Just like the other morning when the needed to go to the solicitors in the morning, Jackson had the same problems with waking Aaron, It seemed the teen didn't want to wake at all. After a lot of nagging from Jackson, they made it to the solicitor's office on time. They didn't have to wait as long as last time, but it still didn't help Aaron with his jittery leg which returned when seated in Harrison's office. Even though he hadn't found it all that hard to fall asleep during the day on Sunday, when came to getting to sleep during the night, he found he couldn't. His mind have been working over time, constantly thinking about what would be brought up in the meeting the next morning. As the daylight hours had grown closer, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach had risen and with very little sleep, left him incredibly snappy.
"Nice to see you again." Harrison said lightly as he took his seat, shuffling through his papers before gathering the correct ones."Now then, today I'll go through step by step what will happen in court and if we have enough time fit in a little preparation. As I am aware we only have six weeks to get both of you on top of your game."
"Not long then." Jackson breathed, really feeling the pressure.
"No, not at all, that's why I want as much appointments with you as possible." Harrison explained to him. "Shall we get on with things then?"
Both younger men nodded their heads before Harrison began to go through step by step with them in as much detail as he could, answering any questions that came up. ". . . You'll be questioned by both defense and prosecution. You must have a pretty thick skin when it comes to defense, because they will fight dirty." Harrison told them. "As you are aware I'm prosecution, so I'll just push you to explain, give you a helping hand and guide when needed to."
"How dirty will they go?" Jackson asked. Aaron still had no word to add to their discussions. He went, he listened and nodded his head in all the right places, leaving the questioning to Jackson.
Harrison raised his eyebrows and blew out a breath. "Very, and I mean very, dirty." Harrison admitted. "So I would be warned. They'll twist your words and have you tripping over yourself if you're not careful. Did you hear that Aaron?" Harrison added as he noticed the teen staring off into space. He couldn't help his client if he wasn't paying attention.
"What?" Aaron muttered snapping to attention. "-Yeah, course I did."
"So you understand that you'll have to choose your words carefully." Harrison repeated. "Watch what you say?"
"Yeah, course." Aaron nodded drifting off into thin air again.
"You'll feel under further pressure when you see the defendant in court with you, but don't let them affect you in anyway-." Harrison continued.
"Hang on!" Aaron shot at him, when he heard the word 'defendant'. That meant Darrel right? He couldn't remember anything being mentioned about Darrel being in court when he was there. "Defendant?"
"Yes, correct. He will be there, throughout it all." Harrison told him, as though he had known all along.
"You didn't mention this earlier." Jackson commented. Such an important detail to leave out. It was a world of bravery to relive being attacked not once but three times to an entire court, let alone stand in the same room as the person who attacked you while you recounted the events.
"Sorry, I thought it went without saying." Harrison sighed. He really hoped this wouldn't put a spanner in the works. "It's not a problem is it?"
"Problem?" Aaron repeated. Course it wasn't a problem!
"Aaron. . ." Jackson sighed. He didn't want Aaron to get stressed out about it all.
Aaron rolled his eyes and sent a scowl towards Harrison. The jumped up guy in a suit thought that seeing Darrel again was no problem. It was an extremely difficult thing to face. He could already feel his skin crawling, just with the thought of being in the same room as the sicko.
"Go on. . ." Jackson pushed, he wanted the appointment over with now, as quick as possible. They'd just been faced with a pretty big blow, which they were finding hard to digest.
"Then, once the witnesses and Aaron have taken the stand, Mr. Kendall will have his opportunity to defend himself." Harrison said, earning a scoff from Aaron at the last part. "Both parties stories will be taken in to accountant and the Jury will go away to discuss the final verdict which will then be announced once decided."
"And that's it?" Jackson questioned.
"That's it." Harrison explained. "It could take a day or a few days, weeks even for the whole court case to be completed. Just bear in mind it won't be finished with over night."
"Don't worry we won't." Jackson sighed.
"Good." Harrison smiled at them as he checked his wrist watch. "Sorry, guys but that's all for this morning. Meeting another client in the other office building in Leeds in an hour, need to get a move on. As I said before, schedule another appointment on your way out and I'll start getting you prepared, go through your case and all that."
"Easy as that." Aaron muttered as the stood up to leave.
They didn't waste any time getting home. Both of them just wanted to get back to safety of Smithy Cottage and mull over what they'd just been told. They had all believed that Darrel wouldn't be anywhere near them throughout the entirety of the court case, but they were led to believe wrong. Darrel would be in the court room when they gave evidence, listening to every word and working out a way to sneak his way out of getting prosecuted. It made them sick to think Darrel would be within a few meters. Jackson hadn't seen him since the time after the first attack, at the time he knew nothing about it. He wasn't so sure if he could keep calm around the evil man. He'd ruined Aaron. He'd destroyed his Aaron. No matter how many times Aaron would protested that he was okay, that he was getting through it all, he knew better than to believe. He was different. He acted differently. Nearly a month on and he wasn't the same Aaron. The teen believe he could shove it to the back of his mind and forget about it, ignore all the dark feelings and thoughts that stirred up inside of him whenever the smallest of things would remind him.
