We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors
Chapter 4
Ray followed Ronnie into the pub and walked slowly behind her as she made her way upstairs. He walked behind out of respect for her family, because he was a little nervous, and to be there in case she lost her footing. He was relieved when they finally reached the top and he followed her to greet her family.
Ronnie glanced back at Ray, took a deep breath and went into the front room, a smile on her face.
Peggy saw her walk in and walked over to give her a hug.
"Hi, Aunty Peg," Ronnie said and hugged her back.
"What happened, darling?" Peggy said, looking at Ronnie.
"I'm fine, just twisted my ankle, I'll be okay," Ronnie replied.
"You remember Ray?" Ronnie said and gestured at him.
"Yes, how are you?" Peggy said and gave him a smile.
Ray followed closely behind her and surveyed her family curiously. Phil. Ronnie had warned him about her cousin. Ray guessed instantly who she had meant. The middle-aged guy with the sour expression on his face, standing next to a woman who looked way too old to be wearing what she was wearing. She looked worried though, that woman. He looked back as Peggy spoke and he smiled warmly at her.
"Fine, thanks," he replied as he stepped forward and into the conversation. "Food smells amazing," he added with a grin.
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Roxy looked up as she heard Ronnie's voice and patted JT's arm as she went to give her sister a hug. She wrapped her arms around Ronnie carefully and then pulled back.
"Merry Christmas, Ron," she smiled happily.
Merry Christmas, Rox," Ronnie said and hugged her sister back.
Peggy asked JT to help her bring out the food. Ronnie took Ray's hand and led him out of Peggy's way.
"This is Billy, and Jay," she introduced. They nodded and shook his hand.
She gave Ray a beer and continued walking him across the room.
"This is Phil and Shirley," she finished. She ran a hand through her hair and flashed everyone a quick half-smile. Phil nodded at Ray and walked off. Shirley frowned and rolled her eyes.
"I honestly don't know why I keep putting up with him," Shirley muttered as she admired the gloves Peggy had bought her. Phil glanced around and slipped out with a bottle of whiskey.
Peggy and JT brought all the food in.
Ronnie took a drink of her tea as she leaned on her crutches. She absently toyed with the necklace as she watched Peggy bring in the food.
"Well, come on everyone, sit down," Peggy waved everyone towards the table. She picked up the knife and looked around.
"Where's Phil?"
"Right here, mum," Phil slurred as he walked up behind Peggy. Peggy turned and looked and her face fell as she realized Phil was drunk.
"What? What's that look for?" he asked him Peggy, his tone slightly annoyed. He looked around at everyone staring at him and laughed.
Shirley huffed out a breath.
"That's it, Phil," she said coldly and walked up to him. "I was going to change my mind, but now, no. I'm moving back in with Hev, Phil. Merry Christmas." She walked out.
"Go on, then, I won't miss you, you stupid hatchet-faced bitch," Phil yelled after her.
"Phil!" Peggy yelled.
JT walked over to Phil.
"Look, I think you better calm down before you cause trouble," JT said.
Phil shoved him away. "Get out of my face, you moron. We all know you're only after her money," Phil sneered.
"What money?" JT asked. "You're a very sad, pathetic man ain't you?"
Phil snorted and pushed JT away again, bumping Ronnie's chair as he did.
Ronnie stood up. "Phil, that's enough, you're drunk. You should go home," she said.
Phil turned to her. He looked her up and down, his eyes fastened on the necklace.
"Awww, your copper give you that?"
He reached up and grabbed the necklace.
"Get off me, Phil," Ronnie snapped and jerked away. Phil's grip on the necklace had been tighter than she'd thought and the chain broke. Ronnie gasped, horrified.
"Oh, dear," Phil said, his tone mocking and laughed. Ronnie slapped him and grabbed for the necklace. Phil grabbed her arms and pushed her back into her chair.
"Why do you want it back? I doubt it means anything to you does it? He doesn't mean anything to you does he? Admit it," Phil mocked as he leaned over at Ronnie.
Roxy gasped as Phil manhandled Ronnie and tore away her necklace. She made to move, but Ray beat her to it.
Ray had seen red. He marched right up to Phil. Ronnie was pregnant for God's sake. Even Ray knew that you didn't push women around, especially when they were 3 months pregnant. He knew Phil's reactions would be slower, the man was clearly drunk. Ronnie had asked him to ignore her cousin, but this was one thing he couldn't ignore. He grabbed the Key off Phil and pocketed it swiftly. He glanced down at Ronnie as he pulled Phil away from her.
"Why don't you," he hissed giving Phil a scathing look. "Pick on someone your own size! Or are you too pathetic to pick on anyone except women," he mocked viciously, his eyes narrowed in fury. He didn't care that he was Ronnie's cousin. The man had hurt her and was teasing her, not in a friendly way either, he was jeering at her in a way that Ray could not overlook.
Phil laughed in Ray's face.
"You should keep that in your pocket, mate," Phil said softly, his voice thick with scorn. "Because I'll tell you something, yeah? There's only one thing she wants from you," Phil poked Ray in the chest. "The minute she finds out she's pregnant, mate, your days will be numbered."
Phil laughed and looked around.
"You're all such a pathetic bunch of losers," he bellowed and laughed.
"Phil, get out of here, now!" Peggy snapped. Billy jumped up and went over to try and help get Phil out of the room.
Peggy went over to Ronnie to make sure she was okay.
Ray scowled as he watched Phil leave with Billy's help and knelt down in front of Ronnie's chair. He took her hand and pressed the Key into it. The chain could be replaced easily enough. He knelt up and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He wondered at what Phil had said.
Ray knew about what Ronnie had done to Jack, she had told him, he knew about Danielle, and her bastard father. But, he also knew that she had sworn that she would never do anything like that to him. Ever. He loved her, he trusted her. But, he also wasn't ready to have a kid, not yet. But abortion was out of the question, he couldn't ask her to lose another child. Not after everything she had been through. No. He wouldn't. But, she had said it would take 6 months to get that stuff out of her system, 6 months before she could get pregnant. What if she had missed the one before the one that he knew she had missed. If you did the calculations then that worked. Was she that desperate for a child? He shook the thoughts from his mind, all that mattered at the moment was making sure that she was okay. That was important. Then he could dwell on what Phil had said. Surely she wouldn't chuck him out, he wasn't sure he would be able to go without her.
"Ronnie?" he asked tenderly "Are you alright?" he said as he cupped her cheek and made her look at him.
"I'm fine, I'm okay," Ronnie said as she nodded. She looked down at the key and sighed. "Phil always has to ruin everything. I'm so sorry, Ray. He's horrible when he drinks."
She leaned and put her head on his shoulder.
JT went over to Roxy. "Nasty piece of work, your cousin."
Peggy came back upstairs after making sure Billy had gotten Phil out of the pub. She looked around, slightly sad, but unbeaten.
"JT, since you helped cook it, would you mind carving?"
JT kissed Roxy's cheek and nodded. He walked over to Peggy and began to carve the turkey.
Ray slipped his arm around her and sighed. For now he would just enjoy the family meal. Then he could think about what Phil had said. He firmly smiled down at her, determined to have a nice time.
"Cheer up. The days just begun, Ron, we haven't even started on the food," he grinned and kissed her forehead again.
Roxy nodded with a sigh.
"Sometimes. Other times he's okay, he's going through a bad patch at the moment," she told him then smiled at her aunt as she sent JT to carve.
Ronnie nodded and stroked his cheek. She accepted the plate Peggy handed her and gave Ray a small smile. She toyed with her food. She'd seen the look in Ray's eyes after Phil's foul words.
He was unsure of her now. She wanted to leave, go home. She took a few bites of her food.
JT kept Peggy and Roxy distracted and amused.
Jay hurriedly finished eating.
"D'you mind if I make up a plate for Bill?" he asked.
Peggy nodded. "Sure, c'mon darling, I'll help you."
