A/N: Well this was the toughest fic I've had to write in a while. I just couldn't seem to plan what I wanted. So in my opinion this is an awful story but oh well. My entry for Chelle's Valentine's Day Fluff challenge. Happy Valentine's Day or Chinese New Year depending on which you feel stronger for :)
Disclaimer: I own the lovely Bella and the OC's mentioned but that's all.
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Three's a Crowd
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"Jackie darling it's time for us to get up."
"But we just went to sleep!" Robbie couldn't help a snigger as she said that but his heart went out to her; having to raise Bella was one hell of a feat because when their child cried it was loud enough for their stuck-up neighbours to complain to them – not that it took much to irritate the people on this street but it was at it's worst when Bella was upset over something. It had got worse in recent weeks because she had started teething and although they had been to the doctor's concerning it apparently the vast amount of screaming was normal.
After Jackie got herself washed and dressed, she let Robbie go for a shower as she made sure Bella was still okay in her cot. When Robbie was ready for work he went in to Bella's room, noticing she was just waking up he lifted her into his arms.
"Bella if you can understand me please don't make your mummy too angry today. You see it's Valentine's Day and I want to take her out tonight while you are with your Uncle Stuart." The little girl looked up at him as tears began to fall. He shouldn't have told her that her parents weren't going to be there in the evening because she looked as though she was going to explode into tears. He hugged her closer to his side to hopefully soothe her.
It was going to be the first night since Bella had been born, 8 months previous, that Robbie and Jackie had planned to spend without her, and Robbie could see that Bella was a little scared at the thought of that.
"Shh Bella. We'll be back first thing in the morning even if it means waking Stuart up." He looked down at her and saw a lone tear sliding down her face but she was calmer now, Robbie placed her down on her play mat which she loved and she was safe enough since it was surrounded by poles to stop her escaping.
Robbie heard someone approaching from behind and turned around to see Jackie coming towards him. He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"I love you and I want to tell you that if Bella grows up to be half the woman you are, she'll still beat everyone else to have a date, and happy Valentine's Day."
"Okay who are you and what have you done with my Robbie Ross?"
"Funny my love, but I just have to show you that you and Bella mean everything to me."
Jackie laced her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth, "I love you Robbie."
***
A while after Robbie had left for work Jackie had Bella in her high chair, trying to feed her. "Bella please darling, eat this, I'm begging you." The child's tears cut through the quiet, Jackie was close to crying herself, Bella never wanted to do what Jackie asked of her yet she would willingly oblige to do anything that Robbie wanted.
Finally Jackie got the girl to eat some of the orange gloop and she seemed to enjoy it so Jackie started to smile as she gave her baby more of it.
***
Robbie had just arrived in the station and ran a hand across his tired-looking face. Burke noticed his action and worked out the cause, after many mornings of the same process, "How was Bella last night then?" Robbie could only muster a half-hearted glare when he looked up at his boss.
"She's like her mother; once she starts shouting she can't bloody stop, but I wouldn't change her in the slightest." Matt and Stuart looked on affectionately at Robbie, they couldn't get over how much the two girls had changed his personality. He was so much calmer now and they loved how they hardly ever managed a full conversation nowadays without mentioning Jackie or Bella.
"Stuart are you still okay to look after her tonight?" Jackie had got in touch with him the previous night to ask if he could look after Bella for the evening so that she and Robbie could have a night alone.
"Yeah I can't wait."
"Have you warned your neighbours about our little pneumatic drill?"
"Robbie she isn't that bad."
"You haven't been woken up at two o'clock by her yet," he said bluntly.
"Neither of you will see Bella tonight unless you finish those reports!"
***
A few hours later Robbie had just texted Jackie saying that they were almost finished if she wanted to bring Bella to the station so they could let Stuart take her and let Matt see the girl that had won over everyone's hearts.
Jackie was stepping out of the gate to the house with Bella in her pram as she heard one of the women from one of the houses down the road say hello to her. It was the first time any of the people on the street had actually struck up a conversation with Jackie which wasn't about Bella's tantrums so she was admittedly a little nervous.
After a few minutes of pleasantries they were getting on well and the woman – Jasmine – brought up the first mention of Robbie.
"What does your husband do as a job because he's got some odd hours?"
"We're not married yet and he's a Detective Inspector."
"Wow. At least that'll make us feel safer with a police officer living here." Jackie wasn't sure if this woman was being incredibly sarcastic or she was genuinely pleased that they were living there.
"Are you going back into work when the little one is older?"
"Yeah but I've got a few years before I really have to consider my options."
"What will you be going back to?"
"I'm in the police too. Detective Sergeant Reid but it will probably be Detective Sergeant Ross by that time," she didn't have to force a smile as she said it because it came naturally, whenever she and Robbie spoke about marriage they could never not grin.
***
"So how have you been for your Mummy my lovely girl," Robbie asked as he kissed Bella's cheek. They were standing beside the case board in the office with Matt and Stuart watching on. Bella just smiled up at him and played with his shirt pocket so he looked over at Jackie. She couldn't tell him that Bella hadn't paid attention to much she had said because Robbie adored the baby just as much as Jackie did and thinking that she was misbehaving would break his heart a little.
"Yeah she's been an angel." Robbie knew deep down that Jackie was just trying to make him feel better but he could see straight through her. He went over and kissed her on the forehead, wanting her smile to light up her eyes.
"Robbie I know she dotes on me but why is she more cooperative when it's you that's speaking to her? I mean, I spend almost every wakened moment with her and she hardly ever wants to listen to me!"
"Maybe that's the reason. Maybe she wants some change. How about, tomorrow when we get her back I'll spend the day like you normally do with Bella and you can have a day shopping or whatever?"
"How about the day after because I think I'll want to see Bella the whole day since wee won't have her for the night?"
"Yeah I'll do it whenever you want a break."
"How did I manage to deserve you?" She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and looked down at their daughter who was almost asleep in Robbie's arms.
***
"You know this feels weird Robbie. A night without Bella just seems unbelievable and I don't know if that's a good thing." She was resting against the door frame between the living room and kitchen, watching as Robbie cooked them a chicken stir fry (to celebrate Chinese New Year on the same day). She had tried to get him to let her help out but he had kept silencing her with kisses the pushing her out the room, so she had admitted defeat and started talking to him as normal.
"I have the same feeling but she'll be having a great time in her second home with Stuarty, he'll be spoiling her rotten! Let's just try and enjoy ourselves like we did before Isabella."
"Before Isabella we had just flirted and had sex once Robbie."
"Okay so scrap that plan. Let's have this meal, try and get through it without one of us getting too excited, and then spend the rest of the night in bed." Jackie raised her eyebrows but nodded in agreement anyway. As Robbie left the meat and vegetables to cook he walked over to his fiancée and pushed her right back against the wall and placed their mouths together into a fiercely intense yet purely loving kiss.
They would have to do this again sometime. Although they missed Bella like crazy, they needed some nights that they could just be together without having to worry about getting woken up or night-time feeds.
***
The End.