CHAPTER 59 of 65

I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT'S CHARACTERS, THEY ALL BELONG TO ITV1

A/N:THANKS for all your kind reviews with the last chapter. SORRY for the wait...hope it's worth it...xx

For Jackson Walsh, this was the first lay in he had the pleasure of having for nearly two weeks, he smiled to himself, as he dug his head into the warm pillow...keeping his eyes firmly closed so he could drift off again...and he could have HOURS!...it were only about 7...he could hear Aaron and Jack in the bathroom...Aaron promising him the night before, he'd sort Jack out for him in the morning.

Jackson rolled over again, trying to snuggle even further into the covers, but was aware of a heavy breathing...then as quick as a flash, something had jumped onto the bed and was licking him ALL over the face...

Jackson forced open his eyes, and jumped out with a high pitched, " ARrrrGH!"

Bonnie was staring at him from the bed...his cute eyes trying to figure out WHY he had such a reaction from one of his masters...but even so, Bonnie had felt the warm place where Jackson had been laying...and, after sniffing round the pillow, sat on it, with it's tongue rolling out.

Aaron then came into the bedroom, "ohhhh YOU ARE such girl YOU!" he smiled, realising what had happened, " I heards your scream from the bathroom!"

Jackson pointed at the dog, his other hand covering up his modesty, " Aaron!...WHAT have I SAID about THIS!...about the DOG being banned from the bedroom!"

Aaron turned and voiced out a clicking sound with his tongue, Bonnie obeyed and jumped off, circling his legs, then tried to sniff round Jackson, Jackson kept dodging it, " WILL you get HIM away from ME!"he yelled.

Aaron rolled his eyes, " Come on girl..." and again the clicking sound...Bonnie left the bedroom, Jackson shook his head, then rubbed his stubble, and taking a whiff of his fingers, "WHAT the hells THAT!" he said, pulling a glare at Aaron, who was slipping into a hoodie, "What's WHAT!" he asked, then when Jackson forced his fingers at Aaron's nose, Aaron smiled at him, " pedigree chum..."

"PEDIGREE CHUM...IT'S ALL OVER ME FLAMING FACE!" moaned Jackson, staring into the mirror, Aaron wasn't impressed, " Ohhhh STOP yah moaning...IT'LL wash off...could be worse...SHE could have been licking her bits, before she licked you!"

THAT was it...Jackson was gonna be sick and rushed off to the bathroom, Aaron smirked...he LOVED winding Jackson up sometimes...but he knew not to go TOO far, he headed to the bathroom, " Jackson I'm ONLY messing...come out of there..."

Jackson decided NOT to go back to bed, he was now sitting in his boxers at the kitchen table, Aaron was teaching Jack how to feed the dog...telling him NOT to pour TOO much dog food into it's bowl, or it would get too fat.

Jackson, still narked about not getting his lay in, snapped his neck round at the comment, "YOU listen to that bit of good advice, Jack mate, DON'T want to be getting Bonnie FAT...like Aaron!"

Aaron glared at him patting his stomach, " are you SAYING that I'm FAT...this is ALL muscle mate...I CAN ASSURE you..." he told.

Jackson pulled a face at him, " if you SAY so"

Aaron turned to Jack, " come on...finish yah breakfast little mate...SOME of us have got to work today..." he glanced at Jackson while saying it.

Jackson stood and threw his breakfast plate into the sink, " SOME of us have been working 12 hours days for the BEST part of two week...not like SOME who just roll out of bed and step over the doorstep!"

Jackson's mobile then jumped into life, from where it sat on the counter, but before Jackson could get over and answer it, Aaron had snatched up, and pulled a right frown at the display,"OH...it's YAH mum..." he murmured, and through it over to his partner, Jackson caught it, and quickly put it to his ear, " Hiya Mum...yeah...nothing, just the usual...what...Aunt Polly's driving yah mad!...I thought she might...WHAT..." he looked up at Aaron, " you're coming home EARLY..." Aaron pulled a frown...it HAD been so nice with out her constant fussing.

"okay mum...yep..yep...yep...love to Jack...love to Aaron...and HE'S loving yah back...HE can't wait... see yah soon, bye..."

