DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE, NOR DO I WANT TO.
PART13of15
Chas and Paddy looked at Cain open mouthed in shock. They couldn't quite believe what they were hearing.
"Not say owt to the police? CAIN! Look at the state of him! The police need to get the monsters who did that to him!" cried Chas.
Paddy stopped her from going on, taking a more calmer approach, " Cain...what's going on?...do YOU know something about this...has he told you what's happened to him...HE HAS hasn't he, that's why you wanted us out of the way, earlier"
Cain closed the relatives room door and turned to him, " It's the robbery...HE were involved"
"WHAT!" glared Chas, tongue in the side of her cheek. She wasn't pleased to be hearing about this only now.
"He KNEW who did it...that boyfriend of his...Jackson whatshisface, he was apart of it"
Chas wracked her brains, "Yeah...I saw him...Aaron had a pint with him in the pub a week or so before Christmas...but he seemed so charming...cocky, I give you that, but..."
Paddy swallowed, " Cain what are you trying to say...do you THINK Aaron was IN on it...from the start, the robbery I mean?"
Chas could of punched him, " COURSE he's not! My Aaron wouldn't do that...would he?", she gorped at her brother for answers, shaking slightly.
Cain shook his head, " From what he's said, no...but who knows what's gone off in that head of his...but what I AM SAYING IS...IF the cops do get a sniff of this, then they'll think he's involved whether he was or not...he'll still get done for knowing about it"
Paddy was starting to fret, "But I think the hospitals called the police...they do with injuries like that"
Chas was shaking, " Oh Cain what are we gonna do..."
Cain turned and saw a couple of police officers with a nurse in the corridor outside, he nodded towards their direction, " Well it's too late to worry about that now, i'm afraid...because they're here..."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Aaron stayed in the hospital for a couple of days and was discharged. For days he just sat on the sofa watching daytime telly, much to Rhonas dismay. But Paddy always had some excuse for him.
Until today, because even Paddy had had enough.
"Aaron, you've really got to get yourself sorted out mate, just laying there in front of the telly allday is not going to do it for you..."
Aaron turned his head from where it lay on the cushion. As usual he was wearing a scanky pair of sweat pants and grey hoodie to match.
"What are you onna bout"
"YOU!" cried Paddy with his hands flapping to the air, " You sitting there allday getting under everybodys feet"
Aaron sat up and glared at him, his blackeye and cut lip still sore to look at, " Oh that'll be right, this is Rhona through and through int it, well stuff her and stuff you!"
Paddy stood back and watched as the lad jumped off the sofa and stormed up the stairs, then there was a slam of the bedroom door.
Rhona came through from the vets, " oi oi oi what's all with the raised voices in here!" she noticed that for the first time in days, the sofa was vacant, " Oh look! We can ACTUALLY sit on our own sofa!" the sarcasm was top of the shot.
Paddy turned to her, " He's gone upstairs. Do you think I should go up there?"
Rhona was at her wits end when it came to that sulky teenager, " Paddy! I don't care, all I care about is us having our living room back AND we have, so if HE stays up there for the next 100 years It won't bother me one bit!"
And then she was back flitting to the vets, green coat flapping behind her. Paddy scratched his head and went to the foot of the stairs and looked up. Then changed his mind. He'd only cause another row anyway, he decided to try later when HOPEFULLY the lad would of calmed down.
Xxxxxxxx
14 days later and the bruises were still raw. The cut lip was healing up, but every morning in the bathroom, Aaron stared at his reflection in the steamed up mirror and thought about poor Steve. Poor Steve's family. Living their lifes without him while his killers were still free to walk the streets.
Victoria told him in the pub one lunch time, that the manager who ran the store had to give up work because he kept thinking back to the robbery, and it kept on bringing on yet more angina attacks.
He had been practically pensioned off.
In the freezing cold February breeze, Aaron stuck his hands in his pockets and was due to start back at work. Cain was waiting outside the garage for him.
"At last, so is today going to BE the day, eh? Is it going to be the day that I get some work out of you"
Aaron pulled on his overalls and shrugged, not bothered, " Dunno...I'm here, aren't I"
Cain could punch him sometimes. He really did need knocking into touch. Pointing a spanner at him he shot him a mean glare, " Now you listen here soft lad, WHAT YOU were involved with, you have to put behind yah...I know somebody got killed, but look what happened to you...it took us a while to get the cops to stop sniffing around, so just be grateful that you can start again"
Aaron opened up the bonnet of a mini and looked at him, " try telling that to Steves family..."
