"Nothing like the smell of pussies in the afternoon."
Looking around from their mirrors, the three men who shared a dressing room with Andy could not help feeling a little suspicious at the grin on Andy's face, as he leaned against the doorframe.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Jordan inquired. "You look like the cat who got the cream and the canary, all in one."
"Well…" Swinging into the room, his grin widening, Andy dropped into his seat. "I have just been making some arrangements, y'see…" Loosening his hair around his shoulders, he regarded his reflection. "Are all of you free on Thursday, at about ten o'clock in the morning?"
"Morning?" Malcolm quipped. "What's one of those?"
"Funny, Mal. Real funny." Andy turned to face the trio. "I have a little favour to ask you guys and I have to make sure that Blue doesn't hear about it, okay?" A couple of glances were exchanged and the three shrugged. "I need you to spread some details around the rest of the cast, with dates and times and whatnot. RSVP will be good, but isn't strictly necessary."
"Do we wanna know?" Raymond asked, pausing with half his black nose painted on.
"Well, here's the thing…I've arranged a little surprise for my fiancée and I need as many of her friends to be there as possible and you boys are my key to getting the word round the people that Tommy doesn't reach."
"And Blue isn't meant to know?"
Andy shrugged. "I think we can pull it off."
"I think you're crazy." Malcolm stated flatly. "We have what? Two days to get word round everyone and you know how bad our kitties are at keeping any kinds of secrets from anyone."
"You managed when I planned our engagement." Andy reminded him. Malcolm started to say something, then shook his head with a sigh. "Would that be a yes, you're going to spread the word?"
"I suppose we might." Malcolm released a heavy sigh. "Anyone else you want us to contact apart from the usual nutters?"
"Well, if I remember right, Jor, you're a friend of Antoine and his wife?"
"I would say that I'm…associated with them." He pulled a face, which was belied by the ten years of friendship that the cast knew he had had with Antoine. "Friend is too strong a word for that bleach-haired nut."
"Nice to see you're so fond of your close friends." Andy snickered. "That's one person we need to contact."
"And who else?"
"Do any of you know what Jonny is up to now?" Withdrawing a notebook from his pocket, Andy studied a list of names. "I would steal his number from Blue's mobile, but I think she might suspect something if I started pinching her phone and Tommy lost his number, after he moved."
Malcolm nodded. "I think that I heard something about him going back to teaching at a dance school in Kent. I could be wrong, but that's what he was hoping to do after he got outta here. You could ask Tony..."
"Okay. That's two main groups down…John?"
"You want John to come to this?"
"Well, Blue does like the old fart, especially after the stunt he pulled with Tommy."
Raymond chuckled. "Gus and Demeter were best friends for a while after that, remember, hon?" Malcolm nodded, smirking. "I think I could get to him. He goes to the same club as one of my roomies and they're pretty close friends."
"Friends?" Malcolm raised a brow. "I wouldn't exactly call what they did the other night 'friendly' by any means."
"Do I want to hear this?" Andy pressed his eyes shut, as if bracing himself.
"Lets just say…er…well, John and Mark - his boyfriend - ended up coming back to Ray's place with Patrick, the roomie." Malcolm answered for his grinning lover. "I thought Ray and I were bad, but the things they did on the couch…together…"
"Menage a trois?" Andy winced as he asked it.
"You…could say that. Patrick is one of the most experimental guys you'll meet… and when I say experimental, ANYTHING goes."
"He's right about that, hon." Raymond added dryly. "My first night in the country and I wake up with him climbin' into my bed beside me and askin' me if I wanted to try it with him in bondage…not the kinda thing you need to wake up to when you got jet lag."
"You didn't turn him down though, did ya?" Malcolm reached up to cuff Raymond's ear and the black dancer grinned broadly.
"Hell no!"
"And this guy got it on with John and his King Kong boyfriend? Without any broken bones anywhere?" Andy gawped at the two in shock. "And on the couch?"
"Yeah, when we were watching TV with everyone else that Ray lives with. No shame, those guys." The Goth shook his head. "He'd never been part of a threesome of three guys before and they thought it would be…fun." He pulled a face. "Messy and noisy is what I'd call it."
"Didn't stop you gettin' hot and bothered." Raymond purred, receiving another light cuff across the head, which only made him grin more.
"All right, all right you too!" Clapping his hands tightly over his ears, Andy looked nauseated. "I'm really not needing to hear this right now! Its giving me scary and very distracting visuals."
Malcolm and Raymond just grinned at him.
***
"Is there something going on that I need to know about?"
Fluffing her wig, Tommy cast a sidelong glance at her petite companion. "Whatcha talkin' about, kid?"
"I think I'm getting paranoid in my young age." Blue replied, studying something in the mirror that wasn't meant to be there. Spinning around, she managed to catch a glimpse of a reddish wig jerking back from the door. "Why is Tony spying on us?"
"Tony, game's up, mate." Tommy called over her shoulder.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." A voice floated back to them.
"Sure, Tony. Get in here and fess up." Pivoting, Tommy leaned lazily against the make-up desk as the young man sheepishly edged into the room, twisting his tail in his hands. "So, what's up?"
"I-I-I was wondering..." Clearing his throat, Tony shuffled his feet. "Um...I wanted to catch up with Jonny and I don't have his number." He gave Blue a hopeful look. "I was wondering if you had it."
"And there's the biggest duh in the world." Blue grinned. "I'll go get my phone. I left it in my rucksack, on the couch."
She darted off and Tommy straightened up, her arms folded across her chest. "Tony, my dear, dear boy, you really are the worst liar the World has ever had the misfortune of seeing."
"It's not my fault! I feel bad for lying to her!"
"Lemme guess. Andy sent you to reconnoitre and get the number from her, so it wouldn't look suspicious when he nicked her mobile?" Tony nodded. "It would have been less obvious if you hadn't spent your time skulking out there."
