Famous Most Wanted

Taylor was woken by a terrible guttural sound. She sat up in bed and listened. She heard it again. It was vomiting.

'Johnny?' Taylor called out into the darkness. Silence returned to her. She pulled back the duvet and flicked on the table lamp. Hurrying to her door, she opened it in time to hear more vomiting from the bathroom. Taylor entered the room next to hers and turned the light on. Johnny groaned and shrank against the toilet bowel.

'Johnny, what's the matter?' Taylor asked, crouching beside him. For a moment she thought he had worried himself into state, making himself sick.
But this is Johnny Carolina, she reminded herself. She sighed and pulled the bottle of Jack Daniels out from underneath him. It was empty.

'You drank the whole bottle? Johnny, what the hell is wrong with you? I trusted you to be sensible with this!' He responded by throwing up again. Taylor rolled her eyes skyward. Johnny groaned and placed his forehead on the cool toilet seat.

'Johnny, don't be disgusting.' Taylor cringed, pulling his face off the seat. She looked down at him but his glazed eyes didn't meet hers. She shook her head and let go of him. He fell back against the side of the tub and made no effort to move.

Taylor sat back and leant against the wall opposite, staring at him. He was nodding off. Was this what Johnny Carolina really looked like? She wondered.
A disgusting, hammered mess who smells like vomit?
Taylor didn't like it. She didn't like seeing this side of Johnny after seeing so many other sides, better sides. Sure, not all his sides had been likeable, but this was the part of

Johnny Taylor feared the most. His darker side. The alcoholism, the drug addiction. She was getting glimpses of Johnny's real life and she didn't like it. This was everything about Johnny Carolina Taylor hated.
She glared at him as his eyes drifted shut.

He didn't care about anyone but himself, she realised. He didn't care that Taylor could have woken up the next morning to find him unconscious on the bathroom floor. And she knew deep down she would have freaked out. She could feel she would have. What if she couldn't have woken him? He could've swallowed and choked on his own tongue. He could've drowned on his own vomit. And he'd be dead. He'd be damn well dead and Taylor knew she'd be the one to wake up and find him dead.
She'd blame herself and so would everyone else. She'd lose her job . . . and she would've lost Johnny too.

Her glare doubled as she stood and yanked Johnny to his feet with all her might. He groaned and staggered and swayed but stayed upright. Taylor tugged him harshly down to his room where she sat him on the side of his bed. He swayed again before toppling backwards and passing out. Taylor stormed to her room and ripped open her wardrobe. She glanced at the clock as she threw a pair of slim cut jeans onto her bed.
5:46. It was early for Johnny, who normally surfaced around ten or eleven, but Taylor really didn't care.

She dressed slowly, to calm herself. She was still quite angry with Johnny. Taylor considered not bothering with make-up, seeing Johnny was drunk anyway, but her pride got the better of her. She intended to sober Johnny up and didn't feel great about the idea of him seeing her make-upless when he was.

When dressed in warm clothes, Taylor stepped into her walking boots. She went back into Johnny's room and found him still collapsed on his bed. She shook her head and went through his wardrobe, pulling out a plain black jumper. Taylor leant over Johnny and gripped the front of his white v-neck and hauled him up into a sitting position. She pulled the jumper over his head and arranged it neatly on his torso. She let him fall back onto the bed and sighed, hands on her hips. She remembered last time she took him walking he moaned about having a cold neck.

Taylor rummaged around in various drawers until she found a stripy blue and grey scarf. Hauling him forward again, Taylor tied the scarf around Johnny's neck. He stirred and leant forward into Taylor, his head resting on her stomach. His arms curled around her thighs and he went back to sleep with a sigh. Taylor stood for a moment, looking down at the top of Johnny's messy head. He was like a baby at times. She smiled lightly and pressed a hand to his hair, her fingers tangling in it's scruffy mop.

Taylor recomposed herself and pushed him back onto the bed. He didn't wake up. She scanned the floor and found a pile of shoes in the corner. She grabbed the combat boots, thinking they'd be the best to hike in, and placed Johnny's feet in them, also tucking in his jeans. She didn't tie the laces, but tucked them inside instead, knowing he liked them that way.

Taylor looked around, thinking what else he might need. There didn't seem to be anything else. His coat was with hers downstairs in the cupboard under the stairs. When Taylor finally woke Johnny up, got him downstairs and in his coat, they were ready to go. He was standing on his on now, his eyes squinting and heavy with exhaustion. Taylor realised he must have stayed up all night drinking himself into a stupor. He looked like he could fall asleep again at any given moment. He held his head and shut his eyes. Must be the beginning of a hangover, Taylor figured. She opened the door and waited for Johnny to exit. He cracked an eye open at her and shut it again.

