They all reached home just before three in the morning. After texting Adam to explain that they were going home and why, the young farmer had quickly told them he would be going as well. There was no way he was going to continue chatting up Jennifer when his best mate had just been threatened by the man who had already attacked him three times. He'd made sure to grab Jennifer's number before he left, she'd scrawled it on his arm with a biro she'd found in Maci's bag and he'd been copying it into his phone during the silent Taxi drive home. They took Adam home first to Butler's farm before they took the taxi back to Smithy. The house was silent as they had crept inside. Aaron went straight to bed having yet to say word.
Jackson could understand why Aaron was being so quiet, he was upset and in shock. He had every right to be. Darrel just wouldn't leave him alone. He was sick. He let Aaron go upstairs to bed. He was still furious from the confrontation with Darrel himself and he wasn't in the best mood to be around. There was no way it was a suitable time to get Aaron to open up to him. He'd leave it till the morning after they'd slept on it. He just hoped things looked better in the morning, because right now to the builder, things still looked pretty grim just when he thought they'd turned a corner. His hand still stung from where he'd punched the scrum bag square in the jaw. He twisted the kitchen sink tap on and stuck his fist underneath. If Aaron's fists hurt that much after punching a wall or anybody, Jackson couldn't understand why the teen would hit out. It wasn't worth it. Although right now, he was debating whether just a punch to the face was enough to make Darrel pay for what he did and what he wanted to do to his boyfriend earlier that night. Seeing Darrel threatening Aaron in front of him, the lack of humanity in his eyes and the look of fear in Aaron's, made Jackson's blood boil. He hated every bone in Darrel's body.
Drying off his hand on the leg of his jeans, Jackson took a bottle of water from the fridge and headed upstairs. He was tired and he just wanted the morning to come so then the night would be over. He hoped he could get Darrel's smug face out of his mind long enough to close his eyes and sleep. He couldn't imagine how difficult Aaron must find it trying to shut out any reminders of Darrel every single day. It just showed how strong Aaron really was, he still managed to get on with life and he was determined to. He had yet to allow Darrel to get in his way. Jackson just hoped that he never would. Aaron had every right to continue getting on with his life, where as Darrel needed to be dealt with. Surely the police could see what a danger Darrel was?
After was seemed like forever for both Jackson and Aaron to find sleep, their minds refusing to shut off, they woke up the following morning, neither of them feeling any better to what they did the previous night. Jackson was still furious, taking his anger out on the bathroom door and anything he seemed to drop or have difficulty opening. His behavior surprised both Paddy and Rhona, the two were so used to Jackson being the calm and collected one of the two. However they weren't shocked when they heard Aaron thunder down the stairs, even with his cast on, fully dressed with a coat over the top of his hoodie and slam the front door on his way out. What the two didn't know, was whether Jackson and Aaron had had a fight when they were out on their night out? They had been alright when they left. Only that morning were they both upset. Paddy decided to tackle the subject straight on when Jackson came downstairs after his shower.
"Morning." Paddy greeted as Jackson shuffled round the kitchen getting breakfast.
Jackson grumbled a response.
"Everything okay?" Paddy questioned from his seat at the table. "I-It's just. . . Neither of you to seem very happy this morning. . . I can expect it from Aaron b-but not you." The older man added.
"Everything's fine between us." Jackson told him, placing his bowl of cereal on the table.
"Then what's happened?" Paddy asked before noticing Jackson's slightly swollen red knuckles on his right hand. "You haven't- are you sure you guys are okay? Y-you haven't h-had a bust up h-have you?" He stumbled slightly worried.
Jackson quickly shook his head. "No, no!" He told him sternly. "Me and him didn't. I did." Jackson corrected Paddy. "We bumped into Darrel last night or rather he cornered Aaron."
"What?" Rhona exclaimed as she walked through from the lounge, overhearing the last of the conversation between the men.
"Darrel managed to get Aaron on his own when he was outside, started threatening him." Jackson said, feeling fresh anger boil over inside him again. "I managed to find him before anything got out of hand."
"Thank god." Rhona commented, taking a seat with them.
"He was terrified." Jackson told them. ". . . Aaron was just standing there. I've never seen him look so scared. He didn't even throw anything back at Darrel, he just took it all."
"He's in shock." Paddy tried to reason. "It's understandable."
"He still hasn't said a word since last night." Jackson countered.
"He'll come round." Rhona explained. "Don't worry."
"Argh! He just makes me so angry!" Jackson exclaimed suddenly, his cereal forgotten about in the mean time. "Why can't he leave Aaron alone?"
Paddy shrugged. "There must be something the police can do, surely."
"There's nothing." Jackson sighed frustrated.
"It will all get sorted. Darrel will get his pay back soon enough." Rhona told them both. "Just you wait, sooner or later the police will work out what they've done."
"I hope so." Jackson said. "Before anything stupid happens."
"I know it's easier said then done, but try not to let him get to you." Rhona offered. "He's going to take over your life if you're not careful."
"I'll try. I just don't want him to get to Aaron." Jackson sighed, running his hands down his face before asking. "Speaking of which. . . where is he? I thought he'd come downstairs."
"He went out fifteen minutes ago." Paddy told him. "Surprised you didn't hear, the door nearly came off it's hinges."
"Where did he say he was going?" Jackson asked thinking it was rather odd that Aaron had gone into the village. Clyde was still asleep in his bad so he hadn't taken him for a walk.
