Thanks to Emz, Emma and as1999 for their kind words on the last chapter. Especially to Emily who has been reading and giving her comments on the future chapters, couldn't have done it without ya babes :P xxxpippa
"Annie." Will said softly as he watched his daughter eating cornflakes across the breakfast table from him.
"Yes Dad." He heard her reply which was still sending shivers down his spine, he reckoned it would take some getting used to but he was definitely on his way.
"You'll be at Hamilton Green won't you? So I take it I'll have to write you a note about not havin' school uniform." Will said logically provoking a sigh from Annie. "Come on Annie be fair, I know going to school is the last thing you feel like doing now but I don't think I've got another option. I'm not allowed to leave you here alone and I can't take time off at this short notice."
"Yeah, yeah fine I'll go." She said grumpily as she clattered her dishes about at the sink, beginning to do the washing up out of habit.
"Leave it Annie, I'll do that later." Will muttered as he began to collect his things.
"But…but I always do it for Mum. She…oh never mind." Annie whispered, tears pricking her eyes as she thought about Emma, where she was, what she was doing. After another ten minutes of huffy silence Will and Annie both got in the car with everything they needed and he drove them quickly to the gates of Hamilton Green where she turned and waved bye, sticking out her tongue cheekily at the last minute and sending Will off to work with a little smile on his face.
Half way through maths Annie felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she slipped it out discreetly to read the message.
Hi Annie jst to let u know that u should cum down the station aftr school cuz u don't hv a key yt. U know where it is rite:P love Dad xxx
Sliding the phone back into her pocket Annie felt the cold stare of a teacher on the top of her head and she looked up angelically, even managing to conjure a few tears quickly as she thought of how to get out of her currently sticky situation. "I'm sorry Miss but…but I…I thought it might be Mum." She said in a sweet girly voice that normally would have made her feel sick just attempting. The teacher's face softened and they even reached out to squeeze her shoulder in comfort.
The next period passed quickly for Annie and before she knew it she was down the road with the girls, nothing ever happened during fourth period anyway. Annie lounged backwards, her head resting on Nathan's lap as a joint was passed around missing her out each time. "Come on Annie, lighten up a bit babes." Tania said as she waved it in front of her face making her gag at the pungent smell.
"Yeah, how come you're so boring now? Just 'cause your Dad's coppa scum doesn't mean you have to get all straight 'n' narra does it?" Kaysha butted in, staring hard at Annie to see if she could provoke a reaction. Annie just gave her the evils and leant up to kiss Nathan who Kaysha had had a major crush on for the past few months. Before she knew it there was a bottle lying in her lap filled with what most definitely wasn't water. "Go on then, or are ya too chicken to do tha' too?"
Annie looked between the bottle and her friends and back to the bottle again. Screw her Mum, screw her Dad, screw everybody, Annie was Annie so she was going to have a good time. Unscrewing the cap she downed several swigs of the vodka, each one burning her throat more but just leaving that satisfying feeling in the pit of her stomach. Eventually it was prised away from her so others could have some but Annie had drunk far too much already and was as high as a kite.
Less than an hour later, Annie was sitting in the reception of Hamilton Green, Will sitting next to her in his police uniform, the pair of them together attracting many strange looks. Her teachers tutted as she walked past and her classmates jeered but Annie didn't care, being hauled back into school by her Dad's workmates had been sobering enough but having him called to an emergency meeting between them and the head master was twice as bad.
Eventually Mr O'Neil poked his balding head out around his door and called for them to join him in the office. Will sat awkwardly on the chair and Annie draped herself lazily over the one beside it but one look from her Dad was enough to make her sit up with a straight back and wipe the smirk off her face. "Now Annie, truanting and underage drinking are not wise things to be doing are they? A smart girl like you should know that and after all your mother and father won't be especially pleased either." He started saying but Annie had already zoned out, she'd already had this 'talk' from a million and one other head teachers only at all those meetings Emma had been present and as inattentive as Annie was.
When they got out of the office Will was in such a bad mood that he didn't even speak to Annie, the whole time he was driving her to his. She was in no fit state to be at school although Will didn't exactly want to leave his drunk fourteen year old at home either! Trailing through into the living room, Annie threw herself down face first onto the sofa in a temper and although he was mad at her, Will couldn't help but feel sorry for her too. "Annie…honey I know you're upset about your Mum but you can't act like this and expect to get away with it." He said as he sat on the edge of the coffee table.
Annie just shrugged him off and stormed up the stairs to her room, making sure she banged her shoes down hard with each step making Will wince as he thought what it was doing to his floors. On arrival back at work Gina didn't even reprimand him as he looked so down hearted as he trudged up the stairs to CID as Phil and Sam had requested him as he was a mine of information on Emma before she'd left fifteen years ago but they never actually ended up talking about Emma, conversation always seemed to dip back to their fourteen year old daughter. "So…how's Annie settling in?" Sam asked gently as Will rubbed his hands across his face.
Pausing, Will just stared off into space as he pondered his answer. "Well…her and the locals off the estate are getting on like a house on fire and I've already had a meeting with the head today about her drinking habits so yeah she's doing just fine. Apparently Emma would have let her get away with it so she doesn't see why I have to be so angry. It's just so hard, she's off the rails and I don't know how to bring her back because I barely even know the first thing about her. She's my daughter for god's sake, I should be the one who knows her inside out." He said finally and left the room before either Phil or Sam could speak.
"Poor bloke." Phil muttered "So are you free for dinner tonight Sam, I was thinking about the little restaurant near my house?" He asked once he was sure nobody was lugging in.
"Oh shoot, I completely forgot to tell you. Abi and Jared are staying, she phoned last night to say that she needs a place to crash for a few weeks until she can get something sorted. She's supposed to be meeting up with a few old friends tonight, I promised I'd look after Jared." Sam said apologetically and Phil's face fell before a new idea popped into his head.
"Well, we could always look after him together if you want, get in a takeaway and watch some telly." Phil reasoned and Sam chuckled softly. "So what's she doing back anyway?" He added, curious why after so many years Abi was returning.
"Oh she finished Uni up North but she's looking to do a post-grad course in Primary Teaching and then once she gets a job she'll need somewhere for Jared to stay when she's busy so it looks like I'll be playing Mum again. She just wants to be closer I think, she's found it harder than she's letting on to everyone." Sam said as she perched herself on the edge of Phil's desk, looking dreamily at the picture of the two of them which had been taken only a few months previously at a work do. "Abi…Abi, of course Abi can help with Annie!" Sam exclaimed as a few ideas slotted into place in her mind.
Twenty minutes later and after much persuading on Sam's side, they'd negotiated that Abi would go round and check on (not baby-sit) Annie and Sam would look after Jared as much as Abi wanted her to in return. "Oh Will, I've found you someone who can help with the Annie problem." Sam said as she passed him the corridor and dragged him sideways into an interview room. "My daughter Abi is just back from Uni, she's great with kids and teens, she's offered to check in on her in the time between when she gets home from school and you get home from work, you know have a chat with her, check she's coping alright. She might just need another girl to talk to you know."
Will's mouth opened and shut a few times before he wrapped his arms tightly around Sam and rested his head on her shoulder, having to bend a few inches to do so. "Thank you soooo much Sam, you have no idea what this means to me. I just don't know how to deal with her. Thanks, thanks again." He garbled as they drew apart and he rushed off down the corridor, the weight lifted from his shoulders now he knew there was someone else he could rely on. Who knew that a fourteen year old could be so much trouble?
I wrote her letters and tried to send them,
In a bottle I placed my hope,
An SOS full of good intentions
sinking,will you give it to me,don't make me wait