So I realise that Emmerdale has been on our UK tv screens for what seems like forever, and I've dipped in and out of the show, but last week I caught the episodes where Finn was drugged and left to die in a fume filled car and got completely sucked into the Barton world. I particularly love the brotherly dynamic where they obviously care about each other despite what they show on the outside.

I started writing this before the last episode aired (31st July) so it's not following it to the letter. Not sure if I've got the characters right but hey, it is fan fiction.

Anyone that's read my stories before know that I like to cause hurt and angst to my favourite characters, and this is what I'm doing here. Hope it's ok.

I don't own anyone you recognise.

The Best of Us

Finn Barton sat awkwardly between Victoria and Eric, wishing that he had never accepted Eric's offer to buy him a drink. He had already tried to go back to work at the B&B, which hadn't gone to smoothly, due to the fact that everywhere he looked he saw him...Brad. Now he was sat in the place where the nightmare began, the place where Brad had slipped the drug into his drink. He felt a shiver run through his body. He was aware of his best friend laying a gentle hand on his arm in comfort and that Eric was rattling on about taking some more time off - not to go back to work until had had given himself enough time to heal emotionally as well as physically. He picked up his untouched pint and took a drink, acutely aware of numerous pairs of eyes staring at him as he did so. He knew that some of them, namely his dad, Pete and Ross, were concerned about him, and couldn't quite bring themselves to not keep an eye on him, but the others...they were just trying to pry into his business. He set his beer back down on the table, hating how his hand still shook. He couldn't take another drink - it didn't taste right, nothing did anymore, maybe that was an after effect of the carbon monoxide fumes. Finn felt his stomach tighten at the thought.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal Adam, "Hey Finn, good to see you pal, how you doing?"

Although Adam looked genuine, Finn didn't want it, "I'm fine, or I will be if people stopped asking me," he grumbled, picking up his glass once more.

"Blimey, I only asked. Won't bother anymore."

"Good, just leave me alone."

"Hey Finn, Adam was only asking...he does care...don't..."

"Don't what Vic? Don't have a go? They all care do they?" His voice began to rise, just as he dropped his pint and rose to his feet. The pub fell silent as he looked round, everyone's eyes on him. He rubbed a hand over his face rapidly, letting his hand run through his hair as his headache began to remind him that it was still there, "Finn, come on sit down," Victoria suggested, "Or shall we go into the back to talk..."

"No! You think all these care?" He swept his hand round to show that he meant everyone in the pub, "They don't care. They just want someone to talk about. They want to see why suicide boy did what he did..." he staggered out from behind the table. Pete began to rise to his feet, casting a worried glance to his father and middle brother, "Well guess what, I didn't try to kill myself, my brother took care of it. Someone wanted to get back at him for something and tried to kill me to get to him!"

Suddenly, Finn realised what he had been saying. The adrenaline that had kept him on his feet began to leave his body and he began to sway, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." His mouth snapped shut and with a last wide eyed look to his oldest brother, he darted out of the door. The shocked silence lingered for a while, "I'm going after him," Pete stated, striding towards the door, closely followed by Ross.

"I think you should stay here, you've done enough," Pete told him. For a split second Ross stopped, hurt that his brother was trying to keep him away from the youngest, "Pete I know what I've done - but this is Finn. I can't see him like this...I can't." He pushed past the older man to follow his youngest brother.

As they left the pub, they looked left and right with no sign of their brother, "Where would he go?" Pete looked stricken.

Ross shrugged his shoulders, "B&B?" he suggested.

The two men dashed towards Finn's place of work only to find the door locked. They looked at each other, the same anxious expression clear on both of their faces. They had been wanting Finn to open up a bit. He always had a tendancy to keep things bottled up, but his outburst in the pub had been totally out of character and that had worried them both.

"Can you hear that?" Ross asked his brother, who listened carefully.

He nodded, "Sounds like it's coming from the back..."
As the two men raninto the back yard, they had to duck as a chair flew towards them, "What the...? Finn, what are you doing? Stop!" Ross tried to get the irate young man's attention.

Finn looked almost out of control. Tears coursed down his cheeks - rage and fear both battling for supremacy. Ross took another step towards him, "Stay away from me!" Finn roared, "You're my brother - you're supposed to protect me, look out for me, but because of you someone tried to kill me!"

He suddenly dropped to the ground, his earlier energy gone. Dragging in deep breaths, he brought his legs up so that he could rest his elbows on them then layed his head in his hands.

Pete hated seeing his normally playful, cheeky younger brother like this, so he took a step forward to comfort him, but Ross stopped him, "Let me..." he said as he sank to the floor beside the younger man.

"Look Finn, nothing I can say will make this better, I know that, but please believe me - if I had had any idea what would happen I...no...you know what? You're right," Ross stood up quickly and began pacing, "You were right. I should have protected you, looked out for you, but instead you nearly died because of me. I'm stupid and selfish and that's what nearly got you killed. He knew my weakness and exploited it."

Finn looked up at his brother in confusion, causing Ross to smile a little, "You, you idiot! You're my weakness. Ask anyone. You're the best of all of us. I would do anything for you and he knew that. God, when I saw you in that hospital and we didn't know if you'd make it...I..." he had to stop as his eyes filled with tears once more.

"You held my hand," Finn stated, remembering.

Ross shuffled on his feet, obviously uncomfortable, "Yeah I did, but if you tell anyone about that I might have to kill you myself!"

Finn chuckled for the first time in a week. Pete let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, so glad to hear Finn laugh again.

"Is it over?" Finn asked quietly, "Will he come back to finish the job?"

Ross shook his head, "Don't worry little brother, I'm fixing it."

Finn now got to his feet, "What have you got to do? Is it dangerous? Coz if it is, you don't do it, we can sort out whatever it is."

Ross looked at his brothers anxious yet determined face. This was one of the things he loved the most about Finn. After everything he'd been through - everything he had put him through, whether knowingly or not, he was still worried abut him, even though he didn't deserve it.

"Ross, will you be safe?" Finn demanded.

Ross grabbed him in a tight embrace, "Don't worry, everything will be fine," he assured him, although his eyes told the oldest brother a different story...

As I said before I probably got the characters all wrong, but in my minds eye, this is what I could see happening between them. Hope it's ok.