How can I help you, to say goodbye, it's okay to hurt, and it's okay to cry; come let me hold you and I will try. How can I help you to say goodbye

Ava Duncan, born in Noel Park, London, England on May 2nd, 1967 to Klaus and Diana, not only entered the world with a gentle spirit, and a radiant smile, but she captivated the presence of those around her.

Diana hailed from California, but was known in the neighborhood of Noel Park as England's Rose, due to her undying kindness, compassion, and radiant spirit.

Klaus and his sister, Rebecca Duncan, originally hailed from Sandringham, England, and he met Diana as an exchange student in high school back in the 1950s.

The couple married in 1965, and gave birth to Ava in 1967, her name sake is mainly due to her mother's admiration for Ava Gardner.

Growing up, Ava had a happy childhood, who was raised to treat everyone with respect, no matter their social class. She also had a deep passion for books, especially in the French language, something she inherited from her mother.

In 1975, at the age of 8, Ava and her parents, as well as Rebecca and Marcel, relocated to America, in the golden state of California, for better job opportunities, and to be close to Diana's siblings, Freya and Elijah.

Upon her arrival, she met a boy her age, Bobby Brown, who soon became her best friend, and stuck by her through thick and thin. That's where the story begins.

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Summer 1975

Captain & Tennile's Love Will Keep Us Together was number one on the billboard charts, Jaws was the top grossing movie in America, and Klaus and Diana Duncan had just moved to Van Nuys where her two siblings, Freya and Elijah Grey resided, and Klaus' sister and brother in-law, Rebecca and Marcel Gerard, lived down the road from them.

Klaus and Diana's eight-year-old daughter, Ava Duncan, was scared and didn't know her place in the world, as she had only known it in London, where she had a lot of friends, but still felt like an outsider, as she was the only one who spoke with an American accent.

For her young age at the time, Ava was a very mature and smart little girl, mostly due to the fact that she spent an exorbitant amount of time reading, especially in the French language.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go explore the neighborhood, while your father and I unpack." Diana suggested.

Ava fiddled with the string on her shirt. "You mean, go out there? By myself? I don't know mama. It's pretty scary being in a new place you don't know, what if it doesn't work out? Can we go home? I miss my friends."

Diana wrapped her arms around her daughter, and pulled her close to her. "Sweetheart, I know. I understand your fear. But you have to understand something. When you face the unknown, you have to gather every ounce of courage you possess, and tell yourself, that if it's the right thing to do, everything will work out just fine."

Ava snuggled into her mother. "And if it's not?"

Diana moved hair away from her baby girl's forehead. "My sweet Ava, our whole lives are decided by fate, but it doesn't have to be. I promise you, my sweet darling, this place will come to feel like home. Go on and meet some new friends."

Ava kissed her mother's cheek, then grabbed her Walkman, and walked out the door. Outside, she grabbed her bike. "Hi sweetheart, where are you off to?" Klaus questioned as he placed his tool chest on the shelf

"Mama suggested I should explore the neighborhood, while you both unpack." Ava said as she hopped on her bike

Klaus had always been protective of his daughter, and gave her a look of concern. "All right, well, be careful and be back when the street lights come on."

"I will daddy. I love you, more than anything." Ava smiled

"I love you too, sweetheart." Klaus smiled

Ava smiled as she put her headphones on her ears, and pedaled down the street, as Elton John's Honky Cat played, eventually leading her to Encino. One thing she took note of, was the many large manor homes, and the beautiful brunette girl was in awe, as her beautiful violet blue eyes glowed.

Ava was too engrossed in her music and looking at the large manor houses, when she fell off her bike and skinned her knee. "Ow!" the little brunette girl cried

"Are you okay?" a voice rang out

Ava's violet blues were glazed over with tears, and her brunette hair was in her face, but she moved it out of the way to see that a little boy, around her age, with feathered brown hair, blue eyes, and a warm smile ran to help her.

Ava nodded as she wiped her tears from her eyes and picked up her walkman. "Yes, I'm okay. I just wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Ava Duncan."

"Wow, like Ava Gardner." the boy smiled as he helped her stand up.

Ava smiled as she picked up her bike. "Yes, my mom loves Ava Gardner, so she thought it was fitting to name me Ava." the brunette smiled.

"Well, I'm Bobby, Bobby Brown." Bobby smiled as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Nice meeting you, Bobby." Ava smiled.

As the two eight year olds shook hands, they felt something strange, they didn't know what it was. Of course, we know it's butterflies, but eight year old logic doesn't understand the feeling, so they just simply ignored it.

