#danielle bishop

Tiffany, glasses and gown on, had her arm around the big baby girl and her hand caressing her belly absentmindedly while both were focused on the laptop’s screen. The baby was falling asleep, Danielle knew it by the way she was chewing slow on her pacifier, but her eyes were still battling to stay awake because whatever Tiffany was playing on her laptop had her absolute attention...and Tiffany, who was pretty focused as well, was mumbling something while typing with her free hand from time to time.

“When things get hard, there’s always another way,” Tiffany said in a bit of a baby voice, letting go an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, absolutely there is, and that’s going to be auntie’s problem tomorrow Leni,” without looking away from the screen, Tiffany moved enough to leave a kiss on top of the baby’s head, which made the baby raise her hand to touch her and gain another kiss on her tiny fist. “Yeah, it totally will.”

“Of which auntie is gonna be that problem?” Danielle said with a soft laugh, getting the attention of both like that.

“This one,” Tiffany pointed herself on the forehead and then her lips. “Can she also get a kiss?”

Danielle smiled big at that, getting closer to Tiffany and giving her what she wanted easily, and then she climbed over her legs to lie down on her side of bed, her hand going fast to tickle the baby’s belly.

“Ellie, I swear, if that makes her not sleepy you’re going to watch Finding Dory with her for another three hours,” Tiffany warned Danielle when she got the baby to chuckle sleepily and throw her tiny hands over Dani’s face when she kissed her tummy several times. “And you’re getting the pillow and bed wet, why are you so against blow-drying?” 

“We watched Hercules until the disk didn’t reproduce anymore, I’m trained already,” Danielle’s laugh was low, touching with the wet ending of a lock the baby’s nose. “Well, it won’t wet the way I wanted but I think it will do the trick,” that comment made Tiffany flicker her fingers against Danielle’s forehead, hitting her. “Auch!”

“Not in front of Lena,” Tiffany scowled and then her features softened when Helena cuddled against Danielle. 

“¿Qué pasa hija?” Danielle cooed that after rolling her eyes to Tiffany’s remark, taking Helena in her arms and getting her to get comfier in her chest. “Ya tienes sueño, ¿verdad?” She kissed her forehead with love, one of her hands caressing her tiny back and the other went to take Tiffany’s, giving her a kiss on her knuckles as well. “What are you working on so late?”

“I wanted to give the final touches to the case I’m working on, so tomorrow I don’t have so much load of work to do,” Tiffany closed her laptop and lied better in bed, getting closer to Danielle so she could watch Helena falling asleep to the beat of Danielle’s heart. “But I couldn’t come up with good solutions, so I’ll worry about that tomorrow,” Tiffany traced Helena’s features with her finger, without touching her. “I thought she would be hungry at some point.”

“Ana breastfed her at my office,” Danielle chuckled and rested her head against Fany’s. “Thirty-five minutes must have given her enough to last a while,” she shrugged a bit. “I think I'm starting to understand why she is so chubby.”

For Tiffany it was crystal clear because she had been with Danielle for the last thirteen years, so except for one, she watched the next generation be born. Helena was a big baby at ten months old, like many of the children in Danielle’s family, so it wasn’t a big surprise and, as far as they knew, she was already eating real food so it only added up.

For Danielle, who still had her perception messed up by her own experience, she found it funny in a way. She knew Dara’s pregnancy hadn’t been the best but watching her baby girl grow in such a healthy way was a huge relief; it helped Danielle see the other side, because Damien had too many problems growing up after being in the same situation.

However, they both fell silent just to enjoy the moment. 

Even when they were babysitting Helena, they felt weirdly at rest from their busy schedules, a shot of fresh air. Danielle had tried to clean her schedule as much as possible during the week, she ever so worried about that, and Tiffany had tried to at least not have to do much at home for that day. Since Danielle was going to be till late at the office, Dara had dropped her baby daughter to her there and it gave Tiffany time to prepare at home for the occasion. 

Dara and Billie had to attend some sort of gala with dinner and Danielle, as one of the godmothers of Helena, offered herself since Audrey and Dahlia were out of town. Dani had to give it to Dara that it was pretty badass to watch her stroll in the office all dressed up to the nines, heels and make-up on, with Helena in her carrier in one hand and the bag with Helena’s stuff in the other along the car keys. 

Caressing with care Helena’s back and humming softly to a song, Dani felt a strong tug on her chest that called the roots of that messed up side of her, with the memory of watching Dara breastfeeding her daughter while telling Dani about her day as if this wasn’t something extraordinary.

“Fany?” Tiffany hummed in response, because Dani humming was lulling her to sleep as well. “Did you ever think about...well, us, having another?”

Dani and Fany made eye contact there and the latter just got closer to kiss Dani’s cheek big. She knew from where she was coming from, Damien was growing up so fast before their eyes and Dara having Helena had renewed and awakened many asleep feelings, mostly because Danielle absolutely adored her cousin and was seeing in her what it should have been for them. Tiffany couldn’t say she didn’t think about it, but she never saw herself being pregnant nor when she was younger nor now that she was forty; but most important, because going through Danielle’s pregnancy had been the most trying and hellish thing she ever did - even when she loved being there every step of the way to help - and she didn’t want to put her wife through it again.

All of that tied to the fact they were still building their careers and they barely had time to take care of one - as fine that it turned out. Imagining two or more, Tiffany shook her head a bit - even if they adopted, they would be in the same situation. However she knew that thought was a common one they shared.

“I did but, being honest with you Ellie, as much as I loved raising Damien with you and I think we would make a great job with another,” Tiffany moved her hand to cover Helena’s ear so she couldn’t hear in her sleep what she was about to say. “All I can think about is Damien not being at home so often, so you can fuck me around the house without interruption,” that made both giggle. “Which I hope your cousin is doing with her wife, with the night off they have.”

Neither of them knew Dara and Billie absolutely planned to, after the event, but would fall asleep in a burrito of blankets hours later without going further than making out.

Danielle only tried not to laugh hard to not interrupt her baby niece’s sleep. Tiffany was the only one she felt comfortable enough to share her feelings with - even when Dara was the closests second one and Danna, her twin, the third - and having that out of her chest plus the simple answer was what helped her the most to register this sudden peak of ‘baby fever’ in order to understand it and overcome it.

“Maybe we should ask Ana if she can teenagesit Damien for a day in exchange, and do that,” Danielle whispered, turning her head enough to press a kiss on Tiffany’s cheek that led to Tiffany giving her another in her lips. “But I understand what you are saying.”

“I’m sorry, my love,” Tiffany mumbled that in french, swifting just because it was way easier for her to revert to her mother tongue to open up. That was also why they usually spoke more french than english at home now that they were in the States. “I know where it's coming from, but we already built a home for the three of us and it’s...I think it’s finally working out well,” Tiffany smiled sideways and Danielle mimicked her, bumping a bit their heads. “Being aunts it’s nice and, well, I know your cousin and I highly doubt they’ll only have one baby.”

“If it was for Billie, I’m sure they’d have like four or five already, they made a pretty cute baby so I can’t blame her at all,” Danielle always joked with Dara about it and Tiffany made a face that suggested that yeah, she thought about that too. “Do you think moving here was what we needed?”

“I do, I think we both were getting restless in Québec, as much as I still love it,” Tiffany said, pinching her lower lip with her index and thumb. “Damien is adapting fast, being here worked wonders with your depression,” to that, both smiled sadly, because that was a heavy topic in their lives even if it was common by now. “And, being honest, the new office has treated me better in almost a year than they’ve treated me in Québec in the last seven,” that was something that always enraged Danielle. “Maybe what we need now is some time, just us two.”

“So we can ha-”

Then someone knocked on their bedroom’s door, shyly but strong enough to be noticed. 

“Maman? Mami?” Damien’s voice sounded a bit muffled. “Can I come in?”

And Tiffany made a face to Danielle that she knew what meant, which made her chuckle again.

“Yeah,” Danielle said a bit stronger and Damien came into view, pajamas on and sleepy eyes. “Everything okay?”

Damien nodded while making her way to Tiffany’s side of the bed and she opened the quilt for her to come in, which the girl did as if she already knew the cue. Danielle moved enough so Damien was in between Fany and her as comfortable as she could, without disturbing Helena’s sleep, and then Damien looked at the sleepy baby, curious yet scared.

“Not sleepy today?” Tiffany asked after leaving a kiss in Damien’s head and passed her arm over her belly to cuddle her better. “Or just wanted some more cuddles?”

“I...wanted to be with Lena a bit more,” the confession made both Dani and Fany look at Damien, who got her hand closer to Helena’s tiny fist over Danielle’s chest. “I like her, aunt Dara isn’t like aunt Dilania nor uncle Daviel, she let me hold her sometimes and play with her.”

That was something new coming from Damien, because she never was one to be...closer with her actual cousins - Danielle’s nieces and nephews that were actually from her siblings. It was true that they living in Canada put things harder for all the parts and it made Damien grow up not being too attached to Danielle’s side of the family. However, Dara was always there in someway to remind Damien she was available for her as much as Danna, who was her closest aunt since she was Danielle’s twin; and, well, they moved to Los Angeles around the time Dara was eight months pregnant so that meant Damien got to spend too much time with her, taking in count Dara’s pregnancy turned to be one high-risk.

It was as if Damien had made a different bond with Helena than with the rest and Danielle, upon realizing this, felt her whole body warm up in a pleasing way.

Pleasing because maybe, probably, she was starting to see herself in her daughter. 

She remembered when they moved to the States from the Dominican Republic around seven and, in all the novelty of that, Danna, Daviel and her fell into the care of her aunt Carla for a great chunk of the day, since their parents were busy trying to find a job and a home of their own instead of living all with their grandparents. None of them knew about Dilania starting to be real, but they knew Dara was already in her way. Maybe that’s why Danielle - and Danna, for that matter as well - had such a deep connection with Dara, because they were there from the moment she was born onwards.

Damien fell into the same box, the only difference was that she was twelve instead of seven and understood many more things than Danielle could probably understand at the time.

“Is that so?” Danielle slipped into english, because Damien tended to slip in the familiarity of french. “And what does she do when you hold her?”

“She…” the girl blinked and looked at her mother. “She plays with my fingers and we watch videos on auntie’s phone,” Damien’s accent wasn’t as heavy as Tiffany’s, but since she was tired it got a bit rowdier. “And…”

Hearing Damien start talking more about what she did while both weren’t with her made Danielle and Tiffany think about the conversation they were having before Damien came into the bedroom. Of course if they would pursue Danielle’s sudden baby fever they thought Damien wouldn’t have any problem with it - as far they could see - but on the other hand...they thought that maybe this was also okay. If Damien wasn’t there, Helena would’ve been in the same situation as her because they were apart from the family - since they all lived in Sacramento - so maybe this way their special bond would grow to an unique one, because as they kept growing up, they’ll at least have each other.

Danielle and Dara - along Billie - highly doubted that Dahlia and Audrey would give them the surprise of having one as well.

Time passed by and eventually Danielle finally moved Helena to were they had fixed Damien’s old portable crib - which they actually sent to Dara and Billie when they still were in Canada - and watched how Damien was already trying to move to go back to her room with care of not waking Tiffany up in the process, who was already asleep with her glasses still on.

“Don’t you wanna stay, mimi?” Danielle said before yawning, getting in her side of the bed and taking Tiffany’s glasses off with the ease of someone who has done it too many times. “The bed is warm and yours is cold.”

Danielle didn’t have to say it twice.

That made her giggle to herself, kissing Damien’s forehead with love when she cuddled against her front, and Danielle felt completely at peace just with that. Tiffany moved in her sleep, getting closer to them and draping her arm over both as humanly could - her hand resting over Danielle’s ribs in an awkward angle.

“We barely fit anymore,” said Danielle with a laugh in her tone, mimicking Tiffany in a better way because she was physically bigger than her and could. “But I would do it even after you turn eighteen and until you want.”

“Maman?” Damien’s voice was a mere whisper and Danielle hummed to acknowledge she heard her. “Can I tell you something?”

“Go ahead,” Danielle gave her another kiss on the forehead. “We had a while without a secret between us.”

“I’m really happy we are here,” Damien cuddled better, hiding her face in Danielle’s crook of the neck. “I’m happy mami and you are happy,” that was like a punch in the stomach - weirdly good punch - for Danielle. “But...I’m happier because auntie Dara is the happiest since Helena is here,” Damien’s warmth was getting in her and letting her feel more at peace. “I’ve never seen her smile like now and...Helena is my favourite cousin just because of that.”

God, if she knew she would have another Damien for sure, same good heart and awkward manners that remind her so much of herself when she was a kid, Danielle would go right away for a second kid. 

What did she do to have such a sweet girl?

It only earned Damien more kisses and cuddles, but for Danielle the confession was enough to finally settle that restless weird feeling she was having and almost settled while talking to Tiffany. And it only made Danielle answer one last thing that would close the wild thought of getting a fuller house.

“I hope you remember that in ten years, mimi, because if your cousin turns out like your auntie around that age…” Danielle laughed, the memory of a younger version Dara and herself in her head. “Qué Dios nos ayude, si lo vamos a necesitar”

☾ - sleep headcanon

Oh, Danielle’s sleep schedule is absolutely bonkers. But she knew what was she signing up for the second she chose her career, being completely honest. There are days in which it’s pretty easy to see is fucking her up really bad, but most of the time she’s can handle it - and everyone who knows her is mad worried nonetheless. However, Dani ‘developed’ a ‘superpower’ which she mastered the most when Damien was a baby.

She can fall asleep anywhere at will and get actual rest.

It’s fucking madness, no joke. Sometimes she just closed her eyes while breastfeeding and there, after that, she was all energy and ‘let’s go’. Then sometimes she’s writing something on her computer and she’s sensing an incoming headache, she leans back on her chair and twenty minutes later she’s on her way to finish the report. Bastien, her ex-husband, was pretty much used to it and didn’t comment much, even going further to actually put a blanket, his own hoodie or something over her; but Audrey, oh boy, she’s still getting her way around this and it’s pretty vocal about ‘please Danielle, go lie down’.

Danielle needs to fix this, she deeply knows it, but until she gets where she wants to be, that’s the only way she knows and has been working since her college days.

★ - sad headcanon

There’s something about Danielle that is off. Everyone can see her laughing, living, doing her things, being ‘normal’ but for Danielle...well, she feels restless. Restless because during all her life Dani has been on a permanent breaking point, this line she always walks in because it’s the only way she can feel ‘alive’, the only way she feels she can give everything from herself.

And when there’s no need for her to keep that level of pushing herself, Dani feels restless  and like her life isn’t going anywhere. It's a sad feeling that way, as if you have to be at two hundred percent all the time. Damien and Dara might be the only ones to actually know this and try to keep things easy for her, both from their position as daughter and cousin respectively.

If you are attentive enough, you might catch this restlessness sometimes, when she’s idly doing house chores or merely some daily stuff. Billie is getting it as of lately, taking in count she’s trying to get well with Danielle - and Danielle is trying that as well, to get well with Billie.

☆ - happy headcanon

Danielle always has felt that she missed many opportunities to enjoy things and actually be happy due to her own inner turmoil. Situations in which everyone was all over the place, she went through them with a fake smile to please them and hide whatever problem she was going through at the time.

It’s like there’s something capping her, making her unable to fully reach that state of healthy euphoria and only adding up bad stuff at all what she helds inside. I think Danielle would be fully free from this once she understands that it’s okay to lay back at times, to let things go, even miss some chances, in order to not burn herself and breathe.

This said, I think divorcing Bastien - as much as it was, in the end, something both agreed to - was a good start on trying to find that happiness Danielle needs.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

All her life Danielle has heard she was loud when angry, not only big words and feelings but also her voice and way of expressing herself.

And all of this has only made Dani to grow more quiet but also more intense, making her a ticking bomb ready to explode at any second. As of now, she has reached a point in which at times it is really difficult to say if she’s angry unless you’re looking at her face to face. The feeling is all over her features, not matching at all her tone or the way she acts. It’s scary though, really scary. And don’t let me start when she’s like piling up different situations she managed to avert, because eventually they are coming back all at the same time.

Of course, if you want Danielle to explode for real, remind her not to be ‘so loud’ or - and Billie knows this really well - try to tell her what to do when she’s mad as fuck. All I can say that you literally signed up for a free trip to Hell.

✿ - Sex headcanon

To the contrary belief, Danielle is someone pretty active, sexually talking. 

As in, everyone thinks she isn’t that interested even because she actually doesn't talk much about these things. Even her reactions upon hearing something remotely close makes her blush and get all embarrassed, but this is because she’s a really private person. She loves having a safe place in which she can be comfortable with it, so it’s pretty rare seeing her more open in front of others about the whole topic.

Her partners can totally confirm this. Bastien, in his side of things, was okay with this because he’s a pretty private person as well and both had a dynamic that worked well around this; meanwhile Audrey is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to it, because she’s more open with it, not Billie and Dara’s kind of open, but she isn’t shy either. Whoever when they actually are alone, it’s easier for Danielle to slip in this side of her that always leaves Audrey breathless.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

Well, there’s one thing that’s always present around the house and it gives Danielle a massive rush of relief: puzzles. You know these wooden games that have like many pieces? or those others that are made of thick wire? I don’t know what’s the actual name, okay, I think they’re called in english jigsaw puzzles, brain puzzles? I’m not sure, for real, help. But well, those are Danielle's favourite and she has them around the house.

Not only is something really interesting, maybe a bit nerdy if you go deeper, but it’s actually cute. Dani knows how to resolve every single one she owns and Damien is always on a quest to buy her one that actually gives her a challenge. Bastien, when they were married, bought her several from time to time and loved to see how she resolved them, saying it was actually sexy. For Audrey is mesmerizing because she fucking sucks at these, but she got Danielle to teach her how to solve some and that made them bond over something Dani was passionate about, instead of being the other way.

Sometimes she does them just to kill some time, but other times it helps her destress or refocus.

Also, it isn’t weird to find sensory toys as well. Like those you squeeze? Dani has always one in her bag, in her desk at work, in the glove box, and around the house as well. She actually loves those that are animal shaped with sand inside the most, because she can throw them up and down easily. 

And how to forget a collection of Rubik's cubes Tiffany bought her during her pregnancy, those ones are her second most favourite thing and had lasted for sixteen years, mostly because Tiffany has repaired them many times for Danielle because she knew how much she loves them. Also she gifted Dani a fidget twelve-sided cube that became her first favorite thing in the world and Tiffany also keeps repairing it because Dani actually told her that she was going to have a breakdown if she replaced it for a new one - she got way too attached because the damn thing was that one that worked the most wonders on her.

