Yay! I'm in a very happy mood today :) So, here is a long chapter for you guys to sink your teeth into!! Thanks for the reviews so far!! This is another Rhys based chapter, but also has a little Tegan and Bov/Lucy.

And cute Charlie, of course xD

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The Dragon and the Rose

Chapter Eighteen

Things can get worse

Rhys lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was past midnight, yet he wasn't tired. All night he'd just lain there, remembering the hurt look on Tegan's face.

Heaving a sigh, Rhys pulled himself out of bed, dressing quickly and quietly. He grabbed his keys from the side as he left the bedroom. He crept quietly past Tegan's room. Unlocking the front door, he slipped out into the cool night, heading towards his car.

Rhys sat there, music turned up loud on bass. He sat back, arms folded over his chest as his breath came out like fog in front of him.

He sat there for at least ten minutes before there was a knock on the window. Rhys looked up, seeing Tegan stood there with a CD in her mouth and two mugs in her hands. He tuned down the music, before leaning over to open the door. Taking the mugs from her, Tegan slid into the car and slammed the door shut behind her.

'Hot chocolate,' he smiled, glancing into the mugs.

'With marshmallows,' she grinned in return, turning his music off and changing the CD to the one she had brought with her. Guns 'n' Roses began to fill the car and Tegan sat back with a smile. 'We used to do this as kids,' she said, looking at him.

Rhys nodded. 'Remember when I got ditched by Becky Taylor. I hid in the treehouse all day until you came.'

'With a CD and hot chocolate,' Tegan laughed. 'Yes, I remember. You did the same with me.'

'Yup, when Lauren was bullying you.'

'You beat her up, woman-beater,' she laughed.

'It isn't woman-beating when you're ten!' he protested, before handing her a mug. She smiled, taking a sip. 'I've not had hot chocolate for ages,' he smiled, relishing the taste. 'Not since being in Waunlwyd anyway.'

'How's mum?'

'She misses you. We all do.'

'I needed a change of pace, Rhys,' she reminded him. 'And you never told me why you came down here.'

'To see you.'

'Don't lie to me,' she said, looking at him with a knowing expression.

'I had some business to do,' he briefly admitted. It fell quiet for a moment. 'I've been doing bad things. And… I love you, yeah?'

Tegan frowned at her brother. 'Rhys, are you in some sort of trouble?'

'I don't know… not yet anyway.' He sighed, looking into his mug. 'I tried to get away. It didn't work.'

'Away from who?'

'Them. Craig.' Tegan gasped, sitting up.

'You told me you'd finished with them years ago! A long time before prison.' She eyed him narrowly. 'Did you get locked up for them?'

'I have debts to pay, Tegan and they won't go away by themselves.' Tegan shook her head.

'Rhys-'

'I'm moving tomorrow night. I've found a flat. Pete's right; I can't stay with you forever.'

'Rhys? Rhys?' called Tegan, walking into the back garden and towards the treehouse. Her hair was pulled into pigtails, jeans grass stained from the rugby match with her dad. She frowned up at it, yelling again. 'Rhys?'

'What?' a head popped out; Rhys' face was marked with dirt, head untidy, eyes red.

'Let the ladder down.' He paused, before kicking it down. It untangled towards the ground, before Tegan began to climb up. She climbed in, taking her rucksack off her back and sitting on the beanbag. 'Put this in the stereo,' she said, handing him the CD from her rucksack.

Rhys nodded, taking it from her and putting it on. The start of November Rain began to play as she pulled a flask and two plastic cups out.

Unscrewing the top, she sniffed it with a smile, before pouring it into the cups and handing one to Rhys. He took it.

'Thanks.'

'You're welcome.' They sipped the hot chocolate silently for a moment, just listening to the music. 'Are you going to tell me what happened?' she asked, after a minute. Rhys looked up at his older sister with a frown, before shrugging.

'She dumped me.'

'Becky?'

'Yeah.'

'Want me to go and sort her out?' The two looked at each other, before laughing. Rhys shook his head.

'It's fine; she didn't mean anything to me.'

