The Student and The Mechanic

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Three grown men laying on the carpet with a train set that was meant for Bean, now that made Anna smile, her son was sat in the middle of the circular track his chubby fist stuffed in his mouth he gurgled and reached for the train every time it got within grabbing distance

"Dinners ready" Anna shouted as she returned to the kitchen to finish the gravy

"C'mon it's on the table" she tried again, still no footsteps could be heard

"Ben, I said Dinners ready" she hollered for the last time, still nothing so she marched into the lounge picked Bean up off the carpet and the train off the tracks before heading back to the kitchen leaving the men all complaining that she'd taken their toy away

Lounging after a delicious lunch they were sprawled on the sofa's while Bean was snoozing in his bouncy chair, Jackson and Aaron were snuggled up close on one sofa whilst Ben had his arms wrapped around Anna on the other

"That was a lovely lunch Anna, Thanks" Aaron stretched and rubbed his belly

"You're very welcome, it's nice to be able to cook for you, usually it's always Ben that cooks so it's good to give him the day off too"

"Oh isn't she lovely?" Ben cooed as he kissed his wife smiling down at her when he broke the kiss

"Right Present time" Jackson jumped up

"Oh Please, can't we just chill out a bit?" Aaron stretched again

"Well if you don't want this present then" the builder held a parcel teasing his boyfriend

"Well if I must" Aaron held his hands out

Jackson returned the parcel to the bag

"You'll just have to wait, here pass that to Ben" Jackson instructed while he got up and gave Anna her gift "Merry Christmas Anna" he dropped a kiss onto her lips "And thank you for everything you've do for Me, I mean us this year"

Anna fingered the gift, it had obviously been wrapped by Jackson the corners were neat and the tape had been cut not ripped off by teeth which is how she knew Aaron dealt with selotape, Ben too was now holding his gift after hugging the younger men and thanking them

"We've got you something too" the pretty brunette had reached under their tree and brought out a box wrapped with paper and a red ribbon "Actually, it's really off Bean, he hopes you'll like it" she handed it to the mechanic

Ben was the first to open his gift, it was tickets to the Good Food Show, hotel reservations for the 3 nights that the show was on and transport to and from the venue

"We didn't know which day you'd want to go, which chefs you'd want to see, so we decided that you should just go to it all" the builder was smiling as he looked at his friend "Anna's going to and Me and Uncle Aaron are having Bean, so it's all sorted"

"That's brilliant, thanks guys I've always wanted to go" Ben was overwhelmed by their generosity "Now your's Anna" he turned to watch his wife unwrap her gift

Anna carefully unwrapped her gift, it was an intricately carved chest inlaid with ivory it had a lock with a small gold key, she turned the key and looked inside, already placed in the chest were the first scan picture of Bean, his and Anna's hospital bracelets , Bean's birth certificate and the welcome home banner that had adorned Sunshine Cottage the day they had come to live in Emmerdale, she touched the items her visions misting as she realised what she was holding

"It's a memory chest" Aaron felt it necessary to explain

"I know" Anna's voice wobbled with emotions and a tear escaped to roll down her cheek

"Don't you like it?" the mechanic questioned

Aaron was confused he was sure at the time that Anna would like their gift but seeing her now he wasn't sure, then he was wrapped in the tightest hug he thought he'd ever had

Anna couldn't speak, it was the most perfect thing that she could have been given, it meant so much to her to know that these two men, her friends, realised how significant this year had been to her, how her life had changed beyond recognition and that she would need a chest to store those memories in

"It's perfect" she whispered as she released them kissing them both before turning to her husband tears still shining in her eyes like jewels "Did you see Ben?, isn't it just amazing?" she showed the chest to Ben he too couldn't think of a better present for his gorgeous wife

After wiping her eyes Anna turned to Jackson and Aaron

"Are you gonna open it or just keep staring at it?" she indicated to their present which was sat on Aaron's lap

"You do it Jackson"

Aaron held the box as his boyfriend undid the ribbon and then they both opened the lid, inside were two identical T Shirts quoting "Officially The Best God Father " on the front and there was also a picture of the two of them holding Bean and it was mounted in a silver frame

Aaron was choked, here were two people who had included him in their family like they had known him all their lives, yes he was Jackson's partner but it was so much more than that, and it affected him deeply

Jackson noticed that Aaron was getting upset

"Oh Babe, come here" He opened his arms for the mechanic to turn into and buried his head in the younger mans neck, he held Aaron as he composed himself, then feeling him pull away he dropped his arms

The mechanic looked at Ben and Anna standing looking anxious, but still the words wouldn't come

"Hey don't look so worried you two" Jackson said smiling "For Aaron to have had that kind of reaction I can tell you He doesn't just like the gift He loves it, Me too"

The next instance they were all in a group hug, Bean stirred and then wailed

Aaron looked at Anna

"Can I see to him"

"Sure" she kissed the mechanic on the cheek

Aaron turned to his Godson, picked him up and left the room, shortly after murmurs could be heard as the mechanic changed the little boy's nappy and prepared his bottle

"He's so good with kids" Ben said almost to himself "You should think about having one yourselves"

Jackson raised and eye, their own child, would Aaron want that?, he would have to talk about it with his partner, but he for one loved the idea of a son or daughter which they could love and raise together, but first there was one thing they needed to do and that was to get married, another thing Jackson was hoping would be sorted before the end of the Christmas Period

"Keep the day after Boxing Day free" he said to his friends

They both looked puzzled "Why"

"Because I'm going to marry Aaron on that day, it's a secret though because Aaron doesn't know it yet"

Anna gave a little squeal before Ben managed to get his hand over her mouth