Right so apologies for the lack of interesting material in the last few chapters, my creative abilities seemed to nosedive at the end of last week but then I am only human after all so...eh, what can I do? Hope this makes up for it and make way for the newbie... :)
Six Months Later
"Pete, I ain't bein' funny but its staring at me again,"
Pete looked away from the TV screen and grinned at his daughter who was sat in between Swill and Bovver on the sofa, staring in wonder at Swill as he and the boys played FIFA.
"Mate, you know Allie gets pissed when you call her 'it'," he reminded his friend with a laugh. "Besides, Poppy likes you, just talk to 'er,"
"About what?" Swill frowned. "She's seven months old. All she does is eat, shit, dribble and sleep. We don't really 'ave a lot in common,"
"Funny," Bovver raised an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like you might 'ave found your soul mate,"
Pete laughed and then grinned at his daughter when she looked at him, giggling loudly and kicking her legs when she suddenly became interested in the playstation pad in Bovver's hands, reaching a tiny fist over and mashing her palm against the various buttons, squealing happily.
"Oi," Bovver frowned at her. "I know we're a team, but I thought we agreed you'd sit there and look pretty and I'd be in charge of this."
She stared up at him for a moment, her blue eyes wide before repeating the action and hitting the kick button, making Bovver miss a goal on screen.
"You're lucky you're cute," the man told her gruffly, trying to suppress his grin when his goddaughter giggled, obviously aware on some level that she was getting away with murder.
"Oi, what's it doing now?" Swill panicked when Poppy toppled over on the sofa, shuffling over to him and reaching for the zip on his sweater.
"Mate, babies are like snakes," Ike told him, looking away from the screen for a moment. "They're more scared of you than you are of them,"
"Yeah but…shit, seriously, what is it doin'?" he shook his head, frozen to the spot as the baby launched itself into his lap, squealing happily as she attempted to reach for his phone which was on the arm of the chair.
Rolling his eyes, Bovver pressed pause and reached across his friend to pick up the tiny baby, placing her back in between them and staring down at her.
"Take it easy on 'im," he nodded towards Swill. "You scare 'im,"
Poppy gurgled something indecipherable and went back to kicking her legs, fidgeting with the koala bear teddy that Dave had brought her back from his latest trip.
"So when's Allie getting back?" Matt asked, swearing under his breath when Bovver scored against him again.
"She only went into work for a few hours," Pete shrugged. "It's a Saturday, so I know she won't wanna leave 'er too long,"
He watched as Poppy hurled the bear onto the floor and then went quiet, realising she couldn't see it anymore and her bottom lip started trembling.
"Shit," Pete muttered, standing up. "Lads…"
"What?" Swill turned and looked at the baby, his eyes widening when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Aw, no…please, not again…"
His words were drowned out when Poppy let out a shrill scream, kicking her legs fitfully as she cried, screeching louder when Pete picked her up, her concern not for him but for her beloved toy which was now being crushed under his foot.
"Oi," he looked down at her, rocking her back and forth. "What're you crying about?"
The baby quietened down for a second and then screamed again, her feet kicking his chest as she fidgeted.
"Sing to 'er," Ned told him, tossing his playstation pad to the side.
"You what?" Pete frowned at him.
"She likes it when people sing, right?" Ned shrugged. "Well go on then, sing 'er a song and shut 'er up,"
"Yeah, go on Pete," Bovver smirked. "How's about showing off your vocal skills?"
"How's about you fuck off," he laughed, wincing when the baby cried louder. "Alright, I'm sorry, I wasn't swearing at you," he bounced her lightly. "We know what to do though, don't we?"
Walking over to the stereo, he switched it on with one hand, carefully balancing his daughter in the other and pressed play, the sound of the Rolling Stones filling the living room and drowning out the TV. Surfing through the track until the first chords of 'Paint it Black' belted through the room, Pete stared down at Poppy as she mumbled something inaudible, becoming very still as the music flooded her ears.
"She's a Stones fan?" Dave grinned. "Ay, ay, the girls got taste,"
"Better taste than 'er mum at any rate," Pete snorted, shaking his head and holding up the Girls Aloud CD case.
