A/N: Reference to Drugs. Swearing. Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. Lisa Armstrong (Ant's wife). Ali/Alison (Ant and Dec's PR). Simon Cowell, Stephen Mulhern.
The oversized doors opened with a creek. There was a very long white table running down the spine of the room. At the far end sat James Grant with his two right hand men. As Ant and Ali walked into the room, the 3 men were writing down some notes and did not look up to acknowledge their client walk in. Unsure of how to proceed, Ali cleared her throat attracting the attention of a short blonde haired man sat on James Grant's left. He gestured to two seats half way up the table and invited them to sit.
They sat down like naughty school children at the head masters office. Both were quiet and awaiting for Mr Grant to begin conversation.
After a good 5 minutes James put down his pen and looked to Ant. He expected to see Dec sat next to him and was about to ask of his whereabouts when he remembered the purpose of the meeting.
The meeting commenced and, for Ant, it was very intense. He was being asked lots of questions, luckily he could answer most of them. Ali has seemed very off with him throughout the meeting and wasn't making it easy for him.
After a gruelling 2 hours the meeting was over. James Grant was satisfied that Ant and Dec could get themselves out of this mess and that he would not be needing to drop them as clients. Stephen was not so safe, but James Grant would have to speak to him before anything was decided.
Halfway down the corridor Ant suddenly remembered the letter. He didn't know if giving it to James would be a good idea after how surprisingly successful the meeting had just gone, but he figured better late than never.
He ran back to the office, where he presumed he would still be with his two business men.
He had left along with one of the men. The man who had seated them was left clearing up paper and tidying the room.
"Hi, sorry to bother you. But I forgot to give Mr Grant this." And pulled out the letter from his blazer pocket. "Can you make sure he gets this please. It is very important." The letter was taken and placed inside a briefcase "Thank you."
Ant left the room again and rejoined Ali in the corridor. There was now an awkward silence between the two and Ant wanted it settled. He always gave her a lift home and so decided that the car was the best place to talk, that way she couldn't just walk away.
"Hey Al, what's going on with you?"
She was checking twitter and seemed rather distracted "nothing, why what do you mean?"
"Can you put that down a sec." She put her phone back into her pocket and gave Ant her full attention. "You haven't been you today, you left mine very suddenly yesterday and you just seem a bit off…, and pet.. I'm worried."
"oh… err. Well don't be… I'm fine honest…"
"That's the biggest load of bull ever! I know you, and you aren't fine."
"look I'm just struggling with everything, you've stayed so strong and fixed everything and I've been no help at all! I wasn't even there for his god damn trial!"
"We're all struggling! He'll understand that you weren't there, it's not an easy thing to go to."
"But you were there and you aren't struggling."
Ant turned to her and looked her in the eye "Ali, I am struggling beyond belief! Can't you see!" His voice cracked like it does before someone cries "I have to look after everyone and clean up everyones mess while my best friend is sat behind bars because of something I did!" tears rolled down his face "And to add to all the stress I have a baby on the way! I am falling apart here, the one that keeps me together isn't here." He paused, to wipe his tears and regroup him self "so I *am* trying to distract myself from it! Don't think you are alone in finding this hard because you really aren't. I am finding this harder than anyone because it is entirely my fault! And people seem to think that I don't know and I don't care, but you know what I do know and believe me, I do care! And I think everyone has forgotten that I am trying to get clean, this is also meant to be the time people support me and help me to sort my life out, but instead I have to sort everything out for everyone else! Declan is the only thing getting me through all of this, I'm a mess, I'm no one but with him, I am someone! He gave me a chance so I am not fucking it up this time!"
"Ant…... I had no idea… omg, I've been thinking about me, me, me and not thinking about you, or anyone else! I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, we all just need to be there for each other." He squeezed her hand and smiled "Now let's stop the soppy talk and see what we can do for Declan, I need to go home first and pick something up and then we can go to Simons."
They continued the drive catching up on what they had both been up to. It was nice to not be in an awkward company, even if it has only been a day, they never normally went a few hours without talking.
They stopped at Ants house and he got the letter addressed to Simon, told Lisa what they were up to and got back into the car.
A little while later they pulled up at Simons house. Neither of them had ever been in before but had waited out side plenty of times.
They walked up to the iron gates and pressed the buzzer on the wall. There was no immediate response.
A posh voice spoke "Hello Mr McPartlin, how can I be of assistance"
Ali nudged him and pointed to the security camera looking at them. "Hello, I need to speak to Simon. Is he here?"
"Let me check for you." Within minutes the gates opened and the pair where allowed to proceed through. When they got to the front door Simon was stood there to greet them.
"I have had one hell of a day and you need to start filling me in on some answers." Simon nodded, a bit taken back by Ant's sternness but the redness of his face from his previous melt down to Ali was clear, so he knew not to mess round "What meddling have you done? They are going to arrest Ste and free Dec"
A smile broke across Simons face "I told you I had people I could talk to… I just spoke to the police and gave them some evidence."
"So you tipped them off?"
"I may of rang them up and told them some information."
"But.." Ali began "The police said that the tip they had about Ste was very much like the one they had about the drugs in Decs room in the first place… so does that mean…. You called the police on Dec?"
"Of course not! Why would I send in a tip of one of the men I need for my show to go on, then trek down to the station and have to give a statement all to get him locked away, so at the last minute I can blame it on someone else."
Ant and Ali were unsure, but they had nothing to go on.
"Look, I promise you both that I didn't frame Declan. Ant, you know better than anyone how much I need you both for the show, you guys are the ratings. I know how this must look but I've done neither of you any harm."
Ant stared at him in disbelief. No harm! What planet was he living on.
"You can say what you like but it just doesn't ring true for me." He pulled out the letter "Have this, we're leaving. We have nothing else to say and I have a wife at home that I have to look after and a friend in prison that needs freeing."