Issues of Abandonment

This story has been prompted by Lawyerly Brunette and the prompt was No-one can say that Joe, Freddie and Ziggy Roscoe aren't protective over Robbie and Jason, but maybe there's a reason for this? Just what happened when their Dad left them at just eight years old?

Vinny Sanders and Sandy Roscoe were never going to be a perfect couple. They weren't soulmates and they had their fair share of problems, but they did love each other and were the parents of two amazing little boys. Sandy was honestly surprised she had it so good after losing her true love, Alan Roscoe, to cancer only a few years ago, but her heart had healed and she had found Vinny, someone not only willing to father his own kids, but also Joe, Freddie and Ziggy for as long as they wanted him to.

Life for the Sanders-Roscoe household went like a dream for Jason and Robbie's first eight years, though the once loving and warm household soon turned into a war zone when Sandy found her long term partner, the man who she loved and who had fixed her broken heart, in bed with the next door neighbour.

Vinny had tried to explain himself, in fact it was all he did for a solid week, but Sandy was having none of it, her blood boiling everytime she even as much glanced at the older man, until Vinny had packed his bags and left, renting out a small flat downtown.

Even though Sandy hated him and everything he had done to her, she wasn't a cruel person, and the two parents managed to sort out an agreement regarding the twins, leaving them to spend every other weekend with Vinny as well as some week-nights. Sandy didn't want them to see him at all, but she couldn't deprive her two youngest children of a father, not when Joe, Freddie and Ziggy's had been so cruelly snatched away.

"Come on boy get ready will you? Your dad's going to be here in ten minutes," Sandy called up the stairs a few months after her and Vinny's split, checking her watch with a sigh as there was still no sign of Robbie or Jason.

It was odd, before the twins couldn't normally get out of the house fast enough, desperate to see their dad, but recently, Sandy had noticed that their enthusiasm was quickly waning, though she shrugged off any worry that she may have held, hoping that it was just boys being boys, after all, what else could it be?

Just as she took another breath to call the twin's down once more, their bedroom door swung open and the pair began making their way down, having a very hushed argument between themselves, though Sandy couldn't hear what they were talking about, even if she did strain her ears.

"Can't you two leave it five minutes without fighting?" she asked, straightening Robbie's shirt and smoothing Jason's hair when they were all on ground level. "Honestly, I don't know what to do with you two sometimes."

Before she could say anymore, the doorbell rang, signalling Vinny's arrival and Sandy stood straight, opening the doors and welcoming her estranged ex into her home, the anger she had felt that night she'd found him with another woman still going strong, though the blonde was good at keeping it hidden.

"You all right boys?" Vinny asked with a smile, Jason and Robbie returning it with a strained look.

"We still going to the cinema?" Robbie asked, his voice petulant as he folded his arms, trying to size up to the older man, the sight slightly comical due to his small size. "Remember, you promised last week."

"And I know I did sport, but I have some important things to do for work this weekend. We'll try and go tonight, though I can't make any promises I'm afraid," Vinny sighed, looking apologetic.

"Well, if you're just working, then maybe we should just stay here? We don't want to disturb you," Jason said, a hopeful look in his eyes, though it was swiftly quashed.

"Don't be silly boys, you have to spend time with your dad," Sandy said, and although her tone was harsh, she couldn't help but be slightly amused at how much the two boys were dragging their feet at spending time with Vinny.

"And just because we might not go out doesn't mean we can't have fun, I upgraded my sky last week, so we can watch a load of movies if you boys want," Vinny offered with a smile, guiding both kids out of the house before they could say anymore. "See you tomorrow Sandy!"

"Have fun boys," Sandy called after the three retreating figures, waving from the window as the car pulled out of the drive, only leaving till it was well out of sight.

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"Why do we all have to be here?" Ziggy groaned as Sandy pushed the shopping trolley through the throngs of people, looking at his phone to see just how much time he was wasting in the supermarket with his mum and two older brothers, when he could be having fun on his weekend, before school once more started up.

"Because a bit of help doesn't go amiss every now and again," Sandy commented, holding in her smile as the fifteen year old boy sighed heavily. Before she could tell him to perk up, her path was blocked by a portly woman, large smile on her face as she greeted the family.

"Sandy, how you doing love?" she grinned and Sandy smiled in return, instantly recognising the woman as Malia Hepburn, one of Vinny's many neighbours.

They had briefly met when Sandy was dropping off the twins and exchanged the occasional word, though they weren't anything but mere acquaintances, though the two women had liked one another in their small catch ups.

"Ahh employing the family I see," Malia laughed, smiling widely at all three boys, though only Joe greeted her properly, Freddie and Ziggy still annoyed that some of their Saturday afternoon had been taken from them when they could be doing something a bit more.. worthwhile. "Where are Jason and Robbie then? Causing havoc somewhere I suppose."

"Oh no, they're at Vinny's this week, no doubt running circles round him though, you know what they can be like."

