This will be two chapters. It takes place almost nine months after Nick and Belle's daughter Olivia is born.
Nick was busy working at his spinning wheel in his shop. Olivia was in her playpen next to him – she was nearing nine months old and was already an expert crawler so she had to remain in a secure, safe place whenever she couldn't be supervised non-stop. Nick swore he could often see her trying to figure out how to escape the confines of her playpen as she sat in it entertaining herself with her many toys. She was also making quite an effort to talk. She had mastered the words 'mama', 'Bae', 'Ruby', (although she pronounced it 'Ooby'), and a variety of others, some they had yet to decipher – but not 'daddy'. Nick wondered if it was something he had done wrong – he certainly was doing his best this time to be a doting, hands-on parent, and Olivia was always with him at the shop when Belle was in class unless he was teaching himself. Or perhaps it was karma biting him in the ass for all of the missed moments during Bae and Ruby's childhood. Whatever the case, he tried not to let it bother him – but it did bother him quite a bit.
The door to his shop opened and the bell attached to it rang. Olivia imitated the sound of the bell, as she always did whenever someone entered the store.
"Good afternoon. How can I help you?" Nick said, smiling a friendly smile as the woman entered. His smile quickly turned into a scowl when she turned around.
"Hello Nick." Milah said to him. "How are you?"
"Milah. What are you doing here?" Nick asked.
"You did know I was in town, right?" Milah asked.
"Yes, the kids warned me." Nick remarked.
"Ruby has some theatre meeting and Bae is working so I thought I'd do some shopping and – well I was curious to see your little store." Milah said as she looked around.
"Didn't you come here to spend time with your grandson too?" Nick asked.
"Oh, Henry is napping right now, he was running wild this morning, I don't know how Bae and Emma can manage. They don't call them the terrible twos for nothing, do they?" Milah commented.
"Henry is a lovely child. You'd know that if you visited more than every other year." Nick snipped.
"It's hard to get away Nick, what with Killian's work, and I don't like traveling without him." Milah said.
"You don't trust leaving him behind, do you?" Nick observed as he grinned smugly. Milah just made a face at him.
"So you – like doing this then?" Milah asked, looking at his tapestries.
"Very much." Nick said.
"Didn't know you could do this sort of thing. They're pretty good." Milah said.
"Thank you." Nick replied, hoping she would leave, but instead Milah moved closer to him.
"Oh is that your little girl? I didn't notice her there." Milah cooed, looking at Olivia.
"Yes, she's very easy to miss. Practically invisible and not at all noisy." Nick said. Olivia had been bouncing up and down in her playpen ever since Milah entered (she was starting to be able to pull herself up by holding onto the edges) and babbling, still imitating the bell ringing sound on occasion. Milah sneered at him.
"Can I hold her?" Milah asked. Nick sighed.
"I suppose that'll be fine." Nick said. Milah walked over to Olivia and scooped her up out of her playpen.
"Oh, she's adorable Nick. Really favors her mother, you must be thankful for that." Milah said. "She has your chin though. Hopefully she'll grow out of that, and if not, she can always have it fixed."
"There's nothing about Olivia that needs to be fixed, she's perfect just the way she is." Nick said, glaring angrily at Milah. Olivia giggled and continued to babble as Milah held her.
"Very chatty little girl, isn't she? She certainly doesn't get that from you, must be her mother."
"Olivia is simply a very vocal little girl. It has nothing to do with myself or with Belle." Nick told her.
"Where is your wife anyway?" Milah asked.
"She has class today." Nick told her.
"Oh that's right, she's doing that school thing. I guess it's better than sitting at home being bored all day, not that she'd need to. I read she turned down several movie roles in favor of school and – well of YOU." Milah said as she set Olivia back in her playpen.
"Belle is going to school because she wants to, and I support her, and we decide together on any roles she takes and at the moment nothing that accommodates our current family situation has come along. We don't read those magazines and I highly recommend you take them with a grain of salt. Most of them are rubbish anyway – if you want the truth, ask Bae or Ruby, they know far more than those rags do." Nick said, starting to sound aggravated.
"Well, it's just a shame to see her waste all of her talent on – this." Milah said, looking around. Nick gave her an even angrier glare.
"What is the purpose of your little visit here, Milah? I mean, aside from the obvious desire to raise my blood pressure." Nick asked.
"I'm just trying to be friendly, Nick. We do share children and a grandson and I thought it might be nice to – make an effort to get along. Because according to you the last time I saw you – you've changed. So – have you? Or was that just a line of bull to make me go away so that you wouldn't have to talk to me in front of Belle."
