AARON LIVESY

-The Chase-

"In The Dark"

Aaron's face stung like hell and his lip had swollen he could feel it. He sat staring down at the table as Paddy fussed around making breakfast.

"I really think you should have something" he suggested.

"I told you already I'm not hungry" Aaron replied as the front door opened and he glanced to his side and saw his mum entering. He rolled his eyes and stared down at the table again with his hands arched around his temples and forehead.

"Morning" Chas said neither happily nor miserably.

Paddy glanced at her with a smile. "Morning"

Chas worriedly looked down at Aaron then looked back at Paddy. "How is he?" she asked.

Paddy shrugged. "Ask him yourself he's right there" he told her with a chuckle.

Chas sighed and turned to her son. "How you doing?"

"My boyfriend punched me in the face repeatedly in a rage how do you think I feel?" Aaron spat angrily. "I can't be doing with this I'm going to work" he told her and got up quickly.

"I think you should take the day off" Chas said as she watched him storm out.

Aaron walked quickly down the village but he stopped when he saw Flynn coming out of the shop, he didn't know or care why he was in the village and he didn't want to speak to him so he bowed his head and carried on walking.

…

Jason groggily sat up on his sofa; the first thing he saw was the empty bottle of vodka on the coffee table. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his phone, the light from the screen caused him to squint, he was disheartened when he realised Aaron hadn't replied to any of his texts or calls but he didn't expect anything else. He pressed a few buttons and started ringing Aaron; he waited as the dial tone repeated in his ear a few times then it went to voicemail. Jason sighed, he'd leave another one. "Hi Aaron it's me, listen I know what I did alright, I hurt you, but I never meant for that to happen, I'd never hurt you intentionally babe I promise…I-I love you don't I? Please I'm gunna call round okay I just need to talk to you, to see that you're alright" he stopped as the lump in his throat caught his voice as tears ran down his face, he sniffled. "I'm sorry babe, I'm so sorry" he sobbed as he then ended the call.

…

Aaron sat in a daze in the garage; it was too early to open so he'd left the gate closed. He was unaware of someone walking toward him. Flynn stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of the state of Aaron's face. He swallowed hard. "Aaron?" he said cautiously.

Aaron came out of his daze and looked over and saw Flynn. "I'm not open yet and you don't have a car so I can't help you with a thing" he told him bluntly.

"No but I might be able to help you, I saw you in the village you blanked me…I know what happened between us but it doesn't mean we can't be civil"

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Fair point"

"What happened? Have you seen a doctor?"

Aaron scrunched his face. "Doctor? People get hit every day Flynn I'm not going to run to one every time I get into a scrape"

"You got into a scrape?"

"Sort of" Aaron said with a nod.

"I don't understand"

Aaron let out a loud sigh. "Look, he didn't mean it alright, he was fighting with his brother, I pulled him away and he didn't realise, there's nothing else to it"

Flynn was disgusted, and in that second his confused feelings over Aaron were finally cleared up. He loved him, he cared about him and equally as important as those he wanted him and hearing that and guessing who he was talking about, it hurt him. Aaron didn't deserve that and he was clearly suffering and in pain. "Jason? H-He did this?" he raged.

"Just leave it Flynn alright? He made a mistake; he was in a blind rage he didn't know what he was doing"

Flynn shook his head in disgust. "I'd never hurt you"

Aaron chuckled and shook his head "Oh. But you already did, but let's not go down that road shall we?"

"Aaron I'm so sorry" Flynn started, his tone a lot calmer now. "I realised ages ago what a mistake it was to let you go, I was gutted when you were with Jason that night in bar west, and the way you were, how angry. I knew then I'd done it and since then Adam has been there for me you can't begrudge that, he's not just your mate"

Aaron nodded; he understood that he had no problems with them being mates, not at all. "And the pub the other night?"

Flynn nodded. "An attempt" he said with a nod.

"I knew it. So your chasing me now are ya?"

"For as long as it takes." He told him matter of factly.

"I love Jason Flynn, me and you w-w-…we can't happen…"

Flynn nodded as he bowed his head. "I told Jason that if he hurt you in any way he'd regret it"

Aaron sighed. "Flynn just leave it please!"

