Just In Time... But Was It Worth It?

[wrongturntaken]

Story Title: **Just it time... but was it worth it?**

Type of story: medium fic

Main Characters: Belle/Aden

BTTB rating: A (Originally T but took a different direction than i was anticipating)

Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst,

Does story include spoilers: Yes, very slight Aussie spoilers

Any warnings: No actual violence but references to themes

Summary: Belle gets the worst phone call of her life and what happens next only gets worse.

This is my first home and away fanfic and it's kind of rushed so it's not that good. I think it gets a bit better towards the end so if you can stand it for that long... lol

p.s. Aden i think might be quite a bit OOC but i guess it could just be the situation.

Anyway i hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you think.

Just in time... but was it worth it?

Belle was stood in the kitchen of the pier diner with her phone in one hand and her fingers tapping constantly on the counter whilst she thought about what could possibly be going on that Aden wouldn't answer or return her phone calls.

"Belle," Irene called; a sound which was met with deaf ears.

"Belle!" she shouted a little louder.

"What?" Belle was jolted out of her thoughts.

"What has gotten into you girly, you've been on edge for the whole of your shift?" Irene asked concernedly.

Belle sighed, "I'm sorry Irene… it's just… Aden."

Irene rolled her eyes, "What's he done this time?"

Belle glared at Irene, "He hasn't done anything, he just hasn't been answering or returning my calls," she finished turning to check her phone to see if there were any messages she'd missed. Something she'd been doing nearly every minute for the past hour.

"Did you have a fight?" Irene asked.

"Kind of I guess," Belle answered. "It wasn't really a fight, more of a disagreement and it definitely isn't the reason Aden's not picking up. It's just not like him."

Irene rolled her eyes again, something Belle was noticing she did more and more every time a certain someone's name came up in conversation.

"Irene!" Belle exclaimed; annoyed at the way Irene still referred to Aden even though he had been completely civil and polite to everyone in the house every time he had come over. He had even been helping with the chores and making an effort to take an interest in Geoff and Annie. But it seemed Irene still had her doubts about him and in Belle's heart she knew it was only because she didn't want Belle to end up hurt again.

"I know…I know… I don't know him like you do!" Irene answered turning around to go and get something from the fridge. She put the rocket she had taken in a bowl and placed it on a surface. She put her hands on her hips before saying carefully and shaking her head, "I just don't know how you can trust him when he keeps doing things like this to you Belle?"

Belle pursed her lips, looked to the ceiling and sighed; she had to admit that if Aden hadn't confided the truth in her then she would probably feel the same way as Irene.

"Look, Irene, I realise Aden has given you no reason to trust him, but he has given me one… a huge one… and I've given you reason to trust me so please just do. I really like him and that's not going to change… not in the near future. I just wish you could see how amazing he is," Belle finished pleadingly.

"Yeah… so do I," Irene sighed, taking the prepared meals to the awaiting customers in the diner.

Just then Belle's phone rang causing her to jump, she moved her fingers excitedly to press 'answer' and in her haste nearly pressed 'ignore'. She half wished she had pressed 'ignore' as the message that came next scared her to her core.

"Belle," Aden's voice croaked. A sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry," he added obviously with tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat. And then the click of the phone being hung up.

Belle dropped the phone causing it to smash all over the floor and Irene came hurriedly back in.

"What happened?" she asked; seeing pieces of Belle's phone all over the kitchen floor and Belle's back to her.

Belle turned around slowly bearing a scared expression.

"What's wrong?" Irene said; becoming immediately alert.

"I don't know," Belle said in a voice that was barely audible. "I have to go," she added scrambling the pieces of her phone back together, grabbing her bag and rushing out of the diner.

"Belle, what's going on?" Irene called out after her but Belle was too intent on getting to her destination to listen, she didn't even hear the sea washing against the shore as she walked from the beach to her car.

When she arrived at the Jeffries house the front door had been left slightly ajar, as though company had been expected, she entered cautiously and called out, "Aden?" with no reply.

As she walked through the front room she suddenly spotted Aden's dad, Larry, lying on the sofa in the next room. Her first thought was that he was asleep but when she saw no movement of his chest rising and falling and no sound of breathing in and out; she rushed to his side and saw that his eyes were open. She checked his pulse, just in case, but found nothing as she had expected.

"Aden?" she cried again this time with tears in her eyes. As she turned around from where she had been watching Larry she saw a shoe which she prayed had no foot in it peering from behind the kitchen counter.

"Aden?" she said slowly but when there was no reply she rushed over to see an unconscious Aden, with his eyes closed and a bottle of pills in his hand, lying on the floor of the kitchen.

