Little Sister ~ Eastenders! {Finished}

2. Leaving you.

Nellie had been on the square for just over a week. She hadn't left the Vic, half because she didn't want to leave the comfort comfort, plus Riley was ill, and half because Mick was afraid she would leave again. Not that she was going anywhere fast. However, Linda had invited her to go shopping with Sharon, Whitney, Cindy and herself. She had agreed, not wanting to let her mum down, considering how she had almost forgiven her for running off.
"You ready?" Linda came in smiling. Nellie nodded, shopping was something they'd done togtehr before, they had always used too, Nellie was Linda's girly girl, whereas Nancy was more of a tomboy. Linda beckoned for Nellie to sit down next to her, Nellie obediently sat down. "I'm sorry if i was a cow this past week, I just didn't ever expect to see you again, you know? I've missed you, I've missed our girly chats and pamperimg sessions, your my little girl, let's just get back to how we were." Linda grinned.
"I've missed you too,  Mum. By the way, you sure Dad and Lee will be able to cope with Riles today?" Nellie joked. Linda laughed.
"Your dad'll be fine, Lee might not be make to deal with poo and sick but it'll be fine. They adore him, and Nancy's here anyway." Linda reassured her. They went downstairs, ready to go. Sharon, Whitney and Cindy were ready and waiting for them. "Ready?" Linda looked at Nellie, sharon and Cindy didn't know about Nellie.
"Ready." Nellie took a deep breath, she sure hoped they didn't bump into Joe, or else hell would break lose, and he'd probably demand Riley.
"Girls, this is my daughter, Nellie, she'll be joining us today." Linda put on a brave face, Nellie knew all about the ordeal that her mum had been through these last few months, with Dean and the baby and everything. Mick caught them before they left.
"L, Nell, have a good time, and here's some extra spends for ya, love ya both...and dont forget to get the nappys for the boy." He kissed Linda and let them leave. Nellie was bundled out by Whitney. Sharon and Linda walked ahead, whilst Whitney, Cindy and Nellie trundled behind them.
"So you've got a son?" Cindy questioned Nellie.
"Yeah, Riley." Nellie replied.
"I've got a daughter, Beth, but she's gone on honeymoon with my kind of dad, his wife and my little brother, Sharon's meant to be looking after me." Cindy tried to be friendly. "When Both gets back, Riley and her could have a play date or something? Go to the park or something." Cindy smiled.
"Yeah, we'd like that."
"Cindy! Come look at this!" Sharon shouted, pointing at something on the market as they made their way to the train.
"So, how's everything going? I know Lee's been worried about you. I meant what I said last week, you can always talk to me. I was abused, used, groomed, and im not proud of it, but I would go through it all again, because at the end of it all, I found Lee. And I can't imagine life without him, he just completes me, you know?" Whitney chatted.
"I loved Joe. But, he just sometimes wasn't that nice, that's all. He got angry, and travelling around in that tiny caravan all the time, I hated it. We started to argue after Riley was born." Nellie told Whitney the bear minimum that she needed too, in order to get everyone off her case. She linked her arm through Whitney's, she guessed she could trust her. "I'm glad your with Lee, he talks about you non stop, he's never fell for a girl before, but I can tell he loves you. Not to mention how much mum loves you." She laughed.
"Yeah, well, I love him. We'd better catch up with the rest of them." The pair of them ran to catch up with everyone else.
After their day out shopping, all Linda and Nellie wanted to do was fall asleep. But when they got back, they sat at the bar chatting. Lee came back not long after from his jog, and went straight upstairs without saying hi. Odd. Mick had Riley behind the bar and was letting him play with the pint puller when customers ordered a pint. Whitney's phone started to vibrate.
"Oh! Its johnny on facetime!" She answered his call. Nellie hadn't seen johnny yet, or even spoke to him. They were afraid if she did he would come back. And first of all they wanted to let him live a little first, but also he didn't know about anything that had gone on with Linda and Dean. "Hey!"
"Y'alright , Whit? On the train, Luca's fallen asleep so thought id talk to ya." He replied.
"Oh johnny! You really need to shave, your starting to grow facial hair." Linda fussed over him. Even when he was gone, she still fussed like nothing over her little sausage.
"Oh, your with mum. Yeh, I know mum I will." Johnny laughed at her.
"Yeah, er, Lee's upstairs and your dads here," whitney turned the hone round so he could see Mick, who used Riley's hand to wave at him, "and Nellie's here." Whitney handed the phone to Nellie.
"Oioi. Long time, no see squirt." Johnny tried to joke off the pain of losing his little sister for two years, even so, he still had a massive grin on his face, seeking her face made him realise just how much he'd missed her, but now he couldn't be there for her when she needed him.
"Oioi. Where've you been olive head? Who's this Luca kid that mum is forever going on about? If she's not singing Whitney's praised, she's singing his!" Nellie had to hold back her tears and smile for Johnny's sake, she didn't need yet another person worrying about her.
"Stop oi-ing you two." Linda grinned at the old habits of her two youngest children. Mick looked at his wife and realised how happy that single second of seeing johnny and Nellie talking had made her, he hasn't seen her face light up like that in a long time.
"Luca's my boyfriend." Johnny showed her Luca sleeping. "Weve just been to Paris. It was amazing, so beautiful. Listen, I gotta go, were almost at our stop, but I'll see you soon, love you nella-noo." Johnny said goodbye and hung up, Nellie gave Whitney back her phone. All their heads turned when they saw Lee come through in his army uniform and hsd all his hear with him. He laid down his gear on the floor. Judging by everyone's faces, it seemed they had known Lee was going and hadn't told her. Lee started to walk outside, and beckoned for Nellie to follow him. She didn't think he would leave her so soon after she had got back. She followed Lee outside to Arthur's bench.