"I will alright, but if anything like this happens again, I'll be there" Flynn said with a smile as he stared right into his eyes. "And I'll wait till you realise yourself what we can actually have because I never have forgotten"

Aaron swallowed hard. "Neither have I" he felt so guilty for just even having that conversation, he was with Jason for god sake.

…

Chas sighed in frustration when she re-entered the back room of the pub and saw Cameron sitting with a cup of tea, she frowned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's my shift remember?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh" Chas nodded, she remembered now. "Well I'm glad you're so chirpy this morning because I'm not, what the hell was your brother doing eh? And why did you hit back for god sake?"

Cameron shrugged. "We just rub each other up the wrong way"

"Yeah and he certainly had the upper hand judging from your face this morning" Chas told him. "Should see Aaron's…the poor kid"

Cameron felt guilty. "I'll go see him, make sure he's alright he might talk…"

"Good luck because he's not said anything to me, just stormed off to work"

"Bit early innit?" he asked, it was just gone eight.

Chas nodded. "Well that's Aaron all over, running away from problems. If this is how Jason's going to be Cameron then Aaron needs to get out now while he can, he's already been through violence with Ed, my son deserves better. Do you hear me?"

Cameron nodded. "I'll talk to Jason aswell, I promise"

Chas nodded. "Good"

"There's some post there for ya on the side"

Chas walked over and picked up the small pile of letters and looked through them quickly, one caught her attention, a letter with the Hotten constabulary badge printed in the top right hand corner; she frowned as she ripped it open and pulled out the folded piece of paper.

Cameron watched on curiously. "What is it?"

"Shh" she told him as she read. Seconds later a whispered "Oh my god" left her mouth.

"Chas?"

"Due to lack of evidence in the arson case connected to Dingle auto motives in Emmerdale village, as next of kin to Mr Aaron Livesy we are writing to inform you that the warrant on your son has been lifted and if he should ever resurface again he will not be pursued by the police" she read out loud, all the while shocked and stunned by it.

"Chas that's brilliant!"

Chas nodded quickly. "Y-yeah it is…" Jason's 'sorted' came back to her then, he'd played a part in this, it made sense now. "I'll tell him later" she said with a smile.

…

When nine o clock came Aaron walked along the forecourt to open the long iron gate and as he did so, he saw Jason walking down toward him. He sighed and quickly walked back to the garage. Knowing Jason was coming he pottered around pretending to look busy.

Jason stopped in the open doorway and just watched him busying himself with his head down. He swallowed back the lump in his throat, he didn't need to see his face to imagine the state he was in he knew what it would be like, swollen, black and blue with cuts as the punches split his skin. "Aaron" he said quietly.

"Go away Jason" Aaron replied just as quietly.

"I can't, I had to see you. What I did was horrific and unforgiveable but I really didn't know it was you, and it's not Cameron's fault but he just gets me so angry, and I get so angry sometimes that I don't know what I'm doing, god Aaron I'm so sorry"

"Yeah I know I've listened to all your voicemails" he said as he stopped and turned to face his boyfriend.

Jason bit his lip and looked away regretfully once he saw the state of him – just like he'd imagined.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked after seeing his black eye and bust lip.

Jason nodded. "I don't care about me"

"Well" Aaron sighed. "I do. What was it about Jason?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't really know, he just started goading me, pushing me…and I snapped…I-I'm just ashamed you had to see that and get involved, Aaron I'm really sorry I hurt you, it will never ever happen again"

"You know what I've been through with Ed"

Jason nodded. "That's why I feel as bad as I do"

"I hope you do Jason because I can't have that in a relationship, I'm not going to be someone's punching bag for whenever they get stressed or I refuse sex alright, not happening"

Jason nodded. "I'm not like that Aaron, I'm not Ed I wouldn't do that to you. I love you"

"I love you too that's why all this hurts just that little bit more"

Jason looked away as he wiped the tears that were close to falling away. "I'm sorry, I really am"

Aaron watched him and bit his lip as he did so and thought about what to do. He could see how sorry he actually was and he heard it in his words. "Alright, we'll uh…we'll forget about it then, don't say another word though…just go and I'll call you later"

Jason nodded and turned and walked away to leave him be.

…

The garage was going slow so Aaron was sat with nothing to do, just waiting around waiting for anyone to call or drive in for some work doing. It had been five hours since Jason's visit and Aaron had no intentions of calling or texting until he was finished work. He had accepted his apology but by no means did it mean it was all okay because it wasn't.

