I'm so glad that people are enjoying this - I love the Roscoe's and hope that I can really build on this story. Thank you for all of the comments! I don't own Hollyoaks or any of the characters but here is the next instalment to my story; enjoy.

"Bex!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Bex, look at me, what's wrong?"

Joe and Freddie crowded around their sister and attempted to calm her down. They had been chatting away, unaware of her vacant expression until she had suddenly began to gasp for air and shake uncontrollably.

"What happened?" Sandy rushed over to her children. She'd arrived to join them for a drink only to find her sons desperately attempting to help their sister who was having some kind of seizure.

"Mum, she just went all weird, one minute she was fine and then she started gasping and –"

"Alright, give her some room, let me see her." Sandy climbed over the seats to reach her daughter. Firmly placing her hands on Bex's shoulder she said calmly; "Breathe Rebecca, just breathe, it's alright, you're fine, just breathe."

Bex's breathing slowly became a little more even but the shaking didn't subside. Joe and Freddie stood back motionless, watching their mother calm her down.

"That's it." Sandy attempted a reassuring smile and hoped that it masked her own concern. "Joe, go and get her a glass of water." Sandy directed her eldest son.

"Mum, is she going to be ok?" Freddie asked.

"Just fine." Sandy moved so that she was sitting more comfortably next to Bex, she put her arm around her and pulled her close. Bex didn't make a sound; she just continued to shake in her mothers embrace. "Thanks Joe," Sandy took the glass of water from her son, "just take a few sips Bex," she held the glass up to her daughters lips as if she were feeding a baby.

"Is everything alright over here? Do you want me to call an ambulance?" Darren had come over to the table. Bex's fit had drawn the attention of most of the people in the pub and there was an uncomfortable silence that the Roscoe's hadn't noticed until then.

"No! Not the hospital – I'm not going there, please" Bex spoke for the first time and her voice was shrill and panicky.

"Bex it's alright we won't take you there, just relax." Joe's words calmed his sister once more, he knew she hated hospitals; she'd had to have surgery on her leg when she was little and the whole experience had traumatised her.

"Thanks Darren, but I think we just need to get her home." Sandy got up so that Joe and Freddie could help Bex get up and out of the pub.

"I'll get the door" Sandy fumbled with her keys and then pushed the front door open so that the boys could bring Bex into the house. They had practically carried her back from the pub as her exhausted body rested on each of their shoulders.

"Let's put her on the sofa."

"That's it Bex, you just lay there."

Sandy had got a blanket from the airing cupboard and now placed it over Bex in order to keep her warm.

Joe, Freddie and Sandy stepped outside the room.

"Mum, something is seriously wrong – you don't just go from having a nice drink to a full blown –" Joe didn't know what it was and couldn't finish his sentence.

"I think it was a panic attack Joe. The breathlessness and shaking it points to that, but why? What happened?"

"Nothing mum, nothing happened." Freddie sounded annoyed and he looked at his mum apologetically; he just didn't understand what was going on.

"Look, I'll call the doctor in the morning and see if he can come here – we'll never get her to agree to go to hospital. For now, let's put the kettle on and all calm down a bit."

"Hey, what are you lot doing back already?" Jason asked from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah mum, we could have come out, it's not late at all!" Robbie added, annoyed.

"Leave it out you two, Bex had a panic attack and we've just managed to get her home." Joe explained.

"Is she alright?" Jason asked, concerned.

"She'll be fine. Now come down you two, you can have a cuppa with us and then we're all going to bed – it's been a long day."

As the boys went into the kitchen to make the tea, Sandy knelt besides Bex who lay almost asleep on the sofa. She stroked her hair gently as she spoke to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Mum, I'm sorry –"

"Hey," Sandy cut her daughter off, "You have nothing to apologise for darling and you don't need to explain right now. You just get some rest and we'll talk in the morning." She kissed Bex's forehead and tucked the blanket around her a little more tightly.

o0o

All night, Bex tossed and turned. She was both physically and mentally exhausted and yet, each time she drifted into sleep, her memories haunted her. He was there, he'd found her – she would never escape.

o0o

"Morning love, how are you feeling this morning?"

The light pierced Bex's eyes. She wasn't quite sure how she'd gone from being haunted by nightmares in the darkness to squinting in the morning sunlight, but she must have slept a bit because her mum now stood before here with a cup of tea in hand. Bex sat up and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Thanks." She said, taking the cup from Sandy who sat down next to her on the sofa. "I'm fine, feeling much better thanks." She lied.

Sandy paused a moment, she wanted to approach this carefully – she didn't want to upset Bex.

"Do you remember what happened? The boys said they didn't notice anything but you were really bad Bex. Have you had attacks like that before?"

"I…it –"

"Good morning all!" Ziggy interrupted the conversation with his return from his night with Ruby. "What's for breakfast mum? I'm starving!"

"Bet you are!" Freddie commented with a wink as he came down the stairs.

Sandy rolled her eyes – why couldn't she just have one moment of peace in her own house.

"How you feeling Bex? Gave us a bit of a fright last night you did." Freddie rubbed his sister's shoulder supportively as he passed the sofa.

"What happened?" Ziggy enquired as he placed two slices of bread in the toaster.

"She had a panic attack last night and –"

"You know I am right here!" Bex snapped. She couldn't help it – they were speaking as if she wasn't even there. Getting up, she left the room and started walking upstairs.

"Bex wait." Sandy reached out and held Bex's arm to stop her from walking away. "I'm sorry. This house is mad sometimes there's so many of us. Now come on, tell me what happened last night."

Bex turned to face her mother straight on. Sandy could feel her daughters arm begin to tremble and she watched as a tear slowly ran down her young face.

"It was him mum; he's found me."

Please leave a comment, I love to know what you think! :)