Can Time Really Heal?

[wrongturntaken]

Story Title: Can time really heal?

Type of story: long fic

Main Characters: Aden, Belle, (star more than other characters that might appear): Melody, Roman, Irene,

BTTB rating: rated A

Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst

Does story include spoilers: Not anymore.

Any warnings: Mentions of sexual abuse and some violence but never explicit.

Summary: Takes place after 4705, Aden has been released from the clinic and is trying to get back to normal life, find out what happened to the characters during that time with flashbacks but also find out what will happen in the future, especially with Belle.

I'd love to hear what you think of it, it really helps to keep the chapters rolling. Sorry it's so short, they will get longer.

Can time heal it?

"Are you sure you're up for this, mate?" Roman asked as he and Aden left the house for work, "There's no rush."

"I have to go back into the real world sometime, Roman," Aden replied, unsure whether this really was a good idea. "Are you sure Belle's okay with this?"

Roman looked at him sadly and let out a sympathetic sigh, "She said as long as you two don't work the same shifts, she's okay with it."

"Right," Aden said trying not to show to Roman how much it hurt that it had to be like this. But it was something he knew he couldn't dwell on, he knew from counselling that he would have to work through his feelings instead of fighting them... all of his feelings. As Roman had said, his actions had consequences and this was just one he was going to have to accept, for Belle's sake. The last time he had talked to Belle had been her first, last and only visit to him in the clinic. He could still feel where his heart had split from when she'd well and truly broken it.

"Aden, we will NEVER be together," Belle told him trying to restrain her tears as she looked on as the hopeful face of a little boy vanished to be replaced by the expression of the broken one she knew she'd be leaving behind today. She put huge emphasis on the word 'never' because no matter how she had put it before; he still seemed to believe that there was hope for them.

Aden could barely hold back his tears, he had been living in a fantasy since he'd gotten here, the only thing that had kept him going was the belief that he would be reuniting with the only person he had ever chosen to trust, "Why?" he croaked. "I love you… and I know you love me."

"Yes. I do love you… Aden, but…" Belle told him unable to contain her tears any longer, "…but I need to do this, I think for the same reason that you did what you did… the pain is just too much."

"Please, Belle," Aden begged as, what he believed at the time to be his only chance of happiness, stood up to leave.

"I can't forget, Aden," Belle stated. "Being near you… it hurts too much… I'm sorry."

"…but not being near you hurts!" Aden exclaimed to her and he saw the flicker of emotion in her face that told him she would feel the same way as soon as she left the room. "You feel that too; don't you?"

"…but that's a wound that time can heal," Belle told him swallowing back her tears watching as he tried to keep his own under control.

"Why can't time heal all wounds?" Aden yelled at her softly as he had no anger to yell at her with, he knew he had no right.

"Because of the memories..." Belle paused and took a small breath, "...they can't ever fade," she whispered gently, trying to breathe through her tears and sniffling after every sentence.

Aden didn't know what to say; that was the moment he knew they couldn't be together and he suddenly felt like he had no purpose. Without Belle; he was nothing.

"Aden?" Roman called, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Aden was slightly flustered from the memory that had just plagued before his eyes but he gathered himself quickly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay, let's go," Roman commanded gesturing with his head to the door.

Aden nodded, took a deep breath, and walked through the doorway to either his old or new life, to which yet, he wasn't sure.

[wrongturntaken]

thanks for all your comments, they've been great! I have written most of this story down on paper but it's taking me longer than i thought to type it up, especially as i keep redrafting it as i write! Anyway this chapters a bit longer, i hope you enjoy it. Melody's character was very difficult to get a grip on so she has ended up being, in my opinion, quite a bit OOC to what she is in the show.

Warning: Aussie spoilers!

Chapter 2

Aden walked into the diner and it wasn't paranoia that told him the customers were staring. "They all hate me, don't they?" he asked Roman.

"They don't know what you've been through," Roman answered putting his hand on the young man's shoulder comfortingly. "Just give it time."

Then, before Aden knew what was happening, a young blonde girl had run up to him and was hugging him, "Aden," Melody squealed. "It's so good to see you out and about at last."

"I've been out," Aden defended as he had been out for walks just nowhere where there were a lot of people that could recognise him. Melody knew this too as she had accompanied him on some occasions.

"You know what I mean," she said.

Aden laughed, "Thanks, Mel," he said sarcastically. Melody had been like his rock and truth be told if it wasn't for her, he wasn't sure he'd still be here.

Though the two had never really spoken before, after meeting in the clinic for the first time they had formed a united bond which meant they weren't so alone in what felt like, to them, the loneliest place in the world.

It was Aden's first night and he could barely bring himself to sleep; he was scared of what he'd see if he closed his eyes, something he hadn't done much of in the past few days.

Melody had crept into his room and was stood looking at him blankly.

"Did you want something?" Aden asked.

"My mother's right about me," she answered immediately. "...I'm evil."

Aden sat up slowly; he had no idea what to say, he had never spoken to melody, so why would she choose to come and open up to him?

"Why are you here?" she asked suddenly, sitting beside him on the bed.

Aden jumped back slightly, he figured this was a trade off; she had given him something so he had to give her something in return. He didn't see any point in lying, "I kidnapped Belle, Rachel and my father and then I tried to kill him."

To Aden's surprise, Melody didn't seem shocked.

"Why?" she asked.

Aden knew that that was an unfair trade, "Why do you think you're evil?" he asked her, looking into her eyes for the evil that she believed to be there but that he could see no sign of.

"Because I killed someone," Melody told in a flattened tone.

"What?" Aden was genuinely shocked, "Who?" he asked, unsure whether he wanted to know the answer.

"Axle," she answered and Aden was stunned.

"You didn't kill Axle, Melody," Aden said gently placing his hand above her shoulder but she realised what he was going to do and quickly flinched away. With shaking hands she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes I did! I'm here to be punished, I have to be punished!"

