If No One Will Listen

[bradyell]

That was reeeeeeeeeeeeeally good!!

The chemistry between Belle and Aden is just too strong for her to fight for long surely!?

Really looking forward to seeing if Nicole goes ahead with the adoption or indeed if Geoff will agree to it! I know it's going to be brilliant whatever happens!

can't wait for more

[LAURZY!]

Well, i'm kinda shocked.... however kinda had an inkling that it might happen. But you completely threw me with the fact she went to see her and seemed to have some kind of connection

Loved the scene with Aden and Belle, you can almost feel the chemistry

Geoff was so sweet in this chapter!

Cant wait to read more

[Louise_2983]

I don't normally update twice in one day but thought I'd make an exception just this once, hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 5

"All ready?” Aden questioned, leaning a raised arm casually against the door frame in low slung jeans and a simple black t-shirt which rode up revealing a flash of toned abdomen, as Nicole zipped up the pink overnight bag that had been put together for her after her admission to hospital. Belle had been uncomfortable rifling through Nicole’s wardrobe and drawers but someone had to make sure she had the necessities.

“Ready” she nodded with a quick glance around the room as though she was leaving part of her behind there.

“Do you want to...you know, say goodbye to her first?” he asked hesitantly not wanting her to snap his head off.

She’d been uncharacteristically quiet since reaching the decision that she wanted her daughter to be adopted a few days earlier and Aden was sure it would only take someone muttering the wrong thing

for her to blow like a shaken bottle of soda being opened too quickly.

“No, I said goodbye and hello and everything else I needed to say the other day” she told him softly referring to the sole time she had been to visit to her daughter.

“You know she’s leaving today too right?”

“I know” Nicole nodded.

“And you don’t have to look so worried Aden. I’m not fooling myself. I know this isn’t going to be easy especially now Geoff’s doing what he’s doing but this is right for me and for her and he’ll realise

that eventually. I can’t be her mother any more than he can be her father and adoption is the right thing to do”

“Let’s go then” he smiled softly, taking the overnight bag from her hands and turning to leave.

“Aden?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad Dad asked you to come back home and I’m happy you said yes” she told him with a sincere smile.

“You just want someone else to blame when the pepper’s where the salt should be” he teased with a gentle nudge.

“Well yeah” she giggled.

“But I’ve missed you. Not kissing you or sleeping with you lets get that straight right away. Not that I’m saying that wasn’t good because I enjoyed it I admit but that was all it was, kissing and sex. When

it was over all I really wanted was my friend back but I’d lost him because I jumped into bed with him without any thought for how messed up he was because the girl he really loved was in rehab and

he didn’t know how to deal with it because of his past”

“Nic, I u-”

“No Aden, let me finish please” she silenced him with pleading blue eyes.

“I knew all of that and yet I still kept pushing you to be with me. So that I could feel better for a while, so that I could forget my own problems as easily as I could ignore yours and I’m sorry for

that. I should have been there for you, as a friend. The way you’ve been for me the past few days. You and Belle” she laughed incredulously.

“Neither of you had to be here with me and yet you both stayed and, as petrified as I was, it really helped to have you there, to know that I wasn’t as completely alone as I felt”

“You done?” he questioned with a wry smile as she paused for breath.

“Permission to speak now your royal highness?”

“Granted” she grinned at his familiar, teasing nature that made her warm inside.

“What happened between us was just as much me as it was you Nic. I knew it was Belle I wanted, that being with you was some sort of distraction to make me forget or to get back at her for not valuing

her own life as much I as valued it or to ...I don’t know what...I don’t know what I was looking for really. But I didn’t find it and I used you in the process. So we’re both to blame Nic and I’m sorry too.

But blame isn’t going to get us anywhere”

“You’re right” she smiled softly as he looped his free arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently.

“So we put it behind us yeah?” he questioned hopefully.

“...Go back to being friends?”

“Do you really think we can get it back Aden?”

He let out a tiny chuckle and guided her out of the door, thinking that at least one good thing had come out of her giving birth.

“Princess, I think we already have”

“And what about Belle?” she smiled, tilting her head to look up at him.

“Do you think you can get that back?”

“I don’t know” he shrugged honestly.

“Right now we’re just concentrating on being friends”

Nicole let out a deafening burst of laughter and scoffed at his words.

“Friends? You two? Yeah right! I give you a week at most!”

***

“Nicole, you can’t be serious about this!” Geoff hissed as the nurse left the room to make enquiries about who Nicole needed to speak to about adoption.

