~A play centre~
"I passed!" Kat opened the door to the house she shared with her six other sisters, holding aloft a certificate in her hand and wearing the biggest smile on her face.
"Good," Mandy said and didn't miss a heartbeat as she smiled, "then you can cook in the mornings from now on."
Kat just smiled back, chuckling and welcoming the big hug that came her way from both Abi and Hana.
"Congratulations!" They both echoed and pulled back from her to reveal Ripki and Red Rose holding aloft a small hand painted sign that read 'Congratulations sissy!'
"Awwwwwwwww, you guys, how'd you know?" She came forward, admiring the sign before crushing all four in a vicious hug.
"Aheh, you're boyfriend called us straight after you and told us to prepare a surprise!" Yaz yelled from the kitchen, taking a break from making her pack-up for tomorrow and rushing over to quickly join in on the hug.
"Oh? Alex cannot keep a secret to save his life." Kat chuckled and finally disentangled herself from the others, marching over to the sofa to give Mandy a large hug, who was currently slumped in such a way, her legs thrown over Johnn, she wouldn't have been able to get up without help.
Soon, everyone was sitting around the dinner table, Alex and Jamie having arrived for Kat's little dinner party (which she'd just had time to cook a small desert to enjoy) and soon, the regular banter was started up.
Kat was pulling Alex' ear for telling everyone, Jamie and Abi were holding hands absent-mindedly, just enjoying the time they had together, Mandy and Johnn were also playing kissy face, whilst Ripki, Red Rose and Hana were ignoring them, stuffing their faces (of course, whilst Hana was teasing Hans' about something at the same time).
"Huh! What day is it tomorrow?" Abi suddenly sat up straight in her seat and looked around the table for an answer.
"Urm, it's saturday. What's wrong Hun?" Red Rose said, quickly grabbing another chip off the table before anyone else got to it.
"Ach! I completely forgot! Jamie," Abi quickly turned to him and clasped both his hands in hers, "we can't have another trip to the movies! I'm sorry, but I'm babysitting. Remember? I got triple booked, so I have to look after Mrs Thompson' little boy Erik, Miss Hughes' girl Tigerlily AND Mrs Cruise' twins Aimee and Louis," Abi turned to Hana's gasp of surprise, "No Hana, different Cruise."
Jamie looked a little saddened at first, before he shook his head with a thought.
"Why don't I come and help?" He offered and it was Abi's turn to gasp.
"You'd...You'd do that?" Abi said, a little shocked at his brave suggestion.
"Why not? I have had to look after two younger siblings, I'm sure I'll be fine." Jamie said, a little more confidently than expected.
"Oooooh, Jamie!" Abi quickly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him quickly on the lips, "That's so sweet of you!"
Everyone chuckled as Jamie blushed and took the small little kisses she littered on his face, smiling like a fool.
"You know, I kind of vish Father Raziel vere here. He's good with kids." Ripki thought for a second, wishing to see her close friend.
"Ay', but he's not back till next week. He's still got to attend a friends' funeral and help his old colleagues get settled at their church." Father Anderson said, playing with a lock of Kat's hair that had managed to escape out of her ponytail and catch his attention.
Soon, the banter begun again. With the exception of Abi and Jamie quickly disappearing upstairs and Mandy jokingly using a broom to bang on the ceiling above and yelling, 'Keep it down up there! Some people are trying to eat!'
The next day...
Everything was ready.
Ripki was calling it 'the invasion!', running around and making sure things were pillow proofed and nothing was in reach of little (little) people.
Then, the time came.
"Ok, opening the door...and look! Huh! Who are they?" Abi said, quickly opening the door and Kat and Red Rose quickly giggled at the sight that greeted them.
Abi was pushing a double-seated, baby stroller, with two curious twins gazing out in the seats. Jamie was stood right behind her, holding the hand of one crying boy whilst having a small girl cling around his neck and bury her face in the collar of his jacket.
"Uh...if you girls are done giggling, a little help here." Abi said, positioning the stroller out of the way of the door so Jamie could get through, quickly unbuckling the twins who were itching to get out.
"Hey there sweetie," Mandy walked over to one of the twins in the pushchair and playfully shook her little hand, "well, aren't you just gorgeous."
The little girl she was playing with was Aimee, and Abi quickly flashed Mandy a toothy grin. She was nearly a whole year old (along with her twin Louis) and she had three teeth at the top, two at the bottom and a nice length of red hair on her head. Whilst Aimee was more than happy to go with Mandy, her brother Louis quickly scuttled out of his chair and crawled as fast as he could towards an open doorway.
