Chapter 31

Elsa what's wrong?" Ruby asked with a frown, noticing that her usual bubbly Aunt looked as if she had seen a ghost, both girls were currently stood in the playground at Hollyoaks High, Ruby was with 2 other girls.

"Nothing! I'm just dreading my next module in Science. I'll see you at home yeah?" Elsa smiled, Ruby didn't seem convinced she knew something was up."

"You're so clever what is there to worry about? Yeah where you can tell me what's really bothering you" Ruby said with a worried tone. Elsa looked at her watch the time was 2:30pm the end of last period, she hurried out of school before the big rush of eager year 13 students making their way home caught up with her. She quickly made her way to the folly where Robbie was patiently waiting for her her.

"Thank god you're here I was beginning to think you weren't coming" Robbie said, relieved to see her.

"Ruby stopped me so I had to make an excuse didn't I" Elsa began to feel uneasy at the thought of having to tell Robbie what was going on.

"You haven't told anyone have you?" Elsa added.

"No, but seriously if it turns out to be something dangerous then I'll have no choice" Robbie had a stern tone in his voice.

"What are we going to do about the hole in the ground and the harness?" She fretted.

"I've taken care of it, the woman is stopping at a B&B the baby is still in hospital she's got some infection or something. For your own good I want you to stay away from them both" Robbie didn't know what Elsa had got herself into but he figured keeping her away would be a good thing.

"What if he comes looking for her and the baby?" Elsa shook.

"Who?"Robbie enquired.

"Fraser Black, the father of the baby" Elsa announced, Robbie looked at his sister in complete and utter shock, the family hadn't heard from Fraser in years. Elsa didn't know who her father was and he worried that he was out to get his daughter back.

"Has he been near you?" He asked, he hoped and prayed that her answer would be no.

"Yes, the day I found them. Fraser was threatening to take the baby so I helped her hide somewhere, I haven't seem him since" Elsa was non the wiser as to who Fraser was.

"If he ever comes anywhere near you again you need to phone one of us straight away! Don't let him touch or speak to you" Robbie proclaimed, he needed to go and speak to the woman to try and find out what was going on.

He waited till Elsa had gone before he made sure that the hole in the ground was fully covered, he bought several bags of bricks and patched the hole up as best he could leaving the netting and the harness with it.

When Elsa got home everyone was sat at the table eating they were relived to see her.

"Thank god!" Freddie sighed with relief as she made her way into the kitchen.

"We've been phoning you El where have you been? Your phone kept going straight to answer phone" Lindsey announced with relief in her voice. Elsa felt for her phone inside her pocket.

"I'm really sorry! I've been at a study session since half 2. I think I must have left my phone in class!" She gasped, a feeling of sadness entered the pit of her stomach. Her phone meant a great deal to her.

"I'll phone uncle Joe and see if he can pop into school on his way home from the garage" Ruby offered, she got up and retrieved her phone off of the sofa.

"Thanks Rubs" Elsa said with a smile.

"There's some Lasagne in the microwave for you, I didn't know how long you were going to be so I left you some just in case" Noah added, Elsa adored Noah he was such a sweet little boy he was somewhat a mini Jason.

"Aw thank you Noah" Elsa smiled, she didn't feel at all hungry but she walked over to the microwave and prepared it anyway just to satisfy her nephew.

Once tea was over and done with Elsa made her way up to her room where she wanted some alone time, which was often difficult living in such a big house with so many people. As well as Freddie, Lindsey, Noah, Elsa and Ruby there was also Ziggy and his wife Tegan and their 2 daughters Lola and Rose living there too, Joe, Jason and Robbie all had their own places with their families. Robbie and his wife Phoebe were yet to become parents but Jason and his fiancé Holly were the proud parents of a little boy named Stanley and a little girl Molly. Joe on the other hand lives alone, him and his partner Mercedes split up after a long term relationship things got difficult between the two and it wasn't fair on their son James so they parted amicably. Once weekly the family meet for a huge gathering.

"I'm really worried about Elsa, she hasn't been herself in a couple of weeks now and I'm worried that we're not doing enough for her" Lindsey told Freddie that night as they both settled into bed. Freddie pulled Lindsey close to him, her head now resting on his chest.

"We're doing the best we can Linds, mum has trusted us to look after her and look who she is turning out to be, a little brain box a well mannered and selfless girl and that's all down to to you" Freddie soothed, deep down he knew that sometimes bringing her up was difficult but they coped.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you Fred" Lindsey smiled, he kissed her head.

