The Surprise
Part II – All's fair in love and war – isn't it?
Here you are, part 2 of the Nicks birthday saga – It's really good fun writing about the old The Bill characters that have been gone, in one way or another, for a while! None of which I own etc etc. Also borrows some song lyrics that appear as part of the story. I think I've mentioned Amber in the previous chapter, and Andrea, I meant Andrea, so sorry if this has confused anyone!
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"What you drinking then?" asked Gina
"Um, lager please" replied Nick miserably
"A whiskey on the rocks and a pint of lager please" Gina commanded of the bar maid
"Smile Nick!" said Gina "Oh come on, it's not that bad, so everyone else is busy, you have me!" she smiled with more than a hint of sarcasm.
"They are supposed to be my friends!" Nick protested "I thought that at least Smithy would have come out for a pint after footie, but all too wrapped up in their owns lives to bother with me, two cards I got" he sighed "One from the nick and one from my mum, even the rest of my family forgot!"
Gina put an arm around his shoulders "Come on" she said as she got buffeted at the bar by a regular "Let's go sit down"
There wasn't any seats, on account of the pub being in the middle of a Friday Night pre clubbing rush, Gina headed towards the function room door, with a conspiratol glance over her shoulder.
"You can't go in there!" Nick said astonished "It's shut!"
"Sssshhh!" Gina grabbed Nick's arm and dragged him through the door, letting it close behind them and standing to the side.
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Reg spotted Nick and Gina at the bar and hotfooted it back into the function room.
"Places everyone!" he called "The Eagle has landed!"
"Bloody Hell Reg!" said Tony "We're coppers from Sunhill, not the Charge of the Light Brigade!" to a chorus of twitters and giggles
"Well I thought it was a very good analogy Reg" Marilyn defended him "Very suitable in the circumstances"
"Thank you Marilyn" replied Reg "You know Tony, the saying the Eagle has landed actually has it's origins in…."
"Reg!" hissed Honey "Shut up!" as the function room door opened and those who could caught sight of Nick and Gina backlit with the bar's lights.
"Oooh, this is just like an obbo" muttered Phil with sarcasm, eyebrows nearly taking off as he felt Sam's hand on his thigh.
"Not half as much fun with a room full of people though" she said
"Remind me to volunteer for the next obbo with you!" he said, laying his hand over hers.
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"Gina!" Nick hissed "We're not supposed to be in here!"
"Don't be so wet!" she retorted sharply as she flicked the lights on
"SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!!" The people in the room jumped out from where they were hiding
"You…!" for once Nick was speechless, he took in the people in the room all his friends were there, and Gina must have been in on it too!
Honey came forward and hugged him "Did you think we had forgotten?" she chirped
"Yeah…." Nick hugged her back and looked on as the DJ evicted Yvonne, Meg and Andrea from behind the DJ stand and got the music going.
"Was this your idea?" he asked her
"No" Honey indicated towards Smithy "Smithy's actually"
"Happy Birthday Mate" Smithy clapped him on the back "Muppet" unable to resist a dig.
"Thanks, I think" he frowned "You masterminded all this?" he looked amazed
"Well…." Smithy started
"No he did not!" said Andrea sharply "It was his idea, but we put it together, he couldn't organise a jump in a brothel!"
"Oi!!!" said Smithy "I don't need to go to a brothel for a jump" he said, arching an eyebrow in Meg's direction, who had the good grace to blush.
There followed a stampede to the bar, where Nick was offered several drinks and more birthday congratulations from other members of the team.
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Nick slid an arm around Meg's waist and pulled her closer as they danced, he'd been drinking non stop since he'd arrived at the party 40 minutes ago and was starting to feel the heady effects of the alcohol kicking in as well as an attractive woman in close proximity, he moved closer as the music boomed over the speakers "I want it that way" he sang tunelessly along with the Backstreet Boys.
"Karaoke time!" the DJ's voice came over the speakers.
"And first up we have The Sunhill Vixens with…" he consulted his piece of paper "Love Fool!"