Aaron was still frowning, as he made Jack's pack up for school, " coming home EARLY is she...", Jackson shook his head, Aaron turned butter knife poised, " when exactly IS early..."

Jackson was on his way up to get dressed, " tomorrow..."

Aaron rolled his eyes, as he continued to butter the bread, " can't wait..." he mouthed sarcastically...

At lunchtime, in the Woolpack, Chas served up Jackson's beer, " there you go love...so HAVING a day off are yah..."

Jackson took a sup of his pint, " yep...NO work for me today...I deserve a rest me...after all the hours i put in..."

Chas leaned on the pumps, " My Aaron not helping much round the house is he...JUST give him a firm kick up the BACKside...I'm sure he'll conform"

Jackson laughed at her, " noooo...he's okay...he's really good with Jack now, and that'll be GREAT for me case against Sarah...sometimes I FORGET I'M JACK'S dad when Aaron's around..."

Chas pulled a face, " you're alright with that...arn't you..."

Jackson smiled, shaking his head, " COURSE i am...blimey, when I look back to when I sprang Little Jack on him...and to how he is now...it's like he's a different person!"

Chas served a punter as she laughed, " WHAT did he do again when you told him...it were on that beach in Lanzerotte weren't it..."

Jackson raised his eyebrowes with a smirk, " yep...HE just ran away into the night...without a stitch on!"

Chas laughed, and looked up to clock Aaron walk in covered in grease, his overalls were round his waist, " Oh I SEE...that'll be right!...in here supping, WHEN I'M OUT doing all the grafting!" he said to Jackson.

Jackson turned from where he leaned on the bar, and held up his pint glass, " YEP!...and yah mother's been keeping me company..."

Chas looked up, " Awwwwww..."

Aaron just rolled his eye balls and came to the bar, " just get me a pint will yah...HE'S paying seeing since HE'S worked all them 12 hour day's, and RAKED IN all the readies!"

Jackson frowned, and pulled his wallet out from his back pocket, he handed over a fiver to Chas, " HE'S gonna break me!" he moaned.

Chas pulled Aaron his pint " so...how's Bonnie...how longs it been now since you've got him...2 weeks is it..."

Aaron nodded, taking his pint, " yep, and it's a SHE...the DOGS cool...just HATE the name...", Chas opened her mouth in playful surprize, " Ohhhh and I wonder WHY that is..."

Jackson turned his head slightly, " MAYBE...it's JUST not an Aaron friendly name..." he said sarcastically.

Aaron narrowed his eyes at him, " shut yah trap you!...I had it all from Paddy the other day..." he then put on a Paddy voice, " oh look everyone...here comes Aaron and BONNIE!"

Jackson laughed at him, " IT'LL grow on yah...and IT WAS Jacks's idea...so WE'RE STUCK with it..."

Aaron then nodded his head toward the nearby table, and Jackson followed him and they sat down, " WE still okay to go out tonight...Paddy said he's okay to babysit Jack and...THE DOG" told Aaron, Jackson shook his head, supping his he ale, " YEAH course...so is erm...Tom still not looking forward to it..."

Aaron nodded, " no...BUT I told him...HE'S got to come out and face folk...HE did nowt wrong..."

"when's the trial again..." asked Jackson, TRYING to sound interested...but for Aaron he DID HIS best.

" not till September...he thinks he's only free till then...I just WANT to give him a good night out...he just goes and holes himself up in THAT flat all day...where it all happened" said Aaron.

Jackson smiled and gently brushed Aaron's chin with his fingers, " I know...It'll be fine...WE'RE all have a great night..."

Being a friday night, Bar West was heaving with clubbers, Aaron stood at the bar waiting to be served, this was his round since they'd all arrived an hour or so before.

Tom sat in one of the booths, cradling his bottle...staring out toward the dance floor...the poor lad had been like a timid rabbit at first...thinking EVERYBODY was talking about him and what he did...after all it had been on the local news, and in the papers.

Aaron came over with the beers, then nodded his head toward Greg, who had justed arrived.

Greg pulled a smile at Tom, " SEE...I bet it weren't as BAD as you thought coming out wit us tonight..."

