DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF ITV.
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EARLY-DECEMBER
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"I gather the police don't want to question you anymore"
Hazel sounded quite annoyed and fed up as she said it. Jackson had been hauled in 3 times since Stu had been taken to the hospital.
Jackson sat at the breakfast table and shook his head, he leaned back in his chair and looked up at her, "Nope...I think they're finally convinced that I had nothing to do with it"
Hazel dismissed that off immediately, "how DARE they think that...anyone only has to look at you to know that you are not capeable of doing THAT to someone"
"yeah, but THEY don't know me, do they? Anyway...I got the feeling from them, that somebody was going around saying that I was a bit heavy handed with Stu..."
Hazel finished washing up and came to sit down at the table with her brew, "So you think somebody had it in for yah"
Jackson met her gaze and breathed out a nervous chuckle, "that's about it...but who though? Who would want to go spreading stuff around about that for?"
Hazel shook her head in frustration, "Ohhh! You need your head testing, dont yah? It's bloody obvious it's that Nathan..."
Jackson pulled a face, "what? Why would he? Yeah, he were abit miffed when me and Stu started seeing eachother, but I think that was MORE to do with him being Stu's best mate AND we tried to hide it from him, but...SAYING that? Telling the coppers that I used my fists on Stu..."
Hazel sighed, "why do you have to see the good in people? Why can't you see what we all see...I never liked that Nathan...he had ONE of those faces...you know, the ones you'd gladly like to give a slap"
Jackson stood up and washed his mug in the bowl of soapy water. Then, drying his hands he grabbed up his jacket, "I suppose I best get to the hospital...Stu's mum called me last night...they're doing them tests on Stu this morning..."
Jackson looked troubled.
Hazel got up and went over to him, "I'm sure he will be okay, love...he'll wake up and he'll tell everybody what happened...you'll see"
Jackson sadly smiled at her, "I hope so...I wish I had YOUR faith in things, Mum"
Hazel then watched him go.
XXX
Aaron was working at the garage in Emmerdale. As he finished stripping out an engine, his phone jingled. He dug it out from his overalls. It was from Ed;
Miss you already...
Aaron smirked. Then he stopped smirking, as he thought about the other phone call. The one with the job offer in Bristol.
Cain popped his head out from the office, "Oi...you best not be slacking on that motor...that fat man who owns it, is coming in for it later"
Aaron glared at him and pocketed his phone. How good would it be, if he had a boss who appreciated him.
There were certainly things he wouldn't miss if he was to go...and Cain was one of them...
XXX
"So...he's gonna be staying like he is...in a coma?"
Jackson tried to take in what Stus' Mum and Dad had told him. The builder paced the corridor and looked at them, "but...the tests he had"
Stus' Mum stepped forward and touched Jackson's arm gently, "love, they said that Stu's responding to treatment, his brain is ticking over nicely...we just have to wait for him to wake up"
Jackson swallowed and looked at her, "and...have they said? When like? When he's likely too, wake up I mean?"
Stus' Mum and Dad glanced at one another.
Jackson leaned his back on the wall. That look said it all. They just DIDN'T know.
Stus' Mum took in a deep breath, thinking before she spoke, "they said it could be anytime...tomorrow...the next day..next week...", she swallowed, "...next month"
"Next year? Because you hear about things like that all the time...", said Jackson.
Stus' Dad crushed his empty polycarton of machine coffee, "and for the record Jackson, we didn't believe a word of those accusations...you being out of order with Stu"
Jackson felt out of order now. With what he was thinking. Stu could never wake up. And even if he did next week, would he be the same? Would he be brain damaged or something?
They had been together for what, 3 months tops? Yes, he had moved in with him, but the idea of marriage and all that had never accurred to him...
And now this? Could he stay with Stu...not knowing what the future would bring...knowing that even if this never happened, he had been just as unsure.
Jackson looked at Stu's Mum and Dad, "Can I see him?"
"You don't need to ask, pet"
Jackson smiled at her, and went through the double doors he knew led to where Stu lay in the intensive care unit.
XXX
Aaron finished up for lunch. He went across the road towards the Woolie. It was funny, apart of him wanted to go and get Clyde and give him a quick run across the field, and then he remembered he wasn't there anymore.
Just a dog lead hung up near the back door.
He entered the pub and got himself a pie'N'chips and a pint and tried to get Nick on the phone. This job offer from Bristol was driving him insane.
Nick didn't have his voice mail on.
Chas came over as she went about collecting empties, "are you alright love? Missing Ed? You look like you have the weight on your shoulders"
Aaron glared at her, "nowts up! Why would there be anything up?"
Chas walked away. Aaron sat back with a sigh, then thought about Jackson. After forcing down a piece of pie, he snapped up his phone and called him. Voicemail.
"Errrr it's me, Aaron...errrr...can you get back to me...I need a chat if it's alright? Hope Stu's okay..."
Would Jackson want to listen to his problems when he had biggers ones himself with Stu? Maybe it would take his mind off them...
XXX
At intensive care, Jackson looked down and placed his hand into Stus hand where it laid.
"Hiya mate...thought i'd come to see you...hey, they only arrested ME for doing this to yah? What can I say, I managed to put on that charm of mine you so much love, and made them see it wasn't me..."
Stus eyes flickered. But it was normal. He did it all the time.
"I've been where you are...stuck in a unit like this...when I had that accident out in Spain last year...took me months to recover...but I pulled through and I sure you will to...even if we don't know when that will be"
Stu looked peaceful.
"It's just that...well...I can't do this...I never said that we would always be...you knew that...it's not because I don't love you or owt, because I do, and you KNOW that, I've shown you enough times...I told you that I've never had better sex than anyone...sex that meant something...with Nathan it was forced and felt meaningless...and with Aaron...well...Aaron's Aaron, bless him...but...I can't do THIS..."
