Back In the Square
Chapter 1
It was the dead of night as a hooded figure with a backpack wandered across the square. The Taylor-Baker household was awoken by a sudden loud knocking. Keegan was already awake as he crept across the living room to see who it was. Trouble he was guessing as they had nothing but trouble lately. He looked through the peephole and could see nothing but a dark figure, it was pitch black. He stepped back as the knocking continued. More footsteps could be heard as his father Mitch came out from his bedroom to see what was going on...
"Who is that?" Mitch asked his son in a loud whisper.
His son just giving a shrug. He was clearly nervous though, shaken up by his recent attack still. He thought one of them might have returned or something.
"Leave or I'm phoning the police!" Mitch shouted. Making the banging stop.
A muffled voice came back however they couldn't understand who or what they were saying. It was a male voice, that's all they knew. By this time, Karen and Bailey too has woken up as they walked into the dark living room.
"Who the hell are you shouting at?" Karen demanded to know as she looked between Mitch and Keegan.
"Some geezer is banging at the door and we don't know who is it. That's who we are shouting at" Mitch answered.
All went silent again and the mysterious voice spoke again, this time more clearly as now nobody was speaking. Mitch putting his arm around a clearly startled Bailey. She was clearly scared that this might be somebody out to harm one of them.
"It's only me" came the muffled reply from behind the door.
Karen looked at Keegan. Both of them knew who that was now as Karen turned on the living room light and buzzed the person in. Bailey still panicked as she hid her face in her father's side. A dripping wet bearded man walked in with nothing but a backpack and a soaked through teddy bear.
"Keanu" Karen simply spoke as she wrapped her arm around him. Nearly crying from the shock.
Bailey now lifting her head from her father's side. The mood had calmed for they now knew it wasn't a threat. It was just good old Keanu Taylor. He had returned. He dropped his backpack down after his mother finally pulled apart.
"I'm sorry for scaring you all...I just had nowhere else to go" Keanu began.
"Don't worry. It's not your fault they are too thick to know your voice" Karen replied with a bit of light teasing thrown in.
"What are you back for?" Keegan managed to ask.
"Well, mum's told me some of the stuff that has been going on and I think I've been gone for far too long. Besides I want to meet my son so badly" Keanu explained; walking towards the couch and sitting on it.
Holding onto the teddy bear still. That's what he got for Albie. Not like it makes up all that lost time. Karen shaking her head, that wasn't his fault and he shouldn't think it was. Sharon wouldn't let him come close and if he remained, Phil and Ben no doubt would have beaten him to a pulp.
"That wasn't your choice, son" Karen reminded him; removing his wet jacket for him like he was a child.
Mitch making himself and Bailey scarce as this had nothing to do with them. Keegan sitting on the opposite side now, his brother being back was the last thing he expected tonight. Now what do they do? No doubt Ben Mitchell is still out for his blood.
"Ben's gonna batter you when he sees ya" Keegan insisted with his arms crossed.
"Yeah I know but I need to see Sharon" Keanu replied.
"You don't owe her anything, right? She's just some washed-up granny who didn't know how to keep her knickers on, ain't she? Albie is your blood but that's it. You have no ties to her otherwise"
"She was grieving for her son"
"That's no excuse and I know that as well anyone, son. She lashed out at you and it was partly her fault that you almost got killed by those psycho Mitchells" Karen interjected.
"You been fine with her these last few months, mum" Keanu argued back.
"Only to see Albie. Keegan's right, Albie's the only reason for us having anything to do with Sharon" Karen said while pointing her finger.
"Well luckily it's not up to you two. I'll go round early in the morning before anyone on the square is awake. I need to see them"
...
After a mere three hours or so of broken sleep. As he had fallen asleep on the couch. Keanu woke up again, still with that teddy bear. His mother and brother went back to bed. He did promise he wouldn't go to Sharon's but he had intention of keeping it. As he put his hood and trainers back on. Making his way out the house on this very early morning. It was about 6am to be precise and only a handful of early birds were up. He knew where Sharon lived due to his mother telling him on the phone a few weeks ago. A mistake on her part maybe. He also knew she had a granddaughter called Alyssa now but that didn't make a difference. He began knocking on their door, thankfully for his sake; mornings were dark enough for him to remain hidden. Inside the house, everyone was asleep currently. Even the little children. Suspecting this, Keanu began to change from simply knocking to banging (again). Little Alyssa woke up crying...
