Full Circle

[TelephotoMarigold]

Story Title: Full Circle

Type of story: One Shot

Main Characters: Nicole, Geoff and Aden (Plus others)

BTTB rating: A

Genre: Drama, Romance

Does story include spoilers: No

Warning: Same sex Paring

Summary: Some people leave and never come home again. Some people have no choice except to return to the place they came from. Sometimes Fate makes everything come Full Circle.

Authors Note: This story follows After the Leaving and Happy ever After.

16 months earlier:

“Well you could take it in turns.” Nic murmured looking over at Geoff and Aden. “You first them him.”

Geoff shot her a disgusted look, frowning when both Aden and Nic laughed at him.

“Yeah ok, that came out wrong.” Nic admitted leaning her head on her hands and looking over at them. They were seated in a park that was near the home that Geoff and Aden had set up in the city. It had been chosen so that it was close enough for Geoff to visit Summer Bay and also for Nic to bring her daughter to spend time with her favourite uncles. Aden didn’t visit home giving his reason that he had no family left there. She couldn’t believe that her two former boyfriends were now life partners. It had been a rocky road for the pair, Geoff was still deeply committed to the church and Aden had to overcome the stigma of his past. Eventually they had decided that they should just live their lives and make their home together.

“I think she meant we take it in turns to donate.” Aden said smiling at his partner.

“Donate?” Geoff asked.

Nic pushed her magazine to one side and looked over at her daughter, Brittany. After checking she was still playing on the swings she looked back at Geoff.

“I know this isn’t what you wanted with your life Geoff.” She began seeing Aden shooting her a look. “But you have to think God’s plan for you was to have this path. To be this amazingly brave and challenge people into accepting not only your love for each other but also your love for God. You’ve been together for three years and now you want a family.”

“We want a family Princess.” Aden murmured, correcting her.

“Exactly.” Nic said sitting up. She shot another anxious glance at her daughter before looking once more at Geoff. “So let me help. I want to donate my egg to give you a baby.”

“It won’t just be your egg though Nic, I can’t ask you to do this.” Geoff said with a sigh. He raised sad eyes to Aden. “No matter how much we want this It’s too much to ask of her. What will they say when they see her pregnant again and then the baby mysteriously disappears?”

“Do you think I care about that?” Nic scoffed. “I had Penn’s baby.” She gave a careless shrug. “The people who were my friends were there for me.”

Geoff sighed and caught Aden looking at him.

“We should talk about it more.” He said instead of the flat out no he had been thinking.

“We have time.” Aden murmured. “Let’s treat our goddaughter to some ice cream.”

Nic smiled at them before packing her copy of Italian Vogue in her designer handbag and eased up off the grass. She brushed her dress down and chuckled when Geoff leaned over and picked a bit of grass out of her hair.

“Still not sure how that happened.” She muttered.

“What that you named us her godfathers?” Aden asked.

Nic shook her pretty head fluffing out her blonde hair as she turned and looked at Aden.

“No, that he persuaded me to get her Christened.” She muttered pointing over her shoulder to Geoff.

“Oh that happens.” Aden shrugged. “Still you ever find out the answer then maybe you can explain why I go to Church.”

Geoff looked at the pair of them and smiled his normal saintly smile.

“Brit.” Aden called out smiling as Nic frowned at him.

“Its Brit-tany.” She muttered at him.

Brittany ran over to them from the swings.

“What Uncle Aden?” she asked looking like a miniature Nicole.

“Well we were going for Ice cream but your Mum said no.” Aden told her with a smirk.

“Mummy.” Brittany muttered folding her arms in the same pose as her grandfather, Roman.

“Aden will you stop doing that.” Nic said glaring at him.

“But I like the arms. I miss the arms.” Aden protested.

“Is he joking again, Mummy?” Brittany asked her.

“He is darling.” Nic said softly smiling as her daughter turned and glared at Aden. She narrowed her eyes before turning and walking over to Geoff.

“Can’t you do something about him Uncle Geoff?”

Nic laughed at the look on Aden’s face before he ran over to Brittany and picked her up swirling her round before lowering her to the grass.

“Again!” she demanded holding up her hands to him.

“Again Missy?” he asked.

Aden leaned down and picked her up once more. Swirling her round again and again hearing her giggle.

Geoff watched them before turning to Nic.

“Are you sure?” he asked her.

She nodded.

“Ok.” he said.

“Geoff?” she asked.

“Have a baby for us please?” he asked his voice husky with emotion.

