Hiya, thanks as always for the wonderful support for this fic, and enduring patience for the length of time between updates! So, to recap, Sandra and Rob have just said 'I do' *squeals in delight that after three months of story time and nine months realtime we finally got there.* Nick is my OC replacement for Brian, Carrie for Sandra. This is damning evidence that I was totally intending to finish this story before either of them left :/. Anyway, if Him and Her can make a whole series out of a wedding and reception, I can completely justify splitting the reception into two parts… here is the first – enjoy! Jessie xx
The Big Goodbye. Part One.
Sandra laughed as Rob pretended to hesitate in passing her a glass of buck's fizz on their arrival at the small gathering they had organised in their much loved haunt by way of reception. Taking the glass she turned with him to the rest of their group. Carrie and Nick were among those who had joined them in the pub. Looking around, she was convinced that half the people who had suddenly turned up were only there to satisfy the rumour mill at the station.
"How was the ceremony?" Nick asked politely.
"With this ring, I promise to care for you, to protect you, to love you. With this ring, I thee wed."
Rufus rolled his eyes. It was nearly over, that was something at any rate. Over. There was a thought to strike him at this moment, he thought. His dad clearly loved the woman standing in front of them. Even though he was saying the soppiest words known to man right now. Squinting slightly, Rufus could see something of beauty he supposed. Blonde hair, probably dyed, or at least lightened. Blue eyes, darker than his dad's or his sister's. She had a fairly pretty face, old though. Sort of like a squirrel. Would it last more than the nine years that had lasted with his mother?
"Congratulations," someone whom she was sure she'd never met passed Sandra and complemented her dress.
Catching Rob's eye once more, she smiled politely and permitted the strange woman to engage her in conversation for a few minutes before the next stranger approached and the woman excused herself. It felt like something a little out of panto for the next hour or so in which she completely lost Rob in the crowd of well-wishers and started to feel hungry.
Mia was the first to the buffet table. After nearly twenty minutes of standing about with nothing to do but juggle a baby and a drink between her hands, she returned her empty glass to the bar and hovered feeling very out of place. She didn't generally wear dresses, hadn't been part of any large social gathering since leaving school and hardly knew anyone there anyway. Grace and Esther were deep in conversation with each other; Rufus seemed to be chatting up a pretty red-head much older than him and so far out of his league that if she hadn't felt like crying, she'd probably have laughed; Sandra appeared in view every so often like a horse on a carousel; her dad had vanished completely and her aunt was flirting outrageously with one of the men from UCOS who looked decidedly uneasy. Looking about, she edged closer to the table and inspected the offerings. It was a simple spread; sausage rolls, quiche, sandwiches, chips, those strange puff-pastry things…
"Mia, isn't it?"
Mia turned to see two women also eyeing up the food. The brown-haired woman she recognised as Carrie Grant, the detective who was replacing Sandra at work, from when she'd arrived with the other man from UCOS. She was accompanied by a blonde, not much younger, who'd spoken to her with a soft London accent.
"Yes," she smiled.
"Paula," the blonde answered the curious look and smiled back. "Gerry's daughter."
"Oh, right, yeah," Mia nodded.
"I'm Carrie," the other woman added to the awkward introductions before laughing. "I like your dress. And you must be Bella."
Bella nodded solemnly. Mia giggled. "Yes, Bella, this is Carrie and Paula, they're friends of Granpops and Nana, say hello."
Bella made an unimpressed sound which might have been 'hello' or 'I'm busy' and chuckled.
"Would it be really bad form to nick a sausage roll?" Carrie asked while Paula bit back a barrage of laughter at the idea of Sandra as 'nana'. "I'm starving!"
"I'll ask my dad," Mia grinned having just spotted her dad give the universal sign for 'get-me-out-of-this-conversation-at-whatever-cost-jeepers-if-I-was-superman-I-could-just-pretend-I-needed-to-go-but-I'm-just-a-bloke-stuck-talking-to-a-banker' in her direction. "Think he needs rescuing anyway!"
Shifting Bella on her hip, she smiled and waved at her dad who gratefully nodded and made polite excuses whilst gesturing toward her. Rolling his eyes he crossed the room and let out a low whistle. "Thanks, love. Geez… can he talk. This all looks good, not tucking in ladies?"
