Sorry its only short but lemme know if you want me to continue. Any ideas of where to take the story more than welcome.

Thanks x x

Brendan's POV

"Yes I love him but it would never work... It's complicated"

"Because he hit you?"

"Yeah"

Jesus, Mary and Joseph! That's Stephen. He still loves me? Still? Really? After everything I have done? This is... This is just...Wow. I can use this I can get back what's mine again. I'm so fed up of pushing people away. This could work. I just need to think how to work with this. Obviously I am going to have to apologise for the beatings I put him through but the talks in prison have helped. I'm gonna have to show him I am different.

Hang on.

No.

No he wouldn't have done that he is my son. But would he? He had his phone in his hand when we were talking ... When I said I loved Stephen. I'm shaking now, what's wrong with me? Would it be so bad if for once I didn't hold all the cards? But what if Deccy has sent that to Stephen? I have lost the power that's what. I need to know if he did so I can think how to handle this when I next see Stephen.

"DECLAN BRADY COME HERE"

Oh god no... he has he sent a recording of me to Stephen, he is avoiding my stare his looking at his shoes and shuffling like he thinks I am gonna explode. I think I might I'm still shaking and fiddling with my phone to try and distract my hands from clenching. I would never hit my kids or their mum, or any women for that matter but I can still hit walls without ending back in prison. Just concentrate on something... anything. My phone... wow isn't it a good phone, slight dents and scratches but good none the less. Deccy's gonna break the silence I can feel it... just look at your phone...head down look at your phone.

"I am sorry d..."

Someone's knocking at the door. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or annoyed at the timing. It's probably Chez. I am walking to the door but Declan's in front of me. I give up trying to get there first. I stop, I will leave him to it.

"Declan"

I know that voice, I still hear it I'm my dreams, in my nightmares. I hear it all the time I can't seem to get rid of it. My heart is racing but I'm putting forward a calm exterior. Or at least that's what I'm hoping I look like.

"Your dad in?"

"Yeah. Come in."

There he is. Stephen. Stephen is in my living room again, and I'm staring at him. Stop staring Brendan. Stop bloody staring! I can hear Deccy mumbling something.

All I am catching is cinema and money. Just give him some money. Snap out of it. I give Deccy some money. I have no idea how much he has, I still haven't taken my eyes of Stephen.

"Now talk this out, yeah?"

Cheeky git. My eyes have flickered to Declan and he is smiling at me. What the hell do I say to Stephen. I can't believe he still loves me. Deccy's out the door, leaving us to it. My head is tilted to one side soaking up the vision of Stephen from another angle.

"So Stephen... How much do you love me?"

He is smiling at me, I love that smile. I can feel my insides fluttering like butterflies but I'm not nervous. I am happy though and I have got an uncontrollable grin on my face. He seems to be thinking how to handle this.

"Probably the same amount as you love me..."

"Touché..."

"How does it feel to be played by your own son?"

Now he is laughing and I am too. But the laughter is dying and I can tell this conversation is gonna turn.

"Stephen, I'm sorry"

Stephen looks like he does when I have punched him in the ribs, pure shock. But now he isn't fearful he is intrigued.

"For what? The beatings? The firing? The snog fest with the random guy in front of me and your sister?"

Well all of it. All of a sudden I realise that I have coughed and am rubbing the back of my neck, He has noticed. He knows I am nervous I have lost the control...The power...The upper hand has gone. I either throw him out and ruin this or I open up and he may just stay around.

"Look Stephen, You know I'm not good at this talking about feelings stuff, Yeah?"

"Yeah?"

"So just don't storm off in a strop if I am saying this all wrong."

"I don't strop"

I stifle a laugh. So does Stephen. But he is looking at me to continue.

"Ok...Ok you don't strop. Anyway. Erm... I am sorry for all of it, Ok? Look while I was in prison I had to take anger... erm... I had to talk to someone about stuff. I talked about everything... about you and my dad and other things like being...gay."