Tony opened his mouth to reply, but Blue skipped back into the dressing room, phone in hand.
"Yeah." She looked up at the Admetus-clad dancer. "Why were you skulking about out there?"
Behind the tiny woman, Tommy's smirked at the uncomfortable Tony, gesturing for him to continue with his so-far wordless explanation. If looks could have hurt very badly, Tommy would have been in pain.
Lots of pain.
Scowling, Tony wracked his brains for an answer that wouldn't blatantly appear to be a lie. "I...uh...I wanted to make sure you weren't all naked and stuff, cos I didn't wanna...you know...embarrass you."
"After you flash your bits at us when we're eating, you expect us to be embarrassed by an exhibitionist nutcase peeking in at us when we're half-naked?" Tommy waved him off. "Blue, give the boy his number, so he can take his warped mind out of our hallowed dressing room."
"And to think," Blue snickered, as she scribbled the number down on a scrap of paper. "She actually likes you."
"I know." Tony mumbled, backing towards the door, as Tommy turned cool eyes to him. "That's the part that scares me." Snatching the paper from Blue's child-like hand, he fled.
"That was mean."
Tommy tried to look shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You were scaring him on purpose." A small finger wagged at her and Tommy tried not to chuckle. "You did the stare-y thing and you know that freaks them all out, cos they're all a buncha wusses."
"What can I say?" The taller dancer smirked. "They're male. Being a wuss comes with the territory."
"And that's not at all sexist." Blue returned to her mirror to finish her make-up.
Biting on her forefinger nail, her ebony eyes wide, Tommy batted her false eyelashes at her roommate. "I have no idea what that wude word means, Blue." She simpered. "I'm so innocent!"
"And I'm the Pope." Blue snickered.
"Hottest pope I've seen in a while." The innocent act had melted away like dew in the morning sun and Tommy leered down at her, only to get smacked on the nose with a make-up brush. "Hey!"
"Do I have to remind you that I'm engaged?"
"Do I have to remind you that I don't care?" Tommy grinned widely.
Blue shook her head, laughing. "I walked into that one, didn't I?" She noted dryly.
"You most assuredly did." Tommy wrapped her arms around the blue-haired dancer and hugged her tightly. "And you loved it too." She received a grin and dropped a kiss on Blue's forehead. "You know I love you, right, kid?"
"What brought this on?"
"Nothing in particular." Smiling as Blue stroked her bare arms, Tommy nuzzled her roommate's head. "Just hadn't said it for a while."
"Love you too, Tom." There was a moment's pause, then she added hastily. "But I'm still not joining in a threesome."
"Aw, nuts!"
"Or lack thereof." Blue finished with a giggle.
"Why, you dirty-minded little madame!"
Looking up at her roommate, Blue grinned widely. "I learned from the best."
***
"And she doesn't suspect anything?"
"Not a thing."
Jonny shook his head in silent amazement. "She's dumber than I thought possible, if she doesn't twig." He was lying on the double bed he shared with Ramon, or Moni, depending on his lover's mood.
"Well, she has been kinda distracted." Andy was the first to admit it. "What with the trial and seeing lawyers and everything, its been a bit stressful for her, so I think she's trusting us to get on with everything."
"Therein lies the stupidity." Rolling onto his back, Jonny stretched his legs up the wall beside the bed, studying his toes from his vantage point. "When are you going to tell her?"
"When she's in the frock and halfway there."
This time, Jonny did laugh. "Andy, you really are one for surprises, aren't you?"
"Well, I do have to outdo the engagement, don't I?"
"That is a big thing to beat...oh, hi sweetie." Pausing, he accepted a brief peck on the lips from Ramon, who then strolled off to his walk-in-wardrobe. Jonny could almost hear Andy paling on the other end of the phone. "You've gone very quiet."
"Is she gone?"
"No, he is still here and she should be out of the closet in a minute."
"Uh..."
"Ramon was working. He has to wear something semi-professional for the college at least." Jonny chuckled as Ramon appeared out of the wardrobe, clearly listening in on the conversation. His shirt was half-unfastened, his trouser belt loosened. "He doesn't think his students would take him seriously in a pink baby-tee."
Strolling over to join his boyfriend on the wide bed, Ramon sprawled out on his stomach beside Jonny and purred down the phone. "Baby, I would be too hot for them to look at, let alone learn from."
"Oh crap!"
Suddenly very aware of who was on the other end of the line, Ramon's eyes lit up gleefully. "Andy! Honey! You didn't tell me you were gonna call! Decided you want to have me as your bit on the side?"
"Uh..."
Jonny covered the mouthpiece with a hand and quickly explained to Ramon exactly why Andy had phoned them. Ramon was off the bed in a heartbeat and back into the wardrobe, clothes flying out of the open door.
"Is...who is this?"
"Just me, Andy." Jonny turned back onto his stomach to watch Ramon, his lips twitching up as the trousers his lover had been wearing hurtled out of the door and landed on the chair on the other side of the room. "I told her what you called for."
"So she's...definitely a she now?"
"I would say so." Jonny answered, grinning as Moni ran out of the wardrobe, clad in her red silk lingerie and made a beeline for the couch, where the freshly washed clothes sat. "No! I just spent the morning ironing them!"
Moni shot a coy look at him, them yanked a flimsy black number out of the bottom of the pile, without so much as unbalancing the heap. Jonny watched through half-closed eyes, then sighed.
"She's just looking out her best clothes..." He sat back up, shaking his head.
"Oh dear Lord..." Andy mumbled. "Couldn't she just...y'know...come as Ramon?"
"Andy, you gave her an excuse to dress up more than usual." Jonny chastised. "I bet if you'd given her more notice, she would have dragged me on a shopping trip for something special."
