The Spin off 2 – Part 18
A week pasted and Archie started to pack. Lexie watched him, longing he wouldn't go but she knew he had to, but at least this time she had some indication of when he was coming back, and that he would be staying, he looked across at her guilty as he folded his shirts and trousers into his suitcase. Ellie and Kyla played on the floor of their bedroom, giggling away to each other, Archie would miss them and Lex a lot.
"Arch, your taxi's here" Lexie called through the hallway.
"Ok coming" Archie replied carrying Kyla through and holding Ellie's hand as she toddled through. Lexie picked up Ellie and the family hugged together before the beep of the taxi outside indicated Arch had to go now.
"I love you all very much, and I'm going to be back soon" Archie told his family.
Lexie put Ellie down and went to take Kyla off Arch but she held her hands in.
"No" she cried as Lexie tried to tackle her off Arch.
"Da da!" she screamed throwing herself against him. Lexie tried again pulling her off Arch, but she held her hands out upset towards him, grabbing hold of his jumper as she threw herself about in Lexie's arms.
"Ky please sweetheart, don't do this" Archie spoke to her, getting just as upset as Lexie was at this point.
"Oh where's Ellie?" Lexie asked fanatically trying to hold Kyla in her arms while looking round for Ellie.
"Arch she's out here" A voice came from outside, Katrina's voice. Archie turned round to see Ellie up against the fence that divided the two houses.
"Oh thanks" Archie replied quickly running out to get her as Lexie stood at the door with Kyla upset.
Ellie screamed with fury as Archie picked her up and took her inside. She started to throw a tantrum on the floor as Lexie tried to quieten both the twins down.
Katrina gave Lexie a look of pity as Lexie stood with tears in her eyes as well as her children, and then she looked across at Archie who looked sad himself.
The taxi beeped once more and Archie started to walk back towards Lexie to give her a kiss, but Kyla seeing her father walk back screamed "Da Daaaa!" Even louder and held her arms out to him.
"Just go Arch" Lexie called to him, her voice weary "Just go"
Archie hesitated for a minute, but then turned round and quickly walked to the taxi and taking one look back at his family got in and shut the door. Lexie watched as the taxi drove away, she was upset herself at Arch leaving and the state the twins were in.
"Lex are you ok?" Katrina asked innocently, but Lexie ignored her and shut the door as she carried through Kyla to the lounge and sat her down as she screamed for her dad. Lexie went through and tried to pick Ellie up but she kept sliding herself out of Lexie's arms and screaming.
"Ellie you'll make ye self ill if you carry on" Lexie pleaded with her. Ellie looked up at her upset mother and quietened down
"Mama" she wailed lifting her arms up to Lexie as Lexie picked her up and cuddled her close.
"Shh" Lexie comforted her daughter "It's gonna be al right"
Lexie walked through and got the girls bottles and heated them up. Giving one to Ellie as she held her and then took the other through to Kyla. She laid Ellie down on the sofa and then turned as Kyla stood behind her, now quietened down and waiting for her bottle.
Lexie picked her up and sat down on the sofa with Kyla in her arms and gave her, her bottle. She took it in her little hands, as all three of them sat in silence.
Archie stood waiting in the departure lounge as families sat around him. He watched as babies cried, toddlers ran about, children spoke excitedly about going to New York, teenagers gossiped between each other about the gorgeous looking guys and the sexy females that were going to be there. Then he looked around and noticed how many business people sat in there all alone, with no family around them. They all looked like it were routine for them, and Archie wondered how many of them did this regularly.
As the air hostess spoke over the speaker to start boarding the plane, Archie sighed and got up out of his seat and got his passport and boarding ticket ready. As he sat down on the plane in 'Business class' he felt lost and alone, he didn't want to be here on this plane about to jet off to New York, yet here he was, taking off into the air, on his way to New York.
