Wrong Way

Disclaimer: I don't own anything people recognize.

Summary: What if Brad had followed Ric as well as Matilda? What would Rocco have done to ensure his escape? AU. RM and SB.

Author's note: First H&A fic, so be gentle? I'm in the UK so I saw today's episode (I think either ep.4341 or 4342; the one where they find out it was Rocco…) and this instantly just popped into my head and I had to write it. I know what's going to happen next in this storyline – the wonder of spoilers! – but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone so I thought I'd do an AU. If you like and wanna read more, just review! Please?

Ric was out of there before Brad had even finished speaking. Looking dumbfounded and feeling completely confused, he turned to Sally.

"What? Rocco did it?" He rushed forwards and grasped Sally's arm "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine," She stammered, looking anything but "I just need- on my, Ric. Can you go after him? He's completely out of it."

"Matilda's with him."

"That might not be enough."

"Ric listens to Matilda." Brad said, desperately not wanting to leave Sally's side.

"Yes, he does, but he won't be listening now. And Mattie can't break up a fist-fight between them. Brad-"

I need to know he'll be alright. That he won't do anything in the heat of the moment; he's so emotionally charged."

"I'm not leaving you alone Sally."

"Please?" She asked, searching his eyes "I don't want Ric to do anything rash, to get into trouble. Please Brad."

He sighed unhappily, but nodded "I'll be back as soon as I can." And kissing her on the forehead he hurried from the house.

He was outside the surf club in a few minutes, his need to find Ric and get back to Sally fuelling his adrenaline-high-sprint. For a second he wondered where they could be – and how he could possibly find them in time for who knows what – when he heard a scream. Turning to his left he heard Matilda scream again for Ric to stop, and his legs were moving before his brain had even processed that Ric was kicking Rocco, who was lying on the floor.

As Matilda pleaded again with Ric, getting far too close to the brawling boys for Brad's comfort, Brad ran up besides them. Bending forwards he grabbed Ric from behind, holding the boys shoulders, and pulled him backwards away from Rocco.

"What are you doing?!" Ric yelled, fighting against Brad's hold "This scum stabbed Sally!"

"He doesn't need a beating Ric," Brad said sternly, beginning to pant from the effort of holding onto Ric "And Sally wouldn't want him to get one, least of all want you to be the one giving it to him."

"He deserves to die." Ric growled, looking at Brad with pain, hurt and anger in his eyes.

"He deserves to rot in jail," Brad replied, emphasizing the 'rot' with an icy tone "Not for you-"

"Ric!"

Both men turned at Matilda's cry and watched in horror as Rocco forcefully pushed her into the car and started the engine, pushing her down as she tried to get out the other door.

"MATTIE!"

If Brad had thought Ric had been strong just moments before, it was nothing compared to now. His arms were almost ripped out of their sockets as Ric lunged forward towards the car. Watching in frozen fear as Ric tried desperately to rescue Mattie, Brad saw the young boy screw up his face as he pushed Mattie back against her seat and accelerated, the car speeding along the road with a desperate Ric trailing behind.

Brad still felt frozen as he watched Ric slow as the car got away. Had that really just happened? Had Rocco really been the one to stab Sally? And had he really just taken Matilda? Had he really been crying as he pushed the girl about? Or was that just him seeing things? Shaking his head to clear his turmoil thoughts he ran to catch up with Ric, now standing desolated in the middle of the road.

"Come on. We need to get back to Sally and call Beth and the police."

When Ric didn't move, still staring after where the car had been, Brad grabbed the younger man's arm and started dragging him away. "The quicker we call the cops the better Ric, now come on."

"Right," Ric said dazed, his eyes glassy, but he moved along with Brad as the two began to run back to the house.

"Ric, you're alright!" Sally greeted the as they raced indoors.

She began to get up to hug him when she realized that the third member of their group was missing "Where's Mattie?"

Brad didn't answer her as he reached and dialed the phone. Ric simply turned away and grabbed the first thing he could, a vase, and threw it against the wall.

"If he does anything to her, I'm going to rip him limb from limb." Ric growled, his whole body shaking with fury and his eyes scrunched up with pain.

"Who to what?" Sally asked "I don't understand, Brad what's going on?"

Brad simply shook his head as the person he was waiting for picked up on the other end "Peter? Yes it's Brad Armstrong. Listen, Sally remembered who stabbed her, it was Rocco Cooper… I know she'll have to give a statement but just listen to me and don't interrupt, that's not the problem, Ric went to confront him… Yes I know that was stupid, would you please just listen? That's not what's important, I went along too, to stop anything from happening but Rocco still got away and he took Matilda with him."

Sally gasped, and stumbled backwards for the support of the table as Ric hit the wall and Brad took a breath.

"Yes that's exactly what I'm telling you, Rocco, who almost killed Sally, has taken Matilda and we don't know what he plans on doing. Just that he was leaving, making a run for it." Brad continued, reaching out an arm to steady Sally.

Moving into his half-hug embrace, Sally couldn't help but be afraid. Had she gotten Rocco so wrong? Not only had he stabbed her, but now he had taken Matilda hostage. These weren't things the quiet, thoughtful boy she thought she'd known would ever do. How had she been so wrong? Turning she saw Ric standing by the wall, holding his body up against it as he shook. She knew he was imaging the terrible things that could be happening to Matilda right now. What price would they all pay for her totally wrong judgment?

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