"Oi, I don't mind them," Dave frowned. "What's wrong with Girls Aloud?"
The boys laughed and he glared at Swill.
"I don't know what you're laughing at sunshine," he shook his head. "In case you've forgotten I've got actual video footage of you dancing like a tart to Love Machine at Pete and Allie's wedding,"
"I was pissed," he shot back.
"Not pissed enough to forget the whole routine though, were you sweet cheeks?"
The lads turned and greeted the familiar Scotsman at the doorway with indecipherable shouts.
"Ay, mate, what're you doin' 'ere?" Pete grinned at Benjamin as he came to sit on the arm chair nearest to the window, shooting a quick glance into the hallway and shaking his head.
"I needed a break from babysitting," he sighed. "Didn't think you'd mind if I brought the little shit with me,"
"Fuck me this place is like a mansion!"
The shout echoed through the hallway and Pete craned his neck to see Chris Ellis, Benjamin's younger brother turning in a slow circle as he took in the entrance to the house.
"Have you seen this place, brother?" Chris shook his head, a few strands of messy brown hair falling into his eyes. Tugging the sleeves of his shirt down far enough to just about cover the small tattoo he had on his wrist he shoved his hands into his pockets and scratched the back of his head bashfully spotting Pete and sending him a grin not unlike his brothers.
"Aye, Aye Petey," he smiled. "Sorry for swearing in front of the minor," he nodded to Poppy who instantly became fixated with his beaded bracelet he'd picked in Thailand. "So when did this happen?" he smiled at the infant. "Last time I saw you, you were covered in bruises swearing like a marine and drinking your body weight in Sambuca,"
"Yeah, well last time I saw you, you were some stuttering, flabby 16 year old with an online gaming obsession and enough spots to make you look like you 'ad measles all year round," Pete smirked.
"Aw, how times change, eh old man?" Chris winked, making Poppy giggle as he rubbed her cheek with his finger.
"Piss off," Pete ruffled his hair and shoved him further into the living room where Benjamin promptly kicked him in the arse hard enough to send him stumbling forward.
"Ow!" he hissed. "What was that for you git?"
"First off, for swearing in front of the minor," he pointed at Poppy who grinned toothlessly back at him. "Second off for bringing back yet another lass last night and leaving me to pick up the pieces in the morning,"
"I had stuff to do," Chris shrugged. "You're my brother, that's what brother's do,"
"Not when the bird looks like that I don't," Benjamin shuddered and looked over Chris's shoulder at Pete. "This thing looked like she'd been set on fire and put out with a golf shoe,"
Pete threw his head back and laughed, tutting at Chris who shook his head and flipped Benjamin the middle finger.
"The club was dark and I was drunk," he told them.
"Don't listen to 'em mate," Swill called over. "When you're 20, a shag is a shag,"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Simon Wilkins," Dave announced, gesturing to the young man who stared back at him blankly.
"What?" Swill raised an eyebrow. "Everyone's done the dirty with something that shouldn't see the light of day,"
"Alison Grange," Dave conceded with a wince.
"Julia Weir," Bovver muttered.
"Becca Chambers," Ned called from where he stood outside puffing away on his cigarette.
"Anna Francis," Matt shook his head.
"Cassie Pearson," Benjamin winced.
"Oh tell me you didn't," Pete laughed, staring at his mate in horror. "Benjamin mate, how the fuck could you?"
"You were in a fuckin coma, alright brother?" he cried. "I was upset and she was there,"
"Yeah, all two fucking tonnes of 'er," Pete laughed. "What were you thinking?"
"Oh yeah?" The Scotsman smirked. "You really wanna go there with me, pretty boy?"
"Why?" Pete narrowed his eyes.
"Two words," Benjamin held up two fingers and grinned. "Charlotte. Rankin,"
Pete's eyes widened and he groaned at the memory.
"Aw, yeah, I remember her," Bovver laughed. "Rough as nuts, she was,"
"Alright, I don't want this being my daughters first memory, alright?" he looked down at Poppy who mumbled something in her own special language and went back to the difficult task of trying to peel her socks off.
"She was that bad then, eh?" Chris raised an eyebrow.
