Skins 1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so this is a sequel to my fic **_**Static Waves**_**, but I guess it can also be read by itself. The votes were unanimous for individual chapters and I'd already written this so I thought I'd post it early for you lovely readers!**

**The idea is that it's a series of one-shots of scenes and conversations throughout their life together...snapshots if you will...each will jump forward in time but you should be able to pick up what's happening pretty easily...some of them are milestones in life...some are just small moments...some will be longer than others...so yeah...**

**Oh and the title is from a song by Josh Pyke - an awesome Aussie singer/songwriter - youtube him, he's the shit...**

**Enjoy...**

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"I think we need to talk...about next year," Emily whispered into the darkness of Naomi's bedroom as she rolled over to lie on her stomach. It was late, sometime after 2am and they were dozing after a particularly energetic few hours of passionate and frantic sex. Emily had been in London with her family visiting her aunt for the last unbearably long two days so tonight was the first time she'd seen her girlfriend, who had been just as eager to see her, practically jumping the redhead in the doorway when she arrived, bypassing Gina's greeting and dragging her up to her room.

Naomi instinctively shifted on the bed so that the Emily could rest her head on her chest, and then brought her arm down around the redhead's back, hugging her to her. The silence overwhelmed Emily, the sound of her heart thumping in her body the only thing she could hear. Her body that had been so relaxed just a few minutes ago suddenly tense. She wasn't sure if the blonde was even awake, and part of her hoped that she wasn't. It meant she could put off the conversation a little longer. She frowned as she felt the accelerated beat of the blonde's heart against her cheek. Naomi was awake and as anxious as she was.

Emily had been avoiding talking about their plans for next year. They both had really. The last few months since they had _officially_ gotten together had been ridiculously perfect, and she didn't want to ruin it with talk of universities and long-distance relationships. They were happier than ever and the possibility that it could change next year was frightening. But there were only a couple of months left of college and deadlines for decisions were looming. They had to talk about it.

"I know," Naomi finally replied, lightly drawing circles onto Emily's naked back with her fingers, feeling the goosebumps she raised on the warm skin.

Naomi had always planned to go straight from college to university, get her degree and then go out into the world and make a difference. That was her dream, there was never any other plan even considered. Growing up with a mother like Gina it was inevitable that Naomi would have a deep social conscience, and she'd always known she wanted to do something to help people, but it wasn't until recent years that she had decided she wanted to study politics and history. She wasn't too sure what she'd do after that, maybe join a human rights or aid organisation. Either way it involved at least 3 intense years of studying with little time for distraction.

That was until Emily.

Naomi knew the redhead wanted to take a gap year after college. Adventure through Asia or South America or Australia. She'd known since before they'd gotten together, though Emily talked about it rarely now.

Which meant they had a problem.

Emily brushed some hair away from her face, took a deep breath and then mumbled against Naomi's warm skin, "My mum and Katie keep telling me to make a decision based on what _I_ want for my life."

Naomi knew what that meant. They wanted Emily to exclude her girlfriend when making decisions about her future. It wasn't that they had a problem with Naomi, in fact they actually seemed to enjoy having her around. Jenna's fears and worries seemed to lessen the longer she observed the loved-up couple, and even Katie had changed her opinion of their relationship now that Naomi had continued to prove she loved Emily and wouldn't hurt her again. They were still sarcastic and rude towards each other but there was a playfulness to it now. Naomi was often around their house for Sunday dinner, the only awkwardness now coming from the youngest Fitch, James, who was relentless in trying to impress the blonde. Naomi thought it was funny and indulged his crush sometimes, while Emily usually clipped him in the head or gave him a kick up the ass. Naomi loved seeing her girlfriend get a little possessive, even if it was towards her own brother. So she knew she had been accepted as Emily's girlfriend, and understood that her family wasn't trying to destroy their relationship, it was just that they didn't want Emily basing her future on a high school romance.

But Naomi knew that what they had was much more than that.

Emily felt her girlfriend squeeze her hip comfortingly. She had always wanted to travel after college, ever since she had gone to New York with her family when she was ten. She'd collected so many travel photography books and guides over the years and was desperate to actually see the places she had only read about. She knew there was a whole wide world out there waiting for her to discover. But she also knew that Naomi wanted to go straight to university after college. Her parents were encouraging her to follow her dreams and her dream was to travel...but that meant leaving Naomi...and she couldn't imagine that right now...or ever really.

The redhead propped herself up on her elbows so that she was face to face with the blonde. She could only make out the faint outline of her face in the moonlight, not that it mattered. She knew every curve and line of her girlfriend's body by heart.

"I don't want to hold you back from anything," Naomi whispered softly, reaching a hand up to tuck some loose red hair behind Emily's ear. "So I–"

"You wouldn't be holding me back," Emily cut her off, shaking her head and trying to keep the panic from her voice. "We can go travelling after university. I don't mind waiting."

"Em I–" Naomi tried again but the redhead interrupted again.

"I can go to Goldsmith's," Emily kept rambling, desperate to convince her girlfriend, "or if I don't get in I can go to another university in London so we can stay together, and if that doesn't happen I could get a job or –"

"Em!" Naomi said forcefully, grabbing the redhead's face in her hands firmly. "Will you please shut the fuck up?"

Emily's mouth closed instantly, her eyes widening at her girlfriend's playful tone and grin.

Naomi gazed at her adorably panicked girlfriend and fell in love with her a little more, which she didn't think was possible. She waited for her to open her eyes again and stared into them lovingly.

"You're not coming with me to London next year," she said decisively.

Emily's heart stopped. Tears glazed her eyes.

Naomi watched in the faint light how her poorly chosen words had affected her girlfriend and shook her head. "No, I meant you can't come with me to London because I'm not going to be in London next year." She hastened to add.

Emily's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She watched Naomi lean over and flick on her bedside lamp, then open her bedside drawer and pull something out.

"Here," Naomi said holding a printed sheet of paper up to her girlfriend's face.

Emily's eyes blinked rapidly, still adjusting to the light. When they finally focused she read what was in front of her.

Two around-the-world airfares dated the day after college ends, their first stop in Thailand, the rest to be determined.

Naomi proudly watched Emily's reaction; the softening of her expression and the growing grin on her face. She'd bought the tickets two weeks ago and had planned on waiting another week and surprising Emily on her birthday, but she couldn't let her girlfriend worry any longer. She didn't want to be away from her for a _week_ let alone a _year_, something that she felt so strongly now that Mrs Walker had passed away. It had hit Naomi hard, and Emily as well, as she had taken to coming along with them most of the days the blonde drove Mr Walker to the hospital. It wasn't unexpected and Mr Walker was doing okay, but it really hit home for Naomi how much she needed Emily in her life. How she didn't want to waste a second with her. She'd gone out and bought the tickets the next day. It made much more sense to take a gap year rather than make Emily wait three years. Her dream was still to go to university...but now her dreams included Emily more than anything else. And this way they could both come true.

"I thought we could start off doing that elephant rehabilitation program that Mr Walker was telling us about," Naomi said hopefully. "Then maybe down to Australia, or New Zealand and over to South America?"

Emily's heart was beating wildly, a wide grin lighting up her eyes. She took the paper from Naomi's hand and dropped it to the ground, then leant forward and kissed the girl she loved deeply and slowly. When the kiss ended she kept their faces close, resting her forehead against the blonde's. "Are you sure?"

The redhead knew what a sacrifice this was for Naomi, putting off her dream for Emily's. Her heart swelled with love for her girlfriend. Naomi, who a few months ago had been too scared to say 'I love you', was now buying airfares so they could travel together.

"More than fucking anything," Naomi whispered against her lips, knowing without a doubt that this was what she wanted.

Emily's expression changed again, eyes darkening and biting her lip. She had an idea for how she could thank her girlfriend.

"Do you remember," she purred as she shifted her body to lay on top of Naomi's, their hips fitting together perfectly, holding herself up with one arm on either side of the blonde, "that thing I did to you when we were the only people in that movie theatre that one time?"

Naomi could only nod as her eyes fluttered closed, groaning when her girlfriend moved her thigh in between hers and pressed it down against her centre. She was pretty sure she'd never forget that night. Her heartbeat quickened at the mere mention of it, the lusty look in the redhead's eyes not doing much to slow it down.

Emily leaned forward so her mouth was mere millimetres from the blonde's ear. "I'm going to do that for you" she whispered, "_all night_," she drew out the words.

Naomi felt a shiver run through her, heat settling in her centre. The two days the redhead had been in London were far too long, the weight of Emily's body on hers a feeling she'd missed since her girlfriend had been away. She ran her hands down her Emily's back and settled them on her ass, pulling her into her.

Emily moaned and pulled her head back to look into the blonde's wanting eyes before kissing her hungrily, then slipping under the covers and down Naomi's naked body.

Emily made love to her again and again, losing count of how many times the blonde had come undone around her, how many times her name had been breathed out in pleasure, before they finally fell into an exhausted sleep in each other's arms, murmuring 'I love you' into each other's skin.

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**Please leave a review! I'll try and get the next one up asap! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks again **_**so much**_** for your reviews – they really do motivate me to keep writing, especially when real life threatens to drive me fucking crazy...as it is at the moment...**

**And coolbeans17, I'm leaving that **_**'thing'**_** in the cinema to your imagination...I feel like it's dirtier that way...I know it is in mine...*blushes***

**I personally love this chapter...so I hope you guys do too!**

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"Fucking hell Campbell," Emily breathed out in frustration, her quick little legs refusing to slow down, anger driving her forward. "Hurry the fuck up or we'll miss our train."

Naomi groaned and shot her girlfriend a filthy look, not that the redhead could see it as she marched up ahead of her. With the way her whole body was aching Naomi wasn't in the mood to be yelled at. It felt like every muscle in her body was on fire and her head was about to explode.

"My backpack is fucking heavier than yours," she replied tersely, brushing hair out of her face. "You put all the heavy stuff in _my_ pack."

Emily didn't slow her pace, Naomi watching her waddle from side to side with the weight of her backpack. She usually found it adorable but right now she was far too pissed off.

"I did not," Emily yelled over her shoulder, not quite convincingly.

"Did too."

Emily sighed and silently conceded the point. She _had_ put the heavier shared stuff in her girlfriend's pack...she'd even snuck in some of her things too – one or two thick hoodies and a pair of sneakers. She'd packed too much stuff and didn't want to throw anything away but her pack was too heavy with it all. It wasn't her fault she was tiny. She didn't think it would hurt to put some in her girlfriend's bag.

"Well, you're bigger than me," she tried to justify her actions.

Naomi's arms flew out in frustration. "I'm not the fucking hulk."

She groaned again as she tried to shift the straps of her backpack higher on her shoulders. It was remarkable how much heavier it got the longer she carried it. The weight was digging her bra-strap into her shoulders so she was going to have massive fucking welts. She had to remind herself that it was only days like this she hated backpacking...she loved every minute of it otherwise. Kind of how she felt about her girlfriend.

They were traipsing through the streets of Melbourne on their way to the train station, hoping to be in Sydney by that evening. They'd been in Melbourne for the last eight days, enjoying the considerable amount of cafes, restaurants, bars, art galleries, museums, beaches and gardens the city was renowned for.

They'd flown in from Cambodia, which they'd travelled through after spending two weeks in Thailand, the first of which was spent at the elephant refuge. They'd slept in bungalows and spent their days feeding, cleaning and swimming with the magnificent animals, and met some awesome people. It was hard work but they'd both loved it. Emily had even spotted an old photo of Mr and Mrs Walker still pinned to the volunteer board all these decades later. Naomi had snapped a picture of it for him. She'd also gotten a picture of her petite girlfriend riding on the back of a _huge_ elephant. It made her grin any time she thought about it. She'd taken about a _million_ photos of it actually. The second week was spent travelling down to Phuket where they'd stayed in a hut on the beach, lazing about most of the day and night, recovering from the intense physical work at the elephant refuge. The only thing they had the energy to do was make love...which they did...a lot. Sometimes even on the beach at night, the thrill of being found exciting them further.

Even though they hadn't seen much of it they had some _very_ good memories of Phuket.

From there they'd made their way to Cambodia, where they stayed for a week. Emily had gotten a stomach bug but it was a 24-hour thing and hadn't gotten too sick, and Naomi had been especially thrilled to see Angkor Wat, a place she had dreamed of visiting since she'd read about it when she was in primary school. She'd found a great postcard of it and scribbled down a note to Mr Walker, knowing he loved the place too, ever since he'd been there. It had given her pause to think about how Mr and Mrs Walker had gone globetrotting when they were younger, and now here she was with Emily, making memories that they'd be telling their grandchildren one day. Naomi's heart fluttered at the thought.

After that they'd travelled down under to Australia, a joke they played up mercilessly. They'd arrived in Melbourne at the end of winter but just as the city sweltered through a very unseasonable heat wave, something that apparently wasn't actually too abnormal though given Melbourne's temperamental weather. They spent their days exploring the cosmopolitan city and taking trips into the country, and their nights finding new bars and clubs to have some drunken fun in, stumbling back to their hostel and doing it all again the next day. They also enjoyed being in Melbourne because they could be as gay as they wanted to be in public, after toning it down a lot in Asia...midnight beach sex aside. They felt free to hold hands and kiss each other on the street in Melbourne which was...relaxing. Not that you could tell they were in love from the way they were swearing at each other at the moment.

Naomi stopped for a brief second to pull her jeans up, her backpack determined to scrunch them down and show the whole city her underwear. The sidewalk was crowded with people on their way to work, mostly oblivious to the two British girls swearing their way through the streets. It was barely past 8am but the air was still hot and sticky from the day before, the sun already stinging their uncovered skin. Naomi had loved Melbourne but would be glad to get out of the weather.

They were running on only a couple of hours sleep and slightly hungover, which Naomi couldn't really grumble about because she had been the one to persuade Emily that they should go out drinking the night before. They'd met an American girl in their hostel who was travelling with her boyfriend and had discovered this great club in one of the hip hidden alleyways that Melbourne was so famous for. So they'd danced and drunk until the wee hours of the morning, determined to enjoy their last night in Melbourne, before stumbling back to their hostel, where Naomi thanked God they'd decided to splash out on a private room because they couldn't keep their hands off each other. She was glad to check out of there at the crack of dawn because she was pretty sure they'd been a little too..._vocal_ last night and she didn't fancy looking any of her fellow travellers in the eye, knowing that they probably heard her screaming Emily's name all night.

She grinned at the memory, reminding herself that she didn't _really_ want to kill her girlfriend right now.

"We can make the next train," Naomi said trying to placate the redhead, but struggling to keep her growing irritation out of her voice.

"It's not until the fucking afternoon and then we have to drag all this crap around with us all day."

Naomi huffed dramatically and was about to swear at her girlfriend when she caught sight of Emily's cute round bum, looking very sexy in her little blue cargo shorts. The blonde thought she better not piss Emily off any further if she hoped to have a chance of touching that bottom anytime soon.

Emily stopped walking at the mouth of an alleyway and sighed again in frustration. She wiped the sweat from her face, turning to glare at her girlfriend who had lagged behind even further, an unexplainable goofy grin on the blonde's face.

Before they'd left, their friends had teased them endlessly, saying that she and Naomi would end up killing each other after travelling for so long together. At the time Emily had dismissed them and truly believed they wouldn't fight at all. They had always been so perfect together. Oh how wrong she had been. Most of the time they got along perfectly, and she was more in love with her whining girlfriend than she had ever been...but sometimes...she just wanted to hit her in the head. She couldn't understand how someone so smart could be so stupid. Like when Naomi had almost lost their passports at the airport when she left them in the toilet. Or when she swore black and blue that she knew where they were going and wouldn't give Emily the map, only to realise later that they were on the wrong train and had travelled two hours in the wrong direction.

Or like right now.

"Here," Emily said angrily, stepping out of the foot traffic and into the alleyway. She slid her pack off her aching shoulders, feeling immediate relief and dreading putting it back on again. "We'll swap them if it'll help you hurry the fuck up."

Naomi eyed the redhead sceptically as she caught up to her. There was no way Emily would be able to carry her pack. Emily was deceptively strong, Naomi knew that from some interesting things they'd done in the bedroom, but she herself could barely carry the pack.

"It's pretty fucking heavy Em."

"I don't care," Emily replied, snatching the shoulder straps out of Naomi's hand. "Not if it will get you to move your ass."

Naomi knew she should have tried harder to stop her but she felt like the redhead needed to learn a lesson. She watched her girlfriend heft the backpack on to her shoulders confidently, then, almost as if in slow motion, watched Emily's eyes widen and mouth open as she lost her balance, flailing her arms as she fell backwards. She landed with an 'oomph' on the pavement, the backpack cushioning her fall. Naomi was silent for a beat and then erupted with laughter, the sight of the redhead squirming on the ground like a pissed off turtle almost too funny to bear.

"It's not fucking funny," Emily said angrily, flapping her arms and legs about helplessly.

The blonde couldn't stop giggling and wished they hadn't packed the camera in her backpack, which was currently under Emily. "It's pretty fucking funny."

She watched the redhead struggle for a while longer before finally stilling her body and sighing in defeat. "I guess we're missing the train."

"But at least I got to see this," Naomi said with a smirk, then dodged the foot that Emily kicked at her.

Emily saw how amused her girlfriend was and couldn't help smiling herself. "You realise you're going to have to pull me up?"

Naomi bit her lip and stared down at her girlfriend lovingly, then turned her head quickly to glance into the street over her shoulder. Nobody seemed to be taking any notice of them, and she deserved a quick make-out after all of Emily's yelling. And she couldn't resist taking advantage of Emily being so helpless. She stepped one foot on either side of the now slightly surprised redhead and then lowered herself to straddle Emily, not fussed that her jeans made contact with the dirty ground. Not fussed with anything except her adorably infuriating girlfriend.

Emily raised a playful eyebrow at her, knowing Naomi always with one thing on her mind.

"We're definitely missing that train."

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**Ahhh, writing this chapter made me nostalgic for travelling...I'll have to get on to that again... **

**Lol, I couldn't help sneaking Melbourne into their travels – one of the best cities in the world! And the clubs and lounges and bars down the myriad of alleyways are **_**awesome**_**...it's like a treasure hunt finding a new one! So if you're ever in Oz check out Melbourne – you'll love it!**

**Please leave a review! They make me feel all squishy :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello lovelies! Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! I'm really excited to know that people are enjoying this – it really does make writing it all the more fun...I had started off with about 10 chapters in mind but I just keep on coming up with more!**

**Also, I don't know which fic writer first came up with the idea of Emily being a teacher but I **_**LOVE**_** that...so I borrowed it! :P**

**What's that I hear you say...you want some angst? **

**Okay...**

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Emily looked hard at her girlfriend in slight disbelief, the full weight of what she had just been told finally settling in. Her stomach tensed instantly. Her heart beat in her ears.

"So you...kissed her _back_?"

There was a hardened edge to her voice but she was still calm, still trying to understand what had happened.

"Yes but it –"

"You fucking kissed her back."

It wasn't a question anymore, the calm in her voice gone. Emily stood quickly from her seat at the kitchen table, the table they had bought together when they moved in to this flat two years ago. She slammed her fist onto it, surprising herself and the blonde.

"It was for _one_ _second_," Naomi added hastily, her eyes wide with panic. She stood up and made a move closer to Emily, who stepped back away from her. "I was drunk and we'd had that fight," she tried desperately to explain. "I was confused for a _second_, that's _all_."

Naomi ran her hands through her hair. She was desperate for Emily to see that she was telling the truth. She had been a fucking idiot, she knew that as soon as she let Sophia even get close enough to kiss her. But then to let her kiss her...she knew she was a fucking idiot. After storming out of their flat and away from their stupid fight she'd gone to a local uni bar to cool off. Four beers later that fucking Sophia girl had shown up and despite barely knowing her Naomi started blathering about Emily and their fight. She was drunk and she'd just needed to bitch about it and get it out of her system. But before she knew what was happening Sophia was kissing her and for a moment Naomi had lost her fucking brain and kissed her back. But a second later she had remembered herself and pushed Sophia away, told her that it shouldn't have happened and would _never_ happen and she was in love with Emily. After throwing up in the gutter, classy lady that she was, she'd caught a taxi home. Emily had been sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her when she'd walked back in and jumped up and apologised, leaning in to kiss her. Naomi pulled away because she didn't feel like she had a right to kiss Emily without her knowing the truth...and also because her mouth tasted like vomit. Emily knew immediately that something was wrong and the blonde sat her girlfriend down at the table to apologise for the fight and the kiss. She'd thought about not saying anything, but they had always been honest with each other, and Naomi didn't want to lie to the girl she loved. She felt sick about it. She needed her to know how sorry she was. How desperate she was to make it better.

Emily stared at her hard. Her head was spinning. _Naomi kissed another girl_. Her stomach twisted in knots. She paced back and forward slowly with her head down. She couldn't even wrap her head around what Naomi was saying as her mind began to run away from rational thought. _Was it really only for one second? Was it really just a kiss? Was this the first time?_ She rubbed the heels of her palms into her eyes and pushed at them, wanting her brain to shut the fuck up.

Naomi watched her girlfriend struggle, desperate to reach a hand out to her but knew better than to try and approach her again. She looked to her with pleading eyes. She needed to fix this but she'd never seen this look on her girlfriend's face. She didn't know what she should say to make it better.

"I told you she wanted you," Emily said slightly accusingly, as if Naomi should have known this would happen.

Emily thought about the girl in question. That weird fucking girl Sophia. _Ugly_, Emily thought bitchily. She had been practically stalking Naomi for the last two years, almost since the first week of university. Emily never liked her, always thought there was something...off about her, and she didn't like the way Sophia looked at Naomi. Of course Emily had seen other guys and girls checking out her girlfriend over the years and even hitting on her, but there was something about the determined way Sophia looked at Naomi that unsettled the redhead. Naomi on the other hand wasn't bothered by it and pretty much ignored the strange girl, but she was always around, enrolling in the same subjects as the blonde and turning up to parties they went to. Emily knew Sophia liked Naomi but whenever she brought it up Naomi dismissed it, saying it didn't matter even if she did.

But now clearly, Sophia had gotten what she wanted.

Emily looked at her distraught girlfriend and took a deep breath. She stared into those blue eyes. She wanted to believe Naomi, but nothing like this had ever happened to them before. She had no idea what it meant or how to react.

She picked up her phone from the table and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. "I'm going to go," she said softly, avoiding her girlfriend's eye.

Naomi's heart thumped with panic. "No Em, please...let's just talk, we can sort this out."

She took another step toward her but Emily held out a hand to stop her and shook her head. She couldn't let Naomi touch her right now.

"I'll be back but I...I need some time to think...about this."

Naomi bit her lip, wondering if by _'this'_ Emily meant the kiss or their whole relationship. She didn't think Emily would throw away what they had over one stupid drunken mistake...but she couldn't read the redhead's expression. She didn't want her to go, she wanted to fix it as soon as possible and have things go back to normal. Wanted them to be Emily and Naomi again. But she knew she had to respect what Emily wanted, especially since she had been the one to fuck up.

"I can go," she offered. It didn't seem fair that Emily had to leave their home when it was Naomi's fault.

"No," Emily said heavily, "I need a walk."

Naomi stood in the kitchen like a statue, silently watching the redhead gather her coat from the back of the chair and slide into it, then pocket her house keys. Emily made her way out of the kitchen and to the front door, the blonde stopping at the threshold of the kitchen and watching her down the hall. Emily paused halfway through the door and turned to face her.

"I'll be back," she said simply.

They locked eyes for a long moment, Emily finally breaking away and closing the door behind her.

Naomi stood on the spot not moving at all for the next few minutes, her mind whirring with a million thoughts and fears. She'd hurt Emily. Something she promised herself two and a half years ago that she would never do again. She felt everything within her fall. A tear slid down her cheek. Willing her legs to move she let them carry her into the lounge. She fell back onto the couch, _their couch_, and proceeded to wait. It wasn't until ten minutes later that she realised that Emily had never said _when _she'd be back. She'd just have to wait.

_I'd wait forever_, she said to herself.

-x-

Emily walked and walked and walked around their neighbourhood. It was dark and chilly, and intellectually she knew her body was cold but she couldn't feel it. All she could feel was the tightening in her chest. The knot in her stomach. She needed to be away from her girlfriend, her brain couldn't function when she was looking into those deep blue eyes. She knew that Naomi was telling the truth, that it had been a split second drunken mistake, but she just needed some time to order the chaotic thoughts in her brain. To erase the images her mind was creating of Naomi kissing someone else.

Naomi kissed someone else.

They'd never been through anything like this before. Sure, Emily had looked at other girls and even been attracted to a few, it was human nature, and she accepted that Naomi probably had as well. But the thought never even entered the redhead's mind for her to cross the line with any of those girls. She didn't want to have anyone but Naomi. And she knew deep in her bones that her girlfriend felt the same way about her.

She remembered how jealous Naomi had been of her friendship with Anna, which had gotten back on track in their last few months of college. The blonde had always tried to play it cool but Emily could see through it, could always see through whatever front Naomi was trying to put up. Her mood would darken as soon as Anna was around or even at the mere mention of her. Half of the time Emily found her girlfriend's jealousy adorable, and the other half infuriating, but she was always comforted knowing that it came from a place of deep love. Emily herself wasn't exactly free of the green-eyed monster. Sometimes they'd be out at a club or even in a bookstore, and she'd catch someone hitting on her girlfriend; a guy leaning into her or a girl playing with her hair and it would drive her crazy. She'd want to march up to them and tell them to fuck off...but she never had to. Naomi would be friendly until their intentions became clear and then instantly rebuff them. Emily had seen it a thousand times. She knew Naomi didn't want anyone else. She knew Naomi loved her.

Walking the deserted streets Emily thought about their last two years in London. She had been surprised and thrilled to find that her A-Level marks were good enough to get her a spot in the education programme at Goldsmith's. Naomi had of course gotten into her history and politics course. Emily never doubted that her girlfriend was a genius...except when it came to common sense things like not using a knife to dig a slice of bread out of the toaster _while it was on_. Emily had had to stop Naomi from doing that at least four times already. The gap year had served them well – travelling together had strengthened their relationship and Emily felt that they had both matured a lot. It had also been a shitload of carefree fun...which university wasn't always. Moving to London and separating from their friends and especially Katie had been hard, but she was also excited to start the new chapter of her life with Naomi. And Emily loved London. She loved the city, the university, their new friends. They'd decided to rent a flat rather than live in the dorms and had found a great place not far from the campus. It had been an adjustment living together, even after travelling, but after a few arguments things were better than ever.

Except for right now that was.

She dug her numb hands into her coat pocket and let her thoughts drift back to how she left Naomi standing in the hall watching as she walked out the door. The pleading look in her eyes. Emily stopped and turned around, making her way back to their flat. She knew one thing in this would with absolute certainty:

Naomi loved her.

-x-

The faint noise of the front door gently closing woke Naomi from the doze she had fallen into as she'd waited for Emily on the couch. She rubbed at her eyes and sat up quickly, just as the redhead walked into the room. Naomi stared at her expectantly and Emily gave a half-smile in reply. The blonde had no idea how long her girlfriend had been out, but she hoped that she had come to some kind of resolution. Naomi opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, unsure of what to say. Emily came to a stop a couple of feet in front of her and kept their eyes locked.

"You came back," Naomi finally whispered.

Emily's eyes widened at her girlfriend's suggestion that maybe she wouldn't. "Of course I did."

Silence fell again, neither girl sure of where to start.

"Was it...was it one of those things where you want to break up but you're too gutless to do it?"

Emily knew it wasn't but something in her needed Naomi to tell her that.

Naomi scrunched her face. That was the last thing she would ever want. "Fuck Ems, no!"

She stood and walked over to the redhead, raising both hands to cup her cheeks. Emily's eyes fluttered closed at the contact. Naomi's touch had always felt right.

"I fucking _love_ you," the blonde said firmly. "I'm just a twat."

She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Emily's lips. Emily felt a shiver run through her body.

"Yeah you are," she said throatily.

Naomi exhaled deeply with relief and dropped her hands, sliding them around Emily's back. Holding on to her tightly. She knew they would be okay.

"I don't want you to see her anymore," Emily mumbled into her neck, gripping the blonde just as hard.

"I won't."

"And if you ever do anything like this again I'll tell Katie and she'll kill you."

"I promise you Ems." She kissed the redhead's temple softly.

"And you'll have to make it up to me."

"I will."

"And I'm going to be mad at you for a bit."

"Okay."

Emily lifted her head and wove a hand through blonde hair, pulling Naomi closer. Needing to feel her body on hers.

"After I kiss you though."

* * *

**Nawww...quickly resolved angst...gotta love it! And I just couldn't help naming the girl Sophia...lol...question is...will Giant-Not-Naomi Mandy make an appearance...?**

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review - they really do make my day!**

**peace out :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Dudes, waking up to your reviews is like The. Best. Thing. Ever.! I just squee! MASSIVE FITCH HUGS! Seriously guys, thank you so much. It's so nice to hear!**

**I was hoping to have this up sooner to thank you all but **_**someone**_** *points bread at boyfriend* needs attention like a freakin' puppy! I waved some meat (er...beer) in his face to distract him and then snuck off to write this!**

**I hope you all enjoy it...your reviews are giving me a lot to live up to!**

**Anyways I'm glad everyone liked the angst and the Sophia appearance...now let's see what some of the others have been up to shall we...**

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"Are you sure you want to do this Em?"

Naomi looked over at her girlfriend, silently urging her to change her mind.

Emily rolled her eyes and reached a hand out to play with the hair at the nape of her girlfriend's neck. "It will be fine Naoms."

"There's still time to back out," the blonde tried again. "I don't think we thought this through properly."

Emily leant across from the passenger seat and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "We thought it through plenty."

Naomi stared out the car window at the charming yellow house. _Yeah, it looks lovely from the outside_, she thought bitterly.

The redhead placed her finger under her girlfriend's chin and gently tilted Naomi's head around to face her.

"It will be great," Emily reassured her with a wide smile. "It'll only be for a year or so until we can save some more money."

Naomi groaned. She knew Emily was right. It made sense. It was just that the prospect of moving back in with her mother after living away from home for four years was not exactly appealing. She was used to living with her girlfriend and it being just the two of them. When they had told Gina that they were moving back to the city she had suggested that they move in with her to save some money for their own house, and she did have plenty of room. Naomi and Emily had debated it for hours. Emily loved Gina and thought it was a great idea. Naomi was a little more cautious. She loved her mum, no question about it, but Gina Campbell was not the easiest woman to live with. _Like mother, like daughter_, Emily had teased her_._ It also meant it wouldn't be just the two of them anymore. No more having sex on the couch in the middle of a TV show if the mood took them. No more morning sex on the kitchen bench when the sight of Emily in her oversize t-shirt and bare legs was too much for Naomi to bear...basically most of her apprehension about moving in with her mum revolved around what it would do to her sex-life. After assurances from Emily that there was _plenty_ of sex in their future, they'd packed up their flat, loaded everything into the car and then driven back to Bristol.

Naomi took a deep breath and resigned herself to her fate. "Well, let's go then before mum comes banging on the car window, she's probably watching us from the house right now."

Emily smiled, and then called out softly to her girlfriend.

"Hey."

Naomi looked up from fiddling with her seatbelt. Emily leant forward again and placed a hand gently on her girlfriend's cheek.

"Thank you for this...moving back here."

Emily was still feeling a little guilty about the move. After graduating she had been offered a job teaching at a very well respected school back in Bristol, a job she really wanted to take. Up until then they hadn't decided whether they were going to stay in London or not, and Naomi was interested in a few jobs there. But Emily's teaching offer was a dream job, and they had talked about it and agreed that she should take it and they would move back to Bristol. Emily still felt a little guilty, like they were moving back for her. Naomi had told her that it wasn't like that, and that she was sure she would find a great job there and eventually had, with a non-profit organisation. They missed their family and friends, and Naomi missed her mum, she just wasn't sure she could deal with her full time again. But moving back had been a decision they had made together.

The blonde smiled and leant in to Emily's touch. "It's what we _both_ want."

She leaned in and kissed the redhead thoroughly, deeply, losing herself in her girlfriend one last time before they went inside and it was no longer just the two of them all the time.

They pulled away finally, breathless, and then made their way to the front door, each carrying a few things with them to save them another trip later. Halfway down the path the front door flew open and Gina stood on the doorstep grinning. Naomi was surprised by how happy she was to see her mum, and how little she wanted to roll her eyes at her...though she was sure that would change soon.

"Girls!" Gina greeted them with her arms open. She pulled them both into a hug at the same time, squashing boxes and bags between the three of them. "I was wondering when you two were going to get out of that fucking car. You were about to fog up the windows with the way you two were going at it."

Naomi and Emily exchanged a knowing look and Emily blushed. After all these years she still wasn't used to the frank way Gina talked about all things sex.

"Well come on, get in," she ushered them, waving her hand dramatically.

Emily stepped inside the house and was instantly flooded with memories. It was always this way when she visited Naomi's, they had so many memories there. The first time they slept in a bed together was in this house. Then there was the night in college that they had officially become a couple, when the blonde had dragged her into the kitchen and announced to Gina that she was her girlfriend, and then taken her up to her room where they'd talked all night and then fallen asleep in each other's arms. She thought about the day Naomi had convinced her to watch an obscure political documentary and Emily had drifted off, only to wake up and see that her girlfriend had randomly stuck a fake Mexican moustache onto her face. She glanced at the many photographs that lined the hall and was happy to see that she was in many of them, now completely a part of Naomi's family. They'd gone back home quite a few times after they'd moved to London but not as often as Emily would have liked, their busy lives getting away from them. She missed Gina.

"Now leave your stuff here," Gina said as they stood in the hall, "and let's go into the kitchen and have a cuppa, you can catch me up on everything."

Naomi winced. She had been driving for two hours and all she really wanted to do was crawl in to her bed and curl her body around Emily's. "I spoke to you three days ago Mum."

"_Exactly_," Gina replied, like it made perfect sense, "a lot could have happened in those three days."

Sensing her girlfriend's reluctance Emily grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently and tugging her along as they followed Gina into the kitchen. The house was pretty much exactly the way Naomi had left it when they went travelling, still decorated in her mum's haphazard fashion. She smiled. It was good to be home.

Emily's face lit up as soon as she walked into the kitchen. There, sitting around the table like it was something they did all the time was her twin, Mr Walker, Effy and Cook.

"These buggers wanted to welcome you back," Gina said with a smirk.

Katie jumped up and Emily moved towards her, embracing each other in a tight hug.

"Hey loser," Katie said affectionately.

She hadn't seen her twin since Katie had visited them in London a couple of months ago. They hadn't really seen anyone from back home in the few months since graduating. Everything had been so busy and chaotic, making plans and packing for the move. She missed her sister. Strangely enough the two of them had grown closer since they had been apart. Katie had stayed in Bristol, taking a place at Bristol University studying public relations. She'd moved out into the spare room in the house Anna shared with her cousin after graduating college and had really gotten it together, doing well in her course, making new friends and finding a great guy, then graduating and joining a pretty successful PR company. Her hair wasn't red anymore, a deep chocolate brown instead, and the slutty animal print clothes were gone, in favour of stylish pencil skirts and blouses. It seemed that the space had given both twins room to grow separate from each other, and not just be _the twins_ anymore. They had a stronger relationship because of it.

Naomi meanwhile made a beeline for Mr Walker, who she missed more that she had realised, tears welling in her eyes at the sight of him. His hair was a little thinner and he looked a little frailer. At the end of her last year of college he'd told her it was about time she called him Frank, but to her he would always be Mr Walker. They spoke on the phone often and emailed, Mr Walker was even on facebook, but his health had taken a turn and he was too unsteady to visit them in London, so they only saw each other when she and Emily came back to Bristol. She really did miss him.

He stayed seated and she leaned down to hug him tightly.

"Miss me did you," he said playfully, patting her on the back.

"Not really," Naomi replied sarcastically, pulling back and wiping at her eyes. God she felt like a soppy git.

"How you doing kid?" he asked as she took the seat next to him.

"Happy," she replied sincerely, glancing over her shoulder at her girlfriend who was chatting animatedly with her twin. "Really happy."

That was exactly how she felt, something she wasn't sure she'd ever feel when she was younger.

Mr Walker caught her sappy look and smiled. "You deserve to be, love."

She returned his smile and then looked across to Effy who was smirking at her in that knowing way that she always did. The way that told Naomi that her brunette friend already knew what she was thinking so she didn't even need to say it. The blonde stared at her friend. She didn't look well, even skinner than the last time Naomi had seen her a few weeks ago when she had come up to London and stayed with them. She looked worn out. Naomi had tried to help her friend but Effy was one of those people who had to find their own way...Naomi just hoped it was soon. Effy had pretty much been wandering aimlessly since college. She gave university a shot for a year but partied too hard and dropped out, then held a series of retail jobs. She'd continued her bad luck with boys, Freddie finally giving up on her and finding a rather nice girl, and the rest of them using her for a bit of fun. The last Naomi heard Effy and Cook were still shagging every so often. She glanced over to Cook, who was hugging her girlfriend tightly.

"Emilio," he said into the redhead's ear as he hugged her, "when you going to realise you love me and leave blondie over there?"

Emily clipped the back of his head playfully and pulled away. "Not even if you had a fanny Cook."

He laughed his silent chuckle and Emily grinned. She loved their banter.

Their unexpected friendship had developed a lot in their last year of college, and she always enjoyed her chats with Cook. He was a very clever and insightful boy when he wanted to be. Strangely enough he was the first person she would call if she and Naomi had a fight. He and Naomi were very similar in some ways, and when Emily wanted to bash her girlfriend's head in to a brick wall because Naomi was being stubborn about something stupid she'd call Cook and he'd talk some sense and calm her down. He had spent the last four years pulling pints and Keith's pub and working construction jobs every now and then. His friendship with Freddie was still strong but had changed since the doomed Effy love triangle. Emily knew Cook was still in love with Effy. She knew Effy still didn't love him the way he loved her. After all these years they were still destroying each other. It always made Emily thankful of what she and Naomi had.

After a round of hugs and greetings they each took a seat around the table, Gina fussing about making organic tea for everyone and plating up some gluten-free carrot cake.

"Well I bet you two are excited to have me as a flatmate," Cook said through a mouthful of cake during a lull in the conversation.

"Huh?" Naomi and Emily replied at the same time, looking from a grinning Cook to a sheepish Gina. Effy's smirk was firmly in place and Katie looked as shocked as the two girls, while Mr Walker chuckled.

"Didn't I mention that?" Gina said innocently, knowing full well that she hadn't. "Cook will be staying with us for a few weeks until he finds a new place."

"And what happened to his old place?" Naomi asked, irritation creeping in to her voice. She felt Emily squeeze her thigh. That was what her girlfriend always did when the blonde was getting unnecessarily worked up. Like a warning sign. Sometimes Naomi chose to ignore it and sometimes that led to an argument. She took a deep calming breath.

"I got thrown out," Cook replied, seemingly not at all bothered by the news, "they claim I started a fire."

"Did you?" Katie asked from across the table.

Cook looked thoughtful. "Hard to say really..." he shrugged, "I was passed out at the time."

There was a general shaking of heads in disbelief around the table.

Naomi paused for a minute to take it in. Living with her mother would be bad enough...but Cook? She loved the boy, but he was a small-doses kind of friend. She didn't think she could handle sharing a house with him.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Emily chipped in, squeezing her girlfriend's thigh again and looking to her encouragingly. Emily wasn't as certain as her words, but it would only be for a few weeks hopefully. And even if it was for longer she knew that Cook needed family, and the people sitting around that table were pretty much all he had.

"Yeah it'll be great," Cook added enthusiastically, shoving another chunk of cake into his mouth. "Like out college days again."

Naomi was still confused as to how Cook ended up staying at her house. "So how did this come about then?"

It was Cook who answered first, leaning closer to Gina. "Me and your mum are old mates Naomikins."

Naomi looked to her mum for an explanation. She didn't think her mum liked Cook all that much.

"I just can't seem to shake him," Gina said playfully, "he's like a fucking puppy."

Cook grinned and the table laughed. It occurred to Emily that Cook was exactly like a puppy. Over confident, blindly optimistic, disregarding of consequences and relentlessly enthusiastic.

Naomi tried not to scowl as Gina shrugged her shoulders at her and smiled, as if to say _what are you gonna do?_

-x-

"Finally some peace and quiet."

Naomi leaned her head back against her closed bedroom door and shut her eyes. She was exhausted and looking forward to doing what she'd wanted to do all evening, which was curl up in bed with Emily.

She opened her eyes and watched her girlfriend moving about her room, _their_ room now, a room that hadn't changed much in at least seven years. She assumed that Emily would want to add some of her own touches to the room. Naomi never was one for decorating.

"It was thoughtful that they came to welcome us back," Emily said warmly, hanging some clothes in the cupboard. The rest could be done tomorrow, they were both too tired.

"Yeah," Naomi agreed, "but it would have been even more thoughtful if they hadn't stayed _all_ night."

The afternoon tea had turned into dinner, which had turned into three bottles of wine and many an embarrassing story being drunkenly told, which turned into Katie sleeping on the couch and Effy in with Cook in the spare room doing things Naomi didn't want to think about. They were all going to wake up with hangovers and shame tomorrow morning. Mr Walker had left with his dignity before dinner, Emily still sober enough to drive him home, and Gina had excused herself after 10pm, more than happy to let her younger visitors make fools of themselves.

Naomi stared hazily and watched her beautiful girlfriend strip off her clothes, bra and knickers included, and then slip under the bed covers.

_Naked_.

The word flashed in Naomi's mind like a neon sign.

"We're going to have to get a lock for this door," she said as the thought immediately occurred to her. She didn't want Cook to ever be able to see _that_...and she knew he'd try. That was for her only.

"Come to bed," Emily said huskily.

It was one of the sexiest things Naomi had ever heard, sobering her instantly. She flicked off the lights and quickly stripped her own clothes off, not nearly as gracefully as Emily had, knocking over a lamp and hitting her knee on the bedpost. When she eventually made it into the bed she reached out to the redhead, pulling her half on top of her and kissing her deeply.

Emily could feel her girlfriend's rapid heartbeat, knew that Naomi was slightly drunk, which meant she was horny. The blonde was predictable like that. Emily was pretty horny herself.

She shifted her whole body to cover her girlfriends, one strong thigh moving between Naomi's. The blonde moaned and leaned her head back into the pillows, opening up her neck to Emily's lips. The redhead placed wet kisses there, her hot tongue tasting the flushed skin. Emily could feel the fire growing in her belly, that familiar ache in her centre. Naomi settled her hands on the redhead's hips and pulled her further into her, a groan escaping the redhead. Emily kissed her way back up to Naomi's mouth where their hungry lips met again. After a moment she pulled away and looked into those stunning blue eyes, needing a minute to catch her breath.

"I love you and want you and all that Naoms," the redhead said matter-of-factly, "but I am _so_ fucking exhausted. Do you think we could sleep first and fuck later?"

Naomi let out an amused breath. She had been thinking the exact same thing. She didn't have the energy to do the things she wanted to do to her girlfriend.

"Yeah, good idea."

Emily smiled and kissed her quickly again, before rolling back on to the bed and snuggling into her girlfriend's side.

"I'm glad we did this," Naomi said into the darkness a minute later, her eyes closed. Despite everything, she was glad to be home. And with Emily cuddled up next to her it was perfect.

Emily mumbled her agreement, already on her way out to sleep.

Naomi smiled and brushed her hand through the silky red hair of her sleepy girlfriend.

As long as she was with Emily everything would be perfect.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it! I have a general idea for what I want to happen in the chapters but if you guys have anything you want to see let me know and I'll see if I can try and work it in to my plans...**

**Don't forget to leave a review! :)**

**Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Seriously guys...your reviews are just...gah...I feel like my writing is dowdy Andie from **_**'Pretty In Pink'**_** and you guys are hunky Blane paying it attention and driving it around in sports cars...and if you don't know what I'm talking about go rent the John Hughes Brat Pack _classic _...sure, it was made before I was born but it's still awesome :P**

**Thank you to _texasgirl129_ for the awesome idea for this chapter...I hope I did it justice!**

**Just a bit of fun...I hope you enjoy...**

* * *

"Where's the fruit toast?" Emily asked as she glanced around the kitchen, eyes eventually falling on the only other person in the room.

Naomi was sitting at the table looking relaxed and reading the paper, coffee in hand and a slice of fruit toast halfway to her mouth.

"Ooops," she said feigning innocence, "I guess I finished it." She gave the redhead a pointed look and smirked.

Emily scrunched her nose and huffed, not bothering to keep her annoyance out of her voice. "There were like _four_ slices."

"I was hungry."

"You don't even _like _fruit toast," Emily said accusingly. She stood on the opposite side of the table, squared her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest.

"This morning I do," Naomi shrugged, looking back down to her newspaper.

Anger flared up inside the redhead. Her girlfriend was being ridiculous. She had thought that after last night they would have woken up and gotten over it, but clearly the blonde had other ideas and was determined to piss her off.

Naomi had just declared war.

"So it's going to be like that is it?" Emily asked her girlfriend.

Naomi lifted her head and looked back up at her, simply raising one eyebrow challengingly.

Emily rolled her eyes and stomped around the kitchen trying to find something else for breakfast, opening and closing cabinets loudly and clanking bowls and cutlery. She knew what it would take to end this silly standoff and she wasn't prepared to give in, couldn't believe how it had all blown up into this, although it wasn't completely unprecedented given how stubborn they both were.

Naomi peered over her paper inconspicuously and watched her stroppy girlfriend move about the kitchen, looking rather adorable actually in her little shorts and singlet. Emily reached up into a cupboard and her singlet rode up, exposing the soft skin of her bare midriff and back. Naomi swallowed hard as her eyes fixed on the sight, then trailed downward to her girlfriend's smooth legs. Almost blinded by lust she briefly entertained the idea of ending their feud, just so she could kiss and touch the pouting redhead, but she pushed the thoughts away. She wasn't going to concede any ground.

Emily placed her bowl of cereal on the table and sat down across from the blonde, shooting her a dirty look for good measure. It was ridiculous, Emily knew she was being ridiculous, but Naomi was as well, and something in the redhead refused to back down. She chanced another glance over at her girlfriend and caught Naomi looking at her for a split second before they both looked away. But Emily's eyes didn't leave for long, finding their way back to her girlfriend quickly. She fought hard not to smile at the sight. She'd always loved the way Naomi looked in the morning, finding her mess of blonde hair and slight scowl incredibly sexy. But she shook away the thought. Naomi was not going win this one just because Emily wanted to fuck her.

She was thankful when Gina walked into the room a moment later and provided a distraction.

"Morning girls."

They both grumbled a response, sending each other irritated looks across the table. Gina paused from making her tea and turned to observe them.

"So," she said loudly, determined to ignore the obvious tension, "how are you two spending this lovely Sunday? Still fighting I see."

Emily and Naomi locked eyes, daring the other to look away.

"Well I did get tickets through work for that new exhibition at the museum," Emily replied, still staring at Naomi with a smug grin, "but I guess we're not going now."

Naomi couldn't keep the disappointment from her face. _Shit_. She had really been looking forward to that exhibition and Emily knew it. Now she wouldn't be going and on top of that she'd given the redhead the satisfaction of seeing it on her face. She grimaced at her smug girlfriend. This fight was really getting dirty.

"So I think I might have lunch with Katie," Emily added nonchalantly, standing up from her seat and placing her bowl into the dishwasher, throwing another glance Naomi's way. "I'm going up to have a shower."

Naomi watched her girlfriend swan out of the room and scoffed. _God, she is infuriating_. The blonde rubbed at her temples and clenched her eyes shut. She'd already had enough of this day and it was barely 9am, and she hadn't slept well last night after their argument, both girls staying clear of each other in bed on their separate sides. Naomi didn't like it. She always slept better when she could feel Emily close to her.

She heard her mum moving about the room and then settling in a chair at the table, could feel her staring at her.

"What," Naomi spat out angrier than she had intended to.

Gina raised an eyebrow. "I take it this silly fight still fucking dragging on?"

Naomi looked down and nodded, not exactly proud of her current predicament.

Gina reached over and placed a comforting hand on her daughter's arm. "My darling daughter," she began sweetly, before changing her tone, "you're a stubborn little shit. Now pull your fucking head in and go upstairs and apologise."

Naomi's head whipped up and she opened her mouth to defend herself, but Gina was having none of it, waving her off with her hand.

"I don't care if it wasn't your fault, it doesn't even _matter_ whose fault it is. You're both as stupid as each other in my opinion. You'd think you were still in college with the way you were carrying on. Now go up there and make up with your girlfriend before you wake up one morning and realise that you haven't had sex in two weeks."

Naomi's eyes widened at the thought. She'd never imagined it escalating that far. She hadn't had sex in 24 hours and she was already feeling antsy.

Gina gave her one last knowing look before exiting the room, leaving Naomi to ponder her next move.

She absentmindedly swirled a spoon around her now lukewarm coffee and thought about how this mess had all started yesterday evening, when Emily had come home from having dinner with Anna and her girlfriend. Naomi was supposed to have gone but she stayed home to catch up on some work so that she could have her Sunday free. When they had first come back home she had bristled at Anna's renewed presence in their lives, but now, a year later, she was comfortable with it. She knew there was nothing between Anna and Emily, but there was still that instinctual gut-reflex jealousy that she felt toward Anna, however fleeting. She ignored it most of the time because it really was baseless, but yesterday she had been tired and annoyed so when Emily came in rambling about how dinner was with Anna, Naomi had struggled to keep herself from snapping. She had it under control until Emily started complaining about Naomi's mess in their room and bathroom. Emily was a neat freak to almost OCD levels, an unfortunate by-product of having Katie, maybe the world's messiest person, as a twin sister. Naomi preferred to live in organised chaos, her mother's influence. She knew where everything was...it was just _everywhere_. There had been some adjusting when they'd first moved in together in London, but they had both compromised and given a little and it worked fine most of the time. Unless one of them was particularly annoyed, which Naomi had been last night. So she had argued back self-righteously, knowing not too deep down that she wasn't entirely justified. Emily hadn't backed down , their voices rising and both of them bringing up irrelevant past arguments that had long since been forgotten. It had finally ended with Emily saying that she had had enough, stomping to her side of the bed and lying on the edge with her back to the blonde. The next morning Naomi had woken expecting to be over it, but when she'd seen the redhead across the bed still turned away from her, her anger had returned, and she'd eaten that disgusting fruit toast just to spite her.

