Wrong-side 'round

[karter]

Tittle: Wrong-side 'Round

Length: One-shot

Characters: Aden, Nicole, Roman, Geoff, Belle

Rating:A to be safe

Warning: Kind of half a swear word but not too bad

Spoilers: None

Summary: It's Nicole's wedding day. If only she knew that. Geoff/Nicole, Aden/Belle

One-shot

“OW!” Nicole shook her head dazedly as she managed to sit up and slam her head straight into something hard and made from wood.

“Watch the table there princess.”

She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurred vision and just made out the figure of Aden sitting crouched a few meter’s away, surrounded by paper, bottles, half a mile long piece of popped bubble-wrap and wearing a smirk that could only mean trouble.

Nicole managed to glare at him as she massaged the bump that was now pounding on her forehead, “What happened?” She was only mildly shocked to hear her voice slur.

“You mean before or after the drinking started?” He answered, his grin widening, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

She groaned as she tried to sit up straighter and almost knocked herself out again, placing her hands firmly on the carpet to steady herself she saw bright bursts of colour before her vision and moaned, “This feels like a Saturday morning.”

“Actually it’s Friday.” Aden pointed out, not even trying to pretend he was being helpful.

She managed a glare as she shuffled out from under the table, squirming through a sea of rapping paper, something that resembled a pizza box and even more bottles.

She swallowed and took two quick breaths before finally attempting to stand up, “Princess don’t—”

Aden’s cry was just a moment too late, “OW!”

He snickered as she rubbed her now throbbing twice as bad forehead and glared at the papier-mâché frog that slapped lazily against her arm, held up by string and attached to the ceiling she had no idea why there was a piñata in her house.

Hold on. This wasn’t her house.

She looked around dazedly for a few moments sub-consciously noticing that there were several other unconscious bodies lying around the room while coming to the conclusion that she was in fact in the Buckton apartment and by the state of it, Charlie was going to shoot her.

“What the hell happened?” she asked in a not so soft voice.

“A pretty out of control bachelorette party I’d say.” Aden said conversationally as he surveyed the rest of room, barley containing his laughter.

Nicole seemed to accept that for a second before she blinked and looked at him oddly, “Bachelorette party? Who’s getting married?”

Aden looked at her like all of his Christmases had suddenly come at once; his grin was so wide in threatened to split his face, “Well you see…” he started in mock seriousness. “That would be yours.”

She looked at him. There was a beat. And then “I’m sorry, what!?” she yelled, Aden burst out laughing practically rolling on the floor at the look on her face.

Nicole stuttered, “Who-who…” she swallowed, “who am I getting married to?” she squeaked.

In between fits of laugher Aden managed to get out two words, “Geoff…Campbell.”

Nicole nodded, “Uh-huh.” A second before she passed out.

It took the resounding thunk of her body hitting the ground the bring Aden out of his peals of laughter and when he realised what had happened he just started back up again.

----

“Roman, we need you, now, like right now.” A short time later Aden had became of his best friend role and scooped Nicole up, sitting her on the counter top as he dialled the cavalry, he saw her wobble and clutch at the kitchen bench to stay up right and spoke again. “You better hurry.”

He hung up and carefully put his hands on her shoulders to steady her, “Breathe princess, its all going to be okay.”

“Ahh…question.” She said meekly.

“Yes.” Aden nodded for her to go on.

“If the bachelorette party was last night does that mean I’m getting married…today?”

Aden winced, “More specifically in two hours.” He answered nervously.

She looked at him, hysteria slowly covering her face, “Oh my fu—”

Aden clamped a hand over her mouth, he looked at her in warning as if reminding her of who she would be a wife to later that day, “…god.” She finished her voice muffled.

Hyperventilating somewhat she managed to struggle out, “What-what are you doing here then? Shouldn’t you be…your best man.”

Aden smiled at her, glad she was finally beginning to remember something, “I cut out early to come see how you were doing,” he glanced wistfully around the room, “and clearly that was the best decision of my life.” He snickered, oh, he was never forgetting this day.

“So…um, I’m guessing Geoff’s night went off without a hitch?” she asked nervously.

Aden shrugged at her apologetically, “I’m pretty sure everyone was in bed by ten.”

That seemed to be the last straw, Nicole groaned, and fell back on the counter top letting her head thump the table, “Somebody kill me.”

Aden winced, letting out a breath he decided that there was no time to wait for Roman they needed reinforcements now, dashing out to the kitchen he waded through the wreckage and stepped lightly over several bridesmaids including, he smiled fondly, his own wife, Belle threw her arms out widely in her sleep, “Seamonkey’s! everywhere!”

He kindly chose to ignore that and instead continued his search until he found the upside down figure of Ruby Buckton, face down in the bathtub, which luckily wasn’t filled with water, he rolled her over and immediately had to duck a right hook from the maid of honour, looking wryly at her he conceded that it was at least convenient, he then reached over found that tap marked cold and turned it on.

