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sam_mm (sam_mm) wrote in morningstar_mnr, @ 2010-06-05 08:25:00

Ikea, Mid to late morning, Gregori, Emily and Audrey, Closed.
They'd called yesterday about going shopping for the new apartment, and Gregori had deliberately hired a van for the day. He knew what was coming, and armed with a toolbox, and his wallet, he called at the Manor for them, deliberately leaving the van in the parking bay outside where the taxi's and limo's pulled up. He could already see Audrey in the lobby, waving, so he waved back, grinning.

The jeans were old and beginning to fade, but still snug, the t-shirt tight, but not overly so, and in a shade of blue that he loved. Hard-wearing trainers covered his feet, although he had been tempted by the steel-toed boots he sometimes wore in kitchens. He'd called ahead, and the van could be taken into the parking lot later, but for now there was no need.

"Hey, come on out, let's go!" he called, waving again.

Audrey came outside, walked straight up to her father, and hugged him.

"Hi dad!" she was practising saying that. "The new place - oh my god it's so big! And I have a bath tub! And mom loves the kitchen, but she had some things in mind she wanted to change, but I don't know if she really wanted to tell you about them."

Behind her, the main doors opened again and out walked Emily with a brown leather bag on her shoulder and sunglasses up on her forehead, pulling her hair back from her eyes. She smiled seeing Gregori, and when she realized she was actually happy to see him... it stirred all sorts of other feelings in her. A part of her really did not want anything to do with the man, but she was increasingly worried about the growing part inside of her that was happy to see him and to be with him.

"All ready to go?" she asked when she reached the two others.

Gregori had hugged Audrey back, and now looked up, "Ready to go, I got a van because duh, Ikea, flat pack is instantly available, and I even bought a tool kit so we can build it all today!" He grinned, "So, let's go shopping!"

He opened the door to the passenger side of the van, and headed round to get in the driver's door. "Don't forget to buckle up, this thing is, not the most manoeuvrable vehicle I've ever driven."

"I don't like hearing things like that from the father of my child, who is actually in the car as well," Emily pointed out, but with a smile.

Audrey sat in the middle since she was smallest and Emily by the window. They all buckled up, and started off towards Ikea.

"We already took a look at some things on the website yesterday so we have a better idea of what we want," Emily said. "We just need to see the things in life to be sure they're alright, even though little miss Do-Want has already made up her mind."

"I didn't say that!" Audrey told her mother. Apparently they had already been discussing about the furniture and especially the correct ways to pick them at great lenghts.

"Well that's what's great about Ikea, you get to see the furniture made up and in room settings, maybe not all of it, maybe not the way you'd like it, but a little imagination and you're home dry." He grinned, and signalled to pull out into the traffic. It wasn't too far, but for Gregori it was a still unfamiliar city, and he did take a couple of wrong turns, but with luck, and sat nav on the cell phone, he did get them there! "Phew! We made it, and they're still open, this is good going!"

In fact they'd probably only been open about an hour, but, Gregori was determined to make the day a fun one.

They all got out of the car, made sure to remember where they parked it on the vast parking lot, and made their way inside.

"This place is huge, we could spend the whole day here," Emily muttered. "Well, there's a cafeteria and everything here."

She took a notepad and a small pencil from the entrance. She already had a note in her bag with all the important measurements so they ended up buying everything in the correct size, but the notepad came handy in writing down the products as they went along.

"Audrey, don't run away too far, I don't want to loose you," she told the girl who was already on her way to look at something closer.

"Does she have a phone? And is it with her? Audrey, come back a second please?" His voice was quiet as he spoke to Emily, but louder as he called Audrey back, "We need to check something with you."

Audrey took a moment, but she did return to them.

"You have your phone, right? Don't have it silenced here. Do you have your father's phone number?" Emily asked while the girl got out her cell phone and looked up at Gregori for the number.

Gregori recited it and made sure Audrey had entered it correctly, it was kind of strange to see it listed as "Dad" but hey, he wasn't complaining, it felt good. "OK, if you get lost, and if you can't reach either of us by phone, head for the cafeteria ok? We'll find you there, or you'll find us there, got it? There are toilets there look, so you should be ok, and here's a twenty in case you need feeding while you wait? Emily, do you need a twenty? Or are we good?" He snickered, squeezing her shoulders with an arm, "I don't want to lose either of you, but preparation never hurts right?"

Emily snorted a laughter and poked Gregori's side with her elbow.

