"You should have heard the way he said it Claire" Clay told her with hidden bitterness. "Eric's Daddy's favourite now" "You can stay here for as long as you want" Claire said shaking out her hair with a rough shake of her head. She loved having Clay there, it made her feel safe and warm and protective. After her mum died she'd been hopping from one mate's floor to another, worried about being alone. Terrified that the psycho who burnt her mum would be stalking her everytime he got the chance. It made her sick.

Now she had Clay to protect her, she couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. Clay could though. He had work and had to go back to Daddy's to get his clothes. Claire offered to come with him, but he refused. He had to do this alone. After finishing work, he really started thinking about getting his own bank account. Roy offered to write him a check the other week, and he had to ask for cash because he had no where to put it. It was about time he started saving properly. With Daddy having the new kid around, Clay was going to have think about renting somewhere else to live. He couldn't stay with Claire forever. Even though it was a nice thought.

He used his key to get in but before he could take another step he was cornered by Daddy. "Where fuck were you? Eric was asking about you" Daddy told him, angry at being embarrased. "Tell him I'm no-one" Clay said twisting away from him and pushing his shoulder out. "I'm getting my stuff" "Eric's at School" Daddy told him following Clay around the room as he opened drawers. "Daddy you and Eric need space, I'm staying at a friend's" Clay said bunging briefs and T-shirts into a rucksack. "Clay don't be like this. I've only got him half of the time. Lisa finally backed down, he's my family" Daddy tried to explain, but Clay wasn't having it.

"Well you've got him and he's got you. I hope you're very happy together. Enjoy spending Lisa's cash" Clay said as he tucked his laptop under his arm and left Daddy angry but motionless at Daddy and Eric's part time apartment. He got to Claire's to find she made him fish fingers, chips and beans. He put one chip on a fork and twiddled it around slowly. "How was it?" Claire asked. "We just need to calm down" Clay told her wondering how many Calories there were in those chips. He could take the breadcrumbs off the fish fingers and have the beans. He gave the chips to Claire and tucked in. They sat on the sofa watching TV until he got a call from a excited raver.

"Mate just come back from the concert, it was great" Jackson told him breathlessly.

"Jack, I've moved out of Daddy's" Clay told him bluntly. Clay didn't know how shocked Jack was until he asked Clay to meet up with him at his place. Clay was too gloomy to feel pleased. The only reason he was asking him round was because he felt sorry for him, but he'd take the pity all the same. Jack opened the door with a worried look on his face. "You alright mate?" He asked. Clay shook his head and Jack got them both a can of diet coke and hung Clay's coat up. "Clay, what's he done to you?" Jack asked.

Clay ran his hand through his hair and looked at him wide-eyed. "What do you mean?" He asked. "You'd never leave your dad unless it was serious" Jack explained. Clay took a deep breath scared. "Eric's back" "Who?" Jackson asked. "Daddy's son" Clay replied in such a deep voice, Jack could barely hear him. "I thought you were?" Jack said, trying to fit the pieces together. "I was, I'am. Eric's Daddy's real son. Some kid he had with a legend super-slapper called Lisa. Lisa used the courts and lied to keep Eric away from Daddy. It worked, but he'd been charming her and she's decided to give him the chance to play Daddy without me"

Jackson nodded sipping his coke. "So if he's not your real dad, who is?" Jackson asked. "It doesn't matter Jack" Clay told him with a sigh. "I can't believe I'm going to lose Daddy over a kid that has a PA, that kid's loaded" "Does your dad want you back?" Jackson asked. "He says it, but I don't think he means it" Clay told him. "Why don't you put "Daddy" to the test?" Jackson asked. "What?" Clay asked, knowing that he was so comfortable here he could just close his eyes and sleep forever. "If he wants you to bond try it out" "No thanks" Clay said looking at the TV "I don't want to wreck their Walton's family reunion"

"See how far he's prepared to go" Jack said. "Why don't you offer to take them camping or something" Jack suggested. "See if you can't patch things up" Clay laughed but shut-up when he realised Jack was serious. "Give him a chance to tell his side before you completely let him go" Clay squeezed his can and Jack patted his arm to make him stop. Clay couldn't resist Jack looking at him like that for long. "I'll ask him, only if you come too" Clay asked leaning on the sofa. "OK Then" Jack told him without hesistation. "I like a lad's day out" Clay looked at him stunned.

"Jack you're honestly telling me you'd go with Eric and Daddy?" Clay asked.

"Clay it's camping, we're not breaking into Buckingham Palace"

"Where's that? Jack I don't wanna drag you into this" Clay said, knowing Jack wouldn't thank him for this.

"That's a shame mate" Said Jack" I was really looking forward to sharing a tent alone with you. You're right. Let's forget it"

"Wait..." Clay said he'd think it over, but on the bus back to Claire's he whipped out his cell.

"Daddy call me back when you get this. I've got an idea I'll pay for see you later"

He got back to Claire's and told her what his plan was to get back into Daddy's good books but she wasn't happy. She had no idea who Jack was and wanted Clay to be with her this weekend. She needed him more than they did.

"Clay going on a trip out in the middle of nowhere is a little risky" Claire added running her hand gently up and down his back.

"Claire, it'll be Daddy, my brother and my best friend Jack" Said Clay, seeing Jack's face everytime he said his name. "I mean what more could I want? How bad can one weekend be?"