Everyone's Got Problems

[HAA Girl 08]

Awww! It's so sweet!

Can't wait for the update

[Aden+Belle forever]

Great start, cant wait to read more

[Jody]

Only one chapter and I am already loving this.

Opening the drop in centre was a brilliant idea. I loved Aden asking Belle being the one who provides for them in the time being. I agree with Belle how many guys would ask something like that. Aden really is one in a million. The proposal was really good. Everything about that scene from the moment they entered that building was perfect.

Please update soon.

[Zetti]

Aww I read the other fic and I am so glad you posted a sequel! Squeee!

[wrongturntaken]

Thank you for all your comments! They mean so much to me!

Warning: Swearing in one place (fairly mild).

Also, this chapter is almost ridiculously long, hopefully the next few chapters won't be this long but i needed to do quite a lot in this chapter as it's the first one.

I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1. (Seventeen years later)

"Aden?" Belle questioned nervously as she stood behind the island kitchen counter buttering her toast.

"Hmm?" he answered her without looking up from the newspaper he was reading whilst sat on the stool on the other side of the counter.

She sighed in frustration, "Will you look at me please!"

"Sorry honey…" he said softly, placing the newspaper down and smiling at her apologetically, "…what is it?"

She hesitated before answering, "I think… I think I want to quit my job."

Aden looked at her incredulously, "What? Where did that come from?"

"Well, it's just that, I'm doing so much paper work at the Drop In centre and between that and work and the diner and all that paperwork, it's just too much," she explained gently.

"…but you love your job," he said. "We can get someone else to do the admin work, I don't expect you to give up your job," he told her kindly, standing up from the stool and walking round the counter to stand beside her.

"I know you don't, but that's just it, I don't love my job like I used to," she explained. "Ever since I took time off to raise the kids, I've enjoyed it but it just hasn't been the same," she shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him weakly.

He looked at her concerned, "…how long have you been feeling like this?"

She shrugged again, "I don't know, it's only recently I've really started to think it was possible, given… everything," she finished the sentence sadly and saw as Aden's face dropped at what she was referring to and felt her own do the same.

"The diner?" he asked her placing his hand over hers that was resting, alone, on the counter.

"Yeah," she whispered sadly and gave him a weak smile, taking a long breath as she did so, "…now we have the income from that, we don't need my job anymore and I just always feel like I'm doing more when I'm at the Drop In centre anyway, even if it's just paper work," she answered him.

Aden looked at her, deciphering whether this was something that she really wanted to do, he could see from the fixated look in her eyes that she had made up her mind, and a smile grew slowly on his face as he accepted it and knew that he would be happy as long as she was, "…you know I'll support you whatever you decide, so if this is what you want to do then that's what you should do…" he told her caringly, putting his left hand gently on her right shoulder and turning her lightly to face him as his thumb stroked her cheek and he then pushed a strand of hair delicately behind her ear.

"It is," she told him determinedly, "I'll have to give them three months notice though."

"Okay," he agreed quietly, closing his eyes slowly in acknowledgement before reopening them. He bent down to give her a gentle kiss, which deepened unexpectedly.

"Ew, get a room!" came a young male voice from the doorway. Belle looked that way to see a teenage boy with brown hair and blue eyes standing in the door way of the kitchen dressed in the Summer Bay High school uniform.

"Good morning to you too, Mark," Belle said; laughing as she stepped back from Aden and went back to buttering the toast as he walked over to the fridge to pour himself some juice.

"Morning, Mum," he said obediently as he took a seat on the other side of the counter from her, leaving a stool between him and Aden, who had gone back to reading the newspaper.

"Thank you," Belle said and laughed lightly at the response she had forced, "…are you excited about your first day back at school?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I can't wait," he answered sarcastically, "Year ten is going to be like another universe compared to year nine!"

"Okay, okay, no need to be rude," Belle said jokingly. "Where's your sister, she's going to be late," Belle said placing some toast in front of Mark as she walked over to the door and shouted, "Tess!" up the stairs.

"I'm coming, Mum," a young female voice shouted back in exasperation.

A couple of minutes later she walked in with immaculately straightened blonde hair, wearing simple make up, yet looking stunning, and adorning her school uniform in such a way that actually made her look good. A fact most girls at school would probably hate her for, were she not so nice.

"…bout time, Tess," Belle muttered.

Tess rolled her eyes and took a seat between Aden and Mark.