"Thanks, dad," Audrey said and put the twenty and the phone away. "I'll write it down if I find something cool!"

"Good, see you soon, cupcake. Call me, us, if there's anything," Emily told her, and briefly stroke back Audrey's dark hair before she went on her way. It was a little strange say 'us', or 'your father' instead of Gregori, but just like Audrey was getting used to saying dad, Emily was getting used to a lot of other things. Like for example having Gregori's arm around her shoulders and not wanting to slap him for it.

It felt comfortable, and he was certainly not inclined to move it, but soon he spotted something and reached for her hand instead, leading her to a room set that reminded him of somewhere else, "Ha, this should be familiar, remember those student flats? Everything in one box, subdivided? Here we are again?" He chuckled, "I missed you, so much at first, then your mother wanted to get a restraining order out on me, and, well, I guess I figured you'd moved on. So I tried to do the same. Did she ever tell you about that phone call?"

Emily blinked and frowned then, all the while very concious about him holding her hand. In this environment, just the two of them, it felt like they had been brought back to school years. Except that he had a beard, his voice was a little lower, and he was even better looking now.

"What phone call? I know you tried to write them, although I heard about that too several years later, but I didn't know anything about a phone call."

"I rang, to tell you I had job as a junior prep chef with network, my big break, and I wouldn't even be on screen, but, your mother said you never wanted to hear from me again. If I tried contacting you they would take out restraining order, and I would lose job." He'd been so young, so excited, so sure Emily would want to share the news, and then, that. "She was quite, definite, about the not ever wanting to hear from me again part. She said it about eight or nine times? Along with the "restraining order" and "have you thrown in jail"."

He sat down on the demonstration sofa, "This one is not comfy, it's too hard."

She might not have noticed, but his voice as he was telling her about the call was kind of cold, locked down, it still hurt, even all this time later, especially as he suspected now that her parents had known she was pregnant and still hadn't let her know he was calling. She'd probably been in the next room at the time!

Emily sighed deeply and sat beside him on the couch. It really wasn't very comfortable, but she needed to sit down anyway.

"I'm so sorry, Greg. I don't want to apologise for things that happened so long ago and things we can't change anymore but... Well. My parents were a big reason as to why I didn't tell you. Naturally they hated the idea of some Russian guy getting their only daughter pregnant and then going about his own way, especially as I was so young, and so much was expected of me, and we hadn't been even dating. Without my parents, I might have chosen otherwise, but I was nineteen, confused and alone and I needed their support. But I did want to show the world and myself that I still could do whatever was required of me on my own, so I can't blame it all on them. But still." She took his hand again - his so much bigger than hers. "I'm sorry."

"Me too, I should have tried harder, kept calling, but, that job led to so much more, and, if I had lost it, well, I probably wouldn't be who I am today." He shrugged, "I just wanted you to know I didn't just walk away, it wasn't like that, for me, we were close, more than just friends, not quite lovers, then suddenly we were and then you were gone?" He wrapped her hands in his, "Don't you go running out on me again ok? I not survive second attempt."

There was an excited whoop from across the way and he looked up, "I think Audrey has found something good. Shall we go see?"

Was it just that she was so lonely, or was it really all about Gregori? She made a small involuntary sound in her throat and squeezed his hand a little tighter, with a pained expression. Good God, she wanted to feel what his beard felt like, and she wanted him to kiss her and hold her close for a long time. But Audrey always came first.

"Uhm, yes. Let's go see," she said clearing her throat, and she stood up from the couch.

There, he'd told her, and she hadn't said anything, so maybe it was going to be all right. He knew his mother would want to know if he'd told her, but now he could honestly tell her yes too. There were still other things, but, first up, shopping, and he looked up and smiled at Emily, "Did I tell you you get more beautiful?"

He stood up, and reached for her hand again, wanting a little bit of contact, and they walked over to see what Audrey had found.

Emily smiled as she walked beside him, hand in hand. "No, you didn't. But I don't need to tell you just how handsome you are because you've been ranked in Hottest Celebrity lists so you know exactly how handsome you are," she told him, with the teasing flirt familiar from college.

Audrey was happy to see both of her parents, smiling and holding hands. It had been a peculiar week for her, and it was only getting better. She was looking at a desk with drawers and other objects and shelves belonging to the set. It looked like a good work desk for a school girl with a computer, homework and lots of books and papers to keep sorted out in their right places.