Belle took the bottle of pills from his hand and opened them, there were still half left, but they were prescription drugs and the date on them was today's so if Aden had done what Belle thought he had, he had still taken a dangerous amount.

Belle dropped the pills on the floor and began checking Aden's pulse and his breathing whilst crying uncontrollably. He had a faint pulse and his breathing was there but Belle could tell there wasn't much time. She hadn't put her phone back together yet so she tried to find Aden's phone which was by his side where it looked like he had dropped it after the phone call he had made to her earlier.

She grabbed it and called an ambulance explaining what she thought had happened. It was too late for Larry but Aden she could save.

Whilst she waited for the ambulance she held his hand and watched his chest rise and fall as though if she stopped staring so would the breathing. She was so scared of losing him but at the same time couldn't understand why he would have done this. He had been through a lot; yes… but to do this?

When the ambulance arrived Belle showed them the pills and they took charge of trying to save Aden although Belle wouldn't let his hand out of hers although it could have been Aden not letting her hand out of his, she wasn't too sure. All she could think about was how much Aden meant to her and what losing him would mean.

They loaded him into the ambulance as two other men carried Larry out in a body bag something Belle only took in absently.

Belle sat with Aden in the ambulance, clinging to him tighter, praying for him to make it through.

As they arrived at the hospital Aden was ushered away and Belle was told she couldn't stay with him until they had managed to stabilise his condition. She nodded her head not really taking it in. She sat on one of the chairs and began to sob into her hands. No one took much notice of her as she supposed it was a fairly normal thing to do around a hospital.

It suddenly occurred to her that Irene was probably worried and that she should let her know where she was. She dialed the number of the pier diner into Aden's phone which she had brought with her, forgetting to put it down, she supposed as she hadn't noticed she had kept it.

"Pier diner," the phone was answered by a cheery Irene.

"Irene," Belle sobbed.

"Belle? Where are you?" Irene asked immediately knowing there was something seriously wrong.

"I'm at the hospital," Belle managed to choke the words together.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but… Aden's not."

"I'm on my way now," Irene told her pointedly. She may not like the boy but the way Belle sounded on the phone told Irene that she needed her there.

A quarter of an hour later and a doctor came out to see Belle. "Are you here for Aden Jeffries?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm his girlfriend," she answered hurriedly. "Is he going to be okay?"

"At the moment it's looking good," the doctor explained and Belle let out a sigh of relief. "We're pumping his stomach now and if all that goes well, he should be fine," the doctor paused for a second, "at least physically. Do you know why he might have done this?"

Belle shook her head, "I thought he was doing okay," she said sadly.

The doctor nodded sadly, "It says in his medical history that he's been seeing a therapist here so I'll get him to come down and have a word later."

"Thank you. Can I see him?"

"The doctor smile apologetically, "Not quite yet but if you wait another hour he should be awake and able to speak."

"Okay…again; thank you."

He smiled before walking off and as he did Irene came running around the corner.

"Oh my God, girly, are you alright? You gave me such a scare!" Irene exclaimed hugging Belle.

"I'm fine."

"What happened to Aden?" Irene asked stroking Belle's hair as they sat down next to each other.

Belle sighed, "Aden happened to Aden," she paused before turning to Irene. "He tried to kill himself."

Irene gasped, "What, why?"

Belle placed a hand over her eyes in a tired way, "It's complicated Irene; I can understand some of it but other bits I just don't get."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah they think he should be fine," Belle told her waveringly. "I went to Aden's dad's house and I found Aden's dad lying on the sofa," she paused and looked at Irene who gasped at her explanation of what happened next and held her as she broke down, crying into her shoulder, at the memory.

Once an hour had passed Belle walked slowly into Aden's room. He turned to look at her, not even the hint of a smile about to heighten his handsome features that had been tarnished by the wires and monitors he now had connected to him.

"Belle," he said softly reaching his hand out to her. She backed away so he couldn't reach her.

"Why?" she said sternly with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry," Aden whispered tears appearing in his eyes.

"How could you do that to me?" Belle asked tears starting to fall silently down her face.

"Can you shut the door?" he asked her but when she didn't move he added, "…please?"

She did what he asked moving slowly and cautiously.

"So?" Belle pushed.

Aden swallowed before speaking, "Belle… I have no family… I have no real friends... all I feel is... is... pain… and hurt… and anger."

"…you have me," Belle interrupted.

Aden sighed, "please let me explain," he said and so considerately that Belle almost forgot how horrible the topic of conversation was.

"I found my dad at the house and I was going to call the cops but then he said he had something to tell me about my grandfather," this had Belle's attention and she thought this new information may help her to understand what had just happened. "Belle… my dad told me that what happened to me; happened to him too." Aden couldn't even look at her at this point and had tears streaming down his face. "He didn't just suspect what was going on… he knew."

