Aching Hearts chapter 30
"An urgent plea for the return of a missing women has arisen this evening, family and friends of Grace Black are asking the people of the Northern area to keep their eyes open for a possible sighting of the 36 year old fiancé of local gangster Trevor Royale who was last seen 48 hours ago in her home village of Hollyoaks" The news reader announces once the introductory music ends. Lindsey looks at Freddie for an answer, Freddie shifts in his seat discreetly hoping to hide the small piece of information he knows.
"Freddie? You don't know about this do you?" Lindsey asks with worry in her eyes.
"No of course not Linds, this is why we need to leave this area she could be anywhere looking for us" Freddie said in a worried tone. He didn't know for sure whether Grace was dead or if Kyle had betrayed him and helped her continue the search for the family.
"And where do you suggest we go?" Lindsey retorted, it appears that she had the family's stability in her mind at this point.
"Anywhere but here Linds, Grace won't stop until she gets what's hers. We can go back to Hollyoaks tomorrow but tonight we need to travel back, Grace won't guess that we've gone back she'll continue to think we're on the run" Freddie announced, not knowing if he had convinced himself the success of this let alone Lindsey.
"And what will we do if she realises that we have gone back hey Freddie? Go back on the run? Remember that in several months time we'll have another child to think of and I don't think I can take much more of this" Lindsey said, tears rushing from her eyes.
Freddie pulled Lindsey close to him, he could understand where Lindsey was coming from he really could but he knew that Grace was also a dire danger to the family.
"We'll figure something out like we always do, but for now we have no other option but to go back. I don't want to live on the run either hopefully we won't have to" Freddie half smiled, Lindsey stepped away from his grip, she reluctantly agreed with what Freddie had to say.
"If we're going we need to leave now before I change my mind" Lindsey said making her way to pack up all of their stuff.
Freddie was surprised at how quickly Lindsey changed her mind but he too began packing up some things.
Just over two hours later Freddie,Lindsey and the girls were more than half way home. The girls were sleeping in the back seat whereas Lindsey and Freddie were talking quietly.
"I've text Robbie letting him know we're coming back" Freddie announced, Lindsey smiled.
"Okay, I really do hope this is the last time we have to up it and leave. This is all Elsa has ever known and I don't want the same for Ruby and the baby I mean it Freddie" she added sternly, quickly changing her expression.
"I promise Linds we won't have to move again trust me" Freddie said, hoping that he would never need to break that promise.
As time moved on, Freddie and Lindsey welcomed a baby boy into the world. They named him Noah everything was perfect for several years. Before they knew it another 10 years had passed. Ruby was now 15 and Noah had just turned 10. Elsa wasn't far off turning 18, Sandy had since remarried and was living in Spain she hadn't been to see the family in some years. Freddie and the others tried their best to give Elsa the best childhood possible, she didn't remember much about Sandy and they all worried that this would affect her but things seemed okay.
Freddie and Lindsey still hadn't got married, which saddened them both but they realised that marriage wouldn't make a difference to their love for one another. Grace was back in the village and had a hold on Freddie she was trying her hardest to frame him for the murder of Trevor Royale but his killer was still on the loose and Grace and only his killer knew the frightful events of that night.
"I'll see you later Linds I'm off" Elsa shouted up the stairs as she made her way out of the door, she was trying to bunk of sixth form and so far she had succeed as she had missed a fortnights worth of classes. Nobody aside from 1 person and 1 person only suspected otherwise. That person was Robbie, he couldn't stand seeing her walk the opposite way from school any longer so today he decided to confront her. As Elsa made her way to the folly once too often, Robbie snuck behind a tall arch with only a smidgen of view in front of him.
Elsa made her way to a loose tile on the stone floor, she gently moved it to the right revealing a hole in the ground, Robbie couldn't figure out why she would be doing this so he moved himself to the left so he could see the events unfold in front of him more clearly. Elsa went down the hole, she screamed causing Robbie's heart to skip a beat, he didn't care if she caught him he ran to the opening of the hole, to be met with Elsa landing safely onto a piece of netting attached to two sides at the bottom of the drop, she gently got herself off of the net and made her way to a woman with a baby. Robbie hadn't seen his woman before nor the baby, was this Elsa's child? He asked himself.
"How long till I can leave here?" The woman asked Elsa
"I'm not sure, it isn't safe. Anybody could figure this all out once you're out of here" Elsa said softly.
"I'm loosing my mind, Megan has a fever and I'm crippled with agony in my knee's it has been 4 months Elsa I can't do this any more!" The girl sobbed.
