Chapter Text
Wooden tables with steel legs that were flecked with rust marks. Chairs that were not designed for comfort, old radiators that emitted more noise than heat and thick concrete walls. This place was a place he swore he would never set foot in again. Yet, here he was.
The guards, or at least a few of them, game him a nod of recognition. He looked around fidgeting until he heard the doors open and one by one the men filed in, familiar red sweater and jeans on. Then he noticed the man he was visiting coming in. There was a vacant look in his eyes and an air of weary resignation about his walk.
‘Alright mate’
‘Alright’
‘Good to see you, thanks for coming’
‘Wild horses wouldn’t keep me away’
‘Not many of them round Emmerdale’
Silence settled between them. An almost awkward one that was so unusual.
‘Aaron, I don’t want you to tell anyone but I’m not sure I can handle this, I mean I didn’t do anything wrong but it feels like I’m going to go down for this’
‘You won’t, not if we can get the right team in place’
‘That won’t be easy’
‘I know someone who can help’
The inmate studied his visitor. Slowly it dawned on him who he was referring to. He smiled ruefully.
‘He won’t, I don’t blame him really, I didn’t exactly make life easy for him at times’
‘He will’
‘You got some hold on him or summat’?’
Aaron shook his head, knowing this was most likely a lie. There were probably two men on the planet who had a hold on the gentleman in question. He was one of them.
‘Adam, he is a good man and he will help, all that needs to happen is for him to be asked’
‘Vic can’t really, mate. I mean she kind of took Rebecca’s side over that whole White business, which by the way goes some way towards disproving your theory of him being such a sound bloke’
‘He had his reasons there. I’m not saying they were the reasons of a sane individual, believe me. You’re right though, right now Vic is the last person that should go near him’
‘Hate to break it to you mate but I don’t think I’d fare better’
‘Perceptive, Ad, perceptive. I’ll talk to him’
‘You?’
‘Yes, me, we’re….we’re mates’
‘You sure that’s all? I mean…’
‘Adam, we are mates, that’s all and anyway you have more to concern yourself with surely.’
oOo
Robert’s phone beeped. ‘Rob, could you call in, Want to chat about something. A’. He looked at the message, he would really like if the message ended with a different letter but things were good. Well at least better than before. Not a day passed without regret for what he did to him. For what he had put him through and despite all that here he was in the second flat of the Mill. After Vic had found out what he had done at Home Farm she had made it clear he was not overly welcome. Aaron, to pretty loud protests from Liv, had offered him the flat. He had also been instrumental in convincing Rebecca to allow him to see Seb. In fact if it were not for Aaron Robert knew he would have left the day after Seb was born. Now he got to see him twice a week and even had him stay over one weekend. Chrissie and Lawrence had relented, led by Lawrence who felt that a man deserved to have a chance with his son. Lachlan was a different story but he tried to forget about him as much as he could.
‘This is not your flat Rob’, was the greeting extended by Liv.
‘I know, your brother texted’
‘I know, I was just reminding you, he is upstairs. By the way is Seb with you this weekend?’
‘Yeah, why?’
‘Just asking, saw a teddy I thought he might like and thought I might get it. You could keep it in yours for him when he visits I thought’
Robert looked at her. There were times she truly did surprise him.
‘You don’t need to spend your money on him Liv’, he noted her disappointment, ‘but I’m sure he would love it so yeah, you can call round with it on Saturday if you like’
‘Hey’
Robert looked towards the stairs and there he was. Aaron had slimmed a bit over the last few weeks. He looked tired and weary. Worrying about Adam would be the reason. Robert didn’t quite know how to handle that one. He wanted to support Aaron if he could but didn’t quite know if their friendship was at that level yet.
‘Liv, could you give us a few minutes?’
‘Brew?’
‘If you’re making?’
Aaron placed the cups on the table. He was nervous; he had thought this would be easy, he would do anything for Adam. However, Adam had planted a seed of doubt when he mentioned having a hold on Robert. Aaron knew he had, as much as he would like to deny it. They had a hold on each other. That was no bad thing, whatever they were now was good but Aaron didn’t want to use that. He didn’t want Robert to do something just because he felt it was what Aaron wanted.
‘I went to see Adam today’, time to go for it.
‘How is he?’
‘Awful’
‘I’d imagine so, nobody believes he could have done it Aaron.’
‘The police do’
‘How are you?’
‘What?’
‘I mean it can’t have been easy going back there to see him’
‘He’s my best mate’
Robert nodded, trying fight the tide of jealousy ebbing over him’
‘He needs help Rob, the solicitor is good but he needs a good brief and they might not be able to afford it and have to go with pot luck’
Robert was quiet. He knew what Aaron was going to ask, he knew the effort it must be taking him to do so.
‘I’ll do it’
‘What?’
‘I’ll do what you want me to, I’ll meet the cost of the barrister.’
‘You will?’
‘Yeah, I will’
‘I kind of had a speech ready’
‘There are two conditions’
‘You what?’
‘Calm down, first Vic doesn’t know about it. Second, I do not want you to think you owe me anything for this’
‘Ok, but I do, this is going to cost’
‘Yeah, and I have it. Look Aaron, you do not owe me anything. Your mate is in bother and you’re asking another one to give a hand. I’m happy to’
‘So what do I do?’
‘Tell Adam to contact the solicitor and give him my details, I’ll arrange the money. It will be fine’
‘You don’t know that, Rob, he is in a bad way and I don’t know what I can do’
Aaron was beginning to cry.
‘Aaron, I’m going to reach over and hug you if that’s ok’
‘Twat’
Robert reached over and put his are around his shoulder.
‘You’re being a best mate. That’s all you can do, now let the legal people do their job.’
The hug lasted for longer than either of them expected or anticipated.
oOo
Robert had slipped out quietly when Aaron answered the call from Cain. When it ended Aaron was surprised to see him gone. He sat on the sofa. Robert had come up trumps. He hadn’t even had to ask. He shivered, remembering the hug. He had hugged a lot of people and that hug was not a hug between mates or friends. There was something more there, it had never gone away but there was only so much the heart could deal with at a time even a heart the size of Aaron’s.