Hello all, sorry this is a little overdue. Work has been manic, but everybody clap and cheer because I think I've finally convinced my college to let me do my NVQ level 3. They were reluctant after me going MIA, but I've now finished level 2 in record time and think I've convinced them I can do level 3, so yay for me haha. The other thing that's slowed updates down is car hunting with one of my best friends, I have literally travelled up and down the country with him looking at different cars and he still won't bloody pick one. Something about finding the perfect car *shrugs shoulders*
Replies to reviews at the end, but there is one I want to mention up here.
Someone reviewed pointing out my terrible grammar, I think I've said this before but English never was my strong suit and never will be. Always something I've struggled with and probably always will be. BUT…. Thank you for pointing out my mistakes whoever wrote that review because until you did I hadn't even realized I was using the wrong you're. I've tried harder with this chapter to improve. I really took your review on-board and I really am trying with grammar and spelling. That being said there will always be mistakes because all my chapters are un-beta'd. For those I really am extremely sorry.
Now, I do believe a little bit of dramas in order? Maybe some plate smashing… go on you know you all want to, grab a plate and join in when you get to that point. ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own skins or the characters. No copyright intended.
Complicated life - Chapter 35
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"Katie? Katie, are you up yet?" Freddie shouted as he slammed the front door shut.
Katie emerged from the kitchen, coffee in hand.
"What's with all the shouting?" she asked frowning.
"What's with all the shouting? Have you been outside yet this morning?"
Katie looked even more confused.
"No why?"
"Go have a look at the front of the house."
Katie walked back into the kitchen and placed her coffee on the table. She walked over to the front door and looked back at Freddie silently questioning him. He simply motioned for her to go outside.
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Naomi sighed looking at the clock. Emily would be here any minute, probably have James with her, to take Sam to school with the blonde. Things hadn't been the same between them since that fateful Monday night when Emily walked out of Naomi's house. Now it was Monday morning, a week later, and Naomi was no further forward in fixing things.
Emily had turned up every morning of the week before with James to accompany Naomi on the walk to school, but it had been awkward. Other than in the mornings though, the blonde hadn't seen Emily. They'd swapped the odd text, and Naomi had tried hard to convince Emily that they should do something at the weekend, but the redhead had made up some excuse about the gym and refused.
Effy's words kept swirling around in Naomi's mind.
"Just tell her you love her." Effy had said.
'Yeah 'cos it's that easy' Naomi thought.
Naomi had seen more of James over the last week than she had Emily, the sixteen year old popping round to play football with Sam or sit and talk about airplanes with the little boy. Cook and James were slowly getting closer as well, Cook seeing a resemblance of himself in James from when he was sixteen. The fact that they both had a mutual enemy helped a lot to. Freddie. Cook and James had both agreed that given the chance they'd both be willing to beat the hell out of him. Cook and Effy had seen more of Emily this week though than Naomi had, and it bothered her.
Everyone was getting closer. Cook and Effy. Cook and Emily. Cook and James. James and Sam. James and Emily. Emily and Sam. Hell even Effy and Emily were getting on better than they had before.
The blonde kept telling herself that it wasn't jealousy, but even she wasn't naïve enough to believe her own lie. She knew deep down she was jealous. For the first time in a long while she was on the outside of her family looking in. That hadn't happened for a long while, the usual being people looking in on her. Her family. Her, Sam, Effy and Cook. People looked in on her and her three family members. Because between the three adults they didn't let anyone into the dysfunctional family they'd created for themselves. It was always the four of them. Even Lucy hadn't managed to make it five, because Effy wouldn't accept her, but Emily had changed everything.
A knock on the door pulled Naomi from her thoughts; she stood up as Sam rushed past her to get to the front door first.
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Katie stormed back into the house, her face red with anger, and a scowl plastered firmly in place.
"What the fucking hell is that?" She asked Freddie as she forcefully slammed the front door in the same way Freddie had.
"What does it bloody look like Katie huh? Graffiti is what it is." Freddie answered as he through his arms up.
