Just In Time... But Was It Worth It?

[Lise]

That was a good chapter.

Belle better hurry up and find Aden! He's not going to be happy that she preteneded to break up with him just for Drew's benefit.

[wrongturntaken]

So here's another update! You should get one tomorrow too! Enjoy! I'm really sorry that i forgot to say this before, but thank you for all the comments! They really inspire me to write and i really love that people enjoy my fics!

Chapter 10

Belle was outside the surf club leaning on the fence when she saw Aden heading towards her. She grinned widely, "Aden!" she called excitedly as he got into earshot. Her smile was quickly wiped from her face as she saw his expression.

He looked quite angry.

"Hey… babe," he said adding the last bit sarcastically.

Belle withdrew into herself and asked worriedly, "What?"

"I heard a funny rumour around town," Aden told her. "Apparently… you and I are broken up."

"Ah…" Belle said; an apologetic expression on her face.

"Ah? Is that all you've got to say?" Aden said angrily.

"Look I'm sorry Aden but let me explain…"

"Explain why we're suddenly broken up…? Okay, go for it…" Aden said.

"We're not broken up!" Belle said heatedly.

"Oh really," Aden said sarcastically, "…because according to the rest of the town; we are!" he shouted.

"Well, the rest of the town; aren't in this relationship, Aden!" Belle yelled. "This is just you and me."

"Well, apparently it's just you!" Aden yelled back at her.

"Would you just let me explain?" she said loudly before adding more softly, "…please?"

Aden sighed exasperatedly, "Go on then."

"Well…" Belle looked at him hesitantly. "Drew's back in town and…"

She was interrupted before she could get any further, "WHAT? That's why you told everyone we were broken up? …because you wanted to get back with him?"

"NO!" Belle defended herself, getting very angry at him for not listening to her. "I just didn't want him to find out about us."

Aden was still very upset and was taking it out on her, "Why? Are you ashamed of me… still?"

"Aden, I was never ashamed of you," Belle told him more softly.

"Doesn't seem like it some of the time, Belle."

"Well, it's true," Belle replied. "The reason I didn't want Drew to find out about us was because you weren't here and I wanted him to see who you are now and not give me grief about dating you. You know what you were like last time he was here, I just wanted to avoid all the agro," Belle explained. "Can you understand that?"

Aden took a couple of seconds to think before he relented, "Yeah, I guess so, but…"

"…but what?" Belle asked.

"Do you have any idea what it was like for me to get back here and hear that? I thought that you had meant it and I didn't know what I'd done…" Aden told her, "…Belle, I don't ever want to lose you."

"I'm really sorry, I don't want to lose you either," Belle sad sadly, she showed a weak smile, "…I did tell Drew that I was seeing someone though; I just didn't say it was you. Am I forgiven?"

Aden gave her a small smile before saying, "Yeah, I guess. Belle, do you promise not to bite my head off if I ask you something?"

Belle took a moment to think, "Yeah."

"Do you… Do you still have feelings for Drew?" Aden asked tentatively.

Belle smiled and took hold of his hand, "No, not at all, and he feels the same way, believe me."

Aden nodded his head as he and Belle turned to start walking towards the diner. "Okay."

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, just enjoying being in the presence of one another's company.

"Oh, and Aden," Belle started. "I'm really glad your back, I missed you."

Aden smiled at the fact that he'd been gone less than 24 hours, even if it had been an intense twenty four hours, and she still missed him; he suspected just as much as he'd missed her.

*

Aden and Belle walked into the diner holding hands, Belle went to get a table whilst Aden went to check his shifts in the kitchen.

In Aden's absence Drew had walked into the diner and sat across from Belle, "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," she answered slightly weary of the fact that Drew was about to find out about Aden.

Aden walked out of the kitchen at that point and started heading their way. "Look who it is," Drew said, his voice dripping with disdain, Belle's smile faltered as she was unsure what was about to happen.

