A/N: So this chapter still managed to run away with its length (I get a bit carried away when it comes to fashion). I'll be posting sketches of Alexis and Lanie's dresses on my homepage in the next few days, Beckett's still needs a bit more work. Oh and how many of you read the first chapter of Heat Wave? I can't wait for more to come out!
Thanks for all the reviews, keep it coming. I apologize if I haven't replied to your reviews, the site seems to be having some problems at the moment.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Kate, Lanie and Alexis each chose a few dresses to start with, they also put a few dresses on each others racks just to see what they would look like on. Chris brought them into yet another room.
This room unlike the rest had been painted white and the lights seemed to make the walls glow. A small platform had been set up at one end of the room, mirrors had been positioned so that the person standing on the platform could see the garment they were trying on at every possible angle. At the other end of the room cream curtains sectioned off spacious changing rooms.
"Let the dress selections commence!" Exclaimed Chris as she handed each a dress off of their rack and pushing them towards the changing rooms.
Alexis was the first to re-emerge from her changing room wearing an emerald green halter-top dress. The hem line sat just above her knee and the fabric seemed to glitter under the light. Chris looked down at her bare feet pointedly.
"My school shoes look horrible with anything besides a uniform and I forgot to bring the shoes that I'm wearing on the night."
"What have I told you about buying shoes before the dress?"
Alexis sighed, "I know, I know but if anything goes wrong-"
"Nothing is going to happen with your planning skills."
"If anything does happen though, I need to be comfortable on my feet."
Chris knew that the young girl had a point. "Okay then. What color and height are they, I'll grab a replacement pair so you at least have an idea of what dresses will work or not."
"Silver sling backs with a two inch wedge."
"Don't let them change out of those dresses till I get back." Said Chris as she left the room.
Alexis jumped up onto the small platform, scrutinizing the dress she was wearing in the mirror. The color didn't quite work with her hair and made her skin look like it had been white washed. Looking at the reflection she noticed the changing room curtains ripple.
Lanie stepped out of the changing room. A tribal printed strapless dress wrapped around her. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm." Alexis pursed her lips thinking.
"Not unless this party has turned into an African drumming session." Chris said as she came back into the room handing Alexis a pair of shoes that almost matched the ones she had purchased. "She still hasn't come out?" motioning towards the change room that was still occupied.
"Not yet." Said Lanie as she walked back across the room "Girl you ever gonna come out and show us what you got on?" she asked the curtain.
"Ah, it's really low cut." Came the uncertain and slightly muffled reply.
"We're all women here Kate." Chris reminded her.
"Fine." Pulling the curtain back she stepped out of the changing room. The navy blue dress she had on had a plunging neckline that stopped about the same place her elbows rested at her sides.
"Um, no." was Lanie's quick reply to what she saw.
Alexis shook her head. "Agreed. You would end up blending into the mass of groupies Gina always invites in that."
"Next please." Said the detective, holding out her hand for another hanger. Chris passed her the next dress on her rack. Kate quickly retreated back into her change room, snapping the curtain across.
"I'll let you two chose your next dresses."
Five dresses later found Lanie in a classic looking little black dress, Alexis in a cream colored spaghetti strapped piece with large silk screened poppies and Kate in a silk floor length forest green backless dress.
"It looks a bit like Cecilia's dress from 'Atonement'" Alexis said commenting on Detective Beckett's dress.
Chris smiled nodding in agreement. "That it does…and you look like your going to a tea party."
"Too true." Said the teenager, laughing.
Lanie had hopped onto the small pedestal, looking at herself in the mirrors. "Does my butt look big in this or is it just me?"
"Just you Lanie." Kate said, turning to look at her own bare back in the mirror. "Actually, I think that is one of your best one's yet."
"The sweetheart neckline really does look great on you." Blackie commented.
"Okay, this goes in the hold onto pile then. Next dress." Lanie said hopping of the platform.
Each of them grabbed another dress off the rack a retreated to their changing rooms.
Alexis emerged in a strapless purple dress that ended mid-calf. The bodice wrapped around and the waist was cinched in with a dark purple, almost black belt. The skirt was a lilac lace overlay that swayed freely as she walked. "Who designed this one?" she asked, twirling about like she did when she was little, the skirt swirled out around her.
"Elie Saab." Alexis nodded in appreciation of the designer.
A muffled version of the superman theme song came from underneath Alexis's school uniform. Rushing over she pulled her cell phone from under the pile "Shit, sorry."
"No worries," said Kate, pulling the curtain open "Who is it?"
Putting her finger to up to signal everyone to stop talking Alexis flipped her phone open. "Hey dad." Detective Beckett's stance visibly tensed.
"Hey pumpkin, how's the shopping going?" Rick asked his daughter.
"Great. Amanda seems to be cheering up a lot." She replied, knowing that would be the next question. Alexis could hear her grandmother talking in the background. "Does Gram want to talk to me?"
"I think she does, hold on." Alexis listened as the phone was handed over and her grandmother's heels clicked on the wood floors of the apartment.