'You've been crying,' Tegan pointed out. Rhys paused, and then shrugged again.

'It was a surprise, that's all.' Tegan smiled softly.

'Look, if she wants to just dump you, let her. She obviously doesn't know what she's missing out on. Come on, chin up! You're a Gruffudd.'

Rhys nodded, before smiling. 'I can do better.' Tegan beamed.

'That's the spirit! Now, drink up and forget about her. She's nothing.'

'Is there any whiskey to put in this?'

--

'Mum! Mummy! I can't get this open!' Charlie yelled, trying fruitlessly to pull the lid off a bottle of red poster paint.

'Wait a moment,' she said, pulling a Play Apron out the drawer and moving towards him. 'Put this on first.' Charlie held out his arms as she slid it on. They were about to start Charlie's homework; painting a picture of his family and friends. The large sheet of paper covered most of the table, paintbrushes, paint bottles, water and newspaper decorating the rest.

'I'm going to paint you first,' he smiled, as Lucy began to squirt different paints into random pots. 'I'm going to give you yellow hair. And I'm going to paint Jenny and Auntie Libby and Uncle Swill. And daddy and everyone!'

Lucy laughed. 'It's going to be a very big painting.'

'It's a very big paper.'

Bovver moved into the kitchen, fag hanging out his mouth. Lucy looked back at him with a grin. 'Hey.'

'Alright?'

'Yeah; can I speak to you for a moment?' she asked, as Charlie dipped his paintbrush in the green paint and slapped it onto the paper.

'Yeah?' Bov frowned, as Lucy put the kettle on.

'I was thinking… now that Charlie's starting school and we've got jobs and everything's really in order… wouldn't it be good to 'ave another baby?'

Bov stared at her for a moment. 'Where did this come from?'

'I've always wanted a big family and… well, I don't want Charlie growing up by himself. I want him to 'ave brothers and sisters.' She paused, looking up at him.

'I want a brother!' Charlie yelled from the table, before going back to his painting. Bov chuckled, looking at his son, before looking back at Lucy.

'I think that's answered it then,' he replied, leaning forward to kiss her. Charlie pulled a face, but laughed.

'I can't wait! I'm going to paint my brother now!'

--

Rhys made his way down the street towards his new flat, dragging his suitcase along with him. It was good that he had left. He wouldn't get into fights with Pete anymore and he wouldn't hurt Tegan anymore.

He rounded a corner, colliding with someone else. 'Sorry,' he said, looking up. He went pale, stepping backwards. Stood in front of him was a large, butch man with a twisted face. On either side were two scrawnier men, each with delighted grins at their find.

'Ah, Gruffudd. Craig wondered where you'd got to,' the big Welshman said.

'I've been busy,' he said, glancing at the other two beside him.

'That isn't good enough. You know what I think? I think you got scared and ran away.'

'I didn't run away,' Rhys replied defiantly. 'I had to come-'

'Enough of your excuses,' the man snapped, stepping forward to grab him.

'Don't Eddie…' Rhys trailed off, as Eddie pulled him close, leering in his face.

'What's this? You going on holiday or something?'

'No.' Eddie grabbed the suitcase, unzipping it and tipping the contents on the floor. Rhys' jaw hardened, but he said nothing.

'Do you want to know something else, Gruffudd?'

'Surprise me,' Rhys replied, as one of the scrawnier men kicked his clothes about.

'Craig knows you didn't kill that man. Loose your nerve?'

'I don't want to be your puppet anymore.'

'Puppet?' Eddie laughed. 'It was your choice. You wanted to be one of the big boys, didn't you?'

'Yeah, but things have change-'

'Nothing's changed,' Eddie hissed, pushing him into the wall. 'You haven't even paid your debt. So, it's doubled. And you have to pay it by Friday. How about that?'

Rhys pushed him away. 'I'll have the money.'

'You better.'

'I told him I would.'

'You also told him you'd deal with Dwayne,' Eddie hissed in reply. 'The money or else.' He and his two cronies stalked off, smirks plastered on their faces. Rhys stared after them, before kicking his suitcase in anger.

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