**Sally And Jesse Fanfic**

[LIZ83]

just hjad time 2 ctach up with this! cant wait 4 more! post soon x

[WYN100]

**CHAPTER 26**

If a second could ever unarguably seem like a century, such a phenomenon occurred in the small store cupboard at the side of the gym as Jesse made his arrival in such a bombastic fashion. The tightly-packed trio of himself, Hayley and Trudi seemed to add to the claustrophobic air as the next development hung rather ominously in the balance. Hayley was convinced her suspicions were about to be fulfilled - but as the century-long second swelled to a peak, - that was to be denied her. With the barest shrug of acknowledgement in Trudi's direction, Jesse snapped at Hayley "Have you any idea what the hell is going on with the bank ?". Ignoring or avoiding the fact that Hayley's eyes were moving slowly and incredulously between himself and Trudi he continued with mounting outrage "I stopped at the sports shop -right ? To get those extra towels - right ? WRONG - I get to the till - and my company card won't go through ! - WHY ? You want to know WHY ? Payment BLOCKED till further notice ! Well, they're not keeping ME hanging around - so you and I are going to see that bank manager TOMORROW ! Withheld !! What do you make of THAT ??"

Still in a semi-daze, Hayley was moved to wonder whether the bank's high-handed manner - or the curious little deception she was currently witnessing -was in fact the GREATER outrage.....

A thick and very impenetrable grey cloud had hung over Scott and Beth since what she'd overheard at the end of the fractured phonecall from Kit.

A hollow moan of " pregnant !" came from deep within the black cloud as Beth turned over that word despairingly in her mouth for at least the 20th time. Scott was finding the triple role of driver, navigator and counsellor a little taxing, volunteering rather helplessly the line that was fast becoming his standard response. "You don't KNOW that - it could have been ANYTHING you heard...." He knew already that line would buy him no more than a few minutes worth of reprieve, so it was with a mixture of relief and satisfaction that he finally spotted a sign declaring "Gold Acre Cottage Hospital" nestling in the bushes at the side odf the road just ahead of them. He slipped the car up the gravel-strewn garden path and into a parking space - ushering Beth out just seconds before the next "Pregnant !" would have hit the air. His mind -rather dulled through lack of sleep admittedly - hoped she didn't continue doing that once they were inside, or they might feel he'd brought someone in for admission rather than visiting !

They introduced themselves at reception, and were met by a solid, dependable-looking matron who immediately said with serious features "Ah yes - Mr Stewart. Well - I'm sure you're familiar with the term - 'The patient is described as critical'...?"

Their faces both grew serious as they nodded and instinctively moved closer together.

They needn't have worried. From the open door marked " Woodview Ward " came a voice with which they were well acquainted "And what the flamin' hell do you call THAT !? If you think I'm eating that GARBAGE....."

The Matron rolled her eyes "You see my point ..? .. Critical of the nurses, critical of the food.. critical of his bed... PLEASE do go in and see him !! ..." - and as she bustled off up the passage, they shared a smiling reunion with Alf whose injuries it turned out to be a dislocated shoulder, badly sprained ankle, and severe dip in his always short reserves of patience. "It's SO good to see you're ok - well, ish.." smiled Beth, only to glad for a diversion from her ongoing and primary worry . "But this accident... tell us about that - a lorry, wasn't it..?"

Immediately Alf's full attention was grabbed and focused. His eyes flashing with intrigue, he spoke in low, conspiratorial tones. "Yes -- and there's something VERY interesting I wanted to tell you about that lorry, too.....!"

"What it LOOKED like, Ric was an extremely serious offence being committed." said Peter - his face clearly showing his attempts to make sense of what he'd just seen and heard.

Having been caught off guard by Peter's arrival, Ric wasn't sure whether open defiance or complete avoidance would be his best policy - he eventually opted for somewhere in between.

And it wasn't altogether convincing, one had to admit.

