Title: Beating of the Storm
Author: indehed
Fandom: Eastenders
Pairing: Christian/Syed
Warnings/Spoilers: continuation from my previous story 'Burning in the Skies'. Please assume spoilers apply through current storylines/time.
The baby swap/SIDS doesn't happen in my fic universe. I don't have any problems with that storyline, it's just that it's very dramatic and I want the 'dramatic' element of Albert Square to be Chryed for the purposes of this fic! Other canon events will still happen - some will change almost completely, some will be near identical to what you saw on screen. Hopefully they will be obvious to spot!
This story portrays a canon homosexual relationship between two men,
Notes: Thanks to Madworld_NES for the beta!
Summary: While Christian and Syed begin preparing for their future, a job opportunity comes Christian's way. Meanwhile, new Walford resident, Alec Banagher makes his presence known in the Square and Syed worries as traveling for his masseur course means leaving Christian at home alone...
As Ian and Peter entered the cafe, Tamwar stood and moved to sit with Peter. Their parents were being complete pains and any outside observer could see they were uncomfortable as Ian and Zainab waited for a phone call. Both hoped to get the Argee Bharjee Restaurant now that it was on the market.
As Ian's phone rang he only looked depressed as it wasn't the call he expected. Zainab sat patiently, hearing the slight chirp of a phone, but it wasn't hers - it was coming from the booth at the back of the cafe and a man answered it with an inquisitive 'Hello?'; though he knew exactly what phone call it would be.
He sat back in the booth and watched as Tamwar and Peter made fun of their parents and Ian and Zainab bantered. It was laced with an underlying animosity that showed they clearly tolerated each other as colleagues and acquaintances but had no trust in each other in business, not really... and because of that, there was no way they would call each other 'friend'.
Zainab's phone rang and her tone of voice changed dramatically when she answered so hopefully.
He face dropped. "Oh, I see. Thank you for your consideration though... yes, Bye."
Ian's face was expectant. And hopeful. "Well?" He asked, anticipating what the phone call may have been about.
"We didn't get it."
"Sorry?" Ian's smugness was apparent.
"We didn't get the Argee. I'm sorry, Tamwar."
"It's okay, mum... I really didn't want it anyway," Tam shrugged.
As Ian's phone rang he answered, expecting the greatest news of his afternoon. But his face dropped during the conversation just as Zainab's had. "Thanks for calling so quickly."
He hung up.
"Are congratulations in order?" Zainab asked, with a forced smile.
"Not exactly." He turned to Peter. "We didn't get it either."
"I don't understand." Zainab's confusion was plain to hear. "I thought we were the only two bidders."
"That's what I thought too." Ian crossed his arms.
"You were." The voice from the back booth covered the room quite easily as it boomed out. "That was until the last minute when someone came in with a higher offer." The man stood and made his way to between the two combatants. "Sometimes it pays to be cautious... and watch and wait." He smiled a beaming smile that didn't reach his eyes. This was business. He was ruthless in business – no one should be fooled by his blond hair and good looks.
"You got the Bharjee?" Zainab asked, her mouth wide open in surprise.
"I've seen you around, but I don't know you." Ian had a sly look on his face.
The man held his hand out for Ian to shake and he did so warily and slowly. "Banagher. Alec Banagher."
"Ian Beale."
"I know." Alec nudged his own nose, knowingly. "I haven't been in Walford for long but I've asked around, I know the lay of the land. It seems the name 'Beale' is well known around here. You own the cafe," Alec stretched his arms out, "You also have the fish and chip shop and you, along with the Masoods, of course, own a catering business. I'm well acquainted with who owns what around here."
Ian stood so as to be on the same level as the newcomer. "And now you own the Bharjee."
"Not just the Bharjee." Alec answered. "I bought the old massage place not long ago too. And if I have my way, that'll just be the start."
"And you think you can just roll into Walford and take over do you? The people around here, they don't always take to outsiders. The East End is a community. It takes time to be respected around here."
"I'm aware of that, Mr Beale, but I have one very important thing going for me."
"And what's that?" Zainab asked, almost forgotten in the stand-off, along with the two teenagers slumped down in their seats in the background.
Alec looked around them all and then back at Ian and rubbed his fingers together in an obvious gesture. "Money." He laughed and patted Ian on the back. "Cheer up, mate! It's not like I plan on becoming the King of Walford! I just happen to like it here and have discovered some very good reasons to stay."
Ian attempted to smile but it just came off as creepy looking.
Alec checked his watch. "I do apologise though; as much as I'd love to stay and chat I really must dash. I have an appointment with my trainer that I don't want to miss and then I have some paperwork to sign." Alec backed up towards the door. "I'm sure I'll see you all around."