Ray dug into his food hungrily. He was starving.
Peggy came back in after making sure Jay had plenty of food to take home.
"How is everything?"she wanted to know.
"It's fine, Aunty Peg, thank you," Ronnie said and gave her a quick smile. She traced the necklace where she'd laid it next to her plate. She choked down some more of her food, but she still wasn't hungry.
JT finished eating and took his plate into the kitchen and cleaned up Amy's face. He took the little girl and put her with her toys on the floor and shifted his chair so he could still talk to Roxy and watch over Amy at the same time.
"Brilliant, Aunty Peg," Roxy grinned and Ray nodded, unable to answer due to his mouth being full to bursting.
Roxy smiled as JT sorted Amy. She was glad that he found it so easy to interact with her. She was also happy that Amy liked him. She was normally ambivalent towards new people for ages. She had warmed to JT almost instantly.
Roxy raised an eyebrow as Amy tugged on a stray strand of string protruding from underneath the rug. It was clearly attached. Amy tugged harder and Roxy dropped to hers knees opposite her daughter and gently took the strand from her grasp and hid it under the rug. Then slipped one of her bracelets off and gave it to Amy so she could occupy herself.
Roxy sat back at the table to finish her food and glanced over at Ronnie. She seemed to be okay after Phil's outburst. And Ray had stood up for her. She would be fine.
JT grinned and shook his head at Amy's antics and began to help Peggy clear the table. He still couldn't figure out what Phil was talking about. After what money? Money was something JT hardly needed or cared about. He shrugged to himself and scraped the plates.
Ronnie handed JT her plate with a small smile of thanks. She just wanted to go home. She felt sick to her stomach. She picked up the necklace and wrapped it in her hand and began to idly wind the chain around her finger. She stifled a yawn, gave Roxy a shamefaced smile after stifling a second and made sure no one could tell how she felt. Roxy didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Ray was busy eating. She looked back down and began toying with the chain again. She noticed only the clasp had been broken off. That would be pretty easy to repair, she thought to herself.
Peggy smiled and brought out the pudding.
Roxy smiled absently at Ronnie. She and Ray must have had a busy Christmas eve if Ronnie was tired already. She looked up as Peggy brought out the Christmas pudding and automatically reached for the brandy and the matches. She turned out the light, filled a spoon with brandy and lit it before pouring it over the pudding.
Ray watched the blue flames slip from the spoon onto the pudding and smiled as they danced in the darkness. He grinned as the flames died and reached behind him for the light switch to turn the lights back on so they could all see again.
Ronnie took another drink of her tea and handed the plate Peggy handed her to Ray and refused any pudding herself. Her stomach was in knots and she knew she'd never be able to choke it down.
Ray ate his way through his pudding after adding a healthy amount of custard. He noticed Ronnie wasn't eating, but put that down to the baby. Messing up her eating patterns or whatever. He didn't know. He didn't know anything about pregnancy except that Ronnie would go all hormonal. He hoped he could deal with that.
Ronnie got up and moved over to sit on the couch and finally open the present her aunt had bought her. She was delighted to find a new pashmina. Her other one had been wrecked, she didn't like to dwell on that situation. She'd been meaning to buy a new one but had somehow never got around to it. She smiled and stroked the soft cashmere and thanked Amy, who started bringing her blocks. She stacked them idly on the coffee table and wished for a glass of wine, or vodka.
Ray tore open his present from Peggy and smiled at the scarf that he unwrapped. He wrapped it around his neck carefully and gave the elderly lady a quick peck on the cheek by way of thanks.
Peggy waved Ray away with a small giggle and continued picking up the last few dishes. Ronnie got up, draped the pashmina over her shoulders. She grabbed the last handful of cutlery and followed Peggy into the kitchen.
"I think I'm going to go now, Aunty Peg," she said.
"Why, darlin. Everything's okay now," she said and and took Ronnie's hand.
"I know, I'm just tired and my stomach's a bit upset."
"All right, you take it easy then okay?"
"I will," Ronnie smiled and hugged her aunt. She went back into the front room and gave Roxy a hug goodbye before pulling on her coat and moving over to Ray.
"I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I'm going home," she told him.
Ray nodded. He looked up at her and then stood. He felt strange staying here without Ronnie. Not his family. Hers. He waved his goodbyes and followed her out of the room and walked behind her down the stairs.
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Rowan walked with Molly and Whitney to Molly's flat. She sat and talked with Whitney while Molly got ready. She called a cab for the girls when Molly was finished and walked back to the restaurant.
She quickly got ready and then she and Chris headed to Jack and Alyssa's.
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Gene snorted at Alex's comment.
"Let's hope not."
Alex looked up and frowned at him.
"And what is wrong with looking like you?" she demanded "Personally I think that the fact that he shares your pout is adorable" she grinned as she rocked her son gently in her arms.
Gene rolled his eyes and took a drink of his tea.
"Drink your coffee, woman," he said softly and took the baby so she could have her hands free.
Alex chuckled at his evasiveness and let him take Sam from her. She reached for the coffee on the table but grabbed her phone instead. She checked her texts and found nothing. She sighed and took the steaming mug in her hands.
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Jack had dinner almost ready and looked at the clock. He rubbed his hands together and began setting the table.
Alyssa looked over the house critically and decided that it was decent. She hastily put the hover away and went to look over how Jack was doing. She smiled at his table arrangement and went round, perfecting everything. She made sure there were matches ready to light the candles that she had made sure to dig out of the drawer.
She smiled and looked over the table once more, satisfied. She went to the fridge and saw the wine and the beer cooling. She inhaled deeply and sighed. It smelt gooooood.
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Molly sat patiently in the cab as it drove. It was Christmas Day. She had picked up some things from home that she thought Alex, Gene and Sam might need, along with Christmas presents for them all. She had also picked up the presents that Alex had got for her and Gene. She knew where her mum kept them. She wasn't stupid.
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Chris and Rowan finally walked up to the door and Rowan knocked. She sniffed the air and smiled at Chris.
"Something smells good," she said as they waited for the door to open.
Alyssa looked up at the knock. She grinned.
"They're here!" she called out to Jack and ran to open the door for them.
The cool air hit her as she threw open the door to reveal her friends. She shivered as she smiled at them.
Alyssa stood back to let them inside.
Rowan grinned at Alyssa as she walked in. She hugged Alyssa and looked around.
Chris gave Alyssa a one-armed hug and followed Rowan into the house.
Jack came out of the kitchen.
"Great timing," he said and gave Rowan a quick squeeze.
"It smells great, Jack."
He smiled. "Thanks, Ro."
Chris shook Jack's hand. "It does smell good."
"Well, I just hope it tastes good. Come on in and sit down. D'you want a beer?"
"Sure, thanks," Chris said.
Alyssa shut the door swiftly behind her family, shutting out the bitterly cold winter air and banishing it from her home. She smiled as she followed the others through to the table and grabbed the cans out of the fridge. She avoided giving Rowan wine. She knew from past experience that it was a bad mix.
Rowan and Chris thanked Alyssa for the beer.
Jack began putting the food on the table as Rowan leaned against a kitchen counter and watched as she sipped her beer.
"So, how's your lodger situation working out?" Rowan asked
Alyssa smiled at them as she got herself a glass of wine and a beer out of the fridge for Jack.
"Ffion's fine, she's helpful when she is here, which isn't often. But I wouldn't recommend going into her room, she's not the tidiest of people," she said with a smile.
"We're worried about her though," she sighed. "We think she's got a problem."
"What sort of problem? I mean, she does work for me so if there's something I should know, please tell me," Rowan wanted to know.
Alyssa sighed and twirled the stem of her glass.
"Well, it's not exactly a secret that Fee, well," she paused, trying to find the words. "Let's just say she enjoys male company."
