– AARON & JACKSON –

– BORN AGAIN–

"The Storm"

This fanfic follows on a week after Together Alone, I've chosen not to write the wedding in, I've done them before and it would be the same or thereabouts. But they are married now.

...

Aaron and Jackson lay in bed the morning after their wedding the previous day. Aaron lay with his head on Jackson's chest. "Yesterday was amazing" Aaron spoke quietly as he looked at his ring.

Jackson smiled. "It was...listen I'm sorry about the honeymoon situation, works been drying up lately and I paid for most of the wedding, and the break away, and I paid three months rent to Declan in advance, I can't afford it right now"

"No, we can't afford it right now, we're in it together...it's my fault really anyway you're attentions been focussed elsewhere" Aaron explained.

"And it was right to be, we had to focus on us and I had to focus on you, and I still will but today..." Jackson sighed.

Aaron sighed too. "The church"

Jackson nodded. "It can't wait another day" he explained. "The scaffoldings been in place outside and in for a week now, and I did promise Ashley I'd start after the wedding"

"Yeah I know" Aaron replied as he lifted up and turned to face him.

"What you gunna do today?" Jackson asked.

Aaron shrugged. "My mum wants to come round with photos of the wedding, suppose I'll have to listen to her babble on over cups of tea"

Jackson chuckled. "Such a housewife aren't ya?"

"No chance" Aaron frowned. "After that I'm going to work and I might see about a second job"

"Aww no babe..."

"Jackson yes I' am, you focus on getting more work and I'll try and get our money up somehow, how far will the church get us?"

"A month's rent after the three months are done, all the bills for a month, then we're pretty much screwed" he grinned.

"Alright, go on work..." Aaron lifted off him completely.

Jackson sat up, looking sad. "I'm sorry Aaron"

"No, it's alright, we'll deal with this" Aaron promised.

"You shouldn't have too, this is my problem" he told him as he got out of bed.

Aaron playfully slapped his backside. "Enough! Married now remember? A team"

"Yeah yeah" he sighed as he grabbed his clothes. "I know" Jackson sounded disheartened. Not a very good start to a marriage, he thought and he believed things could only get worse now, despite Aaron's efforts. But Jackson never gave up; he would seek out new work and get the church done so he could get paid.

...

Aaron sighed as he and his mum sat outside Dale head, he was bored and it showed. "And this one is me and Charity..." Chas said as she showed him the photograph.

"How did you get these done so fast anyway?" he asked as his eyes kept looking over to the church where he could see Jackson working on the roof, it frightened the life out of him.

Chas grinned. "I went into town early and got them developed"

"Oh right" Aaron cocked an eyebrow.

Chas looked up at the sky. "The weather did say we were in for a storm...come on it's getting a bit nippy out here" she said as she got up.

"Are you actually having me on and he's over there working on the sodding roof!"

"Son, calm down, he's harnessed and if it gets too bad, I'm sure he'll have the common sense to stop working"

"He flippin well better had!" he told her as he walked into the warm.

"Calm down, come on get some of those learning books out and I'll see what I can do" she suggested.

Aaron frowned and stood with his arms folded across his chest. "Can't be bothered, and anyway I've gotta get to work" he said and started walking to the stairs. But Chas stopped him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Jackson will be fine Aaron please stop worrying"

"I will when he comes down" he sighed. "It just makes me feel on edge, I didn't think I'd be like this"

"I know and you're right to feel that way, I'd do the same if it was Carl...when we were together anyway" she scrunched her face. "Actually no...I'd take great pleasure in watching him fall to his death"

Aaron's eyes widened. "Oh cheers mum! I'm going upstairs to get changed for work..."

Chas sighed and realised she hadn't helped one bit. "Good going there Chas" she mumbled to herself and walked to the door. "I'll be in the pub later, he'll be fine!" she shouted up the stairs before she left, when she did the rain had started. She sighed and shook her head and quickly made her way next door to Debbie's until the rain subsided a bit or until she could find an umbrella to borrow.

...

A few hours later Aaron was working behind the bar with Moira. "Looks like it might be a quiet night why don't you get yourself home?" she asked.

Aaron shook his head. "Nah Jackson's working anyway, I'd rather be here than at home worrying"

"Worrying why?" she smirked.

"Because he's working on the roof of the church"

"Oh...well he wasn't when I came in to work...must be inside now, weather is bad after all"

"Yeah true" he replied, Moira's words seemed to soothe him somewhat. "Oh you might be wrong, there piling in now" he told her as he stepped to the front of the bar and waited to serve what looked like a group of drowned rats.

"Ohh it's not good out there lad" Zak told him as he stopped at the bar with Sam and Lisa.

"Shouldn't you be home then?" Aaron asked.

"Roads blocked kid, stuck here till the weather calms down"

"Oh right well uh, what can I get ya?" Aaron asked.

"Two pints and my usual please" Zak replied.

Aaron set about getting their drinks.

...

Jackson climbed down from the scaffolding inside the church and he turned to Ashley. "Sorry Ashley, the weathers holding me up out there but if you don't mind me staying I can try and get as much work done inside as I possibly can"

"No, no that's no problem, just lock up when you leave" Ashley smiled and handed him the keys before he left.

"Cheers" Jackson replied with a smile. "Have a good night"

...

"So this road then Uncle Zak? What happened?" Aaron asked as he leaned against the bar as more locals came in.

"It's flooded, be loads worse now I expect"

Aaron flicked up his eyebrows. "Well as long as the village doesn't get flooded we'll be alright then won't we" he stepped away to serve Eric and Val. Amy was with them too and Aaron just smirked remembering their conversation a while back at the party.

