Author's POV

Madison was nervous for some reason, she always had a hard time readjusting to someone after time apart. She follows her Mam down to the foyer nonetheless, ready to greet her Nan Joan after three months of not seeing nor speaking to her.

"Mam." Cheryl sighs, hugging her Mother tightly as she opens the front door, "Alright?" The cuddle comes undone.

"Eh okay, just the drive was taking longer than I had expected." Joan smiles, meeting Madison's green eyes. "Come have your cuddles then." She pulls her granddaughter in for a hug, "I've missed ya to death." She murmurs, giving her a final squeeze and releasing her. "How have you been, pet?"

"Okay." Madison smiles, following her Grandma into the front room and leaving Cheryl to take care of the bags.

Cheryl rolls her eyes, if her Mam knew she was pregnant she wouldn't allow her to carry a single thing, let alone these bags. The couple wanted to surprise the Geordie Mam during dinner tonight.

"How's school?" Joan asks, sitting down on the sofa.

Madison rolls her eyes, "Why does every adult ask a teenager that, like we care to talk about school or something—"

"No need to get your wig off, calm down. I was just asking because I care." Joan tuts, "Make us a pot of tea!" She calls out to Cheryl.

Cheryl walks over, popping her head around. "Anything else miss? Would you like some biscuits? Oh, maybe a—"

"Bloody hell, it's like I'm sitting with two Cheryl's right now." She looks at Madison and back to Cheryl. "Do as your Mam requests." She waves off her pop-star daughter.

Madison suppresses her smirk, glad she wasn't the only one being told off.

"Now tell us about your school."

"I don't go to school—"

"Cheryl!"

Cheryl returns, huffing. "Yeah, Mam?"

"Why isn't me granddaughter in school?" She splutters.

"She will be Mam, we're changing her teacher is all."

"Why? I like Emma."

"I'm not having her in me house." Cheryl argues with her daughter.

"But—"

"We can talk about this later." Cheryl gives her daughter a look.

"Eh? Not like I'm some stranger here?" Joan scoffs, "Go on."

Madison sits still, because although Joan was her Grandmother, she still felt very much as though the older woman was a stranger. She has yet to grow a bond with her.

So, she listens to her Mam and drops it.

"Go on then." Joan pushes.

"It's okay." Madison chuckles dryly, standing to her feet. "Mam? Did you need help with the tea?"

Cheryl sighs, knowing her daughter was feeling uncomfortable. "Come on then." She waves her over.

Joan adds to the endless requests just as they walk out, "Make it extra milky for us!"

Cheryl wraps an arm around her daughter, walking over to the kitchen together. "You okay?"

"I don't know," Madison giggles. "I feel weird."

"Why?" Cheryl pouts, filling the kettle.

"She's... Louder than I had remembered."

Cheryl laughs.

"I'm being serious." Madison pouts.

"She's Geordie. Plus, she's not really like this when there's other people around. She's only herself when it's us and Kimba... and now you."

"I guess." Madison sighs.

"Her being loud makes you uncomfortable?"

Before Madison has a chance to reply, one of the working men comes into the kitchen. "Does he belong to you?" He smiles, handing Lotus to Madison.

"Where'd you get him from?" Madison giggles, holding the puppy close.

"He must have snuck into the room." He shares a warm smile with the teen. "Miss," He looks over to Cheryl. "The room is almost done, it will most likely take another day or three."

"Why so long?" Madison whines.

"Did you not see how big and tall your walls are?"

"So?"

He just chuckles in response. "My men and I will be back tomorrow morning."

"Eh, alright that's fine."

Joan comes into the kitchen, interrupting their conversation. "Me daughters a lesbian." She says straightaway, "Your flirting isn't going to do much – why's me tea taking so long?"

Madison looks at her Nan gob smacked, jaw hanging.

"Sorry." Cheryl smiles at her kind worker, "That's alright with us. See you tomorrow."

He smiles politely and excuses himself out of the kitchen.

"Mam! What the fcuk!?" Cheryl screeches.

"He had googly eyes."

"He didn't." Cheryl rolls her eyes, starting on that cup of tea.

"So why aren't you in school right now?"

"Mam I just told you we're finding her a new teacher—"

"Ah, yes, Emma." Joan nods, taking a seat on the barstool. "So, what's her story – I like a good gossip."

Madison shrugs, "Mam, can you make me something to eat?" She changes the subject, not wanting to talk about it.

"Already hungry? Don't you want to wait for your Mum to come home so we can all eat together?"

"She's going to take forever." Madison sighs, "It's fine I'll make myself something—"

"I didn't say I wouldn't make you something, sweets. I was just making sure—"

"Yeah but you're already making tea, I don't want to exhaust you." Madison argues, keeping her Mam's pregnancy in mind. 

"Since when do you care about exhausting me daughter?"

Madison sighs, rolling her eyes. "Since when are you around to even know if I exhaust your daughter or not—"

"Madison!" Cheryl hisses at her daughter, "Apologize to your Nan."

"Why-"

"Madison." Cheryl looks seriously at her daughter, "Don't make us call your Mum."

The Teen rolls her eyes.

"Eh. No need to apologize—"

"Sorry." Madison mumbles, and walks out of the kitchen, annoyed.