"Woooah there little one," Alex quickly and skillyfully picked up the boy and held him in his arms, "there's nothing for you in there. And if there is, it's not yet done."
Little Louis looked at the man who was holding him, a very thoughtful expression on his face as he contemplated whether to scream and cry or trust this man.
Alex merely smiled and dove in his pocket for something, before pulling it out.
"Now, these aren't necessarily used for playin with, but," he held it a little closer to Louis so he could inspect it, "I don't have anything else and I've seen many little one's quite entertained by these."
Louis reached out, still gazing at the rosary and finally took it in his own hands, finding it safe to look at and fiddle with the beautifully painted beads. Kat couldn't help but smile as Alex seemed to have controlled Louis a little bit, enchanting the lad with something so small.
Jamie, who had now calmed down a crying Erik, had sat down on the sofa and cleaned off the boys mouth (which he had covered in chocolate), making sure he was all clean and happy.
"There, much better." He pulled back and admired the slightly sullen face of Erik, quickly getting into a small chat with him about his time at sea.
"Did you...did you fight pirates?" Erik looked a little more excited and had stopped frowning (with a very pronounced bottom lip sticking out), his eyes looking on expectedly.
Jamie went to answer, only to quickly glance at Abi for reassurance.
She winked at him and smiled, quickly re-adjusting Tigerlily's little shorts as she nuzzled sleepily into her shoulder.
"Hundreds. Everywhere. All...ugly...treachorous...scary and...horrifying visions of men." Jamie said, making sure to over dramatise his face and the hand gestures, his confidence giving a boost as Erik's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
"YOU fought pirates? Did ya' kill any?" Erik asked, obviously in deep belief.
Again a quick glance to Abi, but Jamie knew from her quick glare to tread carefully.
"Ur...no...I...didn't have to! They all apologised after a good fight and ran off! They were just scared and a good fight made them...urm...change their ways."
Erik just gasped and smirked wildly, whilst Abi chuckled at the idea of now having to call Jamie 'Commodore' in front of Erik. She quickly got Tiger off for her nap, putting out a small makeshift bed on the floor by the TV for her, made mostly of pillows, soft toys and a blanket. Ripki, Hana and Red Rose happily sat around it, watching a mute television programme and making sure that 'Tiggy' had friendly faces to wake up to.
A couple of hours later...
Hans had arrived with a few provisions (Hana having called him up and ordering him to bring chocolate) and came just at the right moment.
Aimee was currently enjoying a book being read to her, nuzzled in between Mandy and Johnn, playing quite happily with Mandy's long curls.
Tiggy was now awake and playing various games with Ripki, Hana, Red Rose and Abi (with Hans' getting most of her attention and having his hair pulled) and running amok with the chocolate that had just been brought.
Jamie and Erik had gone on from the chatting and upon finding some toys in Erik's bag, were currently 'recreating' one of Jamie's fights, Jamie momentarily (purposefully) losing and having a dramatic death scene (too which Abi could only yell, 'don't you get blood on my carpet!') and being bundled by a very triumphant Erik.
Finally, Kat and Alex were running back and forth behind Louis, making everyone small treats and making him be the taster as Kat baked some food. Alex was particularly good with him, explaining to the girls when asked that his first job had been at an orphanage (making him go up on the good guy list an extra two notches).
"Wow, you two are really good at this." Hana complimented Kat and Alex as Alex held little Louis happily, whilst Kat spoonfed Louis some sweet and sticky sauce she had just made.
"Thanks hun." Kat quickly said, wiping away a smidge of the sauce from Louis' mouth, smiling at him when he giggled and nodded to the taste.
"Future practise?" Hana chuckled, then yelped as Abi quickly tapped her on the back of the head. Tigerlily (being quick to copy) instantly tapped Hana too, and soon, a nice little game followed, with Hana being tapped and poked to the floor, quickly cowering behind Hans', who didn't help but joined in the poking game.
It became late evening and the twins had been handed over, Kat, Alex, Mandy and Johnn waving them off as Abi quickly put Tiger down to bed upstairs.
"Her mum should be picking her up in five minutes," she whispered to Jamie as he quickly and quietly pulled back the covers of her bed, "for now she can sleep here. Erik will have to crash on the sofa downstairs."
Jamie could only watch her, never seeing something so captivating.
