"SHIT SHIT SHIT" Dec shouted out loud as he suddenly sat bolt upright in bed with only one worrying thought racing through his mind.

"What the hell Declan?" Ant grumbled,more than a little bit annoyed at being woken up so abruptly "what's wrong with you man?"

"Shit" Dec muttered to himself again.

Ant rubbed his eyes sleepily and glanced at his watch that perched on his bedside table "it's quarter past five in the morning,what the hell are you doing?I doubt you've been awake this early since you were a bairn"

"I forgot Ant" Dec stated as he started pacing the room "I forgot"

"Forgot what?" Ant asked impatiently "whatever it is,I'm sure it can wait"

"I forgot to phone Mam yesterday" Dec replied "we've only been here a few days and I've already forgotten my promise"

"Oh that" Ant sighed "well you can call her later can't you?but for now I'd like to go back to sleep for an hour or two"

"Don't you get it Ant?" Dec asked impatiently "it's not just a case of calling her for a catch up.She thinks we're at the Strand Palace Hotel remember?what if she's called me there,she'll be out of her mind with worry.Why didn't you remind me?"

"Er,excuse me Declan" Ant snapped,now reluctantly feeling more awake "that's my problem because....?she's your Mam,not mine,why has it become my responsibility to make sure you call her?"

"Well,just to be a good friend maybe?" Dec grimaced,perfectly aware that he may now be pushing Ant a little bit too far.

"Clutching at straws there aren't you?" Ant laughed "so in your mind being a good friend is helping you lie to your parents"

Dec shrugged and flopped back down onto the bed.

"Look" Ant continued,knowing better than to take Decs dig about his friendship seriously "you're just going to have to come clean aren't you?Eammon has probably told her what's going on anyway"

"I'm such an idiot" Dec sighed "I'll have to go downstairs to phone her.Why can't this stupid flea pit have a phone in the room like other places?"

"Umm Dec" Ant smiled "look at the time,she'll still be asleep surely?like I should be"

"Well" Dec stated "they'll be up at six,my parents have always been early risers"

"Ok" Ant replied "you go down at six and I'll go back to sleep for a little while"

Try as Ant might,there was no way Dec was going to let him do that,what with his incessant rambling and moaning about the situation and his fear about how his parents were likely to react to what he'd done.

Ant eventually resigned himself to the fact he was now fully awake for the day and at exactly six o'clock,Dec started to make his way out of the door.

"Umm Dec" Ant grinned.

"What now Ant?" he snapped back "I need to get this over and done with"

"Oh nothing" Ant grinned,while eyeing Dec up and down "just thought you might want to put some clothes on first"

Dec gazed down at his semi naked body.He was about to run down to reception in nothing but the lime green boxer shorts that he'd been sleeping in.

"Oh yeah" he mumbled slightly embarrassed,quickly grabbing the jeans and T shirt he'd thrown over the chair as he got ready for bed the previous evening.

"Off you go then" Ant laughed once Dec had made himself presentable "say hi from me"

"Shut up" Dec whispered to himself as he walked out of the door,now wishing he'd been as honest with his family as Ant had been with his,then he wouldn't be in this predicament.

"Mam" Dec mumbled nervously down the line.

"DECLAN JOSEPH OLIVER DONNELLY" Anne shouted down the line "you've got alot of explaining to do young man"

Well,that made it quite clear from the offset that Anne already knew his secret and the fact he'd lied to her,he squirmed uncomfortably at the thought,knowing how his Mam hated dishonesty more than anything.

"Listen Mam" Dec sighed "I don't have much change for the payphone,can you call me back on this number?there's no phone in our room"

"Well,the Strand Palace Hotel had phones in the rooms didn't it" Anne retorted sarcastically.

"Please Mam" Dec pleaded "just call me back"

Dec glanced around the quiet lobby as he waited for Anne to return his call,feeling incredibly relieved that it was deserted,he didn't want anyone,especially not Sue hearing his business,especially if he was likely to be getting a good motherly telling off.