"Why would you think that?"

"…because I prayed for Axle to die… and then he did."

Aden was unsure how to react to Melody's firm belief that God had played such a huge part in her apparent breakdown.

"Melody, you aren't evil," Aden said soothingly being careful not to get too close to her; he knew exactly how she felt. When he was younger everyone who touched him would get yelled at but when his grandfather had told him off for doing it he knew never to do it again. But that didn't stop it going away, just the thought of someone even touching him in a normal way, sickened him and he remembered how he had gotten through that part of life on his own, figuring that he needed to move on and forget the past. And that's the day that he became a bully, no one could lay a hand on him if he laid a hand on them first. It also meant that he would never let anyone closer enough to find out what had happened to him. It had been a terrifying experience for him when Belle wanted to take their relationship further, he didn't think Belle understood even now, how hard it was for him to go through that, to feel all that old pain rising in him again, to have the images and flashes of what happened to him run through his head, to feel as though he did then, so ashamed of what he was doing.

"Yes I am."

"My father is the one that killed Axle, not you, Melody. He's the one that's evil."

Melody's head jolted up from where she had been looking at the floor, "Why?"

"…because he was drunk and stupid," Aden told her hashing up his own hatred towards his father to comfort her.

"Is that why you tried to kill him?" Melody asked, looking at him quizzically.

He thought for a moment before answering sorrowfully, "No."

They both sat in silence, both deep in thought before either spoke again.

"Why me?" Aden asked.

"What?"

"I heard the nurses saying that you haven't spoken a word to anyone since Axle died, so why talk to me? It's not like we've ever really spoken before?"

Melody shrugged slowly, looked at him directly and said with real intensity, "…your eyes, I can see the pain in them… it's like I'm looking at my reflection."

Aden said nothing.

"Why did you try to kill your father?" Melody asked slowly seeming slightly less crazy than when she had entered the room.

Aden looked at the floor avoiding her eye contact, he felt a lump swell in his throat, "I can't."

Melody seemed to accept this and said nothing in return. She left then but over the net few weeks the two talked and helped each other through everything that had happened and in time Aden opened up and revealed his past to her. They formed an odd bond of friendship through the ordeals of life they had suffered.

"I'll leave you two to it," Roman said to Melody and Aden as he went to enter the kitchen. "Don't be too long, Aden," he added in a boss like way reminding Aden what a normal life was like.

"So how have you been?" Melody asked him. Aden noticed how happy she seemed, she had been released a few weeks prior to him but had visited him regularly afterwards.

"I'm good," Aden told her. "Glad, now that the court case is over and I'm back at work."

Melody gave him a weak smile, "I'm glad it's over too, you didn't deserve to go to prison, Aden."

Aden stayed silent not sure to believe whether he felt that was true or not. Aden decided to change the subject, "You seem happy today?"

"…what's wrong with being happy?" Melody said playfully. Although she was younger than Aden, he never patronized her, he felt that she had matured in an odd way since she had left Summer Bay, as though it had been forced upon her, similarly to how it had been forced upon him. But she always had the ability to cheer him up. It was a strange friendship that, a year ago, neither of them would have even thought possible. Then again, a year ago, Aden had no idea he would fall in love with; and have his heart broken by; Belle Taylor of all people.

"Nothing," Aden said. "It's just good to see, that's all."

"Well, a lot of it's down to you," Melody told him sincerely.

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did, I don't think I would have come through this if it weren't for you, Aden."

He smiled, "I feel that way too," he told her. "Sorry, Mel, but I really ought to get to work."

"Right, sorry, I'll stop distracting you… but I'll see you later, yeah?" Melody said sitting back down at her table.

"Yeah," Aden answered before heading towards the kitchen. As he was just about to pass the counter, Belle walked out. They stared at each other silently, unable to speak. They had set eyes on each other during the court case but hadn't been this close in proximity since she had visited the clinic. They stood there for so long, in silence, that people had begun to stare at them, Both had locked their feelings so far down that they had begun to think maybe they were fading but, as soon as they saw one another again, all of it came flooding back, the feelings of love and pain mixed like a potion in both of their hearts.

"I have to go," Belle said bluntly.

"I have to work," Aden said in the same tone yet still neither moved from their position until Roman came out of the kitchen and saw the scene before him.

"Aden, kitchen; now." He demanded just to get Aden away from Belle. Aden responded obediently and Belle was given back the use of her legs to leave the diner.

[wrongturntaken]

thanks for all your comments, i really appreciate them.

Long chapter this time, hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 3.

Belle was shaken by her first meeting with Aden since he had been released, and began to fish around in her bag for her car keys, getting frustrated by the fact that it was taking ages to find them even though she knew they were there. Keys were like feelings, she pondered stupidly, you think you've lost them and then they just suddenly turn up again.

Eventually she found them and put them in the ignition but didn't turn it on, instead she sat there and just thought about the day when she had lost her heart; the day of her visit to Aden in the clinic. She had almost bumped into Melody on her way out of his room, a person she was more than surprised to see there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Melody looked at her oddly, "I'm a patient here; didn't Roman tell you?"

"No," Belle said; utterly shocked that Melody, of all people, would have ended up in the same place as Aden.

Melody looked past Belle to see Aden who just said with a croaky throat, as though he'd been crying, "I think he thought it was your place to tell people, Mel."

Belle turned suddenly to look at Aden, finding the way he had called her 'Mel' instead of 'Melody' rather odd.

"I have to go," Belle said, sniffling and Melody moved out of the way to let her pass.

"Belle… you can tell people I'm in here if you want, it'll make it easier when I get out," Melody told her.

Belle nodded and left the vision of Aden's room as Melody entered it. Belle was sadly intrigued by Melody's presence here, and her apparent association with Aden. She stood to the side of the door and listened to them talk.