"Aden," Belle whispered through tears and walked over to hug him.

"No, Belle don't. I don't deserve it."

"Aden!"

"You haven't heard the rest," Aden pleaded.

Belle backed off, "He was getting sicker and he wanted me to take him to the hospital," Aden paused and Belle noticed his hands had begun to shake. "…but I didn't…. I couldn't… I let him die Belle," Aden finished and finally turned to look at Belle whose face had locked in a shocked expression. She couldn't speak.

"I thought that if my dad went away, then so would the pain. I just wanted it all to stop… …but when it didn't, I just felt so guilty and I just wanted it to end! I'm so sorry Belle!"

Belle wiped away the tears from her face with her sleeve and approached Aden slowly. She wiped away his tears with her thumb, kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "I understand."

Aden let loose more sobs and Belle allowed herself to be clung to whilst Aden let loose all his pain.

When it seemed there were no more tears to be shed Belle backed off.

"Aden," she began. "I can understand why you did what you did about your dad… …but I can't understand why you would do what you did to yourself."

"Belle," Aden said quietly.

"…you have to let me speak this time," Belle said in a kind but insistent manner. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me to see you lying there?"

Aden's face fell as Belle began to look as though she would cry again.

"What has happened to you?" Belle added shaking her head and starting to let tears loose once more.

"I don't know, Belle," Aden stated.

There was silence between the pair for a minute.

"Do you know how I feel about you?" Belle said slowly but unexpectedly.

Aden shook his head sadly.

"I love you, Aden... and I couldn't handle losing you."

Aden was taken aback and for a moment it looked like a smile might plague his lips.

This possibility was soon tarnished with Belle's next words, "I'm sorry Aden, but I can't be with someone who can't be with themselves."

"Belle, what are you saying?" Aden said terrified at what Belle's answer would be.

"I'm saying that it's over." She took one last look at Aden and then opened the door to leave.

"Belle… I love you!" Aden called after her so that people in the hallway, including Irene, could hear.

Belle turned around, "I'm sure you think you do, but until you know what it means to love yourself then you won't be able to love anyone else. If you do learn; then maybe we could try again... in time."

Belle closed the door behind her leaving a broken Aden behind who crashed into tears with no family, no friends, and no girlfriend.

He wasn't the only one though, Belle turned to see Irene stood looking at her with utter admiration, "…that broke your heart, didn't it?"

Belled nodded sadly as she crumpled into Irene and sobbed her heart out.

**************************************

I hope you liked it, just so you know i am completely for Adelle!

[LAURZY!]

WOW, that was just - WOW! i had tears in my eyes towards the end, it was so good!!!

[Jody]

I am sorry but I have to say it. Are you out of your mind, thinking for one second that this story was not that good. This here is officially the best Adelle fic I have read. I can't tell you how amazing I found your take on this to be. If you want proof, you somehow made me love a break up scene between them. That break up scene made me almost want to cry. You have to continue this. You cannot deprive all Adelle fans of this lovely story.

[wrongturntaken]

I am sorry but I have to say it. Are you out of your mind, thinking for one second that this story was not that good. This here is officially the best Adelle fic I have read. I can't tell you how amazing I found your take on this to be. If you want proof, you somehow made me love a break up scene between them. That break up scene made me almost want to cry. You have to continue this. You cannot deprive all Adelle fans of this lovely story.

OMG! I thought you were gonna say are you out of your mind writing a storyline like this! lol but i was a lot happier with what you actually wrote. You have actually made me want to continue it now so i probably will write some more, possibly tomorrow.

Thanks for your feedback, it's great to hear.

[Taniya_K]

Wow! Ok, so I hate that they broke up.... but that was just awesome. So sad too. Please continue!

[bexxx123]

agreeing with everyone so far. It was great!!!

you should write more because we all know they are meant to be together, it would be interesting to see what comes after this.

[Keelie]

OMG! I thought you were gonna say are you out of your mind writing a storyline like this! lol but i was a lot happier with what you actually wrote. You have actually made me want to continue it now so i probably will write some more, possibly tomorrow.

Thanks for your feedback, it's great to hear.

YES. PLEASE DO.

That was the most beautiful Adelle fic I've ever read. *tear*

You've portrayed the characters so well, I can easily imagine it as an episode scene.

[maccaz]

Please continue.

[Zetti]

Wow! You had me in tears at the end That was amazingly powerful

[whispered_envy]

I agree with everyoone else: Wow! It's so heartbreaking, but so beautiful at the same. You brought tears to my eyes! I hope you decide not to leave it as a one shot!