The Following Days

[NorthernDancer]

This is so good, can't wait for more, it would make most excellent book!!!!

[Spy_Master]

this is really really really good I cna't wait for it to end not because I want it to be over because I don't but because I want to know what's going to happen.

[NorthernDancer]

Hurry Kate, I need a "FanFiction Fix" for the "Following Days!" It is so good I am going to save and print. Have you ever thought of writing fiction for real? You would be most good at it.

[KateLovesDennis]

I'm really glad you like it! I'm enjoying writing it! I've nearly got the next bit ready. (Been in Aidensfield today getting some inspiration! but that's another story ;D )

I'd love to find the time to write a book or something, may be get it made into a tv prog (I can dream!) One day I hope I won't have such a hectic life and will be able to sit down and writethis book.

Until then, I hope you'll keep on reading my fan fics and enjoying them. Have you read the first bit of "A New Life" on Spymasters World of Fanfic? That's my latest story, only posted one bit so far but I've got quite a bot done, just sorting out a few bits with it to make sure it all makes sense and I'll be posting more soon, for that one and this one too. I hope people will go over to the other board and read the fanfic and leave comments as I love to know what you think.

[NorthernDancer]

Haven't read your newest fanfic on Spymasters but that is next on my agenda. I am green with envy that you were on set of Heartbeat. Do you work in the industry? Sorry, I am new to this forum and I am a bit curious. If you do work for television then, I am pea green with envy. Thanks for keeping us informed. I really love hearing about what happens on Series 14 even though in Canada we haven't quite started new eps yet. Love hearing about the stars and when you occasionally run into them. Living in Canada there is not much opportunitiy for that for us as you can well imagine. Keep up the good work.

[KateLovesDennis]

I wish I did work in TV, no I do the same job as Kate does in this fanfic. (but nothing so exciting ever happens to me ;D) I live not too far from Aidensfield (about 50 miles) so I get to go there on days out sometimes and occassionally get to work over that way (but not often enough) so I can take a detour on the way back and get to see some filming. I've got autographs from Oscar, Phil, David and Steve Crane so far and have seen Bernie and Vernon. I had my photo taken with Oscar last year and I've got a copy on the wall. Have a look at my website, sky.prohosting.com/kateshb/ there's lots of photos I took last year when they were filming.

[KateLovesDennis]

Here's the next bit:

The night was very cold, a film of ice had formed over the car window in the few minutes that Alf had been inside the building. He took a scraper from the car and cleared the screen before getting into the car.
He had been so sure that Merton would be at the station, he felt at a loss as to where to search. Perhaps his car had broken down, Alf thought it unlikely, the Rover was kept in tip top condition. Still he had to check the moors route. He turned left at the junction and headed for the Aidensfield Moor road. At the brow of the hill he slowed to a halt, headlights cutting through the frosty air, the road stretched out before him, the sparkling frost on its surface glistening in the beam of the headlights, the road twinkling like a silvery river in the moonlight. A sheep raised its head, eyes reflecting the lights in that spooky unnatural way that sheep eyes always did. There were no cars parked up along the road. Alf lit a cigarette and continued on his way. If Dennis wasn’t on this road, there was only one other option in Alf’s mind, the woman with the blue car, she had been very upset at the break in at her cottage and she hadn’t returned to the Aidensfield Arms that evening, perhaps Dennis was with her.

Alf slowed as he rounded the corner just before Wheelhouse Cottage. He parked the car across the gate, which was closed and turned off the engine. There were no cars visible in front of the house, he let himself through the gate, and crept across the gravelly drive, his feet crunching loudly despite his efforts to walk quietly. The cottage was in darkness, Alf stood by the front door and listened carefully, no sounds reached his ears. He made his way round to the back of the house. Again no cars parked, there was a small garage, the door was not locked, it too was empty. Alf tried the back door of the house, it was locked. He stepped back and looked up at the windows, the curtains were all open and no lights showed. No one was home.

