Time After Time

So at the show on Monday

I was told that someday

You'd be on your way to better things.
Though he tried to catch her hips and counter her - damn her... just because it was her, she could get him dancing anywhere, that wasn't very becoming was it? - she moved off, spinning round to face him. She gave him a moment to limit the distance between them before she strode backwards, watching her feet and encouraging him to come forwards and catch her.
It's not about your make-up

Or how you try to shape up

To these tiresome paper dreams
And soon he was close enough and Sharon greeted him with nothing more than a smirk, savouring the feel of his hands pressed hard into her hips as she looped her arms around his neck, swinging her pelvis into his.
Paper dreams, honey.
She dropped her arms, catching his hands in hers as she straightened them, stepping back again and pulling him with her.
So now you pour your heart out

You're telling me you fall out

And you're about to lie down for your cause
Looking at Sharon out the corner of his eye, Dennis barely managed to shake his head before he released her hands and jumped off the bench, turning back and swinging her off, bringing her to the floor and pulling her round into a turn before she had time to so much as draw a breath
You don't pull my strings

Cos I'm a better man

Moving on to better things
He pushed against her hands so she sprang back, spinning away, lifting her arms and circling her feet.
But uh oh, I love her because

She moves in her own way
Taking up her hand as he moved close, she span into him again, her hand curling around the base of his neck as she nestled into his shoulder, laughing as they turned again.
But uh oh, she came to my show

Just to hear about my day.
Sharon's hands casing around his jaw, she kissed him firmly before moving back, spinning round and grinning at Faye, wound around Tony against the railings, shaking her head disbelievingly.
And at the show on Tuesday,

She was in her mindset
Dennis stepped up behind her, his hands creeping across her stomach and she leant to the side and down to the other, grinning up at him.
Tempered firs and spangled boots



Then, his knee came between her legs, keeping them a distance apart, but she defied him. Gripping his hand, she lifted her leg over his knee and span away with an argumentative click of her heel. But he pulled on her hand, forcing her to slide across and meet her other foot, meaning that her hips swang against his as she faced him.
Looks are deceiving

Made me believe it

And these tiresome paper dreams

Paper dreams honey
But as Sharon's arms came against his shoulders, her hands lacing around his neck, his phone began to ring and she fell regretfully away, stepping back as he drew it from his pocket. Sensing Faye and Tony step up around then, the happiness within the little circle drained away with the colour in Dennis' face as he registered the name on the display. He looked nervously up at Sharon, and she could feel herself begin to tremor.
"Vicki." he managed before accepting her call and lifting the phone to his ear. "Vicks... whoa-whoa-whoa, calm down sis! I'm... I'm fine... have you? Well, I haven't had anything.... phone must be playing up... where... where have I been? Around, you know... y-yeah... Sharon's here too..." Sharon felt herself flush as he looked at her awkwardly. "...We just needed to get away... I'm sorry... we shoulda called... no, not today, tomorrow... well, we're in Southend... making a day of it... well, because... no! Calm down... well, stop yelling for a start! Jesus... we're not coming home Vicks... just because! Well... no... nothing special..."
Though she knew he could hardly tell Vicki any different, Sharon felt stung as she took in his words, turning away in disgust.
Dennis was silent as he listened to his younger sister, ending their conversation with a distracted "Yeah, see ya. Bye." before pulling the phone back, ending the call and sliding the phone back into his pocket. Sharon span round to face him as soon as she knew his attentions were no longer held, and he felt sick as he took in the way she shook and the way her face was glistening. Faye stepped forward, pressing her hand into Sharon's arm, and though she acknowledged it with a weak smile, she stepped away, closer to her lover, drawing in desperate breaths and trying to compose herself.
"Dennis... darlin', I'm gonna ask you this once alright... are we OK?"
And she had hoped he would tell her he didn't understand, but he did, and she knew it. And that second's hesistation was all she needed, watching him chew on his perfect rosebud lips as he looked at her. And all he did was look at her. He didn't speak, and she felt sick, falling back from him and shaking her head.
"No... No... No...."
And she turned and ran towards the pavillion, just needing to get away from him, not even realising that she didn't have her shoes. And Dennis' reaction was delayed, Tony & Faye just looking at him in horror before he realised what he needed to do and chased after her.