"Which answer will get you to leave my shop?" Nick asked.
"I see. Still the same prick you've always been then." Milah snapped, and she turned to leave just as the door burst open.
"Nick, you were right, I got an 'A' on that poetry assignment!" Belle shouted excitedly as she darted into the shop. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Milah. "Hi." Belle said quietly, as Nick made his way to her side. He put his arm around Belle and kissed her on the cheek.
"Belle, you remember Milah." Nick said.
"Of course. Bae and Ruby said you'd be visiting for a few weeks." Belle said.
"Yes – I was in the neighborhood and just thought I'd stop in to say hello." Milah said. "By the way, your daughter is absolutely beautiful."
"Thank you." Belle said. "Did Nick show you around the shop?"
"No, he didn't." Milah said, and she turned and smirked at Nick.
"Well, come on, let me give you a little tour – the expansion has really brought in quite a bit more business. We have a large display room attached, and I'll show you the back room too, where Nick teaches his classes." Belle said.
"Thank you, I'd love to see that." Milah said. She followed Belle into the other room. Nick went back to his spinning wheel and sat down, then let out an exasperated sigh. Olivia sat in her playpen and looked up at him, and was suddenly quiet.
"Yes, I agree. This isn't good, is it?" Nick asked the little girl, almost expecting an answer. Several minutes later, the two women came back out into the main area of the shop. They were talking and laughing.
"Nick, I didn't know you won so many awards for your work. That's wonderful!" Milah told him.
"Well, they're not all here, some of them are at home as well." Belle said.
"Let me guess – are they on the mantle with your Oscar?" Milah asked.
"Yes, that's exactly where they are. Why shouldn't they be? Nick's accomplishments are just as important as mine." Belle said proudly.
"Of course they are." Milah said dryly, as Belle made her way to Olivia's playpen and picked her up. "Well, I really should be going."
"Milah – would you like to come over for dinner one night?" Belle asked. Nick's eyes widened, and he turned to Belle and shot her an irate glare.
"Oh, I'm not sure that would be a good idea." Milah said.
"Of course it would. We should have a nice family dinner, have Bae and Emma and Henry and Ruby and Graham there, too. We all have to learn to get on with one another, don't we? I mean, we are all adults, there's no reason why we shouldn't." Belle said.
"Yes, but – Killian is in town with me." Milah said.
"Well, he can come too." Belle said.
"Belle -" Nick finally interrupted.
"I understand your trepidation, but – that was years ago. Nick isn't like that any longer, and – well, perhaps it's time for the two of them to – make amends. I know Nick would be willing if your husband would. Right, dear?" Belle asked, turning to Nick. Nick just stared at her in disbelief.
"Well, I'll talk to him. I'll let you know." Milah said. Belle handed Olivia off to Nick and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen off the counter.
"Here's my cell number." Belle said, writing it down and handing it to Milah. "Call me and let me know what you decide. Weekends are usually best for us, and I don't think we have any major plans the next couple of weeks."
"Well, thank you. I appreciate the invitation. I'll talk to you soon then." Milah made her way to the door. "Goodbye Nick." Milah said, and she gave him one last smirk before she left.
"What in the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Nick asked as soon as Milah was gone. "I am not having that woman and her bastard husband in my home for dinner. Unless it's a murder mystery dinner and there's an actual murder – although it won't be much of a mystery as to what happened." Belle walked over to his side.
"Nick, have you even seen Killian since your – incident?" Belle asked.
"No, and I'd prefer to keep it that way." Nick told her.
"I think that it would be good for you to face your demons. Like it or not, Nick – they are part of the family." Belle said.
"They should be part of the Addams Family, Belle. At least they'd be among their own kind. Every family has those people that they like to pretend don't exist. I am perfectly content with that arrangement." Nick said. Belle rolled her eyes.
"You're being a jackass." Belle said. Olivia, who had been sitting on Nick's lap, reached up and hit his cheek softly.
"Dackass." Olivia mimicked, unable to pronounce the letter 'j', and she tapped his cheek several times after saying it.
"No, not 'dackass' – daddy. Can you say daddy, love?" Nick asked.
"Dackass." Olivia said again, smiling proudly. Belle started to giggle.
"Come here, love." Belle said, and she reached for the little girl and took her into her arms. "Has she had a nap?"
"No." Nick said curtly.