Her mum was right. She needed to end the stupidity before one of them ended up in the spare room, which still smelt a little even though Cook had moved out six months ago. She could step up and be the bigger person, take some of the moral high ground back.

She took the stairs up to her room and settled on the end of their bed, leaning back on her elbows and waiting for her girlfriend to get out of the bathroom. After a moment the door opened and Emily walked in, wrapped in only a small towel, her damp red hair dripping water onto her bare shoulders. Naomi blinked hard. Two more hours of not touching that skin would be impossible, let alone two weeks.

Emily saw her girlfriend sitting on the bed and smiled to herself. She knew Naomi wouldn't be able to hold out. Too bad Emily had another plan. She started to walk around the bed to get to their wardrobe, but as she walked past the blonde's hand shot out and pulled on her wrist gently.

"Em," Naomi said simply, looking up at her apologetically, longing to run her fingers through that wet hair. "This is silly."

Emily looked at her hard, trying to read if the blonde had an ulterior motive. It didn't matter, Emily wasn't giving up. She shifted until she was standing in front of her, taking her girlfriend's hand and threading their fingers.

"You're right Naoms," she replied with feigned sincerity, "one of us has to be the bigger person and apologise, and if that has to be me that's okay. So I'm being the bigger person and...I'm sorry." She looked into the dumbfounded eyes of the blonde and couldn't stop herself from smirking.

Naomi scrunched her nose at her girlfriend's arrogance. _She_ was going to be the bigger person, that was why she'd gone upstairs, and now Emily was beating her to it. She furrowed her brow and scowled.

"What? That's bullshit," she said petulantly. Naomi knew she was reaching new lows of immaturity but she couldn't help herself. Emily was being just as bad. She had to remind herself they were 23 years old and not twelve.

Emily dropped her girlfriend's hand and shrugged her shoulders. "Well if you won't accept my apology."

She walked over to the wardrobe, feeling Naomi's eyes following her as she did. She knew how to fix her up, untucking the end of the towel she'd wrapped around herself so that it fell to the floor, leaving her completely naked.

Naomi involuntarily whimpered at the sight, hoping it wasn't loud enough for the redhead to hear, getting her answer when Emily turned to face her.

"Did you say something Naoms?"

The blonde stared back at her blankly for a moment, Emily enjoying every second of torturing her girlfriend. She could see the desire in Naomi's darkened eyes as they trailed up and down her naked body, her mouth hanging open. Emily knew she was in charge here, slinking over to Naomi and stopping in front of her.

Naomi tried to focus her brain but all she could concentrate on were Emily's hardened nipples, close enough for her to reach out and touch, or take one of them in her mouth, the redhead silently urging her too. She knew what Emily was trying to do, this little power game they were playing, and for a second she almost gave in. But she managed to snap herself out of it, she wasn't sure how, and pried her eyes away from her girlfriend's bare form. She stood quickly, feeling unsteady on her feet, and shuffled over to the door, almost smacking herself in the face as she opened it, eventually stumbling through, hearing Emily chuckling behind her.

Emily shook her head at the closed door and put on some clothes, ore than a little disappointed that she was getting dressed right now instead of something else.

-x-

Naomi crept around the darkened spare room quietly, making sure to avoid stepping on or bumping into anything that could make a noise and give her presence away. She looked over to the redhead sleeping in the bed and studied her steady breathing, feeling a playful sense of spitefulness. She ignored how adorable Emily looked with her hand tucked under her chin, and focused on how much the redhead deserved it. She continued slowly around the bed and to the bedside table, smiling when she caught sight of what she was after.

She knew she was being petty and immature, but it had escalated beyond any fight they'd ever had before. They were in a stand-off, refusing to speak to each other since that morning and had taken to trying to pass messages through Gina, even when the three of them had been sitting at the kitchen table for dinner. Of course Gina hadn't indulged their silly antics, rolling her eyes at their stupidity. But it was a battle of wills now, and Naomi was determined not to lose. She didn't even flinch when Emily announced that she would be sleeping in the spare room, although inwardly she winced, knowing that she herself wouldn't have a good night's sleep without her girlfriend there.

She picked up Emily's phone carefully and turned around so that the light that would soon be emanating from it wouldn't stir the redhead. Her plan was to turn off the alarm so that Emily wouldn't wake up in time for work. Immature and irresponsible? Yes. But she also considered it a stroke of genius – Emily would sleep the day away if nothing woke her up. The fact that Naomi had to stay up late enough to sneak in to the room undetected was perhaps a slight flaw in the plan, but worth it.

As her fingers fiddled with the buttons she heard the bed creak, turning around and coming face to face with Emily.

"What are you doing?" the redhead asked, rubbing at her eyes.

Naomi flung her arms behind her back to hide the phone and tried to act innocent.

"Nothing," she said hastily, then considered how suspect it sounded. "Er...I mean...I wanted...to...see you." She smiled for effect.

Emily's lips curled into a smirk and she raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you have my phone?"

Naomi's eyes widened at being found out. Clearly she wasn't as steath as she thought she was.

"You were going to mess with my alarm weren't you?" Emily asked in a playful tone.

Naomi could only nod with annoyance, bringing her arms back around with the phone in her hand, placing it back on the bedside table.

"Well that's a shame," Emily shrugged, her gaze falling down to her girlfriend's lips. "I was hoping you were here to fuck me."

Naomi's eyes almost popped out of her head. Emily stared back at her with an intensity that meant only one thing.

"I can do that too," Naomi murmured, her heart beating wildly, all thoughts of arguments and stand-offs overtaken by Emily's husky voice and that look in her eye.

The blonde closed the gap between them quickly and reached a hand out to tangle in red hair, a moan escaping Emily as they crushed their hungry lips together. Their tongues worked in sync as Naomi's other hand felt its way under her girlfriend's thin t-shirt, her fingertips pressing in to the deliciously warm skin of Emily's hips, then when that wasn't enough gripping onto the hem of the t-shirt and pulling it up, their mouths only breaking apart to get it off over Emily's head. Her eager hands explored the newly exposed skin as she pushed the redhead back firmly, Emily's knees hitting the edge of the bed and sending them crashing down together. Naomi loved the feeling of her girlfriend's body beneath her, a heat flooding her own centre. She set about making love to Emily feverishly, kissing and sucking and biting and licking every inch of skin she could get to, and thrusting her fingers deeply inside of her torturously slow, then quickening her pace, building up to the redhead's unravelling. All the sexual frustration that had built during the day finally exploding between them until Emily crashed over the edge, Naomi holding her there and enjoying every moan and whimper and whisper of her name, loved the feeling of knowing that she had Emily at her mercy. They fell on their backs, both trying to catch their breath.

A few minutes later Emily lay wrapped up in her arms. Neither of them had said a word since they'd fallen in to bed, but Naomi could feel a contented smile breaking across her face, proud that she had satisfied her girlfriend so thoroughly. She stroked her hand through soft red hair and shivered as she felt Emily's fingers drawing circles on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

"I guess this means we're not fighting anymore," she said finally, closing her eyes as Emily's hands wandered and a wave of pleasure rippled through her.

But then suddenly the magical fingers were gone, the blonde's eyes flicking open to find Emily perched above her, a smirk curling her lips.

Emily leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I knew you'd give in."

* * *

**Lol, Emily is a shifty bugger! Er...not too sure about my Naomily sexy-time there to be honest...*blushes*...I hope it was okay...**

**Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review if you feel so inclined...I love hearing what you think!**

**Peace :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you again for your reviews, they **_**really**_** do make my day! I know how easy it is not to take the time to review (I'm guilty of that myself sometimes) so to those that do I send many sloppy kisses and bum pinches!**

**Again – if you have any ideas let me know and I will try and work them into my plans – I like your suggestion **_**imoan12**_**...I've put it in my back pocket for later...I have 11 more chapters planned...mwahahaha...**

**Anyways, I hope you...er...enjoy...this one...bit different from the last few...drama...**

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Emily glanced around the sombre room. It didn't at all look the way it did the last time she had been in there. Nothing had changed...and yet, now everything had changed. She stared at the pained faces of her old college friends. All of them were there. All together again in the one place for the first time in years.

Except one.

The thought sent a new flood of tears to her eyes but she swallowed down the wave of emotion and held them back. She'd been enough of a crying mess the last two days, she didn't want to fall apart again. Not now when she should be the one looking after her friends. Emily's eyes sought out her girlfriend, looking devastatingly beautiful and broken, wearing a plain black dress and a frown, her blue eyes dulled with sadness.

She thought about that night, the night the phone rang and their happy lives were shattered. The reason they were all here now.

She and Naomi had been curled up on the couch watching a DVD, their bodies pressed together and their limbs intertwined, like they always seemed to be. Emily realised that they were always touching each other in some way, like they couldn't be near each other without that physical contact. She would thread her fingers with Naomi's or the blonde would rest a hand on her thigh or they'd rub each other's feet under the table. Whether playful kisses or innocent touches, their bodies did it almost involuntarily, a subconscious need to stay physically connected.

Emily had been halfway to sleep when her phone had gone off, jerking her head up and accidentally head-butting Naomi in the nose, a stream of expletives flowing. She'd heard Katie's tear strained voice as soon as she answered the call.

And that had been the start of all of this. The reason they were all back here, scattered around this room.

The redhead caught her girlfriend's eye, Naomi offering a half-smile. Emily tried to smile back but her face wouldn't move. She knew Naomi understood. Naomi always understood. The night they'd heard the news they'd come back from Katie's house and Emily had reached for the blonde and kissed her with an intensity that hadn't been there before. An intensity that shook her body and brought tears to her eyes. Because now death wasn't so far away. It was in their lives and in their hearts and she needed to kiss Naomi because it was the only thing that mattered. It was her heartbeat and her oxygen. And Naomi had understood without Emily having to say a word, taking the redhead up to their room and laying her on the bed, gently stripping her clothes before making love to her with desperation and abandon. Embracing and consuming Emily completely, filling her up until she couldn't take any more and then holding her as she unravelled, looking her in the eye as the redhead cried out in pained pleasure. They'd laid there for hours afterward, Emily hugging her body into Naomi, her face pressed against the flushed skin of the blonde's chest, needing to feel her there, to hear her heart beating, while her girlfriend ran a hand through her soft red hair, murmuring 'I love you' over and over again until they'd both fallen into sleep.

A shattering sound pulled Emily from the memory. She turned her head and looked to where it had come from.

Cook.

He'd thrown a glass into the wall, the shattered pieces scattered across the floor reflecting light like diamonds. The room was silenced, her friends turning to watch his outburst. His chest heaved as tears ran down his cheeks silently.

Tears stung Emily's eyes again. She wanted to move, wanted to comfort her friend and hug him and tell him it would be okay. But she still couldn't move, and she didn't want to lie. She didn't know it would be okay. Because if she ever lost someone she loved that much it would never be okay again.

Naomi could see her girlfriend struggling, sitting alone in the corner and watching everyone, feeling their pain. Emily was incredibly empathetic, sometimes to a fault. She was the bravest person that Naomi knew. And strong. So incredibly strong. But also the most sensitive. The blonde knew Emily felt things deeply, and Naomi never wanted to see her girlfriend in pain. She wanted to go over to her and hold her and kiss her but she knew she couldn't leave her friend. Not right now.

Naomi had been the one to tell Effy, hardly believing the words herself as they fell from her lips.

Freddie was dead. Hit by a car as he crossed the road. Drunk driver.

But Effy had known, Naomi was sure of it. Had known before Naomi had even looked at her. Still, with the truth being confirmed for her the blonde watched something change in those majestic blue eyes. A light flicker out. A hope fade into darkness. She worried what this would do to her friend. Effy hadn't said a word since. Not one word. Naomi knew that the brunette wasn't much for verbal communication, but Effy seemed to have retreated into herself, barely responding with nods and shakes of the head, or simply a blank stare.

Effy had finally gotten her shit together in the last few months, holding down a job and not partying early as much as she used to. She'd also finally told Freddie how she felt about him. Told him that she loved him. Freddie was waiting for her, had always been waiting for her, and they had been dating for the last few months. Finally honest. Finally happy.

Naomi stared at Effy, taking in her pale skin and sunken eyes. Effy had managed to keep her head above water these last few months, cleaning up her act, but now Naomi was scared the brunette would start to drown again. Much deeper than she had before. The blonde didn't know if she could stop her if she did. She reached out and held Effy's hand, shivering at the cold skin. Effy didn't react. She didn't even blink. Naomi squeezed her hand a little tighter.

Emily's eyes swept the room again, this time scanning the walls of Freddie's shed. The posters and photos and scribbled writing that held a lifetime of memories. A life. Three lives really, it was as much Cook and JJ's as it was Freddie's. After the funeral they'd all congregated back in the shed. They hadn't planned it, but it felt right. It was the place that meant the most to Freddie. After all these years apart the college gang was back together again. Emily looked at each of her friends. Panda was sitting on the couch cuddled into Thomas, the two of them flying in from America late last night. They had been over there since both had won a scholarship to an Ivy League university, Thomas for track and Panda with her A-Level grades, choosing to keep living there after they'd graduated. Anna stood in the corner with her girlfriend a little awkwardly, Anna knowing Cook well enough to want to be there but still not feeling part of the group. Emily felt she should make the effort to include her but couldn't bring herself to move. Katie was folded into her boyfriend Liam in an armchair, her eyes red and puffy. She and Freddie had stayed connected after their brief romance, falling into an easy friendship. Emily knew her sister would miss him terribly. JJ was sitting on the floor by himself, shuffling a deck of cards and muttering to the room, Emily not quite sure if he knew he was even talking. She knew it had hit JJ hard. Freddie was his rock, the one person who kept him grounded and safe. Freddie was a bit like that for all of them.

And now he was gone.

Emily found herself struggling to breathe, a weight pressing on her lungs. Her heart was beating rapidly. Her head was spinning. She needed to get out of that shed and away from all the memories. The sadness in the room was oppressing. She needed air. Standing up on shaky legs she made her way to the door quickly, shutting it behind her and stepping into the cool afternoon wind. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the shed.

"You right Red?"

She turned to see Cook sitting on the bench at the side of the yard, cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Needed air," she explained simply.

Cook nodded his understanding and Emily took tentative steps toward him, not sure whether he wanted company. She took a seat next to him when he didn't object. It reminded her of the little chats they'd have at college when she'd sneak out of class and into the courtyard, swapping stories with Cook as they passed a cigarette between them. It had been easy then. This wasn't easy.

They sat in silence for a long moment. Emily was unsure of what to say. Unsure of whether she should say anything at all. The silence stretched between them, unnerving the redhead. She was relieved when Cook finally broke it.

"I should have fixed it," he said quietly, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

Emily watched him sniff and wipe a tear from his cheek. She knew what he was talking about. Ever since Freddie and Cook had both fallen in love with Effy in college their friendship had changed. Cook hadn't cared much to change it back. Something Emily knew he would regret for the rest of his life.

"It's too late for that now aint it," he added bitterly, exhaling a long cloud of smoke.

Emily covered his hand with hers and he turned to her. "He knows," she said sincerely, looking him right in the eye. "Freddie knows you love him."

Cook nodded his head and smiled sadly, then looked away again, no doubt uncomfortable with the level of intimacy. He didn't like people seeing him vulnerable, even Emily.

She removed her hand for his benefit and they fell back into silence. Emily knew it was a little selfish, but all she could think about was Naomi. She couldn't even contemplate losing the girl she loved. Sure, Emily had her family and her friends and work and hobbies...but all of that was made better with Naomi. Naomi was the light in her world, and without it everything would be dull, less magical. Emily considered how after all these years of being together, their love and passion for each other and commitment was stronger than ever. Sometimes it surprised her, how much the intensity of her feelings had continued to grow, and sometimes she thought that she had known it would be like this all along. Ever since she'd first spotted the blonde as a shy twelve year old Emily had felt it. That inescapable pull. That indescribable feeling of knowing something absolutely.

Naomi was her forever.

-x-

The blonde unlocked the front door and stepped inside, listening for any signs of Emily, wondering if she was still awake. It wasn't that late but she knew the redhead was tired. After they'd all decided it was time to leave the shed Katie had given Emily a lift home, Naomi offering to drive Effy back to Anthea's. She'd ended up staying another hour or so, just sitting next to her friend, letting her know that she was there for her.

"Em?" Naomi called out into the darkened hall after climbing the stairs.

She opened the door to their dark room, attacked by a pair of hungry lips as soon as she did so. It took her dazzled mind a second to respond, pushing Emily's shoulders back and trying to speak. But Emily didn't relent, peppering her with kisses.

"Em...what's this?" Naomi mumbled in between kisses.

Emily gripped the blonde's hips firmly and turned them around, walking them back towards the bed.

"Please," the redhead said breathlessly, "just let me fuck you."

And at that request Naomi couldn't hold back anymore, gripping the back of Emily's neck and pulling her closer, invading her mouth with her hot tongue. She groaned as the redhead pressed her body against her, reaching her hands around to the zip at the back of Naomi's dress and pulling it down. She brushed the straps off the blonde's shoulders, the dress falling to the floor and leaving her in her underwear, gasping for breath. Naomi's skin was humming with desire, a heat settling in her centre. She needed Emily now. Emily wasted no time, quickly licking her lips before pushing Naomi backwards and on to the bed until she was straddling her, leaving a trail of wet kisses down her neck. She stripped off Naomi's bra, quickly taking one heaving breast into her mouth, her tongue slipping against the hardened nipple while her fingers pinched the other. Naomi closed her eyes and moaned, arching her chest up to Emily, her body overwhelmed by the redhead's assault. Emily's tongue and mouth and fingers and skin all around her.

Emily made love to her then, more urgently and ruthlessly than ever before, not sparing Naomi anything, much like the blonde had with her two nights before. Emily fucked her without mercy, just pure, unbridled love and lust, devouring Naomi completely. The blonde came harder than she ever had before, Emily teasing her relentlessly before she finally crashed over the edge, screaming out her girlfriend's name and gripping the bed sheets.

Emily had never fucked her like that, so urgently, so intensely.

They lay in bed together afterwards, neither of them speaking a word. Their bodies had spoken them all. The blonde curled into Emily and rested her head on her chest, a reverse of their usual position, the redhead's fingers running up and down Naomi's side, across her ribs and to the soft skin of her hips.

After a while Emily finally spoke, her voice huskier than usual from lack of use.

"Naoms?"

"Hmmm," the blonde murmured in reply, too sleepy to detect the nerves in Emily's voice. She nuzzled her head into her girlfriend's warm skin as a hand brushed through her hair. She felt her head rise and fall as Emily took a deep breath.

"Do you want to get married?"

Emily asked the question slowly, not wanting to rush it. She studied her girlfriend's eyes as they grew wide with surprise, felt her breath hitch.

Naomi could hear her heart beating in her ears. She rolled over to face the redhead and propped herself up on her elbows, staring into the hopeful brown eyes of the girl she loved. She leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, pouring everything she felt into the kiss.

"Wait here," she whispered against Emily's lips before kissing her again quickly.

She leapt out of bed, ignoring the confused look on her girlfriend's face. Walking over to their closet she fished through a bag hidden on the top shelf, to high for Emily to reach, pulling out a shoebox and opening that to reveal another box and then opening that one too. She took the small box that remained into her palm and crossed the room back to Emily, her heart thumping in her chest. The redhead had turned on the bedside lamp, sitting herself up and leaning against the headboard, waiting for her. Naomi settled back on the bed with a wide smile, straddling her girlfriend, and held her hand in front of her, opening her palm to reveal the small velvet ring box, then flicking the lid open, the beautiful princess cut diamond glinting in the light.

Emily looked down to the box and then back up to the blonde, unable to contain her surprise. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, her breathing growing shallow. Naomi had a ring. Naomi had been planning to propose.

"I got it the day before...Freddie..." the blonde trailed off, both of them painfully aware of how that sentence ended. "I was going to ask you on our anniversary next week," she continued, "but you beat me to it."

Emily's heart swelled in her chest, a smile spreading across her face. She leant forward and kissed the blonde, drinking her in, her hands feeling their way to the small of her girlfriend's back. Marrying Naomi had been the only thing she could think of these past 48 hours, Freddie's death forcing her to look at her own life. She wanted to call Naomi her _wife_. She wanted to stand in front of the people she loved and declare herself Naomi's forever. She wanted to wear a ring that let people know she'd found the love of her life.

They pulled away from the kiss but kept their foreheads pressed together and their eyes closed.

"I knew I was going to marry you before I even knew your name," Naomi whispered against her lips and Emily's stomach flipped. Her hands travelled up to Naomi's neck, holding her close. This is all she ever wanted.

"I love you."

* * *

**See...not all bad...*ducks behind laptop screen*...at least we had a Naomily engagement! Poor Effy...I'll try and give her some happy later on to make up for it...**

**Okay, so...a couple of reasons why I wrote this one...first and foremost though is that I HATE the way they killed Freddie in the series, and the reason behind it. He wasn't nearly my favourite character but I thought his story deserved better than that. Secondly, it was a good way to get everyone back together and catch up with them, however briefly, and thirdly...I didn't want to write a cliché marriage proposal. I really wanted it to mean something...**

**I know it was a bit different but I hope you guys liked it...drop me a review to let me know what you think...I promise happy next chapter!**

**:)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Gah, sorry I couldn't update yesterday! I had this half written and then got caught up with best-friend drama and didn't have time to finish it!**

**I was seriously blown away by your reviews! I wasn't sure how that last one would go down (that's what she said, lol) so I was so excited to hear your feedback. Keep it coming please!**

**Hope you enjoy...did someone say fluff? **

**No? **

**Oh, you must have said smut :P**

* * *

Emily gripped the steering wheel hard and slammed on the brakes.

"Fucking dozy bitch watch where the fuck you're going!"

She yelled knowing that the woman driving the car that had cut her off couldn't hear her, but felt vindicated none the less. She waved a hand in the air and shook her head for good measure, stepping on the accelerator again and speeding off, weaving through traffic in a slightly illegal manner. She was in a hurry, and she was already running late, thanks to her twin and her penchant for drama. Katie had come running into Gina's house half an hour before Emily was due to leave, tears streaming down her face. She and her boyfriend Liam had had a silly fight that both of them seemed to have overreacted to. Emily listened and nodded and hugged, making appropriately supportive and comforting noises. But she was completely distracted, her eyes checking the time every few minutes. In the end she'd practically thrown her sister out, Katie wiping her eyes as she stood on the doorstep asking Emily where she was going.

"Fuck," the redhead groaned as she checked the time again. She was running ten minutes late already, and the fucking airport car park was like a fucking maze. She leaned across to the passenger seat and reached for the piece of paper with the information for the flight on it to check which terminal she needed to be at. She wanted to meet Naomi as soon as she got off the plane, but now it looked like the blonde would have to wait for her.

Despite her frustration, excitement raged through the redhead. It had been three weeks. Three torturous and frustrating weeks that she hadn't seen her fiancé. _Fiancé_. She rolled the word around her mouth. Fiancé. She never got tired of using that word. In the months since their engagement she'd taken any opportunity she could to drop the word into conversations with her friends and family...and sometimes complete strangers in the supermarket or the line at the post office. She circled around the car park a couple of times until she finally found a spot and parked the car, slipping on her jacket and almost running to the terminal, her stomach tight with anxious tension.

She hadn't seen her fiancé in twenty-three days, six hours and 24 minutes. She was counting. And it had been torture, Emily at one point sure that her longing would _actually_ kill her. Naomi's work had sent her to liaise with their New York office for three weeks on a big international human rights campaign, and at the time the redhead hadn't realised just how much she would miss her. It was the longest they had ever been apart, and Emily found herself adrift without the blonde. They talked on the phone for hours each night and sent messages constantly throughout the day but it wasn't enough. She missed having Naomi with her. Missed waking up in her arms and making love in the morning, sometimes sharing a shower afterwards. Missed laughing at the silly faces Naomi made behind Gina's back at dinner, or how the blonde would bring her a cup of tea when she was reading at night. She missed touching her, holding her, kissing her, being inside her. Emily's body ached for the feel of the blonde's skin under her fingertips, the softness of her lips, the curve of her breasts, and the warm velvet heat inside her.

Emily had never been so horny in her life.

It was worse than when she was a teenager. They'd had phone sex over the weeks, but the redhead was always craving more. She needed to feel the weight of Naomi's body on hers, to hear her whimpering and moaning in her ear, feel her body tighten around her fingers. Emily found herself drifting off during classes she was supposed to be teaching, falling into daydreams that featured the blonde and lots of dirty sex. Lots. The last week had been especially horrible, the redhead constantly on edge and snapping at everyone, even some of her students. And Gina was no comfort, Emily seeing Naomi whenever she looked at her and the aching rising again. She felt like her body was on fire, and only Naomi could soothe her. Emily grinned as she thought about all the things she had been dying to do to her fiancé. In less than an hour they would be back in their bed, although Emily was fully prepared to make use of the public toilet if need be. Or the car.

Emily made her way through the terminal, pausing to scan the arrivals board. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Naomi's plane had only just landed, so she'd have enough time to get to the arrivals gate as the blonde picked up her bags. She made her way there and picked a spot to stand, the closest she could get to the opening of the barrier, and waited. And waited. Watching the electric doors like a hunter watching their prey. She nervously tapped her fingers on the barrier and shuffled her feet. After a few minutes she peered around at the rest of the people in the area, all waiting for someone they loved. She thought about the girl she loved and smiled to herself.

At the sound of the doors opening Emily whipped her head around, her heart beating uncontrollably, her eyes alert. But then an elderly couple walked out pushing their luggage trolley, and the redhead released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She watched the door like a hawk while other passengers filtered out, still no sign of her blonde. _This is so like Naomi_, Emily thought as she rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently, _probably buying booze at duty free_. She fished for her phone in her pocket to check the time and then almost dropped it, her heart stopping as she faintly heard that familiar voice.

"Fucking stupid fucking fascist government."

Emily smiled, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, her grin widening as she caught sight of her blonde, whose face was scrunched in anger as she pushed her luggage trolley ahead of her. Naomi looked up and their eyes locked, and Emily could swear her fucking heart stopped. The blonde's face softened, a wide grin breaking across her it, her blue eyes sparkling. Everything else faded away, all the other people and all the background noise, and Emily's legs were moving before her brain registered it, taking quick steps to close the gap between them as Naomi pushed her trolley to the side. Emily's body hit the blonde's with force, Naomi stumbling back, struggling to keep her balance. She opened her mouth to speak but the redhead captured her lips in a searing kiss, slipping her tongue into her hot mouth instantly, hands threading through blonde hair. Emily felt like it was the first time she'd breathed in twenty-three days, six hours and 42 minutes. Her body pulsed with excitement. Naomi's hands ran down her back to grab her bum, and she felt herself being pulled impossibly closer, their bodies flush together. They kissed for a long moment, their frantic hearts beating in time, until finally breaking away breathless, their foreheads still pressed together.

"Hi," Naomi said softly through panting breaths, her eyes raking over the glorious face of her fiancé, her hands coming up to cup her cheeks. "God I missed you."

Emily smiled at the desperation in Naomi's voice and the longing in her eyes, and leant in for another hungry kiss, vaguely aware of the people walking around them.

"You have no idea," she whispered against the blonde's lips.

Naomi slipped her hands down to settle on the redhead's hips and they took a minute to gaze at each other, stare into eyes they had only dreamt about for the last few weeks.

"I would have been out sooner," Naomi began, reaching a hand up to tuck red hair behind Emily's ear, "but they decided I looked like a terrorist and had to scan and test me for fucking everything. I mean I know I'm tired and I look like shit but –"

Emily cut her off with another blazing kiss. "You're beautiful."

Naomi grinned modestly and bit her lip. "Let's go home yeah. We've given these people enough of a show."

-x-

Emily couldn't keep her eyes and hands off of Naomi...which was a problem because she was also trying to drive. She kept stealing glances and letting her hands wander up and down Naomi's thigh, until she felt the blonde grip her hand and hold it firmly in place over her lap.

"I'd like to get home alive," she said dryly.

Emily smirked and stepped on the accelerator even harder, desperate to get back to their bed. She sped down the highway as Naomi caught her up on her flight, and the enormous man she'd had to sit next to who didn't shut up. Emily's breathing quickened as soon as she caught sight of the yellow house and she parked the car halfway onto the lawn. The second she turned off the ignition her seatbelt was unbuckled and she was leaning over to the blonde for another kiss, her body half out of her seat and onto Naomi's.

"Let's get inside," the blonde purred.

They left the luggage in the car, this wasn't the time for unpacking, and made their way hurriedly into the house. Naomi took her hand, pulling the redhead along behind her but stopping abruptly when they heard Gina calling out from kitchen.

"Naomi is that you?"

Emily closed her eyes and groaned, pained at being made to wait even longer. She thought she was going to explode. She felt a tug on her hand, Naomi pulling her back down the steps as Gina appeared. Mother and daughter hugged, Emily's hand still gripped in the blonde's.

"So tell me about New York," Gina said excitedly.

Naomi looked at the redhead and then back to her mum, shaking her head. "Mum, I love you...but Emily and I haven't had sex in over three weeks. We're going upstairs."

Emily smiled bashfully and flicked her eyes down, felt Naomi squeeze her hand tighter.

"Oh yes of course," Gina said with a laugh, "go on. Emily has been a right mess without you."

The blonde turned to her with a smirk and Emily rolled her eyes before taking the lead and pulling Naomi to their room.

"So you missed my irresistable body did you Ems?" Naomi said mockingly.

Emily didn't need to answer, pushing the blonde up against their bedroom door as soon as it was closed. They kissed while her hands wandered over the body she'd craved, wanting more, needing more. Like a present she was desperate to unwrap. She pulled Naomi's top up over her head in one fluid motion, her hands then moving quickly to unclip the blonde's bra, eyes falling to Naomi's full breasts as a hand reached up to tease one hardened nipple, her tongue slipping against the other. She felt the vibration of Naomi's groan and a heat flooded her body and travelled to her centre. She left a trail of wet kisses up the flushed skin of the blonde's chest as she captured her lips again, then felt herself being pushed backwards, until they collapsed onto the bed, her body gloriously trapped under the weight of Naomi's. They moved up the bed shedding clothes and underwear as they fought for dominance, each wanting to take control. Emily growled as she finally relented, the blonde sliding down her body and settling in between her thighs. She clenched her eyes shut and gripped the sheets with one hand, the other gripping a fist full of blonde hair, as the blonde teased her with unbearable pleasure. Emily writhed about, not taking long for the force that had been building for three weeks to explode within her, the redhead coming harder than she ever had, thrashing her arms and screaming out her lover's name. Naomi rode it out with her, kissing her way back up her fevered skin, capturing her lips once again in a sloppy kiss, Emily still breathless.

She lay there with her eyes closed panting for a moment, the blonde kissing her cheeks and chin and nose and eyelids while her hand ran across the redhead's belly, until Emily couldn't stand not touching her any longer. She rolled Naomi onto her back, their sweaty bodies sliding together, and straddled her hips, taking her revenge hard and fast. Her arm burned with the effort as her hand pumped quickly, Naomi's hips bucking up wildly as she moaned, while the redhead's mouth was drawn to those soft breasts once again. The blonde's head flew back as she cried out in pleasure, Emily's lips leaving a trail of burning kisses up to Naomi's ear.

"I want to feel you come," she whispered, teasing the blonde with her thumb until she felt her clench around her fingers, Naomi screaming her name as Emily held her hand there, prolonging the high. Naomi pulled her into another breathless kiss and they collapsed together, chests heaving, trying to catch their breath.

-x-

Emily's fingers couldn't help themselves, searching out the warm skin of her fiancé, needing to feel her. Naomi was dozing, their efforts definitely warranting rest, but the redhead couldn't stop herself, her body needing more. She propped herself up on one elbow, gazing at the beautiful form of the naked blonde beside her and taking a deliciously hard nipple between her fingers.

"Em," Naomi mumbled softly, her voice thick with sleep. "I've been awake for like 36 hours, and we've been having sex for the last four. I need...sleep."

But Emily didn't listen, her hand travelling further down the blonde's torso, feeling the muscles twitch involuntarily beneath her touch, until her fingers reached their destination, Naomi moaning as her eyes flew open and her hips bucked.

"You're going to be the death of me," the blonde whispered as the redhead moved to straddle her, her hands coming up to rest on Emily's hips.

Then suddenly there was a knock at the door, the redhead freezing on top of the blonde, her breath catching in her throat.

"What?" Naomi yelled in frustration, both sets of eyes turning to the door.

"You've been up here going at it for hours," Gina said without any sense of impropriety. "I just think the two of you should eat something before you pass out."

Emily rolled her eyes and smiled, she had to laugh.

"We'll be down soon," Naomi yelled back, her scowl fading as she looked into Emily's amused eyes, lifting her head to join their lips in a sweet kiss.

"We really need our own place."

* * *

**So...* blushes*...hope you...er...enjoyed...please leave a review when you've recovered!**

**:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you soooooo much for your reviews! I hope you all enjoyed a little Naomily sexy-time...but alas, they can't have sex **_**all the time**_**, no matter how much Emily would like to, and they need to work...which brings us here...**

**And thanks to **_**critic**_** who quite rightly pointed out that it is fiancée for girls and fiancé for guys...girls get the extra 'e' for some reason? Although I'm glad I didn't know that...I told my boy that if he ever proposes I'm breaking up with him...*shrugs*...I have commitment issues so what... :P**

**I hope you like...**

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Naomi walked through the deserted school corridors, her mind drawing comparisons between this preppy independent school and the college she and Emily and their friends had attended. Wooden cabinets lined the walls instead of metal lockers. No posters or graffiti or vending machines or scuffed linoleum floors. No life. No character.

Naomi didn't like it.

She stopped to read a flyer on a noticeboard offering fencing classes and rolled her eyes. _Who the fuck takes fencing?_ She felt out of place here, everything seeming so artificial and insincere. Since she was young she'd heard her mum railing against the independent school system, so she had been influenced by that and had grown up with a bias, but she could see the merit in Emily's argument too. Emily had been offered the job teaching English a few months ago and couldn't pass it up, the school literally being the best in Bristol. Naomi knew Emily loved it and it was a fantastic career move, as well as being much better paying, but it still irked her a little.

She meandered through the maze of hallways until she found her way to the office Emily shared, peering through the small window in the door at the redhead, her head down working hard at her desk. Naomi's lips curled up into a smile at the sight. Emily loved her job and worked fucking hard, coming home every afternoon and regaling her over dinner with stories from her day – the boy she'd helped understand Camus' existentialism, or the young girl she'd tutored after school and gotten from a D to a B+, the boy she'd caught cheating and given detention. Emily loved her students and she was quickly becoming one of the most popular teachers. Naomi knew she had a way of making them feel special and supported, because that's the way Emily made everyone feel.

She stood and watched her for a moment, the redhead's nose scrunching in concentration as she took a red pen to an essay, scribbling notes furiously. Naomi caught a flash of light glinting off the ring on Emily's finger and looked down to her own with a small smile, twisting it slightly. A few days after they proposed to each other Emily had surprised the blonde with her own ring, picking out the perfect one, a simple white gold band inlaid with a row of diamonds. Not too flashy or girly. The perfect pair to Emily's ring.

Naomi loved it.

She loved looking down at her hand and thinking about Emily...not that she really needed the ring to remind her to think of her fiancée. Mary, a colleague at work, had spotted her ring like a hawk the next day at work and had flipped out, insisting that the office go out for drinks to celebrate and that Emily be there too. Naomi didn't remember much of that night but was left with a painful hangover she wouldn't forget in a hurry. Telling their friends and family however, was not so relaxed, given the timing. Everyone was still coming to terms with Freddie's death. They'd told Gina first, over breakfast the next morning, and her mum was more excited than Naomi had thought she'd be, though the teasing about the blonde wearing a big poufy white dress had begun soon after and continued to this day. They told Katie and the rest of Emily's family a couple of days after at a family dinner. There were hugs all round, Emily not being able to stop her twin and mother from making grand wedding plans involving swans and ice sculptures, but promising an increasingly nervous Naomi that they wouldn't go through with any of it. She was just indulging Katie because it was a good distraction for her after Freddie. But it was nice, the way they had embraced her as part of their family, and the blonde felt even more incredibly lucky to have Emily Fitch in her life. She'd never grown up with much family around, and now she had plenty. And now she had Emily.

A noise echoing through the corridor startled her and she turned to find its source, a teenage girl digging through her locker before grabbing her bag and walking away. The girl had dark brown hair and eyeliner rimmed blue eyes. She reminded Naomi of Effy. The blonde felt the pure happiness she'd been feeling a second ago deflate a little. She hadn't seen her friend since the day of Freddie's funeral. She'd gone round to Anthea's the day after to find that Effy had taken off with Cook on some misguided road trip. That had been months ago. She knew they were still alive, thanks to the rambling voicemail messages Cook had left Emily, and the postcards Effy had sent with only a few words on each. Things like "Freddie would have loved this" and "Sometimes I forget". Naomi wanted to help but knew there was nothing she could do, never knowing where they were until after they'd left. So she'd sent dozens of emails and hoped that Effy was at least checking them, even if she wasn't writing back. Naomi didn't even want to think about how she would react if something happened to the person she loved more than anything else in the world.

She turned back to stare at the object of that love, still scribbling away furiously, and smiled, her heart lifting again. The blonde opened the door, unable to not touch the redhead for another second. Emily looked up at the sound, a nervous smile gracing her features as soon as she saw her.

"Naomi. What are you doing here?"

The blonde caught the surprise and apprehension in her tone but dismissed it quickly.

"It's four o'clock on a Friday afternoon," Naomi replied with a smirk, "I'm busting you out of here."

She went to lean across the desk to kiss her fiancée but Emily pulled away and stood abruptly, smiling nervously as her eyes darted to the other side of the room. Naomi followed her eye line to the pretty blonde woman not much older than them sitting at a desk in the corner, looking over at them interestedly.

"Erm...hi." Naomi smiled awkwardly, she hadn't realised anyone else was in the room.

Emily cleared her throat. "Stacey this is Naomi. Naomi Stacey." She turned to the blonde. "Stacey teaches English as well."

Stacey smiled warmly. Naomi vaguely recalled Emily mentioning her a couple of times.

"It's nice to meet you Naomi. Emily talks about you a lot."

Naomi turned and grinned proudly at the redhead, who still looked inexplicably nervous, still standing away from her. She wanted to reach for her hand but it was too far away.

"Maybe you can help us out Naomi," Stacey continued with a playful grin, "and tell us about Emily's fiancé, because she's very tight lipped about him."

Naomi's face fell. Her stomach tightened. Her heart beat in her ears. _Him_. She looked to Emily with narrowed eyes and was met with a pleading look. The redhead obviously urging Naomi to perpetuate her lie.

Him.

It hung in the air between them. _They all think Emily is engaged to a fucking man_, she thought to herself, _and what they think I'm her fucking _friend_? Not the person that she loves and fucks and is going to marry and have kids with and grow old with?_ Her hands balled into fists as a blazing anger surged through her. The blonde didn't even try to compose herself to save face. She couldn't believe that no one in Emily's work life knew about her, about them. Like they were something to be ashamed of. They'd never hid their relationship from anyone or anything before. Her mind was reeling, thinking back to the several work functions in the past few months that Emily had gone to alone, insisting that Naomi stay home because it would be so boring for her. _Boring my ass_.

She fixed a smile onto her face and turned back to Stacey.

"Emily is pretty good at keeping secrets, isn't she?"

Her voice was tight. Stacey's smile faltered briefly as she finally picked up on the increasing tension in the room.

Naomi felt sick. With one last look at the redhead she turned and walked away, her breathing shallow as she tried to contain her anger and hurt. She walked quickly to her car, almost there when she heard her name being called. Emily. She'd chased after her into the car park, running up behind her, obviously panicked.

"Naomi wait," the redhead pleaded desperately. "Please."

But the blonde didn't want to hear excuses. "Leave me alone Emily."

Her hands fumbled around inside her bag in search of her keys and she was annoyed that it gave the redhead enough time to catch up. Emily grasped her elbow and tried to turn her to face her, but the blonde pulled away.

"Don't touch me Emily. And you should be careful. Someone might see us and think you're a sinful homosexual."

"That's not fair," Emily spat back angrily, causing Naomi to pause and spin around again.

"Fair?" she said incredulously, grasping her keys that she'd finally found and rattling them loudly. "You _lied_ about me Emily. You lied about yourself. You lied to _me_. They think I'm your _friend_. They don't even know you're gay!"

Emily didn't back down, stepping closer to the blonde and trying to keep her voice low. "This is a conservative school Naomi. A lot of the teachers and parents aren't exactly open minded. But I didn't tell them I was straight or engaged to a man...I didn't tell them anything, they just...assumed."

"And you let them."

They locked eyes for a long moment in a silent challenge, before Emily's tear filled gaze drifted down and she nodded. Naomi shook her head in disgust, neither of them saying anything further as the blonde opened the door and sat inside, watching the figure in her rear view mirror getting smaller and smaller as she sped away.

She drove for hours, long after it got dark, thoughts turning over and over in her head as she gunned it down the freeway. She couldn't believe that Emily had lied to the people she worked with everyday. That to them she didn't exist to Emily as anything other than a friend. And that fucking Stacey woman wanting to know all about Emily's _male_ fiancé. Naomi was half tempted to drive back there and tell stupid Stacey that Emily didn't like cock, she loved tits and fanny and couldn't get enough of either quite frankly. She wondered if this was a lie Emily had told or allowed to be assumed before. Or how long the charade would have gone on for. Because it was easier to pretend that Naomi didn't exist. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel increasingly harder, beeping and waving off slow drivers that got in her way. Her phone rang and beeped with messages until she turned it off. She wanted to yell and scream and she wanted to call Effy and bitch to her about it but she couldn't. So she drove down the darkened roads in the silent car.

But eventually her anger gave way to rational thought as the kilometres passed and she calmed down. It was just that they'd never been in this position before. Sure, when they had been travelling through some countries in their gap year they'd toned their coupley stuff down a bit but neither of them had ever lied about who they were and what they were to each other. She recalled the point Emily had made about the school being conservative. Naomi could understand that. She herself had been lucky to settle into a job with a great team of mostly young, liberal thinking people. But there were a few times when people she dealt with in passing assumed she was straight and she'd let it go because it was easier. The thought made her uncomfortable but it was true. Sometimes it was just easier to play along with the assumptions people made. It wasn't always worth subjecting yourself to their reaction. Some people were perfectly nice, some felt awkward and some barely veiled their disapproval. When she thought about it like that she could understand Emily's reluctance to admit the truth, and that school did seem fucking stuck-up. And she'd only been there a few months.

The image of the redhead standing there with tears in her eyes shook Naomi and brought tears to her own. She knew Emily would never do anything to hurt her. She absolutely knew it. But she realised that _she _had hurt the redhead with her words and the accusing look in her eye. Naomi recognised that she was too quick to anger sometimes but usually tried to keep her temper in check, especially where Emily was concerned. She felt her stomach knot. She hated the way she had looked at and spoken to her fiancée. That anger that her eyes held and her words dripped with. She took a deep breath, the need to make-up with the redhead and make everything okay again overwhelming her.

She found her phone on the passenger seat and turned it on, tapping her fingers on the wheel as she waited impatiently for it to fire up. Once it did it vibrated and beeped with new messages. Eleven in total, all from Emily. All asking her to come home so they could talk. All apologising and telling her she loved her.

"Fuck," she yelled into the car before turning it around illegally and heading back home.

Her mum was sitting in the lounge watching TV when she walked in.

"She's in your room," she said simply, accompanied by a disapproving look.

Naomi nodded her thanks and made her way up the stairs, almost pausing to knock on the door and then realising that it was her room too. She pushed it open and spotted the redhead sitting on the end of the bed. The blonde exhaled a deep breath. It looked like Emily had been waiting for her. The redhead looked up at the sound and Naomi's stomach flipped as she saw the relief flood her fiancée's face. Naomi knew it mirrored her own expression.

"I was wondering when you'd be home," Emily said softly as she stood quickly, smiling nervously.

Naomi shuffled further into the room, her eyes not leaving the redhead's. "Yeah."

They stood in silence for a moment, both unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," they both eventually said at the same time.

They gazed at each other and smiled, the tension in the room broken. And in that moment everything felt okay again. Naomi knew that they were okay. They took steps towards each other and met in the middle, Emily's body fitting into the blonde's perfectly, like it always had. The embraced each other tightly. Naomi could feel Emily's heart beating rapidly against her chest. Felt a hand thread through her hair.

"I love you," Emily murmured into her ear.

Naomi's eyes fluttered closed. It was something she'd never get sick of hearing.

"I love you too."

Or saying.

They didn't need any more words. Those three said everything. She pulled away and reached for Emily's hand, gently tugging her towards their bed. They pulled the sheets back and climbed in fully clothed, the blonde settling herself around her fiancée's body from behind, reaching an arm around Emily's stomach and pulling her in as close as possible. Her fingers sought out the warm skin of the redhead's belly, drawing circles under her shirt. She kissed Emily's neck and felt her sigh, then move her arm so that her hand was linked with Naomi's.

"I'm going to tell Stacey," Emily said softly, gripping her hand tighter.

Naomi blinked hard, processing the words. "You don't have to."

"I do," Emily replied firmly. "I'm not ashamed of our love. If people don't like it it's their problem. It's not like they can fire me for it."

Naomi scoffed. "Yeah, mum would be all over them with a picket line if they did. And my work can help you sue them," she added smugly.

Emily turned her body in Naomi's embrace to face her, the blonde's hands resettling on her hips. The redhead's hands came up to cup her cheeks as she leant forward and pushed their lips together in a passionate sweet kiss.

The pulled away and looked into each other's eyes for a moment, a loving gaze passing between them, before the redhead turned around again and shuffled back into Naomi's body.

The blonde exhaled deeply and smiled as she gripped Emily's waist.

The rest of the world could piss off for a bit, right now all she wanted to do was hold the girl she loved.

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**I think this is an interesting issue...and thanks to **_**imoan12**_** for the idea. My sister is actually in the same position as Emily right now - not really out to her colleagues at the conservative school she teaches at and anxious about her students finding out. She's pretty conflicted about it because she's totally out in all other aspects of her life...and we talk about it a lot...so yeah...I wanted to convey that...having said that I'm not totally happy with this chapter...kind of why it took me a bit longer...I dunno...I tried working on it more but it wasn't flowing like the others...i think you can tell...sorry... :/ next one will be better!**

**Anyways if you guys have any ideas for a chapter please let me know...the more ideas I have the more chapters I can write!**

**Please leave a review if you've got time! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks so much for your encouraging reviews! That last chapter was a bitch to get through so it was nice to get some feedback...big hugs especially to those of you who review every chapter...love you guys :)**

**So, bad news for me is that I hurt my knee running, (don't ask – I'm super retarded), so I can't really do much over this long-weekend, but good news for you guys – I have plenty of time to write!**

**Hope this makes you smile...**

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Katie stood before them and assumed her _don't fuck with me_ stance, her feet set apart, shoulders square with hands on hips, one challenging eyebrow raised.

"You bitches are coming out with me tonight."

Emily and Naomi exchanged a look across the table.

"Good morning to you to Katie," Naomi said playfully.

The three of them were out having breakfast, which had become something of a Saturday morning tradition recently.

"Whatever," Katie said with a huff, sliding into her seat. "Good morning. Liam is away for the weekend so we're going out tonight."

The redhead didn't even need to look at Naomi to know that the blonde wasn't too keen on the idea. Neither was she. The last time they had gone out with Katie was months ago and she'd woken up with a killer hangover and half the night blacked out because her twin kept buying them chartreuse shots. Naomi hadn't fared much better either.

Emily opened her mouth to decline her twin's oh-so-polite invitation but was cut off.

"No excuses," Katie said firmly, holding up her palm. "You two are like an old married couple and you're not even old! Or married! You're 23 for fucks sake and you spend your weekends cleaning and running errands and looking for houses...what the fuck."

Emily was amused by her twin's obvious frustration and horror at their domesticity, but her smile faded as she thought about last Saturday, when she and Naomi had gone grocery shopping, done laundry, looked for a house and watched a DVD together. Sunday had been more of the same. It had been lovely...but it wasn't exactly thrilling.

_Jesus, we do act like we're middle-aged_.

"Katie, last time we went out with you, you almost got us into a fist fight," Naomi said before taking a sip of her coffee. She remembered that part of the night perfectly clear, getting pushed against a bar and almost slapped was not something you forget quickly.

"Hey it's not my fault that skank's boyfriend hit on me," Katie replied defensively. "He just has good taste."

Naomi rolled her eyes at Katie's seeingly boundless confidence. "You didn't have to call her a fucking hog-faced bitch with small tits."

Katie laughed as she recalled her own words. "It was true. And you guys had fun anyway," she shrugged.

Emily thought about it and smiled. Despite the threat of an ass-kicking and the painful hangover she had had a good time. Drinking and dancing and laughing with Katie, making out with Naomi on the dance floor, in the bathroom...or anywhere really. Throwing back shot after shot and feeling that warm fuzziness surround her. With everything going on in her very grown up life she often forgot to let go and just have fun. Pure reckless fun like they used to when they were in college or university, when the pressures of work and life weren't quite so immediate. It wouldn't kill them to go out and get drunk and act like 18 year olds for one night, especially because soon they would have their own place and even more responsibilities. She felt a renewed sense of fun and defiance spark within her as she looked back to her twin. "Okay we're in."

Naomi whipped her head around in disbelief at her fiancée's words, while Katie smiled with satisfaction.

