Author Note: Right, I'm posting this now, in the hope that it motivates me to write the next chapter, which is point blank refusing to happen. I've got bits for a few chapters down the line, but they aren't really much use without chapter 3. So here's chapter 2. I hope you like it.
Sam was up bright and early the next morning, running downstairs as soon as he was awake. Upon seeing that James was still asleep, he abruptly started creeping and climbed onto the sofa bed, wriggling himself up so that he was lying next to Hathaway's back. He obviously wasn't as covert as he thought he had been, since James turned over and mumbled.
"What gets you up so early then?"
"The sun." James couldn't argue with that, sunlight was streaming through the windows. He sat up, resigned to the fact that now Sam was awake, he'd not get any more sleep. Blinking blearily at his watch, he saw that it was half past eight. Not as bad as he'd thought then.
"What do you say to some breakfast eh little man? Good idea?"
"Yeah. We can have bacon?"
"Ah, don't think so mate. We're right out of bacon. Actually we're out of everything, gonna have to go to the shops later."
"Do we have Sausages?"
"Oh yes, we have sausages." Well, they had those frozen ones, the ones that are about 30% sausage and 70% god knows what.
"Can we have a sausage sandwich?" James wasn't in the habit of giving his son sandwiches for breakfast, but they needed to finish the bread, and there wasn't really anything else to eat.
Ten minutes later, Robbie came downstairs to the sight of a plate of sausage sandwiches.
"Beautiful" he said gleefully as he took one off the top of the pile.
"Only 30 percent sausage." Hathaway mumbles, just as Lewis takes a bite.
"That's enough isn't it?" James snorted and shook his head, as he handed Sam a sandwich on a plate.
"How are you still standing?"
"...Practice?" They both grin and Hathaway sits on the sofa, stretching his left leg out in front of him. Once he's finished his sandwich, he speaks.
"I don't actually have any paint. Ran out the other day...because of that one." James says, smiling as he points at Sam.
"Nooo! You runned all the paint out when you spilled it Daddy!"
"No, you painted it all on the wall."
"I didn't Unca Robbie. I didn't." Lewis laughs, holding his hands up.
"I'm not taking sides on this one kidda. Seems like we need to go and buy some more paint though."
"Yeah. We might as well finish stripping the wallpaper though. We've stripped the whole downstairs, just gotta strip the three bedrooms."
"Ok lad, where do you wanna start?"
"Sammy's room" there's absolutely no hesitation is Hathaway's voice. "I want to sort his room out first." Lewis grins.
"Ok then kidda, where're your tools?"
.
Twenty minutes later, they are all stuck into their work. It was decided that they would all work in one room rather than split up, so they could chat. And also each room would get done quicker this way. After all, Robbie wasn't as young as he'd been last time he'd stripped wallpaper, and Hathaway was effectively using one and a half legs. Sam was happily sat by the door, scraping wet wallpaper off of the wall. Every now and then, he would look at James or Robbie, and copy their stances, or attempt to copy their facial expressions. Robbie had nudged James when he'd realised what the little boy was doing and they both watched him with amusement.
"I've just realised, tomorrow is Sunday."
"Well done Jim, I always said you were smart." James rolls his eyes.
"No, I mean, we need to get the paint today, since we'll probably get all three rooms done today, if this one is anything to go by."Lewis looks around, sure enough, they are nearly done, and they've only been at it for two hours.
"Aye, they'll be shut tomorrow won't they?" James grins.
"See Robbie, there is method in my madness. We can do food shopping too, might have had lasagne yesterday, but unless we go and buy food, it'll be tinned ravioli tonight."
"Lunch first James?"
"...Lunch first."
"Where is the shop?"
" Ten minute drive away." Lewis frowns.
"Can you drive with that knee?"
"Yeah, short journey like that's ok."
"Right then...I believe you mentioned lunch."
.
