This one turned out to be quite a long chapter. Enjoy this rarity. Also reviews make my day soo...thank you xx
"Do you need us to bring anything?" Lucy questioned down the phone as she juggled feeding Ellie and talking to her mother.
"No,love just bring Ellie to show off," rolling her eyes Lucy made little faces at Ellie as her mother continued to ramble down the phone, Ellie smiling at her mother.
"So what time is it again?" Lucy asked. It was her fathers birthday Saturday and they were having a get together in her mothers house. Formal attire as expected and no jeans allowed. That was Lee's outfit out of the window.
"3 o clock starting but I expect you to be here by two thirty," Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Ok bye mum. Ellie needs a nap," Lucy lied as she quickly hung up the phone. Looking down at Ellie who was lying on her back on the sofa she sighed.
"Nanny's being fussy," she told Ellie as she picked her up and put her to lie on her chest," I reckon we should stay on this sofa and do nothing until daddy comes home from work. Do you think that sounds like a good idea, El?" Lucy cooed at her and received a little gurgle in reply. Grabbing Ellie's teddy she rested her against her chest and switched the remote on.
"Do I have to wear a tie?" Lee questioned as he walked into the living room.
"No and it's May you don't need a jacket or waistcoat either," she sighed as Lee sighed and took them off.
"Daddy's fussing," Lucy told Ellie as she tickled her dress clad stomach.
"Daddy's fussing because you know what Nanny is like and mummy just looks good without trying," ok all the compliments Lee had been giving her was confusing her.
"What's up with all the compliments?" Lucy questioned Lee as he averted his gaze to his daughter.
"Umm..just...am I not allowed to pay the mother of my child compliments?" He asked before changing the subject,"I'm going to take them just in case. I'll meet you in the car," he muttered as quick as he could and fled the flat.
"Daddy has gone mental," Lucy chuckled as she picked Ellie up and the bags she needed.
"We've got one problem," Wendy said as Lee and Lucy sat on the sofa of the lounge, half an hour before the party was supposed to start.
"And what's that?" Lucy questioned as Ellie lay on the floor toys scattered around her. That was her grandfathers doing.
"Do I need my tie?" Lee interjected as he stood in front of the mirror, deciding wether he needed it or not.
"I would," Geoffrey muttered as Lee picked up the black tie and begun tying it.
"We didn't actually tell people that you and Lee aren't together," and Lucy really wanted to spit her tea out at that, whilst Lee stopped halfway through tying his tie to turn and look at Geoffrey.
"What?" They both questioned as Ellie stopped looking at her toys to look between her mother and her father.
"People think you're a couple," Geoffrey clarified as they both continued to stare at them in shock.
"And why do people think that?" Lucy questioned as she put her glass of wine down.
"Because we didn't tell them that you weren't," Geoffrey said bluntly before his expression softened as he bent to pick Ellie up and play with her.
"Just tell them that we aren't then," Lucy replied as Lee stayed quiet during this conversation. He didn't want to get involved. Wendy sighed as she looked at her daughter.
"Can't you just play along with it?" Wendy pleaded as Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes.
"S'pose so but you'll have to ask Lee as well," Lucy agreed as Lee's eyes popped open at that. Was she really agreeing to pretend.
"It's fine with me," Lee said as Geoffrey ignored everything that was going on around him,"any boundaries?"
"No kissing," Tim said as he walked into the room a glass of wine of his own in his hand.
"Who's not allowed to kiss?" Daisy questioned as she also entered the room.
"Lee and Lucy," he said as Daisy nodded her head.
"Oh she needs changing," Geoffrey suddenly said as Lee sighed and got up and took Ellie off of Geoffrey.
"C'mon then missy," Lee smiled as he took her out of the room, leaving everyone else to talk amongst themselves.
"Doesn't look like we'll be getting her back anytime soon," Lee told Lucy as they stood with glasses in their hands, Ellie content enough to be passed around and fussed over by friends and family.
"No it doesn't," Lucy agreed.
"I can't believe your parents didn't tell people we weren't together," Lee said as Lucy turned towards him.
"I can you should know what they're like," she informed him as he nodded his head.
"I didn't know you two were together," Samantha's Lucy's cousins announced as she came to stand in front of them, that's all Lee and Lucy did was smile quietly,"you kept it quiet."
"Yeah well we wanted it to be between ourselves but then Lucy became pregnant and it would be a bit more difficult then," Lee informed as he wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist.
"Oh yes Ellie's cute," Sam exclaimed as she glanced over towards Geoffrey who was showing Ellie around.
