Rob turned the key in the lock and opened the door. Karen was sat on the bottom of the stairs looking at him. Rob let Aiden go first before walking in himself.
Karen looked at them both. "She knows." She didn't need to say anymore. Aiden ran past Karen up the stairs and started knocking on the door to Jess' room.
Rob walked fully into the house before shutting the door behind him. He sat next to Karen on the stairs and pulled her close. "I'm so sorry Karen...we tried to get home...Aiden's pretty cut up about everything..."
Karen put a hand on to his knee. "None of this is your fault, or Aiden's fault, and we both know that this is a load of rubbish...Charlie is trying to play games." She hung her head. "It's just unfortunate that they're hurting so many people."
Rob rubbed her back before gently kissing her forehead. Karen raised her head so her lips met his and kissed him. She smiled at him. "Maybe...oh I don't know. I feel like I've dragged you and Aiden into this..."
"Did you really just say that?" Rob turned and looked directly at her. "Karen I'm pretty sure that this is where Aiden wants to be right now. You know how much he cares about Jess...in fact all of you..." He took both of her hands. "And I had hoped that you would understand how much you mean to me by now...and that there is no where I would rather be." He lent his head forward so it gently rested against hers. "I love you..." He grinned at her. "That felt good...I love you Karen Fisher...and I'm not going anywhere..." He kissed her again before adding. "Whether you like it or not."
Karen melted into his kiss...then she whispered into it. "I love you too." They both broke off. Rob looked at her.
"Say it again?" He couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He told her how much she meant and how much he loved her nearly every day. Most of the time she would smile at him, or reply with a kiss...but this was different.
Karen grinned back. "I...love...you." She dragged the words out putting more emphasis on each of them. She had known that this was different for a while, but she had been too scared to label it, she didn't want to jump into something, but sitting there and listening to him talk about her kids they way he always did, about how much they meant to him...she just knew. Everytime he touched her she felt dizzy...and when they kissed, well it was like nothing she had experienced before. If this wasn't love then she wasn't sure what was.
Rob lent forward and whispered into her ear. "When all this is sorted...I seem to remember we broke off rather prematurely earlier." He ran a hand up the inside of her thigh making her shiver. He was careful not to tease too much, they both knew that it wasn't the right time.
Karen gently bit her lip before answering. "We've got a lot of catching up to do Mr Scotcher." She lent forward and kissed his lips gently before teasing them apart with her tongue. The lingering kiss answered any questions that may have been hanging around them. Shortly after they broke apart they both stood up.
"Bex and Harry will be back soon...and then I guess we all need to talk?" Rob looked at her. He didn't want her to think that he was trying to take over.
"Yes. First I think that I need to phone the solicitor...Charlie has taken this too far. I have to do something to protect Jess...and Aiden." Karen broke off...she hadn't really though about Aiden in all of this. Most of the school knew that he had a past, and some of them knew what it was. Yet he had been turning it round, and he had been a good influence on Jess. Better still Karen knew that in Aiden, Jess had someone she trusted and would confide in.
Rob nodded. "We both know it's a load of rubbish Karen...and most of the school do, we just need to stick together and this will all blow over.
...
The six of them sat around the table. They had been talking for the past half an hour about the ins and outs of what had happened at school. One thing that seemed to be clear to everyone was that Charlie wasn't going to let things lie easily. However now the conversation had moved onto Jess and the identity of the babies father. Harry had decided that if everyone knew who the Dad was then all of this would be sorted. However Jess wasn't budging.
"C'mon Jess. You must know..." Harry broke off. "Don't you?"
"I'm not a complete slapper you know. Of course I know who he is...I just don't see what it has to do with anything." Jess crossed her arms and glared at Harry who shrank back into his chair.
"I didn't mean...I just thought if everyone knew then this would all stop." Harry didn't know what else to say...
"I can't tell you..." Jess spoke again quietly from where she was sitting. She looked towards her Mum. "I want to...but I can't..." She felt the tears welling in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away without anyone seeing but it didn't work.
Rob looked at Aiden and then to Bex and Harry. "Anyone want another cup of tea?" He got up from the table and walked into the kitchen. Seeing it as a single Bex, Harry and Aiden followed him leaving Jess and Karen at the table.
"I know it's hard Jess...and I understand that you don't want to talk about him..." Karen moved and sat on the chair next to Jess. "Does he know that he's the father?"
Jess looked at her and gently shook her head.
Karen nodded. "Jess...are you scared of this man?" She ran a hand down Jess' arm before gently turning her to look at her.
Jess felt the tears flowing and this time she knew that there was point in trying to wipe them away. She tried to speak but there were no words, so instead she nodded her head.
Karen nodded and then put her arms around Jess, who at the comfort from her Mum started crying even harder. Karen knew when to push for a bit more and when not. It was becoming clear how scared Jess was of the babies Dad...she didn't need to know any more tonight.
