Okay so I have been reading a lot of AU Jate fics and started writing one of my own, hopefully i will get more readers than my last fic which I think is a bit of a flop due to falls in reviews so hope you all enjoy.
Kate sat on the kitchen countertop and swung her legs back and forth watching as Tess pottered around the room her gaze focused on the black leather portfolio in her hands. Kate had been sat for so long on the countertop she was beginning to think that maybe there was something wrong with the photographs.
"Well...?" she asked, looking anxiously at Tess who looked up from the pictures and smiled. Walking over to her younger sister she handed her back the portfolio and picked up the plastic wallet containing the newest shots.
"They're amazing Katie, you don't need me to tell you that..." she said, watching as Kate blushed and her gaze fell to the floor.
"Thanks Tess, you know you're opinion means a lot to me I was just having one of those days today, you know where you totally doubt anything you do..."
"You seem to have a lot of those..." she smiled, placing the plastic wallet back down and lifting herself onto the countertop next to Kate. She wrapped her arm around Kates shoulder and pulled her head to her shoulder smiling at how normal this felt. They had always been close ever since their mom died when they were younger, Tess had been the strong one and had taken care of Kate and now Kate paid her back for all that love and affection by babysitting whenever she could.
"So... being that you trust my and all, and you value my opinion..." Tess began, reaching out for the cookie jar and taking out two choc chip cookies, keeping one for herself and giving the other to Kate.
"Yeah..." Kate sensed there was an ulterior motive to her sister's kindness, her voice gave it away. She brought the cookie up to her mouth but didn't bite into it knowing that once she did that was it, cookies meant compliance to Kate and Tess that was how they always wagered things ever since they were kids.
"Leo has a friend..." Tess began sitting upright and taking a bite out of her cookie, brushing her curly blonde hair behind her ears and not looking at her sister. She didn't have to; she knew the exact look on her sister's face it was the same one she had every time Tess had tried to set her up on a blind date. Kate let out a sigh and shook her head, her mocha coloured curls spiralling down to cover her face "...Come on Katie, you haven't had a date since... well since forever, plus he's hott..." Tess finished, looking over at her sister whose eyes told tales of that search for that one person she could spend her life with.
Kate shook her head and looked back at her lap her hands resting there fiddling with her own fingers. "Tess... I appreciate everything you do for me but I think I am happy just being me right now, my life is complicated enough without having to think about anyone else..." she had ran this spiel more times than she cared to, to no avail of course because Kate knew that no matter how many times she said no she was going to end up on a date with the guy of the week. Like everything in life that you couldn't escape, it was eventual.
"Oh please..." Tess began; jumping down off the cabinet as a bunch of children ran through the kitchen each ignoring their mother in favour of the other activities they were caught up in that moment "... you're 27, and a full time writer and in your spare time you take amazing photographs of what I think are the ugliest children I have ever seen. Nothing about your life is complicated right now Katie... you're just making excuses" her hands on her hips and that stubborn look on her face Tess reminded Kate of their mother.
"Tess..." Kate warned only to be interrupted by her sister raising her hands and shrugging.
"What?..." she asked nonplussed, picking up the portfolio she flipped a few pages in holding the picture up to Kates eyes "... look, great picture, ugly kid..."
"I suppose every child is ugly compared to your own huh?"
"Believe me, even your own children can be ugly..." Tess chided turning towards her own children who had come in from a day of schooling and were now intent on terrorising each other "... Max stop pulling Gracie's hair... L-Jay get your hand out of that cookie jar and Millie please come out from under the table..." she begged dropping to her knees and lifting the white table cloth that hung low around the dining table. The blue eyes of a three year old blonde haired girl looked up at her mom and she smirked mischievously, shaking her head as her mother pleaded with her to come out "... please baby... for mommy"
"Nu-uh..." was the childs' simple answer, she slid herself further back under the table determined to stay put.
"I'll give you an ice lolly... a million bucks..." Tess began bartering knowing it wouldn't work. Millie came home from playschool and sat alone for a while, out for the chaos that was her older siblings and who could blame her, she was the most chilled out of all the Austen Marsden children. When Millie shook her head once more Tess knew it was time for the big guns to come out "... how about a pony...?" she finished seeing the little girls mind working overtime and then finally coming to a conclusion.
"No..." the girl said stubbornly now turning away from her mother and facing the other way. Tess stood up and let out a sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Kate who got on her knees and lifted up the table cloth catching the attention of her youngest niece.
"How about coming out for a Katie hug?" she asked, watching those blue orbs light up like no other bright light she had ever seen as she began shuffling out from under the table and jumped straight into Kates open arms letting out squeals of "Auntie Kate!" as she did so.
Kate wrapped her arms around Millie's tiny frame and held her close, standing upright with the child still clinging onto her and placing small kisses on her cheek.
"That's my girl..." Kate praised the child, her hand finding the back of Millie's' head, her slender fingers gently twisting the curls her niece adorned before turning to the other children "... Hey guys how about a game of soccer?". The response to this was the house becoming silent as the children emptied into the back garden intent of finding the ball and the nets they used as goals.
T5ess smiled and shook her head, picking up the masses of school bags off the floor and placing them on the table, removing the homework from each bag and placing it on the desks they had set up for the kids a few months ago.
