You won't believe it...
Okay well I say AND a LOT!
NEW CHAPTER!
Disclaimer: Always needed, never forgotten, usual.
Author’s Note: *scratches her head* Okay long time, no chapters I know, writers block all right, *curses a certain someone* Anyway new chapter for you all, the end is indeed in sight!
Chapter Twenty-Three - End In Sight
Rach yawned as she looked up at the blank walls of the bedroom surrounding her. She shook her head as she saw a white piece of paper taped to the door, stretching she squinted at it trying to read it not enjoying the possibility of having to get out of bed. Eventually giving up she rolled out of bed, yanked the note off the door and sprinted back to the comfortable bed. Snuggling down under the covers she read it and frowned, picking up her phone she scrolled for a name and dialled the number.
“What?” Came the snapped reply,
“Ki it’s Rach, sorry did I wake you?” There was a scuffle in the background and Rach heard Counting Crows begin to blare out,
“What is it?”
“Did you get a weird message from Dom?”
“Rach it’s too bloody early to be talking in riddles, start again.”
“Okay, did you get a note or message from Dom today?” There was more scuffling in the background and what sounded like paper rustling,
“Well he left me a note on my pillow but he always does that.” Rach rolled her eyes in disgust,
“Read it.”
“Alright, alright. Ki, morning darling, meet me at Fidel’s at Midday please. Love Dom. There.”
“Yeah mine says that too.”
“KIKI!” Rach pulled the phone away from her ear as she heard Ren run into the room screaming Kiki’s name at the top of her voice.
“Hold on Rach.” Rach listened as she heard a hushed conversation in the background only catching snippets of words.
“No…please…early…morning…heard…first…okay…phone…yeah…too…okay…minute. Rach?”
“Hello.”
“Hi sorry about that one, Ren just got a message from Lij on her phone, okay can you make it down here for eleven thirty?” Rach glanced at the time; whoa it was early for her,
“Yeah, I’ll see you then. Bye.”
“Bye Rach.” Rach hung up the phone and jumped out of bed and into the shower.
Kiki yawned as she threw a cup of tea down her throat. Ren bounced in looking bright and breezy in a yellow top and a very familiar looking skirt.
“This is so exciting, where do you think we’re going? Or do you think they’re taking us somewhere fun. Like a theme park!” Kiki yawned again as she stood up and washed her cup.
“Ren calm down they’re probably just taking us to lunch, besides I’m off to get a shower and change. If Rach comes early make sure you let her in and don’t get too excited okay?” Ren nodded and yelled,
“I borrowed your skirt by the way!” Kiki rolled her eyes as she slammed the bathroom door shut.
“Rach, oh what do you think it is?” Ren was yanking Rach into the flat before Rach had even had a chance to knock. She was now bouncing excitedly around the room, as Rach sat down on the sofa looking around for Kiki.
“Ren I have absolutely no idea. Where’s Kiki? Does she know you borrowed her skirt?” Ren launched herself onto the sofa and Rach was lifted slightly in the air,
“I don’t know, she was in the bathroom last time I saw her. And yes she knows I borrowed her skirt.”
“I didn’t know until you actually borrowed it Ren.” Kiki smiled as she walked into the room, “Hey Rach, okay is everyone ready?” Ren nodded excitedly and jumped back off the sofa, Rach stood up and rolled her eyes at Ren. Kiki frowned, “Ren is there something you want to tell us?” Ren pulled an innocent face and shrugged,
“Like what?” Rach looked at Kiki, who looked back at Rach and they both proceeded to turn and look at Ren, both pairs of eyes pinning her with their glare.
“Like where we’re going?”
“No.” Kiki raised her eyebrows at Rach who nodded her head at her and shooed everyone out of the door.
**********
“Come on Ren you know you’re going to crack and tell us eventually.”
“Yeah so just tell us now and get it over with.” Ren shook her head and continued walking.
“Sorry not telling.” Kiki stopped abruptly and folded her arms.
“Okay you’re not telling, I’m not going.” Rach’s eyes widened as Kiki’s plan registered in her mind.
“Yeah me too.” She stood next to Kiki in the middle of the pavement her arms folded across her chest. Ren turned round to look at them,
“Oh grow up. You’ll completely love it and besides the guys have sworn me to secrecy. On pain of death, death!” Her eyes widened scarily as she spat out the word death for the second time. Rach looked at her and unfolded her arms,
“Seriously?” Ren nodded, “Okay I’m going then. Come on Kiki, she’s obviously not telling. We may as well go now, we’re almost there.” Kiki held her head up defensively,
“Fine! But I’m not happy. You know how much I hate surprises.” She unfolded her arms and caught up with them, “Okay so where are we going then?”
“Out to the film set.” Ren slapped her hand over her mouth a second later as she registered what she’d said, “DAMN IT KIKI!” She slammed her foot down on the pavement in protest as Kiki smirked with triumph.
“Thanks Ren.” Kiki nodded and smirked at Rach, who smirked back.
“Damn it girl you are way too good.” Kiki shrugged as she spotted the guys standing outside Fidel’s.
“It has been said before.” Running over she hugged Dom and then looked around,
“Hey, what you looking for? Don’t I get a kiss?” Kiki shrugged,
“No but you can have a slap, you know how much I hate surprises.” Dom kept his arms wrapped around her and looked down at her.
“Okay but not too hard, at least not in public.”