"Jonny!" Running directly across the bed from the living room and reaching into the wardrobe to grab a red outfit, Moni straightened up, still standing over Jonny on the bed, and held up a strappy black dress and a scarlet sheath. "Which one?"
"You'd look good in either, baby." Jonny heard Andy making sounds of vomiting down the line, but ignored it as his lover dropped into his lap, sliding her arms around his neck. "No, no and once again, no!"
"But I need something new..." Moni pouted, dark hair tumbling around her face. "If its neon green themed, I'm gonna look stupid."
"Tell her it's not neon green themed and a tuxedo is ideal."
"Andy, shut it. Moni, baby, we just spent a fortune on those new shoes for you last week." Moni's pout intensified and Jonny chuckled, gently kissing her. "And you can't choose clothes until I check something with Tommy."
"What? I'm suddenly not good enough?"
"Andy, Tommy is arranging the women's side of things, am I right?" Jonny ran a hand through Moni's tousled hair as she nuzzled his throat, clearly trying to get his attention. when she started at the throat, that meant she would soon try...harder.
"Uh, yes, which is why I'm phoning you and your male boyfriend, because I'm doing the male side of things." Andy groaned. "Don't tell me you're gonna ask if she can be one of them..."
"Would I dare?" Jonny laughed. "Look, Andy, mate, I need to go."
"Don't even think about telling me why."
"Wouldn't dream of it. See ya Thursday." Putting the phone down, Jonny turned his attention to Moni, who was grinning impishly at him. "Moni, that could have been an important phone call."
"Yuh-huh." Her hands slid up his chest. "Which would have made it all the more fun to distract you."
"You're terrible."
"Yep!"
"And wearing few clothes..."
Moni looked down, then grinned a little wider. "Yep!"
"Am I in trouble?"
"Only the best kind, baby." She cooed, before claiming his lips.
***
It was close to one o'clock in the morning in London.
However, on the East coast of North America, it was evening, when a theatrical design technician finally ushered his youngest daughter off the computer that seemed to have become something akin to a Siamese twin for her.
"But daddy!"
"Stephanie, you've been on the bloody thing since you got home from school."
Ten-year-old Sophia grinned up at him. "You sound so English when you're pretending to be mad, dad."
"That's cos I am English, Soph, and its past your bedtime." Motioning towards her bedroom, he smiled as she grudgingly got to her feet and reached up to peck him on the cheek. "Night, sweetheart."
"Night, daddy!"
He watched her go towards her room, then took her seat at the computer. She was the youngest of his three daughters, from two marriages, neither of which had lasted very long, mainly because he seemed to have a knack of picking wives who wanted to cheat on him.
Sophia had been left with a friend when he was at work on that fateful day. George had arrived home to find his wife's closet empty, the woman he loved more than he should have gone, leaving only a note that she had found something better and that their daughter was waiting for him.
That was eight years previously.
Fortunately, his elder daughter - the oldest one - had been a great help in looking after her half-sister. For anyone who looked at them, no one could have said with certainty that they were related to each other.
Sophia was already tall for her age, with her mother's Hispanic looks, dark brown eyes and long, curly black hair. Stephanie, on the other hand, was of average height - like her father - with pale skin and an unruly mop of gingery-blonde hair.
His other daughter...
George frowned slightly at that memory.
He didn't know what she looked like.
Or where she was.
His middle child had been cut out of his life cruelly, when her mother had divorced him. He had moved overseas and had longed to take both his daughters with him, but his dragon of a wife had taken custody of the quiet, gentle one.
Passing on his address to his ex-wife's lawyer and writing to their old marital address had proved useless, when he tried to get in contact with the girl. Only once had he gotten a response, a biting, bitter letter, signed with his daughter's name, but written in his ex-wife's handwriting.
Something had told him that no matter what he tried, he wouldn't see his little girl again.
His wife, despite her dainty frame and angelic looks, was a formidable enemy and he had no doubts that she wanted to raise their compliant daughter to be just like her, a bombshell, willing and able to catch any man's eye.
He hoped that his second daughter had inherited enough of his common sense not to follow her mother's path.
Turning his attention back to the computer, he logged himself on, absently checking into his e-mail accounts, ready to be faced with the regular barrage of junkmail and suggestions on how to enhance his size.
"Hey dad!"
Glancing over his shoulder as the front door flew open, George smiled indulgently at Stephanie, his eldest daughter, who had just breezed into the house. She was probably the most like him in looks and nature, as well as talent. She was studying art at the local art college, where he occasionally subbed as a teacher. "Evening, Steph. Good day?"
Tossing her art-folder and shoulder bag onto the floor beside the shoe-wrack, she kicked off her boots. "Coulda been worse." She answered, wandering towards him, reaching up to loosen her hair from the messy ponytail it was in. "You?"
"Almost finished the set for the High School's play." He looked up at her as she laid her hands on his shoulders and peered down at the screen through her glasses, which were, as always, spattered with paint. "You've been painting?"
"God, you're observant!"
"Language, Steph!"
She grinned down at him apologetically. "Yeah. We were working on a mural for the sports department at Brooks after we finished our coursework and when we were clearing up, it turned into a bit of a paint fight."
"Why am I not surprised?" Chuckling, he turned his eyes back to his inbox, a frown wrinkling his brow at one of the newest e-mails. "Hello...what's this?" Stephanie, her curiosity piqued, leaned forward to read it too.
Reading the contents of the mail, the colour flooded from George's face, one of his shaking hands coming up to grasp at Stephanie's. She, too, was staring at the mail, a combination of emotions playing across her face.
"Dad, can I have something to..." Sophia stopped in the doorway of the study. "Dad?" She was startled to see tears coursing silently down her father's still face. Hurrying to him, she touched his arm. "Daddy?"