"She's probably just been standing in front of the mirror for the last half an hour admiring her self," Mark said, smiling coyly until Tess hit him in the arm, particularly hard. "Mum!" he exclaimed hitting her back softly.

"Dad!" Tess whined, pretending to be hurt and looking at Aden who had finally put down the newspaper and was now sharing glances with his wife, trying not to find the daily ritual, which they had come to develop, amusing.

"Okay, come on, stop it," Aden told them, and although half heartedly, the two teenagers stopped.

"M-um," Tess drawled sweetly.

"Yes?" Belle said slowly, knowing she was about to be asked something her daughter was sure she'd say no too.

"Well, you know how I'm 18 in like… a month… well… there's this party on Saturday night… and I was wondering if I could go?" she asked biting her bottom lip as she did so.

Aden smiled at the fact that she had chosen to ask Belle and not him.

"Firstly, Tess," Belle began, "…you are 18 in ten months, not one, and I'm assuming the reason you even said that is because there's going to be alcohol… and how do you even know about it, you haven't even been back to school for one day yet."

Tess looked at her mother incredulously, "Facebook!" she said as though her mother was being stupid.

Belle sighed, "Of course… you realise now you're back at school you won't be able to spend every minute of your day on that thing?"

"Come on Mum," Tess laughed. "I know facebook existed when you were younger, even if you had to actually use those mouse things instead of just touching the screen," she said mockingly, "…well, can I go?" she asked again, looking hopeful.

Belle looked at her, "Ask your father," she relented.

Aden looked at Belle and shook his head slowly in mock disappointment as Tess turned to use her puppy dog eyes on him. "Can I Dad, please?"

He sighed, "I don't know… if there's gonna be alcohol there…"

"…the world will end?" Mark suggested snidely.

Aden turned to look at Mark suddenly, "Don't talk to me like that Mark, I don't have time for it this morning," he said calmly, although the anger he was retaining in his face showed Mark he had stepped out of place.

"Fine," Mark said abruptly. "I'm going to school," he added, hopping off the stool and going to leave, he turned around just before going out the door. "Oh Mum, I have footy training after school so I'll be home late, okay?"

"Training…? …on the first day?" Aden asked disbelievingly, no threat of a smile on his face.

Mark shrugged and looked at his father coldly, "I don't make the rules; I just play the game."

"Don't I know it," Aden muttered but loud enough for Mark to hear.

Mark scoffed and continued out of the house.

Tess looked awkwardly between her father and the empty spot where her brother had just been stood and decided to break the silence, "So can I?"

Aden shared a look with Belle, "Yes, on the condition…"

"…that I don't drink?" Tess asked; ready to comply.

"No," Aden answered her, "…on the condition that you behave responsibly, and are safe, and know that if you ever get in to trouble you should call me or your mother no matter what you think we might do, okay? We'd rather you be safe than afraid to call us because you're drunk or something like that," Aden told her looking at Belle briefly as he finished.

"You're father's right," Belle said. "You're safety is the most important thing to us."

Tess raised her eyebrows, "Woah, guys, I was only asking to go to a party, what's the worst thing that can happen?"

Aden and Belle shared a look clearly thinking the same thoughts about what had happened to Belle when she was 19, what they had decided not tell the kids about until it was the right time or they needed to know.

"Just promise us you'll be careful?" Aden said protectively.

"…of course! So I can go?" Tess asked, not quite believing it.

Aden smiled, "Yes, you can go."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she squealed, flinging her arms around her father and kissing him on the cheek.

"I think you better get to school, or you're going to be late," Aden said looking at his watch behind her back. "I'll see you there."

She pulled back and looked at him questioningly, "Don't you have to go to the Drop In centre?"

"It's the first day," he implied simply.

"Oh right," she clicked, "…I'll see you later then. Bye Mum," she called as she walked out the door.

"Have a good day, love." Belle called to her disappearing daughter.

Aden sighed as he watched Tess go, "Belle…" he said hesitantly.

"I know, Aden," she answered him, a solemn expression now appearing on her face as she came round the counter to sit facing him on the stool previously occupied by their daughter. "We have to tell her."

"We always said we would, when the time was right, it's not fair to not be honest with her," Aden reassured her quietly.

"If we tell her, then we have to tell Mark," Belle told him placing a hand on his shoulder calmingly as he tilted his head back and took a deep breath. "…and if we tell them anything… we have to tell them everything," she added tentatively.

"Urgh," Aden sighed softly.

"Aden, what's going on with you and Mark?" Belle asked him.

