The next morning Aaron and Robert woke up when they heard knocking on their bedroom door "What is it Al?" Robert asked sleepily.
"We're meant to be going running, remember?" Alyssa answered.
Robert looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table "It's 7am in the morning, go back to bed Al. We'll go running tomorrow" Robert said as he buried his face in Aaron's chest.
Aaron stroked his husband's hair "We'll be downstairs in a few minutes princess" Aaron laughed when Robert groaned. He then looked down at his husband "You did say that we'd all go running this morning".
Robert groaned "Don't want to" he gripped Aaron's body so that he did not move.
"You'll end up hurting me if you hold me this tight" Aaron stated and Robert loosened his grip.
"Sorry" Robert said into Aaron's chest.
"It's fine Rob" Aaron smiled.
"Can you be quick please?" Alyssa asked.
"I need to get your dad up first! I'll get him up in a minute!" Aaron laughed.
"Do I need to get the Chucky doll that Zak gave me?" Alyssa asked.
Robert jolted out of bed "I'm up, I'm up!" Robert said as he ran around his room getting dressed. Aaron then got out of bed, and walked over to the cabinet of draws. He got dressed in some tracksuit bottoms, a shirt and his trademark hoodie. Robert looked over at his husband. "You're not putting gel in your hair today?" Robert asked.
"I don't put hair gel on when I go running" Aaron answered.
After they were dressed Aaron and Robert walked downstairs and found Alyssa in the kitchen. "Why are we doing this again?" Robert asked.
"Stop whining, you agreed to this" Aaron said as he tied the laces on his trainers.
"But it's too early in the morning" Robert huffed.
"Stop your whining you big baby" Aaron said as he grabbed his iPod.
They walked out of the house and started to jog towards the woods. After jogging for twenty minutes Robert stopped and hunched over. Alyssa looked back and saw that her dad was tried. "Daddy wait! Dad's stopped!"
Aaron stopped, he turned around and walked over to Robert "You tired?" he asked.
"Tired isn't the word" Robert said as he looked up at Aaron.
Aaron rubbed Robert's back "Do you need a break?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just need to catch my breathe. Why are you two so fast?" Robert said as he straightened up.
"Daddy can I run on ahead?" Alyssa asked.
"Yeah ok princess" Aaron nodded and Alyssa ran ahead.
Robert sat down on a log "You're both like Olympic sprinters".
Aaron smiled and sat down next to Robert "We're just fast runners".
Robert smiled "You don't have blades in your shoes right?" he asked when he remembered that Aaron's feet used to bleed when he went running.
Aaron untied his laces and pulled off his trainer and sock. "I don't do it anymore. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt myself again" he said before putting his sock and shoe back on.
"I never stop worrying about you. You're my life" Robert said before he kissed Aaron.
Aaron smiled into the kiss "Have you rested enough now?" Aaron asked when they broke the kiss.
"Yeah, let's go find Al" Robert smiled.
They stood up and walked the same way as Alyssa had gone. They had not walked that far when they heard an ear piercing scream. "Dad!"
Aaron and Robert ran towards the screaming until they saw a man holding Alyssa's wrist and trying to pull her away.
"Alyssa!" Aaron grabbed his daughter and pulled her into his arms "You okay sweetheart?" Alyssa nodded and hugged her dad.
"Who the hell are you?" Robert demanded.
"Her granddad wants to see her, I'm taking her to see him" the man answered.
"Robert take Al" Aaron said, Alyssa ran to Robert and he hugged her.
"You're gonna tell me where you were going to take my daughter" Aaron walked closer to the man.
"To see her granddad" The man said.
"Her granddad is my dad, he lives in the village. He doesn't ask people to bring his granddaughter to see him, he texts me and then comes around to see us" Aaron clenched his fist.
"Gordon wants to see her, I've told him that she's coming" The man replied.
Aaron's eyes widened "Take her home Robert".
Robert walked to Aaron and placed a hand on his shoulder "You gonna be alright?" he asked.
"Yeah I'll be alright. Just take her home, I'll be back soon" Aaron answered. Robert and Alyssa then walked back the way they had came. Once his family was out of sight Aaron balled his fist. "Gordon Livesy has nothing to do with me or my family anymore. Tell him to leave my daughter alone, tormenting me is bad enough but she is just a kid!"
"He has the right to see his grandchild." The man argued.
"That pervert has no right to say her name. If he had been a father to me then things might be different!" Aaron shouted.
"You might want to change the locks, if you don't want me to get into your house again" The man then ran off. Aaron pieced everything together and realised that he had just come face to face with the person who had been watching Alyssa all that time ago. Aaron turned and started to run back to Home Farm. Not long after he had started running he felt someone push him and he fell down into a ditch the ground. "Ah!" Aaron exclaimed as he sat up. He looked at his knee and saw that he had a long slit going down his leg. He felt a sharp pain in his head so he placed his hand on the side of his head, he felt a sting and he then looked at his hand... he saw blood on his hand and realised that he had cut his head, he winced as he stood up and limped back to his house. He limped up to the front door and opened it before walking in.
