So this is very much a build up chapter but it has a lot of fluff in it which I know a lot of you have been missing. I'm working on the next four chapters of Rise of Green Street so should have two of those up by Friday :) Be gentle with me, I've been a sickly pig this week so between meds and the temperature I've barely remembered meeting any of this haha.
Thanks for reading as always, you guys know I love you for it :) El xx
The house was cold; so cold he swore he could hear the walls creaking, the floors giving way with every step he took through the misted halls. Turning into the living room, Eddie Hatcher leaned against the chipped door frame and stared into the void that greeted him. Gone was the murmur of the television, the aroma of tea brewing, the slight lingering of cigarette smoke clinging to his clothes and hair.
She was gone. The only family he had left. And with her, he had lost his home, his memories, his past and future.
Carefully, he lowered himself down into the sofa wincing at the iciness of the material; was this really all he had left of his entire childhood? He turned his head, glancing at the newspaper clippings strewn about the coffee table, some of them torn and tear stained, others cut so meticulously.
Suicide victim was attempted killer. London woman takes own life after mortally wounding young mother.
They all had so much to say about the Hatcher family, more notorious now than they had ever been even in the days of the Major. Everyone knew who Eddie Hatcher was, they were all so quick to look, to gossip, but not one person, not even his mates had been over to see how he was.
Snorting, he pulled a crumpled cigarette packet out of his pocket and fished out the last one, cursing himself as his fingers shook while he tried to light it. Taking a deep breath in, he savoured the burning sensation of the nicotine and closed his eyes, resting back against the cushions for a moment and then snapping his eyes open, focusing on his phone as it rang. Peering down at the screen warily, he saw a name that made him blink in shock, for the first time since his Aunt had died, a smirk pulled at his lips and he swiped at the screen, answering it and pressing the phone to his ear.
"Well, well," he spoke, his voice low and cold. "Its been a long time..."
Pete Dunham woke suddenly, his eyes snapping open adjusting to the darkness of his bedroom all of it overshadowed by the rapid pounding of his heart; his nightmare had been so vivid and yet he struggled to remember it. All he knew was that there had been blood and screaming, darkness and despair. It was as though everything he had been through the past few years had culminated in that one dream.
Turning onto his back, he rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, finally able to identify his familiar surroundings bathed in the moonlight filtering through the half closed curtains. A cold breeze blew in and he sucked in a sharp breath as it lingered on his skin.
"What'd you dream about?"
Allie voices penetrated both his thoughts and the darkness surrounding them and he jumped, turning his head to look at her. Her eyes were still closed but a soft smile pulled at her lips as she snuggled into her pillow. How the hell did she do that?
"What?" he half whispered, wondering if she was talking in her sleep or something.
"You're worried," she murmured, still not opening her eyes. "Something's keeping you up..."
Chuckling to himself, Pete shook his head. Just when he thought after eight years he had this girl sussed out, she could read his mind with her eyes closed. He turned his head towards her fully, noting she had opened her eyes, the green orbs boring into his despite being heavy with sleep.
"Out with it, Dunham," she smiled dreamily.
"I don't remember it," he told her honestly, shrugging and causing the covers to fall down further. "All I know is its 4am and I don't have a fucking chance of getting back to sleep,"
Allie stared at her husband, noting the tension in his muscles, the smooth skin of his chest moving up and down as he breathed deeply, one arm draped over his face as though trying to block out an imaginary light. She knew that look; Christ knows she had seen it enough times. Biting her lip, she debated whether to question him further. She knew he still dreamt of his fight with Hatcher, sometimes his father, sometimes of Mikey and likewise she knew that sometimes Pete was best left alone to cope with them. He had grown so much and come through the worst in the past few years but that didn't mean he had shed his demons.
Subconsciously reaching down and running her finger over the jagged scar on her stomach from Sarah Hatcher's bullet, she swallowed hard. If anything, they had gained more.
"How'd you know I was awake, anyway?" he spoke again, only this time his voice was lighter, less tense.
"Same way you know when I'm cold," she smiled, referring to the fact Pete would feel her shiver, even in his sleep and instantly wrap himself around her. "I think we spend too much time together,"
He laughed and moved his arm from his face, smirking at her as he rolled onto his side, facing her completely and feeling his chest tighten when he noticed as he did more or less every time he saw her that the woman was utter perfection. Still after so long together she could make his heart jump into his throat with one look, just as she had the first night he had laid eyes on her.
"Yeah, about that," he raised an eyebrow. "I reckon we need some space, you're getting a little clingy,"
Allie giggled and kicked him under the blankets, pulling her foot back before he could trap it between his knees the way she knew he would; the bastard was impossible to beat in a play fight but she knew all his moves which at least gave her a five second head start.
"Hey, I'm not the one who proposed, buddy," she held up her left hand for effect, the diamond sparking in the moonlight. "And then you knocked me up...talk about needy..."
She trailed off and squealed with laughter as he jumped on her, his movements lightening fast as he pinned her to the bed and stared down at her dangerously, his eyes darkening and his trademark smirk pulling at his lips.
"Cheeky git," he growled at her, laughing as she tried to kick him off, finally succeeding and pushing him onto his back, smacking him with a pillow, muffling his laughter.
He chucked the offensive object to the floor and stared up at her, his body responding to the way she straddled his stomach, her shorts and lacy vest top clinging to her. So maybe letting her win wasn't the worst thing in the world...
"You know what I dream about?" she whispered to him, her hands resting on his chest, drumming her fingers in time with his heartbeat.
