Here we are then, a couple of days late, but voila! The last chapter. I hope you like it. Also, please do read my Author's Note, which I will post after this.
xXBalorBabeXx, Hmm, I'm not sure talking is really Stephanie's style. But I guess if Lauren and Hunter can work things out, hope isn't totally lost for her and Steph. Thanks for reading and reviewing as always. Your support has always meant a lot.
Rebel8954, Yeah, Seth might talk a good game, but he loves his crazy little gang just as much as always. He's a good guy really (at least in these stories anyway, lol). Thank you for your reviews and your enthusiasm, for this story and all of the others. I appreciate it, and you!
Wolfgirl2013, Thank you! I hope you enjoy this last little chapter. And thank you also for reading and reviewing.
Crazyredhead2005, Aww, I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully this last instalment rounds the story off perfectly (plus there's one more villain that everyone has forgotten about!) Thank you for all of your support on this story. I love waiting to see what people think about each chapter, and your reviews always made me smile!
Mandy, Front row?! Wow, those definitely were good seats. I'm glad you had a good time. When things are tough, it's nice to have things and little treats to look forward to, so make sure to always have some coming up on the horizon! Glad you liked the last chapter, hopefully this last, last chapter will make you smile too. As always my friend, thank you for your support. Big hugs!
Minnie1015, Yeah, I mean, it was touch and go for a while, but Dean eventually decided to stick with Lauren (haha). Also, I thought that maybe it was time for Kaylee to show a vaguely human side. Besides, she had to bow out gracefully at some point (or nearly gracefully. Eh, you know what I mean!) Thanks for always being there with the reviews, and support, both on and off this website. Crazy to think these stories started all of that! But crazy good, obviously!
Idcam, Yep, Kaylee has officially sighted a new target. Although at least this one is willing I guess, which makes it a step up from her hounding Dean! As for Steph, well, a leopard never changes its spots, so I'm sure if she can ever totally be trusted. But hey, that makes her fun, right?! Thank you for all of your reviews. I've loved reading them.
Alright, one last time…
Spice, Spice Baby
"So Kaylee and this rich guy—,"
"Tommy."
"Kaylee and this rich guy Tommy," Kelly amended, trying to get her head around the facts. Although seeing as it had been three whole days since I'd found out, and I still hadn't come to terms with the news, I doubted my bestie would be any better, "Have gotten engaged after a month and how long?"
"One week. And a half," I added to be generous, since it still hadn't quite been six full weeks since our midnight outing to visit the marina with three burly wrestlers and a briefcase of cash.
Although apparently it had been perfectly long enough for Kaylee to have picked who she wanted to marry.
Or at least long enough to check his bank balance out. Which was what I secretly suspected.
As did Kelly.
Not so secretly as it turned out.
"Well, I think we all know what she must see in him," she snorted sarcastically, raising her brows, before rubbing her fingers and thumb together as if she was feeling a thick wad of cash, "No doubt this Tommy is a wonderful listener."
"Kelly," I gasped back, pretending to be shocked, "For your information, Mr Boat Owning Moneybags—uh, I mean Tommy. Oops, my bad—might be the yin to her yang. Her soulmate. The Romeo to her Juliet. The check book to her pen."
"You're right," my best friend nodded, looking chastened. Or at least, she did for a second or two, since after that we both burst out laughing like a couple of hyenas on helium gas. Which made my godson look up from his play mat, then clap his hands and giggle along. Even though he didn't know why he was laughing. Which I kind of admired.
"Well, good luck to her," I shrugged, holding up the glass of the non-alcoholic sparkling wine that Kelly had brought round, on account of being more pregnant than ever.
"To Kaylee and Rich Uncle Pennybags," Kelly chirped, cheerfully clinking her own glass against mine, before taking a large gulp and pulling a face, "Oh dear god in heaven. I miss real booze."
"Yeah, but this one thanks you for the sobriety," I cooed, leaning over to pat her baby bump.
"She'd freaking better," Kelly huffed, glancing into the snug beside the kitchen where we had the Land Before Time chicks set up, "Speaking of which, how are you guys finding being parents to a whole flock of babies?"
"Good," I nodded back, "Plus Boomer is being an excellent brother. He barely lets them out of his sight."
"I might need him to give a few tips to Roger," Kelly lamented, looking down at her firstborn, who was smashing a fire truck into a small wooden building that looked like it was supposed to be a children's hospital. Which I wasn't sure was quite what the toy makers had envisaged, "Although having Willow around doesn't help, since I'm sure she's trying to turn him to the dark side."
"How many days a week do you look after her now?"
"Mondays and Tuesdays after school," Kelly muttered, "Apparently her regular babysitter needs a break. Presumably so she can call in an exorcist and rid her house of the evil spirits once a week."