♡ - romantic headcanon

Danielle really sucks at being romantic, this is obvious for everyone who has been involved with her at some point.

That’s why she had many boyfriends and some girlfriends during high school and college. They saw her as this unapproachable person they needed to have without knowing her too much and when they finally had the chance to be with her...well, the real Danielle came in.

Bastien fell in love with the fierceness Danielle showed for things she was passionate about and he was romantic enough for both, so little by little some things ended up rubbing off on Dani but still held this awkwardness she always had. Before all of that, Tiffany managed to find the good side of it and she filled the void being her all-over-the-place self, even managed to get some tiny bits of romantic stuff from Dani, and maybe that’s why Tiffany always found and would find Dani prone to improve in this.

Audrey came into Dani's life by the time she managed to learn how to be a bit romantic, but also found her awkwardness and habits part of the whole process. I think Audrey was the only one not wanting her to change nor stay the same, she is more proactive and willing to lead Dani through her own experience. It’s true that in the beginning it was a huge shock for Audrey, taking in count the last four years she had been with two big romantics, but after a while she’s learning to create a better environment for Danielle to be who she truly is and do any change she wants to do.

♥ - family headcanon

Danielle has always felt...alienated? with the concept of family. More than alienated, I would say a bit traumatized by it. And it’s all because of her own family, sadly.

She comes from a big family and she has seen tons of stuff, even more since she’s the second oldest - Danna and her are twins, yeah, but Danna is actually the oldest -, so let’s say the ‘expectations’ were too heavy on her regarding this topic. I mean, they’re four siblings on her side, then on Dara's side are five, their other cousins are two and then Dahlia is the only one...and I think this actually made ‘their generation’ to not have many more than two kids. And also, she always planned to not have kids until probably her late thirties or never. She even thought Danna would manage to get a baby somehow first.

Which allows me to introduce you to this: Danielle never planned getting pregnant with Damien. 

Yeah it was a completely surprise, Bastien and her never having ‘hey, maybe we should have a kid’ talk, and she was really close to have an abortion, but she decided otherwise at the end after talking through and through with Bastien about it. Everything plus her life at the moment, put the worst toll over her to be completely honest, it was the worst combination of all times possible that made her depression and anxiety get even worse as well, little by little. And that made Danielle think that maybe it was truly her fault that Damien was born way earlier than expected and other ‘bad’ things - as Damien being sick all the time, problems making friends, etc - that would happen to her while growing up.

Many times she feels the worst mother ever when she goes back in the memory line - and also in the present -, not gonna lie in here, but then Damien turns around and smiles with the might of a tiny sun and many of those fears go away because hey, maybe she did something good along the way, right? 

I don’t think Danielle would like to have another one, anyway.

☮ - friendship headcanon

Danielle takes way too long trusting people and that made her someone who doesn’t have many friends at all, but those she has are pretty much ‘ride or die’ friends. Back in Sacramento until her college days, she only maintained two friendships and one of them is her childhood jock friend, Naresh, and the other one is actually her old ‘rival’ in the debate club in high school, Charlotte.

Then when she moved to Canada and the only one person she managed to truly count as a friend was her co-worker at the time, Tiffany, and then she became her true best friend. Naresh and Charlotte are her best friends as well, but Tiffany is on another level for her. And now that she’s in Los Angeles, well, she’s getting fond of this junior at her new job named Joey, a girl that’s really bubbly but keen, and she’s also befriending Billie, to everyone’s surprise, because God knows they didn’t get on well with each other in the beginning.

The thing that hated the most was that many moms of Damien’s old school thought she was pretty friendly but Danielle hated them all and went as far as give everyone a nickname in base which thing she hated the most about them, so Damien had to remind her many times which were their actual names before get togethers or parent’s reunions. 

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Unfortunately Danielle doesn’t have much time in between work and everything else, so her ‘hobby’ time it’s always reduced to those days she wakes a bit earlier and goes for a run. She loves running, since she was very young actually, and she did atletism in both high school and then college, which this last one was how she got the scholarship. But after she finished her career, Danielle knew she wouldn’t have much more time to keep practicing or even go further with it.

So the only thing left for her to do is those early morning jogs, which help greatly when she’s feeling a bit more under the weather. 

This makes her think at times that maybe she could have tried to go bigger with atletism, but then she remembers how much more she loves her job and lets herself enjoy what she chose in the end. With Naresh, her best friend, they sometimes talk about their time on the track team and such with fondness and Charlotte always roll her eyes, adding how much hated them at times for making her wake up way too early to watch them compete.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

Many people think that Danielle is someone complicated, with refined tastes and coherent dislikes and maybe sometimes giving off this weird vibe of 'is she truly human?'.

But the reality is that Danielle is the most simple woman when it comes to like and dislike stuff. Per example, she loves rainy days and puppies, those are her biggest known likes, along with reading and probably running. And she's so content when she can do two at the same time? It truly makes a change in her demeanor the rest of the day if she's able to have a tiny dose of these.

And things she dislikes are pretty...petty stuff. 

She hates when people use exits as entries and vice versa, she dislikes when people touch fruit to see if it's good enough to pick, or many other random things that are too tiny and rare that hardly ever happen, but Danielle has a whole ass list of why she doesn't like it. Damien even restrains herself from tapping her fingers over any surface when her mom is around because the sounds makes her feel uneasy.

▼ - childhood headcanon

Danielle had so much pressure on her when she was younger that she has an actual hard time to remember her younger self. After their parents knew Danna was getting wilder and wilder while growing up, Danielle became the one her family put more and more expectations on. Might it be because she was good at school or because she was ‘more mature’ than many children at her age, they tended to rely on her heavily for everything. Not only her parents, but also her aunts - the only one treating her fairly was her uncle Cedric.

It doesn’t help that her siblings and many of her cousins looked up to her when they were younger, taking in count she was the one they always came for solutions. Dwelling in this more specifically, Danna has always looked up to her twin sister in almost a devoted way, per example, and Dahlia always tried to be more like Danielle as well, even when Dani herself had a hard time handling both because of their personalities. 

However, with Dara this is different. Dara has always been the most perceptive one of them all, probably thanks to a mix of her own powers and how she is, and she saw how building a pedestal higher and higher for Danielle would only make her fall harder. So Dara always took the extra effort to be more available for Dani, she avoided putting her on a pedestal and just be prepared in case she started to fall. It’s true that Dara always goes with Dani when things get hard, however she doesn’t go to her for a solution but more to be listened, which Danielle always accept and can provide her rare loving ways to make Dara feel better instead of fixing her like everyone else ask her to. 

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

Between the stress and her genetics - thanks to her dad -, Danielle has accepted that her hair will be probably half white by the time she hits fifty. It's truly no joke, even Danna worries about how her twin has many, many, many, more white hairs than she has - which are many too, but not like Dani.

This acceptance is also a way for her to see that she's getting older, that she looks back at when she woke up by Danna's side every morning and then to the present and she can see that she's actually wiser than before...and also stronger, as much as she sometimes forgets it. She doesn't mind seeing lines in her face, Dani actually thinks they have some charm of their own as much as she knows how the ninety percent of them are due to her stressful life.

Audrey finds this not only charming but couraging, taking in count how much she suffers from the 'getting older' part of life. It helps her tremendously having an actual good example near, instead of being surrounded by things and people that didn't help at all to ease that big insecurity of her without being radical and harsh about it.

Danielle makes it seem natural, not something you worry much about, and Audrey loves that. With Billie she has the same feeling, but having Dara being the biggest counterpart sometimes annulate that effect without noticing.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Danielle is such a picky eater? It’s unbelievable, I swear to God. But you know what kind of picky eater she is? Those that always suck it up and eat the food the same, even when they hate it with all their might. And believe me when I say, that’s kind of scary, because none really know if she’s enjoying the food or not.

That’s why she’s always wary when invited somewhere for dinner or lunch in a new place, well, more than wary she’s worried. With her family is like a russian roulette, but at least she knows which dishes she likes the most, from whom - like she doesn’t like most of the food her mother cooks, but she likes her aunt Carla’s, per example - and how to avoid being called out. Danna has an on-going list of dishes she has cooked to Danielle and which she liked or absolutely despised. Dara was always mindful of tiny details, so when she invites Dani over she plays safe and cooks her favourites. 

All of this actually makes it hard for Danielle to try new stuff, always sticking to her regular choices.

☼ - appearance headcanon

The blessing of the lawyers.

That's what I like to call that ability lawyers have of dressing always on point, no matter which occasion. Danielle's wardrobe is full of dressing pants, blazers, shirts - plain colours and patterned, which she loves the most -, some skirts here and there and a few dresses. And all of them fit her and combine so well that Audrey sometimes wonders if Danielle is gifted for that. And don't make me start on the shoes, because Audrey finds amusing how Danielle has many more heels, boots and shoes than her.

Which is the funniest part of Audrey thinking she's gifted, because Danielle have literally no fucking clue about fashion and mostly picks everything out based on how much she likes stuff.

And that can be seen at home, that random style showing up in sweatpants and sweaters with vibrant colours or her work out clothes. She owns plain ones, of course, but it's absolutely obvious which ones are her favourites.

Also, her favourite item of clothing are yarn sweaters. She has many in different colours and there's one that's her absolute favourite that's her father's, he gifted it to her the Christmas of the same year Damien was born and she holds it very close to her. Audrey loves to borrow Danielle's sweaters as well, the fabric too big for her but giving her an irresistible look that Danielle has grown to love, as much as they can't use many sweaters in Los Angeles. Damien deadass stole her favourite one from her mother and another one from her father and wears them any occasion she can, can be at home or going to school, it doesn't matter.

Danielle, sometimes, when she is doing laundry and sees Bastien's old sweater, she hugs it against her chest and closes her eyes, because she does miss many good days by his side.

ൠ - random headcanon

Everyone in the house knows that when Danielle has a day off or she’s at home without work or something to do, it’s her time for television.

Like Audrey and Damien have the television all by themselves always, but when Dani is in these settings? Oh heck to the no, it’s her time. And you’ll say, what in Heavens does she watch? Well, I’m gonna be honest with you, chief...Danielle absolutely loves to watch DIY programs, she’s mostly hooked up with the one where they buy castles in France and remodel the whole damn thing? Yeah, that one is her drug. 

But she also loves the ones with the bride dresses. God, she’s always having fun planning how to sue everyone in those goddamned shows if it gets the bride to choose what she wants. She’s really invested though. 

It wasn’t a good bug, it didn’t make her want to stay put and enjoy her girlfriend’s home for a while longer; it was a bad one and it was making her want to flee. 

With care, Audrey started to finally move, pointing where Danielle had folded her clothes from yesterday and when she got them, her eyes landed in one of her girlfriend’s yarn sweaters. Will she mind? She asked herself for a second, the soft sweater in her hands...and then decided she probably won’t.

The bug was placated again when she made her way downstairs, one of her hands tugging at the too long sleeve from the sweater and bring it up to her nose. This one had Danielle’s perfume all over, almost spent from a whole day wearing it, but enough for Audrey to finally crack the second smile of the day. The first one had been when Danielle had kissed her before leaving and told her she was pretty much free to stay around, the memory fresh while she got breakfast, and Audrey truly wanted to do so...but something in her told her to just leave.

How much would she want to forget what she saw or to rewind in that moment, everything displaying in her head while looking around the empty house from the open kitchen. 

Danielle had been getting the dishwasher charged while Audrey got out from the master bedroom, freshly showered, and upon hearing her in the upper floor she had asked her if she could see if Damien got any glasses or maybe a bowl in her room, so she could get it all in one charge. Audrey had only hummed a ‘on my way’ absentmindedly and went to retrieve it. The door was ajar and she knocked, however Damien wasn’t there and she could hear her in the bathroom, and Audrey had already gained her trust enough to just jump in and out of the teenager’s room without much trouble.

The place was a mess that probably was gonna get fixed as soon Damien’s mother noticed, but Audrey navigated quickly through it to find what she was asked for. She found a couple cups over the desk and a small plate, which upon retrieving it made Audrey fix her eyes in the open notebook there. She asked herself what would Damien was studying and took a quick glance...just to find it wasn’t a school notebook.

There were scores here and there, all over both open pages, and in between the tight and messy handwriting, she caught her name. 

Oh, she really should had got out from there in that second, but the only thing Audrey did was to take the notebook in her hands and went through the pages. Most of them were dated and she went as far as around five months ago, when Danielle and her started to date formally. And...well, as much as she could see over the throbbing pain that was getting its way to behind her eyes, Damien took her sweet time to keep a record of things she had said to her.

However, it was when she got around the first month pages that she saw it. And it made her so sick to her stomach that she dropped the notebook over the desk as if it was on fire, not minding anymore about that and getting out of the room with the cups and the plate. 

She was lucky Danielle was getting something from her car when she made her way to the kitchen, because it took her a few minutes to recompose herself enough to pass her nervous demeanor as ‘I finished it from loading it, but this dishwasher have too many buttons and...well, I was waiting for you’ when Danielle finally came back with her briefcase in hands and asking why Audrey looked a bit off.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus in how Danielle had kissed her sweetly against the counter instead of how her daughter had wrote a diary’s entry in which read ‘last husband died? -10.’ in red and black marker.

Audrey’s heart skipped a beat painfully, making her open her eyes again and start to clean the countertop from anything that could be a potential bother in the next hours. Sighing deeply, she fished her phone out of her back pocket to check any unread message since she usually put her phone in night mode when she was staying over with at Danielle’s. Getting a bit comfortable on the couch, she tapped at the screen to discover a few texts from three different chats and still feeling a bit miserable, she decided to went for the big ‘family’ group chat to see in which madness they spiraled in barely a quarter of the day.

Turning on the television to have some background noise, Audrey read how Danna had managed to...bake? or more like build an impressive cake for some client that order it for a birthday lunch or something, having Ally laughing and joking that she had two breakdowns over the chocolate in six hours while Dahlia asked for the recipe and Shelby half begged to not give it to her. Danielle was nowhere to be sean in the group chat, but Dara sent some pertinent stickers here and there and Billie joked about how now her wife was making puppy eyes at her to go buy chocolate cake.

She couldn’t help to giggle, quoting the picture with a ‘amazing yeah, but I don’t see any strbers there’ and quickly changed the chat for Danielle’s, who had sent her picture of her desk already loaded with folders - which Audrey had the feeling were there since a couple days ago - and her arm in scene to show a middle finger up to said folders around the time she arrived there; another one not long ago of her with a face that totally said ‘i’m gonna kill a bitch’ while she was pushing her glasses over her head; and then a text reminding Audrey she had left coffee made for her, cup and blue heart emoji at the end. She sent her some replies, a ‘you are a blessing’ to the coffee one and some laughs at the pics while asking how was it going and if she needed to go get her from jail for throwing someone out of the window.

Knowing she wouldn’t get a reply until later, taking in count her last connection was a hour and a half ago, she got then to Billie’s chat finally, which had more messages. While she was navigating through them, mostly Billie telling her about her last three hectic days at work, Danna replied with a big ‘WELL, IF SOME PEOPLE PAYED A VISIT THERE WOULD BE’ and a cake emoji. Audrey knew soon Danielle would reply to her sister, twin sense warning her of the bickering even without looking at her phone, so she kept reading Billie with a soft smile on her lips because it felt good to have her texting back again.

When she got to the last text, the one that was asking her about how was she, she couldn’t get to reply because a sudden ring echoed through the living room, startling her. She blinked, confused, and then her eyes landed in the phone...because of course, Danielle still had landline. 

Was it maybe one of those telemarketing people? For half a second, she considered not to pick up, but maybe was something important. Or maybe was Danielle herself, who knows? Audrey missed how the screen of her cellphone lighted up with a notification from her girlfriend, but she already got the phone in hand.

“Hello?” her voice was firm, and then a tentative voice came out of the other side of the line. “Good morning, may I speak with miss Bishop? I’m her daughter’s high school principal,” that closed Audrey’s throat immediately, but she managed to reply. “She’s not at home at the moment, but I’m...her partner, did something happen? Can I help you?” and there was this tight sensation in her stomach, so tight but at the same time comforting saying out loud who she was, that her focus went directly to Damien and wonder if something may have happened. “Actually, her daughter has gotten into a fight with another girl and we needed her to come and…”

And Audrey’s mind started to work in another different timeline.

She never thought she would get to the point in which she received a call like that. Audrey gave totally up thinking about herself as a mother, but when she started dating with Danielle it came with finding her place in a closer situation. As she took her bag, throwing her phone in and her wallet with the rest of her stuff, she tried to push aside whatever displeasure she had at the moment because this was serious and she needed to get there as soon as possible.

It took her a few minutes more to find a place to park, but once she was out of the car something heavy fell over her shoulders. Should she call Danielle? Or should she handle this first and then call her? Audrey didn't know how to proceed but she got herself into this mess because she still cared about Damien's wellbeing as much as she was upset with her, so she was going to try and fix it. It was weird being in a high school but she tried to walk with the confidence of one of her old theatre roles, swifting into a different persona so she could handle this with cold mind.

When she finally got to the principal's office, the first thing Audrey noticed was a pretty beaten up Damien, lower lip split and incoming matching bruise to her cheek along some scraps here and there. Her heart shrinked to her chest and when Damien noticed she was there, something in her light brown eyes lighted but she didn't move. The other girl was there too, with which Audrey supposed were her parents looked at her not really nice, but it only made her place better behind Damien and put a comforting hand in her shoulder so at least she knew she was there.

And the second the principal started to explain the situation at hand, Audrey felt how her facade started to melt with who she really was.

Of course, when the man explained briefly what had happened, he asked both of them to explain themselves better and the other child started to give her part with as many points as she could to clearly save her own ass. Damien, broody and skippy, refused to say much more than the obvious and Audrey knew there was something more behind that attitude. So she took to her hands defending her...defending Danielle's child as if she was defending her girlfriend.

Which impressed Damien to see her mother's partner braver than the usual.

By the time they got to the car, finally safe and sound, two weeks of suspension against nothing had become one week to each and a insane load of work to do, which was middle ground if you put it by how far worse was going to be. Audrey felt exhausted, more than she wanted to admit, but after counting three she was buckling herself and pulling over to get back to the house. She didn't even bring herself to check her phone, because she felt very tempted to go and call her girlfriend to inform her.

