Everyone's Got Problems

[Adelle_fan1000]

Wow!! Thats a very good story i love it so far!! Please have more..

All the stories i have read so far are great!!

[Zetti]

Tyler and Tess are so cute. I want to nick them Tyler and Aden seem to be bonding slightly more and I can see why he would be disturbed by it. I dont know why you didnt like it, I loved it

[Adelle_fan1000]

I want to read more!!!!

[xknomex]

any chance of an update soon?

xxx

[wrongturntaken]

I've finished writing the major bit of the chapter so i just need to make it longer with the other stuff. Hopefully won't take me too long and i'm hoping to have it done by midnight. No promises though.

Here's a sneak peek, just to keep you guessing. It's very short! Otherwise it would completely give it away! lol

"What have you got there?" Belle asked quietly, slipping off her shoes before coming to sit next to him.

He handed it to her, "It's the only one I have, the only one I kept or wanted."

Belle looked at the photo in the frame.

Clue: This photo has featured in an episode of Home and Away...

[whispered_envy]

Ooo! Intriguing!

I'm thinking it's the photo of Aden and his dad. I doubt it'd be the one of his grandfather, but then again, with this new Aden, you just don't know!

I could be way off track, but that's my guess.

So looking forward to your next update!

[xknomex]

I was thinking that ^^

Cant wait till the next update, dont rush though

xxxx

[wrongturntaken]

Thanks for all the comments! As usual they keep me going and the last chapter seemed to be better received than i thought it would be.

I'm a bit worried about this chapter because I've been building up to it so much, i don't want it to be anti-climactic. It was very hard to write as i wanted to convey the reasons in an appropriate way that wouldn't make it seem like nothing. I had to redraft it entirely three times and i'm still not 100% sure it works. But instead of me going on about it i'll just let you read it, and decide for yourselves!

I hope you enjoy it!

Chapte 10.

“Mark?” Belle knocked lightly on his door.

“Come in,” he replied quietly and Belle walked in to the room, shutting the door behind her before sitting next to him on the bed where he was sat in a crouched position.

“How are you feeling?” Belle asked softly.

“I’ve sobered up,” he told her simply and then stared at the plate of food she’d given him in silence, before looking up. “What did I do Mum?” he asked her sadly.

“I don’t know, sweetie,” Belle said and caringly brushed a hand through his hair.

“We used to get on so great and now suddenly… it’s like I don’t know him anymore,” Mark continued.

Belle smiled sympathetically.

“I just want it to be like it used to be…” Mark told her. “Ever since I got on the team, it’s like he hates me."

“He could never hate you, Mark,” Belle told him firmly. “He loves you.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“You two will sort this out,” Belled said. “It may take time, but you will.”

“How am I supposed to do that when I don’t even know what I did wrong?” Mark asked her sadly.

“I don’t think you did anything wrong, Mark.”

Mark shook his head, “I must have done. I thought he’d be proud of me when I got on the team. I thought he’d come and watch me play and watch me win and then we could celebrate after… but now I’m off the team…”

Belle sighed and a silence lingered between them, “You look tired, Mark. Eat your food and then go to sleep, yeah?”

Mark nodded, “Thanks Mum…” he said genuinely with a small smile, “…love you.”

Belle returned the smile and stood up, “Love you too.”

She left his room and walked in to her and Aden’s one to see Aden sat on the bed, legs outstretched in front of him, leaning his back against the headboard. He was looking at something in his hands with a sad expression on his face.

“What have you got there?” Belle asked quietly, slipping off her shoes before coming to sit next to him.

He handed it to her, “It’s the only one I have, the only one I kept or wanted.”

Belle looked at the photo in the frame. It was of Aden and his father, clearly stood next to a footy pitch, Aden in muddy clothing, and looking happy to be with each other.

She turned to look at him, still clutching the frame tightly. “What’s going on, Aden?”

He sighed.

“Aden, your son is in his room right now, thinking that he’s let you down and he doesn’t know why,” she told him forcefully, “…all he wants is that connection back. He thought that you’d be proud of him when he got on the team. He thought playing footy was something you could share. You could watch him play and share in that feeling.”

Aden jolted his head up to look at her sadly, “That’s just it Belle. I can’t do that,” he said, his voice cracking.

“What…?” Belle asked softly, he brow furrowing in confusion as she placed her hand gently on top of his where it rested on his thigh. “…why?”

“Do you remember what I was like then?” Aden said looking at the photo in his hand.

Belle nodded and sighed her response, “Yeah.”

“Football was the only thing that ever made me feel normal,” he explained. “It was all I had, I clung to it because if I didn’t I would have to face the truth of my past,” he continued. “…and that’s why I was so horrible to Geoff when he first got on the team. I was terrified he was going to take that away from me.”

“Aden,” Belle interrupted comfortingly but didn’t know what else to say.

