Chapter Nine:

A stunned silence filled the room until Elliot screamed, falling to his knees, while Freya's legs buckled from underneath her. Isla fainted right then and there and if it hadn't been for Charlotte catching her, she too would be on the glass floor.

"No, no, are you sure? Are you absolutely certain?" Charlotte said, barely above a whisper.

Rosiee, Mason and Taylor, who, of course, didn't even know Finley also had tears threatening to spill over. Looking at them all, Taylor could see how much this 20-something young man meant to them all as she replied, "Yes. We are sure. I'm so sorry,"

"Sorry just isn't good enough. Thanks for trying," Elliot said through his choked up voice. It took everything in him not to lunge at them and demand an explanation of why they couldn't save him in time.

"I know," Mason whispered.

No one replied until Isla spoke up, almost unable to get the words out, "can-can we see-see him, n-now?"

Mason nodded and indicted to the cafeteria as he said, "Of course. We will all be outside waiting for you, in case you need anything."

Freya and Charlotte went in first both gripping on to each other frightened of going they would see while Isla and Elliot approached at a slower pace each feeling as if there were somehow in a space film walking in slow motion. As they neared to where Finley lay Isla grabbed on to Elliot's hand and squeezed knowing that they both needed the support. Elliot squeezed back not uttering a sound, his heart thumping in his chest.

Freya gasped in shock and turned away at first then tentatively glanced back over her shoulder at her dead cousin. Finley's skin was pale and his face had lost most of his colouring. Elliot crouched down next to him forcing himself to look at him. Sobbing, he took Finley's cold hand in his and tried to form words that just wouldn't come. Charlotte turned to Isla as she embraced her. Careful not to hurt her arm, Isla hugged her back as they both shook.

"I'm sorry," Elliot whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Freya, who had been holding on to Finley as well, whispered her goodbyes to the person who was like a brother to her. Standing up with tears streaming down her cheeks she turned away with difficulty leaving him and Elliot alone. Isla stared at Finley's dead body and was utterly shocked. He was alive and well only 20 minutes previously and now he lay blue-lipped and broken on the cafeteria floor. She saw Elliot bend down and kiss him on the lips, whispering something. Turning away at that moment, Isla tried wiping her tears away, but no matter how hard she did that they just kept on coming. Eventually when Elliot stood up and began walking towards her, she went past him to Finley. Isla could still hear Freya, Charlotte and Elliot sobbing over in the corner of the room, Taylor and Mason trying to comfort them. This time it was Isla's turn to say goodbye and it proved to be more difficult than she'd ever expected. For as long as she could remember, Finley was just there and always gave her his full attention. She felt as if she mattered around him and for that she'd always be grateful. Thinking about Luca as well, sent her into a sobbing mess as she held onto his frozen hand.

"I've loved you for as long as I've known you," she whispered, her tears splashing on him as she bent to kiss him on the forehead. As Isla stood and turned away from the young man she loved so dearly.

Suddenly they heard the screeching of the door leading to the interlinking passage and voices.

"I'll go and check it out," Rosiee announced, "You can all stay here,"

She left before anyone could answer and Mason rushed after her as she went in the direction of the sound.

"Who do you think that is?" Sniffed Freya, wiping her tears on the back of her hoodie sleeve.

"It's probably The Intergalactic Federation coming to take Fin-Finley a-away from us," Charlotte replied, her voice could barely be heard over the sound of Rosie's shouting. Taylor went to see what was going on and was shocked at the sight before her. 10 Intergalactic Federation officers charged through the Headquarters towards the cafeteria as Rosiee could be seen chasing after the last one shouting, "You can't just take him! Explain what you want with him. My friends need to say goodbye properly,"

Cosmo and Star flapped their wings wildly trying to peck at the men who battered the Raven-dragons away with ease. Backing up slightly, Taylor blocked the entrance to the cafeteria as she asked, "What are you doing here? Why did the space hospital not answer our calls? Our medic called them six or even seven times. We needed you!"

Isla, Freya, Charlotte and Elliot were secretly impressed with her confidence as the men towered above her in their full uniforms, guns strapped to their belts. The officer at the back of the group stepped out and spoke in a calm, firm voice as he said, "We are very sorry for your loss and the hospitals have all been maxed out due to the most recent meteor shower and storm,"

"Well, that explanation doesn't help my boyfr-boyfriend who is now dead because of your incompetence," Elliot said furiously. He was just as amazed with himself as the others were when he called Finley his boyfriend.

"We are sor...,"

"Just save it. No one said they were sorry when they took my dead twin brother away," Isla muttered. Mason, who by now was standing next to her, turned to her about to say something. Before he could, however, seven of the ten officers shoved Taylor to the ground charging into the cafeteria to get to Finley. Elliot and Freya ran to his body and guarded him while Charlotte, Isla, Mason and two other crew members ran towards the bulky men. The three men who stayed outside of the Headquarters room just stood there not doing anything. One in particular caught Rosiee's attention; he started pacing up and down, muttering things to himself.

Freya screamed as one man pushed her out of the way without any effort at all, she fell to the ground. As she began to get up he came towards her once more and kicked her hard in the stomach until she coughed up blood and she curled up into a fatal position. The small dragons dive bombed into the man taking him by surprise. As his beefy hands held onto one of Cosmo's wings with a tight grip he snapped it almost in two halves and the Raven-dragon plummeted down as Isla screamed, "Cosmo!"

Furious at how the Intergalactic Federation Officer was treating Freya and poor Cosmo, whose wing was now almost bent in half, Elliot punched him in the face earning him two black eyes. His vision blurred and little white dots, which appeared to him like stars danced behind his eyelids. Star flew straight to Taylor wrapped her wings around her waist, clinging on for dear life.

Then another officer marched right around and went around Isla and Mason who had also been thrown to the ground, walked up to the limp dead body and picked up Finley as if he was as light as a feather and threw him onto his shoulders. Taylor made one last attempt to fight him, Star still hanging on to her, but he turned around and, with his free hand, punched her so hard that she felt as if he had broken her eye socket. Rosiee rushed to her aid cursing at the officers and ducking when they took a swing at her.

The man who had just hit Taylor and had Finley slung over his shoulders like a meat sack seemed to be the leader and when the nine other Intergalactic Federation Officers saw him heading out of the cafeteria, through the Headquarters, and towards the interlinking passage to their own space pod they turned to follow him. All the crew members including Rosiee, Mason, and Taylor were stunned. It had all happened so quickly and the men hadn't even spoken, apart from the younger looking one who apologised to them at the beginning.

"No! Finley!" Isla screamed, getting up and racing to the door before it sealed shut. Charlotte and Mason dashed after her just in time to see the interlinking passage close up, leaving only a thin line where the door once was. 

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This chapter was also hard to write 😭