Chapter Text
Fletch smiled to himself as he closed his laptop, he’d had an idea earlier that evening, and, whilst it had taken some quick thinking, a little hard work and the promise of several rounds in Albie’s, the plan had soon come together, well, most of it had, and the hardest part was still to come.
He glanced at the time and decided to bite the bullet, picking up his phone and sending a short text, ‘I'm picking you up on Friday, 10am, have a bag packed and don't ask questions.’ He debated his options for a minute before adding a kiss to the end of the message and hitting send.
Almost as he expected, his phone began to ring almost instantly, “I don't know what you're playing at Fletcher but…”
He couldn't help but smile, “you wanted to go away, we're going away” he told her simply, “I know Jonny’s got Emma” it was true, they were still ‘friends’ on social media and, under the lie of wanting to arrange a sleepover between Emma and Theo, he’d found out that Jonny would be picking Emma up from the creche on Friday and dropping her off again on Monday morning. “And I've had to practically sell my soul to get Essie and Serena to watch my lot so I'm not taking no for an answer.”
He was very surprised when, instead of an argument, he got a resigned sigh, “how long?”
“Sorry?” Fletch was so surprised by the lack of argument that he completely missed the question.
“How long?” Jac repeated, “you said I need to pack a bag but you didn't say how long for, or what sort of clothes.”
Fletch smiled, “we’ll be back in time for you to collect Emma on Monday, and you won't need anything fancy, just whatever you'll be comfortable in.”
Friday soon came around and Jac found herself spending the 30 minutes after she got back from dropping Emma at the creche pacing the living room nervously, trying to ignore the voice in her head telling her that he'd change his mind. He wouldn't come.
She was wrong of course, and, after spending 10 minutes sat in the next street, not wanting to look too eager, Fletch knocked on Jac’s front door at 10.01, “morning” he smiled as Jac opened the door, Fletch noticing how different she looked, dressed simply in yoga pants and a t-shirt, but he didn't say comment, he'd told her to dress comfortably and he wasn't going to risk making her feel self conscious for doing just that, “ready to go?” he asked, not giving her time to answer as he gestured to the small black suitcase at the bottom of the stairs, “is that your stuff?” he asked, slipping past Jac to pick it up as she nodded wordlessly.
Jac locked the front door behind them both and followed Fletch down the drive before frowning as she saw the sleek red, Mercedes hatchback parked at the bottom of her drive, “that isn't your car” she frowned.
“No” Fletch opened the boot, easily slipping Jac's case alongside his own holdall, “but I didn't think you'd want to squash in with all the sweet wrappers and car seats in my car so I hired something a bit nicer for the weekend, now come on, in you get.”
Jac nodded, she had to admit it was a very nice car and she did appreciate the gesture, the effort Fletch seemed to have gone to on her behalf so she said nothing and simply slipped into the passenger seat, sighing quietly at a twinge in her back, glad that Fletch wasn't in the car.
It wasn't long before he joined her though, “that's for you” Fletch gestured to the cardboard coffee cup in the cupholder as he pulled on his seatbelt.
Jac frowned slightly, “what…”
“Caramel latte, that's your poison right? And there's a blueberry muffin in the glove compartment too.”
Jac frowned again, “why are you doing this? The car, the coffee, the weekend away…”
“I haven't got an ulterior motive if that's what you're thinking” Fletch sounded slightly hurt, “you were the one that mentioned going away and well, the past few months haven't exactly been easy since Raf… he tried to swallow the lump he felt rising in his throat, the same lump he always felt when he thought about his best friend, “I thought we could both do with getting away for a few days, but if you'd rather not then…”
“No, no” Jac suddenly felt like such an idiot for asking, for not just appreciating what Fletch was doing for her, “I'm sorry, I, it's… Thank you.”
Fletch pretended to be shocked, letting the back of his hand rest against her forehead, “an apology from Jac Naylor, are you feeling alright?”
