AARON & JACKSON
-1912: The Aftermath-
"Extreme Measures"
So this is my 50th chapter which makes this now my longest fic! :D I want to thank you all for continuing to read and review, your support means a lot, and even everyone who doesn't review that's fine :) I know you're there! I love writing and you guys just make me want to keep doing it so cheers x
This 50th chapter is from partly from Aaron's POV – also extreme violence, just a heads up.
Jackson and Adam were still asleep when I left, I don't know how they manage it but I've not slept at all, Jackson h-he's a mess, I've sat watching him sleep for hours and all I wished was that I could take his pain away. When the sun started to come up I quietly got out of bed.
I was looking through the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen, as you do when you're bored. I'd never seen it before, but when I did I took it and quietly left the cabin. I'm walking back through the woods now.
I can feel the anger building again, I don't think it really left once I got back to the cabin, I-I just had to be there for Jackson. I can't believe that psycho! He hurt him! Jackson never breaks and now he has a-and I don't know what to do I've never had to save anyone before. I don't think I'm strong enough to get him through this, but…but there is one thing I can do.
It takes a while but I finally get there, I smirk, he's still here unconscious. I laugh as the tears break through and fall down my face, I raise my hand, it's an old thing, must have been there for years, I-I just knew what I had to do…I've already checked it's loaded. I take a deep breath and tighten my grip and slowly apply pressure to the trigger. "You will never, ever hurt anyone again" I utter through gritted teeth, my blood is boiling I can feel it, I'm all hot, I know what I'm about to do and I can't stop myself-I won't stop myself. Nobody hurts Jackson, especially in that violating way and gets away with it, I was stopped last night. I won't be stopped this time.
I pull the trigger fully and I'm unaffected as the loud gunshot racks my hearing, and echoes through the woods and the only thing I do in reaction is close my eyes… and then I felt it. I grimace as the splattered blood of that psycho trickles down my face. I'm not fazed by what I see when I open my eyes. His facial features are unrecognisable. I lower my arm and put the gun back in my pocket and walk away, wiping that sicko's blood off my face as I do so.
I finally reach the edge of the woods and emerge at the lake, I look around and I know where I am now. Suddenly I catch sight of my jacket, it's a light colour, I sigh and berate myself, it's covered in blood, I have to get rid of it so I start to take it off. My pants and shoes are black, it can't be seen but I'll deal with them later. I pull out my match box from my pocket and look around, double checking the area; I don't know why there has not been a soul in sight since we arrived except him, still as expected I'm alone and I strike the match and drop it onto my jacket which is now on the ground, I step back and watch as it catches fire and burns. I'm not walking away yet I have to see that it is gone, completely; I don't have to wait long, the flames engulfed it and destroyed it completely in a minute or so.
I watch as the flames slowly died down and all that was left was a small pile of smoking ash. I'm satisfied. I make my way to the edge of the water now, I need to clean myself.
After walking along the edge of the water for what seemed like forever I can see the pathway now, I know full well what I've just done, I'm not panicking but I need to act normal, Adam and Jackson…well they just cannot know. After a while I reach the cabin again. I take a deep breath and walk up the steps to the raised decking and slowly push down the door handle.
…
As Aaron walked into the cabin, he was ambushed immediately. "Where the hell have you been?" Adam barked angrily. "Jackson woke up in a right panic Aaron! He thought something had happened to you. I had to calm him down do you have any idea how long that took?"
"I'm sorry alright! I had no sleep so I went for a walk"
"A walk to where?"
"By the lake, the woods" he replied with a frown.
Adam's eyes narrowed at him. "Did you go back to him? That psycho? W-what have you done Aaron?"
Aaron scowled and barged passed him and stormed along the passageway to the kitchen, Adam followed behind. Once in the kitchen Aaron spun around to face him. "Why the hell would I go back to that freak? He raped Jackson, the man I love! And he nearly tried it with me"
"Alright" Adam said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I just thought…w-well I know what you can get like"
"Not this time Adam" it was a bare faced lie but he covered it extremely well.