The phones shrill ring soon brought him out of his thoughts with a start.

"Hi Mam" he said sheepishly as he picked up the receiver.

"Good morning Declan" Anne replied matter of factly "so do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"You mean Eammon hasn't told you?" Dec enquired surprised.

"Of course he told me" Anne retorted "funnily enough,he was the first person I went to when I found out you weren't staying where you said you were,but I'd like to hear it from you,from the horses mouth,so to speak and hear exactly why you thought it was acceptable to do what you've done?How could you do this Declan?have you any idea how worried your Father and I have been?"

"I'm sorry Mam" Dec whispered "but surely Eammon told you I was fine?"

"Well,he told us you were fine when he dropped you off" Anne stated "but that was a few days ago and of course that eejit lost the phone number of the place you're staying and couldn't even remember the name of it"

"I'm sorry Mam" Dec repeated "I didn't mean to worry you"

"Well you have" Anne fumed,it was becoming quite obvious to Dec that she wasn't going to let him off very lightly this time.

"I'm sorry Mam"

"So you keep saying Declan" Anne snapped "can you imagine what it's like for your child to disappear in a huge,busy city like London and have no idea where he is?"

"I didn't disappear Mam" Dec sighed "I've been at the same place since we arrived"

"And how were your Father and I to know that?" Anne asked "one day Declan,you may be a parent yourself,then you'll know exactly how selfish your actions have been,how worrying things like this are.I'm so disappointed in you"

Dec started to feel the tears pricking his eyes,it hadn't taken Anne long to get to the dreaded "I'm disappointed in you" speech.He could cope with being called stupid,childish,foolish,selfish,any of those things,but for his Mam to say she was disappointed in him when he'd spent his whole life trying to make her and Fonsey proud was like a dagger to his heart.

"What can I do to make it better Mam?" Dec asked tearfully.

"Well,you could go to confession for a start" Annes staunch Catholicism came to a head "explain why you lied to your own parents and put them through such a stressful time"

"I will" Dec whispered,although he sadly knew that that would probably be a lie too.

Hearing the emotion welling up in her sons voice,Anne couldn't help but begin to soften.

"I was just so worried about you Decky" she said in a much softer tone "Eammon told us about the place you're staying at,it sounds just awful.I just wish you'd told us the truth,we might have been able to help"

"I know Mam" Dec sighed "it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time,I just didn't want you to worry if you knew what a dump we were staying in and please don't blame Eammon,I swore him to secrecy"

"Well,he's old enough to know better than that" Anne said "he's a grown man"

"So am I Mam" Dec replied quickly "and I can look after myself,I promise I'm fine"

"Are you really though?" Anne asked suspiciously,wondering if Dec was just saying what he knew she wanted to hear.

"Yes,honestly,I'm good and so is Ant" Dec smiled "and the good news is that the record company is hopefully getting us out of here today,putting us up somewhere nicer"

"Ok good" Anne was now starting to feel slightly more relaxed about the situation "as soon as you move to another place,you call and tell me where you are ok?"

"Ok Mam,I will" Dec promised.

The mother and son continued to chat for another fifteen minutes about what he and Ant had been up to in London,Dec informing her of how they'd spent the previous day learning the dance moves with the choreographer and that they would start recording the video today.

Anne told Dec how much she loved him and was proud of him,but couldn't resist slipping another quip in about him not lying to her again which he took on the chin good heartedly.

"How did it go?" Ant enquired sleepily as Dec came back into the room,slamming the door carelessly behind him.

"Well,she wasn't happy" Dec pointed out "but I managed to talk her round"

"Did you apologise?" Ant asked.

"Of course I did" Dec sighed "several times over,she won't be able to stay mad at me for very long,I'm her baby remember?"

"Definitely a baby" Ant mumbled.

"What?" Dec replied "I didn't quite catch that?"

"I said definitely...maybe" Ant smiled.

