The Honeymoon's Over

[Red Ranger 1]

Big thanks for all your comments.Wrote this one in a bit of a hurry, hope you like it.

CHAPTER 11

Irene stood at the front of the church next to the coffin.She had been sitting with Bianca and Liam in the front pew;behind them were Dexter, Sid and Indi;Xavier, John and Gina;Leah, Charlie, Romeo and Ruby; Alf, Miles, Roo, Nicole, Ric and Matilda.The church was full of April’s old friends:from school, from university, from her groups.

“Bianca’s asked me to say a few words on behalf of, well, all of us,”Irene explained,“We didn’t know April for that long, just a few years.I think most of us remember her as a kind-hearted girl, as someone who always stood up for what she believed in, who tried to make things better.I guess none of us knew just how much that cost her, deep down.I hope she can see us now, see how many people cared about her, how many are gonna miss her.We might have left it a bit late to show her but…I hope she knows.”

Bianca spoke quietly to Liam.“This isn’t right, us doing this.Neither of her parents bothered to show up. Mum sent flowers.Her dad’s PA sent flowers.Couldn’t they care just once?”

Liam said nothing, just gripping her hand tightly.

Elijah stepped forward.“Thank you, Irene.”He turned to the congregation.“Our Lord has taken our sister April into his eternal care and we now give up her body to be cremated, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.Amen.”

As the group were leaving the church, Dexter slipped away from his family, heading towards a face he’d picked out among the congregation.“Hey, Casey!”

Casey stopped and smiled at him.“Hey, Dex.”

“Thanks for coming.Er, how did you know about this?”As far as Dexter was aware, no-one had spoken to Casey since he’d left town the previous year, after he and Ruby broke up.

“Facebook.”

“Oh.”Dexter glanced around, noticing how many people seemed to be watching him.“Are you here for long?”

“Well, I’m staying with some old friends so I’ll be around for a few days.”

“You got time for a catch up now?I don’t really need people checking on me to see how depressed I am.”

Casey nodded.“I know a bar where no-one will know us, let’s go.”

Nearby, Romeo and Ruby’s attention was focused on Xavier, who was sat on some steps.“Talk to him,” Ruby hissed.

“Are you sure?”Romeo asked.

“I think he’d like it.”

Romeo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.He gave Ruby a quick kiss, then released her hand and headed over to Xavier.“Do you want to talk?”he asked.Xavier looked round at him, his expression neutral. “Or you could just knock me down those steps if it’ll make you feel better.”

Xavier nodded to the space next to him.“Sit down.”

Romeo crouched down by him.“I know this must be hard for you.I mean, I know I’d feel upset if it was one of my exes, Annie or…”

“Or Indi?”Xavier prompted.Romeo nodded, grateful Xavier had broached the awkwardness.“Did you hear we split up?”

“Nic mentioned it.”

“I miss her,”Xavier noted,“April, I mean.Just having her as a friend, spending time with her, being able to share a joke or confide in her…I don’t think I realised how much that meant.And…I miss Indi too.I miss being her boyfriend.”

Romeo didn’t know what to say so instead he placed a comforting hand on Xavier’s shoulder.Xavier looked at it for a moment, then smiled at him.

Casey put a beer down in front of Dexter.“Here, drink up.”

Dexter looked at it uncertainly.“I’m not really one for the alcohol.”

“You’ve just buried your girlfriend.Drink it.”

Dexter took a long sip and screwed his face up.“You actually drink this?”Casey shrugged.“So, you know what’s been happening in my life, what have you been up to?”

“I dunno, this and that.I headed north up the coast, got a job as a lifeguard.The pay’s not bad and the boss thinks I’m doing a good job.”

“You been seeing anyone?”

“I was for a while but we went our separate ways.”

“What was she called?”

Casey gave a slight smile.“Mark.”

“Really?You don’t get many girls called that…Oh!”Dexter looked at Casey in surprise.“You?Really?” Casey gave a nonchalant shrug.“When did you work that out?”

“Pretty much as soon as I set eyes on him, although I tried to pretend it wasn’t happening for a while.But he’d obviously got his gaydar on ’cos he kept flirting with me and in the end I thought ‘What the hell?’ Pretty glad my brothers never found out, though.I’d ask about you but…”

“We slept together.”

It took Casey a few seconds to piece the revelation together.“You and April?”

Dexter nodded.“A few weeks before she died.I thought…I thought it was something special, I thought we were getting closer and then…I guess she had all these feelings I didn’t know about and it all just makes it seem kind of meaningless.”

“Okay…you know what happened between me and Ruby?Well…I guess I loved her a lot more than she loved me.But…as far as I’m concerned, when we slept together, that was something special.For me, anyway.And I still feel the same way about it, even knowing she didn’t feel the same way.That feeling you had about April, the way you loved her?Don’t let anyone take that away from you.”

Romeo found Ruby at the computer when he got home.“How’s Xav?”she asked.

“Yeah, I think he’s feeling a bit better.We kind of rebonded.”Romeo looked at her focused activity for a while longer before asking,“What are you looking at?”

“Facebook.You heard Casey found out about April from that?”

“Yeah.What are you doing?”

Ruby put on her most cherubic smile.“I’m doing something nice for Nicole.”

Romeo looked at her, worried.“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Hey, have you ever known me do something daft?”She put a finger on his lips before he could reply. “Rhetorical question.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for the comments.Managed to get another update done, hope you like it.

CHAPTER 12

Romeo could hear Ric and Mattie’s voices outside the garage.“Ask him,”Mattie was saying.

“Are you sure?”Ric asked.

“I think he’d be great.”

Romeo stepped outside.“Ah, I’ve finished that oil change.What do you want me to do next?”

Ric checked his watch.“Get those overalls off and grab your wallet,”he replied,“We’re going for a drink.”

Romeo had found a table while Ric went to the bar, returning with a tray with two drinks on it.“Drink up,” he told him.

Romeo accepted his glass of coke carefully, noticing Ric’s pint of beer.“What’s that?Dutch courage? You’re not going to sack me, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m going to offer you a promotion.”

Romeo thought about this.“There’s only the two of us work there.If I get promoted, I’ll be your boss.”

“No, not at the garage…”Ric took a deep breath.“Okay, you remember Lucas isn’t coming.And Drew’s off back packing somewhere so he won’t be able to make it.So…I realise being third choice isn’t exactly flattering but would you be my best man?”

Romeo looked surprised.“Wouldn’t you rather have someone you’ve known longer?”

“Not really, I mean, we’re close mates.I get that it’s only two weeks away and it’s a bit short notice…”

“Well, no, I’d be glad to do it.”

“Really?”Ric clapped him on the shoulder.“Cheers, mate.”He looked over to where Mattie, Nicole and Ruby had just entered the bar and beckoned the three girls over.“Romeo’s agreed to be best man!”

Mattie smiled.“And these two are going to be bridesmaids.”

“Awww, we’re going to be best man and bridesmaid together!”Ruby sat on Romeo’s knee and kissed him enthusiastically.

“Well, I guess that’s the best man/bridesmaid dance sorted,”Ric noted.He looked at Nicole.“Unless you wanted to..?”

“Dance with Romeo?That would be a bit weird.Guess I’ll have to get used to being the bridesmaid and not the bride.”

“You never know,”Ruby interjected,“By then…”She caught Romeo’s warning glance and coughed slightly.“Um, you might meet someone at the wedding.”

It was in another bar, several hours later, that Xavier, Dexter and Casey were sat around a table.Dexter looked around awkwardly.“Do you really think we should be doing this?”

“Hey, I’m not here for long,”Casey reminded him,“We aren’t gonna have many opportunities to hang.”

“Yeah, I get all that but…well, it’s not long since we, you know, said goodbye to April.”

“She’d want you to enjoy yourself,”Casey insisted,“Right, Xav?”

Xavier hesitated for a moment and then nodded.“Yeah, she’d want you to be happy.”He picked up one of the shots he’d somehow managed to line up in front of him.“To April.She wasn’t perfect but we loved her all the same.”

“To April,”Dexter and Casey echoed with slight awkwardness.Xavier downed his shot.

“Dude, are you all right?”Dexter asked.