"Good. I'll see you lezzers at 10 at my place. Anna's coming too." She stood quickly. "I can't stay, I've got an appointment but I'll see you guys tonight."

And with a final grin she was gone, slinking her way out of the cafe. Emily watched her go, still a little apprehensive about facing Naomi, who was glaring at her and tapping her fingers on the table top.

"Ahem," the blonde sounded, it coming out more annoyed than she actually felt.

Emily turned to her with wide eyes and a shit-eating grin. "I love you."

Naomi rolled her eyes at the attempt to sweet talk her. "Don't try and play me Emily Fitch," she said with a playful anger. "I thought we agreed to never go out with Katie again. I believe those were your exact words," she affected her best Emily impression, though she knew her voice could never be that husky and sexy, "we're never going out with my sister again."

The blonde raised an eyebrow and Emily bit her lip with a coy smile. "Yeah okay, but it'll be fun," she moved her hand to rest on Naomi's thigh. "And if it's not we can find a bathroom and make our own fun."

Emily winked and Naomi struggled not to smile at her sexy redhead, determined to be annoyed.

"We can do that at home," the blonde whined, covering Emily's hand with her own. She was tired from an especially taxing week at work and all she wanted to do was relax with Emily, not jump around a club all night and wake-up feeling shit the next morning. "And without the threat of violence and sweaty guys leaching on to us."

Emily sighed at her fiancée's stubbornness and decided to take another approach, pulling her hand back. "Fine, I'll just have to dance with _Anna_ all night." She smirked and watched Naomi's eyes widen. It was a cheap shot and she knew she was playing on old jealousies that had long been dismissed, but she also knew that the blonde wouldn't back down from that challenge.

"Fine," Naomi said with narrowed eyes and a wry smile. She knew exactly what the redhead was doing but she couldn't help herself.

Emily relaxed back into her chair with a smug expression. "Good."

-x-

The second Emily caught sight of Naomi that night she regretted her decision to leave the house. She'd been sitting in the kitchen waiting for the blonde, chatting with Gina while she made a cup of tea, and when she saw the figure-hugging black dress that Naomi was wearing she almost blacked out with lust. She blinked hard as her mouth hung open, shamelessly eye-fucking her fiancée.

"You're drooling Emily," Gina teased as she breezed past, pausing briefly to pat her on the shoulder before continuing out of the room.

Naomi smiled bashfully and moved further in to the kitchen, proud that she could still get that kind of reaction from Emily after all these years. She'd gone to a bit of extra effort on account of Emily teasing her with Anna, pulling out the big guns with a dress she could barely slide herself into it was so tight. She could barely breathe but she didn't care, it obviously having the desired effect. The redhead couldn't keep her eyes of her body and Naomi loved having that power over her.

But then Emily stood and it was Naomi's turn to ogle, the redhead refusing to be beaten at this little game, wearing a tight singlet top that showed almost too much cleavage, skin tight black jeans and heels. The blonde's mind blanked everything except how hot Emily looked. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so powerful.

They stood in silence for a moment almost in a trance, the sexual tension in the room hitting fever pitch, neither of them making a move towards the other because they knew if they did they'd never leave the house. The tension built until they broke out in giggles, both of them acknowledging the lust and feeling a little silly at how obviously they wanted each other and how they were barely keeping control.

"We'd better go," Emily mumbled, "or we'll never leave."

-x-

Five Jägerbombs later Emily Fitch was feeling lighter than air, a goofy smile permanently fixed to her face. Her hands were in the air as she pressed back into the blonde, her ass grinding to the music against Naomi teasingly, who had a hand wrapped around her side and resting on her belly, under the material of her top. Naomi wasn't much for dancing but she did it because Emily loved it, and the redhead always rewarded her for it later in the night. They pressed their bodies together, the heat burning through them. They'd been dancing for the last few hours, teasing each other with scorching touches and kisses. Emily felt like her skin was on fire. She dropped her head back in invitation and Naomi's lips sought out her neck instantly, a trail of hot wet kisses blazing down her skin, her lips making their way to capture the redhead's in a searing kiss that shook them both. Nothing else existed except for the two of them. Not the crowd they were surrounded by or the music or the flickering lights. Emily turned in the embrace to face the blonde, Naomi's hands settling on the small of her back as they continued their heart-stopping kiss. They pulled away when the need for oxygen became too great, both breathless and panting.

"You're so fucking sexy," Emily breathed as she leaned up to Naomi's ear, the hot air sending a shiver through the blonde.

The redhead pulled back and made the internationally understood symbol for drink. Naomi nodded, gripping the redhead's hand in her own and they made their way through the dance floor to the bar. It was going to take a minute to get served so they found a clear space alongside the bar, Emily trapping the blonde against it with one hand on either side of her body.

"Can I help you?" Naomi said feigning innocence.

Emily growled, actually fucking growled with how irresistible she found the blonde and leaned closer as if to kiss her, stopping achingly short. "Maybe I can help you."

A sneaky hand slid under Naomi's dress and up her thigh, the heat of it warming her already flushed skin, moving slowly towards what it wanted. Emily licked her lips in anticipation. The blonde closed her eyes and her chest rose and fell rapidly as her breathing became shallow.

"Jesus fucking Christ Emily can't you keep your hand out of Naomi's knickers for ten minutes?"

Katie fucking Fitch. Always ruining everything.

Naomi groaned as Emily pulled her hand away and stood beside her to face Katie and Anna. The two of them had been dancing together all night, both without their significant others and both well past drunk. Katie's boyfriend Liam was off visiting family in Wales for the weekend, and Anna had agreed to leave her girlfriend Victoria at home so Katie wouldn't be third wheeling it. The two of them sometimes found it easier to pretend they were together when they went out and Liam or Victoria weren't with them, often using each other to discourage anyone from approaching and as an excuse to anyone who did. Although Katie still enjoyed cutting boys down to size every now and then. But sometimes it had the opposite effect, the lure of possible lesbian action catching the eye of many a stupid man. Although when Emily and Naomi were around they tended to garner most of the attention.

"Yeah, you've given the whole club a good show," Anna added with a smirk.

Emily rolled her eyes and reached for Naomi's hand, locking their fingers. "I can't help it if I have the hottest girl in the club." She leant across and placed a lingering kiss on the blonde's neck, hearing the faint sound of her twin pretending to gag.

"You two are disgustingly in love," Katie said with a not quite convincing look of revulsion on her face.

Emily looked to her and they shared a knowing smile. The redhead knew that her twin was happy for her and what she'd found with Naomi, no matter what she said to the contrary and how much she teased them. Katie was really a big softie underneath, something that not many people got to see, and Emily was more than proud to have her as a sister and best friend.

"Okay who wants shots?" Anna announced, holding her purse in the air, "I'm buying."

-x-

Naomi fished around her bag for her house keys with one hand while struggling to hold the redhead upright with the other. Emily was drunk, enjoying at least three times the amount of alcohol her body could handle, thanks to Anna and Katie buying endless rounds of shots. Naomi was pretty loaded too, but still alert enough to pay the taxi driver the right amount and stand upright without assistance. Emily couldn't claim such things, wobbling about and holding onto the blonde's waist while talking nonsense.

"This house is yellow...which is the colour of the sun...which is in the sky...which is blue...blue eyes...your eyes are pretty."

Naomi rolled those blue eyes at her rambling little redhead and pushed the door open after finally finding her keys. They shuffled inside, nearly tripping over each other's feet and creating enough noise to wake the neighbourhood as they bounced off door frames and walls.

"Fuck," Naomi breathed out as she stubbed her toe on the stairs.

"Mmmm yes please," Emily slurred into her ear, pinching her bum for good measure.

Naomi smirked and pushed the redhead in front of her to keep her upright as they made their way up to their room slowly, Emily struggling to understand how steps worked in her drunken state. She followed the redhead through the door into their room and the wind was almost knocked out of her as Emily slammed her body into hers and against the door, crushing their lips together in a blazing kiss. Naomi moaned as Emily's hands roamed up and down her sides, her own hands reaching for the buttons on Emily's jeans. The whole night had been relentless and delicious foreplay, touches and kisses that promised so much more, and Naomi was more than ready to end the games and get to the fucking. She pulled down Emily's jeans and the redhead stepped out of them as Naomi walked them back to their bed, guiding Emily down gently and then moving her body on top of her. She tugged the redhead's singlet up over her head and kissed the warm skin of her chest while Emily's clumsy hands struggled to pull off her dress.

"Fucking hell Naoms, did you sew yourself into this dress?"

The blonde tried to tug it down herself to no avail. She couldn't fucking believe this was happening. The only thing in the world she wanted right now was to feel Emily's skin on hers, and this fucking dress was ruining everything.

"Fucking hell."

Emily giggled and Naomi shot her a disapproving look, pulling herself up off the bed so she was standing, then tugging and yanking at the dress. She huffed in frustration and turned quickly, heading over to her desk and opening and closing draws hurriedly. If the fucking dress wasn't going to come off she was going to fucking cut it off. She couldn't find the scissors, but knew her mum kept some in the kitchen.

"Wait here," she said somewhat redundantly to a half naked Emily who wasn't planning on moving.

The drunken redhead continued to giggle, reclining on the bed with her hands behind her neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

Naomi frowned in concentration and set off in search of scissors, thumping down the stairs and into the kitchen. She couldn't believe that the dress she had used so effectively to tease Emily all night was now proving to be the only thing standing in the way of the two of them finally having sex. She rifled through draws and cupboards until she found the fucking scissors and then bolted upstairs. She burst through the bedroom door, and snipped quickly yet carefully at the dress, not wanting to slice herself. She half ripped it off of herself, throwing it and the scissors onto the floor and climbing back on to the bed. It was only then that she heard the soft snores coming from Emily, and the steady deep breaths.

She was fucking asleep.

Naomi sighed and rolled onto the other side of the bed, rubbing her hands over her face. She couldn't fucking believe how this night had turned out. She'd gone clubbing and gotten dressed up and been hit on by randoms and teased all fucking night by Emily, all with the promise that there would be lots of dirty sex in her near future.

And now Emily was dead to the world.

She glanced over at the redhead, who looked so adorable with her face slightly scrunched and her mouth hanging open, soft noises escaping. All of Naomi's frustration and annoyance faded at the sight, a small smile tugging up her lips. She just looked so fucking cute, and Naomi knew she'd make Emily pay for it tomorrow.

She gently pulled the bed sheets from under the redhead and then covered them both, before settling back down. She had just closed her eyes when she heard Emily breathe her name in sleep and reach out to her, pulling her arm across her stomach as she turned onto her side and shuffled back into the blonde. Naomi kissed her neck and then took a deep breath and smiled.

She knew she couldn't complain. Because really, if all she could do for the rest of her life was snuggle with Emily Fitch, she'd be a lucky woman.

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**Thanks to _skins003_ for reminding me that they are still young and should be having fun...I've got a plan to use your idea about their relationship memories in a later chapter...but for this one I thought they'd just have fun...**

**Please leave a review if you've got time! **

**Peace :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey peeps, thanks again so much for your reviews! I know everyone says it but they really do keep me motivated to write...so please keep them coming!**

**So it turns out that there's a **_**very**_** good reason why doctors tell you not to drink alcohol on painkillers...let's just say I woke up on Sunday morning in my underwear spooning my best friend - who was also in her underwear...so...that was awkward...apparently we'd decided to take a dip in a children's blow-up paddling pool in the freezing weather...wtf...although as I pointed out to her I was on pain meds, what was her excuse...lol... so my head is still a little foggy...hope this is okay...even though it's short...it's kind of ridiculous I know... :P**

**This one's for **_**neverhappy10's**_** challenge which totally would have beaten me if it wasn't for **_**imoan12's **_**idea, which I shamelessly stole!**

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"I hate you," Naomi groaned petulantly, grabbing a pillow from the bed and pitching it at Emily, who was curled up in the armchair and didn't have the presence of mind to duck, the pillow hitting her square in the face and landing in her lap.

"Fuck you."

Emily made a feeble attempt to throw it back, but the pillow landed a metre short of Naomi, who smirked at the effort.

"This is _your_ fault," the blonde whined for what seemed like the millionth time, wiping her runny nose with a tissue. "You work at that fucking school with all those fucking little disease ridden kids and you got fucking sick and now you made me fucking sick."

Emily rolled her eyes and then winced at the pain it caused her. "Shut up Naomi. I told you I was getting sick and you shouldn't get too close but you said 'don't worry about it Em, I can make you better'," she mimicked the blonde dramatically. "It's your own fault you got fucking sick."

She couldn't believe how infuriating Naomi was being. They had been stuck in that fucking room with a particularly nasty case of the flu for four days now. Just the two of them. All the fucking time. Gina didn't want them leaving their germs all over the house and had taken to calling their room the containment unit, bringing them up food and water and juice. Two days in they had officially driven each other crazy, and now they were ready to kill each other, shooting loathing looks across the room. Emily had thought that after almost seven years together there was nothing she didn't know about the blonde, but now she realised how wrong she had been, learning several new and endlessly irritating things about her fiancée this past week...the foremost being that Naomi was the worst patient in the world. Constantly complaining and whinging. _Constantly_. Naomi was a bit of a baby anyway and prone to whining, deep down a spoilt middle child. But Emily was brought up with Katie as a sister. She'd learnt to grin and bear it, and was astounded by how ridiculous Naomi was being now. She had started off complaining and playing for pity, but when Emily hadn't given in and been suitably sympathetic things had turned accusing and nasty. Travelling together for ten months had been a breeze compared to this. Cabin fever wasn't helping either. Being stuck in a square room for days on end would take its toll on any relationships, even one as strong as theirs.

"If I had of known you were like this I never would have agreed to marry you," Emily said spitefully, before erupting in coughing fit.

Naomi scrunched her nose and regarded her fiancée with disgust. "Like I would have asked."

Emily scoffed and gave her the finger, shifting her body in the chair and pulling the blanket up around her. She was happy to sit in the armchair, even though it wasn't really comfortable, because it meant she wasn't lying next to Naomi. She picked up her book again and got back to her new favourite past time – ignoring her fiancée. She knew it drove her nuts.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, the blonde moving around on the bed restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position and failing. She looked over to Emily and frowned.

"Why are you reading that stupid book?"

Emily sighed dramatically and kept her head down, though her eyes and brain weren't focusing very well on what she was trying to read. She'd read the last paragraph four times and still had no idea what it was about, not that it really mattered, she was only reading it because she knew Naomi hated that book. She heard the blonde huffing and fussing about on the bed, the sound of newspaper scrunching and plates clattering. Emily knew that Naomi was looking for attention and she was determined not to indulge her.

Naomi gave up and they fell back into a tense silence, besides the constant sniffles and coughing. After ten or so minutes Emily chanced a glance over her shoulder at the blonde, who looked to be asleep, surrounded by little mountains of tissues. The redhead put her book down and closed her own eyes, glad to finally have some peace. It didn't last long though, a knock at the door breaking the silence and making Naomi bolt upright.

"What," the blonde yelled, rubbing her eyes and wincing at the pain in her head from getting up too quickly.

"Is that any way to greet a visitor Campbell?" came the reply from the other side of the door.

Emily smiled. Her sister was here to save her. Naomi meanwhile closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Katie, come in," Emily said with the slightest hint of pleading.

Disbelieving laughter came from the door. "I don't think so you filthy disease monkeys. I can't afford to get sick...I'm going on holiday next month.

Emily shook her head at her oh-so-caring twin sister. She turned to the blonde and they shared a knowing look at Katie's typical selfishness, then looked away when they realised they were supposed to be mad at each other.

"I just came to drop off some soup mum made for you guys. She claims it will help your immune system or something."

Both girls scrunched their faces. Everyone knew Jenna's food wasn't exactly tasty.

"Thanks," Emily mumbled.

"Gina tells me you two are fighting like little children," Katie continued, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Yeah your sister's being a bitch," Naomi yelled, flashing a smile at Emily.

"Naomi's being a fucking baby," Emily replied, returning the smartass smile.

"You're both fucking babies," Katie said through the door. "Naomi you could whinge someone to death and Emily you're a stubborn little shit."

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. She'd been hoping for some family loyalty but clearly that wasn't going to be forthcoming. She looked over to Naomi, who was looking at her accusingly, like she was the only one acting immature. Emily grimaced at her and turned away.

"Yeah well if Naomi wasn't being such a pussy I wouldn't be so grumpy."

Katie chuckled. "I thought that was what you liked Emily."

The redhead glanced back to Naomi. Blonde greasy hair hung limply around her pale face, her nose was red from blowing it constantly, her scowl fixed in place. For the first time in her life touching Naomi was the last thing Emily wanted to do, let alone have sex with her. The redhead knew she wasn't looking so hot herself. She hadn't showered that day and her pyjamas had food stains on them. Now that she thought about it she realised this was by far the longest they had ever gone without having sex. She momentarily wondered if they'd ever have sex again. She couldn't imagine it right now.

"Well if Emily was a little fucking understanding I wouldn't complain so much," Naomi said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes you would," came the echoing reply from the twins.

The blonde's mouth dropped open in offence and she hopelessly threw tissues at Emily but they didn't fly further than her own feet.

"Well I'm gonna leave you guys to your misery," Katie announced from the door. "Believe it or not I have better things to do with my time than speak to you two lezzers. So I'm off, the soup is downstairs, and Liam and Anna send their best by the way."

The girls mumbled their goodbyes and then listened to Katie's retreating footsteps. Emily felt Naomi looking at her but once again refused to indulge her and went back to reading.

-x-

An hour or so later Naomi was lying across the bed with the TV on watching trashy American soap operas. They'd moved an old small TV into their room, and she'd gotten into the soapies these last few days she'd spent in confinement, getting caught up in who was having an affair with whom and who was secretly related although they didn't know it yet. Emily hated them and hated the noise, which was half the reason the blonde enjoyed watching them.

"Can you turn it down," Emily breathed out in frustration.

Naomi shrugged. "I can't. My ears are blocked."

She smiled with all the false sweetness she could muster and Emily rolled her eyes at her efforts.

"You're so full of shit," the redhead replied, then arched an eyebrow as an idea hit her. Throwing the blanket off her she stood from the chair, a little shaky on her feet, and made her way across the room to their ipod dock. She could feel the blonde watching her as she turned on some music, just loud enough to obscure the noise from the TV.

"Turn that off," Naomi demanded immediately, slapping the bed sheets for added effect.

Emily smirked. She knew she was being incredibly spiteful and immature but she didn't care.

"No. Why do you get to decide what we listen to? I feel like music."

She turned the music up a little higher, now completely drowning out the TV. The blonde replied in kind, turning the TV up until she could hear it over the music. So Emily turned it up again. And so did Naomi. Staring at each other with narrowed eyes and tight smiles the whole time.

Their little game was interrupted when the door flew open. Gina stood in the doorway, her face flushed red with anger. Without a word she marched into the room and snatched the ipod out of the dock, Emily stepping back slightly frightened, then over to the TV, unplugging it and picking it up. Naomi opened her mouth to complain but Gina beat her to it.

"You two are being fucking ridiculous. Instead of acting like mature 23 year olds who love each other you're pissing around like fucking children."

She glared at them both in turn, Emily blinked hard.

"At this point I really don't care if you fucking kill each other," Gina continued. "As long as you do it quietly."

With one final glare she was gone, marching through the door and kicking it shut behind her with her foot.

The girls watched the door in shock for a minute, before the redhead turned back to Naomi.

"Look what you've done now."

-x-

Later that night Emily tossed and turned on her side of the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in that was also as far away from the blonde as possible. She was starting to feel a little bit better, and was willing to accept that Naomi was probably sicker than she was. Although she'd never admit that out loud. The redhead thought that she'd probably be able to get back to work in a couple of days, while Naomi would probably be out for another week. She knew she was being painfully stubborn, but the blonde's behaviour wasn't any better.

"Ems," Naomi breathed out in the depths of her fitful sleep, her hand searching out the redhead.

Emily sighed and somewhat reluctantly shifted over in the bed so that she was holding Naomi from behind, the blonde instinctively reaching for her hand and pulling her closer. No matter how hard she tried, the redhead couldn't fight her need to comfort Naomi, to love her. It was like grass being green or birds being able to fly. Something that just is. A part of who she is, maybe the biggest part. And she knew it was the same for Naomi. She realised that if she still loved her fiancée this much, even with tissues stuffed up her nostrils to stop her snotty nose from running and her foul attitude, if she still loved her this fucking much...then she knew nothing would be able to break them apart.

"I love you," she whispered, knowing that she always would.

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**Sorry it's so short...I promise to be back with another long chapter soon with some actual story...**

**Please leave a review!**

**:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Officially BLOWN AWAY by your reviews...I should be asleep right now but I had to get this up to say thanks! As for your question **_**neverhappy 10**_** I could be up for another challenge...depending on what it is of course :P**

**And for those of you following the story of my blackout – my boyfriend still won't tell me exactly what I did...he thinks it's hilarious to tease me...my best friend remembers bits and pieces...mostly involving sing star and our paddle pool shenanigans...but yeah...no idea...maybe that's for the best?...**

**Aaaaanyways, I hope you like this chapter...it came out way fluffier than I thought it would...oh well...**

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"Emilio, this house is fucking mint yeah." Cook held his beer bottle up in salute before wandering further down the hall.

"Glad you like it ."Emily nodded and straightened a picture she'd hung of her and Naomi from their gap year, the two of them standing in Red Square with black fur hats.

"Yeah," he added with a grin, before popping his head into the spare bedroom, "I bet you and Naoms have already christened every inch of this place ay?"

Emily rolled her eyes and pretended it wasn't true...even though it totally was. Turns out having sex in your own house wherever and whenever you want it pretty fucking irresistible.

"And now that you and Blondie have your own shag palace I've got somewhere to stay if Gina kicks me out."

Emily shook her head and smiled. "Sure Cook."

She was glad to have her friends back. Effy and Cook had landed on Gina's doorstep a few days ago, after months of being away, and just days after she and Naomi had moved into their own place. Gina had given her and Naomi a call and they had come over straight after work, pulling their friends into long hugs and asking a million questions. Neither Cook nor Effy had said much about their time away, just that they had spent it travelling through Europe and felt it was time to come home, especially with the wedding in a few weeks. It seemed Effy _had_ been checking her email, as Naomi had decided to tell her that way and hope that it would bring them home. It had worked apparently. Effy and Cook had been staying at Gina's since, though in separate rooms. They weren't together apparently. Emily was determined to get to the bottom of it, but the middle of her housewarming wasn't exactly the right time.

She moved into the kitchen and found Anna and her girlfriend Victoria chatting with Katie. Emily thought back to those painful months in college when her friendship with Anna had been hanging by a thread. But she'd given her friend the space she'd asked for and they'd slowly started to build their relationship again. They'd managed to stay connected during university when Emily was in London and Anna staying in Bristol. It helped that Anna and Katie had become such good friends. It also helped that Naomi had gotten over her jealousy.

"This place is really nice Em," Victoria said as the redhead entered the room.

Emily smiled and moved to stand amongst them. "Thanks. We've been looking for a while and this one really fit."

"Yeah it's great," Anna added, before taking a sip of her drink.

Emily smiled to herself watching her friend share a loving look with her girlfriend. She was so happy that Anna had found someone she loved, someone as great as Victoria. They'd been together for a year now and the redhead had never seen her friend so happy.

"Plenty of room for my little nieces and nephews," Katie winked in her sister's direction.

Emily almost choked on her drink. "I don't know about that Katie."

"Oh you never know," came Naomi's voice from behind her.

Before the redhead could turn around she felt Naomi's arms wrap around her waist, the blonde pressing into her back and resting her chin on her shoulder. Emily's stomach fluttered at the thought of little Naomi's running around, messy blonde hair, inquisitive blue eyes, sarcastic tongues and hot tempers. That wouldn't be so bad. It might even be perfect.

"You two are disgustingly in love," Katie said admiringly, without the slightest hint of sarcasm.

Emily nuzzled her cheek into Naomi's and brought her hands up to cover the blonde's, feeling her fiancée's ring and smiling.

"Yeah, we are," she replied contentedly, knowing that the love they shared was what fairy tales were written about.

They fell into an easy conversation, Katie regaling them all with stories from her holiday in Paris with Liam, but soon Naomi became aware of the fact that she hadn't seen Effy in a while. She gave her fiancée's waist a squeeze and whispered in her ear that she would be back, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a pinch on the bum before slinking out of the room. She wandered through the house, finding Cook, Liam, Mr Walker and Rob and James Fitch watching football in the lounge, and then past her mum and Jenna talking animatedly about organic vegetables, something she never thought she'd see. She stepped through the back door and spotted her brunette friend sitting on a bench in the quaint little garden having a cigarette, faintly illuminated by the light of the full moon. She felt relieved every time she saw her now, not nearly convinced that she wasn't going to run off again.

"Hey Eff," she greeted her as she walked towards her, taking a seat next to her and pulling her cardigan closed against the chilly air.

Effy nodded her reply and blew out a thick cloud of smoke, then offered her pack to the blonde.

Naomi shook her head. "Emily would kill me."

The redhead had badgered her for years about quitting, saying that she didn't want her to drop dead at 40 and leave her alone, and in their last year of uni Naomi finally had. She'd slipped a couple of times since, but whenever she was tempted she thought of her fiancée and how angry and disappointed she'd be, and how much more important she was than a cigarette.

Effy placed the packet on the bench between them. "Nice house Naoms. You're proper grown up now."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the teasing in her friend's tone. "We've all gotta do it sometime."

"I guess."

"Maybe not Cook."

A silence stretched out between them. It had never been unusual for them to sit without speaking for long periods of time before, but now there was an awkwardness to it. Naomi was brimming with questions she wanted to ask her friend and her time away, but decided on the most important instead.

"How you doing Eff?"

The blonde kept her gaze forward, knew that the brunette would freak out if she looked her in the eye.

Effy inhaled deeply and shrugged. "Yeah..." she glanced off to the side and exhaled, "...I always wake up the next day."

The words made Naomi think of Freddie, a shiver running down her spine. Sometimes she felt guilty for being so deliriously happy, when things had gone so horribly wrong for her friends. Freddie was dead and Effy was adrift without her anchor.

Naomi stole a glance at the brunette, her sad eyes and tight mouth. She wanted to say something wise and comforting, but she didn't have the words. So she slipped her hand out of the sleeve of her cardigan and placed it over her Effy's. The blonde felt her friend flinch slightly but not pull away, and out of the corner of her eye she swore she could see a tear rolling down Effy's cheek. Naomi gripped her hand tighter and they sat there for a while, the silence not feeling so uncomfortable anymore.

-x-

Emily glanced around her new lounge room that was filled with friends and family and smiled. She was pretty sure her life couldn't get any better than this. Her own house with her soon-to-be wife. _Wife_, she repeated in her head and her smile grew wider, her heart fluttered. She was going to marry the woman she loved in a few weeks, and nothing could make her happier. Organising the wedding hadn't been stressful at all and Katie had actually done most of it. Her twin lived for this type of thing and knew people in the business from her PR work. Emily did have to rein her sister in a few times when things started getting a little crazy and there was talk of live doves being released or a horse drawn carriage. They didn't want anything extravagant or too formal. They just wanted a simple ceremony with a fun party afterwards so they could celebrate with their friends and family. Then off to Goa, a place they'd missed on their travels, to spend a week on the beach, laughing and dancing and making love.

Lots of that last one.

"You look happy," Mr Walker said from over her shoulder, shuffling over slowly with the aid of his walking stick and standing next to her.

"Very happy," Emily grinned at him, feeling the words in her bones.

They both looked over to Naomi, who had Liam and Victoria captivated with one of her stories. Emily watched the way her blue eyes sparkled in the light, the way one side of her mouth curled up a little higher than the other, the way her graceful fingers toyed with the hem of her cardigan. Her heart beat a little quicker and her palms tingled. She still couldn't get enough of her.

"She's a special girl," Mr Walker offered, noticing the gleam in Emily's eye.

She nodded, knowing the truth in those words more than anyone else. "I know."

"I remember when I first met her," he continued with a hint of laughter in his voice, "she was a sour little thing. Never smiled."

Emily chuckled at the memory of a teenage Naomi, all attitude and rough edges. The girl she had smiled at across the classroom and gotten a sneer in return. The girl she kissed at that fateful party, finally brave enough to make her move, until Katie ruined everything. The girl who filled her heart and made her dream of things she never thought she'd want. The girl she had relentlessly pursued because she just _knew_. She knew that they would have this. It was inevitable.

"And she was a terrible driver," Mr Walker added dryly.

"She still can't drive," Emily laughed, remembering the time Naomi called her at work to tell her that she'd backed her car into a fence...again.

Their laughter faded into a contemplative silence. Emily reflected on the last few years and how their relationship had just kept getting stronger, more fulfilling.

Mr Walker sighed and shook his head. "She was such a scared little girl. So afraid of life and love."

"I know, you helped her a lot," Emily replied, patting his shoulder with her hand. "You and Mrs Walker. I really should be thanking you. She changed a lot after she met you."

He shook his head. "No Emily. It was you."

She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"She's brave for _you_ Emily. I didn't do anything. This," he gestured around the room with his cane. "This is all because she loves you. This is because of you."

Emily bit her lip and fought the tears that flooded her eyes, feeling the sincerity in Mr Walker's voice. A couple escaped nonetheless and she wiped them away with her sleeve quickly, not wanting anyone else to notice and think there was something wrong.

"The first time Naomi said your name to me she had this look in her eye...and she didn't need to say anything else because I knew that she loved you...just from that look. I recognised it because it's the same way I feel...felt about Marion."

Emily bit on her lip so hard she thought she was about to break the skin, determined not to cry as her heart soared. She pulled Mr Walker into a long hug, catching her fiancée's eye over his shoulder. Naomi narrowed her eyes briefly at the redhead's tears but a look passed between them and Naomi knew that nothing was wrong.

In fact everything was perfect.

-x-

Naomi was standing in the corner of the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil and checked her watch, wondering when everyone would leave so that she could take her fiancée upstairs and do very bad things to her for a very long time. A whole evening dedicated to celebrating their new house and talk of their upcoming wedding had her horny as hell, and she was tempted to kick everyone the fuck out. But she was on her best behaviour tonight and thought it wouldn't go down too well if she told Emily's parents to leave so she could fuck their daughter's brains out. They'd managed to steal kisses every so often throughout the night but that had only made it worse, giving her a little taste of what she wanted so badly and then taking it away. She zoned out and was imagining what she was going to do to the redhead once they were finally alone when she heard her name being called. She looked up to find her mum and Jenna walking towards her, cornering her in the kitchen. She smiled at them guiltily, irrationally wondering if they could tell what she had been thinking about.

"Katie tells us you're thinking about babies," her mum said directly, as they stopped in front of her.

Naomi's smile faded and she cursed Katie and her big mouth.

"Mum we're not even married yet I mean –"

"Because there are a lot of things to think about and plan," her mum continued, oblivious to her protest.

"That's right," Jenna added. "This house would be a bugger to baby-proof and those stairs will be a nightmare. Some of the furniture might have to go sharp edges. And you'll have to think about schools pretty early on."

Naomi stared at the two of them little dumbfounded as they rambled on, amazed they had put so much thought into this so quickly, and a little freaked out with how they had teamed up. She and Emily had joked about having kids before but never talked seriously. In truth she'd always imagined that they would, whether that was through adoption or IVF. But she did love the idea of little Emily's running around. Smart and cheeky little brunettes with wise brown eyes and stubborn as all hell. And they would be _little_, given how petite Emily is.

"Hey!" she called loudly to shut them up, a small smile curling her lips. "Can we talk about this _after_ we're actually married? It's not like I can accidentally get Emily pregnant."

Gina nodded, finally taking the hint, while Naomi noticed Jenna blushing a little and remembered that the Fitch family weren't so open talking about sex. She bit her lip and smiled sheepishly.

"I promise you two will be the first to know whenever we make any decisions," she said sincerely.

She glanced at her mum and then her soon to be mother-in-law, relieved smiles gracing their faces.

"That would be lovely," Jenna replied with a satisfied smile, as if forcing that promise from Naomi was her plan all along.

"Yes," Gina added grinning, before the two of them sauntered off, speculating on when they thought Katie would be getting married.

The blonde rolled her eyes and went to make herself a coffee, staring out of the window absentmindedly while the kettle boiled.

"Planning on offering anyone else one?"

She smirked at the sound of Katie's voice and turned. "No," she answered honestly. "I'm waiting for you all to fuck off."

They shared a cheeky smile. The words would have once been an invitation for the two for the two of them to bicker, but it hadn't been that way for years. It had taken Naomi a little while but she had finally proven to Katie that she loved Emily and would never hurt her, and in the last few months of college the twin had started to warm to her a little, which meant she was no longer sending death stares. But it was a start, and soon they graduated to friendly small talk, and then they'd actually become something close to friends when Katie would come and visit them in London. Naomi would never admit it to her, but she actually liked spending time with Katie. They had both grown over the years, Katie less judgemental and the blonde more relaxed. Naomi had always found it funny how different Emily and Katie were in most things, but she'd also discovered that Katie shared a lot of Emily's best qualities like thoughtfulness and kindness...she just didn't show them as much.

"Thanks for telling our mums about me and Ems having babies by the way," Naomi continued. "Now they're on baby watch. They're going to hassle us endlessly."

Katie threw her head back and chuckled. "Payback for not helping me convince Emily that ice sculptures at your wedding would not be over the top."

Naomi opened her mouth to argue but Katie kept talking.

"And it got the heat off me and Liam for a little while. Mum keeps asking when we're going to get married."

Naomi noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. "You don't want to?" she asked gently, knowing this relationship stuff was more Emily's expertise. She could see Katie was struggling and turned around to give her some space, busying herself with making them both a coffee.

"I don't know," came Katie's eventual reply from behind her.

Naomi finished making the coffees and handed the twin hers, then took a sip of her own. She sensed that Katie wanted to say more, and stood silently, giving her time.

"I love him," Katie continued, "and I know he loves me...but..."

Naomi raised her eyebrows in anticipation. Katie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, seemingly having trouble finding the words.

"I don't look at him the way Emily looks at you," the twin confessed finally, her eyes glancing down. "And he doesn't look at me the way you look at Emily."

Naomi's eyebrows knitted together, unsure of exactly what Katie was saying.

"When you and Emily look at each other...you can _feel_ it," Katie clarified, sensing the blonde's uncertainty. "You guys love each other so much..." She looked away wistfully. "Liam and I don't look at each other like that," she muttered sadly.

Naomi could count on one hand the amount of times she'd hugged Katie, but this seemed like one of those times. She stepped forward and reached out her arms, surprised when the twin actually stepped into the slightly awkward hug.

The blonde thought about Katie's words, about how she and Emily were the standard Katie now held for true love. Someone who had been so against them from the beginning was now holding them up as a benchmark. Naomi felt a strong sense of validation that she never knew she'd needed. She grinned and patted Katie on the back a final time before they pulled away.

"Stop trying to make me gay," Katie said with a cheeky smile and feigned disgust.

-x-

An hour later Emily was finishing off the last of the dishes while Naomi dried them reluctantly, wishing that the redhead had of agreed to her idea of heading to bed and leaving them until tomorrow. But Emily was much more of a _do it today rather than tomorrow_ kind of person, which balanced out Naomi who sometimes became a _forget about it entirely_ person.

Emily rinsed the soap off her hands and wiped them dry, then moved to enter the lounge to continue cleaning.

"Oh no," Naomi said as she grabbed the redhead by the wrist and pulled her back gently. "Bed."

Emily lifted an eyebrow at the blonde's demands but gave in easily, following Naomi up the stairs as she was tugged along behind her. She entered the room and was guided to their new bed, a bed that they had picked out together. Theirs. They stripped each other of their clothes slowly, hands roaming over skin, before Naomi pulled the redhead down onto the bed, and finally did all those things she'd been dreaming about earlier, until Emily was breathless and sweaty beneath her. Emily took her revenge quickly, bringing the blonde to incredible heights before they collapsed together, trying to catch their breath.

"I was serious about the kids," Naomi said finally, surprising even herself with her words and how much she meant them.

Emily grinned, slipping her hand into the blonde's and threading their fingers together.

"Yeah...I know."

* * *

**So there you have it...it's almost 2am here and I'm fucking tired so apologies if it's shit!**

**If you review I will love you forever..I'm such a whore :P**

**Peace out :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! Each and every one of them makes me squee! Can you feel that? That's me giving you a hug and inappropriately touching your bottom ;P**

**Oh man, **_**neverhappy10**_**, I realise I may lose you and others as readers but I have to tell you that I hate soccer/football (depending on which continent you are on) and the world cup! I know, I know shame on me...the rest of my family is **_**obsessed**_** and my bf is waking up at all hours in the morning to watch games but I just...don't get it... :/ Having said that however, I **_**will**_** take up your challenge...let me think on it ;)**

**In the meantime I give you all drunken sexy fun...I was a little drunk when I wrote this...*smiles bashfully*...hope you enjoy...**

* * *

"Let's go Emily."

The redhead rolled her eyes and slumped down onto the end of her sister's bed in a final protest. "This is ridiculous Katie."

Her twin finished fiddling with her earring and then stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently. "It's _tradition_ Emily. Just because you're both girls doesn't mean you can't follow tradition."

"I just don't understand why we can't all go out together...why does it need to be separate," she played with the hem of her dress, a dress that hugged her hips and showed almost too much cleavage and definitely too much leg. A dress she'd bought to tease her fiancée, who wasn't even going to see her in it tonight. "And why are all the boys going out with Naomi?"

Katie moved around to her dressing table and checked her make-up. "I don't know Emily," she replied, her exasperation evident in her voice. "Cook said he had an idea in mind." She wiped some eyeliner that had smudged. "Anyway it's not _all_ boys...Effy's going too."

Emily rolled her eyes. Effy's presence didn't exactly inspire confidence that they wouldn't all end up in jail or hospital thanks to Cook's stupidity. She loved him like a brother, but he wasn't exactly responsible.

"Come on," Katie called, now standing at her bedroom door. "Anna, Victoria and Stacey are waiting downstairs for us. Let's go."

Emily watched her sister leave and reluctantly got up to follow, stopping for a final once over in the mirror. When Katie had told her she was organising her bachelorette party Emily had nodded and gone along with it, assuming that she and Naomi would just have one together. Apparently not, which Katie had told them approximately three hours ago when she had practically kidnapped Emily from her home and told Naomi that Cook and Effy would pick her up in a few hours. Emily checked her watch, wondering what her fiancée was doing at that moment, what kind of debauchery Cook had conned her into. Katie wouldn't let her twin see Naomi all night, which included no phone calls or text messages, and she was insisting that Emily stay the night at her and Anna's place. Katie had already confiscated her phone. Emily's protests had fallen on deaf ears and even Naomi had given up in the end – reluctantly deciding to just go with it. Katie would not be worn down.

Emily adjusted the strap of her dress in the mirror and huffed at how hot she looked and how wasted that was, then turned and descended the stairs, walking into the kitchen where the girls were doing shots.

"Here," Stacey said as she thrust a shot glass full of what looked and smelled like whiskey under the redhead's nose.

Emily shrugged and thought _what the hell_, taking the glass and throwing the whiskey down her throat, wincing as she felt it burn all the way down to her stomach. The other girls cheered, clearly already halfway pissed, and Stacey refilled the shot glasses, laughing when she spilled some across the bench top. They weren't ever going to leave the house at this rate. Emily was pleased that Stacey was coming with them, as they had become closer friends in the past few months since Emily had told her she was gay. After her fight with Naomi she'd realised that she couldn't keep pretending to be someone else at work, couldn't keep letting them assume she was someone she wasn't. Stacey wasn't fazed and actually a little embarrassed that she'd gone on so much about meeting _him_, as she had refered to Emily's fiancee, and once the initial awkwardness passed they'd become good friends. Emily had told a couple of other co-workers the truth since, and corrected others when they assumed her fiancée was a man, to varied responses, but she was good at putting people at ease and making them feel comfortable around her, and it hadn't seemed to have any negative effect on her job. The best thing about it was that she could finally get that lecherous prick Damien, one of the physics teachers, off her back. He'd been hitting on her constantly, pretty much since her first day there, even though he knew she was engaged. But now that he knew her fiancée wasn't a man he'd backed off. Emily had so enjoyed seeing the look on his face when she'd told him about Naomi, the penny finally dropping that he really didn't have a chance in hell. Aside from that bit of fun, telling the truth had been a massive relief, and Emily had realised that withholding that huge part of herself had prevented her from connecting with anyone else at work, especially Stacey, who she now counted her as a close friend.

"Jesus," Katie breathed as she threw back another shot, shaking her head as it burned. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

Emily took a deep breath, uncertain and a little scared about where the night may take her.

-x-

"Are you fucking kidding me Cook?" Naomi looked around the room as they walked through the entry and scrunched her nose. "A strip club?"

Cook grinned and held his arms out. "This is a classy joint this place is." He took in her sceptical look but his smile didn't falter. "I thought you'd like this place Naomi. You get to look at half naked fit birds but you can't touch them so your missus can't get mad at you. It's perfect!"

He grinned proudly and Naomi rolled her eyes. Typical Cook logic. Sometimes he acted so much like a little boy that she felt like his mother. Maybe she and Emily didn't need to have kids – they already had Cook. She looked over to Liam and JJ who were already sitting around a table close to the stage watching a girl dance, appreciative smiles on their faces. Even Effy, her sole fellow female didn't seem to mind, sauntering over to sit beside JJ, leaning back and watching the show. Cook raised an eyebrow, daring Naomi to ask them all to leave, then in response to her silence grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her along with him to sit at their table. A waitress was already there taking a drinks order, and Naomi heard Cook ordering something on everyone's behalf. She reluctantly slumped down into her chair and looked around, taking in the rest of the room. It was a pretty big place, cavernous really, with lots of dark nooks and crannies to find trouble, and actually fitted out quite nicely, dark carved wood and chandeliers. There was a long wooden bar that ran down the right side, lined with men on stools, half of them not even watching the stage. The room was pretty full, men of all ages, a lot of them in business suits, but quite a few women as well. Naomi still felt uncomfortable and out of place. It wasn't the nudity, she'd grown up around enough of that thanks to her mother, she just didn't like this sort of thing, objectifying women and all that.

She looked up at the girls dancing away on the stage and frowned. Sure they were beautiful and sexy, and the blonde felt a slight flutter in the pit of her stomach as she watched their bodies move, but she'd much rather be dancing with Emily, wrapping her arms around her petite frame and grinding their hips together. She didn't get any enjoyment from this.

As the waitress came back with two rounds of shots and a round of beers Naomi decided that the only way to enjoy the night was to get monumentally fucked up. So that was what she was going to do. She threw one shot down followed quickly by the other, then chased it with the beer. She felt Effy watching her and turned to face her, finding the brunette wearing her trademark smirk.

"Not what you had in mind huh Naoms?" She gestured to the stage with a nod of her head.

Naomi scoffed. "Not quite. You seem to be enjoying yourself though," she teased with a raised eyebrow. "Thinking of joining my team?"

Amusement danced in Effy's eyes as she smiled. "You wish."

They shared a smile and Naomi took another sip of her beer, watched as Cook and JJ made idiots of themselves waving money around, their tongues practically hanging out of their mouths. Katie's boyfriend Liam was sitting back and enjoying the show. He was a pretty chilled guy, he'd have to be to date Katie Fitch. Confident that no one was paying her any attention Naomi relaxed back into her seat and let her mind drift for a while, thoughts of her upcoming wedding obscuring the craziness around her.

She was getting married in three weeks. That fact alone was enough to bring a smile to her face and make any bad day better. Soon Emily Fitch would be her wife. The blonde didn't know why that felt important, why she wanted it, but she did. More than anything. She never had when she was younger, arguing against social convention and insisting that a certificate from the government didn't make a difference. And in a way she still believed that, that her love for Emily wouldn't change or grow just because they were married, but there was something in her gut that still wanted that certificate. She didn't try to analyse it too much, but she supposed it stemmed from her dad walking out when she was little. She wanted to make her own family...one with Emily. She knew some of her friends thought they were too young but Naomi shrugged that theory off. When she'd told Emily that she knew she wanted to marry her before she knew her name she hadn't been lying. She just _knew_, as soon as she saw the tiny redhead that they would have this together, which was why she was so terrified in the beginning. But giving in to that fear and embracing it had been the best thing she'd ever done.

Her focus snapped back to the present as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and was confronted by barely covered tits. She almost laughed out loud at the contrast between her previous thoughts and her current predicament.

"My treat," Cook leaned in and said in her ear with a wink.

Naomi looked the girl up and down. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Her green eyes caught the light and her mouth curled mischievously like she had a secret. Her dark brown hair flowed across the tan skin of her bare shoulders and her body curved in all the right places.

Naomi stiffed as the girl leaned closer and whispered in her ear, those tits far too close to her face.

"My name's Skye," the girl purred, "you sit back and relax honey."

Skye pulled back but before she could start to move Naomi shook her head and put up her hand to stop her.

"No thanks."

It would be a waste of both of their time and Cook's money – she only wanted Emily. The thought of another girl on her lap and near her skin wasn't appealing in the least.

She nodded toward Cook. "Try my friend over here."

Cook didn't have that same problem though, more than willing to get what he'd paid for, relaxing back in his chair with his fingers locked behind his neck. Naomi sighed and shook her head at his misguided efforts. The whole night seemed to be a misguided effort really. Especially because fucking Katie was determined to keep Emily away from her all night, claiming some silly wedding tradition.

Feeling a wave of longing Naomi slid her phone out of her pocket and started writing her fiancée a message, despite promising Katie she wouldn't, but it was quickly snatched from her hands.

"Hey," the blonde called out in protest.

Effy smirked and slipped the phone into her bag. "It's only been five hours since you saw her Naomi. Jesus Christ I knew you were fucking whipped but I didn't think you were this bad."

"I'm not whipped," the blonde replied unconvincingly, her voice faltering.

Effy raised an eyebrow in response. "I promise you'll have fun tonight Naomi, regardless of what Cook has planned."

She watched the brunette reach into her purse and fiddle with something inside. She pulled her fist out and opened it a little so that Naomi could see inside. Two pills.

"Take one of these."

Naomi looked hard at Effy and then back down at the pills. She still smoked weed every now and then but she hadn't taken any other drug in years, not since university. She knew Emily wouldn't be happy if she did...but she wasn't going to be seeing Emily. And this night was a fucking mess. And she needed something to make it bearable.

She reached across and took one of the pills between her fingers, then slipped it into her mouth inconspicuously and swallowed it down with her beer.

Effy smirked and swallowed her own. "Now let's have some fun."

-x-

Emily Fitch was drunk. Pissed, shattered, legless, tanked, sloshed, loaded. All accurate descriptions of her current state. Katie kept shoving drinks in her face all night and Emily didn't much feel like arguing. All five of them were loaded, dancing around like idiots on the dance floor. At least Emily knew she was a charming drunk, smiling and making everyone feel good. Katie had taken them all to a cocktail bar to start, where everything was very civilised and they had a few drinks and some finger food. After that the real fun had started, her twin guiding them all to the hot new club that had opened up a few nights before, strolling right past the line outside and letting the bouncer know they were on the guest list, no doubt thanks to her PR connections. It was all quite impressive really. Emily sometimes forgot how good at her job Katie was.

From there the night descended into drunken madness, the redhead spending most of it out on the dance floor, and the rest of it running back to the bar for more liquor. The beat of the music flowed through her body as she moved along to it, her sweaty limbs bumping into and bouncing off her friends and anyone else close to her, her legs slightly unsteady. She'd danced with her sister and Stacey a lot, finding that the safest option rather than fending off advances constantly, though her usual response to that was to hold up her hand and show them her engagement ring. Girls usually backed off but some of the guys saw it as a challenge. If she hadn't been so drunk she would have been pissed off enough to go home. But she was very drunk. And therefore having a lot of fun.

She was bouncing along to a favourite song, her eyes closed letting the music wash over her, when she felt hands wrapping around her waist, a body pressing against her back. She felt tits pushed against her, and realised it was a girl. Her eyes flew open and her already thumping heart quickened. She stiffened and tried to pull away but the hands held her firmly in place. This bitch didn't want to let her go. She looked around for Katie or her friends but couldn't see anyone, panicking slightly. The girl leant closer to her ear.

"It's me baby."

It took a second for Emily's hazy brain to realise who the voice belonged to but as soon as she did her whole body relaxed, so much so that she almost fell down, Naomi having to hold her up. Once she'd regained her footing she turned around to look at her beautiful fiancée, a sloppy grin gracing the redhead's face. She leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a kiss she'd been wanting all night, her hands tangling in blonde hair while Naomi's moved to rest on her bum, pulling her closer, the friction causing a groan to rise in her throat. Heat flooded her body as she felt the blonde's hot tongue in her mouth, the warmth of her firm body pressed against hers, her hands pressing into her skin. She felt like every nerve in her body was blazing with desire. They pulled away from the kiss panting for air, their eyes locked. Emily brought a hand around to hold the blonde's cheek.

"You're fucking high," she yelled over the music, not quite convincingly annoyed.

"Cook's fault," Naomi mumbled as she leant in for another kiss, but then pulled back. "And you're _really_ fucking drunk."

Emily forgot she was trying to be mad and giggled to herself, because she really was fucking drunk.

"How did you find me?"

Naomi's eyes fluttered closed again as Emily's finger drifted across her cheek and to her lips, tracing their shape lightly. "Effy," she mumbled simply, like that explained everything. She didn't have time to explain that Effy had tricked Cook into going there because she knew Naomi was miserable without Emily and she knew where the redhead was, even though Katie had told her that specifically so they _wouldn't_ go there. She didn't have time to say all of that because she had a far more important thing for her lips to do.

She leaned in again, her hungry mouth wanting to taste Emily forever. Needing it in the pit of her stomach. The MDMA was making the lights brighter and the music louder and everything sharper but only Emily could make her feel like this.

On fire.

Desperate in her need to touch the redhead in every way possible. To feel her skin shiver under her touch, her muscles quiver.

They kissed and moved together to the music for a minute before Emily smiled against her lips and turned around in her embrace, the blonde groaning at the lack of contact. But Emily pressed her back into her again, pulling the blonde's hands around her to rest on her stomach. Naomi's mouth sought out her neck instantly, running her tongue along her skin, the salty taste driving her wild, her arms reflexively pulling Emily closer.

The redhead moaned and grabbed for the blonde's long fingers, holding them between her own. She was fascinated by Naomi's fingers, and not for the obvious reasons...though they were there too. There was just something so graceful and beautiful about them, and the redhead loved to play with them. Feel them with her own. She ran the tips of her fingers along them, tracing their lines and curves, feeling Naomi's chest shudder against her, she knew she was teasing her.

The redhead turned slightly so she was close to Naomi's ear. "Take me home."

The blonde shook her head and moved one hand to Emily's thigh, causing a whimper. "Toilets are closer."

Suddenly the warmth at her back was gone, and the redhead felt her hand being pulled, her legs moving quickly to keep up as Naomi tugged her determinedly through the crowd. The blonde pushed past anyone in their way and Emily followed in her wake, into the crowded toilets and attempting to be discreet as they slipped into a cubicle. Naomi pushed her up against the side wall immediately, her lips attacking her chest and then sucking on her pulse point, her hands running down the sides of her body. Emily struggled to keep standing with the assault Naomi was releasing on her skin, desire making her centre ache. Their lips met again and she felt herself being pulled forward, Naomi using one hand to flick down the cover on the toilet seat and falling down onto it, pulling Emily with her so that she was straddling her lap. She felt hands reaching around to her back and unzipping her dress, then sliding the straps off her shoulders, letting the material fall down and bunch at her waist, exposing her breasts, heaving with her laboured breath. Emily watched Naomi's darkened blue eyes widen and remembered that she hadn't worn a bra. The blonde leant forward and placed her mouth on one of them, Emily groaning as her head fell back, a hot tongue slipping around her nipple. She clenched her eyes shut as the waves of pleasure flowed through her and then felt another hand moving under her dress along the inside of her thigh, crawling up further until it reached its destination, pressing against her through her underwear.

"Fuck me," she shuddered, and felt Naomi smile against her skin, her skilful fingers pushing aside the flimsy material and sliding into her, both girls moaning at the contact.

They moved together, slowly at first and then increasing their pace, the redhead steadying herself with one hand up against the wall, struggling to keep quiet, not wanting to let everyone in the toilets know what they were doing, though they could probably guess. But as she felt herself nearing the edge and Naomi's mouth back on her tits she couldn't suppress her moans any longer, a stream of _oh god_ and _fuck, Naomi_, flowing from her until she crashed over the edge, wrapping an arm around the blonde and pulling their bodies close, clenching her eyes shut and seeing fucking stars.

They held each other like that, until their breathing calmed and feeling returned to the rest of Emily's body.

"Best. Night. Ever," Naomi breathed into her hair.

Emily smiled wickedly and stood, pulling the blonde with her, then slammed her back against the wall, preparing to return the favour.

"Not yet."

* * *

**Er...hope you enjoyed that...this is the longest chapter in this story so far...I don't know what that says about me...lol :P**

**Okay...so I don't know about anywhere else in the world but in Australia we have done away with the night-before bachelorette parties...mostly because the bride and groom are shitfaced in the morning for the wedding...I also stretched it a little so that the wedding was three weeks away because some of you want me to delay them getting married as long as possible...now just to prepare you there will be a wedding in like one or two chapters...I started off planning ten chapters and now have about 20! I just wanted to give some of you the heads up so you weren't too disappointed! And for those of you not wanting them to get married because they will suddenly be old I say pish posh...they're still only like 24...plenty of time for fucking around and fucking up :P**

**In any case I would love to hear your feedback...even if it is to tell me how vehemently you disagree! **

**Peace :)**

*** quick shout out to thundercat91 - i don't like putting lyrics in my fics but thanks for the suggestion - i love that song :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Much love to all my readers and reviewers! You never fail to put a smile on my face :D - ****see that?...that's my smile! **

**Sammie – This is my sneaky little response to your world cup challenge – hope it fills the criteria! And yes, my bf and I are living in sin, (as my religious grandmother **_**actually**_** refers to it!), so when his alarm goes off to watch the world cup at freakin' 3am(!) I get woken up...but I get my revenge when I set my alarm for 6am to go for a run before work and he gets woken up :P...and my name is Audrey by the way...we've all been together on this Naomily ride a while so we should be on a first name basis, lol...**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy...it's a bit rushed and overdue because I've been a bit of a social butterfly this weekend and haven't been home much...so my apologies for any crapness and the next one will be better!**

* * *

Naomi sat on the end of the bed in an oversize t-shirt watching her fiancée get dressed. Her eyes widened a little in appreciation and her lips parted slightly as the towel fell from around the redhead's body, Emily completely oblivious under her gaze as she slipped into her underwear and bra. The blonde stared intently, studying the way Emily's graceful body moved, how her muscles stretched and contracted, how the late morning sun bounced off her creamy skin, and found herself letting out an involuntary sigh. Naomi had never really much cared for lingerie, throwing on whatever she grabbed first in the morning, but Emily had developed a liking for wearing beautiful underwear and it was her biggest indulgence, buying something new every week. Naomi didn't mind at all, obviously, especially when the redhead modelled her new purchases for her. She'd laugh at her sometimes, teasing Emily about how her student's eyes would pop out of their heads if they knew what was under the stylish yet conservative outfits she wore to work.

Emily started towards their closet on the other side of the room but Naomi had other ideas and reached an arm out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards her.

"You smell like soap," she murmured, her hands resting on Emily's hips as the redhead moved to stand between her thighs. There was something about a freshly showered Emily that made the blonde want to get her all dirty again.

Naomi leant forward and kissed her firm stomach slowly several times, the redhead dropping her head back and smiling at the sensation, one hand snaking around to hold Naomi's neck while the other settled on her shoulder. The blonde kissed her way up to the valley of Emily's breasts and tried to pull her down onto the bed with her, wanting more, but her fiancée wasn't cooperating, the hand on her shoulder pushing her away.

"I know what you're doing," Emily said in a playful but warning tone.

Naomi simply ignored her and tried to pull her down again with a flurry of kisses to her belly, her hands moving around to grab her bum.

Emily pushed her back once more but didn't move away, her body not wanting to listen to her brain. She struggled to keep her voice even, as her eyes fluttered closed under the blonde's touch. "Seriously Naomi, we have to go."

Naomi smiled against her stomach. "No we don't. We can stay here and do _this_." She trailed a hand up the redhead's back slowly and then unhooked the bra that had just been put on.

The action snapped Emily's mind out of her sex haze and she pushed away for a final time, stepping back to put space between them as Naomi reached for her again, her eyes dark with desire.

"Don't look at me like that," Emily smiled as she re-clipped her bra, "we _have_ to go."

"Why do we have to go," Naomi replied sullenly, playing it up with a petulant frown as she leaned back on the bed.

Emily didn't indulge her childishness and continued getting ready, walking to the closet and digging through her clothes. "I told you. It's important to my dad, he throws a world cup party every time it's on."

Naomi's frown faded as her eyes fixed to her fiancée's cute little bum, sticking out when Emily bent forward slightly. "Well I don't remember going last time," she whined, using that precedent to strengthen her case.

"That's because we were in London and you had one last exam," Emily explained as she seemed to be searching for something. "If we don't go this time we'll be thrown out of the family."

Naomi rolled her eyes at her fiancée's exaggeration, also annoyed that her argument had backfired.

"So who's going to be there again?" she asked, vaguely aware that she'd already been told the answer.

"I told you," Emily replied, frustration evident in her voice. "It's my dad's mates and some people from the gym, some of mum's friends too and a few family members...probably about thirty or forty people...you've met most of them before. We'll eat and drink and watch the game."

Naomi winced at the thought of being surrounded by so many football fans doing nothing but talking about football and watching football for the next few hours. She didn't get it and never had. She'd just couldn't stay interested watching a bunch of guys kick around a ball for an hour and a half and planned on getting quietly drunk throughout the afternoon and evening.

She watched Emily slip a t-shirt over her head and then wriggle her legs into some tight skinny jeans, her eyes widening as the redhead turned around.

"You are actually kidding me...right?"

Naomi didn't even try to stifle her laughter as she took in the top Emily was wearing. She couldn't believe she'd never seen the offending article of clothing before. It was a white t-shirt, obviously bought for Emily when she was younger and less developed, the material now straining over her breasts and barely covering her midriff, but in a way that somehow managed not to look obscene. FITCH FOOTBALL FANATIC was printed in large black block letters across her chest, bookended by a Scottish flag and an English flag.

Emily sighed at her giggling fiancée and shook her head. "My dad got them made for us when we were younger."

Naomi couldn't wipe the smile from her face. Her fiancée looked adorably stupid. "It's a little tiny there Em. Couldn't he have made new ones?"

Emily glanced down at herself. "It's a bit stretched...but I like it. It's full of nostalgia...you know."

"It's full of something," Naomi smirked, her gaze falling to Emily's tits.

"Shut up," the redhead said with a barely veiled smile as she observed the lusty look in her fiancée's eyes.

"Well," Naomi began after a beat, sitting up on the bed once more, "I think the Fitch family is going to look adorable."

It was Emily's turn to smirk, Naomi suddenly feeling a little unsettled by the redhead's wicked smile.

"Yes _we _will," Emily replied, turning around briefly and reaching her hand again into the closet.

-x-

"I can't believe you made me wear this," Naomi muttered as she stepped onto the sidewalk and shut the car door. She tugged on the hem of the English football top that Emily had bought for her and then practically wrestled her into. "And I thought your dad was Scottish anyway. Shouldn't I be wearing that top instead of England?"

Emily walked around to join her on the sidewalk and slipped her hand into the blonde's. "Scotland didn't make it this year," she explained, her voice dropping lower when she added, "don't mention it to my dad. He's pretending they don't exist and supporting England. They're playing today."

"Right," Naomi nodded. "Don't mention Scotland and cheer for England. Got it."

Emily smiled and felt a wave of pure love for her obliging fiancée, tugging on her hand to stop her walking and leaning in to place a sweet kiss on the side of her mouth. Naomi had well and truly been accepted as part of the Fitch family years ago, but Emily knew that sometimes the blonde still got a little overwhelmed by them all – her loud, opinionated and often arguing family. It had just been Naomi and her mum for so long that sometimes gatherings at the Fitch household made her a little anxious. Emily made a mental note to thank her properly later that night.

"Anything else I need to avoid talking about?" Naomi asked playfully as they continued walking down the path to the front door. "Your dad doesn't have a mate whose wife left him for an Irish bloke so I shouldn't mention leprechauns?"

"No, of course not," Emily laughed and squeezed her hand, her eyebrows then narrowing. "Why would you mention leprechauns?"

Naomi chuckled. "Why wouldn't I mention leprechauns! They're magical little fuckers with pots of gold."

Emily knocked on the door and then looked at the sneaky smile on her fiancée's face.

"You can talk about leprechauns as much as you want," she cooed as she leaned forward to kiss the blonde again.

Naomi smiled into the kiss. "Mmm Em...I think I like the way you say leprechauns."

"Leprechauns," the redhead whispered against her lips before they kissed again, this time deeper and more passionately than before, Emily's fingertips brushing the warm skin of Naomi's stomach.

They were interrupted by the door opening, the two of them pulling apart quickly and smiling bashfully.

"Oh fucking hell," Katie said as she shook her head. "You two never quit." She looked the blonde up and down. "Naomi you look ridiculous."

-x-

Emily walked across the now empty and dimly lit lounge room and over to the couch where her fiancée was slumped, leaning against the arm rest and struggling to keep her eyes open. The sun had set hours ago and everyone else had buggered off, Emily staying back to help her mum clean up and let her fiancée sleep it off a little. She squatted down in front of Naomi and reached an arm out, tucking some blonde hair behind her ear tenderly, and then holding her cheek, caressing it gently with her thumb. Naomi's eyes fluttered open at the sensation and Emily smiled adoringly.

"You, my lovely," she said with amusement, "are drunk."

A lazy smile spread across the blonde's face. "I really am."

Emily grinned back at her and couldn't resist leaning in for a quick kiss.

The afternoon and night had been surprising to Emily to say the least. Her dad had been incredibly impressed with Naomi's attire, which the blonde had taken complete credit for, trying to win his favour even more. But her plan had backfired when he'd taken it as a sign that Naomi was now interested in football. He'd made it his personal mission to stay by her side the whole day, running through the players in the English side and then explaining the ins and outs of the game to her during the match. At first Emily had tried to distract her dad and relieve her fiancée, but he couldn't be deterred. So Naomi looked at her pleadingly and kept drinking. She was halfway drunk before the match even started. But the surprising thing was how much the blonde started to enjoy herself, bitching about the referee with her dad and even laughing at in-jokes that she and a few of her dad's mates had apparently started. Emily had sat with Katie and her mum for most of the match, occasionally glancing over at Naomi as their little group erupted with either laughter or swearing, a proud smile stretching on the redhead's face. She knew her fiancée was awesome. She'd had fun with her mum and Katie and some of her family friends while the blonde partied with the football fanatics. They probably should have swapped t-shirts.

She reached out and grabbed both of Naomi's hands with her own. "Come on," she ordered, her voice straining under the effort of pulling the blonde up from the couch. "Let's get you to bed."

Naomi groaned approvingly as she stood a little shakily, steadying herself for a second.

"You want me to piggyback you to the car?" Emily teased, reaching out a hand to help the blonde.

Naomi waved her away, "I can walk thank you very much."

She made it to the car with a few wobbly steps, finally slumping in the passenger seat.

Emily watched and laughed to herself. "You seemed to have a good time."

"Yup," the blonde nodded. "Turns out that football isn't so boring when you've got a few beers in you."

"More than a few," Emily added, noting her fiancée's slurred words. "And I think my dad liked you more than he likes me now."

Naomi smiled smugly. "It's only natural. I am pretty spectacular."

Emily rolled her eyes and started the car, the suddenly talkative blonde babbling endlessly all the way home.

"That Richard guy likes you," Naomi said teasingly as they made their way through their front door, slipping their shoes off and hanging their coats up. "He falls all over you."

Emily scoffed. Richard was the son of one of her dad's best mates, and they'd known each other since they were little. They hadn't seen one another in a while and she'd enjoyed catching up with him that afternoon. She knew he'd liked her when they were younger but she'd obviously never felt that way about him. But that was ten years ago and before she was out. "Don't be silly. He knows I'm gay and that we're getting married in two weeks."

"The heart wants what the heart wants," the blonde said wistfully, "and that boy couldn't keep his eyes off of you."

Emily turned to her with a smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"Not unless you're about to tell me you're straight."

Emily smiled and shook her head, and they made their way upstairs and to their darkened bedroom, not bothering to flick on the lights as they changed. They slipped out of their clothes and into the cool sheets of their bed, the redhead seeking the warmth of her fiancée's body immediately and shifting her body on to Naomi's, pinning her arms by her side.

She leant in closer to the blonde's ear. "I'm going to fuck your brains out."

She kissed her deeply, ready to repay her fiancée for being so wonderful with her dad, and shifted her thigh in between Naomi's, grinding sowly.

"Ems," the blonde mumbled against her lips after a moment. She pulled her hands out of Emily's gentle grasp and pushed at her shoulders slightly.

Emily pulled back, propped herself up on her arms and frowned in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the blonde said quickly to reassure her. "It's just," she bit her lip, "I'm sleepy and feel a bit...icky. Do you think we can pick this up tomorrow?"

Emily smiled at the hopeful look on her fiancée's face and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Of course."

She moved her body off Naomi's and shifted down a little so that she was curling into the blonde's side, her head resting on her fiancée's chest. She could feel a hand stroking her hair gently and moved one of her own to rub Naomi's belly, something she knew the blonde liked her to do when she was a little too drunk.

"By the way," Naomi mumbled softly, "we're going to a football match with your dad next weekend."

Emily laughed to herself and turned her head a little to kiss the skin above Naomi's heart, her own heart swelling with love and adoration, then settled her head back down and fell asleep to the gentle snores of her intoxicated fiancée.

* * *

**So...guess who just found out I can reply to your reviews! I know, I'm a bit slow, but I am completely hopeless with any sort of technology, so those of you who have an account prepare for my mail in your box...and yes I wanted that to sound dirrrty ;-)**

**Now for some serious business... **

***steps up on soap box***

**There are so many awesome fics on this site right now, and I know from experience how encouraging reviews can be, so if you're reading any of these fics try and leave a review, and remember that there is a line between constructive criticism and just plain nastiness... because it seems some other fic writers whose stories I love have been getting some unnecessarily harsh reviews...so, just keep that in mind please...having said that – you, my beautiful reviewers, are always kind and generous...so thanks again!**

***steps down from soap box to blank stares and nervous clapping***

**Peace :)**


	14. Chapter 14

It hit Naomi out of nowhere.

Doubt.

She never felt it coming. Not until it was too late to stop it. Not until it had crept into her head and infected all of her thoughts while she lay there in the dark. For hours now she'd struggled to find sleep, her mind unwilling to quiet, her heart refusing to slow down to its normal rhythm.

Under the circumstances it had been a normal night. They'd had a quiet dinner with a couple of glasses of wine and then she'd watched some television while Emily curled around her on the couch reading a book, then they'd retired to their bed. They hadn't made love because Emily wanted to wait until they were married and make it special. Naomi had rolled her eyes at her sentimental fiancée and reluctantly agreed. Emily drifted off quickly into a peaceful sleep. And that's when it started. That's when the darkness slithered in and shadowed everything.

Naomi lay there with her eyes open, staring into the darkness. They were getting married tomorrow. Or it could be today, she wasn't sure of the time. All she knew was that she had been tossing and turning for what seemed liked hours. It sank heavy to the pit of her stomach, dragging her down. This long forgotten feeling. She should have recognised it right away, it used to be her best friend after all. The only thing that kept her company during the lonely years of her early adolescence. But it had been so long since she'd felt it, that dragging weight, that she didn't know what it was until it had already consumed her. After one thought had sneaked its way into her brain it seemed to encourage others until she was drowning in them.

She turned again in the bed for what must have been the millionth time and her eyes fell upon the sleeping form of her fiancée. Emily Fitch. The person who loved her most in the world. The person who had always been there for her and made her feel like she could do anything. Believed she could. Made Naomi believe she could. The person who had chased her doubt and fear away all those years ago. She'd thought that Emily had chased them away forever.

But now they were back.

She studied the way Emily's hair looked in the moonlight, its cherry shine a shade darker than it had been in college and university, now that Emily had a proper job. Gentle fingertips reached out and brushed the silky strands with a ghostly touch. She loved how soft it was. And the way it smelt. Emily's hair always carried with it the faint scent of berries, and when Naomi smelled it her stomach fluttered. The redhead had tried to change her shampoo a couple of years ago but she had practically forbid it. The scent of berries reminded her of home. Emily had always felt like home.

So why couldn't she sleep. Why couldn't she stop the whirlpool inside her head. The endless cycle of questions and fears.

She pulled her hand away from the red hair and dropped her eyes to her fiancée's face. Her perfect, beautiful face. The moonlight bouncing off her cheeks and creating shadows under her eyes. She was glad that Emily was fast asleep with her eyes closed because she wouldn't be brave enough to look her in the eye right now. Those magical brown eyes that told Naomi the story of their love every time she stared into them. Eyes that could read her mind and heart with one simple glance. She focused on Emily's lips instead, always somewhat curled up at the ends, but right now slightly parted as she exhaled deep breaths. Lips she'd kissed a million times and had kissed her just as many. Lips that had discovered every inch of her body. That suddenly knew too much. Wanted too much in return.

Emily was the only person she'd ever had sex with. The only person she'd ever given her body to. She'd never really wanted to have sex with anyone else, not really, but for some reason as she lay there watching her fiancée sleep that wasn't the point anymore. Suddenly all she could think about was what she would be missing out on. It didn't even matter what that something was. She'd be limited.

Trapped.

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment and tried to will the thoughts away. They were ridiculous, she knew that. She didn't want to kiss or fuck anyone but Emily. She didn't want to _love _anyone except Emily. She tried to think it through rationally. She told herself that nothing was really changing. That it was just a piece of paper. But it didn't help. The thoughts were _relentless_, one after the other after the other until they overwhelmed everything else.

She opened her eyes again and lowered her gaze to watch the steady rise and fall of Emily's chest, her rhythmic, contented breathing. The redhead was lying on her back, one breast exposed to the cool air by bed sheets that had shifted down during the night. Naomi liked to sleep naked but Emily _loved_ to. Practically insisted on it. She always told Naomi that she wanted to hold her and be held and feel their skin together. No barriers between them. Emily believed that it was one of the most intimate things they shared. That sleeping naked with someone else was one of the most vulnerable situations you could put your body in. Naomi agreed on some level but mostly liked being able to reach out a hand at any time and feel her fiancée's skin, found it comforting. Maybe that was almost the same thing.

She tugged at her t-shirt which had twisted around her when she'd turned over. She'd put it on a while ago, feeling the need to cover herself. Protect herself. She didn't want to be exposed to Emily right now. Wanted to do anything she could to stop the redhead from _seeing_ her. She stretched out her legs as they twitched with that once familiar need to run. That sense that if she stayed where she was, in that bed with Emily completely naked and vulnerable and hopeful, then these thoughts would swallow her and her throat would close up and she wouldn't be able to breathe.

She slipped out of the bed slowly and quietly. She needed air. She needed space. She bent down at the foot of the bed and collected her jeans and t-shirt that had been hastily discarded earlier, the scene all too familiar. A painful flashback to all the times she'd left Emily in her bed as teenagers.

She stood for a moment and watched her fiancée sleeping, hated herself for leaving. Hated herself even more for needing to leave. That old feeling of unworthiness settling on her shoulder.

The chill night air jolted her body as she stepped outside. She couldn't just leave their bedroom. She needed to leave their house. The house that she loved and wanted to raise a family in was now oppressive. Confining. She'd scribbled a note in case Emily woke up, hating the thought of the redhead opening her eyes to find her gone. Hating herself for that not being enough to make her stay.

Her steps left shallow footprints in the snow, her breath leaving her mouth as a white cloud against the dark night. It was winter. Emily wanted to get married in winter because she'd always thought snow was romantic. Innocent. Pure. Naomi hadn't cared when they got married as long as they did. But right now she hated winter. Hated the snow. Hated that she had to wear three layers and a coat and gloves just to step outside. Wondered why she'd ever agreed to get married when it was freezing. Blamed Emily for talking her into it. Then hated herself a little more because the truth was that _she_ had been the one to suggest it to Emily.

Everything was backwards in her brain all of a sudden.

She kicked a pile of snow and watched it fly through the air and settle back down again like nothing had happened. Wondered why she couldn't just go back inside and do the same. She was tempted to walk but it was far too cold, so she got into her car and started the engine, praying that it didn't wake her fiancée. She drove aimlessly for a little while, discovering that it was easier to distract herself with actions, finally found herself parked in front of that quaint yellow house. Her childhood home. She stepped up to the front door and put her ear to it, trying to hear if anyone inside was awake, and then rolled her eyes when she was met with silence. Of course they were all asleep, it was the middle of the fucking night. She considered leaving and then thought better of it, unlocking the door and slipping inside as quietly as possible, no need for light as she knew the house so well. But as soon as she moved through the rooms she knew that she'd made a mistake. This didn't feel like her childhood home anymore.

Emily was _everywhere_. She was in the lounge watching television with a sneaky hand creeping up her thigh. She was in the kitchen laughing with Gina and helping cook dinner. She sat at the table eating breakfast in the morning with a lazy grin. She slid her body into the shower with her. She made love to her in her old bed. Yesterday the memories would have been comforting, but right now all she wanted to do was scream. Or smile. Or cry. She didn't know what she wanted.

A light flicked on suddenly and her heart beat faster in shock, her eyes blinking closed against the brightness.

"Breaking and entering?"

The blonde knew who it was but still opened one eye gingerly to check, her mind was playing tricks on her after all. She found Effy standing at the entry to the kitchen, a hoodie thrown over her pyjamas.

"I have keys," Naomi replied dryly, "so technically there's no breaking."

Effy studied her for a moment. Her face completely neutral. The blonde squirmed under her gaze, knowing that she'd been caught. But Effy didn't say anything, simply moved into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle, leaning back against the bench with her arms crossed over her chest, giving the blonde time to come up with answers for the questions they both knew were coming.

Naomi took a seat and stared down at the table. She could feel Effy's eyes on her but couldn't face them just yet.

A couple of minutes later the brunette placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of her and sat back into a chair with her own. Naomi nodded her thanks but knew she wouldn't drink it, the thought of anything in her stomach right now making her nauseas. Effy lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, then blew out a long cloud of smoke into the room. Naomi knew she wasn't offered one because Effy knew she didn't smoke anymore since Emily had asked her to quit. But now she wanted one more desperately than she ever had. Just to spite the redhead.

She winced at her own immaturity. "Why are you awake?"

She was hoping to distract her friend from the fact that she'd been wondering around in the middle of the night looking lost, instead of tucked up in her bed with her fiancée the night before they were supposed to be getting married.

"Why are you?" Effy countered without missing a beat, one challenging eyebrow raised.

Naomi dropped her gaze quickly and they fell into silence again. She could feel Effy waiting for her to look up, and struggled with herself until she finally found the courage to.

"What are you doing here Naomi?"

It sounded like a simple question, but there was nothing simple about it. The blonde looked at her for a beat and took a deep breath, debating how to answer, eventually giving the easiest response.

"I don't know."

Effy wasn't convinced, her blue eyes narrowing as she sipped her coffee, but she didn't press it any further. Naomi thought about her friend and how their relationship had strained over the years but never broken. How there was still an unspoken understanding between them. They were both made from the same stock. Both damaged in ways that might never heal, despite the best efforts of the people who loved them. People like Freddie. And Emily. The blonde immediately felt ashamed. Emily loved her deeply. And she loved Emily just as much. So why was it suddenly too much.

"I tried to kill myself."

Naomi's head snapped up and her eyes grew wide as comprehension of Effy's word settled in. Her mouth opened in shock, her breathing becoming shallow.

"Cook and I didn't go travelling," Effy continued quietly but with a strength in her voice. "I cut myself and he found me. He helped me get better."

The blonde's eyes involuntarily flicked down to her friend's wrists, her gaze falling on the large wrist cuff above her left hand. Now that Naomi thought about it she hadn't seen Effy without it since she'd come back. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. Felt a renewed sense of guilt for not staying with her friend after the funeral, going home to make love to Emily instead. Getting engaged while her closest friend tried to end her life.

The blonde could only stare, her mind reaching back and replaying the events from the day after Freddie's funeral, when she'd gone to Anthea's to see her friend and had been told that she'd run off with Cook. The panic and worry that had weighed on her for the next few days and eventually weeks and months. She had assumed that the two of them were off partying, self-destructing. Destroying themselves and each other. She had never imagined anything like this.

Effy didn't elaborate and she didn't need her to. Naomi knew what this was. Effy was offering something to her – honesty. Painful, soul bearing honesty. And now it was her turn.

"I don't know why I feel this way," she finally admitted, her voice shaky, tears glazing her eyes.

Effy exhaled another cloud of smoke into the room and said more with her silence than her words ever could. The blonde knew her friend would understand the feelings she was referring to.

"Everything was fine until we went to bed tonight," she continued, wiping away a stray tear that had run down her cheek. "I don't know what changed."

As soon as the words left her lips Naomi knew they were a lie. She knew exactly what had happened, had been too scared to face it.

Her dad.

Earlier in the night she had been cuddled around Emily in bed, the two of them whispering about the day that lay ahead of them, when she herself had made an off-handed joke about being glad that her dad wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle because he was a bastard. Emily sensed the weight of that sentiment before she did and had squeezed her hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing the back of it. The action made Naomi's heart swell just thinking about it. But she realised now that the first dark thoughts had slithered into her head in the silent moments that followed. They never talked about her dad, mostly because she never talked about him, preferring to keep those memories locked away in a box shut so tight she thought it could never be opened again. She had obviously been wrong. And those crippling fears of rejection and loneliness had returned, snaking around her neck and choking her.

"I should have told Freddie," Effy whispered into the room, her voice thick with regret. "I should have told him years ago."

Naomi nodded her head, suddenly feeling seventeen again and sitting on the grass at college, smoking and thinking about what she wanted for her life. That crushing feeling of despair suddenly all to near.

"All that bullshit," the brunette continued, pulling Naomi from her memories. "All that bullshit that we think holds us back is just..._bullshit_. It's not real, not anymore. Not like –"

"Emily," Naomi finished for her, the name escaping her lips almost involuntarily, as she felt the truth of her friend's words deep in her soul.

Effy nodded and stubbed out her cigarette in her now empty mug, looked up at her again with a half smile. The blonde thought about all that her friend had been through and lost. About what she herself had been through and lost. The malignant fear and doubt they lived with. The demons they fought. And she couldn't stop her thoughts turning to Emily. Sweet, loving, supportive Emily who had been there and loved her through all of it. Seen every annoying and frustrating and secret part of her and never run away. Never even blinked in the face of it.

Emily was the one thing she could never doubt. And with that renewed confidence she felt the darkness that had encircled her retreating. Fading away into the light. The weight on her shoulders lifting.

"You should go home," Effy said after a few minutes of silence. "You're getting married tomorrow."

The blonde wasn't surprised to find the words now bringing a smile to her lips. "Yeah."

She opened their bedroom door to find Emily sitting in the armchair by the window, wrapped in a blanket with her worried brown eyes staring back at her. She had obviously been waiting for her to return. On the way home the blonde hadn't decided whether she would tell her fiancée about her little freak out or not, but now it seemed that Emily had made the decision for her.

Naomi gazed into the eyes of the redhead and smiled. A soft smile that conveyed how much she loved her fiancée. How committed she was to that love and how content she was with their life.

They didn't need words. Emily understood and silently accepted that whatever Naomi had just been through she was home again. Back with the love of her life.

Emily sighed with relief, lifting herself out of the chair and then walking to stand in front of her, reaching a hand out to hold her cheek. Naomi's eyes fluttered closed at the contact, a soft whimper escaping her mouth as the redhead's thumb caressed her cheek gently, the blonde barely managing to control the tide of emotion that was threatening to spill out of her.

She watched her fiancée's small hands grab the bottom of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head carefully, then move to work on the buttons of her jeans, sliding them down until Naomi stepped out of them.

A long moment stretched between them as they stood face to face with their eyes locked, silent questions being posed and answered. And then Emily took her hand and led her to their bed, guiding her down gracefully and laying her body onto hers, finally kissing her until they were both breathless.

The redhead made love to her tenderly and achingly slow, giving her everything that she had and murmuring into her skin promises of love and fidelity and happiness, promises that Naomi returned in her kisses and moans. And just before the blonde came with more intensity than ever before, in that _second_ before she came completely undone in every way, she opened her eyes and they locked with Emily's. It only took that brief moment for the magnitude of their profound love they felt to pass between them. To silently tell each other everything they'd ever need to say. And that was when Naomi _felt_ it. And she could see it in Emily's intense brown eyes too.

That was the moment they got married.

Naomi's chest swelled as the redhead held her afterwards, her eyes overflowing with tears, tears that Emily inherently understood and kissed away with her devoted lips.

Tomorrow they would wake up and get dressed and say their vows and have a party, but _this_, this was for them. Just the two of them. And Naomi had never felt so loved and so sure of anything in her life.

* * *

**A/N: Well...*takes deep breath and a shot of vodka*...that was cathartic...what...I told you I had commitment issues, lol...**

**Loved it? Hated it? I'd be really interested in your thoughts on this one...I know it's a bit different...**

**And now for the possibly bad news...depending on which side you sit on. This _is _the wedding chapter folks...or as close as you'll get to it...because for some reason I find weddings **_**incredibly**_** cheesy and sappy and hard to stomach, (my commitment issues I suspect...lol, I blame that for everything!), so I never actually planned to write their wedding and honestly don't really want to. There will be flashbacks in the next chapter, but...yeah...so...try not to be too harsh with your hate mail, lol :P**

**Also, **_**coolbeans17**_** is totally right – Rob is not Scottish *facepalm* I am such a bad skins fan...I'm so ashamed... :(**

**Oh, and I don't want to point out one review because i really do appreciate ALL of them, but I will this one time..._owaffles-_ your review really made me squee, because that is exactly what I wanted to do, so your comments made me indescribably happy!**

**Thanks again to all of you for your reviews...I'll shut up now!**

**Cheers,**

**Audrey :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Wow...thank you all **_**so**_** much for your comments...obviously that last one was kind of a personal chapter for me, so it's awesome to get that kind of feedback...and glad to know I'm not alone in my wedding weirdness...usually people look at me like I just kicked a puppy or something...**

**So...life officially kicked my ass this week and my brain is completely fucked...I drank WAY too much redbull...so...sorry about the slow update and shortness/crappiness of it...at least some of the best fics on this site updated this week so you probably haven't missed me, lol :P **

**Now I swore to myself that these were all going to be self contained one-shots that didn't follow on from each other...but Emily was yelling inside my head and she wouldn't shut up until I wrote this down...so...yeah...this is like a part 2...**

* * *

Emily considered herself to be a romantic.

A dreamer.

A lover.

She loved love. How powerful and inescapable and transformative it was. Ever since she was a young girl.

When she was little her dad used to sit in a chair between her and Katie's beds and read them fairy tales as they drifted off to sleep, his gruff voice impersonating fairies and trolls. Not the original, dark stories where the ending was usually far from happy, but the sanitised versions, full of flawless princesses, charming princes and whimsical creatures.

Love and happily ever after.

A young Emily was enthralled by the adventure and enchantment, the worlds of mermaids and marching dwarfs, pirates and fairies and poisoned apples. But it was the boundless and all conquering love that captivated her the most. She would dream about being locked in a tower, or frozen in time, waiting for someone to save her, a hero that would free her and love her forever.

And sometimes in her dreams it wasn't a prince that saved her and loved her, but another princess. She never knew that wasn't normal until Katie told her so one day. Couldn't stop her dreams so she stopped talking about them.

But the fairy tales filled her with hope. She'd always felt like something was wrong with her, knew she was different from her twin in some as yet indefinable way, and hoped that love would _fix_ her. That somehow it would make her feel normal.

When she caught bright blue eyes staring at her from across the classroom one day in middle school, the feeling in itself was unfamiliar, because nobody ever looked at her, not with loud and confident Katie around. But something about the new blonde girl intrigued her. She watched the girl, whom she later found out was named Naomi, from afar for the next few years, wishing desperately to be her friend but discouraged by the fact that Naomi didn't seem to have any friends nor did she seem to want any.

And Naomi became the person she dreamt about. The one who killed the dragon and climbed the tower and saved her. The one who loved her. But only when her eyes were closed, because when she woke they were strangers again. And she was still locked in her tower. Feeling alone and scared.

At the same time Emily was learning new words that might describe the way she felt. Most of them hurled from the mouths of her peers as playground insults to each other.

Gay.

Queer.

Faggot.

Dyke.

The words fell so thoughtlessly from the kids' lips with only a vague understanding of what they meant, but still loaded with contempt. Emily didn't want to be those things. She didn't want to be someone that other people hated. The owner of words they used to insult each other. She watched as Katie laughed along, and then laughed along with her, telling herself that it wasn't her they were talking about.

Laughing about.

Hating.

She buried those feelings and hid herself, which wasn't difficult to do with a sister like Katie, who was usually pushing her into the shadows anyway. She told herself that it wasn't a crush she had on Naomi. Convinced herself that she actually did like that boy that Katie told her to. That she did want a _prince_ to save her.

And it worked. As long as she ignored that feeling in the pit of her stomach, and that voice that whispered to her in the dark every night that it was all a lie. She became good at denying how she felt. Denying who she was.

Still, her feelings for the blonde girl she hardly knew refused to fade, stirred when Emily would catch Naomi staring at her every so often. Her eyes boring into her. Finding her. Seeing the deepest, rawest part of her. The part of herself she kept hidden so far down that even she could barely see it anymore. Emily knew she was exposed and always looked away instantly, shaken by the intensity of it all. Refusing to acknowledge in any way what she was feeling.

But that changed the night they kissed. Emily had been pleasantly surprised when the blonde had turned up to a party someone from school had thrown, and fuelled by alcohol found the courage to finally speak to her. Naomi was a little drunk herself and the conversation flowed, Emily quickly finding herself transfixed by Naomi's soft pink lips. So when she leant in closer and sensed no hesitation from the blonde, she closed her eyes until their lips finally met. And that was when Emily finally stopped pretending. Finally acknowledged what was _wrong_ with her. Why she felt so different. Why she dreamt of loving a girl instead of a boy. And for the first time in her life it didn't feel like some horrible, shameful thing.

Because surely something that felt so right and natural couldn't be wrong.

But then it had all become horrible very quickly. Katie had seen them and dragged Emily away, hurling those same insults at Naomi, words that stabbed at Emily's heart like a knife. She watched the blonde's eyes fill with tears but did nothing to comfort her or correct her twin. Didn't want her sister to look at her the way she was looking at Naomi. Hated herself for being such a coward.

Naomi acted like she hated her. Katie bullied both of them. But despite the mess she'd made Emily knew there was something special between her and Naomi. Believed with all of her heart that they could have the kind of fairy tale love she had always longed for. She knew Naomi could feel it too. Could tell that she was terrified of it. So Emily fought for her with the kind of belief that only someone who believed in true love could. And every time she got knocked down she stood up again, ready to take another hit, a million hits, until she had saved her princess.

But after all those years of adolescent longing and heartbreak, the push and pull that had been their relationship until they had finally declared that they loved each other, Emily had finally realised that their love _wasn't _a fairy tale.

Because fairy tales got it wrong.

Because in real life the hero doesn't slay your dragon and scale the tower. In real life no one else can save you.

You have to save yourself.

You have to break through your own walls and boundaries.

You have to slay your own dragons.

You do it because the person you love is worth fighting for. Worth giving everything you have. Worth dying for.

And Emily understood that while the dragons could be slain, the scars they left might never fully heal. That some were so old, so deep, that they became a part of who you were.

So when she woke in the middle of the night just hours before her wedding to find that Naomi wasn't lying beside her she wasn't entirely surprised. But that didn't make her heart ache any less.

She opened her eyes hesitantly at the sound of a car engine turning over. She didn't want to open them because when she did it was real. And she didn't want it to be real. She watched the brightness of the headlights seeping in through the edges of the blinds and then retreating as the car reversed and drove away. She pulled the sheets a little tighter around herself and lay in the silence, listening to her heart beating, a lot faster now.

She knew Naomi was gone. Had felt it even before she'd woken up, the warmth next to her evaporating quickly. She rolled over and stared at the empty space next to her, reached a hand out and felt it brush against something, a small piece of paper. She flicked on her bedside lamp quickly and scanned Naomi's scribbled handwriting.

**Just in case you wake up while I'm out.**

**I'll be back.**

**I love you. **

**- N**

Emily held the paper in her hands for a long moment, concentrating on those last three words and trying to calm her nerves. Naomi loved her. She knew that without a doubt. And she had long ago accepted that there were some things that the blonde would struggle with every now and then. Some instinctive parts of her personality that she had to fight. Wanted to fight. Emily understood all these things, but it didn't make it any easier to wake up the night before your wedding to find your fiancée gone.

She flicked off the lamp before pulling herself out of bed and shuffling over to the armchair by the window, dragging the blanket along with her for warmth. Didn't want to be in that bed. Not without Naomi. She took the note as well, holding it out in front of her in the faint light of the moon and tracing the words with her fingers. She thought about all that they had been through together. All that they had yet to experience. And she could feel her fatigued body urging her to sleep, but her mind wouldn't still. Not until Naomi was home again.

Eventually she heard the sound of a car engine, and then saw the headlights creeping in through the blinds again. Naomi was back. She felt her chest relax with deep relieved breaths. Hadn't realised just how tight with nerves her body had been. But as she heard the car door slam a new fear gripped her, her heart thumping in her ears. Her stomach knotting. Naomi was home again but that didn't mean that everything was okay. It didn't mean that _they _were okay.

She didn't dare move as she listened to the front door open and close again, and as Naomi moved through the house. Emily held her breath as the door opened, watched as Naomi's weary eyes searched the bed and then moved across the room and found her. They stared at each other for a long moment, Emily's heart beating wildly, until the blonde smiled at her. And Emily could finally breathe again, because that smile and those loving eyes told her everything. It told her that Naomi had gotten scared, wrapped up in her fears and doubts, but now she was back and now she was sure.

Emily stripped her fiancée of her clothes carefully and they stood naked together, both fully exposed in so many ways. Neither of them uttered a word. Words weren't needed. Not when Naomi was telling her everything with one look. So she took the blonde in her arms, laying her down gently and making love to her slowly. Her tender kisses telling the story of their love. Her adoring touch writing promises of their future onto her skin.

And just as Naomi was about to unravel completely, something shifted between them. Something that felt so small yet so profound at the same time. Emily gazed into blue eyes that blazed with an intensity she'd never seen before, and that's when she felt it. In the core of her being. That's when she felt that Naomi was hers, and she was Naomi's. Felt it on a level she never even knew existed.

They were forever.

She held Naomi and kissed away her tears. Tears that she knew meant that the blonde had felt it too. There was still no need for words. They gave in to sleep soon after, her fiancée's head snuggled in to the crook of her neck, their arms wrapped around each other tightly, their legs tangled together.

Emily knew that their love was better than any fairy tale she had evr known. Because as scary and as painful as it could be, it was also _real_, and true. And both of them would do anything they had to do to keep it that way.

To ensure that they lived happily ever after.

* * *

**So...I don't think I'm happy with this chapter...I dunno...my head is blah...I apologise...I need to go for an epic run tomorrow...**

**Oh, and go buy the new Sia album...off the charts awesome...and leave a review? You know you wanna :P**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Well...I think after the last two we need some shits and giggles yes? So here's some fun...and I cannot believe that **_**someone**_** (points bread) tried to blackmail me! Unbelievable! As if I would have ended the story and not told you all...tsk tsk...where's the faith :P**

**Just a short one...bit rushed...been a tad busy...**

* * *

"I can't believe you're my _wife_," Naomi murmured into the ear of the redhead who was practically sitting in her lap. Her thumb brushed circles on the back of Emily's hand, then drifted further down to play with the white gold band on her finger.

Emily smiled at the word. _Wife_. It felt so surreal hearing it and even stranger saying it, but it also felt right. Like that was the only way it was ever meant to be. She could still remember the flutter in her stomach when Naomi had dragged her through her house and announced to Gina that she was her girlfriend. And she'd loved being Naomi Campbell's girlfriend. But being her wife was fucking awesome.

"Yeah Naoms," she used her free hand to sweep back some of Naomi's hair and smirked when the blonde scrunched her face, "you really lucked out."

Naomi opened her mouth to retort but Emily leant forward and silenced her with a kiss, smiling against the blonde's lips as she felt a hand tighten on her hip. Emily's body was turned into Naomi's, one of her legs resting atop the blonde's, one hand reaching up to hold her cheek. They relaxed into the booth at the back of the cafe and made out like teenagers as they waited for Katie, oblivious to the people buzzing around them in the Sunday morning brunch rush, and completely unaware of the spectacle they were making.

Emily loved being married.

It had been 16 days since she and Naomi had recited their vows and gotten drunk with their friends and family, and the redhead had loved every fucking second of it. Mostly because ever since they'd gotten married they had both been incredibly horny. It was worse than when they were teenagers. She now understood why people called it the honeymoon period. They literally couldn't keep their hands off each other, kissing, touching, holding hands, pinching bums. It was proving to be a problem a lot of the time, since their standards of appropriate public behaviour had dropped considerably.

It wasn't an issue at their wedding reception because they could sneak away for a quickie while everyone was distracted by food...though it never really was quick. But it started to become disruptive at the airport the next morning when they couldn't stop kissing while waiting to check their bags, having to be prompted by a security guard when the attendant was calling for them. Then they almost missed their flight because Naomi had her head under Emily's skirt in the bathroom. It became slightly embarrassing on their connecting flight when an elderly gentleman took the seat next to them while Emily had her hand under Naomi's top and her lips on her neck. They'd already joined the mile-high club when they'd gone travelling after college but they visited again...four times. It was an 18 hour flight. She would have dragged Naomi back for more but there was something about flying that made the blonde sleepy, so Emily had let her wife be and started chatting to the man next to her. He seemed truly entertained and interested as she told him the story of how she and Naomi had met and fallen in love, their angst-ridden college years and adventurous gap year, their move to London for university and then return home to Bristol.

That's when Emily discovered the other thing she loved about being newly married. Telling everyone. She found herself becoming one of _those_ women, finding any excuse, however flimsy, to slip details about her incredible wedding and wife into conversation. When staff at the hotel in Goa asked her out of courtesy how she was she would use it as her opportunity to launch into a story about the wedding. Apparently it got to be a problem, Naomi eventually informing her in the sweetest and gentlest way possible that no one cared and she needed to stop telling strangers about how much sex they were having.

Emily was shameless about it, which meant she had no problem slipping her hand into the waistband of Naomi's jeans in the middle of a cafe.

"Jesus Christ. Do you two _ever_ stop? It's too early in the morning for me to stomach you two all over each other."

Startled by the sound of her sister's voice, Emily pulled her hand back and tore her mouth away from Naomi's, turning to watch her flustered twin slump into the chair opposite them, a scowl fixed to her face, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.

"I can't help it," Emily replied as the offending hand slipped into Naomi's, the blonde beaming back at her. "My wife is just so fucking sexy."

Katie crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Well, can you keep it PG please? We're in a public place."

Emily gave Naomi a quick kiss on the side of her mouth, the two of them giggling at the irritated twin before them.

"So, tell me about the honeymoon," Katie demanded, trying to draw their attention away from each other's lips, "if you can manage to keep your mouths apart that is."

Finally conceding her sister's point and hearing the genuine annoyance in her voice, Emily detached herself from the blonde and sat in her seat properly. She shivered when Naomi placed her hand on her thigh. Neither of them could stand not touching each other.

"It was awesome," Naomi responded to Katie's question since the redhead still seemed to be a little distracted. "Goa has amazing art galleries and museums, beautiful waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries..."

As Naomi recounted the PG version of their honeymoon to Katie, Emily's mind drifted off to _her _favourite memories of their honeymoon. Like how they'd found a restaurant that made the most delicious Chicken Tikka Masala and had gone there for dinner almost every night, the staff not bothering to take their order in the end because they knew it by heart. Or the day they'd made love under a waterfall at sunset, the thunderous cascade of water providing a shield from the outside world. How much fun they'd had meandering through the markets, encouraging each other to try on hats and sunglasses that looked ridiculous on them and giggling about _everything_. The evening they'd sat on the beach well into the night, cuddling and kissing and holding hands like teenagers on a first date. Every moment was special and perfect and just for them.

"...right Ems?"

Emily felt Naomi squeeze her thigh trying to draw her attention and snapped out of her daze. "Huh?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at her day dreaming wife and smiled. "I said we got something for your sister."

"Oh. Right," Emily almost jumped in her seat at the realisation, then turned and rummaged through her bag.

"Holy fuck Em. What the fuck is that on your neck?"

The redhead swivelled around with a sheepish smile, instantly aware of what her sister was referring to, cursing herself for wearing her hair in a ponytail. "Um..." she decided it was best to rip the bandaid off. "Naomi-and-I-got-tattoos."

She breathed out the sentence quickly then winced in anticipation of her sister's reaction. Felt Naomi squeeze her thigh again. Katie didn't like tattoos. Especially _matching_ tattoos. _Couple_ tattoos.

Emily had never liked them either if she was being honest. Never thought she'd get one. But they had spent the most perfect day in Goa, lazing along the beach for half the day and then wandering through the tourist traps until the evening, drinking a little too much at dinner. They'd been laughing and kissing as they made their way back to their little hut on the beach, when they'd walked past a tattoo shop. Naomi had kept walking but Emily had stopped, an idea forming in her head. She'd wanted something to remember that perfect day, that time in their lives, where there was no work and no family and no responsibility. Just the two of them having fun and being completely in love. She'd tugged her wife back and simply smiled at her, Naomi glancing at the shop and realising what was being suggested. The blonde had nodded her agreement and grinned back. And that had been it. A spur of the moment decision that neither of them regretted and knew they never would.

"What is it?" Katie asked.

"It's the Sanskrit word for love," Naomi replied, her eyes locking with Emily's as amorous grins broke across both their faces.

Katie glanced between the two of them with one judgemental eyebrow raised. "You two are disgustingly in love you know that?

Emily leant in to kiss her wife again, just to annoy her twin, but they were interrupted by the waitress who took their order.

"How's Liam?" Naomi asked Katie as the waitress retreated.

"I broke up with him at your wedding."

Emily watched her sister's face fall slightly, but Katie composed herself again quickly. It wasn't entirely shocking news to the redhead, as Katie had spoken to both she and Naomi about her relationship with Liam, but she could see how devastated Katie was about it and immediately felt horrible for rubbing in how happy she was.

"Are you okay...what happened?"

Katie shrugged. "It just...wasn't right."

Emily reached over the table and covered her sister's hand with her own comfortingly. Naomi offered her sympathies.

"I saw you guys at your wedding," Katie continued, "and I knew that it would never be Liam and me up there...he knew it too. It was better to end it now."

A contemplative silence hung between the three of them for a minute, Emily's thoughts drifting to the morning of the wedding, when she and Naomi had finally talked about the night before. The blonde had told her everything. How her insecurities from her father abandoning her had flared up again. Her irrational doubts. Her conversation with Effy. She didn't tell her because she needed to, but because she wanted to. Didn't want there to be anything kept from each other. Emily understood what her sister meant about just _knowing_. Because when it came to love that's all you had, what your gut tells you, and Emily's had always told her to believe in Naomi.

The waitress returned with their order and broke the silent daze that had descended on the table, the three of them thanking her as she walked away.