Lexie looked out of the window at the passing planes flying above and wondered if Arch was on one of them. She then saw Emma and Brandon come out of next door. Lexie felt pretty bad, since she had found out about Katrina, she hadn't spoken to Emma.
Lexie quickly ran to the door and opened it.
"Emma"
"Lex hi"
"Where are ya off too?"
"Just the park, the suns shining so I thought I would give him a turn on the swings"
"Would ye mind if I came with ya?"
"No that's fine"
"Ok thanks, do ya want to just come in an wait?"
"Ok then" Emma replied, "Come on Brandon this way"
Lexie smiled as the little three-year-old ran in front of Emma and up to Lexie's front door and gave her a big smile with all white teeth showing. His curly dark hair bounced on his head as he ran inside to the shrieks of excitement from the girls as Brandon ran in. Lexie laughed, as did Emma when she reached the door.
At the park…Lexie pushed the double buggy along side Emma as they walked into the park; Brandon ran ahead and started to climb the stairs to the slide. Lexie and Emma stopped at the bench and then each took one bundle from the buggy, as Lexie had wrapped the girls up warm in they're all in one coats which had been bought for the winter months, Kyla had a bright pink one with white mittens and Ellie had a purple one with the same white mittens. They took them over to the baby swings and sat pushing the girls as they shrieked in delight, the wind catching their little faces and giving them rosy red cheeks.
"Emma…" Lexie asked
"Yeh?" Emma replied pushing Ellie on the swing and watching Brandon on the slide.
"You know Brandon"
"Yeh?"
"Sorry for asking, but who is his father, if it wasn't the man Katrina married…then who?"
Emma looked across at Lexie nervously; she could tell Lexie thought it was Archie.
"Well…Lex I admit I thought Archie" Emma replied
Lexie turned her head away; she had got the answer she was afraid of.
"But…" Emma continued as Lexie turned back to her confused
"But what?" Lexie asked
"It's not," Emma answered
"It's not?" Lexie repeated almost laughing with her reply of relief
"Nope" Emma smiled
"But then…If its not Archie and it couldn't of been her husband…then who?" Lexie asked
"Alan" Emma replied
"Alan?" Lexie repeated confused "Oh…Alan" she said suddenly realising
"Yes Alan" Emma laughed
"I thought it was over with them two a long time ago?" Lexie questioned
"Well apparently not, Katrina came to London and had a bit of bad start, getting used to the city life after living in Glenbogle all her life" Emma explained
"Oh I see…and so Alan"
"Just happened to be living in London at the time, and well you could say helped Katrina out a bit"
"A bit too much I would say judging by it" Lexie laughed
"Yep, so then there was arguments between them, and then out Alan went, finished with, then Kat found out she was pregnant"
"With Brandon…which leads us to where we are today" Lexie finished
"Yep, so don't worry Lex, as far as you and me know, Ellie and Kyla are the only children Archie has fathered"
"I should hope so too!" Lexie laughed, relieved that the whole burden had been removed.
Early on in the next week…
A loud knock came on the door and Lexie creeped quietly down the stairs, praying the girls wouldn't wake up as she had just managed to get them down.
Lexie opened the door to see Adam outside.
"Hello"
"Hi" Adam replied moving from side to side in the cold.
"What are ya doing here? Archie's not due back for another two days" Lexie asked, now wrapping her jacket tightly round herself as the cold winter air hit her.
"I know that…well I mean no he won't be" Adam answered
"Why what's happened?" Lexie asked panicked that something had happened to Arch.
"No, no Arch is fine. It's just he has to stay in New York for a little bit longer"
"How long?" Lexie questioned, not sure if she wanted to hear what was about to come next.
"Another week" Adam replied
"But he wont be back in time for Christmas" Lexie quickly replied, calculating that if Archie was due back on the 22nd December, then another week would mean he would be back on the 29th December.
"Sorry" Adam replied smiling at Lexie.
Lexie shook her head "No, why is he staying?"
