Thanks for the reviews! They make me happy. Sorry for any grammar mistakes in this.
Joe grunted into the sofa and turned over trying to ignore the prodding that had awoken him. The prodding in his back continued relentlessly; he didn't know what it was but it was annoying him like the buzz of a fly around you all day He shifted around on the couch again this time letting out a low grunt feeling the prodding disappear. He slept peacefully again for a few moments before the prodding struck his forehead. That was it; he was going to kill the fiend that woke him from his sleep.
Joe's eyes fluttered open and at first he wasn't sure what he was seeing, his eyes widened and he jerked back slightly seeing Shannon standing there her golden mane askew with chocolate all around her mouth, and holding a sharp knife that was also covered in chocolate.
Shannon stood staring at Joe, the vest she was wearing almost touched the floor that her dad had given her to wear the previous night was covered in chocolate and wet patches.
"What-" Joe stopped to wipe the drool from around his mouth away, he squinted his tired eyes that were still adjusting to the light at Shannon. "What are ya doin'?"
"Breakfast," Shannon mumbled then unrepentantly put the knife close to Joe's face, silently offering him some as she licked the chocolate around her lips.
"Hey," Joe said sitting up and taking the knife away from Shannon. "Aint your mom ever taught ya not to play with knives?"
Shannon didn't reply just watched as Joe sat forward and rested his elbows on his thighs and rubbed his eyes. Joe slowly got up making Shannon stand back. He looked at the kitchen and noticed that Shannon must have pulled one of the fold up chair to the units, climbed on to a unit and then searched the cupboards for something to eat, and what had she come up with: Chocolate Spread. Since when did they keep chocolate spread in the apartment? A thought that Joe didn't want to envision popped into his head, involving Bodie and some whore, yeah that definitely sounded like something Bodie would enjoy.
Joe quickly found the tub of chocolate and put it in the trash; he didn't think Shannon should eat that again.
"Ya should of just woken me up kid; I would of taken ya to breakfast," 'and then home' he wanted to add onto the end but thought he better of it. Didn't want to say that he was taking her home if her mom still hadn't show up, that might start her crying again. "Ya mom wouldn't like it if she knew ya were getting your breakfast yourself," Joe said as he light himself a cigarette. Not that chocolate spread counted as breakfast but hey Shannon wasn't whining that she was hungry, it must have satisfied her.
Shannon furrowed her eyebrows and folded her small arms. She thought Joe was scolding her. "My mommy tells me to get my own breakfast and not to wake her all the time." Joe's eyebrows rose. He wasn't used to this parent thing nor did he remember what his mom was like when he was five, but surely that wasn't right telling a five year old kid to find her own breakfast so she could sleep in?
He'd have to have a word with Meg about it later.
Joe got some juice out of the refrigerator and almost knocked Shannon down when he turned around she was standing so close to him. He took the lid of the juice and was about to bring it to his lips when he saw Shannon looking up at him, "Ya want some juice kid?"
Shannon nodded her head eagerly. He gave her the juice and watched how she gulped it from the carton happily; Joe grimaced when she gave him the carton back, the mouth of the carton covered was in chocolate. He put it back in the fridge.
Standing up straight with his hands on his hips Joe sucked in a sharp breath and then let it all out. He wasn't sure what to do with Shannon now, at least she wasn't crying. Joe tapped his thighs unconsciously as he looked down at the expectant little girl looking up at him. "Ya want some food?"
She shook her head no. "Cartoons," she murmured tugging on her left ear, something he did when he was anxious. He couldn't help but smirk knowing that she must have inherited that of him.
Joe put cartoons on for her and she sat right up close in front of the TV. Once her attention was fixated on the dancing sausage that was on the screen he slipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower.
Shannon sat in front of the TV, chocolate still covering her mouth, and watched intently until her favourite thing ever came on: Barney.
Her face instantly lit up when the show came on and she got up and walked towards the coffee table, almost tripping over a big pair of biker boots on the way, and picked the remote up and raised the volume a considerate amount.
Joe couldn't hear the blaring TV; the cascading water blocked all other sounds out.
Shannon sat back up close to the TV singing loudly along with one of the songs that she knew off by heart. Her grin couldn't get any bigger.
Suddenly the door next to the TV was ripped open and there stood an irritated and tired looking Billy. His eyes were only half open and he only wore a pair of boxers; he frowned so deeply his eyebrows nearly met in the middle. Did the kid realise that it was only nine AM? And that he was trying to sleep. Lindsey had already left, that pleased him, he would have had to of kicked her out if she hadn't left.