"Soph..." He turned to her, seeming to see her for the first time. Drawing her to him, he hugged her tightly.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Drawing back, he stared at her uncertainly, then he seemed to realise what she had asked and a smile broke on his face. "Nothings wrong, Soph." He chucked her chin, then looked up at Stephanie, who looked like she was on the verge of tears as well. "I think everything's about to be a bit more right."
"What are we gonna do, dad?" The older girl asked.
George smiled broadly. "I think," He answered. "We're going on holiday."
"But dad, I have to go to school!" Sophia started to protest, then frowned. "Wait! I didn't say that. Let's go on holiday!" She paused again, studying her father. "So, where are we going, dad?"
"Wait and see, Soph." He turned to look at the mail again. "Wait and see."
***
"How did you pull this off, then? Feel free to gloat. It'd be understandable." Tommy stared around the building with a whistle of awe. "You must have to book this place months in advance..."
Andy shot a grin at her. "Not unless one of your many semi-siblings works here."
"Siblings...?"
"Last count, at least eight. And here comes one of the unfortunates now." He nodded to a tall, lanky, grinning carrot-haired man hurrying down a flight of stairs towards them. "Afternoon, Nick."
"Hi." He cast a casual glance over Tommy. "Shoulda told me you'd be dropping around and I would have...well, I woulda got some strippers and things in and made this look like a whores palace just for your guest."
"Tommy, this is Nick, Nick, Tommy."
Nick's brow furrowed. "Tommy? I'm guessing this isn't your unlucky lady?"
"Fortunately, no, I'm not engaged to him." Tommy held out a hand, which Nick shook with enthusiasm, which waned the moment she added. "And my girlfriend is very grateful for it."
"Oh."
"That's what I said." Andy chuckled.
Tommy cast a coy look at him. "Oh, Andy," She fanned herself and added in a breathy voice. "If I'd known you felt that way about me, I would have been cured and wanted the boys!"
"Shut up, you daft cow." He chuckled. "You're confusing my brother."
"I'm no brother of yours!" Nick put in indignantly.
"Oh yeah..." Andy scratched his head. "Your mum married my dad for about two years, after my mum got knocked up by your dad, then your mum left my dad and moved in with my uncle on my dad's side, before my two got back together again, then my dad eventually married your mum..."
Nick grinned at Tommy, who was looking more than a little lost. "And he said that I was confusing you..." Andy looked proud at the commendation. "The basic story is that both of our parents married each others', so we're step-brothers times two."
"And roommates." Andy added.
"And we were best friends before all that started up, unfortunately. We introduced our parents to each other by accident when we went to nursery together." Nick heaved a sigh. "And we have been stuck with each other ever since."
"Yeah." Heaving a heavier sigh, Andy shook his head mournfully. "It's hell."
"So I can see." Tommy said, her arms folded over her chest, an amused look on her face. "While this is all very touching, you still haven't told me how you're gonna pull this off for us, Nick."
"Andy didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Nick grinned. "I run the joint!" Tommy blinked at him, which only served to make him burst out laughing. "Yeah! Got my kinky collar and dress and all the accessories to go with it."
Tommy turned to Andy, expression serious. "Andy, we have to have a serious talk about your choice of friends."
"Is that a good thing?" Nick inquired, grinning.
Andy answered. "Undoubtedly."
***
"You don't mind missing dinner with my parents?"
Jordan, still in bed, half-opened his eyes to regard his wife. "They're my in-laws and there are rules that say I should say something rude about them." He remarked, holding out his hand to Rachel, who joined him on the bed. "But honestly, as long as they don't mind taking a rain check, I'm fine with it."
"That's okay, then. We'll arrange some time next week." Cuddling against him, Rachel nestled her head against his shoulder. "Jor...If we arrange to have dinner with them..." Pulling back, she stared at her hands on the sheets. "Do you think we should tell them about...well, about me...this early?"
Jordan didn't even need to look down at his wife's face to know the expression of pain that was etched on her features. Lifting her chin, the morning sunlight that had lanced in though the window glittered on her tears.
"Rach..."
"But..."
"Sh," His voice lowered to a whisper, he touched his fingertips to her lips. "Rach, nothing's gonna go wrong this time." Lowering his hand to claim hers, he lifted her wrist to his lips and gently kissed the scars left after her last pregnancy. "I promise you." He could feel her shaking in his arms. "And I love you."
A quiet sob engulfed her and Jordan gathered her against his chest, holding her close, her hot tears splashing on his tattooed skin. "It still hurts, Jor." She sobbed, his hands gently stroking through her hair and down her back.
"I know, Rach." He kissed her forehead. "But we're going to be fine and this little tyke is going to make our lives hell for the next eighteen years...and you're going to spoil him or her rotten."
Her voice was hoarse as she laughed. "Yeah...I'm so predictable." Pressing against her husband's chest, she fell silent as he continued to stroke her tangled hair gently, his voice whispering reassuring nothings to her.
After several minutes of silence, the door of the bedroom squeaked as it was opened, making Jordan look up. Three faces peered in at them and Jordan smiled, beckoning the trio of children in with a curling of his hand.
"Is mummy all right?" Mark, the five-year-old asked, crawling onto the bed to cuddle his mother.
"She's just remembering your little sister who went to Heaven, son." Jordan answered, letting the little boy clamber into his lap and hug his mother. He wrapped his arms around both of them, smiling to Joshua and Melissa, the nine- and seven-year-olds. "You two want to join in?"
Melissa nodded, scrambling up to sit beside her father. Joshua, although slightly more reserved than his sister, joined them as well, studying their mother. "What made mum think about Eloise, dad?" He asked carefully.
"Rach?" She nodded and he kissed her brow gently, before turning to the children. "Your mum is expecting another baby." He explained. "She was worried that the same thing would happen, but I've told her it won't. She's going to be fine."