"Why didn't you tell me you were going shopping?" Martha asked dramatically.
"I… needed to cheer up a friend." She replied nervously.
A door clicked in the background, "Right, that was just a cover for your dad. How's Detective Beckett doing?"
"What?" Alexis tensed, looking around expecting her grandmother to waltz into the room at any second. "How do you know?"
"You may be have fooled your father kiddo but you didn't pull the wool over my eyes."
"Dad still doesn't know, right?" Lanie who had just emerged from her changing room looked at the other women in the room questioningly. Chris motioned for her to listen.
"No, no he's still clueless, don't worry."
Alexis let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her hand through her hair.
"Do you need any second opinion's? I can get the Blackie's in twenty minutes if you need me."
"We're fine, we've got Chris and Lanie for that."
"Ah. Well wish everyone well for me and have fun."
"Will do, thanks Gram."
"Anytime."
Shutting her cell Alexis looked up to see the three other women in the room looking back at her, questions burning in their eyes. "Gram knows what I'm up to and wishes everyone well."
"And Rick?" Blackie asked.
"Still in the dark, don't worry." Kate let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
"Alright crisis averted," Announced Chris "Let's see this batch of dresses properly."
Detective Beckett was in an off-turquoise dress with cap sleeves and a jeweled neckline that seemed to swallow her whole. She bit her lip as she walked towards the mirrors.
"Girl you look like you just saw a ghost."
"I have to agree and I don't think it was just that phone call. Here try this next." Chris said handing her a black v-neck dress. "You next."
Lanie had a taupe sweetheart necklined strapless piece on. Gold flowers were printed perfectly on and it was ruched through the bodice.
"That looks incredible Lanie." Alexis said.
"Elegant, sophisticated and completely flattering on you." The storeowner said expertly, "We just need to get you different shoes and a clutch."
"Kate?" Lanie looked to her friend for input.
"Stunning"
"Smile for the camera." Laughed Alexis as she held up her phone to take a picture.
The next to find the perfect dress was Alexis. A deep plum colored scoop neck, the empire waistband had small crystals sewn into it to catch the light. The shoes matched perfectly and she had the perfect earrings to go with it as well.
This however left Kate still trying on dresses and starting to get increasingly impatient about it. Trying on the last dress on her rack she sat down onto the small white couch that was pressed against the wall, being careful not to pull on the aquamarine satin she was wearing.
"That's it, I'm not trying on anything else." Detective Beckett huffed.
"But you haven't found a dress yet." Alexis said as she pulled her school socks back on.
Chris stood leaning against the wall a look of deep contemplation etched across her face. "Would I be correct in assuming you're the woman Rick sent the 'bipitiy bopity boo' dress to?"
"Yes, and I'm beginning to think I should just wear that."
"I can tell how much you love it but it's way too formal for a book release. But how well does it fit?"
"Like a glove." Kate said, thinking of the scarlet dress.
Chris smiled "I've got just the thing then, follow me." Taking off at a breakneck pace back into the selection room Chris opened a door that had gone unnoticed by both Lanie and Kate earlier. Alexis rushed after them smiling, knowing exactly where they were going.
Once they had all filed into the dark room Blackie hit the light switch. Slowly the lights in the room came up to reveal the rest of the warehouse space. Detective Beckett and Lanie Parish both stood frozen in place. The vaulting ceilings were clearly needed as the racks of dresses went up three layers and stretched out ten isles in each direction. There was no wonder now why Alexis had called in advance to have dresses pulled out for them, there had to be at least a thousand dress in every row.
"Alexis, can you grab the hook we're going to need it." Chris said heading off down the first isle counting off call numbers under her breath.
Grabbing a long pole with a hook on the end of it the teenager followed Chris down the isle pausing briefly to turn back, "Are you two coming or not?"
Snapping out of their brief pause away from reality Lanie and Kate both raced off down the isle after Alexis. It took a few minutes to finally catch up to Chris but when they did they found her craning her neck up to look at the layers of dresses hanging on the second and third tiers.
"Hook please." She said, taking the device from Alexis. Hoisting it above her head and lifting a black dress bag from off the second layer. "You know those dresses that aren't just bought, they chose who buys them?" Chris asked solemnly.
All three nodded.
"If this one doesn't chose you, then we're screwed."
Those words made it seem as if the fate of the world rested inside the dress bag. Slowly walking back to the fitting room Lanie and Kate had time to marvel at the size of the warehouse and some of the dresses that they passed, some of them were easily worth more than a month's paycheck.
Finally making it back to the white washed room Chris handed Detective Beckett the dress bag. It took a few minutes before the curtains to Kate's changing room were pulled back.
Alexis was at a loss for more words than, "Wow"
Relief washed over Blackie's face, finally the dress had found itself an owner after being stuck in the warehouse for so long.
Lanie blinked a few times before she was able to nod, a huge grin plastered on her face.
Kate smiled walking towards the mirrors. This was the dress, there was no doubt about that.