They go and buy paint without any hitches, Sam wants his room to be painted blue. James manages to convince him that bright blue is a bad idea and he should have a paler shade. They buy cream paint for the rest of the upstairs. Sam insists on carrying a tub of paint to the car. Lewis watches them both and he can't decide which one needs help the most. Sam is trying to carry something that probably weighs more than he does, and James is clearly feeling his knee as he hauls the paint to the car. In the end, Sam puts his pot on the floor and pushes it. Lewis deftly takes the paint off James, and silences his protests with a stern look, as he puts the paint in the boot.
Lewis drives them back, they decide to go and buy food later, its best to get the rooms done first, and then they can eat dinner and relax. Lewis suggests that they paint Sam's room and get it finished before they start on the next.
Sam takes to it like a duck to water, getting thoroughly covered in paint and enjoying every minute of it. After a while, Sam's painted all of the wall he can reach and after the phone call to Robbie, James point blanc refuses to let the boy stand on a ladder. After a reasonably short time, Sam is bored and starts to whine and get in the way. To keep him amused, Hathaway starts to paint a number from one to twenty on the wall, and ask Sam which one it is. Robbie listens with a smile on his face. The little boy seems to have one to ten down, but after eleven, he just seems to name numbers.
"One Five!" He shouts happily as James paints a fifteen on the wall.
"What are they called when they are together."
"A pair" Robbie chuckles, turning to Sam and whispering in his ear.
"FIFTEEN!" Sam shouts in excitement and giggles as James paints over the number.
Just as they finish painting, Lewis gets a phonecall.
"Hello? Laura?...Well no you wouldn't get an answer, I'm not at home." Robbie puts his hand over the mouthpiece.
"Its Laura."
"Tell her to come over."
"Laura? I'm at James'...he says to tell you to come over."
Its agreed that she'll be there in an hour. Robbie puts the phone down and Sam stares up at him.
"Is it Laura that was shouty?"
"...Aye kidda, but she's not shouty any more. I promise." James picks Sam up, walking out of the room.
"Where we going?"
"You, are going to have a bath Sammy. You can't be all covered in blue paint when Laura gets here."
"Yeah I can. I'll say I a paint mons'er."
"Well you certainly can't eat food with blue hands. Your food will taste like paint."
"Yuck" Sam screws up his face in disgust and laughs.
"Exactly, come on...into the bathroom."
.
James returns to the living room, 45 minutes later, with Sam in fresh pyjamas and wrapped in a towel. No sooner has James set him down and sat in the chair, than Sam leaps on him.
"Wanna w'estle."
"Laura will be here soon Sam."
"But I wanna w'estle." James sighs and looks over at Robbie.
"New favourite game" he says, feigning disinterest in Sam's insistence. Then without warning, James grabs Sam and dives to the floor, laughing as Sam's delighted squeals ring out. Robbie watched in amusement as they both rolled around on the floor. Just as Sam sits on Hathaway arm, and holds down his shoulder, all the while giggling uncontrollably, the doorbell rings. James looks up at Robbie, and the older man could swear that he's never seen that much happiness on his friends face before.
"I'll get it shall I?" Robbie says, pretending to be put out.
"Er yeah cheers," James manages to get out. "Come on Sammy, get off now." The little boy presses down harder.
"No! You my pris'ner." James grins and then roars, standing up, and grabbing Sam before he falls to the floor. Sam laughs throatily and then snuggles into James' shoulder. Hathaway turns just in time to see Laura stood there with Robbie. Both of them look like they are trying not to burst out laughing, and Hathaway's cheeks flush red.
After Robbie and Laura have composed themselves, they sit down and talk, . Sam runs around like a lunatic for the next half an hour, getting in the way and hounding Laura. It seems that he's no longer wary of her, content to sit next to her and babble away. The little boy is clearly hyped up, and it takes Robbie reading him two stories to calm him down.
It suddenly occurs to Hathaway that its nearing dinner time, and he has absolutely nothing in.
"I'm going to need to go to the shops if you want dinner. Unless you like tinned pasta." Robbie starts to get up.