"And the reason you have her today?" I enquired, glancing through the patio doors to where the pint sized demon in question was busy doing something out on my lawn. I hadn't asked what, since I hadn't wanted to disturb her, but I assumed it was probably something deeply wrong, like trying to flood out or poison an ants nest, or plucking the wings off a helpless butterfly.
"My sister has a spa appointment and apparently Willow didn't feel very well," Kelly grumbled, air quoting the last part, which told me what she thought about that.
Although to my mind, the arrangement was perfect.
"Well, then it's just as well I made cake," I trilled, getting up and crossing over to the cupboard where I had stashed my creation to await the right time.
"Ooh," Kelly exhaled, "That looks lovely."
"Thanks," I grinned. And besides, from a distance, it did. With two thick tiers of moist cakey goodness, and an oozy middle layer of red jelly and cream, "But I think we should give Willow the first piece. Since this is her very first time at my house."
Kelly blinked back at me as if I'd gone crazy,
"Uh, okay sweetie. Whatever you say."
"Willow?" I called, swinging open the back door, like the storybook mother from an old time Disney film, "Come in honey. I made cake for all of us."
In response, the little hellion rolled up her eyes, although the promise of cake won out over her annoyance just enough to make her do what I said and plod towards the house through the last of the snow slush.
"Shoes off please baby," I sing-songed like a loon, smiling so hard I thought my face was going to crumble under the sheer force of keeping it there.
Willow looked up and made direct eye contact with me—
Then walked straight into the kitchen anyway. Which made my best friend gasp in horror,
"Willow Nugent—,"
"It's okay Kel," I chirped, cheerfully stepping around the wet footprints before pulling a single plate out from the cupboard next to the sink, "No harm done. I'll just have to mop later. Now sweetie, would you like a big or a little slice?"
"Big. Duh," Willow said, not actually adding the duh bit, although she didn't really need to, since her expression said it all.
Once again, I chose not to react to it.
"Okie dokie then. A big bit of cake, coming up."
Jelly squidged out as I plunged the knife downwards and cut a large triangle out of the cake, which I then tipped onto the plate extra carefully before finishing it off with a dainty cake fork.
"There. Bon appetit," I beamed, proudly pushing the portion towards her and then watching with glee as she promptly tucked in, digging her fork right through all the layers so she got a bit of sponge cake, jelly and cream.
But especially the jelly. That part was important.
"How does it taste? Is it yummy?" I asked, batting Kelly's hand away from the cake knife as she went to cut a slice for herself.
Willow shrugged, not even bothering to look at me, although it didn't really matter, since I still saw her face as the taste of my homemade chilli jelly took over and began to burn her little mouth up.
Her eyes went wide in panic,
"Water," she screeched at us suddenly like a mini Stephanie, trying to fan the heat with her fingers.
Kelly blinked at her,
"What?"
"Water, water," Willow screamed, jigging up and down like she needed the toilet.
"Ohhh," I exhaled, picking up a half full jar and pretending to peer in close at the label, "Oops. I think I know what I've done. I've used chilli jam instead of strawberry. Goodness, I'm so muddle headed sometimes. Here sweetie, have a glass of milk, that should help things."
"You did that on purpose," Willow fumed. In between taking extra-large gulps of liquid, like a cranky little mermaid who'd been plucked from the sea and was desperately trying to get rehydrated.
I stared back at her blankly,
"I don't know what you mean. It's a simple enough mistake. I mean, look at them, they're nearly identical," I said, picking up the jars and innocently turning them around to show her, "See?"
"Auntie Kay Kay," the little girl wailed, clearly expecting my bestie to back her, "Did you see what the mean lady did?"
"Hmm? Oh no honey, sorry, I didn't," Kelly shrugged like she'd been busy paying attention to something else, "But hey, it can't have been that bad. You're still breathing."
In response, Willow let out a closed mouth scream of frustration that made Boomer look up from where he was watching the chicks and then cock his head to try and work out what was happening and whether or not she was a dog in distress.
"I hate both of you," she bellowed, pushing her chair back and then taking off in a sprint towards the patio. Still hanging onto her precious glass of milk.
I watched her go with a glow of satisfaction,
"Huh. I guess that means she doesn't want another slice. Weird. But oh well, that leaves more for us at least," sweeping the chilli cake off to one side, I pulled another cake out of the pantry—this time a nice, refreshing raspberry sponge—and offered out a spare plate to Kelly, "Do you want a big or a small slice?"
"Big," she grinned, "Duh. And not that I don't love this new devious streak in you, but where in the heck did you get that idea from?"
"Kaylee," I shrugged, cutting her a wedge large enough to be a doorstop and then slicing a similar piece for myself, "Well, I mean, not directly or anything, but I was thinking about when she locked me in that room by pretending that she wanted to be friends with me and—I guess the rest just came from there. Plus Lucy teaching me to make chilli jelly. Which, by the way, is not that hot. I guess it must have just shocked her a lot."
