Homecoming

[maccaz]

Just caught up, and am loving this. Please update soon!

[Frogg]

This is great. Please don't keep me hanging for long. Im hooked.

[honeychild]

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Aden Jefferies was about to start his shift at the Diner. He was bleary eyed and not up for washing dishes, having stayed up all night to write an essay thet he really should have done weeks ago. He had also had to put up with a depressingly cheerful Nicole all day and his boring day at school, most of which he slept through, had done nothing to improve his temper. Not even the beautiful day nor the prospect of the weekend ahead could bring his spirits up. He saw Tony Holden and Rachel Armstrong sitting having coffee outside the Diner and avoided making eye contact. The last thing he needed was for her to get on his back again about seeing a councillor. So intent was he on avoiding Rachel that he managed to walk right into a guy leaving the Diner.

'Sorry mate,' the guy said apologetically.

Aden looked up and as two identical pairs of eyes me,Justin and Aden immediately recognised the other.

'Holy ****,' Aden breathed, starting to feel anger mounting up inside of him.

'Aden?' his brother asked, seeking confirmation.

Aden was livid. Here was his so called brother standing right in front of him. The guy who abandoned him, who left him to face his grandfather alone, who let him down when he promised, he promised, that he would always be there for him. And with that thought in mind Aden uncaged his inner rage, pulled back his fist and punched Justin. Justin fell to the flooer and Aden went at him again, fists flying, but Tony jumped out of his seat and tried to hold him back. This was not entirely successful, as if there was one person Aden would stubbornly never listen to it was Tony Holden. As he struggled to get loose of Tony he was screaming at his brother, actually screaming, pure anger showing in every word, 'You coward! You weak, cowardly mongrel! Why the hell are you here, huh? Get out of my life! I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!'

Justin sat on the floor, looking in total shock at his brother. Realistically, he hadn't expected Aden to be overjoyed to see him but he also hadn't expected to be greeted with all encompasing white hot anger. While Aden had continued his tirade of verbal abuse someone had got Roman from the kitchen and a small crowd had gathered like vultures, feeding off the spectacle.

'Aden, Aden!' Roman said as he prevented Aden from launching himself at Justin again, 'Aden, i need you to calm down.' He nodded at Tony to let him go, which Tony did and Aden gladly shrugged him off.

'Aden, c'mon, let's go.' Roman said, starting to push Aden back.

Justin could feel Aden's angry eyes still boring into him and he had to look away, 'I'm sorry Aden.' he said, 'I am so, so sorry.'

'Yeah, like hell you are,' Aden sneered, letting Roman walk him away. Roman glanced over his shoulder to see Milo helping Justin to his feet and Rachel going over to inspect the cut on his cheek. Nicole watched from the doorway of the Diner as Roman and Aden walked away, then focussed on Justin, Milo and Louey once more. Aden's secret had just got a whole lot jucier.

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so there you go...hope yous all like it...read, review, enjoy!!

[ezaz8]

very good! very realistic...

Loving this! Keep up with the updates!

[Frogg]

Yay!!! More, more!!!!! That reaction was soooo Aden. Nicole is so gonna go snooping now isn't she. Im glad Aden listens to Roman. Justin should have realised Aden would hate him for leaving him with Grandad.

[jack+martha=trooluvv]

Wow, it was fantastic

I love it, you can really imagine it happening on the screen. So powerful. You'd better write more fics after this one

[maccaz]

Good chapter. Update ASAP.

[honeychild]

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'Nicole will you get the first aid kit from the kitchen please?' Rachel asked Nicole, noticing she was hanging about trying to hear some gossip following the dramatic turn of events. Nicole, though loudly sighing and rolling her eyes, did as she was asked and dutifully disappeared back into the Diner.

'Really, i'm okay.' Justin protested, but Rachel was having none of it as she sat him down by one of the tables.

'You're bleeding and although it's not serious you'll need at least a couple of sutures on it. You're going to have a pretty impressive black eye soon too.'

'Yeah, well,' he sighed, 'Aden's always been pretty handy with his fists.'

Nicole returned with the first aid kit and handed it to Rachel. 'Is that everything?' she asked in an obvious, 'i really actually want to know whats going on' voice.

'Yes. that's it...you can go back to work now.' rachel nodded her off, knowing these people probably wouldn't want the head vulture hanging around gawping at them.

She set about cleaning the wound, talking as she worked, 'Now, would i be right in guessing that you are Justin Jefferies, Aden's brother?'

Justin sighed again and winced as she checked the cut, 'Yeah, although i'm surprised you know i exist. I didnt exactly leave Summer Bay on good terms with anyone, let alone my family.'

'I'm Aden's doctor...he had an accident about a month ago after a fight with your dad. In the hospital i helped them talk through some stuff with each other...about your grandfather.'