"Sharon!"
She whirled round, almost staggering as she followed the direction of his voice, her beautiful eyes wide with a fear he couldn't understand, her smooth lips set in a scowl. She shook her head a little and turned away, moving quicker. So Dennis accelerated his pace, reaching out for her wrist.
"Baby, please!"
"No!" she yelled, having to face him as she fought to yank her hand away. "Don't call me that! That's not who I am is it? I'm not your "baby" - I'm your sister, that's what you want isn't it?"
"No!"
She scoffed, tilting her head away, before moving round to meet his eye again, with such venom in her own that she made him flinch. "What did she say to you Dennis, hmmm? She made you feel it hmmm? Oh my fucking God... in a couple of hours, I'd have been married to my sister. That's what you're thinking ain't it? And don't think you can lie to me... I asked you if we could do this... I asked outright, even though I shouldn't have had to... and you couldn't answer me. Look, you don't wanna marry me, that's fine, truly it's fine."
Dennis dropped her hand, stunned as he took in her words.
She stepped back, laughing bitterly. "But then I knew that didn't I? You said no... you said no and you meant it... stupid of me..."
"Sharon..." he said gently; stung when she shrank back as he moved to touch her.
"Get off me."
"Alright, fine. But we have to talk and you know we do."
"Do I?" she challenged. "I don't think we do. It's pretty clear to me what's going on, so call Vicki, tell her you're heading home."
"I'm not going anywhere without you."
"Why not? Seems that whatever she said to you made you realise that's exactly what you have to do! I can't come with you Dennis... I won't come with you. You just have to walk away and I'm gonna get on a tube, I'm going anywhere... but I am not going back to Walford. You seriously think I can be around you, pretending you're nothing more than my fuckin' brother when we came so close to..."
"Exactly." he pointed out, as soon as he realised the words were caught in her throat. "Have we even thought what this would do to Vicki? "Oh hey babe... yeah, it wasn't bad... we got married by the way... here, have a stick of rock..." It's not fair..."
"No!" Sharon cried, pressing her hands against her face and raking back her hair. "No, it's not! Dennis, I'm scared alright? I'm just as scared as you are, but I asked you because... I have to be with you.... and whatever anyone thought of us... including Vicki.... it wouldn't have mattered... at least, not to me... because I'd have known that you meant it too. Tell me you don't... Tell me and I'm gone."
"I can't. But.... Vicki..."
"Darlin', go to her if that's what you want. Just don't expect me to come with you. I mean it, I can't be around you when I feel like this because I know it won't go away. I can't pretend I'm not waking up every morning wanting to find you next to me alright, and I won't pretend cos you know that's the truth. I'm still gonna want you like I do right now... so please... don't hurt me like that." She gazed up at him, tears brimming in her eyes as she sadly studied his face. "I know you're scared.... that's OK..."
He shook his head gently, gulping back his own tears and composing himself. "It's not though is it? Sharon, I don't know if I..."
She wiped the tears away, laughing again as she rolled her eyes. "Might have known. Lover not a fighter right? Christ, that's such a fucking cliche! You absolute bastard!" He didn't try to protest, motionless until Sharon turned on herself. "Oh Sharon, will you never learn? Stupid bitch...your fuckin' lover..." She spun round to face him so fast, he winced as her hair whipped him across the face. "That's what all this comes down to ain't it? The bloody sex! All this is only happening because, what... couple of weeks ago, we got bored... decided to start screwing each other senseless just to pass the time?"
"No!" And Dennis reached out, curling his hands around her elbows and pulling her in, his fingertips going up her arms and being unable to ignore the way she was shaking so furiously. "Sharon, I love you!"
"Do ya?"
"You... You know I do..."
"Do you wanna be with me?"
He fell silent, with each second that passed wondering why he was staring at the floor, examining the slats in the boardwalk like they were diamonds. Why wasn't he answering her? So he steeled himself to look up at her, and she took in a sharp, scared little breath as he met her eye.
"Please..." she pleaded weakly, trying to force back more tears. "...don't lie to me."
He nodded solemnly. "I want to be with you."
She was frozen as she listened, a painful silence following, leaving Dennis to listen only to the clicking of her heel against the walk as she went over and climbed up against the railing, hunching her shoulders against the breeze that lifted her hair, causing it to billow around her as she studied the scene.
Dennis watched her, watching everything else for a moment, aware that his heart was hammering and that his throat was dry. He felt so heavy and for a few moments couldn't move. But eventually, he made it over to her, lacing his hands together as he leant against the railing, looking to her expectantly.
Sharon gave him a weak smile before her gaze returned to a gaggle of little kids on the sands playing with a frisbee.
"I do know this is stupid y'know. I mean, we've been together what - two weeks? But I'm desperate. I can't let you go... I can't have you taken away from me, and you know as well as I do that if we don't... then that's what'll happen. They have to know. I won't sneak to your room every night. I won't be made to feel like this is wrong... because it's not... not if I can love you this much. I know we can be for real, but you have to know it too."
"I know, I know."
"I want to marry you Dennis, because I really feel like we could be forever... you made me feel like that... and Vicki... Dad... they'll just have to get used to it because forever... forever's something I can't let go..."
"What are you saying Sharon?"
She drew in a breath that came right back out as a great heaving sigh. She turned and looked him right in the eye with such a fierocity, his stomach jolted.
"I'm saying... it's all or nothing. You either marry me, or you leave me. It's your choice."

