Chapter Text
25th december 1986 (PART TWO)
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a few hours later and angie was still in her wedding dress, even though it was dark outside. but she decided to go and face the music, face everyone. so she slowly descended back down stairs. and when she arrived the chatter stopped immediately, awkwardly.
pat glanced at kathy and pauline, “how you doin’ doll?”
to answer all angie did was shrug, but they could see some reminisance of washed away mascara.
“oh doll”
sharon asked, “how could he do this to you? i thought things were getting better between you two again”
angie looked downwards, “only got myself to blame.”
michelle and kathy glanced away, keep oblivious.
“has this got something to do with what jan said?” it had played in her mind. “he knows everything. what?”
“later darlin’ alright?”
not letting sharon ask anymore questions, she dragged herself over to the bar. oh no, kathy thought. but this time let her, she probably needed it. which looked to be true as she downed a full glass of gin, then another.
sharon gave her a look of disapproval.
and she caught it….
“for medicinal purposes,” she clarified. then asked michelle, “where’s vicki?” before downing another.
“upstairs in sharon’s room, hope you don’t mind”
“no, more the merrier.”
kathy sighed quietly as she watched her down her already 4th glass of gin, maybe she should stop her now. “mate i think that’s enough”
angie stopped mid swing, “not nearly enough, kath”
maybe she had a point.
“i’m sitting down,” pauline told everyone. “i’m bushed”
the 6th glass of gin was when angie stopped, now that it was nearing 9 o’clock. and just sat in the booth with pat, pauline and kathy. michelle and sharon in another.
“you okay?” michelle asked her best friend.
“i was stupid to think it would be different this time.”
“it’ll be okay,” she squeezed her hand. “i’m here”
sharon just smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. and michelle hoped she’d never find out that she knew.
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at quarter past nine, angie felt numb, pointless. and feeling a hand on her arm she jumped, but it was just-
“why don’t you go to bed?”
kathy. angie exhaled. then slouched, "I'm fine here.”
“i agree with ange,” pauline said softly. “we can keep an eye on you here. that way you’re not alone”
“yeah,” pat added. “your mates will look after you doll“
angie smiled, “what would i do without ya?”
“alright. i’ll ring pete,” kathy told them. “let him know”
pete told her he was looking after ian and lou back at the flat with simon. as arthur wanted to be alone. after disengaging, she began to make her way back.
“he’s at the flat with mum, ian and simon”
pat nodded. pauline asked, “arthur?” and kathy explained he wanted to be alone, “oh.”
kathy wanted to tell her that he’d be alright left all on his own, but was interrupted by the opening of the pub doors. and immediately stood up seeing who it was.
“get out.”
sharon gulped seeing the newest arrival, “dad”
all angie could do was stand up and stare at him.
after getting a cab to the canal, den had sat and contemplated what pete said. and well; having nothing left to lose, he thought he might as well hear her out.
sharon asked, “where’ve you been?”
“canal” he shrugged. “just walking around.”
“den,” angie whispered, apologetic. “i’m sorry.”
“sorry.” a scoff. “sorry?”
kathy began to become weary of him, noticing the instant shift in his demeanour. as did pat and pauline who glanced at one another, but were also confused.
“i didn’t think you’d believe-“
“well i did, didn’t i”
den began to stalk towards her, so kathy moved closer to angie with each step. not trusting him one bit.
“i wanted to hurt you-“
“well, mission accomplished.”
“- like you hurt….” angie looked downwards, “me.”
sharon didn’t like the new energy either, it felt like when her parents were about to explode into a row. the niceties are just fake politeness, secret hatred beneath.
den raised his eyebrows, it did make sense. but he didn’t want to be seen as the villain. like always.
“am i really that awful?”
ouch, she thought. it hit her, just like he wanted it to.
kathy pressed her lips together, glaring at him. knowing EXACTLY what he was trying to do to her. he was trying to make her feel guilty, like she was the worst person ever and act like he wasn’t partly to blame for all of this.
“no, but you hurt me. you still have no idea just how much you have, don’t you?”
“i’m not stupid ange, i know i have”
“then why?
“nothing,” he sighed. “nothing. you did nothing.”
“help me understand,” angie walked towards him and placed her hands on his chest. “maybe we could-“
den then took her hands off his chest, squeezing them to give her a bit of hope. but dashing it when opening his palms, making them drop to her sides. “no.”
it gave angie severe, painful deja-vu.
“no?”
“no,” he sneered, like a switch had been flipped. “i wouldn’t get back with you even if you were the last woman on earth. i just wanted to know why.”
angie gulped slightly, trying not to cry as tears pricked her eyes. sharon looked down, typical parents.
“you’re being cruel, dennis,” pat shook her head.
“oh not nearly enough”
den then glanced at kathy who gulped slightly too, but he wouldn’t would he? she hasn’t told her anything, so that man didn’t have a right too. but she couldn’t gamble that he wouldn’t, so….
kathy started to lead her away.
