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It took three chocolate bars and a packet of digestive biscuits to make Jim agree to let Leah join him with Brendan Brady again. The thought that her Dad may have killed Seamus Brady was still weighing heavily on her mind and she was desperate to get to the bottom of it all. Leah knew she'd get no answers from her Dad about Brendan Brady, when she'd returned yesterday from her day with Jim he was back to acting as if nothing at all had happened that morning. She'd tentatively raised the subject again, only for him to pretend that he couldn't hear her. It hadn't helped that the work Jim had made her do yesterday was pretty dull and the only prisoner they visited was some strange woman called Claire, who used paint to make her finger nails red.

When Jim had texted her to say he was off to see Brendan Brady the next day she had almost jumped at the chance. Leah had so many questions and it seemed Brendan might be the only one to willingly give her answers. A part of her wanted to help him too, it wasn't right for him to be locked away if he hadn't done the murders he was in prison for. She rubbed her eyes, trying to force herself to stay awake. Leah hadn't slept well and had dreamed about giant insects dragging her Dad and Brendan away while she screamed at them to stop.

'The room's ready.' said the guard to Jim and Leah.

'Are you sure about this?' Jim asked quietly.

Leah rolled her eyes. 'Do you even have to ask?'

'Alright, but don't blame me when he shuts down on you.' replied Jim.

Leah followed Jim into the room and noticed Brendan was once again already present and chained to the table. His appearance didn't shock or scare her as much this time and instead she felt a shudder of excitement. The excitement was short lived, however, when Brendan shot her an icy look.

'Hello James, what's intern Barbie doing here?' asked Brendan.

Leah clenched her fists, forcing herself not to rise to his comment. She smiled instead and that seemed to make Brendan view her with even more confusion. 'Never liked Barbies much me, I used to draw all over them with my felt tips. I much preferred insects and bugs.' she tilted her chin in an act of defiance, saying with her eyes 'your move Brady'.

Brendan for a moment nearly smiled at her sass, but then changed his face to icy indifference again. 'Let me guess, this is the prison authority's new thing. They can't give me the death sentence, so they've sent in Britney to bore me to death with her life stories.'

'I'm not the one who used to have a Freddie Mercury moustache.' said Leah defiantly.

Jim coughed loudly and awkwardly. 'I didn't come here to listen to you to argue today. We've got the course case to talk about.'

'I'll behave if he does.' Leah fired back.

Brendan bared his teeth at Leah, before directing his attention back onto Jim. 'There is nothing to discuss James; I'm not changing my statement. This whole thing a waste of your time and Cheryl's money.'

'Why's it a waste of time?' asked Leah.

Brendan was quiet for a moment, shocked that she even had to ask. 'I'm guilty; I did all the things I confessed to. Or did you have some pretty little fairy tale in your head that it was all some big mistake and I'm the victim of some massive miscarriage of justice. Perhaps you think I just tripped and fell on the gun that killed my Da.'

'Bullshit.' said Leah, slamming her hands down hard on the table.

'Louise!' said Jim.

Leah folded her arms and fixed Brendan with a glare. 'We both know you're lying, so please don't treat us like we're idiots. I don't understand why you want to stay in here, when you could be free. So it must mean you're protecting someone, but are they a good enough reason for you to rot in jail? There must be something out there for you.'

Brendan looked at her intently, as if she was some sort of puzzle he was yet to figure out. 'Brendan Brady died that day on the balcony. There is nothing left for me out there any more.'

Leah stood up, knowing she needed to get out of the room before she lost her temper. She reached the door before turning round to look at Brendan one last time. 'I went to school with Leah Barnes; I got to know her Dad pretty well. If you could see Steven Hay and see how much he has struggled since you were imprisoned. Brendan Brady died that day, well so did Steven Hay. Maybe you wouldn't be so quick to say that there's nothing left for you outside any more... Or maybe what he once said to me was right, you're only capable of loving yourself.'

She blindly left the room and shot straight past the guard who was too busy doing a crossword to notice her tears. She practically ran into the toilets and stood in front of the mirror, gripping both sides of the sink. Tears were freely falling from her eyes, tears of frustration and hopelessness. It was all one big waste of time and she'd probably lost her placement with Jim now. If Brendan Brady wanted to rot in here then he could just go ahead and do just that.

Water Proof Ink

'That was very unprofessional.' said Jim sternly.

Leah closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. 'I know. I'm sorry, I understand if you don't want me to be your intern any more.'

Jim was thoughtful for a moment. 'If you'd done that with anyone else I would be thinking about letting you go, but instead I have a proposition for you.'

'Okay...' said Leah, uncertain.

'If I could win the Brendan Brady appeal it would probably be the biggest success of my career.' started Jim. 'But I've known for a while the whole case is pretty hopeless because Brendan won't co-operate with me. But today I saw something in him I've never seen before.'

Leah bit her lip. 'What did you see?'

'I saw Brendan actually having an interest in both you and what you had to say.' answered Jim. 'In the thirteen years I've been his lawyer I have never seen him react to anyone like he has you.'

'He hates me.' muttered Leah.

'Actually I think he quite likes and respects you. I asked him whether he wanted me to take you off his case and he said no. After you'd gone he agreed to think about changing his story about what happened to Simon Walker.' Jim looked excited at this new development.

'Is that good news?' asked Leah.

'Yes! You've performed an impossible feat today Leah, you made a mountain move. It gives me hope that maybe he'll be moved on over aspects of his confession.' Jim eyed her thoughtfully. 'This is why I'd like the Brendan Brady case to become your main subject of concentration. I'd like you to keep seeing him, just talk to him, chip away and see if you can talk any further sense into him.'

