So...yeah. I kinda completely forgot about this fic. I'm currently working on 5 different things... I need to just focus on one at a time, I guess? Anyway! Chap six is now up, and if you're lucky I may do a megaupdate (3 fics at once) on monday :)
Chapter 6: A Clever Mind and Quick Tongue
It had been two years since the day Stu had come crawling back to Tom's house. Tom had never been more right than he was when talking about Stu's addiction. Even now, he still craved for the speed, although the craving was less intense than it had been. He was still wary of going anywhere near the hangouts of dealers. He was established now, had a decent job and money in his pocket. If he passed the dealers, what would happen to that money? He knew that one day, he'd have to face it, but at the moment, he was staying away.
Stu tapped nervously on the table and took a sip of his beer. Nelson, the pub owner smiled at him warmly. Stu nodded his head in acknowledgement and stared at the door.
Gene didn't know he was here. He didn't know if Gene would even acknowledge his existence. But he had to try. His job had been going well and he had money to return.
There was a roar of laughter as the door opened and CID started walking in. Several of the people Stu had met four years ago weren't with the group. He wondered if they had transferred. The door shut as the last man came into the room. He swaggered towards the table CID had grabbed, but stopped. His grin faltered as he saw Stu in the corner, holding a beer. A look of fury crossed his face as Stu motioned him over. Stu watched him as he said something to the table causing them to laugh and then moved over to where Stu was sitting.
Stu motioned to Nelson for another beer as Gene sat down heavily across from him. "What do you want, Stu?"
"Several things," he said as Gene glared at him. "First off..." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a wad of notes. He laid them on the table in front of Gene, who just stared at him.
"What is this?"
"What I stole from you four years ago. With a little extra. Count it as interest."
Gene pushed it back. "I don't want it."
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't want the money you made by dealing, Stu."
Stu gave an exasperated laugh. "I was never a dealer, Gene. Could never keep the speed long enough to be able to."
"So where's the money from?"
"I have a proper job now. I'm a janitor at the hospital. A mate talked to one of his mates who was willing to hire me."
"How'd you manage to keep it?" Gene sneered. Stu sighed, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
"I know this is difficult for coppers, but try to keep an open mind," he snapped. Gene quietly stared at Stu, lighting up a fag.
"I'm two years clean," Stu said.
A small smirk worked its way across Gene's face. "Yeah. As clean as last time, right?"
"You've got a wonderful capability of an open mind, don't you?"
Gene said nothing again, merely staring.
"You do know what capability means, don't you?" Stu sneered. He had always been smarter than Gene and although he didn't usually rub it in, he was annoyed now.
Gene glared at him. "You've wounded me to the core, right there Stuart."
Stu smirked. "I got help. I haven't had speed in two years."
"And how much of that figure is a lie?"
"I don't need this. Look. I just came to give you your money. If you won't accept it, that's your problem, but I'm not taking it back. I earned it fair, I've been clean two years and if you can't believe that then I don't believe that you're my brother." He stood, getting ready to go.
"Sit down Stu," Gene said.
Stu continued to stand, putting money down on the table for both drinks. "Goodbye Gene."
Gene stood suddenly, pushing Stu against the wall, holding him by the lapels. Stu tried to pull his knee up, but couldn't. Gene was standing on his toes as well. Instead, he stared straight into the steely blue eyes and spoke.
"Punch me Gene. Do it. It'll make you feel better, won't it? Tell you what. I'll wait while you get drunk and then you can beat the living shit out of me. How does that sound? After all, everything is my fault isn't it? I killed Mam, I made Dad the way he was, I screwed up your life. And then I tried to escape from it all. And you know what? The speed finally made me feel good about myself. It made me feel invincible. But now, I've returned to earth, to all the shit that's happened, and you mock me. Just remember that you're not the only one who had the shitty home life. At least..."
"What?"
Stu said nothing, continuing to stare at him defiantly. "WHAT?" Gene roared.
"Least I only turned to drugs. I have never, ever punched someone in anger. I'm not a drunk, angry bastard. I'm not like him."
The word was left unsaid, but they both knew what Stu meant.
"I'm not like him," Gene said in a strangled voice.
Stu said nothing, aware of the horrible blow he had just struck on Gene. No, he had never reverted to his fists, but he was clever enough to have a quick tongue.
"Take it back."
Stu looked at him. "I'm not going to. You can arrest me, let me go, whatever, I don't care. Just remember if you punch me you're just like he was." He felt the grip loosening on his jacket. "I won't sob for you like I did for dear old Dad though. I'm afraid I'm rather over that part of my life. After nearly being stabbed to death and almost dying of an overdose, beatings don't really hold much merit."
