I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1
AUTHORS NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews...
Aaron was getting Jack ready for school, he handed him his lunchbox and smiled, " not long now till Christmas little mate, have you thought about what you want"
Jack rolled his eyeballs, " Uncle Aaron you are a big div sometimes...I gave me list to me dad, he said he was going to E mail it to father Christmas!", Aaron frowned, he couldn't remember if he believed in father christmas at Jack's age.
"Uncle Aaron, can you give ME father christmas's E mail address, he might not know my new house number..."
"NO you can't cheeky...I know what you're about, you just want to ask him for MORE presents...anyways, your dad would have forwarded him your new address, wouldn't he..."
Jack was looking about the kitchen for him, " WHERE IS me dad anyway..."
"he went out early with your Uncle Craig..." Aaron put on his cap, and turned, " well come on then little mate...we better get you to school..."
"I don't want to go to school..." Jack told pushing his bottom lip out, Aaron snatched up his car keys, " what...but you love school..."
Jack clutched his stomach, " I've got the belly ache"
Aaron looked at him suspiciously "you were alright just now AND you had two helpings of cocoa pops for breakfast"
Jack stamped his foot and grabbed his rucksack, " alright, alright...lets be getting me there then..."
Aaron shook his head, Jack was acting out of character this morning...it wasn't like him to not want to go to school.
For now he decided to put it down to nothing.
Jackson and Craig jogged around Hotten park.
They did a couple of laps, before resting up against a tree, " blimey...I AM unfit...I need to start cracking on back to my old routine...", gasped Craig.
Jackson carried on jogging on the spot, he beamed him a smile, " Yeah, you right there mate...you never used to be THIS unfit..."
Even though it was a cold late November morning, both of them were sweating in their vests, and their knees were red raw, frost could sometimes sting.
"thanks for letting me come out with you...can't be much fun having me lagging on behind you..." said Craig, taking a swig from his water bottle.
Jackson laughed at him, " that's alright!...makes ME look good anyway!"
Craig capped the bottle, Jackson frowned, " not gonna offer ME any of that drink!"
Craig laughed at him, and pointed, " you've got your own...", he watched as Jackson pulled out his own water and sipped a few mouthfuls, "so...doesn't Aaron come out and run with yah..."
Jackson nearly spat the water out at the comment, " WHAT!...AARON RUN!...he doesn't DO running...he likes his fags and food to much him...not that i'm complaining mind...it gives me a bit of time on me own, does running..."
Craig picked up his rucksack, and they both started to head towards the park gates, " NOW you've got me...just be telling me when I get on yah nerves!"
Jackson sighed at him, " you're different...you don't constantly moan"
As they crossed the road, Craig pulled out his mobile from his jogging shorts pocket, it was a text from Kyle again...the second time that morning.
"someones keen...you've NOT MET someone already have you!...you've only been back two weeks!" gasped Jackson.
Craig nodded, his face fell as he became somewhat troubled, Jackson was quick to pick up on it , " hey mate...what's up...oh it's not Kyle again is it...tell him to take a run and jump...OR I will!"
Craig turned, " Jackson...can I tell you something...if I don't spill now...I'll go mad..."
Meanwhile Aaron walked Jack into the school gates, and handed him his rucksack, " there you go...be good", Aaron then looked up to see that Dhillon kid, the boy who came around for his tea a few months back, " Hey look Jack, it's your mate...Jaffacake boy", he pulled a face, the boy's name escaped him.
Dhillon looked toward Jack and pulled his tongue out at him, Aaron frowned as he watched Jack skit abit and went the long way round the playground...Aaron rubbed his stubble, he had this funny feeling that all wasn't quite right at school...
In a Cafe, Jackson brought over the two coffees, Craig looked pretty glum, as he sat there waiting for him.
Jackson placed the plate down in front of him, " I've treated yah to a sticky bun...early I know, but..."
Craig half smiled as he looked up to see Jackson sit, " blimey I reek!" he commented, "Aaron's not gonna want me anywhere near him today..."
Craig half smiled again, Jackson placed his hand over Craig's...it was just briefly, this being a busy builders cafe, that he had frequented lots of time in the past.
"Hey...it's not the end of the world you know...being HIV is not the death sentence it used to be..." he reasoned.
Since coming to the cafe, Craig had told Jackson about what happened with Kyle on the south coast...they had frequented Brighton a few times...and at first they had the perfect relationship, for the first couple of years anyway.
Then Kyle had started 'working late', and Craig started to find lonely evenings in the flat getting to him, so one night he followed Kyle.
Kyle was using every cruising area known...even Craig didn't know the existance of most of them.
And if you weren't local, LIKE THEY WEREN'T, you just wouldn't know...unless you had gone to great lengths to find out.
Craig couldn't even begin to amagine of HOW MANY random men Kyle had been with.
But he had got himself checked out...
Jackson looked at him, Craig could see that the builder was feeling sorry for him, and he hated that...it made him feel pathetic.
"I can't BELIEVE he did that...what a wanker!" angered Jackson, as he thought about what Craig had gone through.
Craig thinly smiled, " look...I...I was supposed to go back for a second test...but I bottled it", Jackson looked up, " so you might NOT be..."
Craig shrugged as he bit into his sticky bun, " I am...the first test was positive...I just didn't go back for the confirmation test...I just wanted to get away..."
Jackson leaned forward, " does Kyle KNOW that you...", Craig stood up, " lets just say I left him a farewell message he won't forget...THAT'S why he's calling me...I've got him running scared...TOUGH that's what I say..."