Alyssa looked up from her glass and at her friends. "She's often somewhere else, not here. Which I'm grateful for, I don't really want a load of strange men pottering around the house, but Jack pointed out the other morning, that when she comes home, alone, she seems depressed. And the more I think about it the more I see what he means. I meant to talk to her about it but the opportunity hasn't come up yet."
"Do you think her brother knows? I mean, I've noticed that she's quite a flirt, but hadn't realized it was quite that extreme," Rowan sighed. "I can't believe I missed it."
"I think she may have some sort of approval issues," Jack put in.
Alyssa shrugged.
"I don't know if Rhys realises how extreme it could be. I mean, he hasn't lived with her for a while," Alyssa sighed. "I meant to talk to Shaz about it."
Rowan nodded.
"I'll keep an eye out," she promised.
Chris finished his food and leaned back.
"Not bad, Jack, not bad at all. What else is there?"
Jack chuckled and took Chris' empty plate.
"I bought the Christmas pudding. I barely managed dinner. I think I would have ruined anything else," he joked as he placed it on the table.
"You did all right, mate," Chris complimented.
"Yes, Jack, you did a good job. It was nice having someone else cook for a change," Rowan grinned at him.
"Coming from you, that's high praise indeed," Jack said and ruffled her hair. Rowan swung her hand out to smack him and he jumped away. She shook her head and looked at Alyssa with a pained expression.
"Are you really going to marry this guy? Maybe you want to rethink your answer."
Jack threw his head back and laughed as he carried the rest of the plates to the kitchen.
Alyssa twirled her wine glass and smiled.
"Maybe," she agreed with a grin."But he keeps me amused," she sighed. "Never a dull moment," she said as she heard him clattering about in the kitchen.
Rowan chuckled. After they'd eaten, she excused herself and went outside to smoke. She had considered quitting, but now the pregnancy thing didn't seem to be happening she couldn't see the point. She glanced at her watch. Chris would have to go soon. He'd volunteered to take over for DC Hale on nights. She sighed. Two weeks now he'd been on nights. Two weeks since he'd touched her. She couldn't blame him. He'd been right, she knew he'd been right.
The huge fight they'd had when he'd come home and told her he would be working nights for the next month or so had been pointless. She'd started to focus too much on getting pregnant. She'd become wooden and distant, moreso each time she didn't catch. His disappointment in her had become an almost living presence.
He accused her of being so in control she couldn't even enjoy their time together. He'd been completely right. She'd become far too controlling lately. It always seemed one extreme or another. But she couldn't stand that he made her feel like a failure and she'd wanted to get her own back.
She'd tried to make up numerous times, but he kept pulling away. Nearly nine months they'd been together, she thought to herself. She began to wonder if he was seeing someone else. He'd clearly had it with her. She took another long drag off her cigarette and blew out a long breath. She should let him go. She tossed the cigarette down the sewer drain and went back inside, making sure to smile.
Alyssa helped Jack tidy up the table and clear away the place settings and everything else. She wondered at Chris not going outside with Rowan to smoke. Usually they were inseparable, if one went outside the other did too. She sighed and accepted the situation.
Rowan came back inside and went into the kitchen. She started a nudge fight with Chris over drying the dishes that Alyssa was washing. He finally shook his head at her, threw his hands up and walked away, giving her a smack on the backside as he went. She smiled at Alyssa and started drying. At least he was acting normal. When it was just them at home, he barely spoke.
"Chris is working nights for a couple more weeks yet, we'll have to go soon," she told Alyssa and drained her beer. Chris had switched to tea. "He'll need to get a nap before he goes," she said and winked at Alyssa.
Chris went outside with Jack to smoke. He wished she'd stop trying. He wished he'd not asked. This whole trying to have a baby business had made things hell. He wanted to forgive the way she'd become, but until she agreed that they should stop and just give it time before trying again, time for them to go back to normal, he had nothing to say to her. He hadn't realized she could be quite so single-minded. He should have realized. She was like that when she cooked.
He pulled himself from his reverie and managed to chat idly with Jack as they smoked.
Alyssa smiled at her friends antics and rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Rowan as Chris gave up and walked out. She handed Rowan the final dish and emptied the sink of the dirty soapy water. She rinsed the spare suds out of the sink and started on putting the clean crockery away.
"That's fine," she nodded as she placed a glass in the cupboard. "He's been doing nights for while now right?" she asked as she turned and grabbed another plate. "Surely it's time for him to start on the day shifts again soon?"
"He will when DC Hale gets back. I don't think he's due back for another two weeks. Sucks to be me right now I can tell you," she quipped dryly and put the last dish away. She gave Alyssa a hug.
"Come by the restaurant tomorrow. I'm going to open for a few hours and do a brunch buffet."
She hugged Jack.
"You are quite a decent cook, Jack. I'm impressed."
"Thanks, Ro. I hope you enjoyed not having to do much today."
Rowan chuckled. "I actually did. Very sneaky to have it all done before we got here. Not sure I would have been able to resist otherwise."
Chris gave Alyssa a quick hug and shook Jack's hand.
They pulled on their coats and left.
Alyssa watched them go then shut the door behind them and sighed. She rubbed her hands over her face with a smile and wandered back through to the kitchen. She glanced around and let out a satisfied breath. All the plates, cutlery and glasses had been washes and cleaned. She was glad. Alyssa got herself a fresh glass of wine and a new beer for Jack and took them through to the front room. She tossed him the can and collapsed on the sofa.
Jack caught the can and dropped next to Alyssa on the couch.
"So, that was fun," he said. "Rowan was surprisingly laid back, I wonder why. Shame they couldn't stay longer. Do you want to go to the brunch tomorrow or is the salon open?"
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Rowan glanced at Chris as they walked, tempted to say something, anything. Her fingers itched to grab his hand and she shoved them in her pockets to stop herself. As they neared the pub, he stopped and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"I'll see you later," he said.
"Have a good night," she replied softly and watched him walk away. She sighed and fished her cigarettes out of her bag and lit up. How could she have let things get like this? She was such a fool. She blew out a long plume of smoke and began to walk aimlessly. No point in going home just to sit alone in an empty flat. She wandered past where she and Alyssa used to live and glanced at the building with a small smile. She missed those days. Never feeling alone. She took another drag and sniffed and swiped at her eyes and moved slowly on her way.
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Caroline watched Gerald seething away to himself over his turkey. She could guess why. It had been the same since they had returned to Birmingham. He was only willing to speak about one subject. Her! Caroline didn't want to know. She had made it perfectly clear that a mother wasn't welcome in her life. So a mother she no longer had.
Caroline did as she always did and ignored her husband and his scowl as she engaged in conversation with her son and his wife. She was perfect. Benjamin had chosen well. Within the guidelines and Caroline liked her. She talked to them calmly, blanking her husband while his anger fermented
Gerald slammed his cutlery down. Sophia jumped at the sudden noise. Benjamin consoled her with a touch to her shoulder as he gaze questioningly at his father. Caroline watched in amusement. He was fuming. And she sat there. Impassively. He glared at her.
"Why do you insist on this pretence?" he asked
"I don't know what you mean," she answered coolly. Her eyes had turned to ice. She knew where this was going. He wouldn't drop it this time. He wanted answers.
Gerald's face hardened.
"Yes, you do, Caroline. Your reaction to this whole situation has been beyond childish! What did she say to make you like this?" he demanded.
Caroline curled her fists around her knife and fork. Her mask had slipped. In front of family but she couldn't control her emotions. The anger was too strong.
"I don't know what you mean," she repeated stressing every syllable. Gerald could practically see the ice that encrusted her words as she spoke.
"Fine."
Gerald stood and left the table, much to the shock of his family. Benjamin looked to his mother for an answer and was met by a statue. She had frozen and was glaring at the door Gerald had departed out of.
"Mum?"
Caroline jolted out of her trance as she heard Benjamin speak. She could hear Gerald clattering around upstairs. He wouldn't dare!
She stood up too as she heard Gerald coming back downstairs and walked out into the hall.
"What are you doing!" she asked trying to keep calm. But her voice betrayed her emotions.
