"Flapjacks are great" said The Actress to The Bishop

"Sometimes I just want to scream" he said,

"Why's that?" replied Jane. Jane was Barney's best mate and they'd been walking into town when he'd announced it.

"Because when I see them, it just reminds me of everything that happened. And I just can't go on like that. It's just...there."

Jane thought for a moment.

"Well, you could always just ignore it - that way you don't have to think about it."

"Yeah, I guess" Barney replied. He'd been meaning to tell her for ages, but each time he'd bottled it. There were nights when he'd lay awake for hours just thinking about the right words. But there weren't any right words, and it had all come out wrong..just wrong.

"I dunno, maybe I could move somewhere else and start over."

"What would that achieve?"

"Well, I could start afresh, where nobody knew me. I could be someone else and live a better life without all of these...'things' trailing around after me. Nobody would know."

"You could always tell them."

Barney stopped walking. He knew she would say that. He knew that if he told her she'd tell him to come clean. He also knew this was the right thing to do. Why was she always right?

"Yeah, but...I dunno"

They'd stopped in front of the fountains which had once been the center of a busy marketplace in Cheshireton, but now they were just dried up pits. Barney frowned and scraped lazily at some stones on the ground with his foot.

Jane stayed quiet for a moment so that he could be with his thoughts. He just needed time to think. She knew that he'd come to the right decision in the end - he just needed someone to talk it through with and some space to figure it out.

"Okay, say I did tell them - then what?"

"Then it's all out in the open. Not your problem any more, they can deal with it."

"But I'd be responsible; what if they get upset!?"

"They probably will get upset. But you have to remember: it isn't your fault."

Barney paused for a second deep in thought. He opened his mouth to say something, but caught himself.

"I'll phone them now - after all they'll know and then it's their problem how they deal with it"

He pulled his Nokia out of his pocket, and with the enthusiasm of someone about to attend a funeral he declared, "Here goes nothing.", as he walked around the corner for some privacy.

Ten minutes later he returned with a big grin on his face

"How'd it go?" Jane asked

"Brilliant! They completely understood, and even apologised for putting me in an awkward position!"

"Great!"

"Right then. Now I can really enjoy myself! First drink's on me!"

Barney took Jane's hand and they carried on walking down the street.

"I feel so much better now! I should have done this weeks ago."

Jane stopped and pulled Barney towards her.

"Things are only gonna get better from here for you." she whispered. Jane grinned mischeiviously as she leant forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.

The End.