Jac rolled her eyes and batted his hand away, “just drive Fletcher before I change my mind” she joked as she reached for her seatbelt, Fletch waiting for the telltale click before he started to drive, shaking his head as Jac began to fiddle with the radio almost as soon as he turned on the engine.
It wasn't long before the soft sounds of Radio 2 filled the car, and, after fiddling with the seat back for a few moments to get comfortable Jac reached for her coffee, sighing happily as she took the first sip, not noticing how the slight noise made the corners of Fletch’s mouth curl up into a soft smile.
Jac finished her coffee and muffin and it didn't take long for her to doze off, the lull of the moving vehicle, the hum of the radio and the warmth of the heated leather soothing the constant ache in her lower back soon sending her into one of the deepest sleeps she'd had in a while.
Fletch glanced over at Jac, smiling as he noticed she'd fallen asleep and reaching out to turn down the volume in the radio slightly. They were almost two hours away from the holiday cottage he'd booked and he was more than happy for Jac to sleep away the journey if that's what she needed to do.
It wasn't to be though, he'd barely pulled off the motorway when he hit a pothole, swearing under his breath as the car jolted, Jac waking with a jump, eyes wide with fear as she cried out, “no, please, no…”
“Jac" he reached out a hand, grabbing blindly at her hand, “it's okay, it was just a pothole, you're safe.” He glanced over at her again, seeing how terrified she looked he did the only thing he could, dropping her hand to flick on the indicator before smoothly pulling to a stop on the side of the road.
“Fletch, I, I…”
He pulled on the hand brake and turned to face Jac, taking hold of her hands once again, “you're okay” he told her calmly, ‘it's just you and me in the car, you're safe, I hit a pothole, that's what woke you, nothing else, you're okay”. He kept his own breathing steady as he repeated his mantra, telling her that she was safe, that they were the only two people in the car and he wasn't going to let her get hurt.
Jac eventually calmed and Fletch swiped at her tears with his thumbs, “okay?” he asked.
Jac nodded, slightly embarrassed that she'd broken down in front of Fletch yet again, but he didn't seem to mind, she never felt judged by him, she just felt safe, felt cared for, a feeling that was unfamiliar to the woman who's instinct was to shut everybody who cared out. “I'm sorry I…”
“You don't need to apologise” Fletch interrupted, “these things happen, if you want to talk about it then we can, but if you'd rather not then that's okay too.”
Jac nodded and wiped at her eyes, “thank you”.
“Anytime” Fletch squeezed her hand before asking, “are you okay if we…” he gestured vaguely to the road, “or do you want a minute?”
“No, no, I'm okay” she reassured him, biting her lip before asking, “are we nearly there? I erm…” she hated admitting that she wasn't as strong as she used to be, that she'd been broken but she knew Fletch wouldn't judge her, wouldn't use it against her when she told him, “my back’s feeling a bit stiff.”
Fletch nodded and glanced at the satnav in the corner of the windscreen, “about 20 minutes, but I can find somewhere if you want to get out for a bit?”
Jac shook her head and shifted slightly in the seat to try and make herself more comfortable, “I'll be okay.”
“Okay” Fletch nodded as he put the car into gear, “but tell me if you change your mind yeah?”
Silence filled the car, occasionally broken by the satnav giving out directions, “I've been having nightmares” Jac admitted, feeling like it would be easier to talk about when Fletch’s attention wasn't solely focused on her, “since I was shot.”
“Oh Jac” he reached out, letting his left hand rest on her knee, “why didn't you say something?”
He saw her shrug out of the corner of his eye, “there's nothing you can do about it.”
“No but sometimes talking helps, I mean, I won't force you but if you want to then you know where I am yeah?”
Jac nodded, fighting the urge to lay her hand on top of Fletch’s, “yeah, thanks.”
“Like I said” he gently squeezed her knee, “anytime.”
It didn't take long at all for Fletch to drive the final few miles to the cottage he'd rented, pulling up onto the concrete drive and switching off the engine, “here we are” he smiled.