Robbie had heard enough he couldn't care less what the reason behind this was he needed to get the girl and her baby out, their safety was paramount.
"Elsa!" Robbie shouted, starling her. In shock she called back.
"Robbie? Is that you" she asked, with worry in her voice.
"Yes it is, what's going on down there?" he asked quietly, he couldn't shout at her as he knew it would only make matters worse.
"I'm just gathering some rocks for my science project, I'll be up in a minute" she said with confidence, unknown to her Robbie had seen and heard everything.
"Elsa please don't lie to me, get that harness now and help the woman and her baby up!" Robbie said sternly. Elsa started to panic.
"Wha what do you mean, there's nobody down here" she said, just as she said this the baby started to cry.
"Do as I say! Help the woman up and hand her the baby" Robbie called down, he gathered that Elsa would make a run for it if she got up first.
"I can't Robbie, I promised her I would keep her safe" Elsa said as her eyes filled with tears, Robbie could hear the panic in her voice, he lowered his town a little.
"It'll be okay I promise! It's important we get the baby to a hospital" Robbie said, Elsa was reluctant for a few moments, the woman nodded in agreement with Robbie. Elsa held out her hand helped the woman to her feet, she harnessed her in safely and watched as both mother and baby rose up to the opening, Robbie helped her out.
"Thank you sir!" The woman said and kissed his cheek.
"No problem, take this and get yourself somewhere to stay but first get your baby checked out" Robbie smiled and handed her a £50 note.
"Thank you, you must thank Elsa too she has granted us permanent freedom" The woman then left the folly and made her way to the hospital. Those words set Robbie's mind ticking.
Elsa clipped herself onto the harness and managed to hoist herself up just over half way.
"Robbie I can't go up any longer, I can't reach the leaver any more" she said in a panicked manor.
"Don't worry, grab my hand I'll pull you up" Robbie said reassuringly, he carefully propelled himself forward and held his hand out for her, in a heart stopping moment Elsa just about managed to grab his hand, with that he lifted her back onto solid ground. He held her tightly in his arms and kissed her head.
"Don't ever do anything like that again do you hear me" he sighed with relief as she was now at safety.
"I won't I promise" she said as he released her from his grip.
"What on earth was this all about" he said as he moved the slab of rock back over the hole.
"I only did what anybody else would have done, he was abusing her Robbie" Elsa sobbed, what she was saying wasn't making any sense.
"What are you talking about?" he asked in a confused tone. Elsa's body tensed as his words processed in her mind.
"I promised her I wouldn't tell anybody" she said as tears fell down her cheeks, Robbie put a supportive arm around her.
"You can tell me, whatever it is me and the boys will do our best to sort it out" Robbie said softly.
"It's not that simple Rob, the more people that are involved the worse it will be in the long run" Elsa said, Robbie had to get to the bottom of this, he knew it probably wouldn't be today but he knew it wouldn't take him long to find out.
"How many lessons do you have left at College today?" Robbie asked, with a plan quickly circling in his mind.
" I have 3, I can't go back today I really can't" Elsa sobbed, Robbie put both hands gently on her face.
"Yes you can! You go and do the rest of your day and then meet me back here afterwards, I'll sort this okay I promise" Robbie said softly, Elsa nodded, taking deep breaths as she tried to stop sobs from overtaking her body.
"Go and get something to eat and drink then go to college alright?" Robbie said handing her some money.
"Okay! See you soon, Thanks so much" Elsa said, quickly giving him a hug.
"No problem! Now go on" he said with a smile.
Elsa quickly left the folly. Robbie left it an hour and decided to give Ruby a ring just to see if everything was okay:
Ruby- Hey uncle Rob is everything okay?
Robbie- Yeah everything's fine, how are you?
Ruby: I'm okay thank you, Elsa got an A* in her science paper today go her!
Robbie: Wow that's brilliant! All that extra revision paid off then
Ruby: Is that why she has hardly been seen around school for like ages?
Robbie: Yeah you've got it! I had to keep it a secret so the surprise would come out once the work had been done!
Ruby: I won't tell Mum and Dad then, I'll let Elsa tell everyone herself
Robbie: Alright then brilliant! See you in a bit then yeah?
Ruby: See ya!
Robbie sighed with relief at the news that Elsa was at college, as the day went on he tried his hardest to try and figure out what was being hidden, but he couldn't quite get his head around exactly what. As the time neared 2:30pm Robbie made his way back to the folly but was Elsa planning on turning up?