Well here's my new fic, sequal to 'The Score' (I still hate that title lol) It's set nine years in the future.
To those who didn't read the score, you can still read this without trailing through the 19 chapters of the other one to find out exactly what happened. Really all you need to know was the gang were conning someone to get revenge for him hurting Eddie, the guy stabbed Stacie, so Mickey called off the con. Danny went in alone, finished the con with the help of the police (who won't appear in this fic), but Mickey got hurt in the process. Danny quit conning for life and disappeared.
Without any further ado, here it is... ta da!
Promises
Chapter 1: Return
Eddie lifted one of his sparklingly clean pint glasses and held it up to the light, examining it for any smudges. Satisfied there were none, he put it one the end of a perfectly straight line, and picked up the next. He enjoyed these moments of relative quiet in the bar, when he knew his profits were safe from the conmen that virtually lived there when they weren't in the midst of a con. Which wasn't often, Eddie had to admit.
A man called irritably from the other end of the bar,
"Can I get some service around here?"
"In a minute!" Eddie called back, uncaring if he offended the rude man or not. Now the con artists had started paying for their own drinks instead of ripping him off at every opportunity, he was doing well enough to reject the odd obnoxious customer. To Eddie's annoyance, he didn't hear the tinkle of the bell above the door, indicating the customer had decided to stay.
"Can I help you?" Eddie went on with rubbing his glasses
"I'm looking for Stacie." The man said
"I don't know any Stacie." Eddie said on reflex, continuing to polish the glass which he knew would be most irritating.
"Eddie! It's me!" the man spoke. For the first time, Eddie looked properly at the man, and gawped.
"Danny?" Gone were the scruffy clothes, and gone were the jeans. He was wearing a suit, and his hair was short, neat and no gel was used at all. It was plain a lot could happen in nine years.
"Where've you been?"
"Here and there. I was in America for a while. Fantastic weather." He even had a new, tone of voice, hence Eddie not recognising him instantly.
"What do you do now?"
"I sell washing machines. It's really interesting once you get into it," Danny replied, without a trace of humour. Eddie wondered what had happened in this near decade to make Danny so… boring.
"So where is she?" Danny asked. Eddie paused, unsure if he should tell Danny anything. He'd left the family a long time ago, who knows what he'd do with the information. However, this was Danny. Sure his appearance had changed, but deep down the same boy would still remain, right?
"They're at the church." He finally answered, giving Danny the pint he hadn't asked for
"Why?" he sipped the drink slowly
"Stacie's getting married again." Eddie held back his laughter when look on Danny's face
"Mickey?" He asked, clearly remembering their close relationship.
"No." Eddie fought to keep a straight face, "Someone else."
"How long's she known him?" Danny took a large drink, clearly finding this information hard to take
"This Sunday, it'll be a week." Eddie said, his face completely serious, but broke into a smirk when Danny choked on his drink, "Don't look so worried Danny, its part that con you used to do so often." He finally admitted.
"Oh." Realisation dawned on his face, "That was just mean." He said sounding a little more like the old Danny.
"I had to get you back somehow, after all those drinks you cheated me out of." Eddie rationalised.
"When are they due back?"
"Any minute now" Eddie replied glancing at the large clock hanging on the wall, "But there's a few things you should know…"
"Go on." Danny looked impatient.
"First- Albert died a few years back. They tried to contact you but they couldn't. I just thought you should know before they came in." Danny sat silently for a few moments before saying,
"He wasn't exactly young… I'd guessed something like this might have happened before I got here. I just hoped it hadn't. What's the other thing?"
"Mickey and Stacie… they're engaged."
"I'd guessed something like that might have happened too. When did they get together?"
"A few years ago."
"I'm surprised it took them so long, once I got out of the way." He said with more than a little bitterness. They fell into an uncomfortable silence, Danny clearly upset, and Eddie knowing no way of consoling him. Both men looked to the door as they heard the excited voices on the other side of it. Eddie was the first to look away from it, focusing instead on Danny. His body had gone completely still and his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the door, looking at it with apprehension. To any by passer, he looked like any regular man, lost in thought, but Eddie could see how hard Danny was clutching the pint glass, how his other hand was tapping on the table with barely contained impatience. It was now clearer that ever that Danny, despite appearances was the still the same scared little boy with a crush on Stacie.
After what seemed like a lifetime, the door was finally pushed open, and in walked a considerably older looking Ash, followed by Mickey, looking pretty much the same as ever, and finally Stacie, still wearing the wedding dress.
"You look beautiful as always Stacie." Eddie commented, hoping to draw attention to himself, and thus Danny. It worked,
"Who's your friend Eddie?" Mickey asked, never speaking freely around strangers. Danny took his cue,
"Don't you recognise me?" he spun around in his seat to face them fully.
"Danny?!" Stacie said, sounding disbelieving.
"In the flesh." He said, smiling nervously
"I've missed you so much! We all have!" Stacie said, crossing the room and throwing her arms around him. Danny looked to Mickey, wondering what his feelings were about his fiancé throwing her arms around her ex. If you counted their brief kiss in the hospital room all those years ago… Danny somehow doubted she did. Mickey was smiling, genuinely pleased to have his young protégé back. Ash stood back, observing Stacie's display of affection more cynically than Mickey; however upon meeting Danny's eyes, he smiled too.
"Welcome home"
So what do you think of the new Danny? Ash's reaction? Albert's death? Mickey and Stacie's engagement? Anything else I've forgotten? Tell me in the reviews :D
By the way, I believe this site is malfunctioning again lol. in case it doesn't send the review first time, i would appreciate it if you copy it and paste it into a new review box if it fails the first time. It generally works after a few attempts :D
Thanks :D