Shattered Glass

[Red Ranger 1]

Phew!Glad that Alyssia's all right.And loved the baptism, it was so sweet and you always write Belle and Geoff's interaction so well.

[bailey4]

yay ive just read the last 3 chapters, awesome as always! I love how Geoff acts as the older brother, he sounds so serious would love for him and nicole to get together Anywho great chapter and the writing is all class too.

[hitmanfan]

Any chance of an update?

You are probably busy, but just can't wait to see what happens when they are all home together - hopefully soon

[Louise_2983]

yay ive just read the last 3 chapters, awesome as always! I love how Geoff acts as the older brother, he sounds so serious would love for him and nicole to get together Anywho great chapter and the writing is all class too.

Tut Tut Geoff's married!

But then I guess so was Aden at the start of this fic...

No update tonight I'm afraid, I have a 4 day weekend due to the bank holiday so I should hopefully be able to update on Friday.

[hitmanfan]

Thanks for letting us know, but enjoy your Easter Weekend though.

[Louise_2983]

Lol thanks but I do enjoy writing this fic or I wouldn't actually do it!

[hitmanfan]

Well thats good then, because otherwise I would not have anything to look forward to reading as I really enjoy reading your work.

These stories are the first thing I check on when getting home from work - and if I'm not teaching I have a look to see if there are any updates that I have to read when I get home!! Not something I should be doing, but seeing as I'm incharge of ICT and am the only one with access to check on what sites pupils and staff are accessing I think I'm safe!!

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 48

“Aden, do you think you could drive a little slower?” she mumbled half under her breath as she leant over the baby pink car seat secured tightly next to her and held her daughter’s tiny hands tenderly in her own as they inched ever so slowly down the road.

“I’m going as slow as I ca-” he trailed off as he realised she was joking.

“It’s called sarcasm!”

“And don’t they say it’s the lowest form of wit Babe?” he suggested cheekily, glancing briefly at her in the rear view mirror.

“Well I have to sink down to your level so you’ll get it don’t I?”

“Gee thanks” he mumbled but the tiny hint of laughter in his voice assured her that he wasn’t seriously offended.

“Oh dear” she whispered down at her gorgeous daughter. All dark hair, plump lips and porcelain skin the sight of the beautiful baby never failed to take her breath away.

“Is Daddy offended? I think he is. Well if his driving skills didn’t leave a lot of be desired then he’d have no need to be would he? No he wouldn’t!” she smiled, tickling the baby girl gently and eliciting

what sounded like a tiny giggle from her.

“My driving skills are awesome!” he protested, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead.

“Don’t you listen to your silly Mummy Alyssia! We just don’t want to get in to an accident with someone as precious as you in the car do we baby girl hey?”

“And we don’t want an accident either but I’m sure she’d love to actually see her home before her 18th birthday Aden!”

“Relax” he instructed and, viewing his attractive profile from her position in the back of the car she could see that he was smiling.

“We’ll get home and then we’ll have the party the next day!”

“Oh isn’t your Daddy a comedian sweetheart hey?” she aimed her words at her daughter once more, her tone letting Aden know she really wasn’t amused as the shrill beep of a car horn behind them

made her visibly jump and caused Alyssia to let out a tiny wail.

“Ssssssh baby!” Belle whispered softly.

“It’s ok, Mummy’s here. There’s nothing to worry about”

It almost killed Aden in that moment to have to keep his eyes on the road and not on Belle and their daughter. To hear her voice so full of love and concern made his heart beat that little bit quicker and

his lips kick into a wide smile.

“See! Aden, can you just speed up a little please?”

“Jerk!” Aden cursed as the car with the offending horn overtook him.

“He obviously doesn’t have anyone as precious in the car as I have”

“And the adorable Daddy routine is very endearing babe but I just want to get her home”

“Actually I was talking about you” he grinned at her through the rear view mirror.

“Alyssia’s way more than precious aren’t you angel?”