"How are you today?" Melody asked the question which to Belle, judging by her tone, seemed like a daily ritual.

"Okay, I guess," Aden whispered softly; choking out the words.

"What was Belle doing here?"

Belle heard the silence and then the, 'It's over' come from him. She leant her head back against the wall as her tears ran fluently down her face, faster than they had fallen before. Hearing it from his lips splintered the crack that she had made in her own heart.

She looked in to the room trying not to be noticed by the pair and saw Melody holding Aden as he cried into her.

"I'm sorry, I know how much you love her," Melody soothed him. "Aden… I know you don't like to hear this kind of thing but… if God can forgive your sins, then maybe Belle could too… someday."

Aden pulled back from her, his tears having subsided, "That's just it, Melody, Belle's not God; she's human and she's right… what I did; she'll never be able to forget it, how could she ever trust me again?"

Belle's crying turned more into sobs that she tried to keep silent so as not to be noticed. He understood why she had to do this which only seemed to make it harder.

The conversation between Aden and Melody continued as Aden calmed down, "Anyway, how are you today?" he asked Melody with sincerity in his voice.

Belle listening; could only hear the slight voice of the old Aden, the one that was sensitive, loving and caring, her Aden. She felt the hurt slowly sleeping out from the crack in her heart as the belief that Aden was still in there somewhere crept slowly in.

Belle wiped away her tears and tried to gather herself to drive home.

She held up all the way to the house and then placed her keys on the kitchen counter. She walked into her bedroom and spotted something lurking on the floor near her bed as though it had come out from underneath. She bent down to see what it was and, realising it was a Polaroid photo, picked it up to look at it. It was the picture Aden had taken of her when he'd stolen her camera and was messing around, that was when she still thought he was a jerk. She noticed a second one on the floor and picked it up. This was one she had taken of him when she had eventually got her camera back off of him. She remembered that to be the first time she had thought there might be someone half decent inside those exterior good looks and cockiness.

She smiled at the memory but her smile faltered as the memories of the last few weeks overcame her. She dropped the photos back on the floor and crawled onto her bed. She curled up there and cried her heart out, shaking as she did so.

She wasn't sure which was more painful; the memory of what Aden had done or the fact that they were no longer together.

Belle had not appeared from her room by the time Irene came home. She knocked on the door gently and heard sniffling coming from the other side. She pushed open the door and entered the room, taking care to close the door behind her as well. She saw Belle as she had seen her so many months before and approached her perching on the side of her bed.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked concernedly.

Belle turned over to face her and sat up, knees brought into her chest as she hugged them. She gave Irene a look that she had become accustomed to over the last few weeks.

"It's Aden, isn't it?" she asked; already knowing the answer.

Belle nodded, "I went to see him today."

"What? why?" Irene asked. Belle had been adamant that she couldn't face Aden at the clinic before.

"Roman told me that Aden still believed that we were together and nothing anyone was saying would make him believe that we weren't. I couldn't let him go on believing that," Belle explained, wiping a tear from her cheek with her palm.

"But what he did to you…"

"…is nothing compared to what he went through," Belle interrupted.

"You still haven't told me what that is," Irene stated.

Belle looked up at her quickly, "I told you, Irene, I can't betray his trust."

"How can you still be loyal to him after what he did?" Irene asked her.

"…because I know who he really is," Belle yelled at her, defending Aden and feeling that she was being insensitive. "…or at least I knew who he was," Belle added before breaking down in tears again.

"I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean…" Irene tried to apologise.

"I just miss him so much, Irene," Belle started to talk.

"I know," Irene breathed soothingly reaching out and letting Belle cry in to her shoulder. "…but you felt that way about Drew once and you got through that," Irene comforted her.

Belle pulled back, "I never felt this way about Drew," she said which Irene was shocked by as she knew how much Belle had loved Drew added to the fact that due to her past history with Aden it wasn't easy for her to see how Belle could have fallen for him so hard in such a short space of time.

"It was different with Aden, it was always so…" Belle paused trying to think of the word, "…intense… in a good way I mean. The way he made me feel, I just… it was incredible," she told Irene her tears flowing once more. "I know he would always put me first apart from one thing…" she trailed off thinking of Aden's secret. The one he had kept hidden for so long so well. "Once he opened up and trusted me it was like there was no line between us, we shared everything," she told Irene glad to be talking because it finally meant that she was figuring out how she was actually feeling. Irene let her continue, listening intently to hear about the Aden that Belle knew.

"I've never felt this way before," Belle continued. "I love him so much that it physically hurts not to be around him."

Irene leant forward and stroked her hair, "You had to break up with him, love."

"I know," Belle breathed. "…but seeing him there, seeing how he's coping, it was like I could see the old Aden glinting through.

"So…?" Irene asked gently.

"I don't know, it just made me more confused than I already am."

"You can't change your mind now, Belle, it wouldn't be fair.

"I don't think I could change my mind even if I wanted to, Irene. He can't change what he's done and I can't change how that made me feel. I just have to try and get over it and move on," Belle had told herself firmly.

Irene looked at Belle sympathetically, "You know that with the court case coming up he could go to prison," she said sadly.

"Yeah, Morag's told me countless times when going over my testimony," Belle answered.

"It was really good of her to defend Aden," Irene continued.

"She was the first person Aden ever reached out to, I think she feels a connection with him for that."

Irene looked as though she wanted to say something but wasn't sure whether to or not, eventually she did, "So, how is Aden… really?"

"I think he's doing okay, but I think a big part of that is down to Melody," Belle told her.

"Melody…? …Geoff's Melody?" Irene exclaimed.

"I'll explain later," Belle said.

"Right," Irene said unsurely standing up. "Are you going to be okay now, love?"

Belle nodded, "I think so."

