Take That And Party Fanfic!!! 18 + only please!

Chapter Seventy Nine

We'd now sorted all the wedding plans and I'd found my dress. Sam, Vicki and Gary's girls were my bridesmaids, Anna was just hoping she'd be there, it being so close to her due date and all. But most babies come before or after their date...don't they??
We were going to have a blessing on our return to the UK anyway, for all those who couldn't join us on the big day, so if Anna couldn't make it...least she could celebrate with us then.
Gary had asked Mark to be Bestman as Jay wasn't coming as he would be with Anna and Howie said Mark was better suited to the role as he didn't feel confident in public speaking.
Time flew by and I was really regretting all those cream teas with Anna by my last fitting..my dress felt slightly tight...sending my mind in spinning circles, I couldn't change it now...the lady in the shop said it was very common as the weather warmed up that they did tend to feel more snug due to fluid retention.......from then I was I drinking lots of water and on a strict diet till the big day.

The bags were packed....we'd said our goodbyes to friends who couldn't join us, worst being Anna...she so wanted to be there, but she was so near now she couldn't risk the flight. Her Blood Pressure was sky high and she suffered badly with her pelvis, she was in agony all the time. Jay was caring for them both extremely well and she was put on strict bed rest. We would miss these two the most on that beach, a gaping hole.
The only thing we had yet to decide was who would give me away? My Father and I were not close and I hadn't seen him in years, it would only be my mother there from my family ...... this part of my life I chose never to discuss...they had made their choices years ago....so I grew to accept Gary was now my family alongside Anna x

It was only on the plane towards our Big Occasion I thought of the perfect person. Howard! Gary was elated, he wanted to involve him somehow, this was the perfect solution. We decided we wouldn't tell Howard till the night before the wedding...incase he bottled it at the last minute.
As we arrived at the airport about 3 am local time the airport was deserted, we pulled our cases along the marbled white floor of the VIP Arrivals and through Passport control. A spokesperson from the Wedding company held up a sign for us at the front doors.
He smiled as we approached.
"Mr Barlow? Miss Evans?" He said bowing his head slightly at us both.
"Alright mate!??" Gary sighed. He could never sleep on flights and got really grumpy on long haul. You'd have thought he'd be used to it by now!
We were shown to a waiting car and Gary let out another sigh as our cases were placed silently into the boot. I reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "Get 40 winks!" Gary just nodded in answer.
"The Regal???" Said the driver as he got in and slammed his door shut.
"Please Mate!!" Shouted Gary back to the driver.
"Will be about 1 hour 40 minutes Sir...ok?"
"That's fine ...thank you!" I replied.
Gary yawned widely and his eyes were already closed. Screwing his blazer up into a ball he plonked it behind his head as a makeshift pillow...just watching him made me smile..thinking back to that time after the gig when Anna and myself climbed into their car and Gary just sat there with damp sweaty hair and soaking wet clothes stuck to his torso from all the sweat.
The driver played soft twinkly music into our cab as we slept. It was the jolt that woke us both at the same time as we stopped.
We were here...our wedding destination....in just 5 days .....we'd be married!
My phone buzzed as we sleepily entered our room.. It was nearly morning and besides an hour or so in the car on the way from the airport and a few on the plane extra from me, we'd not slept properly for what felt like days.
With a squint at my display I could see it was a text from Jay.
"Shit!!! Anna's in labour!!" I shouted to Gary who was having a wee. "Shit Gary! I'm not even in the same country as her.....I should be there!!! She'll need me?"
Gary appeared from the bathroom wiping he freshly washed hands on a white fluffy towel.
"Hey...hey?...hey!!!!...she has Jason! She's in the right place...they know what to do?"
"I....I...guess! I just would ..we'll...you know!"
"Yes I know! I'd love them to be here too..Sod's law this would happen huh!" He walked over and pulled me into a hug "look....exactly a year ago tomorrow we met for the first time. Now we are here about to declare our love for each other on a stunning white sandy beach, and Anna is giving birth to her first child. So much has happened in such a short time....I" I cut him short.
"You don't regret it do you?"
"Not a single minute!!! It feels so right! And maybe by our second anniversary there maybe baby pitter patters of our own...huh??!!" He snuggled in to my neck .... I could never resist him when he was this sloppy.
Babies!!! Lord, we'd never spoke of babies before...I guess cos he had his own with Julie, I didn't think he'd want anymore. I was on my way to 40!! I made a mental note to discuss this with him tomorrow at some point..once we'd had sleep!!
Just then my phone rang. Thinking it would be Jay regarding Anna I pressed accept without looking.
"Hello!?.... Oh Mum! Yes mum...yeah..im ok....I thought you were Jay with news of Anna....yep..she's in labour!...yes, good job she didn't come I know!...ok...ok..speak tomorrow!! Night!" Rolling my eyes I flop down onto the bed bouncing a few times.
Gary laughed "mother in law ok?"
"Yes she's just landed..."
"I suspect mine won't be far behind!!" Gary opened the balcony door and stepped out into the cool night breeze from off the beach and the sounds of the waves swooshing ashore.
"Sounds lush out there! ..I'm gonna hang my dress in the closet!!! No peeking!!!! It's bad luck."
"I won't babes...pwommise?!!"
After unpacking my dress and a few things we needed..the rest could wait. I stripped off and slid into the sheets...sleep I needed more sleep! I think I nodded off before Gary had come in from the balcony, cos the next thing I knew it was bright in the room as the sun shone in through the nets of the balcony door.
As the few days leading up to Anna's wedding had done....time flew by. We'd heard via Jay Anna had an extremely long painful labour which ended in c-section...but mum and daughter were doing fine.

