Effys story (a skins fanfic)

The right thing to do (21)

I stepped through the threshold I knew all too well, my home. It seemed so strange to be back after everything that had happened in New York. I knew I could never forget but I had to move on with my life and now I was back I felt like it had been a whole lifetime ago since I was last here.

I stared at the bottles of pills littering my cabinet but they didn't mean anything anymore, I knew if I could get through what happened in New York I could get through anything and I knew that the black hole inside that had once swallowed everything up had finally disappeared. I was safe and Maybe even happy.

I walked downstairs and noticed two figure perched on the end of the sofa. I had almost forgotten the importance of family.

"Eff your home!"
"Hi tony. hi Michelle" I replied smiling and suddenly I was in Tony's arms. I relaxed against his chest.
"Your safe"
"Yeah I'm safe, how's mum?"
"She's been okay, I'm so glad you're okay"
"Me too" I replied honestly.

***

I closed the door to Freddie's shed behind me and smiled. Cook was sitting alone on the sofa with a spliff hanging from the side of his mouth.
"You alright eff?" He asked without looking up at me.
"Yes"
"That's great then, want a spliff?"
I took the lighter and a spliff from the spliff stash and lit it. I perched on the edge of the sofa, my short black skirt rose up and my fishnet tights came into view. I grabbed the vodka bottle from the side. I took a swig and drew my spliff at the same time. Cook finally looked at me.
"Impressive stuff eff"
"As always cook" I smirked.

Without a warning, the shed door rattled with the harsh knocks.
"It's the police, we are here for James cook, open the door now we know you're in there!"
I exchanged a quick look of pure fear with cook as the police continued to rattle on the door and I put down my spliff calmly. Our banta as over and this was serious. The police had been after cook for ages and now they had found him.

Cook looked at me intently and spoke without once taking his eyes off me. "I'm here I'm coming" he spoke calmly, too calmly for cook.
He advanced towards the door but I grabbed his wrist midway.
"What the fuck are you doing cook? You need to get out of here, I'll cover you, run!"
"Where has running ever got us eff? Maybe it's time to stop running"
I looked at him in confusion and slowly let go of his wrist.
"Effy I avoid every consequence of what I do, maybe it's time to just let it go, I don't have much to live for anyway" he gave her a sad smile as he got closer and closer to the door.
"No cook, that's not true, don't do this, we need you, I need you was everything we did for nothing?"
"That's exactly it eff, it can't be for nothing and I need to do something about it. I need to stop running away, I don't give a shit about most rules but I can't keep running from them now, what I've done is too serious. I won't get away, not ever, maybe it's time for a change"

I stopped and realised maybe he was right, we had all grown so much and no mater how much it hurt, maybe he needed to take responsibility for his actions.
He took another step towards the door but not before I grabbed him and wrapped my arms around him. He kissed my knuckles over and over.
"I love you effy stonem always have always will, and I'll come find you when I get out" he laughed drily at that last part and gave me a sad smile because we both knew it would be decades before he was let out of prison.
"I love you too cook, and I'll see you soon, I promise" I whispered back as a tear escaped my eye.

The police suddenly barged in, knocking the door down with their guns and cook dropped to his knees in surrender.
"James cook, we are arresting you on suspicion of the murder of john foster..." I didn't hear the rest because cook was handcuffed and dragged away but I knew what they would say.

Freddie managed to manoeuvre himself over to  the chaos.
"What's going on?" He demanded.
"It's time to let go Freddie, cooks done us right for once" I spoke as I entwined our fingers. Cook held his gaze on mine once more before he disappeared completely out of sight.
"They've really got him this time haven't they?" Freddie asked
"Yes but he needs it, I think he does"
Freddie's eyes watered over as his gaze remained on the broken door of the shed.
"Your right, the only fucking time he does something right is when it hurts us the most" he tried to laugh but it didn't quite make it.
"Yes" I replied as I looked down at our hands.

"Love you eff"
"Love you too Freddie"