Aaron had managed to get a bus into town while everybody was out of the house, busy visiting relatives. He needed to sneak into town to get his Christmas shopping done. Unlike everybody else, he'd left his right till the last minute. He'd waited until Rhona and Paddy had left the house to go visit Rhona's mum and other relatives on Christmas eve. It took him a little time convincing Jackson that he was going to wishing well cottage for a couple of hours to see his family under his mother's request. The builder had wanted to go with him but he'd told him he would only get bored and it would be better if he stayed at home and continued with his own present wrapping. Jackson had gone out a couple of days ago to get his presents sorted, a lot more organized than Aaron was. He'd brought quite a few, hiding some of them in the spare room and wrapping the others up. He'd even gone as far as labeling gifts from both him and Aaron, so that helped the teen out a little bit but he still had gifts to by himself. He needed to get Paddy a gift from himself, after all the older man had been like a father to him the past year or so and it was the least he could do. A lot of thought needed to be put into his present and his mums, he never was good at buying gifts. Then he had Marlon, Cain, Debbie, Sarah, Zac and Lisa, Charity and Noah, plus Gennie and Belle, to buy for. He had little money to spend on presents due to little savings he had left since being off work. Paddy had insisted that he wasn't to pay any rent whilst he wasn't working as it wasn't fair on him, but he'd soon told him it wasn't right for him not to. So each month like usual he paid Paddy the amount he owed, which had slowly eaten away at the savings he had put away for a holiday or a car he so desperately needed. He wasn't annoyed that, neither Cain nor Debbie paid him whilst he was off, they couldn't afford it themselves, so he managed.

He was now wondering round Hotton, looking in various shops for ideas on what to get people. Everywhere was a mad rush around him, people just as desperate as he was to get their shopping done in time. After looking around a few stores, he'd decided to buy for the kids first, seeing as they would be the easiest. Aaron had managed to get sidetracked as he searched numerous toy shops for gifts. It took him two hours to eventually emerge from the biggest toy shop in town with plastic bags full of goodies. He'd brought both Noah and Sarah magic bubbles, that didn't burst when you touched them, and another gift each, a football for Noah and a cuddly pink kitten for Sarah. He had been playing with a bottle of magic bubbles in the shop himself after the sales assistant demonstrated them to him, winning him over to buy three packets, so he could have a packet himself. He wasn't sure what to get Belle, she was nearly a teenager now and he doubted she would want the same as Sarah. So instead he got her a gift box full of girly smelly bath things. All girls like nice smelling things, right? That was three off of his list of nine. He brought Debbie, Gennie and Charity something similar to belle from Boots, but a little more grown up.

Three hours in and he was beginning to get really bored. He just wanted to home and watch a movie with Jackson in the warm, instead of fighting through the Christmas crowds as he juggled numerous amounts of bags. He didn't put much thought into Marlon's, Cain's or Zac and Lisa's gifts. Deciding on a cook book for ZAC AND Lisa, even though he did debate on giving it to Marlon instead so he could see his face when he opened it up, But instead he brought the chef a set of tea towels with pink flowers on, hoping he'd be there. For Cain he brought a mug saying 'grumpy' on the side with the little dwarf from snow white printed on it. It wasn't until he had taken a few minutes to sit down and grab himself a coffee and something to eat, did he notice a few missed calls on his mobile from Jackson and one from Chas. Oh dear.

"Hey." Aaron attentively said when Jackson picked up the other line.

"Aaron, where are you?" Jackson demanded to know. A little while ago he'd bumped into Chas in the Village, where he then found out Aaron had been no where near wishing well cottage. She'd just been there herself before popping into David's for milk.

"Out." Aaron simply told him. He didn't want him to come looking for him. He had yet to buy the builders present.

"Where about 'out'? We've been looking for you for the past hour." Jackson told. They knew Aaron wasn't a little kid; he was an adult, so they needn't worry about what he got up to. But because of recent events they couldn't help be protective over the teen.

"I'm just out. I'll be back in a bit." Aaron assured him. He wasn't sure how long exactly 'a bit' would be. He hoped it wouldn't be too long. However he have his mum, Paddy and Jackson to buy as yet. He was struggling to find the perfect gift for them and with the little money left it was proving more difficult than he hoped.

"Hmm. . . You better be. Thought I'd cook us something tonight." Jackson said. "Maybe even rent a movie to watch. . . upstairs."

He liked the idea of that. Even more eager to get back home to his boyfriend. "Sounds like a plan." Aaron agreed.

"Well then, don't forget to rent one out on your way home-." Jackson said. "Hang on a minute, how're you getting back? You didn't get the bus did you?"

He had. Aaron had to stand for the majority of the journey despite being in a full leg cast, he'd given his seat up for a pregnant woman. He swore he was getting soft being with Jackson. The bus had been crammed full of bodies. "Yeah, I didn't run here did i?" Aaron joked.

"Oh Aaron!" Jackson sighed, ignoring the sarcastic comment. "I'll pick you up, it's not as if I'm doing much. I finished wrapping everything a few hours ago."

"No I'm fine getting the bus back." Aaron protested, he didn't want Jackson spotting his present before tomorrow when he brought it, whatever it was going to be.