"I'm going to take her home then. Or maybe you should take her home, you seem like you need one." Belle remarked. Belle reached down and kissed him on the lips. Nick didn't kiss her back. "I'll see you at home tonight. Maybe you'll have matured a bit by then." Belle set Olivia in her stroller, which was in the corner of the room, and left. Nick just stared off in disbelief for several minutes after they left.
"Well, she's finally asleep. She barely got a nap today so she should be down for the night." Belle said as she climbed into bed with Nick, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed. Belle touched his cheek. "I know you're not asleep Nick, I can tell when you are." Nick didn't respond to her. "You've barely said three words to me since you got home. Are you going to be in this mood for much longer?" Nick opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"You taught my daughter to call me a jackass." Nick said, then he closed his eyes again.
"Nick, she's a baby – she doesn't know what she's saying, she was just mimicking what she heard. We should be glad that's the worst she's said given your mouth." Belle said. "Besides – odds are she's going to call you a jackass at some point in her life. Might as well get it over with now." Nick opened his eyes again.
"It's bad enough that you invited my ex-wife over for dinner, Belle, but Killian Jones? I don't want that man in my home." Nick said.
"Nick – did you ever consider that maybe he's changed, too? You're the one who pushed me to try with Ashley and look how that turned out." Belle suggested.
"The difference is, I was never friends with Killian Jones. That man is scum." Nick said.
"I think you're exaggerating because of what happened between you." Belle said.
"Exaggerating?" Nick asked, sitting up in bed. "Belle, imagine the most arrogant, most misogynistic actor you've had to contend with. Now imagine him ten times worse and with a smarmy Irish accent. That would be Killian Jones."
"It's been almost ten years, Nick. A lot can happen in that much time." Belle said. "Besides, Milah seems nice, we had a pleasant little chat in the store today." Nick started to laugh.
"Nice? She's a passive-aggressive bitch. You weren't there a few minutes earlier when she was prancing about the shop making judgments and snide remarks in her usual condescending tone." Nick said.
"Nick, it's just one little dinner. Just a few hours, that's all." Belle said. She began to kiss and lick his neck. "I'll make it worth your while." she whispered.
"You think you can bribe me with sex?" Nick asked, his voice becoming breathy as Belle moved her mouth down toward his chest and began to unbutton his pajama top.
"It's worked before." Belle whispered. Nick suddenly wrapped his arms around her, grabbed her, and flipped her over, now positioned on top of her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands back with his. Nick pressed his lips against Belle's and kissed her roughly. He let go of her right hand and moved his hand toward her crotch and used it to stimulate her while he lifted up his torso and moved his head underneath her nightgown. He kissed and licked every inch of her upper body. Belle moaned and panted in ecstasy until she could no longer hold back. She let out a loud scream and sighed back into her pillow as Nick collapsed on top of her. Belle ran her fingers through Nick's hair as he rested his head on her chest.
"What was that for?" Belle asked, her voice still breathy.
"Just a reminder." Nick said, and he sat up, then moved to Belle's side once again.
"A reminder of what?" Belle asked, sitting up herself.
"That bribery is a two-way street, love." Nick said. Belle stared at him in disbelief.
"Olivia was right. You are a dackass." Belle said, and she got up out of the bed. She stormed off into the bathroom, then came back several minutes later. She flipped off the light and climbed into bed, turning her back to Nick. Nick sidled up to her and kissed her neck and shoulders.
"I want the right to gloat for at least three days when the entire evening turns into a scene from a prime time soap opera." Nick whispered. Belle turned to face him.
"You expect Milah and I to end up rolling on the floor pulling one another's hair out then?" Belle asked.
"Oh lord no, Milah would be afraid she'd wrinkle her clothes. But I guarantee you it won't end well." Nick asked.
"What else do you want?" Belle asked.
"That's it. Three days of glorious 'I told you so's' without so much as a word from you." Nick replied.
"And what do I get when it ends up being just a nice family dinner?" Belle asked.
"You get to sit with me at the hospital for several weeks because I'll likely have a heart attack from the shock." Nick said. Belle snuggled up to Nick, resting her head on his chest. "What's this? I thought you were mad at me."
"Not really. Are you still mad at me?" Belle asked.
"No." Nick replied, and he kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her. "Can we not talk about my ex-wife and her sleazy husband any longer? You just – plan whatever you like and – remember that I warned you. Alright?"
"Alright." Belle whispered. She tilted her head up and kissed Nick on the lips. "I love you." Belle said softly. "Dackass." They both started to laugh, then kissed for several more minutes before settling into sleep for the night.
Next chapter will be the dinner … so who do you think will be right? Belle or Nick? Stay tuned to find out!
