I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS, LIKEABLE OR NOT. THEY ARE ALL PROPERTY OF THE ITV STUDIO

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A/N: This is Jackson's version of what's gone on. It will mirror what's gone on in the last story, I have used Aaron's homecoming to Jackson as a launch platform...want more of it, just let me know what you think.

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PROLOGUE.

SIX WEEKS BEFORE CHAS AND JAMES WEDDING. (extract from Chapter 16 of the last story)

"...Wow...you're out" Jackson breathed through his smile.

Aaron's smile faded when his gaze looked down to his left leg.

Jackson swallowed down, "It's errm...did you get out this morning?"

Aaron only nodded and perched on the armrest of the armchair. Jerry stood behind him and leaned into Aaron's lug hole, "Not what you was expecting?"

Aaron felt like shoving him away. His blue eyes stared at Jackson, "Is this what happened? They had to chop off your leg?"

Jackson licked his lips, "nicely put"

"I can't be doing with this...this is not how it's meant to be...they SAID you were better...they SAID that you were alright"

Jackson tried to reassure him, "Hey it's ok...I AM okay...well, apart from the leg...but I have got a falsie, so It's not like I'm gonna go hopping about with a parrot on me shoulder and..."

Aaron wasn't finding it funny at all. His face was deadly serious.

Jerry was silent and sat back down with his paper, but he had one eye on the both of them.

Jackson could see that Aaron was finding this hard to take in. His dad had been right (AGAIN) this wasn't what he was expecting to find. He nodded towards the french doors.

"Do you wanna go outside so we can talk?"

Aaron was craving.

"I need to go out to get some fags"

Jackson turned to his dad, "Dad, give Aaron one of your fags, will yah"

Jerry snapped up his packet, "I've only got one left"

"He only wants one"

Aaron's eyes were on the leg again. This was his fault. He was the one who keyed Stephen Carole's car. If he had not done that then...

Aaron jumped to his feet, "My bike in the garage is it?"

Jackson nodded.

Aaron tore away his gaze and bolted.

Aaron was no sooner getting the bike out of the garage when Jackson was hobbling in the drive, "Aaron? Where are you going?"

"Move!"

"Why? Come on Aaron...lets not do this...yes, it's a big shock I know, but..."

Aaron stared back at him through his helmet visor, "You don't get it, do you? It was ME who coursed this...it was ME who that nutter wanted mowing down that night"

This was news to Jackson. He looked puzzled, a nervous sort of smile broke out, "What? I don't get yah"

"It was Stephen Carole who run you over, but it was meant to be me"

Jerry was at the window shaking his head. Till now all that Jackson knew was that some nutter had gone too fast and he had invertly saved Aaron because he had been more interested in his food, then looking where he was going.

He hadn't told the coppers.

He beat up Stephen Carole in that pub a week later, but in court all the hit and run business came to nothing because there was no proof and all the CCTV cameras up that street had either been vandalised or pointing in the opposite direction.

Jackson was trying to find his way through what Aaron was saying, "let me get this straight...YOU are telling me that...YOU did something to upset Carole and he wanted to get back at you so bad, he wanted to run you down...is that it?"

Aaron didn't nod, but his blue eyes betrayed him.

Jackson looked devastated. You could clearly see it on his face. He hobbled to one side, as if to say just fire up and go.

"Jackson..."

Jackson didn't look at him, "just leave...please", he muttered.

Aaron slapped his visor down and he sped off down the drive and up the road. Jackson watched him go. Jerry was no sooner at his side.

"What's going on? Where's HE off to now?"

Jackson didn't look at his dad, he just asked him, "Did you know?"

Jerry frowned, "about what?"

"About HIM upsetting that nutcase that we lived next door to in Whitby?"

Jerry sighed,"There was some talk of it in court...but, there was no proof...look, son...I know I'm not that overly happy with you and..."

Jackson shook his head, "Just leave it...I'm sick of people hiding things from me and trying to protect me...this should make you happy, this...AARON...it's his fault I'm like this...if he had just let me try to sort all that out, this would never of happened"

Feeling tired and fed up, Jackson made for the front door, "You know what? What's the flaming point of it all...why couldn't he just of have lied"

Jerry watched him go in. Now this really was a set back. He would have to keep an eye on his son very closely.

Jackson went into the lounge and went to the bay window. Jerry came in behind him, "Jackson...he's gone...but you can always call him"

Jackson turned and screwed his face up, "And the REASON why you are standing up for him is because...?"

Jerry looked clueless.

Jackson looked emotionally screwed up. He kept on shaking his head and pacing about, "Jack was SO looking forward with him coming home...that's ALL he's been talking about for weeks...when's Aaron coming out"

Jerry rubbed his cheek, "He saved your life"

Jackson snapped his head round at him, "I wouldn't have NEEDED saving if HE hadn't acted like a complete and utter tosser...I'm going to bed"

"I'm just about to do tea?...Jackson, he was just TRYING to be honest with you..."

Jackson made for the stairs and didn't bothering replying. He just wanted to have a good cry in private.

Upstairs, he closed his bedroom door and unstrapped the falsie and lobbed into the corner then fell in a crumbled heap on the bed and cried silently into his pillow.

Aaron. HIS Aaron had done this to him. It was ALL his fault he was disabled permanently. It wouldn't have been so bad if he wasn't to blame. It would be hard wondering how Aaron would have taken it, but this...this was the LAST thing he had expected.

Aaron being honest? Honestly in this case was definitely not the best policy.

He finally came downstairs the next morning. Jerry was reading the morning paper or rather ogling the page 3 girl.

"Ahh, morning son...pour yourself a brew, there is plenty of tea in pot"

Jackson sat and did do. He then looked up at his dad, "Sorry...I shouldn't have just gone off on one last night"

"It's okay...you were upset...it's understandable...but I'm sure, given time, that you and him can..."

Jackson shook his head, "Oh no...It's over between me and him...I can't forgive him, not for this...besides, every time I strap this falsie on...I think of him...and it makes my blood boil"

Jerry folded up the newspaper, "Jack's back from his Mum's today, are you going to..."

Jackson finished his tea, "I'll think of something to tell him...I don't want HIM to get hurt...I don't want him to know it was his Uncle Aaron who did this to me..."

But Jack was at the back door and heard every word, Jackson and Jerry turned their heads and Jack ran off into the garden.

Jerry went to stand, but Jackson grabbed his arm, "No...leave him...this is what I didn't want...I REALLY gonna have to sort me life out...I'm gonna start going to them therapy classes...you know the ones I refused flat going to...I stuck with this and I'm just gonna flaming well have to get on with it, aren't I..."

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