She placed Tiger carefully down on the bed, making sure she was comfortable and tucked in, and got on the bed beside her, making sure she knew that she wasn't alone.
He turned to go, but Abi signalled behind Tiger's vision for him to join them.
Quietly, he came over and lied down on the bed of the other side of Tiger, just watching her and Abi at first. He observed the small things that he would forever remember: the way Abi's hand protectively stroked Tiger's hair down on her head to soothe her to sleep, the way Abi didn't take her eyes of Tiggy and the way Abi manouvered her other hand over to Jamie and clasped his in hers.
"She's asleep. I just like watching her to know she's not going to have nightmares." Abi whispered to Jamie, finally flicking him a quick glance beneath her eyelashes.
"You're wonderful with her." He said and brushed the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand, supporting her with what he could do.
"Thank you. You're wonderful with Erik too." She whispered and finally locked her gaze with his, staring into his soft, sad eyes.
"You'll make a great mother one day." He smiled at her, wanting to say to her all the things he wished he could.
"You'll make a great father one day." She mimicked him, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and break down in his arms.
A small wiggle and the concentration and tension between the two was broken as Tiger decided that her dream just needed her to get a little more comfy.
"We best go downstairs to Erik. Don't want to disturb her." Jamie stood up slowly, still holding Abi's hand and gently pulling her up with him. They carefully walked across the room and out into the hallway, both peering in at the sleeping child in the room before shutting the door.
"Don't worry, if she's awake we can hear her," Abi turned around to Jamie, "that girl can scream when she wants-Mmmpf? Mamnie?" Abi's sentence was stopped and her words muffled as Jamie crushed his lips against hers in a hurried kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him, she quickly and eagerly fell into the kiss, wrapping her own arms around his neck and melting into his embrace, forgetting she was in the hallway of her sisters house.
After coming up for breath, Jamie planted small kisses along her jawline, cheeks and into her hair, still clinging onto her for dear life.
"I don't want to leave you after christmas." Jamie said sadly, desperately holding her as if she might slip away.
Abi smiled sadly and kissed Jamie on the cheek, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes.
"I don't want you to go to, but you have to. Remember the promise?" she placed her forehead against his and closed her eyes, just enjoying his close proximity with hers.
"Yes. When I leave and come back here, we have to see what happens. I know, we can't just say yes now, but it's agonising thinking of you with another man." Jamie said and recalled the many chats he'd heard about Father Raziel and her fondness of him.
"I can't promise not to fall in love with anyone. Same goes for you," she opened her eyes and looked at him sadly, "all those countries and you meet so many beautiful people. I do get jealous. I just...if... ." She trailed off, unable to find the words and shaking her head. Jamie raised his hands and cupped her cheeks, gazing into her eyes.
"The most beautiful person I've ever met and most beautiful place I've ever been, is right here. Right now." He smiled at her and silenced any protest by drawing her back in for a slow, smooth kiss.
Wrapping arms securely around each other again, Abi and Jamie melded against one another, Abi stumbling backwards when it seemed her legs buckled and using the wall for support as she chuckled, watching Jamie smirk and blush.
"We urm...should go downstairs." Jamie said, with a disappointed brow.
Abi looked thoughtful and inbetween small pecks on his lips, proceeded to give him an idea.
"Well, we could, but, I have a much better idea."
"Ohhh? But Tiger's in your room?" Jamie welcomely excepted the kisses, allowing her to move him where ever she was headed, her body still entangled in his.
"I know. But, Hana and that lot are downstairs at the moment." She wiggled her eyebrows and with one hand, skillfully unlocked the door to her sisters room, still happily kissing Jamie.
Meanwhile downstairs...
Whilst Abi and Jamie were putting Tiger to bed, Mandy and Johnn had finally gotten Erik to settle down for the film. After about five minutes of eye rubbing, he curled up under Mandy's arm, whilst resting his feet on Johnn's knee.
'He's gone.' Mandy smiled and mouthed to Johnn, nodding down at Erik, who was deep in sleep, finally letting his exahaustion go and crashing out.
Everyone was happy and slumped down on the floor and sofa, making sure to keep quiet, just encase.
Mandy quickly turned to Hana.
"Go upstairs and see what's keeping those two." She whispered loudly, indicating that Erik was fast asleep. Hana nodded and quickly (and as quietly as her feet would allow her) jogged upstairs.
Luckily, both Erik and Tiger were heavy sleepers, because the next thing everyone heard made them fall about sniggering wildly.
"STOP KISSING IN MY ROOM!"