Unfortunate Question

Jamie was about to cry…or have a heart attack…or possibly just lose the best thing in his life.

Keeley had come over for dinner, it was a couple of weeks after Jamie had gone back to Manchester and they'd won their first two pre-season matches so things were going well. It was a Thursday night and Phoebe was about to go back to school so she'd conned an extra-long sleepover at Uncle Roy's. Keeley had agreed to come to dinner as soon as Phoebe appeared on the screen with those big fucking eyes. Roy was working full time again, but he'd organised to have Phoebe come in and visit the next day as part of a larger programme – that he insisted wasn't all organised to allow him to bring Phoebe in. They would still have training, but Rebecca had agreed to the club organising an afternoon of football fun for the kids coming down as well as a group of kids from the Richmond area. The younger kids were doing something with face painting and art and probably lollies. The teens, because all of Higgins' kids were coming – except for the vicar, were going to train with B team. Jamie was looking forward to hanging with Phoebe for a whole day, and he'd been sure to pull the tie dye top, that Phoebe had made, out of Roy's closet for the occasion. Roy had groaned but he'd hung the shirt up to make sure it looked good for the next day.

Keeley had arrived promptly at 6pm while Jamie was showering and Phoebe was kneading the pizza dough. Jamie came down to find her with a bunch of papers laid out on the table, talking to Roy where he was cutting things for their pizza.

"Heya, Keels."

She smiled at him, pulling him into a quick hug, and then turned back to the paperwork.

"What's all this?" he asked.

"I want your help with some ideas for the charity gala."

"I'm not getting auctioned off again," Jamie said firmly, stepping back.

Keeley frowned at him and then he heard the knife being placed on the cutting board.

"Jamie?" Roy said softly, voice still in the kitchen.

"I don't like it and I don't wanna do it again."

"I've forgiven you," Keeley said, "for what you did that year with Bex."

"You don't have to do it again," Roy said. "I don't think anyone should, I'll talk to the other players, we could do a donation instead and some other way of raising money."

Keeley frowned at Roy and then turned back to Jamie. Jamie tried to smile at her and turned around to go and help Roy. She watched him for a moment until Roy made a noise and she turned back to the paperwork.

"It's not an auction," she said carefully. "I was just hoping I could get you both to support the charity benefit."

"What's the charity?" Roy asked, one hand sliding the cutting board over to Jamie so he had something to do.

"It's for the Rebecca, she wanted to try something different in addition to the normal fundraiser – especially since people are struggling so much at the moment."

"That's fine," Jamie said. "I don't mind helping you out, just not that way, when is it I didn't pack me suit."

"It's not for a month – we're launching Saturday and I wanted to try and get another draw card to ensure success."

"I bet I can get the guys to come too," Jamie offered.

"Yeah?"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Like that weren't the plan. I'll round 'em all up tomorrow."

"Thanks, sweetie," she said, smiling. "Now you just gotta tell me I'm right about the best artwork."

"You're right about the artwork," Jamie said faithfully.

"Uncle Roy the dough is kneaded."

"Good," Roy walked over, tested out the knead quickly and then dropped the dough into a bowl and covered it with a tea towel. "You can go and watch TV in the lounge room."

"No, I wanna stay here," she climbed up onto the stool and launched herself into a spin with the kitchen bench. Jamie winked at her; Roy hated it when she did that but Jamie thought it was fun too. "Wait…Jamie?"

"Yeah, Fifi?"

"Why would you need to get your suit? Where is it?"

"At his place," Keeley said, then covered her mouth. "Sorry, just used to asking her when we hang."

Jamie smiled at her. "At my place, I only brought what I thought I'd need, yeah?"

"This is your place," Phoebe said.

"Only for now," Keeley said gently.

Jamie felt like he was standing on floor that was tilting as he stared at Phoebe and Keeley and decidedly not at Roy.

"Why, Uncle Roy?" she asked.

