10 Years (Zerkaa/TBJZL) (A Sidemen Story)

Chapter 24 - Building Bridges

Vikk was back in the Sidemen house but all the circumstances were different. This hadn't been his home for some time, but, his presence was always here and that could not be removed. Tobi anticipated drama. He believed he was making a mistake, and thought that he was being naïve allowing Vikk back into everyone's lives, but forgiveness is a virtue, one that is part of the most rational and reasonable people and should never be overlooked. But forgiving and forgetting is never easy.

Vikk stood across from the other five men who he had manipulated and contorted into individual emotional bubbles. He felt a tide of emotions, fear, regret, disappointment to name but a few. The tide however had to go out. These feelings needed to disappear, it was time for Vikk to own up to what he'd done.

"Will you guys allow me to speak?" he asked in a concerned tone

"I guess so"

"yeah"

answered the others apart from Josh.

Josh just stood staring right into Vikk's soul. The shoe was on the other foot, Vikk was the powerless one and Josh knew it. The tension was palpable, Josh's death stare not helping the situation but he weighed everything up and finally replied.

"This better be fucking good." said Josh coldly. 

"What I did... was nothing short of disgusting. I apologise profusely to you all for acting the way I did, especially you Josh and Tobi, there is no way that I'll be able to fully repair what I've done, but the time I've been away from you all, I've missed you all. I realised that I needed you all, I can't operate without you guys."

The others apart from Josh started to sympathise slightly, understanding that this wasn't easy for Vikk, but they needed more, so far, there was no guarantee. In contrast, Josh just stood quietly, eyeing up Vikk, analysing every facet of his apology, his words, his expression, his emotion. Josh was showing no emotion, he didn't need to in order to convey how he felt. Vikk continued:

"I don't know what overtook me and made me do these things. I'm not normally like that as I hope you guys would know and have known since the beginning, but good people do bad things and they get things wrong. I'm nowhere near perfect, but I'm a moral person deep down and I've had plenty of time to reflect on everything. I'm sick to the stomach about what I did, the guilt has eaten away for over year and half and the last time I felt truly happy was when I was with you guys and I didn't have my darker side cloud my judgement. Forgiveness is important, Harry received it and you did too didn't you Josh, we gave you a second chance didn't we?"

Josh carried on staring, he didn't want or need to say anything. Everyone looked at Josh and knew he needed to hear all of it, Vikk concluded:

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry, I messed up big time and I can't do what I do without you guys, I just want everything to go back to the way it was, to the way it used to be. Please forgive me."

Vikk started to cry. The tide had gone out but the ripples had occasionally hit him until a wave hit him. The five Sidemen except Josh couldn't help but feel sympathetic. They could tell Vikk was sorry and at the end of the day, everyone deserves a second chance. Tobi went up to Vikk, the others wary of what he was about to say.

"Vikk... I... I... forgive you." It was a bitter pill for Tobi to swallow. This man had tried to destroy the foundations he had built with Josh and he had allowed him back into his life, but he knew people could be redeemed and he could sense that Vikk had changed back to his old self, his Jekyll and Hyde period had ceased and this brought Tobi some renewed optimism with regards to Vikk. He brought him into a hug.

"Thank you Tobi. That means an incredible amount to me"

"Don't mention it" said Tobi who let out a small smile.

Simon and Ethan both hugged Vikk, they both wanted their old friend back and could see he wanted to make everything up. If Harry and Josh could apologise and be forgiven for everything then Vikk deserved to be as well.

"Thank you guys. It's good to be with you again." said Vikk happily

Simon and Ethan nodded. Ethan revealing their news to him

"We're together by the way. for real." said Ethan smiling, giving Simon a quick kiss.

"Congratulations! I'm really happy for you two!" exclaimed Vikk happily. Josh scoffed at this.

Harry next accepted Vikk's apology, forgiving him for his manipulation leading to the incident with Tobi. Harry could particularly empathise with Vikk. He had had to apologise and regain the Sidemen's trust and he had done it. He felt Vikk would be no different, especially after all this time.

JJ was up next and accepted the apology.

"Thank you for stopping me JJ, before I turned into something that would have led me down an incredibly dark path. You didn't just save Josh and Tobi. You saved me too." said Vikk appreciatively.

"No worries buddy. All's forgiven" JJ responding by giving him a hug.

"Get back to your room Vikk and set everything up. We've got to catch up and we've got work to do" said Tobi smiling, prompting a huge smile and feeling of elation from Vikk, he could breathe again, he could be himself again, but most of all, he could be part of the Sidemen again.

Josh however was not happy. He left the room and went out into the garden and was not willing to forgive so easily. Tobi followed him, wanting everything to be sorted out.

"Josh, what's wrong? Vikk's apologised, we can go back to how it used to be, don't you want that?"

"He's bad news Tobi." replied Josh with no emotion, and a completely serious look on his face.

"I can't trust him and I don't intend to forgive him. He tried to ruin us and that is indefensible."

Tobi sighed, he had to try and convince the sceptical Josh: "Can't you empathise with him Josh? You were forgiven. Harry was. Why can't you forgive Vikk?"

"This is different Tobi. He did everything on such a grand scale, he may seem innocent now but he can't be trusted. I'm willing to let him try and prove himself, but if he does one thing out of line, it's game over." Josh was dead serious. He'd had enough of drama, he wanted a smooth ride for the rest of his life, as we all do, but in the end, that's not possible.

Tobi just had to accept that was the best result he could get. He left Josh to himself, he knew Josh needed time, but time is hardly ever on anyone's side.

Vikk had built bridges with five of the Sidemen.

But his bridge to Josh was still burnt.