"She was alright," Benjamin pursed his lips. "She's just been around the block a few times,"
"On several different continents," Dave chipped in.
"Twice," Swill finished, making them all laugh.
"Yeah, alright," Pete frowned. "The amount of shit I've got on you lot, you'd best be watching what you say,"
"Yeah, Dave," Swill tutted, slapping him hard enough on the arm to knock his playstation pad out of his hands.
"So what's the vicious rumour I 'ear about you moving down to London full time?" Pete nodded to Chris who was stood at the window, shaking his head in disbelief as his eyes raked over the huge garden and pool.
"Aye," Benjamin rolled his eyes. "All grown up now, aren't you Christina?"
"Edinburgh doesn't have a lot to offer," Chris shrugged, slapping his brother hard across the back of the head. "After all if this tart can make a living down here, then there's hope for the rest of us, right?"
"So what 'ave you got planned then?" Pete asked him. "Other than bringing back monsters to your brothers flat?"
"Oh sweet Mother of God," Chris shook his head slowly, standing up and walking over to the far window which overlooked the driveway. "Who's she?"
"Who?" Pete frowned, glancing down at his watch and swearing loudly. He and Allie had organised to interview nannies for Poppy today as Allie was going back to work next week but he'd completely forgotten that one of them was coming over at 5.
"Shit, its one of the sitters," He sighed, placing Poppy down on the sofa next to Bovver again who instinctively took one hand off of his pad to steady her.
"Oh, I'd let her sit on my co-…"
"Christopher!" Benjamin shouted, smacking his brother on the head. "I don't want to have to make you sit on the naughty step,"
"What?" the younger man frowned. "Look at her, she's like every bloke's wet dream! I might just have to work the Ellis charm on her,"
Looking over his brother's shoulder at the girl in question, Benjamin bit his lip to keep from laughing and clapped him on the back encouragingly.
"Yeah, you do that," he nodded.
"What? You don't reckon I will? This is the opportunity of a lifetime, brother," he raised an eyebrow. "Give me 24 hours and the keys to your flat, that's all I ask."
"Tell you what, Chris," Benjamin smirked. "If you managed it, I'll give you the flat for an entire week, how's that?"
"Done," he winked, shaking his brother's hand. "Prepare to be amazed,"
Taking a deep breath, Pete looked down at his sweater, relieved to see no puke or baby food splattered down it before he walked out into the foyer, prepared to greet the girl who was going to be responsible for his daughter.
Mentally training himself not to treat her like a criminal as Allie had warned him not to, he pasted as smile on his face as her footsteps neared the door, reaching out to open it when he handle turned by itself.
She was just going to walk in?
"Cheeky bitch," Pete muttered with an unimpressed frown, stepping back and waiting for the girl to step through the door so he could promptly shove her back out.
The large oak door swung open and Pete raised an impressed eyebrow at the girl in the cream coloured dress, the skirt flaring out slightly on her knee and showing off her legs which were held up on expensive looking black patent pumps.
"Tell me you haven't been reduced to waiting at the door for me to come home?" Allie pulled her sunglasses off and laughed at him, her teeth chattering slightly from the ever present cold outside. The brightness of the sun was almost enough to coax you into believing that it wasn't yet November and that it was possible to go out without a coat on. A lesson which Allie had had to learn the hard way.
"I thought you were the sitter," Pete told her, yanking her into the house and closing the door behind her as he wrapped his arms possessively around her waist, determined to warm her up.
"She's not here yet?" Allie raised an eyebrow. "She said 5,"
"Yeah, well I'll just have to make do with you then, won't I?" Pete smirked, rocking back on his heels so that her feet left the floor, their lips meeting with a sigh of relief.
She'd left so early this morning that Pete actually couldn't remember her going, let alone whether he's mustered the energy to sit up in bed and kiss her.
Linking her arms around his neck, Allie smiled as she pulled away just slightly, kissing his nose and resting her forehead against his.
"How was work?" he asked her, placing her back on the floor and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Ugh, crap," she rolled her eyes as he picked up her hand, threading his fingers through hers. "I thought I was going to start of slow, y'know? Ease back into it…but oh no, Jack has other plans,"
"Why?" Pete narrowed his eyes. "If he's thinking of packing you off to the States again, he's got another fucking thing coming,"
"No, I think we're safe on that front, but he did tell me that someone supposedly offended Karl Lagerfeld at a shoot last week."
