Sweet Dreams - Ace Merrill

Yes mum.

Vivian awoke to a fairly loud knocking coming from downstairs. Groaning she rolled over and saw she had a blanket now laying over her. Sitting up confused she slowly pulled it off as the knock came again.

"I'm fucking coming! Jesus!" She groaned as she quickly left the room and went downstairs.

Opening the front door, she moved aside quickly as each of the cobras came in.

Fuzzy first.

Then Jack.

Then Vince.

Then Charlie.

Then Billy.

Then her brother.

Then Eyeball.

Yet when she saw Ace walk in, her heart stopped.

In his arms rested John, happily clinging to Ace's top, half of it in his mouth as his slobber went all over Ace.

"Your child." He mumbled as her mouth dropped slightly.

Ace saw the smile grow on her face as she reached out and gently stroked John's cheek. She began making faces as she noticed just how tightly he was clinging to Ace's shirt.

"Uncle my arse." Alex mumbled as he leant over to Eyeball.

The pair watched as Ace kept a hold of John, with Vivian leaning in, giving him kisses and pulling faces.

Eyeball nodded. "We're the only fucking uncles here."

Alex nodded again in agreement as the pair bumped fists and smiled at the sight, before nudging each other into the kitchen as they felt like they deserved a drink.

"How? I thought we were going to sort it today?" Vivian asked as she looked up at Ace in disbelief.

Ace shrugged slightly. "Technically by the time we picked up your brother and got to that dickheads house it was just gone 12 so..." he shrugged again.

Vivian simply beamed at him before turning back to John as she softly stroked his cheek.

"You can't give him up." Ace mumbled as he felt his jaw clench, looking down at her.

She turned to him. "Ace I can't raise him by myself." She pleaded. "Don't make this harder than-"

"But you're not raising him by yourself." Ace interrupted.

Vivian looked up at him. "I'm a single mum Merrill. That's kinda the definition of raising a child by yourself." She replied sarcastically.

Ace shook his head. "What the fuck are we then? Just the furniture?" He scoffed out as he nodded towards the kitchen and living room where the others were all lazing and trying to stay awake.

Vivian laughed as she shook her head. "It's different, I didn't mean it like that. A baby needs a proper family." Her gaze returned to John as he continued to try shoving Ace's shirt in his mouth. "He needs a proper mum and dad." She whispered.

"He's got a proper mum and-" Ace started but stopped himself as Vivian looked up at him, expectantly.

She felt her heart begin to race a little faster as he almost seemed to stumble over his words.

"He's got you and-" he paused again. "What I mean is, you and-" yet another pause.

"This is painful to watch." Alex mumbled as he watched from the kitchen doorway.

Eyeball nodded at his side, taking a swig from the bottle he had. "Reckon we should help him out?"

Alex thought about it as he tilted his head to the side. "Nah, kinda funny watching him struggle." He laughed slightly.