AARON & JACKSON

-1912: The Aftermath-

"The Roll Of The Dice"

A few weeks had passed since Aaron's return home and he'd quickly headed out in search for a job. He came across a motor servicing garage, he sparked up a conversation with who at the time he didn't realise was the owner, and he told him he did have some experience but he was willing to learn and do anything. He said all he needed too short of begging.

"Well you're asking the right man, I own this place, Dan Harman" he told him and held out his hand. Aaron took it and shook his hand firmly. "Good to meet you, Aaron Livesy"

Dan nodded. "Come back on Monday, 9am and we'll see what you can do and from that we can work on other things that you need to learn"

"Wow, cheers mate, I appreciate it" Aaron was overjoyed and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"See you Monday then"

Aaron had now been there a full week; well he will have been when he headed out for work. He was upstairs getting ready while Jackson caught Chas on her way out to work herself.

"Oh Chas!" Jackson called to her as he walked quickly to catch her up.

Chas turned to face him as she stood outside. "What's up love?"

"Okay well there's no easy way to ask this but I've seen certain things, heard him sneaking into your room when he's stayed over so…are you with Adam?"

Chas blushed and looked away. "Alright you got me…yeah, we're together I suppose, hasn't been said but we get on, he's good looking, we've done the deed…I-I think after that night when we sought comfort in each other there was something, yeah awkward for a while but lately we got over it"

"Obviously" Jackson smirked. "I'm just asking because Aaron should know, he might be alright with it he might not, but its best he doesn't barge in to something he doesn't want to see, and he's been back a few weeks, he's settled in now, got a job, so I think you should"

Chas smiled and nodded. "Me and Adam will tell him after I get home…well if he's able to get out of bed"

"Ugh, Chas…"

"Oh n-no, not like that, he's not feeling so well today, he said it's just started but I think he's been trying to hide it…men eh?"

"I'll check in on him when Aaron's gone to work, that way he won't know where Adam's been sleeping lately"

"Oh yeah" Chas groaned. "If he asks, he's already left, please?"

"Alright" Jackson nodded. "Have a good day"

"You too love"

Moments after closing the front door, Aaron came walking down the stairs. "Well hello there sexy all done up in your suit"

Jackson grinned sarcastically "I'm an office man now remember"

"And every time you say that you're tone gets that littler bit lower…what's wrong?" Aaron asked softly.

Jackson sighed and looked at himself in what he thought was a pathetic suit. "I miss the practical side"

"Okay, well you're the man, the big boss, fix that" Aaron grinned and walked over to him and kissed him passionately then started walking into the kitchen.

Jackson laughed. "And that's it?"

"Oh, erm no, I'm looking forward to our date night tonight" he told him as he turned and winked at him.

"Me too"

Aaron quickly grabbed his lunch from the fridge, pulled out a cigarette from his packet and put in his mouth, his box of matches in hand then walked back toward him.

"You light that in here Livesy and I will not be impressed" Jackson told him seriously.

Aaron scowled. "Does it look like I'm going to light it in here?"

"N-"

"Well then" Aaron rolled his eyes but smirked and past him to open the door. "Love you"

Jackson couldn't help but smile. "Love you too, have a good day"

"Yeah you too, and remember! Fix it!" Aaron called to him just before he closed the front door behind him.

With just him and Adam in the house Jackson headed up to check on him. He knocked on the door, waited a few seconds and entered. When he did he saw Adam sat on the edge of the bed in his underwear, cradling his head in his hands. "Hi mate, Chas said you're not feeling so good, anything I can do?"

Adam shook his head, it wasn't normal for him to be silent, that was a worry in itself.

"Tell me what's wrong?"

"Cough, fever and I'm knackered Jackson, absolutely knackered" his voice was hoarse probably from the cough he'd mentioned and he sounded drained.

"Want me to call a doctor?"

Adam shook his head. "No I'll be alright it'll pass I just have to rest, you mind if I stay here today?"

"No, not at all, although I think the girlfriend is expecting you up and about later you're both going to tell Aaron"

Adam finally looked up at Jackson and it made him grimace, he was so pale and soaked in sweat. "Is she serious?"

"Yeah, he needs to know mate, he can't find out any other way"

"Yeah you're right, I'll get myself pulled round, don't worry" he attempted a smile and Jackson nodded.

"If you need anyone, call me at the office alright? I don't mind"

Adam nodded. "Cheers mate"

"Right I'll see you later then, get some rest" he told him before leaving the bedroom.

….

Lunchtime came and Aaron was in desperate need of a pint. His work and training was coming along well, he just needed a break from the mind baffling techniques that were bombarded upon him for fixing whatever it was at the time. The land lady who he knew well now from his mining days and now this job pulled his usual pint and handed it over without him needing to order, he smiled and handed over the cash and walked over to a table and sat down.