Jac returned the smile, “it looks lovely, thank you for doing this Fletch, when I suggested we went away, I didn't, I…”
Once again Fletch reached out to lay his hand on her knee, “it’s okay, honestly don't worry about it, now why don't we get inside and see if it's as good as it looked like in the pictures?”
Jac nodded and Fletch stepped out of the car, quickly grabbing their bags from the boot before moving to the passenger side of the car, offering Jac his hand to help her up. She’d never admit it but Jac was grateful for his help, gasping in pain as she stood up, her muscles protesting at having been sat for so long and Fletch mentally cursed himself for not thinking to add a rest stop into the journey. Jac stumbled slightly as she took a step forward but there was no need for her to worry, Fletch was right there to catch her, “Okay?” he asked, his hand warm in the small of Jac’s back as she nodded.
“I erm, I think I might need to take some painkillers and lay down for a while” Jac admitted defeat.
“Okay” Fletch shouldered his holdall and picked up Jac’s case, leaving one hand free to support Jac as they slowly made their way to the cottage, “take your time, there's no rush.”
The pair walked slowly along the driveway, Jac relieved that the property all seemed to be on level and briefly wondered if Fletch had done that on purpose, knowing she still struggled with stairs sometimes. She didn't ask though, stayed silent as Fletch walked by her side to the door, his hand only leaving the small of her back to punch the code he'd been given into the key safe on the wall and let them into the cottage, dropping his own bag and carrying Jac’s down the hall.
Fletch seemed to know exactly where he was going so Jac was happy to follow him down the hallway, “here you go” Fletch pushed open a door to reveal a large airy room, a king sized bed against one wall, looking out over the countryside that seemed to stretch for eternity, “there's an ensuite just through there too” he pointed to a door not far from the bed.
Jac raised an eyebrow, “that's a double bed Fletcher.”
“King size actually” he corrected, another pointed look and he suddenly realised what Jac meant, his cheeks turning red as he stumbled over his words “oh, no, no, there's another room, we're not… This is your room, we're not, I'll be down the hall… in the other bedroom” he clarified as he lifted Jac's case onto the chest of drawers in the room, a location that meant Jac would be able to open it without bending and Jac felt the unfamiliar sting of tears pricking at the back of her eyes at the gesture, one he'd made no fuss about, like everything else he'd done he'd just done it, no comments, no complaints he just did what he thought was best for her, “I'll get you a glass of water to take your pain killers” he told her, “you get yourself settled.”
Jac sat on the bed as Fletch left the room, the mattress beneath her the most comfortable thing she'd felt in a while, firm enough to support her back, but still soft enough to be comfortable, she couldn't wait to lay down to try and relax her tight, spasming muscles.
She forced herself to her feet again, taking her painkillers her glasses and a battered paperback book from her handbag as she waited for Fletch to return with her water.
She didn't have to wait long, Fletch returning just moments later and handing her a pint glass full of cold water. He watched as she swallowed the pills before adjusting the pillows, laying one halfway down the bed to support her back, the other low enough to support her knees.
She groaned softly as she laid down, “here let me” he was quick to help her when he saw her struggling to get the pillows in the most comfortable place. “Anything else you need?” he asked once she was settled.
“Can you…?” Jac reached out to where she'd left her book and glasses on the bedside table. Fletch nodded and picked up the book, moving round to the empty side of the bed where he sat beside her, opening the book to the page marked by an old train ticket, “what are you doing?” she frowned.
“You're laid flat on your back” he said simply, “you won't be able to read for long before you either get neckache or arm ache, so shut up and make the most of it” he teased, not giving her time to argue before he began to read.
Jac was surprised at how relaxing she found Fletch’s voice, even as a child she struggled to remember the last time anyone read to her, and, despite the nap she'd had in the car, she soon found her eyelids getting heavy and soon drifted off into another peaceful slumber.