“come on ange, let’s leave the creep to it”
however, as den watched them turn to leave he smiled in a mad type of way. he wasn’t going to let her go just yet. so he said, “oh kathy, kathy, kathy….”
“leave her alone” angie said firmly and held out her arm to protect her and started to move again. too scared to do anything; sharon and michelle froze in the booth, which pauline and pat dashed to. not trusting him. so den thought, how about another twist of the knife….
“you know she knew this whole time?”
angie stopped her walk as did kathy and she turned back around, but just a bit. “what?”
“kathy. knew.” he laughed, “she’s known all this time what i was planning. pete and all”
pauline gaped a bit, as did the other 4 who looked towards the accused. kathy’s eyes widened and her heart began to thump, it was her worst nightmare come true — she’d dreaded angie finding out she knew this entire time, but den had threatened her to keep quiet. so she gripped angie’s hand and quickly told her.
“don’t listen to him, he’s just trying to wind you up”
angie turned to kathy donning a hurtful expression as den looked on smugly. then roughly pulled her hand away from kathy’s, she felt like her whole world could collapse. den lying to her was one thing. but kathy?
one of the ONLY people she could trust? she felt that trust ripping apart as her expression turned morbid.
“is what he just said true?”
“ange-“ kathy started but angie interrupted her.
“i’d prefer it if you didn’t lie to me”
yes, angie knew how ironic her saying that was, but now was the time to get all the lies out. every last damn one of them. when kathy looked on with a sorrowful expression it confirmed to her that she did.
“you know i thought i’d seen guilt in your eyes a few times but i brushed it off, i thought noo don’t be stupid ange! kathy wouldn’t lie to you, she’s your best mate! we trust and tell each other everything ....”
angie started to laugh at that notion and began to cry.
kathy felt a tear run down her own cheek, seeing the devastation at her realisation. and wanted to speak to tell her how sorry she was, but her throat was closed up from the heightened emotions. and it was then angie realised, putting the puzzle pieces together.
“that’s why you told me not to go ahead, isn't it?”
the silence gave her the answer.
“i’m going upstairs. i need some time alone to think”
kathy tried to get herself to speak, to at least say something before angie turned to den.
“i hope you’re happy….”
“i haven’t hurt you enough as a matter of fact”
that alerted michelle, who knew exactly what he was talking about and thinking of revealing. she wanted to stand up and object, but den could be bluffing. surely he wouldn’t? he’d be run out of the square for good.
or maybe he just didn’t care enough anymore.
“i don’t want to hear it den, i’m tired…. of you, of me, of this sham of a non-existent wedding, everything.”
“you said all lies out in the open didn’t you?” den said, putting his hands in his pocket and shrugging. “how about a great big fat one as a cherry on top?”
michelle looked over to her mum like a deer caught in headlights, who was confused by her sudden change in demeanour. why would that shake up her daughter so much? although she’d had inklings before….
“come on ange….don’t you want to know the big world ending secret?”
angie squinted her eyes at the last part. world ending? she couldn’t deny it, she did want to know. but something told her this one was better left unsaid and to leave it alone. however, she was curious. what secret could be so damaging, so bad that den felt the need to reveal it? another twist the knife in she bet.
“go on then den, tell me. what’s your great big secret?”
den smiled widely and looked at michelle which confused angie. and the other women, that somewhat confirmed it for pauline. no, surely not-
“den. please, don’t.” michelle said quietly. that made angie swiftly turn around in her direction, what does michelle have to do with this? poor sharon was just as confused as she held onto pat, “‘chelle?”
michelle didn’t say anything and just continued to stare at den pleading with him silently. this carried on until a frustrated angie said, “whatever it is just tell me”
den seemed to hesitate which gave michelle a beacon of hope as angie’s eyes shifted between the pair of them, desperately wanting answers. however it was crushed when den said, “i’m vicki’s father”
angie could’ve sworn she felt her heart stop.
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for about a minute, angie stood in shock. what did she just hear? den was the father of? no…. surely not.
no, he was just playing another one of his sick mind games. he wouldn’t have a baby behind her back, he KNEW how sensitive of a subject that was for her. 5 years. 5 PAINFUL years of trying, yet nothing. she’d told jan if he got another woman pregnant and didn’t tell her, she would kill said woman. and him…. not literally, but she’d damn well make her life hell.
“do what?” she said slowly.
“you heard.”
“you’re vicki’s father? no…. no, you’re not” she shook her head in defiance. den was NOT her father, she’d know wouldn’t she? “michelle? He’s lying ain’t ‘e?”
michelle just covered her mouth from shock as the emotional baggage was too much. angie quickly exhaled, then turned around. not knowing what to do with herself as she thought back to everything.
then, angie started laughing. which turned into almost a cry with it mixed in. a hint of manic below the surface.
it was a dream, surely? all of it was.
pauline looked at michelle in absolute horror as she heard angie’s reaction to it. how could she? how could she sleep with her best friends-
oh.
oh god, sharon.
“‘chelle?” the very sharon questioned.