"Oh my god" Jada muttered under her breath; she just fell asleep a couple hours ago.
She got up to attend to her crying daughter. Which is when she then heard the banging in her half asleep state. In the other room, Zack Hudson leapt to his feet on hearing bangining. Martin Fowler not far behind as the entire household suddenly woke up to the sound of crying and banging. Sharon remaining in her bedroom to try and calm down Albie who was now crying as well. Leaving the two mothers to calm down their children. The men walked towards the door...
"Who is it?" Martin demanded to know; being the first to speak out.
"It's me...Keanu. Please let me in, mate" Keanu answered.
Martin was the one who helped him flee the country last time. He didn't know if he did want to let him in. How is Sharon going to react to this? Zack knew who he was and what he was to his sister and nephew but that's as far as it went.
"Should I go and get Sharon?" Zack asked Martin.
"Yeah. I would if I were you" Martin replied.
With a look of dread for it was too early in the morning for this. Zack knocked on Sharon's bedroom door and told her to come out now. The woman had no clue what was going on as she opened her door. Still in her dressing gown.
"Sharon!" Keanu called from behind the door for he heard all that.
"Keanu?" Sharon called back as she now stood at the door. Seeing only his figure in the doorway.
"Please let me in. I don't want Ben or Phil seeing me. Sharon, please. I'm begging ya"
Hesitating only for a few moments. Sharon unlocked the door to see him standing there. He barged right in, nervously looking back onto the square before shutting the door behind himself. He breathed in once he was safe and sat down on the couch. He was clearly exhausted still from all his travelling and his broken sleep.
"I don't understand what you're doing here" Sharon started. Barely able to believe he's really here.
"I'm here for you and Albie" Keanu responded quickly; he knew exactly his reasons.
Martin and Zack excusing themselves. They knocked on Jada's door so they could explain to her who it was. She briefly popped her head out before letting the two men in. Martin would explain to her so Sharon didn't have to later.
"Oh right, of cause you are. I mean...Your first choice is out the country. So it's just me and Albie left, that right? I'm not being messed around, Keanu" Sharon replied back.
"You were always my first choice. This isn't about Louise and Peggy anyway. Do you really think I'd risk it with Phil and Ben here if I didn't care about you two? Really?"
"I don't believe you're really here for us. Karen's kept you in the loop, I know that much. I haven't heard anything from you for years. Not even a message from Karen"
Keanu's face dropped slightly. He actually sent plenty of messages to them but obviously Karen didn't want to deliver them.
"That's not true. I told mum from the beginning to tell you messages from me. No wonder she didn't want me to come round...You have to believe me, Sharon" Keanu pleaded.
"What sort of messages?"
"Messages like I miss you and love you. That I want to see Albie. She kept saying you didn't wanna know. It got to a point last year that I begged for her to get you on the phone. There was always some excuse and I knew something was up. So I came back" Keanu explained.
"I bet she dished out all the dirt on me"
"She told me you got a granddaughter and you got in some trouble with Ian Beale. None of that bothers me though, it has nothing to do with me and you and Albie...I got him this teddy bear, stupid I know"
"No...It was a lovely idea but erm...Gosh. I wish Karen told me all this. I thought you didn't wanna know. She told me you moved on and that's why I moved on"
"Moved on? I haven't had a relationship since. I'm not going to lie and say I've been a monk but it was just sex. Nothing serious. I have been thinking about you since the day I left"
Sharon felt butterflies in her stomach. She hasn't felt those for a long time. As she sat besides him now. She knew he was being honest with her. It made far too much sense to be a lie. Karen has never been a fan of their relationship so of cause she didn't want to pass on anything that could change the current circumstances. Keanu pulling her in for a much needed hug.
"Ben and Phil are going to hate this. I don't want you to get hurt" Sharon softly spoke as they pulled apart again.
"Let me deal with that when it comes. Right now, I just want to meet Albie and tell you everything you were suppose to know months ago"
...
TBC
