A/N: I'M ALIVE! I'm so sorry for the absence and I know I have a bit of explaining to do. There is two big reasons for why I haven't updated, but I just want you to know that I haven't given up on this, I still have lots of plans and I appreciate every reader and review.

I'm having my first novel published through Anarchy Books at the end of Feb/early March, so it's really been a slog trying to get the final edit done and everything perfected for my deadline.

But, I'm also expecting baby number two in July and have had horrendous sickness, which I've only started recovering from in the past few weeks (hence getting this chapter written). So, I can only plea that you bare with me, keep kicking my butt in the reviews and I'll try and update as regularly as possible!

Much love to you all x

The Unexpected Acquaintance

Chapter Thirty-Six

Such Great Heights

Lindsey opened her eyes and lay in silence, staring into the darkness opposite her and trying to work out what woke her in the first place. She could hear steady breathing of Freddie to her right, his arm slung over her hips.

Her swollen bump ached as she shoved the covers aside, hauling herself from the bed. Snatching her dressing gown from the back of the door, she pulled it on to block the chill.

Her bare feet were silent on the carpet as she crossed the hall towards the bathroom. She hadn't even reached the toilet when she felt a sudden gush from between her legs, soaking the bathmat beneath her. She hardly had time to register this when her stomach suddenly tightened, pain stretching across her bump.

Lindsey staggered to the toilet, sitting down with a gasp. 'Freddie!'

There was no response. 'Fred!' She cursed him for being such a heavy sleeper; Freddie would sleep through an earthquake. Lindsey felt another stab of intense pain as a contraction ripped through her. She squeezed her eyes shut as it passed, a sob escaping.

She tried to focus on what she needed. An ambulance. A phone. Her phone was on the bedside table... Lindsey tried to edge off the toilet, but her legs gave way beneath her and she sank down on all fours, crying out as another contraction hit, thick and fast. There was nothing Lindsey could do, no time as she felt the overwhelming need to push.

'Fred!' She half-screamed, half-sobbed, bracing against the pain that enveloped her. She could barely breath, throat tight.

Something slid out onto the bathroom floor beneath her. A cry tore through the air. Lindsey managed to manoeuvre onto her side, reaching in the darkness for the baby. She began to sob as she clutched the wailing infant against her chest, mind numb at what had just happened.

She'd given birth. She'd given birth on the toilet. 'Freddie!'

Finally, movement from the bedroom. Freddie stumbled sleepily into the hall, turning on the light. He froze on the spot, eyes wide as what he was seeing sunk in. Lindsey stared back, cheeks pale and damp, tears clinging to dark lashes as she held the baby girl close.

'Freddie. I need an ambulance.'

Mel sat opposite Trevor, her hands resting on the table top. They were surrounded by families visiting cons, prison guards keeping a close watch, but none of that mattered. Mel couldn't tear her eyes from the man sat before her.

Trevor looked worse than she'd ever known him. He looked tired and years older, hair longer than she was used to. His blue eyes were cool, hardened. Defensive. Like he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

No, Mel scolded herself. Not a losing battle. They'd get him out of here, the judges would have to understand that he'd been protecting her and Emmy-

'You look upset,' Trevor murmured, studying her with an unwavering intensity. Mel shrugged, glancing at the blue tabletop and tapping a red nail against it.

'Places like this make me uncomfortable.' She did her best to flash him a wry grin. 'Uptown girl like me.'

Trevor smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. 'How is Emmy?'

'She's doing her best.' Mel laced her fingers together to stop the nervous fidgeting. 'She's still attending the therapy sessions.'

Trevor reached out, placing a warm hand above her own. He met her gaze. 'Mel, I need you to look after her. She can't do this by herself.' He glanced over her shoulder at Sam Lacey, waiting by the gates, leaning closer to Mel. 'I want you to take the house and the club.'

'The house?' Mel blinked. 'But, you'll be out, you'll-'

'I won't be getting out.' Trevor's words were firm, final and it broke her heart at how willing he was to accept that fact. 'You need to move in with Emmy and keep her safe. There's so much I haven't told her...' He ran a hand over his head, exhaling heavily. 'There's no time now. Promise me you'll do this.'

Mel met his gaze and nodded. 'I-I'll do it. But, she might not take it well.'

'She needs you, Mel,' Trevor said, voice low and gravelly. 'We have to-'

'Time's up!' One of the guards yelled from the front gate, already pulling at his keys to escort the prisoners back to the cells. Mel gathered her coat and straightened up, ignoring the twang of protest in her shoulder.