"Well, your knee is hurt, come into my house, and my grandma will clean it for you." Bobby smiled as he took her bike and led her to his house

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm an unannounced guest." Ava said

"It's alright, my grandma won't mind." Bobby reassured as he set her bike by the garage and led her up the walkway

Inside, the two eight year olds walked in, hand in-hand, and Ava admired the many Barbies on the shelves. Then, looking on the wall, she saw photo of a middle aged woman with Ruth Handler, creator of the first Barbie.

"Bobby, your grandma knows Ruth Handler?" Ava questioned as they walked to the kitchen

"Yes, my grandma is the CEO of Mattel, she also designs the Barbie dolls." Bobby said. "You like Barbies?"

"I mean, what little girl doesn't?" Ava smiled.

Bobby smiled as he took her by the hand and led her to the kitchen where his grandmother, Nettie, sat at the table, sketching in her sketch pad. "Grandma, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Nettie looked up, and took her glasses off her face. Her red hair had some grays peaking through, and her pantsuit was neatly pressed, but her warm and radiant smile, was that of her grandson's. 

"Oh, hello, dear." Nettie smiled. "I'm Nettie, what on earth happened to your knee?"

"Grandma, this is Ava Duncan. She fell while she was riding her bike. Can you help her?" Bobby questioned

Nettie smiled as she stood up from the kitchen table, and grabbed the first aid kit. "Of course, darling."

After Nettie cleaned Ava's knee, Bobby showed her around the house, as well as the upstairs, even his room. "Wow, you have Queen records! How cool!" the brunette smiled

"You like Queen?" Bobby questioned.

"I love them and Elton John." Ava smiled. "But I'm from London."

Bobby furrowed his brows. "But you don't have a British accent."

Ava laughed. "Well, my mom is originally from here, while my daddy is from over there. So I grew up speaking mainly in the American accent."

Ava looked at the photo on Bobby's nightstand, which held his parents, Joshua and Catherine Brown. She didn't say anything, as she knew better to ask, it was always better not to speak, but rather to be spoken to, that was until Bobby spoke up first.

"That's my mom and dad. My dad died two years ago, and my mom died over the spring." Bobby said, as he tried not to cry. "Sometimes, the kids pick on me for it, and it hurts. I miss my mom a lot. I especially miss her hugs. They were the best, and they always made me feel better when I was sad." Bobby's tears were falling now.

Ava couldn't stop her own tears that were welling in her eyes. She pulled her new friend in for a tight embrace. "Bobby, I'm so sorry. Kids are so mean."

"Thanks Ava." Bobby smiled as he held on to Ava tightly, almost as if she were his anchor

Ava looked at the clock on the wall which read 7:30. "I guess I better be getting home. Thank you for everything, Bobby." she smiled as the two walked down the stairs

"Now, young lady, you're not riding home with the street lights coming on. I'll drive you home. Come on." Nettie smiled

After Bobby put Ava's bike into the back seat of Nettie's black mercedes, she drove Ava back to her Van Nuys home, while Bobby sat with her in the back seat, the two kids laughing and chatting.

"Come on, I want you both to meet my parents." Ava smiled

Ava walked inside, leading Nettie and Bobby with her, as Diana walked into the dining room, with a pot roast in her hands. "There you are sweetheart, dinner's on the—oh, hello." she smiled warmly

"Mama, this is Bobby Brown, my new friend, and his grandma, Mrs. Brown. I fell and hurt my knee, but Mrs. Brown fixed me right up." Ava smiled

Diana set the pot roast on the table. "Ava, are you alright?" she asked as she examined her daughter's face, then her knee

"I'm alright, mama." Ava smiled

Diana smiled warmly at the older woman, and the young boy in front of her. "Thank you both so much." she smiled. "My name is Diana Duncan, I'm Ava's mother. I hope we can be friends."

"Hello Diana, I'm Nettie Brown. I would love that." Nettie smiled as she shook Diana's hand.

"Welcome to our home, my darling Bobby." Diana smiled as she pulled Bobby into a warm, motherly embrace, something he had missed the feeling of.

"Thank you, Mrs. Duncan." Bobby smiled

After that, Diana, Klaus, and Nettie would spend time together quite often, either at the Duncan Van Nuys residence, or at Bobby and Nettie's Encino Hills Home.

On the day of Ava's ninth birthday, she had a little party at her house, which consisted of her parents, her aunts and uncles, Nettie and Bobby.

Bobby had gotten a special present for her. He had Nettie design a special barbie doll for Ava, that looked exactly like her, which Nettie herself had been working on for months.