"Who?" Pete frowned.
"A designer," she smiled, unable to resist the height her heels gave her and leaning in to brush her lips gently over his Adams apple. "Y'know, the one who looks like the love child of David Bowie and Mother Christmas,"
"Right," Pete laughed as she held up the magazine cover with him on.
"So I have to call him up and say sorry," she cocked her head to the side. "And then to top it off some bitch who got hired the week after I went on maternity told me how much she admired me for not falling into the same weight paranoia that most new mothers do," she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Apparently I carry my new weight well. Can you fucking believe that? I got bitched by some Primark wearing skank in my own office!"
"She called you fat?" Pete laughed, letting his eyes trail down her body. She'd barely put on a stone when she was having Poppy and what she had put on had dropped off as soon as the stress of having a new born baby in the house had kicked in.
Sliding his hands around her slender hips, Pete shook his head and leant down to kiss her, teasing her as he ran his tongue over her bottom lip.
"She's just jealous," Pete told her, alternating between sucking her top and bottom lip into his mouth. "I think you look gorgeous," he whispered to her, earning himself a 100 watt smile.
"Really?" she bit her lip.
"'Course," he grinned, standing up straight and winking at her. "I'd definitely give you one, anyway,"
"Nice," she told him, giving him the thumbs up as he dragged her through to the living room.
Her eyes landed on the younger man standing next to Benjamin, the smart striped t-shirt worn under his black cardigan contrasted against his bright blue trainers as he smirked at her, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
Despite resembling his brother, he lacked the classic handsomeness which seemed to come with age in the Ellis family, instead choosing to openly gawk at her whilst Benjamin sat back and shook his head, watching the disaster unfold.
"Hey," Allie smiled at him, frowning slightly when he literally swaggered towards her, the devil may care smile on his lips reminding her of a certain arrogant hooligan she had met on a train four years back.
"Hey right back at cha," he winked, holding out his hand. "Chris Ellis,"
"Oh," Allie laughed, glancing at Benjamin who winked at her. "Hey, Pete told me you were coming down to London but I didn't realise you'd be here," she smiled. "How're you doing?"
"What?" Chris shook his head, his smiling dimming somewhat.
"Well, its just London can be a pretty scary place especially when you've just graduated," she let go of his hand. "How're you finding it?"
"You're not the nanny are you?" Chris asked her, shaking his head in disgust when he actually felt his brother shaking next to him, trying to hold his laughter in.
"Uh," Allie laughed and frowned at Pete. "No, I'm…"
"Sorry, mate," Pete interrupted, smirking at the kid who was looking everywhere but back at him. "This is my wife, Allie,"
"You cunts," he muttered loud enough for only Benjamin to hear. The older Ellis brother instantly started laughing, wiping tears from his eyes as he watched the younger man turn red.
"Did I miss something?" Allie looked around at the three of them.
"Nah, darlin'," Benjamin shook his head. "Only the uh…what was it Chris? The opportunity of a lifetime?"
"I hate you all," Chris shoved his brother's chest hard, knocking him back onto the sofa beside Swill.
"What'd they do to you?" Allie smiled at him.
"Its more what he would have done to you, sweetheart!" Benjamin laughed.
"He thought you were the nanny," Pete told her with a smirk. "And started rantin' on like some little tart about how he was gonna pull you,"
Allie bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling and turned to look at the dark haired man who was still shaking his head as he stared down at the ground.
"So is it a bit of a pain in the arse?" Chris asked her. "Y'know, being married to Satan and all?"
Pete laughed, playfully pinching the younger man's cheek and went back to reclaim his seat in front of Bovver, picking up his game pad and reaching behind him blindly to grab Poppy's foot making her squeal happily.
"It has its moments," Allie winked at him. "If it makes you feel better one of the girls who actually is a nanny is hot as hell,"
"Really?" Chris and Pete asked her at the same time.
Ignoring Chris, Allie frowned at her husband.