"He hasn't got a choice, the restaurant is doing so well that they are keeping it open over Christmas and well we still haven't found a manager because Arch refuses to take the job. Look if you don't mind could we talk inside, it's getting a bit nippy out here"
Lexie looked as she saw Katrina coming in from her car.
"No I'm sorry Adam you cant come in"
"Please come on Lexie don't take the hump with me because I've kept your husband over in New York"
"Adam you Creep, leave her alone" Katrina said standing beside him on the other side of the fence.
Lexie looked across at Katrina shocked.
"Well look who it is, business woman Katrina Finlay" Adam replied standing to face Katrina. "How's that love child of yours doing?"
"Brandon is doing fine thank you! We are better off without the likes of you" Katrina replied sharply.
"What is going on here?" Lexie asked confused
"Lexie I see you've met my EX wife Katrina" Adam answered
"Ex wife!?" Lexie replied shocked
"Clearly the biggest mistake I ever made!" Katrina shouted back
"I don't know how I put up with you for so long!" Adam replied
"Hey, hey calm down the both of ya!" Lexie shouted at them
"Adam don't even try it with Lexie, she's happily married" Katrina shouted at Adam.
"What with that husband who's over the other side of the Atlantic?" Adam replied
"Oh you! You! Ergh…" Lexie shouted pushing Adam out of the gate
"Go on, get away, we don't want ya here!" Lexie shouted at him as he got in his car and drove away.
Lexie stood there watching him go she had tears in her eyes. Arch wouldn't be able to spend Christmas with them now, and all because of Adam and this stupid job. Lexie wrapped her arms round her jacket and shivered in the cold wind.
"Lex…I'm sorry" Katrina's voice echoed behind her.
Lexie turned round and walked back towards her door, then turned to face Katrina over the fence.
"I'm sorry too, I never knew about you an Adam" Lexie replied
"Biggest mistake I ever made marrying him, I didn't see him for who he really was until then" Katrina answered "Look ye better get inside its cold out here"
"Ye too" Lexie replied as both woman went inside their houses.
Lexie looked at the clock it was 8pm, which meant it was about 3pm over in New York. Too early to ring Arch yet, she would have to wait up and then ring him.
Lexie yawned as she looked at the clock again; it was 1am in the morning. She picked up the phone and dialled the number to Archie's hotel suite in New York.
"Hello" Archie answered, it was good to hear his voice again, but Lexie wasn't too sure about how the conversation with him staying would go.
"Hey" Lexie replied
"Lex?"
"Aye it's me"
"What are you doing? Is something wrong, it's about 1am over there isn't it?"
"Hmm…Adam came ta see me earlier"
"Oh did he"
"Arch how could ya"
"Lex I have no choice! If I don't stay I'll lose my job over in London"
"But they can't make ya stay over their, it's Christmas Arch, ya have a family"
"Lex these business men don't care about family"
"Hmm anno that much, oh and you'll never guess who Adam used ta be married too"
"He was married?"
"To Katrina"
"Katrina?!" Archie shouted out shocked "What I don't believe it!"
"Yep, he turned up at our doorstep, and well lets just say between the both of us we told him where ta go"
"What did he do?"
"Well he certainly finds it a joke that he sent you over to New York"
"I'll kill him, I'll…"
"Arch, ya won't be killin' no one" Lexie sighed "Look, I've got ta get some sleep, night Arch and merry Christmas" Lexie said putting down the phone.
"Lex? Lex?" Archie asked speaking into the phone, but it was dead, she had hung up.
Wednesday 21st December 2005
"Paul, the roads been blocked with snow" Molly explained as she came in the hallway.
"Molly, you haven't been out on your bike in this weather have you?" Paul replied
"Oh don't fuss Paul, look you better sort out that road soon, Archie always got a load of the men from the village together when we had bad weather"
"Ok then Molly, I'll get right on it. Talking about Arch, you don't know how they are travelling here tomorrow do you?"