"Well, Geoff's making dinner so it'll be ready in about ten if you're hungry?"

"…for Geoff's cooking? …Never!" Belle teased and Irene laughed; glad that she still had her sense of humour intact.

She opened the door and was about to leave.

"Irene," Belle said. "Do you really think he'll go to prison?"

"I don't know," Irene said sadly before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

Belle was brought out of her memory by Roman knocking on her window, she pressed the button to make it go down.

"I'm sorry about that," Roman apologised. "I forgot about shift change over's, I should have warned you."

"Don't worry about it, Roman," Belle said with a weak smile. "It's not like it's going to be the only time that happens, I'm just going to have to get used to seeing him."

Roman just gave her a sympathetic smile in reply and turned to leave. Belle turned the engine on and drove home with thoughts of the one person who never left her mind.

[~Lynd~]

This is really good.I like the friendship between Aden and Melody,and how he calls her Mel.

Update soon.

[wrongturntaken]

Chapter 4.

Geoff had come into the diner to meet Melody and was surprised to see Aden was working. When Melody had gotten out of the clinic she had sought Geoff out to explain what had happened to her, she felt she owed him an explanation as to why she had walked out of his life. He had been pleasantly surprised by her visit and was glad that she wanted no more than friendship considering his relationship with Nicole.

He walked up to the counter where Aden was doing something on the till, "Hey."

Aden looked up suddenly as Geoff had made him jump, he looked at Geoff oddly before saying, "Hey," in reply.

"How are you?"

Aden couldn't understand why Geoff was being so nice to him, he lived in the same house as Belle so why would he come and start a conversation. Aden would have usually made a snide remark to Geoff but he was trying to be a different person now and he had learned that he didn't have to get so defensive every time someone showed an interest in him.

"I'm good," Aden told him. "Thanks for asking," he added and Geoff wasn't only surprised by the fact that he had got a courteous response but also by the sincerity with which Aden thanked him.

Aden thought it might be good to try and talk to more people as he was willing to bet Geoff was one of few who would be speaking to him now, "How are things with Nicole?" he asked conversationally.

"Yeah, they're really good," Geoff told him.

"You know, she's different since she's been with you," Aden said. "It's like she's a better person."

Geoff smiled at the comment. "You know she was really worried about you when you were in the…" he trailed off; unsure whether to continue.

Aden gave him a knowing smile, "…in the clinic," he finished for Geoff. "You can say it, Geoff."

"I just didn't know if you like talking about it or not," Geoff explained wearily.

"It was a part of my life, Geoff, I have to move on but I can't forget what I did there, otherwise what would have been the point?" Aden said profoundly.

"Right," Geoff said feeling a kind of admiration towards Aden despite all he'd done.

Aden hesitated, "Geoff, why are you speaking to me? I would have thought that after everything that happened, what I did to Belle, I would have thought you wouldn't have wanted a bar of me?"

"Aden, everyone has to have a second chance… I forgave Reverend Hall for what he did, so why shouldn't I forgive you?"

"…but he had a brain tumour, he didn't know what he was doing," Aden stated.

"…Aden, I don't know why you did it, but, according to Belle, you weren't in the right state of mind to know what you were doing either."

"So Belle hasn't told anyone the reason?" Aden questioned.

"She says she can't betray your trust," Geoff said with a shrug.

Aden finally asked the question he'd been dying to, since Geoff had struck up this conversation, "So… how is Belle?"

Geoff looked at him and paused before answering, "…truthfully, she's not good. She barely comes out of her room anymore, and if she leaves the house, it's only for work."

"…really?" Aden asked worriedly.

"We thought she was getting through it before the court case," Geoff continued. "She started seeing Ange…" he trailed off again looking at Aden.

"It's okay, I know," Aden told him, thinking of when he'd stumbled across the pair during his first trip outside of the clinic. He had seen them sat on the pier together; Belle was kissing him and smiling. Aden had been saddened by the sight and wished he could have been in Angelo's place but Belle looked happy, and as long as that was the case, he decided he wasn't going to press the issue.

"Anyway, she started seeing Angelo and she seemed to be cheering up but he broke up with her just before the court case."

"They broke up?" Aden said, "…why?"

"I think Angelo said that she wasn't ready because she wasn't over you yet," Geoff told him unsurely.

Aden wasn't actually surprised by this, he knew how Belle felt about him, the connection between them was like elastic, it could be pulled a lot further apart before it would break than a simple piece of string.

"Belle held it together through the court case but after that she became really withdrawn; actually, everyone is really worried about her."

Aden looked at him and Geoff could see the sorrow and regret in his eyes, "I can't believe this is all my fault."

"I don't think Belle blames you, Aden," Geoff said and Aden gave him a questioning look. "If anyone ever says a bad word against you, she snaps at them to defend you."

"I don't deserve that," Aden said.

Geoff shrugged, "Anyway, I better get back to Melody; I'll speak to you later."

Aden nodded and as Geoff walked away, contemplated what he should do. He didn't want to push things with Belle, he'd rather she, be the one to decide when they could talk again, but if things were as bad as Geoff said, then he thought maybe he should go and see her.

Adelle in next chapter!!

[wrongturntaken]

Okay since you did read it very quickly, here's the next chapter, full of Adelle!! enjoy!

Chapter 5.

There was a knock on the front door and Irene went to open it. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

"Irene, I know I'm the last person you want to see here but Geoff told me what's going on with Belle…" Aden started.

"…yeah, it being your fault," Irene said angrily.

Aden sighed sadly, "Look, I know I have no right to ask this, but… could you ask Belle if she'll consider seeing me?"

"No way, Aden, you've put her through enough," Irene said closing the door.

Aden put a hand out to stop it, "Can you please just let her decide, please just ask her?"

Irene paused considering it, "Fine, wait here."