Do you want to go to the seaside?

I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go

I fell in love at the seaside

I handled my charm with time and slight of hand.
Dennis walked the water's edge, hating himself, and all for the sake of the few words he couldn't find at the right time. Why was he such an idiot? He looked up and down the length of the beach desperately, as if hoping the answer would come to him. But it didn't. All that did were the memories, all packed into less than the last twenty-four hours. He'd walked this whole stretch of sand, clutching Sharon's hand, loving that it was her walking beside him, drinking in the romance of the sinking sun, knowing that they had just made love, that he was so in love with her. So what was he doing back here, alone?
He'd left Sharon alone on the pier, his head too stuffed full of thoughts as he moved away to address her, but she didn't seem to notice, watching him go before turning back with a sigh and admiring the way the sunlight danced across the water, as he was doing now, occassionally stopping to pick up a pebble and throwing out it out to sea, crying out in frustration, just knowing that it wasn't vented.
Sighing, and feeling painfully bereft, Dennis headed back towards the rocks, taking him further away from the pier, which he kept scanning as he went, looking up for Sharon and never finding her. He tore his gaze away and concentrated on clambering across the boulders, settling miserably on the spot he tenderly remembered from the previous day.
He'd barely been sat there five minutes, rushing his palms absent-mindedly across the surface of the stone, remembering what had been, and what he had quite probably lost, when a voice cut through his despondent thoughts.
"You... are such an idiot!"
He barely turned his head to acknowledge Faye's approach. He didn't even speak as she sat down next to him.
"What are you doing Dennis?"
He hunched his shoulders, attempting a shrug and picking pointlessly at the rock.
"Well, I'll tell you shall I? You're throwing away the greatest thing to have ever happened to you... and all because you couldn't say "Yes Sharon, we're fine. Love you darlin', can't wait to marry you darlin'", which by the way, you're meant to be doing in about an hour and a half! What happened with that phone call eh? Who the hell was it?"
Do you want to go to the seaside?