Trevor moved around the table to kiss her, and Mel clung to him, trying to remember his exact scent and the way his warm, solid body felt against hers. She hated being apart and every day she was forced to endure it was worse.

'I'm going to get you out of here,' she said, stepping back and brushing a blonde lock behind her ear. 'I promise, I'm going to do everything I can.'

Trevor nodded, though his expression was resigned. The guard cleared his throat. 'That means you as well, Royle. Get your arse through here.' Mel watched her man turn and leave, heart breaking all over again as she watched the metal gate slide into place.

With a heavy heart, she turned and strode past Sam, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. First, she'd lost Trevor and now she'd lost Gabby.

And Mel wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

Lindsey sat up in the hospital bed, clutching a hot cup of tea and staring at the sleeping newborn with a dazed smile. 'I still can't believe I gave birth in the bathroom,' she laughed, taking a sip of the scalding liquid.

Freddie looked up with a grin from where he was stood, cradling his baby daughter. She was dressed in a pink baby grow, her small rosebud lips pouted, faint brows drawn as she frowned in her sleep. 'She's so beautiful,' he breathed, as if scared to disturb her. Behind him, the curtains broke apart as Sandy threw herself in, eyes darting from Lindsey, to Freddie, to the small bundle in his arms. Instantly, her features softened, tears springing to her eyes.

'Oh, my goodness!' Dumping her handbag on the side, Sandy blew flyaway blonde strands out her eyes as she reached for the baby girl, cradling her close. 'Well, you certainly know how to make a grand arrival,' she cooed to her new grand-daughter, chest swelling with pride. Sandy glanced up at Lindsey with a smile. 'You must be over the moon.'

'A healthy 8lbs 2oz,' Lindsey grinned, setting her tea aside.

'And does she have a name?' Sandy enquired, rocking the baby gently as she began to stir. Lindsey and Freddie exchanged glances.

'Lily Maria Roscoe,' Freddie replied. Sandy's smile widened.

'Oh, Lily is a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl. I really am proud of both of you, she's gorgeous.'

Lindsey smiled, leaning back against the pillows as she felt another yawn build. Sandy noticed this. 'You must be tired.'

'A little.'

Sandy grinned. 'Well, get used to it, because you've got another eighteen years of it.'

'It'll be worth every minute,' Lindsey smiled, eyes falling on Lily and feeling her heart pound all that harder. She couldn't believe the amount of love that consumed her every time she looked at her daughter; the small mop of dark hair, her little wrinkled brow when she frowned and her incredible baby smell that Lindsey just couldn't get enough of.

And her body hurt and she probably looked completely different in certain places, but she was content and happy in the love that overwhelmed them, enveloped them, all for that precious little girl.

Lindsey may have been exhausted, but she couldn't have been happier.

Four weeks later.

Emmy clutched the toilet bowl, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to control the waves of nausea that were threatening to overwhelm her. Bile, bitter in her throat, worked its way up until she couldn't hold it any longer.

Emmy heard the creak of a floorboard outside the bathroom door, fingers snagging the toilet roll, wiping her mouth. She stood, flushed and washed her hands, feeling dizzy and unsteady. Mel was waiting outside the door. 'Is everything okay?' the blonde woman asked, fiddling with the sleeve of her cashmere sweater.

She looked tired and strained herself, the notion that her best friend had disappeared still weighing heavily on her mind. Emmy forced a bright smile. 'It was probably just that take-away we had last night.' The lie came easily, probably too easily.

She slipped out from beneath Mel's watchful gaze, hurrying down the hall to grab her schoolbag, swinging it on a shoulder. When she looked back, Mel was still staring, an odd expression filling her features.

'You can talk to me, if you need to.' Emmy tried not to let her true feelings betray her, keeping the smile fixed firmly in place.

'Honestly, Mel, I'm fine. Just a winter bug.' She turned away before the older woman could protest, grabbing her jacket and fleeing the house without another word.

The cold early January air nipped her nose and cheeks as she crossed the gravel driveway and began the walk to school, praying the churning sickness in her stomach would ease by the time she got there.

She hadn't gotten far past the folly when there was a shout behind her. She sighed heavily, folding her arms as she turned to face Robbie. He slowed as he approached her, wary. 'I need to speak to you.'

'I don't want to speak to you.' Please stop churning, she prayed to her stomach as she felt the familiar clenching. Robbie looked annoyed.

'It's been weeks now, Em. You can't keep avoiding me like this.'

'After what you made Finn do to Holly, I should be the least of your worries.' Emmy turned to stalk away, but Robbie's hand shot out, grabbing her elbow and pulling her back. She yanked herself from his grip, eyes flashing. 'Don't touch me.'