Robert walked out of the living room and saw that Aaron was hurt "Aaron!" he rushed over to his husband "What's happened?"
"I know who was watching Alyssa" Aaron winced.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up" Robert said as he helped Aaron into the kitchen and sat him down. He then hurried over to one of the cupboards and got the first aid kit.
"It's not bad Robert. You don't need to play doctor" Aaron sighed.
"And risk you getting blood poisoning? I don't think so" Robert walked over to Aaron and crotched down front of him and rolled up his joggers, he then started to started to clean the large cut on his using antiseptic wipes.
"Ah! That hurts" Aaron hissed in pain.
Robert held Aaron's hand "Squeeze my hand if you need to".
Aaron squeezed Robert's hand when he felt a sharp sting in his leg as it was cleaned and bandaged up. Robert then straightened up and put a plaster on the cut that Aaron had on his head.
"Gordon's trying to get in contact again" Aaron said as Robert sat on the stool in front of him.
"How do you know?" Robert asked.
"That guy that tried to take Alyssa, he was the one who was watching her" Aaron sighed.
"What happened to you?" Robert asked as he held Aaron's hands in his own.
"I was running back when I felt somebody push me. I fell and cut my leg" Aaron answered.
"That guy said that we should change the locks so that no one can get in again" Aaron sighed.
"I'll call Cain and Andy, they'll know what to do" Robert reassured.
"Where's Alyssa?" Aaron asked.
"She's in the living room with DJ. She was worrying about you" Robert answered.
"Should we tell her what's going on?" Aaron sighed.
"We'll see what happens. Don't worry babe, I won't let anyone hurt either of you" Robert said as he stroked Aaron's cheek with his thumb.
Aaron smiled at Robert before he stood up and walked into the living room. He sound Alyssa sat on the sofa with DJ "You alright princess?" Aaron sat down next to his daughter.
Alyssa looked up and saw the plaster on her dad's head "What happened? Why are you hurt?"
"I tripped and hit my head on a log, that's all" Aaron smiled.
"Who was that man?" Alyssa asked.
"He's a friend of Gordon's, he wanted to see you" Aaron explained.
"Gordon's not getting out of prison right?" Alyssa looked at Aaron with fearful eyes.
Aaron pulled his daughter into a hug "He'll die in prison. He'll never hurt any of us again. I won't let him hurt you" Aaron comforted.
"What about dad?" Alyssa asked.
"Your dad is a big boy, he can take care of himself" Aaron answered.
"Me and you both know that's not true" Alyssa smiled.
Aaron chuckled "Okay maybe he does need to be looked after sometimes, but he's amazing. He has looked after me ever since I told him about what happened when I was little. Therefore I'll always be there to look after him" Aaron smiled.
"Will you always be here to look after me?" Alyssa asked.
"I may not always be around but I will always look after you" Aaron said in a soft voice.
"Promise?" Alyssa asked as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I promise" Aaron said as he kissed the top of Alyssa's head and stroked her hair. DJ then jumped onto Aaron's lap and started to whimper. Aaron looked down and saw the puppy. He smiled and started to stroke the dog "Are you gonna look after my little girl too?" Aaron said and DJ barked in agreement.
Robert then walked in and saw Aaron and Alyssa hugging "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Needed a daddy hug" Aaron smiled.
Robert walked over and sat next to Aaron "What about him?" Robert pointed at DJ.
"He thinks he's a bigger dog than he is. The naskle is protecting Alyssa" Aaron smiled.
"What's wrong?" Robert asked.
"She's worried that I won't always be here to look after both of you" Aaron answered.
"He'll always look after you, Al" Robert said softly. "I remember when you wouldn't go near your dad" Robert stated.
"And I was the first one that you hugged" Aaron smiled at the memory.
"I remember that. I was worried that you won't like me" Alyssa said.
"We loved you from the moment we saw you" Aaron said with a soft smile.
They hugged for a bit before Aaron took Alyssa to village. Robert called Cain and Andy and then he went on a drive to clear his head. He then walked into the prison and sat in the visiting room. He waited for a few minutes before he saw the one person he hated more than anything in the world. Gordon Livesy.
Gordon walked over and sat opposite Robert "Aaron not with ya?" he asked as he slouched in the metal chair.
"I wouldn't bring him anywhere near you" Robert glared at Gordon.
"Then why are you here? I doubt that it is to kiss and make up" Gordon smirked.
"To tell you to leave my husband and daughter alone. You have nothing to do with my family anymore" Robert snarled.
"But I do really? She's my grandchild" Gordon sat forward so that he was closer to Robert.
"Call her that all you want, you're never gonna see her or Aaron. We want nothing to do with you" Robert said bluntly.
"Listen here pretty boy, Aaron's my son and I'll contact him if I want to" Gordon growled.
"Listen here you paedophile" Robert sat forward "He's my husband and you will leave him alone" Robert snapped.
"You turned him against me. I've done nothing wrong" Gordon snarled.
"You raped him, hit him, tormented him for months by dating his mum, called him a liar, broke into our house, threatened him, tried to hurt him again and shot him. That's a full list of what you've done to my husband, I could tell you every word that he told me seven years ago. You made his life hell, so I will not let you hurt him anymore!" Robert snapped.