“Yeah, fine,”Xavier confirmed before suddenly contorting his face into a look of frustration,“How could she think we’d be better off with her not being here?That she wasn’t worth anything?She was worth ten of me.No girlfriend, no smarts…I’m a lifeguard!”

“I’m a lifeguard,”Casey reminded him.

“Yeah but you’re a cool lifeguard.The sort that runs down a beach in slow motion and rescues people and has everyone pretending they’re drowning so they get mouth to mouth.”He paused.“Which I have never done.”

“That’s not what Ruby told me once,”Casey mused,“She said there was this time when you first came to the Bay…”

“You’re even gay!”Xavier interrupted,“That’s cool too!I wish I could be gay but I like girls too much.”He downed another shot.Then passed out across the table.

Dexter stared at him for several seconds before looking at Casey.“Do we take him home or do we just ignore him and keep drinking?”

“Are you sure we should be doing this?”Casey asked as he and Dexter lowered Xavier onto the couch at the beach house.

“Well, if we take him to my place my dad would ask too many questions,”Dexter replied,“And I don’t know where you live.”

“Why don’t we just take him home?”

“Do you want to explain to Gina how he got into this state?”

“Good point.”Casey looked around.“All the same, are you sure here’s all right?”

“Yeah, Irene and Bianca are away.They want to scatter April’s ashes at some place she and Bianca went on holiday once.They invited me along but I wasn’t really in the mood for morbid.”

Casey looked at him sympathetically.“Are you sure you’re all right though?I don’t want you to end up writing yourself off like Xav.”

“I’m cool.Really.”Dexter’s tone wasn’t entirely convincing.“Confused, not really sure how to react and feeling a bunch of new emotions that I’m trying to give names to but cool.”He nodded towards Xavier.“I’d better stay here and keep an eye on him in case he wakes up and wants to go for a swim.You head off.”

“Okay.I’ll try and see you again before I go.”Casey paused for a moment and then kissed Dexter on the lips.

Dexter looked at him bemused for a moment.“What was that for?”

Casey shrugged.“You looked like you needed it.”

“So, that’s what you do now you’re gay?If a guy’s looking down, you kiss him?”

“No.Only the cute ones.”Casey grinned and headed out the door.

Dexter looked after him for a few seconds before looking at Xavier.“Casey thinks I’m cute.”Xavier snored.“Well you’re no use.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Many thanks for your comments, hope you like this one.

CHAPTER 13

Nicole and Ruby hurried downstairs and struck a dramatic pose in the living room.“Ta-da!”Nicole announced as they showed off their bridesmaids dresses.They were both wearing peach coloured outfits, full length but fitted to flatter their figures.

“Oh, very nice,”Roo noted, feeling the material,“You’ve really made a good choice here, Mattie.”

“Thanks, Roo,”Matilda answered.

“Er, yeah, they’re very nice,”Ric agreed.He and Romeo were sat nearby, looking slightly bemused.

Matilda shot him a withering glance.“Seriously, I don’t know why you’re here, you’re always rubbish at helping choose dresses.”

“Hey, I’m not allowed to see you in your dress,”Ric reminded her,“This is as close as I can get.”

“And I’m just here for the view,”Romeo added.

“Well, there’s plenty to see at the moment,”Ruby noted, feeling her stomach.She was now four months gone and her pregnancy was starting to become obvious.

“You should worry,”Matilda observed.A month further along than Ruby, her curve was even more pronounced.“I have to give the dress maker new measurements every week.”

Ric got up and put an arm round her shoulder, kissing her on the side of the head.“Hey.You three are going to make the most beautiful bridal party ever.”

“Maybe I should pad this dress out and we could claim it’s a new fashion?”Nicole suggested.The other two raised their eyebrows at her.“Or maybe not.”

Indi came out of the Diner kitchen and stopped when she saw Xavier standing at the counter.They both looked at each other awkwardly for a moment.“I didn’t know you had a shift today,”Xavier said at last.

Indi nodded.“I swapped with Leah.”She saw Xavier continue to stare at her, unsure what to say.“Mocha, one sugar?”

It was enough to snap Xavier out of his trance.“Please.”

As Indi set about his order, she was reminded of Dexter’s comment that day the four of them had been on the beach, about how she knew what Xavier liked.It seemed a lifetime ago.She pushed the memory to the back of her mind.“You a bit worse for wear?Dexter said you drank a lot last night.”

“Yeah, I guess I just had to blow off some steam.”

“Well, it’s understandable.I mean, with everything that’s happened.”She passed him his coffee.

Xavier took it from her and held out the money for it.“I wasn’t going back to April, you know.I mean, even if she wasn’t…even if she hadn’t done what she did, I wasn’t going back to her.”

Indi suddenly found she couldn’t meet his gaze, couldn’t answer.She just took the money from his hand. “Is that all, sir?”

Xavier gave a sigh of disappointment.“I’ll see you around.”

Ruby had settled herself at the computer as soon as she and Romeo got home.“I’ve got a reply,”she told him.

Romeo looked at her cautiously.“What are you going to do?”

“Arrange a meeting, I suppose.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?Nicole might not thank you.”

Ruby pressed a couple of buttons.“Done now.Have to see what he says.”She saw Romeo slump down onto the sofa and sat down beside him.“Okay, let’s talk about something else.Did you hear about Casey being gay?”

“Yeah, bit of a shocker.”

“I can’t believe I did that to him.”

Romeo looked at her, bemused.“You did that?”

“Well, think about it.I was his first proper girlfriend and I cheated on him.Is it any wonder that he’s given up on girls?”

“Or maybe he decided sex with you was so good no other girl could come close?”

Ruby glared at him.“Okay, now you’re just making fun.”

Romeo looked at her seriously.“Well, it’s kinda how I feel.”

Ruby’s expression softened as she felt her heart melt under his gaze.“Yeah but that’s you, I mean, us.If you talk to Casey or Xavier or Geoff…”She noticed Romeo’s eyebrow rising with each name.“The list isn’t that long, okay? What I mean is, I loved them all in a way and things were pretty good between us but… sleeping with them never felt like it does when I’m with you and…Why are you unbuttoning my blouse?”

Romeo hastily withdrew his hand.“Sorry, I just thought this was leading somewhere.”

Ruby smiled and kissed him, then took him by the hand.“Okay, let’s go and test the theory.”

Casey placed the last of his bags in the back of his car and paused, taking in his surroundings one last time. Then he moved to get into the driving seat.

“Waaaaiiiiittttt!”

The word was dragged out to an elongated sound.Casey turned to face the source of it and saw Dexter pounding down the road towards him.He skidded to a halt in front of him and bent double, breathing heavily, for a few seconds before straightening up.“You were gonna leave without saying goodbye?”

Casey shrugged awkwardly.“I thought things might be a bit…you know, difficult.After last night.”

“What, because you pashed me?”

“That was not a pash,”Casey said firmly,“It was just a kind of lingering peck.”He still wasn’t entirely sure why Dexter was there.“So, we’re good?”

“Yeah, yeah.Just came to wish you luck.You know, say goodbye properly.”Dexter hesitated for a moment then lunged at Casey and kissed him.This time the kiss did more than linger, continuing for several seconds as they both explored the touch.Then they softly pulled apart.

“Okay, that was a pash,”Casey decided,“Um..?”

Dexter shrugged casually.“Wanted to know what it felt like.Wasn’t really paying attention the first time round.”

“Right.Well, erm, I’ll be on my way…”

“Can I have your number?”Dexter blurted out.

Casey looked at him.“Why?”

“In case I, you know, want to call you.”

Casey took Dexter’s mobile from him and typed a number into it.He handed it back with a shy smile that made Dexter’s heart beat in a curious fashion.“I hope I hear from you.”

“I hope you do too.”

Casey got in the car and drove away.Dexter looked after him with a warm sense of satisfaction…for a few seconds before he began to analyse the conversation they’d just had and his expression switched to one of puzzlement.“Okay.Now I’m really confused.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for all the comments.Hope you like this chapter.

CHAPTER 14

Ruby checked her watch again.She’d been waiting in the park for half an hour since she’d made the appointment and it was reaching the stage when she needed to leave, if she was going to catch a bus back to Summer Bay.She was beginning to wonder if agreeing to meet in the city had been a good idea, but then he wouldn’t agree to anything else.