"Aye, we were going to go weren't we."
"No worries, I'll go. Sam's in his pyjama's, its not like we can all go and take him with us."
"James, you could hardly carry that tin of paint the other day, and now you expect me to leave you to get a load of shopping."
"Rob-" James starts and Laura looks between them, sighing, exasperation painted all over her face.
"Both of you go. I'll stay here with Sam...go on, you can thank me by cooking dinner eh James?"
.
It didn't take long to get the shopping. Meat, pasta, bread, vegetables and of course milk. While they are stood in the queue, they meet one of the guys that live on James' street. Hathaway introduces Lewis and Mr Holton, the sixty year old that lives eight doors down. They're just about to pay for their items (and just about to enter an argument about why Lewis shouldn't have to put an money towards it despite his insistence), when they hear the screeching of tyres and look up, just in time to see a car bearing down on the window. The next moment, the front of the shop shatters and the three of them are thrown backwards. Lewis shakes his head to clear the ringing in his ears and slowly sits up. Suddenly he remembers what he was doing and shouts.
"Hathaway!...James?"
"He's ok." Mr Holton is the one that answers, and for a split second his heart stops. Why isn't James answering for himself? Once he gets to them though, he realises that James is indeed ok, if a little dazed.
"Rob-Robbie?"
"Alright Jim?"
"Y-Yeah." As if to prove this point, Hathaway sits up, blinking. He sees Lewis' concerned look and smiles.
"I'm fine. Just whacked my head a little. I didn't even lose consciousness." They all start to stand up shakily and James is just about to make a quip about shopping, when someone screams at them.
"GET ON THE FLOOR NOW! ALL OF YOU!" Lewis could swear that he hears James sigh petulantly. If that's even a thing. Then he decides that if its not a thing, Hathaway is the one most likely to invent it. Its his turn to sigh as he realises that the last thing they need right now, is James in the sort of mood where he'll answer back.
To his surprise, Hathaway stays quiet for most of the next five minutes. Lewis isn't sure if its fear or the whack on the head that does it, but he has to admit that he's grateful.
Suddenly everything seems to happen at once. The shopkeeper protests about the situation, and one of the men that are raiding the store, slams his gun into the poor man's head. James' lips thin and Robbie puts a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from the inevitable heroic idiocy that Hathaway is capable of when he's angry. But before he has a chance to talk to the younger man. Mr Holton has leapt up and is grappling with the masked man. The older man manages to rip the mask from the man's head. James grins slightly, he's seen the raiders face. Lewis sees as well, but he has no reason to smile, he knows that this means they are going to be killed. Anyone with such a distinctive face tattoo, is going to be aware that they are easily recognisable. But just as he thinks they are all going to be shot, the man pistol whips Mr Holton and shoves him to the floor, before all of the gang scrambles into the car and makes a clean getaway.
As soon as they leave, Lewis and Hathaway move to the shopkeeper and Mr Holton respectively. Lewis calls to someone to call an ambulance and someone else calls to say that the police are on their way.
.
They are sat outside an interview room in their old workplace, the familiarity of it all is comforting. Lewis knows that he's shaking slightly, now the adrenaline has worn off, and he can feel James doing the same next to him.
"Well, this is a change."
"What?" It seems that leaving the police hasn't robbed Hathaway of his ability to make even the most ridiculous situation should normal.
"Being questioned for once. You know, not doing all the questioning and the accusing."
"I'd rather go to bed or something...is your face stinging as well?" He isn't going to mention the fact that James is positioning his leg in an odd way. There's no point, Hathaway will just tell him that he's fine.
"Oh yeah." James winces as he grins.
"We should probably go get ourselves checked out."
"I was thinking we find another shop, get some milk, go home and get a takeaway. We'll be in A&E for hours if we go now." Lewis considers this.
"Yeah, I like your plan better." James snorts, and then looks down at his shaking hands, sobering immediately.
"Times like this, I wish I hadn't given up smoking."