Gerald looked at her. It was rare that she slipped like this. She was always so in control. Alyssa must have said something awful to make her like this.
"Well, you won't tell me. So I'm going to ask Alyssa."
Sophia audibly gasped as he spoke her name. The first time Benjamin had spoken about his sister in Caroline's presence the elder woman had made it very clear that her name was not to be uttered in this house. It was a taboo.
Caroline stood. She was shaking with fury as the door swung shut behind her husband. She whirled around to face her son and daughter in law. Mask back in place.
"Dinner's getting cold."
Benjamin understood and ushered Sophia back into the dining room. Caroline picked up Gerald's plate and took it through to the kitchen.
Sophia looked up at her husband as they heard a smash. Benjamin gave her a guarded look. Another topic to ignore now. His father.
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Gene looked up as Molly arrived.
Molly beamed at Alex and Gene, she placed the bag of bits and bobs by the foot of Gene's chair and went to give her Mother a hug. She then went to Gene and kissed his cheek and then Sam's too.
"I brought the Christmas presents over," she informed them as she dug in the bag and handed them out, placing Gene and Sam's on the table, seeing as Gene's hands were busy.
Alex frowned.
"Those are the ones I got," she said.
Molly grinned. "Mum, you need new hiding places, I've known where these have been for weeks!"
Alex rolled her eyes as Molly finished taking everything out of the bag and sat on the bed.
Gene put Sam down in the cot and went to get Molly a cup of tea.
Gene came back with tea for Molly and sat back down.
"So, did you have a good night? I expect Rowan cooked you breakfast. Could have brought some with you," he teased.
Molly took her tea from him with a word of thanks and a smile.
"I bring presents and you want food!" she teased back. "Ungrateful," she smiled and threw a screwed up ball of wrapping paper at him.
"The presents are nice, of course, love, but a bit more than croissants for breakfast would not go amiss. The food here is terrible," he remarked as he batted aside the paper and grinned at her.
Molly rolled her eyes.
"It's a hospital Gene, not a restaurant. You can't expect food that's above average," she grinned back. "But, I can always make some buttermilk biscuits if you'd like," she offered. "I've nearly perfected them."
Gene watched Alex and Molly visit. Occasionally he got up and wandered or went to smoke.
"So, are they ever going to say when you can leave here? Do you want me to stay here tonight or take Molly home? It's getting on and if nothing else, Molly and I should go eat when they bring your food," he remarked.
Alex looked up from the chocolate she had opened from Molly and the yellow baby clothes.
"You don't have to stay here. The food's better at home and anyway, somebody needs to keep an eye on her," she nodded at Molly with a smile. "I should be out soon, no exact date yet, but I'll pester until they tell me," she assured him.
"Surely they can't want to keep you here too long. I mean, you're done," he said. "I'll have a talk with someone. Molly, you get everything together. I'll go find someone to talk to and then we'll go see about finding some place to eat."
He gave Alex a swift kiss on the cheek and left. He found the nurse and turned on the charm. He came back inside brimming with good cheer.
"You can go home tomorrow," he told her. "As long as you and him don't have any problems tonight, you can leave in the morning," he told her and rubbed his hands together.
Molly set about gathering up all the ripped wrapping paper and mess and stuffed it into a bin bag and then into the bin in the room. She kissed Alex's cheek and gave her a one armed hug, she took Sam from her mum as Gene came back.
Alex held out her arms to Gene as Sam was taken away and gave Gene a 'please' look.
Gene went over and hugged Alex and chuckled in her ear.
"Any excuse to touch you, woman, you should know," he grinned at her as he pulled away. "Call when you're ready to leave and I'll pick you up."
He stood and thought for a moment. "We should see about getting you your own car. Having a car seat in the Quattro, that's just blasphemy," he teased. He gave her quick kiss and jumped away to avoid any slaps.
"Let's go, kiddo," he said to Molly and strode from the room.
Alex beamed up at him and rolled her eyes. She waved them both off and looked back over at Sam. Molly had put him back in his cot before she had left. By his breathing she could tell that he was asleep.
Alex was grateful for the book that Molly had had the foresight to bring one for her. At least she was going home tomorrow. That was something at least.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Molly followed Gene out of the hospital with a wave at her mum as she left.
"So, where do you want to go eat or is there stuff to cook at home?" he asked as they got outside. He lit up and smoked as they walked to the car.
Molly shrugged.
"I stayed at Rowan's, but I didn't check the fridge when I went home for a shower," she sighed.
"If we go home we can always order in if we have to," she looked over at him. "And you've slept in those clothes. In fact you've been wearing them for almost 3 days," she teased.
"Someone's a little stinky," she grinned.
Gene glared at Molly and mumbled something about mouthy females. He drove them home and hurriedly and gladly took a shower while Molly inspected the kitchen.
Molly rifled through the fridge. They had basics. Pasta, tinned tomatoes, beef mince, vegetables, bread, cheese, soup etc. then of course, baking stuff for her to practice with. She made sure there was a never-ending supply of flour, butter, milk, eggs and sugar.
She chewed her lip as she wondered about what they could have. Pasta was the obvious choice.
Gene came back out of the bathroom in clean clothes and got a beer from the fridge.
"So, anything?" he asked Molly after taking a long drink.
"Pasta, tomatoes, veg and other stuff," she shrugged.
Gene glanced at his watch. "Well, if you don't want to cook we can always go to the pub. I think it's open now."
Molly rolled her eyes. Pub. Typical. She shrugged.
"I don't mind. Pasta is quick and easy. But I don't mind going to the pub either," she replied indifferently.
Gene sighed and found himself rolling his eyes.
"Do you want to cook or not?" he huffed.
Molly raised an eyebrow and shook her head.
"Not."
"Why don't you see if your mate Whitney wants to meet up with you there," he suggested and went to the bedroom to pull on his boots.
Molly nodded and fired off a text to Whitney saying she was going to the pub then went and ran a brush through her hair and grabbed her coat.
/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\
Gerald drove in silence as he listened to the light hearted banter on Radio 4. He tapped his steering wheel. The motorway was unusually deserted. At this time of day it was usually chocablock. Gridlocked. But no. Not on Christmas Day.
He pulled off the Motorway into a service station. He was gasping for a cup of tea and a cigarette. He parked the car, got out, lit up and took a long, slow drag. He wondered at Alyssa's reaction to him just turning up out of the blue. 6 months since he last saw his daughter. 6 months of enduring his wife's foul behaviour. He stamped out his cigarette and got a cup of tea to go. He needed to see Alyssa as soon as possible.
Gerald pulled up in Walford and parked outside the pub. He sighed and lit up again, now he was here, he wasn't sure he knew what to say to her, it was Christmas. He had already ruined Christmas at home, he wasn't sure that he wanted to ruin Christmas down here too. He turned the radio off, one of those stupid comedy programs going on, light-hearted talk about nothing. He wasn't in the mood for that. Not now. He scanned the Square, pub was closed it seemed, lights on upstairs and glimpses of figures were easily seen in the window, people he didn't quite recognise, but somehow found familiar. He looked over in the other direction. Last time he was here, this place had been so busy. Buzzing. A hive. Now it was empty, a few clusters making their way here and there. Chatting and laughing. Celebrating.
He looked around again and his gaze fell on the place that Alyssa lived. That flat. He watched it intently, waiting for some sign of life.
/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\
Ronnie sighed as they finally got outside. She adjusted her coat and then glanced back at Ray before heading in the direction of the flat. She kept forcing herself to unclench her teeth. She knew the questions would start soon. She unlocked the door and hauled herself up the stairs, her stomach churning. She moved to the flat as fast as she could and fumbled the key into the lock and rushed to the bathroom. She slammed the door just before leaning over the toilet and getting sick. She stood a moment to make sure she was done and then rinsed her face and brushed her teeth.
She dried her face slowly, trying to shake the tension. She hung the towel back on the rail and came out of the bathroom.