“Yes she is” Belle smiled softly, gazing down at their daughter.

“You’re the most important person in Mummy and Daddy’s world aren’t you baby? Well you and Jamie but he’s not here so I won’t tell him I said that if you won’t...”

“Belle!” Aden chuckled softly.

“I hope you’re not playing favourites”

“Of course I’m not! Aden, you know how much I adore our little boy. I’m just still getting to having two little people to love this much”

“Well you’ve got the rest of your life Babe” he smiled softly although she couldn’t see the gesture due to her gaze being focused on their baby girl.

“Yes I have, because I’m not going anywhere” she grinned down at her daughter.

“Not even off this road if Daddy doesn’t step on the gas a little! Seriously Aden is it even legal to drive this slow?!”

As if on cue the whir of a police siren cut through the air signalling for Aden to pull over.

“S**t!” he cursed himself as Belle quickly covered Alyssia’s tiny ears.

“Don’t listen to Daddy saying naughty words sweetheart because your first word is going to be Mummy isn’t it?”

“Or Daddy!” Aden interjected as he pulled over and began to rifle through the glove compartment for his license and insurance documents. He pressed the automatic button to bring down the window as

the police officer tapped abruptly on the window.

“You won’t be needing those” she grinned with a nod towards his documents.

“I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to get the first peak of the new arrival. She’s the talk of the town you know!”

“And here I was thinking we were being pulled over because of Daddy’s illegal driving?” Belle giggled wriggling her daughter’s tiny hands about in her own as Charlie opened the back door to get a

closer look at their new bundle of joy.

“What illegal driving?” she asked with a sly wink in Aden’s direction as she peered at the baby girl wrapped in a swathe of pink blankets.

“Oh guys she’s adorable” Charlie cooed reaching out to tenderly rub a fingertip over the sole of a petite foot clad in a frilly bootie.

“Look at her little hands and feet!”

“Trust me, we have every little bit of her committed to memory” Belle grinned, pride beaming out of her.

“And I can see why” Charlie sighed tickling the bottom of Alyssia’s foot gently.

“You’re a real beauty aren’t you sweetheart?”

“Not getting broody are we Charlie?” Aden laughed.

“I’ll have to warn Joey”

“Hmm let me think” the policewoman pretended to ponder.

“Getting fat followed by child birth and dirty nappies...no thanks”

“Oh but look at her!” Belle objected.

“It’s so worth it when you get such a gorgeous little person out of it all”

“Knowing my luck I’d get an ugly one” Charlie quipped only half joking.

“With your genes? Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Aden laughed.

“Aden!”

“Sorry Belle, I may be with you but I’m not blind”

“Well you might want to pretend to be from now on if you want to retain your baby making equipment!” she snapped through clenched teeth, only half joking.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that GBH threat together with not seeing the driving that was way below the minimum speed limit earlier” Charlie chuckled.

“Because this one is so lovely she’ll get away with anything!”

“It’s true” Belle sighed.

“I mean how do you discipline your kids when they look up at you with those big, beautiful, piercing blue eyes?”

“Belle?” Charlie chuckled.

“Yeah?”

“Only your kids have those blue eyes”

“Oh yeah” Belle smiled softly as she gazed at her daughter.

“Well” Charlie announced, moving back to shut the door.

“As much as I would love to just look at this little one all day I have a job to do and you guys need to get home because I’m sure all the others are just dying to see her and get a cuddle”

“Hold on?” Belle looked up at her, her expression suddenly serious.

“What do you mean by others?”

***

“Welcome home!” the crowd of their friends huddled in the lounge chorused as they entered the house, Belle first followed by Aden with Alyssia still snuggled up in her car seat, hoisted on his arm.

“Wow! Guys you shouldn’t have!” Belle sighed with a smile as she took in their smiling faces together with the abundance of baby pink balloons clustered over the ceiling and the banner strung over the entrance to the kitchen welcoming home their baby girl.