Amy smiled back. "Watch it you"

Aaron laughed. "What?"

"You know what..." she eyed him and turned away. "I'll get us a table" she told Val.

"And what was that about like?" Val asked.

"Erm, private none of your business, what you having?" he asked.

Aaron got their usual drinks and stood waiting for some more to be served when Hazel came in. He rolled his eyes and made his way into the back but Hazel had already seen him.

"Uh Aaron!" she called to him.

Aaron closed his eyes and sighed before walking back into the bar.

"Can we talk please?" she asked.

"I'm working Hazel" he explained.

"Yeah, yeah I know" she nodded. "But we can't keep pussyfooting around this any longer"

Aaron nodded and motioned his head to the end of the bar and he walked over. "Can you manage alright while I talk to her?" he asked Moira as he passed.

"Yeah sure love"

"Cheers" he replied as he stopped and leaned against the bar. "Erm, you wanna drink?"

"Go on then I'll have a white wine" she replied as she sat at the bar.

Aaron poured her a glass and placed it down on the bar. "It's on me" he explained.

Hazel was surprised. "That's very generous thanks"

"Yeah well I kind of have to be don't I especially in front of everyone, just putting on a show as if everything's alright and it's pathetic because it's not alright"

"Yes I know me and you've not spoken since I slapped you and its made us to act okay in front of everyone but we'd have just brought the mood down on everyone otherwise, I wanted to chat to ya at the party but you'd left and your mum told me not to bother, but I'm here now and I want to say sorry for hitting you"

Aaron nodded. "I did deserve it though"

"And I should have been a bit more considerate to what was going on with you" she told him sincerely.

"It was a difficult thing to understand among all the madness"

"Even so..." she sighed. "I am sorry Aaron and I know you'd never hurt Jackson again, it was just heat of the moment you know"

"Yeah I do" he half smiled. "And you're right I wouldn't"

"So, we ok then?" she asked.

Aaron nodded. "Yeah sure" he told her and grinned when Adam walked in. "Alright lad!" he called to him and walked off.

Hazel watched him with a smile as Edna walked in holding her umbrella. "You should be at home Edna" she told her.

"It's just a bit of rain Hazel" she told her.

Hazel rolled her eyes and chose to mind her own business.

Aaron looked away from Adam a second while he served Edna, Moira was busy serving Declan and Katie, and the pub was filling up. "What can I get you Edna?" he asked.

"A sherry please oh and if you wouldn't mind telling your husband to clean up after himself it would be much appreciated" she sighed in frustration.

Aaron smirked. "Jackson doesn't tell me how to pull pints Edna, I'm not gunna start telling him how to do his job, but" he nodded. "I 'am sure he will tidy up once the job is complete"

"Is it messing up your flowers Edna?" Adam teased.

Edna just looked at him.

"Adam behave yourself, I'm sorry Edna, boys will be boys" she said as she glared at Adam and then walked over.

Edna walked off to join Pearl, Alan and Betty at their table.

"You should know better than to wind Edna up" Moira told her son.

"Yeah but it's hilarious I thought she was gunna combust or something" he laughed.

Aaron shook his head as he smirked. "I'm just going outside for smoke; I'll just be at the back door, shout if it gets busy"

Moira nodded and he walked off. She saw Adam looking at her as if wanting to ask something, she knew what. "Go on then, but don't make a habit of it" she warned him and instantly Adam darted around the bar with his pint and out the back with Aaron.

Amy sat looking on as Aaron walked off and she frowned slightly, then began listening to whatever Val and Eric were talking about with a smile.

...

"So he's still in the church then?" Adam asked as blue lightning flashed across the sky then an almighty thunder followed, the rain pelted off the ground in front of the shelter they were stood under.

Aaron nodded as he took a draw of his cigarette. "Yeah, to be honest mate we're going through a bit of trouble with money...well...will be if he can't get more jobs, I feel bad cause he was paying attention to me other than working"

"Don't blame yourself mate he chose to do that"

"I know and I'm grateful that he did but now I'm gunna be working loads if I can get a second job and if he gets more work we'll hardly see each other"

"Maybe" Adam nodded. "But think about when you see each other at the end of every day"

Aaron thought about it and smirked. "Point taken"

Adam chuckled and nudged him in the shoulder with his own and they both laughed.

When they both calmed down Aaron grunted. Chas had entered the bar. "God I can hear her from here, she had me looking through all the wedding photos earlier"

Adam chuckled. "She's not that bad really"

"Nah suppose you're right" he replied as he threw his cigarette away and it fizzled out in a deep puddle. "Come on then if I can't get drunk I might aswell watch you instead"

...

Jackson was almost ready to finish for the day, it was dark, and he hated winter when the dark nights set in. He sighed when he realised he'd left some tools on the roof, he shook his head he wasn't about to go up there and get them, he knew how bad the weather was. He started gathering all of the tools he had lying around and he put them in the tool box and lifted it and placed it under the scaffolding. He frowned when the thunder seemed to rumble right above him; it caused him to jump a little then a blue flash flashed in the windows, he didn't realise what was happening until he saw clumps of stone falling down; a lightning bolt had penetrated the roof and brought debris crashing down, Jackson's eyes widened and he moved to run but the scaffolding fell and landed on him pinning him to the ground. Debris laid everywhere and the rain pelted inside. Stone kept falling onto the scaffolding and it landed on Jackson. From outside it looked like exactly what had happened, half of the roof had caved in.

TBC...