Ray walked along next to her passively. He was a little alarmed when she went to throw up. He cringed as he heard her retching and got her a glass of water. He knew that women got morning sickness when they were pregnant. But it was afternoon. He sighed. He knew so little about her condition. He didn't know what to expect from her. He looked up from the sink as he heard her come out of the bathroom and went over to her. He handed her the glass of water and looked at her, he was concerned. Surely randomly throwing up like that was abnormal?
"Are you alright, Ron?" he asked as he studied her.
She took the glass of water and nodded.
"I'm fine, something from dinner didn't agree with me," she said blandly and drank the water. She put her crutches against the wall and pulled off the pashmina and her coat and went to hang them up. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "I'm fine," she repeated.
She went over to the couch and sat down.
Ray watched her with a sigh. Something was up, the wrong sort of up. He fell down onto the couch next to her and watched her silently. He frowned.
"What's wrong, Ronnie?" he asked softly
Ronnie looked at Ray curiously.
"Nothing, my stomach is just a bit upset is all."
She sighed and pulled her feet up onto the couch. She pulled the necklace out of her pocket and put it on the coffee table with a small sigh. "Sometimes, I cannot believe Phil's nerve."
Ray looked at the necklace and picked it up off the table. He examined it closely. Phil hadn't damaged it too much. Just the clasp. Easily replaced. He sighed and placed it down on the table again.
"Has he ever tried rehab?"
Ronnie snorted.
"Never happen," she frowned. "Not Phil," she said, her tone nasty and rolled her eyes. She dropped her chin onto her knees.
Ray kept his gaze fixed on her and sighed. He placed a gentle hand on her back and watched her intently. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't really know what was wrong. He thought that a hug might help, it usually did. But she didn't seem in the mood for one of his hugs right now.
"Ronnie..." he began. Then stopped, unable to find the words. He sighed again and scratched his forehead.
"Ron, about what Phil said..." he tried again then stopped mid-sentence once more. He didn't know what to say to her
"What about what Phil said?" she asked curiously and looked at him. She felt her blood run cold and she straightened up and tilted her head at him.
Ray frowned slightly and shook his head.
"I..." he was beginning to get frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he just come out and say it. Ask her. He knew why. He didn't want it to be true and he didn't want to hurt her. Too late. He had started now. Man up.
"I know what you went through with Jack and everything with Danielle, but Ronnie, I need to know whether... I mean, did you..." he sighed and waved a hand in the air signalling his defeat. Words were failing him.
She felt her jaw drop.
"You...you what...you think I tricked you? You think I made this happen? After everything," she broke off and looked away. "How can you think that? I thought you trusted me. I thought you believed in me and you don't. You're no better than my family. A few words from drunk Phil and that's it."
Her face twisted as the tears fell.
"How could you ask me that. I promised you, Ray, I promised. I've tried to prove that you can trust me and you throw it back in my face," she shrieked, her voice shrill.
"You BASTARD!" She snapped as she stood up, grabbed the necklace off the coffee table and threw it at him.
"I never lied to you, Ray, NEVER!"
She limped around the coffee table and pointed at the door. "Go, I want you to leave, now."
"Get out! Get out! Get out!" she screamed.
Ray untangled himself from the necklace. He had never seen her in such a state. He wanted to wrap his as around her and hold her until she calmed down but one look at her face told him that it wasn't going to happen.
"Ronnie, I'm sorry. I just needed to know. I'm sorry" he said as he made his way to the door and grabbed his coat from the hook. He didn't like leaving her. She was kicking him out. Had she chucked him? He felt angry tears form in his eyes and he brushed them away furiously. He was angry at himself for doubting her. Believing her pissed cousin. How stupid could you get?
Ronnie dropped to the couch and buried her face in a cushion. How could he think such things? She pounded on the couch with her fist. She got up and walked into the kitchen, wincing at the pain in her ankle, but not caring. She pulled the canister of tea from the cupboard and threw it against the wall.
Every promise she'd kept, every time she'd told him the whole bald truth, no matter how much it hurt, and he doubted her. The one person she thought believed in her, because of something someone else had done. She screamed in frustration and slid to the floor, her body heaving with great braying sobs.
She began to wish she'd never got pregnant.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Gerald looked up as he spotted someone that he definitely recognized. That woman that Alyssa was friends with, and her bloke. Rowan. The one that had been in the paper. He looked in the direction she had come from and caught a flash of red as the door shut. Alyssa. He stunned out his cigarette as he got out of the car and made his way over to the house, slowly.
Gerald climbed up the steps to the house and rang the bell.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Rowan wandered into the park in the middle of the Square and sat on a bench. She pulled her feet up and wrapped her arms around her legs. She wondered idly if she should see if the pub was open. She was sure a lot of people would be heading there after they'd finished dinner for some holiday cheer. She put her chin on her knees. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for a crowd. She lit another cigarette and stared at the tree.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Chris walked into the station and nodded at the PC behind the desk. He went into Gene's office and lay down on the couch in the meeting room. He had a good three hours before he was on. A nap was a good idea. He stuck his hands behind his head and wondered if he shouldn't talk to someone about Rowan. He could call Junior, maybe Junior could get Gem to come and talk on the phone. He was at a loss. He missed her laid back attitude and spontaneity. He had tried to tell her, to explain but she hadn't seemed to understand. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Alyssa smiled.
"The salon doesn't open again until after new year. I am officially on holiday until the 2nd of January," she grinned. "Roxy decided to extend the time we had until we had to go back after Christmas," she informed him.
She frowned as the bell rang. She looked at Jack and sighed.
"I'll get it shall I?" she smiled at him as she handed him her glass and stood. She padded along to the front door and opened it. Her eyes widened at the sight of her Dad on the doorstep.
Gerald relaxed and tensed as Alyssa opened the door. On the one hand he was glad that it was her that he had seen and it was she that opened the door. On the other hand he had no idea how she was going to react. Alyssa gaped at her Dad for a few moments before either of them spoke.
"Can I come in Alyssa?" he asked cautiously as he took a step closer to her.
Jack got up and followed idly behind Alyssa. His eyes widened at the sight of Alyssa's father standing there. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a brief squeeze.
"I think we can let him in," he said softly.
Alyssa looked at her Dad as he stood just inside her home. She kept her face calm and just looked, waiting for him to make the first move. She wasn't going to rush into his arms. No, he had to make the first move.
Gerald sighed as he looked at his daughter. She had moved house within the last 6 months. He noted the glittering ring on her finger. This time she was engaged, and by the concerned look on her bloke's face she had chosen someone who loved her.
"Alyssa," he began and looked up at her face. "Can I talk to you please sweetheart?"
Alyssa contemplated her Dad for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out then nodded slowly. She was curious. He was clearly here without her Mum. That was a plus: she was in no mood to argue with her mum again. She gestured to the kitchen and stood back to let him go first.
Gerald walked cautiously through her home. He knew that after his behaviour the last time he had met her bloke, Jack, if his memory served him right, that the guy had every reason to be hostile towards him but for some reason he seemed more accepting this time. At least Alyssa was willing to talk to him.
Alyssa shut the door behind her and leant against it as she faced her Dad. She waited.
Jack looked at Alyssa's dad for a moment, then went into the kitchen and switched on the kettle. He folded his arms as he waited and listened.
Realising that she wasn't going to talk, Gerald decided to go ahead and ask her what he had told Caroline he had come here for.
"Your mother..." he looked up as Alyssa visibly stiffened but continued. "I'd like to know what you said to her Alyssa, she's been..." he struggled to find the words "Well, cold."
Alyssa let out a sharp bark of sarcastic laughter.
"Because usually she's the definition of warm and fuzzy isn't she!"
Gerald sighed. "You know what I mean Alyssa. Colder than usual," he paused and looked out of the window. "I need to know what you said to cause that change in her. She was fine before she took you aside."
