Walls||CTH AU||

Chapter 35 - Going Back

Bailey stayed in the Hemmings household for a week.

She hadn't meant to. Every night she told herself that she should go back the next day, because unlike Calum, she had a house to go to. But every morning when she woke up, she couldn't find the energy or courage to actually do it.

In the end, the only reason left was because her mum phoned her. At 3am.

"It's 3am." Bailey muttered angrily when she answered the phone. "What do you want?"

"I don't know where you've been for the past week but I'm leaving for London tomorrow, so you need to come home."

"I don't need to do anything." Bailey snarled, gripping her phone tightly.

"Enough with the attitude Bailey. Until you are 18, you are in my care so you have to do what I tell you to do."

"Oh yeah, you're taking great care of me from the other side of the world!"

"I'm trying-"

"Don't fucking dare lie to me." Bailey snapped, interrupting her mother. "You said yourself and I quote that I'm "too distant for you to even try to reach" and you can't even pretend to love me! You can't act like you care about me when it's convenient for you, that's not how being a parent works. If you had been around at all, maybe you would know that!"

"I'M BEGGING YOU BAILEY! Please come home." Kylie pleaded down the phone, her voice harsh before growing softer.

"That house is not home. Anywhere around you is not home. I don't have a home, never have since it got torn away from me when I was 5."

"I know Bailey. I know and I understand that you don't like me but I have a legal obligation to at least keep a roof over your head and feed you. Some kids don't have that Bailey, and would give anything to have it." Kylie said quietly. Bailey's heart sank as she thought of Calum's sad brown eyes when he had been telling her about his Dad. Calum would do anything for his Dad to take him back in to his home, even if they didn't get along and here she was throwing that opportunity away. It was incredibly selfish and she was glad that Calum wasn't there to witness it.

"Fine. I'll be there tomorrow morning." Bailey sighed before hanging up on her mum. She closed her eyes and exhaled loudly.

She lay back down on Calum's bed that was beginning to smell like her and stared at the ceiling that had become her comfort every night as she waited for sleep to overtake her, later and later every night. Her eyelids were drooping sleepily but her mind was still racing, with thoughts of her mother and Calum and Calum's tearful eyes and whether or not she'd have a nightmare if she did let them close.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the ajar door.

"Bailey?" Calum whispered through the darkness. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why are you still awake?" Bailey whispered back.

"I needed the toilet, who was on the phone?"

"You can come in by the way, this is your room." Bailey replied, swinging her legs into a sitting position in the edge of the bed. "You heard that?"

"Most of it." Calum said as he pushed the door open. "You're going home?"

"Unfortunately no, I'm not going to Hogwarts."

"I meant with your mum."

"Yeah, I think I've intruded on your family's hospitality for long enough." Bailey explained, moving over so Calum could sit next to her.

"They don't mind really."

"That doesn't really matter Tattoos. I've been telling myself for days that I should go back but I haven't found the energy to do so. Facing Kylie after pretty much disappearing for a week isn't something I'm looking forward to doing."

"Will she be mad at you?" Calum asked concerned.

"She's always mad at me Calum. She can't handle my attitude.

"You don't have to go back Buttercup, not if you don't want to. You shouldn't force yourself to live there if you're not comfortable with it." Calum told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Where else have I got Calum? I don't have a Luke, and don't say here because I know you want your room back and in all honesty, I still haven't got used to being around your family yet and I don't think I ever will. The Hemmings have already taken you in, they don't need me too."

"Well, just call me if you change your mind or if it gets too much, okay?"

"Okay."
---------------------------------------------

Bailey was met by a very angry Kylie standing outside the front door of their house when she eventually dragged herself home. Her arms were folded across her chest, a scowl etched onto her face.

"Where have you been Bailey?" Kylie demanded.

"The moon." Bailey replied sassily, walking straight past her mother. Kylie held her arm out to prevent Bailey from going any further.

"I'm not letting you inside until you tell me where you've been and who's clothes you're wearing." She added, glancing down at Bailey's outfit.

"I've been staying with a friend, and these are his clothes."

"You've been staying with a guy?!"

"Yes, his name is Calum, you've met. I'm also pregnant with quadruplets, I hope you like being called Granny."

"Bailey, you've not been home for a week and you want to be sarcastic with me?"

"I haven't been home for twelve years Kylie." Bailey retorted flatly, staring her straight in the eye. She ducked under her mother's arm and walked inside, leaving Kylie outside with a shocked look on her face.

"Are you not going to explain to me why you've not come home?" She shouted after her daughter.

"I don't think I need to explain that to you Kylie." Bailey shouted back. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out."

Kylie opened her mouth to respond only to hear Bailey's bedroom door slam shut. She sighed defeatedly and headed up to her own bedroom, to finish packing for her trip to London in less than 24 hours.

Glancing at a picture of Bailey's Dad that sat on her bedside table, a wave of guilt washed over Kylie. She had promised Malcolm when he was in hospital that she would look after Bailey and try to form a bond with her, but all she had done was the exact opposite and now Malcolm's little girl was broken and hurting and it was mostly her fault.

"I'm so sorry Malcolm." Kylie whispered to the photograph.

Early update because a. It's been too long and b. I'm going it tonight and don't know what time I'll be home.