"I DON'T CARE A STUFF ABOUT SOME 'NOMARK I DON'T KNOWS' FAMILY...YOU ARE MY FAMILY, SO JUST DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!" cried Cain, he really was annoyed with him now and wasn't prepared to take any nonsense from the teen.
"BUT THAT JACKSON IS GETTING AWAY WITH IT"
Cain threw the spanner down and had Aaron up against the wall by the collar, " NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME! YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE WALSHS DO YOU GET ME! JERRY WALSH ONLY HAS TO CLICK HIS FINGERS AND FOLK AREN'T SEEN NO MORE! I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT HIS SON IS A CHIP OF THE OLD BLOCK, EH?"
Aaron swallowed and nodded his head, "What's he in for...his dad I mean?" he hadn't thought about that.
Cain raised his eyebrowes, as he relaxed his grip on his overalls, " Armed robbery mostly, don't you remember that bank hoist in Leeds about 4 years back? Jerry Walsh was there and HE and his gang shot three people in cold blood, do I have to go on?"
Aaron knew he didn't. But it didn't change the fact that Jackson Walsh was out there doing exactly the same thing as his old man. Jackson may not of killed anyone, well not what he knew of anyway, but, something had to be done about him...surely?
Xxxxxxx
She worked in Sainsburys. Jenny Lowe. Steves wife. Aaron took himself over there one wet March morning. And hung around until he saw her. He had seen her when she appealed for the capture of her husbands murderers on the news at Christmas, so he knew her face as soon as he clocked his eyes on her.
Why he did this, he didn't know. Somekind of misjudged punishment he inflicted on himself. Jenny looked sad for most of the time, but it looked like she had to still work. Get on with her life without Steve, and that made Aaron mad. Mad that HE was out there getting away with it.
Yes Cain had told him the whys of NOT getting involved. Had done for the upteen weeks. But it WAS wrong.
Xxxxxxx
After Spring term at College, Aaron decided that he should reinroll. And told his tutor the whys he had dropped out at Christmas.
The tutor was understanding and said that he could possibly start again in September. Paddy was pleased.
"Aaron at last! I'm so proud of you!"
Rhona was getting the tea on, " What's this?" she asked as she glanced away from the stove. Paddy beamed a smile at Aaron and said, " Shall I tell her...or do you want to do it?"
Aaron leaned his back against the counter and folded his arms, " Does it matter...I'M GOING BACK TO COLLEGE"
Rhona glanced at Paddy. It was an 'at last' kind of glance, but deep down Aaron knew that he had been getting on Rhonas nerves lately and now was the time to put that right.
"I'm glad to hear it Aaron...saves you wasting your time and LACK of energy round here, eh?"
Aaron picked up on the sarcasm but decided to let it go.
Xxxxxxx
The warm breeze was nice. As he stood out side the Woolpack one Mid May evening. Adam, Victoria, Lola, who Vic had managed to pair up with Adam, and a few mates of Aaron's from college Scott and Naseem.
Naseem was the one Aaron liked best. His nice dark asian looks really attracted him to him. As Lola was playfully jabbing Aaron and Victoria was talking the hind legs of a donkey with poor Scott, Aaron downed his pint and followed Naseem round to the side of the pub where nobody could see them.
"So, it's nice round here...better than Hotten...I think I might kinda like getting to know it"
Naseem's dark eyes stared into Aaron's. Aaron himself was abit nervous and tried to avoid the eye contact a tad, " Do yah? You must be mad, because I tend to spent most of my time wandering whether I will ever get out!"
Naseem pulled out his packet of cigarettes and offered one to Aaron. He took one and within minutes they were puffing away.
"So..." Aaron started, " You're abit of a dark horse aren't yah?...smoking...drinking..." he trailed off.
Naseem found him amusing, " Whys that? Because I'm a muslim...I dont take all that seriously you know...well...only when my grandads around maybe, but not for most of the time"
Aaron was intrigued, " But...dont you lot go in for them arranged marriages and that?"
Naseem leaned in blowing out his smoke, " Do I eck! I'm not into all that..."
Aaron held his gaze, suddenly feeling drawn to him, " Is that right? So what are you intersted in...?"
Naseem flicked away the half smoked cigarette and stepped abit nearer so his hand was up flat against the wall and his face was close to Aaron's.
Aaron's contact went from the lads eyes to his mouth. Naseem did the same because he wasn't sure either. The last thing he wanted was a punch in the face from Aaron.
But as he moved closer, so did Aaron until their lips nearly met.
"AARON! COME ON...WE'LL MISS THE BUS INTO TOWN!" cried Victoria peering around the corner.
The moment gone. Aaron moved away and turned back, " You coming?"
Naseem smirked at him, " I wanted to..."