Gina rolled her eyes as every male member of the room turned their attention to the four giggling girls heading for the DJ stand, Yvonne, Meg, Andrea and Honey took their places behind the screen, sharing the two microphones. She caught sight of a lonely figure at the end of the bar, drinking as he tried to hide the fact that one of the girls held his attention, she approached him.
"Gina" he greeted, not taking his eyes from the karaoke foursome
"Neil, nothing but trouble there" she observed
"How do you know that it's Andrea I'm looking at?" he quizzed her.
"I didn't" she replied "But I do now"
Neil laughed "Maybe I like a bit of trouble"
Gina winced as the girls murdered the chorus "Luurrvee me, love me!" they squawked totally out of tune "Say that you love me……"
"Well, as long as you know what you are doing" she said
"No, that's half of the fun" he smirked
Gina shrugged, who didn't deserve a bit of fun now and again, she thought to herself, she'd certainly been no angel.
The DJ cut into her thoughts "Well, thanks for that girls…" he said ironically "Next up we have…" piece of paper again "The Boys in Blue with when the going gets tough!"
"How original!" remarked Sam, looking at Phil in amazement as he left the table with a grin to join the others, Tony, Gary, Nick, Smithy and Jim.
The whole room went silent as the lads started to sing, Phil taking the lead role, with the others backing him.
"I had no idea…." Spluttered Sam to Yvonne as she moved over to the bar
"Me neither!" replied Yvonne "I've heard Smithy and Nick hold a tune, but Phil?" equally astonished
"When the going gets tough…" Phil schmoozed into the microphone
"Darling, I'll climb any mountain…" the others backed
"Oooh, oooh, can I touch ya? And do the things that lovers do?" he sang straight at Sam, making her blush, unable to hold his gaze.
"Well" Yvonne muttered to Honey next to her "I guess that puts paid to Andrea's ideas"
"Certainly has, wow" she observed as Phil's voice rang out "He's really good!"
"Better than you lot anyway!" piped up Steve "You look amazing" he whispered in her ear.
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"'Scuse me" said Jim, tottering off to the toilet leaving June and Meg at the table where Meg had sat down to take a break from dancing – and flicking what she hoped were 'come to bed eyes' and not 'gone to bed eyes' at a certain sergeant currently the subject of man eating Andrea's attentions and death glances from Neil Manson.
"So, how's the studying going?" Asked June
"Ok" replied Meg offhand "Really good actually" she adjusted her tone "It's hard, but it'll be worth it"
June smiled "It will, I think you'd make a good sergeant, you're very grounded"
"Thanks!" said Meg surprised
"You know where I am if you need any help with anything" said June "These things can be complicated"
"Oh, Smithy's been lending a hand" she replied "He's great"
"Yes, very popular with the ladies" said June dryly, taking in the scene at the bar "But also a good copper, had his moments as a PC but he believes in the system and uses it for good"
Meg smiled, a troubled smile as Smithy leaned towards Andrea and whispered something in her ear, maybe her time in the charismatic sergeant's bed was over, maybe he was moving on to a new conquest. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing, maybe she didn't need her heart broken again, All those maybe's….
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Sam sat on Phil's knee, "All this time and I never knew!" she scolded him "You can sing!"
The alcohol was getting to her, she thought sliding off his lap onto the seat, wincing as he slid an arm around her waist, her looks darting to the others, hoping no one had noticed.
"There's a lot about me that you don't know Sam" Phil replied shoulders drooping as he felt her stiffen at his touch
"So I gather!" she said over brightly "How long have you been a budding singer?"
"Sam…" Phil begged
"What?" over doing the hiding of emotion in her voice again
"Sam you know how I feel about you….."
"Phil don't, not now" she said, again unable to meet his gaze
"Sam, I…" he jumped up as his drink ended in his lap, Sam had knocked the table getting up and was now pushing past the others towards the exit "…love you" he finished sadly and unheard, would it ever be right between them he wondered?
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