Fletch didn't realise that Jac had fallen asleep until he heard a quiet groan and felt something against his thigh and glanced down to realise that Jac had rolled onto her side, her head against his thigh, her left arm draped over his knees. He smiled softly and slipped the train ticket into the book to mark his place but continued reading anyway, wanting to do his best to keep Jac settled, to allow her body to get the rest she was so desperate for.
She woke almost an hour later, Fletch too had nodded off, book laid on the bed beside him, thumb still marking the page as he dozed. Jac frowned slightly as she woke, not entirely sure where she was, and it took her a few moments to realise that she'd somehow found herself sleeping with her head in Fletch’s lap, her arm wrapped around his thighs.
Fletch's eyes fluttered open as he felt Jac stir, “you alright?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.
“Yeah, yeah” Jac slowly moved to sit up, glad that her back didn't seem quite so painful anymore, “sorry that I…” she gestured to his lap.
“Don't worry about it” he told her sincerely, “if you were comfy then it's fine.”
A conformable silence fell over them as they sat together on the bed, a silence that was eventually broken by Jac’s stomach letting out a loud grumble, the muffin in the car being the only thing she'd eaten so far that day. “Sorry” she was quick to apologise, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.
“Don't be” Fletch stood from the bed, “I was getting a bit hungry myself, why don't we both freshen up and then go and get something to eat? There's a pub not too far from here.”
Jac smiled and nodded as she pushed herself to her feet and moved the pillows back to the head of the bed, “that sounds good to me.”
Fletch made his way back to the hallway to grab the holdall he'd left there on their way in and took it to his own room, a smaller room than Jac’s, with two single beds pushed against opposite walls. He dumped his bag onto one of the two beds before making his way back down the hall to the bathroom.
Jac meanwhile had unpacked slightly, putting her pyjamas and underwear in one of the drawers and finding out a pair of jeans and a thin jumper to change into, something a little more presentable than the yoga pants and t-shirt she'd pulled on that morning but still comfortable.
It didn't take her long to change, and she made her way into the ensuite, touching up her makeup before deeming herself presentable and leaving her room, deciding to explore the cottage a little and wait for Fletch in the living room.
She soon found the living room but Fletch had beaten her to it and was already sat on the sofa looking at something on his phone, “alright?” he smiled, looking up when he heard the door creak open. “This says the pub’s a 12 minute walk” he gestured at his phone, “but if you'd rather we drove…”
“No, no” Jac shook her head, “I'll be fine, and I think we could both probably do with the fresh air”
Jac and Fletch walked side by side down the lane towards the pub and Fletch thought nothing as Jac's knuckles brushed against his, the narrow pavement meaning they were walking closer than usual, but when it happened for a second and third time be decided to bite the bullet and mentally prepared himself for the wrath of Jac Naylor if he misinterpreted the situation and she exploded. She didn't. Instead, as Fletch’s fingers linked with hers, he swore he saw the flicker of a smile cross her face, her hand only dropping from his as they finally reached the pub and he let go to open the door for Jac.
“Very chivalrous” Jac teased as she passed him, Fletch winking and giving an over exaggerated bow, earning a chuckle and a shake of the head from Jac.
To Jac’s surprise, Fletch even pulled out her chair for her, not sitting down himself, instead going straight over to the bar to get them both a drink. She let out a small gasp of pain as she reached across the table for a menu, but the ache soon subsided once she was sat properly again. She'd intended to browse the menu whilst Fletch was at the bar, but she found her attention elsewhere, from where she was sat Jac had the perfect view of the bar, of Fletch leant against the polished wood and she couldn't stop her eyes roaming his body. She'd be lying if she said she didn't find him attractive, but that attraction was more than physical, despite being fiercely independent she found herself loving how much Fletch obviously cared for her. It had been a long time since anyone had wanted to care for her the way he did, even longer since she'd actually let herself be cared for, let her walls down and trusted someone the way she trusted Fletch, but, as her gaze drifted again to the man stood at the bar, she found herself thinking that she could get used to letting him in.