"How're you feeling about Darrel being there in Court?" Jackson asked Aaron that evening as Hazel and Paddy finished up in the kitchen.
Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing I can do about it, is there?"
"Well no, but it must. . . It must make you feel terrible knowing you're going to have to see him again." Jackson pushed tracing the veins in the back of Aaron's hand.
"Yeah it does. I feel sick knowing he's going to be in the same room again." Aaron told him shakily. Jackson told him a few nights ago he wanted to know what was going in his head, so he needed to meet him halfway. "But. . . He can't do anything. You'll be there." Aaron added quietly.
Jackson's heart clenched as he heard Aaron mention the last little part. Hearing that Aaron felt safe around him, meant so much. He would do anything to protect him. He'd screwed up enough times already when it came to keeping the teen safe. He wasn't about to make the same mistake again. Aaron was too precious to let anything bad happen to him. "No, he wouldn't try anything. Don't worry." Jackson promised him. "I'll be there."
The rest of the week dragged by for Aaron. He had very little company most of the day at Smithy Cottage. He still wasn't allowed back at work, for months yet he was going to have to think of something to occupy his days. Taking Clyde out for walks was off of his list of things he could do and near enough everything else was as well. Walking Clyde had been left to anybody who would help, Jackson, Paddy, Hazel or Adam would take the Alsatian out for a few hours to let him run off some built up energy. Aaron noticed that Jackson would often take Clyde out on the longest walks, so when they did return Clyde would be too worn out to do anything but sleep. He could only do that though when he wasn't at work. He still had another couple of weeks left at his new job in robblesfield until a new one would pop up. It just meant that Aaron would have nobody to keep him company through the daylight hours. Everyone in Smithy Cottage would be at work all week, leaving him at home on his own, bored.
"Fancy going to the Pub later?" Jackson asked when he returned home from work on Friday, in need of a good shower. He was covered in dust.
"Yeah, why not." Aaron sighed chucking the TV remote on the seat beside him.
"Nice one." Jackson grinned as he headed upstairs.
A couple of hours later they found themselves sitting The Woolpack sipping on drinks as they waited for Adam to ditch his family and join them. At the moment they watching the Barton's sharing worried glances towards the direction of their oldest daughter who was sat at the bar giggling away with one of her friends. Aaron had forgotten her name, Rosie or something. What he could remember was that she was trouble.
"What do you thinks going on there then?" Jackson asked he caught Aaron watching Holly for the fifth time since they got there.
"How am I supposed to know." Aaron snapped at his boyfriend without even tearing his eyes away.
"Alright, I was only asking. You seem quite interested in them that's all." Jackson protested going back to his larger.
"Yeah well don't." Aaron mumbled as he watched the girl hand Holly something quietly. "Wait there a minute." Aaron ordered as he got up and headed towards to the happy girls.
"Alright Aaron." The girl whose name Aaron couldn't remember said as he approached, signally to Holly they were nearly caught.
"Yeah, sound. What you two up to then?" He answered watching Holly carefully.
"Just having a drink. That's alright with you isn't it?" Holly snapped on her defense already.
"Are you now?" Aaron muttered, not believing a word. "What was that that she just handed yah!"
"Nothing." Holly told him quickly glaring at him.
"Didn't look like nothing to me." Aaron quizzed.
"'Course, you'd be an expert on that, wouldn't you." Holly sneered at him.
"Holly. . ." Her friend sighed, she didn't want any trouble. What ever Aaron knew, she didn't care.
"No! He thinks he can just muzzle in on my business, when he can't!" Holly snapped.
"I can when it turns out I'm look out for a mate." Aaron hissed. He wasn't stupid. He knew what Holly had just been handed. He'd dealt a few them out in the past to know one when he saw it.
"Well don't." Holly shot at him standing up and grabbing her coat. "I didn't ask you to. So keep out!"
"I thought you were smarter than that!" Aaron growled, growing frustrated that she didn't understand that he was only looking out for her. He didn't want to see her turn into one of the dead heads he used to supply.
"Yeah well, you were wrong." Holly hissed as she barged past him without a care, her friend following quickly behind.
What was it with people nearly knocking him over? He felt a hand on his lower back, preventing him from toppling over before he turned to see who it was. Adam was stood behind him silently asking what had just gone on between him and his older sister.
"You don't want to know." Aaron told him before Adam could ask.
"Yeah I do." Adam argued.
"No you don't." Aaron told him again. "It's sorted."
"What do you mean sorted?" Adam questioned. He wanted to know what was going on.
"Like I said, I'm sorting it." Aaron sighed, leaving no room for argument as he rejoined Jackson back at their table.
A/N – Wooo chapter 40! Stayed up late to get this update finished for you guys, not sure whether I could later on in the more 'normal' hours of the day. Thank you again for letting me know how much your enjoying this fanfic and such like. It really means a lot. Brightens my day to hear such a positive feedback form you guys! Really is! Anyway, hope you enjoyed, more drama for Aaron to be dealing with, should he be taking on Holly's drug addiction along with the upcoming court case? Can he cope?