"I know that, why is it scrawled across your house?" Katie asked.
"It isn't scrawled across my house. It's sprayed across my Dads."
"FREDDIE! Who have you pissed off? You must have done something to someone for them to do this. What does 'I'll wait' even mean?"
"How that fuckin' hell should I know? I was thinking maybe you could ask your sister that?" Freddie folded his arms across his chest.
"Emily? You think Emily would do this?"
"I have no idea. But she's the only person I've pissed off lately. And she's your sister. So you sort this out." Freddie answered.
"You're joking? Emily wouldn't do this." Katie's expression changed as she seemed to think about something. "But Naomi would."
"No she wouldn't." Freddie replied, finding himself defending Naomi for some reason.
Katie glared at him.
"Seriously, how would you know? You know nothing about her. Like, she was a one night stand when you were nineteen so how would you know what she might or might not do." Katie said an edge to her voice.
"I know enough about her to know she wouldn't do this. Alright?"
"NO IT'S NOT FUCKING ALRIGHT." Katie blew up. "Freds, for the last four years she's been claiming you're the father of a boy that might not even be yours. If she's poisonous enough to tell bullshit about something as important as that then who knows what else she might do. Or who she might get to do it. It would make perfect sense for her to cause trouble for you now. Keeps the pretense up to Emily."
Freddie let out a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with his hands. He knew if he carried on defending Naomi it just bought Katie closer to the truth. He knew Naomi wouldn't do this, in the last four years she'd done nothing to get even with him for all the shit he'd put her through. She was responsible about it all, she'd slapped him a couple of times, but other than that she didn't try to make his life hard.
"Katie, your right." Freddie replied with a calmer tone of voice. "It might well have had something to do with Naomi."
Freddie realized the only way to resolve this argument was to tell yet more lies. Slowly but surely the line between his lies and his truths was becoming blurred. He was finding it harder and harder to remember what lies he'd told so he could maintain them. And what truths he hadn't told, so he could make sure Katie didn't find out more than she already knew.
"I'll kill the bitch." Katie promised grabbing her car keys and heading back out of the front door.
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"Morning" James said as Naomi pulled her front door open.
"Morning James" Naomi replied with a smile.
Naomi stepped back allowing James to step in. Naomi watched as James grabbed Sam, spinning the little boy around in the hall, causing Sam to laugh and shout about going faster.
"Good morning." Naomi said as she turned back to Emily.
She smiled brightly at the redhead hoping the atmosphere that had been hanging over them for the last week would evaporate if she just pretended nothing was wrong.
Emily sent a half smile back.
"Hey." She replied only half-heartedly.
Naomi waited for Emily to step in before shoving her front door shut. Emily and James followed Sam into the living room as Naomi disappeared into the kitchen. Sam started rambling in the way all kids do telling Emily all about the adventure park Naomi had taken him at the weekend. Emily was shocked to learn James had tagged along much to Sam's delight.
The sound of something smashing in the kitchen abruptly stopped the conversation. James took a step in the direction of the doorway to go and make sure the blonde was okay, but Emily grabbed his arm stopping him. James got the message and moved away, sitting down on the sofa and pulling Sam up next to him, encouraging the four year old to continue his story. Sam started rambling away again to James, completely oblivious to the obvious fact that James already knew everything as he was there.
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"Where do you think you're going Katie?" Freddie asked as he quickly followed her out of the front door.
"To bloody well confront the bitch, like hell is she getting away with this." Katie fumed.
"KATIE!" Freddie pleaded. "Please just leave it will you? You'll only make it worse."
"Yeah Freds, of course I will." Katie said sarcastically getting in the car.
"What are you going to do?" Freddie asked, exasperated.
"Get even." Katie stated simply, before pulling the car door shut.
She started the engine and drove off leaving a very worried looking Freddie on the path outside his house.
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"Naomi? Are you okay?" Emily asked as she stuck her head around the kitchen door tentatively.
Emily looked down at the floor to see pieces of plates scattered everywhere. Naomi was hunched over a kitchen counter with her head down. She raised her head and spun around to face Emily.