"What do you mean?" Aden asked her; shifting awkwardly on his stool.

"What was that that about this morning, since when do you talk to each other like that?" Belle asked him gently; genuinely worried.

"I don't know, Belle," Aden answered her tiredly, shaking his head.

"…so when do we tell them?" Belle asked, deciding she was going to get no more about the situation with Mark from Aden now.

"I know we said that we'd tell them when they were ready but I'm just not so sure I'm ready to yet, I mean… are you?" Aden asked her as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"I don't think we'll ever be ready, Aden, it's just something we're going to have to do," Belle told him comfortingly. "It's a miracle they've never seen that newspaper article and that all our friends agreed to keep it quiet so that we could be the ones to tell them."

"Yeah, I know," Aden sighed and shared a moments silence with Belle before refocusing on the current task they had just set themselves, "Can we just give it a bit more time? Maybe until you've finished work, that way we'll have a definite time and we can't put it off because we've both decided that's when we're going to do it?" Aden suggested.

Belle smiled softly, "I guess that's a good idea," Belle said as her phone rang. She jumped to answer it and then put it to her chest to muffle the speaker as she noticed Aden still sat at the counter, "Aden, you're going to be late!"

He looked at his watch and got up quickly, grabbing his bag with the leaflets and other documentation in as he rushed out of the door, giving her a quick kiss as he left, making her smile.

*

"Mark, wait up!" Tess called as she caught up with her brother as he entered the school gates. He turned around to look at her, "You alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he answered her.

"Well, it's just that it got a little weird between you and Dad before you left?" Tess pushed carefully.

"It's nothing, Tess, Dad just doesn't approve of me playing footy. Just because he busted his knee when he was younger, he's jealous that I'm gonna get to play," Mark told her determinedly.

Tess looked at him, unconvinced, "That doesn't sound like Dad."

"Well, what else explains it?" Mark said simply.

"Hmm," Tess pondered. "I'll see you later," she added as they entered the building together and she went to her locker as he went to his.

"Tess?" Principle Copeland said as she put some of her stuff in her locker, keeping the books out that she would need for first and second period.

She turned around, "Yes sir?"

"This is a new student… Lisa…" he gestured to the brown haired girl stood next to him, she was very pretty and smiling confidently. "I was wondering if you could show her round today, you're in the same classes so it shouldn't be too difficult," he laughed.

"Sure, no problem," Tess answered him politely.

"Okay then, Lisa," Miles said. "I'll leave you in Tess's capable hands, have a good day, and if you have any problems, just pop in to my office," he smiled at them before leaving.

"Hey," Lisa said as the principle left, "He seems nice, probably the nicest principle I've ever met, and I've met a lot!"

"Yeah, he's a sweetheart, but don't cross him or you will suffer his wrath," she warned.

"…really?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah," Tess answered simply, "So you've moved around a lot then?" she asked; registering her earlier comment.

"Yeah, my Mum's job means we move around a lot so I'm just the little puppy that follows her around everywhere but hey… I look cute, right, just like a puppy's supposed to?"

Tess laughed, "Yeah, you're cute." She looked around to see the herds migrating, "We better go before we're late."

"…for what?" Lisa asked curiously.

"Welcoming assembly," Tess answered as someone rammed passed her, knocking her books out of her hand and then carrying on. "Thanks for helping," she yelled at the figure, now ten metres away. He stood still and turned around slowly before approaching her. She suddenly became nervous and gulped as she saw Lisa smile at the sight of this very cute boy coming up to them.

"Sorry… if I'd have realised how beautiful you were, I would have stopped straight away," he told her smugly as he placed his hand on the lockers and invaded Tess' personal space.

"Is that seriously the best you could do?" Tess asked him in mock sympathy.

He smiled arrogantly, "Well, usually just the looks will do it."

Lisa giggled and he smiled at her before quickly looking back to Tess, "You're new right?" Tess asked, quickly glaring at Lisa to stop her being so easily pulled in.

"Yeah, maybe you should show me round sometime?" he asked her slyly.

"You know, I'm kind of busy right now… but maybe when hell freezes over?" Tess answered.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed and laughed. "I'm Tyler by the way."

"Tess," she replied quickly, "…and we have to go now," she added, linking her arm with Lisa's and heading towards the hall.

"See you around!" Tyler called after them, laughing softly as he watched them leave.

Tess led Lisa into the hall and they took their seats a few rows back from the front, she saw Mark and waved, he smiled back at her.

"Who is that?" Lisa asked.

