A few days before Roxanne's birthday, John's surprised her with the train tickets home and for the next few days, she bounced through her shifts.
Amos came home the same day that she took the adoption form back.
While he was confident in the centre, he'd been a little timid and cautious as he milled around the flat, poking his head in and out of all the rooms, getting a feel for the place while Casper looked on curiously.
They didn't get on the first couple of days, Casper did not like another cat taking Roxy's affection from him and so, unfortunately, there were a couple of scraps.
But then Roxanne had a stern conversation with him, telling him that Amos being here was for his benefit and he was to give him a chance and she likes to think that maybe, he understood her because the next morning, when she and John got up, the two of them were curled up together on the fire escape.
While she and John were gone, Roger was going to stay at her flat so that he could feed them and make sure that the two of them were alright.
"You have to play with him, Roger," Roxy instructs that morning before they head to the train station, "He's technically still a kitten, well they both are, but he needs stuff to play with, the scratching post, okay?"
Roger throws his head back and groans, "Yes, yes, I know! Now Nessie, will you please just go?"
"Alright," she mutters, turning to the cats so she can say goodbye and Roger nudges John's arm.
"Might wanna get out now."
"I heard that," Roxanne says quietly as John laughs and grabs his bag, "You know the B&B's number, right?"
"You've had the same number since we were like five. Yes, I know the number."
"And you'll ring if something happens?"
"I'll ring if something happens." he promises, "But nothing's going to happen, is it, lads because the three of us get on just fine. Now if the two of you don't hurry up, you're going to miss the train."
"Shit, he's right, Rox." John says, "Come on."
She grabs her bag, "Alright. See you on Monday, Blondie."
"I haven't heard that one in a while."
++|++
The pair made it to the station with just seven minutes to spare and before they boarded the locomotive, Roxanne stopped a woman and asked if she would take their photo with her polaroid.
"This is it," she grins, waving it to develop it, "The beginning of our adventure."
"We're going to Pittenweem, love. I would hardly call that an a-"
"Ah, ah, ah!" she presses a finger to his lips, "None of that negativity!"
"Sorry," John laughs, finding their seats surprisingly easily and being the gent that he is (and since it's her birthday weekend), he lets her take the window seat but she does promise to swap with him halfway through.
Once they're seated comfortably, John digs through his bag to find the paper he brought while Roxanne finds her magazine.
"Why do you read those?" he asks, nodding to the gossip headline that's on the front page, "You know that those stories are a load of bollocks, right?"
"Of course," she nods, "Doesn't mean that it's not entertaining."
He shakes his head as the train pulls out of the station, glancing down at her when she rests her head on his shoulder.
How she can read like that, she doesn't know.
They read silently for about an hour (Roxanne moving onto a puzzle book once she finished her magazine), occasionally snacking on the bags of sweets Roxanne bought for the journey before she gets bored, tossing the book back down into her bag.
Sometimes she thinks she has the attention span of a goldfish.
So she doesn't disturb her boyfriend, she turns her attention out the window, watching as the towering buildings make way to large fields that are full of sheep but of course, she quickly gets bored and decides that she's let him read peacefully for long enough.
"John?" she asks, resting her head on his shoulder again.
"Yes?" he doesn't look up from his book.
"What are your parents like?"
He closes the book, "My parents?"
She nods, "You've mentioned them when you told me about Leicester but not much."
"What do you want to know?"
She shrugs, "Tell me what they're like. What's your dad like? Is he as intimidating as mine?"
"Oh," he shifts slightly in his seat and looks down at her, "My dad, he actually died when I was a kid."
Roxanne's hand pauses where she's reaching for another sweet and he nods when she looks at him.
"Oh," her mouth parts slightly, "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know." he rests his hand on hers.
"You...you never said."
"It never came up."
She nods. He's got a point.
"How old were you when...?"
"Eleven," he mumbles and she gives his hand a gentle squeeze, "He had a heart attack one day when I was at school."