"So, what is this? No bed? Only a work desk?" Gregori shook his head, and chuckled, "I see your mother's influence here. But is good desk, you want it? It will last a long time, is strong and sturdy." He leaned on it a little, testing the point, and it stayed rock steady. It was definitely strong. "You have card to write down where we find it in warehouse?"

Emily also came to take a closer look and was nodding approvingly. "We were looking at this bed and desk combo, the bed up on a loft above the desk? But you're right Audrey, we don't need to save space anymore," Emily said. "Now we just need to find a bed for you too."

Audrey was writing down the name and the code of the desk and as soon as she was done, she pointed to a direction. "I saw the beds, they were that way! I think there were these bedrooms made up too. I'm gonna go and look, you two are so slow."

Emily chuckled when the girl went again, and she came around the table back to Gregori's side. "Well that's a first. You have never been slow, at anything."

"Oh I don't know, took long time to catch up with you." He smiled down at her, wrapping his arms round her gently, "But, now, I'm so not letting go again." He leaned down slowly, giving her time to push away if she wanted to, and then kissed her just as gently.

Emily felt her cheeks burning up and a little dizzy in her head - like she was a young girl in college again. Even though a part of her told her to turn away right now, she didn't. She couldn't. Instead she tilted her her slightly, cocking her head up to meet him, and their lips touched softly. She actually kissed him back, just a little bit and briefly, and she held his arms, impressed at how thick and muscular they felt.

After the kiss she stood there with a small smile and red cheeks. She looked down, and then back up at him.

"So... when are you finished with your tour?" she asked conversationally, although she really wanted to know when he would be in the City for real and to stay.

"Few more weeks, one more City after this one, New York itself, but, I have new apartment keys on Sunday, so will be coming home here from there." He looked round, seeing Audrey as she moved in and out of the room sets, "We should catch up to Audrey, she'll be whooping again in a minute." He needed a couple of minutes thinking time, because he was in shock, no slap? No rejection? This was going incredibly well. "I think she is getting more excited."

Emily pulled away nodding, but hooked her arm around his as they headed towards the bedroom sets and Audrey.

The girl had found a few sets designed for youngsters, and she looked like she definitely liked them. The girly one with frilly lace and teddybears she didn't even look at, but the others, more modern and functional, she was interested in. She was busy examining the lamps and the drawers underneath the bed when Gregori and Emily reached her.

"That's a cool lamp," Emily said and let go of Gregori's arm. She moved to examine the tags on the items, and her expression turned into a worried one when she was counting the prices together in her head.

"Mamoshka, stop it," Gregori could see her adding up, "I have twelve years of birthdays and Christmases, Easter, Halloween, 4th of July, and all those other little occasions. Including holidays." He smiled, then looked at one price tag and winced himself, "Consider it payback. You got to spread it out, I get hit all at once."

"Right," Emily said and made herself look away from the pricetags. "Gold digger. That's me. You're the celebrity, me the poor single mom. Gold digger." She was trying to get herself into the right mood not to care, but it was easier said than done. It also didn't help at all that she realized some of the people around them had obviously recognized Gregori, and she had just been kissing with him in the middle of Ikea. Idiot, idiot, idiot, she kept telling herself in her mind, and it showed on her face. She had never been a good liar, after all.

"Well, this bed goes pretty well together with the desk, doesn't it? Do you get that night table in another color?" she asked trying to think of other things and concentrate on the task at hand.

"Emily, who is this stuff for? It is not for you." He was mostly whispering in her ear, since he wasn't going to make a scene, but he needed to make sure she understood him, "I need to do this for Audrey, ok? You can keep the stuff you scrimped and saved for, I will not take your achievements from you, I just want to supplement them a bit."

He smiled at Audrey, "You make the list, I faint at till da?"

Audrey saw the discomfort on her mother's face, and only after Emily had nodded at her and said, "Do it. Don't worry, just make the list, hun," she continued writing the items on the notepad she had. Audrey as well was used to saving and choosing well, so she did come to squeeze Gregori's hand in a grateful gesture before she moved on.

"I'm sorry," Emily said looking after Audrey as she went. "It takes time to... get used to... well, you. And the fact that all those people there are wondering who I am and who that girl is and why we're here with the Gregori Rushenko."

Gregori shrugged, his eyes casting around the room, "Let them wonder malinkaya, they will make up their own ideas, but most will not dare to say anything." There was a flat expression on his face, briefly, then he was moving again, "So, we have desk and other things, but, will need bedlinen? Mattress? Audrey, did you list everything?"