"How long?" She asked him, last time she had asked him that question she'd been ten, and he had gone for three years, by the time he had come back she was already gone.
"Six weeks, could be longer. I don't know yet." Lee sat down next to her.
"Last week, when you came through and found me sat here, I was about to turn around and leave, I debated whether to knock on the door, but them you came and found me. I never thought thought that I was that strong, to carry on. I saw forgiveness in your eyes and I knew it' be alright. You made things better, Lee." Nellie was crying, stuttering, there was no johnny, and now soon, there'd be no Lee.
"Nell, dads gonna look after ya. And whitneys promised me she's gonna do all she can. Time will go so quickly, and by the time I'll be back and annoying you again, you'll wish I'd leave you alone! You can do anything you want, because your stronger than all of us." Lee tried to make everything better for his little sister, it wouldn't work.
"But, w-what if you don't come back?"
"I'm not gonna die, Nell. You can't get rid of me that easily."
"I dont want to get rid of you. What about mum and dad? And nance and Whitney? And Riley and everyone else?" Nellie tried to find a reason to make Lee stay with them.
"Everyone else will be fine. Its you I'm worried about." Lee tried to concentrate, but they heard some commiton coming from the pub. They sighed and went to see what was happening. A look of pure horror ended Nellies face when she saw who her dad was arguing with. And who was holding Riley.
"That's Joe's dad, Lee, he's got Riley!" Nellie whispered to her older brother, Lee saw the terrified look in his sisters eyes, and walked over to Joe's dad.
"Sorry mate, I'll just take my nephew." Lee whipped Riley out of Joe's dads hands before he could stop him. "Who are you? Terrorising my family?" Lee accused him.
"Tim Mason. And I've come for my grandson. He needs to be with his dad. And where's that little slag, she's coming back as well, she didnt get permission to leave, shes got work to do." Tim shouted at Mick and Lee.
"She ain't going anywhere." Whitney stood up to him. Lee went to stand the other side of the bar to provide some kind of protection for Riley from Tim.
"And what you gonna do princess?" Tim creepily said.
"She's fifteen. You already broke the law taking her the first time, just make it worse doing it a second time. You can't take her away from her parents, she's still a kid." Whitney replied cunningly.
"Get off your high horse princess." He replied, showing off his gold teeth. Time walked over to Nellie. "We haven't finished with you. We let you come with us, now you do what I tell you. You answer to ME. so, you get Riley and come back to Joe." He ordered her. Mick had had enough, he was about to go storming over and punch Tim, but Linda stopped him.
"She needs to stand up to him, Mick. Let her handle it." Linda told him.
"Linda's right, she needs to face him." Whitney whispered. Nellie stared at the ground,
"Well hurry up then!" Tim grabbed her arm, hurting her, and pulling her through the pub. "GET RILEY!" He screamed in her ear. Nellie looked at Lee, then to her dad, her mum, and Nancy. "Hurry up." Tim gritted his teeth. Nellie held out her spare arm for Lee to hand Riley to her. "That's right, now come on." Tim pulled Nellie and Riley through the door, Joe was sat in Tim's car, smoking a cigarette. Lee, Mick and Linda came rushing out after her.
"Nellie, don't listen to him, say no! You don't have to go. Stay here with us, you belong here, Nell." Linda hurriedly argued with her daughter to stay, scared she might be losing her again.
"They won't let me." Nellie sobbed, Joe out the car, he took Nellies hand, and held Riley's arm.
"I'm not gonna hurt ya no more, just come on, we can work this out, for Riles sake at least." Joe put on his hurt look and tried to plead her to go with him, go back to him. Whitney came through the crowd and elbowed Joe out of the way.
"He's a bully, and a cheat, and he'll continue to hurt you until you leave him for good. He knows you'll forgive him over and over, and that's why he does it, no one else can stop him, its up to you, you can save yourself and Riley. We love you, not Joe. You can only help yourself, and we can only help if you let us." Whitney huffed, trying to get on the same emotional page as Nellie, she knew what it was like to be in that postition. "Don't be a coward, save Riley." Joe smirked at Whitney and pushed Nellie into the car, she hit her head on the top, and gasped in pain. When she put her hand out her head, blood trickled down, it was just lucky Riley didn't get hurt.
"Excuse me, er what do you think your doing?" A boy tapped Joe on the shoulder.
"Something that doesn't concern the likes of you." Joe smirked at the do-gooder. "Bloody do-gooders."
"Actually, you know, it does concern me. Her brother, johnny, asked to watch it f her, just till he gets back, and er now I wouldn't be doing that if I didn't do this." The boy head-butted Joe and then punched him in the face.
"Who are you?" Joe sqwauked.
"Ben Mitchell. Now get out of here."
"I'll be back." Joe warned Nellie, mick stood in front of her and looked down on him. Tim and Joe sped off in their car.
"Dont worry about them, I'll take care of it." Ben smiled at Nellie.
"Is johnny coming back?" Nellie asked hopefully.
"Soon." Ben walked off.
"Nell, I gotta leave now." Lee turned to her. "I'm leaving you." He started to walk off. He didn't want to look back and see his sisters face.
"Six weeks Lee! Then I want your annlng face back here!" Nellie shouted after him.