I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1
Xxx
*54 of 65* THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS.
EARLY-SEPTEMBER 2014
"So'a...do you wanna do owt?"
Jackson sat at the breakfast table and looked up to Aaron as he poured out the brews, " Eh? Like what?"
Aaron shrugged as he put Jackson's mug down in front of him, " Donno, I just thought you might...you know wanna mark it in some way"
Jackson watched him sit, and pulled a frown at him, " Like it's something to celebrate!"
Aaron quickly shook his head, that was not what he ment at all, or how it might of sounded like, "No! I don't mean that! Blimey Jackson give me some credit, I just KNOW how much your Mum ment to you, AND it's been a year since she died and I just thought you might want to DO something, that's all"
He felt like he was rambling on now, but Jackson stretched over and put his hand over his, "It really is a nice thought...but...I'm just gonna go to work if that's alright"
Aaron sat back and watched as Jackson stood and went over to wash up his cereal bowl. "You what? But it's too soon, why not wait until after the weekend?" he suggested.
Jackson jumped up and down on the spot, " Why? Look I'm jumping...castes off and I'm fit as a butchers dog me, see"
"Yeah but even so"
"NO AARON! I've said, I'm going to work. Ray's lined me up a job in town, it's only a small number, you know abit of painting and putting some pipes in, sommit like that, so stop mithering me"
"I'm NOT Jackson...I'm just worried you might, you know, over do it", Aaron said defending himself.
Jackson zipped up his hoodie and widened his eyes at him, " look...I'm okay...I mean it...I just need to get out of this house, it's done me head being stuck in here all day, and it's even worse now Jacks back at school, no it's time to get back into it, now do you mind, I've got my tool box to sort through"
Aaron watched him crouch over his toolbox and started to go through it, he bit his lip...Hazel was on his mind, he just knew it, so it was understandable that he wanted to get back to work and take his mind off it.
Jackson straightened up and turned around clutching the tool box in his hand, " Right, it's all there, best be off, don't wanna be late on my first day, do I?"
Aaron nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"Nothing...just felt like kissing yah, that's all...see you in a bit", Jackson smiled at him and went on his way. When he had driven off in the van, Aaron has his mobile at his ear, " Joe it's me...can you talk..."
Xxxxx
Jackson was on the floor beneath a sink. He clutched the spanner and went to work on connecting two pipes together, he was getting a tad frustrated because nothing seemed to be going right today. The spanner got stuck and he tried to pull it out.
"Oh flaming hells fucking bells!...Bollocks to this game of tight arse soldiers" he cussed repeatedly underneath his breath.
And then that was it, all hell broke loose as the spanner came away, the pipe came completely away and the water was spraying out in all directions possible.
Jackson backed out and threw the spanner to the wall, " OH YOU MUST BE HAVING A FLAMING LAUGH!"
He stood up and tried his best to get the pipe back on, but the water was building up, he threw the spanner aside again, and went into the next room in a fury, " OI! YOU FUCKING NOMARK, I SAID TO YAH TO TURN THE WATER OFF DIDN'T I? CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH OR SOMMIT PAL?"
The polish worker stared back at him and held out his hands, " KEI?"
Jackson shoved him aside and reached for the stop cock and the water supply was closed off. He then turned back to him, " You flaming idiot! Do I have to BABYSIT you ALL the time!"
Ray was then entering the half finished room. The ceiling still needed plastering and the hanging electrical sockets needed fixing into place.
"Jackson? What's going on?"
Jackson backed off the polish guy, " Him! He's not DOING his job properly, I feel like I've been paired up with a complete div"
Ray took Jackson by the arm and lead him out into the corridor, " Oi oi...there's NO need to be like that, mate...what's got into you today? You're like a bear with a sore head"
Jackson looked and felt bad about his behaviour now. From the moment he had arrived on site that morning he was acting more like how Aaron used to be, than he was himself, grunting at everyone and generally giving off a bad attitude. It was unlike him, and he knew it.
"Sorry mate...it's just...it's the anniversary of me mothers death today...it's just on me mind that's all, sorry, there's no excuse for my behaviour"
Ray shook his head sympatheticlly and placed a hand on his shoulder, " What the HELL are you doing here for? I know you were eager to get back to work, but tomorrow would've been fine"
Jackson shook his head, " No...I'm alright...I'll just mope about it at home, and besides...I've done NOTHING BUT mope around the house for weeks, I just wanna get back into it"
"Well, I came up here to tell yah that you've got a visitor downstairs..."
Jackson looked puzzled, he wasn't expecting Aaron to stop by.