Jackson felt bad. Because he knew that he wasn't coming back. It wasn't as he was abandoning Stu. The lad still had his Mum and Dad who were devoted to their son. He wouldn't miss out on love and care.
Jackson leaned over and kissed Stu gently on the forehead, "I can say sorry...but I hope you will understand...infact...I'd be well chuffed that one day in the near future I come back and step foot into Bar West and you come up to be and give me the biggest of slaps around the face because even though I deserve it...I'll be chuffed that you are up and about again..."
Jackson squeezed Stus hand.
"I'm gonna go now...I'm sure your Mum and Dad are gonna have a few choice words...I may not leave here alive...but...only WE know what we have"
And, wiping a tear from his eye, Jackson turned around and walked out.
Not noticing the tear falling slowly down Stu's cheek.
XXX
"Are you sure about this sweatheart? You DO KNOW this trip is for 3 months"
Jackson shook his head, "I need to get away Mum...I need to be away from all this..."
Hazel stood up from the chair, "Well...you best get online and book yourself a ticket if you can...I'd expect the plane'll will be full..."
Jackson shook his head, "No it isn't I checked...I wouldn't be saying it now it it was, would I?"
"Then you've been thinking about running out on him for a while then?"
Jackson shot her a dark glare in his defense, "I'm NOT running out on him!", Hazel raised her eyebrowes, Jackson shook his head and looked at her, "...what? Would you have me stay with him, would yah? Do you think that would make me happy, do yah? I can't do this, Mum...please...I need you to understand, because believe me...YOU can't make me feel any more worse than I already feel"
Hazel stepped forward all overly concerned, "Course I want you to be happy. I just want to make sure you know what you are doing, that's all...but if Stu isn't your future then you CAN'T stay with him...it won't be fair, would it? On him or you"
Jackson managed a smile, "thanks Mum"
"So what did Stu's Mum and Dad have to say? I bet they didn't like it when you told them..."
Jackson went into his bedroom and turned, "no they didn't...but in a way...I think they understood WHY I couldn't stay...didn't stop the mother giving me a slap though..."
Hazel stuck her hands into her cardy pockets, "Well you can't blame her...I'd be the same if it was me"
Jackson put his holdall onto the bed and turned, "Mum, I'm just popping out...I said I'd go meet Aaron and I want to say goodbye to him as well"
"Alright, love...but don't make it too late...we've got packing to do"
Jackson came over to his mother and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek, "thanks Mum...see you in abit"
XXX
"You are doing the right thing, mate...if it's not right, you walk"
Aaron said this as he drank his pint. Him and Jackson sat in a quiet pub in Hotten high Street. Jackson smiled to himself, Aaron pulled a face, "What's so funny?"
"You...is that how it was with you...I wasn't right for you, so you walked..?"
"It was YOU who walked actually...but...yeah...if it's not right you have to end it...I just didn't know how to do it...so I messed up big time and hurt you in the process"
Jackson nodded, "I must admit...however much how angry I was at you for doing that...I understand the whys now...it wasn't right...if you were experienced enough, you would have told me...but you weren't were you? I just dragged you off to Spain and expected us to be joined at the hip...I'm sorry about that"
Aaron smiled at him, "don't be...it weren't all bad...I did have a good time...you are what's made me now...you AND Nick...not that slapper part...but the, you know..."
Jackson laughed at him, "I know..."
Aaron bit his lip, "Africa eh? I'll get plenty of mossie spray in...it were bad enough in Spain"
Jackson chuckled, "I've gotta bed net...anyway, I'm sure Mum'll scare them off with her cooking smells...SO...this problem you have...something about a job?"
Aaron sighed, "Yeah...I've been offered this job in Bristol. I took a few cars down there the other day and me and the boss down there got on well and that, and he sorta offered me this job..."
"Is the money any good?"
"Errrrr, yeah...makes Cains pay look like peanuts"
Jackson frowned, "then it's a no brainer then? Isn't it?"
Aaron looked troubled, "It's this guy I met...Ed...not Ed Ed...but another Ed I met"
Jackson got the gist, "yeah...what about it"
"Well he came down for a couple of days and we got on really well and that...nowt serious because I'm not into all that, you know, but...thing is...HE lives in Manchester and I'm here in Yorkshire..."
Jackson shook his head, "yeah so?"
Aaron was frustrated that he wasn't making himself clear and didn't get it, "So? What do you mean so? I MEAN that it's a bigger enough distance between here and Manchester...it's gonna be even BIGGER between Manchester and Bristol, int it..."
Jackson realised the problem, "some long distance things work out...but if you and him are not serious then, where's the problem?"
"There shouldn't be one...but I still want to see him...It's weird, I've felt this way before..."
Jackson knocked back his drink and pulled out his wallet, "I'll get us another round in...look...have you discussed this with this Ed fella? What does he say?"
"No...he doesn't know...and I dread telling him"
"You are gonna have to...call him tomorrow and tell him while you are still around up here..."
The barman served them up their drinks.
Aaron took his and looked at the builder, "Jackson...i'll miss you when you go"
Jackson sadly smiled at him and briefly brushed Aaron's cheek with his hand, "don't be soft...but I will be always here for yah Aaron...just call me if you ever need owt..."
"I will"
After having a laugh and a good banter together they left the pub to go home. It was dark and it was cold. At the crossroads they had to go their separate ways.
"Well, this is it"
Jackson bit his lip, then, cupping Aaron's cheeks, he kissed him. Aaron responded. One last kiss. And it felt final. They pulled away and then embraced eachother that seemed like an age.
"See yah...", Jackson smiled, and, not looking back, cheerily went along wis way hurrying up the street.
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Next time; As the truth seems like it's coming out, Nathan acts.