DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR IT'S CHARACTERS...ITV'S PROPERTY
Chapter 10/15
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7.50am
It was the morning after from the nightclub. Donna opened her eyes, the early morning sun was shining in through her windows. She sighed and lifted her head off from the soft pillow. Ohhh the pain and the giddiness. She laid back again and sighed out in frustration...
7.56am
Marlon meanwhile was out early to get the paper from Davids shop. He came out of it reading the front page and looked up to see a police car go by. Why were they so early here in the village? He frowned and went along his way to prep the pub meals and then go back home.
8.40am
At the police station in Hotten, Ross was in the custody suite handcuffed and stood at the counter.
"Come on can we get this over with please...", Ross moaned in his overalls and hoodie top. The coppers had arrested him while he was just about to start work on a motor back at the garage.
The custody Sargent looked up at him, "Well I never Mr Barton...this IS a first! You are not gonna be pleading 'oh it wasn't me' and 'you've got the wrong guy' scenario like we usually do, and have to let you go. You come clean to us even though we have pictures of you on CCTV in a ski mask...what's changed this time..?"
"You're just loving this", Ross grimaced through a scowl at him.
"Oh when it comes to you Mr Barton always...right, lets complete the charge sheet..."
8.51am
"Look at the state of you! I KNEW you shouldn't have gone out last night!"
Donna sat on the sofa in her nightdress holding her head in her hands and looking to the carpet, "Marlon...I'm okay"
Laurel came in with a mug of tea in her grasp for her, "you do LOOK peeky Donna, even though you had a nice time, maybe in hindsight it was a bit too much for you"
Donna took the brew and looked up at them both, "maybe mixing the Meds with the Spritzers was pushing it"
Marlon was aghast and pointed at her accusingly, "how can YOU be so stupid to do that...or was it all Ross's idea!"
Donna shook her head at him, "No! It was ALL me if you must know, Ross doesn't know anything about it...I was having such a good time...I just wanted to live for the moment, that's all"
Laurel frowned at her, "So this is just a hangover then?"
Donna raised her eyebrows a little sheepishly, "I'm afraid so..."
Marlon was trying to look for signs and symptoms that were not there, "are you SURE about that? You are not trying to hide it from us..."
Donna was getting annoyed now, she stood up, "Marlon will you just shut up...stop mithering me please...I'm going to go up to get washed and dressed, then I need to see to April"
Marlon watched her walk up the stairs then looked at Laurel, "I'll kill that Ross"
Laurel picked up the tea mugs, "Marlon give it a rest will you"
Marlon shook his head at her following her into the kitchen, "No I won't give it a rest...did you hear what he said to me last night...coming round here and taking Donna and April out? HE'S GOT DONNA...he's not gonna take April from me as well..."
Laurel watched him. What did that mean? Taking April as well? She was seriously starting to read too much into things...wasn't she?
XXX
9.10am
Ross was in a police cell sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest. He looked up to the high window and sighed. He hated how time on his hands made him think.
How was he going to explain all this to Donna? He was meant to be taking her and April out today. Not that he was looking forward to that, he just wasn't used to kids, the closest he had got to kids in the past is when if a girl he was shagging at a kid, he would just give it 50p or sommit to clear off for an hour or two. April wasn't like that.
He had to be more of a 'dad' type to April and that scared him. He had made all those promises to Donna before he knew about the cancer. About a future and how he could be a dad to April. COURSE he would have tried to be...but why deep down in his heart was he a little relieved because that was never going to happen.
Sometimes he felt like punching himself. If you LOVE the girl you have to LOVE the her kid too.
He rested his head back on the tiles, he knew that...although it wasn't going to be easy and he'd probably would make a big hash of it...he would try his utmost best...for Donna.
9.42am
At the garage in Emmerdale, Donna walked up the forecourt and was having a quick look around. Debbie noticed her and came over wiping her oily hands in a cloth.
"Is Ross around?"
Debbie looked about her, "No...can YOU see him around?"
