AN: Finally bowed to requests. I didn't want to do this until I had a proper idea for where to go next. But here it is, the sequel to Father Figure.

It will make absolutely no sense unless you read that one first.

I hope you enjoy. Please review.

Amy heard the door bang open then closed again.

On the one hand, Ste had said he'd probably be working until late to start catching up on all the time he'd missed.

On the other hand, she hadn't really expected that to happen.

"You alright?" she called.

"I don't wanna talk about it," came the response in a tone of voice she'd used regularly on her family as a teenager. She supposed Ste had never really had the sort of family where you could use that tone of voice, but probably while coping with two children and no job wasn't the best time to discover it.

"Alright," she offered.

Ste barged towards his bedroom. Then turned and proclaimed; "He lied to Cheryl!"

Amy sighed. "Yeah," she said, her voice non-committal.

"Yeah!" Ste cried, "he knows what happened, right, he knows I never lied to the police, and then he goes 'I don't know, I wasn't there' like."

"Right," Amy said, aware that he all Ste wanted right now was a sign she was listening. She decided to keep her distinct lack of surprise to herself.

"So, right, she's sacking me, and he's not even standing up for me!"

"He let her sack you?" Amy checked. That would be a problem, they had kids to feed.

"Well, no, right, he said I wasn't sacked, but she thinks I lied, right, that I'd make up something like that!"

"So, erm…" Amy hesitated, not wanting to undermine what Ste had been through, but still mostly concerned about how quickly Lucas was getting through shoes at the moment, "you've still got a job?"

Ste stopped his rant, "No, I quit."

Amy sighed again, "Right"

Ste put his head in his hands, "I'm sorry Ames, I'll get another job, but I can't work there, with them."

"I know," replied Amy, and she did understand. It just didn't pay the gas bill that she'd spotted in the letter box.

"I'll get another job, right?"

"I know," Amy assured, "it's just… you might need to be quick. Cheryl might…" she hesitated.

"What?"

"Cheryl might… tell everyone."

Ste paled. "Oh."

"Just in the village." Amy assured.

"Yeah." Ste did not sound fully appeased by that.

"You might just….need to look a bit ….further afield." Amy finished lamely.

"Yeah." Ste finished lamely.

The crashing on the door made them both jump.

"Steven! Steven! Open up! Let me in!"

"Brendan," Ste said, unnecessarily.

"What do you want to do?" asked Amy.

"Ignore him!"

"He might have come to apologise," Amy suggested.

Ste actually snorted at that.

"Yeah, and then he'll sing me a love song and propose!"

Ste glanced at the door. When he looked back, Amy thought she could see tears in his eyes.

"I can't…" he stumbled, "I just… can't…"

Amy nodded. "Alright," she said again, "Go through, I'll tell him where to go."

Ste gave her a look of pure gratitude, before hurrying into his bedroom and shutting the door. Amy let the unwanted visitor pound on the door for a few moments longer before she leaned against the wall by the door and called; "He's not going to talk to you Brendan."

The banging stopped. "Amy!" Brendan's voice was so loud he could have been next to her rather than on the other side of a door, "Amy, I need to see him. I need to explain!" his voice sounded desperate.

"He doesn't want talk to you, Brendan, and he's not going to change his mind just because you're banging on the door like a bull!"

Brendan's first response was anger, "I'm not…" he started shouting, but he cut himself off. "Look, Amy, I need to explain why I did what I did. Please, Amy!"

"You can't explain this away, Brendan," she replied, calmly, "you've really hurt him this time."

Amy felt genuinely sad at that. She'd let herself hope Brendan had changed, that he could love and care for someone, after all, Ste had managed it.

"Amy, just let me in so I can explain, I'm not going to hurt him, I just… please."

Amy sighed. "I can't Brendan. We can't."

"Amy, trust me."

She felt tears sting her eyes, "He will never trust you again."

There was a silence from outside. Then suddenly a howl like a wounded animal ripped the air and the door actually rattled against its hinges, presumably from the force of the kicks that were now raining down upon it. Amy almost screamed. Ste ran out of his room, pushed her behind him and shouted "Brendan, if you don't leave now I'm calling the police! I mean it!"

The pounding on the door ceased, but Amy could hear more crashes as Brendan, she guessed, took his anger out on whatever else he could get his hands of feet on. They heard Jacqui's voice from the floor above.