"That's my brother," Tess said, turning to face Lisa, realising that Lisa was actually looking at the people sat on the stage.

"No, I mean who is that?" Lisa said; now quite clearly in fascination of someone on the stage.

Tess rolled her eyes, "That…" she started, "…is my Dad."

Lisa turned to face her suddenly, "What! But he's… hot!"

"So I hear," Tess said more to herself than Lisa. She looked around the room and saw pretty much all the girls staring at her father in awe, she sighed, she was used to it after all, it happened every year. Except this year, as she looked around, she saw a few of those girls stare from her father to her brother, Mark having matured over the summer to look very alike to Aden apart from the brown hair, he even had his father's eyes.

"Hello, everyone," Miles started, "…and welcome back to another school year. For those of you in year twelve, you have got your most difficult year ahead with your HSC, which if you are having any trouble with, you can come and see any member of staff to help you. That goes for everyone as well. If you have a problem don't be worried to approach any one of us, we're here to help you," he gave his every year speech. "Now I'm going to hand you over to Aden Jefferies who I know a lot of you know but some of you won't so he's just here to introduce himself and tell you what he does… Aden?"

Aden stood up and smiled at Miles, approaching the front of the stage. He did this every year but for some reason he still got nervous, not that the kids could ever tell, he was very good at covering it up.

"Hi everyone," he spoke and a collective intake of girly breath could be heard.

"I hope you've all heard of the Summer Bay Drop In centre but if you haven't then I'm just here to tell you a bit about it," he started. "I set it up with my wife about 17 years ago to help kids and teenagers in the area who might be having trouble at home or at school or work or in whatever area of their life," he explained looking out at the sea of students in front of him. He always knew there was the danger that they would think he was a complete loser. "The centre is a place where if you feel like you're in trouble you can come and there will be someone to talk to, completely confidentially of course and just somewhere that you can feel safe," he continued as he noticed a boy standing up from the edge of a row in the middle, shaking his head and looking quite angry as he left quietly, obviously trying not to draw attention to himself. No one else seemed to have noticed apart from Aden, although he hadn't seen his daughter's eyes flicker to the boy as he left, and he made a mental note to find out who he was, he hadn't seen him before so he figured he must be new.

"I'm also the school counselor so I'm here Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from ten until two if you ever want to come in and talk to me about anything, even if you think it's stupid, you can. Otherwise you can come and find me at the Drop In centre or give me a call, my card is on the table by the door along with other leaflets and information about the centre so please feel free to take them," Aden informed the students. "…and although we are funded partially by the council, we are a charity so if you have any ideas for fundraisers we'd love for you to do them, or if you just want to donate something, then that would be great too," he explained smiling as he finished with a, "Thank you," and nodded at them gratefully before going back to take his seat on the stage.

*

"The Drop In centre sounds really good," Lisa told Tess honestly as the assembly came to a close.

"Yeah, he's put his heart and soul in to it and it means a lot to all of us," Tess said; smiling at her

gratefully.

"I'd go to see him for a 'problem' any day, just to look at him!" Tess heard a girl's voice say to some others who were laughing in the row in front of them.

"Stop being so superficial, Kat, you know… some people have real problems," Tess told her heatedly.

The brown haired girl turned to glare at Tess, "What? Like your mother you mean?"

"You don't know anything about my mother!" Tess said angrily, raising her hackles, ready for a fight as Lisa watched in shock of how suddenly Tess had changed.

"I know what I've heard," Kat said snidely. "…and from what I've seen today, looks like you might be following in her footsteps."

"What?" Tess asked, more calmly now as she was utterly confused.

"You ought to choose your company more carefully, Tess," Kat informed her smugly as Tess looked at Lisa questioningly, who shrugged her shoulders in response, "…not her…" Kat said, "…Tyler!"

"Tyler?" Tess exclaimed, "What are you talking about?"

Kat laughed, "Like you don't know!" before she walked off with her posse following her.

"Who was that?" Lisa asked Tess when Kat had gone.

"That… was Kat," Tess explained, "The resident… queen of Summer Bay High."

"Queen? Bitch more like it," Lisa said.

"Well I was trying to be more polite about it but… yeah, you got it in one," Tess laughed.

"What did she mean about your Mum?" Lisa asked tentatively, unsure whether this might be a 'no go' area with Tess considering her reactions a minute ago.

"Long story, I'll tell you later," Tess said and smiled at her. "Let's get to class."