Emily immediately ignored her meal and reached over to pick at her wife's plate, something she had done for years.

"Oi! Eat your own breakfast," Naomi cried as she tried to protect her plate from the redhead's invading fork.

But Emily was too skilled at their little game, piercing a long piece of bacon and bringing it back to her mouth before the blonde had realised what she'd done.

Naomi rolled her eyes at the smug grin adorning the redhead's face. "I don't know why you don't just order what I order. Since you eat half of it anyway."

Emily leant over and gave her a cheeky kiss, her lips slightly oily from the bacon. "Because my dear, then I only get one meal. This way I get one and a bit."

"She did that to me all the time growing up," Katie lamented from across the table. "She's quick with her fingers."

Emily almost choked on her coffee at her sister's accidental innuendo.

"Yes she is," Naomi replied with a sly smile.

Katie scrunched her nose. "You two are sickening."

The fell into easy conversation during brunch, Katie catching them up on what had been going on since they'd been gone. She'd been around to see Mr Walker and he was still doing well. His eyesight was going a little but he could still get around. Their brother James was back at University after winter break and Katie had a new roommate since Victoria had moved into their house with Anna.

"And I slept with Cook."

Emily dropped her fork and glared at her sister.

"What?" She and Naomi both shouted a little too loudly, half the cafe turning around to eyeball the situation. Katie lowered her head and waited out the stares.

"You slept with Cook?" Emily repeated, not sure how she felt about her sister sleeping with her good friend.

"We were hanging out late at the wedding and it just –"

"The wedding?" Emily repeated, cutting her off. She felt herself getting angry for some reason, and Naomi sensed it too, reaching for her hand under the table. The redhead took a calming breath and let her sister explain.

"As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted," Katie continued, "I was upset about Liam and Cook let me cry on his shoulder. We were both smashed and we went back to his place."

"My childhood home you mean," Naomi added dryly.

Katie smiled apologetically. "In any case it was a one off. He's actually a good guy sometimes."

Emily caught the way her twin's eyes softened and lips curled slightly. "You like him."

Katie looked affronted. "Get off it Emily. It was a one off shag. He wasn't a complete asshole is all I'm saying."

Emily wasn't convinced by her sister's denial, and neither was Naomi, the two exchanging a knowing look.

"You like Cook," Naomi added teasingly, while Katie rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Fuck you Campbell," the older twin replied with a wry smile.

Emily sat back in the booth and watched her new wife and twin sister tease each other playfully, a content grin stretching her cheeks. Her two best friends in the world, the two people who knew her best. She loved how easy and familiar it all was. Even in her naive teenage years she'd never genuinely thought that this would be a reality, Naomi and Katie getting on like family. But here they were, arguing like only people who loved each other could.

Family.

Emily decided that was what she liked best about being married.

xx

x

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**Not sure what will come of it, but I like Katie and Cook together...**

**So...*winces in anticipation of your annoyance*...I have a work conference this week and will be away until Saturday...which means no updating I'm afraid. I **_**might**_** be able to write something in my downtime...but there's a **_**very**_** strong possibility I will be drunk the whole time and doing things I later regret (let's just say last year there was skinny dipping involved)...so...this will probably be the last one before Sunday or Monday...I'm giving you forewarning! **

**If you've got the time or inclination please leave a review! They keep me motivated...**

**Cheers :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thanks so much for your generous reviews for that last chapter...I really didn't like it and don't feel they were deserved but I'll take 'em because I am a review whore! Thank you muchly!**

**So my liver is officially in rehab...I absolutely **_**disgraced**_** myself at conference – but at least I was _far _from the worst one...I only slept in my own room for one of the three nights...nothing naughty – I just never made it to mine...I have to learn to say no to vodka and peer pressure! But there's nothing like watching your boss try and pole dance using a tree trunk...perfect blackmail material :P**

**Anyways...down to serious business...not much Naomily in this one but I hope you guys still appreciate it...it also gets a wee bit dark so be prepared...**

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Emily is still haunted by him. Still sees his face sometimes when she closes her eyes. Dreams about him. Swears she spots him walking down the street, impossible as that is. Hears his voice in her classroom some days. It's not nearly as bad as it used to be, but every now and then it hits her again, almost as raw as it was back then. Days like this.

The anniversary.

She turns to her other side and pulls the bed sheets with her. Feels Naomi tug them back a little in her sleep. She can't sleep. Never can on nights like this. The nights she hears his voice and sees his face as if he were right in front of her. It's always in the dark that he finds her again.

She sighs and whips the sheets off her like she can't bear for them to touch her any longer, and lifts herself to sit up on her side of the bed. She's given up on finding sleep. She yawns and rubs at her eyes, then turns her head slightly to watch the blonde, deep in sleep, her mouth hanging open because she has a sniffly nose. Drool running down her chin. Emily finds it adorable in a way that only someone who truly loves you can.

She grabs the sheets and pulls them up higher on the blonde. Receives an ungraceful snort in reply. She wants to smile but finds herself frowning instead. Naomi made Emily promise to wake her up next time this happened but the redhead can't bring herself to do it. She knows her wife wants to be there for her, but it doesn't make sense for them to both be up all night.

She brushes some blonde hair out of Naomi's face and kisses her temple, gazes at her lovingly for another long moment and then walks over to the chest of drawers. Slides the top one out gently and takes a t-shirt and track pants out. She slips her body into the clothes and realises that she's grabbed Naomi's pants when she notices them bunching at her feet. Doesn't bother changing them. She softly pads out of the room, glancing back at her wife briefly one more time, before closing the door.

The light in the kitchen is jarring as she flicks the switch, and she blinks furiously as her eyes sting a little, adjusting to the brightness. For a split second she sees his face. Knows she's being ridiculous and shakes her head. She flicks the switch on the kettle and stands idly while she waits for it to boil. She hates how quiet it is. The stillness of the middle of the night. Finds herself wishing that she had woken Naomi. Briefly contemplates doing it now. The kettle boiling draws her attention back to the task at hand and she makes her tea. Even though she'd prefer it she decides not to have coffee because it will keep her awake, then shakes her head because she knows she won't sleep anyway. But it's too late and she's already made the tea.

She shuffles over and takes a seat at the table, the kitchen tiles cool beneath her feet. She knows she should find something to do, something to distract herself. She can't concentrate enough to read. And there's nothing good on TV at this hour. Again she thinks about waking her wife. Knows that the only thing that could distract her from _this_ would be making love to the blonde. But she doesn't want to use Naomi like that. Not over this. Plus she's all snotty.

She sips at her tea and her mind wanders. Part of her wants to keep it focused on something banal like the pattern on the mug in her hand and part of her doesn't. Thinks that maybe it's important that she never gets over this. Never forgets.

She remembers the first time that she met him almost four years ago. That otherwise entirely typical afternoon during her first year of teaching when she was so green and completely unprepared for the realities of educating a bunch of teenagers. She'd literally bumped into him in the corridor, her arms piled high with marked assignments and books for her class after lunch. He was in a hurry, they both were, and he kept his head down as he apologised and helped her collect her things. He would have been fourteen at the time. And she'll never forget the look in his eye when he finally glanced up at her before walking away. She recognised something then, something flickered inside her, but at the time she didn't know what. She knew what it was now.

The benefit of hindsight.

The second time she saw him was a few months after that when she had been on her way to the car park during lunch to get something she'd left in her car. He was sitting under a tree alone. Normally she wouldn't have given it a second glance but it struck her that he wasn't reading or listening to an iPod or playing on his phone. He was just sitting. Something that teenagers rarely never did in her experience. That's when she'd noticed the fading bruises. The purple around the bottom of his eye and the yellow stain along his jaw. It made her stop in her tracks and walk towards him.

"_Hey there," she greeted him with her warmest smile, "are you okay?"_

_He glanced at her briefly before looking down again. "I'm fine."_

_It wasn't convincing. She could sense that this boy was anything but. His downturned mouth. Darkened eyes. Slumped shoulders._

"_What's your name?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as light as possible. Which wasn't a difficult thing to do considering she hadn't yet mastered her stern teachers tone._

"_It's Brent," he mumbled, "Brent Fraser."_

_The name registered with her immediately and she pursed her lips and nodded. She'd heard of Brent. He was the school punching bag. The bottom of the social ladder. The kid that even the nerdiest of kids made fun of. Emily had heard stories from other teachers in the staffroom and overheard students talking about him. It was your typical bullying stuff. Other boys calling him names like faggot and queer and pushing him around. Girls humiliating him. Behaviour that a lot of the older teachers dismissed as par for the course, all a part of growing up. Emily found it abhorrent and thought that more should be done. She did what she could in her own classroom but that only reached so far. She knew what it felt like to be bullied and marginalised. To feel like no one was seeing you. To feel like nothing. But she was new, and didn't feel confident enough to question the wisdom of people who had been in the profession for decades. _

_She bent down so that she was closer to his eye level. She noticed a healing cut on his lip. The thought that it wasn't just the other students roughing him up crossed her mind but she talked herself out of it quickly. Surely someone would have noticed if something wasn't right at home._

"_Hi Brent. I'm Miss Fitch. I don't think we've met before."_

_He nodded, keeping his gaze down and avoiding looking her in the eye._

_She smiled tightly and straightened up. Opened and closed her mouth several times. She wanted to say something, wanted to reach out to him, but she could feel how unwanted her presence was. _

"_Well...if you ever need to talk about anything..."_

_She watched him closely. His jaw clenched. His head stayed bowed. She imagined what she would have thought if a teacher had said that to her at that age. She knew it wasn't enough...but she wasn't sure what else she could do. So she promised herself that she would keep an eye out for him._

"_Enjoy your lunch," she added before walking away._

_._

Emily mindlessly swirls the spoon in her tea and watches the steam rising from the mug. It rises into the cool air and fades into nothing. She'd been fresh out of university back then, barely 22 years old. Unsure of everything she was doing. She had asked some of her co-workers about him at the time. They'd all assured her that it was normal teenage boy behaviour.

_A few weeks after that conversation she was surprised to find Brent waiting for her at her car one afternoon. Leaning against it with his head down and shoulders hunched. Hands in his pockets. It seemed to be his usual stance._

_She smiled as she approached him, cautiously hopeful of the fact that he had sought her out._

"_Your car is a piece of shit."_

_She laughed. "I'm an underpaid and undervalued teacher."_

_The car was a piece of shit. Some cheap thing her dad had found her when she and Naomi had returned from London. But she loved it. It had character. _

_Brent smiled. It was the first time she had ever seen him without a scowl on his face. It struck her that one day he would be a very good looking man. He had a face and body that he would grow into, but right now everything seemed a little off. His nose a little too large. His limbs a little too long. But he was going to be one of those guys that girls will see at their ten-year school reunion and regret being bitchy to. But for now she understood why he was an easy target. He was awkward and skittish. Softly spoken. He wasn't a jock or a nerd or in the art crowd. He didn't fit in, which equals ridicule in high school. He didn't seem to have any friends. From the talk in the schoolyard he was gay, but Emily wasn't sure if that was just gossip or not. Either way she knew what that was like. How hard it can be to get up and face _that _every day. But she could see something in him, behind those sad hooded eyes. He was a good, gentle kid. _

_The light moment faded and they stood in awkward silence. _

"_Did you need a lift home? You know, in my shitbox." _

_She didn't want to scare him off but she was hoping that he had come to her for a reason. Maybe getting away from school would help._

_He shrugged his shoulders and tried to hide a smile. "Sure. Thanks."_

_Brent didn't speak a word during the car ride home besides guiding Emily though the streets to his house. She filled the silence with trivial anecdotes about the latest book she'd read or TV show she'd been watching. And when he left with a mumble of thanks she was disappointed that she hadn't been able to get him talking. But at least she'd made a start. _

_To her surprise she found him waiting at her car again the next day. And the day after that. And a couple of days the next week. It was the same thing every time. He never opened up. But she knew he was listening intently to her rambling. She wondered if maybe he just craved some company. He seemed to lead a very lonely existence. She kept their little routine a secret at work because she wasn't sure how it would be seen. She knew it was innocent, but she also knew how black and white the school could be, and she didn't want to risk this fragile trust._

_It was on the eighth ride home that he finally opened up a fraction. Emily usually didn't speak about her personal life, but she'd been talking about Brent with Naomi and the blonde had thought that maybe Emily should try relating to him on a more personal level. Her gaydar had always been a bit wonky but she was pretty sure now that he was gay. So she'd subtly mentioned Naomi a few times, but it wasn't until she coupled her name with _girlfriend_ that she felt Brent staring at her._

"_You're gay?"_

_It was almost angry, and she gripped the steering wheel a little harder in fear that she'd done the wrong thing. She wasn't entirely comfortable with her students knowing that about her yet. Maybe she'd misjudged the situation entirely._

"_Yes," she said as firmly as she could._

_He faced straight ahead again and seemed to consider this new information._

"_My dad thinks homosexuality is an abomination."_

_Emily sighed. She wondered how in this day and age people still held that attitude. Of course she'd experienced it herself. Most of the time it was delivered through disapproving looks and sneers. Whispers that were deliberately loud enough for her to hear. But some people were still more than ready to get in her face and tell her how evil she is. How disgusting. It wasn't something you ever got used to. _

"_And what do _you_ think?"_

_He took even longer with this answer, but Emily waited patiently, giving him time to speak. She eventually pulled up outside his house._

"_I don't know," he said finally before getting out._

_He wasn't waiting for her for the next three days. She worried that she'd pushed it too far and freaked him out. But on the fourth day he was standing there again, and they resumed their routine as if it hadn't been interrupted. Emily rambled endlessly while Brent listened. But this time he leant back into the car after he'd gotten out and said, "I think my dad is wrong."_

_She grinned like a loon all the way home, feeling like she was finally making progress._

_A week or so later she handed him a book she'd found to help teenagers deal with questioning their sexuality. He seemed embarrassed but he took the book and thanked her. She'd felt incredible. She was making a difference. _

_._

Emily takes a sip of her tea and winces. She's forgotten to put sugar in it. She can't drink it without a spoonful of sugar. Naomi is the one who drinks it without. She's so used to making her wife tea that she'd been on autopilot. It's cold now anyway. She pushes it out in front of her and rests her head in her hands. She can feel the fatigue in her muscles that ache for sleep but her mind keeps running. She knows it will keep running like it always does. Rehashing everything.

Like that day.

_She hadn't seen Brent for a few days since she'd given him the book. Thought it was strange and found out from the front office that he'd been off sick. She was in her office correcting work when the door flew open. She jumped in shock at the sound, her eyes growing wide as a large man charged through and marched aggressively to her desk, leaning over it threateningly. She felt herself shrinking back into her chair as her heart beat wildly._

"_What the fuck is this?"_

_Her eyes darted to what he held in his hand. The book she'd given Brent. Oh fuck. This must be his dad. His dad who hated gays._

"_What the fuck is this queer rubbish that you're giving my son to read!"_

_She flinched as he smacked the book down onto her desk, sending her stapler flying over the side. He waited for an answer, huffing with anger, but her mouth was paralysed. She wanted to stand up to this bully, to tell him how narrow minded and ridiculous he was, but she was scared. She felt like she was fifteen again with Katie telling a whole party full of their classmates that Naomi was a dirty lezzer. Only Mr Fraser had about 200kilos on Katie. She couldn't imagine what it would be like for Brent to face this his whole life. She felt her heart thumping against her ribs. _

_He pointed a fat finger in her face. "You go near my son again and you'll be sorry. Bitch."_

_._

Emily blinks hard and realises that she'd been balling her hands into tight fists, so tight that her nails had almost broken the skin. She stretches out her fingers and lays her palms out on the cool surface of the table. Feels it soothe her burning skin. Leans her head back and takes a deep breath.

_Emily was still shaking from her meeting with Mr Fraser when she got home. She fell into Naomi's arms and sobbed, recalling the events for the blonde. Naomi was furious, threatening to call Cook who would be more than happy to beat the crap out of the fat bastard. But they both calmed down, and with cooler heads decided that Emily should speak to the headmaster at school the next day and pass on her concerns. Brent seemed to be in more trouble than she was aware of, and she was out of her depth. _

_So the next day she was feeling much more confident on her way in to school. She had a plan, and she always worked best with plans. But then she walked into the staffroom and overheard another teacher mutter four words she'd never forget. Words that still rung in her head some nights._

_Brent Fraser killed himself._

_._

Emily feels a tear running down her cheek and wipes it away. Swallows the rising emotion in her chest and takes a deep calming breath.

On nights like this she can't stop her mind from revisiting every moment she spent with Brent. Wondering if there was anything she could have done to change the outcome. If there was one word she could have said. One smile. One laugh. One comforting touch. It's the endless stream of what ifs. What if she had told someone at the school sooner. What if she hadn't given Brent that book. What if she'd never approached him when he was sitting under that tree. What if she'd left school earlier that first day she'd found him at her car. It goes round and round. An impossible game without any winner.

She knows now that she did the best she could. The best she knew how to at the time. Knows that she's learnt from it and become a better teacher. A better friend. A better person.

But that doesn't make it any easier. Doesn't keep her from seeing his face or hearing his voice every now and then.

She feels a hand on her back and hears a sniffle.

Naomi.

Of course she woke up. Knows her too well.

"I forgot it was today," the blonde croaks out, her voice still thick with sleep. She rubs at her eyes, then bends down and kisses the back of Emily's head before taking the seat across from her. "Why didn't you wake me?"

The redhead meets her gaze and shrugs. Naomi understands and leans across the table, reaching out to both of Emily's hands which are still laid out on the table, sliding her own hands underneath and holding the redhead's in her own.

"I love you."

Emily can't help the smile that hearing those words from Naomi has always brought to her face. "I love you too."

Naomi knows that she doesn't need to say anything else. Emily is thankful for it.

This is one of those wounds that never heal.

And maybe it never should.

...

...

...

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**This chapter is really important to me and I don't think my writing did it justice but I really wanted to post it. I don't want to get too serious on your asses...but I will. Youth suicide and self-harm is still a massive problem, especially here in Australia, and especially with gay teenage boys. It's the second leading cause of death among all 15-24 years olds after road accidents. And it's often ignored. I'm kind of passionate about it because I had a friend kill herself six years ago and it is absolutely devastating for everyone left behind. But there are some fantastic organisations for people that need help, (my sister and I actually volunteer for one here in Oz), so if you know someone who does need help or if you yourself do I'd really encourage you to give one of those organisations a call. There are some incredibly generous and loving people out there who want to help.**

**I'll get off my soapbox now...**

**Hope you liked the chapter and it would be great to hear your feedback...**

**:)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I'm seriously humbled by your response to that last chapter...it's terrible that so many of us have been touched by this issue...but I'm glad you all thought I wrote about it in a respectful and authentic way and hopefully raised some awareness of the issue...I meant to reply to your reviews and messages but I've barely found time to write this – my boyfriend's parents are staying with us for the week, which means I've avoided being home...his mum keeps _not-so-subtly _bringing up marriage and grandchildren and I want to hurt her...but she tells me that I look like Delta Goodrem, so I can't hate her...I can't hate anyone who thinks I'm pretty, lol...but arrrgh I don't know how I agree to these things...first he tricks me into letting him move in and now we have a parents-meet-parents lunch on Sunday...I swear one day I'm going to wake up with a hangover and a wedding ring on my finger...I'm taking deep breaths and trying not to freak out...fuck...why do I treat this thing like my diary...I'll shut up now...**

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"This is nice," Naomi mumbled, her eyes still closed as she snuggled in closer to her redhead, the feel on Emily's warm smooth skin against her cheek something she'll never get over. "I feel like we haven't done this in ages."

She eased her eyes open slowly, letting them adjust to the late morning sunlight that shined through the slits in the blinds.

Emily moaned her agreement, still half asleep, and squeezed the blonde's hip.

The _this_ that Naomi referred to was sleeping in on Sunday morning. Life had gotten so chaotic in the last few weeks that they'd barely had a spare moment to just breathe and spend some quiet time together. Naomi felt like they'd both constantly been run off their feet. Only seeing each other in the morning before they hurried off to work, and then for a couple of hours at night, when both of them were too exhausted for anything other than falling into bed and sleeping. Emily was preparing her students for exams and writing reports, spending two or three extra hours in her office each night because she found it easier to work in there without the distractions of home. Mr Walker had also had a small stroke that left him in the hospital for a week or so, which meant that they had spent any free time visiting him there. His son had come from London and it had been decided that it would be best for Mr Walker to move in with his family. Both of them already missed him terribly. But he was doing well, and had plenty of time to send them emails and forward them both dirty jokes or pictures of cute animals.

On top of that Naomi had started a new job a few weeks ago, a job that she'd applied for on a whim with Emily's encouragement, but convinced that she'd never actually get it. She was sure that it would go to someone older, more experienced. But they'd been impressed with her work and passion, and she was now the managing director for a consultancy firm that lobbied local and national governments on behalf of various charities and non-profits. Basically she was hot shit. In the paper and everything. They'd even mentioned that she was married to 'local teacher Emily Fitch'. Emily had squealed when she'd seen it, cut it out and framed it. Made sure that everyone she knew saw it. Bought twenty copies of the paper and handed them out to their friends and family, even those in other parts of the country or overseas. The attention made Naomi more than a little uncomfortable, but it felt brilliant to make Emily proud. The redhead had always believed in her so unfalteringly that it felt amazing to fulfil that potential. To prove Emily right. And Gina. She'd always known that her mum was proud of her, but when she'd told her the news she'd noticed something new in her eyes. Like she'd known all along that Naomi was capable of this. The job came with a substantial pay rise which was lovely, but it also demanded a lot of her time, especially right now when she was still familiarising herself with her new role, staff and clients. She felt like she hadn't spoken to her wife in weeks, besides the speedy exchanges of practical information like if they'd be home for dinner. They hadn't had time for much else.

But today they did, and they were going to make the most of it.

Naomi's palm was resting on the warm skin above Emily's heart, rising and falling gently with the redhead's breathing. She often found her hand gravitating there. Found the rhythmic beating of her wife's heart comforting. Grounding. It calmed any anxieties she ever had, because as long as that heart was beating next to her she would be okay.

"What are we doing today," she said softly, her voice rough, still not quite awake.

First the first time in weeks they had the rest of the day ahead of them completely free to do whatever they pleased. But truth be told she would be happy to do this all day.

"Mmm whatever we want," Emily replied.

Naomi loved her wife's voice in the morning, huskier and sexier than it usually already was. It wrapped her up and warmed her belly. Sometimes she asked the redhead questions she already knew the answer to, just so she could hear her speak.

She turned her head and kissed the skin of Emily's chest. "We could stay like this."

"All day?"

"All day."

Emily laughed and ran her hand gently through blonde hair. "We might need food...and water. Or have to pee eventually."

"Nope," Naomi replied simply, nuzzling her cheek into soft silky skin.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the blonde tracing lazy patterns across Emily's stomach, dipping a finger into her bellybutton and making the redhead giggle. It was nice, having this quiet time. Being able to reconnect with each other after a hectic few weeks.

After a few minutes the redhead finally blinked her eyes open and grinned down at Naomi. "I think we should go pick out our puppy."

Naomi's eyes narrowed with confusion. "What puppy?"

"The one you said we could get."

The blonde pulled herself up to face Emily and propped herself on her elbows, completely bewildered. "What the fuck are you talking about Ems?"

Emily simply smiled and patted down Naomi's wild hair, messed up from the night's activities.

"Last night you agreed we could get a puppy."

The blonde cast her mind back to the night before. All she could remember was Emily. On top of her, under her, next to her, in front of her. They'd made love for hours. It was the first real opportunity they'd had in days, and they'd both relished the chance to finally release their frustrations. Naomi had had to go into the office that morning, and then in the afternoon they'd gone over to Emily's parent's house for Jenna's birthday, reluctantly staying into the evening and throwing each other desperate glances from across the room, eventually leaving as soon as they could. Naomi was half undressed before they even got inside their house. There had been a lot of moaning and swearing and even some giggling...but nothing about a puppy.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Emily."

Emily smiled, moving both hands to hold Naomi's cheeks, lifting her head and reaching forward to give her a sweet kiss. "I said we should get a puppy," she kissed her again, "and you agreed."

Naomi pulled back and caught the way her wife's lips curled into a smirk, the amusement dancing in her eyes. There was something funny going on. A joke she wasn't in on.

"And _when _exactly did I agree to this? If in fact I actually did."

"I told you," Emily replied, "it was last night."

Naomi eyed her sceptically. "When exactly...last night?"

"When I was doing that thing you like."

Emily breathed the words out quickly and quietly, almost as if she hoped Naomi wouldn't hear them.

The blonde was momentarily dazed by memories of the previous night, but she shook them away.

"I knew it!" she cried with a grin, jumping up and straddling her wife, then pinning her wrists to the bed while Emily laughed and wriggled beneath her. "Not fair! You know I'd agree to anything when you're doing _that_."

Emily struggled against her, lifting her head and shoulders to try and capture the blonde's lips, but Naomi was having none of it, pulling back teasingly.

"You think you can trick me again? You little minx."

Emily struggled for a few more seconds before her body finally stilled, her grin dropping and her eyes slightly pleading. She pouted her bottom lip. "I want a puppy Naoms."

Naomi rolled her eyes, tightening her grip and refusing to be manipulated...again. "Nuh-uh. I know your game Fitch."

But Emily was good, biting her lip and turning her mouth down into a frown. Her doe eyes wide. Naomi was helpless against it. Always had been. They both knew it.

She let go of Emily's wrists and rocked back on her knees, eyeing the redhead seriously. "You really want a puppy?"

Emily nodded adorably, a grin breaking across her face.

Naomi sighed, then threaded her fingers with Emily's, holding their arms out between them.

She wasn't really a pet person, had never grown up with animals. For all the ferals her mum had let into the house she wouldn't allow pets, so Naomi had no experience with them. It also wasn't the best time.

"We're barely home at the moment. How are we going to look after it? Train it and everything?"

"It's summer break in a week so I'll be on holidays," Emily reasoned, a note of hope in her voice. "And you won't be as busy with work soon, once you get the hang of everything."

Naomi bit her lip in contemplation.

"Come on Naoms," the redhead pleaded. "We'll get a really cute one."

Naomi looked into the deep brown eyes of her wife and knew that she could never say no. Not to Emily. Not when Emily was looking at her like that. She hadn't been able to say no when Emily had first kissed her at that party all those years ago. Or that first time at the lake, when she'd practically lunged at the redhead, incapable of holding back any longer. Or when she'd slammed Emily into the lockers at college, unable to stand not kissing her. All she wanted in life was to make the woman she loved happy, even if that included a fucking puppy.

She bent down and kissed her, a deep and lingering kiss that made Emily moan. "Fine," she whispered against soft lips, "but we're adopting one from the pound."

Emily crashed their lips together again, her hands roaming across the smooth skin of Naomi's back.

"But you're responsible for walking it," she muttered as the redhead kissed along her jaw and down her neck, sucking on her pulse point. "And for...god...for...toilet training it."

Before Naomi knew what was happening Emily had rolled them over swiftly, pressing her body down onto the blonde's. Emily gazed down at her, brown eyes almost black with lust.

"I love you," the redhead whispered in her ear, then nipped at her earlobe, sending a shiver through Naomi that settled in her belly. "How about I do that thing you like?"

Naomi could only whimper in response to Emily's proposition, as the redhead continued to place hot kisses on her neck and along her collarbone, while her own hands held on to her wife's hips tightly.

Emily pulled back for a moment, the two of them locking eyes. It almost took Naomi's breath away, seeing the love and adoration blazing in her wife's eyes. That's why she could never say no, would do anything to make the redhead happy. Because she never wanted Emily to look at her any other way.

-x-

Naomi heard the scratching at the door before she'd even unlocked it, greeted by Lola as soon as she opened it, the little puppy's tail wagging excitedly. Lola was a black and white Cavalier King Charles, only a couple of months old. She'd been the third dog they'd seen at the pound, and Emily had cried out instantly, immediately knowing that she was the one, tugging on Naomi's hand and jumping with excitement. Naomi had looked into the puppy's brown eyes and fallen a bit in love as well, not that she'd ever admit that to Emily. The dynamic was clear. She was Emily's dog, Naomi just tolerated her. Except that wasn't the reality at all.

Lola jumped at the blonde's feet, and Naomi dumped her bags by the door. It had been a long day of work and she felt the weight easing off her shoulders every second that she was home. She scooped the puppy up into her arms, scratching behind her ears and rubbing her tummy. Lola scrambled in her arms trying to lick her face as Naomi giggled and swatted her away gently.

"Ems?"

Naomi kicked off her shoes and then moved into the lounge room in search of her wife, who had spent the day doing nothing but relaxing at home, and texting the blonde details of what was happening on the daytime soap opera or cooking show she was watching.

Predictably she found her on the couch, deep in sleep with a book resting on her chest. Emily had taken to having naps in the afternoon, making the most of doing absolutely nothing on her holidays other than relaxing. Naomi grinned at the sight, then frowned when it struck her that unless she wanted to wake her sleeping wife, she'd have to take Lola out for a walk. Yet again. It seemed that despite Naomi's best efforts Lola was just as much her puppy as she was Emily's.

The redhead still wasn't awake when they returned, and Naomi didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead she placed Lola down on the floor beside the couch, then shuffled in beside her wife, gently pushing Emily back so she'd have enough space to lie next to her. Emily immediately sought her out, murmuring her name as she reached an arm over her, resting her hand on the small of her back as she cuddled in to her. The blonde exhaled a calming breath. Sometimes she couldn't get over how Emily's sheer presence could make her feel better, relieve her stresses and make her smile. She could deal with every asshole in the world all day long as long as she could come home to this every night.

She felt a sudden weight on her legs, knew it was Lola. Naomi wanted to be stern with her and was trying to teach her not to jump up on the couch, but she let it slide, as she felt the puppy stepping across their feet, trying to find a comfortable spot to lie in, until finally stilling in a small space between their legs. And Naomi felt her heart swell at the thought that this was her family now, the three of them, and how one day there would be a little baby laying between them. Maybe even two.

She closed her eyes and smiled widely at the image of them cuddled together on the couch or in bed, and hoped that her dreams were filled with just that.

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**I feel like this chapter isn't great...but I thought I better post something...especially because **_**Lc**_** claims they're dying...I don't want blood on my hands!**

**Okay, so...somewhat of a trade-off – this looks like it's going to blow out to 30 chapters or so...who knows...but I might only be able to update once or twice a week...life is getting too annoying to ignore!**

**But again, if you guys have any idea's for a chapter let me know...I might be able to work it into my plans...and _Reviewer _- I might already have a plan for you suggestion...we'll have to wait and see!**

**Please leave a review if you've got time...it will give me something to smile about while I silently suffer my in-laws!**

**:)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Ahem...let me first apologise for my rant last chapter...I went a little...er...crazy there for a minute, but all is well in my emotionally retarded mind...I also ran my 10kms in record time so I'm feeling good! **

**Also, if you haven't read it already I **_**really**_** recommend the fic _'Between Daylight and Darkness' _by Jade8devlin...I usually hate paranormal stuff (I hate twilight with a burning passion) but that story is fan-fucking-tastic...really well written...**

**So I feel a little awkward with the bf's parents in the next room...you know...**_**at night**_**...so let's just say I'm taking out my...um...**_**frustrations**_**...in this chapter...might also be why I'm running so fast...whatevs...if you don't want to read about two hot chicks getting sexy turn away now ;P**

* * *

Emily pressed the button for the elevator and stepped back, glancing around the lobby while she waited. It was a new building, all silver and modern with glass and mirrors everywhere, and she found herself reflected several times throughout the open space. It was an impressive building with even more impressive tenants. Law firms, I.T specialists, accounting firms, consultants and insurance agencies, in the heart of Bristol's business centre.

The woman at the little reception desk across the other side of the room looked up from the flowers Emily was holding and caught her eye and smiled. The redhead returned it just as the elevator doors opened. She stepped inside and pressed the button for Naomi's floor, the grin growing on her face as she watched the elevator light up the numbers of the floors they passed, bringing her closer to her wife.

It was Naomi's birthday today, and Emily was surprising her at work. The blonde had planned to take the day off, as Emily had, but something urgent came up that demanded Naomi's attention. It had happened a lot in the eight months that the blonde had been working there. They'd make plans for weekends away or evenings out, only to have to cancel them at the last minute when a crisis erupted at work. Emily understood that Naomi's job was intense and important, but sometimes she just wanted to be with her wife. Needed to be. Especially when she herself was so used to the routine of teaching. Going to work and coming home at roughly the same time every day. Having her weekends free and school holidays. Naomi's job didn't work that way. It changed daily, depending on what they were working on and what was going on in the world. She knew Naomi was trying her best to balance everything, and Emily was incredibly proud of the work her wife was doing, but sometimes it was just shit.

When Naomi had gotten a call last night informing her that she needed to be in the office early the next morning for a meeting and conference call Emily had been pissed. She'd taken the day off and had an elaborate plan to celebrate Naomi's birthday, the first birthday since she'd become her wife. Now that had all gone to hell, but she was determined to give the blonde a proper celebration, even if she had to go to her.

She glanced at herself in the elevator doors, checking her appearance. She was dolled up a little more than she usually was, taking a little extra time getting ready that morning. Her hair and make-up flawless and her black slinky dress skimming tightly over her curves. The seam at the back of her sheer stockings almost dead straight, which was no easy effort. She smirked at her reflection, confident that Naomi would be very happy with her present.

She frowned when the elevator stopped three floors below Naomi's, shuffling back a little as two middle-aged men in suits stepped inside. They all smiled at each other politely, but Emily caught the two men share a knowing look before turning their attention back to her, attempting to be subtle as they obviously eye-fucked her. She made a show of scratching her nose, flashing her wedding ring to make it obvious their attention was severely unwanted. It didn't deter them. She closed her eyes and sighed, pretty sure that being leered at by middle-aged men was something that she wouldn't enjoy even if she was straight.

After another minute they mercifully reached her intended floor, Emily conscious of not touching the men as she passed them to leave the elevator.

"Enjoy your day beautiful," one of them called after her as the doors closed.

She shook it off and took a minute to take a breath, before walking down a short hallway, pictures of successful charity projects lining the walls. Wells dug in Africa, rebuilding efforts in Indonesia after the tsunami, mobile vaccination stations set up in South America. Emily's heart swelled at the thought of Naomi working to help achieve these and many other projects. It might be a pain sometimes but she loved how much Naomi loved her job. Her passion was one of the things Emily loved most about her.

A she walked through to the offices the receptionist Maria caught sight of her and grinned widely.

"Emily!" she greeted her excitedly, standing and moving around the desk with her arms outstretched. "It's so good to see you. You haven't been in for a while."

Maria was quite a large woman, completely enveloping Emily, who held the flowers away from them as they hugged.

"Yeah, life's been a bit busy lately," she offered as an excuse.

The truth was Naomi had tactfully asked her not to come in to the office as often anymore, as most of her employees were completely smitten with the redhead and became unacceptably distracted whenever she was around, not that Naomi didn't understand that feeling. Sometimes Emily wondered if it was mostly for her wife's concentration rather than anyone else's. She took it as a compliment and complied, somewhat delighted at Naomi's slight jealousy that she was more well-liked than her.

Maria glanced at the flowers. "I take it those are for the boss?"

Emily opened her mouth the reply but Maria cut her off.

"It's terrible that she has to be here on her birthday. I bet you had something special planned?"

Again she went to answer but was cut off before she'd even opened her mouth.

"Of course you did, you two lovebirds. I tell you I haven't seen two people who love each other as much as you two. Did I tell you about my niece Britney?

Emily didn't even attempt to answer than one, and Maria just kept on talking about her niece who had gotten married two years ago in a lavish ceremony but was now going through a painful divorce. The redhead could barely follow the names being mentioned but it didn't matter, all she had to do was nod her head every so often. Most of her conversations with Maria were one-sided, Emily not managing to get a word in when the woman got talking. She didn't mind though really. Maria was lovely.

The phone rang and Emily was glad for it, desperate to see her wife.

"I better get that," Maria said as she moved back around behind her desk. "I'll see you on your way out."

She fitted her headset back on and Emily almost laughed at the noticeable change as Maria slipped back into her professional persona. The redhead waved and received a wink in reply, then made a beeline for Naomi's office, keeping her eyes down and hoping not to get held up. She made it through without stopping, only slowing a couple of times to greet a few people who noticed her, finally halting at the desk of Naomi's assistant Matt. She looked beyond him to the frosted glass of the blonde's office, her heart quickening and her lips curling as she saw her shadow sitting at her desk.

"Hey, Emily," Matt said, drawing her attention away from the shadowed figure. He glanced at the flowers, "don't tell me, those are for me?"

"Hey Matt. I'm afraid not. Is she busy?"

She felt bad for not engaging in small talk like she usually did, but she didn't have the time or inclination at the moment.

He heard the urgency in her tone and glanced down at the diary on the side of his desk. "She doesn't have another conference call or meeting for just over an hour."

Emily smirked. "Perfect. Can you hold all her calls and tell everyone to go away until then?"

A mischievous grin spread across his face.

Normally Emily would have felt incredibly uncomfortable asking such a thing and the assumptions that would be made, but Matt was as gay as a window, and Emily was fairly confident that he wouldn't be listening outside the door or sitting at his desk daydreaming about what was going on behind it.

"No worries," he said knowingly.

She thanked him with a nod and knocked on the door, taking a calming breath as she felt her heart beating a little faster, not helped when Naomi called for her to come in.

"Em," the blonde said in slight shock as Emily stepped into her office, a delighted grin spreading across her face. "What are you doing here?"

Emily locked the door behind her and then swung her arm from around her back, offering her the flowers. "I wanted to give you these and say happy birthday."

An adorably sappy smile grew on Naomi's face and they both moved to close the gap between them, the blonde kissing her as she took the flowers.

"They're beautiful." She peered over them at the redhead, noticing how gorgeous her wife looked. "You look beautiful," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist and held her close, "did you get all dressed up for me?"

The redhead nodded and reached up for another kiss, this one deeper than the last, Emily sucking on her bottom lip longer. They pulled away eventually and Naomi placed the flowers on the desk behind her.

"I'll have to ask Matt to find a vase for them."

They locked eyes for a moment, and Emily noticed how tired her wife looked, momentarily kicking herself for not being able to treat Naomi on her birthday, no matter how irrational the thought was. But the blonde still looked beautiful. Emily had always thought that Naomi was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, even when they were younger. There was something about her that completely captivated the redhead, something that went far beyond her physical appearance.

She reached for her hand. "How has your day been so far?"

"Shit," Naomi scoffed as she closed her eyes briefly and dropped her head back. She'd been up since 5am and her head had been throbbing all morning. Any spare minute she'd had between meetings and phone calls and emails was spent feeling guilty and daydreaming about how the day should have gone. Waking up with Emily and having morning sex, possibly even in the shower, then following her wife to whatever surprise she'd had for her. Instead she'd been stuck in her office all day. She didn't mind being stuck in there with Emily though. "Better now though with you here."

Emily licked her lips and stepped closer to the blonde, placing her hands on her hips and coaxing Naomi back until she was perched on her desk, then stood in between her legs.

Naomi smiled and wrapped her arms around her. Breathed in the berry scent of her shampoo and that distinctly Emily smell she loved so much. There was nothing better than an armful of Emily.

"I have a present for you," the redhead said eventually, her voice low and husky.

Naomi's face lit up. "Oh really? Where is it?"

"Here."

Emily leant forward and pushed their lips together, pressing into Naomi's until she opened her mouth, their tongue's working together as Emily's hands lost themselves in blonde hair. Naomi moaned as the sensation started a fire in her belly, and the redhead pressed against her body harder, as the blonde's hands grabbed her bum and pulled their hips together.

They finally pulled away, breathless and panting, a smirk playing on Naomi's lips.

"No offence Em, but I have you every day. It's my reward for putting a ring on it."

Emily laughed and shook her head at her adorably lame wife.

"Not like _this_," she said teasingly, stepping back out of the blonde's grasp. "Stay here."

Naomi's brow furrowed as she watched the redhead move to her office windows, one eyebrow rising as Emily adjusted the blinds so that they blocked out completely. She noticed that the redhead was wearing those stockings she liked with the seam down the back and she felt a flutter deep in her belly.

Emily kept their gazes locked as she moved around the room, then came to stand in front of the blonde, just out of her reach, with a smirk fixed on her face.

"I was going to wait until tonight," the redhead purred in her husky tone, "but I decided I couldn't wait that long."

Naomi wondered what the fuck her wife was talking about, considering the redhead didn't seem to have anything with her or on her besides her dress. But she had a feeling she was going to enjoy it from the look in Emily's eye. She watched Emily intently as the redhead moved one hand up to the side of her dress, pulling down on the zipper, their eyes still locked.

Naomi felt her heart beating faster and her breathing becoming shallow as Emily brushed one strap off her shoulder slowly and then the other, then her eyes almost bulged out of her head as the black material fell to the floor, revealing to the blonde the sexiest thing she had ever seen in her life.

The redhead smirked and Naomi knew her own mouth was hanging open, but couldn't focus on anything other than the sight before her and the sudden throbbing in her centre. They weren't in her office surrounded by her employees in early morning Bristol, they weren't anywhere. There was no time and there was no place.

Just Emily.

In a corset.

Lace underwear.

Suspenders.

Heels.

Holy fuck.

She dragged her eyes up Emily's shapely legs, over her hips and up to her chest, her gaze fixing on the ample cleavage on display, nipples barely covered by lace. Naomi was desperate to touch her. Feel her.

"You like?" the redhead asked somewhat redundantly, since it was clear from the blonde's reaction that she _very _much liked her present.

Naomi nodded anyway, then wondered what the fuck she was still doing sitting down when her wife was over there practically dripping sex. She slid off her desk but Emily put up a hand and stepped towards her.

"Nuh uh," the redhead said firmly. "Stay."

Naomi swallowed, completely turned on by the authority of her wife's tone. She'd never admit it out loud but she liked it when Emily bossed her around. Found it incredibly hot when her wife took control.

The redhead sauntered towards her with a seductive smile and hooded eyes, and Naomi found herself stuck to the spot, unsure of what Emily wanted her to do. Willing to do anything.

Emily closed the gap between them and placed her hands on Naomi's hips, the blonde releasing a shuddering breath as Emily pressed her back on top of the desk again. She found herself spreading her legs further apart so the redhead could slide into them, which Emily did, their bodies barely touching, tantalisingly.

Naomi's fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and touch the smooth skin before her. Emily's neck and arms and breasts. So much beautiful skin. But she understood the unspoken rules of this game. That her wife was in charge. And she was ready and more than willing to follow her rules.

Emily grabbed the blonde's hands and placed them on her hips, then pressed into Naomi with enough force to make her gasp.

"Since we couldn't celebrate because you had to go to work," the redhead murmured as she bent her head to place a hot, wet kiss to her collarbone, sucking on the skin slightly. "I thought I could bring the celebration to you."

"Fuck," Naomi breathed out as Emily continued her slow assault on her neck, her tongue swirling on her skin and sending shivers through her tensed body.

She was vaguely aware that they were in her office and that there were people outside, but she found herself not caring. Not with Emily's lips on her chest and not with their hips grinding against each other. They'd never had sex in her office, and right now Naomi was pretty sure that was they only thing she ever wanted to do.

"Not yet," Emily whispered in her ear, and the blonde clenched her eyes as her earlobe was devoured by a hot mouth, a wet tongue darting out to tease it.

Naomi dug her fingers into the redhead's hips, pulling her close as their bodies grinded together slowly, her mind completely blank of everything but Emily and her tongue and her silky skin as the sensations they were creating rippled through her body.

She felt Emily's hands move between them as her mouth moved back down her neck, sucking and nipping at her pulse point, the blonde dropping her head back to give her more access. The redhead fiddled with the buttons of Naomi's shirt, her fingers flicking across her flushed skin as she undid them one by one, her mouth following and pressing searing kisses to her torso as the blonde's chest heaved with strained breaths.

"You're so fucking sexy," Emily murmured as she leant back slightly to slide Naomi's shirt off her shoulders, the blonde shrugging out of it to aid the process.

The redhead didn't waste any time reaching around to unclasp Naomi's bra, slipping the straps down her arms before discarding it completely. She took a second to admire the sight, panting as pure desire blazed in her darkened eyes, sending a liquid heat to the blonde's centre. Emily lowered her head and Naomi gasped as her tongue slipped against her hardened nipple, the redhead sucking it into her mouth and then grazing over it lightly with her teeth.

Naomi was almost panting, arching her chest up as Emily palmed her other breast, her thumb brushing over her nipple teasingly. The blonde steadied herself with one hand on the desk, her eyes fluttering closed, the other tangling with red hair as she held Emily's head close to her.

"Fuck...Em."

Emily's lips were suddenly on hers. Kissing her forcefully, so hard that the blonde thought her lips might split, found herself not really caring as long as Emily kept kissing her like it was the only thing that mattered.

The redhead pushed Naomi back so that her entire torso was exposed, then bent her head lower and continued her assault, kissing and licking the smooth skin and feeling it quiver beneath her touch.

"I love you so much," the redhead murmured into her skin as she moved one hand under Naomi's thigh, lifting it slightly and pulling her impossibly closer, smiling against flushed skin as the blonde moaned.

Naomi's body exploded with fire as she lowered her head, struggling to open her eyes, but finding her centre flooded with heat at the sight and sensation of Emily dipping her tongue into her bellybutton.

Emily made her way back up to her breasts, gripping a nipple between her teeth as one hand pushed the blonde to lean back further, the other hand venturing lower, sliding along Naomi's thighs and hitching her skirt up.

Naomi's felt herself groaning as Emily's hand cupped her underwear.

"Jesus...Naomi...you're so wet."

The blonde wrapped a hand around Emily's neck and pulled their lips together, her mouth stifling a groan from the redhead as her fingers worked to remove Naomi's underwear. Naomi felt the pull of the material against her skin and lifted her hips just enough so that Emily could slide them of her. The redhead pulled her body away so that she could remove them completely and Naomi took the second to try and catch her breath, then felt the cool sensation as she opened her legs wider and exposed herself fully.

Emily crashed their lips together once again, pushing Naomi back further onto the desk as her hand gripped her thigh again, lifting it and pulling her hips to her. She kissed along her jaw and back down her neck as her other hand found its way back between Naomi's thighs. She returned her attention to the blonde's breasts as her fingers traced the inside of Naomi's thigh, moving teasingly slow.

"Fuck...Emily...just."

The redhead couldn't hold out any longer and both women gasped as Emily's delicate fingers discovered just how much Naomi wanted her, slipping against her wet heat recklessly, until finding a steady rhythm. The blonde leant back on one arm as the other wrapped around Emily's shoulder, the redhead gripping her thigh with her free hand.

"Jesus," the blonde shuddered as Emily brought the lips together once again, kissing each other breathlessly as Emily slipped two fingers inside of her.

Emily swallowed Naomi's groan as she slid in and out of her slowly, curling her fingers and making the blonde clench her eyes tightly. Naomi's chest heaved with heavy breaths as Emily's lips moved to her neck, sucking on her pulse point as her fingers worked inside her.

"Fuck," the blonde cried out as Emily circled a firm thumb where she needed her, bumping against her as her finger's pumped inside her.

Naomi's hand tangled in red hair as her hips continued to grind into Emily's hand.

"You feel so good," the redhead groaned, her pace increasing as she felt Naomi nearing the edge.

The blonde could hardly stand it, pulling at Emily's hair and bucking her hips wildly. She opened her eyes briefly and bit her lip, suddenly conscious of her surroundings, and how much anyone outside her office could hear.

But those thoughts were ripped from her mind as Emily pushed into her harder, curling her fingers and bumping against her as she bit down firmly on one of Naomi's nipples.

"Jesus...Em, I'm gonna."

Emily was relentless, pulling Naomi into her and pushing into her at the same time with an added finger, harder and faster than before, her thumb pressing against her as her tongue slipped around her nipple.

She thrust into the blonde a final time, curling her fingers and pressing where she knew Naomi needed her, feeling her tighten around her fingers.

The blonde cried out as she crashed over the edge, her body shuddering as a blinding explosion radiated from within, her muscles tensing as the pleasure overwhelmed her. She rode it out with Emily still inside her, her eyes shut tight as the ecstasy rippled through her now limp body.

Emily slid her fingers out and moved her body back up to capture the blonde's lips again, Naomi kissing back sloppily, still trying to catch her breath.

They rested against each other for a few minutes, both trying to recover. Emily kissed the flushed skin above Naomi's heart and wrapped her arms around her, holding her close and feeling their hearts beat in time.

"Best. Birthday. Ever," Naomi finally huffed out between deep breaths, then opened her eyes to peer down at her wife and the incredibly sexy lingerie she had on. "My turn."

* * *

**I take little responsibility for this chapter...I'm horny, it's 1am and I've had too much wine...but at least his parents are going home tomorrow!**

**If you don't leave me a review I will kill you...not really...but I'll be sad...maybe...probably not...who am I kidding I'll cry like a little bitch...so review please? :P**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Lol, I'm pleased my drunken threats made you review! Thanks so much as always...I'm glad you all liked the smut...it was hella fun to write! ****Two updates in three days...my my aren't you spoiled...I have to be up in five hours...appreciate it, lol...**

**Now...take a deep breath...**

**we'll all get through this...**

* * *

"Naoms you said you were going to bring some milk home."

Naomi hears her wife calling from the kitchen. Hears the sound of the fridge opening and closing and Emily's heels clicking across the tiles.

She's sitting on the bench in their backyard, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter sit next to her. The packet has been opened but none of them have been smoked, and the lighter is new. She picked them up on her way home, and then forgot the milk. She hasn't smoked in years. She tells people she quit because Emily begged her to. But that's not true. She quit for entirely selfish reasons. Because she doesn't want to die young and miss growing old with her wife. Miss watching their grandkids being born. As fucking sappy as that sounds.

But today she had the sudden urge to smoke again, more powerful than any other time the feeling had gripped her. She'd been staring down the pack for over an hour. Her fingers twitching as she fought with herself.