'For fuck sake,' Robbie spat, shoving his fists into his trouser pockets. 'What's wrong with you? You're honestly still annoyed about that-'

'Of course I am!' Emmy pulled a face, taking another step away. 'It's disgusting, Finn's disgusting. And you...' She looked him up and down, shaking her head. 'You should be ashamed of yourself.' Emmy stalked off, ignoring Robbie's angry curses as she folded her arms tight and tried to fight off another wave of dizziness.

Joe sat in the armchair, staring hard at the picture of him and Gabby. It'd been taken just a week before she went missing. The smile on her face had been pure and true, happiness shining in those moss green eyes and beaming grin.

Joe's arm had been slung around her waist, holding her close against him.

I'm sorry, Mr Roscoe, but we've found no trace of anybody else at the flat. No sign of a break-in. As far as we know, she's left on her own accord.

Vanished off the face of the earth.

Joe knew it wasn't true. They'd been happy together; she'd had no reason to leave. Mel had been coming home that day and Gabby had been so excited... and now she was gone. Joe felt his heart sink; it felt like it was filled with lead, dropping to the pit of his stomach.

How could they not be able to find her? The police were useless, would much rather pass her off as a missing person's case than for what it truly was.

She'd been kidnapped, taken from beneath Joe's nose. He should have been there; he should have kept an eye on her. Especially after the threatening messages and the stalking... Joe tossed the photograph aside, watching it flutter to the carpet, the two smiling faces still beaming at him.

Joe couldn't sit here and do nothing. Gabby needed him, whether she was. He'd find her, he had to.

He just needed a place to start.

Holly rummaged in her locker for her history book, not noticing the footsteps behind her until a hand nudged her shoulder. She jumped round, eyes widening at the sight of Finn; he was smiling, a nasty, shark-like smile that made her cringe, repulsed.

'What do you want?' Holly tried to sound unafraid and strong, but her words came out as a rushed mumble and only served to make his smile nastier. 'Jason will kill you if he sees you.'

'Shame he's caught up speaking to Mr Lomax, isn't it?' the Scouse boy replied coolly, moving closer. Holly edged fearfully against her locker, heart picking up a beat. She could still see him now, face twisted in pleasure, hands in her hair as he forced himself into her mouth... Holly felt sick, looking away. 'Please don't hurt me again.'

Her voice was shaking, throat clogged. Finn laughed and she watched him stalk off, school bag slung over one shoulder. Slamming her locker shut, Holly made a quick dash to the girls' toilets, ignoring the shouts of her friends in the corridor.

Her head was a mess. Ever since that night Finn had... Well, she'd become a shell of her former self. She barely left the house and if she did, it was only to see Jason. Holly stared at her reflection in the mirror, hands braced against the sink as she tried to steady her breathing.111

Tears stung blue eyes, strands of honey tresses falling over her face as she looked down. How had all this happened? The crash, Ruby's death, Finn's threats... her life seemed to be spiralling out of control and there was nothing she could do.

As much as she wanted to, Holly still hadn't found the courage to tell Jason the truth about the crash. She wished she was brave, like she'd always made out-

The toilet door behind her swung open and Emmy froze, pausing in the act of wiping her mouth with tissue. The two girls stared at each other for a long moment, each trying to sum up the situation. In the end, Holly dropped her gaze and began to gather her bag.

'You don't have to leave.' Emmy flushed as she spoke out, but forced herself to continue. 'I know what it's like when you need to get some space and there's nowhere to go.'

Holly glanced up, watching her carefully for a moment. 'You don't have to be nice to me. I've been damn right awful to you.'

Emmy shrugged, throwing the tissue in the bin beside the door. 'We can always blame it on the teenage hormones?'

Holly smiled, the first genuine smile Emmy had ever seen. 'I'm sorry. For what happened with Jason.' After what Finn had done, petty grudges meant nothing now. 'Are you okay? You look a bit pale.'

Emmy's flush grew darker, her gaze dropping. 'A winter bug. I was going to have the day off, but with all this last minute coursework...' She forced a smile, moving towards the door. 'I'll see you around.'

Holly watched her leave, the door swinging shut behind her. Maybe she'd been too hard on Emmy. She felt a slight bite of guilt, but pushed it away. For now, she had more important things to worry about.

Like telling Jason the truth about the crash.

The bedroom door opened to her left, but Gabby didn't move. She was used to it now, after four weeks of enduring the same routine, the same brutality that she'd sworn she'd left behind years before.

