Even Angels Have Their Wicked Schemes

“Stay close to me; I don’t want you three getting lost.” I muttered holding the two youngest by the hands and watching Peyton stroll on slightly in front.

“Aunt Lauren!” Peyton shrieked running into her aunts open arms.

We walked faster until we were in front of a group of seven people all grinning. There they stood larger than life, my big brother Johnny still not so big, Jimmy still and bean pole, Zacky still chubby and the Brian still smirking like nothing had changed. However ‘he’ wasn’t there.

Gena stood grinning looking like she didn’t know what to do and Lauren looked nervous. The other girl I didn’t recognise. I must have looked like I was confused because Jimmy called out “Me first!”

“Well if it isn’t Audrey Louise Seward in the flesh. Babe meet my girlfriend Carly, that’s Carly with a C.” He grinned with his arm around a small woman defiantly taller than me and Johnny, with dark hair and big blue eyes dressed casually in jeans and a purple shirt.

“Well I’m pleased to meet you, I wish Jimmy had of told me about you, it might have made this a little less awkward.” I laughed

She smiled and the hugged me. “So you Squirt, Jimmy never shut’s up about you, none of them do.” She laughed making it a lot less awkward between the two of us.

“James Sanders get over here now, Lydia, get back here, come on you two give me a break.” I barked causing the two to stand at my side once again.

“The guys are going to take your bags and you and the kid’s are going to come with us, to get fitted.” Lauren grinned taking Peyton’s hand and walking toward baggage claim. “You look good, your hairs nice red, really brings out your eye, but you’re going to have to dye it, the colour’s gonna’ clash with your dress.”

“Lauren honey, I love you, but you can get bent this cost a lot of money and I’m not wasting all that money by re-dying my hair it can clash.” I frowned clearly annoyed with her. She couldn’t expect me to dye my hair, just for one day, it was silly.

“Look it’s only for a few days I’m sure Gena would dye it back for you.” It sounded like she was biting her tongue trying not to bitch me out.

“Sorry, not going to happen anytime soon it took a good six weeks to get it this bright.” I smiled playing nice.

“I guess we can see what happens when you try on your dress, it might not be too bad.” She huffed.

“Lolly babes, I know this day is important to you, but come on did you really think I was going to be the same shade of brown I was six years ago.” I laughed trying to lighten the mood.

“No, but you could have called and let me know.” She sighed

I shook my head and got the kids into the car and then got in myself, we had this argument over my hair all the way until the dress shop, and then I snapped.

“If it’s going to be such a problem, I don’t need a dress.” I snapped at her feeling like crap about my hair.

“I didn’t mean... I just want this day perfect. That mean’s your hair.”

“Oh Lauren you’ve don’t it now.” Lacey laughed clearly noticing that my eye’s had darkened

“I know you want your big day to be perfect, but do not beg me for six months to come back for this and then act like him, acting like I have to do what you say.” I growled guiding the three kids into the shop.

“Daddy?” I heard Peyton ask.

“Hey baby girl, wow I see you’ve taken my height.” He laughed

“Daddy, I missed you so much, you need to call mom’s cell more.” She murmured but when I looked Peyton had Matt crushed in a hug.

“Hi Mattie.” I smiled being polite not expecting my heart to grow a pair of wings after six years. Lauren came and pulled Peyton away muttering about dresses and shoes.

“Drey, how are you.” He grinned letting his dimples break out, the one’s that made me weak at the knee’s the one’s he had to give to his eldest daughter and son.

“I’m good, you? You look good.” I commented feeling awkward.

“I’m great thanks, you look fantastic, you finally got you ink.”

“Thanks, well I suppose I should ask if you want to meet James and Lydia.” I grinned unable to wait for his reaction.

“James and Lydia?” He asked as though I had spoken in French.

“James Jonathan Sanders and Lydia Sapphire Sanders. I had twins Mattie, I wish you could have been there, but honestly at the time, I was still confused at where we had went wrong and I just didn’t think I could handle you being there” I spoke honestly smiling sympathetically.

“I understand, we were good together, I just don’t know where it all went wrong babe, but maybe it was for the best you know.” He smiled sympathetically and walked over to the twins who were now standing with Gena.

Lydia had her nose scrunched in disgusted and James looked like he was about to drop on the floor. I grinned and tried to conceal a laugh. I failed and it caused their heads to snap in my direction.

“Mommy, I have to wear a dress, that’s worse than a skirt.” Lydia groaned rushing to my side and clinging to my leg.

“Aw come on bambino it’s only for a day and I will try my hardest to see if I can get you aunt to let you wear some converse of something.” I chuckled picking her up and letting her rest on my hip.

When her eye’s landed on Matt, they widened and she buried her face into my neck. “Mommy, is that daddy?” She asked her voice hardly a whisper

“Yeah baby doll, that’s your daddy.” I whispered back.

