DISCLAIMER: I do not own "As Time Goes By," any of its characters or already established plot lines. I borrow them because I love them, but I will put them back when I'm done playing, I promise. I have no intention of making any monetary gain from this fanfiction; it's all about creative practice!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I haven't seen every episode of the greatest British Comedy of all time, "As Time Goes By." In fact, I'd be stretching it to say I've seen a quarter of the series. Unfortunately, my area in Wisconsin carries the show only once a week (if that) on PBS, and it's in a terrible time slot. Nonetheless, I adore the show, the characters, and, well, everything about the series. My point is, if (when!) I make mistakes, please chalk them up to creative license and ignorance.
The Story:
"All right, Luv. We'll see you tonight. I know Lionel will be excited too." Jean settled the telephone receiver back into its cradle and practically skipped over to the couch to snuggle up to her husband.
"Lionel will be excited about what?" Lionel asked, folding the sports page over and resting it neatly on the coffee table. Jean had curled up so close to him, he couldn't help but delight in wrapping an accepting arm around her.
"Judy and Alistair are picking us up at seven o'clock to take us out for dinner. I think they're pregnant!"
"What on earth gives you that idea?" Lionel laughed right out loud. "Did you ever think that perhaps they're just anxious to share their honeymoon adventures from God-knows-where Alistair whisked Judy?"
"Hawaii, Lionel. They went to Hawaii. Hardly an uncommon honeymoon spot. I'd hope you can remember that tonight," replied Jean haughtily. "Anyway, a mother knows her daughter," she added with a mysterious eyebrow raise.
"Or maybe this mother is just aching to have grandchildren?" Lionel poked Jean gently in her side.
Jean sat up fully, no longer leaning on Lionel for support, looked him in the eyes and stated, "There's nothing wrong with wanting grandchildren! We're not getting any younger, you know. I'd like to spoil my grandbabies before we die."
"Now you're putting us in the ground prematurely, are you? And what's this 'we' business? I, for one, don't plan on expiring any time soon." He laughed again, then rose to make a drink at the bar.
"Oh, Lionel, it's just a figure of speech! You're really quite exasperating sometimes." Jean hopped up too and crossed to the writing desk near the window.
"What are you doing?" asked Lionel as he mixed his gin and tonic.
"I have to ring Sandy!" Jean knew her surrogate daughter's phone number in Calgary by heart.
"Why?" Lionel sat back down in his favourite green chair and picked the sports page back up. He had a sneaky suspicion he already knew why.
"It's none of your business." She began hitting numbers.
"You're not going to tell Sandy that Judy and Alistair are pregnant, are you?" Lionel rolled his eyes. He knew this was coming.
"Of course not!" Jean cried. "I'm...telling her that Judy and Alistair are back safe and sound." She twirled away from Lionel, vowing to speak softly. The line rang.
"I'm sure Judy has already phoned Sandy and Harry." Lionel rose again, walked over to his wife and faced her. "Don't – "
"Sandy! Luv, how are you?" Jean exclaimed into the receiver.
Lionel gave his wife a pleading look.
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Harry and Sandy had acquired a small apartment in the outskirts of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was only a twenty-minute train ride from the police station he'd elected to be reassigned to, and Sandy was fifteen minutes from the restaurant where she'd taken a job as a waitress. It was far from her ideal line of work, but it would suffice until something better came along. She discovered that, if she wore her skirts just a wee bit too short, she got far better tips. Harry despised the idea, but didn't seem to mind when she wore a short skirt for him. She'd just returned from work – an ungodly five in the morning until one in the afternoon shift – and was peeling off her too-tight shoes when the telephone rang.
"Hello?" She was less than enthusiastic.
"Sandy! It's Judy. How are you? You sound exhausted."
"Oh, Judy, hi! I am exhausted, actually. I've just finished the longest shift of my life. I've never seen so many grumpy people crowded into one place before." Sandy collapsed onto the sofa. "But it's a job. And once I get a bit of sleep, I'll be fine. How are you? Are you and Alistair still in Hawaii? You'd better have gotten me a nice present! An eight-week honeymoon is more than enough time to find something perfect. Green is still my favourite color, you know. Anything that sparkles..."
Judy laughed. "We're home, actually. Got back not an hour ago. And, yes, I found something lovely for you. A few things, actually. I'm sure I'll be visiting you sometime soon. Alistair Deacon is nothing without his frequent flyer miles." She giggled as Alistair walked up and pinched his new wife's rear end. "He says 'Hello,' by the way."
Alistair took the phone from Judy, "Hello, gorgeous. Ol' Har had better be treating you right."