Then she saw him, looking around uncertainly.She stood up and waved to him.“Over here, Aden.”

Aden saw her.Without smiling or waving back, he came and sat down next to her.“So, er, what have you been up to?”

Ruby gave a slight smile and patted her baby bump.

“Really?I thought you’d just put on weight.Anyone I know?”

“Romeo.”

Aden nodded.“So what’s this all about?”

“Nicole.”

Aden’s head snapped round at the mention of her name.“Is she all right?”

“Yeah, yeah.Except…she’s lonely.I think she has been ever since you left.”Ruby noted Aden’s muted behaviour.“What about you?”

“Well, I’m not with anyone else if that’s what you mean.”

“Do you still think about her?”

Aden was silent for a moment “Sometimes,”he admitted at last,“I think…what if we hadn’t broken up, what if we were still together.What my life would be like.”

“Then…”

“But I still think about Belle too,”he continued,“What would have happened if she’d never died, if we were still married, if we had kids.So I’m not really thinking about Nicole, am I?Because if Belle was still alive, we’d be together.Nicole deserves more than being second choice.”

Ruby wondered how she could get through to him.“Aden, when you think about you and Nicole being together, are the two of you happy?”

Aden hesitated and then nodded.“Yeah, we are.”

“Then the rest of it doesn’t matter, does it?If there’s a way for you both to be happy, who cares about all the other what ifs?”Ruby could see Aden wasn’t convinced.“Look, I love Charlie and I’m glad she’s my mum.But I still think about my other mum sometimes.What she’d think of me if she was still here, how much I want to tell her something, how much I wish she could see her grandchild.But I’m not gonna push away the people I’ve got now because of that.”She got to her feet.“If you got in touch with Nicole, I know she’d love to hear from you.Just think about it.”

Ruby hurried into the back of the room where Romeo was crouched on the floor next to Ric and Matilda. “Sorry I’m late,”she whispered a bit too loudly.

Nurse Julie was at the front of the room, heading up the antenatal class.“Right!”she called,“If you’re all here, then we can begin.Ladies, I want you to sit in front of your partners.Partners, I want you to put your arms around their waists.”

“Where have you been?”Matilda hissed to Ruby as they all complied with the instructions.

“I went to the city,”Ruby explained quietly.

“She was doing Nic a favour,”Romeo added.

“Massage their stomachs, nice and slowly,”Julie continued, ignoring the whispering at the back,“Right, ladies, now I want you to lie on your sides.Left side or right side, whichever you find most comfortable. Partners, I want you to massage their backs.You can lie down as well if you like, whatever position you find easiest.”

Matilda and Ruby lay down facing each other.Ric lay down behind Matilda while Romeo propped himself up on one elbow behind Ruby, working the aches and pains out of their girlfriends.“Yeah but what did you do?”Matilda persisted.

“It might not come off,”Ruby replied,“You’ll see if it does.”

“Will you two be quiet?”Ric hissed,“You’ll get us thrown out!”

Ruby looked round and saw Julie glaring sternly at the four of them.“Sorry!”she called in a stage whisper, “We’ll be good!”

Nicole had been upstairs doing her uni revision.She was just putting her books away when she heard the rapping on the door downstairs.“Just coming!”she called out, hurrying down the stairs.She headed into the lounge…and stopped in shock when she saw who was standing in the doorway.“Aden.”

He hovered uncertainly just inside the house.“Nic.”

“What…what are you doing here?”

Aden hesitated for a moment…then grabbed her and kissed her.

For a few seconds, Nicole melted into the kiss, then she pushed him away.“What are you doing?!”

Aden looked stunned at her reaction.“Sorry, I…I thought…”

“You thought what?You could come round here and I’d just fall back into your arms?”

“I dunno, it just seemed like a good place to start.”

“It’s been two years, Aden!Two years and not a word from you!You were a big part of my life for a long time and suddenly there was nothing.”

“No, nothing was what I had,”Aden corrected,“You were my girlfriend, you were the one person in my life I thought I could count on.And then you broke up with me, just like that.What did I have to stay here for?”

“We were friends, Aden!Wasn’t that worth anything?Wasn’t I worth anything?Did you even think about me when you were living your new life?”

Aden looked at her scornfully.“You know, I forgot how high maintenance you are.Thanks for reminding me why I’m better off without you.”He headed for the door.

“Yeah, walk away, Aden!”she shouted after him,“It’s what you’re good at!And don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting for you if you ever feel like dropping in again to shout abuse.Like you could have done at any point in the last two years if you’d bothered to care!”

Aden turned on her angrily.“You have no idea.”

“Well, tell me then!Tell me why you couldn’t come back here!”

“Because I was in jail!”

His face was a picture of shock, as if he couldn’t quite believe he’d just told her.For a moment, Nicole was shocked too.Then she slowly walked over to him and put her arms round him in a hug, pressing her head against his chest.After a few seconds, his arms encircled her in response, his chin resting on top of her head.As they held each other in silence, she found herself wondering just how long it had been since someone had hugged him.

[Red Ranger 1]

Big thanks for all the comments, hope you like this one.

CHAPTER 15

Nicole and Aden had settled on the sofa.“So, what happened?”she asked,“I mean…was it…did you..?”

“I wasn’t innocent, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Then, what were you in for?”

Aden sighed.“Assaulting a police officer.”

Nicole rolled her eyes.“Aden!”

“I know.I guess I was used to having you or your dad or Belle to keep me out of trouble.Justin tried his best but…he was away a lot and I took a job in this bar.I’d been there about three months when one night this fight kicked off.Someone called the police, I was trying to split it up, they turned up and didn’t really know what was going on and one of them tried to arrest me.And…”Aden mimed a punch.

“You hit him?”Nicole asked.Aden nodded.“And they locked you up for that?”

“Judge said a lot of stuff about police being allowed to perform their duty.He gave me six months.”Aden sighed.“There are a lot of things in my life that I wish hadn’t happened but…that’s something I never want to go through again.”

“But…this was a year or so ago, right?What have you been doing since then?”

Aden grinned suddenly.“I got a boat.Took pretty much every cent I had but I’ve got a bit of a charter business going.Nothing fancy but it’s enough to keep a roof over my head.”

“Why didn’t you come back?”

“I guess I didn’t want anyone to know how badly I’d messed up.”

“Aden…”Nicole smiled at him.“I’m proud of you, okay?You made a mess of your life but you managed to turn it around.Trust me, I did exactly the same.”

“You?”Aden looked at her in surprise.“You didn’t..?”

“I didn’t spend any time in the big house, no.”Nicole took a deep breath.“I have a son.”

Aden seemed to freeze, staring at her in shock.“Ruby told me you weren’t seeing anyone.”

“Ruby?”

“Yeah, she tracked me down on Facebook.Said she thought you wanted to see me.”

“Remind me to have words with her.I’m not with anyone, no.His father isn’t around anymore.”

“He walked out on you?”Aden asked angrily.

“‘Isn’t around anymore’ as in dead.”

Aden gave her a look of sympathy.“Nic, I’m…”

“No, it’s good he isn’t in our lives.He was…the latest bad choice in a long line of bad choices.There was only one good thing that came out of it.”

“So where’s..?”Aden stopped.“What’s his name?Your son?”

“George.”

Aden blinked.“Really?”

“Yeah, I let Marilyn name him.There was this whole thing where she was going to look after him and then she wasn’t and it all got a bit messy.”

“Right.So…where’s George now?”

“Leah’s looking after him while I got some revision done.”

Aden paused.“Can I see him?”

Nicole smiled.“Yeah.Yeah, I think we’d both like that.”

Dexter’s hand hovered over the call button for a while before finally pressing it.He heard the ringing at the other end before a voice answered,“Hello?”

“Casey, it’s me!”Dexter blurted out.“Dexter,”he added as an afterthought.

“Hi, Dex, what’s up?”

“Nothing.”Dexter winced.Why hadn’t he thought this through better?“I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“I only left a couple of days ago.”

“I know but…I miss you.”There was a long pause.“Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m still here,”Casey confirmed.

“I just kinda wanted to talk to you, you know, when you call someone up even though you’ve got nothing to say to them because you like talking to them…”Dexter took a deep breath.“This was a bad idea, wasn’t it?”

