Chapter Five

"Well I'm not going. I can't afford to go if my mental health is going to be be affected, dad. I don't mind going to the grave afterwards but I don't want to go and see them" Leanne told her father the following morning as he managed to catch her before she went to do the promotions.

Something that started out as part-time but now seemed to be overtaking 'The Bistro' hours. The cult was beginning to overtake everything, even her own niece's funeral. Which she was currently refusing to even attend because Janice and Toyah are going to be there. Nick was looking on from the kitchen with disbelief, he didn't even recognize her anymore.

"I think your mental health is already bad" Nick sp oke up without really thinking.

"No it isn't. But it will be if you carry this on, I'm beginning to wonder actually if I even want to continue this relationship. You're constantly dragging me down and siding with other people" Leanne responded.

"What relationship? That's been dead for months...All we do is argue about Rowan and go to sleep. I don't even remember the last time you cuddled up to me. Do you?"

"I'm not discussing that right now"

"No but you'll discuss it with Rowan, won't you? And I bet he will say to you that we're no longer close because of my bad energy. Well he's the bad energy, Leanne. And you are becoming somebody I don't even like" Nick hissed as he picked up his wallet and made his way out.

Leanne seemed to not even understand what he said. She turned back towards her father with a shrug. She was moody over it but she seemed to have no passion or worry about breaking up after all this time. It was like she couldn't even get to grips with that reality. If it wasn't to do with 'The Institute, she dismissed it. That's the major problem.

"So you won't go to your niece's funeral because you don't want to talk to Toyah and Janice?" Les asked in disbelief.

"Yes. That's how bad they became but I will send flowers and go to the grave. I will say my own goodbye"

"It's just for one day, Leanne. You don't have to talk to them"

"Sorry but even seeing them will put me in a low mood. Rowan says I have to cut out negativity at all costs. No matter how difficult it is for everybody, it's just the way it has to be from now on. I won't stop you going though, dad. I will only warn you not to feed into their bad energy" Leanne responded with her emotionless smile.

Les didn't even know what to say to that. He watched as his daughter got up with the leaflets and left the flat. He was at a lost at what to do as he put his face in his hands, thinking but nothing was coming. He almost wished he hadn't been found because all he's had his misery from the three children he has left in the area. Though he knows he can't leave either as he could never forgive himself.

...

"That's awful, Les. And I do promise not to say anything...Is Rowan just a big scammer than?" Kirk asked him as they sat in the pub.

Les finally got a pint brought to him as he told Kirk all the family problems. He needed to tell somebody. He just nodded before taking a big swig from the pint, he looked around briefly. It was bittersweet being back in his old local as so much has changed but yet it still looked as if he never left the place. Kirk watching him drown the pint as his nerves were clearly shattered.

"She's just not herself, Kirk. And whenever we try and tell her that Rowan is a scam artist, she won't listen. I spoke to him last night actually and it was like the lights were on but nobody's home. And I don't mean like Roy Cropper, it was more like he was dead in the eyes"

"I don't get why Leanne went to him then? If he's that bad"

"I don't know. He found her when she was a bad place with Nick and he's using Oliver to keep her in. It's that simple really...And Nick, he's not helping at all. He's having his old hissy fits whenever she mentions him-"

"Well yeah. I mean if Beth kept seeing a guy-"

"It's not like that, Kirk. She promised it's not about sex or anything like that, it's just comfort. But it's driving a wedge, even between me and her. And we use to have such a close relationship. We still do but I can feel it getting more distant as she's telling him everything while not telling me anything. And now I got a funeral coming up in a few days and I can't" Les paused as he put the glass down..."I can't cope with this. Toyah is coping better than me and she's been through Hell and back"

"Toyah's strong. I always admired her...She's got Janice, hasn't she?"

"Yeah. Thankfully but I feel so guilty that I never noticed. That's the problem really, Leanne took my traits and Toyah took Janice's. What would you do if you were me?"

"I would focus on the funeral first. I promise I won't say anything about that-"

"Thanks Kirk but it's in the local rag so it wouldn't make a difference anyway. I was so angry when I read it. 'Dead baby found in a park'. That's what they called my granddaughter, a dead baby found in a park'. I'm just glad Toyah wasn't here to read it"

"It's awful. The local rag are like that all the time...So who is going to the funeral?"

"I think just me, Toyah, Janice and Nick. Leanne doesn't even wanna go...I tried to convince her but she won't go. She thinks it will affect her mood but I'm really angry at her. That's the most selfish thing she's done in a long time. And I can't even tell her because than she will shut me out. Can I have another drink please?"

Kirk just nodded, wiping away a tear as he got to the counter. Ordering another two pints from Daisy.

...

Meanwhile there was yet another old face on the street. He has read the local rag and he just had to know. A smart looking man wearing a shirt and chinos approached number five. The Brown-Winter household once again found a knock at their door, Chesney came to the door and this was somebody he never met. The older man looked at him with confusion...

"I knew this is a long shot but do you know a Toyah Battersby?"

"Yeah I do. Her dad and sister Leanne are on the street at 'Victoria court'. Alright?" Chesney asked bluntly, slighting cursing his mother ever getting involving in this family as he now he seems to be the port of call for those looking for them.

"I take it you don't read the newspapers and if you, you're a disrespectful so and so" the man hissed.