"What do you want Jefferies?" Drew said sharply to Aden, before he could speak, as he approached their table.

Aden laughed at Drew's attitude; he hadn't had to deal with that kind of response to his presence in quite a while. Drew must have mistaken it for the old cocky laugh he used to use as Aden saw his expression worsen from annoyance to anger.

Aden chose to ignore it, "Belle can I have a word with you?" he asked Belle.

"She doesn't want to talk to you!" Drew exclaimed.

"Drew!" Belle cut in angrily.

"I think she can make up her own mind, mate," Aden said as Drew stood up and both boys glared at each other in a rather primitive manner.

"Go on, tell him Taylor," Drew said giving her a quick glance before turning back to face Aden.

"Taylor?" Belle exclaimed. "What happened to Belle?" He only ever called her Taylor when they were together and he hadn't called her that since they'd broken up. Belle started to get suspicious, "What are you really doing here, Drew?"

"What do you mean?" Drew asked taking his attention away from Aden for a second but keeping stood up.

"You just called me Taylor, are you trying to get back with me or something?"

"No, Belle, it was just a slip of the tongue, I really don't feel that way anymore."

"Okay good, cos like I told you, I'm in love with somebody else." Aden smiled slightly hearing the words come out of her mouth that way.

"Yeah, you said; but what I want to know is who?"

"You're staring him right in the face," Belle told him simply.

Drew took his eyes from Belle and looked at the smug expression that had appeared on Aden's face.

"Aden?!?!" Drew exclaimed. "Belle, have you gone completely mad? You're dating this jerk?"

"He's not a jerk," Belle defended him, standing up and placing her hand in Aden's.

"Yeah right," Drew said sarcastically.

Aden couldn't be bothered to defend his past activities to Drew, he didn't feel he needed to. Drew had no right even having an opinion about who Belle was dating anymore. He did, however, want to make one thing clear, "I love her, okay?" he told Drew, almost territorially.

Drew didn't bother answering but just walked out of the diner muttering to Belle what a huge mistake he thought she was making.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Aden said; hugging Belle towards him.

"No," Belle answered. "It was actually kind of fun."

Aden laughed, "Yeah, I guess it was."

[Taniya_K]

Yay! She told Drew! But is he lying? Does he actually want her back?!

Great update! More please?!

[xknomex]

few *breathes sigh of releif* Adelle are ok!

haha i loved Drews reaction and the way Belle told him. that was really funny

they love each other AWWW

update soon

[Lise]

That was a quick update...but very good.

The Aden/Belle/Drew scene was great!

[mk1diva]

whoa so glad Aden forgave her, and she eventually told Drew hahaha that was so funny!

AWWW they in love so sweet

[wrongturntaken]

This is where the story starts heading in a different direction. Thanks for comments, i really appreciate them and i hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 11.

It had been a couple of weeks since the rescue, Belle had forced Aden to go to the hospital for a check up on the night he got back after he confessed that he hadn't actually been checked out properly. Drew had decided to finish his HSC in Summer Bay; as coming back had made him realise how much he missed Summer Bay and Leah and VJ.

Belle watched Aden, who was on his lunch break from school, sitting on the comfy sofa looking more lost than usual; he had been in a sorrowful mood all day and had barely said anything to her that morning when they had walked along the beach together.

She noticed he was fiddling with the ring that he always wore on his left index finger. She had never seen him take it off before unless he was going to bed. She had never asked him about it but assumed that it might be special to him.

“Are you okay?” Belle said softly sitting down next to him and placing a hand on his back.

“Aren’t you meant to be working?” he said quietly.

“I’m on a break,” she told him. “…which I’d like to spend with you?” she added softly.

He looked up at her and gave a small smile before looking down again.

“This ring belonged to my mother,” he said unexpectedly.

Belle had never heard him speak of his mum before, “How old were you when she died?” she asked gently.

