North and South

Roll With It

AN: I'm back. Well I didn't go anywhere but this stalled for a good bit. And I'm sorry. Work got crazy and I ended up writing a whole new Oasis fic so thanks for your patience. Warning! Depression and suicidal issues raised.

August 1995

Erin had started her job a few weeks ago and it was going well. She was surprised how well it was going. Maybe this could work. Peggy phoned every week and had even come down to visit a few times. She liked Graham. They got on well and she liked the respectful, kind way he treated her. Noel had even picked up the phone s few times. She hadn't heard from Liam. The way things had been left between them sat like a stone in her belly. She missed her brother. But the way things were going there was a definitive divide. You were Blur. Or you were Oasis. Never both. And in Liam's eyes she had chosen to turn her back on him and the road back to gaining his trust would not be easy.

Things had been simpler when they were kids. Her and Liam kicking footballs across the park and wrestling. She swallowed thickly. She really missed him.

She was home alone as she often was these days. Blur and Oasis were everywhere. She couldn't walk down the street without hearing their songs. The press had turned everything nasty between them and Erin was caught in the middle of a battle she wanted nothing to do with. Graham didn't either. He'd withdrawn from her, most likely because he felt he couldn't talk to her about anything going on with him as everything with Liam was such a mess. He was drinking more than he ever had and Erin didn't know how to get through to him. Neither did Damon.

Erin smoked a cigarette feeling the tears and the smoke catch in her throat. She wanted her mam. 2 singles out the same week. The love of her life and her brothers. Someone would win but either way Erin lost. She hadn't gone with them to the celebration party tonight. It didn't feel right. There was nothing to celebrate. Graham wanted to stay with her but she'd made him promise to go. This was his night.

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Liam angrily put his beer bottle down on the table causing it to clang.

"Our tune was better than theirs. Should have been us up there."

Noel sighed and shrugged as he looked at the ridiculous display Blur were putting on to perform on Top of the Pops.

"Fuck them. Fuck Top of the Pops. Fuck record sales. The music's all that matters. Our songs are gonna be played 50 years from now. Blur's won't."

Liam nodded.

"Do you think she's there...with him?"

Noel nodded.

"You need to stop this Liam. You need to fix this between you both. You know that don't you? She's trying. You have to try at least for mam if not for you. She misses you."

Liam groaned and rubbed his hand across his face.

"Course I want to fix it. I miss her like mad. But look at those cheesy cunts. No. I can't. Not when she's with him. Look at that fucking dick prancing around in our shirt. I can't."

Noel put his hand on Liam's shoulder.

"Graham's alright...look he doesn't look happy. Looks fucking miserable actually."

Liam looked at him with the pound note taped to his strings. He was fucked off and frustrated with the whole thing too. Maybe they weren't so different after all.

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Erin had fallen asleep and was woken by the loud ringing of the house phone. She felt her heart jump out of her chest and worry settled in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. She knew it before she even picked the phone up.