"No sorry, afraid not!" Molly replied before waltzing off into the library
"Hmm, right give Lex a call, then sort out road I think" Paul said to himself as he picked up the phone.
"Hello" Lexie picked up the phone.
"Oh hi Lex it's Paul here"
"Oh hey Paul, you ok?"
"Yeh I'm good thanks, and you?"
"Yeh, yeh I'm fine"
"Good, well I was just wondering about tomorrow…how are you and Arch getting here?"
"Um I'm driving but…"
"Ok then, oh and could I have a quick word with Arch please?"
"Oh ok, you can get him on his mobile I think"
"Cheers Lex, see ya tomorrow bye"
"Bye…but Paul…"
Lexie sighed as she heard the phone click off.
"Right…Arch mobile…Arch mobile…ah ha here we go" Paul spoke again picking up the phone and dialling the necessary numbers.
Archie groaned as he heard his mobile go off beside his bed. He reached his hand across and took the phone squinting his eyes at the flashing light that read "Glenbogle home" on the display screen.
"Hello?" Arch mumbled into the phone
"Oh hi Arch, I was just wondering where you kept the phone numbers for the people who helped you clear the road when the snow blocks us in" Paul asked
"Eh what?"
"Arch you sound like you are half asleep"
"I am! I was… what are you doing calling me at 5am?"
"Arch its 11am, have you not switched your clock back to our time yet?"
"No Paul its 5am and I am in New York"
"What are you doing there?"
"Doing what I've been doing the last two weeks, working"
"But your supposed to be home today…your coming down for Christmas with Lexie and the twins…"
"I can't"
"But Lex told me she was driving and…"
"Paul she can't drive there! I've seen the weather on the internet its snowing and storms everywhere"
"Well I don't think she can get the train"
"Oh this is all my fault!"
"Arch calm down, its no problem, look I'll get the men to help me clear the roads, I'll drive down to London tonight and get Lex and the twins ok, and Lizzie and Martha and we'll all drive back to Glenbogle for Christmas ok"
"Thanks Paul"
"Right well I don't agree with what your doing Arch, but I wont question it now, I've got things to do"
"Tell mother I'm sorry"
"Hmm alright cya"
"Bye"
Paul frantically dialled the London home number again, as Lexie ran to pick up the phone
"Lexie!"
"Paul?"
"Archie's not coming back for Christmas?"
"I did try to tell ya"
"How could he not? It was going to be the first Christmas when we are all together as a family"
"Look I'm sorry Paul, just keep calm about it"
"Lex I'm not blaming you"
"Anno your not, an' Paul?"
"Yes?"
"I would appreciate it if this was just kept between us two for now, I'll tell Molly when I arrive"
"Ok then, oh and that's another thing, I'm coming to get you"
"What you mean your comin' ta get me?"
"You cannot drive up here by yourself"
"Well I'm hardly gonnae be by myself"
"Anno that but it's just safer if I drive"
"Its only a bit of snow Paul"
"Lex, please?"
"Fine, fine see ya tonight then?"
"Yep will do, bye Lex"
"Bye"
Paul stepped outside into the cold air and snow on the ground as he walked across it in his big boots to the estate office door. He opened it to be surprised by Duncan who was sitting up against the radiator warming his backside.
"Duncan? What are you doing here?"
"Er…Er I was just…well it's a tad cold outside so I thought…and the radiator was on in here so…"
"Its ok Duncan, ya know if you put something warmer on that that kilt it might help"
"But I always wear ma kilt"
"Ok, well seeing as you're not busy…"
"I…I am"
"Er no your not"
"Your right I'm not, Whatcha want"
"The road to the village is blocked with snow, now Molly says Archie used to have some people help clear it?"
"Aye he did"
"Well do you know who these were?"
"Er…yeah" Duncan replied nodding his head
"Do you think you could get a team organised for this afternoon?"