"Naoms?" Emily calls again as she searches for her in the house.

She knows she should call out and let her wife know where she is but she feels like being difficult and makes Emily find her.

"Hey," the redhead says softly a couple of minutes later when she pokes her head out of the back door and spots the blonde on the bench.

Naomi glances up while her hand on her outer side pushes the cigarettes further back on the bench, out of Emily's view. The redhead takes a step towards her and smiles. Naomi notices that she looks tired and feels guilty. Emily's probably drained from listening to Katie's newest drama with Cook all evening. Katie and Cook. The idea still makes her shake her head a little. She never saw that coming, but it made sense in a way. For all their attitude and bravado both of them cared deeply about the people they loved. They'd started 'hanging out' after her and Emily's wedding, which was pretty much code for sleeping together, which soon progressed to dating. Their relationship is not without its ups and downs, given that they are both rather dramatic, but against all odds they are in love. It took Emily a few weeks to warm to the idea but she's happy for them. Even enjoys the fact that her sister and her friend are together. They're good for each other.

The redhead pulls the sleeves of her cardigan over her hands to shield them against the chilled wind.

Naomi is in pants and a thin blouse and knows she should be cold but she doesn't feel it. Tries to smile at her wife but it's more of a grimace.

"You didn't get milk."

There's nothing accusing in Emily's tone, just a prompt for an explanation, but it irritates Naomi nonetheless. She feels something flicker within her and her muscles tighten.

"Does it matter? I'll get some later."

It's harsh and dismissive, and she doesn't want to speak to her wife that way but she can't help it. Not with the mood she's in.

Emily's eyes widen a little. "Well I need some to make dinner. I could have gotten it on my way home if you had told me you weren't going to."

The slight edge that's crept into her wife's voice aggravates her further and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Fucks sake I'll go and get it now if you want."

Emily looks taken aback, and gazes at her intently for a moment before taking a step toward her. Naomi can feel her wife's body language change. Tense.

"Did something happen at work? Why are you in such a bad mood?"

Emily looks down at the bench and her brow furrows, and Naomi knows she's seen the packet of cigarettes. The redhead lurches forward and grips them in her hand, holding them up.

"What the fuck Naomi? Are you fucking smoking again?"

Emily's grandmother on her father's side died before she was born. Lung cancer. Emily has had a thing about smoking for years.

The redhead holds the packet in front of her face, shaking it slightly, and Naomi feels the urge to knock it out of her hands. That flicker of anger now a burning flame. She should tell her that she hasn't actually smoked one. She should tell her the real reason she's angry. But her mind falls into old patterns and she lashes out.

"Fucking hell Emily, you're not my fucking master. I can do whatever the fuck I like."

Her words are laced with venom and she knows they sting the redhead. Watches the change in Emily's demeanour as they hit. She feels guilty but there's also a hint of satisfaction. Making Emily hurt as much as she is.

Emily sighs. Deflates before her. Makes Naomi feel even worse that she's made her look so small.

"No Naomi...you're my _wife_."

Her voice is thick with emotion, and the blonde can tell that Emily is fighting back tears. She hates herself for making her wife cry. Had vowed on their wedding day that she would never be the one to cause her pain and yet here she was.

"And I'm not your fucking punching bag," the redhead adds with a sniffle. "I thought you'd gotten over this immature shit."

Emily throws the packet back on the bench and turns to head back inside. Naomi sees the tear on her wife's cheek as it catches the light. Her stomach tightens. She knows she pushed too far. She doesn't want her to leave. Couldn't stand it.

"Em," she whispers softly, almost pleadingly, as her hand darts out and encircles her wife's slender wrist.

Emily stops, turning her head slightly to see the grip the blonde has on her. She stands there for a moment with her back to her.

Naomi knows what her wife is waiting to hear. She takes a breath to steady her voice.

"I'm sorry."

The redhead sighs again, turning and gazing back at her.

Naomi sees her visibly soften. The knot in her own stomach loosens a little. She slides her hand down from Emily's wrist and slips it into her small hand. Smiles when she feels the redhead squeeze it.

Emily takes the few steps back to the bench and sits next to her, pulls their joined hands into her lap and covers them with her other one.

"Did something happen at work?"

Emily's question is timid, her voice shy, like she's just waiting for her to blow up again. Naomi feels even worse for making her wife so wary of her temper.

She shakes her head. They lock eyes and she can see the concern and worry in the warm brown pair that stare back at her. The complete opposite of her ice blue eyes.

She knows she's a fucking idiot for taking it out on Emily. One of the only two people in the world who love her deeply and would die for her. Her heart starts beating faster as she thinks of the second person.

Emily senses her hesitation and squeezes her hand again. Naomi can hear the blood pumping in her ears. Feels something heavy on her chest. Struggles to take a deep breath.

"Mum called me today she found a lump in her breast and they did some tests and it's cancer."

She gets it all out in one hurried breath. Afraid that her voice would break with the weight of it. That she would break with the weight of it. Feels a punch in the stomach at the news all over again.

Everything had been going perfectly. Well maybe not perfectly, but life was good. Really good. She had settled into her new job. It was hard work but she loved it. She was helping to make a difference all over the world. Her friends were all doing marvellously too. Effy was still on her anti-depressants but her therapy was going well. She was even seeing someone new, a nice guy who reminded Naomi a little of Freddie, not that she told Effy that. Katie and Cook were talking about moving in together. Mr Walker had recovered from his stroke and was in relatively good health. And Emily, beautiful lovely Emily loved her more than she deserved, and still looked at her like she did when they were sixteen. Still made love to her like she'd die if she didn't. Lately Naomi had been thinking it might be time to start talking about babies. Had even looked into the parental leave options at work. Had been excited about her future. Until she'd gotten a phone call that morning that shattered everything. Her mum's voice had been light and she'd been optimistic about her outlook, but Naomi could tell that it was somewhat forced. She'd sat at her desk and cried silently for ten minutes, then debated calling Emily. She wanted her there, she wanted to be held by her wife, but another part of her didn't want to worry Emily. Couldn't stand to see the shattered look on her face as she heard the news. Didn't want her to drop everything and come over, which she knew her wife would do. It could wait until they'd both gotten home from work. But then Emily had messaged her to let her know that she was dropping by Katie's quickly after work to deal with another drama. So she'd gone to the shops and bought the cigarettes. And she's been sitting outside since. Her mind a merry-go-round of words like _death _and _funeral _and _chemotherapy _and _surgery _and _bald_. Words that now have and added level of horror.

And now Emily has the look on her face that Naomi never wanted to see.

She hears Emily gasp at the news and watches her face drop with shock. "God...is she...I mean...have they caught it early?"

Naomi takes another deep breath to steady her voice. It doesn't work. She can feel her free hand shaking and grips the edge of the bench.

"They think so. They're going to cut it out and then do chemo for six weeks to make sure they get it all."

Emily sighs and tightens her hold on her hand. "Do you want to go over there?"

"Mum told us not to. I think she's a bit in denial and pretending nothing is wrong."

She sniffs and feels a tear slip down her cheek. Emily brings a hand up to wipe it away, then holds her cheek gently. "Come here."

The redhead opens her arms and beckons her into them. Naomi shuffles over on the bench and leans into her, her head snuggling into her wife's chest, her arms wrapped tight around her waist. She can feel Emily's heart beating rapidly and tightens her hold further. It's the most comforting thing in the world right now. Being held by Emily always makes her feel safe, and she feels something within her let go. Feels the tears running down her face.

"She's my mum. She's all I had until I met you."

Emily caresses her hair soothingly and kisses the top of her head, her other hand rubbing circles on her back. "It's going to be okay. Gina is a force of nature. Nothing can stop that woman."

Naomi sobs into her chest as Emily offers her comforting words. Her body shudders with short breaths, her chest heaving. She wants to believe her wife's words. Wills herself to. Wants to have faith that everything will be fine.

But she can't quite convince herself.

-x-

"Do you need anything mum?"

Naomi hovers around her like a bee, watching to make sure she's okay and trying to anticipate any potential need.

They've just come home from Gina's last chemotherapy session and she's helping her mum into her bed. The surgery had been done almost immediately after her diagnosis and the doctors were confident that they'd gotten it all, but they continued with the chemo just to be sure. Naomi understood that it was for the best but it was horrible watching her mum get so sick. Gina hadn't reacted well to the chemo. She vomited for hours and her body shook with fatigue. The anti-nausea medication didn't work very well. She'd lost a lot of weight and her hair had fallen out quickly.

It's devastating for Naomi. Watching her mum deteriorate. She'd grown up with her mum, just her mum, a strong-willed and forceful woman. Able to do anything she put her mind to. And now she's so frail and weak. Physically almost unrecognisable.

"Do you need anything?"

Her mum rests her back into the pillows and smiles. "No I'm fine love."

Naomi nods, unconvinced, then arranges the glass of water and the various pills on the bedside table. When there's nothing left for her to fiddle with she takes her seat in the armchair next to the bed and watches.

"Go home."

Her mum tries to be firm and almost pulls it off, her voice wavering only slightly.

Naomi rolls her eyes. She's used to this routine.

"I'm not going home. The first night is always the worst for you."

"It won't hit for a few hours yet. Go home and rest. I'm sure Emily wants to see you."

She thinks of Emily and her heart aches. Has a physical reaction and longs to hold her. She wouldn't have been able to get out of bed every day if it's wasn't for her amazing and supportive wife. Her friends have been fantastic as well, doing whatever they can, but Emily has been her rock for the last few months. Doing everything she can to help and make their lives easier. Refusing to let Naomi take everything on by herself when the blonde was stupid enough to think that she could. She left work to run errands and drive to appointments or check on Gina. She held Naomi at night as she cried. She was patient with her wife's terrible moods. She took her in her arms and made love to her when Naomi needed to feel something. She told her that they were in this together, and that they would face everything together.

Naomi doesn't think she has ever loved her wife more. Or ever felt so loved.

Her mum stares at her for a few seconds, but she's too tired to feel self-conscious. She knows she looks like shit. Gave up on looking like anything else weeks ago. There are now permanent dark circles under her eyes, and new lines to accompany them. Her hair and make-up are always hastily done.

"You need to look after yourself as well Naomi. You have Emily to think of."

Naomi shakes her head. "Emily understands mum."

"Of course she understands, love. But she's your _wife_. She needs you too. And you need her just as much. This is hard on both of you."

Naomi blinks back tears. She knows her mum is right. She's felt torn for months. Wanting to spend time with her wife but hating not being there for her mum.

"Go home," her mum demands again. "I'll be fine for a few hours."

The blonde releases a deep breath and feels the fatigue deep in her body. She's exhausted, between juggling work and her mum's care and worrying constantly she barely sleeps. It all seems to hit her now, and her eyelids feel heavy. She wants to crawl into bed and lie in Emily's arms. She wants Emily to tell her silly stories about her students as she drifts off to sleep.

"Fine."

She stands, collecting her bag and glancing around the room, making sure everything is as it should be and her mum has everything she'll need.

"But I'll be back in a couple of hours. Ring me if you need _anything_."

She stresses the word. Knows her mum has a habit of withstanding pain or discomfort just so she won't put anybody out.

Her mum nods. "I promise I will."

Naomi leans over the bed and gives her a hug, a pang hitting her heart when she feels the bones of her mum's back that she never used to be able to before. Hopes she won't soon.

But she's smiling when she pulls away.

Even though she feels like crying.

-x-

She's watching Emily sleep, desperate for her to wake but unwilling to do it herself. Since her mum had been given the all clear a week ago Naomi appreciates sleep like never before. She doesn't want to steal any from her wife.

She looks across and studies Emily's face. The most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Getting more beautiful with age, which Naomi hadn't believed was possible. She loves every line on her wife's face, because they all tell the story of their life together. Nothing could be more beautiful than that.

After ten or so minutes Emily begins to shuffle in the bed, and Naomi knows she's finally waking up. She watches the redhead rub her eyes open and yawn. Her heart swells as a wide goofy grin breaks across her face. It the greatest thing she's ever seen. Emily looks at her with confusion and the blonde can't resist leaning across and giving her wife a lingering good morning kiss. She feels the redhead smile against her lips and it makes her stomach flip like she's sixteen again.

"Morning," Emily purrs, her voice even huskier with sleep.

Naomi leans in for another kiss. Just because she can. "Hi."

The redhead rolls further into her, rests her head into the crook of Naomi's neck and drapes an arm over her stomach. Her fingers draw circles on her belly. She kisses the skin of her wife's chest. "You're cheery this morning."

Naomi remembers the reason why she's woken up so happy and sighs contentedly as her hand runs through red hair.

"I think...I think maybe we should have a baby."

She can't see Emily's face to judge her reaction but she notices that her fingers freeze. She feels her own heart beating twice as fast.

"Not today or anything, obviously, but I think we should start thinking about it...planning it. Or at the very least, start talking about it."

She watches intently as Emily leans back from her so she can look her in the eye, and relaxes when she sees the excited grin on the redhead's face.

Emily reaches up and kisses her, then presses their foreheads together when it ends and whispers against Naomi's lips.

"I'd love nothing more than to have a baby with you."

* * *

**Dude...the mere thought of Naomily babies makes me go all squishy inside and feel like shouting 'I want one!'...but...obviously neither of them can fall pregnant right away...it aint happening next chapter is what I'm trying to say...so i don't want to see any hopes up...**

**Well, since I seem to like threating you all, here's another: if you don't review I'll kill one of the characters! I'll get all ninja on your asses...you'll never see it coming and then BAM! someone's dead...it'll be your fault is all I'm saying... :P**

**So is that a yes to reviewing?**

**:)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: um...so...I totally forgot that they had a puppy until niceoneBlondie reminded me :/ oh my god how could I forget about Lola! I'm such a spaz...so this chapter is dedicated to Lola...almost as awesome as my doggie Buster (yes, he's named after the one-handed cartographer extraordinaire from Arrested Development!) I should also apologise for my threats...that's not cool...clearly the power went to my head, lol...I aint killing no one...er...probably...but I appreciate your reviews like crazy...even if they are given under the threat of violence!**

**Thanks to **_**HacknSlashUK**_** for the idea for this chapter...also 'Naomilins' is now my favourite word for Naomily offspring, or just in general, so thanks to **_**warriormari**_** for bringing it to my attention in her awesome review!**

**Bit of a fun chapter for the weekend...**

* * *

"Em," Naomi groans, still half asleep as she feels the redhead moving away. She latches on to her arm and tries to pull her closer to her. "Where are you going?"

Emily kisses her lips lightly and then slips out of the bed, pads over to their wardrobe.

Naomi misses her wife's warmth instantly. Stretches her palm out over her side of the bed, her eyes still closed. She hears the rapid footsteps of Lola running after Emily. Grumbles to herself because Lola apparently likes Emily more than her, despite the fact that she does most of the heavy lifting, like giving her a bath and feeding her every morning.

"I'm going for a run," Emily answers gently, her voice huskier with sleep.

"A run?" Naomi's eyes open wide and she regrets it immediately, blinking them closed again as the early morning sunlight stings. She rubs at them and eases them open again slowly, waits for them to adjust to the light. She sits up slightly and watches Emily slip into some very short shorts and a fitted t-shirt.

"You're actually seriously going for a run?"

Emily laughs. "Yes I'm seriously going for a run. Even bought new trainers." She holds up a pair of red running shoes.

Naomi wants to laugh because of course Emily bought red shoes.

"But it's only..." she reaches over to her phone sitting on the bedside table and glances at the screen, "Jesus Christ it's only 8am. And it's Saturday! It's illegal to get out of bed before ten on a Saturday."

She buries her head under the bed sheets and closes her eyes.

She listens as Emily chuckles at her, then move into their en suite, Lola following. A few minutes later she shuffles back into their bedroom. Naomi flings the sheets off her head dramatically, accompanied by a sigh. She's wide awake now, there's no use trying to go back to sleep.

She watches the redhead move around their room, her cute little bum fitting snugly into her shorts. Her eyes trail upwards and skim over Emily's taut stomach, then up to her breasts, sitting so full and perfect, and Naomi can't stand that Emily is so far away and has clothes on.

"Hold on. Since when do you go running?"

"Since today. Remember when Dr Parker said that I had the best chance of getting pregnant if I'm as healthy as possible."

It had been a few months since Naomi had brought up babies, and they'd discussed it endlessly and come up with a plan, finally consulting their doctor about it last week. They'd decided that Emily was going to carry the baby. Naomi wanted to have kids, she just couldn't imagine one growing inside her, while Emily was in love with the idea. They'd thought about adoption, but Emily had always dreamt of being pregnant. They hadn't ruled it out in the future though, but for the moment, Emily really wanted to give birth.

Naomi sits up in the bed and leans against the headboard, pulls the sheets up with her because she's not ready to leave their warmth yet. "Remember when she did those tests and said you were healthy?" She mimics Emily's tone teasingly.

The redhead smiles and stands, walking around to sit on her wife's side of the bed. Lola rushes over and jumps up on the bed, trying to wedge her way in between them. Naomi gently pushes her away. The redhead reaches out and tucks the hair that has fallen over Naomi's eyes behind her ear. It's tender and loving and Naomi's eyes flutter closed as she smiles. Emily leans forward and gives her a lingering kiss and when Naomi feels her start to pull away she sucks on her bottom lip, not wanting it to end. She tries to pull Emily back down onto the bed with her, but the redhead resists, finally leaning back and standing.

"But I could be healthier. I want to get fit...and I like running."

"Can't we just have lots of sex?" The blonde quirks her eyebrow and bites her lip seductively. "I can keep you fit."

Emily rolls her eyes. "I don't think that'll do it."

Naomi feigns indignation, her mouth dropping open and eyes narrowing.

"And no more alcohol," Emily adds.

Naomi's mouth opens even further, her eyes circling wide. "What?"

"From now on my body is a temple. Nothing bad is entering me."

"Does that mean we can't have sex anymore?"

Naomi giggles at her own joke while Emily shakes her head and scratches Lola's ears.

"You have the sense of humour of a fifteen year old boy."

"And the sex-drive."

Naomi reaches forward, grabs her hand and pulls, hard enough to send Emily crashing down on top of her. Emily makes a weak attempt to fight her off as they giggle, then gives up as soon as Naomi leans forward and crashes their lips together. They kiss slowly and Naomi's hands roam, slipping eagerly beneath the material of Emily's jogging outfit, feeling their way along her ribs and across her back. They are just about to slide down the back of her wife's underwear when Emily pulls back, grabbing the blonde's hands and removing them from her shorts.

"You're distracting me."

Naomi lunges for her again but Emily is too quick and moves away.

She pouts like a toddler. "You're wasting our Saturday morning."

"You could always come with me?" Emily offers as she stands and re-adjusts her clothing.

Naomi scoffs. "Please." She waves her hand at her body. "I can't improve upon this perfection."

"What about this?" Emily smirks as she leans forward to poke the blonde's belly. "Padding up for winter are we Naoms?"

She chuckles and walks over to the mirror, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail.

Naomi glances down and frowns. Stretches herself out from the slumped sitting position she's in and watches her stomach. Maybe it does poke out a little more than it used to. Maybe it does look a little fuller. She has been eating a lot of junk food recently, always kept so busy at work that she only has time for something quick. She sucks her stomach in and out a few times. Flexes her abdominal muscles and pokes at them. They don't feel as strong as they used to. Maybe she is getting a little chubby. She pulls the blanket off her legs and examines her thighs. Wonders if they're a little wider than they used to be.

Emily turns around to find her wife studying her legs and looking concerned. Realises that Naomi has taken her words to heart. "I was kidding," she says quickly, moving to stand by the bed. "Your body _is_ perfection."

She leans down to give her a quick kiss and then winks. Naomi smiles half heartedly.

"Besides," Emily continues, "I'm the one who's going to be as big as a house in a few months."

The image of a pregnant Emily pushes everything else out of Naomi's brain until she's swimming in thoughts of her wife's swollen belly and the baby growing inside. Thinks it might just be the best thing in the world. She grins as her heart swells.

"But you still might want to get in a little running before the breast cancer charity fun run next month," the redhead adds. "Just so you don't hurt yourself."

Naomi sighs. She'd forgotten about that, probably because she isn't exactly looking forward to it. She and physical exercise had never been the best of friends. But she had been inspired to participate in the run when her mum had gotten sick. Naomi doesn't believe in God but she thanks whatever is up there every day that Gina is in remission. It's been five months and all the scans are clear. All her hair has grown back, a little courser than before, and she's put back on the weight she'd lost. You'd never know she'd even been sick. She's being more annoying than ever, but Naomi wouldn't have it any other way.

"I take it that's a no?" Emily asks, a note of hope still clear in her voice.

Naomi ignores the question and leans forward to reach around Emily, grabs at her bum and squeezes. "These shorts should be illegal. You're going to cause some poor person to crash their car."

Emily swats her hand away and giggles. "You could always come with me. Watch me from behind."

Naomi enjoys the mental image for a second, then replays what the redhead said and feels affronted.

"What makes you think I'll be trailing behind you?"

Emily quirks an eyebrow.

"Why don't we find out?"

-x-

She spots Effy sitting at a table as she nears the cafe. The brunette is staring into space absentmindedly. It's a mild Sunday afternoon and the sidewalks are full of people, moving from shop to shop or enjoying lunch.

She feels oddly nervous. She hasn't really hung out with Effy in a couple of months, not just the two of them. Everything with her mum and work and the impending pregnancy has taken up her time and energy. She feels guilty that she hasn't been there for her friend, even though she knows Effy understands. She's glad that Katie and Effy have become good friends, so that at least someone is there for the brunette.

She makes her way over and smiles widely as she approaches the table.

"Hey Eff."

She groans and winces as she lowers herself into the chair gingerly. Effy studies her through narrow eyes.

"Something wrong there Naomi? Emily give you a sex injury?"

"I wish. The little minx tricked me into going running with her." She shuffles around in her seat and winces. "I think I pulled a muscle in my arse. I didn't even know that was possible."

She's pretty sure that every muscle in her body is sprained, and she's hurting in places she didn't know existed. Emily had coaxed her into going running with her yesterday and she'd almost died, pausing to suck in lung-full's of oxygen every minute or so. It was embarrassing really, with Emily running ahead and then doubling back to check on her every few minutes. Naomi had finally given up after fifteen minutes and walked home. Conceded that she _really_ isn't fit.

Effy chuckles and Naomi laughs a little too. It's nice to see her friend smiling after everything she's gone through.

"Something tells me it doesn't take much for Emily to persuade you to do things."

Naomi rolls her eyes playfully. She's whipped. Everyone knows it. She loves it.

The waitress comes over and takes their coffee orders. When she leaves Effy lights up another cigarette and exhales a long cloud of smoke. Naomi waves it away.

"Jesus, don't let Emily see you smoking anywhere near me. She'll freak out and go crazy and think it'll stop her getting pregnant or something."

She doesn't think about the words until they've already left her lips. Clamps her hand over her mouth as soon as she realises what she's let slip. "Shit."

She and Emily had decided that they aren't going to tell anyone until she's actually pregnant. They know how difficult it can be and thought it would be easier to deal with that way. When they only have their own expectations and hopes to deal with.

But it's no use pretending she didn't say anything. If being friends with Effy all these years has taught her one thing it's that Effy hears everything. Even some of the things you don't say out loud.

The brunette raises an eyebrow. "Pregnant?"

Naomi smiles sheepishly. "Nothing's happened yet. We've only just decided on it. Spoken with our doctor a couple of times."

Effy doesn't betray any emotion on her face, and Naomi feels compelled to keep talking.

"But we don't want anyone to know at the moment. You know...not until something has actually happened. Because nothing has happened yet...we're still kind of planning...but we're hoping that it'll be soon...but we're not telling people yet...so if you could keep it quiet?"

She realises she's rambling and shuts her mouth. Watches her friend and feels nervous about her response. Every since she found out about Effy's suicide attempt she's felt anxious about telling her friend good news. Always feels like she's bragging. She knows it's silly, knows her friend is happy for her, but she still feels slightly guilty. Everything turned out so well for her and Emily but so much has gone wrong for Effy. At least that seems to be changing for her now though.

The waitress returns with their coffee. Naomi takes a sip of hers. Isn't sure what to think as she waits for Effy's response.

But then the brunette's face brightens with a wide grin, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Wow Naomi, I was wondering when you were going to do your duty and knock her up."

The blonde chuckles and feels the lightness of relief. "Oh trust me, I'm working on it." She raises her eyebrows suggestively and gives Effy a look that tells the brunette exactly how she's working on it.

Effy scrunches her face at the information about her friend's sex life that she definitely doesn't want. After a beat she sighs, a smile on her face. "Kids huh? Little Naomilins running around organising political rallies in the kindergarten. With a lopsided fringe and cute little bows in their hair. You could even have twins."

Naomi laughs at the thought but thinks it's rather wonderful. Thinks that it would make her very happy indeed.

"Who would have guessed," she muses.

She hadn't. Not as a young teenager when she'd first fallen in love with Emily and not even when they had finally gotten together. Back then she'd thought about it, even dreamt about it sometimes, but she'd never let herself dare to hope for it. Didn't think she was lucky enough or good enough to have Emily Fitch as her wife, let alone the woman having her child.

"I did," Effy replies seriously. "I saw it that first day at college, when you stormed past Katie into the classroom, then came back out to insult her. I saw the way Emily looked at you and then smiled after you'd gone. It was actually pretty fucking obvious. Katie knew too. That's why she hated you so much at first."

Naomi takes it all in as she sips on her coffee. "Well fuck Eff, you could have told me all of that back then and saved me a year of drama and heartache," she teases.

Effy takes a drag and raises and eyebrow. "Would you have listened to me back then."

It's not really a question.

"Point taken."

"Besides, who knows if it would have turned out the same if we'd told you back then. Everything happens for a reason right?"

The words are so hopeful and optimistic that Naomi is a little shocked to hear them leave Effy's mouth. Effy, the broken-hearted girl who used to be so pessimistic and cynical. She smiles fondly, thinking that she's not the only one who's grown up these last few years. They all have. Effy is clearly moving on with her life. Katie and Cook have a predictably dramatic relationship but they've managed not to kill each other so far, and seem genuinely in love. Panda and Thomas are still living together over in the US. Even JJ has found himself a fiancée.

Sometimes Naomi still sees them all as seventeen year olds. Confused and scared and excited and hopeful. And sometimes she still feels that way. But she's older and a little wiser, and she's learnt from her mistakes. They all have. She can't regret anything she's ever done because it has all led her to where she is now, and she could never regret that for a second.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess it does."

-x-

A few weeks later Emily has kept up her running regime. Naomi shouldn't be surprised because she knows that when Emily Fitch sets her mind to something she gets it done. Doesn't stop until it she does. Naomi hasn't gone with her since that fateful first time. It had taken over a week for her body to feel normal again. But she still participated in the charity fun run, albeit at more of a walking speed, talking Katie and Effy into doing it with her. Her mum had even come along.

Naomi used to hate that Emily's alarm would wake her up as well early in the morning, but she soon discovered that she didn't mind it so much after all. Because after Emily came back from a run she was usually so high on adrenaline and endorphins that she would practically molest Naomi in her sleep, waking her up and then having her way with her. Not that Naomi ever objected to it.

Not that Naomi could ever object to Emily Fitch showing her how much she loves her.

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* * *

**Just a bit of fluff for you all...**

**So...I've got like nine more chapters planned...but I don't mind writing more...so if there's anything you want to see let me know...otherwise we almost done!**

**Review pleeeeeaaaaase? No more threats, you'll just have my eternal gratitude in return...not good enough? Fine...I'll make out with you...meet me under the bleachers after school...**

**:)**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Well...I hadn't planned on updating so soon but my boyfriend is being a FUCKING WANKER this last couple of days *takes calming breaths and steps away from the knife drawer*...and my best friend ditched our plans (with a legitimate reason though)...so I decided to get lost in some adorable naomilyness...you all benefit from my blah afternoon!**

**Anyways thanks as always to everyone reading and reviewing - you're all brilliant human beings :)**

**But just quickly, **_**blue bike**_** asked if Kieran was still around: he's not. He and Gina never got together in my first fic **_**'Static Waves'**_**, and since this is technically a sequel he's not going to get a look in...Gina has a revolving door of shag partners for all I know...oh, and I also just realised that I change tenses from chapter to chapter...oh well...deal with it ;) **

**Just a short one...Brace yourselves for sickening levels of love and sweetness...**

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Emily steps into her jeans and slides them up her legs, fastening the buttons. She tucks her finger into the waistband and tugs. The jeans pinch a little tighter on her hips than they used to. She wonders how much longer she'll be able to fit into them. She smiles as she thinks of the reason why and has to take a deep breath to stop her heart from bursting with pure joy.

She looks down to her bra-clad breasts. They don't seem to have gotten any bigger yet. Naomi probably would have noticed straight away, she's obsessed with those things. Emily knows it's too early for her body to have really changed outwardly, but she can't help wanting to see some kind of obvious physical transformation now that everything has changed so much inside her. Part of her wants everything to happen in fast forward. Can hardly wait to experience everything that lies before her. But at the same time she wants to savour every second of every day. Wants to feel every moment. Doesn't want anything to pass her by. To pass _them _by.

She hears Naomi moving behind her and a moment later long arms wrap around her waist, warm hands coming to rest on her belly. The grin widens on her face as her wife kisses her neck and then nuzzles their cheeks together. She lifts a hand to stroke Naomi's other cheek and sighs contentedly.

Twelve days ago she had been sitting in her doctor's office, waiting anxiously for her test results. She'd skipped out of school during lunch and raced down there. Naomi hadn't been with her, didn't even know she was there, because Emily wanted to surprise her if it was good news. They'd already had bad news once before, the first time they'd tried when it didn't take, but she'd felt different about it this time. The home pregnancy test had been positive and she'd been waiting a couple of days for her blood test results. Dr Parker had walked in with a huge grin and Emily had almost hyperventilated she was so excited. It was the happiest moment of her life, tied with when Naomi got home from work later that evening.

"_Em," I'm home._

_Emily is in the kitchen when she hears Naomi calling out, drops the potato she's peeling and runs out to greet her, literally runs, and then launches herself into the arms of her shocked and amused wife who catches her with an 'oomph'. She wraps her legs around her waist and Naomi stumbles back but manages to stay upright._

"_Jesus Em, a little warning next –"_

_Emily smothers the rest of the sentence with her lips. Wraps her arms around Naomi's neck and kisses her like she'll die if she doesn't. Naomi is surprised at first but then pushes back with just as much passion, her hands gripping the redhead's bum and pulling her closer._

_They kiss desperately until the need for oxygen becomes too strong, and they pull away, each of them breathing heavily._

"_I like these hormones you're taking Em, they make you extra hor –"_

"_I'm pregnant."_

_The words jump out of Emily's throat of their own accord, like they couldn't possibly be contained any longer. Her heart balloons with happiness as she experiences the news all over again with her wife._

_She watches the realisation dawn across Naomi's face, the blonde's eyes lighting up as a blissful grin stretches her cheeks. _

"_Are you...are you sure?"_

"_Got the results of the blood test this afternoon."_

_They grin at each other as a long moment stretches out between them. Naomi's eyes glaze over with tears and then Emily feels hers do the same, her vision blurring slightly. She knows the feelings overwhelming her wife right now because she's feeling them too. __They're having a baby__. After all the pain of hormone injections and the terrible mood swings she subjected her wife to, the running around to doctor's appointments and the considerable amount of money – they're having a baby._

"_You're pregnant," Naomi whispers in awe._

"_Three weeks," Emily adds as she sweeps back some blonde hair from her wife's face. "It's still early, but Dr Parker says everything looks great."_

_They gaze at each other for another moment._

"_You're pregnant," Naomi murmurs again, as if she can't quite believe it, before she leans forward to capture Emily's lips once more. _

_It starts off slow and soft, but quickly turns passionate and demanding like their previous kiss, the redhead gripping Naomi's neck with both hands and pulling her closer._

"_Bedroom," she mumbles against her wife's lips._

_Naomi makes a disapproving noise low in her throat. "No offence Ems, but I'm not strong enough to carry you up the stairs."_

_Emily giggles and kisses her again. "Couch."_

_Naomi smiles against her lips and then walks them into the lounge, lowering her onto the couch and straddling her legs. Emily lifts herself up slightly to crash their lips together once again, looping a hand around the blonde's neck and pulling her closer. _

"_We're going to have a baby," Naomi whispers against her skin as she places kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "I love you so much."_

_Naomi's hands feel their way to the increasingly flushed skin underneath Emily's top and the redhead moans as shivers ripple through her body._

_The blonde leans back on her knees and pulls Emily up a little with her, gripping the hem of her wife's top and pulling it up over her head. She runs her hands down the redhead's chest and Emily shudders, before Naomi's hands come to rest on her belly. _

_She spreads her fingers out over the skin with a look of wonder. Like it's the most mesmerising thing she's ever seen. She lowers her head and places a lingering kiss on the warm skin and Emily's eyes flutter closed. After a moment she feels her wife's hands moving across her stomach again as Naomi kisses her way up her chest, hot searing kisses that make Emily gasp, then up her neck to find her lips once again._

_After another minute of kissing Emily's becoming impatient, sliding her hands between their bodies and unbuttoning her own jeans to give Naomi a hint._

_Naomi pulls back, her brow furrowed with concern._

"_Are you sure it's...safe?"_

_Emily giggles and lifts a hand to hold her wife's cheek. "Yes it's safe. I asked Dr Parker especially."_

_The blonde scoffs. "Well I'm glad she now has such intimate knowledge about our sex life," she says playfully, before kissing her wife again, her hands sliding under Emily's jeans as the redhead's eyes fall closed._

Emily hasn't stopped grinning since.

Naomi kisses her bare shoulder. "How you feeling?"

"Haven't thrown up once this morning," Emily answers proudly, then rests her head back against her wife's chest, as gentle hands move over her stomach.

Naomi does that a lot now – touch Emily's stomach. All the time in fact. Caresses and kisses it. She seems to be fascinated by it. Awed by it. The tiny little human growing inside her wife. _Their baby_. Sometimes Emily will wake up and find that an already awake Naomi has moved down the bed and is cuddled up by her side, her head next to her stomach and her fingers tracing patterns across her skin. Emily loves it. Her heart swells with love and joy. She'd worried that because she was the one carrying the baby Naomi might not feel as connected to it, but it's anything but. Her wife's even started talking to her belly sometimes, even though she knows the baby doesn't have ears yet, just a little blob the size of a lentil. But that's not what it's about anyway. So she whispers silly things about her day, or sometimes recounts stories about things she and Emily have done together throughout the years. The first time she saw Emily. Their first kiss, leaving out the part about the drugs and alcohol of course. Their wedding day. Emily loves listening to the stories as well. Makes her feel like they really are starting a family, which sometimes she forgets when she has her head stuck in a toilet bowl.

"Maybe the morning sickness is over?" she suggests tentatively, turning her body around in Naomi's arms so that they're facing each other.

The nausea was horrible for the first two weeks, not so much _morning_ sickness but rather _all day_ sickness. She'd have to run out of class in the middle of a lesson and race to the staff toilets, usually making it just in time. A couple of days she hasn't actually made it in to work.

But Naomi has been amazing, helping her in any way she possibly can...not that she can do much about the vomiting. But she's trying to make her days shorter at work so she can get home when Emily does, which helps tremendously, as the redhead is often fatigued from her days.

Naomi drops a lingering kiss to the side of her mouth. "For your sake I hope so."

Emily leans forward and presses her body into her wife's, her arms snaking around Naomi's waist. She buries her head in the blondes' chest and feels gentle hands rubbing up and down her back.

"I just wish we could tell people," she mumbles into Naomi's t-shirt.

They're both desperate to tell their family, but decided to wait until the twelfth week just to be sure. They know the statistics and don't want to jump the gun until they're further in the clear. It's the first time Emily's been pregnant and there are often complications with a first time pregnancy. They discussed only telling a few people, but if Emily told Katie she'd have to tell Jenna and then she might as well tell everyone, and Naomi couldn't tell Effy without telling Gina and then it wasn't worth keeping a secret anymore.

Naomi kisses the top of her head. "I know. But we can tell them soon yeah?"

Emily nods into the blonde's chest and then lurches forward and gasps. She spoke too soon. Her stomach tightens and turns and she feels something rising up. She's become used to this feeling the last few weeks. She covers her mouth and pads into their en suite quickly, hears Naomi moving swiftly behind her. She lowers herself to her knees and hovers her head over the toilet bowl just as she can't hold it in any longer. She feels Naomi sit behind her, then pull her hair back from her face and hold it at the nape of her neck with one hand, while the other rubs soothing circles on her back.

After a minute Emily is fairly confident that she's done, and leans back on her knees, grabbing the towel Naomi offers and wiping her face.

It's disgusting and it's painful and it's messy, but if this is all she has to put up with to have their little baby, she'll gladly accept it with a smile.

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* * *

**Told you - mush! :) Next chapter might be a few days because it's a biggie...so don't expect anything until the end of the week maybe...but questions about maternity and paternity and whatnot will be answered!**

**Being pregnant grosses me out, but because I have a type-A personality I did a little interweb research into the whole being pregnant and IVF thing and...ew...I suggest you don't Wikipedia IVF...it doesn't make for pleasant reading...and for when Naomi asks if it's okay to have sex I actually Googled that...i should have known not type 'pregnant sex' into Google...there are some very odd people out there...aaaanyways if I fuck something up let's just pretend the gaping plot holes aren't there...shhhhh...**

**Also, my pretend feelings are a little hurt at how few of you took me up on my offer of an after school snogging session...lol...but you know what...you peeps are missing out...I've got skills is all I'm saying :P**

**Review if you would be so kind...but you get nothing in return...because apparently my kisses aint good enough and I don't really have anything else but my body to offer...not that I'm bitter about it or anything...**

**;)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Wow...record number of readers for that last chapter, I'm glad you all appreciate the gooey-baby fluff! Either that or a lot of you were bored and had nothing else to do, lol. I'm choosing to believe it was the former :P **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed as always...they make me smile almost as much as the thought of little Naomilins! I've been suffering some hardcore writers block but your reviews are helping motivate me when all I wanna do is watch funny youtube videos...**

**Thanks to 6seats for her many suggestions (hope I lived up to this one)...again, sickening levels of mush...I make no excuses...**

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"It's a yellow onesie!" Emily announces gleefully as she throws the wrapping paper to the side to be attacked by Lola, and holds the little outfit up in front of her. "And look Naoms, it says _'I love my mummies'_."

The redhead's eyes circle wide and her mouth drops open at the adorableness of it all as she turns it around for Naomi and everyone else to see.

It's greeted with a chorus of oohs and ahhs, much like all the presents have been so far.

Katie claps excitedly and bounces a little in her seat. "Got that stitched on especially," she adds proudly.

Naomi giggles as she reaches for it when Emily passes it over, then holds it away from her face so she can inspect it properly. It's so tiny and perfect, and her heart skips a beat when she realises that their baby will be that tiny and perfect too. Little and chubby and gorgeous. Her fingers trace around the embroidered lettering. She imagines the baby wriggling around in it, and the widest grin she's ever smiled stretches her cheeks.

She presses the material to her face and breathes it in. "Jesus Christ this thing is soft. _I_ want one of these."

She pulls it away from her face and sighs blissfully, then catches the eye of her best friend and drops the onesie into her lap quickly, slightly embarrassed. Tries to wipe the goofy grin off her face. But it's no use. The smile is here to stay and Effy saw it. Of course she fucking saw it.

The brunette is wearing a look somewhere between fear and disgust, very out of place sitting on the couch in a leather jacket, wedged between Katie and Anna, both in floral print dresses and swooning over baby clothes and toys. Gina and Jenna have been fawning over Emily and anything baby-related all afternoon, and their other friends are all baby crazy as well.

And then there's Effy.

Naomi feels a wave of gratitude towards her friend. She knows this isn't Effy's idea of a good time and that the brunette is bored shitless and a little horrified, but she came because Naomi asked her to, and Naomi knows that she'll never find a better friend. Effy has sat through hours of baby-talk and even participated in the silly games that Gina and Jenna insisted on playing. She shot Naomi a few mortified looks but otherwise played along. Naomi isn't sure if she wants to laugh at her friend or pour her a stiff drink. And now the brunette is suffering through the opening of the presents, something Naomi is sure she herself would have mocked when she was younger, but now that it's for her and Emily, _for their baby_, she finds herself getting excited about little baby booties and the smallest little beanies she's ever seen.

As Katie holds the attention of the guests with a story that will no doubt come back to revolve around herself, Naomi catches her wife's eye and Emily points to her empty glass, silently asking the blonde to fill it up for her. She nods and lifts herself off the couch, places her finger under her wife's chin and tilts her head up gently, lowers her own head until their lips meet in a sweet kiss. Emily smiles as Naomi then kisses the tip of her nose, the blonde then grabbing the glass and making her way to the kitchen, walking past Lola, who's growling in the corner as she has a one-sided fight with the discarded wrapping paper.

Naomi fills Emily's glass and then checks her phone. Smiles when she sees that there are three messages covertly sent from Effy, all telling her that she owed her big time. She's composing a reply when she hears someone enter the kitchen.

"You and Emily seem to be enjoying yourselves," Jenna remarks with a sly smile.

Naomi hadn't been enthusiastic about the idea of a baby shower in the beginning. Saw it as a boring afternoon and a way to force people to buy them presents, and she wasn't into that sort of thing. Emily was a little more excited by the idea, but Jenna and Katie had talked Naomi around, insisting on the value of tradition. Naomi doesn't know about all that tradition bollocks, but she is finding that she does in fact like receiving gifts, especially cute little onesies or adorable baby cutlery sets.

"Yeah," Naomi nodded. "Thanks for helping organise all of this. Em and I wouldn't have been able to do it without you and Katie."

Jenna waves it off. "It was nothing. Plus, this is my first grandchild, we had to do something special."

They share a smile, and Naomi thinks there's something fitting about her and Emily's child being Jenna's first grandchild. Especially given how excited Jenna is about it.

"We just went in for another check-up the other day. Everything's going really well. We've got pictures from the sonogram if you want to see?"

Jenna's smile widens. "Of course, whenever you've got a minute."

Naomi reaches around to her back pocket and slides the photo out. She catches the surprised look from Jenna, who obviously didn't expect Naomi to have it on her, and smiles.

She takes the photo with her everywhere. There is literally a photo of their baby on her at all times. When she's stuck in traffic or the line at the supermarket, or pissed off at work, she pulls it out and lightly traces her finger over the tiny black and white figure. Reminds herself that when it comes down to it, she really has nothing to complain about. Sometimes she doesn't even need to look at it. Just knowing it's there is enough.

Jenna makes a disapproving sound. "I still can't tell if it's a boy or a girl."

"The technician took it like that on purpose," Naomi explains with a teasing smile.

She and Emily had decided together that they wanted to be surprised by the sex of the baby, and it was killing their family and friends. Particularly Jenna, who Naomi knew was just itching to buy gender specific outfits. She knows her mother-in-law is angling for a little girl, so for the child's sake Naomi is hoping for a boy. She loves Jenna, but she doesn't want her little baby drowning in pink.

Jenna hands the photo back and seems to be suddenly quiet, and Naomi feels a new tension in the room.

"Do you..." Jenna trailed off as she searched for the words, glancing around at the floor as if she'd left them down there. "Do you worry about what's going to happen to the child when they're a bit older? When kids at school find out they have two mums?"

Naomi sighs. They've thought about that a lot. Discussed it endlessly.

"Of course," she answers honestly. "Ems and I talked about it a lot. About whether our child would be bullied more at school. What effect it might have on them growing up. If they'd resent the fact that they don't have a father. But in the end we decided that as long as our child knows that he or she is loved...that we love them more than anything in the world...then I think they can stand up to anything. Plus, they won't really know any different. Normal is what you know."

Jenna seems thoughtful, then nods in agreement.

"Besides," Naomi continues, "the world is changing pretty quickly, and there are plenty of non-traditional families. Kids with two mums, two dads, single parents, step-parents and half siblings. There's no such thing as normal anymore.

"I guess you're right," Jenna replies, but Naomi can hear reservation in her voice. "But...what happens when they're old enough to start asking about their father?"

Naomi laughs to herself a little as she lets out a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair. Five minutes ago she was opening baby presents and now she was having this slightly tense conversation with Jenna. Effy got the way better end of the deal. Not that the blonde really minds. She and Jenna have always been frank with each other. It's what each of them respects most about the other.

"We'll tell them the truth I guess...when they're old enough to understand it. We don't know who their dad is. Just some good-looking intelligent guy we picked out of a catalogue. We'll tell them that it doesn't matter who he is. Because they're _our_ child. Emily and I are bringing them into this world and loving them. Making them feel safe and providing them with what they need." She shrugs. "The rest is just chemistry."

Jenna nods. "And you still don't know which one of you is the mother?"

Naomi smiles proudly. That was her brilliant idea. She and Emily had both their eggs fertilized and implanted, leaving it up to fate as to who the mother would be.

"Nope. I guess we'll probably find out one day, but for now it really doesn't matter."

Naomi could tell that Jenna was struggling with how progressive this all was, donor sperm and artificial insemination and unknown maternity. But god love her, Naomi knew she was trying her best.

Jenna looks over at her and clears her throat.

"I was so scared for Emily back when she was in college. Scared of what her life would be like. That she wouldn't be able to get married and have kids. That people would hate her based on who she loved. It all seems so ridiculous now, but it took me a little while to figure out that Emily couldn't be happy unless she was being true to herself...and that includes loving you."

She sighs and shakes her head, a small smile on her lips.

"It turns out that Emily ended up with exactly what I always dreamed she'd have. She found someone who loves her as much as she loves them. She had a beautiful wedding, and now she's about to have a baby. Turns out Emily's the last of my children I should have been worried for. James has a new girlfriend every week, and that Cook is a _handful_."

They share a laugh and once the moment fades Jenna places a gentle hand on Naomi's shoulder. The blonde has to tell herself not to flinch, because for all their honesty and underlying love, she and her mother-in-law rarely make physical contact. Jenna just isn't that type of person, and neither is Naomi really. Not with anyone except Emily.

"I think this baby is lucky to have you and Emily as parents," Jenna says softly with a warm smile. "You love each other so much. It's important that a child grows up knowing that."

And Naomi smiles along with her, because that's just about the loveliest thing Jenna has ever said to her.

"Thank you Jenna. That means a lot."

They lock eyes for a few seconds, until the sound of someone entering the kitchen interrupts them.

"Jeez Naoms, how long does it take to get some water? Your pregnant wife is dying over here."

Emily shuffles over slowly, and Jenna and Naomi recover from their sincere moment quick enough to have smiles on their faces by the time the redhead stands before them.

"My fault," Jenna explains cheerily. "I was badgering Naomi into telling me the sex of the baby."

Emily moves closer to her wife, and Naomi lifts her arm so that the redhead can snuggle into her side. Naomi drops a kiss on her forehead.

Jenna pushes off the bench and motions to the lounge, "I'll see if anyone needs anything. Give you two a minute," and she and Naomi share a nod before she walks away.

"What was all that about?" Emily asks after her mum had gone, lifting her head to face her wife.

Naomi blinks back at her and for the millionth time cannot believe that Emily is hers. That she is Emily's and they're having a baby.

"Just having a chat," she replies casually, tucking some loose hair behind Emily's ear, then cupping her cheek. "How you feeling?"

Emily shrugs. "A little tired but I'm fine. Thank god the morning sickness seems to have pissed off."

Naomi moves behind her wife and starts massaging her shoulders, appreciative groans escaping the redhead. "You seem to be having fun in there."

"We've gotten a boatload of baby crap. I don't think we'll have to actually buy anything at the rate Katie keeps buying it for us."

They share a laugh, but then Emily hisses and her hand flies to the underside of her belly.

Naomi's heart jolts and she worries for a second, before Emily's pained face breaks into a smile.

"This one's definitely going to be a footballer. Boy or girl."

Still standing behind her wife, Naomi slides one hand down Emily's side and over her belly to where the redhead's hand is covering. Emily takes her hand away and the blonde replaces it with her own.

There's nothing for a few seconds and they wait in patient silence, but then she feels it, and her heart is about to fucking burst because she feels her baby kicking again. The best feeling in the whole world. She takes a deep breath and grins madly.

It's the same feeling every time:

Pure fucking joy.

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**I thought it was time for some Naomi/Jenna interaction...but I didn't intend on it getting so deep...oh well. **

**Also, I realised I may have gone to the wrong bleachers for kissy times...*smiles sheepishly and bats eyelashes*...so, how bout we all have a margarita party and see where the night takes us? If anyone asks, you underage kiddies drank red bull all night...Jesus Christ, listen to me shamelessly flirting and encouraging underage drinking...my mum would be so proud :P And Sammie, don't even joke about a proposal... but at least he's back to not being a fuckface ;)**

**Pregnancy research continues to freak me out...I looked up baby shower games...*shakes head*...I can't believe grown women do that shit...Anyway, random question for a future chapter – what should the Naomilin call Emily and Naomi...like both of them mum, or what? Mum and mummy? Because I think it could get confusing...I tried to Google it, got some very strange results not at all relevant...Fuck, if anyone ever looked at my Google searches they'd come to some very interesting conclusions! Lesbian pregnant sex fiend who's throwing a baby shower! lol...anyways, hit me up with suggestions! Also let me know what you think Effy bought for the baby shower present...I'm sure you'll have some interesting ideas...**

**Leave a review pleeeeeaaaaase?**

**It's 3am and I need sleep!**

**Cheers,**

**audrey :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I had a completely different chapter planned and half written that was full of cute sappy crap...but then today I went and got my tattoo on my foot touched up...it was fucking painful...and then when I came home I got a very...let's just go with **_**fucking unpleasant**_**...phone call...so...I took it out on these two...apologies...**

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Naomi has no idea how it all went to shit so fucking quickly.

One minute she was lying on the floor of the nursery with Emily discussing names, and now she's pacing up and down the waiting room, feeling every second tick by painfully, praying to a god she really fucking hopes exists for her wife and baby to get through this.