Donna frowned, "Oh...it was just that he was meant to be texting me about meeting up today...he said he was going to take me and April out would you believe"
Debbie was surprised to hear that, she sighed at her, "Well, he's a bit tied up at the moment"
Donna frowned again, "Oh?"
Debbie enlightened her, "the cops came and picked him up this morning"
"he's been ARRESTED! Why...what's he done?"
Debbie licked her lip, "I didn't hear all the details...but I think it was something about him stealing some flash motor from a showroom in town"
Donna didn't look too surprized as she shook her head thinking back, "I KNEW that car was nicked"
Debbie shrugged. She then looked up at her and came out with what she was thinking, "Donna...can't you see what you are doing to him...?"
Donna defended herself, "I didn't ASK him to steal a car!"
Debbie shook her head, Donna wasn't getting what she really meant, it wasn't about the car, "No...I didn't mean that..."
Donna narrowed her eyes at her, "what then...Debbie I used to be a cop I KNOW when someone has something to say but won't"
"Alright, alright...look, can't you see what YOU did was cruel?"
Donna was taken aback, "what?"
"you MADE him fall in love with you...and HE did...all those dodgie jobs you two did together all that busy with Gary North...somewhere in all the excitement he fell for you hook, line and sinker"
Donna was going on the defensive, "What's all that to you? Jealous are you? Jealous that he likes me and not you"
Debbie was biting her tongue at that part, "Don't go there Donna"
But Donna was goading her now, if she had something to say then she better come out with it, "No, come on Debra...if you've got something to say to me about Ross, you best tell me...I've got April to think about"
Debbie swallowed and shook her head, "...no...SORRY...It's nothing...I was just thinking about Pete"
Donna didn't know what Pete had to do with it but she didn't have time to hang around the garage all day, she went to go throwing back a, "well just tell him that I called around for him when he gets back"
Debbie nodded and watched her go. She shook her head and set back to work...this whole sorry mess was going to end in disaster, she just knew it.
15.30pm
Donna was at the playpark pushing April on the swings. Ross was back and was strolling slowly over with his hands in his hoodie pockets. He stood and held back watching them.
"Do you want to go higher", asked Donna.
"YEAHHHYYY!", squealed April in excitement as Donna did her best to please her under the circumstances.
"Ohhh I wish I had the energy", she cried out in frustration.
Ross leapt forward and took over, "Hey let me!"
Donna gathered her breath and looked at him pushing April on the swing, "Ohhhhhh...there you are...I thought you'd forgotten all about us for today..."
Ross looked back at her rather sheepish, "Something come up"
"Yeah I know...Debbie told me"
"She's got a big mouth, her"
Donna folded her arms as she watched him push April higher, "Ross...YOU told me that you didn't steal that car!"
Ross met her gaze, "Did YOU enjoy the ride?"
Donna had to be honest, "Yes...but that's..."
Ross didn't let her finish her sentence, "...then NICKING that car was well worth it to see the smile on your face girl"
Donna stepped forward as he stopped pushing the swing, "but...can you see...Ross THIS HAS TO STOP...I don't know how much longer I've got and it's even going to be less for us if you are going to be spending most of your time locked up in police cells"
Ross turned and grabbed her by the shoulders, "I KNOW...I'm SORRY...I AM SORRY...But, I'm here now...and i'm trying to make an effort...this is new territory for me, this"
Donna smiled at him and they leaned in for a kiss, but April was getting uptight on the swing.
"I WANT TO GO HIGHER!", she looked at Ross, "Can you push me...?"
Ross broke into a smile for her and making sure Donna gave him the nod, he went and pushed her on the swing again, "Here you go lass..hold on...I'll get you up nice and high and you'll be able to see all those sheep in the top field"
Donna laughed, "No she won't"
Ross laughed back at her, "She's not gonna know that, is she"
"WEEEEEEEEE I'm really High now", April cooed out.
Ross looked at Donna and nodded his head towards April, "See...I can play the 'daddy' too when I want to"
Donna nodded but was a bit careful how she reacted, "just don't let Marlon hear you say that"
Ross looked like she had taken his best toy away from him, "Spoil sport..."
18.00pm
When Ross got back to the garage Debbie was locking up. She turned around and raised her eyebrows at him.
"You're back then"
"There was something I was meaning to say to you...errr that's it...THANKS FOR TELLING HER!"
Debbie widened her eyes at him, "What?"
Ross scowled at her, "DONNA!", he was really annoyed.
"Ohhhhh get over yourself Ross...it was ALL gonna come out anyway"
Ross walked along with her up the street, he waved his hands about as he said, "Yeah...but it would have been better if it had come from me"
"Better for who...you or her?", Ross looked puzzled, she rolled his eyes, "...you know what I can't be bothered with all this...you and your tragic love life"
Ross grabbed her by the arm roughly, his eyes bored into hers...she worried when his mood turned this dark, "Maybe ME AND HER should do the whole Romeo and Juliet thing, eh? I wonder which roof in the village is the highest?"
"Ross!"
He looked at her, then stormed off. Debbie hurried after him and managed to steer him into her gate, "Come on...lets calm you down yeah"
Looking lost, Ross just nodded and let himself be shepherded inside.
18.20pm
Donna sat on the sofa giggling away as April sat on top of Marlon's back and he did a few laps of the living room.
"She loves that Marlon, I don't have the energy to do that anymore"
April squealed out, "I LOVE HORSEY...MUMMY DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE..."
Marlon then stopped and looked like he was going to keel over, "Ohhhhh my back...you are gonna have to get off young lady"
"Ohhhh OKAY Daddy", said April reluctantly slipping off. Donna leaned forward and smiled at her, "Hey April...go up to your room and see if you can find that game we like to play!"
April, all over excited went flying up the stairs. Marlon plonked his backside beside Donna on the sofa, "Jesus...she's worn me out"
Donna gasped out with laughter, "She's worn YOU out!"
Marlon felt bad, "Sorry...no...it's just she's getting heavier"
Donna blew out a sigh, "Ohhhh It's fine...just as long she is happy"
Marlon swallowed down and turned himself around and took Donna's hand in both of his, Donna pulled a face.
"This is gonna sound so totally wrong...I know...but I wish things were different...I wish we could be a family"
Donna looked at him sadly, she felt sorry for him, "Ohhh Marlon..."
"It's true though...I WISH we could have worked at it...our marriage everything...I just gave up in the end...I wish I fault for you"
"That's all in the past Marlon...where it should stay..."
He looked at her, "What is it about you and the name ROSS..."
Donna smiled. She hadn't thought about that.
"I love him"
"and I think I still love you...", said Marlon.
Donna pulled away and looked at him unsurely, then stood up and went up the stairs leaving Marlon wanting to hit himself...why did that come out? Why did that have to come out now...
18.35pm
"...I love HER so much...but there's a little part of me that hates her"
Debbie sat on the arm of the chair with a can and frowned, "Oh?"
Ross turned from where he stood at the kitchen counter, he clutched his own can of beer. "Just the part in me that resents her making me fall in love with her when she knew that she were dying and that we had NO future together...the future that I wanted...I want"
Debbie tutted and looked up at him, this was such a mess, "Have you told her this...?"
Ross shot a glare at her, "NO! What do you take me for...she'll hate me"
"But you should be honest...all these lies between you two...when's it all going to stop"
Ross shook his head as he looked at the floor, "What's done is done...I've fallen for her big time, end of...no escaping it...", he looked up and met her eyes, "...but I'm telling you one thing...I am NEVER EVER gonna love a girl like Donna again...NEVER!"
Debbie felt sorry for him now, he was hurting so much and trying to fight it.
"Awwwww...you might do one day"
Ross crushed his can in his hand and shook his head, tears on his cheeks "nah...because when Donna dies...a big part of me is gonna die with her...and there's nothing I can do to stop it..."
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Thank you for the reviews and to those of who have put this story as their fav.
Different style chapter. I hoped you liked it. I hope I'm not boring you with all the twists and turns...I sometimes do that...but I'm trying to get across all the emotion in them and how difficult it still is...Let me know.