For the next week things remained strained between Jackson and Aaron. Jackson was still angry with Aaron due to his strong determination to make Darrel pay for what he had done to him and Aaron was still annoyed with Jackson for not understanding why he felt the need to. The stubbornness in them both did nothing to help their relationship. At the beginning Hazel and Paddy were getting fed up of the boys attitudes towards each other, clipped tones and fears that their would be no door left on it's hinges at Smithy Cottage if it were to continue. But eventually the air between them seemed to thaw during the following week as they began to calm down from their disagreement.

"Jackson you couldn't give us a hand could you?" Hazel asked the builder as she bustled into the house with her arms full of shopping bags. Jackson had quickly jumped to his feet from his seat at the kitchen table to help the older woman as she struggled with the shopping. "No! Not these ones." Hazel told him when he went to take the bags from her. "The ones outside."

Hazel ditched what shopping she was carrying on the kitchen table and began to unpack them as her son carried in the rest. "The taxi driver helped me to the door with these." Hazel told him when he brought in the last. ". . .not bad, I can tell you! Wouldn't mind if he helped me out with a few others. . . things."

"MUM!" Jackson cringed. He didn't want to hear it!

"What? I'm only human! Just like you and Aaron our, only human." Hazel justified with a shrug. There was more than one occasion when she'd them in the next room going at it or walked in on a more intimate moment.

"Mum!" Jackson exclaimed when he noticed where Hazel had ditched the shopping, right on top of his paper work he'd been sorting through.

"What no?" Hazel sighed.

"Can you not put your shopping on top of my paper work! I've just sorted it all out and you've messed it all up." Jackson told her a little annoyed. He'd been struggling to get on top of it for a couple of hours now, since he'd gotten home. "I need them for tomorrow, a couple want a quote on their house renovation before they even decide on date for their wedding."

"Oh!" Hazel exclaimed as a thought suddenly sprung on her. "Talking about getting hitched. This weekend, your cousin Lola, she's marrying that guy with the Lazy eye."

"That's nice." Jackson said sarcastically as he tugged a few sheets of paper out from underneath a bag full of cans and a packet of pasta when his mother made no move to remove any of her shopping from his now crumpled papers.

"She's invited us to go this weekend. You're not working are you?" Hazel asked. She'd received the invitation a few weeks back and she'd only just remembered to tell Jackson.

"No but-." Jackson began; he didn't feel liked a wedding how things were between them.

"Lola would be made up if you came. You two used to be so close." Hazel interrupted. "She would love to meet Aaron!"

"I doubt Aaron will want to sit through a boring wedding." Jackson told her. "I don't think now is really the right time to be getting drunk happy at a wedding reception."

"Nonsense." Hazel protested. "It's what you both need. I said to myself, Hazel that wedding will do them a world of good. A few days away from it all, clear head and all that."

"I don't know." Jackson continued, still not convinced. Even though things weren't as bag between them, it was still strained. "I'll talk to him but I'm not promising anything."

"I'll just go book somewhere for us to stay before I forget." Hazel said determined that things would be fixed between her son and the teen by the end of the weekend. It was what they both need. It had been going on for too long. It was a good thing Lola lived in Manchester, that way Jackson and Aaron could go away for a little while without fearing that Darrel would turn up to make things interesting.

Jackson shook his head as Hazel grabbed the phone from the side and went into the lounge to look up Hotels fro the weekend. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for them to go away for a few nights and spend some time together. Somewhere romantic and a few cities placed between them and Darrel. So far in their relationship, nothing romantic had happened.

Right on call, Aaron came downstairs. Jackson hadn't seen him all day, he'd left early that morning so he could pick up a few materials before work and when he'd gotten back Aaron had been asleep on their bed still fully clothed with the TV on in the background.

"Good nap?" Jackson asked the teen as he shuffled into the kitchen.

Aaron nodded his head, still trying to shrug off the sleepy after effects. He hadn't managed to get a descent nights sleep since bumping to Darrel in Hotton. Before he only just managed to push whatever tried to claw its way to the fore front of his mind to grab some sleep, but not it was becoming increasingly harder. He'd been kept up on a few nights trying to fight images to the back of his mind and when he did sleep it was full of memories of the attacks and Darrel. It had begun to take its hold on him. The only reason he'd just woken up was because he'd dreamt of Darrel pinning him against a wall and swinging a fist towards his face before he woke.

Jackson watched Aaron move around the kitchen and make himself a glass of water that he gulped down quickly, while he unpacked the shopping bags that Hazel had abandoned. "If you're feeling up for it, we've been invited to a wedding this weekend." Jackson told the young mechanic. There was no point hanging around in telling him. It was Thursday now and if they were going for the weekend they would have to leave Friday night. "I've only just found out myself."

Aaron scrunched up his face. "Who's?" Nobody was getting wed in the village that he knew about and it was pretty hard to keep something like that secret round here.

"My cousin Lola's." Jackson answered, unpacking several boxes of cereal. "It's this Saturday."

Aaron pulled a face again. "Wedding's really aren't my thing."

"Well, I'll be going. I'll bad if I don't." Jackson said. "We used to be really close before she moved to Manchester. I would really like it if you wanted to come with me."

Lola moved to Manchester, would that mean she would be getting married there? Manchester was miles away from here. Miles away from Darrel. Maybe he would go if it was in Manchester. "Where's she getting married?" Aaron checked.

"Somewhere in Manchester I presume." Jackson told him. "Mum's not booking a hotel for us to stay."

"I'll go." Aaron said simply before he patted the side of his casted leg and clicked his tongue. "Come on Clyde! Back garden! Clyde!"

Later that night, Hazel had two hotel rooms booked for them for Friday and Saturday night a few miles away from where Lola was getting married. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about it all till then. They were lucky to find somewhere at such a short time. She had began pestering Jackson and Aaron about what they were going to wear for the ceremony. She hadn't seen her family for quite a few years, not including Aunt Polly, and she just wanted to show them off looking there best. Since travelling the world for the past five years she hadn't found time to meet up with any of the Rhodes Clan. Paddy and Rhona had both agreed with her that it would be good for the builder and mechanic to get away for a few days and a wedding seemed to be just fitting. Paddy had been a little surprised to here about Aaron's quick willingness to go. The only wedding he'd known Aaron to go to was his Uncle Cain's and Charity's wedding, where there was bound to be something dramatic happening to put a grin on his face besides the fact that Cain may have forced him to go.

The nest afternoon, Hazel fluttered in and out of Aaron's room fetching suits and shirts to iron and then returning to hang them up neatly on the front of their single wardrobe mostly full of Jackson's clothes. As soon as Jackson got back from work and had a quick however, they were leaving. Paddy and Rhona would have the whole house to themselves for the entire weekend. Aaron wasn't too pleased that Jackson had allowed Hazel to pack his bag for him, it meant she was constantly in and our other room hunting through the draws for Jackson's clothing. He couldn't go downstairs in the lounge for peace and quiet because was ironing in there when she had found clothes to pack, whilst she watched her favourite day time TV program, so he was stuck with her popping in and out, in and out, in and out of his room.

"N'awh, I like him in this one." Hazel commented as she pulled out a dark green hooded sweatshirt from a set of drawers. "I brought it for him for his birthday a year ago now."

Aaron raised his eyebrows when she looked over to make sure Aaron was listening, to forge interest.

"You don't have many clothes, do you?" Hazel pointed out having been through their entire wardrobe and in every draw she could see. "It's a shame that. . . If we go you kitted out, you'd look half descent." She sighed trying to wind the teen up as she pulled open a bottom draw. "Oh what about this! This, you should take with you." Hazel said when she came across a pale blue shirt and pulled it out to show the teen. She'd hardly ever seen Aaron in a shirt that colour. "Aaron. . . "Hazel called when she noticed that he wasn't paying attention to her but his dog.

"What!-." Aaron snapped half heartedly. As he swung his head round to look at what she was running on about. His stomach twisted into a knot. What Hazel was holding wasn't just some ordinary shirt he'd stuffed into a draw and forgotten he owned. It was the shirt that he'd been wearing when he'd been attacked at Sophia's house party.

"I really love how it brings out your eyes." Hazel continued without a clue what she had uncovered. "You should wear it more often than your trackies and t-shirts."

Aaron could remember how he'd woken, dazed and disorientated, after taking a heavy blow to the head, his shirt unbuttoned and his heart pounding in his ears. As he stared at the item of clothing, he then remembered staring down at his body as he quickly tried to button his shirt with shaky hands to cover his ugly marked body.

"Aaron . . . you okay, love?" Hazel broke through his thoughts. He hadn't been aware that he'd zoned out and his breathing had quickened only slightly.

The young mechanic nodded his head as he swallowed thickly. "I'm gonna take Clyde for a walk, I think." He mumbled quickly, trying the first excuse to come to mind. He thought he'd binned that shirt? He quickly scrambled off of his bed and bolted for the stairs with Clyde behind him, leaving Hazel a little bewildered.

It didn't take Aaron long to get Clyde attached to his lead and out the door. He'd pulled on his coat in a rush and continued to fumble with the zip as he headed down the front lawn. He had been in such a rush to get out of the house, away from Hazel; because there was no way he wanted Hazel to know anything was wrong. She would only tell Jackson. As far as everyone was concerned, he was getting past is all, Darrel would soon be a long forgotten memory that he would struggle to remember in a few years time, he hoped. Buts with Darrel appearing n nights out and items from the attacks making an appearance every so often, he was finding it hard for him to make out that he was fine.

By half five, Hazel had finished packing their suitcases just as Jackson returned home from work. After Aaron had left with Clyde for a walk, Hazel had decided to thoughtfully pack Aaron's suitcase for him as well while she was packing Jackson's and her own. She had no idea where Aaron had gone and he no idea where he was going to be back. They couldn't do with any hold ups. Jackson was going to have to rush his shower as it was.

"Where did you say Aaron went?" Jackson asked as he towelled dried his hair roughly while he wondered round downstairs fully dressed and nearly ready to go.

Hazel shrugged. "I'm not sure where he went." She told him. "I had to pack his suitcase for him the end."

That was unusual; Aaron didn't like it when anyone went through his things and he knew they needed to leave at ten past so why wasn't he back by now?

"Don't worry I made sure there were descent clothes packed for him." Hazel told the builder. "I put in that nice blue shirt and those black jeans that he's never worn."

"Oh right." Jackson laughed. "He wondered how Aaron would feel about his boyfriend's mum picking his clothes out for him. "Hang on a minute . . . did you say Blue shirt?" He asked feeling a sense of dread. Aaron only owned one blue shirt, the rest were different shades and designs or black, grey and white.

"Yeah, that nice one that brings out his eyes." Hazel answered as she checked her watch. "Where is he?" She thought aloud.

"Where's his suitcase?" Jackson asked ditching his towel on the side, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Upstairs on the landing why?" Hazel questioned before Jackson bolted u the stairs. "Jackson . . ."

All Jackson could think about was getting rid of the shirt before Aaron saw it. The young mechanic didn't need reminders of what he was trying to forget. He thought they'd binned all the clothes Aaron had been wearing when he'd been attached on the numerous occasions. They'd give the police Aaron's clothes from the first attack at the roadside for evidence and he knew for sure that the teen's clothes from the near death attack had been disposed of by the hospital. The blue shirt must have been over looked with everything that had been going on, despite his intentions to put it out for the bin men to get rid.

Aaron's suitcase was stood outside their door with his mothers and his own, ready and waiting. It didn't take long before he found what he was looking for. The blue material peaked out from all the dark navy and black clothes folded neatly on top of each other, which wouldn't have been like that if Aaron had packed his own. He pulled it out and had a quick look for anything else that Aaron wouldn't want to find before zipping the suitcase back up and taking the shirt down stairs.

"What was all that about?" Hazel asked the builder as he thundered down the stairs. She'd watched him feverishly hunt for the shirt.

"Getting rid of this!" Jackson said simply, tearing it in to with his bare hands. He opened the kitchen bin and chucked it inside. Hazel was now looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"You know what." Hazel said gesturing towards the bin where Aaron's shirt now lay. "Explain. . . "

"I didn't want Aaron seeing that shirt.2 Jackson began to explain. "He was wearing it when Darrel attacked him at Sophia's. I thought it had been gotten rid of, haven't seen it since that night."

"That why he acted so strangely earlier." Hazel thought out loud to herself.

"What do you mean?" Jackson questioned.

"I was in your room with him when I found it. . ." Hazel answered.

"No wonder he'd been ages." Jackson flew throwing on his jacket. "I'm going to see where he is."

"We've got to leave in ten minutes if we're going to catch that train!" Hazel called after him.

Aaron was sitting outside the cafe when Jackson found him, not soon after he'd set out to find him. He was occupying a table to himself, a cup of tea in front of him as he fed Clyde most of his sandwich.

"Found you." Jackson stated as he sat down on the opposite chair.

"Looks like it." Aaron breathed, while Clyde wolfed down a handful of bread and ham easily.

"You okay?" Jackson asked noticing that the tea in front of Aaron was untouched and cold.

Aaron nodded his head as he bit down on his bottom lip. "Yeah, fine."

"Are you sure? You haven't touched your tea." Jackson said. He wanted Aaron to tell him what had happened causing him to seem so upset, instead of pushing him to open up.

"Didn't want it, only brought it so Brenda would shut up and not move me on." Aaron told Jackson simple.

"Of course." Jackson sighed. "Sure, you're okay though?"

"Yeah, why?" Aaron countered trying to seem up beat to throw Jackson off his back.

"Mum said about the shirt. . . " Jackson pushed.

"Yeah what about it?" Aaron shrugged, trying to detach himself.

What about it? Even he had been effected by seeing the shirt. It had brought back terrible memories for him, that were no where near as traumatic than what Aaron had experienced. He could still see Aaron standing in Sophia's kitchen looking small and scared, as he clung to himself, trying to shrink away from anybody that stepped to close. He could remember the grotesque bruises that marred the teen's body, arms, neck, legs, hands, head, the angry red patches and the teeth marks. Every time he looked at Aaron he found it hard not to see the terrified teen in Sophia's kitchen staring at him with helpless eyes. He was haunted by the images that tried to cloud the way he looked at the young mechanic, and the shirt had only made them ten times clearer, refreshing his mind of what had happened. So surely Aaron must have been affected in the same way at least. "Aaron you don't have to pretend with me." Jackson started he wanted Aaron to talk to him.

"I'm not." Aaron bluffed.

"Aaron-"

"We're going to miss that train." Aaron cut him off as he got to his feet and began walking back to Smithy.

A/N – Been such a long time since I last updated and I am extremely sorry guys! You've been so great being so faithful to this fic! Just seeing that your guys are reading every chapter, 70 updates later makes me so happy and grateful! The feedback has been fantastic and such an enormous help! Thank you so much. . .look out for more. . .

A/N 2 – Corrected the spelling mistakes! Sorry about that, I had fifteen minutes to type it all up and upload it on here, was such a rush.