But for some reason, she didn't, and Audrey wanted to give Damien the benefit of the doubt.

"Did you tell mamon about this…?" Damien spoke so low that Audrey was glad she didn't put music, because she may had missed it.

"No, I do not, because you are going to tell her yourself," Audrey knew she would have to do some technical remarks to Danielle, but the folder that both were trying to ignore had everything inside for the actual mother to know. "Damien, what were you thinking? What really happened?"

And somehow, her voice didn't rise a bit. Audrey was so drained in that moment, emotionally talking, that she couldn't bring herself to be an ounce mad. Damien didn't even turn around, her eyes fixed in whatever she was doing in her phone and then it was when annoyance hit her, a tad enough to snap into a more loud 'hey'.

"I know I'm not you mother but I'm trying to save your ass here, buddy," she kept driving, furrowed frown as she made a right because a tiny voice in her head reminded her there really wasn’t any food at Danielle’s house. "It takes more than a notebook to make people go for a full fight, you know? I'm not stupid."

Damien looked at Audrey then, upon hearing those exact words, and something clicked there in her brain for a second. But the blonde woman didn’t notice the sudden panic in the teen’s face, not because she was asking to explain herself but because the weird passing anxiety she had been feeling for three weeks finally settled. Audrey glanced at her from the corner of her eye and sighed deeply when Damien didn’t say a word again, pulling over in the supermarket parking lot. 

Great, another nail to her coffin.

When Damien didn’t move, Audrey knocked in the glass to get her attention. Danielle was used to let her do whatever she wanted in those daily situations, but Audrey was already riled with anxiety and the last thing she wanted was to leave Damien unattended in the car after what happened. The girl moved, in automatic, to follow Audrey closely and still without a word, while they started to travel across the different aisles. Both were moving together, making quite the pair, but never got to talk during all the time Audrey spent picking stuff to get something in their bellies once at home.

Audrey gave up on trying to get the truth out of Damien, so she only interacted with her with banal stuff that was left unresponded because the girl was too in her head, still brooding, to pay attention aside from the basic motor skills. That didn't help to ease Audrey skyrocketing anxiety, it was making it worse indeed, because each second passed proved to her that all the things she was anxious for were true.

Damien, in her side of things, decided to keep it together as much as possible. She was good at following orders, following whatever was needed of her. But she couldn't bring herself to answer Audrey, because every time she looked at her the only thing in her head was that she should talk about the diary with her.

She knew right off the bat Audrey knew about it, the second she came back to the room and asked aloud to her mother if she had been in her room in fact. 

Damien had been putting some thoughts on her diary and when she went to write again, it wasn't in the page she left it open. Danielle had said no at that time, but told her daughter that Audrey had been to retrieve some cups - which led to a five minutes reminder of why she should get dirty dishes down once she was done with them. But deep inside her, really deep, she knew Audrey knew.

Why would she started coming to the house less and less often if not? Coming late at night and be gone before breakfast the times she passed by? Not talking with Damien anymore about her worries about her mom or about some of her other worries? Danielle stopping by Audrey's loft in her way home from work more often?

She totally knew about the diary, without doubt. 

The worst of it all was having her mother asking her if maybe Audrey had said something to her, because she knew Damien and Audrey talked more since they spent more time alone together. She had to play dumb, afraid of what her reaction would be if she knew how she had a full log of having her girlfriend in probation, shrugging and overall just exchanging looks with her mother when she noticed Audrey pulling away. And then how Danielle had called everyone in their shared social circle in case someone knew something, if maybe Audrey had talked to them.

She even overheard her mother asking Audrey directly, once Damien got up to the bathroom, because they were in the couch, cuddling and watching television before going to bed. And Danielle didn't get any response aside of 'I've been a bit busy and tired, that's all Dani.' and a kiss.

Damien's growing guilt got worse as soon as she caught a glimpse of Audrey's tired expression while she was paying the groceries. 

The trip back home was a silent one and once they were there, she kept following Audrey's soft instructions while getting late lunch ready. At least she got her to stop talking altogether aside of the basics, so her guilt steadied enough to keep down the food. But for Audrey didn't seem the case, as much as she could see, because she barely touched her plate.

"I'll be out of your hair as soon as your mother comes home," Audrey said when Damien started to clear the table. "So you two can talk in private without me being around."

It felt like a well deserved stab for a fifteen years old girl, one that actually decided to call home on purpose, instead to her mother, full knowing the short haired blonde was going to be there. There was something in Audrey's words that made her stomach churn annoyingly and with the remains of the rage she felt at school hours ago. And the next thing she knew, it was her mumbling surely loud enough 'yeah, that's better than having you here watching like you always do'.

Damien was too focused in forgetting her own discomfort, washing the dishes, to see the broken expression Audrey got upon hearing her. But her own tears got to her eyes, having to blink and rub her eyes to keep them at bay, feeling like the biggest hypocrite on Earth right in that moment. 

And with all of that, Damien set off to her room afterwards, leaving Audrey to herself. Which probably was the best for the adult, because the only thing the teen did once locked in her room was to cry and cry out of guilt, out of rage, out of anxiety, out of ‘why did I have to punch Vera Cobbers’ and ‘why I can’t go back in time’. Curled in her bed, Damien tried to forget what was going to come inevitably, but as two painful hours passed...she knew her time was coming to an end.

Getting up, Damien went directly to where the diary was hidden and took it with trembling hands. What if she came clear with Audrey first and then when her mother arrived...well, let the rest of the problem blow up? The only thought of telling the blonde downstairs pushed her tears harder out of her eyes.

And then, she overheard a car outside the house and her time was up. Damien went out of her room at the sound of the car turning off, just in time to catch Audrey getting her stuff back in her bag and standing up from the couch. She didn’t move further than the rail, feeling herself stuck there as a silent spectator, but she could see the whole living room and the kitchen from where she stood.

When Danielle make it into view, her blazer and briefcase hanging from her arm, glasses still on, the guilt came to her harder than before. Her mother threw her stuff, a very unlike move coming from her, in the loveseat and, with her face lit with happiness, circled Audrey with her arms and lifted her in the air while giving her a big kiss. She couldn’t picture her mother being that happy to come home even if she tried to, but there she was, not letting go of Audrey.

“Oh god, today was awful,” Danielle’s voice was a bit muffled, her face now hidden in Audrey’s neck while Audrey hugged her by the shoulders. “I thought I was going nuts...but having you here made it definitely worth.”

Damien started to move then, slowly going downstairs and trying not make a single sound while Danielle fixed Audrey’s hair with love, giving her a soft peck to her lips. 

Then, Audrey saw Damien over Danielle’s shoulder, and all her effort to keep it together started to crumble right away. She felt the need to break the hug, now lose and soft because Danielle was just indulging in her presence after pushing her glasses up in her head, and doing so was really easy when Audrey put a hand to Danielle’s cheek and kissed her sweetly and light.

“Well, now you are home...” she chuckled a bit, catching the soft smirk in her girlfriend’s lips. “...but I have to go darling, I was just waiting for you to come home so I could welcome you.”

Seeing the soft smirk disappear as fast as it came, rushed the terrible feeling already growing and about to overflow in Audrey. Danielle took off her glasses, pulling back her hair with her hand and then putting them back, making her illegally handsome. She took her hand, lacing fingers, and looked at her with the worry again filling her eyes.

“C’mon chère,” Danielle swinged their laced hands and tugged a bit. “Stay? Please, we barely spend time together these days, is because we always have take out? I promise I’ll try and and and...cook something, whatever, even if we have to dinner at ten.”

Even with the joke laced, Audrey could hear the hurt and light panic in Danielle’s voice. But she needed to go before Damien started hating her more, and she totally didn’t want anything to do with why she had to get her from high school hours ago, enough she had done for the girl and was thrown to her face like it meant nothing.

“Take out is just fine, it’s just that I really have to go,” Damien was already a couple meters away and Danielle seemed to sense her finally. “I promise to call you later, okay? We’ll plan something for the weekend and...”

Then Audrey saw Damien start to cry, the words getting stuck in her throat right away, and her flight response ringed through her body like it was an earthquake alarm going off. The girl sprinted towards her mother and Danielle got no time to catch her daughter in her arms, her mother’s senses coming up immediately. Audrey managed to hear, between sobs, how Damien was speaking in french really fast and Danielle’s expression darkened with worry and confusion a second later.

“What? Dada, slower, what are you talking about? What diary?” if Audrey heard sweetness in Danielle’s tone, now it was all gone. “Why are you crying? Look at m-” and the second Damien looked up, incoming bruise to her cheek and split lower lip, Danielle got pale. 

It was then when Audrey stopped from hearing something at all, mumbling a quick ‘I’ll leave you two alone’ before getting the fuck out of the house. If Danielle called for her, she didn’t hear it, because her anxiety was unbearable by the time she got in her own car and drove off in the verge of the attack.

She needed to get home, now. 

Unaware of her best friend’s whereabouts for the whole day, Billie worried. 

Obviously she would worry, Audrey was always excited and chatty when Billie texted her after days of work away, already planning when they would meet up the second the medium got all the stress out of her system. But Audrey had left her on read, maybe she was busy today, and then she got busy with laundry and cleaning the kitchen because Dara had asked her before having to rush out of the house because of work.

To the time Dara came back, Billie was fast asleep in their bed because jet-lag kicked her like a bitch, and then she didn’t have time to think about Audrey a bit more because upon opening her eyes, her now wife was fresh out of the shower only covered with her flowery silk robe, hair wrapped in a towel and phone in hand. Billie couldn’t keep herself from catching Dara by her middle, making her cutely yelp, to get her in her lap to finally enjoy what she missed for those too fucking long shooting days.

Billie’s phone was in the kitchen counter, so none of them hear it when it started to ring, but when Dara’s phone started to vibrate somewhere in the bed, lost between sheets and their bodies, and Billie started to try reach for it while kissing and devouring each other.

“Annie, your pho-Oh fuck, biting? M-move your leg,” Billie laugh ringed when Dara, under her, started to give her actual love bites while moving her leg as she was asked to. Blindly, Billie took advantage of that to make Dara circle her waist with said leg and then her hand felt the bed in search for the phone. “That’s so, so...you are going to be the death of me, I swear,” Billie finally got the device, eyes closed because now Dara was sucking on her pulse point, but picking up the same. “G-good evening, miss Lynch can’t come on the p-phone right n-”

It was then when Billie heard Audrey panicked voice coming out of the speaker in such shocking way that it made her freeze on the spot and open her eyes, alert in a matter of seconds. 

“Audrey, hey, Audrey listen to me,” and then Dara was alert too, confused look in her eyes and hands resting in Billie’s hips. “Breathe in, breathe out. Can you make it upstairs? Pumpkin, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” then Billie was off her wife in a beat, rolling in bed to go to her side and start putting the nearest shoes she had. She turned around to look at Dara and she was just getting dressed at light speed, already a leg in some sweatpants. “I’ll be there in…” Dara, serious face on, whispered ‘ten’ before pulling a shirt over her bare torso and the same flowery robe on top. “Ten minutes; if you can’t get home, sit in the stairs and wait there, okay? Okay,” Billie felt out of air, head spinning with the alarm and the last bits of arousal hanging to her lungs, but she started to move behind Dara towards the door the same. “Sweetheart, everything is going to be okay, I’m on my way.”

The only thing she got clear was that Audrey was having a panic attack and that Dara was driving too fast for someone wearing slippers. But she didn’t care about anything in else in that moment, pulling her hair into a ponytail and then holding Dara’s purse along their phones to keep her hands occupied. She felt a tingly sensation against the skin she hadn’t covered, as if something was trying to get into her, but Billie closed her eyes and pushed against it before looking at how composed was her wife while driving.

Without make-up on, Dara looked younger, yes, but more tired, worry lines in her soft sweet face. When was the last time she had looked like that? Was she sleeping well those days? What was worrying her?

But all those questions were pushed back when they pulled over in front of Audrey’s building and practically ran with their friend in mind. Billie was the first one to arrive, taking in count Dara was hobbling behind her, without her cane to support her fully she couldn’t run or walk without feeling unsteady with every step. By the time Dara got to the loft, Billie had Audrey wrapped in her arms, both sitting in the floor while the oldest of them was caressing the other’s back to calm her down. The medium was listening to the broken and confusing mess that was Audrey in that moment, and in between she was starting to make sense out of it.

It wasn’t good that Audrey was feeling again like that, like she was a waste of space and time. Like she had the weight of the whole world on her shoulders and as if the whole world was watching her about to drop it all, make a mess and laugh at her.

“...Billie?” and her sobs were so heartbreaking that twisted something inside Billie, who was pressing soft kisses to Audrey’s head taking advantage that she was now hiding in her neck and had Dara kneeling by them, brushing with care Audrey’s short hair out of her face. “D-did Rory died b-because of m-me…?”

The couple shared a surprised look and then they both felt something in the back of their neck, pocking at them for attention. From where was that coming from? Not the sensation, but Audrey’s question, which left them speechless for a minute.

“Wh-Audrey, no,” something in Billie flared up, something long buried after four years, and she made Audrey look at her in the eyes. “Absolutely no, Rory didn’t die because of you. I watched those tapes with you, I was there when they made you go through the stupid tapes and it totally wasn’t your fault in any possible way.” And Billie wanted to say ‘and I heard him saying it, from the good side, so it could reach to you better’ too so bad, but refrained herself.

“You weren’t at fault, Drey, you totally weren’t,” Dara mumbled that, pressing a kiss behind Audrey’s ear sweetly to ease her more, her arms wrapping both blondes in a hug. “What made you think about that again…? Did someone said something to you? A weirdo on the internet?"

From all the things Billie thought that could’ve trigger such deep and dark part of Audrey, she totally didn’t expect that at all. 

The second Audrey started to explain what had been happening the last three weeks, how she had been trying to deal with everything in her own, to be brave and try to handle things as if she could overcome them alone...well, it made Billie's brain to stop working. Not only she couldn't wrap her head around Audrey's behaviour, she couldn't wrap her head at how Danielle was so blind to not see something was going on right under her nose. And what had happened during the day? Well, that was another thing to the pile of problems. And the diary? Oh God help her, that put the cherry on top of it all. 

A cherry full of her own rage, waiting for her to take it and unleash its power.

When they managed to calm the actress down enough, sitting her in the couch and lighting up a cigarette for her - Dara took the package from the car before running behind her wife and was the one putting it between her lips to give it back to Audrey already lit -, Billie tried to calm down too, lighting another cigarette for herself.

"Let's calm down first and then we'll see what to do about this, okay?" Dara pressed her fingers to the back of her neck. "I'm sure there have to be a full explanation for this."

But it wasn't the nicotine what was helping her relax, it was that tickling sensation in her skin again. Her eyes went to Dara, trying to wrap Audrey in a blanket because she was trembling, and she knew it was her presence what was really helping ease the knot in her head. And maybe that was what actually made Billie finally snap.

"No Dara, stop."

"Stop what?" Audrey looked at Billie and then at Dara, who was frowning with confusion. And she was pretty sure the tallest woman was confused more about hearing her first name than the order.

"This, whatever you are doing right now," Billie pushed again against the sensation, her rage growing, and Dara stood up in front of her, arms crossed under her chest and reminding Billie what she was not wearing under. "I know they are your family, and that you will defend them always, but this got to another level. What your niece did was plainly mean and stupid, and sorry, but the last thing Audrey needs right now is being reminded of all this." then Billie pointed with her hand to Audrey, trying to wipe her face with her sweater's sleeve. "Look at what happened! Audrey worked hard to get some kind of normalcy and now it was thrown out of the window."

Dara couldn't say a word to that. She didn't have enough strength to bring herself to reply, so she only let Billie calm down after getting that out of her system. Her leg was cramping as they were speaking, strained from the sudden movement plus the whole day walking here and there at work, and she needed to take a seat but she didn't want to seat in the couch, where Billie was now comforting Audrey.

She had listened through the whole problem, trying to keep her cool and think for a solution instead of pointing fingers, and unfortunately everyone was at fault in some way... except maybe Danielle. 

Danielle that, for sure, the worst thing she did in this scenario was to not keep pushing for some kind of response to why her girlfriend was acting weirdly.

Of course Damien was...stupid for writing a full log about her mother's girlfriend, it was such a teenager thing to do? But that didn't take the fault away at all, because she was plainly cruel...and well, Audrey only showed her niece that she could trust in her and that she wanted the best for Danielle.

But also Audrey should have told Danielle what was going on instead of bottling it up. It was meant to explode, sooner or later, and maybe Dara could blame it to the new of their relationship but that miscommunication wasn't a mere 'oops, I forgot the oven on'. Dara knew from where Audrey was coming from, all the trauma and the dark thoughts and the days of not seeing an end to her depression, because she had been there by her side, however that didn't give her a free pass to do as she pleased.

And Billie...well, how could she tell her wife all of that without having her at her neck? She knew how protective Billie was of Audrey, it was one of her weak spots, so even if she helped in the 'get Danielle and Audrey together' intervention plan, it was obvious which side was she gonna get in when problems happened.

"Call her," Billie's sudden strong voice brought Dara back to Earth, who was brushing her still a bit wet hair back with both hands. "Call your cousin right now."

"Honey, I don't think…"

"You don't think what, that she can't handle being told to put her kid in place!?" and there was this edge in Billie's voice that Dara didn't like at all, the snarky tone. Sometimes you didn't need to be screaming on top of your lungs to make others to recoil and feel bad. "Put her on speaker, I'm done with this foolery."

Sighing deeply, Dara walked towards where Billie had left their stuff. It strained her more, hiding the discomfort of not having her cane with her, and once she got her phone in her hands she made the few steps to the couch slower. She gave up already in trying to make Billie be rational for once, so if she wanted to face a probably enraged Danielle...well, she was on her own.

After a few tones, Danielle's voice came out. Her own tone was thick and with an accent mixed deeply in her words. Dara herself knew when someone was switching languages, used to that after years and years.

"Dal, can I call you later?" Dara felt the tiredness in her cousin's voice, laced with something more. She caught Audrey looking up at her, the hurt in her eyes."This isn't really a good time."

"Of course it is!" Billie snatched the phone from Dara's hand and frowned, gripping it tightly. "Listen here, you better give your kid an earful or I'll d-"

Dara didn't expect, not even in a hundred years, for someone to be able to cut Billie's speech in such violent manner. If Audrey had recovered some color in the last minutes, she lost it upon listening to Danielle's enraged voice. 