"Aaron, I'll pick you up. I know you've gone Christmas shopping, I'm not stupid." Jackson told him. "You can't juggle shopping back on the bus, I saw the list you made last night. Plus it will give me something to do."

Damn he needed to stop leaving things lying around. He'd jotted a few ideas on paper, the other night, for gift ideas. Aaron had left it behind when he left that morning, one of the reasons why he was struggling to get the shopping done quickly. So much for fooling him. "Fine. . . whatever." Aaron sighed. "I'll call you again when I'm done."

"Okay, see you then." Jackson said. ". . . Oh and Aaron? . . ."

"What?"

"Make sure you buy me something decent." Jackson cheeked. "I'm rubbish at lying and I would hate to see you disappointed when I open your gift and it's rubbish." He teased. He would love whatever Aaron brought him, because it was the thought that counted.

"Shut up!" Aaron shot back hanging up.

What was he going to buy Jackson?

Aaron had managed to get Paddy's present out of the way fairly quickly. He had pooped back into one of the toy shops where he'd brought Noah's football. A box of scaletrix track pieces and a new car had gotten his attention the last time he'd been in. He knew Paddy often Had Marlon over for scaletrix races in the lounge, so he thought a few new pieces would go down a treat. He'd then moved onto his mothers present, he'd put a lot of thought into that one. Aaron Just hoped she wouldn't make such a big thing of it. Down to his last thirty pounds he'd was making it stretch to two gifts. He'd gotten Chas a scrapbook, a fancy looking one with a pink binding ribbon and gold butterflies on the cover, on each page a photo could be slotted in with a caption or other keepsakes. He didn't have many pictures of him and his mother together, a few from when he was really little and few recent ones. He'd brought a little bracelet as well, nothing fancy but nice, a simple delicate silver chain with a single blue heart.

It wasn't until he was searching for Jackson's gift did he bump into someone from his past. He should have expected to. Everyone in Hotton seemed to be out shopping today, getting the last few pieces or quickly ticking gifts from their lists. Darrel would be no different. He was with his brother; he could remember the intimidating thug from on of the court days. He'd cornered him outside on the steps, him and the rest of Darrel's pathetic Family.

Aaron tried to get by unnoticed, merging in with the rest of the crowd as his heart hammered in his chest. He was safe he was in a huge crowd, in public, nobody would stand by and let anything happen. He hadn't even been seen by them. They had been mucking around with a Santa hat, shoving it on each others heads. Darrel's brother had stumbled backwards into him as he stepped into the shopping mall. He hadn't even acknowledged that he'd bumped into anybody as he went after Darrel to shove the ugly looking Santa hat on his head instead.

He'd taken a few minutes to gather himself together again, standing against a wall out of the way of the Christmas shoppers as he calmed himself down. He couldn't'# let him rule his life. It wasn't the first time he'd bumped into the older man and turned into a trembling mess. He was annoyed at the silly hold Darrel still had over him. He didn't need to do anything to him and he was on edge. He was taking over his life, taking it away. If it wasn't bumping into him on a night out or shopping,. It was a piece of clothing or a stupid nightmare reminding him what had happened. The smallest of all things, could trigger a memory, a flash of painful images. But Darrel was okay. He was carrying on with life as usual, as if attacking Aaron and going through court hadn't even touched the surface of his creepy exterior. It wasn't fair.

"So what movie did you get?" Jackson asked curiously n their drive home. The builder had picked Aaron up just after five outside block buster. The teen had ditched all his shopping bags int the back of Jackson's van, warning the builder that if he dared peek he'd torch his van. It had earned him a raise of hands in surrender/come in piece from the older man.

"Fast and the furious.2 Aaron answered, like it were obvious.

"Which one?" Jackson asked, rolling his eyes. The past two movies they had watched had been a 'fast and the furious' movie, none of them had been order.

"Five."

"Five?" Jackson groaned. "Ever thought of watching them in order?"

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Nah."

"I'll just have to guess what's happened between two and five then?"

"Yeah." Aaron smiled knowing it irritated Jackson.

It was bad enough they were watching another movie based on cars, never mind watching two, then one and now five in the sequel.

Jackson shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, but I'm picking the nest one. Seeing as I can't leave you to pick out a movie that doesn't involve a car chase."

"Whatever."

They had gotten dinner out of the way as soon as they had gotten back. While Jackson had put dinner together, Aaron was occupied upstairs, wrapping presents and placing them into different bags to give to everyone tomorrow. Once everywhere was cleared away Aaron and Jackson retired upstairs to watch the DVD Aaron had picked.

"Can't wait till tomorrow." Jackson breathed softly against neck as he wrapped himself around the teen.

"It's just Christmas," Aaron sighed. Jackson wasn't excited about a children's holiday was he?

"Yeah but it's our first Christmas." Jackson explained. "It's special."

"You're soft." Aaron mumbled, drifting off to sleep. He was exhausted.

"Yeah but you wouldn't have me any other way." Jackson grinned nuzzling his face between Aaron's shoulders and neck.

"I would be so sure about that." Aaron teased, stifling a yawn.

"Oh I would!" Jackson protested pulling Aaron onto his back so he could press a firm kiss to the younger's man's lips, as his hands travelled else where.

A/N – Thank you so much for the great feedback and reviews!