“I am serious Geoff” she told him adamantly, gently rocking the baby cradled in her arms who had begun to cry, little sniffles of distress escaping over her bowed lips, as though she sensed the tension

between her parents.

“Sssh baby, it’s ok” Nicole whispered softly as Geoff watched in disbelief. He didn’t know how she could be so maternal at the same time she was contemplating giving their daughter away.

“How can you not love her Nicole?” he asked her in exasperation.

“Look at her! She’s perfect. I loved her the minute I set eyes on her and I know you did too because I saw it”

“This isn’t about not loving her Geoff” she sighed, brushing her lips over her daughter’s soft skin once more, savouring every second with her, knowing there wouldn’t be many.

“Of course I love her”

“Then why would you want to give her away Nic? I don’t understand”

“Because loving her isn’t enough. Love doesn’t automatically make me ready to be a mother or you a father. We’re just school kids Geoff! School kids who have no idea where their lives are going or

what they’ll be doing except for knowing that wherever they go and whatever they do it won’t be together. She deserves more than that, she deserves the whole world and we can’t give her that”

“We can try and we can be together Nic” he told her hopefully as he pulled his hand from his pocket, the diamond engagement ring which had once belonged to his mother resting on his fingertips. It

wasn’t as ostentatious as he knew Nicole would have liked but it was beautiful and it meant a lot to him. He hoped she would see that.

“Put that away Geoff” she instructed immediately, before he had a chance to ask her the question on the tip of his tongue.

The sunlight streaming through the nursery window bounced off the facets of the small, simple diamond nestled on top of the white gold band as they gazed at it together.

“Bu-“

“No buts Geoff, do you want me to have to turn down another one of your proposals?”

“We could be a proper family Nic. You, me and this gorgeous little girl here” he told her, tenderly stroking his daughter’s fair hair.

“Don’t you want that?”

“In an ideal world yes” she sighed hugging her daughter closer to her, her tears having stopped she was now twisting her little fingers between strands of Nicole’s long hair, as she gazed up at her with

wide, curious eyes.

Nicole felt her heart tighten as it swelled with love and the knowledge that she couldn’t keep her baby strangled the vital organ like a noose.

“But we don’t live in an ideal world Geoff. We live in the real one, where we don’t work as a couple. If anything the way our relationship ended proves that love isn’t enough. I love you but not enough to

change who I am and too much to expect you to change who you are. What we both want and need are completely different things and we just don’t work, no matter how much we love each other. We

would never be enough for each other or for her”

“We could be” he objected in frustration.

“No we couldn’t and deep down you know that, I know you do or you would never have ended things between us in the first place. We would resent each other and take it out on her or even worse you’d

do your thing and I’d do mine and she’d end up fobbed off on Irene or my Dad or Annie and she wouldn’t even really know who her Mum and Dad were”

“If we give her away she’ll never know that” Geoff whispered never once tearing his gaze from his little girl. She had only been in his life for two days but it broke his heart to think that there would ever

be a day when she wasn’t in it.

“Yes she will” Nicole whispered softly.

“Because they’ll find her a couple who will love her and cherish her and give her all the things that we can’t. A home, a proper family, time and love. They’ll love her and want her and they’ll be ready for

her. We’re not ready Geoff”

“We can give her all those things, if we just make the effort Nic” he insisted.

“I don’t want to Geoff” she admitted guilty, taking her eyes from her daughter as though not looking at her as she spoke could soothe her shame.

“I’m 18 and I’m not ready for this. I want a life before I have a family, I want to go to uni and to travel the world and to find a man who I can love and have it be enough” she sighed regretfully.

“I know I must sound completely selfish right now but what would really be selfish would be to keep her because I love her when I know that I’m not prepared to make the sacrifices that motherhood will

demand of me. Somewhere out there there’s a woman who is prepared to make those sacrifices, a woman who will be the mother our little girl deserves and I love her enough to give her that Geoff no

matter how much it hurts”

“I’ll make those sacrifices Nicole”

“You say that now but when reality hits, when she’s keeping you up all night and you have the HSC to study for or you need to go to footie practice and you can’t find a babysitter you’ll realise that

you’re not ready for this Geoff and realising that when she’s dependant on you isn’t fair on her. We have to put her up for adoption, it’s the best thing for all of us but especially for her”

“I won’t let you do this” he protested, trying to take their daughter from her arms but she refused to let him, holding the baby close for the one and only time. She knew that when she left the nursery

that day she wouldn’t be coming back.

“Geoff!”

“No, if you don’t want to be involved then fine Nic! But if you leave her here she won’t be put up for adoption she’ll be coming home with me!”

