It had long turned dark as Jackson stood by the kitchen window, looking out across the village watching out for Aaron. So far there had been no sign of the troublesome teen for a good few hours. He'd really started to worry when it became dark. He couldn't help but feel protective over the younger man since the recent events that had ruined Aaron's life so far. At least Clyde was with him, that was the only positive he could think of. Aaron had stormed off in a mood and god knows where that had taken him. He'd barely been out the house in weeks, Jackson couldn't help wonder how Aaron was. He'd called Adam, asked him to keep a look out for his best friend incase he showed him. So far nobody had seen him.
"Come away from the window. You're nearly as bad as those curtain twitching oldies down the road." Hazel commented as she caught Jackson peering out across the Village.
Jackson rolled his eyes. "He's not back yet."
"He'll be alright." Hazel assured him. "He'll come home."
"What if he does something stupid? You've seen what he's been like lately." Jackson told his mum as he turned to her.
"Like I said, Aaron's a big boy, he'll be fine." Hazel smiled. "Speak of the devil." She muttered as she caught Aaron's form skulking up the lawn.
At his mother's words, Jackson turned round just in time to see Aaron walk through the front door. The younger man didn't say a word as he stormed upstairs without so much as a look their way.
"He seems happy." Hazel muttered to herself, receiving a cold look off of her son. "What? Only saying. . . wouldn't hurt to smile once in a while."
"He's been through a lot." Jackson hissed heading towards the stairs.
"Uh! I'd leave him." Hazel called to her son, stopping him in his tracks.
"What? Why?"
"Just do as I say." Hazel answered him knowingly before going back into the lounge.
Jackson shook his head. He didn't think he could cope with much more.
The next morning Aaron was awake and downstairs getting breakfast before Jackson had even stirred. He'd had a lot to think about the previous night and he was determined to put some of it in action. Jackson was right. Darrel couldn't get him now. He'd breached his bail conditions, he was locked up for now. Until the court that is. But that was ages away as yet, they hadn't even received a date through the post. So for now, he was going to put it all behind him, forget about it all. He wasn't going to let Darrel take over his life. Yeah, he'd been saying that before. He'd tried not to think about it him. But the creepy man had had still some sort of hold over him. He was scared to go outside on his own! What was all that about! He hadn't even been back to work and he'd been jumping at the slightest noise. No, today he was going to put it all behind him. He needed to listen to Jackson for once.
"What you doing up so early?" Paddy asked a little surprise as he found Aaron rattling around in the kitchen.
"Getting ready for work." Aaron answered him simply.
Stunned for a moment Paddy didn't say anything as he watched Aaron drink out of the orange juice cartoon. Why couldn't that boy use a glass? "Aaron- are you s-s-sure that's a good i-idea." Paddy stuttered.
Aaron looked like he was thinking about it for a moment to amuse Paddy. "Yeah."
"But you've –." Paddy started.
"But I've what? I've what Paddy?" Aaron smirked, he loved tying the older vet in knots with his words.
"I don't know." Paddy gave up.
"Right, well then, I'm off." Aaron smiled at home. "C'mon Clyde."
"You can't take him to work!" Paddy protested as the large dog bounded into the kitchen.
"No. . . but I'm taking him for a walk before I go in." Aaron smartly answered him, with no intention to bring Clyde back to Smithy before he went to the garage.
"Ah okay then. . . Just make sure you do." Paddy told him before Aaron left.
An hour later Jackson padded downstairs, still a little sleepy and wondering where Aaron was. He'd woken up every morning with Aaron by his side and he'd admit it had worried him when he woke up to find Aaron gone. He would have taken a shower before coming downstairs but he wanted to know where Aaron had gone.
"Have you seen Aaron?" Jackson asked Rhona as he rubbed his eyes.
"No, not this morning, sorry." She said as she searched the work top for something.
"Oh." Jackson sighed.
"Why have you lost him?" Rhona laughed.
"Looks like it." Jackson smirked before picking up Rhona's keys from the gap between the microwave and wall. "Here."
"Ah! You're a god send!" Rhona exclaimed as she took the keys and kissed him on the cheek.
Jackson just shook his head and laughed.
"Go see if Paddy's seen him. He can't have gotten far." Rhona assured him before going out on a call.
Still dressed in his sweatpants and white vest top Jackson wondered through to the surgery, hoping not to bump into Pearl. He just wanted to quickly ask Paddy about Aaron before going back upstairs to shower and dress.
"Paddy you haven't seen Aaron have you?" Jackson hissed as he popped his head round the surgery door.
"Yeah, this morning." Paddy whispered back, confused as to why they were being quiet. "He was going to work."
"Work?"
"Yeah, that's what I said didn't I?" Paddy giggled. "He was taking Clyde for a walk before hand but he hasn't returned with him yet." Paddy added seriously.
"He's not taken him to work as well as he?" Jackson said rolling his eyes.
"I think he might have." Paddy agreed.
"How did he seem this morning?" Jackson asked.
"Fine- well okay considering. . . It was weird actually. He seemed quite . . . upbeat?" Paddy explained, pulling his face into a confused frown as he told Jackson. He found it all a little weird to find Aaron nearly back to his normal self that morning. It was a huge turn around from before.
Jackson chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought over what Paddy had told him. Aaron hadn't said a word to him about going to work. Heck, he hadn't spoken to him all night. He'd been asleep when he got to bed and left before he woke up. "I'll go check up on him. Thanks Paddy." Jackson said before turning on his heel.
Once washed and dressed with a breakfast inside of him Jackson wondered down to the garage to see how Aaron was. He was a little surprised about what Paddy had said about him this morning. He didn't want Aaron to rush into getting back to work. He only advised him to maybe go out once in a while, not throw himself back into work. He wasn't at all surprised to find Cain had allowed Aaron back to work. At least that way he could watch over his nephew.
"When were you going to tell me?" Jackson called out across the forecourt. Half of Aaron's body was buried underneath the bonnet of a car. His legs the only part of him sticking out as Clyde laid on the stones beside him. "Oi, don't ignore me." Jackson teased as he kicked Aaron's leg lightly.
He could imagine Aaron rolling his eyes as he pulled himself out from underneath and served Jackson a glare.
"So. . . What brought this on?" Jackson asked.
"Got to get back to work sooner or later." Aaron told him before pulling himself back under the bonnet.
This time it was Jackson's turn to roll his eyes. "Aaron, this is silly."
"How?" Aaron snapped as he banged a tool against something trying to fix whatever was wrong with it.
Jackson sighed. "Don't you think this might be too soon?"
"No. You told me to get out more. Get over it. So I am." Aaron told him.
He didn't mean to it like that. Jackson knew it would take time for Aaron to get over it all. He was willing to help Aaron put it all in the past baby steps at a time. Not like this. This was silly. He was bottling it up and throwing it behind him. It was gonna catch up with him sooner or later, the older man knew it was inevitable. And when it did, it would be worse.
"No Aaron, I just meant go to The Woolpack or the Café every once in awhile." Jackson explained to him. "Not jump back into work."
"I hope you're not disturbing him!" Cain called out from the inside of the garage.
"Don't worry, I'm going." Jackson told him before he left. There was no point arguing with Aaron now. It would only end in tears like usual.
Aaron could hear Jackson's retreating footsteps on the gravel as he lay underneath the car. He jumped out of his skin when Ryan threw a wrapped sandwich at his leg and banged his head on the engine.
"Sorry mate." Ryan laughed when Aaron pulled himself out from underneath the car once more rubbing his head and giving Ryan a deathly glare.
Aaron picked up the sandwich and began to unwrap the paper wrapping. He gave half to Clyde. He knew if he went back to feed Clyde at Smithy Cottage, Paddy would be there waiting to lecture him on keeping Clyde at work with him. He'd face that later on. For now he would get on with work.
He was right, when he did finish at work and return home, Paddy was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand waiting for Aaron. He rolled his eyes when he caught Paddy sitting at the kitchen table. He clicked Clyde's lead off and gently pushed him further into the house so he could get past him. He picked up his water bowl and began to freshen it up with clean water.
"I thought I told you not to take him to work." Here we go, that's what Aaron had been waiting for. "When will you listen to me Aaron? It's too dangerous for him at work. What did Cain say about it?"
Aaron shrugged. Cain didn't say much. He could tell his uncle wasn't too happy it but he didn't say anything. He knew when it was best not to.
"Tomorrow he stays here." Paddy ordered him, putting his foot down. He was only doing what was best for Clyde. Aaron couldn't watch him while he was at work. There were too many cars around and dangerous equipment. At least if Clyde was at home Paddy could pop his head round the door and make sure he was okay.
Aaron didn't say anything. He was taking Clyde again tomorrow morning whether Paddy liked it or not. He took a can out of the fridge and slammed the door shut before storming up the stairs.
"Aaron!" Paddy called after him.
That evening Jackson was in the café while Hazel was working, keeping her company as she served bacon sandwiches and coffees. Brenda was fleeting from the shop to the café every five minutes, fussing over the running of things for Bob.
"Paddy was in earlier, told me Aaron was back at work?" Hazel commented as she placed another cup of tea in front of Jackson.
"Yeah he is." Jackson sighed. "I don't agree."
"Why? He's getting one with things." Hazel argued, she couldn't see the harm in it. Aaron was getting back to his usual self.
"He's rushing himself." Jackson told his mum. "He could barely walk out the door a couple of days ago and now he's back at work, back to where Darrel first attacked him." Jackson scrubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know . . . I just don't think he can cope with it all."
"He seems to me like he is." Hazel said, leaning against the counter with an outstretched arm. "You worry about him to much."
"Do I?"
"Yes, you do." Hazel told him. "Just go with what he's doing. If not it will end in tears."
"If you say so." Jackson sighed. Maybe she was right. Aaron did seem okay with things recently. It was a fast turn around, but then that was just Aaron, always keeping him on his toes.
A/N – So sorry guys for such a long wait for another update. I keep forgetting what's already happened and as you all know I'm rubbish at reading my own work! I've also suffered from writers block with this recently as you can guess. So I hope this was worth the wait . . .
Anyway, I just want to say what great acting from Danny miller and Lucy Pargeter in Friday nights episode. The "Help me mum" broke my heart :'( Can't wait for the next couple of weeks episode's to play out on screen soon.
Back to the fanfic, sorry again for such a wait. I love to know what you think so don't hesitate to say anything. What do you think should happen next?