"What do you think I'm doing, Howard!?" Dara even held her next breathing. "For fuck's sake, don't ever tell me what I have to do or not, because I do know it very well," they three could hear how Danielle took a deep breath before keep on speaking. "I know you are with her, so please, take care of Audrey. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Dara didn't expect either to hear someone hanging up on Billie.

Thick tears started to run down Audrey's cheeks again and then Billie left Dara's phone in the coffee table, taking her friend's hand in her free one to reassure her that everything would be alright. For Dara, it only meant that she wanted to get herself busy with whatever so she didn't have to think in this mess that was giving her a headache already.

So she decided to make some tea, full knowing they would need it. Her mother always said tea was the best choice to calm people's nerves. So she got for herself that task, not wanting to face her friend nor her wife in that moment. Dara took her time to put the kettle - because Audrey of course had one, could she get more british? - in the stove and search for some tea bags - fuck it, she was going full fake posh, water heated with a kettle but teabags to accompany.

When she was done with that, Audrey and Billie had moved to the balcony to smoke, so she only left their cups in the counter and got herself a corner of the kitchen to silently sip to her own cup.

Was she selfish for wanting to have a day in peace? The only thing she had wanted from the second Billie got home from filming around midday was to spend the day the two of them alone. But not only she had to go in her day off to work anyway, but all this had happened. 

Now the least thing she wanted was to go back to what was interrupted. That was a missed chance already, and well, to be completely honest, it wasn't like Billie was going to sleep that night in their bed. If she wanted to be irrational and mean when the only thing Dara wanted was to calm things down, well, the couch was welcoming her already.

She couldn't even bring herself to look at Billie once they were inside again, no more tears in sight and their teas mild at this point. Dara had served herself her second cup of tea by the time the front door opened, her eyes immediately going there while she saw Billie standing up from the couch again.

"Dani," Dara wanted to go hug her cousin, getting herself one of those awkward side hugs the woman gave, but she stayed where she was when her eyes went to her niece, seeing how bad the high school fight actually got. "Oh wow, I hope the oth-"

She cut herself from keep talking when Danielle raised her hand, to stop her from finish what she was saying. Now that she could actually look at her, Dani didn't even got time to change clothes and, wearing heels, she was even taller and scarier with her work looks, her face not showing much emotion but her eyes had a troubled glint, all hidden behind her glasses. Then she looked at her daughter, barely a glance, and then Damien stepped forward to talk to Audrey, as if she knew what she had to do the moment they put a foot in the apartment.

"I'm sorry Audrey," Damien's voice was clear, a bit congested because of the crying - her puffy red eyes giving it away -, but clear enough for all of them to hear it. "I...I didn't have to do that and I had to talk to you about it, but I was a coward. I had to tell mamon what was happening to you," she sniffed a bit and Audrey was looking up to her, tired expression in her face. "I was an asshole. You only wanted to be nice…" then Damien looked briefly to Danielle, who was crossing her arms under her chest. "Thank you, for picking me up from school and help me there...I may have suspension for a week, but boss grounded me to eternity...” And her tiny giggle managed to ease the tension in the living room somehow, ever so soft. “...do you hate me now…?”

“Ah...no, I don’t hate you Damien,” Dara saw how Audrey stood up so she could talk to Damien better, her hands trying to find somewhere to land...somewhere that was Damien’s shoulders. “But I’m upset with you, because...well, I was only trying to get on well with you, I’m not your enemy. And things you wrote there...well, were actually true...for me, at least, in my head.”

“Okay,” her voice so tiny, Dara knew her niece was about to cry again and that for sure would make Audrey cry. Billie only seemed about to pop a vessel and Danielle shifted in her spot. Her own throbbing headache starting to get annoying. “I k-know...even when you make me try those green smoothies. That’s kinda evil though.”

That earned a tired laugh from Audrey but then she just leant to hug Damien, who clinged to her as if her life depended on it. Dara couldn’t hear what her niece mumbled to her friend, making her to look at Danielle for a second before whispering what could be ‘I won’t darling, don’t worry’ and letting go of the hug. And Dara thought that was the best time to finally made their leave.

“Why don’t you stay at home with us tonight, dear?” Her voice went out calm in spite of feeling how her head was about to crack in two and Danielle finally looked at her, nodding and giving her permission right away. “I think it’s for the best, I promise I will totally not order italian and make you eat bland spaguetti with tuna, which I’m the best at cooking it.” She chuckled when Damien put a disgusted face before looking between the other three women. “You three do your thing.”

Dara hid how bad was actually her limp right in that moment by flickering her fingers, making Damien go with her and use her as support. It was then when Billie reacted, her attention finally drifting from Audrey to her wife again while she was taking Danielle’s car and house keys from her hand. Billie’s keys were in the counter, where she had left them when they arrived, and Damien took her purse for her. Dara knew for a fact Billie was staying.

She was done with this for today.

Now the plan in her head drifted to take Damien to her house to take a change of clothes and then drive to their apartment with Danielle’s car. She was about to leave when she heard someone walking towards her and then Billie was taking her hand in hers. They were away from Audrey and Danielle’s eyes, thanks to the entrance wall, and Dara gestured Damien to go ahead and wait in the car.

“Annie,” it warmed Dara’s heart to hear Billie call her like that again, with a more relaxed tone. She raised then her hand to press it to Dara’s cheek and then she pressed a kiss to her lips, tiny and warm. “I’m sorry...for yelling at you, I lost my temper there.”

“Oh, I know you’re sorry Bills,” Dara smiled tiredly to Billie and then went to caress her cheek, giving her a couple pats before kissing her in the corner of her lips and turning around to leave. “Still, the couch will be waiting for you tonight.”

When Danielle heard the front door closing, the weight in her shoulders eased a bit. Her eyes went to Audrey, trying to find the right words to say to her. She wanted to do this right, she wanted Audrey to see she could trust in her with whatever instead of bottling things up. What Damien wrote in that...notebook, was still very much wrong and not only she betrayed Audrey’s trust but Danielle felt the betrayal too coming from too many directions.

Since when her daughter started to hide things from her? Since when her girlfriend decided to hide this from her?

But there she was, getting a scold? from the only person in this world she didn’t want to have there. Billie had came back to the living room, her face totally giving away all the pent up anger she had been holding, and then started the biggest rant against her. Everything she was saying, Danielle could see it; her worry for Audrey, to not let something bad happen to her again...everything Danielle also wanted. 

The day she had entered into this relationship, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy mostly because Audrey and her had this enormous bag in their backs. And she understood when things got rough, understood that both needed time to get back on their tracks, but somewhere along all of this...she felt that she got lost.

Audrey, in that exact moment, couldn’t take her eyes off her girlfriend. Billie was going full rant without getting any reply, but Audrey could see how Danielle was tightening her fists each second passing and then...it was like someone turned up the volume.

“...so tell me, Bishop, what are you going to do now, mhm?” Billie’s neck was red and her eyes full of something Audrey didn’t see before. “Stand there in silence while she’s suffering?”

There was a change in Danielle, enough to make her look at Audrey before facing the other blonde. She wasn’t going to lie and say she wasn’t afraid of what her girlfriend was going to say next, indeed, Audrey was pretty much afraid of her opinion. Danielle was always the one taking the realistic side of things, to have twenty plans before the situations collided, to hold everything inside because she was used to being in charge, and also to be the part bringing everyone back to Earth if they started to wander too much.

But who was strong enough to bring Danielle back when she was the one wandering too much?

“I wouldn’t be here if I was going to do that,” her voice wasn’t even wavering, steady and in control, which made it even scarier. “I wouldn’t have put my kid in place the second everything was thrown at me; I wouldn’t have put Audrey, our relationship, over everything else.” Her hand finally moved from being a fist and gestured toward her. “I put everything I have in me to make us work, that’s why I’m here to fix this and overcome it together...because I fucking care about Audrey and, flash news, about us.”

The emphasis in ‘together’ was hard enough to make Billie flinch, but she didn’t recoil a bit. However, it was time for Audrey to actually do what she failed in: trying to fix things on her own. She shook her head for a moment, closed her eyes and put both hands covering her face. The softest ‘god, I just want to be normal like before…’ before gathering all her thoughts left her lips and she didn’t notice how it affected to the other two women. But she now had her thoughts sorted out enough to finally do something with them.

“I wanted to handle this by myself, be brave and stop hiding behind everyone,” Billie looked away upon hearing those words. “I thought I was doing it but...well, it seems it wasn’t like that.”

“You’re the bravest here already Audrey, but all I want is for you to know you can rely on me to handle things. Not alone, but hand in hand. If I have to put out relationship over everything else right now, I’m going to do it and show you that I care.”

That burnt anything Audrey was about to say, the edge in Danielle’s voice taking her by surprise because she knew she was being completely serious here. It shocked her to hear something like that coming from Danielle’s mouth, and Billie seemed to notice because Audrey saw her getting close to check on her. Danielle sighed deeply then when no response came from her girlfriend, and then put up her hands and then together.

“Look, I can leave and come back tomorrow if you need space,” oh, Audrey’s fear started to go up, because she didn’t want Danielle to go. “But I couldn’t let you go without hearing that...that I love you, more than you think and of course over anything that will come our way.” She was being sincere, her eyes always locked with Audrey’s. “Just tell me what you want me to do right now.”

It wasn’t fair not how things worked, Audrey didn’t want Danielle to put their relationship over everything else, she only wanted to be able to be together without having to fall into the pit of insecurities she still had inside. Audrey felt herself soften, letting go of Billie’s hand to hold herself better. Hearing those three sweet words coming from Danielle’s lips was a total blessing, something good for a change.

“I don’t want you to go, I want you to stay and be able to talk...the two of us alone,” then her eyes went to Billie, still by her side and waiting for her to tell her what to do too, knowing her time there was about to end for the day. “And I need another cigarette, for sure, but all I want is to go to bed knowing we’ll be able to have lunch tomorrow like we always do,” then her eyes went to look first to Danielle and then to Billie. “Am I clear?”

Audrey saw how Billie was looking at her and then...she nodded. Danielle did the same, refusing to look anywhere but where they were standing, with something darkening her features. Sometimes the problem with her was that she was too hard to crack, to understand and know what was she feeling...but Audrey was hoping to fix that soon.

“Fine,” it was her turn to sigh painfully deep, walking to get the pack of cigarettes from the coffee table. “Then everything is settled.”

The only thing Billie did was to follow Audrey to the balcony and sharing another cigarette, while finally calming down.

Danielle took advantage of that to slip away to the bathroom, not being able to hold everything anymore. Once she had the door closed behind her back, the facade cracked and fell enough for her to slide down the door and cover her face with both hands. 

For sure she couldn’t cry, she couldn’t since several months ago, but letting out those ragged breathings do help to calm herself down. She wanted to blame everything to someone, but the face that lit up in the crowd as the culprit was only hers. Her own fears rising like this giant tsunami waiting for her weakest and most down time to strike, Danielle closed her eyes to blind herself and not see the incoming doom. 

Taking deep breaths always worked, she told herself, so that’s what she did. Danielle took off her heels after too many hours with them on, focusing in calming herself and standing up again. Taking off her glasses, pushing them up to her head once again, she opened the tap counting how many deep breaths it took her to do the task. Once her hands were clean, she looked at her reflection and started to push everything back in.

Pushing her own fear of failure, of not being enough, of not being able to be supportive as Billie was of Audrey, of not being strong enough. And when she looked again in the mirror, all of that was gone and her usual tired expression looked back at her.

When she managed to get out of the bathroom, it surprised Danielle to be face by Billie, finishing off her cigarette there. She prayed that the blonde didn’t notice her breakdown, quietly waiting in case she had something to say. She wasn’t going to say anything, mostly because usually Danielle didn’t know how to talk with her cousin’s wife, and most of the time was the other woman to start the conversation.

“I left my pack by the microwave, in case she needs another,” Billie raised her own cigarette to put some more emphasis to it and then she got silent for a few seconds more. “Look...I like you, Danielle, I truly do. But I can’t help to worry about Audrey, because I saw what she has gone through and I want her to be happy.” And Danielle could understand that for sure, she was the last one to arrive in this and she knew only the tip of the iceberg. Billie sighed then, seeing that Danielle wasn’t going to say anything, to put her last words to this. “When we got here, Audrey asked me if Rory died because of her. Annie and I told her it wasn’t like that, obviously, but...I think it’s important that you know. She’s still very sensitive of that after four years.”

And then, in the most unexpected move that day, Billie hugged her. It was awkward, oh god, so damn awkward because both were the type of not giving hugs but Danielle tried to circle her, patting her back even.

“Take care of her, Canada,” Billie sighed then and looked at Danielle with somewhat a pained expression. “One more thing...do you think I’m fucked? How much?”

“I don’t think, I know you are,” and that made Billie chuckle, the tension between them easing a bit. “How much depends in what you did, my cousin doesn’t like being yelled at...so as her lawyer, I’m betting for three days couch arrest sentence, if not more.”

With that, Billie was gone, but Danielle couldn’t help but stay there for a few seconds more, indulging in the brief joking moment to get some strength to face Audrey on her own. The corridor seemed longer than it was that day, and when she finally got to the living room Audrey was with her back facing Danielle, both hands in the counter and head hanging a bit.

Danielle knew sometimes they had to sacrifice for each other, and this time it was hers to do so. 

So she went to hug the woman she loved, taking her by surprise, but not letting her go. Danielle closed her eyes, feeling better just by holding Audrey between her arms, and then she finally talked.

“I’m sorry, I love you,” she had too much time without feeling herself be vulnerable but there she was. Too many ‘I love you’s was more of a Danna or Dara thing to do, but she had to reach Audrey and make her see that it was the new reality. “I’ve been so worried with work that I couldn’t keep up with you two, I should have asked more, worried more about you and Damien; and I know is not excuse, but...I’m sorry Drey, I really am. It’s my fault.”

Feeling how Audrey was turning around in her arms, Danielle let her do as she pleased and then she was facing her. Audrey took her hands in hers, squeezing them with care and giving her a kiss to her knuckles.

“You didn’t do anything wrong love,” there was something in Audrey’s voice she couldn’t pick. “I...I was the one pulling away, I should have been braver and tell you,” Danielle could feel how her hands were cold and trembling a bit. “I love you too, Dani, a whole lot indeed...it’s just that I wanted to prove I wasn’t a bother to you.”

“Not in a million years, not even if you tried,” Danielle let out a soft laugh and then look down for a second, gathering her next words. “I...I want you to feel at home with me, because I feel at home with you, and I know it’s hard to tell things, heck that I know that pretty well...but I need you to tell me when something is wrong so we can fix it, so I can fix it…” a light new squeeze to her hands. “From now on...will you tell me? Please?”

Audrey bit her lip, lacing their fingers together to hold Danielle’s hands better. She knew well when people was taking their time to get a proper answer, her job was actually taking in consideration when and how people did that before tracing a new plan of action. Danielle was almost expecting Audrey to give her a white lie...but it wasn’t the case.

“Okay...okay. I’m not sure if I’ll always be able to, however,” there was sincerity in showing in Audrey’s whole demeanour. She was being truthful with what she was saying. “But I’ll try.”

That was enough for Danielle, because sometimes coming from her would be like that until she was able to let her own fears go. Audrey nodded then and she let go of Dani’s hands to go and hug her, finally indulging in the warmth she craved and loved, hiding her face in the hollow of Dani’s neck with her eyes closed. And having her like that, made Danielle feel full again, soothing the overwhelming uneasiness that was shaking her whole. 

“You know? I already feel at home with you, you don’t need to stress much about that...”

How can a single whisper make someone so happy? That was what Danielle thought upon hearing that coming from Audrey, wrapping her more tightly in her arms and giving her all the kisses she wanted to give her during all day. She didn’t care anymore about their problems, at least for the rest of the day, and for those hours she tried not to think much.

Obviously Danielle called Dara to check on Damien, because as much as she was upset herself with what she did, she still loved her daughter very much and that wouldn’t change for nothing in the world. She had to figure out how to balance everything and let her know that she was still there for her, which Danielle made it very clear when she had known all the chaos that had ensued.

But for that night...well, Danielle tried to get some fresh air.

Audrey didn’t bring up the whole thing the rest of the night, they focused in enjoying each other company. Which was nice, because Danielle didn’t want to keep thinking about it. They laughed when their dinner burnt and had to order pizza, they kissed and watched television for a while; and when it was actually time for them to go to bed...well, Audrey realized something.

“Dani, did you bring a change of clothes?”

“Ahm…” the woman blinked for a few seconds in confusion, caught off guard. “Well, you have my sweater if that counts as a change of clothes.”

And that made Audrey start to laugh, genuine and pure laugh, because that was something unlike Danielle. To not have something planned, to just go with the flow, and when Audrey had to search for some sweatpants for her to change, well, more laughs were there.

There was something charming in how Audrey’s sweatpants did fit Danielle, but the length was hilarious. For once she felt good lending her girlfriend some clothes, and she felt even better when Danielle got in bed by her side and opened her arms to cuddle her.

For sure that was something to celebrate, but Audrey knew all the effort Danielle was doing to make her feel loved and comfortable. So the only thing she did was to go get cuddled, giving kisses as little ‘thank you’s and basically let herself start to be loved again.

But there was a little something bugging her, a little something that was the real culprit of this whole mess they had to face.

“Danielle…?” Dani was half asleep already, but hummed in response to let Audrey know she was listening. “What happened to the diary?”