“And how on earth are you going to cope?!”

He shrugged, she had a point but he wouldn’t admit it. He wouldn’t give up on his little girl.

“I’ll figure it out. There are people who will help, people who will love her almost as much as I do. Annie, Irene, Belle, even Aden probably. They won’t turn their backs on her even if you’re prepared to”

“They shouldn’t have to help Geoff, they have their own lives. This is our mess”

“Our daughter is not a mess!” he snapped angrily, heat rising to his cheeks as he realised he was never going to convince her to be a mother to their baby girl.

“I didn’t mean it like that” she sighed as she lifted the baby girl in the air in front of her so she could take one last look, so that she could memorise every beautiful feature.

Her big, blue eyes, Geoff’s button nose, her full mouth, Geoff’s long limbs. She knew that one day her daughter would be a real heartbreaker. She just hoped that didn’t mean she’d find herself pregnant

at 17.

“But I meant everything else Geoff. I’m going to speak to the adoption people and I guess then they’ll come to you. If you want to object then fine but you’re not going to change my mind. Please just

think about everything I’ve said and do what’s best for our baby” she told him, a single tear slowly flowing down her cheek as she pulled her daughter close and kissed her tenderly, breathing in her

scent and cherishing the touch of her smooth skin.

“Goodbye baby” she whispered against her ear.

“I love you and I hope one day you’ll understand all this”

Handing the little girl to Geoff she wiped away the tear and headed for the door.

“Wait!” Geoff called after her.

She turned as she reached the door.

“Don’t you even want to name her?”

Nicole shook her head slowly, warm tears beginning to break free once more.

“That’s a privilege her mother should have”

***

“Remind me how we got roped into this again?” he questioned as he battled to scan the variety of prams lined up before him, there were too many to ever make a decision.

“I got roped into it, you volunteered to carry my bags” she laughed as she lifted up his hand and slid another bag over his arm to add to the many he was already laden down with.

“Who knew one baby could need so much stuff?” he chuckled with a low growl.

“How on earth is Geoff paying for all this?”

“He’s not” Belle smiled.

“This is just between us because he doesn’t want Nicole to know but Roman gave me this” she told him holding up a credit card between her fingers and flexing it slightly.

“The Diner account card?” Aden exclaimed, his blue eyes bulging in shock.

“Yeah, I’m an authorised signatory still from when I worked there and I used to go to the cash and carry. So he gave it to me to pay for everything and then he’s going to pay the money back into the

account”

“I can’t believe you asked Roman”

“I didn’t!” she protested in horror that he could think she’d be so cheeky.

“He asked when Geoff was bringing the baby home and if we had everything we needed for her. Which is of course when I realised that no one had actually thought about that and we didn’t have so

much as a bottle. So Roman gave me this and told me to get whatever the baby needs, he said he wouldn’t have his granddaughter going without”

“I can’t believe he did that” Aden smiled, happy that at least Roman wanted to be involved in the baby’s life in some way even if Nicole didn’t. Geoff was going to need all the help he could get.

“Neither could Colleen, I heard her mutter something under her breath about whether drug dealers have chip and pin machines these days”

“Belle, if Colleen knows Nicole is going to find out about this and she’s not going to be happy”

“Relax, she only saw him give me the card. She thinks I’m helping Roman out by going to the cash and carry for him”

“When in reality you’re spending the cash and I’m doing the carrying” he teased as she picked out a pram which would convert into a pushchair when the baby was older and wheeled it down the shop. It

was cream and dotted with pink and brown spots.

He watched her, a smile spreading wide across his face as she glided down the shop testing out the pram. He could just see her with a baby one day and he’d like to think that it would be his.

“You’re going to make a great mum one day” he smiled when she finally returned.

“What because I can pick out a pram and some baby clothes? It takes more than that Aden. I don’t think I’ll be ready to be a mum for a long time”

“That’s what Nicole would have said last week!” he laughed, nudging her gently so the pram tipped sideways a little.

“That’s what she’s still saying” Belle sighed.

“And I can understand where she’s coming from but the baby’s not going for adoption, she’s going to be here in the Bay and Nicole’s not going to be able to avoid her forever”

“She’s determined that this is the right thing and I think we just have to respect that. If she changes her mind then great but we, and when I say we I mean Geoff especially, have to accept that there’s

a strong chance that she won’t. We all know how stubborn and determined Nicole is”

“Yeah, she sure is” Belle nodded, grabbing hold on a changing bag that matched the pram she had chosen and resting it on top.