Back in his car Alf lit another cigarette and sat for a moment. He didn’t want to tell Jenny that he couldn’t find her husband, nor did he want to spend the whole evening searching for him. He took a long draw on the cigarette and looked out into the darkness. He wouldn’t put it past his Sergeant to be with another woman, he had been so angry at Jenny, he blamed himself for so much, blamed her for even more. Alf shook his head, the young lad was dead, there was nothing anyone could do to bring him back, it was a heavy burden to bear. Merton was the type to bottle things up, keep going until the pressure became too much. If he was with the lady from the holiday cottage, they could be anywhere, there were countless pubs and hotels in Ashfordly, even more in Whitby and Elsinby. Alf wasn’t sure that he wanted to find them together. He restarted the car and turned back towards the moors road, all he could do was search for Merton’s car and decide what to do when he located it.


At home Jenny paced the floor, for the second time that day, she wished that she had been firmer with her mother and insisted on returning home alone. Where was he? She paused by the window, lifting the edge of the curtain to peer out across the valley, the view illuminated by shadowy moonlight. No sign of human life. She returned to pacing up and down.

Alf drove very slowly, convinced that Dennis was most likely tucked up in the arms of his new friend, he didn’t want to be the one to discover their relationship, he certainly didn’t want to be the one to tell Jenny, not after the events of the last few days.

[NorthernDancer]

This story is getting most exciting! I feel sorry for Jenny in a way, but in another way I don't, she wasn't very supportive of Dennis' career to start with, and I think she should have been, she knew what she was getting into when she married him, didn't she? You make it seem so real, Kate. I checked out your pics on the link you sent. I always thought those places, such as Jenny's apartment(flat, I guess you would say) (?) were done in a sound stage. Shows you how much I know about filming in a television series. I would love to see it all in person someday, that is for sure. In the meantime, I will look forward to your fanfic and please keep those great pics coming. I never get tired of looking at them. Oh I meant to ask when you got the autographs, did you get to chat to them for a few minutes, or did they just sign and move on?

[Spy_Master]

brill Kate. Dennis would never cheat though, no matter what he's a good guy.
Hope Alf doens't blurt his suspicions out and that they find them soon.

[KateLovesDennis]

NorthernDancer said:

Oh I meant to ask when you got the autographs, did you get to chat to them for a few minutes, or did they just sign and move on?

Derek Fowlds was quite chatty, but there were a lot of people waiting to speak to him, he took time to have a quick word with every one and sign autographs and pose for photos. He was really lovely and hugged everyone really tight with one arm while they were having their photo taken with him.

When I saw David it was pouring down with rain, which was quite good in a way, they were filming at the back of the station buildings, where there is only one way in and out. They let loads of people stand by the trucks to watch them, but you could only leave between takes and once they started they wouldn't let anyone else through. As it was raining really hard the people watching all left, until there was only me left. So when David was being walked back to the car under an umbrella I dashed forward and asked him for his autograph (being the only non crew person left on the side of the barriers) He was a bit shocked as I'd been holding a YTV umbrella for one of the crew chaps while he got stuff out of the truck, so I guess David thought I was one of the crew! I was a bit shy and went all star struck, but he was joking about the weather and said "I'll give you a wet one." and signed my book before he dashed off to the car.
When I met Mark Jordan and James Carlton they were in the police car. I was driving through the moors and they were filming at a cattle grid, so I stopped the car and asked if it was Ok to go through and the chap said they were about to film so could I go through the gate and park next to their truck and they'd tell me when it was ok to drive on. So I parked the other side of the truck and the police car was parked there too, with Mark Jordan and James Carlton sitting in it. So I asked another crew chap if I could ask them for their autographs and he said it was OK, so I went and knocked on the window of the car and asked Mark for his autograph and told him I thought he was great and he said "Aww bless you love". James Carlton didn't speak to me but he did sign my book. And I took a photo of them in the car and one when they got out to go and do the filming. Which you will have seen on my website.
I saw Geoffrey Hughes and Peter Benson from across the road outside the Aidensfield Arms, and I saw Duncan Bell once going into the hotel with his partner and baby, but I was too shy to shout at him, so didn't get his autograph that day . But I sent him a letter and he sent me a signed card and a little letter back which was really nice. And I sent a letter to Sarah Tansey and she sent me a signed card with a little note written on the back.

well that was nearly as long as the fan fic I came here to post, so here goes:


And I've added the next part of "A New Life" on the other fan fic board. Hope you enjoy it!