“No, no,”Casey replied quickly,“I’m glad you called.I was kinda hoping you would.”Dexter was sure he heard a slight hesitation before Casey added,“I wanted to hear your voice too.”

Dexter sat down on his bed crosslegged.“So, should we chat about nothing for a bit?Just so we can hear each other’s voices?”

He heard Casey give a slight laugh.“Yeah, I’d like that.”

George held tightly onto Nicole’s hand as they approached the house.She’d managed to pick him up and get away from Leah with the minimum of fuss;she wasn’t sure what Aden being back meant yet and didn’t want to get into a conversation about it until she knew.

Aden was waiting in the house, looking as nervous as she felt.Was this really the best idea?“George,”she said carefully,“This is my friend Aden.You remember I told you about him on the way home?”

George clung to Nicole, hiding behind her leg.Aden crouched down to his height.“Hey there, George mate.You like being with your mummy, right?”George nodded uncertainly.“Well, I think your mum would like it if you and me were friends.And I’d kind of like that too, hey?Which is why I went out and got you this.”He held out the toy car he’d been holding behind his back.

George cautiously took it from him.He spent a few seconds examining it, turning the wheels around and opening and closing the doors.Then he smiled and gave Aden a hug before toddling off to play with his new toy.

Nicole gave Aden a wry look as he straightened up.“Bribery, huh?”

“Works every time.”

Romeo and Ruby were cuddled up on the couch at home.Ruby kept glancing over at the phone.“Do you think I should call Nicole?”

“What for?”

“Well, to see if Aden’s showed up.”

“Well, if he has and they’re getting on well, then she won’t want you to call her.And if he hasn’t, she’ll wonder what you’re on about.And if he did show up and it’s all gone wrong…”

“Then I’m best off giving her a wide berth,”Ruby agreed.She thought for a moment.“Are you finding these antenatal classes kind of scary?”

“Scary how?”

“Scary as in, it’s made me realise that we’re going to be parents, really soon.You and me.And we’re still so…you know…”

“Young and stupid?”

“Pretty much, yeah.Do you think we’ll be good parents?”

“I reckon we will, yeah.I reckon we’ll love this kid and we’ll want what’s best for it.I reckon it’s going to be pretty lucky.”

Ruby smiled at him.“You know, I knew there was a reason why I fell in love with you.You say the sweetest things.And when this baby’s old enough, he slash she will think the same.”She kissed him lightly.

Charlie came in.“Woah, that’s a sight I’m getting a bit too used to seeing.”

Ruby and Romeo disengaged, blushing slightly.“Anything we can do for you, Charlie?”

“Nope.”Charlie was half in her room, half out as she quickly changed her boots.“Leah and I are going to go round to Bianca’s and see how she is.Don’t know when we’ll we back so don’t stay up too late.”

“You know, soon we’re going to be saying things like that to our kid!”Ruby called as Charlie headed out again,“See what you say then, Grandma!”

Aden checked George was sleeping and pulled the bed covers up over his shoulders, backing out of the room and quietly closing the door.Nicole was waiting on the landing and he smiled at her.“He’s great, Nic. You’re a good mother.I always knew you would be.”

Nicole raised an eyebrow.“Right, so when you first saw me round Dad’s, with the outfits from the fashion mags and the spray tans and the sunglasses and the little car I didn’t actually have a license for, your first thought was ‘Hey, I reckon she’d be a good mum’?”

Aden grinned.“Yeah, I guess we’ve both changed a bit since then.”

“I’m glad you came back here.”

He nodded.“Me too.”He made for the stairs.“I’d better get going.”

Nicole was shocked.“Wait a minute, where are you going?”

“Well, I need to find somewhere to stay, a motel or something, if I’m going to stick around for a bit.”

Nicole hesitated.“You don’t have to,”she said quietly.

Aden came back up the stairs and took her hands.“I want to stick around, okay?”

“No, I mean…you don’t have to find a motel.You could stay here.”

Aden realised what she was saying.“Nic, I…”

She kissed him softly on the lips, letting it linger for a few moments as he responded to the touch.“We know each other well enough by now, don’t we?”

Aden still seemed to hesitate.“Are you sure?”

Nicole nodded and it was all the encouragement he needed.He returned the kiss, gently caressing her, then put his arm around her shoulders as they headed into her bedroom.

[Red Ranger 1]

How did I know you would pair up Aden & Nicole....

Yep.Sorry.Thought I'd got my Naden tendencies out of my system with Deadly Reunion but then when Nicole got pregnant on the show I kept wondering about how Aden would react.Guess it had to end up in one of my stories sooner or later and given I had Nicole still in the Bay this seemed the ideal place.

Thanks to everyone for the comments, hope you like this one.

CHAPTER 16

“More toast,”Miles declared, putting the rack down on the table where Alf, Roo, Ric and Matilda were all sitting.

“I think we’re all full up now,”Roo told him.

“Oh really?More for me then.”

Alf rolled his eyes.“How many have you had already?”

“Don’t know.Haven’t been counting.It’s yummy though.”Miles began chewing on his latest slice.

“Ah, morning, everyone!”interrupted Nicole.Everyone turned to face her and for a moment they froze. Nicole was carrying George…and Aden was stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

“Aden!”Alf exclaimed in surprise.

“Hi, Aden,”Miles noted casually.

“What’s he doing here?”Ric demanded.

“Good to see you too, Dalby,”Aden retorted.

“He’s with me,”Nicole explained with a trace of annoyance,“Is there a problem with that?”

“Well, it would have been nice if you’d let us know we had to set an extra place for breakfast,”Miles remarked airily.

Nicole instantly looked slightly ashamed.“You’re right, I’m sorry.Things happened in a bit of a rush.”

Ric got to his feet, rolling his eyes.“I’m heading to the garage.See you later.”He gave Matilda a quick kiss before sweeping out.

“Ah, help yourself to some toast or cereal, Aden,”Roo advised,“I’m Roo, by the way.”

Aden gave a nod of acknowledgement before heading into the kitchen to collect a bowl and cereal.Matilda followed and stood next to him.Aden shot her a look.“If you’re here to give me a serve like your boyfriend…”

“It’s fiancè now and no.I just wanted to say I was sorry about Belle.Ric and I both wanted to come to the funeral but being in Perth, you know how it is…”

Aden nodded awkwardly.“Thanks.”

“As for everything that went on when we were all at school together…I know Belle loved you and I know this is the happiest I’ve seen Nicole since we’ve been back and that’s good enough for me.Just…don’t mess things up, okay?”

“I won’t,”he replied firmly.

Ric had grabbed Romeo from his place and headed to the Diner for a coffee.“What’s with the early start?” Romeo asked.

“I just…needed to get out of the house for a bit,”Ric explained vaguely,“Things were getting a bit crowded.”

Xavier appeared at the counter next to them.“Takeaway coffee, please,”he told the server before glancing at Romeo,“How’ve you been?Not seen much of you lately.”

“Yeah, I’ve been a bit busy with uni and the garage and, you know, Ruby.”

“How is she?”

“Pregnant.”

“Not as pregnant as Mattie,”Ric pointed out.

Xavier laughed.“You two are gonna be up to your elbows in nappies before you know it.”

“It’ll be you soon enough,”Romeo told him.

Xavier’s smile disappeared.“Not that soon,”he pointed out.

Romeo winced.“Yeah, sorry.I was really hoping you and Indi could work things out.”

“Yeah, me too.Guess you don’t always get what you want, do you?”Xavier accepted his coffee and headed back down the beach.

“You two are getting on better,”Ric noted.

“Yeah, I think April and the funeral put a lot of things in perspective,”Romeo agreed.

Aden appeared on the opposite side of them to where Xavier had been standing.“Coffee and a muffin, please,”he requested before looking sideways at the pair,“Unless you’re waiting for something?”

“No, we’re fine,”Romeo replied,“Ruby said you might be coming to town.”

“Yeah, she said you two had some good news as well.”He looked at Ric.“Matilda too unless I’m mistaken.She mentioned you two were getting married.”

Ric didn’t look at him.“Yeah.All we need for the day to be perfect is for you to crawl back under the rock you came from.”

“No can do, Dalby.You see, Nicole wants me to stick around for a bit and Miles has said it’s okay so I guess you’re gonna be seeing me around a lot from now on.”He gave him a mocking wink as he accepted his order.“Just like old times, eh?”

Romeo waited until Aden had gone before staring at Ric.“What was that?”

“Let’s just say we’ve got history.”

“Come on, you’ve got to give me more to go on than that.”

Ric sighed.“Back before me and Matilda were together, Cassie and I broke up and she got together with Aden.We had a clash on the footie field and Aden came off worse.Ended with his brother putting me in hospital and Aden telling the police his brother was with him at the time and getting me charged with assault.”

“You’re serious?When was this?”

Ric thought for a moment.“About…seven years ago?”

Romeo raised an eyebrow.“And I thought Xavier could hold onto a grudge.”

Ric sighed.“Yeah, okay, I get your point but Aden’s always been no good.”

“Look, I didn’t know him back then.But what I do know is I was at this party one time when someone spiked my drink with drugs and it was Aden that got me to hospital.I’d probably be dead if it wasn’t for him.So from what I’ve seen, he’s okay.Just give him a chance, okay?”

“I need to have words with you,”Nicole declared as she sat down on the sofa next to Ruby.

“Oh?”Ruby looked innocent.“What about?”

“About you sending Aden round to see me?”

“He came?”Ruby asked, delighted.

“Yes, he came.He shouted at me, I shouted at him and we both got upset.”

“Oh.”Ruby looked pained.“Nic, I’m sorry, I really thought I was doing the right thing, you two were so good together…”

“Yes.”Nicole gave a knowing smile.“We are.”

Ruby’s eyes widened.“Oh…my…god.You’ve slept with him, haven’t you?”

Nicole gave an embarrassed laugh.“Oh yeah.”

“So, um, how was it?I mean, what does it mean?”

“I’m really not sure.I don’t know how long he’s sticking around for or what this is between us.All I know is he’s here now and I’m glad he is and I think he’s glad he is too.”She grabbed Ruby in a head lock.“But no more match making, okay?”

“Ow!Ow!Stop beating up the pregnant woman!”Nicole released her and Ruby smiled.“Okay.Consider me suitably chastened.”

Nicole smiled.“Well, I guess I can’t be too mad at you.I just…I hope I’m not setting myself up for a fall here.”

Indigo was in the middle of doing the dishes when Dexter came up behind her.“Indi…you know how it isn’t that long since April…”

Indi stopped.“Yeah..?”

“Is it okay for me to have feelings for someone else?”

Indi turned to him in surprise.“You like another girl?”

Dexter hesitated for a moment.“Is it okay for me to have feelings for someone else?”he repeated.

“Well…I don’t know, Dex.Only you can know if you’re ready to move on.There’s no time limit on how long after your girlfriend died you can start dating someone else.”

“Do you think April would mind?”

Indi was silent as her mind flew back over what Xavier had told her about his and April’s last conversations.“I think she’d want you to be happy.”

“What about you?”

Indi looked at him, confused.“Well…I want you to be happy too.”

“Yeah and I kind of want you to be happy.So why am I not having to race Xavier to the bathroom in the mornings?”

Indi looked at him outraged.“Dexter!”

“What?You dating one of my friends-got over the squeamish about that long ago.When are you getting back together?”

“We’re not,”she replied firmly.

“Okay, when you were with him, you were happy.Now you’re not, you’re moping.Simple equation.”

“I do not mope!”Indi protested, even though she knew she did.

Dexter shrugged.“Just think about it.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for all your comments.Long chapter here, hope you like it.

CHAPTER 17

“Mattie, get up!”Nicole shook her friend’s shoulder forcefully.

Matilda tried to disappear under the covers.“Just five more minutes.”

“Mattie, you’re getting married today,”Ruby reminded her.

Matilda raised a bleary head.“Can’t I get married another day?”

“Sure,”Ruby replied,“If you can get the church, the florists, the chauffeur, all the guests and, oh yeah, your fiancè to agree to it.”

“Can you sort that?”

“Not in one morning.”

Matilda sighed.“Why did I make you two my bridesmaids?”

“Because we’re gorgeous and awesome,”Nicole replied,“But you still need to get up.”

Dexter straightened his bowtie in front of the webcam.“What do you think?”

Casey’s image stared back at him from the screen.“Very James Bond,”he answered.

“You really think so?”Dexter struck a macho pose.“The name’s Walker.Dex Walker.”

“Well, I’d be quaking in my boots if I was a villain’s henchman.”

“You mean you’re not?”Dexter asked innocently.

Casey smiled.“Kind of wish I was there with you.”

“Well, I kind of wish I was there with you.”

“That’d be good.”

Dexter paused.“Do you mean that?”

Casey hesitated.“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

“Good.”Dexter sat down in front of the screen.“Because I’ve got a proposal for you.”

Matilda came downstairs in her wedding dress.Nicole, Ruby and Miles were all waiting.“What do you think?”she asked.

“If Ric and Romeo don’t mind, I’ll marry you myself,”Ruby replied.

“Now that really would surprise everyone,”Nicole commented.

Matilda looked at Miles.“So, are you ready to give me away?”

“No.”

Matilda blinked.“What?”

“Well, I can if you want but I thought you might want someone else to do it.”

“Like who?”

“Well, I was kind of hoping I’d have the pleasure,”explained the young man coming through the back door.

Matilda’s jaw dropped.“Scott!”She ran to her brother and hugged him.“When did you get here?Are Hayley and Noah with you?”

“No but I’ve got someone nearly as good.”Scott stepped aside to let two more people in.

“Cassie!Kit!”Matilda gasped,“Are the other boys here as well?”

“Afraid not,”Kit replied,“Robbie and Tasha are tied up in Boston and Henry’s away on tour.”

“Oh, if I’d known you two were going to be here, I’d have made you my bridesmaids!”Matilda suddenly remembered Nicole and Ruby were still there.“I mean, I’d have had four bridesmaids.”

Nicole shrugged awkwardly.“Well…you’ve known them longer than us, they could have our dresses.”

“Or,”Miles interceded, producing two dress boxes that had been hidden under the kitchen table,“they could wear these.”

Matilda gaped.“Where did those come from?”

“Ric got them made up.Why do you think he paid so much attention to the dresses?”

“We had him ringing up asking for our measurements,”Cassie explained.

“Ric knew about this?”Matilda grimaced.“I’m going to kill him.”

“After you marry him, right?”Scott asked.

Matilda smiled.“Oh yeah.”She wiped a tear from her eye.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”Kit asked as she and Scott went over to her, concerned.

“I was just thinking about Mum, what she’d make of all this if she was here.”

“She’d think you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman and she’d be very proud of you.Like we all are.”

Matilda smiled at her.“Go on, go and get ready.You too, Cass.I’m getting married today!”

Romeo was helping Ric with his bow tie, Ric having stayed over at his place.“You really need to get yourself a wife to do this sort of thing.”

“Yeah, you know where I can find one?”Ric took a deep breath.“Do I look nervous?”

“Only to a trained observer.Although anyone standing upwind of you might notice the sweat.”

“Anyone home?”called out a voice from the kitchen.

“In here, Sal!”Ric called back.

Sally came through and smiled as she saw Ric.“Well, look at you all grown up.”

“You and Cass made it down okay then?”

“Yep, I just dropped her off at the caravan park.And Kit was picking Scott up from the airport at the same time so they’ve arrived safely too.”

“What about Little Pippa?”

“We left her and Summer with Big Pippa, so they’re going to be spoiled by the time we pick them up.”

“You in here?”asked Alf as he and Roo appeared.He stopped dead at the sight of the newcomer.“Strike me roan.Sal!Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”He gave her a delighted hug.

“Sorry, Mr.Stewart, I was sworn to secrecy.Only Ric and Miles knew I was coming down.”

“Wow, is that really little Sally Keating?”Roo asked.

“Been Sally Fletcher for the past twenty-three years.”

“Has it really been that long?You’ve changed.”

“Not as much as you have.”

“Yeah, guess a couple of decades in New York does that to you.”

“Guys, catch up on the way,”Ric told them,“We don’t want to get to the church after Matilda does.”

Ric needn’t have worried since they arrived in plenty of time.He stood at the front of the church, Romeo at his side, shooting the occasional glance back over his shoulder.He took in the guests:Miles and Morag sitting with Alf, Sally and Roo, Irene and Colleen with Liam and Bianca, Sid, Indigo and Dexter, John, Gina and Xavier, Charlie and Leah, various old school friends who were still in the area.Even Aden was sitting near the back looking after George.

“I’m surprised you let him come,”Romeo remarked.

Ric shrugged.“Well, he’s behaved himself these past few weeks.Plus he’s sleeping with one of the bridesmaids.So long as Mattie’s here, I don’t mind.She will be here, right?”

Romeo looked round and grinned.“I think that’s definite.”

The Bridal March started up and Ric looked round to see Matilda walking down the aisle towards him, holding onto Scott’s arm, Nicole, Ruby, Cassie and Kit trailing in her wake.

“Glad you made it,”he said quietly as she joined him.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”she returned.

Elijah cleared his throat.“We are gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of Ric and Matilda, to join in their happiness and to share in their love.”

Nicole noticed Ruby fidgeting.“Are you all right?”

“I think I should have gone to the bathroom before we left,”Ruby whispered.

Nicole smiled.“You’ll get used to that.”Cassie and Kit nodded in agreement.

“Eric, will you take Matilda to be your wife?”Elijah asked,“Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

“I will.”

“Matilda, will you take Eric to be your husband?Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

“I will.”

Romeo looked round at Ruby and smiled.She felt the stirring of butterflies in her stomach as she smiled back.

Nicole looked round at Aden and saw he was giving her the same look.She gave him a happy smile before turning her attention to the front.

Indi looked over her shoulder and saw Xavier was looking at her.She quickly turned away again.

“Before God and before this congregation, Ric and Matilda have made their vows to each other,”Elijah announced,“They have symbolised their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings.I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife.”

Ric and Matilda were sharing the first dance.“You look beautiful,”he told her.

She smiled.“Thanks.”

“You should get pregnant more often.”

She raised an eyebrow.“If you think I’m going through this again, forget it.”

“I might have to change your mind there, Mrs.Dalby.”

“Hey, you two!”Cassie appeared and hugged them both.“I can’t believe you’re married and expecting a baby.It makes you sound really old!”

“How is your four-year-old daughter?”Ric asked her.

Cassie scowled.

Romeo and Ruby were dancing nearby.“Better get used to this,”Ruby murmured,“Soon you won’t be able to put your arms round me.”

“I should say something clever and romantic about it not mattering.”Romeo thought hard.“Can’t think of anything.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

Aden carried George over to where Nicole was sitting.“George here was telling me I should ask his mummy to dance.”

“Oh, well, if George says so…Who’s gonna look after him though?”

Aden looked around.“Hey, Cass!Do an ex-boyfriend a favour and keep an eye on George for us?”

Cassie sighed.“When did I become the old mother around here?”

“So, how many ex-girlfriends have you got here?”Nicole asked Aden as they headed towards the dance floor.

Ric glanced over at the pair.“If you’d told me four years ago that Aden Jefferies would be a guest at our wedding…”

“Well, if anyone had said four years before that that I’d be marrying the guy who set fire to the surf club and framed my brother,”Matilda mused.

Ric winced.“Oh yeah, I did do that, didn’t I?”

Scott and Kit were sat at a table watching them.“Are you feeling really scared about the fact our little sister is married?”Kit asked,“It only feels like last week she was making me plait her hair.”

“Kind of scary, yeah,”Scott agreed,“Still, only Henry to go and we’ll all be snapped up!”

Sally went over to Ric and Matilda.“I’m really sorry but I’m going to have to go.”

“Can’t you stay a bit longer?”Matilda asked.

“Sorry but I’ve got a lot of people I need to call in on while I’m in the country.I’m meeting Sophie and Carly tomorrow.”

“You shouldn’t be so popular,”Ric told her.

Sally kissed him on the cheek.“I’m proud of you, okay?And make sure you send me lots of photos of my new foster grandchild.”

Ric nodded.“Will do.”

Xavier was helping himself to some drink when he realised Indi was hovering nearby.“Can I get you some?”he asked.

Indi hesitated then nodded.“Please.”He filled up her glass and she smiled at him.“Thanks.”She went back to where she’d been chatting with her dad.

Romeo went over to Xavier.“Ask her to dance.”

“Are you sure?”

“She’ll say yes, trust me.”

Xavier went over to Indi.“Um, would you like to dance?”

Indi looked torn for a moment then nodded.“Yeah, I’d love to.”

He led her onto the dance floor and took her hands as they began to move in time to the music.Xavier took a deep breath.“Indi, I just wanted to say…”

At that moment, Dexter appeared and grabbed Indi’s arm.“Sorry to cut in but, Indi, I really need to talk to you and Dad back home.”He glanced at Xavier.“Sorry, mate.”

Indi gave Xavier an apologetic look.“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’ll keep.”He watched as Dexter dragged Indi away then headed back to the drinks.

Dexter had sat Sid and Indigo down at the table back at the farm house.“You want to tell us what all this is about?”Sid asked.

Dexter took a deep breath.“I’m leaving.”

Sid and Indi both looked astonished.“Run that by us again,”Sid suggested.

“I’m moving away.Casey’s told me I can move into his place.”

“Dex, you’re not making much sense, why do you want to move away and go and stay with Casey?”

“Because…”-Dexter took an even deeper breath-“I like Casey.As in like like.As in…”

“You’re gay?”Indi blurted out.

Dexter scowled.“Do we have to resort to labels?Just because a guy just happens to have romantic feelings for another guy…”

“So what was all that about with April?”

Dexter sighed.“I loved April.I did, really.But now…now I think I love Casey, I’ve been thinking about him all the time ever since he left, and it is pretty scary for me to be saying all this out loud…”

“I don’t believe this!”Indi shouted,“After everything that’s happened these last few months, you’re just going to run off and be with your new boyfriend?Just how selfish are you?”She got up and stormed out.

Sid and Dexter sat in silence for a few moments.“She’ll come round,”Sid said at last.

Dexter nodded.“Actually, I was kinda expecting you to be the one who shouted at me and stormed out.”

“Well, I might be an old-fashioned guy who’s out of touch with the kids of today and this might not be the choice I was hoping you’d make but…you’re my son and I love you and I figured out a long time ago you were never going to be a footie player.”

Dexter smiled.“Thanks, Dad.Although actually, that’s a rather offensive stereotype because there are a lot of pretty good gay footie players…”

“Let’s just call it a work in progress.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Big thank you for the comments, hope you like this one.

CHAPTER 18

Ric carried Matilda into the hotel room and gently laid her down on the bed before softly kissing her.“Mind the baby,”she said warningly as his body pressed down on hers.

Ric shifted his weight slightly.“Sorry, baby,”he said to the bump,“But Mummy and Daddy have got a marriage to consummate.”

“You realise Junior’s going to be pretty traumatised when he or she grows up and finds out they were here on our wedding night?”

“You want to give it a miss?”Ric asked casually.

“Uh-uh,”Matilda replied, pulling him back down onto her as they melted into a passionate embrace.

Dexter hovered in the doorway of Indigo’s room, rucksack in his hand.He could see Indi lying on the bed with her back to him.“I’m going now,”he said,“Dad’s giving me a lift to the bus stop, I should be in time to catch the last bus.”He paused, waiting for an answer, but none came.“Bye, Indi,”he sighed.

“Dexter, wait!”Indi called as he turned away.She clambered off the bed and went over to him.“I’m sorry.I know I’m being a cow and I know I’m being selfish but…There’s been so much crazy stuff going on these past few months, with Romeo and Ruby coming back and April and me and Xavier splitting up and you’ve kind of been the one constant throughout all that, the one person I thought I could rely on to just, you know, be Dex and…I’m going to miss you, okay?”

Dexter smiled and hugged her.“I’m going to miss you too.But hey, I won’t be too far away, I can rush back here whenever you’ve got a relationship drama or you’ve broken your nail or something.”

“You’re sure Casey will let you?”Indi joked.

“Well, I don’t think he’s going to keep me chained up.Unless he’s into that sort of thing…”

“Got to say I did not see you two coming.”

“Yes, I know but sometimes Cupid’s arrow strikes you out of the blue and points you in an unusual direction.Kind of like you and…”

“Do not finish that sentence,”Indi warned him and Dexter mimed zipping his mouth shut.She put an arm round his shoulder.“Come on, let’s go and do the tearful hugging at the bus stop.”

Ruby cuddled sleepily up to Romeo as they lay in bed together.“I cannot believe how tired I am.”

“Do you reckon that’s the pregnancy?”

“I hope so.Otherwise I’m turning into some sort of old woman.It was a good day though, wasn’t it?”

Romeo nodded.“It was.”

“They looked happy, didn’t they?Ric and Mattie.”

“They did.”

“It was how a wedding should be.”

Romeo looked down at her.“Are you dreaming about our wedding again?”

“Well, it’s what a girl’s supposed to do at times like this,”Ruby replied,“I know I said no when you asked me but…can you promise me that we’ll be that happy when the time comes?”

“If the day ever comes when I marry you, I’ll be the happiest man around.”

Ruby kissed him gently on the lips.“Good.”

Sid and Indigo were standing awkwardly at the bus stop with Dexter.“Make sure you call us when you get there,”Sid told him,“And, you know, you’re always welcome to come and visit.”

“You’re actually getting quite good at this concerned parent bit,”Dexter commented.

Sid gave him a tolerant smile.“I am trying.”

Xavier came running up.“Hey, I got your text.What’s going on?”

“I decided it’s finally time to run away and join the circus,”Dexter replied.

“He’s realised he’s in love with Casey,”Indi amended.

Xavier looked from one to the other.“Okay, was just one of you joking or both of you?Because those sounded equally unlikely.”

“No, she was telling the truth,”Dexter admitted.

Xavier raised an eyebrow.“Oh!Okay.Well, I guess I’d better wish you both luck then.”

“Appreciated.And don’t worry, this won’t change anything between us.”He gave Xavier a quick hug. “Talk to her,”he whispered into his ear.

Dexter clambered onto the bus and Sid, Xavier and Indigo stood waving as it drove away.Xavier looked at Indi.“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“I can wait for you here if you like,”Sid offered.

Indi hesitated and then nodded.She and Xavier walked down the road together.“How have you been?”he asked.

“Okay,”Indi answered, not catching his eye.

“Look, about what I said after April died…”

“It’s okay, I get it.You still love her.”

“Yes, I do,”Xavier conceeded,“And I guess in a way I probably always will.But she’s gone and we were over long before that.And I love you.”He stopped and took her arms, looking her straight in the eye.“I love you, Indi, being apart from you has just made me realise that.And I don’t want to lose you.”He moved to kiss her.

Indi moved her head, avoiding the kiss.“I just…I need time to think, okay?”She saw he was disappointed but he nodded.She pulled away from him and walked back to where Sid was waiting, leaving him alone.

The early morning light was shining down on Dexter as he made his way down the street, constantly checking the address he had scribbled on a piece of paper.When he finally reached the right house, he compared the number on the paper to the number on the door several times and even considered going back to the end of the road to check the street name before finally knocking.

Casey answered.“I, er, heard you had a room spare,”Dexter noted.

“I think we can squeeze you in,”Casey confirmed, stepping aside and letting him into the house.He glanced at Dexter’s rucksack.“You haven’t brought much with you.”

“Yeah, it was all I could throw together at a moment’s notice.”

“Right.”Casey shrugged.“I just thought maybe you were hedging your bets.”

“Yes, I left my family and my friends and changed unis because I’m not sure about this.”

Casey smiled.“Just checking.”

“So, er, where do I put my stuff?”

Casey looked awkward.“Well, that depends.”

Dexter looked at him, confused.“On what?”

“Well, on whether you’re going to be sleeping in the spare room or…somewhere else.”He leaned forward and kissed him softly.

The kiss broke.And Dexter started babbling.“Okay, you should know that there’s a few things that I’ve done precisely, well, once and the mechanics were a bit different that time…”

“Have you finished talking?”Casey interrupted.

Dexter nodded.“Yep.”

“Good.”Casey kissed him again and closed the front door behind them.

Nicole could hear Aden on the phone as she came downstairs.“Yeah, it’s okay, I get it.I promise I won’t be much longer.Speak to you soon.”

She entered the front room and looked at him quizzically.“What was that?”

“Ah, it’s the marina where my boat is.I haven’t been taking it out, which means I haven’t been earning anything, which means I need to start earning my keep again.”

Nicole could feel a sinking feeling starting to manifest itself in her stomach.“So…you have to go back there?”

Aden nodded.“Yep.”

In her heart, Nicole had known that the arrangement they had, him staying with her, couldn’t continue indefinitely.But she’d pushed the thought away, ignoring the fact he could soon be walking out of her life again.She forced herself to sound casual.“Well, I guess we both knew you had to go back eventually…”

“Hey, Nic, Nic, Nic.”He caught her arms and looked straight at her.“Yeah, I’ve got to go back.But I don’t want this to be the end of us, I’ve tried living my life without you and it’s not much fun.I want you to come with me.You and George.I want us to live together.”

Nicole shook her head.“Aden, I don’t know.Things are pretty settled here, throwing it all away, risking George, just so I can be your live-in lover…”

“What about my wife?”

Nicole stopped.“What?”

Aden reached into his back pocket and extracted a jewellery box.He knelt down in front of her, opening the box to reveal the ring.“Nicole Franklin…will you marry me?”

[Red Ranger 1]

Sorry for the long gap between updates, there's not many chapters to go so hopefully it won't take me too long to finish this.Thank you for your comments and hope you enjoy this one.

CHAPTER 19

Ruby gave a squeal of delight as she hugged Nicole.“Oh my god, let me look at it!”She examined the ring on Nicole’s finger.“Oh wow, I can’t believe it!Everyone’s getting married!Ooh, can I be bridesmaid again?”

Nicole looked at her in bemusement.“Well, we haven’t got as far as discussing that, since we’ve only been engaged for about an hour, but you’re definitely on the list.”

Ruby looked suddenly crestfallen as the other part of Nicole’s news sank in.“Do you have to move away though?”

“I wish I didn’t but…Aden’s business is in the city whereas I can travel to uni just as easily from there as here.”She noticed Ruby still looked unhappy.“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll still see me.”She looked at Indi, who had remained silent since she’d made her announcement.“Right?”

“Yeah, I guess so,”Indi said awkwardly.

Ruby looked from one to the other.“Okay, I’ll go and talk to Romeo about surfboards and leave you two to talk.”She headed back out into the caravan park.

Nicole looked at Indi again.“Spill.”

“I dunno, it’s just…first Dex leaving and now you and I don’t want to be a party pooper but…have you thought this through?I mean, you and Aden have only been back together for a few weeks and from what you’ve told me things didn’t end that well between you last time.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true.But I’ve known Aden for years and we’ve had plenty of experience sharing a bathroom, so I guess we know we can live together.”

“But…”Indi stopped, not sure whether she should say anything.

“Go on,”Nicole encouraged.

“Aren’t you worried that…he might still be thinking of Belle?”

Nicole sighed.“I know he’ll always love her and I know that if she was still alive I probably wouldn’t stand a chance.But when I see him looking at me, like I never thought he would, somehow that doesn’t matter.I let him walk out of my life once and it didn’t do much good for either of us.I’d rather we gave this a go and it was a disaster than be left here on my own again, wondering what would have happened if I’d said yes.”

Indi looked hard at her.“That actually makes a lot of sense.”She gave Nicole a quick hug.“I’m sorry to dip out of your farewell but there’s something I really need to do.Best of luck, okay?”

Xavier hurried to answer the door and found Indi standing there.“Indi, hi,”he greeted her nervously, worried what she was there for,“Do you want to..?”

Before he could finish the sentence, she was kissing him, pushing him back against the wall.For a second, he was too stunned to react, then he returned the kiss, their hands roaming about each other’s bodies as the repressed passion of the last few months spilled out.

“I love you too,”she told him in between kisses.

“Right,”he answered,“So, um, do you want to get back together?”

“Please,”she agreed, as they headed into his bedroom.

“Hey, I won’t be that far away,”Nicole assured Matilda, who was dabbing at her eyes tearfully.

“I know but…we’ve only just said goodbye to Scott and Cassie and Kit at the hotel and now we get back here and you’re leaving too!And now I’m all hormonal.”