"And we're going to have another sister?" Melissa asked.
"We don't know what we're going to have yet, Mel." Tousling his daughter's dark hair, so similar to Rachel's, he smiled. "But we're going to love it even if it's three-headed alien from Jupiter, right, kids?"
"You mean like Mark?" Joshua grinned.
"Mummy! He said I'm an alien!" Mark wailed, poking Rachel, who laughed weakly, rubbing the tip of her nose against his. "Am I an alien, mummy?"
"If you are, that means Josh is as well, cos he is your brother."
"Ha!" Mark waved a finger at Joshua, who stuck out his tongue.
Jordan exchanged smiles with Rachel, then turned to their two sons, who were swatting at each other. "You two, can you behave for a minute? We have something we need to ask you three about, so we know whether to get a babysitter."
"I'm not a baby!" Mark protested.
"We know, sweetheart, but we're going to a very grown up party..."
"Can Gramma and Grampa Pryce come here and watch us?" Melissa asked eagerly.
"Yeah! Grampa Pryce is cool! He said he'd let me go on his bike!"
Rachel looked up at Jordan, smiling. "Looks like we've got that sorted then." She noted, kissing him on the chin. "Yes, kids, Gramma and Grampa Pryce will come and look after you all while we're away...and you better behave."
"Don't you think you should ask my parents first?"
"Jor, this is your dad and we all know how much he adores his grandkids." The triad of children grinned broadly at their father, who reluctantly nodded in agreement. There was no way his father would turn them down.
"I suppose this means we're going to Andy's do for Blue?"
"That we are."
Jordan sighed. "But I don't have a thing to wear!"
***
"So what time would that be, then?" The phone pinned between her ear and her shoulder, Tommy made some notes on a sheet of paper. "Uh-huh...yeah...that's great! Uh-huh..." She looked up as the front door of the flat opened. "Right, thanks. Talk to you soon. Bye!"
"Who was that?" Blue asked, hanging her helmet and jacket on the two lowest pegs beside the door. Andy made frantic gestures behind his girlfriend's back and Tommy forced a grin down.
"Someone that I knew from college." Tommy replied vaguely, sliding off the stool she was sitting on and sweeping the sheet of paper off the counter in her hand. "Just been arranging to meet up tomorrow morning, since she's in town."
"Anyone I know?"
"Doubt it, kiddo."
Blue glanced up at Andy. "You gonna hang around?"
"Well, shorty," Sliding an arm around her shoulders, he tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. "You just drove across town on that Death Machine of yours to pick me up and I have no way to get back home, so it looks like I'm here until showtime."
"Wonderful." Tommy moaned miserably, tucking the freshly-folded piece of paper into her pocket, as she passed them on the way to the stairs to her room. "As if seeing you at work wasn't bad enough."
"And would it be a bad thing if I stayed tonight?" Andy was grinning at Tommy, his eyes twinkling.
"Is this just to annoy Tommy?"
"How'd'ya guess?"
"I'm too smart." Blue reached up to nuzzle her fiance's chin, which involved him being pulled down to her level. "And that's a yes, by the way. Tommy won't mind, since she's going out tomorrow morning."
"Still doesn't mean I like you!" Tommy's voice rang down from her room.
***
Unable to sleep despite flying thousands of miles across the world, George still found himself pacing around the room at midnight. His pale blue eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but he couldn't sleep, the thoughts racing around in his mind keeping him awake.
He had booked a flight as soon as he could, booked into the first hotel he could find and made his daughters pack as little as possible, getting them to the airport and the first flight of a series to get him back to Britain.
They had traveled for almost fifteen hours.
Glancing at the twin beds opposite his double bed, a tired smile lifted his lips. Stephanie had fallen asleep, while doing some sketches in her art pad, her glasses half-on, half-off, the pencil still gripped in her fingers.
Sophia, meanwhile, had made herself at home instantly, claiming the softer of the two beds. In the matter of five minutes, she had changed into her pyjamas, flopped down, with her beanie bear, and immediately falling asleep, only waking to eat, then fall asleep again.
Walking over to his eldest daughter, he carefully removed her glasses, folding them and laying them in a prominent place on the bedside table so she would be able to find them without too much difficulty in the morning.
Easing her sketchpad and pencils out from under her arms, he glanced at the sketch, his free hand rubbing over his mouth as he realised just what she was drawing. Sometimes, the girl's memory astounded him.
Mumbling, Stephanie flopped over onto her other side, her mass of hair - which reached between her shoulder blades, but seemed so much...bigger - spreading around her head. Yawning in her sleep, her nose wrinkled and she curled up in a ball.
Placing her art supplies to one side, George lifted the blankets and sheets from the end of the bed and carefully covered her up, bending to press a kiss to her temple. "Sleep well, Stephie." He whispered. "Big day, tomorrow..."
He switched off the lamp beside her bed, leaving only the lamp on his bedside table on. His eyes drifted over both of his sleeping daughters again as he returned to his pacing and walked over to the window, looking out at London.
Was he doing the right thing? He had been wondering that from the moment the plane had taken off from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. They had explained the scenario to Sophia, who was thrilled with the idea, but what if...
George sat down heavily on the end of his bed, questions filling his head.
Would she recognise him now, even after all these years that had passed? Would she be...happy to see him? Or would she hate him for leaving her and coming back without warning? What would she be like now?
Lying back on top of the covers, he closed his eyes. "God," He prayed softly. "Please let her at least remember me a little..."
***
"What do you mean you haven't seen it, you silly cow? You were the last person in this flat to wear my black silk shirt!" Tommy's yelling woke both Blue and Andy up, the door of Blue's room slightly ajar.
"Whu?" Blinking, Blue looked around groggily.