[KateLovesDennis]

The night was very cold, a film of ice had formed over the car window in the few minutes that Alf had been inside the building. He took a scraper from the car and cleared the screen before getting into the car.
He had been so sure that Merton would be at the station, he felt at a loss as to where to search. Perhaps his car had broken down, Alf thought it unlikely, the Rover was kept in tip top condition. Still he had to check the moors route. He turned left at the junction and headed for the Aidensfield Moor road. At the brow of the hill he slowed to a halt, headlights cutting through the frosty air, the road stretched out before him, the sparkling frost on its surface glistening in the beam of the headlights, the road twinkling like a silvery river in the moonlight. A sheep raised its head, eyes reflecting the lights in that spooky unnatural way that sheep eyes always did. There were no cars parked up along the road. Alf lit a cigarette and continued on his way. If Dennis wasn’t on this road, there was only one other option in Alf’s mind, the woman with the blue car, she had been very upset at the break in at her cottage and she hadn’t returned to the Aidensfield Arms that evening, perhaps Dennis was with her.

Alf slowed as he rounded the corner just before Wheelhouse Cottage. He parked the car across the gate, which was closed and turned off the engine. There were no cars visible in front of the house, he let himself through the gate, and crept across the gravelly drive, his feet crunching loudly despite his efforts to walk quietly. The cottage was in darkness, Alf stood by the front door and listened carefully, no sounds reached his ears. He made his way round to the back of the house. Again no cars parked, there was a small garage, the door was not locked, it too was empty. Alf tried the back door of the house, it was locked. He stepped back and looked up at the windows, the curtains were all open and no lights showed. No one was home.

Back in his car Alf lit another cigarette and sat for a moment. He didn’t want to tell Jenny that he couldn’t find her husband, nor did he want to spend the whole evening searching for him. He took a long draw on the cigarette and looked out into the darkness. He wouldn’t put it past his Sergeant to be with another woman, he had been so angry at Jenny, he blamed himself for so much, blamed her for even more. Alf shook his head, the young lad was dead, there was nothing anyone could do to bring him back, it was a heavy burden to bear. Merton was the type to bottle things up, keep going until the pressure became too much. If he was with the lady from the holiday cottage, they could be anywhere, there were countless pubs and hotels in Ashfordly, even more in Whitby and Elsinby. Alf wasn’t sure that he wanted to find them together. He restarted the car and turned back towards the moors road, all he could do was search for Merton’s car and decide what to do when he located it.

[KateLovesDennis]

“Dennis.” Kate said for what felt like the hundredth time. He was drifting in and out of conciousness, she felt as though she was loosing the battle to keep him awake. She didn’t know much about first aid, a short course at work learning how to apply slings and stop bleeding was little help in a situation like this. She did recall the red cross instructor telling them that patients with head injuries must be kept awake. “Dennis?” She stroked his cheek, supporting his head against her shoulder. She had to do something, but what? She certainly couldn’t leave him here, even if she could manage to escape from the hut, the chances of anyone arriving at the quarry before dawn was very slim. She had no idea why he was here, who knew where he was or how long it would be before someone missed him. There was no-one to miss her, the landlady of the pub seemed kind enough, but would she worry if one of her guests failed to return by closing time? His head lolled again, she realized that she had no idea how badly he was hurt, the faint moonbeams that vanished as swift moving clouds swept across the moon, where of little use.
“Dennis?” She said again, she felt him respond. What she needed was a light. She had already searched the small office, the only option she hadn’t tried was his pockets. Supporting his head with one hand, she reached across his chest with her free hand. His shirt pocket was empty was was the outside breast pocket of his jacket. She felt as though she were invading his privacy as she slid her hand under his jacket and took out the contents of his inside pocket, a small folder, like a driving licence but without the inner pages, it took a moment to figure out what it was, his police warrant card, who ever had dumped him here obviously hadn’t searched his pockets. He also carried a comb, a pen and a small thin notebook, ever the policeman, she thought as she replaced the items. His left hand jacket pocket was empty, she couldn’t reach his trouser pockets without moving him, and doubted that she could get her hand inside the tight fabric anyway. Kate moved slowly, changing position inch by inch, holding his head tight against her shoulder with her other hand, she managed to reach his right hand jacket pocket. Her fingertips touched something, a small medicine bottle, she guessed it contained his tablets, nothing she could do with those, even if he was due to take them. Something else was in his pocket, a thin card, it was difficult to get a grip but she managed to stretch enough to get it between her finger tips, she drew it from his pocket and flicked it into her palm, a book of matches. She stared at her prize for a moment, opening it, four matches remained intact.

