Cain as sat-in the kitchen at Butlers Farm having just made himself a strong cup of coffee. He had barely slept last night, what with finding Chas with Diane and then trying to calm his poor sister down after what she had accidentally done to best-friend.
Moira walked-into the kitchen and looked-at her Husband with concern. "You look like you need to go back to bed." She told-him gently, knowing that he was going through a tough-time at the moment.
"I can't…Stuff to do. Family to look after." Cain mumbled.
"I know…But even superhero's need to be looked-after sometimes too." Moira said.
"I'm not a superhero…I just care about my family." Cain said.
Moira walked behind Cain's chair and wrapped her arms around him. "Chas thinks you're a superhero…" She said with a cheeky-smile as she kissed-his neck.
"I'm just doing what everyone expects me to do…" Cain shrugged-it-off.
"Okay…But ya don't have to do that on your own okay?! Why dya think I'm here?!" Moira asked.
"I've been going-it alone all my life why should anything change now?!" Cain asked.
"Because you've got me now. And I won't let ya do it on your own." Moira told-him.
Cain sighed, tiredly. "Ya know…Me & Chas ended-up going-back-to when we were kids last-night…That's what it felt like anyway…It was the only way I could think to calm her down…" He trailed-off, not making much sense here.
"What was?!" Moira questioned.
"I got her to count to 10…I nearly broke down myself…Let alone Chas." Cain said.
"Go On…" Moira added-on, sensing that there was more to this than her Husband was letting-on.
"When we were kids…When Shadrach used to come home late…And drunk…Chas used-to get scared…So I'd always tell her to hide under the bed and then count to 10 whilst I went downstairs and dealt with it." Cain explained.
"And by dealt with it ya mean…" Moira began.
"He'd beat me to a pulp." Cain said, sadly, however, Moira had already come to her own conclusions before he had even finished the sentence.
"Why would you do that?!" Moira asked, sitting-down into the chair that was next-to him and pulling-it in closer. "Why would you go downstairs knowing exactly what was going to happen?!"
"Because it was either me or Chas…So it had to be me Moira…It just had to be…Okay?! And that's why I told Chas that I'll do anything to make sure she doesn't go to prison for this…" Cain trailed-off nervously.
"It shouldn't have been either of you Sweetheart…No kid deserves to be treated like that…" Moira said, full of sympathy for her Husband and Sister In Law.
"And Chas doesn't deserve to go to prison for what happened to Diane…" Cain said.
"I wish I had siblings that I could care about as much as you care about yours. You used to take a beating for Chas…That's no small thing Cain…That's why your Dad has put you in charge of the Dingle's…Because you don't want anyone you care about to have to suffer like you did." Moira replied, sympathetic of her Husband's horrible past but proud of the man he had become.
"Anyone would do it if it came down to it…" Cain said, unconvinced.
"No they wouldn't Darlin'…Most people would run a mile, but you don't…You face your problems head-on…You're brave and strong. And you're my Husband." Moira said with a small-smile, placing her hand over Cain's arm, which was resting-on the table.
"But that still doesn't change the fact that Chas could go to prison for this." Cain sighed, heavily.
"It's not gonna happen…But if it does…Then we'll get her through it…I promise." Moira said.
"We'll get through it?!" Cain asked.
"Yeah…Me and You. Together." Moira replied.
"It could be a bumpy ride…" Cain warned-her.
"I'd expect nothing less from the Dingle's." Moira chuckled.
"And you'll back me up…Whatever I decide to do?!…" Cain questioned.
"Well I'm not gonna let you go to prison for Chas if that's what you're asking…But if you need-to bend the law slightly to make sure that she doesn't go to prison…Then yeah…I'll back you up." Moira said, seriously.
"You never would have said that a few years ago…" Cain said, surprised-by her answer.
"That's because I didn't completely trust you a few years ago…" Moira replied.
"And now?!" Cain asked.
"I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone…Even John, dare I say-it…Cain, you may be a bit of a loose canon at times, but I love you…And even though I may not always like what you do, I'll always back-you-up in the end. Because I can't bare to think about life without you." Moira said, kissing-him on the lips.
"I hope I never have to get Chas to count to 10 ever again…" Cain admitted, worriedly.
"You won't have to…No-one's gonna hurt you or Chas like Shadrach did ever again…Because I won't let them." Moira told-him, truthfully.
"I love-you." Cain said, leaning-forwards and kissing Moira back.
"And I love you…And don't you forget that." Moira replied-as she hugged-her Husband tightly.
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