Frozen

Okay, so he knew what she was up to as well.

"Don't rush me, I birthed you so I can unbirth you just as quick!" Marie snapped at Darcy making Jess laugh.

I glared at Jess who only continued to beam in our direction. It was honestly starting to freak me out so I switched my gaze to my mother, but when I saw water pool in her eyes I quickly made Marie my focus point.

Bloody women.

"Okay, both of you smile," Marie said in a cheerful voice then huffed, "and don't force it, Neala!"

I rolled my eyes but did as asked and smiled wide - and because Darcy didn't get told off I imagined he did the same. I flinched a little after the flash of the camera went off, but I quickly snapped out of it.

"Oh, my goodness!" Marie beamed. "It's beautiful. I'm framing this!"

"Me too!" my mother gushed.

"Oh, my God," I grumbled as I quickly dropped my arm away from Darcy and took a step too the left.

The freedom was short lived because my mother shot forward and pushed me back against Darcy, which surprised me and caused me to stumble. I was even more surprised when large hands gripped onto my waist and kept me upright and on my feet.

"Careful," Darcy muttered, but didn't look at me as he pulled away from me once again.

I brushed myself off with my hands and mumbled, "Thanks."

I blinked when I realised those were the nicest thing Darcy and I have willingly said to one another in years.

Wow.

My mother's giggle got my attention.

"Sorry, baby, but I want pictures with the both of you... with Sean."

I glared at my mother. "You're pushing it."

She just smiled at me like she had no clue what I was talking about, but of course she did because she knew everything. The cow knew Darcy and Sean were on my hit list and she wanted me in close proximity with both of them? She really was testing a girl's restraint.

"Sean!" my mother shouted.

I don't know how he heard her over the punters in the pub, but Sean popped up behind Jess and rubbed his neck as he said, "Yeah, Ma?"

My mother snapped her fingers at him. "Picture time with Neala and Darcy, now."

Sean hesitated when our eyes locked.

He swallowed, and shook his head. The worry on his face made me happy.

He was scared, and he should be.

"Sean, don't make me ask again. Get in the picture with Neala and Darcy."

Sean visibly paled as he stepped around a laughing Jess and walked in our direction.

"Please don't hit me," Sean muttered as he came up against my left side.

I gritted my teeth. "No promises."

My mother was exasperated as she gave the lads orders on where to put their hands on my body. They were both told to place their hands on my back, and lean into me because I was considerably shorter than both of them. I blew out a breath when their hands pressed against me and we were told to smile.

"Stu

I could feel the lads start to pull away when Justin's voice suddenly sounded in my ear.

"Don't forget me."

Our mother's squealed with delight.

Justin placed his hands on Sean and Darcy's shoulders and rested his chin on my head.

"Smile!" Marie shouted proudly.

We did as ordered and when the last flash went off I couldn't help but groan.

"Was that the last one?"

I felt a hand nudge my back. "Don't complain about getting in pictures with family, kid," Justin said.

I grunted but kept my mouth shut.

"No, it's not the last one. Now one with you all and Jess since she is joining the family. Where is Sarah? I want a group photo of all of you together"

I growled at my mother while Jess pranced over to Sean's side. My mother shouted Sarah’s name and like Sean, she appeared out of nowhere and stood behind me with Justin.

"Okay, big smiles everyone. This is one for me wall." My mother smiled.

I couldn't help but smile at my mother's excitement.

Her "Wall" was the wall along her hallway in her house. She had a pretty big house, the hallway was very long and pictures covered the entire wall. It looked beautiful, but only the nearest and dearest pictures went up onto the wall - and if you were in one that made the cut, you were practically being honoured by my mother... and Marie, because behind every decision my mother made was Marie, and vice versa.

After the final flash from the camera I stepped away from dumb and dumber and surged towards my mother. "Where is me da?" I asked.

My mother waved her hand towards the back of the pub where the plasma screens were. "Back there - he's watching some football documentary, I don't know."

Without a word to anyone I took off in search of my father because he had something I needed, something I asked him to bring. Something that would partially get Darcy back for what he has done to me over the past few days, and also something that would lead to me getting the doll back.

I found my father right where my mother said he would be, watching a football documentary with his friends while drinking - it was a pub we were in after all.

I moved over to my father and leaned down. "Did you bring it?" I asked.

Darcy's father, Mark, smiled and shook his head as my father discreetly reached into his shirt pocket and took out a strip of tablets.

"No more than two, you will cripple the lad otherwise," my father said without looking away from the plasma screen.

I smiled, he was all for me getting revenge on Darcy, but he didn't want Darcy severely hurt. My father loved Darcy, he thought of him as a son, but I was his baby girl so when I rang him in tears - fakes ones, by the way - and explained how Darcy and Sean had robbed me of Charli's Christmas present - his precious grand daughter - he was furious and more than ready to help me get revenge, and also get the doll back. He came up with a deadly idea to seek revenge, and even though it was old school, it was still gold. It wouldn't harm Darcy, only his pride, and it would help me get the doll back. All I had to do was execute my plan perfectly.

Mark laughed out loud which got my attention. "Feck him. He deserves whatever's coming to him after the stunt he pulled. I'm with you on this one, Neala."

I high fived Mark, lovingly patted my father on the back then turned and went searching for Darcy so I could put the laxative tablets to work. Yep, I was armed with laxatives. My plan was to give Darcy the shits for two reasons.

One, he deserves crippling stomach pain and ring burn for stealing the doll from me. Two, it will guarantee he has to head home to use his - ahem - facilities because I had Bob, the pub owner, mark the bathrooms as out of order until Darcy left. It was easy, I just had to pay him twenty Euros.

Once Darcy was out of the pub I would then happily follow him to his mysterious house further up the mountains, break into said house - lets see how he likes it - and get the doll back.

Everybody wins.

Well, everybody except Darcy.

Darcy didn't get to win at all.

I sca

It was Neala's turn to strike, and that meant I couldn't drop my guard.

I was one hundred percent certain she knew I took the doll from her apartment. I just didn't understand why she hasn't outed me to everyone, or at the very least got me on my own to attack me over it. Christmas was in four days time and I knew she needed that doll for Charli so she couldn't afford to wait around, she had to come at me sooner rather than later for it. The when was a question, but the how was an even bigger one that played on my mind.