“So did you call Irene?”

“No” she shook her head, rolling her big brown eyes slightly.

“If it was up to me then I would have but Geoff played the whole “You took an overdose and we didn’t call her then” card so I had to give in. I guess she’ll find out when she gets home to find that her

house has turned into a nursery” she laughed gesturing at the mountain of baby supplies they had already piled on the counter whilst they continued to look around.

“We haven’t got her any toys!” Aden suddenly exclaimed scanning the shop for the toy section.

“Aden she’s a week old, she can’t play with toys yet”

“Every baby deserves toys” he grinned as he spotted a Noah’s ark themed mobile, with 2 of each animal hanging down from a boat in the middle.

“Cute and religious. Geoff will so approve” he winked passing it to her to place on the counter.

“And we have to get her this!” he exclaimed his gaze falling on a fluffy teddy bear dressed as a princess, complete with tiara and wand.

“It couldn’t be more appropriate if it tried!”

“Aden, she could choke on that tiara, or poke her eye out with the wand” Belle objected but couldn’t help laughing at his enthusiasm.

“Then we’ll put it out of her reach, so she can just admire it until she’s old enough!” he insisted handing the teddy to the assistant for her to ring through the till separately to the rest. He would pay for

that himself.

“You really are enjoying this aren’t you?” she grinned as she picked out some rattles, shaking them incessantly until Aden had to clamp his hands over hers to stop her.

“Not the only one am I?” he chuckled.

“No” she smiled.

“Seems this friends thing this is kind of fun”

“Yeah it is” he smiled back, his piercing blue eyes meeting hers as they shined with happiness.

“I was worried you wouldn’t want anything to do with me after what happened with Nicole”

“It hurt, I’m not going to deny it but it would hurt more to cut you out of my life” she admitted in a shy murmur as he smiled softly down at her.

“So anyway” she smiled changing the subject.

“Someone seems pretty enchanted with the baby”

“I haven’t got a clue who you’re talking about” he grinned with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Aww is the Bay’s resident bad boy getting broody?” she teased, poking him in the side as she giggled.

“I’m not a bad boy anymore remember!” he protested avoiding the question as his cheeks flushed red.

“Not on week days anyway” Belle laughed at his obvious embarrassment as she threw a packet of pacifiers onto the counter.

“Seriously though” he turned more sombre.

“I really admire what Geoff’s doing. I mean he must be terrified but he’s really facing up to his responsibilities”

“Yeah I’m kind of worried about him though, juggling a baby and school is going to be really difficult. He didn’t even have time to come shopping because of school”

“We’ll help him, it’ll work out” Aden reassured her, rubbing her arm soothingly.

“So” she smiled, impressed by his attitude towards the whole situation, by how he was willing to help Geoff even though they weren’t the best of friends and Nicole wouldn’t particularly like it.

“Do you see yourself with children one day?”

“One day” he nodded with a cheeky grin, wondering if she was having the same thoughts about them having children together as he had been a few minutes earlier.

“I wouldn’t mind a few mini Aden’s running about” he chuckled softly.

“Or a few little Tinkerbelle’s”

Her cheeks flushed crimson as he winked at her and she giggled coyly before the shop assistant asked them if they wanted something personalised and interrupted their moment.

“Erm no” Belle replied flustered.

“She doesn’t have a name yet”

“Yeah Geoff’s going to have to get a move on with that one” Aden laughed.

“We can’t keep calling her the baby or her”

“I know and he’s trying believe me” Belle sighed.

“But he feels guilty about not including Nicole in the decision. He doesn’t want to choose something she wouldn’t like. He even considered calling her Nicole last night until I convinced him it would just be

way too confusing!”

“He’s just going to have to accept that Nicole’s chosen not to be involved and get on with it”

“Yeah” Belle sighed softly.

“I think we all are”

“So how are you anyway?” he questioned quietly, his eyes fluttering over her face.

“With all this drama kicking off literally the minute you got back it seems no one has really focused on you”

“It’s no one else’s job to focus on me Aden” she told him adamantly.

“I have to be the one to get through this and I’m ok. I’m clean still if that’s what you’re asking”

“Never doubted that for a second babe” he replied instantly without a second thought.

“I mean Belle” he cringed at his mistake.

“I’m sorry”

“It’s ok Aden” she laughed to make him feel more at ease.

She didn’t mind him calling her that. She liked it if anything. Even if it was technically outside the boundaries of the relationship they were meant to be having right then.

“It’s nice to know you still care”

“I’ll always care Belle, you never need to doubt that” he told her, holding her gaze to demonstrate his sincerity.