Irene knocked on Belle's door but there was no answer. She pushed open the door and saw Belle asleep on her bed with empty beer bottles on the floor beside her. She sighed, she didn't know what to do anymore; nothing anyone was saying was getting through to her, she just about managed to handle coming to work, but anything else seemed too hard for her to cope with. Irene didn't wake her but contemplated that maybe Aden could be the one to get through to her.

"Aden, she's a little under the weather but I guess you can go in, just be careful with her, okay," Irene relented.

"I promise," Aden told her sincerely and entered the house.

He pushed open the door and saw Belle lying on her bed as he glanced around her room taking in every detail. He wondered around and found, on her desk, some photos of himself she had taken when they had been messing around; they were stained as though wet, probably from her tears. He looked at Belle lying there, looking helpless and noticed she was hugging something to her. He smiled when he realised what it was.

"Will you win me one," Belle asked Aden playfully.

Aden groaned, "I'm rubbish on these, it would just be a waste of money!"

Belle gave him a look of mock horror, "If that's true Aden, I'm sorry but then you are not the man for me."

Aden laughed.

"I'm serious," Belle continued. "Prove to me you're worth it… and win me one."

"Fine," Aden gave in and put a 50 cent coin in the machine.

The metal arm started moving and Aden tried to control it, he lowered it down and managed to grab something, he raised the arm but the toy fell out.

"Guess we're over," Belle told him with mock seriousness.

Aden didn't look at her but instead started digging around in his jean's pockets for more coins, "No way, I'm not losing you because of an amusement arcade game." He put another coin in and tried again, this time he managed to pick a toy and win it. "Yes," he said raising his hands in the air as though he'd just scored a tri. He got the toy out and

Belle held out her arms to take it.

"No, I won it, it's mine!" Aden told her.

"Hey, you were meant to be winning it for me, remember?" Belle said.

"How about we share it?" Aden suggested playfully.

"You want to share a stuffed toy?" Belle said laughing.

"Hmm, you have a point, if my other girlfriends see that in my room, they might think I have problems," Aden joked.

Belle grabbed the toy off of him and hit him with it. "Hey, you can't use our toy to abuse me!" he exclaimed.

Belle crossed her arms in a huff still clinging to it.

Aden smiled and walked towards her, "Has anyone ever told you, you look cute when you pout…"

Belle smiled.

"…and smile,"

She laughed.

"…and laugh."

He put his arms around her as her arms uncrossed. "…and kiss," he finished giving her a gentle kiss on the lips.

Belle stirred and let go of the small, white, stuffed teddy bear he had won for her that day. That had been their first official date and Belle had decided she wanted to go to the amusement arcade, Aden hadn't realised why until he'd seen the toy machine. She said no one had ever won anything for her before and she wanted him to be her first. That was how she had put it too; something which made Aden laugh.

He walked back round the other side of the bed and noticed the bottles for the first time, he bent down, sighed and picked one up to have a look, "Have you been drinking?" he said softly to her, brushing the hair from her eyes.

She stirred again, "Aden?" she said softly with her eyes closed.

"Yeah, it's me Belle," he told her gently.

A heavy breath escaped her, "I miss you, Aden," she said quietly but it was more in her unconscious than in her conscious. She began to move more and Aden realised she was waking up. His hand was still touching her hair but when she opened her eyes and realised he was there; she jumped back suddenly. "What are you doing here?" she said quickly.

Aden jolted his hand back, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, Irene let me in."

Belle looked confused, "Irene let you in?"

Aden nodded, "…people are worried about you Belle," Aden told her gently.

"They don't need to be, I'm fine," Belle said defensively. "Besides… like you have any right to be worried," she added the last bit as though she didn't mean it; she was just trying to get rid of him.

Aden didn't move though, that was his tactic, and one he'd perfected over the years, he wasn't going to fool for it from Belle.

They stayed silent for a moment, Aden wasn't sure where to start but eventually he decided at the beginning might be a good place. "Belle, I thought that you were the only one that could help me get through, and you were…. You breaking up with me… it was the best thing you could have done," Aden explained to her.

She looked as though she was trying to say something but couldn't quite get the words out, "…but… but… I abandoned you," she said her throat getting heavier. "…you needed me, and I abandoned you."

"No you didn't," Aden whispered. "You helped me more than anyone, because of you, I had to get through it on my own, and now I know that I can do that. You did the right thing because that's what you had to do," Aden continued and Belle looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "You needed time… I understand that. The person that you saw on that night… scared you… …it scared me too."

"Aden… even with time… I can't… I can't forget," Belle told him tears starting to appear in her eyes.

"…but what can't you forget, Belle, what it was like then…?" he paused. " …or what it was like before?" he added looking at the bear she had now picked up again.

She broke down crying this time, and leant into Aden as he held her, "I just wanted to be okay with being apart from you, so I tried to forget all the good times so that it would be easier to hate you… but I couldn't, and I couldn't stay with you either. I knew that."

"I know," Aden said comfortingly as Belle drew back from him.

"Belle," he started and took a breath as though he was about to say something important, "I'm getting through it… but it doesn't mean I'm happy, I'm getting there but I'm not happy… yet."

Belle looked at him oddly wondering what he meant.

"Are you happy… …Belle?" he asked her.

She didn't say anything but her tears had stopped.

"I think you're trying to do what's right… ….instead of what's best for you," Aden told her.

She stayed silent as Aden stood up.

"Think about what you want… …think about what will make you happy… …think about how you can get it… …and if you need anything… just ask," he told her before exiting the room; leaving Belle to re-evaluate her whole existence.

[wrongturntaken]

I'm not so sure about this chapter but i hope it's okay, the article was quite hard to right. Anyway i hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 6.