The grip grew even more slack. Stu continue to talk, slowly working his way out of Gene's grasp. "I suppose if you want to kill me you could do that too. I'm sure your copper mates would help you cover that up. Cause, after all, isn't that what you wanted? You wanted to be an only child? To have Mummy and Daddy all to yourself? I can't say you'll get them back when you kill me now, but maybe if you had kicked Mam's stomach none of this would have happened. Yes, a punishment for you and a few months of a grieving mother, but no screw up brother to deal with eh? Course, if you kill me now, that takes away the screw up brother too."
Gene's grip was now loose enough that Stu could slip out of his grasp. "I'll see you later Gene. Don't worry, I won't come here again. I've paid you back for the money I stole, paid for your drink, and a lot more of what you've done in your lifetime. I guess it's time to start my own life, huh? I hope you figure life out for yourself, and I hope to God you never ever have a child of your own."
With that, he left the pub, Gene frozen behind him. Gene stood there for several moments, staring at the wall that he had shoved Stu up against.
"Guv?" his DI questioned.
Gene shook his head and turned back to his CID, who all looked concerned. "You okay Guv?" his DI asked.
"Yeah," Gene said distractedly, Stu's barbed words running constantly through his mind. One sentence repeated constantly.
"After nearly being stabbed to death and almost dying of an overdose, beatings don't really hold much merit." He could still see the hatred on Stu's face in his head.
A memory flew into his mind.
He picked up his shaking brother from the floor after knocking their father out. Stu was only nine and was tiny. Gene knew that he didn't eat enough, that he was too afraid of their father to eat. He shook his head. They had to get out of there.
He carried the nearly unconscious Stu through the streets of Manchester, not exactly knowing where he was going. They'd have to find somewhere to stay soon, winter was coming and he wouldn't let his brother live on the streets.
Suddenly, he remembered a woman from a long time ago. His Aunt Anne. She had been their Mam's sister and stopped visiting when their father had forced her to. Gene knew that he had once gone to her flat with their Mam when he was young, but he wasn't entirely sure where it was.
He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, even though Stu was starting to rouse and crying out occasionally.
A street sign popped into his mind. Holdgate Close. He knew where that was. Gene started walking towards it, praying that his Aunt had not moved in the past eight years. It was fast growing dark but Gene walked with purpose, ignoring everyone on the street who was giving him odd looks.
A police officer tried to approach him, but he skirted around the man, hiding in an alley for a moment before continuing.
A few streets away, Stu woke up in earnest, starting to cry. "It hurts, Gene," he said softly.
"Shh, Stu. We're not going back to Dad."
Stu looked up at him, his silver blue eyes scared and worried. "Won't he try to find us?"
"I dunno. But we won't go back with him."
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to see if our aunt will let us stay for a few days."
"I didn't know we had one," he said.
"Dad made her stop visiting when you were one. She was right angry, I remember."
"Will she be mad at me for killing Mam?"
Gene stopped, looking down at Stu. "You didn't kill her Stu. I have told you this a hundred times over."
He nodded and curled up to Gene's chest, falling into a light sleep. Finally, they reached the street, and Gene stopped, trying to remember the number. However, he was lucky. As he was preparing himself, one of the doors opened and a blonde woman walked outside. Gene smiled. She looked almost exactly like Mam.
"Aunt Anne!" he called. She stopped, looking down the street at the boys. She squinted a moment before recognition flowed over her face.
"Gene?" she asked in disbelief.
He nodded.
"What are you doing here?"
"Stu. Dad threw Stu down the stairs and I knew we had to get out."
Anne looked down at the boy in his arms. Gene knew Stu was a mess, covered in welts and bruises of different ages. She gently pulled Stu out of his arms and then studied Gene. He knew his nose was swollen, probably broken, but he didn't care.
"You two can come on in. I'm not letting you go back," she said firmly. She took Stu to the sitting room, laying him on the couch. She instructed Gene to sit on one of the chairs while she went to get things to take care of their wounds.
Stu stirred and Gene moved over to him, holding onto his hand.
"Gene?" Stu said worriedly.
"It's okay, Stu. Aunt Anne's taken us in. We aren't going back."
"Thank you."
"I won't ever let anything happen to you, Stu. No one will try to kill you again."
Aunt Anne was the only good part of their childhoods. She nurtured them like she was their mother herself. However, when Gene hit seventeen, she became incredibly ill. No one was sure what she was ill with, but she died soon after the illness struck. She had left Gene and Stu everything, including the house and they continued to live there until Gene kicked Stu out. After that he had sold the flat.
He took a sip of beer, thinking of the promise he made to Stu that first night in Anne's house and laughed. So much for protecting his brother. Stu had been nearly killed once, and Gene himself had been ready to do it tonight. Thank God his brother had such a quick tongue. As much as it enraged him, it hurt him and that was the only thing that stopped him from hitting Stu.
Lost in thought, he stood, leaving his beer on the table and a confused CID behind.