"Look - I don't know what you think you heard..."

"What I DID hear Ric was you, threatening to kill a man, who I believe is your uncle - you'd maybe see why I have an interest in learning what lies behind that situation ?"

Ric thought quickly - he had his own ideas about the kind of treatment Tony Richards deserved, and as soon as you told t he police anything of that nature, they more or less insisted you went round in handcuffs for a few weeks, while routinely questioning then inevitably releasing the real villain to go on causing havoc. He held up one hand in a gesture of conciliation saying " look, it was nothing-the guy just wound me up, I over-reacted, end of story."

"Sure ?"

"QUITE sure"

Peter added "Good Ric, because I hear any more stuff like I DID hear, and I'll have no choice but to take it further, you hear me ?" They'd seemed to reach an uneasy truce over the earlier incident - - - - but the internal thoughts of both told a very different story. Ric was reflecting with grim determination - 'He touches Lorraine or Brandon again and I WILL kill him.."

while Peter was mulling over some reports he'd had on Richards from the force interstate. While Ric seemed on the level and he didn't want to worry him unnecessarily - it appeared that our friend Richards was decidely NOT the sort of person you wanted to get on the wrong side of - not the sort AT ALL.

It seemed whenever Robbie Hunter chose to - or was required to - "dress to impress", a few issues of questionable tasteseemed to be a common thread . Fashion critics would for example on this occasion surely have urged against wearing the deep lavender coloured open-neck shirt , and it's unlikely that many would have applauded his liberal use of "Ocean Stallion" after-shave . But on this occasion - against the odds - it all seemed to be working.

Lisa Rogers was a quiet, unremarkable girl, tending to live somewhat in the shadow of her father - "Mr" Rogers - legend of the P and C meetings.

Indeed , she'd had to perform a major double, triple and even quadruple take when Robbie had engaged her in close conversation at school earlier that day, calling her "babe" , intimating that he and Tasha had been the "headstrong error of a creative soul" , and - having first ascertained that "Mr" would be out that evening, effectively invited himself over to hers, saying mysteriously they had "much to discuss" Now although Robbie was rather enjoying carrying off the enigmatic Gerard Depardieu-type role, Hyde's urgent insistence that he needed to uncover some real evidence came prodding back at his conscience often enough to achieve a result. His hostess was by now almost totally hooked, and was still further delighted when Robbie set in motion what she singularly failed to recognize as the next part of his "master plan".

He knew computer access was vital to start homing in on "Mr"'s saved documents, so breathing huskily in a still amazed Lisa's ear declared his intention to head for a website of romantic music and as he put it rather predictably "find a pretty song for a pretty lady"

Noting with satisfaction that the "My Documents" tab was already minimized at the foot of the screen, Robbie pretended to waver between "Everything I do, I do it for you" and "The Most beautiful girl in the world" when the choice was ripped forcibly from him. An enraged Tash had stormed into the room, able to sit and peer no longer from her vantage point on the first floor balcony to which she'd earlier climbed and had been monitoring the situation since .

"Not ONLY do you come onto her in broad daylight at SCHOOL.." Tasha began, ignoring the probable questions and likely denials forming on his lips, " but you organize a cosy little evening for two right HERE - what, just to rub my face in it ?" Robbie used the brief pause for breath to dive in - waving his hands urgently for her to stop, he implored "Tasha, you DON'T understand !!.."

" Oh I understand very well ROBBIE" she snapped - and, turning to Lisa spat " and as for YOU !!.." A nervous Lisa stepped instinctively back, tripped over the computer flex which was yanked out of the wall - and as the computer monitor gurgled and faded to a tiny dot, Robbie found himself hoping and wishing EXTREMELY hard that "Mr" Rogers was the kind of man who kept back-ups of his Documents - otherwise Mr Hyde was NOT going to be pleased...

[Catchastar]

Great chapter looking forward to reading more soon