finger across the glass's rim. "How'd you know your husband was the one?" she asked.

"That's easy," the brunette said happily. "When I knew I couldn't stand being without him."

Her words were simple, but they were the truth. They made her realize how she felt about Ian and how he felt about her. They were the connection she needed and for that she was grateful forever. It was a shame she'd never be able to truly thank her for them. So there she sat somberly. She wanted to tell Ari something, but she didn't want to be salt rubbing his wounds. Therefore, she kept her mouth shut as she sat in a pew.

Molly walked in wearing a long black frilled dress with a see through black jacket and a black rose in her hair. Mollys lips were dark red with lipstick and her skin was pale.

She hovered over the cofin on the far side away from everybody else. Even in her death Dylan looked full of life. "My old boss guys." She whispered to her cats. Kitcat and Dite`s tails were drooping with sadness. Molly couldnt help but let some tears slip. Soon she started whimpering softly to herself holding her sobs back.

"Everybody I know dies....." She said to herself closing her eyes and turning away from Dylans body , her knee high heeled black boots clicking against the ground. Molly pulled out a black hankercheif out of her pocket and covered her face with it.

Chase walked up to Ari. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't find the words, and without his words, he really had nothing. He put a hand on Ari's shoulder, looking over at Dylan's casket.

Tragic.

He could not begin to comprehend how this had happened. It was hardly fair. She was so young, and Jethro... and Ari. Goddess. Ari was a wreck. He was doing a good job of hiding it, but Chase could see past his front. His eyes were glassy, but he couldn't glimpse closely enough to tell if telltale red veins were etched in his eyes from crying, if dark bags shadowed beneath his eyelashes from lack of sleep. Chase didn't bother to try and get a better look; he simply stood slightly behind his dear friend, sharing an unspoken feeling of loss and mourning.

"Ari..." He exhaled. "Ari, let me take Jethro to my house. He can play with Clara. Just..." His voice trailed off. The little boy was too young to understand, he had to be. In addition, Chase knew that Ari would be a lot less likely to grieve properly in the presence of his young son, who may not understand death but understood sadness and tears all too well.

He sat there, but Ari was not entirely there; his mind drifted to the happier times that he and Dylan shared, even some of the moments where he and Dylan didn't exactly see eye-to-eye, but that, he felt, made their connection stronger because they knew they could work things out. He sniffled his nose, not even realizing that someone had placed a hand on to his shoulder until a voice cut through his thoughts. He looked up slowly to see a slightly familiar face, Alisa, he thought. She questioned him and Ari nodded slowly. "Things will be fine." He told her simply, "I'll try." He continued, then touched her hand with his own, "Thank you for coming." He told her, noticing another figure approach them from the corner of his eyes.

Another woman, Genna--someone who often visited Dylan with her children, though he would normally be out while she was over, only just as she left his home would he come home. She mumbled their names and he turned slightly to acknowledge her. He nodded his head, swallowing the lump growing in his throat, but it had not disappeared. The little boy in front of him clinged to his pant leg.

He blinked, feeling another hand on his shoulder, turning once more to see his friend, Chase. He offered to let Jethro stay with him and Ari thought about it for a moment. "I don't want to be a burden." He told him, glancing down towards his son and placed a loving hand on top of his dark red hair. "But thank you." He mumbled softly.