Chapter 2

Twenty-eight days later, and Craig has determinedly settled back into his old routine. Deep down, he knows he's not happy, and not living his life honestly, but at least he's not afraid to leave the house. The only things he can't control are his thoughts of JP. He finds it so hard to bear being apart from him. And far from leaving him behind in NY, he soon realises he has a million memories of JP in Hollyoaks. No matter where he is, if a door opens, he looks up expecting JP to walk in. Different places and people remind him of moments in their relationship: if he happens to be in the Dog, he'll remember word for word an intense conversation they had there; walking past Hollyoaks High, he'll remember the first time they met; seeing Hannah, he immediately thinks of JP, and particularly of the first time JP told him he loved him at her 18th; and walking past the McQueen house reminds him of the first time he told JP he loved him, and then quickly added that he also loved Sarah because he was so afraid of the intense look in JP's eyes, and of what JP might do if he knew just how much power he had over him. The McQueen house also reminds him of the many times he came knocking on their door to try to apologise for something he'd done wrong - in the beginning being willing to say anything to get his hands on that beautiful body he'd become so addicted to; and eventually needing just to be with JP, and only being completely relaxed and happy when with him; and still of course the body … and the DJ in the Loft is nowhere near as good as JP.

"But all this will pass," he tells himself, "it has to."

Meanwhile (still twenty-eight days later), John Paul McQueen is pulling up in a taxi outside the McQueen house in Hollyoaks.

There is great excitement when Myra and the girls discover JP at the door, and they're momentarily even more excited when they see there is a man with him. Once they discover that Jack is with JP, the interest drops instantly. By now, they've seen Craig around and know that he and JP have broken up. They are happy that JP's managed to move on so quickly, although a little surprised – they did think he would be completely in bits over the break-up. Myra and Michaela wanted to catch the first flight to NY as soon as they found out, but JP assured them as convincingly as he could that he was fine.

Once they've settled in, it's time for dinner; and Myra insists Jack taste a traditional English meal, which means fish and chips from the fish and chip shop – she says she would have cooked, but that it's more authentic to get take-out wrapped in newspaper – Jack is thrilled. Within 20 minutes, Myra is already more comfortable with him than she has ever been with Craig, JP notices.

Apart from a little barney when Michaela discovers she will be losing her room to JP and Jack, it's the perfect homecoming for the perfect couple; except that, of course, it's all a lie. JP feels bad for misleading his family, but for this to work Craig has to believe they're together; and if there is one thing JP can guarantee, it's that his mum and sisters will either blab that he has a new boyfriend to get at Craig, or that they're just mates if he and Jack don't keep up their act.

It's a simple plan, but it just might work; if anything is going to get a reaction from Craig, it's the idea of JP and Jack being a couple. When Jack first told him what he had in mind, JP was worried about lying to everyone, and especially about upsetting Craig after all he'd already been through. But Jack said that it would only be for a few days, and the alternative would be losing him completely – this was all that was needed to convince JP to go through with it.

When he asked Jack why he was willing to go to all this trouble for him, Jack explained that he'd been planning to come to London later in the year to visit friends anyway, and it had been easy to bring the trip forward. And having heard so much about Hollyoaks from JP and Craig over the years, he'd been dying to visit the place. He found it hard to believe that so much happened on a regular basis in such a small village, and couldn't wait to put faces to the names; he'd been particularly keen to meet JP's sisters, and the family who owned the Dog - JP and Craig had told him about the wife, Nicola, who was having an affair with Chance, the American body-builder who worked behind the bar; and, unbeknownst to her, Chance was also having a fling with her 18-year-old daughter Tracey; and unbeknownst to both of them, he'd made a pass at Tina's husband Stuart.

JP doesn't see what all the fuss is about; he's always assumed that it's just typical village life, but maybe it's only in English villages.

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The following afternoon, JP and Jack leave the house and walk around the village hand in hand, stopping to chat to different people they come across along the way; one of which happens to be Darren.

"Well, well, here he is," he says smirking, as soon as he sees JP. "I thought when Craig showed up you wouldn't be far behind."

"Darren," says JP reluctantly.

"Hey John Paul," he replies. "I see you've moved on," he adds, noticing Jack. "Man, you guys are everywhere you look around here; years ago it was just you and Craig, but now I could introduce you to about five or six ..."

"How is he?" asks JP, interrupting him.

"Oh, he's doing just great. He's been trying to 'straighten' himself out, actually," he says, laughing at his own cleverness. "He even managed to get himself a bird just last week; not in my league, of course, but definitely a step up from you; less chance of stubble rash."

"I suppose you've been giving him loads of grief since he returned," says JP sharply.

"Well, maybe one or two choice comments; it's hard to resist; he's so easy to ..."

Now furious, JP cuts him off. "I hear you were back in jail again recently," he says slyly, "something about getting caught with a stolen car; trying to pay off a debt. You must really like it in there to keep going back for more. If it's true what they say, I suppose you'll now be wanting a piece of this yourself," he adds sweeping his arm down his body and smiling suggestively."

"F**k you," Darren hisses, a blush creeping up his face. All bravado gone, he turns and quickly walks away.

"Wow," says Jack, "you've obviously touched a nerve there; not very good at taking it, is he?"

"No," says JP. "I really hate him. You know, it's amazing, I've travelled so far and met so many people, and yet I've never come across anyone as irritating as Darren."

"You have to admit, he's hot, though," replies Jack with a grin.

"What?" snaps JP.

"Craig?" asks Jack, wisely backtracking.

"Yea, he's his brother, step-brother, and he's always teased him horribly. He's the worst person for him to be around at the moment."

"You were a bit harsh ..."

"I don't care. I can just imagine all the hurtful things he's said to him these past few weeks. I just ..." JP finishes off emotionally.

