A/N: Spoilers. Strong Language. Adult and disturbing scenes.
Nancy thought she had it all. The perfect life. The devoted husband, the loving kids. Frankie and Jack loved her like a daughter. She was going to work, hoping to be the female "Anderson Cooper" of journalism. It wasn't easy, being pregnant and having to juggle work and home. Then Mitzeee needed her. Mitzeee was one of her best friends and she couldn't say no. Maybe that was her first mistake. With Mitzeee on the run and back in her house, Nancy was helping a fugitive, but all she saw when she looked at Mitzeee was her friend.
As soon as she gave birth, she knew something was wrong. There was no "Congratulations" from the doctors, just a quiet hush, and the buzz of machines. There and then Nancy blamed herself. Darren blamed her too. For the first time in a long time Nancy was the one begging for forgiveness. To get over the pain and the guilt. She was given painkillers.
Those Pills were the beginning of the end.
Nancy became addicted, needy and angry. Looking back she was a pain in the arse. It was a miracle that Darren had put up with her for so long. Her articles for her job was suffering. She was fighting with Darren every-day about their lives, about Oscar. How he was going to cope with the world.
Sienna was a God send at first. She listened to them both. She looked after Oscar so that they could spend time together. When Sienna found out about the Pills, she swore she wouldn't tell. Nancy had no idea that while Nancy was looking for Pills under the sofa or blackmailing Dr Browning, Sienna was plotting to take her family from her.
She was shocked when Sienna gave her a way out.
"Nancy just take the kids and leave" Sienna said.
"Do you think I'm stupid? This is just another one of your little schemes" Nancy said.
"Darren doesn't care about you…..or me….. Darren will keep the kids away from you forever"
"I can't just take them and leave. It's not that simple" Nancy said.
"Yes Nancy it is. You're a smart girl Nancy, you can start again, don't you want to start afresh?" Sienna said.
"The car is packed and ready for you" Sienna said.
Looking at Sienna, Nancy realised she didn't have a choice. She got both of the kids and packed them into the car.
"Are you ready for an adventure?" Nancy asked. It wasn't long before Sienna had spun her web. Now Nancy was trapped. It wasn't a happy adventure for Nancy, being lied to and making the kids cry to get away from the police. The car spun out of control. She was able to get the kids out, just before the car plummeted to the ground. She was left on the top floor of the car park surrounded by police that were going to lock her away for good.
"Charlie!" Nancy screamed as she watched little Charlie run to Darren. Darren put Charlie down and told him to go to Sienna. Nancy watched him run to the evil Sienna and held Oscar tighter, determined to keep him all to herself.
"Give him to me Nance" Darren said reaching out for him.
"No! That witch can't have him" Nancy said backing near the edge.
"Don't do this…..please" Darren said, his heart was pounding in his throat.
"Darren do you honestly think I'd jump?…I'd never hurt him" Nancy said.
Unwillingly she gave Oscar back to his Dad. When Oscar was cradled in Darren's arms Nancy was taken away and charged. Sandy Roscoe knew that she had to do something. She went to the Police station first thing in the morning and made it clear that she was on Nancy's side.
"So what are you saying Jack? That you won't go to her hearing?" Sandy asked.
"Sandy she kidnapped Darren's kids" Jack said making her a drink.
" You can't really call it "Kidnap" She wasn't in the right frame of mind, and by law she's still your Daughter in Law. Help her out Jack" Sandy told her.
"Fine Sandy…what can I do for Nancy?" Jack asked.
It was a struggle. Nancy had so many charges that her lawyer Jim had trouble counting. Nancy was being charged with the Assault of Sienna, Child Kidnap, Failing to Stop for Police, Speeding, Child Endangerment…..the list went on and on. All Nancy could do was cry when the charges were read out. Sandy was there. Jack couldn't be there for obvious reasons. To Sandy's surprise, Sienna was there, looking chirpier than most people expected. But Jack had helped Sandy write a letter to give to the judge. Sandy gave it to Jim, and Jim gave it to the judge.
Nancy's fragile state of mind along with the letter convinced the judge that Nancy should be let out on Bail. In Sandy Roscoe's custody. Sandy was a nurse and could handle people/patients like Nancy. She also added that she had three older sons over the age of Eighteen that would be Nancy's personal prison guards if they had to be. When Nancy was let out on bail, Her belongings where in black bin bags. Sandy and the taxi driver brought them in and put them in the spare room.
"I know this isn't home but…here's better than nothing eh?" Sandy asked.
"You mean better than prison" Nancy said. "Sandy….do you mind if I just lie down for a while?" Nancy asked.
"Yeah, don't worry everything's spick and spam up there love" Sandy said. Sandy took a half day off to look after Nancy. When the boys came back from work Sandy was out the door. She told the boys that they had a guest, but she didn't tell them who.
"She's a mate. Don't wake her" Sandy said grabbing her bag.
"Her? We should take a look boys, rate her out of ten" Ziggy said.
"Yeah cause watching girls sleep isn't creepy is it Zig?" Freddie asked.
"Calm down. Ziggy you've got Ruby. She'll come down when she's ready" Joe told them. Being the Casanova that he was Ziggy was off out on a date with Ruby. Lindsey was working a late shift and they thought about ordering a take away. "Take out Fred? How could we when mum makes the best "Toad" in the Hole in the world?" Joe teased.
"Yeah….it does taste like there's a toad in it…..don't tell mum….. or I'll have to kill you" Freddie said going up stairs to the toilet. He opened the door and Nancy Osborne was sitting on the toilet lid.