Minutes later Mark walked in and Aaron saw him straight away, mining lunch plans hadn't changed. Aaron turned his attention to the beer mat and fiddled with it but in his peripheral vision someone stood in front of his table, it didn't take a genius to know who it was. Aaron looked up and was met by a shy smile from Mark.

"Alright?" Mark asked.

Aaron nodded. "Uh yeah, yeah not bad you?"

"Yeah I'm good" he replied, the awkwardness was clear. "So mechanics gear then? Is there anything you can't do?" he chuckled.

"I can't build stuff, and I wouldn't have the patience for an office so..."

"I see" Mark smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

"Erm…" Aaron frowned. "I think it's best if you don't eh? Considering…"

"Ahh" Mark sounded as he nodded. "Yeah, course…I just thought we could be mates"

"Yeah we can but it needs a bit more time"

"I understand"

Aaron downed his pint and stood up. "I- I better go" he told him and squeezed between the chair and Mark, awkwardly they looked at each other in the eye, their connection was still there.

Mark quickly placed his hand on Aaron's chest to stop him. "W-Wait Aaron just wait…"

"Why?" he asked harshly as he looked down at his hand touching him. Mark quickly removed it.

"Is this the way it's going to be then?"

"I just said, more time is needed that's all then I'm sure we can be mates like before the affair…I-I'm better Mark I don't need anything fucking things up for me, I'm still on tablets alright…it's a dangerous game this mental health, a-anything can send you back to square one and I can't risk it alright?"

Mark nodded and stepped back to allow him past. "Alright, I'm sorry, see you soon though yeah?"

"Yeah, sure…see you around Mark" Aaron told him and quickly left the bar.

….

Jackson walked back into his office after conducting a walk around of the facility, checking off health and safety statements as he did so. He filed them away and sat at the desk but he was interrupted almost immediately by a knock on his door. "Yeah!" he called and his assistant walked in.

"Jackson there's a woman here to see you regarding a build"

"Any of ours?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No"

"Well then I'm not interested Dave" Jackson told him.

"I'm sorry Jackson but she's really insistent"

Jackson sighed and nodded. "Alright show her in"

"Erm, one more thing, this won't be the usual meeting you're accustomed too"

"How come?"

"You'll see"

"Oh great, I dread to think!" he told him as he sat back in his chair and rubbed his face tiredly. When his hands moved past his eyes, he sat forward quickly, absolutely stunned.

"You look exhausted Jackson" Samantha said with a smile as she stood holding a baby in her arms.

Jackson frowned. "You have got to be kidding me" he rested his hands on his desk, he felt like he was going to faint.

"No, actually…L-look I know this is a shock and I had to come up with some story before they let me in here…It took me ages to find you…y-you must know that I didn't tell you because I didn't know myself, not until we'd gone our separate ways"

Silence passed between them for a few seconds. "He's your son, Jackson…his names Jak...spelt slightly different but sounds the same…" she explained as she watched him. "It's a shock, I-I know…"

"A shock!" he began to laugh and he walked over to the window and began to pace in front of it. "Yeah, yeah you could say that, I imagine your father wasn't too impressed, a baby out of wedlock and all that"

Samantha shook her head. "No, he's come around now though…he finally realised things just happen in life regardless of tradition…" she rolled her eyes.

"He's not too happy with me is he?"

"Oh I wouldn't go there actually; he's about ready to tear you to pieces"

"Nice to know" Jackson said sarcastically. What the hell was he going to do? What would Aaron say? He dreaded his reaction.

"D-Do you want to hold him?"

Jackson shook his head. "N-N-No…No…I just need time to digest this, you come here after all this time, after what I thought was a final goodbye, and you're holding a new born…y-yo…" he sighed. "Ours…how do you expect me to react?"

"Well embrace it for one, hold him and get to know him…he's really good, sleeps well…"

Jackson nodded "Why are you here? Really?"

"I was hoping I'd ask this after we'd had a chance to talk but I don't have time, I need your help, My dad's away on a business trip for a while and I'm due to head off in a few hours but I have a ton of things to do before then…I'm meeting up with him to help secure a new deal for the business…I-it's important and I can't take Jak with me, he's too young"

"And your father approves this does he?"

"He doesn't need too, you're Jak's father I don't need his permission when it comes to our son"

Jackson nodded. "And you realise I have no idea what the hell I'm doing when it comes to babies don't you?"