"What?" Pete grinned at her, winking playfully. "It's not like she'll be fitter than you,"
"Nice save," she snorted, throwing a cushion at his head and bending over the back of the couch to scoop up Poppy who screeched happily when she saw who it was.
"Hey cutie," Allie smiled at her as her chubby little hands went straight to her necklace. "You wanna come meet some nice people?"
Agreeing with whatever babble was coming out of her daughter's mouth, she smiled and walked over to the table by the window, picking up the applications and sitting down at the desk with Poppy on her knee.
The infant became instantly enthralled by the bits of paper and grabbed at them with sticky hands.
"Hey, Casanova!" Allie called over to Chris with a laugh. "Fancy helping me sort through this lot?"
"Do I have to make steady, serious decisions?" he asked her warily.
"Nope," she smiled back, holding up a photo of a rather snooty looking redhead. "But I'll let you look at the pretty pictures,"
"I'm sold," Chris grinned, jumping over the sofa and coming to sit beside her, scooping the pile of papers over to his side of the desk and causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"What?" he shrugged. "I have to get a feel of them first…you know a persons looks can say an awful lot about them,"
"Really?" Allie laughed.
"Oh absolutely," Chris frowned. "You for example are a fully fledged MILF,"
"MILF?" Allie shook her head, obviously confused.
"Mother I'd like to Fu-,"
"I get it," she laughed, holding up her hand to stop him. "That's sweet…in a very creepy way,"
"Then we have my brother," Chris leant back and smirked at Benjamin who was pretending not to listen. "The hair products, the fancy watch…it screams closet gay,"
"Yeah, well we'll see who's the closet gay when I dig out the old home movies of you wearing mum's clothes, won't we darlin'?" Benjamin called to him over his shoulder.
"Sticks and stones, gay boy," he smirked back. "Sticks and stones,"
Suddenly the doorbell rang, bringing their playful conversation to a stop. Allie groaned and dropped her head down onto Poppy's shoulder, laughing when her daughter smacked her in the eye.
"Ready to go and be a grown up?" Pete's voice broke her out of her trance and she lifted her head to see him standing above her, a soft smile gracing his more than handsome face.
"Do we have to?" she grumbled. "I can bring her to work with me," Allie lifted Poppy onto her chest and smiled at her. "You wanna come stay at Vogue with mummy? Or you can tag along with daddy...we can alternate days, she'll end up being the world's smartest toddler,"
Poppy chattered excitedly scrambling up so that she was leaning over Allie's shoulder, giggling to herself as she looked down at the floor.
"Come on," Pete kissed her hair, slinging his arm around her shoulders and walking her to the door. "It's just an interview, alright? We don't 'ave to hire anyone today,"
They stopped abruptly when Chris jumped in front of them, straightening his cardigan and winking at Poppy who lunged forward to capture his bracelet once again.
"You two chill for a little while longer," he told them. "I'll go get the door for you,"
"You're a right crafty bastard, aren't you?" Pete laughed.
"I learn from the best," Chris winked, saluting his brother who merely shook his head in mild disgust before jogging out into the hallway.
"How many people are coming today?" Pete asked, kissing Poppy's hand and making her smile.
"Um…" Allie squinted at the papers on the table. "8,"
Pete groaned loudly and looked over at the boys who were still playing playstation, a forlorn expression on his face. Allie giggled and playfully poked his stomach; he looked like he was ten seconds away from pouting and stamping his foot.
"Come on, Dunham," she took his hand, dragging him along behind her.
"You better make this worth my while later," he whispered playfully, nipping her ear.
"Oh I will," she smiled, turning to face him and biting her lip, knowing that it always got him. "At least three times,"
"Make it five and we've got a deal," he smirked, kissing her again.
Poppy hit him on the nose as though knowing he was having bad thoughts and he pulled away, smiling down at her little face as she stared up at him, blinking slowly.
"I'll behave," he told her, holding up his hands and moving away from Allie.
Turning into the foyer, they stopped, holding in their laughter as they watched Chris chat to the redhead who had been in the photograph, smiling broadly at her and saying something to make her giggle.