“Why did he draw on himself?” She asked her face reflecting her confusion.

“For the same reason mommy coloured in her foot.” I laughed

“Oh.” Her voice came out small as though she had it all worked out.

“Do you want to go get your brother and then say hi?” I asked.

She nodded wildly, struggled out of arm’s and raced over to her brother I saw her little mouth moving a mile a minute and his face lighting up.

“Audrey come on, this dress will not try on itself.” Lauren groaned.

“Mattie, keep an eye on the kids for me?” I asked

He nodded and I made my way to the dressing room to try on my dress.

Matt’s P.O.V

Fantastic was an understatement, she looked perfect. She had given birth to three kids, but had to be a size eight, she was still as pale as ever, but her skin managed to give off a glow, looking over at Lydia and James I noticed that James had defiantly got my height, at six years of age he towered over his sister by a good four or five inches, Lydia had kept small like her mother. She expressed her hate for dresses, just like her mother would have done, but now she was far from the person who left us a few years back. She wore a tight fitting white and black dress and heels; her hair was a shade of red that made her hazel eyes pop.

“So if you’re our daddy how come you don’t live with mommy? Don’t you love her?” James asked his eyes going wide. Looking at him it felt like I was looking through a photo album in my parent’s house and looking back at my six year old self.

“Um, well buddy your mommy and I we use to love each other, but things changed and your mommy had to leave.” I explained trying to keep it simple so a six year old could understand. When I thought about what I said, it wasn’t very clear.

The door opened and Lydia’s head snapped up and then she ran to a tall man with blue eyes and a pale completion. He had high cheek bones and looked like if the wind blew the wrong way he would tumble to the ground.

“Uncle Josh, you made it!” She screamed

“Course I did princess, now where’s your mommy?” He asked laughing. His laugh sounded hard, like he was a bad person, I don’t know how to describe it, it was a funny laugh.

“Uncle Josh, guess what? I have to wear a dress, it’s really awful.” She babbled her eyes twinkling from the perch on Josh’s hip.

Being totally honest, I was jealous. Here was this perfect little girl, my little girl and she was running to some Josh dude? I hadn’t received a hug; instead I was barely glanced at from behind her hands or her mother’s neck.

Audrey’s P.O.V.

I came back out of the changing room, my dress fitted to perfection, I had expected it to be too big, because I had lost a fair bit of weight since I e-mailed Lauren my measurements. I had been a size eight when I e-mailed her; I was now a very nice size six. When I got out I didn’t expect to see Josh standing there.

Josh was my boyfriend of four years; he was perfect, kind, loving, great with the kids, and over all a perfect gentleman.

“JOSH!” I screamed causing him to set Lydia down so I could jump into his arms. “Babe I had no clue you were coming I thought you had work.” I grinned pinning a quick kiss to his lips.

“Made a few calls, I realised I needed to spend some more time with you and the kids.” He grinned making his electric blue eyes twinkle, causing me to mirror his grin.

Lauren came away from the till and handed me a bag. She looked me up and down and frowned.

“You darling need to eat.” she frowned sounding like a mother.

“Darlin’ I eat like a horse, I’m very healthy thank you very much.” I laughed knowing what she was getting at.

“So who’s the man?” Gena laughed looking Josh up and down trying to size him up.

“Gena, Lacey, Lauren, Carly and Matt this is my boyfriend Josh Carter.” I grinned holding his hand tight while Matt glared at him like he was a convicted criminal.

I shook my head and picked up James while Peyton grabbed Josh’s hand and Lydia mirrored her sister’s actions. I was not in the form for Matt’s dirty looks and snide comments. I knew Matt, when he didn’t like someone that was it, he sat and made snide nasty comments and threw dirty looks, over all he tried to pick fight.

Like the night in Johnny’s someone offered to buy me a drink, Matt had to get on his high horse and fight my battle for me. I had Brian and Jimmy as my best friends trust me I could throw a punch if I needed to, and that night there was no call for it, I refused politely and told him that I had a boyfriend, he smiled and simply said “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” However that was just Matt.

“Hey babe, I got us a car and a house for the rest of our stay, so if you want to get your bag’s out of the car, and we’ll drive over there and get ready, go for dinner some place nice, just the five of us.” He smiled softly over at me.

“Sounds great.” I whispered, something told me that my decision to come back to California had been the worst decision I had ever made.

I put the kids into the car and pulled my bag out of Laurens trunk. I smiled at them and told them I would see them as soon as possible. I threw the bag into our trunk and got into the front passenger side of the car, to the world it would have seemed like I was sulking, I wasn’t I was just thinking.

Why the hell did I come back here? Wedding or no wedding I should have stayed away.