“Are you sure?” Aden asked managing to overhear the conversation despite Brittany’s squeals. He lowered her carefully to her feet before moving over to Geoff’s side.

“How can I be the reason that you never get to be a dad?” Geoff asked Aden, glancing at Nic and Brittany standing together now, before he looked back at Aden once more. As usual his heart flipped over as he looked at his “life partner” but now he sensed something else within himself, a strange feeling that was a mixture of hope and fulfilment.

“You don’t have to do this because of me.” Aden said quickly, banking down the feelings inside him that made him want to snap at this chance. “If I never be a father as long as we are together I won’t care.”

Geoff looked at all the faces in front of him and imagined all the faces that would be in front of him in the future. How some of them would be disapproving of same sex parents and some would be hateful. But them an image of Irene popped strangely into his head and he remembered how nervous he’d been when he’d gone back to tell her he was with Aden and she’d given him that same motherly smile and reached out to pat his hand. ‘As long as you are happy Darl and he treats you right. Hark at me being all accepting!’ she’d added with a laugh.“I want us to have a family.” Geoff declared grinning as Aden moved over and picked him up and kissed him at the same time before lowering him down and starring into his eyes.

“A family.” Aden echoed. “Our family.”

“Steady on boys.” Nic called out giggling. “I’m only going to do this the once!”

Geoff looked at her before looking at Aden. Both men grinned and turned to Nic pulling her into their embrace. The three of them skipping around in a big excited circle. Brittany giggled and ran into the middle smiling as they pulled her into their group hug.

8 months ago.

“Brittany.” Nic called looking around the playground for her daughter. Her daughter was in her first term at Summer Bay Junior school and just the thought of it made her sad that her little girl was growing up. She spotted her at last and smiled as she trotted over to her mother. Her bag was dragging and she had a hole in the knee of her dark blue tights. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at her daughter and then frowned.

“Ok Missy, want to tell me how you ripped your tights and your uniform?” Nic asked her.

“Well.” Brittany murmured giving her a sly grin. “It started when that ponce Jimmy Mackay decided to call me blonde.”

Nic sighed and picked up Brittany’s bag before taking her hand.

“Go on.” She said with patience suspecting that this was going to be another long story.

“Because I got one measly question wrong on my math quiz.” Brittany said. “And then he said that because I don’t have a Daddy that I’m never going to be smart.”

“Oh really?” Nic asked instantly picking up on the Daddy part of the statement aware that people still talked about Penn.

“So I said I had two uncles and he said that his Mummy used to know you in school and had said that she was surprised I only had two uncles.”

“Is that when the fight started?” Nic asked slowly.

Brittany shook her head.

“No?” Nic asked.

“No Mummy. It started when I called him ginger but that was later. Don’t you want to hear the rest?”

Nic smiled and reluctantly nodded.

“Go on.” She encouraged her.

“Well, I said that his Mummy was a dummy because she was only a Mum and you worked for a living.” Brittany added.

Nic rolled her eyes wondering what poor Jimmy Mackay’s mother would make of that sentence.

“And that even though you couldn’t cook it didn’t matter because we liked takeaway pizza.”

Nic stopped still and looked at her daughter unable to say anything for a moment before she laughed.

“Brittany I swear you are going to be the death of me.” She declared.

Brittany smiled at her.

“But why Mummy? We do eat a lot of pizza.” Brittany asked. “Anyway, he said that I was a bimbo just like you.”

“And is that when you hit him?” Nic asked.

“No told you that was later.”

“Just tell me what started the fight Brittany Marilyn Franklin.” Nic said at last fighting the urge to laugh at her daughter.

“He kissed me.” She said sounding as though that was the worst insult imaginable.

“No!” Nic gasped. “Not kissing?”

Brittany stared at her.

“You may think its funny but I don’t want to be kissed by a ginger.” Brittany declared standing and looking at her with her hands on her hips.

“Now then do we need to have a talk about how people are not made the same and it’s not fair to point things out.”

“Dis-creamy-nation.” Brittany pronounced wrinkling her nose up as she said the word.

“Exactly.” Nic said slowly. “Because it would be a boring world if everyone were the same.”

“Still he’s ginger.”

Nic leaned down and whispered close to her daughter’s ear.

“You were a little ginger when you came out.”

“Yuk.” Brittany gasped. “So don’t even joke about it Mummy.”

Nic laughed and tugged on her daughter’s hand leading her over to the path to their home. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out her keys and unlocked the door.