"Hiya love" Chas smiled widely. "Don't complain, I've lasted quite a long time before I came to check up on you" she told him with a smirk which brought a smile to his lips and he nodded.

"I'm alright" he told her.

"Quiet isn't it?"

"Yeah" Aaron shrugged. "Not fussed though, we're doing good" he told her with a smile.

Chas smiled again and walked over to him. "I got a letter this morning"

"Yeah so did I, see this pile" he grinned sarcastically.

Chas rolled her eyes. "Well at least your sarcastic streak wasn't beaten out of you….anyway listen this is really important…I-I'll just let you read it actually" she told him then rummaged in her handbag and pulled out the folded piece of paper and handed to him which he took. It was only seconds before a reaction washed over his face, Chas watched as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

After reading it he quickly looked at his mum. "What?"

"I-I know I couldn't believe it either" she smiled lovingly at him. "You're free son"

Aaron chuckled in disbelief. "Well at least something's going right eh?"

Chas nodded. "Have you spoken to him?"

"Yeah" Aaron said with a nod and let out a heavy sigh. "He came round this morning, I told him not to bring it up anymore and I'll call him later"

"What and that's it?" Chas asked with a deep frown.

"Well obviously not I just didn't want to talk about it then, he was really sorry mum you didn't see him, we'll still have to talk about it but I believe what he said, I've got no reason to assume he's lying because if he did know yesterday he would have stopped, or he might not have even hit me"

"You sure you're doing the right thing?"

Aaron nodded. "I'll find out won't I?"

Chas nodded. "Alright, just one more thing actually, I'm not going to go mad because it's pointless"

"Ahh" Aaron knew what was coming and the wary look on his face told Chas exactly that. "Yeah, listen mum…it kinda just came out about you and Cameron, I'm really sorry"

"Okay, it's fine…I-I just didn't think Jason would start dropping hints in the pub to use it against his brother"

Aaron sighed and his jaw clenched. "I'll have a word, I'm really sorry"

"It's not your fault, I know you don't like it but I don't think you'd have done it intentionally" at the same time Aaron was shaking his head.

"Course I wouldn't"

"Will you be going back to Paddy's later? Only I'm popping up there now I can let him know"

"Oh erm no, me and Jason need to sort all this out"

"How do you feel love? How has it made you feel?"

"I dunno" he pouted. "Like there's a part of him maybe I don't know about, and it does scare me I suppose but I can handle it, handle him if there is anything, I think I'm just more shocked than anything"

"Well you know where I am"

Aaron smiled. "I know, thanks mum"

"I'll see you later love"

"Yeah see ya" he replied and watched her walk away just as Adam turned the corner and walked up the forecourt, he watched as him and his mum greeted each other and carried on.

"I haven't come to be thrown out again" Adam started.

"You won't don't worry"

Adam looked over the injuries to Aaron's face and they were really severe. "So, Flynn told me about what happened"

"There's a surprise"

"He still cares about you Aaron" Flynn had also told Adam about loving Aaron but that was something Flynn could only bring up, he wasn't going to tell him that.

"Yeah well, he's wasting his time" Aaron said with a sigh. "I'm not interested in him anymore"

Adam frowned at him. "How can you suddenly go from chasing him one minute to not being interested the next?"

"Jason came along that's why and I love him and he loves me so just leave it"

"No I won't leave it…do you think now maybe about how Jackson felt?"

"That's different" Aaron responded.

"Yeah, Jason carried on, you stopped at the one! But still a hit is a hit…"

"And we still managed to get together Adam, and I'm staying with Jason"

Adam shook his head furiously. "Look I'm not going to sugar coat this, I don't like the guy you know I don't, but there's something there with him that I really, really don't like and I can't explain it, it's just there and if you wanna take some advice today it's that you leave him now while you still can"

Aaron scoffed. "Alright jezza"

Adam rolled his eyes. "I'm being serious Aaron! He's beat you to a pulp already for fuck sake!"

"It wasn't intentional, he was an-"

Adam cut him off "Ah yeah, yeah I heard all this off Flynn"

"Good then I don't need to repeat it then. All you need to know is that I'm staying with him" he told him and smiled as he saw Jason heading up the forecourt. "And he's here now so if you don't mind…"

Adam shook his head and stayed where he was intentionally. He could tell Jason was close by the loudness of the footsteps on the gravel. "You deserve better than this, end it now Aaron"

"He's with me Adam" Jason walked in and turned to face him as he put his arm over Aaron's shoulders. "Aren't ya babe?" he asked Aaron while looking directly at Adam.

