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Prompted by guest- the roscoes before hollyoaks, with Joe's dark past.

As this is set before Hollyoaks I have changed the characters ages:

Jason and Robbie - 8, Ziggy - 10, Freddie - 12 and Joe - 16.

Chapter 6- just let me know you're safe:

Sandy roscoe was exhausted. She was looking after her 5 boys on her own with no help. Well, she sometimes had the help of her oldest son, Joe but that was when she knew where he was.

It was a Monday morning and Sandy was trying to get 4 of her boys out the door and off to school on time. Except she wasn't having much luck. Fair enough, all four boys were sitting at the table except only two of them were eating their breakfast. "Robbie, Jason will you please stop messing around and eat your breakfast?", a stressed out Sandy asked her two youngest who were messing around, laughing and not eating their breakfast.

"Alright mum, chill out", a cheeky sounding Robbie said. He might only been 8 but that doesn't mean he hasn't got any lip. In fact Robbie was already quite cheeky for his age, and a bit naughty. Sandy knew that when he was older, he was gonna be trouble.

Whereas Jason, despite copying his brother's actions, he was actually quite a good kid. He always did as he was told, when he was told. And where Robbie would put up a fight for 10-15 minutes, Jason would just simply get on with what he would've been asked to do. And that's exactly what was happening that morning.

"Robbie will you please just eat your breakfast, we're gonna be late at this rate", Sandy said desperate for Robbie to do as he was told. She knew that if Joe was there and told Robbie to eat his breakfast, then Robbie would've done it straight away, no arguing.

"Rob, please can you just eat your breakfast, you're doing my head in", Freddie said clearly annoyed with Robbie. However that wasn't what was on his mind, no, Joe was on his mind. He wasn't going to admit it, of course he wasn't, but deep down he missed his older brother and was worried about him.

Joe had been missing since Saturday morning, and no one knew where he was. Except no one dared call the police because he would either be drunk or would have seriously hurt someone. "Have either of you two heard from your brother?", Sandy asked Freddie and Ziggy who both just shook their heads. Freddie stood up, grabbed his bag from the side and walked out the kitchen.

"I'm gonna be late", Freddie said as he walked towards the door. "Make sure you ring me if you hear from your brother", Sandy shouted. "Yep", Freddie replied closing the door behind him.

"Where is Joe?", Ziggy asked, he too was worried about Joe, but he wasn't going to admit it. He had to stay strong for their mum and for Robbie and Jason. Anyways Joe did this all the time, so nothing's changed.

"He's fine", Sandy replied, "right come on you three, we don't want you to be late." Sandy said as she grabbed the boys packed lunches and all four of them made their way out the door. Sandy's little lie had worked on Robbie and Jason, but Ziggy didn't believe what she had said.

It was him and Freddie who would sit on the stairs and watch a drunken; sometimes bloody faced and bruised Joe walk in through the front door. It was them who would have to watch their mum's terrified face when he walked in and every time he was missing, watch her jump out of her skin when the phone rang. It was them, who when Robbie and Jason woke up from the noise, had to go tell them everything was alright and get them back off to sleep.

When Ziggy thought about this he realised how bad it sounded. He was ten and Freddie was twelve they shouldn't have to do that, so Ziggy decided that when he got home he was gonna speak to Freddie.

It was midday and Sandy was home alone in the house. All her boys were at school well 4 of them were Sandy had received a phone call from Joe's school asking where he was. Sandy said he was ill , again. She knew she couldn't keep telling them that, a because at some point it's gonna start looking suspicious and b, Freddie's at the same school as Joe so someones bound to ask him where Joe is.

She flopped down on the sofa, cup of tea in hand and sighed. Joe was sixteen for god sake; he was out drinking every weekend and getting into fights, the coming back drunk with cuts and bruises. She knew it had to stop and she was gonna make sure of it. To her safe and more importantly her boys safe. They didn't need to see this, however little did Sandy know that two of them had already seen it, first hand.