It took a few seconds for Danielle to reply, the memory of having the notebook in her hands. Notebook that she didn’t dare to open and decided destroy with the paper shredder right away. If she had to know something, she wanted Audrey to tell her because she trusted in her.

after four years from the aftermath of Roanoke, in which Audrey and Shelby managed to survive, everything started to go to better as the years went by

obviously there were things that put all upside down, mostly because people grow as time pass by and at times some surprises come along the way

by the time the end of the summer of 2020 arrived, a lot of things had happened already

Billie Dean Howard eloped to her long time partner, Dara Ann Lynch, and before that they both kept a relationship with Audrey Tindall that ended after the two of them married but having them three as the closest friends as result; and Dahlia Deen and Shelby Miller started to finally date a year prior, moving together and trying to live their life.

and then Dahlia, one good morning, woke up to a message of one of her favourite cousins, telling her she was back home for a few days and wanted her to meet someone special for her

a cousin that wasn’t Dara, which lived two hours away and Dahlia already knew how very much she loved her wife

but talking about the devil, Dara messaged Dahlia about their cousin that was coming home a second later and then Dahlia, sleepy eyes and all, managed to type an unsure plan 

one that revolved around a little gathering in Dahlia and Shelby’s new home, the latter still very much asleep and very much unaware of what her girlfriend was doing

after two light coffees and a too long phone call with Dara, which Dahlia adored a lot but damn that woman and her planning skills, Dahlia got herself on kitchen duty for the special day and also as hostess and it’s not even nine in the morning and Dahlia is really sure Shelby is gonna freak out

spoiler: Shelby did freak out

spoiler: Billie, in Dara’s side, laughed her ass off when her wife told her Shelby freaked out

but now everything was settled and, with their cousin, Dara and Dahlia started to plan how things would work and who’s gonna pick up their cousin from the airport (that was quickly adverted by said cousin, telling them not to worry about it because she will rent a car) and where they were going to sleep (another don’t worry because their cousin were getting a room in a hotel in Santa Monica but would gladly take the offer to sleep in Dahlia’s apartment the first night which Dara responded she also wanted her to come to her apartment, so their cousin agreed to it too)

spoiler: Billie freaked out to that last one bit, because their apartment was very much tinier than Dahlia and Shelby’s

spoiler: Shelby laughed her ass off because ‘HAHA take that bitch’

and then THEN, in between all the planning and the hows, whens, wheres, Shelby trying to see how they were going to fit 6 people in their tiny living room table, Billie planning how to fucking fit another couple in their FUCKING LIVING ROOM DARA ANN LYNCH WHAT THE FUCK

away of the mayhem

Audrey was living her life, going here and there, resting most of the time, going to therapy when she was appointed, talking with her agent to see if they could try again and find maybe a bigger role? she was even trying to read some theater in case the spark was still there in her heart

and in between her calm daily life, she got a call from one of her favourite persons in the world so far: Dahlia Deen.

“Drey? Ahm...I was calling you because we are having a small dinner party at home because one of my oldest cousins is coming to visit us, Dal and Billie Dean are coming and I know you three are close...and maybe you want to come? I’m going to cook my vegan lasagna and all.”

Dahlia always trying to not push Audrey into anything she didn’t want was one of the sweetest things her best friend did for her

and f u c k that Dahlia’s vegan lasagna was to die for

“Of course sweetheart, tell me more about it.”

when the phone call ends, Audrey has already Billie on speed dial to ask her if they are going together in the same car and other banal stuff as ‘do we have to bring something more?’ or ‘i’m pretty sure Shelby won’t like a bit that, Bills’ or ‘oh god ARE YOU TWO FOR REAL IM CALLIng tOMorroW’ 

for Audrey the days until the dinner passed ever so slow, to be honest, because for some reason she’s excited and at the same time a bit scared

that one last part because her nor Billie nor Dara had told Dahlia about them being a thing till not long ago, long as in until the couple eloped, but they three wanted to tell Dahlia eventually and maybe Billie thought this was a good time? since they were all gonna be together

but mostly she’s excited because she’s gonna see her best friend after months of only messages and the casual video call here and there

(and maybe she has missed Shelby a bit too, a tiny bit, really tiny tiny bit, a bit she wasn’t going to admit ever in her life)

for a second Audrey wondered which cousin was, because she knew for a fact in Dara and Dahlia’s family they were a fkn bazillion (after four years, she got also adopted by their family as if she was one more of them), but she kept that question to herself

the day finally arrived and Billie and Dara went to pick her up in order to start the 2h trip a) she knew they were gonna make it in 1h30 as soon as she was buckled up in the back seat, and b) any worry about the new cousin or what was she gonna eat at Dahlia’s banished in order to pray Dara made them arrive safe 

(Audrey won’t ever admit it but she much preferred Billie being the driver, as much as she recognize the other woman has the skills of a professional)

when Shelby opened the door, she almost fall backwards because Audrey hugged her like ‘god bless we are safe and here’ and then Shelby passed her to Dahlia’s more welcoming arms

after a few minutes they were all settled in the apartment, waiting for the oh so expected cousin and their someone special, Dara telling the rest they were almost there

while at it, Audrey decided to stick with Billie and talk about whatever crossed their minds, wine glasses in hand and Dara’s chatter with Dahlia and Shelby in the background

“Annie didn’t even want to tell me how she looked like” these days is more Annie than Dara for Billie and it’s a really sweet change that makes Audrey feel their love “I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet her in any other family gathering or yes and my mind can’t put a finger which one is”

“I’m sure she’s nice, I mean, everyone in their family is quite nice” is the only thing Audrey can say, pushing her shoulder a bit “but yeah, I wonder how she looks like too”

and they were at it, trying to guess blindly how this person looked like while Dara joined them to talk, when the doorbell finally ringed and all eyes were on that

the first thing they saw was this...giant woman crossing the door with a short haired brunette by her side when Shelby opened the door

and when Audrey’s mind catch up with her eyes, something clicked upon seeing the face of this tall stranger

“Billie Dean Howard, bathroom, parlor, n o w”

was the only thing she was capable of saying before dragging poor confused Billie to the bathroom, Dara laughing openly and Dahlia panicking for a second because what the fu-

however, whatever chaos started in the living room, wasn’t affecting the mood in the bathroom, that was another little chaos of its own

“Pumpkin, I’m pretty sure this is not very polite of us n-”

“Bills, I know her.”

“You know who”

“The tall woman, I know her”

“From a family gathering? I mean she’s the only one I can see being the cousin, the short one didn’t look much alike”

and then is when Billie notice how fucking anxious Audrey is and what the fuck is happening

“No, from when I came to the States” 

let me tell you that made Billie even more confused and made Audrey sit in the nearest place while she took her hands

“what are you even talking about Drey? what’s going on”

“I’m trying to tell you that I FUCKED THAT WOMAn NEARLY 8 yeARS ago BILLIE DEAN HOWARD”

and Audrey’s voice was so tiny and panicked that for a second Billie think she didn’t hear her well but her friend is squeezing her hands to death

“you...did what again?”

“the cousin, Dahlia and Dara’s cousin, bloody hell, is her, I know her” Audrey is stressing herself a lot in barely a few minutes “oh good lord”

and in her nervous state, Audrey didn’t notice how Billie’s own mind has clicked upon that information and she’s trying really hard to come up with something to calm Audrey down but at the same time she wants to laugh

which is what Billie did

and Audrey stared at her in disbelief and at the same time starting to hit her with her hands because ‘it’s not funny, Howard!!!’

until Billie manage to stop and hug Audrey by her shoulders to try and give her some kind of speech to help her calm down

‘it’s okay Drey, don’t fret over this, I mean, it was once and....waIT NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT YOU FUCKED WITH FIVE oUT of SIX PEOPLE IN THIS HOUSE I CANNoT-oh no pumpkin DON’T CRY NO NO NO NO IT’S OKAY HEAR ME OUT it was just once right? I bet she doesn’t remember okay? Let’s try to keep quiet and if it’s too much we can have a ciggie break outside here and there, alright?’

(Billie is the only one in the world right now that knows every detail (except this one) about Audrey, per example, that she had an affair with Dahlia 5 years ago and, while both Audrey and Shelby were healing in Dahlia’s house after Roanoke, that she and Shelby had angry sex because they couldn’t stand each others guts) 

after a few minutes Billie managed to calm Audrey down enough to get them out of the bathroom, going back to the cheerful chatter in spanish of the three cousins, more like Dara and the cousin while Dahlia was trying to escape the bear hug she was getting from said cousin

and then the rest finally notice they’re back and this tall woman (even taller than both Dara and Dahlia and anyone in that room for a matter of fact) gets a mischievous grin all over her lips and reaching her eyes

“So you are the one that have our Dal wrapped around her fingers, I saw you on television a few times when she told me you invited her to your program,” the woman leans to kiss Billie’s cheeks, making Billie laugh “Danna Bishop, finally a pleasure to meet you.”

Danna is all smiles and pure warmth and then her light brown eyes finally met Audrey...

...and she waits for someone to say something, a glint in her eyes as if she was recognizing her, but Audrey is not really sure because she’s still really anxious and Dahlia is actually the one that says something

“She’s Audrey Tindall, Drey this is our oldest cousin.”

when Danna shakes Audrey’s hand, her free hand enveloping their both, some of the memories together came to her head but also the simplicity of the gesture is capable of bringing her back to Earth

“Danna, a pleasure,” then the short haired brunette comes in view after Billie has greet her and Danna looks at her like she’s the brightest star “This is Ally, my girlfriend.”

and from that? everything seemed to go smoothly

they did manage to fit 7 adults in the tiny living room table, Shelby even decided to sit across her for once while Audrey is in a sandwich between Billie and Dara and Dahlia is one of the heads of the table along Ally in the other, so that makes Danna take the seat by Shelby and almost across Audrey too

they share food (Dahlia’s vegan lasagna, Shelby’s salad and Dara has made salty small pasties and for dessert Ally bought chocolate cake and that’s why they arrived a bit late) and also they share a couple bottles of wine so far (the only one that isn’t drinking at all is Dara, and Shelby after one glass stopped) and soon everything feels homie

and it melts the anxiety in Audrey’s body and she’s enjoying the anecdotes around the table (how Danna and Ally met, Dara’s last craziness in her job (which Audrey didn’t know which was at this point), Billie telling them about this spooky house that was just: spooky in the end, Shelby finally recognizing why Ally felt so familiar and getting everyone :0 when they knew she was a fkn Senator) and she’s mostly okay, because Billie has her arm draped in the back of her chair, telling her she’s there for her at the same time she’s drunkenly teasing and making some heavy remarks and sweet nothings to Dara, using her as a shield from the rest of the table; and Dara’s chair is touching Audrey’s chair so she can be closer

and then, when there’s a moment of drunk silence in the table, Audrey makes eye contact with Danna again and she knows she’s happier and comfier because she got four glasses of wine and

“it’s really good to see you Audrey, eight years passed well for you”

the silence deepens then and Audrey feels like a deer caught in traffic lights

until a wasted Billie starts to laugh her ass off so so hard it confuses everyone in the table more while Audrey’s soul is already leaving her body

because Danna did recognized her but it seemed she felt how nervous and worried the other woman was and decided to play it safe, play it dumb because she remembers how bad Audrey’s nerves are, since they did NOT fuck only once and got involved a bit longer and then Billie wheezes hard

“I WAS TRYING TO FORGET THAT AUDREY TOLD ME IN THE BATHROOM YOU TWO FUCKED AND NOW THIS”

Shelby is trying to fucking drill holes in Audrey’s skull like ‘what the fuck is going on’ and Ally is confused and Dahlia and Dara’s are gaping really hard and Danna is contently indulging in nice memories, hands over her belly

“RAISE YOUR HAND THOSE WHO GOT WITH DREY”

Billie can’t get more annoying because she’d probably pass out and go into coma if she’s keeps drinking

but everyone in the table is way too in shock and the cake, not the one in the middle of the table half eaten but all the secrets, is out when all the table except obviously Audrey AND Ally don’t have the hand up

Dahlia looks at Shelby “SHELBY!?”

and Shelby is coughing hard because she was trying to hide by drinking water but it went down the wrong pipe but she wants to give a immediate response “IT WAS JUST HATE SEX, WE WEREN’T TOGETHER AT THE TIME AND YOU PASSED OUT IN THE COUCH AFTER WORK AND-”

and then the mayhem begins

everyone is talking at the same time, facts being thrown here and there (”POR EL AMOR DE DIOS DAHLIA, WE ARE ADULTS WHAT’S WEIRD ABOUT A THREESOME FROM TIME TO TIME”, “I DON’T KNOW!? MAYBE THAT YOU WERE FUCKING MY BEST FRIEND??? I JUST THOUGHT YOU THREE WERE JUST FRIENDS”, “hate sex, Miller? you truly are that type?”, “Howard, I’m about to fucking punch in the face”) and at some point Dahlia snatched the half bottle of wine from the table and start chug on it until it’s empty, and Ally is looking at the mess like ówò while holding her glass in case someone take it away

Dara is like ‘I think I need more wine’ because the shock is too much

and Danna, who’s now trying to keep quiet so everyone forgets about her, is like “I think Lia drank it all” and Billie is wiping her tears of laughter “now you’re missing out Ally, Drey” and Dara is like “Billie Dean shut up oh fucking lord” and Shelby is just “i’m leaving’ and escape to the bathroom and suddenly yells “WHY IS THIS TOWEL IN THE FLOOR!? HOWARD!?” and Billie is so fkn smug bc she left it there weirdly prompted as a joke

Ally is having the time of her life even while confused tbh, because she’s used to the calmness of her home and her daily life with Oz and since Danna came into her life it’s like a spark of happiness she found herself missing, and well, this is a good craziness and an absolute coincidence

and Dahlia is in hysterics because “when did YOU and her happen” trying to point between Dara and Audrey and Dara is ówò because well what did her expect of her when Billie was getting down on Audrey in that way? and it makes her go like “i’m about to yeet myself out of the window, we’re in a fifth”

but everything starts to get overwhelming for Audrey and the first one to notice is Billie because she’s deadly silent and has a face that tells that it’s not funny at all and she takes her hand to get her to the balcony, trying to not think about the mess in the living room, making Audrey to settle in her lap and sharing a cigarette so Audrey can calm down and feel better, caressing her back with care

Audrey knows Billie is barely holding herself together, but she’s pushing the drunk haze away to make her feel good, and she thanks her for that a lot because it was supposed to be fun and not mayhem she couldn’t handle

and then a soft voice comes from the balcony door and “i’m sorry i made you have a breakdown...I was just...Audrey, I was glad to see you well, because I heard about what happened to you but I didn’t have any way to contact you...and well, didn’t expect you knowing my family, I-well, I’m saying a lot well, but I’m not the one that’s around often...”

Audrey looks up to Danna as if she was the answer of all her problems and yeah, she’s pretty used to Billie or Dahlia being the ones that handle her the best, but getting that softness and real concern from someone is always more overwhelming

“can I do something for you? I don’t think you want vodka, they forgot about the wine, and well Dara and Dahlia seem russians like right now and maybe there isn’t much vodka left”

“can I get a hug?”

Danna just smiles like she’s the sun, “that i can do for sure” and then Audrey is off Billie’s lap and wrapped in a big mama bear hug that leaves her sobbing like a child, her breakdown starting to melt away while a drunk Billie goes inside to check on everything

“i’m happy you found yourself comfortable with these two, and their chosen ones,” Danna doesn’t let go of Audrey, caressing her back with care, and Danna is chuckling because she’s hearing them fist fight drunkenly while Billie and Shelby try to stop them “Life, mhm? who would think we’ll find each other again.”

it’s the most heartwarming thing Audrey felt in a while, being completely honest, so she just gives in and starts to forget what makes her anxious, and then she hears a new voice in the balcony and Ally is there, looking at them with shyness 

“ahm i think we are all going to sleep here,” Danna still doesn’t let go enterely of Audrey, just resting her arm around her shoulders, when Ally catch their attention and she smiles at them “Your cousins are totally hammered and miss Howard ahm i think she just has the bathroom all by herself and Shelby is...I think she’s stress cleaning? I don’t know,” Ally laughs lightly and it only makes Danna to beam up even more, squeezing Audrey by her shoulders. “everything okay here?”

“I think so, sweetheart, just needed some fresh air...oh wait, why don’t we go get some ice cream to the 24h? wine always makes me crave for chocolate ice cream,” then she finally walks towards Ally, kissing her ever so sweetly in the cheek, and turn around to look at Audrey “what do you say? wanna come with us?”

and the invitation is so alluring? stepping out of the apartment and the chaos but then there’s this...something in her chest, that says to her that she better decline the offer to let the couple be by themselves for a while

“I think i’m gonna check on Billie and maybe help Shelby, if she doesn’t end up throwing a plate at me”

“okay, okay, then we’ll bring you some ice cream...strawberry, right?”

Audrey nods (how could she remember that?) and then the couple is off to the store, living her to whatever she has to do and she feels a kind of closure? like, she doesn’t feel bad now that they talked, she feels pretty calm, so she decides to hurry and check on Billie before Shelby forbid them all to ever coming to the house again

and when Ally and Danna are walking without knowing where is the nearest store, but they are walking arm in arm contently and Ally just says “I’m glad I came along, this is the most fun I had in two years” and Danna laughs too openly, warming her heart, and pulls her into a kiss because Ally gets too cute when she’s sincere “well, since i don’t plan to let you go, you better prepare for more fun because I won’t be missing Christmas this year, so what about we three comes to my family gathering?” and then Ally just says ‘okay’ with a tiny excited smile before pulling her into a new kiss that she has to get by tip toeing a bit

after the sweet mess this was, all of them end up getting a group chat and as months pass by none is a stranger anymore

and of course Audrey is invited again in Christmas, because she didn’t get plane tickets in time to go visit her parents and well, she feels welcome in the Danna, Dara and Dahlia’s big family

so now they all are in Dara’s parents home along with the whole family and Ally is having a blast there, because she start to feels like she belongs somewhere and everyone is so cheerful and happy and Oz is playing with nieces and nephews and she doesn’t have to worry because everyone has thousand eyes on them in case the younger ones of the house need something and she can finally breathe in peace

BUT OF COURSE Billie is there and well, Billie and Ally eventually get tipsy and they try to get Shelby to engage in their conversation (which she doesn’t want because she’s pretty much content eating something her father-in-law gave her and ‘please last time you pulled a too big bullshit Howard, I don’t want to get dragged)

spoiler: Shelby got dragged by drunk!BillieAlly into whatever they think was a good idea, which was playing extreme Uno

and Audrey is trying so hard to avoid drunk!Billie, just hanging out by the wine and the spaguettis and watching Shelby get dragged like ‘get rekt is your turn’ until Billie realize that

and soon she’s walking towards her friend, and Audrey gets her glass closer to her chest because she doesn’t want to take part for once of whatever Billie is thinking

“are you trying to get yourself another cousin?” and Billie shots her that teasing grin that makes her so beautiful for some stupid reason but now Audrey was drinking when she said that and now she’s spitting all the wine back to the glass

“BILLIE DEAN HOWARD”

but the argument dies before it starts because suddenly the front door opens and someone is able to talk over all the voices

“sorry we’re so late, our flight got delayed and damned the time I decided to get a taxi.”

and Billie and Audrey are now watching this new tall woman enter the house, a teenager behind her, and they can fucking swear Danna was a second ago goofing around with one of her baby nieces and not in the door?????