'Fuck off,' he grumbled. 'I ain't going walking.'

'Johnny,' said Taylor in a stern, warning tone. He shook his head.

'I said I ain't walking,' he snapped. Taylor sighed and opened her handbag, pulling out her gun. She pretended to be checking it, not meeting Johnny's eyes.

'For fuck sake,' he groaned, rolling his eyes. 'One day I'll call your bluff, y'know? Then we'll see how fucking serious you are about shooting me.'

'Just get outside,' glared Taylor, pointing the gun at the door. Johnny stuffed his hands in his pockets and buried his face in his scarf and mooched out the door. Taylor shut and locked it behind her after putting the gun back in her handbag. She walked around the cottage, Johnny following again, and began up the hill he sat on before while writing songs. The air was sharp and cold and the sun hadn't yet risen. Taylor watched her feet carefully, worried she'd trip.

'Why are we doing this again?' Johnny grunted.

'Cause I don't want you drunk, nor do I want to be dealing with an arsey hungover diva.'

'Whatever,' he sneered, tugging a dog-eared packet of fags from his coat pocket and taking one out. He lit it and scratched his nose as he exhaled.

'I ain't a diva,' he muttered finally. Taylor didn't answer. Didn't even look back at Johnny's foul expression. It was at times like these she really hated Johnny.

'Why you in such fucking mood?' he asked. Taylor glanced coldly over her shoulder.

'Why are you so fucking selfish?' she snapped back. Johnny laughed drily.

'Oh, I'm selfish, am I?' he quizzed. 'What have I done to make me so selfish?'

'You went and got drunk,' Taylor sighed in exasperation, throwing her arms up as she determinedly continued up the mountain.

'Why's that selfish?'

'Cause when you decided it was a good idea to drink the whole bottle, you didn't even consider me for a second, did you?'
Johnny frowned. 'Why? D'you want some of it?'

'No I didn't want any!' Taylor span around and glared at Johnny. He stopped walking and looked at her, a little confused. 'You didn't think that I'd have to wake up and find you passed out somewhere! You didn't consider chocking on your own sick and me finding you dead somewhere! You just don't think of anything past Johnny! You're a fucking liability. You're like a god damn child! Well, I'm not wiping your arse anymore Johnny! Get your act together.' Taylor span back around and carried on up the mountain not caring anymore whether Johnny followed.

After a few seconds delay, she heard the shuffle of scorned feet behind her and smiled to herself. He was dawdling. He felt guilty. She'd actually gotten through that thick skull of his. He really was like a child that needed to be told. That needed to be put in his place. And part of Taylor thought he probably appreciated it.

After another half hour of straight up walking, Johnny huffed to the top of the mountain and found Taylor sat on top of a large rock, staring out across the mountains around them. Johnny looked at the view for the first time. It was pretty breathtaking, he had to admit.
Taylor said nothing to him. She didn't even glance at him. Johnny sighed.

'Look, Tex . .' he began. 'I'm sorry I'm such a moody bugger all the time. My life just ain't been very cooperative recently.' He shrugged and looked down at his feet. 'You're right. I didn't think of you when I drained the bottle. I was thinking of how shit my life will be when I go home. I just wanted to forget.' Taylor glanced up at Johnny and he frowned down at her. He looked troubled. She nodded to the space on the rock beside her and he took it.

'Despite how much I dislike you,' Taylor began. 'It's hard not to get attached to you.' She smiled lightly at him. Everywhere was silent. Not even the sound of birds disturbed them here. 'I guess I worry about you sometimes,' she shrugged. A shadow of a smirk touched Johnny's lips before disappearing again. He lowered his eyes.

'Did you mean it when you said I'm a liability?'

'Yeah,' Taylor nodded, watching the sunrise again. 'But I think that's what you like about me so much. The fact that I'm not constantly kissing your arse and treat you like the spoilt human being you are.' Johnny's smirk reappeared stronger than before.

'Yeah I do,' he agreed. They fell silent a moment. As Taylor watched the sunrise, Johnny watched Taylor.

'Is there a chance it could be yours?' she asked gently. Johnny lowered his eyes. He knew what she was talking about. He shook his head, pulling out a second cigarette.