"But that's impossible," Malia said, her smile disappearing for the first time, to be replaced with a confused and slightly worried expression. "Vinny's gone out of town for the weekend. I saw him at lunchtime today and he said he was coming back tomorrow afternoon. Jason and Robbie can't still be at the flat, he wouldn't leave them there-"

Sandy would never know what Malia was going to say next, as she, along with Joe, Freddie and Ziggy were already running out of the supermarket, half full trolley abandoned in the middle of the cereal aisle as they prayed that the older woman was merely mistaken about Vinny's current whereabouts.

Despite her prayers that her two youngest were safe and sound, Sandy couldn't help but think she was right and that Vinny had left the kids, her sons, to fend on their own for the two days. They were only eight for God's sake, how could he do such a thing? As she ran to the car, Sandy pulled her phone out of her pocket and began dialling Vinny's number, growling as she only got the answer machine.

"If what I'm hearing about you leaving Robbie and Jason on their own for the weekend is true, I'm going to kill you Vinny! I'm coming over now and if you're not there, but they are you're going to be in a load of trouble, not just with me but the police too!"

Snapping the phone shut, Sandy got into the car and pulled it out of the supermarket, speeding down-town till they were at the dingy block of flats that Vinny had been calling home for the past few months. It didn't take long before the four Roscoe's were at Vinny's door, hoping that the older man would be the one to answer it, because they might not like the man, but none of them ever thought he was ever possible of something so callous.

Any hopes that they had were completely dashed when Robbie was the one to answer the door, eyes widening when he saw his mum and brothers standing before him. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Is your dad here Rob?" Freddie asked, sharing a worried glance with Joe when the look on Robbie's face said it all. Malia was right, meaning that Vinny was gone and wouldn't be back for a while.

"Let us in love, we need to sort this mess out don't you think," Sandy said softly, breathing a silent sigh of relief when Robbie nodded and opened the door fully, leaving to go back to the living room where Jason was still sat on the sofa, watching a movie on the TV, though his attention was instantly caught by the sudden appearance of his family.

"Where's your Dad boys?" Sandy asked, keeping her voice calm and soothing and hoping that as long as she kept quiet, then the two boys would be more willing to open up, so Vinny could get the punishment he so rightly deserved.

"He went out, said he had to go to work," Jason shrugged, sharing an uneasy look with Robbie. The twin's had been told not to tell anyone what Vinny had told them, especially Sandy, but when she was only feet away, asking direct questions, well it was pretty hard not to.

"He's done it before, it's fine," Robbie said, not wanting to get Vinny or himself into any trouble, though it was difficult to tell just how angry the others were, or if any of it was directed at him.

"How many times has he left you like this?" Joe asked, trying to keep a hold of his temper, though finding it increasingly difficult with each passing moment.

"Not a lot, just a few times and we've always been fine. Like there's normally enough food in the fridge and we just watch TV," Jason explained, hoping that the expressions painted on his family's faces would calm down, though his words seemed to have the opposite effect.

"That's why you two didn't want to go today," Sandy realised with a sigh, cursing that she hadn't seen it sooner.

"Dad said he might have to leave us last time, and he normally does when he tells us that," Jason shrugged, like it was no big deal. It took all of Sandy's self restraint to not scream right then and there, because her children, her babies were acting like being abandoned was an everyday occurrence. How many times had Vinny left them on their own?

"Well we're getting you out of here boys, I'm not letting you stay where anything could happen to you," Sandy said, trying to keep her tone soft as not to spook her sons, and realise just how in the wrong Vinny really was, though it was a difficult task.

If her ex was right in front of her, she had little doubt that she'd start swinging. "We're going to go home okay boys, I'll make you a proper lunch as well. How does that sound?"

"Can we have some chocolate too?" Robbie asked, knowing exactly when was the best time to get what he wanted, even at such a young age.

"Of course you can," Sandy laughed lightly, just glad that Vinny's poor treatment over the twin's seemingly had no ill effects on either of them, though there was no way he going near either of them again. Over her dead body.

Just before she left the flat, Sandy turned back to her three eldest, not overly surprised to see that not one of them had moved an inch. "You boys coming?"

"We'll catch up mum, just want to sort out a few things first," Joe promised, sharing a dark look with Freddie and Ziggy.

The blonde woman nodded, her eyes just as hard and cold as her sons. "Okay, just... don't do something you'll regret." Without another word, Sandy turned and left the flat, leaving the three teens alone.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," Joe practically screamed, picking up a picture from the side and throwing it to the wall, glass and bits of wood flying everywhere.

"Well you're going to have to get in line," Freddie snarled, a dozen of different torture methods he could use on Vinny popping into his head in just seconds. How dare that dick hurt his brothers? How dare he just leave them to fend on their own, they were kids for God's sake!

Anything could have happened to them and the whole family would be none the wiser till it was too late, though not anymore, because Freddie was determined that pathetic excuse for a man was getting everything coming for him.