Kate cradled Dennis’s head in the crook of her arm as she struck one of the matches, the welcome light filled the small office. Swiftly she checked his skull, no sign of bleeding from his scalp, the blood from his nose had dried on his upper lip and around his nostrils.
“Dennis, open your eyes.” She instructed. He obeyed as if by instinct, she couldn’t see his pupils properly in the flickering flame. The match was burning out too quickly, the flames licking towards her fingertips. In the last flicker of light she took a quick look around, to her left was a desk, beneath it a metal waste paper basket. The flame was burning her fingers, Kate shook it to extinguish the fire, dropped the remains to the floor and sucked her fingertips to ease the sharp pain.
The waste paper bin was her best bet, she hoped no-one had emptied it. To reach it she would have to move a few feet.
“Dennis.” She said again. “I want you to lie still while I get the bin.” It sounded ridiculous, even to her own ears. She eased his slight weight from her, guiding his head to rest on his own arm as she slid from beneath him.
Without getting to her feet Kate crawled across the floor and grasped the bin, it was half full of paper. On the desk lay a newspaper and several magazines, she took them and placed the bin a few feet from where Dennis lay, tipping the contents onto the floor. She then replaced a few pieces of crumpled paper and struck a second match. The paper lit easily, burning quickly, too quickly, she had to feed the rest of the rubbish to the flames just to keep it going. In desperation she looked around for anything else to burn. On the back of the door, hanging on a hook were some overalls, they would burn. She moved quickly, grapping the cloth, propped against the wall were some tools, a shovel, a pick and some lengths of wood. They too were gathered up. She thrust the newspaper and magazines into the flames along with three of the pieces of wood, they would keep the fire going for a while.
She checked on Dennis, he was breathing very shallowly, eyes half open, he seemed to be watching her. She had to get him out of here. Taking the pick she lunged at the door, it was sturdy and the first blow made little impression. Anger gave strength to her slender body, she lifted the weapon over her head and thrust it against the door as hard as she could. This time the wood began to splinter, just a little, but it was a start.
“Go on, you can do it.” Dennis’s voice was low but his words were strong. Kate put all her effort into the next blow and the next. She kept thumping the pick into the wood until she could lift it no more. The door was damaged but not enough to give, she kicked it hard with the flat of her foot. It was still solid. Breathing hard she crossed the small room and sat down on the floor beside Dennis. Laying one hand on his shoulder she checked that he was awake.
“Try again in a few minutes.” He said quietly, her efforts to escape seemed to have brought him back to the real world.
“Ok.” She sighed, her arms ached, her back ached, physical work was something she wasn’t used to. Dennis reached out and took her hand, holding it tightly in his. Even in the flickering glow of the firelight he looked pale, she knew that she had to break down the door. What she would do once that task had been accomplished she had no idea. She took a few deep breaths and returned to her task.

[NorthernDancer]

Excellent as usual, wish it was a book so I could just read it to the end. Suspense! Suspense!

[Spy_Master]

really good Kate, excellent. Poor Dennis, I hope he's ok. cna't wait for more. Going to read your other story. ;D

[Spy_Master]

Not to the detriment of your new fanfic (which is excellent ) but is there going to be anothe instalment to this one. I'm gripped and I can't wait to read on you see