*

Lisa and Tess were sat at a table, discussing the English assignment they had been paired up to do together, in the diner having their lunch after Tess had explained what Kat had been talking about earlier. Until two people walked in, "Hey, guys," Tess waved them over.

"Lisa, this is Mark, my brother, and our cousin, Rachel," Tess introduced the pair who slid into the seats opposite Tess and Lisa. "Guys, this is Lisa, she's new."

"Hey," Mark said as Lisa smiled at them.

There was a moment's silence, "Sorry," Lisa blurted out, "…but you have one hot family!" she exclaimed, taking in Mark's hot looks and gorgeous tan and then the short blonde hair that Rachel had with her blue eyes, slightly pale skin and friendly smile, seeming to make her very approachable.

Rachel, Mark, and Tess laughed, "Uh, thanks," Mark suggested.

"Your welcome," Lisa answered in the same tone and laughed.

"So how's it going guys?" Tess asked them.

"I can't believe how much work we've gotten on the first day!" Rachel said tiredly.

"Well, year ten is when they start cracking down a bit more," Tess explained. "Just wait till you get to year twelve, we've already been given two assignments due in by the end of next week."

"I can't wait!" Rachel said sarcastically.

"Please! You'll be fine. You have super woman's genes!" Tess cried.

Rachel laughed and Lisa looked confused, "Superwoman's genes?"

"Rachel's Mum managed to become a doctor whilst raising Rachel and it only took her three extra years, and she still manages to split her time equally," Tess informed Lisa.

"She sounds good," Lisa said politely, looking at Rachel.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing," Rachel said smiling.

"Has she mentioned Dad at all lately?" Tess asked as Lisa watched all smiles disappear from the three in her company's faces.

Rachel swallowed, "No," she said sadly, "She doesn't talk about him at all, has he mentioned her recently?"

Tess shook her head, "I can't believe it's nearly been a year," she said solemnly.

"You don't need to tell me," Rachel said, as she tried to smile.

Lisa felt quite uncomfortable as she clearly had no idea what they were talking about, and it seemed like a private matter, "I'm just going to got the bathroom," she excused herself and the others nodded their heads in acceptance.

"Do you reckon things will ever go back to the way they were?" Rachel asked her cousins sadly. "…before, I mean?"

"Maybe one day," Mark said quietly as Irene came over to their table.

"Hey guys, do you want anything?" she asked them sweetly.

"Nothing, for me thanks, Irene," Mark said, more easily able to smile now that their conversation had been broken.

"Ok, Love," Irene said, "Rachel?"

"Uh, a tuna sandwich would be great, thanks Irene," Rachel told her as Irene smiled and wrote the order down.

"Coming right up, Darl," Irene told her and left to go back into the kitchen.

When Lisa came back, she was glad to see the trio laughing again, and joined in their conversations for the rest of lunch, pleased she seemed to have made three great new friends.

I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as i enjoyed writing it! I'm sorry it was so long, i really wanted to introduce you to all the new characters in the first chapter.

If you have any questions, leave them for me in a comment and they might already be coming up in upcoming chapters, or i might include them for you.

so please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought! Thanks for reading!

[Zetti]

Whoa! I could picture it in my head and this has taken place as my favourite fic just behind Unfamiliar! Hope you update soon but it will be great whenever!

[Taniya_K]

I hope you keep on with the long chapters!

I absolutely love this fic! I can't express how much I love it!

So many questions!! What happened between Nicole and Aden? And what's up with Mark and Aden? Who's Tyler and what's his past? And Lisa's?! Grr... so many more too!

I hope you update asap! I really don't think I could wait long!

xoxo

[Deborah]

Great chapter!

Loving it being set 17 years in the future, brilliant idea.

Got all the same questions as Taniya really, .

Looking forward to more

[LAURZY!]

ooooo liked it!! Taniya pretty much covered all the questions i had lol

I really love this fic, cannot wait to read more

[xknomex]

WOW!!!! I cant put into words how much I love this fic! It AMAZING!!

I loved the opening scene, their family is so cute!!

I'm guessing that the stuff adelle want to talk to the kids about is Aden and Belle's [belle did get abuesd didn't she? or was that another fic?] abuse and the fact that he tried to kill his father etc... have I missed anythig?

I really want to know about Tyler and what happend with Aden and Nicole? how are they not friends anymore? Also what happend with Aden and Mark?!?! argh too many questions.

Loved the line with Lisa saying that their family was so HOT! haha!!!

Please update ASAP! I really need to read more. this fic is addictive

xxx