“No really, you shouldn’t have” Aden muttered loud enough for only Belle to hear and earning himself a slap on the arm he was not supporting their daughter’s weight with. It wasn’t that he didn’t

appreciate the thought and effort of their friends, he just wanted to be alone with Belle and their children in their home for the very first time.

“Let us get a closer look then!” Leah sighed as Aden placed Alyssia’s car seat on the table and the females in the room crowded around to coo and squee at their new addition. Aden soon found himself

jostled away from the table as the rota for who got to hold Alyssia when was arranged. He laughed at the attention she was receiving as a tiny hand tugged at the soft denim of his jeans just below the

knees.

“Uncle Adie?” Sophie whispered shyly.

“I want a pretty pink bubble!”

“Well if you want a pink bubble, then we’ll get you a pink bubble Sophs” he grinned at the toddler as he lifted her into his arms and reached up to grab a balloon. He placed the thin pink ribbon dangling

from the bottom of the balloon in between her fingers, her nails painted a pearly pink, and pressed a kiss against the blonde curls falling around her heart shaped face.

“There you go sweets”

“Thank you Uncle Adie” she grinned sweetly, baring her top row of shiny white teeth.

“Anything for you mini princess” he told her with a smile as he squeezed her softly.

“Mini princess?” Roman laughed as he stopped next to them.

“Does that make Nicole maximum princess?”

“Well she doesn’t do anything by halves does she?” Aden chuckled as the toddler he was supporting in his arms leaned forward, her arms reaching out for Roman.

“Ro Ro!” She called out to him softly and Aden carefully transferred her into Roman’s waiting arms.

“Are you feeling left out with all the attention the baby’s getting Sophs?” Roman chuckled as his granddaughter wrapped her little arms around his neck and snuggled close to his chest.

“You’ll always be my favourite girl don’t worry” he assured her, dropping a kiss on her temple.

“I thought I was your favourite girl!”

“No you’re my favourite mistake” Roman quipped cheekily.

“Oh my word!” Aden chuckled turning around and hastily heading towards the kitchen, not wanting to get into the middle of whatever tantrum Nicole was about to throw.

“Mummy!” Jamie called as he ran towards where Belle stood leant casually against the kitchen counter, a balloon bobbing up and down in the air behind him as he trailed its string with him.

“Matilda gave me a blue boy balloon!”

“That was very kind of her wasn’t it? Did you say thank you like a good boy?”

“Yes of course I did Mummy! It’s like Nanny Irene used to say, If you don’t bring your manners don’t bring yourself!”

“That’s right” she smiled and softly ruffled his blond hair before turning to Matilda with a nod towards the bright blue balloon.

“Creep!”

“I am not!” Matilda protested, her cheeks blushing crimson.

“He still likes Nicole more” Belle teased.

“That’s not why I did it!”

“I do like Aunt Nicole more” Jamie admitted, butting into the conversation as Belle threw her head back and let out a huge gasp of laughter.

“But you’re nice too Matilda it’s just because Aunt Nicole has always been Aunt Nicole and she looks after me and gives me cuddles and takes me swimming”

“Well” Matilda smiled crouching down to Jamie’s level and opening her arms.

“I give pretty good cuddles”

He looked back at her tentatively before clearly deciding that she needed rewarding for remembering to get a blue balloon just for him and wrapping his arms around her neck.

“Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship” Aden smiled as he joined them and slung an arm casually around Belle’s shoulder.

“Watch her though” he teased.

“She’ll be smuggling him out next”

“And now we’ve got two of them to keep tabs on!” Belle laughed softly as she scanned the room for her daughter, her fingers intertwining with those Aden had rested on her shoulder.

“Whose turn is it with Alyssia now?”

“Joey is hogging her!” Annie called out from the other side of the room clearly getting impatient as she stood over Joey who was sat cautiously on the sofa cradling their baby girl in her arms.