"Yeah, I just dropped some plates." Naomi lied.
Emily pushed on the door and entered the kitchen fully.
"Dropped?" the redhead asked eyebrows raised.
"Alright, so I chucked them at the floor." Naomi answered, this time honestly.
Emily sighed heavily. She knew that it was probably her fault Naomi had thrown the plates. Everything had been strange between them for the last week. They were no longer in the same relationship they were in the previous weekend but they weren't just friends either.
If Emily was being honest with herself they weren't really anything at the moment. They were just sort of there, in the moment. Everything had been awkward between them, Naomi's attitude towards Emily the Monday before, uncovering a lot more for Emily than the redhead had expected it would. It had caused Emily to question everything. It was a lot more complicated than Emily had ever expected it would be at the beginning of all this.
It seemed so easy to Emily, those few weeks ago when she'd met Naomi. She'd met a beautiful girl that she'd grown to really care about, and started a relationship with her. Simple. Except it wasn't at all. Because there was a list of other things that came with that.
Sam. Effy and cook. Katie and Freddie. And now on top of all that James had been thrown into the mix as well. There was history between Naomi, Freddie, Effy and Cook that Emily didn't really know the first thing about. There was history with Lucy that proved to be a big problem right from the off. Emily had worked her arse off to be accepted by the people she was surrounded with, and now ultimately the one person that wasn't accepting her was Naomi.
Naomi had a whole come here, go away thing going on. She pulled Emily closer until something happened in Naomi's family and then the blonde pushed Emily away again, and it pissed the redhead off. Naomi really had no concept of how deep Emily had jumped in for her. The chance she'd taken. For a start Naomi was two years older than her, not that the age gap bothered Emily. Naomi had a son, Emily loved Sam, but still that was a big thing for someone of twenty to get into for Naomi, someone she didn't really know. Because Emily didn't know Naomi in the way she thought she did.
Then there was Cook and Effy, whose approval and trust she'd had to earn. She'd worked hard for the acceptance from them, for Naomi's sake. Emily thought that list of things was complicated enough but just her luck it didn't stop there.
Sam's biological dad of course had to be her twin sister's boyfriend. Freddie, who was a manipulating liar. And twin Sister Katie who was crazy. Katie fucking Fitch, who'd started shouting the odds, causing fights and dealing out slaps. Katie who was demanding DNA tests and custody of a kid that Freddie didn't and still doesn't even want.
Emily knew she wouldn't be able to fix things over night, but she never imagined it would be this hard. She hadn't the first idea how to begin dealing with any of this, she'd tried but it was just getting harder instead of fucking easier. One thing she did know was that she was already committed to all off this, whatever any of it may be, to just walk away.
Except now she'd managed to stress Naomi out to the point where the blonde was throwing plates.
"Why did you throw the plates?" Emily asked instead of one of the million questions or thoughts swimming around in her head.
"'Cos I fucking wanted to alright?" Naomi stated coldly.
"Naomi. I'm fed up with this shit. You can't talk to me like that every time something isn't going your way. You talking to me like that is what got us into this situation in the first place." Emily said.
"Really, you wanna do this now? You actually want to have this conversation when my son and your brother are in the other room, and I have to leave to take my son to school in ten minutes?" Naomi asked, to Emily it sounded like a challenge.
"Yes, I want to have this conversation now. I know things have been awkward for the last week. But I'm here aren't I? I've turned up every morning to take Sam to school with you. I've not bailed or disappeared off the end of the earth. I'm here. Just because it's not in the way you want me to be doesn't mean you can be a bitch." Emily defended.
"I'm trying to fix it Emily. I said I was sorry, what more do you want me to do huh? Get on my hands and knees and beg? I didn't mean to take it out on you, I was stressed out." Naomi explained throwing her hands out in front of her in temper.