“…but I got it taken away from me anyway because of that car accident,” he carried on. “…I couldn’t play anymore. I didn’t have anything…” he looked at her nervously. “…and I didn’t have anything to help pretend I could have a normal relationship with my father.”

“I still don’t understand though, Aden,”

“…after I couldn’t play anymore… …that was when I started to face things… …it got worse for a while… but then it got better… …I finally confronted it… I had to… …and it was the best thing I ever did…”

“…but…?”

“Do you remember what I said to you the night Mark was born?” Aden asked her with a soft smile.

She nodded, “Don’t let me become my father…” she recited softly. “…and do you remember what I said?”

He nodded, “You don’t need me to stop you…” he quoted and sighed. “…but I can’t go back to that place, Belle. I can’t go back and try and have that relationship with Mark because then I’ll feel like I’m becoming my father.”

“You know that that’s not true.”

“The rational side of me does, but I can’t fight the other side of me. You know I can’t. No matter how much you fight feelings, memories will always be there. If you repress them, they come out in negative emotions,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking at her desperately. “If you remember them, they’re,” he paused, “…scary,” he took a deep breath. “I still can’t sleep with you every time we want to because of that. The bottom line Belle; is that I’m afraid to go back to that place where…” he sighed. “…as a teenager I felt like I was only something when I was on the field… and nothing when I was off of it,” he added, shaking his head. “Now I know that I’m not nothing… but I can’t help thinking that if I go back there, that is what I will feel I am.”

“Aden,” Belle said softly.

“It’s not just that Belle,” he continued. “I’m afraid that if I start bonding with Mark over football, it will eventually be all we have.”

Belle sighed, “…we talked about this when I was pregnant, we talked about it when Mark was born, I thought you were okay,” she told him. “You are a fantastic father. So why are you, all of a sudden, doubting yourself?

Aden took the photo off of her gently and looked down at it, “…because he’s that age,” he explained and Belle looked at him quizzically.

“The age when I… when I realised what it truly meant to have been… abused,” he said. “I began to think that if I started a relationship with someone it would have to lead to sex and I always had what had happened to me at the back of my mind,” he explained. “Belle, I don’t know how to be a father to him because I can’t relate to him. And I don’t have the role model father to fall back on because I didn’t have that.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Aden, but…” she sighed.

“I’m being selfish, aren’t I?” Aden filled in.

“I’m sorry honey, but for lack of a better word, yeah…”

“I know that, Belle. I know it’s stupid, and I should be over it by now. And I know that I am being so unfair on Mark…” he paused for breath but Belle interrupted.

“Wait, Aden. Don’t ever say you should be over it by now because what you went through is something you will have to deal with for the rest of your life. I don’t expect you to ‘get over it’, just like that. …I mean, do you ever tell one of the kids you work with that eventually they’ll get over it?” He shook his head. “I’m just saying that you need to think about how to deal with those feelings and how to not implicate Mark in them. He knows nothing about this. He won’t understand and that isn’t fair.”

Aden sighed.

“Look, you’re not really being selfish, Aden,” Belle told him warmly. “…but you do need to put Mark first, and that is how you’ll be a good father… because at the moment… you don’t have anything to share with him, not even football,” she said slowly before kissing him on the cheek and clambering off the bed and going towards their ensuite bathroom.

Aden closed his eyes in thought then got off the bed and crossed the room to a large chest of drawers. He opened the top drawer, intending on putting the photo back where he had gotten it before something stopped him. He pulled the stand out from the back of the frame and placed it on top of the chest. He looked at it and smiled gently to himself, thinking that if some part of him, however small, could feel happy at this memory, then it was worth having that with Mark as well.

He was in bed by the time Belle came back. She looked over to the chest of drawers and smiled to herself before slipping in to bed beside Aden, resting her head against his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.

They remained quiet for a minute, their breathing and heart beats synchronising steadily in the silence before Belle broke it, “So you think Mark is thinking about having sex?” she joked.

“I hope not,” Aden said, resisting the urge to laugh.

“Why’s that?” Belle pushed teasingly.

“…because that would mean that Tess is too,” he explained.

“Well, when I was Tess’s age I wasn’t a…” Belle started cheekily.

“Don’t say it Belle,” Aden commanded, although she could tell he was smiling.

*

“Morning Mark,” Aden said brightly, pouring himself a cup of coffee as his son entered the kitchen, clutching his head and looking worse for wear. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Do you have to talk so loudly?” Mark whined and Tess sniggered.

“Now you know how I felt the other day,” she said.

“Well, I hope you two won’t be having this feeling again any time soon,” Aden said with a stern expression.

“No way,” Tess said and took a bite of her toast as Mark grabbed himself a slice from the plate in the middle of the counter. “So what’s Mark’s punishment gonna be?” Tess asked excitedly when she’d swallowed her mouthful.