"We weren't sure we were allowed," Mia told him, noticing several approaching bids for her father's attention.
He frowned. "Sure you are, tuck in. Have you seen Sandra?" Receiving shrugs in reply he continued. "Grab us a couple of sausage rolls, I bet she's starving by now. Oh great," in glancing behind him to try and spot his wife he'd clocked the several office bores heading in his direction. "Best dash. I need to stop your brother from making a fool of himself with your sister."
Paula laughed as she passed him the plate that Mia had put a few items on. They watched as Rob pretended to duck in the first stage of his trek back into the throngs before hungry eyes drew them back to the table. "Right ladies," Carrie announced. "Last one to the scotch eggs…?"
"Marion," Sandra approached Rob's sister with less trepidation now that she was in the role of rescuing one of her boys from the woman's peculiar antics. In some circles her behaviour might be considered… no, wait, in all circles, inappropriate. Besides, she had a bet on with Gerry. "I see you've met Nick? Nick, is your lovely Dee here yet?"
Nick shook his head like a five year old and gratefully slipped away while the older woman's attention was momentarily distracted by Sandra's arrival then diverted as Sandra started talking about what might have been the weather for all he cared. Brushing the shiver of discomfort off, he spotted Steve at the bar and headed toward the thankful safe ground. Admittedly, he wasn't expecting Steve to be all that great company; the Scot's current tendency to hate all romance following his break-up with Charlie didn't bode well for wedding reception talk. However, after what felt like half his life being chatted up badly by some aging drag-queen, he could do worse. Unlike Rob's son who, as Nick passed, was watching a girl way older than him walk away shaking her head and laughing.
"Did you see any of that?" Steve asked as his colleague took a seat at the bar and he signalled for two drinks. "That lad is way out of his league!"
"Who's the girl?" Nick asked.
"Gerry's youngest," Steve informed him, passing him a drink and paying the barman.
"Where is Gerry?" Nick looked around, realising that he hadn't seen Gerry in the time he'd been at the pub.
"Girl talk," Steve laughed pointing to where Gerry and one of his exes, was it Carole?, was attempting to rescue Sandra from Rob's sister.
"It's like something out of Pride and Prejudice," a familiar hand found its favourite place on Nick's back.
Nick grinned and swivelled in his seat to greet his partner with a kiss on the cheek. Turning to Steve's slightly bewildered expression he swallowed back his laughter and simply said, "Steve McAndrews, Dee Mitchell. I work with Steve, I sleep with Dee."
"Aye, I'm sure…" Steve nodded too quickly. "Pleased to meet you."
Nick turned to the barman and ordered Dee a drink. One down… he thought. He'd been nervous, with his own good reasons, about introducing Dee to the team. UCOS, he'd quickly discovered, was a family as well as an office. They all knew each other and each other's families. Well, Dee was his family. Tall, slender and very attractive. They worked well together, Dee was younger than him, but that didn't matter to them.
"Ah, here's Gerry," Steve couldn't help the elated feeling that Gerry owed him several drinks. "Gerry, come here pal. Let me introduce you, this is the mysterious Dee!"
Gerry started. Luckily Sandra was right behind him, having escaped her sister-in-law at last. "Bloody hell, Nick you owe me a drink from saving you. Gerry, I think I owe you one! Sorry, hi…?"
"Sandra, your girls are beautiful," Carrie also joined them at the bar, empty glasses in hand. "Alright boys?"
Nick glanced around the company. Here they were, his new family, meeting his family. Steve was clearly trying not to laugh very hard and very loudly. Possibly at the expression on Gerry's face which was akin to a man who has just had a shovel of ice-cubes thrown down the neck of his shirt. Sandra and Carrie were beginning to show signs of politely dawning comprehension as they too noted the signs of Gerry losing a bet. Several bets. At once.
"May I introduce you?" Nick asked with his best nothing-to-see-here voice. "My boss, DI Carrie Grant, Gerry Standing, my soon-to-be-ex-boss and lady who thought everyone else might come in fancy dress but seems to have been let down, Mrs. Sandra Strickland. Everyone, this is my partner, Dee. Darren."