"Hello, Alistair." Sandy couldn't help but smile. "Harry is treating me like a queen. I'll tell him you asked after him. And you ought not to call me gorgeous while your wife is right beside you." She chuckled.
"Judy knows no one completes my heart and soul, my everything, like she does." For emphasis, he slipped an arm around his wife's waist. Judy kissed his cheek and whispered for the phone back.
"Aww," Sandy replied. "You ought to have that embroidered."
"It's already tattooed on my heart," Alistair bragged, squeezing Judy.
"It's going to be tattooed on your bum too if you don't give me that phone back," Judy warned, slapping Alistair lightly on the rear. They were quite obviously still experiencing disgusting newlywed syndrome.
"Your wish is my command, my love," Alistair replied. "Take care, Sandy. Make sure you constantly remind Har what a jewel he has." He handed the receiver back to Judy.
"Cheeky," Judy scolded her husband, then held the phone back up to her ear. Alistair walked off into the bedroom to unpack. "Anyway, Sandy, I just wanted you to know that we're back in London, safe and sound. I have tons of pictures and gifts to share with you soon."
"I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait for you to visit! I...I really miss you, Judy." Sudden sadness washed over Sandy.
Judy, ever-emotional, felt her eyes fill with tears. "Oh, Sandy. I miss you too." She sniffled.
"C'mon, now. Let's not cry. We promised we wouldn't." Sandy's own tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I know, I know. I'll visit soon, I promise. In a few weeks, all right?"
"I'll see how many days I can finagle away from work. There's so much to see in Calgary! I'll give you a tour. We'll spend lots of time together."
"Absolutely. I love you," Judy said. Sandy was the closest Judy had ever come to having a sister.
"I love you too, Judy," Sandy replied. And Judy was the closest Sandy had ever come to having a sister.
Each hung up the phone on her own end. Each curled up on the couch for a bit of a self-wallowing sob. Sandy's tears didn't last long, though. Not fifteen seconds after she'd returned the receiver to its cradle, the telephone rang again. She let it ring four times before deciding to answer.
"Hello?"
"Sandy! Luv, how are you?"
"Jean!" Sandy wondered if perhaps today was Canadian National Receive Calls From Your Surrogate Family Day. "I'm so happy to be talking to you!" Fresh tears welled up in Sandy's eyes.
"Are you all right, Luv?" Jean was concerned. Though thousands of miles apart from Sandy, Jean could still tell when one of her "daughters" was upset. She sat down at her desk chair. Lionel looked at her back expectantly.
"I'm fine, really. Judy just phoned. I realized how much I miss her and Alistair. And you and Lionel. I love Harry with all my heart, but I've never been so far away from home and everyone else I love. It's hard." Sandy tried to keep her voice from shaking as she reached for a tissue from the table in front of her. She added adamantly, "But I'm okay. It'll just take some getting used to, that's all."
"We miss you too, Sandy. Lionel and I both miss you so very much," Jean replied earnestly. "Don't we, Lionel?" She turned in her chair to face Lionel, who was still standing behind her.
"Of course we do." Lionel replied, loud enough for Sandy to hear him. He was hardly ever emotional, but he did love Sandy and Judy as if they were his own children. An admission like this was rare, and it meant the world to Sandy.
"Oh..." Sandy couldn't speak for a moment as the tears fell freely. She'd had innumerable telephone conversations with Jean and Lionel since she'd joined Harry in Canada. The first few had been this heart-wrenching, but they'd grown progressively easier. Today felt like a step backward. Perhaps a leap. Jean, Lionel, and Judy had been her first real family. She felt torn between two places and the two families she loved so dearly: Jean, Lionel, Judy, and Alistair in London, and Harry in Calgary. "I love you all so much."
"Oh, Sandy. We love you ever so dearly, too. Don't we, Lionel?"
Lionel knelt down to be at eye-level with his wife, "Of course we do."
"Sandy? I'm home!" Harry burst through the apartment door. He had only taken a half-shift today, being it was Saturday. He found his fiancé in tears, knobby knees pulled up to her chest, gushing into the telephone. "What's wrong, Sandy?" Harry's concern was genuine and intense. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Hello, Harry!" Jean called out. The sound smashed into Sandy's ear, but Harry heard Jean. He took the receiver.
"Hello Mrs. Hardcastle," Harry said. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine, Harry, don't worry. We're just talking about how much we miss each other," said Jean, wiping her own tears away. "And it's 'Jean,' Harry, not 'Mrs. Hardcastle.'"