“Sorry, I just think I’ve fallen in love!” Joey cooed not taking her eyes of the tiny baby nestled against her chest.

“That’s both you and Charlie, Jo!” Aden laughed as he called out to her.

“ I put money on you two having one of your own in a year!”

“Well that’s kind of impossible” Joey smiled.

“But Charlie could be the genetic parent if she wanted, I’m in love with this little girl already and she’s not mine or Charlie’s so I probably won’t care whether I’m biologically related to the baby”

“Seriously watch her” Belle teased just loud enough for Joey to hear.

“She’s sounding more and more like a child snatcher every minute!”

“It’s ok, she’s safe with me!” Annie joined in the laughter as Joey finally passed Alyssia over to her surrogate Aunt and Nicole stormed over to Belle and Aden with a face like thunder.

“My Dad is the most insensitive man on the planet, it’s official!”

“Come off it Nic” Aden chucked softly as he placed the arm he didn’t have around Belle around Nicole and squeezed her gently.

“Did you seriously think Roman and your Mum planned you? At 13?!”

“That still doesn’t mean it’s nice to be called a mistake!”

“Favourite mistake” Aden corrected her.

“He meant it lovingly”

“He’s still going to be paying for it for months!” She snapped but a small smile played on her lips as she did so.

“Erm guys?” Geoff asked from where he stood by the pile of presents the guests had brought with them. He held up an item that had been resting on top of the tiny baby clothes Nicole had designed and

made after they had struggled to find clothes small enough to fit their premature daughter in the shops.

“Why has someone brought you a funnel?”

“Oh Geoff” Belle laughed as he peered into it.

“It’s a breast pump you idiot!” Nicole exclaimed with laughter as Geoff instantly dropped it like it was on fire.

“An unused breast pump Geoff don’t worry!” Belle laughed.

“Did Melody not have one with Sam?”

“Maybe she was worried it would take the passion out of the marriage” Nicole sniped as Jamie gazed up at Belle.

“Mummy what’s passion?”

“Erm...”

“Is it like passion fruit?”

“Not really sweetheart it’s when grown ups love each other very much”

“Like you and Daddy?” he asked sweetly.

“Yes exactly” she smiled hugging Aden closer to her. Nicole hastily exited from under his other arm so he and Belle could have their moment.

“Thanks for making me feel like a laughing stock” Geoff spoke softly as she stood next to him behind the kitchen counter piled high with presents.

“Sorry” she whispered genuinely.

“I guess I’m just a mistake to you too huh? And probably not even your favourite one either”

“Nic” he told her softly, holding her gaze for slightly longer than necessary before he finished his sentence.

“You..we...were never a mistake”

***

“And this is Mummy and Daddy’s room sweetheart” Belle spoke softly as she snuck away from the party for a few quiet moments with her daughter.

“But you’ll be sleeping in here too for a while because you’re too little and precious to be too far away. Although you can’t sleep in the crib because it’s so big and you’re so little that you’d get lost in

there and we’d never find you again! But Daddy has bought you this very pretty moses basket, you’re going to be so warm and comfy in it I just know it” she explained to the baby girl nestled in her

arms.

“I will take your silence as meaning that you’re so stunned by the beauty of this moses basket that you don’t know what to say” she giggled as she moved further into the room with her daughter.

“And right here, this is the photo your big brother gave me for my birthday. We’re going to have to get some framed with you on too sweetheart aren’t we? And oh, here we are I know you’ll like

this...this is the window that Daddy used to climb through to harass Mummy! And Alyssia, this is just between us right? Because I know I can trust you! Well don’t tell Daddy but I used to kind of like it...”

“Only kind of?” Aden smiled as he wrapped an arm around Belle’s waist, pulling her back against his toned chest as he used his free hand to tenderly stroke his daughter’s back.

“Well I didn’t really know if I liked you in the beginning”

“And how’s that going? Have you come to a decision yet?” he teased as he pressed a soft kiss against her shoulder.

