For this chapter, and probably the next, I've taken scenes that were actually in the show and woven them in. Some words are directly from the show and therefore do not belong to me! Some have been adapted or given to other characters too. I don't own any characters or any part of the show, I just like to write about them for my own enjoyment...
I know it's been less than 24 hours, but I've had days off and inspiration...AT THE SAME TIME! So here's another chapter, enjoy!
"Look, Andrew, I've got to go" Kim avoided eye contact. She felt her cheeks flush and raised a hand to cool them. Andrew took a step backwards,
"Yes. I wouldn't want to keep you from your boyfriend." She'd already turned away from him, searching her pigeon hole for the now familiar set of keys Tom had promised to leave her. Her hands stilled at his words and she turned on her heel to face him,
"Sorry?" she spluttered, the beginnings of a frown creasing her forehead.
"Your boyfriend," he repeated, "Christopher." She held back her grin, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Christopher," She laughed "my brother." It was Andrew's cheeks that flushed now.
"Sorry, I.." he trailed off, embaressed.
"Yeah," she turned away again, "so you can ask me now" she mumbled the last part under her breath as she began to walk away. Andrew stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Miss Campbell," he spun her around to face him, holding out the keys she'd been looking for, "How does seven sound?" She simply nodded, biting her lip once again. Turning away from Andrew, her face broke into a grin. "I'll pick you up" he called after her.
Kim let herself in, quietly calling Izzie's name as she pushed at the open lounge door. "Hey" Izzie smiled from the sofa, the top of her shirt was open and Ayah was resting against her skin. She attempted to close her shirt and stand up, but Kim waved her back down. "It's fine Hun" Kim smiled and Izzie rested her head back against the cushions, resettling the baby. Kim dropped her bag beside the sofa, "I'll put the kettle on. Anything else need doing?" she called her question from the hallway. "No thanks Love," Izzie replied "A cuppa would go down nicely." Though when Kim returned a couple of minutes later with steaming mugs in hand, she found both mother and daughter sleeping peacefully.
Kim filled the next hour with various household chores. Starting with the kitchen, she wiped and polished her way through the whole house, finishing with two loads of washing. Kim heard the baby stirring and she flicked the kettle on again before making her way back to the lounge. Izzie rubbed at her eyes, looking up at Kim, stood in the doorway, in confusion for a few seconds. "Oh shit" She scrunched her eyes closed for a second, "I'm so sorry Kim!"
"Don't be" Kim sat on the sofa beside her, "I found stuff to do" she winked, squeezing her friends shoulder. "I've re-boiled the kettle, what's say we try again?" This time when Kim returned, Izzie was sitting cross legged on the sofa, shirt re-buttoned and Ayah was back in the bassinet beside the fireplace. She passed a mug to her friend and Izzie yawned in response, still trying to wake herself from her daytime nap. "So," Izzie began, "Tom said your divorce came through, finally"
"Yeah. Yeah, thank God" she said, as she sat on the other end of the sofa, facing Izzie and folding her own legs under her.
"Ready to play the field then? Say with Andrew Treneman for instance?" Kim felt her face redden, she continued to sip her tea, hoping that Izzie wouldn't noctice the way she choked slightly at the mention of his name. "Or are my antennae all over the place as well as my hormones?" Izzie leaned towards the bassinet, giving it a small push and setting it off in a rocking motion once again.
"We're going out tonight actually" Kim's smile was half hidden behind the rim of her mug, but Izzie could tell she was genuinely nervous.
"Want me to hold your hand?" Izzie raised her eyebrows and held out a hand for Kim to take, her palm warm from holding her mug.
"Yes please" Kim leaned in to rest her head on Izzie's shoulder, having taken her friend's hand and pulled her closer.
"You'll be grand" she smiled down at Kim, brushing a stray curl from her forehead.
Tom rounded the back of Izzie's chair, planting a kiss on the crown of her head as he passed. She smiled, flicking hair from her eyes with a twist of her head. He pulled out his usual chair beside her, leaving his arm trailing across the back of hers. Chlo sat opposite phone in hand, tapping at keys with quick and nimble fingers. "Mika" Izzie called, leaning towards the kitchen door. This had been the routine for days now, Mika slowly coming down for dinner later and later, having to be screamed for from the table. "Now" Izzie raised her voice, her face reddening with the effort and a vein appearing at her temple. Tom placed his hand over hers, stilling it against her cutlery. He turned his eyes to Chlo, who looked at him over her phone screen before flipping it closed. Raising his eyebrows she followed the silent instruction and slipped the phone into her pocket. Mika's footsteps echoed down the stairs, and Izzie took a deep breath. Preparing for battle, Tom knew and squeezed her hand with gentle force. Not tonight, his body language said.
Once Mika had flung herself dramatically into her seat, Tom rose to serve the lasagne. Steam surrounding him as he lifted first Chlo's plate, then Mika's. They ate in awkward silence until Tom could take it no longer. "What was the highlight of everyone's day? Iz, you wanna start?" He looked to Izzie with wide, pleading eyes. "Oh, erm." She thought back to the conversation she'd had with Kim earlier, and despite being desperate to share it with Tom she knew it wasn't dinner time conversation. She gave Chlo a slight smile across the table, and her middle daughter took the cue. "I got a B in my french quiz" She beamed at Tom.
"Brett's tuition is clearly working, well done Love" Tom beamed back, "Mika?" She pushed her fork around her plate, making patterns in the red sauce.
"I, uh," she continued swirling her fork, "I did a maths test, the same one Mr Jones set us a couple of months ago, and I imp.." the sound of Ayah screaming from the other room stopped her. She let go of the fork and it clattered against her plate loudly. The baby monitor beside Izzie crackled into life, only amplifying the sound of her baby sister's interruption. Izzie was on her feet and into the hall in seconds, Tom rose slower, turning to Mika to apologise. Mika ignored him, slamming her palm down beside her plate and storming past him, before stomping up the stairs. Chlo rolled her eyes from her seat, as Izzie returned, cradling a now pacified Ayah in her arms. Her mother gave her a questioning glare, and Chlo raised her eyes to the ceiling. Izzie handed the baby to Tom, before following her eldest daughter to her bedroom.
"Mika" she called in the calmest voice she could muster "You alright Darlin'?" Izzie's head poked around the doorframe. Mika lifted one side of her headphones, the booming sound of her music escaping to fill the silence.
She rolled her eyes at her mother, "Course" she said, closing the gap between them. Izzie attempted to step forward into the room, but Mika closed the door with a quiet thud before she got the chance.
Hearing a soft whimpering sound, Steph Haydock paused outside the girls toilets. It was after school and most of the students had scarpered as soon as the last bell had rung. She pushed the door open, stepping into the communial area. The quiet whimpering growing into a stifled sobbing sound. "Hello" she called. Whoever was crying pulled at the cubicle door. Steph stepped closer, leaning against the doorpost to see who was inside. Mika sat atop a toilet, with both legs cradled to her chest. The red, rawness under her eyes a giveaway that she had been crying for a while. "Hey, what's up with you?"
"It's nothing Miss" Mika insisted, dropping one foot to the ground, following it with her eyes. Another sob pulling at her chest.
"Well it's clearly something." Mika looked up at Steph with a sigh, a second foot falling to the floor. "Mika, can you handle half a cider?" She smiled holding out a hand to help Mika up.