"Yeah she is," Lucy sighed as her head automatically leant against Lee's shoulder.
"So how did you two get together?" Samantha questioned as Lee and Lucy looked a bit alarmingly at each other before turning back to Sam.
"Oh you don't want to know that?" Lee said as Samantha rolled her eyes. Ok so they would have to tell if she got a crowd of people.
"Hey! Lee and Lucy are going to tell the story of how they got together!" Sam shouted as Lee and Lucy's mouths dropped open. Wendy, Geoffrey, Tim and Daisy all raised questioning eyebrows at them as they shrugged. Soon there was a crowd gathered around them.
"You tell the story,darling," Lucy smiled as she patted his hand which was resting on her side.
"Umm thanks, sweetheart,"Lee smiled although she could tell it was sarcastic," where do I begin?" He asked himself as Geoffrey handed him Ellie. That did help him a bit.
"Pass her here," Lucy smiled as Lee did as he was told. Passing his hand through his hair he sighed.
They'd really done it this time and he had to answer because there was a crowd of expectant people. C'mon think if he were to ask Lucy out how would he or would've done it a few years ago?
"It's not much of a story really," he told them as everyone sighed. Well how many ways was there to ask someone out? "I..I took Lucy out for her birthday and asked her then," he made up as everyone accepted this and moved on.
"Shall we go and play on the grass?" Lucy cooed at Ellie as they walked over to the grass and sat underneath a tree, Lee sitting next to her and Ellie having been placed down on her stomach, grabbing for the green threads.
"She's going to try and eat it," Lee predicated just as Ellie opened her mouth to try and eat some. Shaking his head he pulled her up and lay back so she was lying flat on his chest, Lucy going to lie next to him, her head propped up on her hands.
"Hey miss no eating grass," she said as she rubbed Ellie's arm with her finger. Not that she was paying any attention as she tried to eat Lee's tie and buttons.
"She's going to end up that age," Lee sighed as he noticed children running around them.
"It's going to be a while yet," Lucy explained as Lee nodded his head.
"I think she might be hungry," Lee laughed as Ellie begun drooling on his shirt,"oh thanks,El."
"I'll go and feed her," and with that Lucy got off of the grass, brushing herself down before picking Ellie up and walking into the house.
"You and Lucy did pretty well today," Tim told Lee as they stood in the kitchen of Wendy and Geoffrey's house. They were staying over for the night.
"It doesn't take much effort if you've got Ellie with you," he told Tim.
"You still love her don't you?"
"Of course I do but it's not the time to tell her," he sighed as he took a sip of his whiskey.
"When is it going to be time?" Tim asked he was slightly frustrated with it.
"When Ellie's older," Lee informed him as Tim rolled his eyes.
Placing his glass down and taking his tie off he made his way into the living room. Once inside he saw that Lucy had fallen asleep on the sofa and Wendy and Geoffrey were still fussing over Ellie. Daisy had already gone to bed.
"We'll look after her tonight. You and Lucy get a good nights rest it looks like you could use it," Wendy explained as Lee nodded his in thanks. It wasn't exactly hard to see that they needed sleep by the look of Lucy.
"How long as she been asleep?" Lee questioned as he made his way over to Lucy and kneeled down in front of her.
"About half an hour," Geoffrey answered as he peered up from a sleeping Ellie to look at Lee and a sleeping Lucy.
"I'll take her up," Lee whispered as Tim watched on with a huge smile on his face.
"I'll open the doors for you," Tim told him as he made his way up the stairs and towards Lucy's old bedroom and opened that door.
Slowly and gently Lee lifted Lucy into his arms and immediately she shifted to make herself more comfortable.
"Are you going to be alright?" Wendy asked as Lee looked down at Lucy.
"Isn't the first time and won't be the last," Lee answered as he made his way out of the room and up the stairs.
It was the first time Lee had been in Lucy's childhood bedroom. He wasn't surprised to find the room coloured purple and very grown up. Probably the room she had when she was a teenager.
"Thanks," Lee whispered to Tim as he passed and seeing the covers already turned down. Placing Lucy down he pulled the covers up to her shoulders.
"Lee?" Lucy whispered as Lee crouched down to the side of the bed, Tim watching on from the doorway.
"Yeah?"
"Where's Ellie?"
"Your mum and dad are going to look after her so we can have some sleep," he explained as Lucy opened her eyes to look at him, although they were full of sleep.
"Oh ok. Goodnight," she whispered as she fell back to sleep.
"Goodnight," Lee whispered back as he kissed her forehead,"love you," and with that he left the room, glad Lucy was asleep