"Oi, get lost, you crazy bastard!"

"Shut up!" Brendan screamed, "Shut it!"

"I ain't the one making all the noise, you nutter!"

Brendan roared again, and must have thrown something at the ground, as a a sound of smashing was heard. "I'm not giving up, Steven!" he shouted, and as he stormed off, Amy felt a wave of anxiety pass through her. She glanced at Ste, but he didn't look much better.

"Good riddance," they heard Jacqui shout from upstairs.

"Do you think he meant…"

Amy's question hung in the air, even as she cursed herself for asking it. Ste needed her not to be worried about this, to be strong and down to Earth. "He won't hurt you again," she added, trying to make up for it, "He can't, can he? He knows you'll go to the police."

"Yeah," Ste replied, bitterly, "and that they won't believe me."

"They will!" Amy assured, "because I can be a witness for you about him."

She could see the thought process in Ste's mind. Witnesses, evidence, trial, what would inevitably be brought up against Ste. It was a weak argument. It would be a miracle if any trial went Ste's way, and on the way he'd be painted as a real villain. All Amy'd just done was remind Ste of how few escape routes he had left.

She just had to hope Brendan really did love him, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

….x…

It was only when the early evening rush started that Cheryl realised she was ridiculously understaffed. And that she, as the only thing resembling a manager on site, was in charge of everything that went wrong. Which was suddenly a lot; from bulbs out in the ladies loos to problems with the last drinks delivery, to the DJ calling in sick. She grabbed her phone, leaving a sternly worded message for Brendan, before calling Rhys and begging him to come in for an extra shift. He seemed reluctant, and asked if she was expecting Brendan, making her admit angrily that it was Because she didn't know where Brendan was that she needed Rhys.

"Oh, I can tell you that," he said, darkly, "he's been bashing on Ste and Amy's front door and destroying our pot plants.

Cheryl humphed, "Well, so he should be after what that little bastard did!" she said angrily, "did you hear how he accused our Da of all sorts of nonsense. No wonder Bren's furious, eh?"

"Yeah, alright Chez, but they've got two little kids, haven't they? He must have scared them to death!"

Cheryl blanched, "Look, can you get in or not?"

"Yeah, alright" Rhys replied, "but you've got to give me a minute to find someone to look after our Terry."

"Thank you!" Cheryl exclaimed, before ending the call and throwing her phone down onto the bar.

The upper door slammed open and closed. She galloped up as quickly as her heels would allow her and just glimpsed her brother dive into the office.

Making to follow him, she strode towards the office, but the second she opened the door she regretted it as a filing cabinet crashed as it hit the floor less than a foot from her toes.

"Jesus!" she screeched.

"What do you want?" her brother bellowed at her in a tone of voice she'd never heard directed at her before.

"Brendan…"

"Just get out, Cheryl!"

"But…"

"I said GET OUT!"

His face seemed mad, like he'd been possessed by the devil. She flinched at the sight. Brendan didn't pause a moment longer though; an innocent mug that had sat on the desk hit the wall, smashing into a hundred pieces. It was followed by a folder. Cheryl shut the door before she became part of the violence.

She felt furious at Ste. How dare he say something so awful about their Dad? So Brendan hadn't always got on with him, but Cheryl knew her father was a lovely, kind, gentle man, who loved his family, and would never hurt anyone like that. She could understand why Brendan was taking this so badly. He'd never shown such care for anyone before Ste. She'd even believed they were in love. Well, maybe Brendan was, but that boy was disgusting and didn't deserve Bredan's care.

She could get revenge for her wonderful brother and loving father though. The next place Ste would try for a job was obvious.

She rang Nancy, who would pass it on to Darren and Jack. Then she rang Tony, just to be sure, but she didn't think he would have considered Ste anyway, after he stole from him. She should have seen it then really.

That only left Price Slice and the SU bar now that Cinergy was gone. Brendan had the contacts for the bar, but that would be hard as she didn't know them well. Price Slice would also be tricky, but let him try, she thought. She could make his life a misery if he got a job at either. And it would mean spreading the news of his treachery even further afield, a thought that gave her a small, satisfied feeling.

She smiled to herself. She would welcome the challenge.