"So we're getting our daughter a nanny and getting him laid all in one go," Allie nodded to herself. "I think we've done our fair share of good deeds for the day,"
"Yeah, well he can 'ave her if he wants," Pete eyed the redhead warily. Even though it had been him who had convinced Allie that this was a good idea, he had to admit that lately the idea of leaving his daughter with a near stranger wasn't all that appealing.
"Come on," Allie kissed him again quickly. "Let's just get this over with so then we can relax,"
"You've got a deal, Dunham," he nodded, shaking his head at Chris as they walked over. "I just hope this gets done fast," he whispered so only she could hear him. "The last thing we need right now is to 'ave some pain in the arse bird fuck everything up,"
Staring down at the spilt beer on the floor of the tube, the tall brunette pressed her hands together between her knees in a last desperate attempt to generate some warmth in them.
It was nearing November and she'd forgotten how bitterly cold London got this time of year; not that living down in Bath had been much different. The first signs of a frost clung to the night air tinting even the palest of cheeks a rosy hue.
Kicking her feet against the small duffel bag which she was ashamed to say contained all of her earthly belongings, she looked around the half empty compartment and sighed, waiting for the familiar squeak of the brakes as the train pulled into Barking station.
Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she stepped out onto the platform, grimacing as the stale air made warm by the swarm of commuters bustling about her brushed against her frozen face. Starting up towards the upper platform, she caught sight of a group of lads probably no older than her turning the corner and coming to walk along side her.
Instantly she was on edge, just as she had been growing up around her and reached into her pocket, withdrawing her keys and shoving them through her fingers, ready to strike should any of them try anything.
Letting out a sigh of relief when they shuffled past her, she blew a long strand of almost poker straight chestnut hair out of her eyes and came to a stop before the road she knew all too well.
Disappearing down to the south for three years didn't take away your knowledge of London; especially the knowledge she had. Taking the shortcut which led to Kildare Road, she travelled quickly, her Sketchers squelching hazardously against the soggy ground, the street lamps faint glow guiding her down past the row of houses she knew from memory.
"Red door, blue door, yellow door, green door," she smiled, counting them until she came to the tall, slightly crummy looking building still complete with overgrown rose bushes out the front.
Shoving the gate open, she winced as it creaked loudly, disturbing the otherwise silent street.
Grinning when she saw that the door was on the latch, she pushed through it, smiling to herself as the smell of food and warmth enveloped her.
Aware of how weary her legs were after travelling all day, the elevator looked mighty tempting; however her urge to simply get upstairs and flop down on the sofa won it over and before she knew it she was pounding her way up the staircase, one hand gripping the banister while the other held onto her bag.
The faded blue door called out to her like a homing beacon and she smiled, already giddy with the promise of the bear hug she knew she was bound to get.
Knocking on the door, she glanced down at her watch and winced having not realised just how late it was.
What if he was asleep or worse…had company? Remembering all the times she had spent her back in the day when she would have to bury her head under a pillow so as not to hear anything that would put her in therapy in later life, she grimaced.
Wrinkling her nose at the thought, she took a deep breath, butterflies breaking out in her stomach as she heard footsteps approaching the door.
It swung open a second later, revealing a man she hadn't seen before, his dark hair sticking up in all directions, his bright blue eyes fogged with sleep as he blinked at the mysterious brunette stood in the hallway staring at him as though he had disturbed her.
"Can I help you?" Matt croaked out, watching as her dark green eyes drifted down to the West Ham crest on his chest, her heated gaze making him wish he had thought to pull on a shirt before clambering out of bed.
"Where's Pete?" she asked, her voice louder and more clipped than he had expected.
"What?" he shook his head.
"Pete," she spoke slowly as though talking to an animal or some kind of retard. "Where is he?"
"He doesn't…" Matt frowned and looked the girl up and down, taking in her tight black jeans and baggy blue sweater over which she wore what he assumed was a man's jacket. "I'm sorry but who are you exactly?"
"Me?" she snorted, dropping her back onto the floor and folding her arms over her chest. "I'm Natalie Dunham," she raised an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you?"
'Ello, 'ello...what's all this then? I'll be leaving you till suday/monday to pond over just who this little lady might be and then you only get one more update before I bugger off on holiday again. hehe. :) So as this is my penultimate submission for over a week please make my day and leave a nice review ;) xx