DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF ITV.

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EARLY-NOVEMBER

Am I good to you? Two updates in one day! It must be a bank holiday...

Nathan tutted to himself as he waited like some knobhead on the corner. 10 minutes now, and still no sign of Stu. Flipping 'eck what was keeping the daft sod, he only lived a few blokes away in some scummy little excuse for a flat.

Then the black cab pulled up and Stu jumped out paying the driver. Nathan stepped forward, "it's about time..."

Stu's eyes were instantly down on the open shopping bag on the pavement, "Ohhhh you went for the red chinos in the end, then..."

Nathan rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand, "never mind that, come and have yourself a gander at this..."

Stu frowned, "I THOUGHT we were having a fatty burger!"

Nathan shook his head, "Well...we was...until I saw THEM PAIR in there", he nodded to the window, "Go on then, don't just stand there looking like some stuffed shop doll, have a looksee...", preferably before they upped and left, thought Nathan after.

Stu peered into the window. First he couldn't see WHAT or WHO Nathan was going on about, but then he saw them sitting there.

Aaron and Jackson.

Stu backed away and looked at Nathan, "yeah...so?...he SAID he was meeting him...he told me so...like I told YOU earlier", he reasoned.

Nate shook his head, "So he told you all about plans for a cosy little meal together, did he?"

Stu laughed it off, " It's JUST burger king...it's lunch time"

Nathan sighed, "But YOU never saw them earlier getting, you know...closer"

Stu leaned on the wall, out of sight from the window, "what? What do you mean...?"

Nathan raised his eyebrowes.

Stu jumped to conclusions, "You mean they were all over eachother...kissing and that"

Nate could brain him sometimes, he rolled his eyes in frustration, " Stu think about it...are they REALLY gonna be kissing in there? With all them hoodie types stewing about the joint..."

Stu eyed him carefully, "So what to you mean then?"

"I mean...close...eye contact...the little smiles between jokes...BODY LANGUAGE...it gives it away"

Stu was steaming. He turned and was about to storm in when Nate grabbed him and pulled him back, " What the hell are you doing?"

Stu was livid, "I gonna have it out with them! Get him to TELL ME what's going on!"

Nathan looked at him like he was only just born yesterday, " What? Are you serious? YOU want to go cause a scene with all them types in there...them hoodies...use your loaf"

Stu calmed himself down, "So...what do I do then...?", he was feeling gutting and very helpless now, and Nathan was lapping it up.

"Speak to him tonight...ASK HIM...you know, where he met him...and if he lies about it...", he trailed off.

"Then god knows what else he's lied about..." concluded Stu. The boy started to march up the street muttering to himself, " Bastard"

Nathan glanced at his nails, flicked them, picked up his shopping and followed Stu up the street.

XXXX

Aaron finished sucking the last of his coke and screwed up the carton noiserly. Jackson widened his eyes, " All fit?"

Aaron nodded and they dumped the tray in the bin and moved out onto the street outside. Both walked side by side till they got to the corner. Jackson dug his hands into his pockets and focused his eyes on Aaron, "Look...now we can be mates...we can meet sometime for a game of pool or sommit, what do you think...?"

Aaron shrugged, he had thought about giving places like Bar West a miss, but now he just thought that was just stupid.

"Yeah...why not" he said non committedly.

Jackson played the hurt routine, " Oh thanks very much...there's me offering out the olive branch of friendship and you go all flakey on me..."

Aaron managed a smile for him, " Yeah I mean...it'll be top if we do"

Jackson slapped him on the arm, and grinned at him, " That's MORE like it!"

Aaron was about to turn on his heel, when he paused and looked right at Jackson, "Hey wait just a minute...YOU ARE gonna be giving me a lift back to the village, right...? It's just, I hate taking the bus..."

Jackson's jawed dropped. He had forgotten about that, he was just about to have a nice shower at Mums and then go meet Stu.

