You Are All I Need – Chapter 2
-O-
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
-O-
"Look, Aaron!" Cain was not taking the news well and had a face like thunder, "Don't let that trampy tart of a mother of yours spoil your life as well!"
Aaron clenched his fists, although he knew that he was unlikely to punch his uncle; his face was also drawn into a cold, hard line, "Don't call her that! Anyway, there's nothing you can do about it! I'm leaving and you can't stop me! You won't see my Mum's point of view so there's nothing more to say! I can't work for you and Debbie anymore; end of!"
"OK; side with that scheming, murdering bitch if you want!" Cain was having none of it, "But remember; she's broken our Debbie's heart!"
"Oh yeah!" Aaron spat out his words in rage, "I forgot...Saint Debbie! The girl who got herself knocked up as a teenager, then tried to give Sarah away at birth and had a lesbian affair with a cop-killer; not to mention taking a bloke away from his wife and kids! Then she slept with Andy while she was supposed to be with Cameron! She's the one who's a tart if you ask me."
Cain was on the verge of lashing out at his nephew, "You take that back!"
But Aaron wasn't backing down any time soon and his voice had risen almost to a shout now, "It's the truth! You're just hypocrites, the lot of ya! I know my Mum's not perfect, but the Dingles are hardly the Waltons, are they?"
"If you go now, you can forget about being a part of this family, lad!"
"Part of this family? Who'd want to be?" Aaron fought the urge to cry; he could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes, "I don't want anything from you lot! This family is demented! You're nothing but a rabble of lyin', cheatin', robbin' bastards!"
Cain moved towards Aaron with a spanner in his hand and a crazed look in his cold, dark eyes but Aaron backed off towards the door, "That's it! Use violence to sort it out, as usual! You make me SICK!"
Aaron ran out of the garage and Cain let him go; he knew that there was no point in prolonging the argument. Aaron ran into the road, just as Jackson was approaching in his Home Farm Range Rover. He screeched to a halt, almost knocking Aaron flying! He jumped out and ran to embrace his lover, "You OK?"
Aaron was crying now, "It's over, Jackson!"
Jackson took Aaron into his strong arms as Aaron sobbed.
"What's over? What are you talking about?" Jackson looked perplexed.
"I told Cain a few home truths!" Aaron gulped, "I'm not part of the Dingle family anymore; not after what I just said!"
"Come on!" Jackson guided Aaron towards their home next door, "Let's get you inside and have a brew!"
Aaron was calmed by his boyfriend; Jackson always had that effect on him. If anyone could 'reach' Aaron, then it was his ever-loving.
Once inside Dale Head, Jackson put the kettle on while Aaron sat in the living room, staring into space. Jackson set a mug of tea on the table in front of Aaron and sat next to him on the sofa, draping a comforting arm around his lover's shoulders, "So, I take it your 'resignation' didn't go well?"
Aaron looked at Jackson, all bleary-eyed, "Oh Jackson! What have I done?"
Jackson's heart was aching for his Aaron; the lad was showing his vulnerable side and he knew that he himself was the only person in the world that Aaron would open up to; it created a special bond between them. 'His boy' was upset and Jackson would move heaven and earth to make things right for him.
Jackson wiped Aaron's tears from his face with his thumbs, "It will be OK, you know! We'll get through this...together! You'll always have me on your side, no matter what! I love you so much!"
Aaron kissed Jackson. His man was always his confidant and his rock and he loved the very bones of him, "You do know I love ya too, don't ya?" Aaron was always painfully aware that he had taken such a long time to recognise his feelings; to come to terms with them; and tell Jackson that he loved him.
Jackson kissed Aaron, "I know!" he said, simply and with feeling.
Aaron suddenly realised that he had interrupted Jackson in the middle of his daily duties, "You'd better get back to work! I don't want both of us to be unemployed!"
"That's OK!" Jackson smiled at his boyfriend, Aaron had grown up a lot and he was so proud of him, "I was on the way to Hotten to get a spare part for the boiler at Home Farm. I won't be missed for a while; Declan's not a bad boss, he trusts me!"
"Lucky you!" Aaron began to feel better, "Can you find ME a boss like that?"
Jackson smiled, "Well, I can do the impossible today...but; miracles will take a little longer!"
Aaron couldn't resist his gorgeous partner and kissed him again, "You are a div!" he chuckled.
"That's my boy!" Jackson held his forehead against Aaron's, "You gonna be OK now?"
"Yeah! Don't worry about me!" Aaron smiled, "You get back to work before your 'caring boss' kicks your butt!"
"The only person going anywhere near MY butt is YOU!" Jackson chuckled, making Aaron laugh too. Aaron knew that Jackson was trying to cheer him up and he loved him all the more for it.
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Aaron decided to go and see his Mum; he wanted her to know of his decision to leave the garage.
