Summary: It's almost Ricky and Bianca's Wedding Day. Carly Jackson arrives back in the square with brother, Billie, just in time for their wedding. But, with Carol's controlling hold over Carly's life, will she get what she wants? And that is to stay in Walford with her family.
Disclaimer: I do not own Eastenders or anything else that is Publicly known in this fic. The only thing I own is Carly.
Chapter Three
"I take they've told you what has happened then?" Bianca asked, barging back into the living room. Carly looked, relieved, at Billie across the room. The thought the subject had been avoided.
"Yeah, has she told you anymore about how it happened?" Max asked Bianca, giving a suspicious glance at Billie and Carly.
"She's still sticking to the 'I was looking for the cheque in the bin' story," Bianca explained "Have you had tea?"
"No,"
"Ricky go make tea," Bianca ordered him. Carly was glad to see things were still the same as Billie described their first marriage "I'm sure Bill and Carly want some too."
"She probably doesn't want to grass up her mates," Max said.
"What?"
"I saw Dotty running across the square not 20 minutes back," Max stated.
"Wait, little girl with dark hair, two braids?" Billie asked, and Max nodded.
"Yeah, we saw her as well," Carly said "She had like something in her hands. Pink, fluffy, like a dress."
"You have got to be kidding me," Bianca said, ruffling around the bags on the couch and storming up the stairs "Tiffany where's your bridesmaid dress?"
"Ah, Bianca don't have a go at her, she's had a nasty shock," Ricky called from the kitchen.
"So, you mean that your Mum don't know your here?" Max asked Carly and Billie, who looked between each other again. Carly slowly shook her head "It was nice knowing you."
"Thank you," Carly said, a sarcastic tone in her voice.
"No, Mum, I took some stuff with me this morning," Carly lied over the phone to her Mum. Bradley and Billie walked out the front door of the house to find her standing there, a frustrated look covering her face "Yes, I'll be fine. I don't know a couple of days maybe longer. I know. She lives in the nice part though, Mum. It'll be fine. Here, we better get working on it now. Love you too, bye."
"What was that about?" Billie asked.
"Told her I was staying at a friends house for a while so we can do this Business project for school," Carly said "I think she bought it, even though I hate lying."
"Well we're just going over to see Granddad and Dot, you wanna come?" Bradley offered his cousin.
"Yeah sure," Carly said, walking with her older brother and her cousin across the square. Carly, Billie and Carol couldn't go to the wedding of Jim and Dot, because they were out of the country at the time. Carol's now ex-boyfriend had taken them to Paris for Valentines where he ditched them for a French blonde called Antoinette. Bradley let them into the house.
"Come this way," He said leading them down the hall towards the kitchen. You could hear Bianca yelling the place down from the front door, accusing Dotty of taking the bridesmaids dress "Grandma, look it is."
"Alright, Dot," Billie greeted.
"I'm sorry, w-w-who.." She trailed off, looking between Billie and Carly.
"Do you not remember us Mrs Cotton? or it's Mrs. Branning, now," Carly said "Or maybe we should call you 'Nan'?"
"It's Billie and Carly," Bradley informed her.
"No," Dot said, a shocked look washing over her "They're not Carol's two kids? Oh I say, look how grown up you two have gotten. You've turned into a handsome man and Carly, such a pretty girl."
"Aw, shucks," Carly said, giggling.
"Yeah, they just wanted to see around the house, if that's alright?" Bradley asked.
"Well, I'm in the middle of tidying up and your Grandfather is asleep as well," Dot said.
"Dot, I want the bridesmaid dress alright," Bianca said, before storming out of the house. There was an awkward silence among the four as the front door slammed shut.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Dot offered them.
"Murder?" Billie questioned, after Dot dropped the bomb that Archie Mitchell was killed in the Queen Vic on Christmas Day to them.
"Hasn't Bradley told you?" Dot asked, looking over at Billie, who was sitting in the arm chair, and Carly, on the arm of the arm chair.
"It hardly makes for light conversation," Bradley said, looking away out the window. Carly noticed his distance as the conversation continued between Dot and Billie.
"...I'm not one to gossip, but the word is-" Dot said, but Bradley butted in again.
"Grandma," He said, trying to make her stop "I don't think they want to hear about this."
"No, I do," Carly said, looking over at Bradley, suspiciously, then taking a sip of her tea.
"It's not right to start accusing people when you don't know," Bradley said, sitting forward.
"Who's accusing?" Carly asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I'm just passing on what I've heard, you know I've quite sensitive, Bradley" Dot said, turning back to the two Jackson's "Oh, has Bradley told you about the baby?"
"What baby?" Billie asked, looking confused.
"Ahhh, he's going to become a father," Dot informed them. Bradley sat there half embarrassed looking, and half wanting her to shut up.
"Cool," Carly said smiling.
"Not that I condone...you know what out of wedlock," Dot said, making both Billie and Carly chuckle a bit. Glad to see she hasn't changed "But, you have been married, haven't you Bradley?" Bradley nodded along "And I'm sure that he would like allowances."
"Grandma, I think they want to see the house?" Bradley intervened, trying to get to stop.
"But, I'm not done with my tea yet," Carly said, looking down at her half empty cup.
"So Carly, what have you been up to?" Dot asked her "Aren't you doing your exams this year, no?"
"Nah, last year," Carly said "I'm doing my AS Levels in June,"
"Yeah, she's dead smart," Billie said "Get this right, twelve GCSE's and taking seven A-Levels."
"But, I'm thinking about dropping Media Studies, French and Business after my AS's" Carly noted.
"Yeah, and when you get them I'm taking you out to get bladdered to celebrate," Billie commented.
"Oh I say," Dot said, a little shocked.