"Well I'm sorry mate…Jackson got freaked out alright you should go and see him"
"Where is he?" Aaron asked.
"He's in the bathroom…oh"
"I'll wait then"
"Okay, get yourself sat down; I'll get you a drink"
Aaron swallowed hard as he turned and walked into the lounge and he slumped down into the sofa, almost immediately he felt the gun slide. His eyes widened in a quick rush of panic and he placed a cushion over his leg to hide it until he could get a chance to put it back where he'd found it.
Adam had finished making his drink and walked through and handed it to him. "Are you alright mate?"
Aaron nodded as he took a sip. "Yeah fine you?"
"Yeah not so bad just a bit freaked out about it all" he said as he caught sight of blood on the cuffs of Aaron's jumper, they were lighter than the rest of it.
"You and me both" Aaron replied.
"What's that blood off Aaron?" Adam bluntly asked, staring hard over at him.
Aaron frowned and an instant heat sensation washed over him and his heart flipped. He looked around. "Where?"
"On your cuffs?"
Aaron looked down and there they were the specs of blood. "Oh, must be his from when I was hitting him"
"Ahh" Adam replied with a nod. "I'll be back in a sec" he told him then got up and walked away unknowingly giving Aaron his chance to put the gun back. He quickly grabbed the gun and got off the sofa and rushed to the kitchen and opened the very bottom drawer and put it back.
Half an hour later Aaron got up off the sofa heaving a heavy sigh. "He's been in there ages, I'm going to see if he's alright"
Adam nodded and watched Aaron go. Adam frowned, while he'd been sat with him he asked where his jacket was and his reply was that he'd put it down somewhere and that Adam knew what he was like, and it was probably in the bedroom. It didn't make sense because he'd hung it up after they came in the previous night and then this morning it wasn't there and he wasn't wearing it and he hadn't been in the bedroom since he came back. Adam shook his head and put it down to recent events and the exhaustion he could be feeling.
…
When Aaron walked into the bathroom, the sight of Jackson cut a sad scene; he was sat, slumped down in the shower cubicle with the hot water falling onto him. Tears filled his eyes and his body shook with the emotions he was feeling.
"Jackson?" Aaron asked with a frown.
"Where the hell were you?" Jackson yelled as he cried.
"I had to get some air babe, I couldn't sleep, I should have left-"
Jackson cut him off. "I thought something horrible had happened to you!"
"I-I-I'm sorry Jackson, I really am...last night it was horrible, that man, I-I found out what he'd done to you because he pinned me down and ran his hand along my stomach"
Jackson's head dropped in his hands.
"But he didn't...and I'm fine, I-I'm not bothered about me anyway" he sighed and walked over and opened the cubicle door and stepped in fully clothed, the water began to soak him quickly. "I'm more concerned about you" he told him as he looked down at him then his tears fell as he lowered himself down.
"What are you doing?"
"Sitting with you" he said with a gentle smile as he got himself as comfortable as possible. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" he told him as he began to move his arm around him.
Jackson was watching carefully and he backed away a little. "No…d-don't…I-"
Aaron nodded but his heart sank and he tried to fight the tears, he had to be strong for him.
"I had a nightmare that he came back, that he got you and killed you, and then he came for me…"
Aaron slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again and looked at his boyfriend. "Babe, he's not coming back"
"How do you know?"
Aaron shrugged "I just do, I smashed his bloody legs in Jackson, and I'm pretty sure I cracked a rib or two before you two found us…I think, yeah I think he got the message" Aaron explained with a nod. "Do you want to go home Jackson?"
Jackson's expressions were none existent, seconds later he quickly nodded at Aaron.
"Alright, I'll go pack while you get yourself sorted"
"Change of clothes might help, you're soaked"
Aaron chuckled as he pulled himself to his feet. "Might do yeah, listen Jackson…it'll be alright you know" he told him as he looked down at his lover.
"Hmmm" was all Jackson said.