The boys were soon ready for the day ahead,Steve had been on the phone just before their eight o'clock pick up, informing them that he had found a nicer place for them to stay,which he had checked out himself.Unfortunately they didn't have any rooms available for a couple of days so would have to stay where they were until then.

"Bye Sam" Dec called out as he made his way out of the exit to the outside world.By now Sue knew exactly what his game was and refused to rise to it,not even looking up from the magazine she was browsing through,although her resolve wouldn't actually last too long.

"She's gonna give you a slap one day" Ant laughed.

"She'd better hurry up then" Dec grinned "only got a couple of days left here"

Ant and Dec were about to be thrown head first into filming the video,but before that could go ahead,there was the small matter of the clothes they needed to get change into.

"What the hell is this?" Dec enquired as he held the baggy shirt and tracksuit bottoms up against his small frame.

"That's what you'll be wearing" Diana,one of the crew announced.

"Er,have you seen the size of me?" Dec giggled "I'm not that big,although I'm still working on it.These must at least be an extra large"

"That's the whole point" Diana announced "it's the image they want for you,fits in with the songs,the rapping,your ages and all that,it's perfect for you two"

"Ok" Ant sighed "lets just get changed and get on with it then"

After quickly getting into the new attire,Ant and Dec couldn't help but tease each other mercilessly at the comical sight.

"Now your Mam has reason to be worried" Ant smirked "you'll definitely get lost in there,can barely see you"

"Shut up man" Dec replied grumpily while staring down at himself,fully aware of how ridiculous he looked "you don't look much better"

"DECLAN DECLAN,are you in there?" Ant called as he pulled out the collar of Decs light blue shirt and peered inside "don't worry mate,I'm coming in to save you"

"Shut up you idiot" Dec laughed while slapping Ant gently and affectionately on the back with his open palm.

"I guess we've got a video to make?" Ant smiled "I'm really looking forward to this,it's gonna be great fun.How are you feeling about the dance moves now?"

"Yeah I'm good" Dec replied "at least if I get something wrong,they can just do another take,it's not like we're performing live or anything"

"Not yet" Ant grinned.

"No not yet,but it won't be too long I reckon" Dec smiled.

"Exactly" Ant agreed.

They made their way over to where the crew were waiting to film the first scenes.They had to be filmed coming out of two separate houses and running down the steps.

Ant immediately made an accidental cock up by slipping down the steps which they both found highly amusing and sent them into fits of giggles.

"Great start" Dec laughed.

"I know" Ant agreed "was funny though,at least I didn't go flat on my arse"

"Now that would have been hilarious" Dec giggled.

They spent the rest of the day shooting various scenes around London,but they still had alot more filming to do in the coming days.

"Hi Sam" Dec said breezily as he entered the bed and breakfast lobby that evening.

He was surprised that Sue stood abruptly to her feet and glared down at him.Sue was a tall woman,at least five feet ten inches Dec reckoned,so she towered over him when standing and the fact that she always wore high heels didn't help.

"Look here you little runt" she said threateningly while pointing to her name badge"what does that say?"

"Er..Sam?" Dec jested.

"Declan" Ant snapped,worried that Sue may be about to blow like a volcano.

"It says Sue,you know,short for Susan" the irked receptionist snapped "call me Sue or Susan,I don't mind which,but my name is not Sam,never has been and never will be.Nor is it Sarah,Sheila,Stephanie,Sian or Stella,just in case you were thinking about trying to be clever and come up with some other nonsense.My name is Sue,you get it?so use it"

Dec tried his best to keep a straight face,but was struggling especially when he glanced over towards Ant who was pretending to browse through the leaflets displayed on a shelf to hide his sniggers.

"Ok,I've got it" Dec replied politely,he always found silly situations like this extremely amusing and knew there would be alot more opportunities to wind people up like this.

"Is this cheekiness a sign of things to come while we're staying in London?" Ant whispered as they started to climb the stairs.

"Might be" Dec winked back at his friend.

With that,he turned around towards the irate woman still sitting at the reception desk and with the hugest grin on his face called over to her.

"Goodnight Sally!"