"Naomi love, you should sit down and get some rest." Gina moves over to her and places a comforting but commanding hand on her shoulder. "It might be a long night."

She shrugs her off.

"Mum I can't just fucking sit down and rest," she yells harshly and a little too loudly, "not when Emily and the baby aren't okay. I'm not just going to go have a fucking lie-down when Emily is fighting to stay alive."

She knows she shouldn't yell, that her mum is only trying to be supportive, but she's so pissed off that any of this is happening that she just wants to yell and scream and fucking kick something. She feels so fucking useless, just waiting idly, unable to do anything to help.

Gina nods sympathetically and for a second Naomi feels herself start to crumble, feels the overwhelming emotions rise in her chest and her eyes glazing over with tears.

No. She can't. She won't let herself cry. She needs to be strong for Emily. And their baby.

She thinks back to a few hours earlier, when she'd thought her life couldn't possibly get any more perfect.

"_Can't we just make a shortlist of names or something?" _

_Naomi's finger trails slowly across the naked skin of Emily's protruding belly. She's still feeling the endorphins from when they made love not long ago, and she can't stop touching her wife. She thinks that Emily has never looked more beautiful than she does right now, eight months pregnant. She knows that the redhead doesn't feel it, she just feels swollen and fat and tired, but Naomi knows that she's never seen anything sexier than a naked pregnant Emily Fitch. And she's never been more in love with her. The mother of her child._

"_I told you," Emily replied, her voice huskier than usual like it always is in her post-sex haze, "we don't need a shortlist."_

_Emily hasn't had much patience for talking about names, believing that there's no use because as soon as they see their baby they'll just know. _

_Naomi doesn't subscribe to this theory. She's used to having plans and contingency plans and back-up plans for the contingency plans and she doesn't like this whole 'wait and see' philosophy Emily employs. It makes her nervous. She likes to be in control while Emily is more spontaneous and flighty. They balance each other out. It's one of the things that she likes most about their relationship._

_They're lying on the floor of the baby's room staring at the ceiling, which Naomi had painted a few weeks ago so it looks like clouds. It doesn't look as good as it did in the magazine Emily got the idea from, but the blonde did her best. They're cloud watching the ceiling and making silly suggestions. Actually, Emily's cloud watching and Naomi is staring at Emily._

_An hour ago Naomi had come home from visiting her mum to find Emily taking a nap on top of a blanket on the floor of the room. She wasn't going to wake her but the redhead's Naomi radar must have gone off because she'd awoken almost instantly. Apparently she'd been in there for most of the afternoon, adding the finishing touches to the room, but she'd gotten tired and only planned on resting for a minute. It turned into a two hour nap._

"_I just think we should have some idea of what we're going to name it."_

"_Naoms, I don't think we're allowed to call our unborn baby 'it'," Emily replies with a smirk, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation the blonde's fingers are creating on her skin._

_Naomi props herself onto her elbow and stills her hand, her palm spreading out over Emily's belly. "Well since _you_ won't let me find out if it's a boy or a girl it's an _it_ until further notice."_

"_Hey, we agreed," Emily counters. She opens her eyes, annoyed that Naomi has stopped her hand._

"_Yeah but –." _

"_And you're the one who told me not to let you cave in even if you begged me to or tried to bribe me with sexual favours."_

_The redhead lifts an accusing eyebrow._

"_I can't believe that didn't work," Naomi grumbles._

"_It worked for me."_

_Naomi rolls her eyes and they fall into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes she spreads her hand out over the redhead's belly again. "I can't believe in a few weeks we're going to bring a little baby home. A lazy baby. I haven't felt it kicking all afternoon."_

_She thinks she feels her wife stiffen slightly, but dismisses the thought quickly. Tells herself not to worry. Reminds herself that everything is perfect._

_She leans down and places a perfect sweet kiss on Emily's lips, then rolls onto her back again to stare at the clouds._

"_Naoms?"_

_The blonde can't ignore the apprehension in her wife's voice and instantly feels her heart quickening, then turns and sees the fear in Emily's eyes._

"_What's wrong?" she says instinctively._

_Emily's eyes fill with tears and her hands move to cover her belly. _

_Naomi feels her heart fucking stop._

"_I haven't felt the baby move since last night."_

_._

And that had been the start of this nightmare. Those nine words that Naomi hoped wouldn't haunt her for the rest of her life. But the chances of that becoming a reality were increasing with every second that passed.

She runs a hand through her messy hair and looks over to her friends and family sitting in the hard plastic chairs that line the walls. Her mum is trying to stay calm but Naomi can see that her thin veneer of composure is cracking. She's taken a seat next to Cook, who has his arm wrapped around Katie's shoulder, his face frowning with concern. Katie is cuddled into his side, her eyes and nose red from her almost constant crying. Naomi knows what Katie is feeling, wishes she could cry too. They both love Emily in different ways, but just as much as the other.

Effy is next to Katie, holding onto her hand and staring at the white linoleum floor. Her face is completely blank, and Naomi knows she must be having a hard time being there, her experience with hospitals never ending well. Tony, Freddie, her suicide attempt. She's grateful that the brunette wants to be there for her in spite of all that, but she almost wants to ask her to leave, because she can't worry about her friend right now.

A couple of seats over is James. He's 6ft tall and has stubble on his chin but right now Naomi has to remind herself that he's 20, because leaning against his mother he looks like a little boy again. Jenna and Rob are beside him, hands held between each other. Rob is a proud and stoic man, but his eyes are red and his free hand is gripping the armrest tightly, his knuckles white. Jenna is a mess. Has been crying practically since the moment she found out that something had gone wrong.

Naomi brings her hands up to her face and forces the heels of her palms into her eyes until white lights sparkle behind them.

It wasn't supposed to turn out this way.

But then everything had gone so horribly wrong.

"_It's okay mum," Naomi assures her as she grips the phone tightly. "The baby's fine. The doctor said it's quite common for the cord to be wrapped around it and it usually resolves itself."_

_She knows she's trying to convince herself as much as she is Gina, but she doesn't want to panic. The doctor said that it wasn't that unusual, and that they would monitor Emily and the baby for a few hours until it untangled itself._

"_Anyway mum I have to go back in there with Emily. I just wanted to let you know what was going on, and if you could tell Jenna and Rob we'd appreciate it."_

_Her voice trails off as she watches a mother and her newborn walking down the hall, obviously on their way home. That is going to be her and Emily and their baby in a few weeks, and this will be long forgotten._

"_Of course. I'll give them a call now, but if you need anything let me know right away okay?"_

_The concern is evident in her mum's voice, but Naomi tells herself it isn't necessary. Emily and the baby are going to be fine._

"_Thanks mum, of course I will, but everything is going to be okay. I'll call you when we get home."_

_They say goodbye and Naomi turns her phone off and slips it back into her pocket, then heads back to Emily's room. She keeps telling herself that everything is going to be fine, over and over again like a chant. But she still can't shake the dragging feeling in her stomach._

_She hears the noise before she's even opened the door, people calling out to each other urgently and machines beeping. It all seems so unreal that for a second she wonders if she's walked to the wrong room. But then she hears Emily cry out her name, and she bursts through the door to find her wife curled forward with a pained expression distorting her face, Dr Parker and several nurses hovering around her and the monitors. _

_They're saying things Naomi doesn't understand because she can't understand anything when Emily has that look on her face._

_She rushes to her wife's side and grabs her hand. "I'm here Emily, it's okay. It's going to be okay."_

_Emily squeezes back hard and cries out, and Naomi feels so fucking useless because the woman she loves is in pain and she can't fucking do anything. _

_She looks to Dr Parker who finally turns back from the monitors to address them. _

"_Emily, it looks like the baby has moved around a little and managed to tighten the cord. He's in some respiratory distress and it's far too risky to wait and see if it will resolve itself, so we're going to have to perform a caesarean section and deliver him."_

_She feels Emily tighten her grip on her hand and she locks eyes with the redhead, fear evident in her wife's eyes._

_Dr Parker places a comforting hand on Naomi's shoulder. "I know this sounds scary, but it's still not that uncommon. The baby is almost 37 weeks so he's almost full term. You've both been healthy up until now, so there shouldn't be any complications."_

_Naomi takes a deep breath. Feels better now that there's a plan and she knows what's happening._

"_Emily we have to take you up to the operating theatre now." She turns to Naomi. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait in the waiting room. We'll have someone come out and update you. I'll give you a quick minute and then we have to go."_

_Naomi nods at her and then turns back to her wife. Emily also seems calmer now that there's a plan. Dr Parker knows what she's doing, and they trust her._

"_It's going to be okay," Naomi whispers, brushing the sweaty hair out of Emily's face._

_Emily closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, then nods._

_Raising herself out of her seat slightly Naomi leans over to kiss her wife softly. "We're going to be okay."_

_Emily nods again and all of Naomi's muscles feel like knotted balls. She can see the fear and uncertainty in her wife's eyes and she so desperately wants to say or do something that will chase it away._

"_I love you," is all she has._

"_I love you," Emily whispers back._

_She stands in the hall and holds Emily's hand until they tell her she has to let go._

Him_, is her last thought as she watches her wife get wheeled away from her, _we're having a little boy.

.

Naomi finally takes a seat on the opposite side of the room to her family. She wants to sit over there with them. She wants to cuddle into her mum and sob, and ask her to make everything better.

But her mum can't make it better.

She shuffles trying to get comfortable in her seat and feels the cool plastic through her jeans. Wonders why the chairs in the waiting room are so uncomfortable given how long people usually have to sit in them.

She fucking hates hospitals. She hated them when Mrs Walker was sick. She hated them when her mum was in and out of them constantly for six months, and she really fucking hates them now. They're the place you go when something is wrong. When someone you love is hurt or dying. They're white and sterile and haunted.

Naomi had been hoping that the birth of her child would change her feelings about hospitals...how stupid that seems now.

_She feels Effy nudge her side and snaps her head up, jumping to her feet as soon as she realises it's Dr Parker. Her heart starts thumping in her chest as soon as she takes in her solemn expression. _

"_Are Emily and the baby okay?" _

_She can't contain the urgency in her tone as her friends and family gather around to hear the answer. Katie stands next to her and holds her hand. Naomi grips back hard._

"_The baby suffered some respiratory damage and was having trouble breathing..."_

_Her breath catches in her throat. She feels herself leaning against Katie. _

"_...they had to do some work on him and he's up in the NICU on a ventilator..."_

_Naomi blinks hard and feels like she wants to vomit._

"_...but it's mostly precautionary. The paediatric doctors are confident he will be fine. We'll let you know as soon as you can go up and see him."_

_She hears a collective sigh of relief around her but all she can think about is her wife._

"_There were some complications for Emily during the surgery though," Dr Parker adds, her tone sobering almost imperceptivity, but enough for Naomi to feel like she can't breathe._

"_She started haemorrhaging and the surgeons are having some difficulty stopping the bleeding..."_

_Naomi's feels like something is pressing on her chest, pressing all the air out until she feels light-headed. She feels a steadying hand on her shoulder._

"_...Naomi, Emily is a strong healthy young woman and there is no reason for her not to come through this."_

_She isn't sure what expression she has on her face but Dr Parker looks concerned, and takes a step toward her._

"_We're doing everything we can."_

_But all Naomi hears is that Dr Parker didn't make her any promises._

.

The blonde rubs at her temples as irrational thoughts bombard her brain one after the other like a fucking onslaught of tidal waves. What if this is some kind of karma for something she's done. What if when she was praying for her mum not to die she changed something and now the scales needed to be balanced and Emily was going to die. What if their baby dies? They haven't even named him yet. Emily hasn't looked at him yet and known his name. Naomi can't name him because Emily has to look at him and know. She can't do it without Emily. But what if Emily dies and she has to raise him by herself?

She doesn't know how to live in a world without Emily Fitch. Doesn't want to. The world doesn't make sense without her. She doesn't make sense without her.

She pushes her fingers harder into the side of her head, hoping that maybe she'll be able to silence the thoughts altogether. It hurts like hell, but for a second she forgets about the unbearable knot in her stomach.

She hears Cook call her name and opens her eyes, sees Dr Parker walking through the door.

In a second she's on her feet to meet her, feels the knot I her gut tighten, but the rest of her feels light and weightless, like her body is preserving its energy in anticipation. The others crown around to hear the update. Her mum takes her hand.

"The baby's fine," Dr Parker announces to them all but keeps eye contact with Naomi, who breathes deeply for the first time in hours.

She feels the knot loosen a little. Her baby is going to be okay.

"He's off the ventilator and breathing well. Brain function is normal. We're keeping him up there for a few hours for observation, but I can have a nurse take you to see him when you're ready."

Nomi nods. "What about Emily?"

Dr Parker hesitates and takes a breath, and the blonde feels like she's falling again. Like everything is wrong and upside-down and out of place and back-to-front.

"They managed to stop the bleeding, but because she was rushed into surgery and then was on the table for so long it looks like she's caught an infection."

Naomi hears Jenna gasp behind her and thinks that maybe she knows something that Naomi doesn't. That maybe this is much worse than she had ever imagined.

"We've started her on antibiotics but her body has been weakened by the surgery and blood loss, so all we can do is wait it out at this stage. We're monitoring her in the ICU for now and we'll keep you updated on her condition."

Naomi hears Jenna crying again and stiffens. Wants to tell her to get the fuck out. If she's not allowed to cry over Emily no one should be. If she has to be strong everyone should have to be.

But in the next breath she feels guilty because it's Emily's _mum_. The woman who gave birth to her and loved her for 28 years and she's allowed to fucking cry.

Naomi hates that she wants to cry.

"I'll send the nurse in to take you to see your son," Dr Parker continues and then looks at the rest of them. "One of you can go with Naomi to see him, but the rest of you will have to wait until he's in the maternity ward."

She looks back at Naomi and smiles empathetically, then turns and leaves the room.

Naomi feels numb. Stretches out her fingers and watches them wriggle, but they don't feel like they belong to her. She does the same with her toes inside her sneakers. Watches the tips of her shoes move but barely feels it. Wonders if this is what she'll always feel like if Emily doesn't get better.

She's brought back to reality when Gina says her name softly and eyes her carefully.

"Naomi the nurse is here to take you to see the baby. Do you want someone to go with you?"

She blinks, taking a second to understand the question, and then nods. She looks around at the worried and expectant faces. "Can you come with me?"

She knows they all love Emily and are all excited to see the baby, but Naomi wants her mum.

Gina loops her arm through Naomi's and they follow the nurse to the elevators, walking briskly as life around them carries on. Gina starts chatting to the nurse about something as the wait for the elevator but Naomi zones out.

A part of her feels like it wrong for her to see the baby without Emily. Of all the ways she had dreamt of this happening it never played out like this. She'd never thought of anything going wrong. Which was Emily's fault really. Before the redhead Naomi only ever thought of the bad things. Never thought that anything could have a happy ending. But Emily had proved her wrong. Proved her wrong by falling in love with her. By following her to London. By marrying her. By having their baby. Emily taught her that happy endings do exist, because the happy ending is love. So Emily couldn't die, because Naomi still needed her to remind her of that truth every single day.

Her mum holds something up in front of her face and Naomi realises they're outside the NICU. She takes the mask being offered and ties it over her mouth, then follows behind the nurse as they enter the NICU. They pass so many little cribs filled with tiny babies and Naomi feels her heart hammering. Her _son_ is one of these tiny babies. She reaches her hand out to grab her mum's, feeling anxious about what's about to happen, and she's not ready for it when the nurse slows and stops in front of one of the cribs. Naomi notices that the crib is fully enclosed with tubes and cables flowing in through holes and she worried that there's something wrong with him. Her heart starts beating double time but she reminds herself that Dr Parker said he's fine and that this was all precautionary.

"Naomi," the nurse announces, "I'd like you to introduce you to your son."

Naomi holds her breath as she leans over to look inside. The first thing she notices is the blue blanket wrapped around him, wrapped around the most perfect and tiny little thing she's ever seen. Her breath catches in her throat and she hears herself gasp. This is her baby. Her little boy.

The second thing she notices are the cables connected to his chest.

"They're just for monitoring him," the nurse reassures her.

She presses her hand to the plastic and feels her heart swell so big that she worries it'll burst out of her chest. Stares down at the tiny human with wide blue eyes and bites her lip.

"Hey little man."

Big blue eyes stare back at her. She thinks maybe he has her eyes, then reminds herself that the colour might still change. A light blue beanie completely covers his hair so she has no idea what colour it is.

"I'll give you guys some time and be back in about half an hour," the nurse says before leaving and Naomi is too occupied to give her thanks, which Gina does on her behalf.

She just can't take her eyes off of her little boy.

His tiny fingers reach out to air. The tiniest fingers she's ever seen on the tiniest hands on the tiniest body. So tiny. So fucking fragile. And Naomi desperately wants to touch him. Wants to hold him and protect him from everything.

"I think he might be the most perfect thing I've ever seen," she whispers in complete awe.

His eyes close as he yawns and Naomi grins.

"Look at my little grandson," Gina says proudly. "That has to be the most gorgeous baby boy ever born. And he already looks smart. He's going to have all the girls after him."

"Or boys," Naomi replies playfully and it feels good to be joking around.

Gina rolls her eyes, "Yes, you know what I mean. Must have Emily's genes then."

Naomi scoffs. "I fucking hope so."

It takes her a second but once the words sink in her hand flies to her mouth.

"Shit, I've only been around him for two minutes and I've already said fuck...twice."

She peers down at him.

"I'm already a bad parent."

Gina wraps her arm around her shoulders. "If you're already thinking that it means you're going to be a great parent."

-x-

"Who's my gorgeous little boy," Naomi coos softly at the baby cradled gently her arms. "Who's the cutest little boy in the world?"

She lifts her hand and brushes the pad of her thumb across his head, the fine light brown hair impossibly soft, like clouds. She knows his features will grow and change, but at the moment his nose is narrow like hers and she wants to believe that hes made from a part of her.

"Your other mum is sleeping...she's a bit worn out from today...but you'll get to see her soon."

She glances over at Emily, who looks so peaceful asleep in the bed, and thanks the universe for the thousandth time that her wife is okay.

When Dr Parker announced that Emily's body was responding to the antibiotics and she would be fine Naomi felt every muscle in her body relax and almost fell over. She'd been so tense for so many hours that it felt like an incredible rush all over her body. She'd never been so relieved in her life.

She takes a seat next to her bed and holds her son against her chest. Can feel his tiny little heart beating rapidly and suddenly tears are streaming down her cheeks. Tears of relief. Her wife and baby are okay.

It's been a long fucking day and she's exhausted. It's the middle of the night and Naomi's been at the hospital for over twelve hours now. Visiting hours are long over, but the lovely nurses took pity on her and let the baby stay with them in Emily's room now that he doesn't need to be in the NICU any longer. It's a good thing they did, because it would take the national fucking army to get Naomi to give him up for the night and leave the hospital. Their friends and family had long gone home, but Naomi wants to be there when Emily wakes up, wants to be the one to introduce her wife to their son.

She peers down at him, his tiny hand resting on her chest.

"So you have a penis," she says with some uncertainty. "Your mums don't know a whole heap about...boy stuff. Maybe Uncle Cook will have to help out."

She bites her lip and thinks better of it. Cook has grown into a good man but she's not sure he's who she wants guiding her son in all things male.

"Or maybe Uncle James?"

She considers it for a moment.

"Although James is probably just as bad. Too much influence from Cook." She bites her lip in concentration. "Maybe we'll just read a book."

She feels her eyelids getting heavy and yawns, looks down and notices that the baby is asleep too.

She stands up slowly and walks over to his crib, lowers him in and then tucks the blanket around him. She bends over and barely kisses his forehead and then smiles. It's the first time she's tucked him in.

She watches him for a few minutes before fatigue takes over, and she shuffles back to her seat and finds the most comfortable position, giving in to sleep seconds later.

-x-

"Naoms?"

The voice is faint but Naomi is sleeping so lightly that she hears a groggy Emily calling out her name. Her eyes fly open as she sits up quickly in the chair.

She watches as Emily struggles to open her eyes, blinking slowly and moving her tongue around her mouth.

Naomi stands quickly and turns on the soft light beside the bed, then reaches for the water and holds it out for her wife.

"Here Em, have some water. Don't move though, you're all sore."

Emily leans her head forward and sucks on the straw, then rests her head back down when she's had enough, Naomi watching her intently.

"I was so scared," Emily croaks out finally.

Naomi grabs for her hand and sits on the edge of the bed. "I know, we all were. But everything's going to be fine. You're going to get better and our son is already better."

She watches Emily's eyes widen and smiles.

"Our son," Emily whispers in wonder.

"You wanna meet him?" Naomi offers enthusiastically. "He's pretty awesome. I think he takes after me."

A lazy smile creeps across the redhead's face. "You wish Campbell."

"I can see us laughing about this for years," Naomi says playfully, "if he does something wrong one of us will blame it on the other one's genes, and if he does something good one of us will want to take credit."

They share a smile and then Naomi walks over to the crib and picks him up carefully. She carries him over to the bed and passes him over to Emily gently.

She watches Emily cradle him in her arms and feels herself tearing up from pure joy at the sight. This is her family, and she's never felt more like herself than at this very moment.

"So," she whispers gently, "do you _know _his name?"

Emily looks down at him, her brow furrowed in concentration for a moment before a smile breaks across her face.

The most beautiful smile Naomi knows she will ever see.

* * *

**Sigh...you didn't actually think I'd let Emily die did you? :P I think this is all kind of vaguely medically possible (I saw it on a TV show once)...but don't send me messages telling me that I got something wrong...that's not really the point of the chapter and I don't care :P**

**I hope it's not too shitty...I'm not used to writing this type of thing...but you can leave me a review and make me feel bright and shiny!**

**Oh, and - HIT ME UP WITH BABY NAMES PEOPLE!**

**Anyways, it's almost 4am, I'm a little drunk and off to bed...peace out...**

**audrey :)**

**P.S - Stephanie, I think your suggestion for Effy's present is perfect! It will be making an appearance soon...**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello lovelies! I flirted my way out of a parking ticket today – BOO YEAH! I totally thought that only happened in movies...I love being a girl :P**

**Apologies for this one taking so long...I've been distracted by life drama...but your reviews and messages never fail to make me smile...I'm sorry for being slack with my replies too, I'll try and get on top of it. I was super unsure about that last one...but I'm glad it turned out alright...I was **_**seriously**_** going to have Emily die...but then I drank some more wine which oddly made me come to my senses...**

**And thanks so much for the name suggestions! I had my faves, but the bf and I literally wrote down every single suggestion (up until Wednesday) on a post-it and spaced them out on the floor with a little dog biscuit on each one, and then let Buster loose to pick which one it should be...it was HILARIOUS...I think that's how I'm going to decide everything from now on, lol...anyways, thank you, and the answer lies herein... :P**

* * *

.

.

"Morning," Emily murmurs to her wife, her eyes still closed and a lazy smile creeping across her face.

It's early and the sun has only just risen, and the redhead is thinking that any minute now she's going to hear their little boy crying for them through the baby monitor.

She knows Naomi has been watching her sleep. The blonde does that a lot now. In the eight months since their son was born and Emily almost died Naomi has been extra attentive and thoughtful, sometimes to a fault. She's a lot more anxious with Emily now, like she's scared she'll break if she does anything too strenuous, and sometimes the redhead just wants to tell her to relax, that she's fine. But other times Emily doesn't mind so much, like when Naomi offers to do all the housework or gets up in the middle of the night to tend to their crying son when Emily is exhausted.

She's about to open her eyes when she feels Naomi's soft lips brush against her own. It's too quick, but it's enough to warm her belly. She opens her eyes finally, and it takes a second for them to focus but once they do she notices that her wife looks upset. She's trying to hide it but Emily can see through it. The tightness around her mouth and the anxious way she bites her lip. Her narrowed eyes. Emily can always see through it.

"What's wrong?"

Naomi shrugs dismissively and rubs at her eyes. "Just a bad dream."

"Do you want me to kiss it better?"

The blonde nods sullenly and Emily smiles. She likes that she can kiss Naomi and make her feel better, and that Naomi can do that to her as well. Their kisses have magical powers.

She brings a hand up and gently sweeps some blonde hair out of her wife's face, then shifts herself closer and rubs their noses together lightly, before reaching up and pressing her lips against Naomi's in a lingering kiss.

Emily knows exactly what dream her wife is talking about. Naomi doesn't talk about it with her a lot, and Emily knows it's because she doesn't want to burden her with it, but the blonde has nightmares about Emily dying. About their son dying. She used to toss and turn in her sleep and cry out for Emily in the middle of the night, wake up terrified that Emily wouldn't be there next to her. But it's gotten better as time has passed, the dreams becoming less frequent, usually only when Naomi is feeling overwhelmed or anxious about something. Emily finds it odd that she's the one who almost died yet she hasn't felt anything other than grateful since she woke up and saw her wife sitting beside the hospital bed. Since she first held their baby and felt his little heart beating.

Being practically bed ridden while her body was healing for the first month was absolute torture. Emily wanted to be out enjoying her life. Enjoying time with her wife and their son. She wanted to spend afternoons relaxing in the park as their little boy wiggled between them on the blanket. She wanted to take him around to the homes of her friends and family and show him off instead of everyone stopping by their house because Emily couldn't walk more than twenty metres at a time before she felt like her insides were splitting. She wanted to be able to get out of bed in the middle of the night to nurse her baby. She hated being so confined in everything that she did, but it was Naomi who really suffered.

The blonde had taken six months off from work, but while Emily was virtually bed ridden for the first few weeks and then only shuffling around for the next few, Naomi had to do _everything_. Emily could barely help out with anything, especially those first couple of weeks. Naomi was getting up at all hours with the baby, keeping the house clean, going shopping and cooking, helping Emily with almost everything she did. Katie and Gina and Jenna tried to help as mch as they could, but Naomi still had to take on a lot by herself. She was exhausted all the time and Emily felt incredibly guilty because she couldn't help, but Naomi didn't complain once.

She's strong and loving and thoughtful, and Emily plans on spending the rest of her life showing her how much she loves her.

They press their foreheads together and close their eyes, enjoying the intimacy between them.

Naomi leans forward after a minute and kisses Emily's nose. "I love you so much Em, you know that right?"

Emily does know it. She knows it because Naomi shows it in the way she touches and kisses her, gazes and smiles at her. She knows it because the blonde tells her every morning when she wakes up and every night before she falls asleep.

"Not really," she teases, hoping to lighten the mood, "I mean considering how you _never_ tell me or anything..."

She rolls away from the blonde smirking to herself and Naomi takes the bait, pouncing on her and pinning her arms to her side.

"I don't think so Fitch."

Naomi leans down and drops sloppy kisses all over Emily's face. Her cheeks, her chin, her neck, her nose.

Emily giggles and tries to wriggle out of Naomi's grasp even though she really never wants her to stop. She loves that Naomi has stopped treating her like she's made of glass. That they can play around like they used to and just have fun together.

"That's Campbell-Fitch to you," Emily replies, affecting her stern teaching voice which she knows Naomi loves. She bucks her hips up so suddenly that the blonde is caught off guard and falls backwards, both of them dissolving into fits of laughter.

They both changed their names before their son was born. It was less confusing that way. They'd always planned to do it when they got married but had never gotten around to it. It had been quite significant for them, much more than they'd thought it would be, legally joining their families in name and making a brand new family.

Naomi sits herself up properly again on Emily's thighs and the redhead notices her pause as their laughter dies down.

She watches as Naomi reaches out and then feels the blonde lightly run her fingers along the scar across her belly.

She flinches instinctively, her mood sobering instantly. It doesn't hurt anymore, hasn't for a long time. She just doesn't like the scar. It's a lot bigger than a typical c-section scar because of the complications with her surgery, and at first it was red and angry and ugly, but it's healed and faded to a silvery line now. It's not the appearance that bothers her though, it's that the scar is a reminder of all the horrible things she went through. The pain of the recovery. Being too immobile to properly care for their son in his first few weeks. Naomi having to shoulder most of the responsibility.

But it's mostly a permanent symbol of something else.

She feels that knotted feeling in her stomach every time she thinks about it. Can remember when the doctor came into her room the morning she'd woken up from the surgery.

"_Oliver just yawned," Emily whispers excitedly as she gazes down at their baby boy, "is that not the cutest thing!"_

_Naomi walks back from the bathroom and lifts herself back onto the bed, fitting herself into the small space beside her wife and holding her family close._

"_Yup. Definitely the cutest thing," she says matter-of-factly, kissing Emily's temple. "I think that means he's already taking after me."_

_Emily scoffs and nudges her in the side, careful not to disrupt the baby. "You wish."_

_She reaches out a finger and gently plays with his hands. They're so tiny and adorable she feels like her heart might explode. She doesn't care whose DNA he has. She can _feel_ it – he's _theirs_._

_A knock at the door pops their lovely little bubble and Dr Parker enters, smiling warmly at them._

"_Morning Emily, Naomi," she nods at each of them in turn, "glad to see you're feeling better Emily."_

_There's half a question in her tone and Emily nods to reassure her. "This morphine would make anyone feel fantastic." She gazes back down at her boy. "But then again, so would holding this one all morning."_

"_Good. I'm glad to hear it."_

_Dr Parker's smile falters slightly, and even in her drugged-up state Emily can sense that something is wrong. Naomi must too, because her grip around the redhead's shoulders tightens._

"_Everything okay?" Naomi asks, her voice tight._

_Dr Parker sighs and Emily instantly knows that everything is most definitely not okay. Her heart starts to race and she feels Naomi stiffen beside her._

"_As you know there were some complications with haemorrhaging during your surgery," Dr Parker says gently._

_Emily gets the feeling that she is easing them into something. Something bad. She holds Oliver closer to her chest and leans into her wife._

"_They couldn't stop the bleeding in your uterus...so they...had to remove it."_

She'll never be able to have another baby.

She'd heard the words and felt Naomi squeeze her hand, but Emily was numb to the news at first, the full implications of what it meant not registering with her. But as the days passed and she spent time with Oliver, it struck her that she wouldn't be able to have another baby. She hadn't decided if she even _wanted_ to be pregnant again, but the realisation that the choice had been taken away from her was shattering.

Her wife's hands are still tracing the scar and Emily tries to grab at them but the blonde manages to pin her wrists down again.

Emily gives up and sighs. Naomi holds her in place and gazes at her with wide blue eyes full of sincerity and love, and Emily is sure that her wife knows exactly what she'd been thinking.

"We can still have another child if we want," the blonde says tentatively, as if she's anxious about Emily's reaction.

The redhead bites her lip and nods. They hadn't really talked much about it before, always saving the conversation for another time, which seemed to be now apparently.

"I mean, we can adopt," Naomi continued, her voice light and optimistic, "or have a surrogate."

Emily scrunches her nose. She never much liked the idea of surrogates for some reason. But adoption sounds good, if not time consuming and expensive. She tries not to think about how unfair it all is.

"I could even have it," her wife whispers softly.

Emily's eyebrows shoot up in shock. She looks up at her wife, who seems to be wearing a nervous smile.

"What happened to not wanting to be pregnant?"

Naomi shrugs and releases Emily's wrists, lacing their fingers together and holding their arms out between them.

"I don't know. After seeing you pregnant with Ollie...and how you are with him now..."

She trails off, and Emily's not sure if Naomi even knows how to finish her thought, so she decides to try and lighten the mood again. It's not like they'll be having another baby soon anyway and this is not the conversation to be having on a Saturday morning when they finally have some blissfully quiet time together.

"Why are we even talking about this?" she asks with a cheeky grin. "Don't we have enough to handle with the boy in there?" She jerks her head in the direction of the nursery. "Plus, there are better things we could be doing right now with our mouths."

Naomi squeaks with surprise as Emily swiftly wraps an arm around her neck, pulling her down to her and crushes their lips together, the blonde responding after taking a second to recover from the sudden movement. They push their bodies against each other and the redhead pushes her knee up between Naomi's thighs, smiling when she feels Naomi groan at the contact. Her hands get lost in blonde hair and she shivers as she feels Naomi's hands running up her sides and across her chest, then rolls them over so that she's straddling her wife's waist.

She pins Naomi's wrists above her head and blazes kisses across her jaw and down her neck, the feeling of the blonde's hips slowly moving up against her creating a fire low in her belly. She loves that Naomi can make her feel this way with the slightest of touches, and that she can do the same to her. Emily thinks all this business about a couple's sex life dying after they've had a child is bullshit, because ever since she'd gotten the all clear from the doctor Emily hasn't been able to keep her hands off her wife or her mind out of the gutter, and Naomi has been the same.

She trails her kisses lower across the blonde's chest, releasing her hands and feeling them pressing on her hips a second later, pulling her closer.

"God...Em," Naomi moans as Emily's hand moves down her body teasingly, tracing over her sensitive skin slowly and feeling it quiver beneath her fingers.

Naomi is pushing up against her harder and Emily's just about to give in and grant her wife some release when a cry erupts from the baby monitor, both of them freezing instantly.

"Shit," Naomi says hoarsely, panting as Emily hovers above her, her hand just above its destination.

The redhead thinks that maybe this is the reason why some couples stop having sex after they have children - because they keep getting interrupted.

She lowers her head and places a lingering kiss on the skin above Naomi's heart.

"Maybe he'll go back to sleep?" she suggests hopefully.

They wait in anxious silence for a minute, watching the baby monitor and listening intently, and Emily is just about to declare victory when they hear Oliver start to cry.

Naomi lays her head back onto the pillow and Emily rests her forehead on the blonde's chest with a sigh.

"I can go –" Naomi begins but Emily cuts her off with a quick kiss.

"No it's okay, I'll go. You get some rest..."

She lifts her head and kisses Naomi once more, a deep, tender kiss that steals both their breath away.

"...because I'll be coming back for more of that."

She winks and then rolls off her quickly as Naomi giggles and playfully slaps at her bum.

"There's going to be plenty more of that," the blonde promises as Emily stands and pulls an oversize t-shirt over her head and arms.

"There better be," she replies as she shuffles out of the bedroom and makes her way towards the screaming child.

She winces at the sound. She loves her son with all she has, but she can't wait until he's past the stage where crying is the only response to almost everything.

"Trust a male to ruin my sex life," she says with a smirk.

She makes her way to Oliver's crib and her heart swells when she sees her little boy. Like it always does when he's around. He's wriggling and stretching his arms out, arms that aren't as chubby as they used to be, much to Emily's disappointment. She loved his chubby arms and legs, although he still has that adorable pot belly. He's grown surprisingly big for his age, considering how small he'd been when he was born, and Emily can tell he's going to be tall. She likes the idea of that, a big tall son who's going to tower over her by the time he's fifteen, and she can imagine him playfully teasing her about being short like Naomi does.

She pulls him up into her arms gently, resting him on her shoulder and softly rubbing circles on his back. He's so small and soft and perfect and smells so adorable that her breath catches in her throat.

She paces around the room and makes soothing noises, but Oliver continues to wail like a siren. She takes a seat in the armchair by his crib and cradles him in her arms, rubbing a thumb over his chest, a trick Naomi discovered that helps soothe him.

When she gazes down at her little boy she wonders how she was ever happy without him. How she ever thought her life was complete without him in it. The past eight months have been terrifying and challenging and sometimes painful, but they've also been filled with blissful happiness. Every second has been worth it.

She doesn't even mind the crying in her ear.

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**Oliver Campbell-Fitch ftw! You all thought it would be Fitch-Campbell didn't you? Campbell-Fitch sounds better me thinks...plus it's alphabetical :P I like Oliver and Ollie for short, but then I remembered that the guy who plays JJ is named Ollie, and I was going to change it but I promised myself no do-overs if I didn't like the name Buster picked...so just to be clear: this kid will look NOTHING like JJ...I just needed to put that out there, lol...**

**Again – all medical stuff is a guess **_**at best**_**, aided by Wikipedia ,which can always be relied upon for accurate information...right? :P**

**Not my best chapter I think...I feel like Imay have lost my mojo for this story...let me know what you think...don't be shy now! **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Ummmm...so usually once I write and post something I kind of banish it from my brain and forget it exists...but when I was **_**literally**_** almost finished writing this chapter it suddenly seemed familiar, so I went back and checked the previous one...and...um...I mean, they aren't **_**the same**_**...but they're pretty frickin' similar...which was **_**totally**_** unintentional...but I think it might work as a sort of parallel to how their loves have changed maybe?...pfft whatever...I couldn't be bothered starting over...so...yeah...**

**Okay...so we're nearing the end (four chapters after this!) but we're also going to be jumping ahead in time a bit more...because I strayed **_**wildly**_** from my original plan and have to fit some stuff in that I really wanted to write...so let's all hop into the back of the DeLorean and jump forward about 2½ years...oh, and if you don't know what the DeLorean is we can't be friends...**

**For you silly Americans (I tease because I love :P ), nappy = diaper...and start using the metric system! :)**

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"Why did we think this would be a good idea?"

Naomi rolls onto her side and faces her wife. Her wife who just gets more beautiful as the days and months and years go by. More elegant, alluring, graceful, sexy. Her heart still flutters every time she sees her. Her skin still hums with anticipation of her loving touch, which never fails to set off fireworks all over her body. Naomi knows she's lucky, very fucking lucky. But at the moment she doesn't feel it, simply feels frustrated, thanks to their son wedged between them, creating a barrier to her lustful desires. She may be grown up and married and a mother, but sometimes Naomi is still at the mercy of her lust for her wife, and acts like a spoiled little toddler when she can't have her toy.

"Hey, this was your idea," Emily counters with a smirk, rubbing her eyes and yawning, taking far too much pleasure in Naomi's frustration, like she always does.

It's barely 8am on a Sunday morning, and Naomi cringes at the fact that she's actually awake. She had been looking forward to sleeping in, then making love to her wife all morning, with the far too optimistic and unrealistic idea that Oliver would cooperate and sleep in too. But he had other ideas, crawling into their bed at 6am and wedging himself between them, then proceeding to kick them in his sleep. It's a good thing they both wear pyjamas now.

Naomi scoffs at their familiar teasing. Anytime Ollie does something wonderful, which is most of the time, they both try to claim it, but at times like this they both playfully blame the other.

"Oh like you weren't brooding for kids since we were seventeen," she replies with a raised eyebrow. "I just brought it up first."

"Sure," Emily says mockingly. "Keep telling yourself that."

They smile at each other adoringly for a minute, but the moment is interrupted when Ollie rolls over and snuggles into Naomi, his little hand gripping her t-shirt.

She sighs contentedly, because really, she can't complain about spending the morning in bed with their son. She runs her hand through his hair gently, not wanting to disturb his sleep, although Ollie could sleep through an atomic bomb, he takes after Emily that way. It's amazing to her how this little person is such a part of them. How he shares parts of their personalities, despite questions of parentage. He's like a sponge, absorbing everything around him.

He has the appetite of Emily and eats like a truck driver, gobbling everything up in sight, with seemingly endless energy to burn, never still, even in sleep. He's such an active kid, always running around and playing and talking. But he has Naomi's temper, quick to anger and never shying away from a tantrum, no matter how public the venue. Lucky Emily is so good at soothing him in those situations. Naomi always thought that she would be the disciplinarian, knowing that was lacking in her upbringing, but it surprised her how easily she's swayed by her son. She's a big softie, there's no doubt about it, and Ollie runs rings around her. Emily is the sensible parent, and Naomi already fears for how easily she'll give in to Ollie when he's older.

He's so inquisitive and alert, always wanting to know about things and asking why, and Naomi is convinced that he's already smarter than her. He's only three and he's already figured her out. Knows exactly how to play her. He likes to learn new words, rolling them around in his mouth and saying them over and over again with delight. She knows every parent thinks it, but her son really is a genius, despite the fact that he sometimes sticks things up his nose and in his ear. He's becoming more independent as the days go by and it makes her a little anxious, reminds her that he won't be her little boy forever.

His loose mousy-brown curls fall across his forehead and over his eyes. Naomi brushes them back softly and his little nose wrinkles. She's still convinced he has her narrow nose and her ice blue eyes, but he also has Emily's mouth and chin, and she knows that that's impossible, but she wants to believe it anyway. Indulges herself, thinks that their love has done miraculous things before, so why not this.

"He needs a haircut," Emily whispers, her voice hoarse and husky like every morning, sending a flutter of warmth low in Naomi's belly.

She suddenly remembers what she's missing and scrunches her face.

"He needs to sleep in his own bed," she whispers with playful annoyance, which quickly turns into real annoyance when he knees her in the stomach. "Jesus," she breathes out harshly and winces.

Emily gazes at her sympathetically and blows her a kiss. Naomi sighs at their lack of actual physical contact and reaches her hand across Ollie to rest on her wife's right breast. Just because it's the only thing she can do and they're sitting so perfect and pushing against the tight singlet and she just can't help herself. Emily looks down and giggles, and the blonde feels her pressing up into her hand with the rise and fall of her chest. She trails her hand lower to the soft skin of her wife's stomach, exposed where her singlet has ridden up. It's one of her favourite places on Emily's body, just inside her hip, and she loves the way it quivers under her touch or kiss.

"We need to get Katie to babysit more often," she murmurs.

Emily groans her agreement as Naomi's fingers dance across silky smooth skin and she feels the muscles beneath them tense. Hears her wife's sharp intake of breath when she starts to feel her way under the waistband of Emily's underwear.

"Naomi," Emily breathes out, her tone warning. "Oliver."

Naomi concedes her point and groans, slips her hand out of her underwear and retracts it completely just to be safe.

"I say we leave him with Katie and Cook tonight," she suggests. "Your sister loves having him over and he loves staying there."

Emily narrows her eyes. "I thought we didn't like it when Cook babysits him?"

Naomi thinks about the last time that happened, when she'd sworn that Cook would never babysit Oliver again. They'd been about to leave for a wedding when they were left short at the last minute because their babysitter fell through, so they'd left him with Cook as an absolute last resort. And this was before he had moved in with Katie and was still living above Keith's pub. Neither of them had been entirely comfortable with the idea, but Cook had assured them it would be fine.

When they'd picked Ollie up later that night he was running around in only a nappy, covered in dirt and paint and food, and he'd had entirely too much sugar to eat. Oh, and Cook was a little bit buzzed from the pot he'd smoked, and Naomi wasn't entirely convinced that Oliver wasn't a bit stoned as well just from being around him. They had both been furious but Naomi had really flown off the handle and it'd taken her a good few weeks to even speak to Cook again, apologetic as he was. Emily was a bit more forgiving – it was the first time he'd ever babysat by himself, and Ollie was a handful at the best of times. He was a polite and well mannered boy, but shifty as all hell.

"Katie will be there." She gazes at her wife. "We need some _adult_ time."

Emily smirks and shakes her head but Naomi knows that she's thinking the exact same thing. They haven't had as much time alone together as they would have liked thanks to the exhausting week they'd both had.

"I'll ask her," Emily replies, her hand rubbing circles on Oliver's back.

Naomi grins at the thought of being alone with Emily all night, before she feels Oliver pushing against her chest and looks down.

"I think he's waking up," she whispers, as Oliver yawns and rubs at his eyes with his tiny little fist.

They watch him in wonder, and Naomi still can't get over how fascinated she is with everything that he does. She could sit and watch him just _be_ for hours on end. The way everything in the world is interesting for him, the quiet way he goes about figuring things out. The complete innocence.

He blinks his eyes open slowly and seems to take a second to comprehend where he is. He glances at Naomi and grins, and Naomi snuggles into him closer.

"Good morning Ollie."

She can feel his little heart beating so much faster than hers, his small hand resting against her chest.

"G'morning Mum," he mumbles in his sleepy voice.

He pulls away from her after a minute to turn and face Emily, and Naomi loves the smile that breaks out across Emily's face, her whole being lighting up for their son.

"Hi Mummy," he mumbles, snuggling his head into the crook of Emily's neck.

Emily holds him close to her for a second until he pulls back.

"Hey baby," she coos, smoothing his hair down and kissing his cheek. "Did you have a good sleep?"

He nods enthusiastically, and sits up between them, suddenly wide awake.

"Breakfast time now," he demands with a smile then turns to Naomi. "Pancakes Mum."

Naomi laughs – pancakes are her specialty, and the only thing she cooks that Oliver will actually eat. Emily does the majority of the cooking in the house, mostly because Naomi is terrible at it, but she can cook a few things, and her pancakes are damn good. She loves that they are Ollie's favourite food and that Emily's kind of jealous.

She looks to her wife for her thoughts on the breakfast suggestion, and the redhead nods.

"Okay," Naomi replies and delights in watching Oliver's eyes light up. "We can have pancakes, but only if you help me make them."

He claps his hands together excitedly and nods, and he looks so damn adorable that Naomi can't stop herself from dragging him to her and smothering his face with kisses. He giggles and tries to push her face away, and Emily gets in on the act too, pulling up Ollie's pyjama top and blowing kisses on his belly as he shrieks with laughter and kicks his legs out. Emily lets go of him a second later, crawling across and pushing Naomi onto her back, quickly placing one knee on either side of her hips so that before the blonde knows it she's being straddled by the redhead, who then grabs her wrists and pins them down.

"Quick Ollie, help me get Mum."

Oliver giggles and jumps up onto his knees, tickling Naomi's sides and under her neck while kissing and licking all over her face, encouraged by Emily's laughter. Naomi wriggles and pretends to fight back, but really, she never wants this to stop, wishes they could do this forever.

After a minute of fun Emily pulls Ollie off and sits him up in front of her so that his back is against her chest, one leg hanging down on either side of Naomi. He's still laughing while Naomi catches her breath, and Emily releases her wrists so that she can wipe her face.

"Hey Ollie," she hears Emily saying, "you go into your room and find Mr Teddy and your special pancake t-shirt, and I'll be in soon okay?"

His eyes light up again at the mention of his pancake t-shirt and Naomi laughs. It's just a plain blue t-shirt, but he'd been wearing it one day when she was making pancakes, and he'd accidentally flipped the mixing bowl over onto himself, the batter running all over his front. He'd started calling it the pancake t-shirt, and insisted on wearing it every time they made them.

He jumps up from Naomi eagerly and Emily helps him down from the bed, and they watch his little legs run him out of their room and into his own.

She feels Emily staring at her and turns to meet her gaze. The redhead is smiling adoringly, and Naomi smirks back, because she knows that her wife is totally hot for her right now.

Emily puts one hand on either side of Naomi's head and lowers herself down, holding her body above the blonde so that they're faces are inches apart. Naomi settles her hands on her wife's hips and pulls her closer.

Emily kisses her nose. "You," she kisses one cheek, "Are," then the other, "Lovely."

Their lips finally meet and she pulls Emily closer as her tongue slips into her mouth. The redhead's arms give way and her body falls flush against Naomi's, her hands tangling in blonde hair while Naomi grabs her bum and pulls her closer. Emily can never be close enough.

Her hand has just started creeping its way under Emily's singlet when they hear Oliver yelling from his room.

"Mummy! Can't find it!"

Emily relaxes her body and smiles against her lips. Naomi sighs with frustration, but truthfully she isn't that annoyed, because she can't deny her son anything, even when he wants Emily. The redhead pulls her body up, smoothes Naomi's hair down and drops a placating kiss on her lips before lifting herself off the bed.

She walks out of the room swaying her hips for Naomi's benefit, and the blonde yells after her.

"I don't care if we have to _pay_ Katie to babysit!"

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**Man, Naomi is always annoyed she can't have sex isn't she! Horny little bugger...but it is Emily Fitch so you know...who wouldn't be...It feels weird writing family bonding time...idk...let me know what you think...I'm feeling needy, lol. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reviews and messages, REALLY, especially now when I'm struggling with this story a bit...but this one's for **_**warriormari**_**, just for always being so lovely ;)**

**Also just giving you guys a heads up – I'm writing another fic at the moment and might upload it soon, it's AU and set in college and **_**completely**_** different to this one, but if you're interested do that alert thingy...or just keep an eye out!**

**peace out,**

**audrey**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hello dear readers! I love you all like pie...which is the absolute highest honour you can achieve in Audreyland...because I loves me some pie...and I am talking about **_**actual**_** pie...it's not a euphemism or anything...**_**although**_**...shutting up now... :P**

**Coupla things: I totally forgot about Lola **_**again**_**! Holy crap I am terrible...thanks **_**sticks12**_** for reminding me...I told you I forget things once I write them! And also, a few of you have asked about the other characters...but they'll appear very little in the last chapters, if at all. The original idea for this fic was a one-shot with several conversations they have during their life together...and then it grew into this...I only ever used the other characters as plot devices...but, my next Naomily fic will feature all the characters if that helps... **

**You might be confused at first...but just keep reading...okay...actually shutting up now...**

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Naomi shuffles into the kitchen still half asleep and wiping at her bleary eyes, morning light just starting to creep into the room. It seems that she and Emily are getting up earlier and earlier these days, too much for them to do organising Oliver and Scarlett in the morning.

Lola follows at her feet, just as sluggishly, her claws tapping against the tiles like tap shoes.

The blonde catches sight of her wife sitting on a stool, hunched over the kitchen bench with a steaming coffee in front of her, staring into space absentmindedly. She sighs at the sight. Knows exactly what Emily's thinking about. Tries to push it out of her own mind and focus on the day ahead. Wishes that she could ease the worry so evident in her wife's eyes.

"Morning," she murmurs as she kisses Emily's temple and rubs the small of her back quickly.

"Mmm...morning," the redhead mumbles in reply, leaning into her wife's touch.

Silence falls again as the blonde moves about the kitchen, sipping on the coffee Emily made her while she gets things out for Oliver's lunch. His first ever lunch on his first day of school. The thought brings a smile to her lips. Their little boy is going to school. With his new little uniform, shiny black shoes and Toy Story backpack. It's a happy day. Exciting. She wants Emily to be happy and excited too.

She looks up at her wife and notices her furrowed brow and tired eyes.

"You didn't sleep well," she says softly, looking across to her from the other side of the bench.

She had felt Emily tossing and turning during the night, and even getting up a couple of times. Naomi knew she'd probably only gotten a few hours sleep.

