SNIP
Sapphire Room

“Alexandra,” a sharp tone cut through the lobby turning heads the second she and Chris walked through the door.

“Oh crap,” Lexi muttered under her breath. She knew Toby was going to be mad but the reasons why no one ever would imagine. The easy speculation was that his fiancee had just arrived to their hotel with another man. The answer was far more complex. Chris and Toby had met yesterday at the food tasting. It had gone as well as was expected. This could be a very different scenario though.

A tall blonde, man strode towards them covering the space between them in a few steps. “Where were you all day? My mom said she would take,” Toby began hotly ignoring Chris like he wasn’t even in the vicinity.

“Shh she is sleeping,” Lexi spoke in a calm, measured tone.

Oh lord here we go… Chris thought to himself as he looked at the two. Why was all Chris could think of as he stood there. Why him, why only after she got pregnant from god knows who, why not tell Chris any of this. Chris had been feeling a lot of why’s lately and this just was added to the long list of them.

“And,” Toby looked at Lexi like she was crazy. “Maybe if you left her with my mother and spent the day at Golden Gate Park like I suggested this morning she would have gotten a decent rest and not be miserable tomorrow. No one really likes a screaming baby Alexandra.” Toby looked at her like Lexi was not understanding where the problems had risen from. He loved Alex Garfield but some times she just needed to remember what was important.

Her name is Ruth. Her name is Ruth, Lexi said to herself giving a moment to calm down before she replied. “Yes and I told you we had to check up on the flowers, had a dress fitting, needed to meet with the harpist,” Lexi threw out a million things on any wedding list but only one of which she and Chris actually did. This was because it was made up except for the florist. Toby wouldn’t know though. He hadn’t done anything but make sure he had enough spaces for the guests he wanted to show.

“Isn’t that what you have bridesmaids for,” Toby rolled his eyes. “Do you know how stupid I looked,” his tone rose enough again that Ruth began to stir on Chris’ shoulder. “Aubrey has enough opinions for ten people. She will make sure it is exactly like whatever it is you want.”

Chris, Ruth let out a small whimper on Chris’ shoulder before nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck again. Whatever was happening was enough to start to rouse her yet the scents and arms around her made Ruth feel safe enough for now not to open her eyes.

Chris moved to the side as he began to pat Ruth as he tried to console and keep her at ease. She had a long day and she needed every shut eye she could get.

Lex cast a side glance at Chris. Anyone watching would see her actions as a concerned mother. Lexi had just known Chris long enough. He did tend to make himself scarce at times but he only ran from Lexi, never from anything else. The one thing going for Toby was Chris did not have a temper.

“Toby again please lower your voice,” she said in a hot whisper giving a small head jerk in Ruth and Chri’s direction. Whether Toby didn’t see it or didn’t care, was irrelevant as he continued.

“Everyone else was there. Margo, Priscilla, Andrea, Sabrina,” he rattled off the significant others of his friends. “I had to spend the entire day making excuses for you and then we had to postpone the ride to Catalina until 8 because I had to come to find you. Now go drop her off somewhere so we can spend at least a little bit of time together this week.” Toby took Lexi’s hand in his. His smile was very flirtatious but clearly frustrated with the situation as it stood. He liked her kid. She was cute and as kids went she was well behaved enough but it was going to take time for him to jump into the Daddy bit.

“One second… please.” Chris said as he stepped in between the two, he hadn’t said anything up to this point as he turned his back to Toby looking at Lexi.

“Chris,” she mouthed his name and looked in his eyes. He was hard to read right now but obviously was about to say something to Toby. Even if she was in love with Toby, she could not blame Robbins. Toby was being a total jackwagon and Chris’ kid was half of the subject matter Toby was complaining about. Right now was a pivotal point in the three-way family structure that would soon be Ruth’s reality. She could not cut Chris out yet siding with Chris would not sit well with Toby. Lexi settled on just a word of advice. “Be nice,” she whispered giving Chris a look that said she had this under control.

Giving her a wink he gently took Ruth off his shoulder, her small whimpers he tried to ease as he patted her back as he let her get settled on Lexi as he kissed the top of her head before turning around to face Toby.

