Set a few years in the future. Let's just pretend that the surrogacy went ahead before Robert got sent down but that everything else happened the same...
Yeah this started out a bit more light hearted but apparently the angst had to come out. Apologies.
*****
"This is ridiculous! Why won't they tell us anything?"
"You know why, or has your memory failed you that much?" Aaron sighs as Robert starts pacing the small foyer area of Hotten nick again. He hasn't sat down for more than thirty seconds since they arrived.
Aaron gets it, too many memories, even after all these years. He'd got the call, he's sure his heart skip a dozen or so beats when he heard it was the police on the other end of the line. He doesn't remember saying anything too shocked that it was their daughter they were calling about and not Seb. Not that Seb's trouble, it's more that trouble finds him, or usually Isaac with Seb not far behind. But, Ana, they'd never so much as had a call from school about here, a minor miracle according to his mum, and now here she was arrested and being questioned.
"One of us should be with her."
"She asked for Moira, you know that. Do you want another tea?"
"No Aaron, I don't want another tea. Our daughter has been arrested! I don't give a rat's arse about tea." Aaron opens his mouth to answer but the door opens and there's Ana with Moira close behind. Robert's on them in a flash.
"Well, what happened?" Criminal damage was all they knew, couldn't be told any more apparently. "What have you done? Did someone put you up to it?"
"Are we going home?" Is all she says, ignoring Robert and looking at him, arms wrapped round her middle, too big hoodie making her look years younger. He knows despite his worry and anger, Robert's going to be hurt by that. The two of them are as close as anything but she's always gone to Aaron more when she's stressed and he knows Robert's still put out about it.
"Yeah, come on. Moira, thank you."
"No problem." She waits until Ana goes on ahead before she speaks again, voice quiet. "Let her explain before you read her the riot act eh?"
He nods, hand on Robert's arm already, knowing there's no point getting into it here, she'll just clam up, just like him that way.
It's a silent drive home, Robert silently fuming next to him, Ana, head down in the back and him thinking all sorts. When they get home Seb is lounging on the sofa, phone in hand. He looks up as they troop in and Aaron knows he's already heard, probably from Isaac.
"Right miss, take a seat. Seb, clear off for a bit will ya." Robert's in no mood for waiting apparently and Aaron winces at the eye roll she sends his way. It's not that Robert's got a temper, well no more than he ever had, but his patience is still a lot less than before prison. It's better with the two of them, but worry is just making it all worse.
"Why don't I put the kettle on and..."
"No, Aaron, I want to know why our daughter, our daughter who has never been in trouble, suddenly gets herself arrested!"
"Chill out dad."
"Don't tell me to chill out Ana. Do you know what this means? A criminal record? That goes on everything, from uni, to jobs. Everything!"
"She knows that, but you shouting isn't going to help." The stupid thing is, it's usually him getting worked up with them, not Robert, he's the soft one with them out of the two of them. Aaron's the one who's stricter about bedtimes, about homework, curfews. He'd never imagined it that way at all but somehow he was. "You have to tell us Ana."
"This is why I didn't want you in the interview."
"Ok, we get that but we're your parents, whether you like us or not. We're the ones who are going to be paying for your solicitor or fine so you're going to sit there and tell us everything. Got it? Starting with what you've actually been charged with."
"Criminal damage."
"For what?" He sits beside her, the pair of them falling back into their usual roles. It's just odd that it's not Seb before them. "We're not mad."
"Yes we are." Robert says but Aaron knows he isn't not really, more worried than anything.
"That's not going to help. Alright, just tell us, we'll try not to get too mad." He down up at Aaron. "Better?"
"Oh wonderful."
"The two of you are so embarrassing."
"Part of the job description I'm afraid sweetheart." He nudges her shoulder, dragging a smile from her. "Come on, fess up, what happened."
"I...threw a brick through a window." She's got her head down, hair falling in her face as she speaks, so quiet Aaron can barely hear her.
"Whose?"
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it does!" Robert shouts and Aaron really wishes he'd calm down just a bit because he's been there, someone shouting at you when you just want them to go away. All it does is make everything a hundred times worse.
"Wendy Posner's." Robert looks at him, shock all over his face. They've not thought about her in years, she was long gone by the time he'd come home and he knew that Harry didn't see that much of her and if he did, it was outside the village. He didn't even know how Ana knew her name.