"Get out you weirdo. What sicko comes in when a…." Freddie shut the door and ran downstairs.
"Joe" Freddie said.
"What's wrong Fred, you seen the ghost of the cat again?" Joe asked.
"Nah…it's worse. Mum's mate…..It's Nancy" Freddie told him. Joe texted Ziggy and told him to make his date end quickly. Ziggy came back. The boys barely said two words when Nancy came down to make a cup of tea.
"Look…umm….Nancy….sorry about what happened upstairs" Freddie said.
"Should think so…..can you get five minutes of privacy in this place?" Nancy said taking her cup of tea upstairs. When Lindsey came back she was knackered from work. Joe didn't want to bother her.
"Mum's taken in a stray" Joe said.
"Aww that's nice, see you upstairs" Lindsey said. Sandy got back home to find the boys arguing over what take away to get.
"Boys I can always try the new risotto with the prawns and oranges in the cupboard" Sandy said.
"Mum…..let's forget about your kitchen magic and tell us the truth…we're holding a family meeting" Joe said.
"Why do I never get to say that?" Freddie asked.
"Cause you don't play it cool Fred. You're too busy frightening girls in the bog" Ziggy said.
"Zig!" Freddie said.
"Mum…..when were you gonna tell us about Nancy? When Lind's has her baby and Nancy takes our kid too?" Joe asked.
"Don't be silly. Joe we've talked about this. She took her own kids. Mothers are allowed to do that. It's just…something's not right about this boys…Sienna was at the hearing and…"
"Mum I don't care if Nicole Scherzinger was there in a bikini…..Nancy's not right in the head" Joe said.
"Is Nicole that fit one from The X factor?" Ziggy asked.
"Nah….that was Tulisa" Freddie said.
"Ummm….Tulisa over Nicole? Fred did you bump your head on the stairs, running away from Nancy?" Ziggy asked.
"Fred cut it out" Joe said. "Mum, Nancy's sick. She needs to be locked up" Joe said.
"A judge didn't think so. You can't judge her mental health Joe. You're not a Doctor" Sandy said.
"Mum you ain't a Doctor either, you're just a nurse" Joe said. Ziggy and Freddie kept quiet. The last thing the either of them wanted to do was question their Mum on her qualifications as a Nurse. Freddie thought Joe had gone too far. Sandy stood up, and for a moment the boys thought that their Mum might give Joe a slap.
"Boys for food do want you want? I may not be a Doctor Joe….but your Lindsay is "just a nurse" and you don't say anything about her" Sandy said walking past them.
"Mum you know I didn't mean it like that" Joe said.
"Well I mean it when I say this. Nancy Osborne while she's in this house is my patient. She's staying. If any of you don't like it, you know where the door is" Sandy said going to her room. She went upstairs and the boys looked at Joe.
"Wait a go Joe" Freddie said.
"Fred leave off. You don't want that loony here either" Ziggy said. Freddie went upstairs and Ziggy waited until Joe sent him out back to his new girlfriend Ruby. He waited until Lindsay got up to tell her about who was staying. But Lindsey wasn't surprised when Joe told her the news.
"You know what you mum's like…..she'll help anyone" Lindsey said.
"That girl isn't just anyone, she's a kid kidnapper Linds" Joe reasoned.
"Joe your Mum's made her decision" Lindsey said.
Joe nodded, but that didn't mean that he had to accept his Mum's decision. The garage was making money, but sooner or later Joe was going to give some of that money to Jack, to make sure everything was okay between them. He wished that he could get enough money for him and Lindsey to move out, but he was living in a dream world. Like their new house-mate. Trying to sleep but failing, he went downstairs to get a glass of water.
He saw a woman crouching in the fridge.
"Alright mum?" Joe asked.
"Stress hasn't aged me that badly has it?" Nancy said , getting out a carton of orange juice.
"Oh….it's you" Joe said harshly going to the sink. Nancy put the carton down, closed the fridge and faced him.
"Joe if you want me to leave…..just say" Nancy said turning to get a glass.
"You're playing my Mum like a fiddle, that ain't gonna work on me and my brother love, alright?" Joe said.
"Look "love" get your head out of your arse and listen to me. Your Mum is helping me out because I'm innocent" Nancy said pouring out the juice and putting it back in the fridge.
"Bollocks, that's what all the guilty ones say" Joe said.
"You'd know all about being guilty, wouldn't you Joe? Weren't you and your brothers stealing The dog's electricity and using it for free?" Nancy asked.
"But I didn't run into The Dog and steal Darren's kids did I?" Joe asked.
"You bastard! They are my kids too! You know nothing about my life!" Nancy shouted.
"Oi, Linds is sleeping. keep your voice down. I know that your own kids were hanging off a building. I know your kids could have died because you were to selfish to let them be happy" Joe said.
"My kids were happy with me" Nancy said.
"Yeah so happy they ain't seen you since" Joe scoffed wiping the kitchen drawer.
"I'm a good mother…I really am. Look...I'm sorry I shouted at your brother" Nancy said.
"It ain't me you should be apologising to" Joe said. "I'm watching you sweetheart" Joe said going back to his room.
Nancy drank her drink in the kitchen and looked around in the kitchen drawers for some paracetamol. She didn't have a headache, but she needed something to take her mind off of Joe's words.
Sandy was a nurse…there was always a chance that Nancy could ask her for pain-killers. Just to help her get back to normal.