2023, London: Before I'm A Celebrity
Today, the Donnelly and McPartlin households are one. All the girls, wives and daughters (and baby Jack) are together, out having special time to themselves in a local shopping district.
Usually, they wouldn't be out and about so close to flying out for Australia. But Ali had proposed it, sensing that their husbands needed some sincere heart-to-heart, alone time, especially away from work, away from their other obligations. She brought it up two days ago, not to Dec, but to Ant and Anne-Marie.
At first, the gushing over "wanting to have some quality girl time" sounded suspicious, but Anne-Marie was also quick to pick up on the weird cues Ali was sending her. Of course, it was a bit rare for the two families to be together sans their husbands, but the experience was welcome to the wives, and eventually to their daughters when they brought up the topic to them.
After a long day of promises to have Dec's young daughter match outfits with Anne-Marie's own daughters, thinking about outfits to put Ali's little boy in, and a visit to the local ice cream and yoghourt place, Ali and Anne-Marie had agreed to bring their families out on a date. Ant was quick to agree, seeing how his step-daughters lit up at the idea of going out for some shopping.
"Does Dec know?"
Ali only smiled at him sweetly. "I'll tell him later."
That "later" turned out to be the morning of: Ant's family coming up to the Donnelly household, completely taking the shorter Geordie by surprise as he opened the door. Along with the children were three four-legged furbabies trailing after Ant, carefully strapped next to him on leashes. Although it wasn't particularly chilly, Ant was still in a comfortable dark sweatshirt, sleeves all the way to his wrists.
"What're you all doing here?" Dec pulls the door open to let them inside, casually hugging Anne-Marie and her daughters.
Ant steps forward and offers his arms out for a hug, which Dec readily accepts. "Didn't Ali tell you?"
"Tell me what?" The two of them slowly make their way into the sitting room, where the rest of the families are exchanging their greetings. Hurley, Milo, and Bumble are set free and their paws pad through the floor to meet the little dachshund in the corner of the living room.
"We're going out today!" Anne-Marie smiles as she briefly kisses Ali on the cheek.
"But I haven't gotten ready–" Dec retorts.
"Oh, we're having some girl time, now aren't we?" Ali is quick to say, already pulling her purse. She eyes the stroller she sneakily prepared just a few minutes prior, and gingerly picks up her son before depositing him into the wheeled cot. "And you two can have some nice Ant and Dec time, yeah?"
Ant, already taking strides into the Donnelly household like he belongs there, leans back into the couch and lets out a booming laugh. "As if we need more time alone, Ali. And isn't Jack coming with you?"
"Well, we need some 'us' time as well, baby boy included." Anne-Marie takes Dec and Ali's daughter's hand in her own. She blows a kiss to the presenter duo. "See you two later!"
"What?!" Dec gapes as the women in their lives (and his baby boy) all cheerily say their goodbyes and walk out the door.
"Take care!" yells out Ant, waving cheerily until the door comes to a close.
On instinct, Dec paces down the hall and locks the door, still completely baffled by the events of the last few minutes.
"So, just the two of us for the day? Ah, the dogs too." The dogs in question already settling in a cool spot next to Rocky's bed.
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soul searching
FanfictionDeclan Donnelly knows that Anthony McPartlin has a soulmate. That when they were eighteen, a name appeared on Ant's body that meant that he had someone he could spend his life with, a person that would make Ant happy and loved without limits. Dec kn...