"Yes, ma'am. I mean, Jean," Harry fumbled. "We would truly love it if you came for a visit. Calgary is a big, beautiful city. I know Sandy would like to take you around." Sandy smiled up at Harry, snuggling into him.
"We would truly love to come for a visit. Lionel has never been to Calgary. Come to think of it, neither have I. I'll phone Sandy tomorrow. We can make arrangements."
"Terrific," Harry replied with a grin. He had yet to really get to know Sandy's family, but if a visit would make her happy, he could deal with the unfamiliar. "We'll see you soon, then. I'll let you talk to Sandy again."
"Good-bye, Harry," said Jean. Then, "Hello, again, Sandy. Are you all right?"
"Fine. I'm fine." And she did feel much better. Leave it to Harry to brighten her day. She yawned audibly. "Though I think I might have a nap."
Jean laughed. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. Take care of yourself, Luv, and of Harry too. We'll see you very soon. I love you."
"I love you too," Sandy replied, feeling very much like Jean was her mother.
Telephone receiver back in its place, Jean released a heavy sigh and looked wearily at Lionel. "I do miss her. I wish Harry would transfer back to London. Maybe this new baby will encourage him to. For Sandy's sake, if nothing else."
"I'll warn you again not to get your hopes up about a baby, Jean. Judy and Alistair have only been married two months." He took great pains to pull himself back to his feet.
"Some people don't wait even that long. David and I...never mind," Jean said, rising as well. "We'd better get ready. Judy and Alistair will be here in less than an hour." She squeezed Lionel's hand as she made for the stairs.
Lionel watched her quizzically for a second, then followed. After all, he had to get ready too.
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Judy had said the restaurant Alistair had made reservations at was a fancy spot. Lionel sported a black coat and a snappy green tie that Jean picked out. Jean laboured over her outfit, finally settling on a long black dress with classily arranged sequins decorating the top. Black pumps and long, sliver earrings finished her attire. Lionel was secretly glad society didn't expect him to put so much work into his appearance. As long as his clothes and hair were neat and his cologne was tasteful, he was fine. At the last second, Jean spritzed a bit of perfume at her collarbone. Lionel could appreciate it later.
Promptly at seven, Alistair and Judy arrived at the door. The chime sounded cherrily, and Jean raced to answer.
"Judith! Alistair!" Jean raved, embracing first her daughter and then her son-in-law. Both children were well-tanned and wore enormous, toothy grins. "Come in, come in. Lionel! The kids are here!"
Lionel stepped out from the sitting room where he had been setting up for drinks to embrace Judy and shake Alistair's hand. At least, he meant to embrace Judy and shake Alistair's hand, but Alistair would have none of it. He wanted a hug too.
"Li! Pop-in-law! C'mere," Alistair cried as he pulled Lionel into a hug. Judy and Jean stood by, stifling laughter.
When he could pull away, Lionel invited the party into the sitting room. "Can I get anyone anything to drink?"
"Love to, Li, but we need to press on. Can't be late for our reservations. This is a special restaurant for a special family. I've been promised the finest table in the house," said Alistair.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Alistair," Lionel returned.
"Well, of course not, Li! How could I bear to seat the two most beautiful women in London anywhere but at the best table?"
Judy sighed exasperatedly, then giggled. She latched on to Alistair and he wrapped his arm warmly around her and kissed her cheek. Lionel could have thrown up if he hadn't realized they looked exactly like he and Jean had when they'd first met.
"Shall we? The limo awaits us."
A limo?! Lionel looked at Jean with a mixture of surprise and mortification. He preferred to keep a low profile. A limo would make sure all eyes faced the occupants. Jean, however, was beaming. How could he refuse? Forcing a smile, he followed Judy, Alistair, and Jean into the hallway, where he held out his wife's wrap for her in a chivalric manner. Together, the quartet made its way to the limo.
"My God. One could live in here!" Lionel exclaimed as the driver closed the door behind them.
"Isn't it just brilliant?" Alistair asked, his smile extending from ear-to-ear. He and Judy sat practically on top of one another against the left wall. She played with her diamond as Alistair explained the features of his giant car. Lionel could only nod and look around in amazement. He and Jean sat next to the newly married couple, also against the left wall, but not on top of each other. For her part, Jean kept glancing over at Judy, practically bursting at the seams to hear her daughter say, "Mum, we have some big news. We're pregnant." Jean practiced her response in her head.
"Now about those drinks, Li. We have a traveling bar right here with us." Alistair waved at the finely-finished bar built into the right wall. It shined with new polish. Alistair knelt at it and opened a few cupboards, showcasing sparkling glasses in one, fine liquors in another, soda and tonic water in a third refrigerated compartment, and an ice chest in the fourth. "What can I get everyone?"