"Easy," says Jack soothingly, "it won't be long now."

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Craig is stocking up the bar for the evening rush when he hears someone down on the street call out, "Hey John Paul, didn't know you were back?" He stops in his tracks. "Surely there couldn't be two people with that name." Rushing out to the balcony overlooking the street, he sees JP down on the pavement with two others – his heart starts pounding, and his legs threaten to fold beneath him. He wants to hide, but also to rush down and throw his arms around him. Yet even as these thoughts are running through his head, he realises who is with JP; and that they are holding hands, HOLDING HANDS! He can't breathe, he's crushed.

As if feeling his gaze, JP suddenly looks up, straight at him. Craig is frozen to the spot. Unable to control his expression, he just stares at JP with all the pain showing on his face. Breaking away from Jack, JP runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Before Craig can move, he is standing in front of him.

They stay like that for an eternity, staring at each other, and then JP slowly lifts his hand and gently cups Craig's cheek. "Hey," he says softly.

This jolts Craig into action "No, no, NO!" he shouts, backing away. He starts to turn, to rush back inside, but then Jack appears. He comes up behind JP and slips one arm around his waist and the other across his shoulders, and pulls him back against him.

"Everything alright here, hon?" he says, his voice dripping with affection.

"Yea, we're cool," replies JP, managing to stop himself pulling away when Jack kisses him on the cheek.

Craig's distress turns to rage in an instant, and he lunges himself at Jack. "Get your hands off him you f**king b***ard," he screams.

JP manages to grab Craig's arms before they can connect with Jack, and he pushes him back against the wall.

"Craig, don't, DON'T," he shouts when Craig keeps struggling against him. "You've no right to attack him; you ended us, you've no rights at all," he finishes coldly.

"You're going to have to make up your mind Craig," adds Jack calmly, "either you want him or you don't."

Craig stops struggling and leans against the wall, breathing heavily. "Just go," he says quietly after a minute.

Stepping back from him, JP turns around, and he and Jack leave without saying another word.

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"Good start, I'd say – he reacted just as I expected him to," reflects Jack later in the Dog over a pint.

"I'm not sure I like this anymore," responds JP. "He was so upset, and he looks so tired and drawn; and I'm sure he's lost weight," he frets.

"If we were to leave now and go back to the States without trying to get through to him, how do you think he'd look in another couple of months?" Jack asks. "Since that night, it's a safe assumption he hasn't spoken to anyone about what happened, he's had no one to comfort him, and he's pushed away the only person he would be able to confide in - being your good self. We may be hurting him now, but once he accepts that shutting you out is not the answer; that he can only be happy if he's with you; he'll be able to get his life back on track and face up to what happened, with your help."

"But he's going to hate you," replies JP worriedly.

"No he won't," Jack assures him with a grin. "We'll get on the same as we always have. Don't you realise, Craig is never going to bond completely with anyone he believes could be a threat to him when it comes to you. Over the past three years, since the bust-up when he thought we were having an affair, he's never completely trusted me. We get on fine, and he has relaxed a lot more as time has gone on; but the fact is, you're his number one and there's very little room for anyone else. If you think about it, how many close friends does he have in NY? He gets on with the guys he works with, but only up to a point. I know you've met a few, but you don't know any of them as well as he knows me. And it really doesn't bother him – they would only get in the way."

"I'm not saying that I don't like Craig," he insists. "I know he's a bit prickly, and not exactly everyone's cup of tea, but for me that makes him more interesting. And he's definitely not two-faced, you always know where you stand with him - even when he's trying to run away from you," he adds firmly on seeing JP's look of disbelief. "To be totally honest, I've grown very fond of him over the years."

"By the way, you should have warned me you were going to come up behind me and kiss me like that," says JP suspiciously.

"It had to be convincing, and I'm a method man, all the way," replies Jack, all wide-eyed innocence. "It would have been even more convincing if I'd given you a French jobbie," he adds grinning slyly; he's picked up a few English phrases since getting to know JP and Craig.

"Do you really think we'll ever get back to the relaxed, happy, fun nights out in the King's Head in the Village, life we had before?" JP asks wistfully.

"I'd bet a hell of a lot on it," says Jack confidently.

Meanwhile, back at the Loft, Craig is lying on his bed trying to take in what he's just discovered. He can't get the picture of JP being embraced by Jack out of his head. He reminds himself that his old life is over and that JP is the past, but it doesn't help in the slightest. "How could he have moved on so quickly?" he wonders incredulously. He thinks about this for a little while, and then can't help torturing himself even more. "What are they doing now?" he asks himself agitatedly. "It's about 4.00pm, so they could be in the Dog, or back at the McQueens chatting to Myra and the rest of that mad house. Myra is probably already in love with him," Craig thinks resentfully, "she never really trusted me with her precious son." He then reminds himself sadly that it only ever mattered what JP felt, no one else.

He has a worse thought: Tonight they will sleep in JP's bed, the bed he shared with him back in the day. Craig curls into a little ball of unhappiness.

Caught up in his own world, he doesn't feel the time passing, until he is jerked back to reality by his mum knocking on the door and demanding to know why he has left the bar unattended. Looking around him, he notices that it's dark outside – It's almost 8.30, he realises checking his watch.

"The bar – sh*t," he thinks, jumping up off the bed. He rushes downstairs to find a very angry Frankie waiting for him.

"How long have you been upstairs?" she demands and, without giving him time to answer, adds, "It's a miracle no-one's been at the till; they could have taken half the stock. What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry," Craig says genuinely, "I lost track of time."

"It's okay love," says Frankie, caving immediately. She could never stay mad at Craig for long; and she knows, but does not quite understand why, that he is really suffering at the moment.

"I'll go grab a shower, get a quick bite to eat, and be back to work in an hour," he promises.