SHADOW DANCING

(AU story with Dom and Lofty as the main characters. There will be later references to domestic violence and the themes of broken homes and hypnotism will run throughout the story.)

CHAPTER ONE

KERRY

Kerry Chiltern was going to live with her mum and her mum's new boyfriend and wasn't looking forward to it, even though the new house would have a big TV, a swimming pool and there was to be a puppy. But Kerry wanted her dad. She'd asked her mum why her mum couldn't stay with her dad, and was just told crossly that it was how things were. Her dad was kinder, and had said he still loved her and so did her mum. But she was upset. She wanted to be with her lovely dad who was good at cuddles and never shouted at her if she dropped anything. Her mum had said, rolling her eyes, "Oh I see you've got that from him", and Kerry knew 'him' meant her dad.

One night her dad had come home from work and said to her mum that he needed to talk to her. He'd given Kerry a new book and told her gently to enjoy it while he and her mum talked. Her dad had talked and her mum had yelled at him, and he'd said something about just wanting to be honest before he made things worse. Her mum had called him some names that Kerry knew were bad, and then her dad came out to her and hugged her close for a long time, and told her that he loved her with all his heart, but that he couldn't live at their home any more.

But then her dad had done that bad thing that her mum wouldn't tell her about and now, because her dad worked all hours and didn't bring home more money, she couldn't live with him because the judge had said. She could have a day with him once a week and go on holiday with him, maybe twice a year "if he could afford to take her somewhere better than Southend" as her mum had said in a sneery voice. Then she'd said something that Kerry didn't understand. She'd told her dad never to take Kerry near any of his 'filthy boyfriends'. Her dad had got a bit cross then and had said that he'd never had a boyfriend while he and her mum were married, that he'd given her mum her freedom so he wouldn't do any more harm. Kerry didn't get it. Her dad was kind and gentle and didn't hurt people, he helped make them better.

Kerry was sitting outside the hospital waiting for her dad to come out on his lunch break. She'd been waiting for him inside but Damon, who was nice and made her laugh, had asked if she'd like to sit and wait with him so she could be out in the sun. Kerry had made a few friends in the hospital. There was Ms Naylor who seemed really scary at first but she'd stated to be nice to Kerry since her dad didn't live at home. She'd said "Hello Kerry, you know where you're not allowed to go, don't you?" and then given her a book that used to be her little girl's, to sit and read in a quiet room. Sometimes Ms Naylor let Kerry sit in her office and once bought her a fizzy drink when her dad couldn't get away in time for lunch. There was Dr Rossini, who could be grumpy but never mean, ze and a lady called Essie who would teach Kerry clever hospital words like 'newmothorax' or ask her how she was going on with the Harry Potter books.

One of the hospital people would come and drive Kerry back to her mum's if her dad wasn't allowed to come out because a big operation was going on. Her mum would pull a mean face then and say about her dad letting people down. Kerry was surprised her mum didn't know that hospital people sometimes had to stay for hours if there were bad accidents. And there were always people to help her get to her mum's.

One day, while she was still living in the flat with her mum and dad, she was allowed to wait for her dad in Ms Naylpr's office when Ms Naylor was in one of her good moods. A very tall man had walked in. He had a funny accent but a nice smile and Ms Naylpr had told her that he was Mr Hanssen. Kerry had thought he's said Mr Handsome, so she said "Hello Mr Handsome." He'd given a big loud friendly laugh and said "This child has perfect eyesight." That had been one of the happy days but there weren't many of those lately.

Today wasn't bad, though, as her dad was out on time and said they could go to the park. It was lovely and her dad took her for a drink and cake in the pretty little café inside.

When he kissed her goodbye he asked her what she'd be doing that evening. She said she'd be going to the new posh Cinema with her mum and Gabriel and her dad's smile went a bit stiff as if he were acting it, then he'd grinned and said:

"Lucky you! I've got to go to a boring old party with Mr Levy and Doctor Copeland."

Ben just wanted the evening to be over. He didn't know why he'd agreed to come to this party in his present mood, but didn't want to appear churlish. He noticed that a small stage had been set up in the vast room, but wondered why a couch had also been put there.

Suddenly Sacha Levy, with his usual good-natured grin, tapped on the side of a glass for silence.

"Ladies, gentlemen and nursing staff…" Sacha waited for the laugh at this and was not disappointed, "Today we have a special guest, Ms Sarah Riordan, who is qualified in stage hypnotism. As we know, several people have benefitted from hypnosis in the past and Sarah would like to demonstrate this. It's completely harmless, as Ms Riordan will reassure you… now who'd like to volunteer?"

As the tall, slim strawberry-blonde walked on to the stage, Dominic Copeland was overcome with one of the impish urges that now and then came over him. He grabbed Ben's arm, waved it in the air and shouted:

"My colleague here does!"

Ben looked horrified and was shaking his head vigorously, but several people in the room were chanting:

"Go on, Lofty!", Lofty being Ben's nickname due to an incident a couple of years ago.

Ben sighed, and decided to get this over with. He smiled hesitantly and joined Sarah on the stage.

Dom was later to curse himself for ever putting Ben through what followed in the first place, but right then it was too late to turn back.

What followed that night surprised several people.