CHAPTER 62 of 65
I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT'S CHARACTERS, THEY ALL BELONG TO ITV1
A/N:THANKS for all your kind reviews of the last chapter...xx IT'S TIME...
THE NIGHT BEFORE...
Jackson paid for the burgers and fries, then brought them over to the table where Aaron was sitting with Jack, "blimey!...you took your time didn't yah...our bellies are thinking our necks are cut...int that right little mate..."
Jack crossed the front of his neck with his hand, Jackson rolled his eyes and sat down, " DON'T be cheeky...the que were a mile long..."
Aaron rubbed his hands as he feasted his eyes on his burger...so did Jack copying him...Jackson stared at them both from across the table as they took a bite at the same time, " I love me food me..." munched Jack...
Aaron smirked at him, but Jackson wasn't impressed, " some would look over here and think I BLOODY starve you twos..."
Aaron turned to Jack, " so how did you enjoy the zoo...BIG old animals weren't they...", Jack pulled out a fluffy lion toy from his rucksack, " I love me lion uncle Aaron...thanks for buying it for mah..."
Aaron took the toy and placed positioned it next to his own face and snapped his teeth at him...Jack squealed in laughter, " you think you're a big lion..."
Jackson pulled his eyebrowes together as he nibbled on his fries, " more like daffy duck..."
Aaron turned to him, " what is UP with you...you've been mardy all day...", Jackson pulled a face at him, " some of US have been working...not swanning around some Zoo..."
Jack went quiet...he didn't like it when his dad and uncle Aaron were naughty with eachother, Jackson noticed him, and ruffled his hair, " go and get a refill son...LEMONADE not coke please...it'll rot yah teeth..."
Little Jack jumped out of his seat...and bolted to the refill machine...and sneekily got a coke...Aaron looked up, " I mean it Jackson...WHAT is got into yah..."
Jackson leaned forward, " YOU!...acting like HIS DAD AND YAH NOT!", Aaron looked shocked at that remark,"what..."
"YOU'LL NEVER be his dad Aaron...I AM!...buying him stuff...TAKING him out...while I'm stuck at work..." told Jackson hard faced.
Aaron was still in shock, he stared at Jackson, before leaping up, and storming off, Jackson instantly regretted what he said...he never MENT that...he was just jealous about their day together...and then there was tomorrow...the custody hearing...
Jack came to the table with his coke, Jackson looked at him, " I thought I told yah lemonade..."
Jack looked cheepishly at him with his brown eyes, while sucking throw his straw...Jackson sighed and glanced at his watch, " where's me uncle Aaron..." Jack asked...burping like Aaron as he did so.
"He's...he's gone outside for a ciggy..." Jackson answered, hoping he had...Jack looked up at him again, " have you and me uncle Aaron had a row..."
Jackson pulled a nervous laugh, " WHO US!...NEVER MATE..." he then glanced at his watch again...JESUS!...why couldn't he of just kept his mouth shut...AFTER ALL what Aaron had done...excepting Jack...loving Jack...calling him our boy...Jackson started to feel uneasy...ALL he needed now was to upset Aaron...it would ruin everything...
Aaron WAS outside puffing on a ciggy, he leaned on the iron railing that bordered the pavement from the busy street, it had started to drizzle abit...WHY did Jackson do this...of course Aaron knew what tomorrow was...and Jackson was bound to be stressed out about it...but he didn't need to say that...he felt hurt...
A little hand then tugged his sleeve, he turned to see Jack looking at him, "my daddy says he is sorry..."
Aaron looked up, Jackson stood at the doors to the burger place with doe eyes and his bottom lip pulled out, " GO tell him he's a big D.I.V"
Jack went and reported back to his dad, Aaron turned back to face the traffic, there was another tugg on his sleeve, Aaron turned, " my daddy says that he knows he's a D.I.V...and he will make it up to you big time..."
Aaron glared up at Jackson...his lip pulled out further...his eyes getting the more cuter, Aaron was cracking, but he looked down at Jack, "tell him that he CAN sleep with THE DOG for a week...NO...a month...for what he said to me..."
Jack ran back to his dad, then ran back to Aaron, " what did you say again..." he asked.
Aaron ruffled the boys hair and looked up to Jackson, "get the van...let's just GET home yeah..."
When they were home indoors, Jack instantly played with Bonnie, who had been tied to the kennel all evening...Aaron went into the kitchen, Jackson bit his lip and followed him...he pulled the door too, and then grabbed Aaron and passionately kissed him, Aaron pulled away, " you DON'T deserve me..."
