DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF ITV.
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MID-SEPTEMBER
"Oh here he is! I heard you were back...how longs it been since you came home from Spain? 6 weeks is it?"
Chas said this as Aaron came to the bar.
"I've worked back in the garage for nearly 3 of them...it's not my fault you couldn't been bothered to come over to see me"
Chas leant on her elbows on the bar top, " So...what gives? Not work out did it?" she pried.
Aaron ignored her, " Just give us a pint, yeah"
Chas went and pulled the pumb, "No really...I AM interested...all the sun and sand too much for you was it?"
Aaron just looked at her and was silent.
"Ohhhh, it's like that is it"
Aaron handed her a fiver for his pint, "You're getting nowt out of me...now just shut up about it and let me sup my pint in piece"
Chas raised her eyebrowes and moved over to Paddy who was standing at the other end of the bar, "Looks likes there's trouble in paradise"
Paddy looked at her, "Just leave him alone Chas...he'll tell you when he's good and ready"
"Did he tell YOU? When he came back and stayed over at yours before he got himself this flat in town.." she said shaking her head.
"He's not...the latest is...is that he's kipping at a mates" told Paddy.
Chas screwed her face up, "Eh? What sorta mate...is it Jackson?"
Paddy shook his head and shrugged, "He doesn't tell me EVERYTHING either Chas"
Both caste a glance Aaron's way. The lad just smiled and raised his glass at them.
XXX
"FUCKING CUNTS STILL GOT MY MONEY!" raged Aaron as he left the pub, phone to his ear, "...YEAH, BUT I'M TELLING YAH, I DON'T GIVE A MONKEYS WHETHER NO PETS WERE IN THE CONTRACT OR NOT I'M GETTING THAT DEPOSIT BACK!"
He ended the call and crossed the road to the garage. Cain looked up from the engine he was working on, "Who were that?"
Aaron scowled at him as he climbed into his greasy overalls, "Just a mate...that fucking landlords still keeping hold of my deposit"
Cain shrugged, "yeah...but YOU weren't suppose to have that dog there...AND you did, because all you did was brag about the landlord not knowing...now he DOES know you act all surprized about how he's took it!"
"It's STILL my money!" Aaron hissed, taking a monkey wench from the side.
"To him it's not...I'm telling yah kiddo..there is NO WAY you'll be seeing that money again..."
Cain walked off and Aaron scowled again. His uncle was right of course, but why just give up on it...besides he needed that dosh because he couldn't kip on Nicks couch forever and a day. And he had Clyde staying there too and Nick wasn't really happy about that. Something about dog hairs getting everywhere.
He set to work on the Mini, and with every stroke of work, he tried to think of a way to get his money back.
XXX
"There is NO way Aaron...I am not gonna go threatening him"
Nick told this as he hoovered more dog hairs out from the sofa.
Aaron was full of it. Like he had been plotting this all day, "you only need to be the back up, i'll just go give it all that and he'll quake in his boots...you won't even have to do anything"
Nick switched off the hoover and sighed, "yeah? Somehow I can't see that happening...Aaron, I have a better idea..."
Aaron pulled a face, " You do?"
"Yeah...just forget it and save up for a new place...surely your Mum or whathisname can put you up"
"Paddy? Go BACK to that village, NO WAY...IT IS NOT HAPPENING...If I go back there I'll go mental..."
Nick shook his head, " Oh come on Aaron...it can't be that bad...at one time you said-"
"I kNOW what I said...but that was before I went to Spain...before I stopped in that flat...now I've got a taste of living away from all them morons I don't wanna go back"
"Morons? Aaron, alot of them morons are your family!"
"Yeah" he agreed, "...which is WHY I can call them morons...they mean well, but always expect something for nothing"
"Aaron...I AM NOT gonna help you scare some poor old man"
Aaron scowled and put his phone to his ear, "ohh forget it! I'm sure that Ed'll do as I say" he said and turned his back on him.
XXX
Hazel sung to the radio as she watched Jackson paint the living room wall with the roller.
"if you don't know me by now...you'll never never never know me, Hmmmm Hmmm Hmmm"
Jackson rolled his eyes as he slammed the roller back into it's tray and looked around at her, "Can you just be sticking that kettle on and be shutting your cakehole please!"
Hazel gave him a frown, "Awwwww...but I love this one..."
Jackson was sweating like a pig, "and can you open that back door up...it's like a ruddy sauna in here!"