Belle sat on her bed; just thinking. She felt different in an odd sort of way, as though a weight she hadn't known had been there had been lifted off her shoulders. She thought Aden would have been a mess but he was totally the opposite, he seemed together, more so than she'd ever seen him; she supposed it must have been to do with the counselling. …and he had thanked her, when all along she had been feeling so guilty for leaving him when it was obvious he needed her. So how was she supposed to feel now? Aden's request seemed so simple but Belle just didn't know the answers, how was she feeling? Was she happy? Right now all she felt was… sick she realised as she ran to the bathroom to throw up the alcohol she had consumed earlier.

Irene was sat on the couch when she heard the now familiar sound. Belle came out of the bathroom and saw her there.

"Why did you let Aden in?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, love, I just thought maybe he could get through to you because nothing I've said has made any difference," Irene explained.

Belle didn't know what to say, this was just another thing she didn't know how she was feeling about, was she glad that Irene had let Aden in? The answer was simple… yes. "Thank you," she said to Irene simply. "I'm going for a walk," she added going back into her room to get cleaned up.

Irene smiled; Aden must have said something right because this would be the first time she had left the house in weeks, other than for work.

Belle went back into her room and picked up the Teddy bear that had fallen to the floor, she was about to put it back in her 'Aden' drawer (the place she had put everything that reminded her of Aden because it was too hard to look at them but they were too hard to get rid of) but she felt she didn't need to hide those things anymore and she put it on her desk.

She went to close the drawer and noticed two things she had put in there, the first was a necklace. He had given it to her after they had been to the amusement arcade that day.

"I have something for you," Aden had said intriguingly as they were sat on the comfy chairs in the diner.

"I've already got the cutest Teddy in all the land; what else could you possibly give me?" Belle joked.

"Aw, you think I'm a cute Teddy," Aden joked back and Belle laughed. "Seriously though, Belle… This…" Aden said as he got something out of his back pocket. It was a simple necklace; a set sapphire held by a small black ribbon, it was totally her.

Belle took it off him and looked at it, "It's gorgeous," she breathed and saw the excited look on his face because she had liked it. "Thank you." She leant in to kiss him but found she couldn't quite let go, they continued to kiss passionately until a cough could be heard from above them next to the till.

"Public place, guys," Irene said but with the hint of a smile.

"Sorry," Belle and Aden both said before looking each other warmly in the eye. Aden moved round so he was sharing the same seat as Belle. He took the necklace from her and tied it around her neck. The only time she had taken it off after that was to go to bed. It had taken her days to part with it after the break up but once she had put it in the drawer she had tried her best to forget about it.

The second thing in this drawer was a newspaper article. Belle reached out to take it, she didn't know why she had kept it but for some reason she felt she couldn't quite let go. She though it was a reminder of why she had to break up with Aden and that it would help her to get through it if she read what he had done. But the paper had twisted the truth so much that it read to her as fiction even though Gavin had come knocking on her door to get the story. She read the article he had written that had made the front page:

SUMMER BABY STUDENT GOES PSYCHO!

You may remember several months ago we did a story depicting Aden Jefferies (a local of Summer Bay and a student of Summer Bay High) as a hero, one who could be compared to the war hero status of his Grandfather. Little did we know then that this boy had secrets; dark secrets which caused him to hold three people hostage, his father (Larry Jefferies), his girlfriend (ex employee of the coastal news – Belle Taylor) and his doctor, (Rachel Armstrong). I'm sure that none of them new the true capabilities of the person they trusted. Though Belle Taylor and Rachel Armstrong refused to comment, Larry Jefferies told me, whilst in his bed in hospital, that his son shouldn't be blamed for what happened, that it was his fault his son had suddenly turned into a psychopath and tried to kill him. So what could Larry Jefferies possibly have done to make his own son want to kill him; he refused to say.

We have learned from the police that Aden Jefferies held the three in his father's house's garage and was waiting for his father to die from the effects of being an alcoholic. Rachel Armstrong discovered what was going on when she found that some pills had been stolen from her medical bag. She went to investigate and ended up being held by Aden for three days until Belle figured out something wasn't right with her boyfriend and found what Rachel had. It was soon after this that Aden decided he couldn't wait any longer and attempted to inject his father with morphine to get the job done, Rachel and Belle managed to stop him, as well as calling the police whilst Aden was distracted.

Angelo Rosetta, who gave us the police's statement said this, "Aden Jefferies has been charged with kidnapping and attempted murder but has been released on bail on the condition he attends a clinic for troubled adolescents for counselling. He's very sick and what he did is a reflection of that."

So the question remains; why did he do it?

Gavin Harper

Belle looked at the article once more and ripped it in half, it had made Aden sound so crazy. No one could truly understand what had been going through Aden's head than the three people that were in that room. Belle knew that Aden had gotten a lot of grief since this article had been written and reporters were still trying to get him to admit why he did it.

She closed the drawer and got changed ready for a walk on the beach, she needed to clear her head and figure things out.

[wrongturntaken]

Sorry i haven't updated in a while but you should get a couple of chapters tonight, here's a sneak peek to keep you going though.

Belle was walking along the beach and looking out to the sea; where the sun had started to lower in the sky and boats could be seen as shadows in the distance; clearly getting closer ready to harbour. She took her shoes off and walked along the edge of the sea feeling the water brush against her ankles hoping the feeling would wash away her confusion and she would be able to think clearly. The fresh air was helping but she couldn't take her mind off Aden. She didn't know if this was a bad thing though as he was the one who had told her to think things through.

As she walked she saw a figure in the distance walking purposefully towards her, as he got closer she recognised him, she really didn't need this right now.

CHAPTER 7 IS MISSING! (IN COMMENTS ON PAGE 6. v. IMPORTANT CHAPTER!) Link to it

[wrongturntaken]

Sorry this took so long i couldn't bring myself to write... i know i included that sneak peek of Morag in the last chapter but i've had to push it back to the next because it didn't fit in this chapter.