“We’ll talk about that when your Mother comes down,” Aden told them.

“Where is Mum?” Tess asked.

“She’s just coming,” Aden answered as Belle walked in to the room.

“Morning,” she said to them all and went over to kiss her husband.

“Urgh,” Mark said, “Do you have to do that in public?”

“We’re in the kitchen, Mark,” Belle laughed.

“…but you don’t have to do it in front of me and Tess,” he continued forcefully.

“Leave me out of it,” said Tess. “I think it’s cute.”

“You’re such a girl,” Mark complained.

“She’s just saying it’s cute cos you’re gonna have to put up with it from her as well now,” Belle said, smiling coyly at her daughter.

“What?” Mark said, suddenly shocked.

“Tess has a boyfriend,” Aden explained. “…and there shall be no such public displays of affection in my kitchen either,” he continued sternly, looking at Belle who laughed.

“Who…?” Mark prodded.

“The boy who was round here last night, Tyler,” Belle said.

“…really?” Mark drawled.

“Yes, but you can’t tell anyone. Only family know. So please Mum and Dad can you keep it to yourselves too, we just don’t want everyone at school finding out?” Tess asked them desperately as she got off of her stool and grabbed her bags to leave.

“Hang on a sec,” Aden said. “We need to talk to you and Mark about punishments.”

“…but I’m already being punished,” Tess exclaimed incredulously.

Aden laughed, “We’re not going to punish you again, Tess.”

“Your father and I have been talking and, Tess, after tonight, you are no longer grounded,” Belle told her.

“What?” she exclaimed happily. “Seriously?”

“Yes, just don’t make us regret it,” Belle continued, smiling.

“Thank you,” Tess told them honestly.

“…and Mark you are going to be grounded for two days and work one shift at the diner when we need you too so that you’ve had the equivalent of Tess’s punishment,” Aden carried on.

Mark narrowed his eyes, “Why are you doing this?”

Aden shrugged, “…because we know you’re both good kids and these were just one time occurrences. If they happen again it just means that punishments will be that much harsher,” he warned.

Mark looked at Aden oddly, “Thanks,” he said awkwardly and Aden nodded in acknowledgement.

“I have to go,” Tess told them as she went to walk out the door. “See you later.”

“Have a good day, honey,” Belle called as Tess left.

“I’m going to go and sort some stuff out,” Belle said, with a hinting look in her eyes directed at Aden who nodded as Belle left the room.

“So Mark,” Aden started. “You have another game on Saturday, right?”

Mark stopped eating suddenly, “…but I’m off the team.”

“Not anymore,” Aden said, smiling very slightly apologetically. “I’m sorry Mark. I was being way too harsh on you for reasons that are completely not your fault,” he paused for a second. “That being said, I do not approve of you going out drinking with your team mates after practice. So as long as you agree not to do that anymore," he paused, "...you can go out... just don’t drink,” Aden made sure he understood what was being asked of him. “Then you can stay on the team.”

“Thanks Dad,” Mark said and gave Aden the first genuine smile he had in months.

“So the game?” Aden asked again.

“Yeah,” Mark said excitedly, “It’s just a friendly but I’m looking forward to it.”

“Do you want me to come watch?” Aden asked.

Mark was taken aback for a second, “Will you actually be able to make it?” he said bitterly.

Aden sighed, “I’m sorry for missing your games, Mark. There are reasons, I’m just not ready to tell you them yet. Please understand that. But I’m going to try and make more of an effort. I am proud of you. I promise that I will be at that game on Saturday,” Aden said confidently.

Mark smiled again, “Okay, cool. You can come watch.”

“Right, now get to school,” Aden said, regaining his strict mannerism although Mark knew he wasn’t being that serious.

I hope you enjoyed that, and it wasn't a let down... well done to xknomex and whispered_envy for getting the picture frame right! lol

Coming up in future chapters... a bit cryptic lol

Promises made, promises kept?...

Visions of the past (for more than one but in very different ways)...

Paradise Lost...

Secrets kept... finally told...

A person lives on in memory to help...

If you're nice and leave me a comment, i might tell you who the clues are about... hehe

[LAURZY!]

I dont know why you were worried at all, it was brilliant!

The conversation between Belle and Aden was so realistic and emotional, made me get all teary lol

Loved that he told Mark he was proud of him. I hope he does explain why he was like he was

Fantastic as per usual!! great update loved it

BTW those cryptic clues are VERY cryptic

[xknomex]

wow that was a good chapter!!!!!

I'm so glad that Aden is going to the game (he'd better get there!) and that he is proud of mark

I had tears in my eyes while reading the conversation between Aden and Belle, it made so much sense!

Brilliant!!

I agree with Laura those are very cryptic cryptic clues

xxx

I can go to sleep now