He waved, and those left behind just stared at each other, dumbfounded.
"Wait... trainer?" Ian turned to Peter. "Is Christian training him? That's where I've seen him before isn't it."
Peter shrugged his shoulders. "So what if he is?"
"I bet he knew too. He should have warned me." Ian put his hands on his hips and sighed in annoyance.
Zainab stood in the background and turned to Tamwar. "Let's go home, Tamwar. This day isn't turning out like I'd hoped. I think I'm getting one of my headaches."
As they left too, with Tam throwing one last withering glance at Peter that both boys acknowledged as a sarcastic shrug of the shoulders as if to say 'Parents...', Ian started biting at his nails and Peter decided to try and stay out of it.
"I'm going to have a word with Christian about this later," Ian said, staring at the table top.
"He probably knew nothing, dad. He trains the guy; they probably just talk about weight lifting and running."
Ian carried on as if he hadn't heard a word Peter said. "You'd think he'd have some loyalty, we're his family."
"You've been hiding your bid from the family, dad! How would Christian even know?"
Ian stopped in his tracks. "Fine. Fine, you have a point," Ian relented, "But I'm still going to grill him for information on that Alec bloke. I don't trust him."
Alec Banagher was feeling incredibly smug as he headed home later that day. He'd told Christian the good news and was pleased to see the other man smiling as he congratulated him on yet another purchase. Despite Ian's warnings of it being difficult to settle in, he seemed to be doing well so far.
Alec was well aware of the attitudes of people in the East End now, having been here for quite a few weeks on and off, and there was one thing that made it no different to anywhere else - and that was that if you had the money, then people would be fine with you.
He'd settled into the flat he had on South Street. It wasn't what he was used to as it was certainly much smaller than where he'd lived previously - at least since his time at university. And the view left a lot to be desired. But he was fine there. It had everything he needed - internet, phone, it was reasonably quiet to work in, it was out of the way of people who still knew him and, best of all, it was handy for seeing Christian. And it was close to his new businesses too, of course.
Now he owned a Walford shop front and a restaurant.
The latter was the easy one. He could get that done up in reasonable time. He owned two restaurants as it was, so to get a new one set up shouldn't be too difficult for him and he already knew who to use as suppliers for the food, the menus and the admin stockists, and he had a decent accountant that he could use for it too. But the shop front?
He knew what he was doing there, of course. In fact, the 'coming soon' signs had been ordered and were due to arrive shortly. He had the name all picked out. He just needed a little bit of help with the actual content of it, how exactly to run it and who else to hire to work there... oh yes, he had ideas, but he didn't know for sure they'd work. He'd need to consult.
He hadn't planned a massive unveiling but there was one person who he wanted there when he made it known what he was bringing to Walford and to this small area of the city, and that man would steer him right. After all, he was the inspiration behind Alec moving here in the first place... he had been the man to first take Alec around the area, albeit at pace, and he was the man who knew him the best in the area.
It would be nice to see Christian's face when he unveiled the sign. He felt a tingle of excitement at the thought and he'd never actually felt like this before. He was happily anticipating what would happen if he gave Christian compliments, or presents... or made him laugh. He was thinking about how his actions would impact Christian.
This was a first for him. His heart was his own, he usually spent his time with men he met in high end clubs and he wasn't ashamed to admit he'd even paid for things before when he felt like something in particular.
When his parents had died and he'd found himself wealthy, he had spent that first year having a good time. But he got his act together when he realised that he had to prove them wrong - that being gay wasn't a bad thing and that he could be successful. His being gay was in no way detrimental to the businesses they'd started. So far, things were going very well under his leadership, and often in the years that followed he'd found himself making rude gestures at the sky just to spite them.
See! He was successful. He was respected. And he hoped they continued to burn in hell, in the way his mind would sometimes show him a replay of what he'd seen that night so long ago, as their house burned to the ground. Not that he'd told anyone what he'd seen. The Police and the psychiatrists all thought he'd been tucked up in bed elsewhere and that the fire and his parents' death was a great surprise to him. But the image, seared in his mind, that he'd seen from a distance... and the sounds of the sirens he'd heard from far away... they remained with him.
Christian had been in a fire. Not long after they had met, and to Alec it was a sign. A sign of some kind of redemption. That Christian knew what it was to be caught up in the flames was something Alec felt he could relate to - even if he couldn't tell Christian that. Not the truth anyway, not fully. It was part of the connection they shared and Alec was determined to see Christian's welfare as his chance to do something good. To help him, to make him a success too.
It was something that Syed couldn't give him.
And someday - both Christian and Syed would realise that.