“You’re growing on me” she grinned as she kissed her daughter’s temple affectionately.

“You’ve always loved me don’t deny it!”

“Well that’s not technically true” she whispered.

“But when I didn’t love you it was because I didn’t really know you. I didn’t know the real Aden in those early days but when I got to know him, the real Aden, I cared about him and I loved him and I

still do”

“I love you too Belle, you were the one who showed me that I could be that Aden, the one who you love”

“Nah” she shook her head as she turned to face him with their daughter still cradled against her chest.

“He was always there, I just did what most other people didn’t. I took the time to find him”

“And I’m glad you did”

“Me too” she smiled before taking his lips tenderly with her own.

“There you are!” Jamie announced as he rushed into the room slamming the door shut behind him.

“I thought you’d got lost!”

“Not lost, just hiding mate” Aden laughed.

“But we’re glad you found us Jamie” Belle smiled picking up the bright blue box tied with ribbon that was on the bedside table.

“Because Alyssia has a present for you”

“Wow!” he exclaimed as he took the box from her hand and she returned it to supporting Alyssia.

“I didn’t know she was allowed out of hospital to go shopping Mummy!”

“Well I might have helped her with that Sweetie but she told me what to buy!” she grinned as he tore into the box and cuddled the “Best Big Brother” teddy close to his chest and gazed at the blue

stickers inside the box before picking up the card.

“What does it say Daddy?”

“It says to the best big brother in the universe” Aden read the front of the card out loud.

“Thank you Lissia!” Jamie sung happily.

“But I’m not big enough to be at university yet!”

“But you are the best big brother” Belle grinned at his mistake and chose not to correct it as she sat down on the bed with her daughter still cradled in her arms and leant against the headboard. Within

seconds Aden was next to her with Jamie on his lap as the five year old peered at the baby girl.

“And Lissia is a very good sister!” he smiled sweetly before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on the baby’s forehead.

“I love her a lot and I’m glad that we got a baby instead of a dog now!”

“She loves you too sweetie”

“And we all love each other!” Jamie announced as he cuddled himself closer to Aden.

They sat together for a while in silence before both Jamie and Alyssia drifted off to sleep and Belle and Aden watched their children with love and pride flowing through them.

“How did two people as flawed as us make two little people as perfect as them?” Belle sighed softly as Aden kissed her cheek tenderly. Before he had a chance to respond whispers outside the door

interrupted them.

“Nicole!” A voice they instantly recognised to be Geoff’s hissed.

“You can’t go in there they might be...you know!”

“Jamie and Alyssia are in there Geoff! They’re clearly not doing that!” Nicole hissed back as the door flew open to reveal them both on the other side.

“Guys we get the message” Nicole laughed as Belle cringed.

“Sorry!” she sighed.

“We all disappeared and you guys went to so much effort, that was so rude!”

“Well yeah it was” Nicole agreed bluntly.

“But you want some family time we get that. Everyone’s gone and Geoff and I cleaned up the little bit of mess there was so we’re off too now”

“Thanks guys” both Belle and Aden told them sincerely before they too exited and the family were finally together, just them for the first time in their home.

“Welcome home baby girl” Aden whispered to his sleeping daughter.

“All those other people don’t live here although they may visit from time to time”

“It’s just us” Belle confirmed as she brushed her lips over her daughter’s soft cheek.

“And we love you more than life”

Jamie's present

[Taniya_K]

Aw, yay that the baby's home! So cute!

Filled with Adelle, Jamie and humor, what was there not to like? at Roman calling Nicole a mistake, and Geoff and the breast pump! Lol.

Can't wait for more!!

xoxo

[xknomex]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

that was sooooooooooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!

it had everything....Jaminess, Adelleness and Nicole was soooo funny.. Lol at Roman calling her his favourite mistake!!!

it was sooo good.

and that last scene was so beautiful!!! it brought me to tears!

LOVED it

xxx