"This isn't just about last Monday. This is about us. Hell we haven't even had a proper date yet, like an actual date and were already arguing and fighting like we've been together for years. There's so much going on that I need time out to actually process it. Your life is full on, some drama or another is always happening. I know Katie being my sister doesn't help, but she'd have still acted this way when she found out even if I wasn't together with you." Emily stated in a raised voice. "So I haven't been there for the last week in the way I was before, but everything is finally starting to catch up and I need time to sit back and think about it all. We've not even been together a month and we've had more bloody crap to deal with than a married couple have to in a year. But I'm fucking here. So you don't get to be a bitch because things are awkward or because your insecurities are flaring up. And you can't go around throwing pissing plates just because you don't know how to deal with it."
"INSECURITIES?" Naomi questioned full on shouting now. "You're right not even a month and you think you already know me. I don't have insecurities. I just get pissed off when someone I thought was my girlfriend takes me for a twat."
"MY GOD!" Emily cried, throwing her hands out to the side of her. "You're fucking impossible you know that. I just told you something honest and true and it's like I wasn't even speaking English. You didn't hear a word of what I just said did you? Because I believe I just told you I was struggling with all this and need a little bit of space to figure out how to fix any of this and you're more worried about the fact that for a week I haven't spent every minute following you around. How many times do I have to say it Naomi? I'M FUCKING HERE! I know that's what you're worried about but I'm still here. I AM NOT LUCY!" Emily finally shouted.
Naomi stood and opened her mouth to reply but a knock on the door cut her off. She huffed and barged past Emily towards the front door. Emily suddenly remembered she'd left James and Sam in the living room. Making her way into the room she found it empty. The redhead picked up a note lying on the side.
'Taken Samster to school. Sounded like it was getting heated and no four year old needs to hear your gob when you go off on one. I promise to look after him as if he were my own brother or nephew or whatever. James'
"EMILY!" Naomi shouted suddenly, causing Emily to drop the note.
Emily quickly made her way to the front door. The sight that greeted her wasn't what she expected. Naomi had got Katie pinned against the wall, using her height advantage to keep Katie's arms pinned down by her sides.
"Katie? What the hell?" Emily questioned looking extremely pissed off.
Katie said something but it was muffled by the wall, the only two words Emily caught were fucking and bitch.
"I opened the door and she tried to hit me." Naomi explained. "So I defended myself."
"Naomi, let her go." Emily demanded.
"Alright, but if she tries to hit me again then I swear to fucking god I will –" Naomi began to say but was cut off by Emily.
"Just let go."
Naomi did as asked and let go of Katie. Katie spun on her heels and made for the blonde, Emily intercepted stepping in the way.
"WHAT. THE. FUCK?" Emily questioned holding Katie at arm's length away from both her and Naomi.
"She's spray painted the front of Freddie's house." Katie said, like it was obvious.
Naomi scoffed.
"I'm twenty-two, not fifteen. I hate to burst your bubble Katiekins, but I have a real life, with a job and a son. I don't really have the time to go around spraying stupid tags across houses. Plus I'm not that irresponsible!" Naomi yelled.
"It's not a tag." Katie glared at her. "It's a message it says I'll wait."
"Well clearly that's all the evidence you need to prove it was me." Naomi replied sarcastically with an eye roll. "If it says I'll wait, it was blatantly me. There you go DS Fitch, a confession. All you need to do now is call the real police, I'm sure they'll take it seriously."
Katie struggled against Emily's grasp trying to get to Naomi.
"I'm gonna fucking well kill you!" Katie screeched as Emily struggled to keep her sister and Naomi apart.
"Promises, promises Katie." Naomi winked at the older Fitch twin only fuelling Katie's temper.
Emily finally decided to intervene.
"Katie, I know bugger all about why you've stormed round here in such a temper. Quite frankly I don't really care. Naomi's right, if you've got a problem phone nine nine nine otherwise, fuck off."
Katie turned her to scowl at her sister.
"This isn't over." She warned, before forcefully pushing Emily's arms away from her and storming back out of the door in the same whirl wind fashion she'd used to storm in.
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"James?" Sam questioned at they reached the school gate.
