Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't post this before I left for the Supernatural convention in Toronto last week. I am a bit of a procrastinator, and I waited until the last minute to pack and do everything else I needed to before we left. So when we left, I only had about 500 words written for this chapter, and that just wasn't enough. I had a ton of fun in Toronto, and I am so glad I was able to go and meet one of my personal heroes, as well as the rest of the cast. It was an incredible experience, and if anyone wants to hear me possibly ramble about it, feel free to message me.

Some of my own personal feelings have slipped into this chapter. This past month has been rough for me, so that's in here in some ways, as well as some words my hero told me this past weekend.

Anyways, without further to do, here is Chapter 22! Enjoy!

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"We build it up, we tear it down. We leave our pieces on the ground. We see no end; we don't know how. We are lost and we're falling. Hold onto me; you're all I have, all I have." ~ Pieces, Rob Thomas

Only a few days had passed since the battle that claimed Draco's life. Most of the Death Eaters had been arrested and were awaiting trial if they hadn't been killed in the skirmish. Some were still on the run, and were being tracked down by Aurors and other high ranking officials. Even with the relative peace, it wasn't enough to ease Audrey's heart and mind. The world as she had known it had been shattered. She wasn't even sure who she was anymore. Losing her father had been hard enough; she wasn't prepared for losing Draco too.

All their friends and family had gathered for his funeral service in a cemetery not far from where she and Draco resided. It wasn't much different than the service they had had for her father a few weeks prior. Only this time, more of her friends were crying too. More people had shown up as well- family, friends, teammates, former classmates, and teachers. Everyone was wanting to talk to her, wanting to make sure she was okay. Audrey couldn't be even remotely close to being okay. After all, how could she be? Those closest to her tried to keep those kinds of questions away from her; Audrey wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

The funeral had just dwindled to an end, and she stood at the edge of Draco's tomb, her hand resting gently on the marbled wall, tears slowly falling from her eyes as she reflected on the service, as well as her life with him. While she had only been married to him for less than a year, it didn't change how much sadness was coursing through her. She couldn't even bring herself to write something for his service as she had for her father. There were no words to describe her loss, and there was no way she could speak in front of all these people, nor could she make Artemis, as he was just as shaken by the loss. Draco was her world, and without him, Audrey wasn't sure how she was going to carry on. Her only solace was that she still had their son, and she was going to do everything in her power to honor Draco throughout her son's life.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and it caught her off guard. The girl turned her head to see Artemis standing beside her, a sympathetic look upon his face. "Everyone is slowly leaving. I know you're not ready to go yet," he said quietly. "I'll stay with you until you're ready to head back home."

Home. The word danced around her thoughts for a moment. What was home now? She hadn't been to her small home she shared with Draco since his passing, and she wasn't sure she could handle stepping foot in their home alone. There were too many memories, too many things she had only been able to imagine... everything would just bring her that much closer to the breakdown she was inevitably going to have.

"You'll stay with me, right?" she asked softly, eyes not looking away from the tomb.

Artemis didn't hesitate. "As long as you want me to. I promised Draco I would take care of you, and I intend to keep that promise, so long as you'll allow me."

Audrey nodded, not trusting herself to speak, not daring to make eye contact with her closest friend. He had already seen her breakdown, so honestly she wasn't sure why she was so reluctant to cry on him some more. She took a deep breath, taking one last glance at the white marbled wall before she turned to Artemis. Avoiding his gaze, she spoke again. "Let's sit for a moment."

The two of them sat in the front row of chairs, Audrey staring blankly at the ground. Artemis rested a hand gently on her back, not sure there were any words he could say to alleviate the pain his friend was in. They sat in relative silence, the only noise coming from some birds singing in a nearby tree, for several minutes until Audrey finally spoke.

"Why did it have to be him?" she questioned quietly.