At the birthday party, after opening gifts, mainly Barbies from Klaus and Diana, and a beautiful baby doll from Rebecca and Marcel, as well as a Barbie play set from Freya and Elijah, she held Bobby's neatly wrapped gift in her hands

Nettie sweetly smiled at her grandson, who nervously bit his nails, not sure if Ava would like the doll or not. "She'll love it dear." the older woman softly reassured

After Ava carefully took the pink wrapping paper off the box, she opened it to reveal the Barbie doll, which was the most beautiful Barbie doll she had ever seen.

"I-I hope you like it. I had grandma design something that looked, exactly like you." Bobby nervously said, as Ava's violet eyes sparkled and her whole face lit up.

Bobby gulped, watching Ava analyze the doll in the box. Her parents, aunts and uncles surrounded her, and smiled as they noticed the striking similitudes the doll and Ava had.

Bobby sat there, awkwardly looking at Ava's expression to understand if she liked it or not. The Barbie had the same beautiful brunette hair, the same striking violet eyes, and even the same porcelain skin. Nettie knew the young girl loved the doll.

Ava looked up meeting his beautiful blue eyes. "Bobby, she's beautiful. I've never had a doll that looked like me before." the brunette smiled as she walked towards him, with the doll, she carefully removed from the box in one hand and embraced him tightly. "Thank you so much. I'll always treasure this. I'll keep her on my nightstand always, she's too beautiful to play with. Thank you as well, Ms. Nettie."

"You're welcome, my sweet Ava." Nettie smiled

"I'm glad you like it." Bobby smiled as he stood up. "You see, I had been struggling to figure out what to get you, because you deserve everything, but I know you also like Barbies, even though I'll never understand nothing about them, but I asked grandma, to please design a Barbie that looked, well, um, beautiful. Just l-like you—"

Ava quickly noticed his cheeks flush and how he looked down, embarrassed. She blushed too, and stood on her tiptoes, to give him a peck on the right cheek. His eyes widened at the gesture, and she just shyly smiled at him, caressing the hair of the doll.

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August 1981

Those years with Bobby were the best years of Ava's life. But everything went downhill during middle school, and Bobby was bullied more, due to the death of his parents, no matter how many times Ava would take up for him. This caused him to join a karate dojo, Cobra Kai. The more time he spent there, the more he completely avoided Ava, and, in the process, he made four new best friends, Johnny Lawrence, Tommy, Dutch, and Jimmy.

In 1981, their freshman year of high school, Bobby had completely abandoned Ava, leaving her completely alone, and through his new friends, he became the most popular boy in school, the one everyone, even Ava deeply feared. He wasn't the boy she remembered.

"I just don't understand mama." a now 15 year old Ava cried as she laid in her bedroom and hugged her pillow. "He's so different, he won't even look at me." Ava turned to face her mother as she tearfully continued. "When he does, he gives me a cocky smirk, and brags about the wild parties he attends, and the number of girls who throw themselves at him. To make matters worse, he's always flirting with other girls in front of me. It hurts so bad."

Diana laid beside her daughter and held her tight. "I'm so sorry my precious." The beautiful blonde woman didn't know what to say.

Ava cried into her mother's neck and wrapped her arms around her. "Mama, why does this hurt so much? What's going on?" Ava openly wept. She couldn't understand the heartache she felt.

Diana kissed her daughter's forehead and gently answered, "My sweet Ava, because you liked him. He was your first friend, and welcomed you to The Valley when no one else did. One day, your paths will cross again."

Ava shook her head as she wiped her tears. "I don't ever want to see him again."

"My sweet cherub, there's still one valuable life lesson I need to teach you." Diana said and, and Ava glanced up at her mother. "Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same. Time will ease your pain. It's okay to hurt and it's okay to cry." Diana said as she held her daughter close to her, and ran her fingers through her long brunette hair

This was one of the many nights Ava would cry about Bobby, questions without answers filling her mind, but she never dared to face him because she felt intimidated by his new personality.

Of course, Ava herself changed over the years. She gained confidence in herself and became more extroverted. Look wise, she was gorgeous, and became the most beautiful girl in school: the girl every boy wanted to go on a date with. Her brunette hair had fallen to just below her waist, and she still had her striking violet eyes, the ones that made Bobby fall for her. She truly was the England's Rose.

Ava soon found a new best friend by the name of Ali Mills, and the two were joined at the hip. You never saw one without the other. When Ali began dating Bobby's best friend, Johnny Lawrence, Ava of course spent time with Ali, but she avoided the Cobra Kais, and avoided meeting them at all costs, because — in her humble opinion — they're the reason Bobby changed, and she had no desire to meet any of them.