Alyssa sighed and leant off the door. She loved her Dad when he wasn't around her mum. When he was with her Mum, he was Caroline's puppet. Part of the mask. Yet, when he was free of her, Saturday mornings when Caroline was out, he seemed to transform. A different personality.
"I told her I was happy. Here. Without her. Without her and you," she admitted as she refused to look at him.
Gerald softened as he watched his daughter. He had forgotten how sensitive she could be. But she said she was happy, he knew she hadn't been especially happy at home. But they were selfish enough to want their daughter back, no matter how she felt about it.
"Are you?"
Alyssa nodded silently.
Gerald sighed as he considered her.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you."
Alyssa frowned and looked up. Confused.
"Your wrist," he clarified and gestured to her arm.
Alyssa nodded as she understood. "I'm fine"
"I know," he smiled. "I'm proud of you, Alyssa."
She looked up again. "Excuse me?"
"I am. You've blossomed into a lovely young woman, you've done your own thing."
She scoffed at that. "You didn't want me to do my own thing. You wanted me to be the submissive little daughter. Does as you say with no arguments or complaint."
Gerald shook his head. "That was how your mother expected you to be. I saw the defiance in you since you were tiny."
"Then why..."
"Because I'm a fool. I chose to follow your mother's rules and disregarded you. I tried to help mould you and stamp out the rebellion."
She scowled.
"And I'm sorry for that, too."
"Dad..."
He let out a low chuckle. He grinned at her and the puzzlement that covered her face.
"She was fuming. I stormed out," he laughed. "And Sophia's face when I said your name. She was horrified."
Alyssa smiled. This was the Dad she loved.
"She banned my name."
"Any mention of you," he confirmed.
Alyssa smiled and shook her head. "I guessed she would."
He nodded. "Now, this time, can I have a proper hug?"
She grinned and stepped into his embrace. Burying her face into his jumper, inhaling his comforting smell of scotch, tobacco and peppermint.
Gerald enclosed his arms around her and smiled happily. He let go the second she started to pull away. He brushed her hair behind her ear.
Jack listened as he quietly made tea, his lips curved into a small smile.
He quickly made the tea and walked out with three cups of tea. He put the tray on the coffee table and when Alyssa let go of her father, he handed her a cup of tea. He picked up his tea and handed the other to her father, with a gesture at the milk and sugar on the tray.
He glanced from Alyssa to her father, unsure of what to say.
Gerald took the mug with a curt nod at Jack. He looked the younger man up and down curiously. He hadn't paid too much attention the last time he was here. His mind had been focused on other matters. He stretched out a hand to him cordially.
"I think our introduction last time we met was less than friendly," he said as he looked at Jack. "I'd like to try it again if you don't mind."
Alyssa cradled her mug, grateful for the heat it provided. She raised an eyebrow at her Dad, but stayed silent as she watched her fiancé and her father. She was intrigued.
"I'm willing," Jack said and shook her father's hand.
"There's still food left over from dinner if you're hungry," Jack offered. "We're still walking around so I haven't poisoned anyone with my cooking," he remarked dryly and took the tray back into the kitchen.
Alyssa rolled her eyes with a small chuckle.
Gerald shook his head.
"I ate before I left and stopped on the motorway," he told them.
"Motorway food, yum," Jack remarked dryly. "Mind you, my cooking probably isn't much better. I don't care if Rowan did say it was good."
Gerald turned back to Alyssa and took her left hand in his. He studied the ring for a moment then met her questioning gaze.
"Congratulations," he said softly and smiled at her.
Gerald looked up as Jack came back in.
"Congratulations on your engagement," he said light-heartedly. "You do have my permission to marry her," he nodded at Jack.
Jack grinned at Gerald's comment.
"Well, that's good to know," he said as he picked up his tea. "I think Rowan was ready to beat me if I hadn't done it soon."
Alyssa chuckled again and took a large gulp of her tea. She frowned as a thought hit her.
"How long are you here for Dad?"
Gerald turned to his daughter and shrugged.
"Until I feel ready to face your mother," he admitted. He wasn't going back up to Birmingham until he was positive that he could handle his wife. And her cold, passive exterior.
Alyssa nodded slowly as she studied him over the rim of her mug.
"Where are you staying?" she asked curiously.
"I'm going to book into the B&B where we stayed last time."
Jack glanced at Alyssa. They had room. He gave her the slightest nod when she met his gaze to let her know he didn't mind if she asked her father to stay with them.
Alyssa raised her eyebrows at Jack and smiled happily at him. She moved her gaze back to Gerald and smiled.
"We've got a spare room here, if you want it? It saves forking out for the B&B," she said.
Gerald looked at her, he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected that. He looked at Jack's face. He didn't seem to mind. He nodded.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
Alyssa nodded and placed her tea on the table.
"Is your stuff in the car? If you're staying then you might as well unpack now," she said with a small shrug.
Gerald nodded and drained his mug. He grinned at her and kissed her forehead before heading back outside to move his car and get his things.
Alyssa watched him go and went over to Jack. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. He seems different somehow. I'll go help him," Jack said and went outside.
"Need any help?" Jack asked as he lit up a cigarette and watched Alyssa's father rummage in his car.
Alyssa nodded and ran upstairs to check the spare room. It was clean and tidy and hadn't been used since the last time Rowan and Chris had stayed over. She looked it over again then left the door open as she went downstairs and looked out of the door.
Gerald shook his head at Jack as he pulled his bag out. He shut the boot and locked the car with a flick of his keys.
"Haven't got much," he shrugged and walked back up to the front door and smiled at Alyssa.
"Come on, then. Take me to my room," he grinned.
/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\
Jack nodded and watched him go inside. He finished his cigarette and dropped it in the can outside the door before going back inside.
He really had no idea what to do with Alyssa's dad here. He wondered if they should go to the pub. He went back inside and waited for Alyssa in the kitchen.
"Should we go to the pub or something?" he asked her.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Gerald followed her upstairs and took in the upstairs of her home. He noted the two shut doors and one open. A bathroom. The other open door was the one he was led to. His room. He placed his bag in the centre of the bed as Alyssa left him to it and went back downstairs.
Alyssa leant against the counter top and shrugged with a sigh.
"I don't know. To be honest I'm still trying to get over the shock of him turning up," she looked over at him. "Without Mum."
She sat herself up on the counter and looked at her feet as she swung them back and forth.
"He's always different when Mum's not around. It's like he's got a split personality or something. Then she comes sweeping in and he changes back to how you saw him before."
"Do you think there's any chance she'll turn up?" he asked her quietly. "You know, since you're persona non grata and all," he paused. "Ffion's back soon you know."
Alyssa shook her head.
"I doubt mum'll show up. According to her I don't exist, and seeing as Dad walked out I reckon she feels the same about him."
She nodded at Jack's comment about Ffion. "I know. I am going to have to talk to her," she sighed.
"I'm more worried about your dad. You don't think he'll find her a bit...much?"
Jack started making more tea. "I hope her brother has spoken to her about the other stuff. At least she doesn't bring it home with her."
Alyssa looked up sharply. She hadn't thought about her Dad's reaction to Ffion.
"I'll tell him we've got a lodger. Explain what she's like. Warn him," she smiled.
"I'm glad she doesn't bring them all home. Having strange men in the house when I wake up is not a comfortable thought," she said as she passed him the milk from out the fridge. "I do worry about her though. She doesn't know anything about these guys except they are up for it. They could be psychopaths."
Jack rubbed his face and nodded.
"I think she's back in the morning. I imagine Rhys and Shaz have to get back to work."
He glanced over, keeping an eye out for Alyssa's dad.
"We can ask if he wants to go to the pub."
Alyssa nodded. She looked up and listened for movement upstairs. A steady shuffling sound.
"Introduce him to everyone? No doubt they will all be down there by now," she replied glancing at the clock on the oven.