"Yeah...come on, lets make it quick"

XXX

Nathan was at home. He had his meds ready on the kitchen counter ready to take with a glass of water. His phone was to his ear.

"So he's still not home then...well...at LEAST you know who he's with, eh?", Nate grinned knowing Stu was really worked up, "...well...just ASK him, like we said..." there was a pause, "...you still there? Stu? What...he's just parking up? Well...you know what to do, don't yah...?"

Nathan ended the call and smiled again. He then started taking his medication, humming to himself.

Of course Nathan absolutely hated the idea of Stu and Jackson together. From the moment Stu had somehow realised that he knew about them, and came clean.

First reaction was to belt Stu and tell him how much of a waste of space he was, and the 'how dare you be so traiterous' sernarios.

But Nathan was too clever for that. It was nothing that he already knew. He had worked out they were seeing eachother at the stolen glance at Stu's phone.

So Stu's confession was non plus.

With abit of work, then Jackson and Stu would be history within a few weeks. A little seed planted here, a dose of paranoia there, Stu would be the one to balls it all up.

He couldn't stop Jackson from seeing someone else. But there were exceptions, a) not your best mate or b) that filthy manslag Aaron.

He smiled to himself, wondering what to cook himself. "Some thing jublilant one thinks...", he muttered to himself.

XXX

Stu was not happy. He sat on the sofa bed and heard the door open and Jackson came in, "It's just me...one sexy builder coming your way...", he teased.

Stu looked round to see the bunch of flowers in his hand, "Who are they for?"

"Errrrrr...you?"

Stu took one look at them and turned his nose up, "the price tags still on them and they are from that scummy old garage on the corner"

"Well...Mum'll like them", although he did have an after thought as he laid them down onto the counter, "...although, she'd probaby kill them"

Stu poured himself a white wine, " I feel like killing you"

Jackson's brown eyes looked all puzzled at him, "...oh...what?"

"Nice day? Did you meet Aaron, did yah"

Jackson frowned and sat down, "What's all this about then? Something tells me that there is a touch of Nathan bending your ear off here...filling your head with allsorts"

Stu shook that comment off, " I have my OWN mind"

Jackson nodded, " Yeah you do...and I've said to yah, you are worth MORE than him...so why not just bin him off as a mate and get some decent ones"

Stu pulled a face, " That's rich...it was only a couple of weeks ago you wanted to put everything behind you and him...be mates, YOU'VE changed your tune"

Jackson sighed and patted the space next to him. Stu sat down and the builder pulled him close to him, "That was before I fell for you...I know what's in his head...it's like when I was with Aaron, he gets all messed up..says ANYTHING to crap things over"

Stu looked at him, "But he's okay with you and me..he said it was wierd for him at first, but he seems to have excepted things"

Jackson kissed his forehead and sighed again, "I wouldn't trust him a mile...that's WHY i'm civil to him...best to keep your mates close and your enemies closer"

Stu calmed down. But then he thought about burger king. Swallowing down and turned, "So...you and him...Aaron I mean...where did yous two meet?"

Jackson brushed his hand over his stuble, "Errrrrrr...the woolie...it's his local...then I...then I took him out for a burger..."

Stu suddenly laughed.

Jackson pulled a face, then went all cheeky on him, " What? What have I said?"

Stu stopped him talking and kissed him on the lips, "Nothing...it's nothing, just shows you what people really know and how wrong they are..."

Suddenly feeling like a weight was off, Stu stood and picked up the rancid bunch of flowers, "You know what? I think I might be able to breath some life into these after all"

Jackson responded with a winning grin. As Stu busied himself, Jackson was thankful that Aaron had been pretty SURE he had spotted Nathan look in through the window at Burger King. He just wasn't 100% sure of it, said it might've been some 'poor sod' that looked like him. Well...just in case...because if it were Nate, then he wouldn't wait a split second to tell Stu everything...

in this case, honesty was always the best policy.

XXXX

Reviews are always received with thanks! And possibly more chapters!