“Nani, about fucking time!”

well it was absolutely not Danna, because she passed Billie and Audrey by their left and now is hugging the look alike woman like her life depends on it

“Nana put me fucking down, I’ve been on a plane ten hours and I don’t exactly feel my legs.”

“Oh shut the fuck up and let me hug you,” the hug resumed and now Danna has her arms around the teenager “You rascal, come here!”

everyone is so excited about this ‘Nani’ that suddenly, Shelby and Ally are close to Billie and Audrey, a bit confused because fuck damn it they are seeing doubles??? however Ally is only there as a support because she kinda gets an idea of who she is but she only heard her voice over the phone

and as if their partners heard them, Dahlia, Dara and Danna looked at them all excited and Dahlia is happier than they ever have seen her? which makes her the first one to say something to them

“Come here you four, don’t be shy!” bold thing to say when you’re always the most shy one. “Danielle, Damien, I want you to meet Shelby, she’s my girlfriend.”

“Hey no, I’m the twin, Ally comes first in presentations!” 

Twin

Danna has a twin 

Audrey is froze on the spot and Billie is turning her head to look at her, with all the stars in the universe in her eyes and her mouth agape like ‘i don’t know if karma is pulling your leg or giving you a chance, either way what bliss’

“Billie Dean, N O”

but Billie is already taking her by her wrist

“BILLIE DEAN, Y E S”

(after that Audrey finally meets Danielle, which is the most serious woman she ever met but at the same time has that playfulness that the cousins have in their own weird ways)

(maybe maybe she admits Danielle is quite nice to look at, okay? but Billie is trying too hard and is a bit off putting yet at the same time Audrey wants to give it a chance to the fact that Danna’s twin is trying to be nice with her when the ‘sisters-in-law’ ball try to drag her to play extreme Uno)

(and at the end of the gathering that last the two Christmas days, when everyone is in their homes cozy and warm, there’s a new blip from the group chat)

Dara Ann Lynch

Billie couldn’t get her eyes off Dara, not today at least, but she had the feeling that she wouldn’t be able even if she was forced to. Her lover was searching for something in the wardrobe, clad in that flowery silk robe she had always owned and only that; her tattoos on display, thighs as well and even her scar was nothing compared to the beauty of the rest of her body; sporting again her hair short, disheveled from spending a day in bed with Billie; and then she singsang happily a ‘gotcha!’ and turned around with a tiny envelop in her hands.

“Close your eyes, honey,” and Billie looked at her like ‘do I really have to’ while sitting up in bed, which gained her a smirk and then the cutest pout ever, making her comply but open her arms so Dara could get in them, sitting in her lap. Which it was what the woman did automatically, having Billie’s arms circling her. “Was it that difficult, mhm? Okay, in the count of three. Three, two, one...”

When Billie opened her eyes, chin resting in Dara’s shoulder and caressing with her thumbs her belly over the robe, the tiny envelop was in reality a tiny velvet box. Open now, there was a metal pendant with a black stone - a black tourmaline - in between strings to hold it in place in the middle of it. “I know you don’t do the ‘stupid crystal stuff’ but...I have a friend that do handmade things with them, pulling a favor they owed me I got them to teach me and tada!” Billie lifted her hand so she could take it from the box by the silver chain attached to it. “Do you like it...?”

And Billie can only kiss Dara because she doesn’t even have words to say how much she likes it, loves it; she doesn’t know what to do to surpass this gift and, on top of all, she doesn’t want her lover to see how she actually teared up. Her chest is roaring, so loud that her heart hurts a bit, and when they finally broke the kiss the only thing Billie did was to press her forehead softly against’s Dara’s. 

“Will you help me with the clasp, my Valentine?” she whisper softly, afraid to give away she’s really moved with the gesture. 

She doesn’t need to say another word, because as soon Dara’s done, she can catch how full of love her lover’s eyes are filled with. And maybe Billie’s mind made up and making love to her once more was the best option, that sweet ol’ good love making. 

At least it would give her time to rethink what to get her, because her now ‘lame’ plan of buying her a rose and inviting her for dinner sounded too little, too little for someone that deserved all the red roses Billie could buy in California and all the stars in the universe. 

She was very much afraid of saying those three words Dara wanted to hear but let her take her time with, eight years already since they were together, but upon seeing how Dara’s eyes lit up in that way that made her younger later in the night when she gave her a whole bucket of roses...maybe, maybe, it made her feel that oh so awaited day was about to arrive.

Adriana Girardi

Sally has a hard time around these dates, who could blame her? But what she did not expect was for someone to get it worse than her. 

When she had come downstairs, she couldn’t find an explanation of why Elizabeth had come down from her own room to the bar. But then she looked a bit better just to see how Adriana was all dressed up, days without actually doing so and just wearing sweatpants, with what it looked some really fancy clothes out of the 30s, her hair styled the same way and making Sally to picture her right there.

She was drinking from a tall champagne glass, as did Elizabeth, and then is when Sally managed to see that Adri was holding a dark blue velvet box in her free hand, dancing softly to the rhythm of the jukebox she managed to save in an auction. 

“Every twenty years, she does that,” Elizabeth spoke up, hearing the silent question of her fellow ghost. “It’s a tradition already. She gets drunk on champagne and dance on her own for as long as she’s standing up, holding to the box she never gave her,” and her voice is not full of snark, there’s only a softness Sally’s sure she never heard in her. “My girl got it bad, Valentine makes her miserable...yet she manage to hold up to see another twenty years.”

Sally knew mere bits of Adriana’s life, but through the years together in the Cortez, she managed to catch as much as knowing her friend had lost someone so important that totally wrecked her. They stood there until Elizabeth had to pull her friend to sit in a couch nearby and Sally decided to sit by her side, full knowing Adriana wasn’t remotely sober enough to talk probably. But she stick to her, letting Elizabeth know she got her even when she was watching over from a corner of the bar. Adriana didn’t even muttered a word, she just sat there in silence and moving her arm just to keep the champagne getting in her system.

Worrisome? Of course, but rare? Not at all. She had watched the afflicted drink two whole bottles of vodka without blinking an eye, so this wasn’t weird at all. However, Sally was sad and needy and the question popped out of her when she saw how Adri managed to focus her eyes in something else that wasn’t her glass.

“Do you think someone will gift you something again?” it was a rude mumble, but it got the reaction of having her blink and look at her. “Today, I mean...I don’t think I’ll ever will anymore.”

And Adriana seemed to restart her whole being, like she really saw how from behind the drunk haze, something moved. And then her voice came out as steady as you can be after like ten champagne glasses.

“You wait here, okay? Don’t move, don’t you even dare, I’ll know,” her voice was so fucked up, but Sally stayed where she was. “Promise? Pinky promise.”

The only thing for Sally to do to let Adriana go was to accept her pinky. Then she set off somewhere, making Elizabeth to get in panic because she couldn’t be able to follow her, taking in count Adri was pretty much alive and could leave the Hotel as she pleased...which was what she always did, getting everyone worried.

However when she came back, a big box in her arms and a paper pocking out of her back pocket, Sally was too focused in her phone to notice her. Elizabeth’s features relaxed visibly but also she lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Under the surprised gaze of Elizabeth and Liz, Adri managed to stand up on a chair behind Sally and then...

...she started to shake the now open box to make a petal shower start to fall lightly over Sally. The woman looked up to her, between the tears and the petals, to see the dorkiest smirk in the other woman’s lips and when she ran out of petals, she jumped off the chair to look directly at her before handing Sally the paper.

“What’s this...?” Sally mumbled, finding out it was a card. In the front there was something very bad drawn, maybe could be a cat or a skateboard or a tree or maybe a Picasso, who knows, but when Sally opened the card...well, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, more tears running down her cheeks. “You’re such a dork, smarty pants.”

“If someone deserves to have a good Valentine is you,” Adriana put her hands in her own hips. “So I’m genie for you, girl, what do we do today?”

Sally couldn’t help but stand up and hug tightly her best friend. From that year onwards, every Valentine’s Day Adri would gift her a card with the corniest pick up line, styled with Adriana’s illegally beautiful handwriting inside and illegally awful draw on the front, but Sally would always put the one she gifted her that year (the one with ‘Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?’) as her favourite of them all.

Adriana could hate Valentine’s Day with her all, think that she didn’t deserve anything, but seeing Sally enjoying...maybe that was enough for her. And Sally didn’t waste her last wish, because deep in her she knew one day she will need it to save her best friend...save her from herself.

Raleigh Ocean

“Did you really used our son as your Cupid?”

Wilhemina tapped the floor softly with her cane, drawing Raleigh’s attention from her laptop. Her wife was all cuddled in bed, glasses perched in her nose, and tired expression in her features. For sure that year didn’t start well, Raleigh still recovering from her breakdown in early January, but that day proved that there was a minimal chance that she was getting better. Raleigh quirked her lips ever so briefly, putting a hand to her lips and faking feeling offended.

“What are you implying, miss Venable? I would totally never do something so atrocious,” her voice was a bit monotonous, as usual these days, but Wilhemina heard the joking tint laced. “What’s a God to a non believer? If Cupid wanted to show up and do their thing, I have nothing to do with it.”

She closed the door behind her softly, shaking her head a bit. Eric, their nine years old son, had spent the day delivering tiny boxes with chocolates to those who were his family. Queenie, Zoe and Mallory, Madison, an scandalized Coco, Rhiannon and Victoria, and a delighted Misty (even a confused Kyle) had received the tiny gifts from the kid gladly. But when he had showed up to Cordelia and Wilhemina’s office, delivering the final part to both women, she had known her wife was behind everything.

Who used chili powder with homemade chocolate if it wasn’t Raleigh? 

Cordelia, the old sap, had hugged Eric and thanked him right away, Wilhemina was sure she even teared up because she was like that. But she had seen how her kid didn’t get close to her afterwards, indulging in how his godmother was loving him, and she could see how he was hiding something in his hoodie. Oh how surprised Eric was when Mina asked him with a soft smirk if he was sent by his mother, which made Cordelia to look scandalized for a second but then Eric had put that lost puppy face that gave every lie away and she just knows. Eric quickly makes his way to her, kissing her cheek before she can catch him, and leaving her chocolates and something that looked very much like a book.

“Also that would mean you are Venus and I Mars,” Wilhemina reach for the bed and seats on the edge of it close to her wife. “Or maybe the other way around? Oh, that would be so romantic of you, but you forget that I’m a simple mortal upon your magnificence and not a God, as much as you repeat every so often.”

“Nerd,” it’s the only thing she can say before leaning to capture Ray’s lips with her own, getting a big kiss in return and a delighted hum. 

“Not as big as you, mi reina,” and Ray looks at her directly in the eyes after pushing her glasses up in her head to rest, her tone ever so soft overwhelming the automatic one she has these days. “Did you liked your gift?”

And Mina couldn’t help but chuckle, looking at the copy of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ that she has in her lap right now. Pocking from the pages there’s a bookmark and she takes it so they both can look at it. Written in Raleigh’s hurried handwriting, there’s a date and a ‘would you like to take a walk with me?’, and before taking the bookmark out it was marking a bit of the sixth scene in the second act. Wilhemina memorized it, taking to her heart all that.

‘Beshrew me but I love her heartily, For she is wise, if I can judge of her, And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true, And true she is, as she hath proved herself. And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true, Shall she be placèd in my constant soul.’

“I hope this means we are taking a walk to the French quarter,” and Ray placed her laptop in the free side of the bed to be more comfortable, sitting with her back to the headboard and lacing her fingers with Mina’s. “And not actually flying to Italy.”

“If that’s what I wanted to mean, don’t you think I would have gifted you ‘All's Well That Ends Well’ or ‘King Lear’?” they both end up chuckling to that, because every surprise with Raleigh has a meaning in her perfect way. “I thought we deserved this, only us...but mostly you.”

“Little Cupid isn’t coming?” there’s a hint of worry in Mina’s voice but she’s now climbing to the bed, hearing the door getting magically locked.

“I got an A plus babysitter for that,” Raleigh was welcoming her wife with open arms, holding her close to her body and kissing slowly from her shoulder through her neck and her lips again. “This means we have a date?”

“Let me give you an answer later, I’m not really sure about it yet,” and the teasing tone in Wilhemina’s already means a big yes, but they know how to drag everything just for the sake of it.

“Oh, definitely you are Venus, how whipped you have Mars.”

That’s the last thing Raleigh says, because now both are too busy to think or say anything more. Having a bit of intimacy after weeks feels great, the thought of spending time away from their daily lives even better, but what makes Wilhemina feel that everything is finally moving forward again. 

And overall, that her wife still had that soul that drew her in eigthteen years ago in a pub in Los Angeles, strong enough to make her move across the country barely a few days after they said ‘hello’.

Karina Sväre

Lana felt herself wanting to laugh, because this was truly something else. Well, she actually didn’t expect anything to begin with, but she couldn’t really picture Karina to do that.

Again, they’ve been off for a few years, but a couple months ago Lana had broken up with the girl she had been seeing for a couple years. It didn’t pain her that much, not this time at least, but after a few days of recovery she had showed up in Karina’s doorsteps with an invitation to get coffee and a couple new books she was sure her dearest friend didn’t have in her bookshelves. 

Karina had welcomed her to her new home...and also her work space. She couldn’t say she was surprised when she had told Lana about what she wanted to do, to help all those girls and kids in need of a home, but what surprised her was that today the living room of Karina’s home had been decorated with some stuff to make it look thematic.

“Sorry,” a little voice came from behind her and when Lana turned around, a girl barely twelve was waiting with a cat in her arms to walk in the living room. “Aunt is in the kitchen, if you are looking for her.”

“Oh, thank you very much,” she didn’t even took off her coat, just walking towards where Karina was, in words of that little girl.

And when she arrived there, Karina was hand in hand with an older girl mixing something in a big bowl. Something twitched in her brain for a second, taking a better look to her lover and then...

“I can’t believe you cut your hair...that short, oh my.”

Karina turned her face enough to catch the surprise in Lana’s face, feeling how her ears were getting red and warm really fast. She was sporting an garçon haircut, her ever so black hair barely having white hairs here and there, which was a truly surprise because she had spent ten years growing her hair along the hippie movement. Lana couldn’t say she wasn’t a bit sad, mostly because she loved brushing with her fingers Karina’s hair, enjoying how soft was...but this new change suited her.

“Oh shut it,” was the first response she got from the woman, who was now gesturing the girl to leave it to her. The girl chuckled but complied, closing the door after her and leaving the two women alone. “Are you gonna give me a hand or should I kneel and ask, princess?”

That earned her a soft push to her shoulder before Lana took off her coat, leaving it in a chair from the tiny kitchen along her bag. And when Lana took the spoon from her hand, Karina kissed her shoulder with love.

“So this is what are we doing this year?” Lana smiled at the gesture, starting to mix the chocolate batter. “Spending Valentine’s at home instead of going to our favourite restaurant?”

“I thought it would help Carla and Vivien to adjust, being together with people,” Karina whispered, rubbing her ear a bit and getting the freckled skin there red. “I don’t know, maybe with this we make Georgie to come out of her room...” Karina sighed and looked at Lana with the shadow of a smile in her lips. “And I’m baking your favourite chocolate cake, so don’t complain.”

Oh, Lana won’t ever do that, as much as she liked to tease her lover here and there. Honestly, she kinda loved staying at home for once, being able to spend time in a space where they were safe. And, well, she had to admit that ever since Karina started her home for youth, it was more difficult to see where to make time to spend it together idly. That and Lana’s show getting that famous.

“Aw, you only bake my favourite cake when you...” then she realized that Karina was looking away, her hand in her pocket. “When you want me to stay for more than one night.”

“I’ve been having nightmares again and I thought...that maybe you could stay for a few days, if it’s okay with-”

And Lana didn’t let her finish the sentence, because she would say ‘yes’ a thousand times and more, without a doubt. She leant to capture Karina’s lips with her own, having missed her all that time they were apart, and then pressed her forehead to Karina’s so she could look at her eyes better. It always amazed Lana how green could be her eyes, but at the same time have gold and hazel around to bring it out.

“Of course it is, but you’ll have to lend me some clothes for the day, Nina,” was the only thing she said before going back to the task Karina asigned her. 

“Yeah...” Karina was now beet red, fumbling with whatever she had in her pocket, and then her hand was in front of Lana’s view. “I got you this, by the way...I know it’s not much, but, well...”

When Lana opened her eyes, with the sweet memory fading as the make-up girl finished the last touches for the interview, her eyes went first to Marion and then to the ring in her left middle finger, an old golden band with a tiny green agate in the middle.

How could nothing meant so much? 

That’s what she thought, taking in count the tiny chaos that was her old mind in that moment. A new Valentine and she was going to spend it giving an interview,..the interview in which she would tell the whole truth finally. How much she wished to not even be there, but the only thing she promised herself was to get through it and maybe, after dinner, she would indulge in calling Karina.

Telling her what she did during the day and maybe remind her about that Valentine’s day around mid eighties in which Karina almost made her stay forever by her side.

Danna Bishop

“And now, we will need a volunteer for the next trick, would someone in the crowd give us a hand?”

Ally couldn’t help but laugh at her fianceé’s antics, watching Danna faking to doubt who to pick out of none int the living room. Ozzy was with her, clad in a tuxedo almost identic as Danna’s, doing the same crowd searching until Ally raised her hand innocently. They both faked a surprised gasp and then Danna offered Ally her hand.

“The pretty lady in the front, please, come here,” Danna winked at Ally, making her giggle once again and they laced fingers almost immediately, matching rings meeting with a soft clink. “Now! I need my assistant to bring the deck, because we’ll get this lovely woman’s card!”

When Oz was off the retrieve the deck, somewhere in the kitchen, Danna took advantage to kiss the ‘volunteer’ all big and eager. 

This was the first time in three weeks they had been able to relax, taking in count Ally’s new campaign was starting, so at least having a moment to breath was good. But Danna had differently ideas of what a ‘moment to breath’ meant, which went along the line of what they were doing now instead of the old ‘let’s have wine after dinner and maybe we can cuddle and then not cuddle?’. She always thought of the bigger picture, the bigger and unexpected picture that kept Ally’s life to get a boring turn. 

And she loved that...and the way the tuxedo fit her in the right places, but that was another story.

When Ozzy finally made his way back, Roberto was following him with a tiny bow tie in his collar. The too tiny and maybe a bit ugly old chihuahua quickly made his way towards his humans, making Ally pick him up as soon as he was by her side and kiss his head lovingly. Danna smiled widely when Ozzy went to her with this big card deck, too big even for doing tricks, and Ally looked at them with somewhat of curiosity peaking out from her eyes. 