"What?" Robert's voice is a whisper now, mentions of that family will always have him like that, the regret of what he'd done to Aaron mixed up in so much turmoil. Aaron knew he didn't feel actual guilt for what he'd done, only the result. They'd discussed it over and over when he'd come home but it had been years and it all coming back up again was not something he was prepared for.
"How do you even know who she is?" Is all he can come up with and it gets him an eye roll in return.
"You've heard of the internet dad. Don't be dumb."
"Oi! We didn't bring you up this way."
"Really? You've been to prison four times, once because they thought you'd shot Dad, and he did six years, only getting out when I was hitting primary school, and it was all her, and her sons fault!" With that she's gone, running up the stairs, slamming her door before they can stop her. He just stares up at Robert, not knowing what to say.
"Well..."
"She's your daughter." They both say at the same time, and the little laugh he lets out releases some tension. He has no idea what to do now though. Robert just looks shell shocked.
"Did that just happen?"
"'Fraid so. Christ what a mess." Robert collapses beside him on the sofa, running his hands through his hair. "How did she even find out."
"It's fairly easy." Comes Seb's voice from the stairs. "I looked it up when I was nine and still living with Aunt Bridget."
"You what?" Robert's voice is barely there now. He'd always been afraid of them finding out everything, which in Aaron's opinion was daft living where they did. Maybe he should've pushed harder to sit them down and explain but it felt easier not to.
"No one would tell me anything. Mum always just said you had to go away and then Ross left and Aunt Bridget wouldn't talk about anything. What else was I supposed to do? It's not like you two ever talked to me when I came back to live here." He shrugs and heads to the kitchen, head halfway in the fridge as he finishes talking. "Ana must've done the same thing."
"So it's our fault?" Seb, now out of the fridge with a plate of leftovers, just looks at them like they're stupid. Days like these he wonders why he'd ever wanted children.
"Oh my god, no. Look Ana's being dumb, I'm just saying that it's easy enough to find out stuff. I know they didn't have google in your day dad, but it's been about a while now."
"Is your sister in her room still?" He asks. One of them has to do something, and Robert is still sat there gaping at Seb like a fish. It's kind of fun to watch some times, the two of them far too alike, but right now he's just worried about his daughter.
"Yeah. Playing that rubbish she likes. I'm goin' to Isaac's." And then he's gone, plate half empty, abandoned on the table.
"Tell me why we had kids again?"
"What the hell are we going to do? That family is still ruining everything."
"I'm going to go and talk to her. You should go take a walk, calm down."
"I can handle it."
"I never said you couldn't, but I'm not stupid, this is bringing up a lot of stuff for both of us, but especially you, and talking to her if you're in a state isn't going to help anyone." Even all these years on he still had the occasional nightmare or everything just piled up on top of him. "Go on, it'll still be there when you get back."
Aaron climbs the stairs once he's gone, two mugs of tea as a peace offering, gently pushing the door open to find Ana lying on her back on the bed.
"Made you some tea."
"Where's dad?" She sits up, throwing her phone down on the duvet.
"Gone for a walk. He's not mad, just...memories, that's all. Want to talk now?" He sits on the edge of the bed as she nods, not crowding but close enough to her. "Why Ana?"
"I don't know." He raises his eyebrows, not expecting that. "I really don't. These boys at school were...I don't know how they found out about dad but they were sayin' stuff and I didn't know what they were talking about."
"So you looked it up? Oh sweetheart, why didn't you ask me or your dad."
"Because whenever it gets mentioned you both change the subject. We never watch anything on TV about prison and stuff. I didn't want to hurt you." She sniffles and he holds out his arms and she shuffles closer. "I can hear dad when he has bad dreams."
"It still doesn't explain the brick."
"Her, and her sons. They caused it. Lee hurt Aunty Vic, and the other one, he let dad go to prison."
"I still hit him." They both turn to look at Robert standing in the doorway. "I still hit him, no one made me do that. I made a choice. I can't tell you that I would never do something like that again if someone I loved was hurt, but it was my choice, just like it was my choice to plead guilty, and to cut your dad, and you and Seb off. I'm not sorry that I hit him, but I am sorry that I did the rest. More sorry than you know." Aaron just lets him speak, he's heard it all before, many times, and everything that came after is something they both have to live with.
"But..."
"No buts. Lee Posner was a monster and I'm glad he's dead. I won't lie to you about that, and maybe Luke was a coward for not coming forward until he did, but that doesn't mean you get to throw bricks through people's windows whoever they are."