“Ack!” Ruby shot up, and flew like a bat out of hell, out of the bathtub, she hit the tiles with a wet thud and tried to scramble to her feet.

Not having enough time to indulge her confusion Aden grabbed her by the shoulders and glared at her. “You kitchen now. Major crisis.”

She stared at him for a few seconds before she stuttered, “What kind of crisis?”

Aden looked at her before answering dryly, “Oh just a little something like…the bride has forgotten who she is!” he yelled the last part and it was enough to shock her into bolting from the room, Aden dusted his hands lightly, satisfied that Ruby could handle Nicole he set about waking up the rest of the wedding party as he stepped out into the living room and surveyed his task he was forced to crack his knuckles for dramatic effect, “Right…one down, twenty-three to go.”

-------

Roman looked at his ex-ex something girlfriend as she repeatedly banged the back of her head against the back of the couch, why was he not surprised? “Nat?” he asked dryly, “You okay yet?”

“Bite me.”

“Don’t have time, the procession starts in twenty minutes. What did you think you were doing?”

The mother of the bride looked up at him, not the least bit effected by his ‘commando’ voice and frowned, “Roman I haven’t been a good mother for twenty-two years I wasn’t about to start now.”

He rolled his eyes and her and shook his head, “Fine.” He said simply a second before he picked her up and forcefully carried her to the kitchen.

“Incoming,” he warned Aden who had successfully got at least half the others up, including Belle who was particularly grouchy and now sporting a mass of red streaks through her hair at Aden’s raised eyebrows she had shrugged, “How should I know?”

“Did that come before or after the plate throwing?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, “but it was definitely after the tequila shots.”

“Uh-huh.” He swung around, “Roman where is Nicole?”

“She’s freaking out up stairs,” he said, “where’s Charlie?” he countered with.

“Err…” Aden thought about it for a minute, “I think she was in the master bedroom, can’t remember.”

Roman nodded his thanks as Aden dashed from the room leaving Belle glaring at everyone around her.

“Hey Nic,” he knocked softly on the door.

“Yeah.” He took that as an okay and entered to find the future Mrs Campbell sitting at a vanity, not doing anything.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

She managed a rye smile, “Not really,” she tried to joke with him, “I think some one up there is really screwing with me.”

Aden laughed, “I think it’s the vodka that’s screwing with you.” He replied walking over to her and stopping at her shoulder.

“Why is it nothing I do ever goes easy,” she sighed, “especially when Geoff is involved, it’s like I can’t screw up enough.”

Aden smiled softly at his little sister and crouched by her chair, “Because if you didn’t it wouldn’t be worth it.”

She looked at him confused, “I know how much you and Geoff have been through, it’s like a freaking soap opera, but that’s just how you guys do it, no one can say its wrong when you get there in the end.” He grinned at her, “Now come on.” He stood straight and put an arm around her shoulders, “We got less then fifteen-minutes and it’s a twenty minute drive, not to mention I know nothing about mascara.”

She laughed at him, “You also know nothing about getting ready on the run, get out, I can handle it from here.” She grinned at him.

And he gave her a sarcastic wave on his way out the door, she rolled her eyes affectionately, taking a breath she smirked, she’d show god she was worth Geoff Campbell.

----

She remembered her lines and even managed not to get distracted when Charlie had passed out in the second row and slumped to the ground sound asleep, she just kept going, ignoring Geoff’s inquiring look, it was hard not to smile when he looked like that, all cute and confused.

And while the groom managed to ignore several odd occurrences at the reception, like Belle hitting an unfortunate bus boy who thought it wise to comment on her dress, Natalie accidently giving him a cheque that said two million instead of thousand and he even turned a blind-eye to the sudden electro-pop haircut Annie was sporting but when the now married couple sat at their table, Nicole’s head rested lazily against his shoulder her fingers tapping out a rhythm on his thigh he decided to comment on the fact that her wine glass was fizzy.

And not in the bubbly kind. “Um…Nic?”

“Yeah,” she whispered pleasantly, apparently off somewhere far.

“Why does your drink have aspro in it?” he asked.

She sat up, looking at the headache tablet that was busily working away in the glass, “Um,” she stuttered looking at his smug face, “well you see the thing about that is…”

He waited.

“You wouldn’t believe the amount of times I almost knocked my self out this morning.” She laughed nervously.

He raised an eyebrow, sceptical and trying to conceal a grin, “ In such a rush were you?”

“Yes of course, couldn’t wait to get here,” she said as sweetly as possible.

“Uh-huh.” He said doubtfully and playing dumb added, “So that’s why your limo’s got a speeding ticket under the windscreenwiper.

Nicole chocked, he looked at her suspiciously she thought about it for a moment before rolling her eyes, “Oh shut up and kiss me.”

It worked sufficiently well at getting her out of trouble. Not that she’d ever stay that way.

-----

The tittle is a bit odd but it comes from an old wives tale about getting married. I hope you all liked it.

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