"Sorry. It's just that it's been very busy for me. And I'm not that close to them anymore. Victoria court is just down there, her dad and her sister Leanne will be there. At number 12. I'm sorry again" Chesney responded with slight fear as he suddenly remembered his manners and why this man might be asking after her.

He stepped away from the door on hearing this and went towards 12 Victoria Court. Chesney sheepishly went back inside. This man went towards the flats and pressed the button. Nobody was inside this time so he instead went towards the 'Rovers Return'. He ordered a pint, he had a look around and his eyes locked on Les and Kirk. His heart suddenly began racing. He told Daisy to "Hold that pint" which made her stop pouring with a scowl.

"Les"

Les looked up to see this familar face. Kirk was trying to place his face unlike Les who remembered him.

"Sam? What are you doing here?" Les asked him.

The man was Sam Kingston, ex-boyfriend of Toyah from that year. He read the news and he wanted to know if the baby was his. The newspapers didn't make the dates very clear.

"You know surely. Toyah-"

"You're not the dad. I'm sorry"

"I'd rather hear it from her. I'm really sorry but when I found out, I had to know because when I read the news. My heart broke and I'm not mad if it's mine, I just want to understand-"

"It was the rapists-"

"I'll have to hear it from her. Please can I have her number?"

Daisy watched this conversation from the bar in shock. This was awful and everybody knows. It was like the Battersby's dirty laundry was out for all the public to see, all thanks to Rowan exposing it.

"Sam. It wasn't yours...Toyah told Les everything. And why do you wanna cause more problems for the family? You have to trust him on that, he doesn't want to give her number because you understand it might upset her-"

"Mate. What business is this of yours? I got a right to talk to her...I'm not a bad guy. It might have been my baby, I got a right to talk it through with her" Sam hissed quietly while getting visibly upset.

"I promise it wasn't your baby. You're just going to upset her, Kirk's right about that. I can't do that-"

"I'm upset!" Sam snapped which made Ryan Connor come out from the backroom as he heard the commotion.

He walked past Daisy (who was watching it with her hand over her mouth). Ryan tried to calm down the situation.

"Gentlemen. I understand this is a delicate situation but you're disturbing the pub. Can you discuss this outside? Please" Ryan pleaded, he looked at Kirk for help.

Kirk got up as he tried to convince Sam Kingston to leave first. He looked as close to tears as a grown man could. He just wanted to hear it from Toyah first, that was all. He understood Les' point of view of course but he had a right to hear Toyah confirm it to him. The men could see they were scaring some of the pub goers so they agreed, besides they didn't want to discuss Toyah's private misery to everybody. Ryan thanked Kirk as he walked behind Sam Kingston and Les.

"I'm sorry but I got to know from her. I promise I'll be nice, of course I'll be nice. I understand what you're saying, Les. But if there was a tiny chance the baby might have been mine. Toyah needs to explain the dates and I feel like a monster because I know she was raped. But if there's a small chance" Sam paused as he could see Les thinking more clearly..."You would do the same if this was you"

"I would but I got to protect my daughter. She's already been dragged through the press. If I ring her and explain you want to know, she will probably explain it but you can't come onto her strongly like what you just did to me. You can't...It's not her fault"

"I know it isn't her fault. Thank you so much, Les"

...

The phone call came a few hours later and Sam was invited to Janice's flat by Toyah so she could explain. She didn't blame him for wanting to know the dates and she knew it wasn't coming from a bad place. Leanne meanwhile came home with a batch of more leaflets. She felt she was being ignored by both Nick and Les this time round as she gave them both a glance while placing the carboard box on the floor.

"I had Toyah's ex-boyfriend shouting at me today. Wanting to know if the baby was his, he's gone to the flat now. Sad, isn't it?" Les asked Leanne which caught her off-guard slightly.

"Oh. Well I'm sorry to hear that, dad. He shouldn't have took it out on you" Leanne responded.

"And it's all your new gang's fault, isn't it?"

"My gang?"

"Your friends at 'The Institute'. Exposing our dirty laundry in public...What is coming next? You gonna tell them about my prison stints next?"

"No. I wouldn't do that"

"You would if Rowan told you to. I spoke to him last night after you went inside. He was gloating about taking your time and money. Gloating about how easy it would be to turn you against me"

"I wouldn't turn against you"

"Just like you wouldn't have turned against your sister or Janice. So much so that you won't even go to your own niece's funeral. She's only going to have four of us there, maybe five if Sam is invited"

"It's not my fault that Toyah doesn't have any friends"

Les breathed in before storming into the spare bedroom. He couldn't even look at her right now. Leanne looked at Nick with confusion as once again, she didn't seem to know what did wrong. He however too looked completely bereft, this was just getting heartless and Leanne couldn't even seem to understand. The old her would have done but this one? Nothing seemed to compute.

"How would you have felt if Toyah didn't show up for Oliver's funeral? Because that's how it feels" Nick tried to explain.

"What? It's not the same thing...And I said I was going to bring flowers to her grave. You're all acting like I don't care-"

"Because you're acting like you don't care!"

"Please don't raise your voice at me, Nick. I'm as heartbroken as everybody else is but she's...she's being so difficult. This isn't about Rose, I wouldn't take anything out on a baby"

"I know okay but that's what Les has been trying to say. He's not very good at it granted but I agree with him. Forget about this stupid feud with Toyah just for one day. That's it"

"Okay I'll go. I will"

...

TBC