"I..."
"We should've, me and your dad, we should've sat you and Seb down and explained everything, but we were trying to protect you from something that hurt the two of us very badly." She looks up in surprise. "But...you have to own what you did. We brought you up better than that."
She doesn't answer, just burrows closer to Aaron, hands fisted in his jumper. "We're not angry sweetheart, just worried."
"Will I go to prison?" She sounds so young that Aaron wants to bundle her up and run until nothing can hurt her.
"I don't know, but we are going to do everything we can to ensure you don't, and if you do, your dad and I will be right here for you, just like always." She moves then, into Robert's arms and Aaron just stares at them, so alike in nature, even if she did have his curls and eyes no one could say no to.
"Course we will. We'll talk to a solicitor tomorrow. You'll be alright sweetheart, promise."
"I'm sorry."
"We know you are. It'll all turn out alright, you'll see. But you have to talk to us next time, or even god help me, your brother. Violence solves nothing. Dad and I are both proof of that and we want you, and Seb to never be like that."
"Why don't I chuck this tea away that we've let go cold, eh? And then we'll get your brother back from making mischief with Isaac and have a family movie night. Haven't done that for a while."
"Ok." She pulls away from Robert. "I'm going to wash my face."
"Think she'll be alright?" Robert asks when she's gone.
"Yeah. And if not, well she's got us doesn't she?"
He attempted to kill Aaron (he had the intent even though he was struggling to go through with it) to continue his life with Chrissie. He wanted to kill Lachlan because he hurt Rebecca. He killed the rapist for his sister. But with Aaron he was like "nah.i care about you but no so much that I would commit murder"
lmao 😭
1) your description of why the lodge happened is the most reductive thing I've read in a hot minute even without the further context we got later about how mashed Roberts head was about how sexuality
2) I'm not getting into the six million ways Rebecca's kidnapping was entirely about Seb vs his own mother issues yet again but that throw away line about how he and Aaron should've let him drown was after the fact Lachlan was a multiple murderer who could've killed Liv/himself/Seb if he'd been at the mill during the gassing, never once did he say or even hint at "because he hurt Rebecca"
3) l** taunted him about what he'd done and said he'd do it again, and this was after months of Robert trying every dodgy thing he could do to get it sent to prison (much like he did with g*rd*n 🤔🤔)
4) which brings us to Aaron. at the start he'd already threatened him, then his focus turned to supporting Aaron, who ended up going to the police (❤️). what use would Robert having him murdered have done? you saw how Aaron reacted when Cain tried to. as the story went on it was increasingly clear that Aaron was pinning his hopes on g*rd*n being found guilty so everybody would know what he was/was also pinning his hopes on g*rd*n admitting it to him. Robert knew that, so again how would murdering g*rd*n have helped? and that's not getting into the millions of (better) ways he showed Aaron how much he loved like, not least the final thing he did. like, cmon
an alternative ending to last nights ep - not quite as angsty (unfortunately)
“Please don’t walk out of that door,” Aaron calls as Robert’s hand twists on the doorknob, his heart breaking at the prospect of a night without his husband.
“You just told me to go?” Robert questions, tentatively stepping back from the door. The space between them feels awkward, tense, filled to the brim with Robert's tears and Aaron’s anger.
“Yeah, I know. And now I’ve changed my mind,” Aaron says, the pleading now replaced with a coldness. He can’t have Robert thinking he’s forgiven, because he isn’t. Not by a long shot.
Robert's throat constricts. “I'm sorry,” he says. It feels inadequate, but it's all he's got. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the solicitor, it was a bit sudden and I just-“
“You just what, Robert?” Aaron has to prompt, all whilst fighting a few different emotions at once. He doesn’t know whether to scream at Robert or wrap him in his arms.
“I don’t know,” he responds sounding defeated. “I swear Aaron - that was my attempt at trying to do things the right; legal, way. I just got it a bit off the mark - again.”
“It’s not about it being right Robert - nothing is right in a situation like this, but what it should be about is Vic,” Aaron states, anger disputed somewhat but emotions still running high. “You’ve got to do this Victoria’s way, whether you like it or not.”
“I know,” Robert whispers. “Old habits die hard.”
Silence is what follows, and Robert’s sure he’s gone and said the wrong thing, again. Without meaning to, he takes a step back towards the door. Maybe it’s because he thinks it’s for the best, or maybe the sudden fear that settles in his chest, ice cold.