Paddy shrugged. "He didn't." He said. "Thought best not to ask in the mood he was in."
"Do you have any idea where he might be heading?" Jackson asked, trying a different approach.
"No, sorry." Paddy answered. "Aren't you going to eat that?" He asked when Jackson stood up and ditched the cereal down the sink.
"Not hungry." The builder told him before grabbing his coat and leaving the house.
"They'll get through this." Rhona assured Paddy who could only watch Jackson with concern through the window.
"Are you sure?" Paddy snapped. "Because as far as I can see, neither of them are able to put it behind them."
Jackson sent a text to Aaron as he walked down the road to main part of village. If he was going to find Aaron he was going to have to have at least something to go on. Seeing as the young mechanic hadn't taken Clyde for a walk the only other places Jackson could think of where Aaron would be was with Adam or in the café, crossing The Woolpack off his list due to it being to early in the day for it to be open. He sent Adam a text as well asking him if he were Aaron before he looked in the café. No luck, he wasn't in there but Adam was. He spotted the young farmer eating a full English breakfast in the corner with a large glass of water.
"Nursing a hangover are we?" Jackson laughed as he took a seat in front of Adam.
"How much did I drink?" Adam whined in response as he held his head, munching on a small piece of toast.
"A lot, but you got lucky which was a surprise." Jackson teased before asking him. "You haven't seen Aaron anywhere have you?"
"No, sorry." Adam answered. "Why has he gone AWOL since last night?"
Jackson nodded. "Something like that. Paddy mentioned he'd stormed off out of the house without a word. I'm just a bit worried about him."
"I'm not surprised." Adam reasoned. "I'll keep a look out for him, tell yah if I see him."
"Thanks." Jackson said before leaving the young farmer in peace to eat his breakfast.
With all ideas on where Aaron's whereabouts would be unsuccessful, Jackson was trying to think about where else the young mechanic would be. Deciding on checking out Layla's incase Aaron was buying anything from the shop, Jackson spotted him as he walked towards the shop. He was at the garage talking to Cain. He was sitting in one of the cars as Cain had his head underneath one of the bonnets. He shouldn't have been surprised to find Aaron there in the first place, after all him and his uncle, were very close. As Jackson walked up the gravel forecourt he heard Cain interrupting Aaron and telling him to step on the gas and a second later Aaron was roaring the engine for his uncle with his uninjured foot.
"Woah! You can stop." Cain ordered before ducking his head back under the bonnet.
"You shouldn't be nowhere near a driver's seat." Jackson commented to Aaron as he leant against the driver's door, to peer inside the open window.
"I'm giving Cain a hand." Aaron justified.
"Just as well as it's just that." Jackson warned him.
". . . Anyway, like I was saying, have you still got those leads out on him?" Aaron carried on to Cain.
"Yeah, why? Do you want something done?" Cain asked interested.
"What leads?" Jackson interrupted, not liking at all where the conversation was heading.
Aaron rolled his eyes at Jackson and continued. "Do I want something done? Course I do!"
"All right, that's all you had to say." Cain breathed, wiping his hands on an old rag and walking round to the side of the car to talk to Aaron. "I'll make a few calls later, find out his whereabouts and take it from there."
"Woah woah woah, there will be no calls made." Jackson announced. There was no way that Cain or anybody was going after Darrel. It was all wrong, they needed to leave it to the police to sort out.
"Listen twinkle toes, we left it to the police to sort out and look where it got us." Cain snapped at Jackson. Action needed to be taken against Darrel.
"So, we'll try again and again if we have to! You can't go playing the vigilante." Jackson countered. He didn't want anybody else to get hurt. Darrel was a dangerous character.
Cain shook his head. "Sorry love, but we're doing it our way." The older mechanic told him firmly. "And if you don't like it, then tough."
"Aaron-." Jackson started.
"Don't, don't tell me that the police will make everything better." Aaron quickly said. "Don't tell me that they'll lock him away, because they won't. I'm a liar in their eyes."
"Aaron you can't solve everything with your fists." Jackson tried.
Aaron snorted. "Funny, you seemed to think that last night."
"That was d-."
"Different? I can't see how." Aaron snapped back. "If you think you're better than us and don't approve of this, well I'm sorry. But we're gonna make sure Darrel get's what's coming to him."
"I thought you were done with this!" Jackson shot back at him. "I'm sick and tired of this violent aggression that's building up inside of you. I'm done with it."
"Fine." Aaron gritted out through his teeth. Hurt that Jackson couldn't see where he was coming from.
"Fine."
There was no point trying to talk sense into Aaron. It wasn't worth the time, he never listened. He never took in what people said when they were talking sense. It was only going to make things even messier if they went after Darrel. It wasn't worth the hassle. No doubt, Aaron and Cain would be the ones paying for it all when they got the better of Darrel. It never turned out good for the good guys in real life. It wasn't like a movie on TV where the bad guy got his comeuppance. It was real life and people got hurt. Jackson didn't want to see the young mechanic get hurt even more than he already was, if that were possible. So instead of tackling the issue any further, Jackson turned on his heel and stalked off back to Smithy Cottage, leaving Aaron and Cain to plot over their idea.
A/N – Thanks for all the great reviews guy, it means such a lot and it's such a great help on finding the guidelines of where this fic his heading. Hope you guys like this update. It's been a few days I think since I posted any update on any of my fics, so I hope it was worth the wait. I'll try and get an update for News Year done before the beginning of next week.