– AARON & JACKSON –

– BORN AGAIN–

"Just let it go"

This fanfic starts the night of October 6th 2010 (Not what you think lol) My idea for fics always start with "what if" so for this fic its another journey, another subject to tackle that I haven't done before so I hope you guys like it, and I hope you r&r. Thanks guys x

#Chas is not on holiday with Carl during the time of this fic.

...

Bar West was bustling with life, music and drunks. Aaron sighed as he looked around; then looked back at Jackson who was sat beside him. "Just a mate is he?" asked as he looked intently into the eyes of the man who had changed him ever since they had met.

Jackson looked into Aaron's eyes too. "Boyfriend" he said with a nod.

Aaron's face lit up with a loving smile and both men leaned into each other and kissed passionately. Once they parted both men smirked at each other "Just going for a smoke" Aaron told him and got up and left their table with a smile on his face.

Once outside Aaron breathed in the cold night air, quite a lot of people were around town walking from bar to bar, he reached for his pack of cigarettes in his pocket but stopped when he saw him. Mickey left the bar that Aaron saw him in earlier. He instantly saw red but he was waiting for his opportunity. Seconds later Aaron felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him back.

"What the hell are you doing Aaron?" Jackson asked harshly.

"It's him" Aaron replied

Jackson nodded. "Yeah? Leave it...he's not worth it"

"Is that right?" Aaron questioned.

Jackson sighed. "Why does every night out with you end up like this?"

"He killed Clyde alright, he's gunna get what's coming to him"

Jackson sighed again. "Alright fine, go get arrested, hurt or whatever I don't particularly care right now because we're over"

Aaron turned to him quickly. "You what?"

"You heard me" Jackson began as he stepped back. "We're over; it's the end for us" Jackson told him and then turned and headed to his van.

Aaron rubbed his forehead and in his frustrations he saw Mickey across the road and his opportunity now presented itself and he immediately sprinted across the busy road and dragged him down an alley.

Both men landed harshly on the concrete floor and began to scuffle. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Giving you what you deserve mate!" Aaron shouted angrily and landed a punch on his face, then another and another until he felt Mickey's shoe dig into his stomach as he was forced away. Aaron hit against the wall hard as Mickey got to his feet.

"You have no idea who you've messed with mate!"

"I think I do...it's you who doesn't" Aaron threatened as he moved his head forward and head-butted Mickey, who fell back onto the ground wincing in pain as he pinched his bloodied nose. Something grabbed Mickey's attention in the corner of his eye and he reached for it and swung the thick and heavy plank of wood towards Aaron.

Aaron didn't have any time to react; it all happened so fast, the ringing in his ear started first then the dizziness as soon as the wood struck his neck.

Mickey didn't waste any time in inflicting pain on Aaron as he continued to beat and batter him with the wood. He smirked as he beat him to the ground, unconscious, scraped and bloody.

...

Hazel jumped up from her doze on the couch when the front door slammed. "Mum!" she heard Jackson's voice shout through the house. Hazel stood up and walked into the kitchen, it was a good job Paddy was still out, he'd have woken him.

"Whoa love what's the matter and do you know what time it is?" she asked.

"Yeah I do, but me and Aaron are done"

Hazel was shocked. "What? Why?"

"I saw him watching that Mickey guy in town, and he wouldn't let it go" Jackson was riled up with good reason.

"And you just left him?"

"Damn right I did. I'm sick of it mum. I paid Mickey off so we wouldn't have any of this but no Aaron being Aaron..." he sighed as he slumped into a dining chair.

"I know what he's like love..." she was hesitant about mentioning what she was about too because she knew her son and what his reaction would be. "Why don't you just sleep on it? Wait till the morning and see what happens"

"No. And I'm not staying here either cause he'll come back and think everything's okay when it's not" he spoke quickly, then looked sad. "A-And because everything reminds me of him" he told her.

Hazel looked sympathetically to her son. "Well alright then, go back to Andy's, lock the door and turn your phone off if you have too but at least think about it"

Jackson shook his head as he got up from the chair. "Nah, why should I be the only one to think about this supposed relationship when he can't even be bothered to let this whole Mickey situation go?" he turned and walked slowly to the door as Hazel's mobile began to ring. "Night mum" he said as he opened the door.

"Oh Paddy I can't be doing with your drunkenness right now...have a good night have ya?" she asked. Several seconds passed. "You what? How is he? N-No...Okay...I-I-I'll tell him, yeah bye"

Jackson frowned. "What was all that about?"

"Erm..." Hazel let out a deep breath. "You should sit down"

"No! Mum! What?"

"Aaron's in hospital, Paddy saw an ambulance across the street when he left the bar looking for you both, and he was curious and it was Aaron, beaten to a pulp with a bloody bit of wood next to him...a passerby found him and called an ambulance. Paddy's beside himself. I should get to the hospital"

"Why?"

"Because unlike some sunshine I care about that boy and the two of you together so I suggest you get to that hospital with me now"

Jackson shook his head and swallowed hard. "It'll be nothing anyway, he's probably exaggerating. I'm not going anywhere" he told her as she walked by him and grabbed her coat.

"Don't Jackson!" she yelled. "Don't you dare because underneath that act your putting on you care and you're as worried and as scared as I' am"

Jackson averted his eyes away from his mum and remained silent.

"Fine. Well at least you'll manage to sleep soundly tonight...go on then...you were leaving? I need to call a taxi"

Jackson stepped forward and walked passed his mum who was holding the door open for him and he stormed out and walked down the street to Andy's.

...

As Hazel paid the driver she saw Chas running up to the entrance doors to the hospital and she quickly moved to catch up. "Chas!" hazel shouted. Chas stopped and waited for Hazel to join her. "Did Paddy call you?"

Chas nodded. "Yeah he just called and said to get here as soon as, what the hell has he done now?" she asked as they walked into the hospital. "Where's Jackson?" she wondered.

"Erm, long story let's just see how Aaron's doing first"

Chas nodded as she stopped at the reception desk.

Several minutes later Hazel and Chas walked through intensive care and saw Paddy standing talking with a doctor. "Paddy what's going on?" Chas called to him.

"You better tell his mum, that's her" Paddy told him.

"Miss Dingle?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah what's happened to my son?"

"One thing at a time, I'm the doctor overseeing the care of your son at the present time, he came in with multiple surface wounds and a few broken ribs and it looks like he's suffered a bang to the head, we've had to put him on a ventilator because he's unable to breathe unaided at the moment. We can't say how extensive the damage is yet but he is stable and we are doing everything we can for him but you need to prep-"

Chas cut him off. "Prepare for what exactly?" she spat.

"If you'll let me finish Miss Dingle...I understand how worried you are but you need to prepare yourself for the state your son may be in when he wakes up" he stopped and sighed. "What I'm worried about right now is the hit to his head, from my experience with damage like that they can wake up fine...other cases they won't"

"What?" Chas frowned. "Brain damage?"

"It's a possibility yes."

TBC...