"Couldn't hurt. Rowan might have gone over there, with Chris working and all, you know how she feels about being alone. Besides, I think I could do with a drink," he finished with a grin.
Alyssa nodded with a smile and looked up as she heard the careful sound of footsteps on the stairs. She smiled as Gerald came into view.
"We're going to go down the pub, Dad."
Gerald nodded. "Do you mind if I tag along? I'd like to get to know Walford a little better."
Alyssa nodded. "Sure," she hopped off the counter and made her way back into the hall to grab her coat and shoes.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Peggy went downstairs and opened the pub. She smiled at Tracy and went upstairs to let Roxy know the pub was open.
"Tracy is here, darling, so you can just relax up here. I'll let you know if we need any help," Peggy told her.
Rowan got up and went into the pub. For now, it wouldn't be busy. She smiled at Tracy and ordered lemonade with a shot of vodka, then went outside with her drink and lit up a cigarette.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Jane, Christian, Syed and Peter decided to go to the pub after they finished dinner. Jane sat outside and chatted with Rowan for a few minutes.
"Can I buy you a drink, Rowan?"
"Sure, Jane, thanks," Rowan said and followed Jane inside. People were already starting to make their way to the pub. Rowan chatted with Jane for a bit while she drank down the drink Jane had bought her and then decided it was probably time to go home to her empty flat. She glanced at her watch. Chris would likely be getting ready to start work soon. She sighed.
"I should go, Jane, but thanks for the drink," she stood up. "You know, I'll be opening for a few hours tomorrow, doing a brunch buffet if you want to come round."
"I think I just might," Jane said with a smile.
Rowan went outside for another cigarette. She should go back and talk to Alyssa. She pulled out her phone and then put it away with a sigh.
/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\
Ray made a beeline for the pub. Beer. Get himself bladdered. Sleep it off. Forget that he had hurt her. Mind you, the pub was where her family was. He didn't want the questions. He changed his route and was glad the shop was open. Ray got himself a 12 pack of beer and sat himself down in the park and drained a can before picking up another.
/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\
Rowan turned and felt her mouth fall open as she saw Ray walk towards the park carrying a bag. She felt a cold chill at the look of him. Something had gone horribly wrong. She hurried over and saw him toss aside a can and fish another out of the bag. She shook her head. No, not good.
She hurried over and grabbed the bag from him.
"Ray, Ray, what is going on?" she hissed and sat down next to him. She put the bag on the ground next to the bench where he couldn't reach and grabbed the front of his coat to make him look at her. "Ray, talk to me."
She didn't like the feel of this, not at all. Not when she knew Ronnie was pregnant.
Ray scowled at Rowan. He made a grab for the bag and threw his empty can blindly in the direction of the bin.
"Give the bag back, Rowan," he growled as he tried to reach around her for the bag of booze. God she had a strong grip.
"Let go of me, Ro," he sighed as he took her hands and tried to prise them off his jacket. He wanted his beer. He wanted to forget about Ronnie and how much he had hurt her for a few hours.
Rowan stood up and glared at Ray. She grabbed the beer and put it behind her back and leaned close to him and caught his gaze.
"You will not do this here. You come with me now or I'll call Chris and have him lock you up, your choice," she said, her tone low. She grabbed his sleeve and took a step back.
Ray scowled at her and grudgingly rose to his feet, using the bench for support.
"Now give me the beer," he grumbled and held out his hand.
"When we get to the flat," she told him and grabbed his hand and began to walk off. She had to get him out of here while he was functional. She'd call Chris when she got home, after she'd had a talk with Ray and found out what was going on.
Ray grumbled as she pulled him along down the street. He didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to drink himself into oblivion.
Rowan dragged him to the restaurant. She hoped the walk had been long enough for him to clear his head a bit. She unlocked the door, pushed him inside and locked the door. She stalked past him and led him upstairs to the flat.
"You can hang your coat there," she said and pointed at the hooks she'd had Chris put up by the door of the flat. She shut and locked the flat door. She put Ray's beer in the fridge and handed him one.
"Sit, talk," she said as she pointed at the couch.
Ray collapsed onto her sofa and took the beer from her. He gulped down half and sighed. He frowned.
"I don't want to talk," he snapped as he idly played with the half empty can.
Rowan took a beer for herself and folded herself onto her knees on the sofa next to him, facing him. She looked at him, concern etched on her face. She put her arm on the back of the sofa and propped her head on her fist as she watched him.
He would talk, she could wait. She reached down and opened one of the drawers in the coffee table and pulled out an ashtray. She then broke her own rule as she pulled out her cigarettes and lit one up. She always smoked more when she was upset. She held the pack out to him silently. She wanted to cry he looked so miserable.
She took another drink of the beer she'd grabbed for herself and put it on the coffee table.
Ray glanced at the packet. It had been a while since he had a cigarette. He took one out, borrowed her lighter and lit it. He took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. That felt good. But he still felt shit. Really shit. He gulped down the rest of his beer in one gulp and placed the can on the table.
He stared in from of him at the window and watched the lights of the cars on the road as they drove past. London never slept. Or never seemed to sleep.
"She's kicked me out," he finally mumbled.
Rowan put her hand over her mouth. Oh no. She went and got him another beer. She had no idea what to say to that. She blew out a long breath and handed him the beer. She pulled off her boots and put them behind the couch. She sat on the sofa again with her legs folded under her.
She toyed with the hem of her dress and looked up at him.
"I'm so sorry, Ray," she whispered. She was at a loss what to say. "You can have JT's room as long as you need it. He doesn't stay here anymore really. He shows up in the morning and leaves when we're done for the day. Chris will be on nights for another two weeks at least, I don't think he'll mind. He'd want me to let you stay," she knew she was babbling a bit but she couldn't stop. She took a long drag off her cigarette to shut herself up.
She put her cigarette out and looked back at him again with a sigh.
Ray accepted the beer and took a another long gulp. He wanted to be drunk: Pissed out of his skull, but every-time he took a sip he felt more and more miserable. He grunted in annoyance and nodded at Rowan.
"Ta."
He drank down the rest of the alcohol and tried not to let himself feel. He didn't want to remind himself how empty he felt. He needed to fill that void and booze wasn't working. He needed something else.
Rowan felt completely helpless. If she and Chris hadn't been fighting, she might be able to say something, something that would help. But her mind was blank. She couldn't fix her own relationship.
At least with Ray here she wasn't alone, whether he spoke or not she didn't care. There was another person in the flat. She propped her arm on the back of the sofa again and leaned her head against her hand. She rubbed her forehead with two fingers and began to toy with the hem of her dress again.
"You can tell me. It might help," she said, unable to keep the worry from her voice. She reached over and patted his hand. She might not be able to think of anything helpful to say, but she could listen.
Ray looked down at her hand and shook his head.
"Talking about it involves having to think about it" he said as he slipped his hand into hers and held it, a source of comfort for him and hopefully reassurance for her. He didn't want to think about her reaction.
"Why do I always muck everything up Ro?" he asked desperately.
Rowan shook her head sadly and squeezed his hand. She lifted her head and looked at Ray.
"You're not the only one," she whispered. "Chris took those night shifts to get away from me. I screwed up and he doesn't want me anymore."
She looked away again and sighed.
"You don't have to tell me anything, but I'll listen if you need to. I just...I don't think I'm going to have any useful advice," she admitted. She slipped her hand from his and stood up. She walked around the couch, stopping behind Ray and leaning over to give him a quick squeeze.
"I have to change, I'll be right back," she said softly. She stood back up and patted his shoulder. She walked into the kitchen and threw her empty can away before going into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
She pulled off the dress and leaned against the bureau. A few tears slipped down her cheeks. She couldn't cry, not now. How could she help Ray if she was a blubbering fool? She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with a sigh.
Ray didn't register her words. Alcohol was clouding his mind. He knew one thing though, he wanted Rowan. Now. Her. He drank back the rest of the beer in a gulp and stubbed out his cigarette in the ash tray on the table. He ran a hand through his hair and went into the bedroom.