He smiled, and shook his head at the showroom assistant who was approaching, this was not something he wanted help with, it would be too uncomfortable for Emily. Besides, he was enjoying himself actually going shopping, and he wondered if shopping regularly at any one place made you seem common place and familiar. If so, he could frequent a couple of local stores and the fan stuff might stop? "Come Emily, relax, it is nice day for shopping, we are having fun da? We can even eat here if you wanted?"

"I know, I'm doing my best," Emily said and breathed out deeply to calm herself again. She had already been holding hands and kissing with Gregori, so what the hell. She hooked her arm around his again, just because it felt so nice to be close to him, and they followed Audrey to look for the mattress and other smaller things that she still needed.

"Like I said, this isn't easy for me, but I am very grateful, I mean it, Greg. Thank you for not being very angry with me and getting into this... father thing quite smoothly, and thank you for helping us. Audrey has been talking about you all the time, and she's very proud and very happy. And so am I, in my own way," Emily explained apologetically, speaking on a low voice.

"It is new, strange, for all of us," He patted the hand on his arm with his other hand, "I will admit to some worries, that it wouldn't go right, but we do ok so far, we just, keep going?" Audrey came back, seemingly concerned about something, "What is it Audrey? Did you find something else?"

Audrey blinked and looked up at Gregori, nodding. "Um, yeah, the mattresses are there, and there's some nice carpets too but I don't know which size is good."

"I'll help you with that," Emily said gently.

Audrey made her way underneath her mother's arm, still looking troubled. That got Emily frowning and worried as well, and she held her daughter to her side and brushed her dark hair away from her eyes. "What is it, cupcake?"

"Mom, I think some people there were talking about us. They were planning to take photos of us, 'cause they recognized dad but not us. I didn't like the way they talked about you," she explained on a quiet voice, meaning both Gregori and Emily.

"Oh honey, it'll be alright. Haven't I taught you not to care about what other people think or say?" Emily tried to cheer her up, but when she glanced up at Gregori, her eyes were full of worry.

Gregori looked round, he'd been expecting something similar, but then, he was used to it, "Some people are jealous, when others have what they would like but do not have." He wanted to try and avoid any unpleasantness, "Then they say things they would not say if they were right here in front of us. It is, unfortunately, part of life for me, but, you should not have much trouble with it. Assistants and Press Office make statements in time, but today, we ignore yes? Because jealousy is not good thing to acknowledge, and we avoid where they were also so as not to encourage it."

If anyone said anything, he was probably not going to be polite, and when he looked back to where Audrey had just come from his expression was not a pleasant one.

Emily realized she needed to call her parents before the day was out, so that they would not read the news from the paper instead of hearing it straight from their own daughter. She really did not look forward to it, but she imagined Gregori was tolerated a little better now that he was famous and rich, compared to the young rowdy Russian boy in college.

"Well at least I know what they said isn't true, so who cares," Audrey said firmly and nodded.

Emily touched Gregori's arm for having put the words right, but held Audrey under her arm anyway as they continued to walk to another department.

"I'm sure there's more carpets somewhere else. What about curtains?" she asked, which did well to distract the girl into talking about exactly what colours she liked and what kind of materials and shapes were correct for her.

Gregori was more aware as they moved from the one space to the next of the eyes following them, the slightly heard whispers, and at one point he did stop, speaking to a member of staff before catching up with his family. Just that thought made him smile again, and he listened to the conversation about fabrics while considering the next steps. After all, with major furnishings, and fabrics sorted, he probably ought to leave the little odds and ends for another time, but, "Wardrobes, did we look at wardrobes? They do such great little inside things for wardrobes here, and you can pick all sorts of things that work for you, and will suit the room?"

"Oh yeah, I saw some of those earlier, they were really cool!" Audrey said excitedly.

"You did? I haven't seen those yet," Emily said, and that was all to get Audrey to announce exactly where they were and how to get there, and also to run off into their direction ahead of her parents.

Emily watched her go as she followed on a slower pace with Gregori after her. "Luckily she's still that easily distracted. So carefree, no worry stays in her mind for very long at a time." She sounded wistful - but Emily's life had been such that if she had no worries in her mind, she got worried over that, thinking that she must have missed or forgotten something that had only gotten worse while she had ignored it.