"Robbie give it back", Jason said as he and the rest of the family, except Joe returned home from school. "You'll have to come and get it", Robbie said playfully as he ran through into the house. Jason just sighed he was about to run when Freddie said in his ear. "Don't worry mate, I'll get it for ya." Freddie ran after Robbie in the living room, pinning him down on the floor. "Ahh, Freddie!", Robbie called our as fell on th floor. Freddie grabbed back what was rightfully Jason's and gave it to him.

Sandy walked in through the door and sighed. Already two of her boys were on th floor, typical. "Do wanna hand with those mum?", Ziggy asked offering to take some of the stuff Sandy was carrying. "Thanks love", she replied handing Ziggy the lunchboxes. The pair of them made their way through to kitchen and put the stuff down on the work top. Ziggy felt this was the right time to tell Sandy what he and Freddie had seen. Except that was cut short when Robbie burst in.

"Mum Freddie's just hit me", Robbie came in complaining to his mum. "Freddie get in here now!" Sandy ahouted. "Why did you hit your brother?", she exclaimed. Freddie shrugged, "he had Jason's trainer so pinned him down and got it back for jase. Then Rob had a go at me so I hit him." Sandy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fair enough her boys had always had play fights, but never real fights.

"Why?", she asked Freddie. "Well it's not like Joe doesn't do it all the time is it!", Freddie shouted. Sandy gasped, she didn't notice the scared looks on Robbie and Jason's faces. "Yeah that's right mum, me and Ziggy know everything that goes with Joe!" Sandy turned and looked at Ziggy. "Is his true?" She asked. Ziggy nodded. "Yeah, me and Freddie sit on the stairs and watch him come in drunk mum, and beaten up sometimes!" Sandy couldn't believe what she was hearing, two of her boys saw what their older brother was like. In that moment she didn't notice that other two boys, Robbie and Jason were gripping each others arms and both close to tears.

"Mum, me and Ziggy we see it all, and then when the noise wakes up Robbie and Jason we have to go in and tell them it's alright." Sandy was close to tears now and as she looked at Jason and Robbie she realised they too. "Oh it's alright", she said pulling both twins in for a hug. She could hear Jason sobbing into her and Robbie sniffing holding back the sobs. It was then that Sandy realised, all this business with Joe had to stop and it had to stop now.

"Mum is Joe gonna come home, all drunk tonight?", a timid Jason asked Sandy as she tucked both the twins up in bed. "No of course he's not", Sandy replied even though she knew that probably wasn't true. She Jason and kissed him on the cheek. Then while she hugged Robbie she whispered in his ear, "look at your brother for me." Robbie nodded knowing that even though they eight, he was already the stronger one. Sandy smiled and left the room.

Four hours later, it was midnight and Sandy was up in the living room hoping thay Joe was going to walk through the door. However by now she'd had enough and was making her way towards the stairs when the front door opened and a rough looking Joe stumbled in. "Where the hell have you been?"

Ten minutes later Sandy and Joe were sitting in the living room, Joe with cup of tea in his hand. "Look mum I'm sorry I didn't mean to run off for days, it just happned", Joe said taking a sip of his tea. Sandy frowned. "Sorry doesn't cut it Joe", she said. Joe gasped shocked at Sandy's tone.

"Yes Joe you heard, you have to stop this now, because you know what I'm not the only one who knows your like!" Sandy snarled careful that she wasn't going to wake up her other boys. "Eh?", Joe said clearly confused. "Yes Joe, every night when you've came in drunk and beaten up with someone else's blood on your hands, Freddie and Ziggy would be sitting watching all of it. Then when Robbie and Jason would wake up because of the noise, Freddie and Ziggy would go and tell them everything was okay!"

Joe was shocked, he didn't realise things had got this bad. "Look mum I'm really sorry and from now on I'm gonna be a better big brother." And from that day forth Joe kept his promise.

But longer than I expected but anyways, hope you enjoyed please review and keep leaving your suggestions :)

Next chapter prompted by guest- the roscoes are involved in a car crash and Lindsey realises her true feelings.