His eyes shot up at her, 'You know?'

She nodded.

'His shoulders sagged, 'I should never have left him. Is he...is my grandfather still alive?'

'No,' she smiled grimly at him, finishing her work on his cut, 'from what i can gather he died a couple of years after you left.'

'Thatnks,' he said, referring to the sutures.

Rachel looked up and seemed to notice Milo and Louey for the first time, 'And who might these be?' she asked.

Milo stepped forward, fixed her with a dazzling smile and shook her hand, 'Milo Dungannon, pleasure to meet you.'

'Milo Dungannon?' she said, trying to remember where she had heard his name before. Milo, Justin and Louey all waited patiently for the penny to drop, which it eventually did, 'Oh! As in the writer Milo Dungannon?'

Milo smiled, 'The one and only.'

'My, Justin, you keep good company.' she then remembered something she'd heard about Milo from the tabloids and gossip columns, 'But aren't you...?'

'Yep...'

'Which would make you two....'

'Starcross'd lovers.' Louey leaned on Milo's shoulder.

Rachel looked her up and down. So Justin had a partner. A male partner. But that didnt explain who this girl was. She was pretty in a very natural, unaffected way, tall and willowy. Long hair bleached by the sun framed a delicately featured face. Large blue eyes met hers. She looked like neither Justin nor Milo.

'And you are...?' she questioned.

Louey eyed her cautiously. So this woman was Aden's doctor, but she seemed to ask a lot of questions, too many questions, about things that weren't necessarily her business.

'Louey,' she said shrotly, 'Short for Louisiana.' and she left it at that, not willing to divulge anymore.

'Be nice,' Milo chided gently and she rolled her eyes at him.

Sensing she wasnt going to get much out of Louey, RAchel instead directed her next question to Justin and Milo, 'And what relation is she to you two?'

'Illegitamate love child,' Louey quipped. 'As a doctor i'm surprised you never heard about Justin here, the first real pregnant man. You seem to be quite ill informed on such monumental matters. And then i was quite effectively SORAS'd to 16 years old in the space of a year. Quite remarkable really.'

Justin gave her a gentle kick and a look, 'I pity the poor person who actually had to give birth to her.' he said,'No, we're her guardians, although i often wonder why we said we'd do it.'

MEANWHILE...

Roman had seen Aden angry, upset, mean, offensive and antisocial, but right now he just seemed...broken and damaged, his tough exterior completely shattered. He allowed Roman to lead him away from the Diner and away from his brother, away from the gossiping toungues of Summer Bay. They got to a secluded part of the beach and Aden dropped to his knees, his head in his hands. His breathing was rapid and Roman could see that he was choking back the inevitable tears. Roman knelt next to him, 'Who is he?' he asked softly.

Aden looked up at him, his eyes red, tear tracks running down hi face and, for a split second, Roman saw the vulnerable and hurt kid residing inside him, but then his face hardened again, his defences up, 'No one. He is no one.'

'Didn't seem like no one to me.' Roman said fairly.

Aden jumped up and grapped a large branch near him. For a moment Roman thought Aden was going to hit him with it, but instead he turned round and started to beat the crap out of a poor tree nearby.

'He is no one! He was no one! He will always be no one! He is no one to me! He is dead to me!' He screamed as again and again he used all of his strength to hit the tree. His anger flowed through his body, setting fire to the blood that coarsed through his veins and burning his muscles. Eventually, tired and out of breath he dropped what was left of the stick and turned to face Roman.

He seemed to give way under Roman's concerned gaze, 'He left me Roman...' he broke down again, 'He was my brother and he left me...with HIM.'

Now, Aden wasn't big on hugs, but he allowed Roman to draw him into a (manly) embrace. Roman had no doubt that had he not been holding Aden up at that point he would've surely fallen to the floor as sobs racked his body.

'Aden,' Roman said as Aden's sobs began to subdue. 'I'm only ever going to ask you this once and i'll understand if you don't want to tell me...but what happened to you? Why are you so angry at your brother?'

Aden pulled away from him and Roman could see that he was conflicted as to whether to talk to him or not. But then Aden opened his mouth and told him everything.

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i really appreciate all the very kind and positive reviews everyones been giving this story!

for definite there will be more following this one!

as long as you're enjoying reading it as much as i am writing it!

[maccaz]

Poor Aden

Illegitamate love child,' Louey quipped. 'As a doctor i'm surprised you never heard about Justin here, the first real pregnant man. You seem to be quite ill informed on such monumental matters. And then i was quite effectively SORAS'd to 16 years old in the space of a year. Quite remarkable really.'

LOL!

Update ASAP.

[ezaz8]

Absolutely brilliant!

i'm glad someone finally (man) hugged Aden!