“I need to have a chat with you.” Nic said finally biting her lip worriedly.

“K’s.” Brittany said running in the house. She stopped and looked at the puppy sitting on the couch.

“Get down” Nic gasped shutting the front door hurriedly to prevent the puppy escaping. “How did you get on there anyway. Oh, I knew this was a mistake.”

“Mummy?” Brittany asked slowly turning in a circle and looking at her.

“She needs a name.” Nic said. “Although I am thinking of naming her get down.”

“That’s a silly name Mummy.” Brittany said rushing over and hugging the excited puppy.

“Not with the amount of times I’ve had to shout that at her today.” Nic murmured.

Brittany laughed and then giggled at the chocolate brown Labrador licked her face.

“Thank you Mummy.” She cried out happily.

“Come and sit for a moment.” Nic said patting the seat beside her.

Brittany nodded and eased down next to her.

“Mummy? Is this about the fight because the teacher made me ‘pologise .” She said in a sweet sounding voice looking up at her mother with innocent eyes.

“Well no.” Nic said sucking in a breath. “It’s about Uncle Aden and Uncle Geoff.”

Brittany nodded wondering if this was going to be a long talk because she wanted to play with her puppy.

“Well you know that boys can’t have babies.” Nic said in a rush.

Brittany looked at her again.

“Mummy.” She said in an impatient voice.

“Well.” Nic started again and frowned at her overuse of the word. She could feel her mind wondering and dragged her attention back to her daughter.

“Is this about them giving you a baby?” Brittany asked.

“Er …well.. yes.” Nic stuttered. “But it’s not really for me because when the baby is born I’m going to give him or her to them to look after.”

“Ok.” Brittany murmured.

“Ok?” Nic asked. “But I’ve got a long speech to say. I’ve been trying to do this for three weeks.”

Brittany shrugged.

“If it means that we don’t keep the puppy, wweeelll, I can be a little upset that the baby isn’t going to live here.” Brittany bargained.

Nic laughed and lifted her daughter on to her lap hugging her close.

“So you are ok that I’m going to have a baby for Uncle Aden and Uncle Geoff?” she asked her.

Brittany nodded putting her arms around her mother’s neck.

“I think it’s really cool.” She pronounced. “Because they will love the baby and we can still see it.”

“Very true.” Nic said. “But the thing is.”

“Yes Mummy.”

“The thing is Brittany is that I’m already pregnant.” Nic announced softly.

Brittany scrambled off her Mother’s lap and frowned.

“I didn’t squish the baby did I?” she asked worriedly looking at her mother’s still flat stomach.

“No you didn’t.” Nic said with a laugh and picked her daughter up once more cradling her close. “Me and the baby are fine.”

“Ok.” Brittany said and looked over at her puppy.

“I did wonder if you wanted to be the one to tell your uncles.” Nic suggested.

Brittany grinned and reached for the phone on the table beside the sofa. She dialled their number by heart not noticing her mother grinning at that.

“Hello Uncle Geoff.” She called out.

“Brittany.” Geoff grinned as he heard her voice through the phone.

“I’ve got some important news to tell you.” Brittany smiled and looked at her puppy.

“Really?” Geoff asked glancing over at Aden. He mouthed the word Brittany at him and chuckled when the other man walked over to his side. He put the phone onto speaker.

“We’re both here.” Aden said into it.

“Mummy bought me a puppy.” Brittany shouted happily, she caught her mother giving her a look and muttered. “And she’s having a baby.” She added.

“Say that again.” Aden gasped.

“It’s a girl puppy and she has big brown eyes. She’s already learned how to climb on the sofa.” Brittany told them.

“Brittany.” Nic gasped laughing before taking the phone from her. “Hello.”

“We’re a bit confused.” Geoff said slowly.

“Yeah, ok, I got her a dog.” Nic said guiltily. “But she was cute and well it seemed I didn’t actually need to blackmail my daughter because she’s happy that I’m having a baby and going to give it to you two.”

“Really?” Aden asked his mouth dropping open as he looked at Geoff. “We’re pregnant?”

“Congratulations Daddy’s.” Nic told them.

5 months ago.

“It’s the scan tomorrow.” Geoff told him.

“I know.” Aden murmured looking at the other man across the breakfast table.

“Are you going?” Geoff added after a moment.

“Can’t Nic come to the city for her scans?” Aden asked again.

“Can’t you go to Summer Bay?” Geoff asked slowly.

Aden shook his head.