"You have your mum for help" she smiled. "And I'm sure Aaron will help"

"He'll be worse" he sighed. "…I'm dreading telling him about that little man…"

"Well if he loves you Jackson there shouldn't be a problem"

"Yeah but still, me and him are a gay couple, children don't exactly come into the mix…I wasn't ready when you asked me about it all those months ago remember? For obvious reasons you now know of"

"And I really had no idea I was pregnant Jackson you have to believe me"

"I do, I do" he sighed.

"You can do this Jackson; he's your flesh and blood…"

Jackson nodded. "Alright then, don't think I've got much of a choice have I?" he said as he stepped forward and held out his arms.

Sam began to pass her six week old son to him. "Watch his head alright, all of his stuff is with reception, instructions, food, clothes, diapers, lists everything…you'll be fine"

Jackson quickly nodded as he adjusted his son in his arms. It was an amazing, totally life affirming experience. He stared down at his big brown eyes, tiny hands and tufts of dark hair.

"See…you're doing great…mummy loves you Jak, this is your dad" Sam spoke to her son with tears in her eyes. "Be good for him"

"H-How long?" Jackson asked.

"I'm not sure yet Jackson" she replied as she stepped away, upset at leaving her child. She left quickly. Jackson sighed, walked and opened his door then whistled for Dave. He quickly walked up to him. "Yes boss?"

"This is all complicated alright…b-but that woman was going to be my wife a long time ago, she was pregnant, I didn't know…"

"Ahh…hence"

"Yeah, so…I-I'm looking after him for a while, I need you to adjust my schedule for the time being"

"And by adjust you mean-?"

"Wipe it…yeah…that's what I meant, I can trust you to take care of things here, I'll be in touch and I'll be back once I've sorted out a babysitter"

"Not a problem, go sort out your family"

Jackson nodded as he walked back to his desk and grabbed his car keys and jacket.

"He does have your eyes" Dave smirked.

"Forgive me if I can't see that just yet…" he said in a rushed tone, he had to get home.

"Perfectly understandable, good luck"

"Yeah cheers" Jackson said as he marched off with his son in his arms, his jacket under his arm and his keys in his mouth.

…

Parked up outside the house Jackson looked into the back of the car where his son was strapped into a car seat, Samantha was well and truly prepared. "Right then…this is going to be your home for a while Jak" he smiled to himself. "Jak…nice touch eh?" in that second Jak began to cry. "Oh n-n-no no crying please…come on it's alright" he told him and got out of the car and quickly opened the back door and unstrapped him from the seat and took him in his arms. He walked to the boot and opened it, he took out the Moses basket and laid him down in it and picked it up. There was so much of his things in the back he'd have to get him settled then bring them all in. But first he needed help.

He walked up to the door and placed him down then stepped forward and opened it. "Chas! You home?"

Seconds later the clip clop of her shoes on the wooden floor could be heard and she came out of the lounge and looked at Jackson. "You okay?"

"Er, erm no…I-I need your help"

"Okay, now I'm worried, you Jackson never need help, what is it?"

"Has Aaron ever told you about Samantha?"

"Yeah he told me" she smiled. "Why?"

Jackson blew out a breath, literally panicking.

"Jackson?"

Jackson nodded and stepped aside.

Chas eyes widened. "Oh fuck" she then covered her mouth. "S-Sorry…"

"It's alright, my reaction was similar…"

"H-he's yours?"

Jackson nodded. "She came to the office today, needs me to look after him while she goes away…she didn't know she was pregnant until after we parted ways…so as you can imagine, I'm out of my depth, and I'm so scared of what Aaron's going to say"

"Hey…" she soothed as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry love, it will all be okay" she smiled. "You give him to me and you can bring his things in, I'm assuming she left them with you?"

Jackson nodded as he carefully handed the moses basket to her. "Yeah, I-I won't be long…" he rushed back along the front path out of the garden to the car. "H-His names Jak by the way!"

"Oohh well hello Jak" she smiled as she looked down at him, he was the double of his dad, and there was no mistaking who the father was.

Upstairs, Adam was worse than he was earlier and he was now bowled over the toilet vomiting badly. He gagged and more vomit ejected from him. It was painful and he clutched his chest in the process, his eyes were soaked with tears and were red from enduring this sudden sickness.

The sickness stopped but it left him exhausted; he rested his head on his forearm, which rested on the toilet seat and he took deep breaths, he experienced a few heart palpitations and then he felt light headed. He opened his eyes to ground himself, he breathed calmly and soon the dizziness disappeared. He gave himself a few minutes and pulled himself together, splashing water in his face and then went and got dressed, he wished he didn't have too, he was way too hot for clothes at the moment, he had been all day.

An hour later Aaron had finished work and as he opened the front door he had no idea of what was to come…

TBC…