Billy glared at the happy little girl sitting in front of the TV. She didn't seem to care; she didn't even notice. He stomped towards the kitchen, angry that he had been awoken by a song that was about friendship and love and annoyed that he had awoken and the kid was still there, smeared in chocolate as well.
He yanked the fridge open, ignoring the loud voices of Barney, his fucking friends, and Shannon, when he found that the mouth of the orange juice was covered in chocolate. Oh that had really pissed him off. He threw the carton in the trash with such force the bang echoed through the room, not that you could hear it through Barney and Shannon.
He sent Shannon another cold hard glare, but again she didn't see it. The noise was hurting his head now, so he angrily walked towards the couch and shut the TV off with the remote.
Shannon's head instantly snapped round, a frown on her face now and her mouth slightly ajar. What was the nasty man doing?
"What ya' do that for?" Shannon whined.
Billy ignored her and lit himself a cigarette from Joe's pack. He leaned his head on the back of the couch as he blew smoke out of his mouth. Ahh beautiful silence. Billy heard Shannon sucking in a sharp breath so out of the corner of his eye he looked down at her to find her face in one big grimace, and then she began crying.
Billy instantly put the TV back on. Anything but the crying again! But he slyly turned the volume down. He stood up rubbing his temples and made his way towards the bathroom where he assumed Joe was. As he got there he realised he had been beaten by a five year old fuckin' kid. He let out an aggravated grunt at the thought.
Billy pushed open the door to the small bathroom. The tiles were stained grey and the walls were mixture of white and yellow. Joe stood opposite the mirror in the sink shaving.
Before Billy could say anything he could hear the volume of the TV raising steadily. The kid was doing his head right in. "Joe," he said annoyance seeping through his tone. Joe turned his head, half his face covered in shaving foam. "The kid's gotta fuckin' go. Now!"
- - -
Lindsey slipped in through her mother's front door, her head down and her mind running a mile an hour. She couldn't believe she had slept with him. Slept with anyone. She felt strangely guilty like she had cheated on her husband, though she knew that wasn't the case. But she wasn't going to lie; she had enjoyed herself. Maybe a little too much.
She closed the door hoping that Ollie wasn't awake and silently cheered when he didn't come darting out of his room asking where she had been all night.
When she had awoken and spent precious minutes trying to get dressed silently, she almost ran into Shannon on the way out. She had hid behind the bathroom door until she had trotted away before slipping out of the apartment. She had then had to call a cab to go back to the bar where her car was before driving home.
She felt like a teenager again as she tip toed across the living room. Just as she was about to slip into her bedroom undetected her mother opened the kitchen door with a large smile across her face. "And what time do you call this?" It was a rhetorical question. "Did you enjoy sweetie?"
"Yeah; I had a great time. The whole night was a blast," some parts more than others, she wanted to add onto the end.
"Coffee?" Eileen offered. Lindsey nodded her had and said thank you before going and changing into some pyjamas until she had a shower.
Eileen and Lindsey both snuggled down into the comfy sofa, both sipping their coffees silently. "So where did you stay last night?"
"Just some guy's place that Rachel knew; Rachel came back as well. " Lindsey waved her hand about in the air nonchalantly. Lindsey felt it better if she skimmed over the details with her mom; though her mother supported her in every decision she ever made, good or bad, and she'd probably not criticise her choice to ahem stay in the Darley's it would worry her that Lindsey was around such people. "Uh how come Ollie's isn't up yet? He's normally awake by eight," Lindsey said trying to change the conversation,
"Oh the little man woke up last night, he had a bad dream and when you weren't here to comfort him he found it difficult to go back to sleep."
Lindsey mouth was wide open. "You should of called me." She suddenly felt guilty about going out now too.
"There was no need; he had his grandma-" Eileen was interrupted by a loud Papa Roach song blasting through Lindsey's phone. She dug through her purse, her hair tumbling down, until she came to her phone and saw that Daisy was written across her screen.
Why was Daisy calling her? If she remembered correctly Daisy refused to get out of bed before midday for anything. Lindsey bit her lip anxiously before answering. "Hello."
"Did I wake you baby?" Daisy asked in a deep voice but then breaking into a small high pitched chuckle. "What's up Blondie?" she asked coolly as if they spoke to each other everyday.
"Blondie? You do remember im no longer blonde?" Lindsey asked down the line with a small weary smile.
"Oh c'mon you'll always be Blondie. Anyway how's my favourite groupie?"