"Yes mate?" James replied looking down at the little boy that was gripping onto his hand tightly.
"Do you have a Mummy and Daddy?" Sam asked quietly his eyes cast downwards.
James set Sam's school bag and lunchbox down leaning it against the fence, and then he knelt down in front of Sam so he was at his level.
"Yeah I do." James answered honestly, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"I don't." Sam replied looking up at James.
James was sure his heart actually broke in the moment, when he took in the look on Sam's face. James was worried about how to play this, unsure of how Naomi would deal with this topic if Sam had asked his mum instead of him. Unsure of how Cook would react if James was honest with him and told Sam, Freddie was his Dad. Because telling Sam who his Dad was would just be setting him up for more disappointment.
James knew that on some level Sam new he had a Dad; Cook had told him bits and pieces about when Freddie had actually put the effort in to see Sam.
"Shall I tell you a secret Sam the man?" James asked.
Sam nodded his head.
"Everybody has a mummy and daddy. But not all little boys and girls see both there mummy's and daddy's. Some special boys and girls only see one or the other like you. You have a Mum. And she loves you so much. And do you wanna know something else? You have much more than a mummy and daddy, because you have lots of people that love you. You've got your mummy, Uncle Cook and Auntie Effy. Emily and Me." James said sending Sam a bright smile.
"And Nanny and Kieran. Auntie Karen, JJ, Panda and Thomas. Tony to" Sam added.
James wasn't sure who any of these people were but he nodded his head anyway.
"See. You have more than just two people like most boys and girls. You have lots of people." James concluded.
Sam face lite up with a smile before his little features pulled together in a frown.
"James?" he asked again.
"Yes?"
"Can you be my Uncle?" Sam asked still frowning.
"Do you want me to be?" James replied.
Sam nodded his head enthusiastically grinning at James.
"Then Uncle James it is." James told him, smiling at Sam as he ruffled his hair.
James stood back up and grabbed Sam's stuff, taking Sam's hand again as they headed into the school gates.
"Uncle James?" Sam asked yet again.
"Yeah, nephew Sam?" James said glancing down at him as the headed in the direction of Sam's classroom door.
"What's an Uncle?" Sam asked.
James laughed and carried on walking.
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"See that's what I'm talking about. Drama, there's always something new going on. By the time one problem is dealt with five more have come along." Emily said looking at Naomi.
Naomi glared at her causing Emily to roll her eyes.
"So do you know anything about what Katie was talking about?" Emily asked.
Now Naomi rolled her eyes.
"Do you?" the blonde fired back.
"Don't be ridiculous." Emily replied.
"No come on Emily, you stayed pretty quiet while she was ranting about it?" Naomi pushed.
"You think I'd spray paint Freddie's house behind your back to get at him?" Emily asked her voice raised.
"I'm not saying you did it." Naomi defended herself.
"Well what are you saying?" Emily asked.
"I dunno." Naomi replied walking off down the hall. "Oh, shit. Sam!"
"S'okay. James has taken him to school." Emily explained.
"I am officially the world's worst mother." Naomi exclaimed as she disappeared back into the kitchen.
Emily could hear the sound of pieces of shattered plates being dragged across the kitchen floor; she assumed Naomi was clearing them up.
Emily took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly to calm herself down before she entered the kitchen.
"Want a hand?" She asked Naomi.
"No."
"Are you gonna actually talk to me, instead of playing the ice maiden act?"
"No."
"Well that's just great." Emily breathed out. "I'm gonna go. Text me when you've calmed down so we can meet up and talk about this properly."
And that's exactly what Emily did, vanished from the kitchen.
Naomi waited for the click of the floor door before she let herself sit back against the cupboards, on the floor and the tears spilled down her cheeks.
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"Hey Effy, it's Emily. Listen, Naomi and I have just had quite a big row and I was thinking she could probably use a friend as I said something I don't think I should have. And I could really do with having a chat with Cook… I'm on my way to yours now. Okay. Bye."
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I know this is an unusually odd place to cut a chapter but I did it for a reason I swear. :D!