Kelly snorted,
"No damn wonder. She's probably not used to being played at her own game. Oh, and this by the way," she added, pointing at the non-chilli cake with her fork, "Is nothing short of a culinary wonder."
"Thanks," I smiled, "Although Lucy made that too. Which is why it isn't lopsided like the other one. Or spicy."
Outside, I could Willow angrily kicking clumps of snow and probably planning my eventual downfall, but I was ready. After all, I'd been through worse.
"So," Kelly segued, "How are things with your dad now?"
"They're—okay," I hedged, searching for the word, "I mean, it's not like we're back to the way that we used to be. Especially since Stephanie's still in the dark about what exactly went down with Kaylee to make her leave the company before she'd even begun. But we sometimes smile at each other in the corridor and say hello now, so I guess that's kind of nice."
In fact, things at work seemed better than ever since Kaylee had taken up boating instead. Not least of all because Steph had been so annoyed at her failure that she'd apparently decided to leave me alone. Probably not forever and ever, but for a little while at least, and I was okay with that. Sting was more than welcome to deal with her and her cute little setups for the next couple of months.
Or for the next couple of years if he wanted.
Seriously.
I would pay him.
"Oh, it looks like the men are back," Kelly announced, looking up through the window to where Dean and Brent were trudging up the lawn from the lake, holding fishing rods and tackle. And something else, which Dean had clutched in his arms.
"What have you got there, handsome?" I asked him, as he opened up the back door with his elbow and strode into the kitchen to the pitter patter of claws, as Boomer got up and tap danced around him, given the fact it had been two whole hours since he'd seen him last.
Brent came in behind him looking baffled,
"Uh, any idea why Willow's all mad? Because I literally just said hey there sweetie and she turned around and stamped on my foot."
Kelly shrugged,
"Must be teenage hormones."
"But she isn't a teenager."
"Not yet, thank god," Kelly mumbled into her wine glass, before launching across the counter like a flash as Brent leaned in to take a bite of the chilli cake, "No, no baby, have some of this. That one's—uh, let's just say you won't like it."
"Come on, show me. What have you got?" I pressed Dean, tugging at his arm to make him reveal his treasure.
He paused,
"Alright. But we're not keepin' it."
Huh?
Opening up the folds of his jacket, he let a tabby little head poke out, which instantly made my ovaries tingle, then explode as it let out a tiny meow.
"Oh my god," I squealed in astonishment, quickly sweeping it out of his arms and cradling it against my bosom, "Where did you find her? Oh my goodness. She's soaked."
"Dean found her tangled up in the reedbed," Brent explained through a mouthful of cake as Kelly fussed and straightened his collar. They were so cute together, "We figure her mom is probably a stray, or that someone didn't want any kittens and put them out in the cold."
"The poor thing," I cooed, cradling the little ball of fluff closer and then bending down so that Boomer could have a sniff. His tail was wagging like crazy already.
He liked her.
"I'm going to call her Socks," I announced, "Because of these super cute little tootsies."
"Princess, we—,"
"Are too keeping her," I finished off. Which I knew he knew, and which he knew I knew he knew, but had to mildly protest all the same. Even though I had a trump card, "Besides, I believe you owe me a pet for winning the wager we made before Fastlane."
"What freakin' wager?" Dean frowned, getting a towel and then passing it to me to help dry the kitten.
Ha. Not keeping her my ass.
"You know. The one about me staying out of trouble."
"Which you totally didn't freakin' do," Dean huffed back, "Considerin' the fact that like, a week after we made that bet, you got locked in a basement room—,"
"Hey," I protested, "We agreed I was tricked into it, so that doesn't count."
"An' then," Dean carried on, "You ended up gettin' dragged into an I Quit match, an' then nearly drowned yourself tacklin' some crook. Which even for you is a new freakin' record."
"Please," I pleaded, "Look at this little face."
"Do you mean you or the cat?" Dean snorted, peering dubiously at us both as I attempted to make my eyes wider and hard to say no to.
Which clearly worked.
"Fuck. Alright, alright. But if you try to bring home a cow or a donkey, I'm puttin' my foot down."
"Agreed," I nodded keenly, "No cows. Unless one happens to turn up in front of us, injured and needing a really good home. Or maybe if the world was in mortal danger, and to save it, we had to adopt a herd of cows. Or—,"
"Lauren?"
"Yes?"
Dean leaned over and kissed me, ignoring the teasing noises that Kelly and Brent made and the mewing of the kitten between us, and the chirping of the chickens, and the barking of the dog.
Which meant that everything was back to the way it should be. Well, at least for now anyway.
And that was just fine by me.