“Six,” he told her sorrowfully.

“How’d it happen?” she asked gently, trying not to sound as though she was prying but just being a caring girlfriend.

“Car accident… Dad wouldn’t let us see her after it happened, he said she didn’t look like herself anymore, I think the crash had mangled her and he didn’t want us to remember her that way.”

“Do you remember her?”

“Not really, Dad never talked about her, I think he found it too hard, and I don’t have any pictures either cos he destroyed everything of hers when he got drunk and angry once. He set fire to the kitchen doing it… Justin had to put it out, he was only ten.”

“I’m sorry,” Belle said sadly.

“…and after that, was when…” Aden trailed off unable to finish his sentence or look at her.

“…your Granddad moved in,” Belle finished his sentence for him.

He nodded. “She died twelve years ago today,” Aden told her. “I got this ring resized two years ago on the tenth anniversary and I’ve worn it everyday since.”

Belle gave him a sympathetic smile, moved forward and hugged him. He felt her arms around him and was glad he had shared; he had never really talked to anyone about his mother before, not even his therapist.

“Do you know if she has any family?” Belle asked as she drew back from him.

“All I know about her is that her name was Liz and the only thing I have of hers is this ring.”

“You don’t know if she had any brothers or sisters?” Belle insisted gently.

“Dad might have mentioned I had a couple of aunts on her side when he was drunk once, I think,” he was confused by the suggesting look Belle was giving him, “What, you think I should try and find them?”

Belle shrugged her shoulders, “They might be able to tell you more about your Mum, if that’s what you want?”

“I guess I would like that,” Aden told her, “…but where would I start?”

“Can you remember the name of either of your aunts?” Belle asked.

Aden thought intently for a moment, “Carol… Harper I think.”

Belle smiled at him.

“Even if that’s right which I’m not entirely sure it is; how am I supposed to track her down?”

“You have me,” Belle told him. “I’ve done this before remember and I did find my Mum so that makes me an expert.”

Aden laughed for the first time that day, somehow Belle had made him feel good and hopeful on a day he didn’t think it was possible.

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” he reprimanded her.

She smiled, “Yeah, you’re right. Meet me at my place after my shift, okay?”

“Sure,” he replied giving her a kiss. He took one more look at the ring, thinking about what his life could have been like if his mum hadn’t died, he would have never had to deal with everything that was haunting him now that was for sure. He placed the ring back on his finger and headed back to school.

Belle and Aden were at the house, sitting on the floor in the front room, using the internet and phone books to try and gather as much information as possible to help Aden find his aunt.

They had already made several dead end phone calls when Belle jumped up, “Do you fancy a sandwich; I’m starving?”

“Yeah, I’d love one thanks,” Aden answered not looking up from where he was studying all the phone books sprawled across the floor in front of him.

As Belle went into the kitchen Aden stood up to pick up the phone and try another Carol Harper, he didn’t expect much luck with this one because the phone book was about ten years old but Belle told him that way they might be able to get a forwarding address or something like that which made sense.

“Hello,” a female voice answered the phone.

"Hi, I’m looking for Carol Harper?” Aden asked politely.

“Carol Harper?" the voice questioned confusedly, ...you mean Carol Richards, Harper’s her maiden name, she doesn’t live here anymore but I can pass on a message,” the woman told him kindly.

Belle saw Aden was smiling before she turned her back to him, “...and who am I speaking to?” Aden asked.

Belle was in the middle of making their food when the noise of a phone being dropped caused her to turn around and she saw Aden fall to his knees with his eyes wide open and a look of utter shock on his face.

[xknomex]

:o

i wonder who it was!?

i love they way your taking this story. such a good idea!!!!!!

update soon

[mk1diva]

who is it?????? I love the direction your taking in this well done

Update??????

[adelle]

Great Update!! I love the ring part

I wonder what the big shock is....is his mother still alive???

Can't wait to read more