Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

73 - the surprise visitors

'No, I can't come in today, as I've told you I was at the hospital overnight-'

Pace. Pace. Pace.

'Well it would be too dangerous to me to work now'

Pace. Pace. Pace.

'I'm just saying, I'm entitled to sick le-'

'Gracie, can you help me with the door?'

Lotte Sullivan sighed, looking out the window, already annoyed at the noise the neighbourhood was beginning to produce. She wasn't a city person. And she was scared of everything, jumping at every little noise. Listening to her arrogant no idea manager prattle on about what he thought her rights and responsibilities were. Lotte'd had enough of it. She'd had enough of Western Australia. And she'd had enough of her noisy bogan neighbours.

Except, this wasn't the annoying neighbour across the street with the giant North Melbourne mural spray painted on her garage door. This wasn't the other neighbour next door, dropping off the fresh fruit and veg straight from his garden. And it wasn't Molly returning from a day out with her friends.

It was, indeed...

'Darcy?'

Lotte looked out the window, recognising the tall giant stepping out of an Uber with an overnight bag. His younger sister Grace joining him, although Lotte couldn't say she was familiar with her.

'DARCE!' She excitedly screamed, running over to the front door and forgetting her key, banging straight into it, bump first. 'Jesus Lotte' she whispered, finally unlocking the door and exiting the house.

'Is that her?' Grace Moore asked uncomfortable, nodding over to the small brunette flooring it towards them. 'Yep. That's her' Darcy said, putting his bag down as Lotte - and the two babies growing inside her - jumped on him.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?' Lotte asked, overcome with unwanted emotion as she wrapped her arms around him. She also grabbed a lock of his bright platinum blonde hair.

'Brodes told us you needed a hand, so I thought we'd drop in' Darcy said casually, like a spontaneous expensive trip all the way across the country was the most 'drop in' event ever.

'Is everyone okay?' She asked, beginning to feel worried there was more to this visit than just helping her out. She held the front door open, letting them in. Grace awkwardly hovered around behind, third wheeling.

'Everyone is fine - it's you we've all been worried about, cutting off contact with everyone completely' Darcy said, wanting to break her down and question her about how on earth Brodie meant more to her than both himself and Ashlyn, and Ginni. It didn't make any sense. He understood why she had ran away from Trent and Josh - but the rest of the world didn't need to be punished with her silence.

'I guess we're getting straight into it today. No hi Lotte, no how are you Lotte, no nice place you've got here, no how is the baby, just straight into it' Lotte said uncomfortably, as she turned the kettle on, knowing Darcy was a coffee snob. 'Who's this?' She asked, turning to the small girl standing next to him.

'You remember Grace?' Darcy asked, awkwardly putting his hand on his sister's back. 'Don't worry. I don't remember you either' she said broodingly.

'You've been hiding three of your sisters and yourself away for quite a few years Darce, I only know Ella. Speaking of. How's little Rhiannon?' Lotte asked excitedly, thinking back to all the times she'd spend babysitting her. Little did she know she also had a baby growing inside her during those times. Two babies.

'She's good, getting very cute' Darcy said cryptically, Grace, annoyed, corrected him.

'You're about ready to drag her to court so you can gain custody of her, because her mother is that addicted to drugs and sex that she can't even function as a human being herself, AND you're already the one who's always looking after her. And her biological father is a douchebag and god even knows where the Carlton idiot went, he's just disappeared into thin air' she explained, rolling her eyes and clicking her fingers for added effect with the last word.