Stephen is staring at me. His mouth is open a little bit, in shock. I feel like his eyes are boring into me into my soul.

"So you went to angry management classes?"

"If that's what you wanna call it...Yeah"

"Wow"

"Yeah well I didn't really get a choice, did I? I am sorry Stephen, for the beatings. I am... I really am..."

Bloody hell. I am shaking and I am crying. Why the bloody hell am I crying. Man up you idiot. It's too late his seen. I wipe away the tears. Sniff and stare at him.

"And about firing you, I wasn't... I didn't want...Erm... You do know me better than anyone and I didn't like the fact you were pushing me to open up, I wasn't ready."

"And now?"

"And now what?"

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

"Er not really... not yet. But one day soon yeah...?"

"Ok...and the random guy?"

"Him...? Well I... He was a... distraction"

"Distraction from what?"

"You"

"Ok"

"Ok? I'm telling you I needed a distraction from wanting to sleep with...to kiss... to be with you"

"To be with? What as in a relationship, an out-and-proud couple?

"Yeah Stephen. The whole package."

"And do you still need a distraction or do you actually want me now?"

Ste's POV

"I want you now."

OH MY GOD! Are we really gonna do this again. If we are gonna try we have to get everything sorted now before anything else happens. I have to confront him about the fact I didn't believe he was innocent.

"But I thought you killed those girls, doesn't that bother you?"

He is thinking. He is doing that shuffle thing he does where I know this can go one of two ways. Either he is gonna push me away again or he is gonna let me in.

"It did bother me, but what did I expect after you know... hurting you and... Danny"

He is letting me in, this could work.

"We both know the reasons you were hurting me, and now everyone knows... all your family, Declan obviously doesn't mind as he wants us together".

I'm walking toward him as I am speaking, It's like my legs have taken over and he is aware how close I am to him, I can almost hear his heart racing, his breathing has sped up, and so has mine.

"And Danny was threatening to hurt me. I was grieving for Rae, I knew deep down you wouldn't hurt a girl, I just wanted someone to blame to take away my guilt, I'm sorry I did that."

I'm so close I can smell his breath a familiar mix of whiskey and coffee, his body smells so good. I miss that smell so much. It doesn't really smell like anything in particular its just Brendan's scent. Like Amy used to smell sort of soft, like freshly cut grass with a mix of sudocrem. Why the hell am I thinking about Amy? Now I'm closer I can smell Brendan's Calvin Klein cologne it really suits him, it's intoxicating.

"S'ok"

Shit. I'm almost touching him and he is breathing heavily, so heavily in fact I can feel every breath as a breeze on my face. His hand is on the back of my neck. We are moving in closer, our foreheads our resting together and I have my eyes closed. I can almost taste his lips... its going to happen we are going to kiss.

I can hear nothing but our heartbeats and our breathing... and the front door opening and...

"Look, Chez cant we go bowling or something"

"No Deccy, I'm sorry that there was nothing good at the cinema but neither of us fancies bowling, maybe tomor..."

Brendan has pulled away... looking at his sister, Lynsey and Declan all of which are staring at us. Cheryl is speaking.

"Brendan, what's going on?"

For god's sake. He hasn't changed he is still embarrassed by me, he still isn't ok with us. I'm going to leave. But Brendan still has his right hand on my neck holding me close. He hasn't backed away he has just stood upright. It was as if he had read my mind, I can see him thinking, and I can feel his hand on my neck getting clammy. I can even hear him swallow. But he is looking at me now. Straight in my eyes like he needs me, like he knows me. Brendan's hand is loosely on the base of my back. But it isn't his right hand. He has both hands holding me still. In front of his son, friend and sister his kissing me. I'm kissing him. It feels so right but its not snogging. I think I can forgive him for not wanting to get carried away in front of his family.

"EWWW DAD get a room!"