Author Note: So in my first chapter, I told you that this story would involve people who died or left and that will become obvious now as Amy and Ally are a couple in this story. Also, this story is not Jon Paul friendly, but it doesn't severely bash him either.
Thank you for the great feedback, was really great to get some. Runningshoes39, Both Guests and NickyM1, I am glad you liked the first chapter and here is another installment.
Samia, je vous remercie pour vos aimables paroles. Je ai dû utiliser Google à la fois à comprendre ce qui se écrit et ce qu'il faut écrire dos. Je ne ai jamais été bon à l'écriture de longs chapitres, donc je ne peux que me excuser pour cela. Je espère que vous continuez à lire. (thank you for your kind words. I had to use Google to both understand what was written and what to write back. I have never been good at writing long chapters, so I can only apologize for that. I hope you continue to read.)
coloredwords, I won't be including the unborn child with Sinead. If I am honest, I don't really watch current Hollyoaks, in fact I only started watching again about a week ago, so I'm not particularly clued in on the current affairs. Sorry if this bothers you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hollyoak's or the characters in this story... Except Jed, he is my original character.
Amy liked to spend her days off visiting Ste, keeping him updated on the kids and making sure he was doing well, something she tried to do more then once a week.
It had taken her a long time after Ste's problems ended to trust him again but, when Ally had explained that the kids were probably the only thing Ste had left worth living for and keeping him on the straight and narrow, she had reluctantly agreed to let him see them again.
It wasn't till after Jon Paul had left that Amy had let the kids stay with Ste. Amy had never found their relationship healthy and she didn't want Jon Paul to be too involved with Leah and Lucas, scared that the unhealthy relationship would leave lasting impressions on them. When Jed and Ste had started seeing each other, Amy was over the moon and, after a few months and taken to Jed herself, she allowed the kids to stay as much as they wanted.
It was the fact that she had a day off that had led her to be in the village the day the news of Brendan Brady had hit the headlines. She wasn't aware of the news until she had let herself into Ste's flat and found him, curled up on the floor, tears rolling down his cheeks, his knees pulled up to his chest. Without hesitation, she ran over to him, throwing her bag to the floor before pulling him into her shoulder and letting his cry. She gently rubbed his back and asked, "Ste, what happened? What's got you into this state?".
It took a good half and hour of embracing each other for Ste to have controlled himself enough to talk. If he was honest, he felt pathetic, clutching onto Amy as is she was able to give him strength, but he was feeling weak and anything would help. He took a few deep breaths and before gently whispering to Amy, "It's Brendan", and he felt the tears build up again, begging to drop from his eyelids as he fought to keep them at bay, "He... He's back on trial and they reckon he'll get out this time".
Amy's mouth dropped open and she felt like she had been punched in the stomach so, she couldn't even imagine how Ste must be feeling. The idea that Brendan could come back and ruin everything Ste had worked so hard towards, ruin his life again, it broke her heart. She nodded and kissed the top of Ste's head, "It's OK Ste, he can't hurt you any more. You have all of us to protect you, that's if he chooses to come back".
Ste gulped, moving his head away from Amy's chest, shaking it the whole time he did, "You don't understand Amy" he sobbed, using his hand to wipe his face, trying to get rid of the tears that had started falling again, "I love him. I always have. I've never gotten over losing him the first time and, if he comes back, I don't think I can handle that again".
Amy recoiled away from Ste when he muttered those three little words. After all this time, after everything he had done to him, Ste still loved Brendan. She was angry. Brendan had done nothing but destroy Ste when he was last here and he hadn't even been there for the aftermath. She stood up, shaking her head at him, trying to hold back her own tears of anger, "You love Brendan?" she said, disgust lacing her voice as her hands began to shake with rage, "After everything he put you through? After telling you to just forget him because he was going down for murder? After breaking your heart and leaving you on your own? After letting you watch him take that bullet that could have killed him? How can you love him after that? He's a monster Ste!"
Ste took a deep breath before he stood up, bringing himself level with Amy. How could she say those things about Brendan when he was the one who had given him happiness, even if it was just a sliver. He gulped, trying to remove the lump in his throat which was making it hard to speak, before rubbing his eyes, trying harder then ever to stop the tears gushing down his cheeks, "You don't understand Amy!" he repeated, his voice slightly raised as a wave of anger rushed through him, "He gave me a chance when I had nothing. When you took the kids away from me, he was the one who put back the pieces of my broken heart. When I got diagnosed with HIV, he was the one who I wanted to be held by, not Jon Paul and, when I was told I had been cured ad Jed was sat there, on that sofa, cuddling me and whispering to me how proud he was of me, it was Brendan's voice I heard and his hands I felt".
Amy shook her head, her own tears falling down her face and dropping from the bottom of her chin as another wave of fury rushed through her, "Jed loves you and has done nothing but support you and this is the thanks he gets? You find out that Brendan may be released and you are just dying to run back into his arms!" she said, he voice raise as she picked her bag up, ready to depart, "For your sake, I really hope you think this through and make the right decision. Jed doesn't deserve this and right now, I don't think you deserve Jed" she finished, before turning away and leaving, wiping away her tears as the door slammed behind her. She knew she had to leave, any more talk that glorified Brendan would have pushed her too far over the edge.
Back inside, Ste was seething about everything Amy had said. Of all the people who had seen how much Brendan meant to him, she should have been the one to understand. She was there the day Brendan was taken away and had seen how it had broken him. She was there when he couldn't handle anything any more because he just needed Brendan back and he had hoped that, finding out Brendan was coming back, she would have been more supportive. He took a few deep breathes whilst looking in the small mirror hanging on the wall, his reflection showing just how broken he really was. He looked at the coffee table, one leg snapped completely in half and shook his head, "How do I explain that too Jed?" he asked himself, as he wiped his face for the final time and decided to clean up the mess he had made.