Warning: mention of sex

I hope you enjoy this though...

(The first paragraph is from the last chapter, just a reminder of what they were talking about before the flashback.)

Chapter 8

"Are you going to give them to me...?" Gavin pushed. "... i mean after everything that happened, and after the court case... no one knows what really happened to you, why you did what you did?"

Aden sighed after thinking of the court case, he knew he would have to do this sooner or later, "I'll tell you what Gavin, you meet me in the diner at 4 O'clock on Thursday, I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Really, you're actually going to tell me why you turned into a psycho?"

"I'm going to tell you what happened to me on the condition that you sign a contract that says you will not slander me. If you print the truth I will have no reason to sue you. Got it?"

"Sure," Gavin said slightly annoyed at Aden's demands.

"Now if you don't mind, I think Belle wants to get on with her walk," Aden added rudely.

Gavin said nothing but walked off in the other direction.

Belle was looking at Aden in shock; she couldn't believe he had just agreed to tell all to a newspaper.

"Can I walk with you for a bit?" Aden asked Belle cautiously.

She nodded and gave him the slightest of smiles before carrying on walking. They pressed across the sand in silence for a couple of minutes, just listening to the shore and watching the sun go down. Belle was sure this would have felt more weird but Aden being there next to her, just made her feel safe in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. It was like they had never been apart and though she was still unsure of him; his maturity in conversation had shown her that he had really worked through his problems.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him concernedly.

He paused for a moment before answering, "I have to, Belle… would you mind maybe…" he trailed off.

"What?" Belle answered softly.

Aden looked at her unsurely, "…would you be there with me? It's just… there are a few things I want you to know too.

Belle hadn't been aware that her feet had stopped moving but apparently they had for now she and Aden had stopped and she was staring into his eyes at a closer proximity than she had been in months. She could see the slight pain that had always been there, smaller than before, but still present, but he was currently, obviously more nervous about asking her this favour. She didn't even need to think before answering.

"Yes, of course."

Aden smiled, "Maybe we should get going, I'll walk you back."

"You don't need to do that…"

"Belle," he said sternly.

Belle smiled, "Okay then," They turned around and headed back to the beach house. "Aden…"

"Yeah?"

"You seem different."

"Different?"

"Yeah, like more…" she didn't know how to describe it.

"…stable?" Aden suggested for her.

Belle was surprised that he would choose that word and use it so calmly, "…well, yes, I guess, but not just that, you seem more grown up, more together. I just don't want you to have lost the other side of you, you know… the one that's fun and loves just messing around."

Aden stopped and smiled at Belle, "Don't worry; I'm still as cocky as ever… I mean, what haven't I got to be cocky about?"

Belle laughed, "Glad to hear it…"

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The drinking… I thought after everything that's happened…"

His tone wasn't of bitterness, but of disappointment and Belle felt like she had let him down.

"I know, it's just after the verdict… I needed a way to forget, the pain of knowing you were in there…"

"Belle, I was only in there for two weeks…" Aden said softly.

"I know, I just felt so guilty…"

"It wasn't your fault…"

"It's not just you Aden, there's other stuff too, stuff that I just wanted to make go away…" Belle told him not quite meaning to.

"Are you going to tell me what that stuff is?" Aden asked softly but suddenly curiously.

"Maybe… someday," Belle said not knowing if telling him would make everything better… or worse.

"That's what I said once…" Aden said reminiscently.

"…and you told me in the end," Belle reassured him.

"I just hope whatever it is you have to tell me, isn't as bad as what I had to tell you…" Aden said looking at her sympathetically.

Belle averted her eyes and stayed silent which disturbed Aden because that kind of body language usually meant that it was as bad.

"Belle…?" he said worriedly.

"Goodnight, Aden," Belle said quickly trying to halt the conversation before it could go any further as they arrived at the beach house.

Aden was taken aback by her abrupt response but had little chance to formulate a reply as Belle rushed inside and closed the door behind her; leaving Aden thoroughly bewildered and thoroughly worried.

She walked into her bedroom, ignoring everyone else in the house, put down her bag and lay on her bed as she had been doing a lot of lately. She was so scared of telling Aden the truth, telling anyone in fact; she had kept this to herself, partly because she felt she should have been strong enough for it not to have happened in the first place and partly because she just didn't know what to do. A part of her felt like it would be a bad idea to tell Aden after everything he had had to deal with but she also knew that she could trust him; more than anyone and having him around again, even for the brief moments they had spent together had made her realise how much she missed him.

She couldn't believe she had ever even dated Angelo, it was obvious to her now what a mistake it had been; she wished she could have seen it at the time. She remembered a conversation she had had with Irene one evening after he had dropped her off. She had told him she wanted to take things slow but he was being very persistent, eventually he left and she went into the house only for Irene to come into her room a few minutes later bearing gifts of hot chocolate.

"Are you alright, love?" Irene asked; seeing Belle looking at her camera; not realising she had been looking at pictures of Aden.

Belle put down the camera and accepted the hot chocolate, "Yeah, I guess…"

"How are things going with Angelo, you two looked pretty cosy outside?"

Belle sighed.

"…or not?"

Belle looked at Irene unsure whether to discuss how she was feeling but the look in Irene's eyes reminded Belle that she had always been there for her, "He's nice and everything, it's just…" she trailed off, unsure how to put the next bit, Irene hadn't been best pleased when she had brought this topic up when she was dating Aden, but then again, Irene didn't exactly like Aden.

"…we've been out a few times now and I think he wants to… you know… …take our relationship further."

"Right" Irene drawled slowly, "... and you don't want to do that yet?"

"I think the old me would have... but being with Aden; it made me realise…" she trailed off and looked at Irene knowing she wouldn't understand what she was about to say.

"…realise what?"