Too caught up in their anger, Joe and Freddie didn't notice as Ziggy began rifling through the drawers, stopping with a triumphant cry as he found the very thing he was looking for. "Think I found him lads. There's a load of paperwork for The Glen, that fancy hotel down by Bishops Street. Was obviously planning a romantic weekend with the missus by the looks of it, too bad his kids got in the way hey?"

"Lets go then, it's only a ten minute walk," Joe said after a split second, knowing instantly where the hotel was. As he ran out of the flat, both Freddie and Ziggy were hot on his heels, all three brothers determined to teach Vinny a lesson once and for all.

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"Open up," Freddie shouted as he violently hit the hotel door. "We know you're in here Vinny and if you don't open this fucking door then we'll just have to-"

Freddie was stopped as the hotel door room was swung open by the older man, though their anger only grew as they took in his easy stance and the relaxed look in his eyes. This didn't look like a man who had left his eight year old sons to fend on their own for the weekend, no this looked like a man without a care in the world.

"What can I do for you three?" He asked lightly, stepping into the room and allowing the others in behind him, though Joe couldn't help but notice the way his eyes slightly hardened. Maybe Vinny did know just how in the wrong he was.

"We're here about Jason and Robbie," Joe began, voice cold and harsh, leaving no room for any interruptions from Vinny to try and explain himself. "You see, we went around to check on them after a neighbour of your told us you went away for the weekend. Naturally we thought she had it wrong, I mean, you were with our brothers and would be till tomorrow, but we went round to check anyway, to be on the safe side you know.

"So imagine our surprise when we're greeted with our two kid brothers on their own and having to look after themselves. And imagine our surprise growing when we were told that this wasn't the first time that this had happened to them."

"I can explain boys, it's completely rational actually and there's no doubt you'll understand soon enough," Vinny pleaded, eyes widening as he realised just how screwed he really was. He thought his plan had been foolproof, thought he'd never been found out, after all what was one trip here and there, nothing really. Robbie and Jason were old enough to look after themselves now, well old enough to make themselves some sandwiches and to know when to get to bed at least, but Vinny really hadn't expected this latest development.

When he had split from Sandy it had been his intention to be there for his sons whenever they needed him, but commitment had never been easy for Vinny and he found himself slipping. He could have told Sandy that he needed to cut down his biweekly visits to maybe one weekend out of every three, but Vinny was also never one to admit defeat.

All the little childcare bonuses came in handy too and he didn't want to lose that extra cash, not if he wanted to keep on paying rent that is. So that was how he ended up basically abandoning his children, but it could have been worse right? He could have done a lot worse than he had. Obviously Joe, Freddie and Ziggy all disagreed with him if the punch in the face was anything to go by.

"There is nothing you can say that will excuse your behaviour," Freddie snarled from above Vinny's fallen form, kicking him heavily in the ribs and feeling a sick sense of pleasure from the older man's cry of pain.

Crouching down so he could look straight into Vinny's eyes, Joe felt nothing but disgust for the man he had once regarded as a second father. "If you ever come near them again, you even breath in their direction and we'll kill you. Got that?"

Vinny nodded weakly, too winded to say anything of substance and through blurry vision, he watched as the three Roscoe boys walked out of his life forever.

"What you doing Joe?" Ziggy asked as he watched his eldest brother get his phone out of his pocket and began dialling.

"Calling the police mate, the only way to make sure he stays out of our lives forever," Joe replied, turning away from Freddie and Ziggy when someone answered the phone. He could feel their shocked stares on the back of his neck, but he didn't let it bother him, after all, Joe knew what he was doing was for the best.

Vinny was never going near Robbie and Jason again, Joe was never going to let them get hurt again, and if the best way to making that happen was getting him locked up, well Joe wasn't above calling the police. No-one got away with hurting anyone from their family, not even if they were flesh and blood.

I hope you enjoyed this, I do enjoy writing the twin's dad, because from the little bits we've heard about him, there's many different personalities he could have, so hopefully he'll turn up on screen sooner or later.

Next Story – It was really by chance that Jason found Fraser's little black book that Joe had been hiding, but he had been arguing with Freddie you see, and well, it just sort of... appeared. But then Fraser also arrived, and when he realises that another Roscoe boy is in the know about his double life, well it's a bit too much for him, and he knows he has to silence both Freddie and Jason, but will he succeed? - h20xspelboundfanx

Review Replies

Lydia – The actual request that I received from the original prompter, is that Jason is a teenage father to one child, and that it happens before moving to Hollyoaks, but Jason become the sole caregiver to the child as the mum (his girlfriend at the time) wanted nothing to do with it. By the time he moves to Hollyoaks, the child is a few months old, he's getting help from the others and has a talk to Darren about it, as he's feeling quite stressed. Is that okay for you?

Guest – Would you like the twins to fall for an OC or a character already in the show? There's already a few prompts about Robbie falling for Holly, if you'd like it to be her, I can merge your prompt with one of theirs, if there's someone else in mind, tell me and it should be chapter 121