She smiled a tiny, wry smile meant only for him.

“Thanks, that’s really good to know”

***

“Wow, guys this is amazing!” Geoff exclaimed as he scanned his hardly recognisable bedroom, filled to bursting with all the baby items they had bought and set up for him.

“Thank you”

“No problem” Belle grinned as she tickled the little girl Aden had stolen for a cuddle as soon as Geoff had brought her home from the hospital a few minutes earlier.

“Anything for this little princess”

“I still can’t believe you’ve got a daughter” Annie spoke softly gaping in awe at her niece.

“Join the club” Geoff chuckled.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet either”

“Oh I’m sure it will when she’s screaming her lungs off at 2am” Aden teased mercilessly, earning a poke in the arm from Belle for his efforts.

“Did Nic say anything when you picked her up today?” Geoff looked to Aden hopefully.

“About the baby?”

“Only that she’d made the right decision” Aden sighed with a tiny smile down at the beautiful baby nestled against his broad chest.

“Sorry mate”

“It’s not your fault” Geoff shrugged the hope of his face extinguished like a candle being blown out.

“She doesn’t know what she’s missing” Belle smiled softly.

“It’s her loss Geoff, you just have to concentrate on this little one. We all do”

“And giving her a name might be a start” Aden hinted rocking her slowly from side to side as she drifted to sleep in his arms.

“Actually I already have” Geoff smiled, pulling her birth certificate from his pocket.

“I registered her birth before we left the hospital”

“Well?!” Belle tapped her foot impatiently.

“Don’t keep us in suspense”

Nervously he handed her the birth certificate and she scanned it to find the name he had given his baby girl.

“Geoff it’s...”

“You hate it don’t you?”

“No, of course not” she smiled.

“I was just going to say that it really sounds like something Nicole would have chosen”

“It is” he laughed softly.

“I was trying to sleep last night and I remembered a conversation we had a long, long time ago and she said that was what she wanted to name her daughter if she ever had one”

“You got Franklin in there too” Belle smiled knowingly at the double barrelled surname.

“Yeah” he nodded.

“I know she said she didn’t want to be involved but I didn’t feel right just calling her Campbell”

“Will one of you just tell us her name already!” Annie cried impatiently as Belle and Geoff realised they hadn’t revealed the name to Annie or Aden yet.

“Go on Daddy” Belle prompted with a smile as Geoff stroked his daughter’s head delicately and said the name aloud.

“Angelica” he whispered with a smile.

“Angelica Lily Campbell-Franklin”

“Lily?” Annie gasped, a tear rolling down her cheeks.

“That was our Mum’s name” Geoff explained to Belle and Aden.

“Angelica Lily” Annie spoke once more.

“It’s beautiful just like my beautiful niece”

“It means Messenger of God too” Geoff smiled as Aden chuckled that he’d chosen the name Nicole wanted and still managed to find a religious slant to it.

“Well it’s gorgeous” Belle smiled encouragingly, soothing Geoff’s doubts.

“Just like you hey little Rugrat?”

“Aden! Don’t call her that!”

“Look Belle” he gazed at her, his eyes shining in amusement.

"Her names Angelica. He may as well have wrapped that joke up in a big red bow and given it to me for Christmas!”

[bradyell]

2 updates in 1 day! Aren't we the lucky ones!! And 2 brill ones at that!

Bless Nicole, what a tough decision! I wonder if she'll change her mind eventually?

Loved Aden and Belle shopping

Angelica Lily So cute!

And that last line was just BRILLIANT!!!

Can't wait for more

[leah1234]

2 updates!!!!! Yay!!!!!

Loved them

Aden and belle shopping was absolutely adorable

I hope nicole changes her mind

Update soon

Xxxxxxx

[MrsL]

WOW. Brilliant and the last line about Rugrats and Angellica had me LOL

Aden and Belle talking about children too so sweet briliant.

I LOVE this fic

[~Zoe~]

2 updates

Angelica, thats a good name

I liked the last line

Hope Nicole is okay, and that she changes her mind, and Aden and Belle talking about children was sweet too

Another great chapter!!

[tessalove]

that was really good!!! the name is so cute!!

cant wait for more!!

ex

[jdoddy]

That last line had me doubled over [well it was probably a combination of the last couple actually]

Looking forward to the next bit, although I want her to accept her baby - it seems Nicole is sticking to her guns.

I wonder how Geoff's fatherhood will pan out.

[lino]

the 2 last updates were amazing. I loved them.