“I’ll need you to pull a card and I’ll try to guess it,” she offered the deck and as soon as Ally touched one card, she knew it was handmade because of the paper. “C’mon hurry, hurry, magic waits for none.”

“Okay, love, just,” she laughed, supporting Roberto in her shoulder a bit while flipping the card to read whatever was there or see whatever drawing it had. But what she encountered wasn’t hearts, clovers, spades or diamonds; it was something completely different. “Wait, what’s this?”

“I don’t know, what is it?” oh, when Danna played dumb she got this softer look in her eyes and the goofiest grin on ever.

The ‘card’ displayed a few plant details here and there and in the middle, with elegant font, there was a tiny message. An invitation, well, it looked more like a reservation for a few days in a spa...in Los Angeles. It started to raise too many doubts in Ally the second she read it all, but then Danna put her hands in her face to make her look directly at her eyes.

“Danielle’s gonna watch over Oz so we can have some time alone, and she even agreed to take in Bobito too,” Danna smiled at Roberto, which had his tiny head all cuddled in Ally’s neck. “I got the flights, have the money aside for it, schedules, everything so you don’t have to worry about anything but enjoy.”

“But what about...”

“Mom, let mama take you in vacation, it’s a surprise! You always wanted to do that!” Ozzy took Roberto from Ally’s arms easily before stepping back a bit so he could watch them with a huge grin on. “And Damien told me they will show me a really cool comic store, so please let’s go!”

And when Ally only nodded with the softest ‘okay, we’ll go’, words stuck in her throat, Ozzy cheered and ran to his room leaving both Ally and Danna in the living room, speechless. Every second in silence passed with a heaviness and then a sob broke it. Ally got startled because it didn’t come from her, which was a surprise, and her eyes went to Danna. She was trying to press the heels of her hands in her eyes, trying to stop the fat tears running down her cheeks somehow.

“Ally, he called me mama,” something inside Ally vibrated with new strenght, enough to feel like she was able to fly in that moment, when Danna managed to say something without looking at her. “Fuck, he called me...fuck...”

It was supposed to be Valentine’s day, but right after Ozzy did that, that day was one of the most important for both Ally and Danna and not because of something any of them did for each other. They would go to the spa, for sure, they would have a blast there and Ozzy would enjoy his stay with Danielle, Damien and Audrey as much as if he was with them...

...but for the day, Ally was trying to not cry herself to death because her son gifted them two the prove that this was working out really well.

Dahlia Deen

Her body felt like she was going to break in a million pieces.

Dahlia had a while without feeling like that, but it was a good feeling this time. Well, good feeling, more like this time she was grateful of feeling like that instead of wanting to pull her hair out in a maniac tired rage. She barely managed to fall backwards in the bed, letting go a ‘ufhg’ when her column relocated after the whole day.

She wasn’t the best at building furniture, okay? Indeed, she had to check too many times the manuals to build it correctly, but she managed to do it with patience and a phone call to her dad when Shelby had went out to buy some sandwiches. But there was some kind of relief knowing that she managed to do something like that, taking in count they didn’t have much time before they arrived.

“You should take a shower, Li,” Dahlia had her eyes closed and hummed in response upon hearing Shelby’s voice. “You’ll feel better.”

“I don’t think I can get there By,” a soft laugh got out of her chest more than her throat, making her feel her joints hurt with the slight movement. “Do I even have bones and muscles?”

“Of course you do! Turn around and take off your shirt,” and Dahlia complied, because Shelby could tell her she wanted her to jump in the ocean and she would do right away. She didn’t mind at all, she indeed loved that part of them as a couple because Dahlia trusted in her wife with all she got.

Dahlia couldn’t see Shelby because her face was pressed to their pillow, not caring a single bit about her glasses getting a bit smashed by doing that, but she did feel her climbing in the bed and then straddling her like that. Groaning softly because of that, loving how Shelby’s weight pressed her body against the bed, and then giggled when the wet ends of her hair dropped some water droplets in her bare back. Shelby’s hands, sweetly cold, started to work and her fingers pressed in those spots her wife always had trouble with, doing wonders.

“The fact that you have healing hands is distracting me of the fact you are just in bathrobe sitting on my ass, you know?” Dahlia mumbled, turning her head enough to rest better in the pillow and Shelby laughed, leaning to press soft kisses down her spine. “Miss Deen, you’re such a tease.”

“Ah, am I, miss Deen?” they both laughed at that and Shelby pressed her fingers right in the base of Dahlia’s head to ease the knot there, earning a soft moan. “And having you strip like the easiest thing what makes you?”

A fool in love with an angel. Dahlia thought, keeping it for herself and just chuckling as a response. Things like this reminded her why they were together, why they decided to fight for each other and keep going, now with new rules, new feelings and new old heart.

Shelby kept massaging Dahlia with care, touching here and there as she knew. It was the least she could do, after being all day working around the house. It was easy to love Dahlia, she was caring and soft and too good for anyone in this world. Sometimes she wondered how Dahlia kept on loving her, many of them she wanted to ask her, but she knew it was something that her wife kept close to her heart. Focused on the task, Shelby barelly noticed how Dahlia had relaxed enough to start breathing deep and slow, falling asleep deeply.

“Happy Valentine’s day, dearie,” Shelby always felt calm when they were together, Dahlia always making her feel at ease and not on the verge of a violent outburst of unspoken feelings. She leant with care, leaving a kiss in the back of her head and then behind her ear, whispering her next words while taking off her glasses. “I love you more than words can say.”

At that, however, something unexpected happened. Shelby didn’t have time to climb down from the bed nor from her wife, because Dahlia turned around to place herself between her legs and over her, making her circle her waist with them thanks to that. Then she took advantage of the new position to kiss her fully on the lips, deep and calm as the ocean Dahlia was so afraid of.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything, or cook you something nice for dinner,” Dahlia managed to sound small and shy in such position, kissing Shelby’s neck slowly in between words. “It’s no excuse, I know, but...”

“It’s okay Li, I prefer you loving me all year long than showing me one only day that,” Shelby chuckled breathlessly at that, getting turned on as the seconds and kisses went by, her hands finding their right places at Dahlia’s nape while her wife loosened her bathrobe. “Also, you already gave me the greatest gift...”

And when Dahlia looked up at Shelby, which was a bit blurry because without glasses she was blind as a mole, she could discern the soft redness in her blue eyes. Something in her chest swelled up, all warm, sweet and maybe a bit scary...but the good one of scary, that type which made you be more excited and make your tummy churn for it.

That’s why they’ve spent the day reforming their shared office, building bunk beds and accomodating everything so the new lives they were gonna receive would be comfortable. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of thinking, a lot of everything so they finally were ready to be foster parents.

If there was one thing Shelby still wanted was to be a mom, but the only thought of getting pregnant again scared her to death and Dahlia didn’t want her to go through that again, and also she wasn’t sure she was ready to give birth now...or never. So adoption was the next thing they thought and then, well, there they were.

“You’re gonna be an amazing mother, By,” it was time for Dahlia to be breathless, pressing a new kiss to Shelby’s forehead. “I saw you with my nephews and nieces, you truly...glow. Even with the oldest, and you know how is Eva with her things.”

Shelby wanted to say something else, but she was moved by Dahlia’s words. It was going to be hard, that for sure, but she believed they were meant for this. They had overcome too many bumps in the road, they were in a place where they had been able to heal...and it was about time to take a new step in their lives.

Leah and Johnny were in their way, and Dahlia and Shelby were going to give them the home they deserved.

But for now, still childless, Shelby let herself drown in Dahlia’s presence and warm arms. She would have to shower again, that was for sure, but as soon as her wife had her hands on her, fingers caressing in the right places...well, let’s say Shelby knew her ocean arrived to swallow her whole.

Gabrielle Summers

Winter looked up to the doorframe once again, encountering another little bundle of mistletoe of all things tied up there. Annoyingly, she looked around to see if her girlfriend was somewhere to be seen and then jumped to take it off, not wanting the glue to ruin the wood and having their landlord make them pay for reparation.

Seriously, it was the seventh mistletoe she took off around the apartment and the place wasn’t that big! They weren’t even in Christmas, why was there mistletoe to begin with!?

And when she got to the kitchen, there were fake spiders with candies attached from Halloween here and there, making Winter to rub her forehead and sigh deeply before going to get all those things off...and maybe eat the candies while she was at it.

At times Winter didn’t know why Gabrielle was that way, but as she was cleaning the corridor from more spiders, mistletoe and...were those petals? she thanked to be with her in that tiny apartment in Queens. Indeed, she was very thankful of having such lovely idiot loving her every day, without a fail, because at the end of the day Gabrielle was her idiotic heroine, and that wouldn’t change for the rest of their lives.

Getting used to live without fear was...an experience, to be completely honest. But Winter still got nervous when things around her started to happen all of a sudden, per example, how their stupid apartment was decorated in all those things from different festivities.

However, when she opened the bathroom door, she felt herself loosen the grip she had over all the things she had been picking up to drop it in the tile floor. Feeling how her mouth opened a bit, speechless, Winter tried to wrap her head around the fact that her too tall girlfriend was barely fitting in the small bathtub they had, legs handling from one edge and over the other near the wall. There were more petals here and there and Gabrielle smiled widely at her, as if she wasn’t being so effortlessly sexy doing such stupid thing.

For some reason, Winter loved every weird stupid thing Gabrielle did.

“About time, Winnie,” she laughed, hazel eyes shining with happiness. “Wanna join me in this so special Valentine’s day?” Gabrielle was...charming to say the least, black short wet hair all back and strong arms waiting to hold her. “Oh, you found all the clues to find me, did you like them? I couldn’t buy like...dozens and dozens of petals, we don’t make that much money, so I had to get creative.”

Sexy, charming and all...but she was just the dorkiest of them all...and all hers.

Winter laughed from the deepest part of her soul, using her feet to kick the stuff she dropped and soon she was out of her clothes, trying to fit with Gabrielle in such tiny space. It was difficult for sure, but they managed to make it, Winter basically sitting over Gabrielle and having half her body out of the water though.

“You’re unbelievable,” Winter traced with her fingers the curve of Gabrielle’s biceps, taking her time and making the other girl to close her eyes in pleasure. “I thought I was going crazy with all those mistletoes.”

“Why do you freak out with harmless plant but not with murderous spiders,” Gabrielle chuckled at that, taking in count she hated spiders so much.

“Because spiders doesn’t bite and if you get under the mistletoe...that’s what you get,” she replied, giving a knowing look to her girlfriend, who only laughed because last Christmas their making out went overboard. “They are quite nice.”

“You are quite nice,” Gabrielle’s hand moved to caress Winter’s belly, slow, tracing her thumb over the skin there and getting Winter to roll her eyes back and bite her lip. “I took the night off from work, so...we have all day for us, honeybun,” there was a soft tint of sweetness in Gabi’s voice and that only made Winter to move her hips. “So...what my queen wants to do? Aside of the obvious.”

How could Gabrielle be like that? That was a question Winter always asked herself since the day they met. But also...how Gabrielle could look at her in the eye, knowing all what she did. She never replied, because Winter was the one asking always everything and nothing, but sometimes she got the feeling that the only thing Gabrielle wanted was to rebuild and forget about Michigan.

And that was something Winter was wishing too, to forget all the pain, all the trauma, all the nightmares that plagued her every night since they left.

“Having pizza on bed and watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’,” she mumbled in response, leaning in to kiss Gabrielle as her life depended on ti, making at the same time that the water threaten to overflow. “Buying that videogame in discount you liked and playing until I want to fuck you again, what does my knight in not that shiny armour thinks?”

They were weird, that’s for sure, but they loved each other very deeply and in a way they both feel like they belonged somewhere.

Joking between the walls of their tiny apartment in Queens, waking up every morning to go to uni hand in hand, eating lunch while talking about the day, bidding farewell when Gabrielle had to go to work and welcoming her home every night.

Gabrielle knew Winter hated many festivities, even Valentine’s day, but having her indulge was one of her biggest achievements. She knew her girlfriend indulged many times for her, but those times were she was just doing it because she actually wanted...well, those were trully a blessing.

“Knight in shiny armour is all in.”

Rowan Ramírez

Oh shit, his hands were sweating so bad. 

Rowan was trying to calm himself down, rubbing the back of her neck and then trying to swipe his hands in the back of his thighs. In his head, all he could think about was all those tiny advices his sister gave him, going through them with the outmost care because he didn’t want to fuck this up.

After a while of trying to take a faith leap, Rowan finally did it after finding himself thinking all day and all night about Coco. He knew that it was going to be hard, taking in count they lived as far as each other in the other side of the country, but he wasn’t remotely scared of from trying to start the relationship. And that was almost more than a half year ago, time making him bolder and more like Raleigh than any of them expected...at least in the being stubborn and spontaneous in times of need.

However, he couldn’t figure out how all of that had brought him to New Orleans in secret just to surprise his girlfriend for Valentine’s day. 

Maybe it was that he was head over heels in love with the blonde witch, that he wanted to make her as happy as he could, that he was trying to picture himself by her side as long as his mind could...and in between all of that, Rowan found himself finally knocking on the front door of the Academy.

Raleigh had let him in from the other house, so he didn’t have to go through the ‘the Academy’s barrier would want to eat you if you touch it’ part of the plan. After letting Sidonia know he wasn’t going to play fetch with her, kissing his baby nephew’s head and saying ‘hi’ to his sister-in-law, which was reading in the kitchen in that fine Sunday morning; he had armed himself with the bouquet of roses he bought in his way here and went to retrieve his girlfriend in the other house.

The waiting was so painful? He thought to himself, putting a lock of his hair behind his ear, trying to not go and start jumping to relieve some of his stress. But it was then when the front door opened, just to show Misty’s concerned face...that eased into a funny one as soon as Rowan came into view.

“Ahm...uhm, I-I’m here to...well, oh God,” fuck, fuck, fuck him and his shit ass nerves. Now words didn’t make sense in his head. But Misty took pity on him, putting a reassuring hand in his shoulder before throwing her head back enough to yell.

“Coco, there’s an Amazon guy in the door askin’ for you!!” and that only made Rowan to go beet red, because the white lie kept rolling in order to let him surprise his oblivious girlfriend. Girlfriend that was frying his phone, in her back pocket, with messages at that point of the day.

The new waiting time was even harder than before, but as soon as Rowan overheard the quick click click of Coco’s heels along feeling her magic approaching, he started to relax. He felt how her lips quirked in a goofy yet shy grin and when Coco realized it wasn’t an Amazon guy but Rowan who was waiting for her in the front door, her hands went directly to cover her mouth and her eyes visibly watered.

“Don’t cry pretty, please,” was the first thing Rowan said, because his inner panicker jumped in action. Then he handed the bouquet to her, still goofy grin on. “So...I hope you don’t have date for Valentine’s, because I’m asking you for one now,” he chuckled to let the last bits of nervousness go away and Coco hugged the bouquet to her chest with care before reaching for him. “Would you like to go on an ice cream hunt to the French quarter with this poor warlock in love?”

“Of course I do!” Coco let out the cutest yelp as response, Rowan finally taking her hand and pulling her close to lean and kiss her lips, a peck that started the biggest bonfire in his whole body. “Just let me take my purse and put the flowers...”

“No, no purses, I’m inviting you today,” Rowan knew Coco was happy to always pay for everything, but he had been working hard all year to earn money and spend it on his loved one for once. Maybe it was because of the way his mother raised him, that his aunt Abigail raised him, but he usually didn’t like to be treated to things (and Rowan only let his big sister to treat him because a) Raleigh was a bit scary; and b) ‘Twenty years apart gave me the right to treat you for another twenty, so shut up.’)

“And I’m taking the flowers, so!” Mallory appeared behind Coco, giving Rowan the biggest smile ever because of how happy it made her know her cousin was being happy and in love with her best friend. “Take her before she start her yearly rant about red velvet cake, Roro!”

Rowan complied, laughing at that because he knew how his girlfriend was with food. But having Coco by his side again, after months of chatting and videocalling through their phones and laptops...well, for him it didn’t matter if she went a bit overboard with her powers...and with her chatter, for that matter. He was always more like a listener than a ‘talker’, which was good for how many stuff Coco had to say, and Rowan tried to kiss Coco’s cheek from time to time to see her trail in whatever she was saying.

Overall seeing how happy was Coco, made all the sleepless night planning this trip worth it, but what made Rowan the happiest was that he was able to find someone who loved him for who he was.

Danielle Bishop

Audrey could tell Danielle was feeling on top of the world right now.

It obvious by the way she was talking more confident, her face glowing up without any trace of the usual tiredness she carried, and drinking red wine like it was water. Maybe that last bit was because she was a bit nervous, making Audrey to chuckle when a new anecdote fell from her lips because seeing her girlfriend nervous was truly a thing, taking in count it was more a thing of Danna than Danielle’s.

For Audrey, it was cute and heartwarming. Mostly because she didn’t expect to come home to having the kitchen all ready and set to have what it looked like a romantic dinner. Of course they’ve been exchanging messages, kisses and Audrey had woken Danielle up with a nice surprise just because. It was the third Valentine they spent together, being the first one and the second one spent having a little date to a coffee nearby to Danielle’s office because she was working on a case for several days and didn’t have much time, and Audrey was thankful that her girlfriend gave her such big private thing.

Damien wasn’t there, mostly because her father had come to visit her and he was spending as much time as he could with her, so they didn’t have to worry about her much aside of waiting for Dara’s call that she arrived to Billie and hers’ house safely since they wanted to have a bit of privacy for the day. The fact that Danielle’s ex husband was around, also, had them both worried and this was truly a shot of fresh air from thinking.

Cliché as it was, they shared their classic dinner in between laughs and kisses. As far as Audrey knew, Danna had helped Danielle to cook everything through videocall, which knowing both probably was full of yelling, reassuring words, two times almost giving up and Danna cheering the loudest when something turned out what it was supposed to be. But Audrey loved every bit of the cliché situation because her life wasn’t full of those at all, taking it with her whole heart because after moving in with Danielle, each day it passed it made her see that she was feeling at home finally.

It was a good sensation, it made her want to go back to Danielle’s arms all the time they were apart, to provide with the same love she was being pampered with. And after all those years, it was the only thing she wanted, being completely honest. Any doubt she had was reassured and kissed away, any problem that might rise was taken care diligently so it wasn’t a bigger problem...and having some control over the chaos that her life was, made Audrey to go and thank her partner endlessly...even more.