“Shut up. So where we going?”
“It’s a s-” Kiki narrowed her eyes at Dom, who smiled at her, “Somewhere special.”
******
“Special!” Rach squeaked as she looked around the large film set surrounding her. “What are you filming? This place looks like something out of a book.”
“Well it kind of is. Out of a book, I mean. Since we’re at the end of filming we’re allowed to tell you what we’re filming.” Ren, Rach and Kiki looked at them anxiously,
“Well tell us for crying out loud, you’ve killed us for nearly a year.” Ren snapped as the guys all looked at each other nervously.
“Okay well we’re filming,” Billy leaned in and the girls followed suit.
“Oh my WORD!” Ren squealed, “Oh, oh, oh can I have a part? Oh I could be a hobbit, no an elf, no a man!”
“This is so cool, I adore the book, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner.” Rach whacked Billy on the arm. Dom looked over at Kiki who was watching the people milling around dressed as allsorts.
“Not got anything to say?” Kiki shrugged,
“Not really.”
“Aren’t you excited? I thought you’d love it.” Kiki kicked at a pebble on the floor,
“Yeah sure it’s great.” Dom narrowed his eyes at her she certainly didn’t seem great.
“Well you don’t seem to b-”
“YES!” Dom’s sentence was interrupted by Rach’s amazingly loud scream. Turning round both of them saw Billy on one knee with his hand held out towards Rach. A huge smile on her face and a sparkling ring on her left hand as a now upright Billy spun her round.
“Oh my god. Does this mean I get to be bridesmaid?” Ren squealed as she rushed over and crushed them into a three-way hug. Kiki shook her head and bounced up to the others, Dom following as she enveloped them all in a huge six way hug.
“You couldn’t have waited to do it in a restaurant like everyone else?” Kiki tilted her head in question as she glanced at the ring.
****
“Hello Mr. Iceberg, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced! Holy mother girl how are you managing with keeping your hand up.” Kiki looked at Rach over her glass of bubbling champagne.
“Oh can I try it ON? Oh please I want to see what it feels like to be engaged.” Ren sniffed to add to her plea, almost tipping her champagne.
“Okay but give it straight back! It’s such a shame the guys had to go back work.” Rach handed over the ring to Ren who slid in onto her finger. She was now holding her hand out in front of her and tilting her head to look at it from different angles.
“Yeah you would have thought the guy would’ve given him the afternoon off.” Kiki took a sip of champagne and gave a slight yawn. Ren sighed and pulled off the ring handing it over to Rach.
“Kiki, you want a go?” Kiki nearly choked on her champagne.
“What? Are you kidding me?” She took a deep breath to calm herself, “No way! If I try that thing on it might end up catching.” She shuddered. “You know what I think about marriage, it isn’t for everyone, but great for others.” She smiled at Rach as she slid the ring back onto her finger.
“You’d say no to DOM?” Ren nearly choked on her champagne, Rach was silently and thankfully sipping on her orange juice. “You would wouldn’t you? Ki why would you?”
“Hey, we’re here to celebrate Rach’s engagement, so as chief bridesmaid,” Ren glared at her, “I’m older, I’d like to propose a toast to Rach and Billy and their little stranger. May they live like in fairytales, happily ever after, with just a little rowing so we can still sit and have a real girly gossip. Cheers.” She raised her glass and it clinked with Rach’s and Ren’s with a satisfactory echo.
*************
“You seriously won’t get married Ki?” Ren looked at her in the dimming light of the dusking sky.
“No.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story and frankly my dear, you’ll fall asleep half way through it so it’s better left in the past where it belongs. Now,” she hooked her arm through Ren’s and hurried her towards their flat as black clouds began to form above at an alarming rate. “What about you and Lij?” Ren blushed as she looked up at the sky.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? Don’t give me that crap darling, I know you better, now come on. Are you dating again and not telling us or are you just plain screwing?”
“Ki-Ki! I’m not saying after that!” Kiki yanked Ren to a stop and planted her feet firmly on the pavement.
“We are not going anywhere till you tell me and dare I say it but I do believe it is about to rain. Do you want your hair to get wet?”
“I’m not telling.”
“I’m not moving. SO you’d budge first or we’ll be moulding here soon.” Ren looked at Kiki who face was firmly set and no matter how much Ren yanked she wasn’t budging even slightly.
“Okay. I am only budging with a cup of tea, a warm sofa and a piece of chocolate cake.” Kiki grinned and began to drag her towards the flat practically breaking the sound barrier she was walking that fast.
*******
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“It’s not a competition you know.” Rach gave Billy a whack on the arm as they lay on the sofa watching a film.
“Well it should be because I’d win.”
“You sound worse than Kiki. You wouldn’t believe those two earlier.”
“Why?”
“Well Ren wanted to try the ring on, I’ve never seen anyone more distracted by something so shiny. Her head tilted at some amazing angles to get a better view.”
“Let me guess Kiki was seven times as worse, no she tried to pocket it!” Billy cringed as he felt another smack rebound off his arm.
“Billy! No Kiki, she’d never try it on. She hates marriage with vengeance so you’d better be warning Dom not to plan anything like that.”
“What if he was planning to do it and I couldn’t stop him?”
“You’d better bloody try unless he never wants to see her again.”
“Why would she hate marriage so much?” Rach cringed as she thought of the repercussions of telling Billy this.
“She’s been married before.”