"I'll go and speak to Elsa in the morning and see if I can get through to her, she's probably just stressed about her A levels" Freddie added.

"Yeah you're right I remember being her age and stressed about my A levels" Lindsey sighed at the memory.

"Luckily I didn't have to bother with A Levels" Freddie laughed.

"That's because you were too busy being a numpty" Lindsey said cheekily.

Freddie began to tickle Lindsey, this went on for a couple of minutes.

The time was 4am when Elsa woke up, she fought hard to fall back to sleep but was having no such luck. She turned over one last time before she gave in and got up. She tried to be as quiet as she could in hope of not disturbing anybody.

"Elsa is that you?" Ruby whispered as she sat up in bed.

"Yeah I'm just going to the toilet" Elsa said confidently.

"What time is it? It's so light out"Ruby enquired.

"Just gone 4am, it'll soon be time to get up" Elsa whispered in reply.

Ruby groaned and fell back to sleep.

Elsa made her way downstairs, as she entered the kitchen she couldn't help but worry about the woman and her baby, during the past couple of weeks she enjoyed taking care of them.

"Elsa there's something up isn't there?" Ruby asked, thinking back to Elsa's behaviour yesterday she figured something wasn't right.

"Nothing is wrong honestly, just go back to bed I'm just getting a glass of water" she whispered a little too harshly. Ruby tensed up.

"What will it be next time? Oh I'm just going to feed the ducks. Seriously Elsa I know you're not yourself and whenever someone asks you just give them a lousy excuse" Ruby was worried but she knew that being soft with her wouldn't get her the truth.

"Maybe I just want to be by myself, and if people wouldn't keep asking me I would be okay!" Elsa fumed through gritted teeth.

"I'm only looking out for you. Why are you shutting me out?" Ruby felt a little sad that Elsa wasn't confiding in her like she always did.

"Please just leave me alone" Elsa walked back up to bed managed to fall asleep.

A few hours later she was shaken awake by Freddie.

"Elsa we need to talk, Ruby came and told me that you were quite rude to her this morning. What's the matter is everything okay?" He asked.

"Oh she did, did she? Maybe if she wouldn't keep prying maybe I wouldn't have been rude to her. I'm fine it's her you should be worried about" Elsa laughed, she was fuming with Ruby.

"She cares about you, what's happened between the two of you? You used to be so close. I think it's the other way round don't you?" Freddie said in a concerned tone.

"I'm not coping very well at the moment, I've been helping a friend and I can't stop worrying about her, and when people keep asking me what's wrong my thoughts just blow up, I didn't mean to lash out at Ruby I promise" Elsa had tears spilling from her eyes.

"Have you got yourself involved in something you shouldn't have?" Freddie asked.

"Yes" Elsa nodded, Freddie sighed and pulled her into a tight hug.

Once Noah had gone to school and the girls had gone to college, Freddie needed to get to the bottom of what was going on.

"Linds, I have a feeling that Elsa's missing phone is going to help us find what's going on. I spoke to her this morning and she's got involved in something dangerous I just know it she wouldn't tell me anymore apart from she's helping someone" Freddie announced to Lindsey.

"Joe phoned last night, her phone wasn't at school" Lindsey added.

"We need to get a hold of that phone, if she won't tell us then we'll have to find out ourselves" Freddie said.

Elsa couldn't concentrate at college, all she could think about is baby Meghan being in hospital.

"Do you mind if I borrow your phone to phone my brother please?" Elsa asked

Jemima her best friend.

"Yeah that's fine" Jemima handed Elsa the phone, she left the study session and went to the toilet.

Robbie tried to sugar coat the truth, the woman was the new partner of Fraser and they'd had a child together. Robbie didn't want to upset Elsa even more by telling her the truth. Her name is Yolanda, she told Elsa that she escaped from her abusive husband but all of that was a ploy just to get Elsa on board. Fraser hoped that one day Elsa would agree to taking care of baby Megan and move out of the country with him and Yolanda. Robbie couldn't keep this knowledge to himself any longer. He needed to inform Freddie what was happening around them.

Once Elsa had got off the phone she smiled with relief at what she had been told.

"Wow Els you look happy! What's changed your mood" Jemima said as she saw the change in Elsa's behaviour.

"I can't tell you just yet but all you need to know is that everything's going to be alright" Elsa closed her eyes and smiled.

Was Elsa correct in saying everything's going to be alright? Was this the end of her relationship with Yolanda and her child? Only time would reveal all.