Pete shook his head, not entirely trusting his voice in that moment.
"I dream about this," Allie smiled, pretending not to notice his hands kneading her hips, trying to pull her down to him. "About Poppy and Alex being older, maybe with another brother or sister,"
She saw the look in his eyes then and felt her heart leap; she knew he wanted more kids, how much he loved being a dad. They hadn't talked about it, what with Alex being only a year old but she knew without a doubt that one day there would be an entire Dunham army in this house.
"I dream about my mum being able to meet you, because she would have loved you," she smiled sadly, knowing how much her mother would have adored him, how much she would have fawned over Poppy and Alex. "I dream about sitting in the garden with you when we're both old and grey and wrinkly,"
Pete laughed, sliding his hand up her body to cup her face, smiling when she turned her head just enough to kiss his palm, her own hand covering his, holding it there.
"I dream about our first holiday in Greece when we nearly drowned because I thought it would be romantic to go night swimming," she giggled and then bit her lip again. "I remember the night before we came home and there was that huge rain storm. I wanted to go out swimming in it and you called me crazy but you followed me anyway," she closed her eyes. "And then on the way back to our room, we were both soaked and you kissed me and made love to me right there on the beach,"
Beneath her, she felt Pete take a deep shuddering breath and knew he was remembering it, too. Leaning down, she let her hair form a curtain around their faces, giggling when he blew a strand of it away from his nose.
"And sometimes...sometimes I just dream about shoes," she laughed when he rolled his eyes.
"Way to break the fucking mood, Harding," he grinned at her, playfully smacking her behind.
"Oh as if you don't dream about West Ham," she prodded his chest. "No woman should have to live with the knowledge that her husband lays next to her at night dreaming about 10 sweaty men,"
Laughing and mumbling something unintelligible, he pushed himself up onto his elbows kissing her deeply. Her hands lingered on the waist band of his boxers, shifting her body so she could coax them down his legs, her inner teenager making itself known as she looked down at him and blushed. Brushing her lips over his, she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, then kissed his chin, throat, down to his chest, liking the way he moaned and buried his hands in her hair, trying to pull her back up to him and frowning slightly when she shook her head. Resting her chin on his stomach, she gazed up at him and smiled keeping eye contact with him as she moved her mouth lower, down to his bellybutton.
"Still thinking about West Ham?" she murmured, her hands moving down his hips, scraping her nails down the inside of his thighs.
"Fuck off," he chuckled, a chuckle that swiftly turned into a moan as she continued her ministrations.
A loud bang rang out from outside in the garden and he jumped, making her giggle.
"When did you get so jumpy?" Allie teased, climbing back up his body and kissing his lips, frowning when he didn't respond or even close his eyes. "Hey," she slapped his chest playfully. "Usually it would take a nuclear bomb to distract you, what's gotten into you?"
"You heard that, didn't you?" Pete half snapped, his eyes darting about the room.
"Pete, it was probably a strong wind blowing over a bin or Swill trying to get in to finish off the last of last nights Chinese," the smile drained off of her face when she noted he didn't respond or even look at her. His bright blue eyes were still trained on the window, his body tense and still as though he was waiting for something to happen.
Gently lifting her off of him, he kissed her temple and reached for his boxers at the end of the bed, pulling them on and heading for the door, stopping only to turn to her and sending her a small smile.
"Stay 'ere," he ordered, his tone softening when he caught the look on her face. "Keep the bed warm," he winked. "And more importantly, keep that thought,"
Her soft giggle followed him down the hall as he shut the door, picking up his pace, his bare feet silent on the plush carpet as he passed Poppy's room and then Alex's. Glancing into each of them he noted the soft sound of their breathing and felt his anxiety subside just slightly.
Rounding the grand stair case, he stopped suddenly and listened waiting for the noise to come again. Waiting for Eddie Hatcher to emerge from the shadows and finish what his Uncle had started all those years ago.
But there was nothing; nothing moved, nothing sounded. All that greeted him was the sound of his own breathing along with the pounding of his heart.
He couldn't live like this; he wouldn't put Allie through it, he wouldn't put his kids though it. Sitting on the bottom step, he dropped his head into his hands and scrubbed his face hard, wanting to be done with it. He wanted the life Allie had just talked about upstairs. And as long as Eddie Hatcher was alive, he wouldn't be able to give it to her.
Grabbing his phone off of the table in the foyer, he scrolled through it, pressing dial and waiting patiently.
"Alright, sweetheart, thought we'd given up on the midnight phone sex,"
Pete laughed and shook his head, pushing the hell of his palm into his eyes.
"Jesus Bov, what's the yank putting in your tea, that's two jokes in a month now,"
"Fuck off," came the gruff answer along with the distinct click of a lighter on the other end of the phone. "What's got you up?"
"Hatcher," Pete mumbled, noting the way his friends breath hitched on the end of the phone. "We 'ave to set something up,"
"Are you fucking mental, Pete?" Bovver snapped. "After everything that happened..."
"He was at the house. He talked to Poppy,"
Bovver went silent and Pete knew he was fighting for control of his emotions; as hard as Bovver and Allie's relationship had been at the start, he knew there was nothing his friend wouldn't do for her or their kids now.
"I'll call the lads," he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "We'll meet you at the pub first thing tomorrow morning."
"And then what?" Pete snorted.
"And then we settle this bollocks once and for all," Bovver nodded. "Even if it means getting the firm back together, we get this done, Pete. If its the last thing we do, we're taking Hatcher down, and I mean permanently."