'Could be. Normally I would have said no chance. But it was so long ago now that I shagged Grace. Don't even remember if I was sober. Probably not,' he shrugged.

'Are you sober now?' Taylor asked, brushing the hair from her face as she looked at him. He nodded, inhaling from his cigarette.

'Just groggy. Nothing a little fresh air can't tackle,' he smirked at her. She smiled back, remembering how before she insisted fresh air would do him good. Johnny looked across the mountains and blew the smoke from his lungs. Taylor frowned.

'Aren't you worried you'll ruin your voice?' she asked. Johnny squinted at her before looking down at the fag in his fingers.

'Nah,' he eventually said. 'Chicks dig that natural husk.'

'But chicks don't dig that natural throat cancer.'

'You're such a downer, Tex,' commented Johnny light heartedly.

'What are you going to do when you get home?' Taylor asked out of morbid curiosity. She was interested, but also didn't want to know what he would do with his life when she was no longer in it. Johnny shrugged.

'Might take a rummage through the bookcase again. See what else there is.'

'No. I meant when you go home.'

'Oh,' Johnny said, looking unsure. ''Spose I'll hug me mum.' He shrugged, lifting the fag to his lips. 'Try and fix this Grace problem.'

'Will she keep it?'

'God yes,' Johnny laughed. 'You really think Grace would pass up the opportunity to be known as the mother of my child?' Taylor lowered her eyes and Johnny shook his head regretfully.

'What would you like it to be?'

'You mean other than another sucker's baby?' he offered. Taylor waited for an answer. Johnny rubbed his nose and watched the sunrise again. 'I dunno,' he said eventually. 'I haven't ever thought about it.'

'Think about it now,' encouraged Taylor. Johnny did. She could almost see the cogs of his brain turning.

'Maybe a girl?' he came back with after five minutes of listening to the breeze pass them by.

'Really?' smiled Taylor. 'Figured you'd want a son.' Johnny frowned and shook his head.

'Nah. If the little fucker's anything like me when I was a kid, then Grace is in for some tough years. I don't want a son to grow up and follow in daddy's foot steps.'

'Why not?'

'I already lived that car crash, I don't need to watch a replay.' Taylor frowned, wondering what he meant by that. '. . but a daughter?' he mused. 'I might be able to handle.' Johnny exhaled more smoke. 'I could protect her, I think.'

'That's lovely, Johnny,' Taylor smiled encouragingly.

'What about you?' he asked then. 'What are you gonna do when this is over?' He touched the cigarette to his lips as he watched her. Taylor shrugged.

'Go back to my job. Water my plants . . '

'Not gotta bloke you wanna hug?'

'You've asked me this before,' sighed Taylor.

'Have I?' smirked Johnny, playing ignorant.

'I was seeing someone but we broke up. He didn't treat me great.'

'Fool,' Johnny smirked. 'Why would he fuck with a cop?'

'Cause he's a cop too.'

'I knew it!' Jumped in Johnny. 'It was that tosser who drove us here. The one who don't trust me. What was his name again?'

'Vinny,' Taylor filled in.

'Yeah, that's it. Vinny the twat.' Taylor smiled. 'So . . what happened?' He asked, a little more gently. Taylor shrugged as she watched the horizon.

'I always liked him at work. He was kinda the office flirt, y'know? He was always so charming and cheeky . . . bit like you, I guess.' Johnny smiled. 'We started seeing each other and things were going great for a few months. He was so considerate and funny.' Taylor smiled as she thought of how things used to be.

'Stop smiling like that, Tex. You're making me jealous.' Johnny gave her a playful nudge and she looked up at his gorgeous smile.

'Things weren't always great though,' she added. 'He just got really distant. Went out with mates instead of spending time with me. I mean, I'm not needy or anything, but one week I only saw him twice, and that was at work!' Johnny shook his head.

'Whatta cock. The bloke clearly don't know how to treat a girl.'

'And you do?' Taylor smirked back. 'Mr I dumped her cause she was annoying.'

'Yeah but Grace is a money grabbing whore. You're a decent, caring, funny, smart, sexy woman.' Taylor glanced at Johnny uncertainly.

'I think maybe we both need to except that things don't always turn out as you planned,' Taylor said quietly.

'You can say that again,' sighed Johnny. They silently watched the horizon the sun had just risen over.
'If there was any justice in the world,' Johnny said. 'Everyone would leave us in peace to live in our Welsh mountain cottage.'

'You almost sound like you don't want to go home,' Taylor noted.
Johnny looked at her.

'Do you?'