'But I didn't do anything.' muttered Leah.

'No,' answered Jim. 'But in my personal opinion you're just like your father and I think that's why you're the only one who can help him see sense.'

Leah bit her lip. 'Can I think about it?'

Jim nodded and helped himself to a biscuit. 'Don't take too long though.' he bit into the biscuit and let out a happy sigh. 'I was never going to get rid of you, where would I be without all this lovely food you keep giving me?'

Water Proof Ink

Leah was in the biscuit aisle of Price Slice when she saw him, the man she'd spent the night with. She ducked down below the shelves, admiring him from a distance. He was a lot younger than she remembered; he didn't look to be much older than her. His hair looked soft and messy, like it had just been washed and she was startled that a part of her longed to reach out and touch it. The most striking thing about him was his intense blue eyes and the way he had a vulnerability to him, which made him stand out from everyone else.

'What are you doing?' asked Cindy from behind her.

Leah tried to push herself further into the shelving. 'Just pretend I'm not here.' she muttered.

Cindy raised a perfectly pruned eyebrow at her. 'You' haven't decided to go on the nick like your Dad used to, have you?'

'No,' said Leah through gritted teeth. 'I just don't want him to see me.' she glanced towards the man's direction, hoping Cindy would get the hint.

Cindy made an appreciative noise. 'Hmm...Very nice. You're punching well above your weight there.' she coughed loudly so the man looked in their direction.

Leah swore internally when he noticed his eyes on the two of them. She picked up a packet of custard creams, wishing they were big enough to hide behind. Please don't come over, please don't come over, she chanted again and again in her mind.

'Hi Leah.' said a soft Irish voice.

Crap! Leah put the custard creams down, like holding them in front of her face was the most normal thing in the world. 'Hi.' her voice came out in a high pitched squeak.

Cindy winked at them both. 'You can thank me later and I'll be checking inside that bag of yours on the way out, I'll know if any of the biscuits are missing.'

Leah tried to smile, but she was sure it looked more like a grimace. 'Look,' she started, not allowing him to talk. 'I'm sorry about the other night, it was a mistake. I'm not the type of girl you think I am and you really don't have to stand there making awkward conversation with me.'

The man's eyebrows shot up. 'I don't think you're any type of girl, I just came over to be friendly. It's not often I get to meet a girl who was so unimpressed by me that she ran away while I was in the shower.'

Leah felt her cheeks burning red. 'I'm sorry about that, I was embarrassed. Like I said I don't usually do that kind of thing.'

He glanced around Price Slice to check no-one was listening to their conversation. 'I don't do that type of thing either. My Mum would kill me if she knew.' he let out an awkward laugh.

Leah was once again taken aback at how young and vulnerable he looked. 'She sounds about as fun as my Mum.'

He shrugged. 'My Mum hasn't really had that much to worry in terms of girls. From where I come from in Ireland I can't even cough without someone telling my Mum about it. My Dad...My Dad did a bad thing so no-ones really been that interested. Sometimes people look at me like I'm a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.'

Leah's mouth fell open a little at his open honesty. 'Well...I.'

The smile on his face began to fade. 'I've said too much again haven't I? It's just I came over here a week ago and I haven't really gotten to know anyone yet.'

She found herself smiling for the first time that day. 'Do you want to go for a coffee?'

His face lit up into a smile. 'Alright then.'

Water Proof Ink

Leah scoped the foam from her cappuccino into her mouth, sneaking glances at the man in front of her every few seconds. 'Your flat is pretty dirty.' she said, before she could stop herself.

He smiled at her. 'It's not my flat, it's my Auntie's. She hasn't lived in it for a long time. I didn't realise a clean flat was what girls looked for in their one night stands.'

'It's hardly a one night stand now, we're sat here having coffee.' said Leah. She glanced down at her phone and noticed her Mum was trying to ring. Leah pulled a face before dropping the call.

The man glanced at her and then the phone questionably.

'It was my Mum,' explained Leah. 'We don't exactly get on at the minute. I live with my Dad and what ever bloke he's attempting to make a go of it with.' she glanced up to see if he had any reaction to her admission about her Dad being gay. She was relieved when he didn't seem at all bothered.

'My Dad's gay too.' he said simply. 'Though the way my Ma talks about it, you'd think he had some incurable disease. In fact you'd think my Dad was some type of mass murderer the way she goes on about him too.'

Leah thought about her own Mum and Dad, suddenly feeling an intense pride in them. 'I live with my Dad; he's a pretty cool guy. My Mum's okay in small doses too, they still get on really well.'

He smiled wishfully. 'I never really got to know my Dad; he wasn't exactly the paternal type while my brother and I were growing up. I guess that's why I've come to stay in my Aunt's flat for a bit, I'm hoping it'll give me some type of insight to what he was like as a person.'

Leah smiled ironically. 'Maybe that's why we were drawn to each other in the club the other night then, seems like we're both looking for answers.'

'Don't you sometimes feel like it just creates more questions?'

'All the time.' answered Leah. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Sure.' he answered.

'If someone you loved was hurting and you knew there was something you could do to maybe fix it. Would you do it? Even if it meant delving into things that aren't really any of your business and there was a genuine chance you could make things worse.' Leah looking at him desperately, hoping this stranger held the answer.

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating what she'd just said. 'I think I would do whatever it takes to make them happy again. Life's too short to live with regrets.'

Leah stood up. 'You're right! I've got to go.' she downed the last of her coffee. 'I'll see you around?'

'Sure.' he answered, trying to hide his disappointment.

Leah was almost to the door, when something made her turn and go back to their table. 'I didn't even get your name.'

He smiled charmingly at her. 'It's Paddy.'