Andy quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, whispering urgently in her ear. "Don't make a sound. If we both pretend we're dead, she won't come in here and start screaming at...uh...hi, Tommy... great morning, isn't it?"
Scowling down at them, Tommy looked furious. "My black silk shirt's vanished. One of you two must have it."
"Oh yeah. I always wear a slutty black silk shirt." Andy drawled sarcastically. "It goes so well with my black mini-skirt. Mmm. I look so good, flashing my nipples."
"You, shut it. Blue. Where'd'you put it?"
"Nguh?"
Andy chuckled. "She isn't exactly awake yet." Dipping his head, he nipped her earlobe.
"Andy!"
"And she's awake. Okay, Tom, you can ask now."
Throwing her hands up, Tommy huffed in exasperation. "Never mind. I'll find something else."
The bedroom door slammed and several minutes later, Tommy and Sylvie's bickering voices faded, leaving the couple lying silently in Blue's bed. Blue was staring at the wall opposite her, frowning in confusion.
"Andy..."
"Mmm?"
"She was wearing her black silk shirt."
"I know, but I didn't want to be the one to point it out to her." Dropping a kiss on her shoulder, he leaned up on his elbow to look down at her. "Shorty, you know what we discussed when your summons came through?" He felt her stiffen and comfortingly held her close. "Not that part. The good part."
"The...the wedding part?"
"That's the one." She shifted in his embrace to look up at him. "Well, since we're both up this early and Tommy won't be stalking us, there's somewhere I've been wanting to show you." He could see the question in his fiancée's eyes. "A location I think you might like."
"Where?"
Bringing a hand up to stroke her cheek, he smiled. "Not far, but far enough for you to have to tie me onto your hell machine." He answered. "It's about an hour away and I don't think there would be anything happening, since its a weekday."
Glancing at the round blue clock on the wall, Blue whimpered. "I can't believe I'm up at eight o'clock in the morning...there's no part of this that is right."
"Well, we are awake." He laughed, negotiating his way over her, only pausing to kiss her. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"
"Waitaminute! Breakfast?" Sitting up as he stood, she stared at him. "Breakfast...what is this evil thing of which you speak of?"
Andy gave her a look. "I've seen you eat cereal before."
"But not at the time officially called 'breakfast'!" She protested.
"Willing to try it, before I let you take me off on that evil toy of yours?"
Clambering out of her bed, wearing one of his oversized T-shirts that she had...borrowed, she stretched her body, wincing slightly. "If you make me a bacon buttie with extra tomato sauce, I'll think about letting you drive."
"Whee! My day has come!" Andy bounded out of the bedroom.
Leaning out the door, Blue yelled after him. "I only said I'd think about it!"
***
"This is the place?"
Andy braked the bike outside the gate of the small Church. Pulling his helmet off and shaking his hair loose, he looked back at her. "Yep!" Swinging off the bike, he smiled at her. "What do you think? Would it do?"
Blue slid off to stand beside him, staring through the arch-shaped gate at the little building. It was clearly old, made of grey stone, with several stained glass windows visible in the walls. A small tower stood at the far end of the main building, ivy crawling up the walls.
In the clear, crisp November sunlight, it looked like it had been taken out of a painting.
"Its perfect." She whispered.
"Wanna have a look inside before you decide?" Nodding towards the dark, wooden sign beside the gate, he pointed out. "It says here that its open to everyone from nine in the morning until five in the evening."
Nodding, Blue looped her helmet onto her arm. "Will it be all right to leave the bike here?"
"We could put it just inside the gate, out of the way, if it'd make you feel better." She nodded and he sighed. "I shouldn't have suggested that, should I? We're in the middle of the countryside, so I doubt a motorbike-nicker would steal it."
"But it's blocking this middle-of-the-countryside-tiny-lane." Blue pointed out, laughing.
Still grumbling under his breath, Andy carefully steered the bike through the gates and into place against the stone wall, which stood around the church grounds, while Blue gave directions maintaining she was too small and dainty to do the heavy work.
Eventually with the bike levered into place, Andy staggered back out of the long, dew-drenched grass, panting, the bottoms of his trousers soaked. "Okay..." He paused to draw a deep breath. "I think we're ready."
Taking his hand, Blue looked around. "It's pretty, isn't it?" She remarked, looking around. "I mean, for a graveyard..."
"My my, aren't we morbid." He chuckled, directing her towards the door of the Church, which was apparently on the opposite end to the bell tower. However, when they reached the large, black doors, Blue stopped short. "What?"
"We can't go in! There's something going on in there!"
She was right.
Inside, the hum of conversation could be heard, suggesting that at least a dozen people were inside the small country chapel.
"It's probably a tour group." He stated firmly. "We might as well have a look and see what's happening anyway." Keeping a firm grip on her hand, Andy pushed one of the doors open and led her inside.
It took her several minutes for her eyes to adjust, but the first thing she saw when she looked around was...
"TOMMY?"
"You finally got here, kid!" Grabbing Blue, Tommy shoved Andy in the other direction. "We didn't think you were gonna make it!" Before the tiny dancer could protest, she was dragged into a sideroom by her roommate.
"Huh?"
"C'mon! Get undressed!"
"Hold on a minute!" Stepping back, Blue waved her hands. "Stop...what the hells going on?"
"Well, you're getting married." A voice supplied from the other side of the room. Blue blinked as Moni waved her fingers, grinning. She was wearing a pale blue sheath dress, which, Blue noticed, was identical to Tommy's current attire. "Hi, sweetie."
The tiny dancer blinked. "Uh?"
Tommy didn't seem to mind her roommate's slightly incoherent state. She busied herself with peeling off the biker jacket and T-shirt, before setting to work on Blue's boots and trousers. "If you don't do something, we're never gonna get your ready!"