Jackson gazed at him, " I know...I were a div...AN IDIOT for saying that...Jack's everything to you"
Aaron was close to tears, " then WHY say all that...about me not being Jack's dad...I KNOW i'm not...YOU are...and I've done nothing to change that...I'M just uncle Aaron remember...", he turned to the sink, Jackson put his arms around his waist and rested his chin on Aaron's shoulder, took a deep breath, then sopke into his ear, " YOU are MORE than that Aaron...I...I don't know WHY i do this...I get ALL stressed out...thinking about tomorrow and that...the thought of losing him is doing me head in..."
Aaron sighed, and turned, "IT'S a good job I know you...anyone else would have told you to take a run and jump tonight...I still could..."
Jackson held Aaron's gaze, " yeah you could...but you love mah...and Jack...and our family...SORRY..." he said, " will you forgive me for what I said..."
"course I will...WE ALWAYS forgive each other...it's NOT us otherwise is it...plus we always enjoy the making up after" he said with a glint in his eye.
Jackson was beaming a smile at him, " so...am I still in for a month in the doghouse then...", Aaron rubbed his chin in playful thought, " maybe JUST for a week..."
Jackson was gradually alluring Aaron closer to him, " oh...", Jackson was breathing heavily, "...but...not tonight...this pratt's been really bad to yah...I need punishing..."
Aaron smirked at him, " yeah you have...and I'm gonna be SO bad to you tonight..."
"oh yeah..." asked Jackson intrigued..." how bad..." his lips closer to Aaron's, their eyes locked lustfully...
Then Jack came in, "daddy...can i have a drink please..."
Jackson pulled away from Aaron, and looked down, " SEE...that cokes tried yah mouth out...", Aaron held up some of his water, but then retracted...Jackson shook his head, " no...Uncle Aaron will sort you out...HE'S SOOOO important to you and me...I hope he knows that..."
Aaron shook his head knowingly at Jackson...their tiff over and done with...but tomorrow was another day...THE day...the day that would map out their lives...forever...
CUSTODY DAY
It was 6am, Jackson laid there in bed, staring toward the ceiling...he hadn't slept a wink, he couldn't , he felt sick...he swallowed, and tried to change position...but on moving his arm away, Aaron spoke, " how long have yah been awake..."
Jackson blew out a nervous chuckle, " all night..."
Aaron leaned up, and looked sleepily into Jackson's face, " IT'S GONNA BE FINE..."
Jackson rolled his head to catch his gaze, " you don't know that...", Aaron looked over Jackson's head to the clock, " I better get up, YOU TRY and grab an hour or so...I'll get Jack his breakie...get him ready..."
Jackson cleared his throat and swallowed, " HE'S got his little suit ready...the one he wore to our partnership ceremony..."
Aaron kissed his forehead, and rolled out of bed...he too was worried...this day was gonna be a living hell...BUT he had to be strong for Jackson, because going by what happened when Jack was whisked off to Spain that time, Jackson losing was gonna break him...
Jack ate his breakfast at the table, Bonnie kept jumping up, and Jack would sneakily give her some of his toast, Aaron caught a glimpse, " JACK..NO..not at the table..."
"but Uncle Aaron it's only me crusts...I HATE crusts..."
Aaron smiled at him, " hey I think crusts make your hair curl..."
Jack pawed his curls, " then I NOT eating crusts again...I hate curls...", Aaron sat down and tucked into his own breakfast, " we're cut it short again if you like...like yah dads...he keeps his short..."
Jack looked up to Aaron, " i wished i had no hair like you...", Aaron playful snapped his teeth at him, " cheeky!"
Aaron could hear Jackson upstairs getting up, Aaron turned to Jack, " look...remember what we said about today...THE lady is going to question you...",
Jack remembered, Jackson had told him ALL about today...they were going to interview jack too
"will they take me away..." asked Jack, Aaron could see a pleading in Jack's tone...the lad wanting him to tell him that it was all going to be okay...and Aaron couldn't...it wouldn't be fair to give the lad false hope...even how heartbreaking it was...
"finish yah breakie..." he said gently...
Jackson had taking his shower, and now was getting into his suit, he stared at his reflection in the mirror...and the tension and emotion getting to him...he forced back the tears and pulled out his tie from the drawer...staring toward a picture of him, Aaron and Jack on the beach in Blackpool.
Hazel stood in the woolpack, Chas came out from behind the bar, she was down up like a dogs dinner, " what on EARTH do you look like..." commented Hazel.
Chas glared at her, " excuse me love, but THEM son's of ours have got an important day ahead of them haven't they...WE need to make a good impression..."