"Sure no problem boss"
"Cheers"
Duncan ran out the estate door,
"Oh Duncan watch out its…" Paul shouted back before hearing a almightily yelp, "Icy" Paul finished as he turned to look out the door and check if Duncan was alright.
"Oh not a pretty sight" Jess giggled as she helped Duncan up as he pulled his kilt back down, as she handed him her hand to help him up.
"Everything ok?" Paul asked
"I think he'll survive" Jess laughed as Duncan got up and brushed the snow off him.
Lexie put the twins down for their afternoon nap as she took the presents she had spent the last week getting, and wrapping and put them in the lounge ready to take with her to Glenbogle. She took the two suitcases, which had hers, and the twin's clothes in ready for the next two weeks or so and put them in the lounge too.
Lexie looked and sighed at the pile of washing which had sat there for two weeks, she had been so busy with Christmas presents and acting a single mum she hadn't had time to do it. It was mostly Archie's clothes; she had done most of hers and the twins because she had needed them ready for the next two weeks.
Lexie picked up a couple of Archie's tops and went to head to the kitchen to wash them when she heard a faint cry from upstairs. Changing direction she went upstairs to find out which one had woken. Opening the nursery door she saw Kyla standing up in her cot, she wasn't crying loud, just muttering to herself.
"Da da?" Kyla called as she saw the door open.
"No Ky, it's mummy" Lexie replied walking over and putting Archie's tops over her shoulder as she picked Kyla up.
"Da da" Kyla said again
"No Ky, he's not here," Lexie repeated but as she looked at her daughter she saw she was holding one of Archie's tops and cuddling it.
"Can you smell your daddy?" Lexie laughed as she walked out the door with Kyla.
"Mum" Ellie's voice echoed from behind Lexie.
"Oh you too" Lexie giggled as she walked back "Right, lets see if we can still do this, ya know ye two are gettin' a wee bit big for this now" Lexie said as she tried to hold them both at the same time.
"Right, thank you all for offering to help, we need to clear this road of the snow, so I hope you've all bought your shovels cos we've got work to do!" Paul spoke loudly to the group of men who stood before him.
"There's tea and snacks back at the house for after" Molly added smiling at the men.
"Right, lets get started" Paul answered as they all started to shovel the snow out of the road.
Late that night…
Paul knocked quietly on the door of the London home. Lexie, who had been waiting up, quickly walked to the door. As she opened it, Paul felt the homely warmth and smells of the house come to him, as Lexie gave a big smile and stepped aside so he could come in, as she shut the door behind him she gave him a big hug.
Paul hugged his sister-in-law tightly; she seemed small and lost next to him. She seemed happy to see him. "Lex are you ok?" Paul whispered down to her.
She didn't say anything but he saw her head shake softly. He held his arms around her and rubbed her back, "Don't worry, its gonna be alright" Paul reassured her
"I just wanted him to be here," Lexie whispered back
"We'll I'm afraid you've got me instead" Paul replied trying to lighten the mood, Lexie gave a quiet laugh
"Thanks" Lexie replied looking up at Paul as she touched his hands "Oh you're freezin'"
"It looks like it might snow out there, water is already iced over" Paul answered as Lexie and himself walked down the narrow hall way to the small kitchen at the back of the house as Lexie put the kettle on.
Paul stood and watched her scuttle about her kitchen, he looked at the pictures on the wall of the girls, and he hadn't seen Lexie or Archie and his nieces since May when Lexie had run away to Glenbogle. He had been looking forward to them all spending time as a family together at Glenbogle.
As Lexie handed him a mug of hot tea and gave him a bright smile, he returned the smile and something inside him felt weird, what was it, he's whole body felt excited and happy just looking at Lexie smiling at him.
"Right well ya must be tired from all that travelling so if ya wanna put ye heid down ta sleep then I've made ye up a bed on the sofa ok" Lexie explained
"Thanks Lex" Paul replied as he went through to the lounge.