CHAPTER NINE

Jay stood at the bar of the Vic taking a large sip out of the bottle of beer in his hand. It's fair to say it had been one hell of a day. Abi emerged from the toilets and walked across the other side of the bar, stroking Jay's back as she moved past.

"It's really not as bad as you think, Jay. It's a good thing!" Abi chirped up while pulling her purse out of her hand bag. She was now trying to comfort him having only hours earlier dropped the bombshell that her university course was not so close home after all. She knew once she had his support, she could make the suggestion that had been weighing on her mind all afternoon.

"I get that you need to do this course but why does it have to be so far away?" Jay bemoaned, taking the last sip of his beer. Part of him thought that perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Ever since his night with Ben he had been having doubts about his relationship with Abi. It's not as if he didn't still love her, it was just that perhaps he no longer loved her in the same way.

His mind was awash with different emotions and his liaison with Leon hadn't done anything to quash his newfound feelings. What for a number of days he had considered a mistake had since become quite the opposite; perhaps his heart did indeed lie with Ben? While his experimenting in Soho had begun to make him accept that maybe he was also attracted to men and that he did indeed enjoy intercourse with them too, none of the intimacy he had experienced in the last two or three weeks compared to his night with his adopted brother.

"Liverpool has the best veterinary course in the country. I don't just want to be a vet Jay, I want to be a great vet!" Abi responded, raising her hand slightly to get Linda Carter's attention who was positioned at the other end of the bar.

"I know." Jay muttered, rubbing his hands across his face.

Linda spritely approached the pair from across the bar wearing the brightest pink fluffy jumper you had ever seen. "What can you get two?" Linda asked brightly.

"Half a coke for me and another bottle of beer for Jay please!" Abi replied, rummaging in her purse for some change.

"A Peroni isn't it Jay?" Linda asked, grabbing a half pint glass for Abi's soft drink. Jay simply nodded in response. "Coming right up."

"It just feels like you're leaving me." Jay said sadly, extending his hand and offering Abi a fiver which she accepts by taking it from him without as much as a thank you.

"I'm not leaving you, Jay." Abi assured him.

Linda returned with Jay's bottle of beer and placed both that and Abi's coke on the bar, exchanging money with Abi as she does so.

"That's six pound forty." Linda relayed as she inputted it into the till and pulling out the change.

"That's just what it feels like." Jay replied, almost completely ignoring Linda.

"And there's your change." Linda added as her daughter Nancy approached from behind her.

"Mum, can you come up stairs please?" Nancy asked, placing her hands on Linda's shoulder.

Linda turned to face her daughter as she emptied Abi's change into her palm. "Yeah." She replied, following Nancy out back.

The couple took their drinks and headed for the table in the corner of the pub.

"Yeah but it's not like we're splitting up Jay, you're still my boyfriend." Abi reassured him.

Maybe it would be easier if we just ended it here and now, Jay thought. "A boyfriend who can't afford the train and it's what...about five hours on the coach." He groaned as he slumped down into his seat. There was no way he was sitting on a coach for five hours. Even if his developing feelings for Ben weren't an issue, Jay couldn't think of anything worse than travelling the country by bloody MegaBus or National Express.

"Well it's fine cause I've thought of a way." Abi said dismissing Jay's protestations, a grin forming across her face.

Jay sighed and rested his elbows on the back of the bench seat. "Really?" He quipped. Here we go, he thought. "Go on then?"

"Well it's me that needs specialist training for my career but you, you haven't got that much to give up have ya!" Abi smugly suggested.

"Sorry!" Jay queried. Had she really just suggested that his life amounted to nothing but their relationship!

Sure things at home with the Mitchell's weren't always all sunshine and rainbows but Phil had given him a lot over the years - support, a job and roof over his head to name just three. And while he wasn't the most paternal of men, Phil had stood by him and loved him in his own weird way.

The last few years had been tough what with Ben killing Heather Trott, cousin Ronnie snatching Kat Moon's baby and Shirley Carter, the sour faced bag puss, trying to come between Phil and Sharon Rickman but it hadn't been all doom and gloom. And now with his relationship with Ben potentially evolving, how could he just "give it all up"!

"Well come with me?" Abi smiled completely pleased with herself. It's as if she thought it was this ingenious plan that had absolutely no holes.

"Come with ya!? And where am I gonna live, what am I gonna do for work?" Jay questioned. And what was he to do about Ben? He thought. Unbeknownst to Abi or to anyone, Jay was the only person that Ben had in his life. Jay knew full well that without him in his life, Ben would end up straight back inside.

"Well you were the one that said lets run away together, so let's do it!" She encouraged, extending her hand out onto the table.

Jay exhaled deeply shaking his head. What the hell was she thinking! If only she knew...

"I'll think about it!" Jay said exhaustively, taking a large sip from his bottle.

"That's all I ask." Abi responded promptly, smiling sweetly at Jay.

Jay zoned out for a few moments before suddenly jumping to his feet. "I've gotta get out of here. I'll see you later." He mumbled, heading straight for the door.

"Jay!" Abi shrieked, hurt and confused by his sudden bolt for the exit. She was still convinced that her plan was perfect.

"Sorry." Jay muttered as he rushed out of the door and darted down Bridge Street pushing his way through the busy market. It was packing up time but there were still people perusing the market stalls as the stall holders were trying to pack up and go home. Jay knew he needed to get out of Albert Square. He need time to think!

Within a minute or two he was at the Tube Station. But was he to go South or West?

WRITERS NOTES: So another SMUT-less chapter that fills in more of the gaps between Ben's release and Good Friday. This took place in early April and is based on a scene from the episode on April 7th. Good Friday is definitely coming up in a couple of chapters time so look out for that, I'm really excited about getting there as I felt Ben and Jay got royally shafted during the Flashback episode and I think it would be great to fill in the blanks and obviously put my own spin on events that occurred!

As I said in the previous chapters your ideas and suggestions are more than welcome. Would you like more SMUT, less SMUT etc what do you want to see happen, what characters maybe you want me to involve? Anything and everything is welcome just pop it into the comments or send me something directly over Direct Message.