"But, you can't jack your job in because of me, love!" Chas was mortified, she nearly spilt her cup of coffee as she sat at the table in the back room of the Woolpack, "Go and see Cain and apologise; say you've changed your mind!"
"The hell I will!" Aaron had a scowl on his face that his mother recognised so well, "You should have heard what he called you!"
"Do you blame him?"
"Yeah, I do, actually!" Aaron was in no mood for a compromise with his uncle, "I know you were a complete Muppet, getting involved with Debbie's boyfriend, but Cameron could have said 'no'. Anyway, like I said to Cain, Debbie's no angel, is she? Bunch of hypocrites; the lot of them. If I'm no longer a Dingle, it's no loss!"
"Is that what he said to you?"
"Yeah!"
"He's got no right; I'll go and see him myself and give him a piece of my mind!" Chas had a stern look on her face and rose from the table but Aaron stopped her.
"Don't bother!" Aaron blocked her path to the door, "He's not worth it...or Debbie!"
Chas looked fondly at her son, "Thanks for sticking by me, love! I don't know; what sort of example have I set you, eh? I sleep with my niece's boyfriend, marry a guy I don't love and screw-up his feelings and then clobber my ex over the head and kill him!"
"He deserved it, the prat!" Aaron's lips curled into a sneer, he had never had any time for Carl King, "Especially with what he tried to do to you!"
"Anyway, what are you going to do now; if you don't have a job anymore?"
"I'm going to get myself qualified, so I can get a better job," Aaron sounded upbeat, "I made a few enquiries with the Institute of Motor Mechanics and they said I might get an apprenticeship place."
"An apprenticeship?" Chas looked surprised, "I thought only teenagers were taken on as apprentices!"
"No!" Aaron explained, "They take people up to the age of twenty-four, apparently. It depends how I do at an interview, although I should stand a good chance as I've got experience already."
"How does it work?" Chas wanted to know the details.
"Well, the company who take you on as an apprentice get paid for giving you a placement. Meanwhile, you get training and experience which leads, hopefully, to a decent mechanic's job later on. I'll have a small wage coming in, which won't be any worse than I was getting before. Jackson said he'll help support me while I'm studying!"
"You've got a good'un there!" Chas had a misty-eyed look, "You want to hold on to him!"
"Don't worry, I will!" Aaron said, with feeling, "Me and Jackson are for keeps, Mum!"
"Awww!" Chas grinned at her son, "Look at you! All grown up and in a relationship! A lot of people think of gay guys as promiscuous, yet you two are probably the most devoted couple in the village! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks Mum! We certainly don't play 'musical beds' like some people I could think of!"
Chas looked Aaron directly in the eye, "Is that remark aimed at me?"
"If the cap fits!" Aaron said, cheekily.
"Charming!" Chas retorted.
"You seem to forget," Aaron continued, "I'm on your side!"
"Yeah!" Chas smiled, "I know...come here!"
Chas pulled Aaron into a hug and knew that she did indeed have her son's support!
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Aaron prepared a meal for Jackson, ready for when he arrived home. He wanted to thank his boyfriend for his love and loyalty.
The couple sat at their table, eating a chicken Risotto that Aaron had made. In truth, it was a shop-bought ready-meal that Aaron had warmed in the oven, but Jackson could not have been happier if Aaron had made it from scratch with his own fair hands; it was the thought that counted!
"Did you say you had a text from Hazel earlier?" asked Aaron.
"Yeah, she's in Scotland now," Jackson spoke as he shovelled a forkful of Risotto into his mouth.
"Scotland? I thought she was in Austria, last I heard!"
"She met a ski-instructor! Apparently, she's taken it up!"
Aaron nearly spat out his mouthful of food, "Hazel? Skiing? I'd pay to see that!"
"Sounds as if she's enjoying it; she's going to ring in a couple of days and let me know where she is, exactly!"
"Anyway, how's your day been?" Aaron changed the subject.
"Yeah, OK thanks!" Jackson smiled, "I saw Katie today."
"How is she getting on?"
"She's still in a wheelchair. I can't imagine what she went through when she was down that mineshaft!"
"You've been through something similar; with what happened...you know!" Aaron did not like to mention 'the crash'.
"Yeah, but being hit by a train is not the same as being trapped underground, although I know what it's like to spend months in a wheelchair! She seemed to perk up when I said I knew how she felt as I'd been through it myself! Even Declan thanked me for talking to her about it!"
"You'll be starting your own 'agony aunt column' next!" Aaron laughed.
"Yeah, I'd be good at that!" Jackson chuckled, "My specialities are experience of wheelchairs, understanding mobility problems...oh; and sorting out aggressive little psychos in denial!"
Aaron scowled, "You'll be wearing that Risotto in a minute!"
Jackson smirked, "Sort of proves my point really, doesn't it?"