"I'm sorry," she whispers, kissing his cheek and he shrugs.
"My mum, it was hard but she always took care of me. Made sure I always had what I needed, worked two jobs so I could have Christmas and birthday presents. But when he died, I got a job as soon as I could so I could help her."
Roxanne rests her head on his shoulder once more.
"I still send her money when I can. She doesn't like me doing it but I do it anyway."
"You're an angel, John Deacon," she whispers and he smiles, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
++|++
They arrive in Pittenweem at two that same afternoon, climbing off the bus that they'd caught from the station to what looked like hail.
"Well," John murmurs, "Great start to the weekend."
"Don't worry!" Roxy grins, digging through her bag once more to produce an umbrella, "You've got to be prepared for rain at all times in Scotland, John."
"Alright," he mumbles, taking the umbrella from her to put it up before they leave the bus station and then he holds it above them.
"Let's go," she grins.
It doesn't take long for the B&B to come into view and once it does, Roxy starts to feel the familiar feeling of home and she starts to quicken her pace.
John laughs as she drags him along behind him and since she didn't have a key anymore, she pulls him towards the guest entrance at the front.
As soon as they step into the B&B, they see Roxy's mum sitting at the small check-in desk reading a magazine.
"Welcome to The Red Lion guest hou-" she stops when she finally looks up, "Roxanne?"
She drops her bags, "Hiya mum."
Cathy lets out a small squeal as she gets up and moves around the desk to throw her arms around her daughter and John realises that Roxanne hadn't told them they were coming up. "What are you doing here?" she asks, resting her hands on her shoulders, "Oh, never mind that. Greg? Greg, get down here!"
"What is it, Cath? I'm trying to fix this bloody-"
"Get down here!"
The pair hear her dad muttering under his breath as he comes down and Roxy is pretty pleased to see that he looks surprised to see them standing there.
"Hi, dad!"
As quick as the surprise came, it went, being replaced with the same expression his face always had, "You never told us you were coming up."
"That's because it was a surprise, dad." she rolls her eyes, stepping forward to wrap her arms around his neck, "Have you missed me?"
"You promised you would ring," Greg says sternly once she's stepped back, "Said you'd phone us every weekend."
"Greg," Cathy jumps in, "Leave the lass alone, yeah? She's probably been having too much fun." she then turns her attention to John, who had been watching the reunion with a small smile on his face, "John, wonderful to see you again, son."
"You too, Mrs Taylor." he steps forward to kiss her cheek and shake her husband's hand, "Mr Taylor."
"I told you, it's Cathy!" her mum pats his shoulder, "Mrs Taylor makes me feel old. Now, how about some tea. We'll have you put your stuff in some rooms. We have a couple of rooms free, don't we Greg?"
He nods and she steps behind the desk to hunt for some keys while Roxanne turns the bookings log so she can see it.
"Have you been busy?"
"We have," her mum nods, "Been booked up for the past couple of months. Business folks and the likes, ah!" She hands over two keys, "John, you're on the right at the top of the stairs. Roxy, to the left."
Laughing, Roxy takes her key and grabs her bag, "Mum, I did live here."
"I know, I know."
"We'll be down in a bit," Roxanne tells them and they nod, her dad's eyes meeting hers as they start heading upstairs.
"We'll talk about the lack of communication later."
"Someone's in trouble," John sings quietly into her ear as they reach the second floor, just managing to dodge her when she juts her elbow back.
"Shut up," she laughs before sighing, "I guess this is where we part ways."
"For fifteen minutes," he snorts and she shrugs.
"Still so long to be away from you."
"Alright," he laughs, "I'll see you in a bit."
"I'll miss you!" Roxanne cries dramatically as a young man comes out of his room and John's face flushes red.
"You're so embarrassing."
++|++
i apologise for no update yesterday but i have spent the last four days trying to help Tilly get settled and omg it's like having a child; she eats everything and is scratching everything EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BOUGHT HER ONE OF THOSE SCRATCHING POSTS
but i love her sm