"…what sex really means," Belle finished bluntly.

Irene looked at her oddly.

"I know this probably won't make any sense to you but when Aden and I finally did sleep together, I knew what it meant to him, I knew how much it took for him to trust me enough to be able to do it… and that just made it so…" Belle paused and smiled at the memory, "…special."

Irene looked at Belle admirably, "Even if I don't understand why you feel that way it obviously means a lot that you've had that feeling… …but what does this mean for Angelo?"

"Truthfully, Irene…" she took a deep breath, "I don't want to sleep with anyone else," she added, shrugging her shoulders gently, as her eyes started to tear up.

Irene looked at Belle sadly, "Come here," she moved towards Belle and embraced her in a hug. "Belle, you broke up with Aden, and eventually you are going to have to get over him… but if you're not ready to be with someone else then maybe you need to just be on your own for a bit?"

"You think I should break up with Angelo?"

"I think you should do what you feel is right," Irene told her before getting up and leaving the room.

It turned out that Angelo had realised what Belle was feeling even before she did and he broke it off with her the next day in a rather hasty way which had surprised Belle considering the fun loving care free guy she had seen on their dates and around town.

Please comment, i love hearing from you, it really helps for quick updates too! lol

[wrongturntaken]

Although i did always plan on writing this chapter it's turned out be a bit more filler, i am trying to leak through more important information if you can spot it, lol. So it's a bit short but i hope you still enjoy it.

Since there are so many Adelle fics at the moment i know how confusing that can get so i'll give you a quick story summary before each chapter and i hope that will help.

OC has happened, belle visits Aden in the clinic and they're over once and for all, Aden and melody become close, Aden went to court and was sentenced to 3 months in prison for kidnapping but stayed in prison for only two weeks (you don't know why yet). Aden has agreed to tell Gavin the truth with Belle being there. He and Belle have started speaking again. (that's a bit of an out of order summary but i hope it jogs your memory, i haven't really included much summary of the flashbacks though )

Anyway, i'm sure you'd rather read the story than listen to me blabber on all day, lol.

Chapter 9.

"Mr Jefferies, good to see you again," Martin Bartlett said as Aden stood up to shake his hand.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," Aden answered him; rather amused.

"Neither did I… come into my office," Bartlett said gesturing that Aden go through before him and take a seat.

Aden looked around the office; this was the first time he had been in here when he hadn't actually been in trouble.

"So I'm guessing that your being here means you want to come back to school?"

"Yes, sir," Aden told him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, I mean after everything you've been through, the other kids are going to be tough on you," Bartlett said genuinely.

Aden laughed, "I know, believe me, at one time I would have been one of them but now I know what I want to do with my life and I know what I need to get there."

Bartlett smiled admiringly; surprised at the new Aden Jefferies that sat before him.

"You've missed a lot of school; the exams start in two weeks, are you going to be ready for that, you could repeat the year again."

"…and it's the 'again' in that sentence that bothers me," Aden told him humourously.

"I can see that it would," Bartlett said seriously nodding his head as he clutched his hands together on top of the table.

"There isn't that much to do in prison or in the clinic so I spent a lot of time studying… I also have the advantage that I did do this last year as well so I have knowledge from then and Mr Copeland has already agreed to give me extra tutorials right up until exam time," Aden told the principal determined to convince him going back to school was the right thing.

"Oh, well that's good of him," Bartlett said and Aden swore he had seen a sign of annoyance at the mention of the name Copeland.

"So, sir I'm even ready to start today if you'll let me?"

"Okay, you can come back, I can see you have really pulled yourself together and you seem to have grown into a respectable man."

"Thank you, sir," Aden said standing up and shaking the principal's hand. "…you won't regret it."

Bartlett smiled as Aden went to leave his office.

"Oh, and Aden…"

"…yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"…what for?"

"…for not realising your behaviour meant something."

Aden nodded curtly, "…you weren't to know… and any more questions you might have should be answered by Friday."

Mr. Bartlett was left confused by this cryptic response and went back to sorting out his files.

*

"Okay, everyone, quieten down," Miles Copeland told his noisy year 12 history class at the start of the lesson. "I'm sure as you've all seen by now; Aden Jefferies is back with us and is…"

"…a psycho," another member of the class coughed.

Aden just smiled, he had been like that at one time he remembered and he wasn't going to let it bother him, they didn't know who he was so it didn't matter what they thought.

This kind of behaviour carried on through the lesson with random remarks tied into the topic but obviously directed towards Aden.

Miles was doing his best to try and keep it at bay and to integrate Aden back into the class as they were discussing the Vietnam war.

"Aden, you're Grandfather was a war veteran wasn't he? Do you want to tell us a bit about him?"

Aden looked up at him and Miles could see the visible shock that lie in his face and felt stupid, how could he have forgotten that Aden and his grandfather didn't get on? Mention of his grandfather had certainly used to get Aden hot under the collar and Miles didn't know how he would react now.

He was surprised when the look of shock disappeared and Aden answered so simply you'd think he was selling food in a supermarket, "My Grandfather's the reason I ended up in prison and a psychiatric clinic, so if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about him."

It's a strange thing when silence gets quieter; quieter silence just leads to hearing the continuance frequency of everything else in the room… a fly batting its wings at god knows what speed, the sound of the lights buzzing, even the sound of the chalk dust falling off of the board combining to make the noise so unbearable silence is wished upon.

The whole class looked at Aden in shock as he started to tap his pen on his paper and looked down, ignoring the other's reaction. When he realised nothing was happening; he looked up and just said, "Carry on…"

Miles shook himself out of the state he had been in and continued with the lesson wondering who the man was sitting in Aden's chair.

Next chapter: scene in the diner with Aden, Belle, Gavin plus... what happened to Aden after the court case and in prison??

chapter after that: a bit more action and a bit more heartache...