“I can still go,” he offers, and wraps a hand around the neck of his leather jacket. “If you want me to leave, I'll go.”
“Of course I don’t want you to go, you muppet,” Aaron says, clear. “We’re a team, remember? Now just sit down will ya.”
Gingerly, Robert does as he's told. He takes the next to where Aaron’s already seated, pulls it out but leaves enough space between them to let Aaron know he’s aware he's fucked up.
“The last thing I want is to lose you over this. You’re my world, Aaron.”
Aaron kicks at the chair leg, lets Robert’s calm voice roll over him like a cold tidal wave. “Do you mean that?” he asks, and wishes desperately that the answer is still yes.
“You know I do.”
Only Aaron doesn’t seem entirely convinced and Robert hates himself for putting these doubts anywhere near Aaron’s mind.
“You’re my priority Aaron,” Robert answers desperately, “You and our family. Vic and Diane. That's never changed, I’m just so angry and I’ve let that blindside me.”
“I understand Robert, I do. What happened to Vic is - it’s awful - and I’m just as angry as you, Rob, I really am. But you’ve got to understand how your actions are affecting Vic.”
“I know. I bet she hates me” Robert decides, and then: “and you.”
“She doesn’t. We don’t, never could. You’re not the first person to do something stupid in a situation like this, probably won’t be the last either.”
“Feels like I am.”
“Do you not remember that time my Mum went all Banksy on Gorden’s car?” It’s not a time they talk about much, the memories too painful for Aaron to bare, but it gets a quite giggle out of Robert. “And who was it that stopped her? You. Because you knew her stupidity was only going to hurt me further.”
Robert considered it for a quite second, and God it hurt, because Robert is Chas now, isn’t he? He’s only causing Victoria further grief like Chas had done to Aaron all those years back. And yeah, their hearts might’ve been in the right place, but that doesn’t change the facts.
“I-” Robert starts but has to clear his throat, cough the sadness; the regret, away. “Why do you keep giving me so many chances? I don’t deserve it”
“You do, Robert. Of course ya do.” Robert looked disbelieving, head in his hands as Aaron speaks to him.
He gulps, and takes in breath after breath in attempt to quell the sobs building inside him. Because that-that's it, isn't it? He feels like he's all out of chances, out of attempts. Like he's failed this level of life one too many times and his checkpoints have been erased.
“Swore I’d never disappoint ya again and look at what I’ve done.”
“I can be angry at what you did without thinking you’re a disappointment. You’re not, not at all. You never disappoint me, Rob.” Aaron says, wiping at the tears on Robert’s face.
And Robert used to be good at guarding his emotions when he needed; covering his weakest points, but with Aaron, there’s no point in even trying.
“Don’t wanna lose ya,” Robert manages to splutter, his chest aching with the effort of speaking.
The tentative grip he'd had on himself finally snaps, and he hides his mouth in the crook of his elbow to muffle the sounds that tear their way out of his throat.
Aaron's hand moves from Robert’s face to grip at his shoulder. He says something - Robert's name - and then pulls until Robert lets himself fall, head-first, into Aaron's arms.
“You won’t,” Aaron replies fiercely. “I’m here, Robert. I promise ya, I’m here. We’ll sort this”
“Love you,” Roberts mumbles, words squashed down with pain and fear, but as real as ever.
Vic was not his first victim. She certainly wasn't going to be his last. He has absolutely no remorse because in his head what he did is what women want.
Period.
There will be no moment of clarity or regret. There will be no "justice" that way like it was for Gordon who regretted I suppose what he did to his own son. Because Gordon knew all along it was wrong.
Lee does not and will not
So Emmerdale can fucking spare me this narrative, thanks.
They can tell the story of a victim never getting justice without somehow making the victim feel sorry for her fucking attacker or regretting wanting him to pay.
article: "Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins explains Victoria's shocking decision over Robert"
me: lol you can't explain it it's utter nonsense...HE'S HER BROTHER FFS! IT SHOULDN'T BE EVEN A QUESTION WHETHER SHE HELPS OR NOT!!! Let's face it you can't justify this shitty sl
Call me out if I've worded this shitly but if we hadn't seen what he did to her in really too much detail you'd really be forgiven for thinking he was falsely accused with how they're going about presenting the narrative of his death and what's worse is he'll probably never be proven that he was what what he was which was a monster