“Oh no, does that mean I’m going to start crying too?”Ruby asked worriedly.

“Now listen, you two.”Nicole put her arms round her two friends.“You two are going to be great mothers, you’ve nabbed yourself a couple of decent guys, I’m only at the end of a phone and I’m expecting to be made a godmother twice over.Understand?”

“I guess so,”Matilda sniffled.

Nicole looked over at where Miles and Romeo were standing.“Guess this is goodbye then.”

“Having you here has certainly been an experience,”Miles told her.

“This is all feeling kind of familiar,”Romeo noted as she hugged them both,“Didn’t think I’d be back living here and you’d be the one leaving.”

“Life has a way of surprising you.”

Aden watched from over by the car as Nicole said her goodbyes to Alf and Roo.He was shocked when Ric turned to him and offered his hand.“Is there a buzzer or something in there?”

“Guess I deserve that,”Ric admitted,“But…whatever’s happened in the past, I get that you make Nicole happy.So if you’re serious about that..?”

“I want to marry her,”Aden pointed out.He paused.“I love her.”

Ric nodded.“Then, as one ex-Summer Bay bad boy to another, good luck.”

Aden accepted the hand.“You’re beginning to remind me of Bible Boy.Been spending time in church lately?”

“Make sure you take the right road out of town, Jefferies.”

Nicole came over to them.“You boys been kissing and making up?”

“Not in a million years.”Aden gave her a soft but lingering kiss.“George is in the back.So if you’re ready to go?”

Nicole gripped his hand.“I’ve never been more ready for anything.”

Xavier headed into the kitchen, wearing only his boxers, and poured himself a glass of water.Indi emerged behind him, wearing a gown, and put her arms round his waist, kissing the back of his neck.“Not boring you, am I?”

“No,”he replied, turning round and kissing her on the lips,“But we had worked up a bit of a thirst.”He kissed her again, letting it deepen.“I have really missed doing that.”

Indi lowered her head slightly.“I’m sorry I took so long to come around.I was so hung up on thinking that you’d never love me as much as you loved April, I kind of lost sight of the bit where you loved me.”

“Hey, it was my fault as much as yours,”Xavier told her,“I shouldn’t have taken so long to realise this was worth fighting for.”They began kissing again and sat down on the couch, their bodies pressed up hard against each other, his hand moving underneath her robes.

“Ahem.”Xavier and Indi sprang apart at the sound and saw Gina standing in the doorway.She raised an eyebrow.“So, I take it you two have made up?”

“It looks that way,”Xavier agreed.

Gina regarded them for several seconds.“Indigo, did you have clothes on when you came over here?”

“Yeah, they’re…”Indi suddenly seemed to realise why she was asking the question and blushed slightly. “They’re in Xavier’s room.I should probably put them on.”

“Me too,”Xavier added, getting up to follow her.

“Might be best if you do it in shifts,”Gina suggested,“I wouldn’t want you getting distracted.”

Xavier stopped.Indi gave him a quick kiss and headed into his room.

Gina walked over to her son.“Xavier, I’m glad to see you’re happy.And I accept that you’re an adult now and if you have a girlfriend it will involve a certain type of relationship.But can you please remember that other people live here and try to exercise a certain amount of discretion?”There was suddenly a mischievous look in her eyes.“Unless you want John and I to start using the couch in that manner?”

Xavier blanched slightly.“We’ll stick to the bedroom from now on.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Big thank you for your comments.And I'm glad people are coming over to Xindi:It's not something I'd necessarily want in the show but it seemed a good idea for these fics.Bit of a short chapter, hope you like it.

CHAPTER 20

“How long do we have to stay crouched down here?”Romeo hissed as they hid behind the sofa.

“Won’t be much longer,”Xavier hissed back,“They’ll be here soon.”He nudged Indi, who was crouched next to him, and the two giggled at each other flirtatiously.Romeo rolled his eyes.

“How come you get the easy seat?”he asked Ruby, who was sat on a comfortable chair, hidden behind a curtain.

“Because you got me pregnant,”Ruby reminded him, patting her rather large bump, which had increased in size significantly in the three months since they’d said goodbye to Nicole.

“VJ, you’ve got your elbow in my ear,”Miles complained.

“Sorry,”VJ whispered back.

Miles held up his hand.“Wait a minute, I can hear footsteps.Quiet, everyone.”

They waited until the door swung open before emerging from hiding and shouting “Surprise!”

Ric and Matilda looked shocked but pleased.Behind them, Alf and Roo smiled.

They were in the flat which Ric and Matilda had moved into, a few weeks after their wedding, having decided that continuing to stay at the caravan park wasn’t really an option any longer.With Ric’s work at the garage and Matilda earnings from her time as an articled clerk, they’d just about managed to afford the rent.

Ruby hurried forward to where the couple’s newborn daughter, Elizabeth, was sleeping in Matilda’s arms. “Oh, wow.She looks so peaceful.”

“When she’s asleep, yes,”Matilda confirmed.

“Aww, are you trying to put me off having one of my own?”Ruby asked.

“Well, it’s a bit late, if I am.”

Miles shook Ric’s hand.“Congratulations, mate.”

“Yeah, you’ve both done well,”Romeo added.

“When she’s going to be old enough to do things?”VJ asked.

“It’ll be a while as yet,”Indi told him.

“Well, that’s no fun.”

“Oh, trust me, she’s already learning how to get her mummy and daddy to come running,”Ric commented.

“I hope I’m not too late,”Morag remarked as she appeared in the doorway, a bottle of wine in her hand.

“When you’ve brought booze?Never,”Alf answered, reaching for the bottle.

Morag slapped his hand away.“This was intended for the parents, Alfred.And it’s non-alcoholic.”

Alf’s face fell slightly.“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“I’ll get some glasses,”Roo decided, skipping through to the kitchen.

“And I hope I’ve brought some other good news with me,”Morag continued,“I’ve just seen your exam results, Matilda, and, given the high level of your degree, I’d be happy for you to continue working at my office once you’re ready to return.”

Matilda smiled.“Thanks, Mrs.Bellingham.”

“Well, I think in the circumstances, with you being my great-niece-in-law, it would be acceptable for you to call me Morag.At least out of office hours.”

Alf kissed her on the cheek.“You’re all heart, sis.”

“That’s quite enough of that, thank you, Alf.”

The gathering had gone on for a few hours but in the end Matilda had had to put Elizabeth to sleep and the party had begun to disperse, sensing that the new parents wanted time to themselves.Only Alf, Roo, Morag, Romeo and Ruby remained.

Ruby gave Matilda a farewell hug.“Speak to you soon, okay?Don’t want you all locked up in here just because you’re a new mum.We’re going to have another girls’ night out next month, right?Get your husband here to babysit.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?”Ric asked.

“You’re finally starting to figure that one out, are you?”Alf mused.

“Well, you’ll be joining me at the mother and baby groups soon,”Matilda reminded her friend.

“Any idea when you’ll be coming back to the garage?”Romeo asked Ric.

“Well, I want to stay at home with Matilda and Lizzie for a few weeks.You think you can handle things on your own for that long?”

Romeo nodded.“Yeah, sure, no problem.”

“I hate to break up the party but I think my pregnant step-granddaughter here could do with being taken home,”Morag interjected.

“Yeah, sure,”Romeo agreed, putting an arm round Ruby’s shoulder.“Let’s go.”As they headed towards the door, Ruby winced slightly.“Are you okay?”

Ruby nodded.“Yeah, just a slight twinge.Must be indigestion or something but…Aah!”She gave another gasp of pain and clutched her stomach.

Matilda looked at her closely.“Okay, bit of a novice on the matter myself but it looks like you’re going into labour.”

Ruby shook her head.“No, no, that’s impossible.I’m not due for another two weeks and…”She gave another gasp.“Oh boy.”

“Oh, yep, that’s definitely a contraction,”Roo agreed,“I remember them well.”She glanced at Morag expectantly.

“Well, don’t look at me,”Morag told her,“I’m not going to get all nostalgic about the pain and agony of childbirth.”She noticed Ruby’s agonised expression.“Which I’m sure you’ll handle fine,”she told her soothingly.

Alf tossed his car keys in the air.“Okay, you two, come with me.I’ll give you a lift to the hospital.”