“After the way I left? Not saying goodbye to anyone who helped me with Belle? And the way I treated Nic?” Aden scoffed at himself. “Let alone the stuff with Justin.”

“Seems like enough reason to go back and make everything right.” Geoff said to him.

“Forget it Bible boy.” Aden murmured and for once there wasn’t the usual teasing in the last two words.

Geoff sucked in a breath and stood up slowly. He walked over to the sink and placed his plate in it before picking up his cup and draining the last of his coffee.

“I think I might stay a couple of nights with Nic.” He said at last.

“Are we fighting?” Aden questioned.

“I don’t’ know.” Geoff said after a moment of silence. “It seems like every time I mention the Bay you get this note in your voice and I can’t say anything right.”

“I know you think that my reasons for not going back are flimsy.”

“I never said that Aden.” Geoff protested.

“You didn’t have to.” Aden told him standing up. He found his chest rising and falling in rapid succession as he fought to control his emotions. There had been too many fights about this recently and he didn’t want another one. Hell, he didn’t want to start another one he thought self-mockingly. He looked around the pale green painted kitchen that Nicole told him was pistachio and very chic before looking at Geoff. His Geoff. He could feel his shoulders creeping up as he felt himself getting defensive. He didn’t want to hurt Geoff he thought suddenly, frowning at that, but he couldn’t go back to Summer Bay.

“Look why don’t you have a think about it. Nic needs to be in Summer Bay because of Brittany’s school otherwise she would come here.” Geoff said slowly.

Aden felt more guilt swamping him. First, he hadn’t really stopped to think what having a baby would mean to Nic, what having their baby would entail and then the guilt that all the responsibility was being dumped on to Geoff’s shoulders because he couldn’t cope with simply going to Summer Bay.

“I’m sorry Geoff.” He said quietly.

Aden looked over at him reading disappointment on his face before he simply stood up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. He continued to walk down the hallway and out of the house. He was barely down the path before he was mocking himself with the word coward.

Yesterday.

“So I said to Jimmy that I didn’t want a boyfriend.” Brittany finished slowly, chattering about her day as she usually did when they walked home from her school.

Nic nodded at her daughter.

“That is probably very wise.” She murmured her hand touching her side.

“But he said it was still alright for me to go over for tea.” Brittany told her.

“Well if you want to.” Nic said a little breathlessly.

“I don’t know.” Brittany said looking over at her dog. “DeDe come here.” She called to her.

Nic pulled on her lead and pressed the button that would stop it reeling out more.

“DeDe.” She called.

The dog stopped when she realised she couldn’t go any further and looked over at the pair of them as if to say ‘what’. Nic was always struck by how innocent the dog looked even though she was usually in some kind of trouble. Hence her full name of Damn Dog, as christened by Miles. The first time the other man had visited them she had chewed his shoes and then somehow managed to tug his jacket to the floor where she had pee’d on it. Brittany had picked up on the double D name and hence she was ever more DeDe.

“Is she pulling your side Mummy only you look funny.” Brittany asked.

“Er no.” Nic replied with a puzzled expression on her face. “I think we should get home.” She said quietly.

“We are going home Mummy.” Brittany said puzzled.

Nic nodded.

“But quicker.” Nic explained. She breathed in and out slowly looking at her watch. She pulled the dog back and took hold of Brittany’s hand. “Now when we get inside I need you to put some biscuits down for DeDe.”

Brittany nodded.

“She looks hungry.”

“She always looks hungry.” Nic murmured with a grin.

Brittany nodded solemnly.

“And then I need you to go upstairs and pack a bag.”

“Why?” Brittany asked before she stopped and looked at her mother in shock her mouth dropping open. “Mummy?” she asked.

“I think you might need to go stay with Miles.” Nic said softly.

“The baby?” Brittany shouted excitedly. “The baby is coming.”

Nic shook her head and looked around checking they weren’t overheard before she leaned carefully down.

“Yes the baby is coming.” She confirmed.

“We need to tell the Uncles.” Brittany said. “And the …”

“Slow down.” Nic smiled at her daughter. “First we need to go home and feed DeDe so she doesn’t eat Miles’ shoes.”

Brittany giggled and began walking with her mother to their home.

This Morning.

Aden pulled up near the diner looking over at the place he used to work. He climbed out of his car and frowned at the way it seemed to be achingly familiar and also somehow unknown. He felt a tremor go though him and looked over expecting to see Belle standing there asking him what he was waiting for. He hung back knowing he was looking for her before taking a very deep breath and striding forward and walking into the diner. He saw Leah first before spotting Colleen surprising himself with the feeling of familiarity washing over him. He glanced at the place taking in the changes in decoration and the layout before stepping forward over to the counter.