"Note to self..." Tess began "... Hire you, Fire Leyanna".
Kate gently swung on the balls of her feet, the three year old in her arms snuggled against her slender frame.
"She not working out for you?" she asked, knowing all too well this was a touchy subject where Tess was concerned. A few weeks ago Tess had been forced to hire Leyanna as a nanny for the kids when her work timetable clashed with Leo's. After her first husband had left her for their previous nanny this was a big step for Tess. Leo however was nothing like Steven and thought the world of Tess and even considered Max and Gracie to be his own children even though sometimes they reminded him otherwise.
"She's not working full stop, the girl clearly doesn't have a clue, last night I came home to find Max stuffed full of Cheetos passed out next to the XBOX and Millie handing off the sofa still in her play clothes.
"So... when you gunna fire her?" Kate asked, following her sister through the kitchen, hearing the door open and knowing Leo was home.
"That's the thing, we can't afford to let her go and replace her, she works for buttons and we can't afford to pay anyone more than what we are offering...unless" Tess trailed off looking up at Kate with the same blue orbs all her nieces and nephews and inherited. Those eyes that could get whatever they wanted, when they wanted it. Not this time though, this time Kate had to put her foot down.
"No... I'm fond of these little guys but not that fond..." Kate claimed looking down at Millie and kissing the top of her wispy head.
"Thanks for that" Tess teased, feeling a little let down that Kate couldn't help but understanding her reasons for not helping.
"Seriously..." Kate began, jumping Millie further up her torso after feeling her slip a little "... I love them dearly, but I'm a writer not a nanny..."
Their conversation was interrupted by a tall man with long blonde hair entering the room, walking straight over to his wife and kissing her before nodding towards Kate.
"Where's Leyanna?" he asked, eyes scanning the room for the evidentially missing girl.
"She's late as usual... Kate here has been a god send" Tess admitted wrapping her arms around her husband's tall frame and closing her eyes.
"Hi Kate..." Leo said whilst hugging his wife close and looking at how comfortable his daughter seemed in her aunts arms "... So listen, I hope you're staying for dinner coz I invited Jack around tonight to watch the game... you don't mind do you?" he said more to Kate than to Tess knowing full well what his wife felt about the subject.
"Leo.. Please, not another blind date..." Kate pleaded playfully knowing that there was no point in being pissed about it, like she said before, it was eventual.
"Katie, Katie, Katie..." Leo laughed shaking his head "... Jacks not blind.Plus he is a great guy" he said before walking out of the room to answer the door which had just been knocked at.
He opened the door to reveal a tall dark haired man still dressed in the suit he had worn for work that day, in his hands a bottle of red wine and a bunch of flowers. Stepping inside he handed the wine to Leo.
"Hey Jack..." Tess smiled and walked over to the man wrapping him up in a hug that told Kate Jack was a very good friend of Leo's. Jack hugged Tess all the while his eyes focused on the brunette standing behind her clutching a small child to her chest. He smiled at her pulled away handing Tess the flowers. Silence washed over the room for a few minutes but was broken by Leo beginning the introductions.
"Jack, this is Kate... Tess's sister...Kate, this is my friend Jack we go way back..."
Jack stepped forward and nodded shyly at Kate, his hands finding the pockets of his expensive two piece as she smiled back her cheeks adoring a slight shade of pink.
" So uh... where are the munchkins?" Jack asked noticing the house was unnaturally quiet. Kate suddenly remembered the soccer game and looked at her sister nervously.
"They are out back... playing a game of soccer which I should be refereeing..." Kate looked back up at Jack who was smiling and although she didn't know why she apologised for leaving "... sorry"
Suddenly a young boy ran into the living room and straight into the arms of Jack who scooped the little boy up and high fived him.
"Uncle Jack..." the little boy cheered as Jack smiled that amazingly beautiful smile.
"Hows my little man... you behaving for your mom?" Jack asked a serious look now on his face. Max looked at Tess as if looking for a sign that she was going to tell about the hair pulling but Tess smiled and nodded her head.
"I have been good Uncle Jack I promise..."
Jack put the small boy back down on his feet and ruffled a hand through his brown shoulder length hair. Gracie walked into the room her hand clutching L-Jays, letting go once she saw who their visitor was.
"Uncle Jack..." the kids screamed in unison running over to Jack and throwing their arms around any part of his body that they were able to latch onto. Jack let out a giggle that melted Kates heart, she saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a toy aeroplane and hand it back to L-Jay.
"You forgot this last week mister... I thought you might want it back."
L-Jay looked at the plane and smiled his toothy grin before running back out to the back garden followed by the rest of his siblings, minus Millie of course who was watching Jack intently from Kates arms. When they had all left and the grownups had made their way to the kitchen Millie chose her time to speak. Lifting her head up from Kates shoulder she looked over at Jack and asked with a more serious manner than expected of a three year old.
"Miss me Jackie?"
Jack looked at the adorable little girl watching him with those eyes he knew would break hearts one day and he nodded.
"I've missed you lots lil one..."
Millie began to move frantically in Kates arms jumping at this news and Kate found it heart-warming that someone who seemed as serious as he did could so loving towards children.
"Kissies... Jackie... Kissies..." Millie ordered, smiling as Jack leant over and placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose.