keeping it in the past

If he drank enough, Craig kept thoughts of Kadan at bay. But then he'd wake in the middle of the night in a deep dream with him which left him in a sweat.

He'd shiver afterwards. If that wasn't enough, he noticed John Paul's cell number on Chloe's telephone id box.

"What's this? Why is he calling you, luv?" This didn't seem natural. It left a bad feeling he couldn't quite kick.

"Oh, it was just as accident." She assured him while she was tending to baby Caroline.

"There are no accidents when it comes to John Paul!" He assured her.

"Why are you like this Craig?" He'd upset the baby. She'd have to carry her about for sometime before she'd get settled. "What has John Paul done to you? He seems quite an innocent bloke, to me."

"Innocent?" That was bullshit. "What has he told you?" He gritted his teeth. Just when he thought he'd left his past behind. Here it was raising it's ugly head.

"Craig, please. Caroline doesn't like it." The baby cried more.

"Sorry, I just wish you'd pay him no mind." He hadn't meant for this to upset him, but it had.

"Then there are bad feelings between you two?"

"No. No there isn't. There is nothing between us." He sighed, shaking his head, no.

"He seems to be going through something at the moment," Chloe said, once she got Caroline settled in her bed.

"Aren't we all." He pulled a bitter look.

"Would you know, who it would be thats got him so melancholy?" She came to him.

"I haven't a clue. I don't keep up with John Paul's love life." He really didn't want to talk about it. He took her hand and kissed it. She smelled of baby oil and good baby smells. Which was a pleasant surprise.

"I'm sorry you two had a falling out. I think he might still need you," she said while he kissed her neck.

"No he doesn't." He kissed her precious lips then, and she breathed him in. He knew he had her where he wanted her. "He needs nothing from me," he whispered. "He needs nothing from you, either." His hands touched her belly then and he pulled her in. He knew her so well now. It didn't take much for her to be putty in his hands. He liked that feeling. And he wanted to keep it that way.