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May 2, 1984

It was the end of junior year, and 17-year-old Ava Duncan was now seated next to her best friend, Ali Mills in eighth period history, while Bobby and his best friend, Ali's boyfriend, Johnny Lawrence, were seated across from them. Bobby stared at the beautiful brunette, the one he missed something awful, and even slipped a birthday card in her locker, just like he had done every year, but didn't sign it from him as she knew she would put it back in his locker, or simply throw it away, if she found out it was from him.

"Happy Birthday Ava." Ali smiled as she gave Ava a birthday card, as well as a small box containing a necklace that matched the blonde's diamond heart necklace

"Thanks Ali." Ava smiled as she embraced her best friend. "You shouldn't have." The brunette put on the necklace and tightly embraced her best friend once more

"I know, but I wanted to." Ali smiled. "Anyway, what are you doing after school today?"

Ava was about to answer, but Bobby stood up and walked to take the empty seat next to her. "Hey Ava, can we talk after class?" He questioned

Ava glanced back at Ali, who could sense how uncomfortable her best friend was, then the brunette turned back to face her ex-best friend and rolled her eyes in pure hatred and disgust, before she rudely answered, "I have things to do. I'm meeting mom and dad at the diner." the brunette turned to the blonde seated next to her. "Ali, you're invited."

Bobby heaved a deep sigh. He really wanted to talk to her and make things right. It wasn't the first time he's tried to talk to her and make things right. In 1982, when he went with his friends to see Rocky III, he saw the brunette with Ali, and tried to make things right then, but she — understandably so, avoided him like the plague.

"Ava, I'd really like to talk to you, it will only take a couple of minutes." Bobby said

"What part of—"

Before Ava could finish her sentence, the door to the classroom opened, revealing the principal and two police officers. "Mr. Harris, could we speak with Ava Duncan please? It's an emergency."

Ava glanced at Ali and furrowed her brows in confusion. Gathering her things, and feeling her stomach roil, she walked to the door and out in the hall, as the door closed behind them.

"Ava, I'm afraid there's been a car accident." Principal Webber said

At the hospital, the doctors led Ava to the morgue. "Miss Duncan. I'm Ben Graham. Found them about an hour ago."

Ava's eyes filled with tears as she walked to the table and pulled the sheets off the bodies of her parents. Klaus and Diana were forever gone.

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May 8th, 1984

After the death of Klaus and Diana, Ava was placed under the guardianship of Freya and Elijah, who moved into the Duncan Van Nuys home. Even though she had her aunts and uncles, as well as Ali, who never left Ava's side once, Ava never felt more alone, as she loved her parents more than anyone, especially her mother. Unbearable loss had forever changed her.

Bobby wasn't doing much better. Even though he and Ava were no longer friends, he still remembered the kindness Diana showed him, and decided to go to the funeral to pay his respects and be there for Ava, all though he decided he would sit in the back, so it wouldn't cause a scene with her, because she really and truly hated his guts, and with good reason.

After the funeral, Ava sat in her Van Nuys home, staring at the doll which was once a gift from her former best friend. She loved the doll, she really and truly did. That's why she couldn't bring herself to throw it away, not only that, but she still loved Nettie, and Nettie herself worked so hard on it.

"Ava, darling?" Freya said as she knocked on Ava's door.

"Come in, auntie Freya." Ava said as she placed her doll on the nightstand

Freya walked in the bedroom with a bouquet of flowers, Ava's favorite flowers, Pink English Roses, which unbeknownst to her, were from Bobby. "These were dropped off for you."

"Who are they from?" Ava questioned

Freya glanced at the card, then answered, "It doesn't say, but it just says, Happy Belated birthday, and under the circumstances, I hope this brightens up your day, because everyone's spirits rise when you walk in the room. Someone you know? Someone from schoolm maybe?"

Ava shook her head no. "Not anyone I know auntie."

"Well, I know it's going to be hard, but try and get some rest, okay?" Freya said as she kissed her niece's forehead. Ava nodded as Freya walked out the door closing it behind her.

In Bobby's Encino Hills home, he sat on the couch in the living room, looking at an old photo of Ava, one that was taken of the two of them before he hurt her so badly.

When he got the news about Klaus and Diana, all he wanted to do, was to go over to her Van Nuys home and wrap her in his arms, and make it all go away for her. But he was a big part of her pain, and he would have to find a way to make it up to her. He just hoped she wasn't forever gone.

How can I help you, to say to say goodbye
It's okay to hurt, and it's okay to cry
Come let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you, to say goodbye