"But Tommy..."
"Lift your foot."
Tapping the kneeling Tommy on the top of her head, Blue tried futilely to catch her friend's attention. "Tommy, what's happening here?"
"Other foot now."
"Tommy."
Finally, Tommy's almond eyes looked up at her and Blue was startled to see tears in the other woman's eyes. "You're getting married, little sister." She answered, a shaky smile appearing on her lips. "My little girl..."
"I know I'm getting married, but..." Suddenly a light seemed to go on in Blue's head. "Omigod! Now? I'm getting married now?" Tommy nodded, smiling a little more broadly. "But I don't have a dress!" One was pushed into her hands. "And...and guests!" She looked around frantically, as she stepped into the white dress provided. "We don't have any guests!"
"Waiting in the chapel." Moni reassured her.
"And Sylvie!"
"Already in there."
As her friends fastened her into her dress, Tommy adding a pair of stockings and hiking Blue's skirt up to add a garter belt, Blue tried to maintain her balance and sanity, as everything started to make sense. "There was no friend from college..."
"Duh!"
"And you and Andy set all this up?"
Moni turned Blue's face to her and started applying her make-up. "I'm amazed you didn't catch on quicker, sweetie. Pucker your lips for me." Blue obliged. "I mean, him and Tommy have been setting this up for what? Two days?"
"It only took you two days!?"
"Honey! Don't talk! You'll make me smudge!"
"Sorry."
Moni frowned. "That counts as talking." Blue immediately froze, trying not to yelp as Tommy continued to fiddle with her suspender belt, taking the chance to tickle the back of Blue's knees in order to irritate the perfectionist Moni further.
"Done!"
"Perfect!"
"Don't I get a say in this?"
Moni and Tommy turned to Blue in unison. "No."
Grabbing a brush, Tommy quickly swept it through Blue's gel-free hair, leaving the usually-spiky mass parted to the left in perfect, soft, electric-blue swathes. "Tiara." She held out a hand and a tiara was place in it, attached to a veil, which was immediately placed on her head. "Flowers!"
"You got me flowers?" Blue pulled a face. "I hate..." She trailed off as a bouquet of white lilies bound with silver ribbon was placed in her hands.
"Don't hold 'em too tight." Moni recommended. "They go limp."
"Like men." Tommy quipped, her eyes dancing.
Moni rolled her eyes. "You just couldn't keep your mind out of the gutter for one day, could you, Tom?"
"Why change the habit of a lifetime?" Adjusting Blue's veil, she turned her friend towards a mirror that Moni had kept covered until the bride was ready. "So, little sister, whaddya think? Did we do good?"
Blue stared at her reflection, tears swimming in her eyes. "Oh God..." She looked perfect. All right, in her fantasies, she had her spiky hair, but looking at herself now, she knew that her friends had picked everything perfectly for her.
The dress was simple and demure, a strapless number, hugging her slight figure and cutting just above her knees with a narrow slit running up the right side to about mid-thigh. A few diamonds shone here and there on the bodice.
On her head, the 'tiara' that held her light, silky veil was simple, art-deco-styled silver one with a few diamond-like studs in it, similar to the dress, and the white veil reached just below her slender shoulders.
A loud sniff from Moni made her look round. "Oh, don't look at me! I'm getting bleary-eyed already!" Moni wailed, flapping her hands. "I'm going to look like a panda by the time we're through with you!"
"Oh!" Tommy seemed to shake herself out of a reverie, tearing her eyes away from Blue. "The shoes! We need the shoes!"
"The shoes!"
"Are you three almost ready?" The door opened, Sylvie peering in.
Moni threw her hands up. "Sylvie! We need the shoes!"
Chuckling, the blond pointed to a box right beside Tommy's feet. "They're right there, sweetie."
"What's the deal with the shoes?" Looking away from the mirror in front of her, Blue blinked back tears that were threatening to fall already.
"We thought that since we're making you dress in something you probably hate," Tommy kept talking, despite Blue's best attempt to interrupt. "And since you like wearing things like this more, we got you a special pair of shoes to wear with your wedding dress."
She opened the box to reveal a pair of enormous-soled Doc Marten boots. They were white with silver laces and diamante studs had been liberally dotted here and there. Tommy knelt down and held out a hand for one of Blue's feet.
"Let's get you ready for the ball, Princess."
Biting on her lower to prevent herself from crying, Blue held out one foot, then the other, watching Tommy lace up the wedding boots. They looked ridiculous when compared to the dress, but Blue couldn't have cared less.
Throwing her arms around Tommy, she heard her roommate muffle a sniff as she hugged her.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"And thank God I used waterproof mascara." Moni piped up.
"That too." Tommy laughed, hastily wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Okay, lets check before we go out there." Taking Blue by the shoulders, ebony eyes met blue. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"
"One hundred percent." Blue nodded. "Never been more sure of anything."
Tommy smiled proudly. "My little girl…all grown up…"
"I'll always be your little girl, Tom, and you know it." Blue grinned slightly. "And now, you're going to be Andy's surrogate mother-in-law…"
"In that case," Tommy tapped her on the nose. "You've definitely got something old - me." They both laughed. "Something new - the boots. Something borrowed - my suspender clips and I'll be wanting them back. Something blue - well, gee, it's attached to your head..." Looking around, Tommy searched out a bag. "And this..." She pulled out a box and placed it in Blue's shaking palm. "A ring."
"I think that's everything." Blue nodded, suddenly feeling like the butterfly population of a small country had moved into her stomach.
Moni and Tommy exchanged looks.
"Not quite everything." Tommy said, as Moni nodded and slipped out the door. "Now, I want you to promise first that you won't kill me for doing this..."
"What could possibly make me want to kill you?" Blue half-laughed, half-cried.
