New Story - With new ideas and directions to hand. I'm writing this and posting it straight onto Steemit - You can not get more exclusive than that! 46

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Please remember this story is being written and posted 'live' every day. I am writing today's episode and posting it here without benefit of a read-through, let alone an edit. I don't usually work this way and this experiment is exciting and different for me, not my normal work-ethic at all. To that end, please forgive me any typos, grammar errors and anything that you may think should have been picked up in an edit - it WILL be picked up in the edit.

I've already spoken with a publisher about getting this story published - possibly after Christmas, we'll see how it goes.

Images from Google (licenced for reuse) and Pixabay

The two kids left the shop to the sound of the old man’s muttering and grumbling about ‘cheeky kids’.

Ash waved and she knew he wasn’t so upset with her because he waved back.

“You had more than thirty quid left!” Robin whispered when they were out of range of the shop.

“Yeah, I know, so?” she said with a grin. “Better in my pocket than anyone else’s.”

They made their way back to Justin’s with their packages and Ash set to work on making food for them all.

“What have you bought…” Justin said. “Or rather, what have I bought?”

“Set it up for the miserable bleeder!” Ash called from the kitchen.

By the time Ash had made the pasta and sauce – convenient and quick – and dished it up between the three of them, Robin had set up the VCR and gave the remote to Justin.

“What’s all this?” Justin said.

“Well, that’s your dinner and that’s the entertainment for the evening. Ash thought you would like these,” Robin said, holding up a couple of box-sets of videos.

“No one uses video recorders these days!” Justin said. “It’s all Bluetooth and DVDs.”

“Yeah? Well, let’s have a DVD on then,” Ash said. “Oh yeah, I forgot, you don’t have one, do you? So shut your gob, eat your pasta and let’s watch something.”

They binge-watched The Sweeney all evening.

Ash kept sneaking glances at Justin. He was rapt, reliving his childhood or his career, she couldn’t figure out which it was.

He glanced over to her and grinned. “You know, when this show first came out, the London cops thought they had a mole in the force. These shows were exactly like it was back then. It caused no end of trouble because they thought they were being spied on.” Justin laughed at the memory and continued watching.

“Good choice of present, kids,” Justin said when they finally had enough cops and robbers and started getting ready to go to bed.

“I’m glad you like it, it was all Ash’s idea, but I did notice a few more films and box sets in the shop if you get bored of The Sweeney.”

Justin’s eyes widened in shock. “How can anyone get bored of The Sweeney?” he said.

The next morning, Justin had managed to get himself up and out of bed and was watching television when Robin came ‘round.

“I did put you to bed, didn’t I?” he asked. “I didn’t leave you in that chair all night?”

“Funny bleeder,” Justin said. “I don’t feel too bad today, got a bit of strength in my legs, I think.”

“Yeah? Well don’t over-do it. Last time you felt strong enough to do stuff, it took weeks for you to recover from the crash after.”

“I know. Lesson learned.”

“What crash?” Ash said, yawning and rubbing her head to make a scratchy sound. “Who crashed? Is anyone hurt?”

“Different kind of crash,” Robin said.

“I never asked yesterday,” Ash said. “Did you make any calls, Justin?”

“I made a few, but won’t know anything for a while.”

Ash nodded and sipped the tea Robin handed her.

“Those bruises are starting to heal,” he said. “Let’s have a look at the one on your belly.”

“What belly?” Justin said, not taking his eyes off The Sweeney on the television. “She’s got no belly, she’s all skin and bones.”

Ash pulled up her jumper to show the bruise.

“Stand up, I want to see it proper.”

Ash did as Robin asked and pulled up her jumper again.

She flinched as he touched it. “Ow,” she said.

“That didn’t hurt,” Robin said, pulling his hand back. “Did it?”

“No, it hurt when I flinched. I’m sore in all sorts of places I didn’t even think were connected.”

“Yeah, that’s a call I should have made,” Justin said, worry creasing his already worn and wrinkled face. “I’ll get a sports therapy guy to give you a once-over. No questions asked.”

“No ta, I don’t want anyone sports therapying me,” Ash said.

“No, you numbskull,” Justin said. “He’ll give you a massage, loosen up all the sore and damaged muscles. That way, you’ll be able to move a bit easier and relax better. At the moment, your damaged muscles are tense, trying to hold you in a position that doesn’t hurt. He’ll free them all off and you’ll feel loads better.”

“Yeah? Well you can have one too.”

“That’s not a bad idea, I’ll call him after I’ve watched this.”

Ash went to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She slumped on the sofa and watched the television without taking any notice of what was going on around her.

Suddenly, her focus shifted and she heard the conversation.

“I’m not going back home,” she said.

“You have to at some point,” Robin said.

“Nope.” She shook her head.

“Well, much as I’d like to, I can’t adopt you, kid. There’d be too many questions, forms, hoops to jump through,” Justin said.

“How about you give them a ring and tell them I’m staying somewhere else. They can keep the Child Support money from the government, but I’ll be out of their hair and gone.”

“It won’t work, there’s still too many things that can cause problems.”

“How about you give it a try and see if they’ll be ok with my staying here on a week-to-week basis? Just ring and ask, but make sure you withhold your number, I don’t want them finding out where I am. Oh, and ask them to sign a form so I can change the contact number to yours.”

“Oh, so you’ve never even thought about this, have you?” Justin said in a sarcastic tone.

“Sarcasm, Justin?” she said, blinking her eyes like a little princess. The attempt at ‘coy’ took Justin by surprise and he laughed.

“That might work for normal little girls, kid, but you’re way-past normal, I’m afraid.”

“Just make the damn call,” she said and laughed too.