Jackson finished off his coffee, and followed Craig out of the cafe, " so does your Mum and Sarah know or..."
Craig shook his head, " no way!...and they CAN'T know...not yet, please Jackson you can't tell ANYONE about this...not even Aaron..."
Jackson nodded reasuringly, " COURSE I won't, it's not their business...look...you HAVE to have that second test...it's best to be sure...it'll also put your mind at rest knowing, either way"
Craig stared at the traffic for a few moments, then shook his head, " why not...but...if I do...will you come with me...I don't think I can do this on my own...", Jackson smiled at him, " course I will...I did this for Aaron once...it's a long story but...course I will..."
And that but Craig's mind at ease...for now...
At the garage in Emmerdale, Aaron was working on a car, as he finished with tinkering with the engine, he slammed down the bonnet, and wiped his hands with a rag, and then saw Lisa coming up to him, " alright love, hows the new flat doing...settling in, are yous..."
Aaron pulled a face at her, " you joking arn't yah, it's a right dump...I BLAME HER!" he deliberately said that as he faced the Woolpack.
Lisa tilted her head, " I'm sure she didn't plan it that way love...anyway, I'm sure you'll be back in the village in no time..."
"what do you mean by that..." asked Aaron, suddenly interested in what she was saying.
Lisa laughed it off, " nothing, just saying that's all...anyway, is errmm...Jack at school is he..."
Aaron was digging into his overalls for his ciggys, " yeah...but I'm abit worried actually...I think he might be being bullied..."
Aaron was unsure, but Lisa could see the genuine concern, "ohhh, has he said owt..."
"No...he just didn't want to go in...first he said he wasn't well...and then WHEN we got there he was acting pretty much wierd..."
Lisa laughed it off, as she rubbed her hands in the crisp sunsine, " kids can be like that at times, it's proberly just a fallen out with one of his mates..."
Aaron leant upon the car and looked at her, " do you think I should say owt to Jackson...", Lisa shrugged, " only IF you're sure, love...you don't want him to be worrying him unnecessarily do yah..."
Lisa did speak sense, proberly the only woman in the clan to do so...he watched her go and started back to work...
He decided to see how things panned out...and then act.
Meanwhile, Jackson had pretty much had a busy day when it came to dates, after leaving Craig, he set off to keep his appointment with bestmate Joe.
It was coming up to midday, and after a quick shower at home, he set off to the pub.
Joe was waiting for him at a bar around the corner from the lawyers firm he worked for, as a trainee Solictor.
Jackson came through the swinging doors, and beamed a grin, " alright matie...looking good in your pin stripes!" he teased.
Joe pulled a bemused look, " yeah yeah, but we can't ALL go to work looking like a right scruff Jacko!"
Jackson pulled out his wallet and bought himself a pint, Joe turned, "so what was it you wanted...you sounded coy when you called me earlier..."
Jackson supped his pint, and again was pulling that cheeky grin, "Just me having one of me bright ideas again!..."
Joe sighed, " WHAT IS IT this time..."
Jackson raised his eyebrowes, " well...it's just at the planning stage at the mo...but...I were just wondering if..."
"If what...is this a lawyer type of advice you are wanting!"
Jackson looked rather sheepish, " errrrrrrr...YEAH!"
Joe sighed. " okay okay...what is it...let me guess, you want to divorce Aaron and are wondering how much you would come away with..." he teased with a smile.
Jackson shook his head, " NOWT!...that's what I would come away with, but it's NOT that...it's a conveyancing thing actually...", Joe took a sip of his own pint, " that's not my field..."
"yeah i know, but...you know folk who are...right... pretty please...", he started fluttering his eye lashes at him.
Joe gave in, " you ARE desperato...alright AS a mate i'll see what I can do...what's it you're wanting to know..."
Jackson went into business mode, " well, you know me and HIM are hating this flat of ours, you know with the drug dealers downstairs the prostitute on the end AND the old woman who keeps flashing her tits at me..."
Joe shook his head.
"well...I've sorta had this idea...and it's JUST between you and me mind...", he took in a deep breath before making his big announcement, "...I gonna build my own house!"
"YOU?"
Jackson narrowed his eyes, " YES ME...I AM a builder, if you haven't heard..."
"and I suppose Aaron's gonna be helping you is he..."
"What...Aaron build! you're joking yah...he's crap at Jacks's lego...nah...I'll be roping in a few of me mates at work...we'll get it up in no time"
Joe had to admire him...not many would go and build their own houses...
"So then...you better get us another pint in...and tell me WHERE exactly this house is gonna be..."
Jackson was already reaching for his wallet, " I thought you'd never ask...I've been DYING to tell somebody..."
In Emmerdale, Aaron was in the Woolie stuffing his gob with pie and chips.
Chas came over from the bar, and collected up his empty pint glass, " you're REALLY enjoying that arnt yah..." she smiled, watching him.
Aaron pulled a face at her, " yeah...I will, when YOU get out me face!"
His phone then jingled into life, and Aaron picked it up and answered, " yeah what..."
His tone suddenly changed, " what...when did this happen...what do you mean nobody saw him...look just shut it, I'm on me way!"
Aaron jumped up, "I've gotta go"
Chas noticed that her son was alittle concerned, " what's going on...AARON...", Aaron stopped in his tracks and turned,
"It was the school...I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!...Jacks's gone AWOL..."
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