Adam swallowed hard, there was something hiding there, something unusual and mysterious about him and he didn't like it one bit and what made it worse was that Aaron couldn't see it, because he smiled and looked up at Jason and nodded. "Course I am, I'm not going anywhere"

"I know you're not" Jason replied with a smile and when Aaron looked back at Adam so did he and raised an eyebrow which was accompanied by a very smug smirk.

"You're making one hell of a mistake Aaron, and you're changing I don't like it!" Adam raised his voice.

"If I have changed then it's for the better but I don't feel any different than I usually do"

"Because you're blind! All you care about is him! Sod me or your family!"

"Ey! Why don't you just run along little boy" Jason intervened. "He doesn't need this"

"No?!" Adam asked through gritted teeth and stepped toward Jason. "He didn't need your fists slammed into his face either!"

"We've sorted that"

"Adam, go!" Aaron yelled.

Adam furiously stormed off and Jason let out a sigh of relief. Aaron looked at Jason and was furious himself and pulled out the letter from his pocket and slammed it down onto the counter. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Aaron shouted which caught Adam's attention and he walked back to the garage. "And don't lie, this has something to do with you, I can tell!"

Jason frowned. "I did it for you! I accidently, on purpose made some evidence disappear" he said with a smirk.

"And what if they find out! Hmm? Are you actually stupid?"

"Don't call me stupid Aaron, it's not nice"

Aaron sighed. "I don't know why you did that for me because the way I feel right now I could pack my bag and disappear again!"

"You ungrateful bastard"

"No!" Aaron yelled and he was aware of Adam standing back watching. "I am grateful, I am but this is stuff you can't just mess with! If people found out your career is over, simple as and I'm not worth that I'm sorry but I'm not!"

"Aaron, babe no one will find out, it's done and dusted – you're free"

"Yeah free, now only to be tangled deeper in his web" Adam slyly commented which made Jason turn and face him. "Did he tell you about his visit?"

Aaron scowled at both of them. "What visit?"

Jason sighed as he glared at Adam. "You just had too didn't ya?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah" he said with a smile. "He came round the farm told me he knew that I lit the fire, and told me what he thought of me…but the best bit…he made me feel like I was to blame for all the Ed stuff, for not trying hard enough to stop you leaving and for apparently not being man enough to take the blame…I tried to explain of course…that didn't matter to him though and he told me that if I told you he'd visited or about what he was going to do then he'd make sure I was arrested…well now Aaron is clear you can't do a thing"

"I-Is this true?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah I went to visit, I told him what I thought of him, what I was going to do but about the Ed stuff…h-he's lying Aaron, I don't know what he's playing at"

"You liar!" Adam was outraged.

"I never did that Adam, why would I? What Ed did to Aaron was horrific no one but this Ed bloke was to blame for it!"

"That's not what I remember you saying! You know what! You two are made for each other, I'm done with you!" Adam said angrily as he pointed at Aaron. "And when this all comes crashing down right in front of you Aaron, don't bother coming to me!"

"I'm happy for god sake Adam, why can't you accept that?"

"Because there's something not quite right about him! He's already driven a wedge between us and you've let him, you didn't even need to say anything, you're taking his side and you know what that's fine, Aaron. But I know the truth" he yelled at him and stormed off, for good that time.

Jason bowed his head. "I-I didn't tell you because I know you'd told me not to see him but I was angry at him Aaron…I'm sorry I am…and what he said about that Ed stuff is all lies, blaming him or implying he was to blame would have been awful and I-I just wouldn't do that…"

Aaron rubbed his arm and nodded. "Alright…alright" he soothed.

"Are you okay?"

Aaron shrugged. "Just lost my mate…so not really no and my face is killing me…"

"Do you want to go after him?" Jason asked.

Aaron sighed, hung his head and shook it. "Nah, it's alright…" he looked back up at Jason. "I'm gunna lock up early then we're going to yours"

Jason nodded. "Okay, whatever you want"

"Yeah" Aaron said in a sigh and started to move, the sooner he closed up, the quicker he'd be out of there.

TBC…