Aaron smirked too, " So did I...another time yeah?
"Deffo"
Xxxxxxxxx
Aaron was enjoying his life. Over the next few weeks he and Naseem got to know eachother better. It was a week until their first kiss at Bar West. And then it was three weeks after that, that Aaron allowed Naseem in bed with him. He wasn't going to go rushing things like last time.
That day had been amazing. It was July and it had been a scorching hot day. Aaron and Naseem at been to the beach that morning and got back just in time for the village barbeque.
Wanting some private time together, Aaron took Naseem back to Smithy where they had a bit of a smooch on the sofa. The same sofa he had been depressed on several months previous.
Life couldn't be better.
Aaron got the beers from the fridge as Naseem called out to him from the lounge, " Hey Aaron, me mate Darryls just text me... fancy coming to a party? It's in Hotten, but I'm sure my mate will let us crashdown if we get too bladdered?"
Aaron was well up for that, " Nice one...beats hanging around here...whos party is it?"
"Darryl, that mate of mine whos off to Uni next year...it's his birthday, his parents are out of town and the partys ON!"
Aaron snatched out the six pack of beers from the fridge, " I dont need telling twice"
Naseem leaned in and they kissed one another before snatching up their stuff to go out.
Xxxxxxxx
The party was in full swing. It was a small terreced house in Hotten but the place was packed. As Aaron and Naseem arrived, the music was blaring out loudly, it was a wonder the neighbours hadn't complained.
"YOU USED TO WORK FOR KT CLOTHES!" yelled a voice. Aaron turned as someone handed him can of lager, " Yeah MONTHS ago..." he said pulling the ring.
The girl with dreadlocks had lipstick snudged all over her face, " I used to work there too...with Vic and Lola...it was a shame about Steve"
Steve...
He had blocked that name out for months...why was it being brought back to him!
Aaron put his back to her and headed off into the hallway to go find Nas. There was plenty of weirdos here, student types.
Naseem had caught up with Darryl. They were talking on the stairs. When he saw him, Naseem introduced them and then Darryl said that his sister Cheryl had to go.
The music was so loud. Aarons ears hurt as he stepped up the pathway to the gate to have a smoke. Cheryl looked a nice classy bird. A summer dress that wasn't too short, her blond hair tonged slightly and a nice manner about her.
"It's nice to meet you both, but my Hubbys supposed to be picking me up and he's late"
Darryl rolled his eyes at her, " HE'S always late...but he's a good laugh"
Naseem lit a cig for himself, " So...is it still alright to crash at yours" he asked Darryl. The student nodded as he leaned on the squeaky gate, " Yeah course..."
Cheryl had a quick drag of Naseems fag and then nodded to the street, " Here he is, thanks so much for a lovely time"
Aaron smiled and turned to see what was coming to park. A blue van. A blue builders van, with Jackson Walsh at the wheel.
Cheryl stepped up to the window as it was wound down and met Jackson for a kiss, " Alright my sweat" he sung, " Sorry i'm late i had a job to plan"
Aaron was open mouthed and he could feel the colour drain from his face. Jackson looked up and clocked him, the builder smiled, " Alright Aaron?"
Aaron swallowed and just nodded.
Naseem turned, " What, you twos know eachother?"
Jackson shrugged as he jumped out of the van in his black footie shorts and trainers and nowt else, " Sorry about the state of undress...but I've litually stepped out of the shower"
Cheryl nestled into her husband as he put an arm around her.
"So where to you and him no eachother?" breathed Darryl.
Aaron was silent, but Jackson laughed, " What me and him? Oh he did a job for me...fixes me van dont you Aaron?...gave me a right old service" he teased with a wink and then a kiss for his wife still grinning at Aaron.
Aaron looked as Cheryls hand was resting on Jackson's bare chest, " Right...best be off...get you home my sweet...shes going to her mothers again tomorrow...boy what am I gonna do with meself on those lonely hot nights?" he said, and again he glanced at Aaron suggestively, but not committed.
"See you later sis"
Aaron looked on as Jackson started the engine and they drove off. He couldn't believe what just happened. Did this Cheryl know her husband was bisexual? Did she know even, that her husband was an armed robber?
Cheryl was nice and sweet and it was obvious that she doted on her husband, but all this was bringing it back.
His face. His voice.
The woods, the beating.
Steve and his family.
It was back to the front of his mind, and he knew he had to do something about it. He tried living with it...and it had been alright 'till now, but it was always going to creep up on him again.
And now it had.
And he was determined that, for once and for all, this had to be sorted out, one way or the other...
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
More soon.
Sorry about the lack of updates lately on this. Just two chapters left.
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