“Hello.” He heard surprised that it wasn’t him that had spoken but Leah. “Good to see you again.”

“Hey.” He murmured his voice rusty.

“If you are after Irene she’s at the hospital.” Leah said softly.

He scanned her voice for any note of censure in it before she gave her a quick smile.

“Could I get a coffee?” he asked softly.

Leah grinned.

“Sure.” She said moving around the kitchen. “Changed a bit hasn’t it?” she asked him with a gesture around the diner.

“Yeah.” He said his throat dry.

“Here is your coffee.” Leah murmured handing over the cup. “Are you hanging around?”

Aden put his hand in his pocket searching for money.

“A while.” he said finally pulling out a bank note.

“Its on the house.” She told him. “Come back and see us though.”

“I will.” He promised.

It will be nice to see you and catch up with what you’ve been doing since you left us.” Leah said quietly. “You and Geoff.” She tacked on.

Aden looked at her in shock and saw her smile at him and he nodded before picking up the takeaway cup and moving out of the diner. He looked over the beach and smiled before heading back to his car. He placed the cup carefully in the cup holder in his car before starting it up and pulling out of his parking place. He began making his way to the hospital, Nic was having their baby and he should be there.

He saw Irene first as he walked down the hospital corridor. She was sitting in a chair outside the room where Nic was.

“Strike me.” She cried out. “About flipping time you got here.”

He couldn’t help the smile that crept on to his face.

“Hello Irene.” He called out.

She stood up and opened her arms leaving him no choice but to hug her before he cried out in shock as she slapped him round the back of his head.

“What was that for?” he asked rubbing his head.

“That was for nearly breaking my Geoff’s heart you stubborn man. Now get in there and see your baby being born.” She muttered folding her arms and glaring at him.

“It’s good to see you too.” He told her leaning forward and kissing her cheek before knocking on the door and stepping inside. He said Nic first, her feet sticking out of a sheet and then the mound of her belly spread out and he gulped walking around the bed.

“Aden.” She cried out. “You better be bloody grateful.”

“Trust me I am.” He said with added meaning as Geoff looked over at him. He stepped forward and took her other hand feeling the doctor’s eyes glaring at him as he spoke. “Geoff.” He said meaning to tell him why he’d been so scared of coming home because he knew now that it wasn’t the ghost of Belle that kept him away, or the way he had left or even what he and Justin did. It was the fear of facing the people he had cared about and telling them that he was gay.

“Not now you idiot I’m about to have your baby.” Nic hissed at him before she screamed.

“Push Nic.” Geoff urged.

“What the flaming hell do you think I’m doing?” she screeched out.

“Having a manicure.” Aden said the first thing that came into his head and heard them burst out laughing. He joined in before they heard the first cry from the baby.

“It’s a girl.” The doctor announced as the baby was taken away by a nurse.

Nic sighed and leaned back on the bed. She looked at the two men and smiled tiredly.

“We have a daughter.” Aden said gazing into Geoff’s eyes.

“Brittany will be pleased.” Nic said slowly.

“We have her cleaned up now.” The nurse announced. “Everything is ok she scored high on the Apghar scale.”

“How high?” Nic asked.

“A ten.” The nurse grinned at Nic’s question.

“What’s that?” Aden murmured.

“It’s how they test newborns to make sure they are responding properly.” Geoff said.

Nic chuckled at the look on Aden’s face.

“So my baby is a ten.” He commented.

Geoff laughed.

“Who wants her?” the nurse asked.

Nic smiled and pointed to Geoff.

“Here you go Daddy.” The nurse murmured.

“Wow.” Geoff gasped and looked at Nic before his eyes met Aden’s. “We are in so much trouble. She’s going to run rings around us.” He said to him.

Nic giggled.

“Just you wait and see what happens when Brittany babysits for you.” She said.

Aden looked over at her and smiled.

“Thank you.” He told her.

“Easiest thing in the world.” She told him lifting his hand and placing a kiss on it. “Welcome home Aden.”

He nodded his eyes going to Geoff once more, watching as the other man walked with their baby around the bed and placed her in his arms. As he held his daughter it suddenly it seemed as though everything had come full circle and he was where he was meant to be all along.

Tomorrow…..?

Who knew what tomorrow was going to bring but one thing Nic knew from experience was that it was going to involve a lot of nappy changes.

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