Tom shook his head at him, as he and Aaron joined him in the booth...Aaron took a swig of his ale, and nodded toward the dance floor...it were packed with dancers, " Arn't yah going for it...you usually do..." he suggested.

Tom glanced at the dancers, and shook his head, " not right now...maybe later...", Greg and Aaron glanced at one another, this WAS really hard work...but Tom'll ease after a while...well they hoped he would anyhow...

Jackson stood, leaning against the wall, pool stick in his grasp, Joe took his shot and missed, "oh bollocks...YOUR game again!" he cried.

Jackson turned to him and smiled, " sorry I were miles away mate..." he went to ready his stroke, " I was SO made up that you showed UP tonight...I think THEM three want to be on their own..."

Joe smirked at him, "nicely put...BUT you don't have to hide owt from me...YOU can't stick Tom..."

Jackson potted his ball, and looked up, as he tried to line up his next move, " AM I THAT obvious...", Joe shrugged, as he leaned on his pool stick, "I HATE to say...BUT then again...Aaron knows how you feel about Tom any way...YOU not being a fan of him..."

Jackson pocketed the next ball, and straightened up, " yeah but...IT'S HIS MATE!...HE makes the effort with you don't he...I SHOULD be doing the same if I'M honest..."

Joe tilted his head, " well...I hate to speak ill of the dead...but...HASN'T Tom done you a favour...Matt was a bit obsessed over Aaron wasn't he..."

Jackson shook his head at him, " yeah he did...but don't be telling Aaron that...he'll get the wrong idea..."

Joe nodded, and took a sup of his ale...Jackson was standing watching him...then was nodding toward the table, " YOUR move..." he told.

Joe snatched up his pool stick, and started to align his shot...

Meanwhile, Tom had moved from the safety of the booth, and was in the gents...after coming out a cubicle, he came face to face with Ryan.

Ryan glared at him, " HOW have you got the fucking nerve to SHOW your arse round here!", Tom shook his head, holding up his hands, " look...PLEASE, I don't want any trouble..."

Ryan came forward, " YOU should have thought about THAT before you cold bloodiedly killed me boyfriend!" he snapped, eyes staring right at him coldly.

Tom was shaking his head at him, " NO...IT wasn't like that...I never killed him like..."

Ryan was angry, and his voice raised a pitch, " HE only came round yours to pick up some of his stuff!...HE never got OUTTA there alive!"

Tom was getting upset, " please...he were trying to strangle me...WHAT else could I have done..."

Ryan looked at him in total surprize, " YOU are making THAT up...Matt may have NOT have been a saint at times...BUT he'd never go round strangling folk!" he spat.

"HE DID ME!" cried out Tom...Greg was then at the gents exit door, he looked at both of them, " what's going on..." he asked.

Ryan turned, " NOWT to do with you...GET OUT!", Greg glanced toward Tom...Tom looked quite upset...and uneasy...he decided he needed to go get Aaron.

Greg hurried back to the booth, and informed Aaron what was going down in the gents, Aaron shot to the door, and bolted inside...to see Tom cowering at the sink, as Ryan went to give him a hiding...

"GET away from him..." snapped Aaron, in NO mood to be playing games...Ryan turned, and squared up to him...and smirked...

At the pool table, Joe looked up to see his partner Rob arrive with a mate, "Hi ya...MADE it then..."

Rob nodded, " yeah...Dan's all settled in his new flat now..."

Dan agreed, " yeah...JUST got the last bits in...", Jackson was then upon them with 2 lagers in his grasp, Dan looked at him " alright Jackson mate..."

Jackson looked at him, not quite really knowing what to say...Dan was an Ex...and sometimes it was differcult, instead he raised his eye browes at him with a quick, "Dan..." in acknowledgement.

Rob snaked his arm around Joe, " YOU could have helped us...INSTEAD of sloping off in here...", Joe smiled, " WHAT could I do...I'd only get in the way..."

Dan turned to Jackson, who was making himself business chalking his questick, "so...LONG time no see...but then again YOU were at Joe and Rob's barbie, and you avoided me all day..."

Jackson looked at him, " HAD nothing to say to yah...", Dan folded his arms,and watched as Jackson pot shotted a string of balls, " I spoke to Aaron...I recognised him from when we last met at the hospital...WHEN your mum was sick..."