.
Laura rounds on them as soon as they get in.
"What the hell were you thinking James? You leave your kid with someone, but not your contact number might I add, and then you don't-" She cuts off abruptly when she actually stops to look at them both. Hathaway is limping, much more that he had been earlier. Lewis shuffles in behind him, a hand placed on James' back. They are both peppered with cuts, Hathaway has an impressive one above his right eye.
"What happened?" She asks, concern stripping any annoyance that she might have felt.
"Where's Sam?" James asks, ignoring her question. She points wordlessly at the living room and he limps off, towards his son. Laura turns to Robbie and holds a hand on his shoulder.
"Spill. Why are you both two hours late and covered in cuts? What the hell happened?" Lewis shrugs tiredly .
"Got caught in a ram-raid." He mutters, before heading into the living room to sit down. Laura can do nothing but stare incredulously after him.
Sam is asleep on the sofa, comfort blanket tucked snugly around him. He has a corner in his hand and every so often, his fingers twist in it. James is sat on the floor, perpendicular to the sofa, gently stroking his Sam's cheek with his index finger. Without warning, Sam lets go of the blanket and makes a grab for Hathaway's hand in his sleep.
Hathaway's gaze softens further as Sam blinks himself awake.
"D'ddy" he mumbles.
"Hello mate." Sam sits up, clearly still sleepy.
"M'hungry."
"Well, the shopping didn't quite go to plan, so we'll have to get takeaway."
"Pizza?" James looks up at the others, and they all nod.
"Yeah, why not."
The pizza arrives and they all tuck in hungrily, adrenaline giving Lewis and Hathaway massive appetites. After they've finished, they all end up in the same places they were before, albeit this time, Laura is sat on the other end of the sofa to Sam. Hathaway is reading the kid a book, sat on the floor as he was last time. Laura and Robbie are quietly talking. Since Hathaway has his back to Hobson, he doesn't see the surreptitious glances she has been giving him, ever since Robbie told her that he whacked his head. They have nothing to worry about though. He's fine, he's told them so, and for once its not a cover up.
Ten minutes after James stops reading the story, both he and Sam are asleep. Laura gets up, she should leave, its late and she has to be up in the morning.
"Will you be alright with them?" Lewis smiles.
"Course. Had kids and grand kids Laura, how is this any different?" She smiles at him as he sees her out.
He returns to the living room, and picks Sam up, putting him to bed. Hathaway stirs and Lewis is pretty sure that he'll be at least semi awake by the time he gets back. Robbie is grateful that the youngster is already in his pyjama's. The little boy half awakens as Lewis puts the duvet over him.
"Na'night Unc' R'bbie." Lewis smiles softly at the mumbled words.
"Night bonny lad."
He returns to James, just in time to see the younger man stretch and look around blearily.
"Laura?"
"She's gone, didn't want to wake you. Sam's in bed. Come on champ, you too." James nods, and then looks sheepish. When Lewis realises that he isn't moving, he turns to him quizzically.
"What is it?"
"I er...My knee's seized up." Lewis sighs.
"You should get that checked out again."
"Nah," James grunts as Robbie bends down and loops his arm under Hathaway's shoulders. "Just happens every now and then." James hisses as Lewis hauls him upright. The ex sergeant gingerly tests his knee, before starting to pull the sofa bed out. Lewis helps, despite James' insistence that he can handle it, and then leaves the younger man to get changed.
When he comes back down ten minutes later, James is sprawled across the sofa bed, on top of the covers, asleep. Lewis wants very much to leave him there to carry on sleeping. But he knows that James hasn't taken his tablets and in the long run, waking up now, is better than waking up screaming in a few hours time.
"Wake up a sec Jim."
"Huh...wha?"
"Nightmare pills kidda. Thought you should take them." James blinks in confusion and then nods, taking the proffered glass and tablets. He's asleep again almost before he manages to put the glass down. Lewis rescues it and smiles fondly as he heads back upstairs to sleep.