Roy grunted next to him.

"Jamie?"

"I came to look after Roy, after the knee thing."

"But you're going to live here now, right?" she asked.

"I…" Jamie didn't know what to say.

"Maybe he will," Roy said. "We haven't talked about it but he's a great person to live with."

Jamie's heart, which had been about to beat out of his chest, immediately calmed and he turned his head a fraction to see that Roy was being honest – he thought he would have been; Roy was always honest except when he was scared.

"You're a pretty fucking good person to live with too," Jamie said.

"Of course, I fucking am," Roy said. "But I couldn't be sure you wouldn't be a fucking slob."

Jamie elbowed Roy. "I used to clean the house when I was little, yeah? Mummy worked two jobs, I was just never a very good cook, I can make basic shit and the rest of it is fucking up to you."

"Deal," Roy grunted out.

"Good," Jamie said firmly.

"Great," Phoebe said. "So, Jamie's going to stay and Uncle Roy's going to cook. Also, you owe me three pounds."

Roy pointed at the container he'd started keeping his change in. "Grab it."

Phoebe bounced over and grabbed herself three pounds. "Thanks, Uncle Roy."

"You're welcome, you little menace."

"I'm keeping you motivated to swear less," Phoebe said.

"You are," Roy agreed. "Let's make this damn pizza."

"Jamie," Phoebe called out. "Is damn worth a pound?"

"50p," Jamie said, darting away from Roy before the other man could react.

"Fuck no," Roy grunted.

"Keeley?" Phoebe asked, looking for confirmation.

"Definitely 50p," Keeley said, laughing. "Come on, Uncle Roy, pay up."

"Fucking conspiracy of arseholes."

"What about that one?" Phoebe asked, looking between Keeley and Jamie.

"A pound," Jamie and Keeley said together.

"Two pounds, fifty," Phoebe said, skipping to the coin bowl. Roy grunted and nodded so she collected her boon and pocketed it.

"You're going to have to pay for the ice cream on Saturday, Fifi," Jamie said.

She frowned. "Nope, I'm saving up for a drum set…or a guitar."

"When's your birthday?" Jamie asked.

Roy glared at him. "No!"

Jamie winked at Phoebe who smiled brightly. Jamie finished cutting the tomatoes and came over to the table, he stood next to Keeley and looked down at the papers on the table. He squinted at the different versions and then pointed to the one second from the left. Keeley kept her face placid. Phoebe looked too and then nodded, agreeing with Jamie. Roy shrugged.

"Don't be like that," Jamie said. "Come look and tell Keeley which one you like best."

Roy groaned and came to stand next to Jamie, his arm against Jamie's side. "Which one did you think?"

Jamie shook his head. "That's cheatin', innit?"

Roy went silent for a few seconds and then pointed.

"Wrong choice," Jamie whispered.

Roy grunted. "You wouldn't tell me which one."

"That's cheating, Uncle Roy."

"Come on, you little dobber."

Phoebe bounced over to help Roy make the pizza bases. They ate dinner on the recently cleaned off table and then Phoebe insisted they play Monopoly before bed and Jamie slaughtered everyone. He was very mature and only gloated at Roy. Keeley left still laughing and Jamie told Phoebe a story while Roy watched from the doorway and then he came in, sat on the side of her bed and read her to '26-Storey Treehouse' book with her looking over his shoulder at the pictures. She giggled through the frankly ridiculous book and Jamie wondered if O'Brien could illustrate his football adventures of Princess Phoebe. He'd started writing them down to make sure he could remember them all.

After she was in bed and they were sitting on the couch, Roy paused the TV.

"I'm happy for you to live here as long as you want."

Jamie wanted to turn and look at Roy but he knew he shouldn't. "I like living here."

"Then live here."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Roy turned the TV back on and Jamie tried to pay attention to the baking happening on the TV but all he could think about was that he didn't have to leave yet.