"So WHY DON'T you have your lunch now, and come back later" suggested the site foreman.
Jackson shook his head.
Xxxxx
Joe was his visitor. He was standing in the glass foyer to the unfinished build. Jackson came by, tapped him on the shoulder as a 'hello' and lead the way out onto the street outside.
"So...what do I owe for this honour?" Jackson asked, a tad suspicious.
Joe's face said it all.
"Ohhhh I see Aaron's been blabbing! Joe I'm alright, mate" Jackson told him, trying to sound convincing.
"Come for a sandwich...Aaron did call...but I wanted to see you anyway"
Jackson pulled off his bright fuerescent vest and dumped it along with his hard hat, into the back of his van nearby, then followed Joe across the road to the nearby cafe.
Xxxxx
Joe came over with tuna and cress sandwiches and two coffees.
Jackson took a sip of his coffee and picked up where they had left off, " ...so YOU are saying that NOBODY owns our house?"
The young solicitor shook his head, " That's right, this Frank Harrington imposter bloke, should NEVER of sold you it in the first place, it certainly doesn't come under Home Farm Estates land..OR...It's not on its books as a rented property..."
Jackson half smiled, " I built it up from practically a shell...so if Home Farm or whoever doesn't own it, who does?"
Joe shrugged his shoulders, " God knows, your guess is as good as mine, mate...but...I suppose you could ask around the village...Emmerdale, someone there might know who lived there before"
Jackson frowned, why hadn't he thought of that before, and immediately thought of Betty or Edna, maybe they might know.
"I DID have deeds, I know I did...but now I can't find them"
Joe bit into his sarnie, "Maybe Frank swiped them...but, painful as this sounds, but you beg borrowed and stole a fortune for something you didn't need to, you could've just started work on it and nobody would've been the wiser"
Jackson slumped back and stirred up his coffee some more, " That's just typical, what WE went through to get that house...mugs, that's what we are"
"Except Frank was doing the mugging"
Jackson sighed, " Oh well...so we just hang on in there then...just hope that some long lost relative doesn't find a copy of the deeds and realise they've inherited a house off someone whose been dead and buried for years"
Joe wanted to make lite of the situ. He smiled at him, " Well...I WAS thinking about going out tonight to celebrate the fact that my old firm has took me back"
Jackson looked up, the grin spreading across his chops, " really! You're not having us on, are yah?"
"Nope, I signed the contract this morning...all I need to do now is wait until my tenants finish their tenancy in December, and I can move back into my old house"
"That's ace! Yeah, I'm up for a drink tonight, I'll call Aaron, he'll be up for it inall..."
"Are you sure...you know...with what it is today and everything"
Jackson shook his head and laughed, " Mum wouldn't of wanted me to be miseable all day, would she? She'd wanted me to go out for a drink with you...it's still all about celebrating a life, not mourn it, eh?"
Joe shrugged, " Well, if you're sure, lets make a night of it and do some serious dancing!"
Jackson laughed, " now THAT'S what I've been waiting for, tell you what, mate, you'll have to DRAG ME OFF that dance floor tonight...I've SO missed dancing me!"
Xxxxx
When Jackson had to get back to work, he bade a 'see you later' to Joe, and then stuck his phone to his ear.
"Yeah it's me...I see YOU'VE been shooting your mouth off again! I ought to come round there... pull them pants down... and give you a damned good slap on the arse, if it wasn't the fact that you'd enjoy it too much...now listen WE'VE got plans tonight, we are going out...no, i'm okay, really I am, plus Jacks with Sarah tonight, so lets get bladdered ..."
Xxxxx
At Club 21 later on, Jackson let his hair down by doing as much dancing as he could with Joe. Aaron preferred to just watch from the bar.
Downing his second pint and rolling his eyes as Jackson and Joe did the 'gangnam style', he turned to see Craig and Ben walk down the stairs towards the bar.
Ben smiled, " Oh, look who it is! Fancy seeing you here"
Craig acknowledged Aaron with a half smile greeting, and was already looking around for Jackson. And Ben could see it.
"He's making a pratt of himself" nodded Aaron, in direction of the dance floor, Ben laughed, "well that doesn't take much, when it comes to him, eh?"
Ben grinned to himself as he had a sidewaysie glance and saw Craig staring towards the dance floor. Aaron hadn't even noticed! Never mind the crash, once a brainless ape, always a brainless ape.
"Can I get you a drink Aaron?", he asked, putting on one of the winning smiles that used to have Aaron come running.