"You wish I was your groupie honey," she replied with a smile remembering the playful banter she and Daisy always had on tour. When they had first met they didn't really have much in common, they still didn't, but they grew to be close friends being the only two girls in the group. Daisy played drums in 'Volume', Travis' band. "And correct me if im wrong don't you refuse to get up before noon?"
"You're avoiding the question." She hadn't purposefully avoided it. "And yes I do still believe that there should be a law that say's you can't get out of bed until noon but it doesn't count now because I haven't been to sleep yet." Ahh another all night of drinking, writing and jamming. "How's Ollie?"
"I am not avoiding the question; im fine, actually im doing great." Lindsey lied. "And Ollie's okay, he's missing his dad though"
"And he isn't missing us?" Beau, Daisy's long time boyfriend and vocalist and bassist of Volume said. Daisy shushed him. Daisy must have had Lindsey on loud speaker.
"Am I on speaker phone?" Lindsey asked a new sharp edge to her tone.
Daisy took awhile to answer. "Yes; Beau your a fucking idiot."
"Is he there?" Lindsey asked biting her lip anxiously.
Silence on the other end. "I gotta go; we all miss you." Then she hung up.
Travis had definitely been there. The fucking coward couldn't even call himself.
Lindsey angrily threw her phone onto the floor and jumped up and stormed in her bedroom before her mother could ask any questions.
Eileen stood up ready to go and see if her daughter was okay when her bedroom door slammed shut. Best to leave her cool down for a moment.
Lindsey sat on the edge of her bed, her foot tapping relentlessly on the floor. She turned and looked at her oak nightstand and quickly slammed the framed photograph of her and Travis just after they had got married down so that she couldn't see it.
The way she was feeling she couldn't care less if she didn't see Travis again.
- - -
Joe drove speedily down the street, his arm rested on the wound down window and he carelessly smoked a cigarette. He sucked on his cigarette as he pulled up to the traffic lights, and as he blew the smoke out of his mouth he noticed Detective Wallace standing on the sidewalk with a couple of rookie's who were searching some young kid.
She stood with her hands firmly on her hips, her brown suede jacket pushed back slightly by her hands. She looked over her shoulder hearing a loud rumble to see Billy Darley's car pulled up. Wallace turned around and raised a hand to her head to shade her eyes from the sun as she squinted to see who was in the driver's seat of the car.
Wallace said something inaudible to the two rookie's behind her before taking slow steps towards Billy's car. Joe nodded cockily at the determined detective whilst smirking. She made her way around to the driver's side window and bent down so that she was looking into the car. Joe sucked on another drag of his cigarette before purposefully blowing the smoke into the women's face. She didn't flinch away from it.
Her dark eyes bore into Joe, not making him uncomfortable, but amusing him slightly. She really did think she was something. Her hair was tied tightly back off her face, and she wore not a scratch of make-up. Her deep eyes roamed from Joe to the small child sitting in the back of the car, and then quickly the detective's eyes went back to Joe.
"Can I help ya Wallace?" Joe asked, lowering his aviator type sun glasses so that he could see her better.
"Who's the kid?" She asked wanting answers whilst glancing back at the small golden haired girl sitting in the back watching her with wide eyes.
Joe sucked on his cigarette again this time not purposefully aiming the smoke anywhere. "What's it to ya?"
Wallace placed her hands on the car; Joe looked at her hands with disgust. He knew if a cop did that with his brother in the car the stinking cop's hands would most likely end up with his saliva on them. "You might of forgotten Darley, but I know what you did to that poor kid in the gas station, and I know that your brother and your mutt of friends got they're revenge on the Hume's because of Nick Hume sticking ya," Joe unintentionally looked down towards his stomach where that fuck in a suit stabbed him. He quickly looked back up when Wallace continued talking quietly. "So what's it to me? I don't feel very uncomfortable leaving the kid with a cold blooded murderer." All the time she spoke she spoke very quietly so that Shannon couldn't hear.
"Ya got proof of all that Wallace? Ya know, id be concerned of that wild imagination you fuckin' got there detective," Joe said before flicking his cigarette at her and speeding off.
Joe continued the five minute drive listening to Shannon hum some song that sounded shit. He looked at her through his mirror and couldn't help grinning knowing that that night he could get wasted and not have to think of Shannon. And he'd get his bed back; he liked to think if he hadn't of been sleeping on the couch he could of sealed the deal with Rachel the previous night, but instead she went and got a cab home.
The tire's screeched to a stop when Joe pulled up outside a shabby small house. The house's small front garden was scattered with rubbish and the tiny poaches wooden railings were broken.