Jackson shrugged, " SO...HE doesn't know what you'll like..."

Dan rolled his eyes, " oh for fuck sake Jackson, Jamie came on to me!" he cried, "when are yah EVER gonna forgive me..."

Jackson snapped his neck round, " errrr...never!"

Joe and Rob could feel some tension built up, but before they could intervene, Greg was rushing over, " Jackson!...it's Aaron...you've gotta come quick!"

Jackson handed his poolstick to Dan, and followed Greg ino the gents, Ryan had Aaron up against the tiled wall...Aaron looked pretty pissed off...and Ryan was trying to provoke him, "COME ON BIG MAN!...hit me!", snarled Ryan.

Jackson came forward, holding out his hand, " Aaron...don't listen to him...he's just goading yah..."

Ryan turned around, "Awwwww...hubby here come to lend a hand..."

It was Aaron's turn to snarl, " I DON'T NEED his help to floor you!"

"but Aaron...YOU are not gonna be flooring anybody...ARE YOU" told Jackson...the 'are you' bit coming over as insistant.

Aaron could see the fire in Ryan's eyes,...Ryan WAS goading him...but he wasn't gonna fall for it...Aaron gently moved Ryan aside with a smirk, " NOT today thank you..." he said sarcastically...Jackson was proud of him, and it showed on his face. Aaron turned to Tom in the corner, " Tom...lets go...", Tom bolted out the toilets, but not after a final tongue lashing from Ryan, " YOU are GOING DOWN TOM...I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT" he spat.

Aaron went after Tom, Jackson turned to Ryan, and pointed, " just stay away from him...and Aaron..." he then left the gents...leaving Ryan to wallow in his defeat.

Joe came over to them at the bar, " hey...everything alright...the bouncers were nearly called in just now..."

Jackson had his arm around Aaron, "just alittle bit of bother in the gents..."

Dan stood with Rob, and muttered into his ear, " what...Aaron using his fists again..."

"WHAT DID HE SAY!" sneered Aaron, staring at him...hating him because he was Jackson's Ex,

Jackson turned, " nowt much...Dan usually talks out of his arse don't yah...and you wonder WHY I blanked yah...let me see...YOU bedded me mate...you nearly got Jack run over...and you were rotten to me mum when she were ill...BUT..." he smiled at him, pulling Aaron even closer to him, " IF YOU NEVER DID ALL THAT...WE would never of finished...and I wouldn't have gone BACK to Aaron...you DID me a favour...", he looked at Joe, "I call yah mate...BUT...I think we better get Tom home..." he eyeballed Dan, " welcome back Dan...but DON'T bother calling me...because you'll NOT welcome", he grabbed Aaron's hand, and led him off, Aaron giving Dan a smug look, as to say 'I'VE GOT HIM...YOU HAVEN'T- DO ONE'

Within the hour, Tom was sticking the key into the front door of his flat, Aaron and Jackson followed him inside..."So do yah want a coffee..." asked Tom.

Aaron nodded, "nah...we've got to get to back to the village...", Jackson smiled...glancing into the kitchen briefly...at the floor, wondering where Matt had been lying...when Tom had stabbed him.

"I'll be waiting downstairs..." he announced, Aaron watched him go, and turned to Tom, "look...THAT wasn't TOO bad a...WE could DO it again..."

Tom laughed, as he leaned on the kitchen door, "why...because I might NEVER WILL... Thanks Aaron...THANKS for tonight...it were like old times..."

Aaron could detect the sadness in Tom's voice " don't be going soft!" he cried, and they hugged, Aaron patting him upon the back, and went to the exit, " I call yah..."

Tom smiled at him, and watched Aaron disappear around the corner of the walk way, he then closed the door, and went into his bedroom and sat on the bed...

he switched on the lamp, and reached for the tablets that sat on the side table...he stared at them, rolling the bottle around in his crasp, tonight had been perfect...except for the ruckess in the gents with Ryan...HE and Aaron had been close again...friends...just how it used to be

THAT was a nice note...to end on...

TBC

PLEASE review...THEY ARE ALL WELCOME!... ..let me know, whether you love it or just loathe it! xx