Cheryl sighs, pouring a cup of tea for her Mam and passing it over to her. "Sorry about that." She apologizes, "I don't know what's gotten into her." She sighs, taking a seat beside her Mam.

"Well, I'm sure it's just a faze."

"No, she's never like this."

"What's she like then?"

Cheryl shrugs, "She's polite to others – apart from us that is."

Joan chuckles, "Sounds like you."

Cheryl shrugs, again. "She's mad at you I think."

"Us? What'd I bloody do? I just fcuking got here." Joan splutters.

"Yeah, exactly. You just got here. You haven't been talking to her or nothing Mam, what kind of Nan does that?"

Joan sighs. "Your brother's been giving us trouble, I'm sorry I haven't been in contact much. But she wouldn't understand anyways."

"I don't want her to understand and I don't want him around her either."

"That's only going to upset her if she finds out."

"There was a reason I only told her I have one brother and one sister, Mam. I don't need trash in me house! And I sure as hell don't need that kind of person around me daughter." Cheryl says end of.

Joan sighs, "Alright. Don't get yourself worked up over nothing."

"You're working us up. Stop talking about him, I don't care to talk about him."

"When are you going to let go what he did?" Joan softens her tone, "That was ages ago."

"Mummy!"

Cheryl hears her daughter's screeching, indicating her wife was home.

"Let's not talk about it anymore." She stands to her feet and follows her daughter's voice to the foyer.

"Hi baby." Kimberley smiles, taking her wife in for a quick cuddle and kiss. "Your Mam's home?"

"Eh, yeah, she's in the kitchen having her cuppa."

Kimberley smiles, although knowing her wife wasn't herself.

Madison doesn't follow her parents as they head back to the kitchen, Kimberley sensing her missing instantly. "Come on."

"No. I'm good."

Kimberley narrows her eyes at her daughter, "Come on."

"No."

The Mum walks back over to the Teen, "What's happened?"

"She's a c*nt." Kimberley quickly looks back, glad her wife was back in the kitchen.

"Watch your mouth. Don't go saying stupid crap like that around your Mam." She tells her daughter off.

"Well it's true!"

"What happened?"

"She's rude."

Kimberley smirks, "Yeah, and so are you."

"I'm nice rude."

Kimberley raises an eyebrow, "There is no such thing. Now come on." She pulls her daughter along, until they are both in the kitchen. "Hi Joan! How are you?" Kimberley greets her mother-in-law, giving her a quick cuddle and kiss.

"Eh. Alright, I'm doing good. That was before your daughter bit me head off just then."

Kimberley looks over to Madison, "I'm sure she's just hungry. She gets like that when she's not fed."

Madison suppresses a smirk.

"Better have a bib and bottle ready all the time then."

Madison scowls to her Nan's words, "I'm not a baby."

"Well then quit acting like one—"

"Your old arse can't keep up anyways."

"Madison!" Cheryl and Kimberley say in unison.

Joan chuckles, "Definitely Cheryl's."

Madison huffs, "When are we having dinner? If you're not going to make me food then I'll just make some myself."

Kimberley grabs a hold of her daughter, "Let's go inside for a minute." She grips her tightly, making sure she can't make a run for it. The Mum doesn't say anything until they are out of the kitchen and far enough for Joan not to hear them.

"What's going on?" Kimberley asks instantly. Keeping an arm around her daughter.

"She's fcuking rude and acts as if she knows me. I don't know her and neither does she."

"So? This is a chance for the both of you to bond—"

"I don't want to. I just want to eat."

Kimberley sighs, "Alright. But no rude sh*t coming out of your mouth anymore, Madison."

The Teen rolls her eyes, "Alright."

_______________________

Madison had gone up for a quick shower and change in her parent's bathroom, although the mansion had endless bedrooms and bathrooms, she'd still pick her parents room from them all. It was a comfort zone for her.

"You didn't have to make so much, pet." Joan comments, as all three of them prepared dinner that night.

"I wanted to make your favorites and if I didn't make Madison's then I'd have to put up with her being jealous all night. So, the more the better I guess." Cheryl chuckles, mixing the salad.

"I didn't take her for the jealous type."

Kimberley shrugs, platting the rice. "She says she's not but she is. She has a bad habit of bottling how she feels, so instead of talking about it she becomes jealous and upset." The married couple share a giggle, agreeing.

"I take the sense she doesn't like us very much."

"Can you blame her?" Kimberley asks, earning her a nudge from Cheryl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joan frowns.

"I mean, well," Kimberley chooses her words wisely. "I mean, she's just not used to you being around is all."

Joan shrugs, "She doesn't know what's been happening in me life—"

"And she doesn't need to know either, Mam." Cheryl says seriously.

"Has Andrew been giving you trouble again?" Kimberley asks, already getting the hint.

"You know what he's like. He has his good days—"

"They're all bad, Mam. He's never had a bloody good day since he fcuking came into this world—"

"Don't talk about your brother like that—"

"He's not my brother! He's a conniving c*nt that only ever calls when he wants money!"

"He's your brother at the end of the day!" Joan shouts.

"He can be dead for all I fcuking care!"

The words echo, soon followed by silence as they notice Madison standing at the kitchen doors for the first time since their argument erupted.