Joe pulled forward the seat for a practically bouncing Shannon to get out. She ran up to her front door chanting 'mommy mommy'. Joe coolly walked up to the door, which Shannon was jumping relentlessly up and down in front of. The porch wailed under the weight of both his and his daughter's weight.
"Mommy; im home!" Shannon said loudly and then clapped her hands.
Joe banged on the door then waited. And waited. He banged again.
Nothing.
"Listen Meg, ya better open this fu-" Shannon looked up at him, "door." When nothing happened Joe went and looked into the windows; he couldn't see anything because the heavy curtains that were pulled back. "I know you're in there, just open the door. Shannon wants to see you." He waited again, expecting his blonde haired ex (he wouldn't even call her that, they just had a good time together until she got pregnant. Then they tried the whole dating thing when she was knocked up. It didn't work) to come guiltily to the door and take Shannon off his hands. And give him a good fucking explanation for why he was stuck in on a Friday night not working, not partying.
She had some serious explaining to do.
She still didn't come to the door.
"Meg," he yelled. When nothing happened again he angrily slammed his hand into the door. "Fuck," he spat loudly.
"Where's mommy?" Shannon asked, her eyes welling with salty tears. She wanted her mother, not this crazed man who her mother said was her daddy.
Joe looked down at Shannon seeing her bottom lip stuck out and he could see she was about to cry. "No, don't cry." he said panicking; that's all he needed know a whinging child. "Does your mom keep a spare key?" Shannon didn't answer him. Joe looked around and then pulled Shannon back a bit before throwing his shoulder into the front door. Once, and then twice and then the lock broke; the front door swinging backward until it angrily slammed into the wall. Joe glanced around again making sure nobody had seen his simple getting in method. "She should double lock," Joe murmured as he grasped Shannon's hand and gently tugged her into the hallway. He pushed the front door closed again once they were inside. "Ya stay here okay? Don't move!" Joe told Shannon. He continued walking down the claustrophobic small in length hall until he came to the only door apart from the front door in it.
He pushed the door open quickly and looked around the small kitchen living room he had just entered. Toys were scattered across the dirty stained green carpet and chunks of wallpaper were torn off the walls. Joe walked up to the kitchen part looking over his shoulder to make sure that she wasn't coming in. The sink was filled with dirty dishes that looked like they had been there for a while, and there was dried peanut butter on the counter, hard as rock. Joe then headed into the yellow bathroom that had no door just hanging beads. Everything seemed normal in there. He then went into the closed door next to the bathroom that had crayon scribbles up and down its white frame. The room was painted purple and had pictures of various cartoon characters on the walls. The small bed duvet was askew and the small wardrobe didn't have many clothes in it. Though he was pissed off with Meg, he had to give it to her, she had done the room out nice for little Shannon; even if the rest of the house stunk.
He left that room again quickly heading up the small stairs that had no banister until he came out into an open plan bedroom with a mattress on the floor and numerous sheets and bedding carelessly thrown around the room. Joe stepped closer the bed searching for Meg though he knew she wasn't in the house now. Where the fuck was she? What was he supposed to do now?
Quickly he dashed down the stairs to find Shannon sitting in the middle of the living room playing with toys. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with her now, but whatever he was going to do he had to get some of Shannon's shit. He grabbed a garbage bag from the kitchen and stuffed Shannon's pitiful number of clothes, some toys as well as her toothbrush in it; feeling satisfied that he had everything needed, he and Shannon left.
"Are we gonna see mommy later?" Shannon asked once they were on their way back to the apartment.
Joe choose to ignore her.
Five minutes later Joe warily opened his apartment door and entered carrying the bag of Shannon's stuff. He put the bag down on the floor as Shannon skipped past towards the couch. How the fuck did she go from almost in tears one minute to completely happy the next? Joe was rubbing his temples when Billy's head appeared out of the bathroom door; he looked down towards Shannon, his icy eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw that she was still there.
"Joe what the fuck did we talk about before ya left?" Actually they didn't talk Billy just spat another demand out of his angry mouth. "Why is she still here?" he said looking at Shannon like she was evil.
"Meg wasn't there. I was gonna go back later."
Billy's jaw locked and then he glanced down at the bag Joe had just placed down on the floor.
"What's that Joey?"
Bodie walked out of his room yawning and scratching the back of his head.
Billy quickly grabbed the bag and opened it. Joe eyed Billy's horrified face as he pulled out a Barbie doll and a flowery vest. "Ya movin' her in?"
"It's just until Meg turns up," Joe defended, as Billy chucked the bag back on the floor. "It won't be long."
Billy turned around and lit himself a cigarette. "No."