"that court'll get an inpression all right..." told Hazel, Chas shook her head at her, "look...WE are there for support...you know if..."
Hazel turned her head, " support...in CASE it all goes WRONG for them you mean..."
Chas shook her head, " Noooo...Hazel what's GOT into yah...they are gonna win...they're be putting that cow Sarah in her place...won't they"
Hazel nodded her head at her, but Chas could see she was trying to convince her self, " I KNOW my son, Chas...IF he loses...it'll destroy him...it'll kill him..." she worried.
Chas sat her down on a bar stool, and then went and brought them both out a brandy, " what WE need is a stiff drink to settle our nerves...well YOURS anyway..." she handed Hazel hers, and raised her glass, "to them winning yeah..."
Hazel chinked the glass, and downed the brandy in one hit...
At 9.30, Aaron brought the car round, Jackson and jack stood outside the woolpack with Hazel and Chas...Paddy stood there holding on to Bonnie, "well...looks like it's time..." sung hazel, trying to disguise her fear...Jackson loosened his tie, and watched Jack climb into the fiesta, Hazel and Chas were after him, then with a final goodluck from Paddy, Jackson jumped into the passenger seat...and with a hand slapped to his thigh he said cheerily, " right LET'S go do this...", Aaron turned the engine...wishing he could put on the confidence like him...for Jacks sake.
On the steps of the family proceedings court, Aaron puffed on a final ciggie, the others were inside, Chas was then upon him, " you ready love, Jackson's solicitor says them Magistrates are nearly ready to to hear his case..."
Aaron bit his lip, his hands felt clammy...THIS was ALL getting too real...he looked up to his mum in the bright sunshine, " mum...what if it DOESN'T go his way...how am I gonna be able to cope with him..."
Chas could see Aaron was really letting this get to him, " love...YOU just have to be there for him...let him speak...scream and shout, cos he might..."
Aaron shook his head, " I can't go in there...", his head nodding to the courts glass entrance, Chas held out her hand, " yeah you can...come on love...", Aaron slowly stood...he himself, like Jackson, in a suit, he swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned, " I need the BOG!"
Inside Jane, Jackson's solicitor, was briefing him in the corridor, " ...now Jack is going to be interviewed in a comfy room, it is important that he has his say in this as well..." she explained, Jackson looked up, face ashened, " what...what..." he swallowed.
Jane smiled at him, " you will go in and STATE your case...there will be alot of question's thrown at you...but none that will trip you up...you just have to be calm and honest..." she fingered her notes, " the court welfare officer that scheduled the home vist, will also submit her report...a report I know is glowing...she really couldn't fault your home..."
Jackson bravely smiled at her, " that's good...Aaron will be getting a diploma in hoovering...he did it THAT many times..."
Jane turned, " Sarah's turn will come this afternoon...when she will be giving the same terms as you...then...tomorrow...that's when WE all get together to..."
"thrash it out..." interrupted Jackson, " THEY really know how to drag this out!"
Jane nodded, " well...I was going to say...try and come to a decision THAT will be best for Jack...but...that's when things can get abit messy too..."
Hazel came up to them, Aaron, Jack and Chas in tow, " I found them...Aaron needed the toilet..." she told.
Jackson then bolted off toward the gents himself, Aaron watched him go...knowing exactly how he felt.
In the gents, Jackson vomited into the toilet bowl...HE HATED this... Hazel was then at the cubilcle, " come on you...pull yah self together!...and I thought I was losing me nerve this morning..."
Jackson looked like he was about to burst into tears, " JUST want it to be all over..."
Hazel cupped her son's cheeks , " it will be...I JUST KNOW you are gonna win this...Jack'll be coming home with us..."
Jackson nodded, " don't be go jinxing it mum..." he sobbed alittle, Hazel smiled at him, "come on...chin up...lets go fight for him..."
Aaron was then at the door way, " Jackson!...they've come to grill Jack..."
Jackson burst out of the gents to see Jane coming forward, " Jackson, this is Julie and Chris, they work for the family panel...they will be talking to Jack...", Jack was looking up at his dad...he looked frightened, jackson knelt down on one knee, and hugged his son, " it's gonna be okay son...JUST be honest..."
"I don't want to go daddy..." he whined.
"you're me brave boy...course you do...I'll be waiting right here for yah"
Julie took Jack's little hand and led him off, Chris followed them, Jackson stood up, and turned to Hazel, Aaron and Chas...there sympathetic gazes making him feel worse...
...he looked back to Jack...and saw him disappear through the door to the interview room...
TBC
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