Mum, the girls and I were working on our tans, making sure not to burn. Marge spent her time under the shade and supervising her granddaughters as she wasn't one for bathing in the rays. Gary, Mark and Howard spent most of their time either in the pool or by the bars.
I think my crash dieting before we had arrived may have done the trick as I felt very slim now....I still upped my intake of water, it was extremely hot here at the moment....Gary's tan was fantastic...Mark amusingly kept nagging him to apply more cream! As Gary burnt very easily...luckily he stood little chance with Mark about. Like Gary's little man wife! It was still weird to think I would soon be Mrs Barlow!!!

On the Eve of the wedding we had a party in the main bar. All the guests were now there and the atmosphere was electric, still missing Anna, Jay and their little one though.
After a few cocktails I felt brave enough to address the group, public speaking was definitely not my thing either. Calling their attention by tapping my glass with my phone, the room fell silent.

[ GULP]

"We....errr....just would like to thank you all for coming all this way to help celebrate our marriage, one thing I'd like to say first is HUGE congratulations to my bestest friend in the world, who sadly can't be with us, because she's just had a little baby girl back in the UK." The whole room awwwwwwww'd. "So congratulations to Anna and Jay on the birth of 'Maddison Jane' a few days ago!" A cheer now erupted.
"Secondly...I would like to call Dougie up here???" Howard looked puzzled but made his way towards me. I held his hand "Howie...as you know my father isn't on the scene anymore and I'm kinda stuck for someone to give me away tomorrow, and I kinda hoped you would help me out?"
Howard glanced at Gary who beamed back at him.
"Shit! Course I will Babe!" He said picking me up and swirling me around, while the whole party clapped and cheered.
"Have fun Everyone!!!!" Gary shouted and the music began again and everyone moved away jigging to the beat.
"Seriously?!" Howie said softly I glanced at Gary who winked and walked away.
"Course!" I smiled
"What????" He said loudly over the music.
I repeated it..but he still couldn't hear me, So he shouted "wait!" And pulled me outside to the quiet pool area.
"Sorry I couldn't hear over the music?!" He grinned sipping from his beer bottle.
"Look! How..all I said wa....." His mouth silenced mine by the softest of kisses. I instinctly flinched backwards breaking the kiss. We both said nothing, just staring into each other's eyes.
It wasn't passion
It wasn't lust
It was acceptance
that this was the end of it..
He never tried for another...and I neither did I
We just stared...
For what seemed like hours.
He broke the silence by saying only 2 words.....
"Thank -you!"