She heard it click shut, but didn't turn to face him. She lay on the bedroom, legs curled up tight and arms wrapped around her middle. She was naked, other than the thin, dirty duvet that covered her. The pillow beneath her head was smelly and flat.

The bed behind her sunk down as he sat and she could already smell the whisky, the bitter egg-like scent of cigars clinging in her nose. The bed creaked as he shifted, tugging off his boots and tossing them aside.

He yanked the duvet off her, rough hands already running up and down her bruised body. Gabby shut her eyes, but she didn't even cry.

This was her life now. Every day, every week she was here, she lost hope. And now it was looking less and less likely that she'd ever be found.

He began to kiss the back of her neck and Gabby felt bile clog her throat. His hand worked its way lower, drunkenly fumbling. 'Roll over,' he grunted, reaching out to loosen one bound wrist. Gabby rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, unable to look at her kidnapper, her attacker.

Craig grinned, whisky strong on his breath as he kissed her mouth, biting at her bottom lip until it was full and swollen. With a grunt, he shifted above her, his belt already loose.

This was life now. And she hated it.

Mel had left for Joe's earlier that evening and it was already dark out by the time Emmy shoved her Geography coursework aside, resigned for the evening. She crossed to the sink, pouring a fresh glass of water and grabbing her pills from the drawer.

The pills eased without a problem down her throat and she yawned, fighting back her drooping eyelids as they started to take effect.

The loud knocking on the door made her jump and she froze for a moment, debating on whether or not to answer the door. Mel wasn't home and it was late, but curiosity eventually got the better of her.

Whoever it was knocked again, impatiently, as she moved through the hall. Unlocking the door, she yanked it open- and instantly wished she'd just gone straight to bed.

Robbie shoved his way into the house, looking furious. 'Why won't you answer the phone?' he demanded. Emmy glared at him.

'So, what if I didn't?'

'I need to talk to you.' His voice dropped dangerous low and Emmy felt a shiver run down her spine. Her body still seemed to react whenever she laid eyes on him and she was beginning to hate it. Robbie approached her carefully, brown eyes studying her for a reaction, any reaction. 'Em, I'm sorry. What more can I say?'

'All I can think about is how scared she must have been.' Emmy let the door shut behind her to keep out the bitter winter cold. 'About... how disgusted she must feel with herself.' She shook her head. 'All because she blabbed about my past? Stuck up a few articles?'

Robbie shook his head, brows drawn. 'You were upset, you were... I did the right thing.'

'Having Finn rape Holly wasn't the right thing!' Emmy spat, noticing him flinch at the words.

'It wasn't rape, he didn't-'

'It was as good as,' Emmy hissed. 'I know what it's like to be abused, to feel powerless against it. Not being able to say no, not being listened to.' She could feel that sickness coming back, but for a completely different reason.

'Don't do this to me, Em.' She could hear the undertone of a plea in his voice as he came closer. Emmy narrowed her eyes.

'You did this to yourself.' In a blink, Robbie had her pinned against the wall, wrists by her head and his body pressed solidly against hers as she struggled. 'Get off me!'

'Just listen to me,' Robbie hissed. His mouth was close to hers, his head tilted at that perfect angle and she knew what he was trying to do... 'I didn't ask him to do that, why won't you believe me? I'm not like him.'

'I don't know what to believe anymore.' Emmy glared at him from beneath her dark fringe. 'I don't even know you.'

'You know me better than most,' he growled. 'Better than anyone.' She didn't know what to say to that, so she carried on struggling fruitlessly beneath his weight, chest crushed by his. Robbie's hand released a wrist, fingers brushing her throat and she fought the urge to relax into his touch.

'I won't... I won't let you...' Emmy struggled for words, brain jarring as he leaned close and caught her mouth. He lingered, lips on hers, his other hand dropping to her waist. Emmy's eyes fell shut and she kissed him back.

'I've missed you,' he breathed without looking at her, his ears reddening at the confession. Emmy gently pushed at his shoulders, needing air.

'You have to go,' she said softly. Robbie frowned.

'But-'

'Please, just go.' She couldn't look at him now, terrified to lose the last bit of her resistance to Robbie Roscoe's mouth.

'Promise you'll see me tomorrow.' He wasn't asking. Emmy gave a small nod, sighing against his mouth as he kissed her again. And then he was gone, leaving her pressed against the wall as the front door shut behind him.

Her hands were shaking as she made her way up the stairs and into the bathroom. There, waiting for her, was a pregnancy test balanced on the sink.

Emmy picked it up and read the result with bated breath.

Sooooo, let me know what you thought! x