"He wanted it, he never stopped it. He had to be punished for being a naughty boy!" Gordon spat at Robert.
Robert wiped the spit off of his face with the back of his hand and smirked as he leaned over the table "He never wanted to be touched like that by you. He has only ever wanted me to touch him like that. He feels loved when I kiss him and hold him at night, he feels Happy when I tell him that I love him. He feels good when I kiss all of his scars and straddle him in our bed. He likes it when I kiss his neck just hard enough to make him moan, he lets me pull his shirt off and caress his chest and back. He loves it when I push myself into him to the hilt and he loves how good it makes him feel when we have sex. He only wants me to do that to him, nobody else has ever come that close, I tell him I love him every night before the lights go out. He snuggles into me and kisses my chest and I wrap my arms around him to keep him warm. He knows that he is safe when he's with me and I will keep him safe for the rest of my life. So take my advice and leave him alone otherwise I'll end your sentence early but you won't walk out of here alive" Robert snarled before he stood up.
"You weren't the one to take it though were you? Jackson didn't even know that he hadn't taken my son's virginity. I had him first, I took that last piece of treasured innocence that he had, I made him who he is so he's my property!" Gordon grinned evilly.
"His name is Aaron Liam Dingle, he's not your property. He is the most amazing human being that I have ever met, he's kind, loving, loyal and has a beautiful heart. And I have the honour of calling him my husband. He's no possession but he's my Aaron and he always will be. So back off and you'll live to tell the tale of how a brave young man proved that you're a sick pervert!" Robert smirked before he walked out of the doors leaving Gordon very shaken in his seat.
When he got back to the village Robert found Aaron sat in the pub talking to Adam and Victoria. He walked over and sat next to him. Aaron turned his head and saw Robert "Hiya babe, I got your text. Do you feel ok?" Aaron held Robert's hand.
"Yeah, everything is how it should be again" Robert answered.
Aaron was confused but Robert was happy so that put his mind at rest. He did not know that Robert had visited Gordon in prison so he just pushed his confusion to where Robert had been to one side and kissed him on the cheek. After talking to Victoria and Adam for a few minutes before Alyssa came around the bar with DJ running at her side and asked if she could stay at Chas' for the night. Aaron and Robert said okay and Chas said that she would also have DJ to stay to give them a break from DJ barking at 6am every morning. They said thank you and they then drove home.
On the drive back home Robert had a great idea to prove to himself how much Aaron felt safe with him. When they got home Robert walked upstairs "Aaron!" he called.
Aaron walked up the stairs and he found Robert waiting on the landing "What is it Rob?" he asked as he walked over to his husband.
"This" Robert said as he grabbed Aaron's belt and pulled him close. He placed his hands on Aaron's waist and kissed him passionately on the lips.
Aaron closed his eyes and put one hand on the back of Robert's head and the other one on his shoulder. Robert smoothed one hand up Aaron's back and used the other one to slide under the bottom of Aaron's shirt as their kiss deepened, Robert and Aaron moved into their bedroom and Robert pushed Aaron down onto the bed.
"Do you trust me?" Robert asked as they kissed.
"More than anyone" Aaron answered as he rolled up Robert's shirt and pulled it over his head.
Robert tore at Aaron's belt before he pulled down his husband's jeans "Prove it" Robert breathed.
Aaron unfastened Robert's jeans and pulled them down. He then kicked off his own jeans "Do it" Aaron breathed.
Robert lowered one hand and placed it on Aaron's thigh, he then slowly moved it up and gripped Aaron's boxers before he pulled them down. He then threw them to one side of the room.
Aaron pushed down Robert's boxers and wrapped his legs around his husband. "I trust you Robert".
Robert smiled as he moved forward and pushed himself into Aaron. His husband moaned and gripped the pillow as Robert started to work on him.
After they had finished Aaron lay on his side with his head resting on Robert's chest and stroked the pecks on his chest. "I'm impressed" he smiled.
Robert had one arm around Aaron and he was stroking his husband's biceps "I just surprised myself" he chuckled.
"It was one of the best surprises ever for me" Aaron said as he snuggled into Robert's naked body "Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?" he looked up at Robert.
"I wanted to prove that I love you, and I wanted to know how much you trust me" Robert smiled as he looked at his husband.
"Did I prove it?" Aaron asked.
"You proved it alright" Robert said as he kissed Aaron. When he pulled back he looked at his husband "You're so beautiful".
"You've told me that before" Aaron smiled.
"And I mean it every time I say it" Robert said as he stoked Aaron's cheek. Robert now understood exactly how much Aaron trusted him and loved him, it made him smile when he thought about how he had protected his family when he had seen Gordon. He felt a sense of achievement when he had taunted Gordon with how much Aaron trusted him. "Mr Aaron Liam Dingle, my man" Robert said in a proud voice.
"I'll always be your man. I love you Robert" Aaron said softly as he kissed Robert's chest.
"I love you too Aaron" Robert smiled and stroked Aaron's ruffled hair. 'mission accomplished' Robert thought to himself as he did a little fist bump at his side.