"Yeah."

"Stop thinking about it," Naomi says calmly, reaching over and rubbing her wife's forearm soothingly. "Try to forget about what happened. Everything will be fine."

Emily frowns. She knows she shouldn't be so worked up and that Naomi is right. But this is her son. Her daughter. Her family. And what happened yesterday had shaken her up.

"I just...I don't want them to treat Ollie any different...the other kids I mean...or their parents."

Naomi slides her hand down Emily's arm and locks their fingers, her wife's white gold band glinting in the light. She wants to laugh at their role reversal, because she had always been the one who was anxious about being judged when they were younger, but she knows Emily won't appreciate the joke right now.

"They won't." She looks her right in the eye. "I'm sure there are other kids with gay parents, and _absolutely_ kids with single parents."

Emily bites her lip, Naomi's calm perspective helping to ease her fears somewhat.

She hasn't ever really cared what people thought of her or her marriage. Never let it affect her. Whenever she'd catch a disgusted look or hear a disapproving tone she'd brush it off, knowing without a doubt that she and Naomi have a love so strong that it can only be fate or destiny or God-given or any of those romantic clichés. She knows that they are meant to be. And nothing can shake her faith in that.

But now with Oliver and Scarlett it's different. It has always been her worry, even before she got pregnant with Oliver, that her kids would be treated differently because they have two mums. Because their family isn't _normal_. The looks her family has gotten in the supermarket from some ignorant people don't shake her, but she hates that they are looking at her kids like that as well, like there's something wrong with them. She wants to go over to every judgemental asshole and tell them that her kids are lucky to have two parents who love them and love each other the way she and Naomi do, but she knows she can't. It's not that simple.

Emily knows it gets to Naomi sometimes too, and they've talked about it a lot, there's just nothing they can do but love each other and hope that those ignorant people will see that. Being a mother has made Emily very forgiving of her own mother's behaviour from when the redhead had come out to her family. Jenna may not have expressed it the right way initially but Emily understood now that her mother had just been trying to protect her from some very ugly people in the world.

"The kids know how much they're loved," Naomi adds, her thumb brushing circles across the back of her wife's hand. "They'll always know. No matter what."

Emily squeezes her wife's hand and gives her a small smile. "I know...you're right."

Naomi is right, Emily knows it, but she's still shaken up by what happened outside the post office yesterday.

"_Alright Naoms," Emily says as she directs the pram out of the busy Saturday morning foot traffic on the sidewalk and stops. "You run in and we'll wait out here."_

_Oliver's hand is already in Naomi's, and he pulls down on it. "I wanna go with Mum," he sulks._

_Emily sighs and rolls her eyes. He's in a bad mood with her because he wanted to wear his Buzz Lightyear t-shirt into town while they ran errands but it really needed a wash so she wouldn't let him. Five minutes of screaming and wrestling him into another t-shirt later he was not happy with her._

"_It's okay," Naomi steps in, feeling her wife's frustration and giving her a sympathetic look. She looks down at their son. "Ollie, you can come with me but you have to behave alright?"_

_He nods innocently, but Naomi's sceptical. At least this way Emily gets a break though._

"_Okay, come on."_

_Emily watches them disappear into the post office and takes a minute to calm herself down. Ollie is really testing her patience today. This whole week really. He's normally such a gorgeous boy, kind and thoughtful, but this week he's been a nightmare. _

_Thank god Naomi is so good with him. The two of them really do have a bond that Emily is slightly jealous of sometimes, but she mostly loves that they are so close. Hopes that it stays that way for a long time. It probably helps that Naomi lets him get away with bloody murder though. All that boy has to do is look at her and she melts._

_The redhead glances down at Scarlett asleep in the pram and smiles. Scarlett doesn't give her any trouble. Hasn't really given them any trouble since the day she'd come into their lives. The day Emily and Naomi had gotten the phone call that she'd been born and raced down to the hospital with Ollie to meet her. _

_Everything about Scarlett coming into their lives had played out flawlessly, as if it had been the universe's plan all along. Emily liked to think that maybe it was karma for what had happened when Oliver was born. _

_A__bout two years ago they'd decided they wanted to adopt a child, and had signed up with an agency that matches couples wanting to adopt with pregnant women who want to put their child up for adoption. It had taken about five months, but they were eventually chosen by a young girl just barely twenty and 32 weeks pregnant. _

_Scarlett makes a couple of noises in her sleep and kicks her legs out, and Emily's heart melts. She'd__ felt it the moment she held Scarlett in her arms, just an hour or so old. She was their baby, and they were going to love her the same as if she was made from them. Emily has so much love to give, and Naomi has never considered DNA to dictate who your family is, given her own parental situation. Family is who you love, who you take care of, who loves and takes care of you. That's what really matters._

_For his part Ollie loves having a little sister. Excited about her from the first time Naomi held him up so he could peer at her in her crib. He likes to play with her, and Emily has already noticed him acting protective over her, and it makes her heart swell with love and pride. She feels lucky to have such a lovely family._

"_Isn't she a beautiful little girl."_

_Emily is pulled out of her daze by the kind looking middle-aged woman who is standing in front of the pram admiring Scarlett._

"_Thanks," she replies feeling somewhat undeserving, because she can't take credit for how gorgeous her daughter is._

"_Look at that beautiful black hair and those green eyes," the woman continues, staring back up at Emily. "Must take after the husband I suspect."_

_The redhead opens her mouth to explain that _the husband_ is actually _the wife_, and that no, neither of them are the biological parent, but the woman just keeps talking and Emily decides that she can't be bothered correcting this harmless stranger._

"_It's not often you see a child with green eyes," the woman continues while Emily smiles politely, "and they're such a bright green. She's going to be a heartbreaker this one."_

_Emily nods. Finds it odd and slightly annoying that for whatever reason, people think that once you're pregnant or had children your life and body is somehow public property. That complete strangers feel free to touch your stomach when you're pregnant or comment on your children despite the fact that they know nothing about you. She knows it's mostly harmless and well intended, but it's just odd._

_The woman is rambling on about her own kids when Emily hears Oliver calling out and running toward them, assumes that Naomi is right behind him. __She bites her lip anxiously. Had been hoping that the woman would leave before Naomi returned so that it didn't get potentially awkward, but now it seems like it's inevitable._

"_Hey Mummy," Oliver says enthusiastically, "look what Mum got me!" He holds up one of those cheap toy cars they keep at the counter because they know your kid will see it and annoy you until you buy it._

_Naomi comes to stand next to her, links their hands and leans into her ear, "he promised to behave himself for the rest of the day."_

_Emily rolls her eyes and shakes her head in amusement, because Naomi always gets sucked into buying something for him. Every time they walk into a shop they walk out with another toy for Oliver. She can never say no to that boy._

_She suddenly remembers that the woman is still standing there witnessing this little exchange, and looks back to her, notices her eyes trailing up from their joined hands to their faces. _

_The woman's whole demeanour darkens. Emily recognises the disgusted look on her face and feels herself stiffen, preparing for the woman's obviously negative reaction. She can't believe how remarkably the woman's mood has changed. She can feel the disdain emanating from her._

_Naomi seems to notice the woman finally and smiles a little uncertainly at her. "Hi."_

_The woman looks her up and down with nothing but contempt. "People like you shouldn't be allowed to have children." She looks down at Oliver and Scarlett and then back up to them again. "Because of you they're going to hell."_

_It's calm and level, but thick with such poison and hate, and she shakes her head before turning and walking away._

_Emily stiffens and instinctively inches the pram towards herself. Feels Naomi squeeze her hand and move closer to her side. _

_They've encountered these people before, the ones that aren't aggressive and don't use crude language, just quietly but firmly tell them that they're going to hell, or something to that effect. They're the ones who come closest to unnerving Emily, because there's something about their absolute conviction that unsettles her. _

_She knows that this woman can't be argued with. People like her never can. Ten years ago Naomi probably would've blown her top at the woman, arguing and swearing and causing a scene. Emily might have even joined in. But they've lived half their lives dealing with ignorant and hateful people like her. And most of the time it's just not worth it._

"_Ollie, come here," Naomi calls sternly and holds her hand out, and knowing from her tone that she's serious he shuffles over and latches on to it, stares at the woman's back as she walks away._

_Emily watches him and wonders how much he heard and understood. He's a perceptive and observant kid, and she's sure that there will be questions later, questions she wishes weren't necessary. She doesn't know how to explain to her child that some people hate his parents just because they love each other. That they might even hate him too._

"_Let's go," Naomi says brightly, trying to lighten the mood for Oliver's benefit. "Let's get some ice-cream."_

_Emily forces a smile onto her face and follows. _

_Wonders how a five year old is going to understand something she still can't._

The redhead takes a sip of her now lukewarm coffee, stares at their entwined hands and sighs. She can't understand how anyone could think this is wrong.

She isn't one to feel sorry for herself. Would never, _not ever_, regret her life or anything in it. But sometimes it just gets to her. She's been a teacher for ten years now, and she's met a lot of parents who don't give a shit about their kids, too many to count. But because they're straight nobody questions them. Or their right to raise a child. Nobody stops them on the street and tells them they're going to hell. It's all so silly, so ridiculously silly. She should be used to it, but sometimes it still gets to her.

"Right," Naomi says determinedly, reaching herself over the bench quickly, her sluggish body groaning with the effort, then snaking a hand around Emily's neck and pulling her forward until their lips meet. Emily's squeaks in surprise at her sudden movement, smiles against her lips and then kisses back.

After a moment she pushes her back playfully. Naomi stares at her adoringly and it's all Emily ever needs to feel better.

Naomi picks up her hand again and kisses the back of it. "What do you say Em - you, me, shower?"

Emily smirks.

Of course that always makes her feel better too.

-x-

Emily pulls Scarlett up higher on her shoulder. Curses herself for not bringing the pram with them, but they were running a little late since their extra long shower and didn't have time to pack it up and get it in the car.

She shifts from one foot to the other, anxiously watching the building, wondering what's happening inside and how Oliver is going.

"First time?"

She turns to her side at the sound of the voice, a woman about her age looking back at her with a warm smile.

"Sorry?"

The woman laughs. "I'm thinking this must be your child's first day of school."

"That obvious?" Emily bites her lip.

"Don't worry," the woman continues, moving a step closer, "I've seen worse. I've _been_ worse. When my oldest, Jack, started last year I was a mess. They literally had to kick me out of his classroom."

They share a laugh.

"That's why my wife went in with him," Emily explains, "if I went in I wouldn't be able to leave."

She doesn't notice she's mentioned her wife until she hears herself say the words. It isn't something she's usually conscious of but she's still a little raw from yesterday and slightly paranoid about it.

But the woman doesn't miss a beat or blink. "Oh you're lucky. My husband had to work so I was on my own and..."

Emily smiles as she listens to the woman tell her story.

Tries to remember that for every ignorant and hateful person she encounters there are many more who couldn't give less of a shit about who she loves.

And hopefully one day everyone will feel that way.

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* * *

**Surprise! They have another kid! Sprung that on you huh? :P I just had to name her after one of the most epic movie characters of all time - Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind...oh, and I'm not sure if it's the same in the UK, but our post office's usually have a ton of crap for sale in them nowadays...so if it's not like that in the UK let's just pretend okay? Okay...**

**I had planned this chapter from the start...but I don't think I got it right...I dunno...I wanted to update and not leave you hanging...assuming some of you are hanging...how presumptuous am I? lol...**

**Please leave a review if you would be so kind...they make me feel like a natural woman...ooops...that's something else :P**

**Clearly I'm delirious...bed-time now!**

**cheers,**

**audrey :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: As always thanks to readers and reviewers! You really are the only reason I'm still writing this so it's great to hear that you're still enjoying it! I wanted to update sooner, but writer's block is a bitch...and my dad (my stepdad – not the asshole one) is quite ill and has been going through a rough patch so I've been a bit distracted...hopefully this one isn't too bad...bit of d-rama...**

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Emily takes a deep breath before walking into their bedroom, knowing by the light under the door that despite the late hour Naomi is still awake. She isn't sure whether she should be relieved or disappointed. All she can feel is the guilt, dragging her down with every step.

She'd been at a birthday party for one of her co-workers and she's gotten home just after 1am, with more than a few drinks in her. Her wife was supposed to go with her, and they'd arranged for Katie to take care of Oliver and Scarlett, but then Naomi informed her at the last minute that she had too much work she needed to finish.

_Again_.

Emily tells herself that she doesn't mind.

She's used to it.

Sometimes she prefers it.

They're fighting so much lately. Everything's just too much, and she's drowning under the weight of it all.

They're drowning.

She twists the handle gently and opens the door, catching sight of her wife immediately. It still stuns her sometimes just how beautiful Naomi is. The sight of her can still literally take Emily's breath away. Take her back to when she was sixteen years old, idealistic and naive, and falling in love with the fierce and beautiful blonde. Naomi might be older now; her hips a little wider and her face a bit more tired, but she's still the most beautiful thing Emily has ever seen. Knows she will _ever_ see.

Naomi's sitting up in bed reading through a thick folder, no doubt work related, her hair swept up into a messy bun and her glasses sitting on the end of her nose.

The redhead sighs inwardly. Everything is about work these days. It's the only thing that seems to hold Naomi's attention anymore. Emily knows Naomi has a demanding job, and that she's encouraged her wife to be ambitious and proud of her work, but somewhere along the line the balance got thrown out.

That's why it's so fucked up, because she doesn't know how to tell Naomi that the job that she loves, that Emily encouraged her to excel in, is a big part of why their marriage is in the state it's in now.

"Hey," the blonde greets her automatically, her head down, eyes not leaving the paper in front of her.

Emily steps further into the room and makes her way to her side of the bed. It seems much farther away from Naomi's side than is physically possible, the distance between them growing every day things remain unspoken.

"You're still up," she says with the slightest hint of accusation. Hears that edge creeping into her tone that she seems to get whenever they speak lately.

"Well now that Jason walked out we're short staffed," the blonde replies defensively, still not looking at her.

Emily lets it pass. She's doing that all the time lately. It's just easier. Easier than fighting and arguing. Easier than admitting that they have a problem.

She slips out of her dress and leaves it on the ground, not bothering to hang it back up. She rifles through a drawer for a t-shirt to sleep in and then looks over to her wife, also in a t-shirt. Emily remembers the days when they used to sleep naked, almost every part of the bodies touching, limbs tangled together. Fingers tracing patterns onto warm skin. They'd make love until they exhausted themselves, then wake up with their bodies entwined.

Now they sleep in t-shirts and barely touch each other throughout the night, often waking up on opposite sides of the bed.

Now they are always exhausted.

Ollie is a typical six-year old boy, a ball of endless energy who runs them off their feet, demanding their attention constantly. Scarlett is shy and quiet, and she's struggling to make friends in kindergarten which is worrying Emily, even though her teachers insist that it isn't abnormal at that age.

Emily loves being a mother and wouldn't change it for the world but it's exhausting. Takes everything you have.

She knows what's happened to their marriage isn't just Naomi's fault. It's not just the guilt from earlier tonight that's weighing her down.

They've both let this happen.

"The kids still at Katie's?" she asks over her shoulder.

"Mmm hmm."

Emily slips the t-shirt over her head and sits on the edge of her side of the bed, her back to Naomi. They're only a metre apart but it feels so much further. Feels like it's getting further every day.

She plays with her fingers, picking at her nails and the skin around them anxiously. She eyes her ring and twists it around on her finger. Thinks about the vows they made on their wedding day and how far they seem away from them now. How some of them have been bent and tested over the years. Maybe even broken.

"The restaurant was nice," she says to the room, hoping to engage Naomi in some sort of conversation.

"I'm glad you had fun."

Emily takes note of her wife's absentminded reply. She never said she'd had fun.

She takes another deep breath, mustering her courage. The four glasses of wine she had earlier allowing her to feel brave enough to have a conversation she's been avoiding for months.

That they've been avoiding.

"A woman at the bar flirted with me all night," she begins, unable to keep the challenging tone from her voice, "she asked me to go home with her."

The words themselves could seem innocuous enough, but it's the edge in her voice that conveys exactly what she wants to say.

She wants a reaction from Naomi. Anger, jealousy, hurt..._anything_. She wants to know that Naomi feels fucking something.

Once it would have seem farcical, something that they would have had a good laugh about because they were both so secure in their relationship that any temptation seemed like a joke.

But not now.

The woman's name was Jacinta, and she had approached Emily when the redhead had gone to the bar to buy another round of drinks. She was gorgeous – long glossy dark hair, sea-green eyes and olive skin, and Emily had found herself instantly attracted to her.

She was confident and charismatic and she'd flirted with Emily immediately, and even though the redhead knew it was wrong, she flirted back. It felt nice to have some attention. To have someone look at her like they thought she was beautiful. To have a conversation that wasn't about work or the kids or day-to-day banalities. To have someone interested in _her_.

Emily kept telling herself it was innocent.

Jacinta knew that she's married, listened to Emily explain her fears and frustrations that she and Naomi are growing apart. That they never actually _speak_ to each other anymore. They talk _at_ each other about who's picking up the kids or making dinner. That she doesn't know when it happened or how, but their lives started getting busier with the kids and work and one day she woke up and realised that she and Naomi aren't connected anymore. That the thing that used to make them so special is gone, and she worries that they won't be able to get it back.

Jacinta's hand drifted to the redhead's shoulder or forearm every so often. Emily pretended it was just friendly, but she knew better. She knew Jacinta wanted to fuck her, and for the briefest of moments she'd thought about it. She'd looked the beautiful woman up and down and thought about what it would be like.

But then Jacinta had touched her again and Emily had felt nothing. Her touch didn't light Emily up like Naomi's did. Didn't make her skin hum and her heart flutter. Her stomach flip and her breath catch. It didn't make her feel alive, the way the simplest of smiles from Naomi always had.

It didn't make her feel anything except intensify her longing for her wife.

So when Jacinta had offered to take Emily back to her place the redhead shook her head and declined. And not because she knew it was wrong. Not because it's against her marriage vows. But because she didn't want to. The only person she ever wants to go home with is Naomi. It has been that way since she can remember. Since before they kissed or made love or maybe even spoke to each other.

Emily has never wanted anybody else.

The problem is she doesn't _have_ Naomi at the moment.

She turns to watch her wife's reaction. Gets the one she was hoping for.

Naomi finally glances up at her through narrow eyes, the heavy folder falling against the sheets, and Emily's satisfied that she's finally found something to pull Naomi's attention away from her work.

They stare at each other for a tense moment.

"Why did you tell me that?"

Naomi's voice is hard but Emily can hear the hurt underneath it. She feels her stomach tighten. Part of her is already regretting starting this conversation, but she wants to make this better. She wants things to be like they were. She hopes Naomi wants that too.

She turns her body and crawls determinedly across the bed until she's kneeling just to the side of Naomi, who's now sitting with a furrowed brow, scanning Emily's face uncertainly. The redhead rocks forward on her knees and holds the blonde's cheeks in her palms possessively. Pulls her forward roughly. Wants Naomi to feel it.

"Because I fucking _love_ you," she says with a conviction she feels deep in her bones. "Because I don't want anyone but _you_."

She searches hard blue eyes for a glimmer of what they'd always held for her. Love. Admiration. Belief. Her heart lifts when she can still see it all there.

It's been too long since she's seen it. Felt it.

She takes a deep breath, Naomi's face still in her hands.

"But these last eight months have just," she sighs, "we let ourselves get lost in looking after the kids, and work. We stopped talking, we stopped laughing," her eyes flick down to Naomi's lips, "we stopped making love."

Naomi blinks hard. Exhales a relieved breath. Emily is finally voicing all of the emotions and fears that she herself had been too afraid to. She's noticed the change in their relationship and has ignored it, partly following her wife's lead and partly because it's just easier. At first she thought it wasn't anything to get anxious about, and that their relationship would correct itself like it always used to...but then it didn't. It just kept getting worse. And by the time she realised how bad it was she didn't know how to fix it. She feels like she's being pulled in so many fucking directions with work and Emily and the kids, and it's simply easier to let her marriage take the hit. Naomi knows that Emily's job is important, but the blonde's job is so much more demanding, and she's got so much pressure on her shoulders that it requires most of her attention. She knows that her marriage has suffered because of it.

That she let it suffer.

But it has gotten especially bad these last couple of months. Truthfully she's glad Emily has had the nerve to confront what's happening.

"I know," she whispers, closes her eyes for a long moment before opening them again. "I love you too." She lifts her hand up, pulls one of Emily's away from her cheek and holds it tight in her own. "Don't ever forget it."

Their eyes lock and Emily feels lighter with relief. Naomi's blue eyes are clear and honest. She knows they have a long way to go and a lot to talk about, but she also knows they'll be okay.

She picks up the folder from Naomi's lap and drops it to the side of the bed with a heavy thud, then moves one knee over to straddle the blonde's lap.

"We have to work harder at this," she continues, grabbing Naomi's hands in hers and threading their fingers together, holding their arms out between them. "Because...we can't...we can't lose this Naomi...we're not one of those couples who are just going to disintegrate...we love each other too fucking much...we're forever."

Without waiting for a reply Emily leans forward and presses their lips together. She feels the fire running though her body once again.

The kiss starts off slow but quickly grows hungry and passionate, both women untangling their hands and reaching for any warm skin they can find. Emily pushes Naomi back into the pillows and grinds their hips together slowly. She groans when Naomi's lips leave hers, only to find the blonde placing hot kisses down her neck a second later, her tongue darting out to taste her skin. Naomi settles her hands on Emily's hips and pulls her impossibly closer, the heat building between them.

Already panting, Emily closes her eyes and drops her head to whisper into her wife's ear.

"Now let's take advantage of the kids not being home all night."

-x-

"I'm sorry," Naomi whispers into Emily's hair.

She knows that she doesn't need to say it, that she just said it over and over again in the way that they just made love, with every caress and every kiss. But she wants to say it. Doesn't want to assume anything or leave anything unsaid anymore. Knows that that's how they got into this mess in the first place.

The redhead is cuddled into Naomi's side, close enough to feel her heart beating, her head resting in the crook of her neck. They're both completely naked, the way Emily likes them best, with their legs intertwined.

"I know," she mumbles against flushed skin. "Me too."

Naomi has one hand resting on Emily's hip and the redhead holds the other in her own, tracing the lines on her wife's palm and playing with her fingers. Threading their fingers together and then pulling them apart, then entwining them again. She's always loved Naomi's hands. So graceful and elegant, but strong too. When Naomi holds her with them Emily feels safe and loved. She'd missed them.

Naomi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, her hand on Emily's hip pulling the redhead closer.

She feels like such a fucking idiot. How could she ever put her work ahead of Emily. Ahead of her family. She missed Scarlett's first day of kindergarten because she was overseas for work. She misses almost all of Oliver's football matches. Cook has even been to more of them than she has. Emily has to do so much of the everyday stuff with the kids by herself, and Naomi constantly feels guilty. But her job is important too, and she's seen first-hand the amazing things they've been able to help aid organisations do in third-world countries. Missing your kid's sports game seems like nothing compared to getting funding for a vaccination program, but it's when all of those things she's missing start to pile up that she realises that she's absent in her children's lives. And that being a mother has to come first.

But she knows that it's the nature of her job, and it will never _not _be all consuming.

"Em," she breathes out timidly.

The redhead groans her response and tilts her head back to meet Naomi's eyes, a loving smile gracing her lips.

"How do you think we'd go living off just your teacher's salary for a while?"

Emily's eyes widen with surprise, and Naomi's amused smile sobers slightly.

"I've been thinking about it for a few weeks actually...and...I'm going to give my two weeks notice at work."

Emily props herself up on her elbow and shuffles closer to her wife's side, searching the blonde's eyes. She wants to be excited about it, but she knows that it's a big sacrifice for Naomi.

"Are...are you sure that's what you want? I know you love your job. Maybe we could –"

"_You're_ what I want," Naomi says ardently, taking Emily's hand in hers.

Emily feels her stomach flip. The tightness that she'd felt in her chest for months now finally starting to loosen. It's all she's ever needed Naomi to say, ever since she was young.

"I want to be here with you, and the kids," Naomi continues, "and I can't do that if I stay in this job."

They both know it's true.

"Are you sure?" Emily asks firmly. She wants to make sure that this is something that Naomi really wants to do. Doesn't want her wife to end up resenting her or their family for making her quit a job she loves.

Naomi lifts a hand to the redhead's cheek. Smiles contentedly.

"I want to spend time with you and the kids. Plus, I've been working like a maniac for the last few years and I need a break."

The upside to Naomi working so much and being so good at her job is that they've saved more than enough money to last them quite a while. The blonde thinks that maybe they could even go on a holiday somewhere, take the kids to Australia for a few weeks perhaps.

She's looking at Emily so lovingly that the redhead can't hold herself back any longer, slides an arm around Naomi's neck and crushes their lips together in a searing kiss.

They might have a lot more to talk about, but at least they're talking, and Emily knows they're going to be okay.

.

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* * *

**I was seriously tempted to cut this short of the 30 chapters that I said I was going to do, because I'm kind of burnt out with this story...but since you guys seem to be liking it I'll finish it off! I do apologise if these last few aren't as great...but I'm trying :)**

**This is the last of the drama - the remaining two chapters will be toothache-inducing sweetness! Perhaps even some sexy-time :P**

**Now, as you already know, I'm partial to getting on my soapbox and ranting...which I'm going to do again...look, I know I've said this before, but I just want to reiterate: for a lot of people (myself included), posting something for you all to read is actually pretty fucking intimidating and scary...and even if you don't like one of the stories on here, you should respect that someone has put a lot of time and effort into it, and they don't need bitch-ass anonymous fuckers leaving asshole comments. Constructive criticism is fine, but don't tell someone you hate their story...just stop fucking reading it! **

***takes breath***

**That being said – you, my lovely reviewers, are _glorious_, mwa! But I just needed to rant...because it **_**really**_** fucking pisses me off...plus, I love a good rant...you don't even want to get me started on politics...**

**So feel free to leave a review...just don't tell me you hate me :P**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: A (slightly belated) MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone...and to one person in particular who has made the last few months fairly awesome - as soon as it's legal in our respective countries **_**Hi Mum Hi Dad Hi Bitches**_** and I are making it official and gettin' hitched...don't worry, you'll all be invited...and only pizza and tacos will be served at the reception...but not taco pizzas...and lots of beer and gin..**

**This one isn't epically long or anything...just some shameless Christmas cuteness...I'm a little rusty so I hope you like it...**

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Naomi sighs, content to lay with her eyes closed like this forever. Tightens her hold on the redhead in her arms. She's in that blissful state somewhere between awake and asleep, a foggy awareness of her surroundings but the edges of everything still fuzzy, colours and sounds muted.

This is the time that she lives for more than anything else. She loves spending time with her kids and watching them play and hearing them laugh, but nothing stills her heart and mind quite like this. Nothing gives her that peace in her soul quite like holding her wife in her arms and knowing that in this moment, everything is right in the world, even if it's just for a few seconds.

She leans forward and kisses the back of her wife's neck. Smiles when she hears Emily sigh in appreciation. Can't help the warm flutter in her stomach at the sound. Loves that they still have this after so many years together. That they were able to get it back after they almost lost it.

She knows now that quitting her job was one of the best decisions she's ever made in her life. Almost as life-changing as letting herself fall completely in love with a certain redhead all those years ago. At first the transition had been difficult, going from working 90 hour weeks to being a stay at home mum, from meetings with politicians and diplomats and CEOs to play dates and football practice and endless loads of laundry. She found herself getting restless, unable to just sit for a quiet moment and have a coffee without the all too familiar anxiety rising within her at the thought of things that urgently needed to be done, tasks that used to fill her days that don't anymore. Meetings and phone calls and spreadsheets. But after a few weeks she learned to enjoy the silence, the stillness. To take a breath and enjoy her life. Enjoy being with her kids and her time with Emily. Their family.

She discovered that helping Ollie build the ultimate Lego world in their dining room, and the high five he gave her when they'd finished, was just as rewarding as anything she'd ever done at work. Or how proud she'd been when Scarlett had performed for them the first full song she'd learned on the piano, more proud than she had been of anything she'd accomplished at work, her heart swelling as she watched those gorgeous and tiny little fingers tapping the keys in time. Now she delighted in idle chitchat with the other mothers and fathers along the sidelines at Ollie's football games. Reluctantly held her tongue when the referee made a bad call, Emily taking hold of her hand and shooting her a warning glare because she knew her wife all too well. Now Naomi makes it to every game. Every piano lesson. Every parent teacher conference. Every toothache and every stomach bug. For the last eight months she has been there for all of it, and even though she still misses her job sometimes, she can't think of any place she'd rather be.

She's enjoyed reconnecting with her family, especially with her wife. Being at home with the kids has given Naomi a newfound appreciation for what it had been like for Emily, who had basically had two fulltime jobs. Naomi doesn't know how the redhead had done it, but she's become even more of a super woman in the blonde's eyes, and she's promised to never let herself forget it and take her wife for granted again.

She nuzzles closer into the sea of red hair in front of her, loves the way it always smells faintly of strawberries. Feels her wife shifting slightly.

"Morning," Emily breathes out, her voice a rough croak that curls the blonde's lips into another smile.

The redhead shifts to roll over to face her and Naomi reluctantly relaxes her grip, groans as she feels the warmth of her wife's petite body pull away slightly, but smiles when she catches sight of those doe brown eyes staring back at her sleepily.

Naomi leans forward and places a soft kiss on her wife's lips. Holds it a bit longer than she'd intended just because she can. "Morning."

A goofy sleepy smile graces Emily's face, and Naomi almost melts at the sight.

"Merry Christmas," the redhead purrs, her voice still thick with sleep.

Naomi pulls her tighter to her. "Merry Christmas."

It's then that it occurs to the blonde that the house is oddly quiet, and Emily seems to realise it at the same time, her brow furrowing slightly.

"That's strange," Naomi says softly as she brushes some hair away from her wife's face. "Christmas morning and the kids haven't woken us up. I can't hear them at all."

Emily's frown deepens and they both strain to hear anything other than silence.

"Huh. Should we be worried?"

Naomi glances over her wife's shoulder at the alarm clock. Only just gone 5.30am.

"It's still early. Maybe they're not up yet?"

It's a blindly optimistic notion and Emily simply arches an eyebrow and flashes an amused smile.

"Right," Naomi nods, taking her point, "of course they are awake and of course we should be worried."

At that exact moment, Scarlett yells from the lounge room in that booming and irritating tone that all children use to their advantage, shattering the peaceful silence and startling both her parents.

"Muuuummm! Mummmmyyy! Ollie's new transforrrrmerr hurt my new dollyyyy that saaannnta gave meeeee!"

Emily lets out a husky laugh. "Looks like they've already gotten to some of their presents."

"Little terrors."

Naomi buries the side of her face into her pillow and sighs. Knows that this means it's the end of her lovely peaceful morning with her redhead. Relaxes her hold around her wife as Emily starts to shuffle away from her and out of bed. Rolls onto her back and lays with her hands behind her head, watching as her wife moves across the room and slides into the reindeer sweater that the kids had directed Naomi to buy her last year. The blonde has to admit that her son and daughter made a great choice. She loves how cute Emily looks in the sweater, especially with her hair all over the place like it is now. A pleasant reminder of how it got that way last night.

Her wife catches her staring and smiles, moves back towards her, perches herself on the side of their bed and keeps some distance between them because she knows that the lure of being wrapped up in bed with Naomi for a while longer might just prove too tempting to ignore.

"Remember when we used to stay in bed until 10am on Christmas morning?"

Naomi scoffs. "Well we were in bed but it's not like you let me sleep. Jumping up and down like a jackrabbit, excited about Christmas. You were as bad as the kids are now."

Emily's jaw drops open as she pretends to be affronted. "Hey, I'm normal. You're the weird one for not getting excited about Christmas. God, do you remember the years in that shitty little flat in London during university –"

"When you decorated the place so much that it looked like a Christmas fairy had thrown up all over the flat? I remember."

Naomi smirks as Emily purses her lips together in mostly feigned annoyance.

"And that huge fucking tree you got that first year?" the blonde continues to tease her wife. "That thing was almost too tall to fit under the ceiling."

Emily takes the bait, biting her lip as she crawls up her wife's body to straddle her waist, pinning her arms down by her head.

"Are you making fun of my Christmas tree and my decorating? Because I seem to remember we had a pretty good time that year."

Naomi can't help but grin, remembering how they barely got out of bed that Christmas.

"I'd say we had a _very_ good time that year."

-x-

_As soon as she steps through the front door to their tiny flat Naomi's senses are assaulted by Christmas. Lights hanging and shining down the hall, carols streaming from the CD player, the unmistakable smell of the tree._

_She quickly pulls off her coat and beanie and gloves and hangs them up beside the door, then follows the groans of frustration she can hear her girlfriend making. Steps through to the lounge and almost wants to laugh at the sight before her, tiny Emily Fitch wrestling with a tree at least double her size, the stubborn tree not wanting to stand straight and the equally stubborn redhead trying to force it to._

_Naomi watches with amusement for a minute or two while Emily carries on, oblivious to her presence as she wobbles from side to side, but when the tree looks like winning the battle the blonde rushes over to help her girlfriend._

"_Em, what the fuck are you doing?" she groans as they struggled to balance it. "How did you even get this in here? This thing is huge."_

_"Just help me out," Emily demands exasperatedly._

_After some manoeuvring and some choice expletives they finally get the tree to cooperate, standing it tall and straight before stepping back to admire it. It's then that Naomi finally takes a glance around the room. The room that has been transformed into some kind of magical Christmas land in the two hours since she'd been at her lecture. Her jaw drops at the sight of it all. She and her mum had never been big on Christmas, and even though she knows Emily loves it, it's still a shock to see their flat looking like a Santa's workshop._

"_Jesus Emily," she breathes out in disbelief. "Did you do all of this by yourself in the time I've been gone."_

_The redhead stands in the corner, arms crossed over her chest and her lip held under her tooth, a sheepish grin on her face._

"_Well I'm not finished...the hassles with the tree fucked up my timing...but yeah. Do you like it?"_

_Naomi glances around again, still a little overwhelmed by the lights and the tinsel and the holly and the sparkly shiny ornaments and decorations._

"_It's...a lot of stuff."_

"_Yeah, I know," Emily replies, her voice noticeably deflated, causing Naomi to immediately feel guilty for ruining her girlfriend's fun. She hadn't meant to be a dampener on the fun. She was just a little in shock. _

"_I went a little overboard I guess," Emily continues, "I just wanted to make it special."_

_Naomi's eyes circle wide with panic. "Why? Your mum's not coming down is she?"_

"_No. I just wanted..." Emily's eyes narrow as she seems to change her stream of thought mid-sentence. "I thought you and Mum got along pretty well now?"_

"_Well we do. We get along great now. But that's because we live in London and she's back in Bristol."_

_Naomi smirks at her own cleverness until she catches sight of Emily's completely crestfallen face. All the enthusiasm completely drained from her expression, and the blonde feels a knot of guilt form in her stomach._

_She shuffles over and pulls her girlfriend into a slightly reluctant hug. Waits until she feels Emily embrace her tightly, then kisses the redhead's temple a moment later before pulling back to face her._

"_I'm sorry. My lecture put me in a bit of a bad mood. You know I love your mum...she's just a bit of a handful when she visits."_

_She offers Emily a smile and then leans in to place a gentle kiss on her girlfriend's lips. Felt the knot in her stomach loosen again when the redhead smiled back at her._

"_I know. And I know I went a little crazy with the decorating," Emily concedes. "I just want our first Christmas in our own place to be special. Something that we can look back on and always remember."_

_Naomi studies her girlfriend. The adorable frown lines around her mouth and her little pout. Decides that as gorgeous as a disappointed Emily Fitch is, a happy and delighted Emily Fitch is a far greater thing to behold._

"_Absolutely!" the blonde replies excitedly, trying to reignite her girlfriend's enthusiasm for the idea. "This is going to be the greatest Christmas anyone has ever had. We'll be talking about how great it is for years to come. We'll be telling our kids about this Christmas!"_

"_Kids?" Emily teases before Naomi even realises she's said it._

_The blonde feels a panic flutter in her chest for a brief moment as the impact of what is being discussed finally sets in. Emily has mentioned something every now and then that eludes to them having a family when they're older, but Naomi herself has never let anything like that slip before. It's not that she doesn't think about it, she does. Thinks about what she would be like as a mother, and how great Emily would no doubt be. She never says it out loud though, because somehow that makes it feel real, which is a little too terrifying at 20 years old. _

_But the panic within her subsides quickly as Naomi takes in the excited glint in her girlfriend's eyes, the curl of her lips into a delighted smile. Suddenly it doesn't feel quite so scary. Admitting that she wants to have a family with Emily Fitch one day. Suddenly it feels like she should be honoured it's even an option._

_She leans in to kiss the redhead passionately, her arms sliding down to her girlfriend's shapely bum so that she can hoist her up, smiling against Emily's lips when she squeaks with surprise. _

"_Kids, that's right," Naomi mumbles between kisses as she carries the redhead to their room. "We're going to have to start working on that _right now_, which means lots of sex. Lots and lots of sex"_

_Emily giggles as the blonde trails kisses down her throat. "I don't think that's actually the way it works Naoms."_

"_Oh really? Are you sure?" Naomi asks between kisses. "Because I think we're just going to have to keep practising."_

-x-

"I don't think we'll be telling the kids about that Christmas for a while yet," Naomi smirks.

Emily leans down and places a quick yet passionate kiss on her wife's lips. "Or ever."

Naomi slides each of her hands up the redhead's sides and around to her back. Tries to pull her down closer for another kiss, but the moment is interrupted by Scarlett crying out again.

The blonde closes her eyes and groans as she feels her wife moving away from her.

"Come on," Emily calls from their bedroom doorway, "who knows what damage they've already done to the presents. If we leave them any longer they might start opening other people's gifts. You've got three minutes before I send them in here."

Naomi rubs at her eyes and pulls herself out of bed slowly, slips a woollen sweater over her head, and slides her feet into some slippers. Glances out the window and smiles to herself when she see's that it's still snowing and everything is covered in a sheet of white. She loves it. Makes a plan to go outside with Ollie and Scarlett after breakfast and play for a bit before they have to head off to the Fitch's for Christmas lunch.

The sounds of her children's delighted laughter get louder the closer she gets down the hall until she's standing at the entryway to the lounge and takes in the sight before her. Scarlett sitting with her legs crossed, dark hair falling all over her face as she plays with her new doll, and Emily sitting in front of the tree with Ollie, reading instructions for the transformer, their impatient boy tugging and pressing things continuously trying to get it to transform. Scarlett spots her first, her little girl holding up her new doll in front of her, eyes opening wide as she runs into Naomi's arms.

"Look what Santa gave me mum." She thrusts the doll in Naomi's face with an excited grin. "I wrote him a letter and we posted it to the North Pole and I was a good girl and Santa came down the chimney last night and brought me my dolly."

Naomi hugs her daughter and feigns interest in the doll, her smile a little forced. Truth be told the feminist in her would prefer that her daughter wanted a doctor's play kit instead of a doll that cries and poops, but it's what her little girl wanted, and there's not much in this world that Naomi would deny her. Plus, she bought the doctor's play kit as well. After a minute or two Scarlett wriggles out of her arms and it's Ollie's turn, her boy giving her a tight hug and talking endlessly about his new football boots and how they are going to help him play like his favourite player who also wears them.

They spend the next hour or so opening presents and laughing, enjoying their morning together before they have to ship off to Emily's parent's house. Naomi ends up gravitating towards her wife like she usually does, and pretty soon she is sitting on the couch, her redhead in her lap.

Naomi kisses her wife's neck. "I know everybody always says it. But this, being together as a family, loving each other...that's what Christmas is about."

"Careful Naoms, you're getting dangerously close to sounding cliché and sentimental."

The blonde chuckles, leans in and gives her wife a fleeting kiss on the cheek.

"Only on Christmas. And only with you."

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**I hope that was okay...I'm really sorry I took so long to update this...I had a plan to write this one from the start and I've finally kicked myself in the ass and done it...hope it was worth the wait...**

**I also just quickly wanted to thank those of you who sent kind and concerned messages and reviews...there are a million reasons why I haven't updated, but for those of you who asked, my dad is relatively okay...and I have a little time off work now so hopefully I'll be finishing this and updating my other story very soon...**

**And lastly, thanks to everyone for being so kind to me this year...I never expected it, but this crazy little community is pretty awesome, and has actually helped me out in what has been a really tough year...and I've met some cool people and made a really good friend...so...thanks. **

**And if you want a Christmas present for your ears (which of course you do!) then you should go here: www .youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie#g/c/7929F3C021782964**

**:) **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: So I know this has taken forever to finish and I bet some of you thought I never would...and I guess I wasn't sure I would either...life seems to have taken a weird turn and interrupted all writing this year...but someone very close to me is going through a tough time and I wanted to do something to make them smile...so hopefully this does that...I know it's short and written in a rush...but I hope it's a fitting ending to this series...**

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"Mum, if you're going to insist on giving me the history behind every one of my childhood belongings, I'm never going to leave this room."

Naomi puts the first book her son had ever read by himself back on the shelf and smirks. "Maybe that's my plan."

Ollie rolls his eyes at his mother and flicks his floppy hair Naomi wishes he would cut out of them before turning back around, packing more of his books into boxes. Books that Naomi can remember her and Emily reading to him at night. Books that her son devoured as soon as she bought them for him.

She watches him and smiles fondly, oddly proud that she has passed on the famous Campbell eye-roll to her son. Picks up and hugs the stuffed elephant that Gina had given Oliver when he was born tight to her chest.

In that moment, as she watches her 18 year old son packing his belongings into boxes and bags, she wonders how they have gotten here so quickly. It feels like her little boy has turned into a man in the blink of an eye, now taller than both his parents by at least a foot, his shoulders broad, his voice deep and prone to mumbling. Probably smarter than them too, though she hates to admit it. She's indescribably proud of their boy, of the young man he has become, thoughtful and bright and clever. Can't believe that she actually had a hand in making him turn out this way. And in a day he will be leaving for York to attend one of the world's best universities, a fact Naomi delights in telling almost everyone she meets. Although really, Emily is just as obnoxiously boastful about it.

The blonde absentmindedly pats the elephant in her arms as she thinks about her family, their life together and how this chapter of it is now closing forever. The four of them no longer together, and now she'll constantly be outvoted and outnumbered by her wife and their daughter. _Peas in a pod those two_, she thinks. Emily has always been much better at handling Scarlett than she has.

She winces slightly. She loves her children equally, just wishes that Scarlett would show a little of Ollie's initiative and ambition. Much to the blonde's annoyance, her daughter had hit puberty and turned into Katie Fitch the second-coming, her gorgeous little girl gone and replaced by a hormonal tirant with irrational mood swings and bitchiness and boys. Lots of boys. In one month Naomi counted three different boyfriends, and her roster of best friends also constantly rotating, save for a girl named Trixie that Scarlett has been friends with for a couple of years, a strange girl who annoys the shit out of Naomi with her single minded obsession to marry a footballer. Emily handles it all with aplomb, as she always has. Naomi is mostly at a loss and longs for the days when her little girl would crawl into her lap and fall asleep, demanding nothing of Naomi but her time and love. Now the blonde stays awake at night counting down the minutes until curfew, unable to understand how her own mother had given her so much freedom when she was that age. Naomi thinks about the things she used to get up to and shudders. Hopes that her daughter isn't down by some lake with a boy doing God knows what. But the blonde always has faith that her daughter will come out of it okay, looks at how her sister in law turned out and thinks that if Katie Fitch can turn out to be a kind and considerate human being afterall, then there's hope for her daughter.

She's been gazing into space for so long that she hasn't noticed Ollie staring at her with an amused and slightly pitying smile on his face.

"Thinking about how depressed you're going to be now that the light of your life is leaving?"

He smirks, proud of himself, and Naomi sees the briefest flash of Cook in her son, Ollie's favourite uncle having had a big influence in his life...sometimes bigger than Naomi has appreciated. Like the time she walked into her house to find Cook giving her son his first porn magazine. Or the first time Ollie got drunk, her and Emily returning from a work function at Emily's school to find their sixteen year old son slurring his words and laughing continuously, because Uncle Cook thought it was a good idea to have an adult introduce him to drinking where it was safe. Or the time he offered to take Ollie to a strip club when he was moping about his girlfriend breaking up with him. But for as many times as Naomi has wanted to kill him, (bloodshed just barely being prevented by Emily on several occasions), she knows that Cook's influence and guidance has been an invaluable part of her son's upbringing, so she can't be too mad at him. For all his faults, James Cook is a good man, and he's set a good example for her son.

"More like wondering what I'm going to turn your room into once you're gone," she shoots back at Ollie, motherhood and middle age doing nothing to curb her sarcasm. "I'm thinking either a sweatshop to make some extra cash, or a gift-wrapping room like that silly American woman...what do you think?"

"I thought Scarlett was going to turn this into her closet?" he laughs. "Or a trophy room for all the souls she's stolen."

Naomi chuckles, immensely proud that her son has inherited her sense of humour. Rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "That girl owns more clothing than everyone else in this house combined. Maybe everyone in the street. I have no idea where she even gets it all."

The blonde and her son share a conspiratorial smile, two allies in the teenage hormones warzone their house has become the last few years. For some reason it has always been this way. She's always had a special bond with Oliver, and Emily has always had that with Scarlet. She loves her daughter very much, but she just doesn't understand her the same way Emily does, and vice versa with Emily and Ollie. She thinks it's worked out pretty well...up until now. Now that her boy is leaving.

"I can't believe you're going to leave me here with her Oliver," Naomi tries the guilt trip...again. "Me, your poor mother who raised you, stuck in a house with that monster who will –"

"What monster?"

Naomi bites her tongue and turns to see her wife walking through the doorway and watches Emily sidle up next to her, then glance between the blonde and her son with her eyebrows raised, waiting for her answer.

The blonde's breath catches in her chest, like it still sometimes does when she sees her wife, even after all these years. Even though the red in Emily's hair is covering some grey as well, and there are a few extra pounds on her hips and a few more lines on her face, Naomi still to this day has never met anyone more beautiful than her wife. Has never felt luckier to have her. She didn't think it was possible, still doesn't with any other couple, but she and Emily have only fallen more in love every day that has passed. They've had their rough patches of course, but as she's watched many of the marriages of her own friends and family and even parents of her children's friends collapse, she's never once doubted whether the same fate would befall her own marriage. She learned long ago that losing Emily Fitch would be the biggest mistake of her life, and she's never forgotten it.

"What monster?" Emily repeats, wide-eyed.

Naomi smiles guiltily. "Um...our daughter."

She holds her breath until she sees her wife's lips curl into a wry smile. Knows then that she's not in trouble.

"Yesterday she called me an ignorant moron because I don't know who Justin Bieber is."

Naomi smiles fondly. "You're my ignorant moron."

"Aw," Emily coos, inching closer to the blonde. "You've always been good with the sweet talk Naoms."

The blonde leans in and closes the gap between them, their lips meeting as they both smile into the kiss, their bodies gravitating closer involuntarily. Naomi sighs into the kiss, her stomach still flipping like it did when she was 12 and first realised there was something special about the mousey Fitch twin.

"Ugh, Gross," she hears her son complaining from across the room. "This right here, is why I need to get out of here."

The blonde feels Emily smile against her lips before pulling away, both of them knowing that it's all talk, that their son is going to miss his parents and their constant and sometimes inappropriate making-out when he goes away for school.

"And on that note," Oliver announces, finishing taping up yet another box, "the boys wanted to hang out at Malcolm's before I leave tomorrow. Is it cool if I go round there for a few hours?"

He's looking right at Naomi but they all know that it's going to be Emily who answers.

The redhead checks her watch. "Sure, but dinner is going to be at six-thirty. Unless you want me turning up at Malcolm's in my most embarrassing outfit...again, I suggest you be home on time."

Ollie shakes his head and smirks. "Yet another upside of going away for university."

He's out the door and shouting 'I love you' before his parents can even say goodbye.

The two of them stand in silence for a few minutes, each taking in the soon to be empty room and recalling all the memories it holds for their family, too many to count. Naomi can still vividly remember the first day they took Ollie home from the hospital, his little pink body so warm and soft and small in this big room. She remembers the racing car shaped bed they bought him for Christmas when he was five, and how sometimes she'd walk past his room and check in on him and he'd be sitting on the bed, making noises with his mouth and pretending he was racing. She'll never forget the day they repainted the lime green walls blue because Ollie's best friend Jason Miller had blue paint in his room so Ollie wanted it too, the most difficult task that day being keeping an inquisitive and shifty young Scarlett out of the room so she wouldn't make any mess. She remembers when Ollie started high school and felt it was time to grow up, asking for a new bed and a desk and of course a MacBook. There are too many minutes and seconds and moments worth of memories in this room, and Naomi cherishes them all.

-x-

After a while the blonde reaches her arm across and takes Emily's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together.

"We did alright yeah? Raising these kids? I mean I know Scarlett is possessed by some kind of evil demon at the moment and our son has floppy hair that he refuses to cut...but all in all...I think we did okay."

She feels Emily squeeze her hand and then turn to her, big brown eyes glazed with tears.

"We did perfectly," Emily whispers softly, as if she's afraid her voice will break and release a flood of tears. "Together."

Naomi releases her wife's hand and brings both of hers up to cup Emily's cheeks, smiling softly.

"I love you."

"I know."

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**So there you have it...the much delayed end to this story. I'm sorry it took so long. I don't feel there's a need for a boring extra chapter filled with thanks and whatnot, so i just want to thank everyone who reviewed and read and followed this story...originally it was going to be ten chapters max, and you guys and your encouragement made it what it was, so thank you.**

**For those of you wondering, I will eventually finish my other fic, I just don't know when...hopefully I'll have a chapter up in the next few weeks...fingers crossed. I'm sorry it has taken so long.**

**Thanks again to everyone reading...and special thanks to HMHDHB...just because i loves you.**

**peace out**

**:)**


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