Dear Readers,

Sorry for this very short chapter, I don't think I'll be able to write or post for the next few days so I thought I'd just upload this now. I hope you enjoy it (though I'll warn you it's not a particularly happy chapter) and I plan to be back as soon as possible :)

- pensandpaper13

Al didn't go to the surgery the next day. Or the next. Julia wondered if it was because of their near-kiss experience the other day, but Pauline told her he was working. She tried to believe that for a few days. She tried not to feel abandoned, tried not to sulk about it like the child everyone already thought she was. But she missed him terribly, and every day it got worse. After a week, it was Louisa who noticed the girl was even more melancholy than usual when she spotted her moping on the steps of the surgery.

"Hello, Julia," Louisa smiled. "You okay? You're looking a bit glum."

Julia looked up briefly and shrugged. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good, good, just stopped by to renew an old prescription. Is he in?"

The girl nodded. Louisa hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside her. "Come on. What's got you down?"

"It's nothing," Julia mumbled. She pushed her hair behind her ear, avoiding Louisa's eyes. "It's just…Al hasn't been to see me in a while…"

"Oh, well I'm sure he's just been busy. Lots of plumbing to do, I suppose." Louisa said cheerily. She thought Julia's friendship with Al was cute,

if a bit unconventional.

"I'm pretty sure he's avoiding me." Julia said quietly, more to herself than Louisa.

"That doesn't sound like him. He probably just hasn't found the time. Why don't you just go over and see him instead?"

The girl's brow knitted together and she looked at Louisa. "I hadn't thought of that."

Louisa smiled. "See, there you go."

She got to her feet and patted Julia's head as she went into the surgery. Julia sat on the steps for another moment, then she stood and headed down them, the first time by herself. She was nervous and jumpy, but desperate enough to brave the streets. She folded her arms over her chest tightly and prayed she wouldn't run into that horrid group of cackling girls who always seemed to show up. Fortunately, the sun was starting to go down and most of the villagers had either turned in for the night or gone down to the pub.

She didn't exactly know where Bert and Al lived, but as it turned out she didn't have to – their red plumber's van was parked outside the primary school. Julia went up to it and peeked inside, and finding it empty, headed into the school. It was dark and slightly eerie, the empty corridors echoing the sound of her sneakers hitting the floor.

She found Al in the north wing. He was mopping up a pool of water outside a bathroom, and normally that wouldn't be that sexy but in that moment, in an undershirt that clung to his chest in all the right places, the top of his navy jumpsuit tied around his hips, his hair messy, headphones over his ears…after having not seen him for days…

He looked up and saw Julia standing there, and stopped. The pain in his chest, the ache that had been there for a while now, dissipated and he felt like he could finally breathe again. She was so beautiful, so perfect with that wild curly hair and those big eyes, staring at him as though he were fascinating. She started moving towards him, getting closer and closer until she was right there in front of him. She grabbed his arms, pushing him against the wall just hard enough, and then she was pulling him down and kissing him. As soon as their lips touched a shock coursed through their nervous system, making their whole bodies tingle and shiver.

"I missed you," he whispered when they broke apart, eyes still closed. They could feel each other's warm breath on their lips, and Julia swore she could feel his heart beating as hard as her own.

But then they opened their eyes, and Al seemed to realize what had happened. He pushed her away gently, holding her at arms' length, and ducked his head. He couldn't look at her. Cheeks flushed, he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that…that shouldn't have happened."

"No, it's okay," she said, smiling, "Al, it's okay, I wanted to -"

Al shook his head. "No, it's not. You're…you're too young, Julia – you're too young, you've…you've been through enough…"

Julia's face fell. "W…what? I'm not…I'm seventeen, Al, I'm old enough –"

Al pushed her away, turning his back on her as he bent to pick up the fallen mop, mumbling, "I won't take advantage of you, girl, not like…not like that bastard who…"

"Don't you dare compare yourself to him!" Julia said loudly, suddenly very angry. She'd forgotten for a moment, and now Al had to go and ruin everything. "You are nothing like him!"

Al straightened up. This was the first time he'd ever heard her speak of her abuser.

"Don't ever," Julia's eyes shone, her voice very quiet, "ever compare us to what that man did to me."

"I am like him," Al argued, his tone just as soft, "That kiss…that was wrong. I knew better but I let it happen anyway. I'm no better than him."

Julia was trembling, she was so angry. "It was not wrong!" she whispered. Jerkily, she lifted up her t-shirt, baring the scars on her stomach and hips. "This is what he did to me when I fought him. This was wrong. Forcing me…hurting me the way he did, that was wrong. But Al, the way you kissed me just now…that was not wrong."

Al stared at her, eyes shining, a sick feeling in his stomach. He stared at her scars, some faded lines, some still pink. He'd never seen…when the doc said, he never imagined…

"I'm sorry," was all he could say. Julia nodded, the tears finally spilling over. Then she turned and walked away, leaving Al standing there, sick to his stomach, barely able to breathe, his lips still tingling with the memory of her kiss.

Julia ran out of the school and down the road, nearly tumbling down the steep hill. She didn't stop running until she was a safe distance from the school, then she stopped and bent over, hands braced on her knees, and breathed slowly. Stop crying, she told herself. Stop crying…

She could hear music and laughter from the pub, and looked up. The orangey lights, the promise of warmth and enough alcohol to make her forget…she straightened up, wiped her eyes and headed towards it. No one noticed when she slipped inside, and she went up to the first unfamiliar man she saw and asked him to buy her a drink. He was already drunk himself and didn't even look at her twice before ordering a round of tequila shots. Al thought she was too young…well, then, she might as well act like it.