"I'll bring some clothes in for ya"
Jackson nodded and watched Aaron go, when the bathroom door was shut again, he reached over and pulled the cubicle door shut. He didn't want to get out yet.
…
It was lunchtime when the car pulled up outside their home. Aaron looked up at it as the car came to a full stop. It was a completely different world. Silence dominated the long drive back. "Before we get out of this car, my mum is not to be told. Not until I'm ready if I ever am, and we act whichever way we have to, to hide it. Is that understood?" Yes, it was a question but Jackson wasn't asking, he was telling and the boys picked up on that straight away. Aaron and Adam looked at each other then back at Jackson and nodded. "Good" Jackson said before he opened the door and got out, followed by them.
One by one, they all entered the house and the first thing they could see was Jak sitting in his rocking cradle, it brought a smile to them all, but then a familiar sound to Aaron began, a god awful rendition of something on the wireless, his mums attempt at singing. He rolled his eyes as they walked along the hallway.
When they entered the kitchen Jak laughed as he watched Chas dance around the kitchen as she sang. The sound of laughter filled Jackson with warmth and he just watched him. Slowly Adam crept up behind Chas and started dancing with her, when she felt him she jumped and screamed. Immediately she saw them all. "What ar-Why are you back? You've only been gone a day?" she frowned and looked at Adam and slapped him in the chest. "I told you not to go"
"Hey! It wasn't my fault, they were missing Jak…" he said as he rubbed his chest. Chas then turned her attention to Aaron and Jackson. Aaron was stumped; he didn't know what to say.
"Yeah, missed him" Jackson smiled. "There was nothing there anyway, n-n-nice though just way too quiet" he told her as he walked over and picked Jak up and kissed him on his forehead. "How's he been?" he asked as he kept his eyes on him.
Chas smiled. "Ah he's been brilliant"
Aaron nodded with a smile to his mum then carried on watching Jackson with Jak.
"Been a very good little boy, apart from throwing his tea all over Grandma Hazel" she informed them and sniggered. "Talking of which I'll give her a call, let her know your back"
"NO!" all lads shouted in unison, stopping her in her tracks, she frowned.
"What's going on lads?" she asked as she looked at all three of them.
"Nothing" Jackson chuckled. "W-We just want time to breath you know what she can be like" he explained. "I'll go and change his nappy and get him dressed, thanks for having him Chas"
"Aye and we'll go and get the stuff out of the car" Aaron said then shoved Adam toward the front door. Before leaving Adam gave Chas a quick kiss "Missed you babe" he told her before heading outside.
Chas smiled as she watched him go back out then turned her attention to tidying around the kitchen and living room.
…
Jackson was sat on the edge of his and Aaron's bed holding Jak in his arms; he was quickly dozing off to sleep. He smiled as he watched him with tears in his eyes and protectively he held him closer and tighter to his chest and he started stroking his soft cheek with the back of his index finger. "Look at you" Jackson began as a sob escaped him. "You're so innocent, not aware of the evil in this world. I never really realised till last night" his tears were in full swing now, they just kept falling. Jackson swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "But daddy promises, I will never let anything happen to you I promise Jak" he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his forehead "Daddy will always be here to protect you ok?" he started to cry properly and sat rocking back and forth while cradling Jak.
Outside Aaron and Adam were at the back of the car and Adam had just pulled Jackson's suitcase out and down onto the path. "Do you think he's alright?" Adam asked.
"Yeah he's on top of the world Adam" he snapped then sighed "Sorry mate"
Adam frowned and stepped closer to him and squeezed his shoulders "Where did you really get to this morning Aaron? You've been acting weird ever since mate"
In a split second Aaron dropped the bag he was holding in his hands onto the road in a temper "For god sake Adam I went for a walk!" he moved closer to him and spoke through gritted teeth. "My boyfriend had just been raped" he said through gritted teeth "I needed some air" he told him angrily and stormed off into the house.
Adam sighed "I'll get these then shall I?" he asked as he watched Aaron walking into the house, he shook his head and reached down for Aaron's bag, closed the boot of the car and started pulling the suitcase along the path.
TBC…