Replies to reviews for chapter 34:
NaomilyBeliever: A night out? That sounds like a plan ;)! Drinks on you? Even better =P! Lemme know and I'll be there :). Hope this chapter is suitable for your need of drama ;)! Your welcome about the PM was no problem. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you enjoy this chapter :D xx
LoveNAOMILY: Yeah I really liked your joke it made me laugh, like I say ended in a whole falling of the sofa incident, was a little embarrassing haha. Thank you for saying I'm a great writer :) that made my day. Don't worry about your English I always understand your English in reviews. Plus I am English and I'm still not brilliant with English haha. But hearing that my story is helping you makes me happy :)! Write a book, I highly doubt I will haha but if I do I'll let you know. Thanks for the review :D xx
HBob: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I'm also glad you liked Cooks reaction. I'm trying to make him come across as the strongest of all of them but still keep the elements of the Cookie monster we all know and love. So I'm happy that it came across that way to you. Don't worry you'll be seeing more of James in the future ;). Thanks for the review :D hope you enjoyed this one just as much :) xx
AllICanDoIsBeMe: I've got a soft spot for Cook to. He's always been one of my favorites. Our girls won't be having a heart to heart just yet… but bear with me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reviewing :D xx
HacknSlashUK: Is this the tuff love you were looking for? Lol. Do not fear you'll be finding out and seeing a lot more of James throughout the rest of this fic :) Thanks for reviewing :D xx
Mari1202: Dinner? For me? Why thank you. Sounds lovely haha ;)! I'm really glad you see Cook with all the elements that make him Cook with some added extras. That what I'm hoping comes across. Don't worry they'll get a date… eventually haha! Glad you're curious about James, because you'll be seeing more of him. Thanks for your review. Hope you enjoyed this just as much :D xx
Coolbeans17: Sort of hit an uphill slope in my roll haha but don't worry I'm not giving up lol. Glad you're enjoying the Cook/Effy relationship. All will be revealed about James in good time ;). I'd be pissed if I was Emily to, even more so now haha. Now *puts feet up on coffee table* Do I deserve my Vodka and Coke? Lol thanks for your review :D xx
Skins-addikt – You'll find out what James in up to in due course haha! Freddie is a douche in this. Although I like him in the show to. Thanks for the review :D xx
Lumagoo1015 – Glad you're enjoying Cook :)! Keep trying to figure out what James is up to I'd love to hear what you think he's doing. Although obviously I won't tell you if your right because that's for me to know and you to find out haha. Looks like Naomi isn't going to take Effy's advice quite yet…. Sorry. Stick with it though you never know what might happen ;)! Thanks for reviewing! :D xx
Isawalls: Glad my story is one of your fave's. That makes me happy :)! Glad you're really liking James. Much more of him to come. Thanks for your review :D xx
Douremeberthat: Your constant excitement with this story really does amaze me, you always seem so excited in reviews I LOVE it haha. Nope, I don't think I saw Cookie's happiness think I might have blinked and missed it haha. Glad you're intrigued by James….. You'll find out lots more about him in upcoming chapters. Sorry to disappoint you but yeah Naomi's my number one. Emily comes second though :)! I know what you mean with the eyes (Naomi's) I agree kill me now haha. Help me hijack the show and we could do a deal. I get Naom's you can have Ems? What do you reckon? =P! Thanks for reviewing. :D xx
Clyyd: I laughed so much at your review haha. I know they need to. I'm getting there haha bear with it. More sexual tension the more explosive right (I shouldn't say that because I'm actually dreading having to write that scene haha) but honest I'm getting there. Thanks for reviewing. Glad you love it. :D xx
Now you all know what to do. Hit that button and leave me your thoughts on this chapter. Pleeeeassseee. Go on you know you wanna. ;)! Seriously everyone thanks for all the reviews. They motivate me to keep going with this. And of course thanks for all the alerts, favorites etc. All mistakes are mine. I accept anonymous reviews. Thanks for reading. Skinsstar7 xx