“i’m sorry.”
“he’s lying ain’t he?” silence. she stood up, “he’s lying!”
michelle shook her head. then began sobbing as she watched the look on her best friend turn from denial, to hurt to anger all at once. who then glared at her dad.
“i hate you.”
and that seemed to sober den, “princess-“
“no! you had a baby with another woman while you married to my mum! you’re disgusting!”
“you don’t know what she’s done to me!”
“i don’t care. whatever she’s done, it’s because of you and after this,” she shook her head. “maybe you’ve deserved it. your karma, she’s meant to be your wife dad!”
angie looked down, hearing all of that made her emotional too. for once, she was being defended. but that turned into devastation when vicki started crying.
“i better go to her,” michelle sniffed.
but before she could, den stopped her with a glare. so she stood there frozen in place.
“ange….”
“no,” she shook her head. “no, we’re finished.”
“ange-“
“no!
“you heard her,” kathy began dragging her away. but angie paused, “sharon, get a move on. we’re leaving.”
den laughed, “over my dead body are you taking her”
“that could be arranged,” she snarked back.
kathy tried to break it up, “oh come on you two-“
“it’s already been decided. and anyway she’s 18 next year. sharon,” her daughter looked up. “start packing”
sharon didn’t know what to do.
“sharon! move, now”
but that got her into fast walking mode, rushing towards the stairs to find the suitcase. angie followed but den was quicker, getting to sharon first when she was halfway up.
“princess-“
“den.” angie warned, rushing between them.
“she’s my daughter and all”
“you don’t deserve her”
“oh and you’re the pinnacle of parenting, alcoholic who’ll sleep with any man who shows her attention”
“stop it,” sharon pleaded behind them, unnoticed.
“oh please, dennis. you’re a serial cheater and a liar who couldn’t be in a stable relationship even if you tried”
“stop it”
“and to top it off, two failed relationships in a day”
“you’d had 5 by the time i met ya so you can’t talk”
“yeah because they were all pigs like you-“
“STOP IT!”
that, luckily, got them to stop and look apologetic. but den wasn’t finished, “take my daughter. i dare ya”
“okay,” she smiled and began to turn around.
so den made a beeline for up the stairs with a thunderous look on his face, just as kathy and the others made it to the stairs. hearing the arguing.
“leave them,” she warned, which made him pause.
“mum, dad, please….”
“i ain’t going anywhere until she” he pointed at angie, steaming with rage. “has paid. jan’s left me, doesn’t want anything to do with me. i can’t even see my kids”
“that’s your own doing, i heard the way you talked to her. you don’t deserve her.”
“but if you hadn’t lied….”
sharon became frustrated then, what was the lie?
“then why go to all this trouble and rope jan into it? to do your dirty work? it ain’t my fault she backed out of your stupid plan”
“her feelings got in the way, the stupid woman”
“oh, misogyny! lovely way to speak about your former mistress. and as for vicki….” she turned just as nasty as den was being and wanted to twist the knife right back. “you ain’t going anywhere near her. or sharon.”
that set off a ticking time bomb in den who just stood there and stared at her manically.
then it went boom.
because den began strangling angie which made the other women scream slightly in shock, covering their mouths.
“no!” kathy screamed, immediately moving to get him off her best friend. but he just squeezed harder.
“get off her!” pat got to them first, trying to get him to let go, not caring if den tried to get her too.
“den,” angie struggled to breathe, choking. “please”
“dad…..” sharon sniffed as a tear fell down her cheek, this was a nightmare. “she’s turning blue, stop”
den then had a moment where she thought he was considering it, which gave her a flicker of hope, but he just squeezed harder again — making her sob.
pauline told den angrily, “you’re a wicked man dennis. how dare you do this to them, to us”
“if you don’t shut up pauline i’ll squeeze her harder”
that made pauline shut up and she began to hate him even more, because michelle put her arm out to protect her. it should be HER protecting the kids, not the other way around. how did it come to this?
pat stood in shock, until she remembered…. the meat thermometer! so she glanced at michelle and then the potential weapon, who took the hint spotting it. so michelle tapped kathy’s waist with her hand.
kathy whipped her head towards her in confusion, but got it too when she looked at pat who mouthed.
meat thermometer, phone.
there was no hesitation when grabbing it with her right hand, but there was when angie looked at her. like she was saying you don’t have to do this. but she made up her mind, closed her eyes and charged towards him.
after a scream, den was on the floor in seconds.
now that her neck was free, angie clinged to the stairs choking in shock and grabbed her throat. it ached as she tried to breathe again and pat comforted her.
nobody said anything for about a minute, just breaths.
until angie shakily stepped down to check if den was still breathing, she didn’t know why. but felt she had to. as part of her did still love him. but…. nothing.
“he’s dead.”
it was only a whisper, with a slight wheeze.
pauline looked at kathy with widened eyes, whose hand that once held the weapon shook violently and she was on the verge of a panic attack. what had kathy done? she whispered, “what are we gonna do?”