A huge thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter. Here's the next instalment. Sorry it's short, but I wanted to get a chapter of happy before I go a bit angsty on you all. I'm not as happy or as confident as I was with the last chapter, so if any improvements are needed then please let me know.
Pixie
xx
Just realised I never put a disclaimer, so just to let you all know, I don't own Millie, Max, or The Bill. If I did, it would still be on TV and there would be a lot of Mallie and Mansari .Anyway, on with the story...
The door opened to reveal a very short woman in her 60s, her black hair, heavily peppered with grey, was in a loose plait that came over her shoulder. She was dressed in purple suede boots, dark blue jeans and a purple poncho. Her luminous green eyes crinkled at the edges when she smiled at her son.
"Maksy!" she exclaimed, drawing him into a hug.
"Hey, Ma." Max said, stooping down to kiss her cheek.
"Look at you!" she admonished, pushing a few stray locks of hair out of his face, "Have you been eating properly? It's been too long since you visited, kochani!"
"Ma!" he replied, rolling his eyes. I giggled at the scene. If only Sun Hill could see him now. He heard me and blushed, again seeming to read my thoughts. Coughing, he stood next to me, a nervous smile on his face, letting his mother's eyes roam over the two of us until they rested on our still-entwined hands. "Ma, this is Millie, my girlfriend." I took a deep breath.
"Cześć Mrs Carter. Miłocię poznać." I said clearly, an axious smile over my face as I held out my hand. YES! I said it right! Do your little happy dance! Woop! Woop! I heard Max gasp at me and I saw Natia's eyes crinkle once more as she laughed.
"Oh, kochani ! Aren't you a gem? Please, call me either Natia or Ma, not Mrs Carter. It makes me feel old."
"That's 'cause you are old, Ma." The reply came at me from three directions: Max beside me, a women behind me, and a woman behind Natia. These must be Max's sisters. Natia tutted at the siblings and strutted into the house.
"Hi." said the woman behind me. She looked like a younger version of her mother. Her hair fell in waves around her face, softening her high cheekbones. "My name's Jolanta. I'm Max's older sister. You must be Millie. It's really nice to finally meet you. Max won't shut up about you." I glanced at Max, seeing him glare at his sister. "Hey! Don't look at me like that!" she said to him, matching his glare with her own. The other woman, who I assumed to be Krysta, stepped out of the house, dressed in a purple tights, a yellow dress and matching shoes. Her hair was bubblegum pink and in a sharp bob that framed her angelic face. She was petite and short, bearing more similarities to Max than the other women of the family.
"Hey! I'm Krysta, Max's twin sister." She yanked me away from Max's side and into a hug. "You really are as cute as he said you were! I might just steal you away for myself!"
"Oi!" Max turned to glare at his other sister.
"Jeez, Max! Cool it! I was joking!" she said, before letting go of me and disappearing inside. A cry of 'Mummy!' came from the back of the house. Jolanta smiled apologetically before running around to the garden.
"You know Polish?" he said, astounded, turning to me.
"I just leant how to say 'Hello Mrs Carter. Nice to meet you.' It seemed like a good idea. Why? Was it bad?" My previous joy at speaking Polish was quickly deteriorating into a sick feeling that Max's family might hate me.
"Millie, it was brilliant!" he responded, beaming. "The fact that you made that effort, and without me teaching you, has probably just written you in my mother's good books for the rest of your life!"
My heart fluttered. Rest of my life? Does he wants me to be with him for the rest of my life? Oh. My. God. Wait, he's looking at you. Breath, Millie, breath. Say something. "Erm, what does kochani mean? It is Polish, right? I thought she wasn't going to speak Polish."
"It means 'darling'. Ma says it all the time, so you'll get used to hearing it. It's a habit that she will never break, but it's all the Polish she'll say today."
"Maksy!" Natia yelled through, "Get in here! Don't leave poor Millie waiting on the front door step. Bring her in!"
"The worst is over, I promise. You've met my mother and my sisters, so it's all easy going from here. Ready? " Max asked. I nodded, slipping my hand into his, using it as a lifeline as we stepped into the house.
We entered the living room, met by the sight of a tall, slender woman with short spiky blond hair bouncing a baby on her knee.
"Oh, 'ello." She said with a strong Manchester accent, standing to greet us, the baby on her hip, "Yer Millie, right? I'm Toni and this is Jess, nice t'meet yer." The baby started to struggle in her arms and reach for Max. Letting go of my hand, he took her into his arms, causing a her lips to pull back into a smile.
"Hello, Jess Pess." He said to her, kissing her forehead, obviously besotted with her, "Not seen you in a while, eh? You missed your old Uncle Max?" she giggled and flung her arms around his neck, her small head fitting snugly into his neck. My stomach flipped at the sight of him being so comfortable around children, and how loving he was. He'd be a great dad. Wait! What? Crap! Why did you just think that? It's not like you need to think about that. I mean, you don't even know if he wants kids, let alone with you. Whoa! Hold up, Millie! You do NOT want Max Carter's babies! At least not yet, I mean – No, Millie, you do not want his kids...Oh, who am you kidding! This is just bloody perfect! You been dating the man for not even three months, already declared that you love him in the middle of a crowded pub and, to put the cherry on top, you want his children! Could you be any more pathetic? My inner rant was ended by Toni speaking again.
"I'm just gunna go 'elp yer mam. Do yer mind watchin' 'er for a bit?"
"No probs. Don't think she's going to let go anytime soon anyway." Max said as he led me through the house and into the back garden, where I could see Krysta and Jolanta watching two boys play through the French doors.
The inner rant thing was based on something I do all the time. I am always ranting in my head, or having internal conversations. Does that make me crazy? I've decided to focus more on Millie's past in the next chapter, so it will have a bit of angst in it. I am also having ideas for another story already to do with our fave couple that will be chock-a-block with angst. Poor Mallie! Any reviews welcome!