Disclaimer: I do not own Emmerdale or anything to do with Emmerdale, it all belongs to ITV.

Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in ages! I'm very busy with A levels and learning to drive :( so updates will come slower but I do want to finish this off so enjoy!

Save Me...

Chapter 2

Eventually the time had come for Ross to come home. It did little to raise his spirits. He had come on with leaps and bounds in his walking, and his slight limp was hardly noticeable. Well that's what Pete and Finn told him anyway. He had been fitted with his own prosthetic and even though it still caused him pain to use it, he insisted on it over crutches or a wheelchair. His desperation to get back to a normal life was as much heart breaking as it was inspiring.

But still Ross refused to talk to anyone about what was running through his mind, what plagued his every thought. His weeks of torture still haunted his sleep, but his reality was no better. He had sharply turned down the hospitals offer of referring him to a counsellor. He didn't need that bull shit!

Unbeknown to everyone Ross had stopped taking his pain medication, used to help control the phantom pain he still got where his leg had once been. He just wanted to feel normal again, and feeling like his leg was still there was as close as Ross would aver get to normal again.

What Ross was dreading most about coming home, more then anyone other then family finding out what had happened to him, was seeing Debbie again. He longed to see her, to hold her in his arms again. He hadn't seen her properly since before the helicopter crash, and he just needed to check she was okay. Pete had told him that she had had her spleen removed and had suffered a few broken bones but had long since recovered. But he knew that could never happen. He could never let anyone close to him again.

He couldn't bear to see pity in anyone's eye. Ross was better off on his own.

"Ready to go?" Pete smiled at his little brother as he got slowly to her feet, or foot?

He only got a grunt in response. Him and Finn had come to collect him from hospital as he was still giving his parents the cold shoulder, Pete had insisted the two go away on holiday and give Ross some space to settle in given his fragile state of mind. Emma had been reluctant but James had been forceful, they were going to give their sons space. James knew that Ross responded better to his brothers then he ever did to him, he just couldn't seem to get that into Emma's head. But in the end they had gone for a two week break to Cyprus, to see if there was any hope in salvaging their relationship.

The other bothersome problem was Debbie. She was still cold and hostile toward Pete but she had been continually badgering him and Finn about when Ross was coming home and when she could see him. The answer was always the same, "Just give him time, he'll come to you".

They didn't know what else to say to her. If Ross had his way he would never speak to anyone again. But Debbie was a force to be reckoned with and she would force herself on Ross if she had too. They really were a pair.

Finn put a steadying hand on Ross' shoulder as they made their way through the hospital, which was roughly shrugged off. Ross hated any assistance from anyone.

"Debbie was asking about you again" Pete told a rather distant looking Ross as they guided him out of the hospital.

"What did you say?" Ross asked, Pete tried to ignore the threatening tone to Ross's voice. Knowing that if Ross tried anything Pete could easily overpower him now, sad as it was.

"That you'd come to her..." It still caused Pete pain to think of Debbie and Ross together, but after everything that had happened between the two brothers Pete was trying to put it past him and move on. He wasn't sure he could even deal with a relationship at the moment.

Ross grumbled "Well she'll be waiting a long time then!"

"Ross, you cant hide this forever!" Finn objected.

"See me try!" Ross hissed, before refusing to engage in anymore conversation as they excited through the doors of the hospital and loaded into Pete's car.

This journey was going to be fun.

"And this is to help you up the stairs!" Finn pointed out, they had been giving Ross a tour of the newly renovated house. Ross had barely said a word as he'd walked round.

"Sooooo! What do you think?" Finn plastered a fake enthusiastic grin on his face which earned him an incredulous look from Ross.

"I know it's a lot to get used to mate, but you'll get there! We're all here for you" Pete said gently, giving his brother a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder which to his shock Ross didn't shrug off.

Ross didn't reply, he just stared motionless at where Finn had pointed.

"Why don't I make us a brew?" Finn broke the awkward silence.

"Good idea!" Pete enthused, turning and following Finn through to the kitchen. It was difficult trying to put a positive spin on everything for Ross's sake.

"Will he get their?" Finn questioned, his face creased with concern.

"Course he will Finn, don't be stupid!" Pete berated him, however his voice wavered with doubt.

It was then the two brothers heard the back door slam angrily behind them. Ross had heard them. Pete and Finn turned to each other ashamed.

"Should we follow him?" Finn asked his elder brother, already making his way to door.

"No. Just give him some space. He needs to come to terms with this." Pete returned to searching through the kitchen cupboards. But instead of making tea he got out a bottle of whiskey, feeling they would probably need it...

Ross stumbled out the door. The pain in what was left of his leg was becoming unbearable. He felt like his chest was constricting and he knew he was going to have a panic attack.

He clumsily made his way to the bench he had once collapsed at when he had just seen Donna kill herself and sat down, putting his head in his hands and trying to get his breathing under control.

This was going to be his life now. He was always going to be that invalid, the one that lost his leg.

Ross wished he had died in that house rather than living this life.

It was then that Ross heard foot steps walking by which suddenly halted. A figure stopping in front of him.

Ross looked up and was momentarily dazzled by the sunshine, but when his vision cleared she was stood silhouetted against the light like an angel. His angel.

He looked into the beautiful, chiselled face of Debbie Dingle.

I love Debbie and Ross together so beware that this is a Debbie/Ross fic now! please review and I'll try and update soon.