Hazel turned the radio down and readied the mugs, "I think that colours really me...when I saw it at the homebase, I said to you, 'that'll look good in the lounge', didn't I?"
Jackson was in a trance.
"Jackson?"
The builder glanced up and looked puzzled at her, "What?"
"The paint...I said, didn't I? That it'll look good in here"
Jackson just shook his head non-committedly. Hazel came forward, "Jackson...what is it love, you've been abit distracted for the last couple of days...is there something on your mind"
Jackson breathed out a laugh, "nothing...i'm fine, i've just been working too hard, that's all"
Hazel shook her head, "Don't you go giving me that sweetheart...this is about Nathan, isn't it"
Jackson hated it when she guessed him correct, and his face showed it, "Is there NOTHING sacred"
"Not involving him NO"
Jackson sighed and sat on the couch that had a dust cover threwn over it, "I just can't stop thinking about him..."
Hazel made the brews, " Oh no...you're NOT getting back with him are you, because I sincerely hope you are NOT"
Jackson shook his head, "course not! It's nothing like that...it's just that...he's so ill"
"Something he's clearly brought on himself by what you've told me"
Jackson frowned at her, "So he was asking for it then? What goes around comes around...?"
Hazel swallowed, "well...I didn't MEAN that...I just meant...well...well, he should have know better, you know with him being a nurse and everything, surely they learn all about sexual health in their training..."
Jackson rubbed his cheek and leaned back on the couch cradling his brew, "I must be mad...but I can't just leave it like this...I'm gonna ahave to go round there"
Hazel jumped up and cupped his face, "Why? After all what he's done...HE BROKE YOUR HEART...you and him got married and HE said he'd be true to you"
Jackson nodded at her as she was telling him, " I know! I know! But I can't help the way I feel Mum...I care..."
"You've got a BIG heart...and some folk don't deserve it"
"Let ME be the judge of that...no ones saying about me and him getting back together and being good mates or anything...but...he NEEDS someone"
"But he would've called you, wouldn't he? If he wanted your help..."
"He won't Mum...he won't call anyone...that's the trouble", he stood up and went and tipped his brew into the sink and turned, "I'm gonna get changed"
Hazel sighed in dispair. Sometimes it was a weight to have a son with a big caring heart like hers did.
XXX
Ed jumped out of his car and saw Aaron leaning against the low brick wall. He looked up and scowled at the rugby player, "you're late"
Ed glanced at his watch, but Aaron had already forgotten about how late he was, he was pointing, " there he is...I want me deposit back!"
Ed stopped him, " Aaron...stay calm...just ASK him nicely, I'm sure he'll be alright about it"
Aaron shot a killer glare at him, " I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE UP FOR HELPING ME!"
"I am"
"Good...so lets not just be stood here and get ON with it, then!"
Both of them marched up the street just as Mr Lacey was coming out of the flats. Aaron was already pointing his finger at him, " OI YOU, WANKER! I WANT MY DEPOSIT BACK!"
Mr Lacey held up his hands, " There's no needs for that language Boyyo!"
Ed stepped forward, "please...he just wants what he's owed"
"He knows the rules...NO PETS...and as he has broken them, i've evicted him and he's NOT entitled for a return of deposit...I SUGGEST you read your contract!"
Aaron balled his fists. The wanker wasn't listening. But it was a good job Ed was on the ball because he managed to stop Aaron from swinging a punch at Lacey.
"Aaron stop it!"
Aaron couldn't move, Ed's powerful arms were holding him back. Mr Lacey pointed his finger, "ANY MORE THREATS LIKE THAT AND I'M CALLING THE POLICE!" and then he was off up the street and was gone.
Aaron shook his head and stared down to the hand around his chest. At an instant, Aaron pushed Ed off him, " get off me you perve!"
Ed held his hands up in his defense, "I'm not doing anything"
Aaron gave him a knowing glare,"yeah you are...you are trying to get yourself a feel...but I'm NOT interested...do you get me Ed...I DON'T 'LIKE' YOU!"
And with that said, Aaron stormed off, face like thunder.
Ed of course was hurt, but, he knew what Aaron was like. Aaron was fiesty. Hot tempered. Wants to be loved. And Ed could do that.
He smiled to himself. It just made the challenge the ever more interesting...and exciting.
He gave it a month.
A month from now, they would be going out with each other...
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