Rebound

Chapter One

Leela Lomax was sat in the local club drowning her sorrows after her sudden break-up from Ziggy Roscoe. She witnessed him kissing another woman and she dumped him as soon as she could. Trevor Royle looked over at her as he served another punter; she kept drinking; avoiding his gaze. He finally walked over; placing himself down on the bar.

"Rough night?" Trevor asked casually; not expecting a direct answer at all.

She shrugged; that's one word for it. She was still broken-hearted from it all; she never thought he would betray her like that. After everything they been through together; including the death of her parents, Cameron's arrest over it and Freddie's arrest over Fraser's murder; which made Tegan furious. After all that; this was the last thing she thought that he would do.

"Well my boyfriend cheated on me; is that rough enough for you?" Leela asked rhetorically; drinking the rest of her red wine.

Trevor eyes widened; he heard about everything she has been through. This was just another added thing for her to mope about. He nodded; things between him and Grace Black hasn't been great either. She can't get pregnant again which made her very upset as she left the village to go and stay with a family member for a couple of days.

"Yeah? Well my girlfriend just left me to deal with the thought of having no children alone" Trevor admitted to her; though he knew he shouldn't have mentioned it.

She looked at him with sympathy however she wondered why. This man was the person who beat her brother black and blue yet she couldn't help but feel sorry for him because of his losses.

"Having children is overrated" Leela replied with a sigh; she let a tear fall down; she didn't mean that.

Though after everything Peri put her through; it's easy to see why she would have such a thought; even for a second. He breathed before walking away to pour himself a drink of Whisky.

"Well I'm never going to find out; at least not with Grace" Trevor reminded her; taking a sip.

She shook her head.

"I didn't mean it" Leela replied immediately after his statement of pessimism.

He just gave a small sigh before serving another punter; he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. He just felt down in the dumps lately for obvious reasons so someone with a child claiming its overrated is not something he wants to hear.

"Sure you didn't" Trevor muttered under his breath; she cocked her head to one side.

She regretted ever saying it; she didn't mean it of cause and saying it in front of a man in his position isn't exactly sensitive however him hurting her half-brother wasn't sensitive either so Leela couldn't care too much.

"Please don't take the moral high ground; it doesn't suit you" Leela replied to him; taking a final sip before taking her jacket.

Trevor crossed his arms while looking at her with wonder.

"Don't go on my account" Trevor retaliated; still with his arms crossed; with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

All this talk of not being able to have children opened up old wounds for him. He thought about his children; the ones he never seen before. He didn't do anything the first time round and now he regrets it.

"Get me another drink than" Leela replied with a sigh as she sat back down on the stools.

He just nodded; pouring her a drink. She passed him the money though he shook his head before saying...

"It's on the house"

Leela gave a small smile; she noticed that the couple next to her were leaving. Hand in hand; she looked at them with envy as they left together. Trevor couldn't help but do the same though he soon snapped out of it.

"Would you give someone you love another chance; even if they don't deserve it?" Leela asked him with a small tear falling down her cheek.

Trevor shrugged though he supposed he would do. Grace got more chances than she deserved. He locked the till; he was closing up. He wasn't a man who wore his heart on his sleeve so he didn't really want to answer the question.

"You do whatever you feel is right" Trevor simple replied; making her think for herself.

That was the thing; she didn't really know. She loves Ziggy but after she found him kissing another woman in the club; it broke her heart. It wasn't like he hasn't cheated before so it was no surprise that he has done it again.

"I don't know what's right; my head's all over the place" Leela admitted; expressing more of her feelings then previously.

Trevor was silent for a few moments. He had no advice; at least not good advice. Even though; he wasn't a very open man. He still wanted to get things of his chest; he always found confiding in someone who doesn't know him very well more relaxing. It meant that they couldn't judge him very well.

"So is mine... nothing new there then" Trevor replied with a sigh; making himself a drink as he gulped down a large amount.

She sighed; looking at him for a few moments. She noticed that he had beautiful eyes; something she never noticed before because of his rugged appearance. She kept staring into his eyes before snapping herself out of and sitting upon the couch. He soon followed with two drink; placing them both down on the table.

"I know this sounds stupid but at night; I sometimes have visions when I'm dreaming... visions of my mum and dad" Leela broke down mid-sentence as she started to sob.

Leela has been holding these tears from some time but she has been trying to stay strong for Tegan and Peri. They need her; now more than ever. She was pouring her heart out to this man she barely knew.

"I know... I know how that feels" Trevor was cut off by Leela.

"You don't know how it feels; you don't have a clue how it feels to lose both of your parents" Leela cried.

He sighed.

"When I was 15; my dad died so I do know; I found out in school, 'come here Trevor' the teacher told me, 'I have some news' she said; I thought it was good news; the way she said it; it had that tone but then she broke it to me without warning 'you're dad died Trevor' she said; I was sent back to class; like nothing had been said; I almost thought it was just a daydream I was having but no; the time kept going without any distractions"

No tears came down his cheeks; just silence as he thought about that awful day.

"I'm so sorry... I had no idea" Leela replied; still with tears steaming down her cheeks.

He nodded; he knew. A lot of people don't know that he lost his father at fifteen; even less know about his mother treated him after the matter. His mother liked to force him into things; she liked to take her anger out on him and after his father died. She became unbearable which resulted in him moving in with Fraser Black at the age of fifteen.

"I know; don't worry about it; I don't mean to be rude Leela but I don't know why you're here with me after what I did to Ste" Trevor admitted.

Leela looked at him with slight anger; She didn't like that he brought it up.

"Don't you dare mention that; that is something Ste has tried to forget and I was trying to so... don't you bring that up" Leela replied firmly.

Though she did become more wary of him after that.

"I'm sorry about your parents Leela but at least you still got Tegan and Peri; that is more than what most people get" Trevor reminded her; as if she didn't know already.

More tears came steaming down as she thought about mother and father once again; she started to sob once again. She just wanted to see them again; she is not coping. She likes to make out that she is but she still cries every night before she goes to sleep. When nobody else is around; she cries.

"I'm not coping Trevor; I'm losing everyone; even my own daughter doesn't want anything to do with me and Tegan won't even talk to me after Fraser was brought up again; saw her telling Rose about how 'good' her daddy was" Leela spoke with anger and sadness.

Trevor gritted his teeth.

"Yeah well maybe you should follow Tegan's example; Rose is going to grow up and she will want to find out about her dad; when she is older enough to understand; no doubt she go to the prison to visit his killer" Trevor replied; leaning in closer slightly.

She scoffed slightly;she understands why Tegan wouldn't want Rose to think her father was nothing more than a thug and that his death was a result of someone protecting their beloved one.

"Yeah; let's just fill her head with lies; it's not like it's gonna affect her" Leela spoke with bitter sarcasm.

Leela knew full way what lies can do; lies is what made Peri disown her and refuse to accept her as her mother.

"It's better than the truth" Trevor insisted; taking a sip out of his wine glass.

She couldn't agree with so she left the subject matter and started to talk relationship problems instead.

"So you and Grace then? What's the story there?" Leela asked without much care.

He didn't want to talk about it.

"She can't cope with not being able to have children so she went off to some auntie in Leeds" Trevor confessed.

A few moments passed before Leela said gently...

"Relationships are overrated too"

They looked into each other eyes before Trevor planted a small kiss on her soft lips. She kissed back as he stood up. Breaking apart before they kissed once again; he moved her towards the office door as he shut it behind himself. He removed Leela's jacket from her hands. Before he pushed her down upon the office table...

...

TCB: Will they? Won't they?