"I not say it gets easier, but, practice does make it simpler to ignore." He smiled down at her, "You are biggest worry, always with the worrying, but, I know someone has to do it, for now, let it be me? I have assistants with less to do than paid for, they can write something up."

He grinned, as Audrey came into view again, this time pulling open wardrobe doors and sliding them back and forth. "I think we start with sliding doors or pulling ones, and work from there yes?"

So all three of them began sliding doors back and forth and peeking into closets and discussing about mirrors and containers and drawers and shapes and sizes. Finally Audrey found what she liked, and with the help of the grown-ups they managed to choose the right size with the right extra touches to make it as useful as possible. When that was done, Emily and Audrey sat down on a couch and went through the list to check that everything was there and if the girl still needed something.

"Looks good to me," Emily said. Luckily Audrey had not written down the prices, so ignorance was bliss for the mother. "Are we all ready now?"

Gregori had listened in, and in his own mind the checklist was all ticked off, they had a bed, desk, wardrobes, a chair for the desk, and fabrics for curtains and linens, a mattress, pillows, and further round the store they would come to the 'knick-knacks and sundries' part of the store, where light fittings and pictures, mirrors and rugs were to be found. Now he grinned, "Well then, let's go shopping! Anyone want a coffee or something first? This next part could be really tough otherwise."

Plus they had to walk right past the coffee shop to get to the marketplace side, and through that to the warehouse.... oh yes, Ikea was the equivalent of a good long walk, he'd spent much time in the places over the years, with his parents, his sister, her husband, friends, even just on his own, because sometimes the inspiration for a meal came from the strangest of places.

"How about some coffee, hmm? Are you hungry, Audrey?" Emily asked the girl, who shrugged and said she was thirsty.

"So maybe a break at this point?" Emily looked up at Gregori and raised her eyebrows. "I don't know if we need much more but let's see if something turns up."

They did as Gregori had suggested, and headed for the coffee shop to get drinks and a little bit of something to eat for all of them. It felt really odd to have a man around to pay - odd in that way that she felt, as an old-fashioned romantic, that it was a wonderful gesture that the man took care of his woman and family like that, but Emily had never thought she would have that luxury outside of a couple of lousy dates.

Of course Gregori paid, he would have been shocked if any woman would have ever offered, although with Emily he had been kind of half expecting to fight over it. The fact that he hadn't was reassuring, as well as worrying. Was there a bigger battle coming? He hoped not. The coffee was good, the cake reasonable, the menu startlingly uninspirational, but it was a chance to sit, recharge and relax a little, even if they were sitting in the middle of a busy coffee shop, where more than once he heard his name whispered. But he ignored it all and concentrated on Emily and Audrey, making them laugh with tales of early flat-packing adventures, or mis-adventures, and a couple of ER visits with assorted nails and hammered thumbs, and a nasty concussion on one occasion from a bookshelf. It was easy, comfortable, and he wanted it to stay that way, for Emily's sake primarily, but also for Audrey, because as long as she was happy, her mother would be too.

It wasn't until they'd finished that he looked up and around, searching out the tray depository, and in finding it realising he was going to have to clear the table and deal with the public while there... not at the table. "I'll clear the trays, why don't you head over to marketplace entrance and get trolley, bags, etc, I catch up da? Need little boys room also."

"Alright, I'm sure you'll find us," Emily said as she and Audrey got up from the table. They walked out together, but just at the door of the coffee shop Emily felt a buzz in her bag - a text message. She slowed down as she dug out the phone, and had Audrey moaning at how slow she was, and that they needed to get the trolley.

"You go ahead, hun, I'm too old to use a cell phone and walk at the same time," Emily said. She stopped to read the message - it was from her work friend, saying that Gregori Rushenko was in town and that he was going to get a signature from him, asking if Emily wanted one too.

No thanks, you have fun. She managed to send back. She saw that further on Audrey was having fun fighting with the big trolley to get it moving to the direction she wanted, so she glanced back instead to see if Gregori was already coming. Emily stopped right there, looking through the door to the coffee shop, staring at what was happening in there.

Gregori had indeed cleared the table, and removed the tray to the area set aside for them, but coming out he'd been surrounded by people all wanting to know what he was shopping for, who he was with, could they have a picture, an autograph, what was his secret for good cooking, and all sorts of other questions. He stood there for a moment, letting the noise wash over him, feeling the adulation almost like a warm blanket. But then, these were his fans, his public, and without them, he would be nothing. So he fished a pen out of a pocket and began signing things, laughing and joking with them as he somehow managed to start walking towards the entrance. Questions about his companions were ignored once or twice, then quelled with a sharp look.