"Just...don't say I didn't warn you." She glanced at the door. "You wait here..."
Tommy had barely departed from the room when the door opened again, allowing a figure to enter, looking as nervous as Blue was feeling. Her eyes locked onto the face of the man and she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Smiling nervously, George Spense stared back at his daughter. "Hello, Sara."
"Daddy..." Blue flew across the small room and straight into her father's arms, tears pouring unashamedly down her face. His own tears matched hers as he hugged her tightly. "Daddy, I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, love." Holding her close, George felt like he was about to burst with joy. His little girl remembered him and didn't hate him. "I've been looking for you for ages and I couldn't find you."
Torn between laughing and crying, Blue drew back to look up at her father. He looked just the same as she remembered. A little less hair on top, but that didn't make much of a difference. "It-it was mum." She explained haltingly.
"I guessed, love." He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her forehead. "You're lucky that you had a friend as stubborn as yours to hunt me down." He nodded towards the door, where Tommy was nervously peeking in.
"Tommy? You found my daddy?" Blue whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Yeah, kid." Edging back into the room, Tommy shrugged. "Couldn't have you walking down the aisle on your own, could we?" Immediately, Tommy found herself with an armful of Blue and laughed hoarsely. "Easy, kiddo. Save that for your old man and your sisters."
"S-sisters?" Blue returned to her father's side. "Is Stephi here?"
"She's right outside the door." He nodded, smiling. "Stephi, you can come in."
The twenty-three-year-old nervously looked into the rapidly-filling room and stopped short at the sight of Blue. "Omigod...Rara?"
"Tiffi!"
"Dammit! Now I really am gonna cry." Tommy wailed, hastily plunging a hand down the front of her dress to fish out a tissue from her bra as the two sisters clashed into a tight hug in the middle of the room.
"Look at you, Rara!" Stephanie held her sister at arm's length, studying her. "God! You've...well, you haven't grown much, but your hair! Wow! It's neat!"
"And you got specs!"
"And you got piercings!" She cocked her head to look at Blue's left arm. "And tattoos!"
Blue grinned. "You make me sound like a rebel or something, Tiffi."
"Just don't tell me got a Harley or somethin'..."
"Um...okay. I won't tell you."
"Omigod! You got a Harley?" Blue nodded. "You gotta take me for a ride on that thing!"
A cough interrupted. "Sorry to break up the reunion," Tommy said apologetically. "But... uh... yeah, the minister-guy is saying we better hurry up if we want a chance of a proper piss-up before we have to go to work."
Sniffing, Blue scrubbed at her face with another tissue from Tommy's bra. "I think that's our cue to walk me down the aisle." She started to reach for the veil, but her father reached it first and drew it down in front of her face.
"This man of yours seems like a good one." George said quietly, as he took his daughter's arm.
"You spoke to Andy?"
"Very briefly, before his friends dragged him off to put some clothes on him." George answered with a smile. "He loves you very much."
Blue nodded, squeezing her father's hand. "I know." They reached the top of the aisle and four women - or three women and a man in spectacular drag to be particular - in pale blue dresses backed them up. "Here we go."
The doors opened onto the aisle and a chapel full of people, some of whom Blue recognised and others who she could guess. However, her attention immediately went to the far end of the aisle, to where her husband-to-be was standing.
She was barely aware of the music, or the people around them as she and her father started to make their way down the aisle. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and she felt her face was bound to crack from smiling so widely.
All the time, her eyes never left Andy.
He had never looked more dashing.
Clad in a quazi-formal tuxedo, his long, dark hair was brushed back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The collar of his shirt and the front of his jacket were open, looking wonderfully casual, despite his formal clothing.
Like her with her Doc Martens instead of stilettos.
The comparison made her chuckle.
"He's cute, Rara." Stephanie hissed from behind her.
"So I keep telling her." Moni added in an undertone, making Blue giggle again.
They reached the altar and Andy and George lifted her hand off his arm, giving her a proud, lingering look. "I love you, Sara." He leaned in to gently kiss her cheek through her veil. "Don't you ever forget that."
Sniffing again, Blue turned to Andy, as her father passed her hand to her fiancé.
Drawing her up onto the step that was above the one he was standing on, so that she was 'almost' the same height as him, Andy reverently lifted her delicate veil back from her face, beaming down at her. "You look beautiful." He murmured, bending to kiss her on the forehead.
"You're not too bad yourself." She replied gruffly, trying to cover fresh tears of happiness.
Andy smiled. "So, Shorty, think this place'll do?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Remind me to kill you in nasty ways for this." She tried to act annoyed, but was belied by the broad and incredibly painful happy smile on her face.
"I'll remind you after the Honeymoon." He winked.
"You planned a...?" Blue started to ask, but was cut off as a tall, red-haired, gangly-looking minister who looked about the same age as Andy, clad in long, black robes with a white dog-collar stepped forward.
"Hi everybody!" He called, loudly enough for everyone to hear him.
"Hi Reverend Nick!" The whole congregation seemed to yell back and Blue couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Only you," She hissed up at the grinning Andy. "Could arrange to bring up something from The Simpsons at our wedding."
"Love you, shorty."
"Love you too."
"Ahem?" Both of them look at the Minister. "Can we start so we can get to the piss-up already?"
Blue looked at Nick, then up at Andy suspiciously. "Are you sure he's a real minister?"
"As sure as I am that he's somehow related to me."
"So I'm going to be related to him?" Andy nodded, still grinning. "Oh dear..." Turning to Nick, she gave him a once over. "Well, it could be worse." She sighed, then nodded. "Okay, do what you gotta do..."
Nick smiled, then began. "Mawwidge...mawwidge is what bwings us togewah, today. That bwessed union. That dweam...within a dweam..."
Blue silently prayed that she wouldn't wet herself with laughter before the ceremony finished.