Bodie stood silently watching the siblings arguing, and the little girl watching them with her big brown eyes wide.
"Meg don't have no family; the only other place for her to go is into the system," Joe said whilst tugging on his ear.
"Well then," Billy said blowing smoke into Joe's direction. "Put her there." Joe stood staring at his brother. "Bodie don't fuckin want her here either."
Bodie walked closer to Joe and peered into the bag. "Man; I couldn't give two shits if she stayed here, but don't put her in the fuckin' system man. I grew up in it and there's no fuckin chance id put my kid there." Bodie then walked up to Billy and slapped him on the arm. "C'mon man, ya can put up with a little kid around for a few day's cant ya?" Then Bodie walked over to the couch slumped onto it next to Shannon and began watching cartoons with her.
Billy growled deep into his chest knowing that Bodie had just challenged him, and he never backed down from a fucking challenge. The next few days were going to be hell.
- - -
Rachel slumped against the bar her slender fingers tapping relentlessly against the old wood of the bar. She was so bored. Why did Sammy have her working the day shift? Hardly anyone came in, only a few men and the odd person searching for a fix. Rachel usually sent them on their way down towards where Billy and the guys sold; but never gave complete perfect directions encase the junkie was a cop.
It was over the top, but Rachel didn't fancy being the one to cause Billy or one of the guys getting busted. As her thoughts past Billy she thought about the night before, her and Joe sitting talking and them hearing loud screams and groans coming from Billy's room where Lindsey was. It was surprising they didn't wake Shannon up. She'd have to call and get all the gossip from Lindsey later, and find out how she was doing. She knew her friend, and her friend would feel completely and utterly guilty for fucking Billy, even though she was separated from her husband.
Rachel stood up straight when the bar door opened and in walked Joe with Shannon. They both made their way to the stools by the bar and Joe sat down, only then realising that Shannon couldn't get onto the stool so he bent down and lifted her onto it.
"Hey Shannon," Rachel smiled at Shannon and riffled her golden locks. Rachel had thought that Shannon would have been back with her mother but didn't ask about it. "Oh and look what the cat dragged in," Rachel said trying to be serious as she looked at Joe.
"Look who's talking," Joe replied with an arrogant smirk.
Rachel's mouth parted slightly and she tried to look hurt. "Ya know you're pretty when you're mad." Rachel had to stop herself smiling like an idiot by covering her mouth and faking a couch before speaking.
"You're not supposed to bring kids in here," Rachel said, praying to all the ancient Gods to stop her from blushing.
Joe laid on his puppy dog eyes. "Just one drink. C'mon Rach, for me."
Rachel found herself biting her lip and twirling a strand of her long dark blonde hair around her finger. "Okay, what ya want Shannon?"
Shannon, who had been watching her dad eye the pretty lady, said that she wanted juice so a few moments later Rachel gave her a large glass of orange juice with a little pink umbrella in it.
"Give me a beer."
"Are ya driving?" Rachel questioned with raised eyebrows.
He looked into Rachel's crystal blue eyes and mentally kicked himself for not making his move on her the night before. Not that she would have gone for it; she was far too good for him if he was honest with himself. "Are ya?" she asked again.
"Yeah."
"Im not giving you a beer-"
"C'mon Rach its one drink," Joe pleaded.
Rachel looked at the little girl who was happily sipping her juice through a straw and twirling the little umbrella around her fingers. "No, not with Shannon in the car."
Joe finally gave up and ordered a coke.
He sat at the bar talking to Rachel whilst Shannon fidgeted on her stool then suddenly fell off it and plunged onto the hard floor.
A loud scream blasted out of Shannon's lungs as she sat up from her bad fall. Within seconds she was scoped up by her father.
Joe bounced her lightly quickly thinking of ways to stop her from crying. "Uh where did ya hit yourself?"
She ignored him just continued screaming. "There, there." he said blandly not effecting her loud cries one bit.
Rachel rushed around the counter and took Shannon from Joe's arms and held her tight. "Did ya hurt your elbow?" Rachel asked softly noticing that Shannon held her elbow high and it was red. "Oh that was a nasty fall; do ya want me to kiss it better?"
Shannon nodded as her nose began to run. Rachel placed her plump lips to Shannon's sore arm then rubbed it until Shannon's scream became more of soft moans. "Is it better? Oh you are a big girl aren't ya," cooed Rachel. She wiped her tears away with a napkin and wiped under her nose.
"You're so good with her," Joe commented wondering why Rachel hadn't had any kids of her own. She would make a great mom.
"Ya know I'll help ya with her if ya like," Rachel offered. "All ya have to do is ask."
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