Rowan jumped as she heard the door to the bedroom open and clutched her dress to her chest.
He watched Rowan as she turned around and he walked over to her. His hands found her face and his mouth landed on hers. He kissed her needily.
She took a step back as she saw him walking towards her but the dresser was right behind her. Then his mouth was on hers. Rowan's eyes went wide. She put a hand against his chest and pushed at him gently as she broke off the kiss.
"Ray, what..." she began and stopped, unable to continue. He was standing so close. She shivered, trying to ignore her state of undress as she held her dress tightly, trying to make sure it covered her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again as her breath began to come faster. She closed her mouth, licked her lips and swallowed hard as she slowly moved her hand up from his chest to rest on his cheek and swiftly pulled it away again and dropped it ineffectively to her side.
Ray took her hand that she had dropped and moulded it to his cheek. He looked down at her and took her face in both of his hands again.
"Ro, please" he mumbled as he moved his face closer down to hers again.
Rowan stared at him. Chris didn't want her. Ronnie didn't want him. They'd both been tossed aside. She dropped her hand that had been clutching the dress and tossed the dress aside and hesitantly pressed her lips to his.
She took one of his hands from her face and put it on her waist before putting her hand that had been holding the dress around his neck and kissing him hard.
Ray groaned and pulled her body right up close to his as his hand buried itself in her hair. Part of him knew this was wrong, that if he wanted Ronnie back then this was the wrong way of going about it. Also, this was his best mate's wife. Everything screamed wrong. But the feel of her in his arms felt so right.
He gently eased her around towards the bed and moved with her until the backs of her legs hit the mattress.
Rowan wound her arms tightly around his neck. She hadn't been held in so long. She knew she should stop but she couldn't. It felt so good to be held, to be touched. She moved her hands to the bottom of his jumper and pulled it off.
She slid her hands over his bare chest and down until they reached his waist. She paused and broke off the kiss and looked up at him. She unfastened his belt and jeans as she held his gaze and pushed his jeans down. She reached up and unfastened her bra and slipped it off before putting her hands back on his waist.
Ray eased her backwards onto the bed and looked down at her carefully. He let go of her and reached around his back for her hands and moved them up so they were around his neck rather than his waist. He pressed his lips to hers again. His body told him that he needed this. His mind was confounded. He wasn't sure what was going on in his head so focused on his body and what it was telling him.
He slowly broke off the kiss and moved his hands down to her breasts, watching her face. Then moved them down lower, ghosting over her skin until he reached the elastic of her knickers. He searched her face again.
Rowan's breath came faster as his hands ran over her flesh. It felt so good. She moaned softly and met his gaze steadily as she moved her hands from his neck, slowly over his chest and to his back and his waist. She slid her hands into his boxers, pushing them off and slipping her hand around him. She gently stroked her fingers over the hardness of him.
She moved her other hand up to his neck and pulled him to her and brushed her lips against his. She pushed aside her guilt. For tonight, at least, she wouldn't be alone and lonely. She would be held and touched and wanted.
Ray's head dropped and he groaned as she touched him, he felt her brush her lips against his and he moved a hand back to her head and held her face to his as he kissed her properly, a low growl escaping him. He broke the kiss, his breathing coming fast as he looked at her again, his hand left her head and ghosted over her body once more until he found the waistband of her knickers. He looked at her face as he carefully slipped them off her and kissed her gently once more.
Rowan felt his lust wash over her and she closed her eyes and softly sighed as she felt her control slip away. She took her hand from him long enough to grab his hand and move it between her legs.
She wrapped her hand firmly around him again and began to stroke him, exploring the hardness of him with her fingers. She briefly intensified the kiss before breaking it off and moving her lips to his neck.
Her breath was harsh in her throat as she grazed her teeth along the soft flesh of his neck and then traced the same path with her lips up to his ear, taking his earlobe in her mouth. She moaned softly into his ear before sliding her hand into his hair and gently pulling his head to her chest.
Ray moaned and stroked her in the place where she had placed his hand. He let her manoeuvre him to where she wanted him to be. He lathered his attention over her breasts as she pulled his head down to her chest.
Rowan let out a small cry and writhed beneath him. She twined her hands into his hair.
"Oh, yes, Ray," she whispered, the feel of his hands and lips on her flesh making her want more. She moved her hands to his face and gently made him look at her. She panted for breath as his hand worked between her legs.
"Take me," she gasped out and dropped her head back as his hand pushed her to the edge.
Ray grunted and moved her legs further apart, he leant his face down and kissed her hard as he thrust himself inside her and held her face to his as he buried one hand in her hair.
Rowan broke off the kiss and gasped out a strangled cry as he thrust into her. She couldn't stop moaning, crying out, he was overwhelming. She arched under him desperately, meeting his thrusts as she begged for more. She couldn't think anymore, his need, her need, it was too much, she was lost.
Ray nuzzled his head into her neck and planted feverish kisses on her bare skin as he groaned. He slid his hands up and down her body, then took hold of her hips and tilted her so he had a better angle.
Rowan ran her hands over his back and arms. She had to admit, he was magnificent. She cried out again, she was getting close. She felt his hands holding her hips and a smile played across her mouth. Rowan brought her leg up, but instead of winding it around his hip, she moved it all the way up and rested her leg against his chest and shoulder, giving him the angle he wanted. Her head dropped back on the pillows and she cried out his name again as she began to shudder beneath him.
Ray's eyes widened as her leg swung over his shoulder. He hadn't expected that. Not at all. He slid a hand up her leg in awe and then back down as he dropped his gaze to look at her. He shrugged and accepted it as he dipped his head back down and kissed her. He groaned as he felt his release and rested his head on her shoulder as he let her name spill from him in a long, low moan.
Rowan cried out his name and dug her fingers into his shoulders as his coming triggered her own. She jerked beneath him and slid her leg back down as she wound her arms around him. She tried desperately to catch her breath as she held him tight.
Ray closed his eyes and let his breathing slow to a more normal speed as he came down from his high. He pulled a little away from her as he pushed his body off hers and looked down at her. He smiled weakly and rolled off her onto the bed. He felt extraordinarily sleepy. He took her hand and smiled at her again.
Rowan rolled onto her side and looked at him. She hadn't expected that. She hesitantly moved over to him and laid her head on his chest and slid her arm around him.
Ray raised an eyebrow at her, but encircled her waist with one of his arms, holding her in place as he fell asleep.
Rowan held herself still as she felt him fall asleep, then relaxed. She hadn't expected him to be so gentle, not after the way he'd grabbed her and kissed her. She couldn't have refused him, not after the way he'd said please and she was so tired of being alone and ignored. She closed her eyes and felt tears burn down her cheeks.
Why couldn't she have this with Chris again? She had tried. But his certainty that she would be cold and controlling again had been more than she could bear. His body hadn't even responded to her touch. She ran a finger down Ray's chest and belly and farther and watched as he began to twitch and harden. She took her hand away. She didn't want to wake him.
But Ray's tenderness had undone her. She'd expected him to be more...rough...nearly savage... He hadn't been. She reluctantly admitted that she wanted more. She shivered and realized she was cold. They were on top of the covers. She sighed and edged away from him. She got up and folded the covers back on one side of the bed, then climbed onto the bed and carefully encouraged him to move. She pulled the covers over him when he finally shifted. She turned off the bedroom light, climbed back into the bed and cuddled up next to him again before pulling the covers over herself.
She closed her eyes and let herself drift. She'd be awake in a couple of hours whether she wanted to be or not.
/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\
Whitney read Molly's text and grinned. Just what she needed.
She hurriedly texted back. "Lifesaver-c u there!" and went to pull on her shoes.
Whitney ran to the pub excitedly. She grinned at Jane and Peter and ordered a vodka tonic from Tracy. She got her drink and sat down next to Jane.
"Molly's on her way over," she said with a grin and took a sip of her drink.