Artemis didn't have a good answer for that in all honesty. He didn't say anything for a moment, trying to tread carefully about how he worded his sentences. "I'm not sure, love. He did it to save your life, and to save your baby. He did it because he loved you, more than anything." He paused for a moment, debating some words over in his head as he fought back tears. "It sucks that it had to be him, it really does. You're not alone in wishing it had been someone else, anyone else. He was my best friend, and like you, I also have to learn how to live without him. We've got each other, and we'll get through this some way, somehow."

Audrey knew he had a fair point. It wasn't going to be an easy process, but she knew in time they would be able to move past Draco's untimely death. Just not any time soon. "I guess you're right," she said quietly. She took a deep breath before looking at her friend. "Take me home, please."

She and Artemis both stood, Artemis taking her hands in his. He closed his eyes, and with a small crack! transported the two of them back to Audrey's living room. Honestly, they could've walked to her house, but she was sure Artemis had his reasons for Apparating instead. Audrey blinked a few times as she kept her eyes focused on the floor, adjusting to the lighting in the room.

Audrey drew a shaky breath before she dared herself to look around the room. The curtains were slightly cracked, letting in a single beam of sunshine, illuminating all the dust in the air. Audrey honestly didn't remember the last time she had been in her home. She and Draco had been bouncing around from place to place since Christmas time, so she wasn't entirely surprised to see the dust in the air. And then she remembered.

The hard part was only just beginning. Losing Draco wasn't just planning a funeral and attending it. She was a widow now. She had to sift through his belongings, she had to still prepare for the delivery of the son he would never meet, and countless other things. Audrey didn't feel strong enough to get through this. Draco had been her constant in the past year or so. He had never betrayed her; he had stuck by her side. Now that he was gone, and Audrey really could only rely on Nicole, Ron, and Artemis as friends, she wasn't quite sure how life was going to play out. She let out a shuddered breath as she felt her knees go weak. As soon as the first few tears slipped from her eyes, she felt her knees finally buckle, and she collapsed into Artemis, sobbing into his chest for probably the thousandth time in several days.

She felt her friend's arms wrap around her tightly, not letting her fall while she grieved. He didn't speak a word for several minutes, letting Audrey let it all out without interruption. When she finally started to calm down, no longer shaking from the sorrow coursing through her, Artemis pulled away from her, wiping tears from her eyes, but only for a moment as Audrey immediately pulled him back into an embrace.

"Just please hold me for a bit," she said quietly. "I can't do this..."

He continued to not speak, only this time it was because he was debating his word choice. Artemis took an uneasy breath, and then he said, "I know right now the world feels like it's ending. I know right now, you don't feel like you're capable of surviving this. But... I also know that things are always darkest before dawn, and that you are incredibly strong. This isn't going to be easy, and in the end, you still have your son and people who love you. I know I'm not the only one who is going to be here for you. You have Nicole, and Ron, my aunt, your mother... We all care about you, and we're going to make sure you get through this somehow. Always keep fighting, okay? We're in this together."

Audrey knew deep down he was right. Sure, things were bad now, and she would probably always feel remorse over Draco's untimely death, but eventually things would at least improve. Soon, she would have their son in her arms, and that was solace enough for her at the moment. "I will," she answered. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, love," Artemis replied before clearing his throat. "Now, I'm alright with holding you until you feel better, but would it be okay if we sat down? My legs are starting to ache a bit."

"Yeah, that's fine," Audrey responded. "My legs are feeling the same."

She pulled away from her friend long enough for the two of them to sit down on the nearby couch. After a few moments, Audrey resumed hugging him, although with how they were sitting it was more like cuddling than anything. She hadn't expected Artemis to be so calm about the whole thing, and she was forever grateful for all he had done to this point to help her, not to mention all he would do in the future.

"Thanks again for everything," she practically whispered. "It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. I made a promise to take care of you, and I intend to keep it," Artemis assured, resting his arm on her back and side. "Just relax."

Audrey nodded, and closed her eyes. She had always heard dark times reveal true friends, and she was so glad Artemis had been one of them. She drifted off to sleep, and while she wasn't over what happened, she felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in several days.