I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go

I fell in love at the seaside

She handled her charm with time and slight of hand.
"It... It was Vicki. M- Our sister. Wanting to know where we were. I mean, you would wouldn't you? Brother disappears with your sister from your own Ball, doesn't come home, doesn't phone... doesn't give you a second thought!"
"Well..." she reasoned weakly. "You've been busy..."
He scoffed. "Doing what, lying to her? If I... if me and Sharon go ahead with this wedding... what's it gonna be like eh? Oh Vicks, hiya darlin', sorry we abandoned you, but we fancied a little trip to the sea... married each other, does that freak you out at all?"
"Well, I'm not gonna pretend it makes any sense to me, doing any of this without telling your family, but I haven't questioned it, cos any bloody idiot can see you're crazy about each other!"
"Yeah." he agreed bitterly. "Just not poor little Vicki eh?"
"So... Sharon... you didn't answer her because... talking to your sister... threw you... burst your bubble a bit?"
Dennis didn't say anything, closing his eyes and tilting his head in the direction of the lap.
"Dennis... do you still want to marry Sharon?"
That got his attention immediately, and he glared at her before pushing himself up a few inches, and withdrawing a little box from his back pocket and tweezing open the two halves of the lid to reveal the two bands presented inside. He handed the box to Faye murmuring "Look at 'em."
She did, not exactly sure she was meant to be looking at til she tilted the box in her hand and the weak sunlight caught lettering on the inner rim. She moved them round, reading the inscriptions off quietly. "Sharon... Dennis... oh God, that's... beautiful... so sweet."
Dennis leant over her taking the box back and admiring them sadly. "Picked them up from the jewellers before I came down here. Curiousity got the better of me I guess. Probably shouldn't have bothered - it's not like we'll be needing them now."
"Isn't it? You still haven't answered my question. Do you want to marry Sharon?"
He leant back on his arms once he had slipped the box back in his pocket, laughing. "Not when she wants to railroad me into it!"
"What are you talking about... railroad?"
"When I followed her... after... she said, I either marry her... or we're over."
As Faye watched the anger flare in her eyes, she felt her anger and frustration boil over on Sharon's behalf. She loved Dennis, the selfish pathetic bastard, she'd loved him all the years she had known him, but when he wanted to, he made her so angry!
"Christ!" she cried, pouding her fist into the rock and watching him flinch in surprise. "You are such a man! You don't wanna lose Sharon do you? No matter what anyone says... your sister... your dad, no-one, because you love her and you wanna be with her right?"
"Yeah..."
But I'm just trying to love you in any kind of way

But I find it hard to love you girl when you're far away

Away.... away...
"And she wants to marry you because she doesn't want to lose you you prat! So yeah, the girl's demanding you marry her - but what's so huge about that? I know that when you brought her here yesterday, you were dropping hints... telling her you wanted to marry her, to be with her always right... and you know, if I hadn't seen the look in her eyes, the way you were with her yesterday... I'd never have believed it, not you... but you're in love with her Dennis... if you weren't... you'd never have told her you were gonna propose to her-"
"But I didn't did I?"
"Is that what this is? I'm telling you now mate, it better not be, or I swear, I'm gonna kill you. She was scared. She was scared for all the reasons you are right now, and you know that. But she wants you... she really wants you, and I'm pretty sure you know that too after what you two did in the bathroom this morning-" She waved her hand dismissively as he looked up at her in alarm. "-Sharon told me. But that don't matter - what matters is that she realised... that she loved you too much to lose you... so she said "Look darlin', you're right... I want everything you want," and she proposed to you. And you know, she's booked it, she's chosen the rings, she's bought the dress... and she still can't believe you want her." Faye could feel her eyes misting in spite of herself as she recalled the words, relaying them to Dennis. "Oh God... he wants to marry me... he actually wants to marry me." That's what she said, like she don't think she deserves you or something and Dennis, as much as I love you, you know that ain't the way it works. You're damn lucky Sharon wants to marry you, you know that?"
"Yeah." he muttered, feeling pretty ashamed. "Yeah, I know."
"She's giving you her life. She's battling everything she's ever known to keep you close, because she loves you so much. Don't hurt her like this. Don't make it seem like she's fighting for no reason. Because the second she does, you've lost her. You don't want that and neither does she. So don't be angry that she's "railroading" you into this... let her do it... and be happy.. be happy with her."
Dennis couldn't help but take in her words, groaning as he hung his head. "Oh Faye, what have I done?" And as he flopped against her shoulder, she drew him into her arms, gently tousling his hair.
"Got your timing spectacularly wrong as usual. The woman you love is currently wandering around this place wondering whether she's going to marry you or not... whether you still want to marry her.."
"I do. Bloody hell, I do."
Faye grinned, nudging him with her shoulder and forcing him to straighten up. "Then go and find her. Make sure she knows that."
Nodding, he kissed Faye's cheek as he pulled himself up straight into a run.
"Dennis?" she called immediately, surprised to find him such a distance away already.
He slowed just a little, looking over his shoulder expectantly.
"I mean it. Don't leave any room for doubt alright?"