December 14th Last Christmas.

Characters: Vaughan Fitzgerald

Last Christmas

I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away.

This year

To save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special.

It had always been Allie who had loved Christmas, and it was Allie who made Vaughan love Christmas too. Vaughan had never been particularly fond of the holiday but after a few months of living with Allie and her children he had soon grown to love the festive season or the most wonderful time of the year as she liked to call it. He dug his fingers into his pocket, as he walked on the snow, he was alone but he liked being alone it gave him time to think.

Allie had gone and he was doubtful that she would come back, so had Tiffany and Floyd who he had grown to love, especially since the two got on so well with Leo; Justin was an entirely different matter. He didn't know what to do with Justin; he was at the end of his tether and he was at a complete loss at what to do.

He had eventually bailed Justin out, but he was struggling, he was mad at Justin, mad at how he had treated Allie, Floyd and Tiffany, Justin was making it impossible for anyone to live with him, Vaughan couldn't send him to boarding school; that would just result in too many financial difficulties if Allie was ever too return, he couldn't just ship him off to his mother, he had been far too relaxed about him getting away with everything and he was sick off it. He had slapped his partner, pushed Tiffany down the stairs, got Tiffany pregnant and ended up in countless fights with Floyd, this had to end somehow or other.

When he got up, he saw Leo sitting on the sofa, "hello dad," he said but he didn't take his eyes of the screen, Justin had taken up so much of his time that Leo was always pushed aside, but Vaughan made a resolution that he would pay a bit more attention to his younger son.

"Hi Leo, how's it going?" He asked.

"Good, I miss Allie, Floyd and Tiffany though," the younger boy said adjusting his glasses, Vaughan sat next to him, he had noticed his younger son forming a close friendship with Tiffany, now she had gone Vaughan feared that Leo would once again be alone. Vaughan peered over his son's laptop slightly curious at the intent look on his son's face.

"What are you doing?" He asked only just noticing the pile of sheets next to Leo, "this can't be your work," he said incredulous, he read the beginning of the essay and his eyebrows rose so high he was afraid that they would leap out of his face, "Lisa Brown, Leo is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, dad it's fine," Leo said closing his laptop carefully but Vaughan felt like he wasn't just closing his laptop but shutting all emotions off from his brain, "look just leave it okay?" He asked beginning to stride away, which had always been the problem with Leo he always found it easier to shut people out even if they wanted to listen. Vaughan sighed.

"Leo, if you ever need to talk I'm always here for you," Vaughan tried again refusing to give up, "Lisa Brown is more than capable of doing her own work, you shouldn't be putting under this much stress," he said finally realising the cause behind Leo's quietness, his quiet exterior made him the ideal candidate to hide things. "Is it just Lisa Brown or are you doing other pupil's homework?"

Leo sighed there seemed little point in keeping secrets now, "just Lisa and Shaznay," he murmured, there was another name too but he didn't want to name that person.

"Okay I shall talk to them both on Monday, don't worry Leo it's going to be okay," Vaughan said trying to assure his son, somehow he felt that there was more than this story than to what Leo was telling, but he feared that pushing his son to answer his questions would result in pushing his son even further away.

"It's just I'm rubbish at making friends, and I feel-," Leo began and Vaughan felt like he was finally getting somewhere with his youngest son but he never found out what Leo was trying to say for at that precise moment Justin choose to burst through the door. The moment had passed and once again Leo closed up like a flower drawing away from the son.

"Justin, I need to talk to you," Vaughan said, Leo disappeared sensing danger, despite the departure of Allie, Floyd and Tiffany he had shown no emotion whatsoever, he didn't act like he was glad and as soon he was out of the cell he acted like nothing had changed.

"What is it dad, did I breathe?" Justin said sarcastically.

In that moment Vaughan decided to put his vague plan that he had formulated with Allie into action."I've been talking to Mrs Budgen and I've come to the conclusion that it isn't working for you living here so I've asked her if you could stop at the school house for a few nights," Vaughan said awkwardly, he felt like he was pushing his son out of his life, but Justin was making it impossible, it was no longer a question of what Allie wanted it was just that Vaughan was struggling to cope with Justin.

"So you're kicking me out even though she's gone?" Justin asked.

"Look, it's just for a few nights," Vaughan began but he knew how bad it looked. Truth be told he just couldn't deal with Justin anymore.

"Thanks for nothing dad," Justin said before going outside and slamming the door. Vaughan may've gained a son in Leo but he had lost a son in Justin.

Vaughan sighed and fell on the sofa, looking at the photo album which showed the photos of last Christmas, last Christmas life seemed so much simpler, this year a Christmas without Allie was a Christmas he'd rather not experience, but he was pretty sure that she had gone and she wasn't planning to return no matter what he hoped in his heart.

Now he wouldn't get the chance to say the words he had always dreamt of saying.

A/N Hope you liked it, thank you for the lovely reviews and please review it makes my day,

Hope you liked the Leo and Vaughan scene and what did you make of the Justin being sent to the school house?

Edit;; I edited bits of this, I very nearly wrote a bit where Vaughan slipped up and Justin found out Tiffany was pregnant, but I decided not to. In this scene when Vaughan is walking in the snow inspiration comes from Mr Maddens (Martin Freeman) & Jennifer from Nativity c: remember how he's all miserable because his girlfriend left him on Christmas? Yeah that's how Vaughan is feeling.