Lionel chose vodka and tonic. Jean asked for scotch on the rocks. She listened very carefully for Judy's order and grabbed Lionel's hand when Judy asked for "Just ginger ale, Alistair, please." Lionel glanced heavenward. Alistair had rum and coke.
"Oh, Mum, I brought pictures!" Judy announced as Alistair handed the drinks around.
"You have pictures already? You just got back today," noted Lionel.
"We had most of them developed along the way. Why wait?" Alistair replied.
Judy fished two fat photo envelopes out of her handbag and passed them to her mother. "I only brought a few," she apologized. "We have presents for you as well, but we'll bring them over the next time we visit. Too much to carry along with us tonight."
Jean opened the first envelope and Judy began to explain what was in each picture, and how each captured the emotions of the particular day, time, and place. "This is when we arrived. Alistair looks particularly excited to get 'leid,' don't you think?" Jean laughed out loud at the enormous grin on Alistair's face as a petite Hawaiian woman dressed in the expected grass skirt laid a necklace of multicoloured blossoms over Alistair's head. "And he couldn't help but take a picture of my "leiing" too." In this picture, Judy was being crowned and necklaced with leis from two different, tall, hunky men. Then came a photo of the hotel Judy and Alistair stayed at. It was an island castle, a paradise dream. Alistair snapped a picture of Judy marveling at the size of the spa bathtub, and Judy caught Alistair jumping on the king-sized, canopy bed. "Sorry," Judy said. "I thought I'd pulled all of the ridiculous photos out."
"You did, Luv. But I put them back in. They communicate the life of our honeymoon!" Alistair replied, thrusting his hands out to indicate excitement.
"I hope you didn't put them all back in," Judy warned, casting an evil glare at her husband. He just winked.
"This must be the sunset section?" Lionel asked, turning a fan of photos to Judy for confirmation.
"Yes. The sunset was never the same. Never. Different colours every evening, different cloud patterns. It was incredibly romantic." Judy leaned back into Alistair for added effect. He gave her a squeeze.
The rest of the limo ride sped by quickly as the photographs kept everyone entertained. It was Alistair who noticed that the car had stopped. "Ah, here we are. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the finest restaurant in London: The Blue." Pause. "I know, I know. The name certainly leaves something to be desired. But the cuisine is exquisite and the service divine. I promise. And the day Alistair Deacon breaks a promise he makes to the people he loves most dearly in the entire universe, is the day Alistair Deacon lies in the ground." With his confidence and electricity – plus a love for the sound of his own voice – Alistair might have made it as a decent Shakespearean actor.
"Oh, Alistair!" Judy moaned.
The driver held the limo door open.
"To The Blue," Alistair trilled.
The name, the party decided, came from the décor. Everything inside the restaurant was decorated in varying shades of blue. The floor was deep sea blue, the walls sapphire velvet, the windows encompassed aqua-tinted glass. Light cerulean flowers sat on every sexy electric blue table. The chairs were of mile-thick azure cushion. Even the candles burned soft indigo light. Judy decided it was terrifically romantic. Lionel found it peculiar, bordering on psychotic. Jean was enraptured in the eccentricity. A goofy smile tugged at her lips.
"Alistair Deacon! I am so very glad to see you!" A tall, solid, middle-aged man rushed up to Alistair to shake his hand vigorously.
"Chazz, the pleasure is mine," Alistair replied, grinning widely. "The gorgeous woman on my arm is my wife, Judith."
Chazz let his eyes wash over Judy before he noted, "Quite a catch, Alistair. Quite a catch." He winked, then turned to Judy to take her hand and kiss it. "My dear."
"And may I introduce my father and mother-in-law: Li, and the lovely Jean."
"Lionel." He shook Chazz' hand.
Jean nudged her husband, willing him to behave, then let Chazz kiss her hand as well.
"Your table is ready, of course." Chazz escorted everyone to an elevator, which carried them to a short hallway a level above the main floor. At the end was a table, set intimately for four on a carpeted balcony. They were above the crowd and had an amazing view of London from behind.
"Oh, Alistair," Judy breathed as she gazed out the window.
"Do you like it?" He whispered, coming up behind her and enclosing her in his arms.
"It's perfect."
Jean beamed up at Lionel, who looked uncomfortable. "They remind me of someone," Jean whispered.
"Who?" asked Lionel, turning away from the public display of affection at the window to rest his hands on the balcony railing.
"Us." Jean turned with him and lay a hand over one of her husband's. He smiled too.