Keeping You Safe
"Where've you two been?" Peri asked, seeing Dylan and Nico walk through the village. She walked over to them.
Nico looked up at her and shrugged, looking around her. "I had to get out of school, so... I went for a walk."
"And you went with her?" Peri looked.
Dylan nodded. "Yeah why wouldn't I?"
"Why did you tell Tom? I would have had this sorted by now!"
Dylan just raised an eyebrow at her. "Cause he had the right to know. To keep it from him was selfish, you know he would be there for you."
"That's my point! He wants me to keep it and I don't want it! I don't love it! And you?! You're supposed to be on my side!" She pointed to Nico.
"You didn't give him the option!" Nico snapped. "Dylan's right, Tom needed to know. I was gonna tell him."
"Why? Why did he need to know?!"
"Cause it's his wee baby too."
The Scottish tone behind them made the teens look around, seeing Cameron.
"Dad, I..." Peri started but Cameron stopped her.
"Home. Now." He looked at her.
Peri sighed heavily and walked away.
Cameron gave the pair an apologetic look before following her.
Dylan just shrugged, linking his arm with Nico's again and they walked toward Price Slice. "We could get food and go back if you want?"
She nodded. "Yeah." She sighed.
Dylan looked, noticing the change in her. "Or we don't have to. It's up to you."
She shook her head, closing her eyes and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't know."
"What's going on in there?" He walked with her so they were away from the prying eyes of Cindy Cunningham and Simone Loveday.
"Everything." She sighed quietly. "Mum... Peri..." She tried to make sense of the mess inside her head.
"Peri will be ok. She's just stressy that's all, she'll calm down. And your mum won't be gone for too much longer." Dylan looked.
"I just wish Dodger was here to make it ok again." She sighed.
He nodded. "I know. He's your dad, you're gonna want him around. But you told me he left to keep you safe."
She looked at him and nodded. "He did..."
The two walked back to Dylan's and they walked inside.
Dylan looked around to make sure they were alone before entering the kitchen. "But you never told me why."
Nico sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when the police arrested me for Will's death..?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"And they let me go?"
He nodded again.
"When I was in the hospital, Will dragged me to the roof... He was gonna throw me off it to hurt Dodger... Then Dodger got me away and they started fighting... That was when I pushed him..." She spoke, looking at the floor as she did.
Dylan walked over to her and held her hands in his. "Look at me."
She continued to stare at their joined hands for a moment longer before looking up at him through blurry eyes.
He let go of one hand so he could wipe away her tears. "You were defending yourself, defending your dad, anybody else would have done the same."
"But he was standing still... You can't do a self-defense thing if at the time I pushed him he wasn't doing anything..."
He sighed. "Maybe but you have nothing to feel guilty about. If you didn't do anything, he would have killed you both." He looked. "So let me guess, he took the blame for pushing his brother?"
She nodded, looking at the floor again.
He hugged her tightly.
She hugged back, closing her eyes as more tears fell.