“Her name… is Ruth you giant dick weed.” Chris uttered in a low angry growl as he planted his back leg as he hit the second person in under 24 hours as he went right through Toby’s jaw and landed him on the floor. Chris stood for a moment over Chris, his eyes seeming an almost electric blue as he glared at the guy as he walked over him as he looked back at Lexi. “I… well… it’s been fun. Keep her away from him.” he said as he kissed Lexi on the cheek as he walked past her. He was done with this crap fest of a circus. He had enough of whatever charade was going on and he didn’t have the patience for anymore of it.

Christopher Robins

“Holy sh,”

“Aubrey,” Lexi snapped cutting her sister off before she could finish the less than ladylike sentence. “Take the baby,” she said almost throwing Ruth at her sister as she knelt down beside Toby. Chris had not held back. In fact from Lexi’s perspective, he took the time to wind up and put the old pepper in it like the year he played intermural baseball at the academy. Lexi looked at Toby weighing the bad and the worse. The bad was her wedding party was going to have more people with black and blue marks than without. The worse was that Toby’s jaw was broke and he wasn’t going to eat all the food he changed at the last minute.

“Madame can I be of some service,” the concierge approached now that the two men had sorted it out. The hotel was five stars but they still did not pay him enough to take a punch.

“Isn’t this like the third person he has hit in the past twenty four hours,” Aubrey stated with a slow smirk filling his face.

“Not helping,” Lexi sang the words in almost a happy tune. Her face showed anything but amusement though. “Yes can you please get Mr. Schdmit some ice and call a medic to the room.” Standing up Lexi began to head off in the direction Chris left. She wasn’t running but she was walking rather briskly.

“Where are you going,” Aubrey called out watching her sister step into the elevator and whisked upwards. She knew exactly where Lexi was going and a small part wished there was a way she could hang out and watch the fireworks. A few moans pulled her gaze from the runaway bride to the man KO’ed on the expensive oriental carpet at her feet. Directing her attention to Toby who was just now blinking his eyes back to consciousness Aubrey could not help but start up a conversation. “Dude did you try to hit him or even block him because from what I saw you just kinda stood there,” Aubrey said in a dry tone looking down at her future brother-in-law.

“Where is Alex,” Toby growled snatching the bag of ice the concierge was just now handing him. Gingerly he set it on and off his face several times trying to find the spot that didn’t hurt from the pressure but provided some degree of comfort from the coolness.

“She just went to deal with that oafish brute who laid you out with one punch,” she replied in a neutral tone as if nothing extraordinary had happened. Aubrey had no love for Toby. The oafish brute comment was just to delay Toby so Lexi could talk to Chris.

A shadow fell over Toby’s face when the answer was not that his future wife was out of site trying to make him feel better. “You know what fine,” he looked at his watch. There was still time to get to the marina. Let Lexi spend the last day with that pompus diplomat and her flandering ex. Soon her name would be Schmidt and she would have a better set of friends to run with. “Tell her I expect to see her tomorrow at 8 am sharp for breakfast. Before then I don’t want to see her.” The venom in Toby’s words was palpable.

“Like ever or just not before eight,” Aubrey toed the line much as she did with everyone. Chris was not her first choice but he was better than the man who was just sprawled at her feet. She thought about the two men as she looked at Toby. Toby presented as the perfect man you would want your daughter to marry and morphed into a total douche. Chris was the type of guy that on initial meeting you locked up your single daughters but later found out he was a half-decent guy.

Walking back, Toby stared down at Aubrey like he wanted to turn her over his knee and teach her some manners for her smart mouth. “I am marrying your sister,” he sad the worlds firmly and with conviction. “This little spectacle is not stopping that. Mr. Robbins will be evicted from the hotel and barred from the wedding and our lives even if it takes a restraining order so if you see here which I am betting you are going to do, tell her to say her goodbyes because this will be the last time we will see Mr. Robbins.” Not saying another word, Toby stormed out of the glass doors and into a vehicle waiting out front.

“Yeah I am not so sure that is gonna happen,” Aubrey said to herself bouncing Ruth a bit on her hip. “Now wanna go see mommy and daddy,” she spoke with almost a gleeful tone heading in the direction her sister and Chris left.

Room 426 Robbin’s room

“Chris,” Lexi yelled standing outside the door. Immediately after yelling his name she waved her hand over the door controls. When it did not open, Lexi used the back of her fist to thump hard on the surface several times. “Christoper David Robbins I know you are in there. Open the door,” she commanded followed but another series of three hits with her fist.

Lt. Lexi Garfield