"I've got one ta"
Craig tore his eyes away from the dancers and snatched out his wallet, " I'll get these"
Ben pulled out a packet of cigs from his back pocket, " Wanna come join me outside for a smoke Aaron?"
Aaron swallowed and his eyes fixed to the fag packet in Ben's grasp. GOD it was tempting to get back on the smokes. His inner 'old' self always craved for a ciggy.
But he waved his hand, " No ta, I'm alright thanks"
"Don't blame yah...filthy habit! I'm thinking of quitting them meself, maybe you can give me a few pointers..."
Aaron sounded cocky, " Crashing your car'll do it"
Ben laughed. Then his eyes overted to the pool table, " what about a game of pool? Surely you still like that...and as Jackson seems busy...", he trailed.
Aaron picked up his pint from the bar, " Go on then...but YOU can pay"
Xxxxx
Ben pulled off another lucky shot and winked at Aaron who sat watching him from the sidelines. The machanic couldn't help but smile back at him.
Craig didn't like this, he didn't like this one little bit, so he he grabbed his boyfriend by the arm and faced him, " Hey, what's with all the winks at him for? I know you and him have a history, but that's all it is"
Ben went and cupped Craigs cheek, " Oh bless! You're jealous aren't you? But you've got nothing to be jealous of"
Aaron stood forward and placed his pool sick across the table of the unfinished game, " Look, I don't want to be coursing trouble between yous two"
Craig shot a glare at him, ", You're not, So do one"
Ben laughed out loud and held his hands up, " Hey guys, you no need to fight over me, I'm a one guy man, me"
Aaron pulled a face, " I DON'T fancy you! I'm just being friendly, that's all", he then went into a huff and headed to the bar.
Craig decided he had enough of this, and dragged Ben away to the corner, " Look, why don't we just take this somewhere more private? It's weird having you Ex hanging about"
Ben sniggered, " That must've be the same for him, when you were stuck round Jackson like a fly round shit when Aaron had his car crash"
Craig shot him a glare, " It WASN'T like that! Get your facts right, or getta new source"
Ben picked up his empty pint glass and shrugged him off, " Just telling you what I've heard..."
He then bounced up to the bar and leaned in next to Aaron. The machanic glanced at him and asked, " What to you want?"
"Can I buy you a drink? I just want us to be friends, that's all"
Aaron sighed, " Oh go on then, but you can buy one for Jackson as well, because Joe's gone home", Ben dismissed that off with a; " If I must.."
He gave his order to the barman, then turned to him, " Look...is it all right to be friends, you and me?"
Aaron turned around and smirked at him, " I'll tell you what...it's best to keep your friends close...", he picked up his freshly bought pint, "...but it is better to keep your enemies closer" and with that he walked off.
Ben shook his head. And it made it worse with Jackson creasing up with laughter at the bar.
"What'a you sniggering at?", he shot at him bad tempered.
Jackson picked up his pint and took a sip as he made his reply, " well, you did ASK for that...Aaron knows when someones trying to come on to him...", and as he leaned in to him, he farrowed his browe, "...and SO do I", he then went after Aaron, leaving Ben with a look that could kill.
Aaron was already standing with Craig as Jackson caught up with him, "You should stay away from him. He's not right in the head him"
"Is that because you still want him for yourself?" half accused Craig, but somehow Jackson got the feeling that Craig had already started having his own doubts.
"NO! HE'S JUST A RIGHT NUTTER, THAT'S ALL! I DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE AND WARN YAH AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"
Craig gasped, " ME?! YOU NEED TO LOOK FURTHER TOWARDS HOME MATE!"
Jackson could see they were squaring up for a big hooha, so he got inbetween them, " Look, just leave it...that's all in the past...", he looked at Craig, " Ben spiked Aaron's drink...that's why he's warning yah...you should be grateful...especially from him"
He downed his pint and tapped Aaron on the arm, " Come on...we need to get home, I've gotta early start tomorrow..."
Craig watched them go as Ben came to his side, " Oh sweet!, Jackson still cares about you"
Craig shook his head, "Don't be daft, lets just drink up and go, yeah"
Ben downed his pint, he wasn't interested in Aaron anymore, he wasn't that special the first time round, so why would he want him again.
But Jackson...that cocky bastard just wound him up, prancing around the show like his shit didn't stink, and that he was whiter the white.
He grinned as he grabbed up his coat and followed Craig towards the exit of the club, lets just see HOW MUCH Jackson stills cares about Craig...and it would be so easy to play, because Aaron still had inner insecurities over it, and they came boiling to the surface just now.
He was going to see just how far he could manipulate the situation. And have some fun along the way...
Xxxxxx
MORE SOON. x
