Chapter Text
If you weren't taught in school then it was your parent's job to explain the Body Swap. Since the beginning, everyone is born with a soulmate and when you come of age - twenty-one - then you and your soulmate would swap bodies for a week. The Body Swap is supposed to allow you a week to learn about your soulmate, and walk a “mile” in their shoes. It allows you to see what your soulmates life is like through their eyes and how their friends and family see them.
Now the Swap doesn't always occur on a person's twenty first birthday, because sometimes your soulmate hasn't been born or come of age yet, or worse yet, the Swap never happens because your soulmate has already died.
Take Chas Dingle, she met Gordon when she was sixteen and got pregnant with their son Aaron when she was eighteen. Whilst she loved Gordon, when he turned twenty-one he switched bodies with his soulmate and it wasn't Chas. He left her and Aaron for Sandra. On Chas’ twenty first birthday, she didn't go through the Swap. Of course that didn't mean the end for Chas, it was possible her soulmate hadn't come of age yet. She was heartbroken over Gordon but she still had hope. Now she's thirty-nine and has never experienced the Body Swap and has come to terms with the fact her soulmate has already died.
It doesn't bother her so much, and she still dates and tries to find a connection but deep down there will always be a part of her missing, empty. She prays that her son Aaron, whose twenty first is coming up, that he will make the Swap so he doesn't have to feel that emptiness.
The Swap finds your soulmate, but “soulmate” is a loose term. Whilst you will spend the rest of your life with that person, it doesn't mean the connection will be romantic. It could be platonic, the words “best friends” taking on a new meaning. You'll keep your soulmate in your life forever because they'll always fill a part of you that no one or anything else can, and you'll love them with everything you have and would sacrifice anything for that person.
Aaron Dingle will gruffly tell you that he couldn't care less if he found his soulmate or not, that he won't get his hopes up on his twenty first birthday because chances are his soulmate isn't of age or his has already died like his mum's, but those are lies. Truth is he hopes the Swap will happen on his birthday, that he doesn't have to wait or worry about being alone, that he doesn't have to pass through life like Chas on false hope of finding someone to spend his life with. He doesn't care if it's romantic or not, he just wants someone.
Aaron will be turning twenty one in two days time.
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Robert Sugden describes his life as mediocre. Working for his soon to be father-in-law, Lawrence, is what he always wanted, but he's not exactly where he wants to be. He wants more, a better position, more power. He feels after building up the company he deserves more than that.
His fiancée Chrissie, daughter of Lawrence, is beautiful, smart, witty and powerful with just enough money to keep Robert comfortable for the rest of his life, but she is also not enough. It's why he finds himself hopping from bed to bed whilst keeping Chrissie happy at home and in the dark of his other trysts. Chrissie is not Robert's soulmate.
Robert never bought into the whole soulmates crap. He did like everyone else is supposed to do on their twenty first birthday, stayed at home and in bed and waited for the Swap to happen. When midnight had passed and Robert had been twenty one for an entire day without swapping bodies with anyone, he gave up. He assumed if it didn't happen then, it wouldn't happen at all, and just like other people assume, his soulmate was already dead. Which lead to Chrissie.
He was settling, just as she is. Her soulmate - her first husband - was killed because gambling debts he kept secret from her. It left her broken and gave an easy opening for Robert with his charm and wit to win her over quickly. Neither of them will be truly happy with each other but at least they won't be alone. Robert's terrified of being alone.
Robert is only twenty eight, the wedding is six weeks away and as the date gets closer, Robert finds himself going out more. Making up excuses like business trips and overnight meetings, but there isn't any. He's looking, for more or something that fits. He has no hopes for a soulmate but there has to be someone that fits properly, more than Chrissie. He hasn't found it or them yet, but he keeps looking.
Today, Robert and Chrissie are having an important business meeting that will be very lucrative for White Industries if they can land the deal. Robert was on point with his game, being extra charming and winning them over when a sharp pain in his gut had him clenching at his stomach and doubling over. “Robert!” Chrissie screeched and ran over to him, taking his hand and squeezing.
Robert tried to breathe through the pain clouding his mind. It felt like someone had caught a hook around his midsection and trying to rip out his insides. He pushed Chrissie away, wanting room away from her and everyone and he stumbled out of the office, knocking down pictures off a shelf as he passed and almost threw up in the hallway as he made his way to the living room. He collapsed on the sofa, pressing his face down into the cushions, muffling a scream against them as the pain intensified and then nothing. Darkness overtook him and he was no longer conscious.
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Aaron was in bed like he's supposed to be. He got up and showered so whoever took over his body - if the Swap happened - they'd be inhabiting a clean body. He'd tidied up his room and his anything that might scare the person off. All that was left to do was wait.
He felt restless just lying there, waiting for something to happen. He's heard people describe the Swap a million times. Some say it hurts and others said it was like drifting peacefully out of your body and waking up somewhere else. The one thing they tell you not to do, is fight it. It's going to happen either way and fighting the Body Swap will cause you pain.
Aaron could practically feel Chas vibrating with nerves downstairs, probably pouring the punters the wrong drinks as half her mind was focused on her son upstairs and wondering if it was still her son or someone else. Aaron had asked for privacy while this went on, he couldn't do with distractions interrupting him every five minutes. He was nervous enough.
It was half one when he felt it. He couldn't be sure, for all he knew it was just gas, but there was a pressure in his lower abdomen like someone was squeezing his insides. He rested his hands on his stomach, grimacing at the light pain that started to move upwards into his chest and neck and then a pulling sensation began, like something was being wrenched from his body.
His breathing accelerated, on the verge of a panic attack. It was happening, he was switching bodies with his soulmate. Just as he was about to shout out, not sure for what or whom, darkness enclosed around him and it was over