He wasn't even half way when he looked up and saw Emily still standing by the doors, he shrugged, and offered a wry and apologetic smile, just as security teams came in from behind her to help him get clear. He knew how to use those chances, and sped up as soon as they got between him and the crowd, "Watch the next show, I might do meatballs especially!" He grinned as he turned back to them and waved, "Keep cooking!"

Then he turned back and almost hurried to the doors, "Now, where is daughter before that lot get loose, we shop faster now da?" A quick wave to a member of staff and he was muttering at them about a long list of purchases, very special people and not wanting to be bothered by any more fans, as they might distress his companions, which might have left Emily speechless, but would hopefully keep everyone away from both her and Audrey, even if he did have to hang back and run interference on occasions.

Emily felt very relieved that Audrey had not witnessed what she had. The girl would, eventually, but it was good for her to get a smooth landing into what it really meant to have a celebrity for a father. For the rest of their venture around the last part of Ikea, Emily chatted as normally as she could with Audrey, who apparently did not notice anything out of place. She did not mind going a little faster now anyway since she was getting tired and bored, and was eager to go and get their new home ready.

But to Gregori it was clear that Emily was upset - unlike before, she did not talk with him much, and she had a closed up expression on her face most of the time. As to why she was upset - well, it was partly about how reality had hit her and she had come to realize how difficult life was yet going to be with her history and relationship to someone as famous as Gregori, and a daughter no one had never heard from before. It all shouted scandal, and that's what the press loved. And another part of her was upset simply because she thought it was stupid to be upset because of something like that - some people would be thrilled to have such a straight way into the life and bank account of a handsome celebrity man! Why did she always have to be so pessimistically realistic and worry over everything, Emily thought, and it only made her mood worse.

One of the last sections of the marketplace was those little decorative things that Gregori really didn't much appreciate himself, well, sure, photo frames were nice, but fake flowers? However, even Audrey was starting to notice how quiet her mother was getting, so as he caught up to them again, having detoured to supposedly grab something (a solar desk light in white, a faux fur sheepskin rug, and a couple of sets of cardboard storage boxes) he dropped the latest thing in the trolley and went straight past, to the horridness that was the flowers. Honestly, some of them looked all right, but some were truly awful. A quick scan had him grabbing at the best of the bad lot, and pretty soon he had a bouquet of Gerberas in cream and apricot, arranged in a vase, and was heading back to the trolley.

He didn't put them down though, just handed them to Emily, and smiled, then took over the handles of the trolley and said to Audrey, "Now, you see me give mother flowers, how long you think they last?" he grinned, and turned to wink at Emily, "Come, come, nearly at warehouse. After this, well, is flatpack fun and I do not want to cook today and build furniture."

Emily rolled her eyes and sighed at the flower gesture, but if he looked again, she actually was smiling just a little. Always with these silly romantic gestures, she thought, amused about how he never failed to amuse her.

"I'll cook for you, if you two get Audrey's room set," Emily offered, yielding in her grumpiness a little. "It's the least I can do, anyway."

"Then we are good, Audrey and I will build and arrange furniture, while you organise dinner, and then we enjoy like normal family small accomplishment of room and board." He grinned, "Warehouse this way!"

And with that he turned down a ramp with the trolley, onto a moving walkway that led them down to the warehouse level of the store. This section was easier, working from Audrey's list they simply went from aisle to aisle gathering boxes and stacking them up. Gregori was sure to keep all the bar-codes on the same side, because otherwise the checkouts could be hell. With everything gathered up they now needed three trolleys to carry it all! They headed for the checkouts. Here again the power of celebrity seemed to smooth the way, as they were met by the store manager who took them straight to a checkout that was opened just for them, and then agreed that Emily and Audrey could wait with the trolleys in a closed off area out of the public way while Gregori fetched the van. So in a very short space of time indeed they were loaded up and back in the van, and driving home.

"See," Gregori said to Emily, "Was not so bad huh? Shopping easier after a time, familiarity eases a lot of things."

"And also being famous," Emily couldn't help but add, lifting her eyebrows at him. Luckily Audrey just giggled at the comment, but her mother was definitely very relieved to get back home where no one was around to see them. It was going to be just the three of them, with no outside complications to the already difficult relationship.