“Okay, are you ready for my amazing strawberry cake?” Dani announced, after downing her third glass of wine with, food finally gone and Audrey wanting to leave her seat and go reclaim her rightful spot in Danielle’s lap. “It’s ugly and maybe a bit too sugary? but I did it all by myself.”

“I’m sure it’s amazing, my darling,” Audrey was looking at Danielle dreamly, detailing how she chose the burgundy shirt Audrey loved and those dressing black pants that fit her too damn well, long black hair pulled back by her nervous hand and wide smile clinging to her lips and making her want to kiss it for the rest of the night. “You know I like sweet stuff.”

Audrey winked at that last thing, getting a big hearty laugh from Danielle and a kiss that knocked the air out of her lungs before she went to retrieve the cake from the fridge. She took advantage of that to check her phone, sending a picture to Billie of the whole table and brag about it, because why not? Audrey checked her texts while Billie replied and soon she got a picture of Dara, sleeping over Billie with the cutest pout in her lips and ‘I’ve tired out my Valentine :(’ under.

She giggled to that, typing a fast ‘you two are truly unbelievable’ before she overheard Danielle’s steps coming back. Putting down her phone, she waited for Danielle to put the cake in the middle of the table but her girlfriend had another plan it seemed. So she walked towards her, leaving the whole plate in front of her and then kissed her temple with love.

“Are you expecting me to eat all of this by mys-” Audrey started to say, but was cut mid sentence when Danielle didn’t go back to her seat, kneeling by her side so that way Audrey had to look down to make eye contact with her. “What are you doing there, silly?”

“Well, it’s kinda obvious...I think?” Danielle laughed softly at that, one of her hands resting in Audrey’s thigh while the other was out of view because she was getting something from inside her shirt. Like, Audrey saw her do that many times before, hiding stuff like money or her phone in her bra, so she was over that already...however she didn’t expect Danielle to pull out a tiny velvety box. 

It was then when Audrey’s heart stop beating for a second.

“Look, all this time I tried to be sincere with you, and sometimes I wished to do things...in a better way, but it didn’t matter because we got through it and you never left me, even when I thought the worst of me, even when things weren’t as pretty as we both wanted,” Danielle was trying to keep looking at her and Audrey was feeling how her body re-started with the sudden speech. “I...well, after my divorce I didn’t think I would be able to love someone this...deep, but you didn’t give up on me, you showed me that not only me but both deserved another chance, and what the hell, we make a good Uno couple...and Damien loves you,” that drew a choked chuckle from Audrey, in the verge of the sob. Damien truly liked her, and that was one of the biggest goals she accomplished. “I thought we could step up our game...because you are the only one I see myself getting married with and I want to keep on make you happy till the end of our days and beyond. So, Audrey...would you marry me?”

And then Danielle opened the box with trembling fingers to show her girlfriend the gold ring with the tiny jewel in the middle of it.

Three years had passed and Audrey still couldn’t believe Danielle, of all people, had trouble to do long speeches taking in count her line of work. But she got why she couldn’t, because for years she didn’t show she had feelings at all and talking about something you so worked so hard to hide was difficult...and that’s when Audrey entered the picture, being emotional, being vocal about everything, showing her that it was okay to show what was inside without fear of judgement.

“Dani...” Audrey closed her eyes late, her tears spilling in a very dramatic turn of the events, but one that entered the million possibilities Danielle had planned in her head. “Of c-course I do, damn it, yes, yes and ten million times yes!”

it was time for Danielle to laugh, to let out the breathe she was holding in a ragged way because all the nervousness melted the moment she slipped the ring in Audrey’s finger. She didn’t take in count, however, that Audrey would take her to the ground, hugging her like no tomorrow and kissing her as if she needed her to keep being alive.

In between kisses, laughs and trying to make it to the couch, forgetting about the cake over the table, Audrey thought that Danielle, in the end, was what she was looking for all those years. She didn’t need someone that complied to everything she said, she only needed this someone to feel she was enough for her, that she was loved and cherished by her...

...and, as her fingers found every button from her favourite Danielle’s shirt, that someone finally had a face, and a body for that matter, to die for. Which wasn’t necessary but oh good Lord help her that it was a good plus.

Cold-hearted Severa

Mr. Mumbles cooed in her shoulder as they moved through the camp, feeling how a little happy tune was bubbling in her chest and getting through her as a little hum. Selene wasn’t much of a happy-go-lucky person, always worried about everything and nothing, but today she felt lucky enough to get things right through the day.

She was one of the few that were lucky enough not to get many looks when she went to town, so that morning she had rolled down along Jimmy to get some groceries there and also the bouquet of daisies and dandelions that she was now holding tightly in her grip. There was this giant field in the way from camp to town and she only trust in Jimmy to not spill the beans, so she had asked him to take her with him to pay a little visit.

Taking a few breathings to calm herself down, Selene used her nose to give a cuddle to her companion, her face taken hostage by the monkey like always. She chuckled and poked him in the belly, his weak spot, and then she was free to keep walking towards the siameses’ tent. 

It was her main goal and the reason she was taking this big ass step, all the courage she had tied in a knot so it didn’t fly away. She had fixed the handmade bouquet specially for Bette, but since they both would see it, Selene had fixed it with two different flowers so that way both had something pretty to look at for a while.

Her heart was hammering its way in her chest, reminding her sweetly that she was very much alive. She was taking advantge that she saw them in the main tent to do this, because she wasn’t as courageous to actually look them in the eye to give them the gift. Selene didn’t want to impose in them, she much preferred to look from the distance and watch them being happy, knowing she wasn’t enough for any.

Bette and Dot had made it very clear that their feelings weren’t the same, and Selene took that to her heart, her love for both still there but also growing when Bette confessed later that she was confused about what to feel. That was enough for her, to be honest, she thought while leaving the tiny bouquet over their desk and starting to run back to Eve’s ban. 

It didn’t matter they didn’t love her, she was pretty much content with being their friend at least, and as a friend she had left those pretty flowers to make this Valentine’s day better for them.

When she arrived with Eve, she looked at her with a lifted perfect eyebrow, asking silently why such hurry...only to see that Selene was handing her something. She loved the twins, that for sure, but Selene wouldn’t forget about her best friend and how much she also loved her.

“Is that for me?” Eve blinked confused upon seeing the tiny present, the one that Selene spent her savings in, and took it in her hands with care before unwrapping it. “Oh dear, it wasn’t necessary.”

But Selene smiled widely, in silence like always, waiting for Eve to see what was inside. She had taken note of how pretty her friend found those earrings she was now pulling out of the box, once they went to take a walk in town and passed by a jewelry shop. Selene was always taken little notes about what other people needed, it was common for her at this point.

“I can’t believe you went back and bought them,” Eve shrieked in delight, standing up fast to wrap her best friend into a tight hug before planting the biggest kiss on her lips, like she always did. “You’re a blessing for sure, sweetheart, thank you very much.”

Maybe Bette and Dot didn’t love Selene back, but when Eve looked at her with that shine in her eyes, it made Selene think about the possibilities of staying with her best friend for the rest of their lives.

She didn’t know what the future would hold for them, but as long as she kept at least Eve by her side, she was quite content to keep living her life as it was. She could learn to love better, she could learn to be more brave, maybe a bit more unspoken at times? And maybe someday she would be able to feel at ease in a place.

Because, yeah, the show was all she got but she couldn’t call it a home.

1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?

Usually they don’t fall asleep at the same time, Danielle tends to work till late as a habit and even when Audrey tries to stay around as much as she can, well, she doesn't have that much stamina at the end of the day. So by the time Danielle gets to go to bed, Audrey is fast asleep curled in a ball, one of her feet out of the blankets that Dani covers before slipping in bed, getting close to Audrey even when her back is facing her so she can feel she's there. She always sleeps in her side, not moving much from that position.

When the morning comes, Audrey has occupied a few centimetres more of the bed and Danielle is close to the edge on her side without noticing. During the night Audrey's arm has managed to sneak around Dani's waist, so she can be pressed in her back, cuddling her. Maybe it's because Danielle is used to Damien sleeping with her already, but she doesn't mind that Audrey gets that cuddly, she even is happy Audrey finds comfort in being like that with her.

But once the alarm goes off, Danielle is already on her daily routine and that's trying to peel Audrey away from her back to stand up. Which is only welcomed by Audrey pulling her closer and kissing the back of her neck, because she knows that's Danielle's weak spot. It works enough to make her turn around and press a chaste kiss to Audrey's forehead and crown of her head, letting her finally snuggle in her chest before Audrey's sleepy 'don't go work, stay here with me' draws a low chuckle from Dani and she quietly promise her she won't be long gone.

The days in which Audrey is the one waking up first, Danielle wakes up a few seconds later to take her hand and kiss her knuckles lovingly telling her 'good morning' before falling back to sleep, getting a kiss from Audrey on the lips.

2. How’s their team work? Do they share well?

They are both pretty individualistic to begin with, they have their ways to do things and most of the time their teamwork gets messy because they usually clash in how to proceed when doing things. It's easier than you think that they end up a bit annoyed by the other, but depending on what are they working together one of them manage to pull out a bit so things can go a bit better. They are still pretty new at being together, doing things together, so I think it's obvious they still aren't there.

But I think every time they get to work together, they learn more about each other boundaries and how to make their own skills work. Danielle is used to do everything on her own, her previous marriage not being an equilibrated one, so it's hard for her to go out of her old habits to create new ones but she's trying hard to get it right. Audrey is stubborn, so she just tries to be more comprehensive with things.

3. Are they open about their relationship? How do they feel about public displays of affection?

They are pretty open without noticing from the very beginning, to be honest, and maybe is because they managed to get together because they both got intervention and pretty much everyone knew about their mutual attraction (Ally got Billie and Shelby to work together without wanting to kill each other when Billie did they intervention to Audrey; while the cousins part was pretty much a sweet little chaos controlled by Dahlia). Also Danielle has Damien and being with someone is quite huge, even when Damien is already a teen, so she always wanted to be honest with her daughter about it. Audrey isn't that famous anymore, so it's good for this because none is paying attention to who she's dating or doing in her private life right now and can enjoy it more.

PDA always leaves Danielle all flustered and feeling like she's a teenager again. Which is funny, because when she was young she didn't have this sense of 'shame' when she was with one of her partners. Audrey is more natural to indulge in the affections, however, more of giving kisses and hugs and caressing Danielle's cheek sweetly, but it's true that she feels more comfortable doing this if they are in space were they both know it's...safe? Like yeah, she can be with Danielle doing groceries or in the shopping mall and go take her hand without much trouble or kissing her cheek, but if they are surrounded by people they love/like and are comfortable, that's much better.

7. What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up?

They don't have a favourite one because they both like to try to change from time to time, but one thing they enjoy these days is...working out together. Maybe working out is a too heavy word, but Audrey is always willing to accompany Danielle in her 'day-yes, day-no' jogs full knowing she will die trying to keep her girlfriend's pace. But Danielle doesn't matter to slow down and more often than not they found themselves taking a walk instead of jogging and it's nice. They get to talk about banal stuff or Danielle gets to talk about work to Audrey at times or Audrey starts telling her about whatever show she's been watching/book she's been reading.

Also at times Danielle joins Audrey after dinner to watch some shitty show on TV, one they can both bicker about and laugh out to de-stress. Sometimes they've tried to bake for fun, but it ends up not really well and then they have to clean the mess and...totally not worth at all. But! Audrey is experimenting doing smoothies and Danielle is always ready to try them and rate them, so Audrey can keep adding them to her 'super smoothie' notepad.

9. How adventurous are they?

If it was for Danielle? Not much, because she is pretty much content with her control around her, but Audrey brings that adventurous part hidden in the deepest part of her soul. Danna always jokes that Dani got it killed after too long not using it, but Audrey knows how to drag her girlfriend into try new stuff and do things she isn't usually used to do.

Danielle has tried ice skating after more than twenty years, per example, because Audrey wanted to go on a date to an ice skating place. They've been in several restaurants with food Danielle has never thought herself trying; Audrey convinced her to go on vacation to a spa even, which Danielle has too many doubts about it since always...or that other time Audrey wanted to get another tattoo and managed to take Danielle with her, which ended up getting her ear pierced because 'no, you still have a long way to make me ink my skin, you got the wrong twin for that, love'.

10. What do they fight about? What are their arguments like? How do they make up?

They usually fight about things that goes unsaid most of the time. Per example, one not telling the other something and then that something is brought up like it was already said and leave the other weirded out because 'why didn't you tell me this?'. Also their arguments always revolves about how things should get done or why one of them has done something without asking the other.

It gets pretty ugly when both goes full bananas, because normally is Audrey the one being more emotional about it while Danielle tends to close ranks and put on that serious and cold part of her up. It's a bit scary because sometimes Audrey doesn't get why she can be so calm and 'collected', but Danielle is blowing up inside with millions of thoughts and 'what if's that mix with the argument at hand and she gets too into her head and ends up saying something she shouldn't. This plays for Audrey too, because while being emotional most of the time she doesn't filter well her thoughts and the hurty also happens. They are both pretty emotional people but they display it completely different.

There are other times in which the argument-mean-to-happen is totally skipped because Danielle just avoid altogether confronting the situation, wanting to get over it on her own, and Audrey is oblivious of this and, well, let's say Damien is helping Audrey to pick up Dani's antics when this happen so she can do something.

Making up usually revolves around doing something for the other. It doesn't have to be gifts or long apology speeches, most of the time those are out of the way, but maybe Audrey tries to cook breakfast for Danielle the next morning or Dani gets home with Audrey's favourite take out, per example. And it's obvious they both need space for a bit to fully cool down, but after that one embrace the other and kisses their cheek, mumbling a soft 'I'm sorry' and getting in response a 'It's okay, I'm sorry too' and more kisses.

13. How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?

Danielle's hugs are a bit awkward because she's more the receiving end than the giving end, but she has this way to wrap her arm around Audrey that makes her lean completely against her and Audrey hugs her really tight around the shoulders or her neck, getting tons of tiny kisses from Dani in whatever space she can reach. Danna got the full big mama hugs but Danielle got the 'bad girl' hugs, so to speak. It doesn't mean she can't give hugs fully, it's only that she doesn't know what to do with her arms at all most of the time. Audrey is more like a koala, so she doesn't care where is going to cling because she knows Danielle's arm will always find a way to wrap her and pull her closer.

Most of their kisses are pretty shy ones, even slow yet light ones, and it's feel good somehow because it isn't an overwhelming force. This do not apply when they are alone, behind closed doors, because Audrey gets really eager and Danielle can only receive whatever she throws at her gladly. They peck a lot, which is opposite at what Ally and Danna do, and it's a fun difference between them.

But! Danielle is the one that tease Audrey more, it makes her smirk all big and cat-like, which is very unlike of her and it's truly a view. Audrey gets all red always, not knowing how to tease her back but it goes in hand with how Danielle flirts with her. She's pretty...I don't want to say bad, but Danielle's flirts are always really embarrassing because she gets shy and Audrey doesn't know how someone who gets to speak almost all day long, can be so speechless doing something so harmless. But she finds it cute and maybe she can tease Danielle back from time to time with that, because most of the time the 'bad flitting' makes Audrey swoon in love with how unknownly cute Dani is.

They comfort each other through words, Danielle most of the time is best at comforting like that and get the comfort in her and Audrey gets really invested while giving comfort like that. But they are always close to each other in these situations, always touching somehow and letting the other know they are physically there for them. There's one thing that always calm Danielle down, which is lay her head in Audrey's lap and pressed it against her belly to hide and close her eyes to try and focus, while Audrey talks to her and rub her thumb over her jaw ever so softly. For Audrey is cuddling up in Danielle's side and hear her heartbeat, hiding in her chest while Danielle rubs her back slow and presses kisses on top of her head.

14. Any doubts about the relationship?

In the beginning there were too many doubts, mostly from Danielle because she was so afraid of getting into a new relationship after getting divorced? She saw herself as someone unlovable, too hard around the edges, way too herself, to see that Audrey was loving her even with all of those fears. And there's always the 'am I actually good enough for Audrey?' which mimics at times in Audrey's own fears of not being enough for Danielle.

They also worry about things that aren't going to happen, like breaking up and what would that do to their relationships with the rest? But every time they overcome some new problem, it's like a fear start to drop from them and ease their load. And they also see that neither of them would had gotten into a relationship to begin with if they weren't sure almost a hundred percent.

They both have a too heavy emotional luggage and they knew it, so if they decided to start to be together is because they saw in each other what they were looking for and not something that won't last, right?

15. How much time do they spend together? Do they share their feelings, or hold things in?

As much as they can get, to be honest. When they were still living separately Danielle tried to pass by Audrey's loft in her way home as much as she could and sometimes, Audrey tried to bring her lunch to the office or just call her to grab lunch together. Those little times together were perfect to talk about things they couldn't say with a message and it made Audrey start to know that Danielle tended to bottle things up to not worry her.

During this time, Audrey tried to be more open to share her feelings so Danielle could see that she cared and she got in response something similar, but still too little in comparison.

It wasn't till Audrey moved to Danielle's house that they were able to spend more time in a space more relaxed for both to share things. Danielle still has a long way to go with no holding things in, but now Audrey has Damien to help her when her mother gets too into her head and can actually have more time to spend because, well, they now lived together and that meant sharing their space and all that it meant on daily basis.

19. What kind of presents do they get each other? Do they only do it on special occasions?

Audrey definitely is the one getting Danielle more gifts, which always goes from new clothes to books she knows she wants to read to trinkets that makes her think of her girlfriend right away. Danielle is not used to this...display of gifts, and get all flustered most of the time because she doesn't expect it at all, but she thanks Audrey from the bottom of her heart that she does that for her, because it means she thinks of her more than she imagine.

Danielle is more thoughtful with gifts, she likes to prepare them with time and care, and most often than not those gifts are jewelry that Audrey can wear to events or even casually every day. She is more like the one that gifts for special occasions and out of the blue, while Audrey doesn't have any date or thing in mind.

Also when Danielle sees Audrey is wearing something she gave her, it makes her smile genuinely and get close to her to plant a kiss over where the piece is to 'seal it' before telling Audrey she's even more stunning just by wearing whatever she got her. In Audrey's side, she never fails to joke with Danielle when she wears something she got her, like a blouse or a skirt, asking her if she can give her the number of her stylist, which Danielle always respond 'I think she's a bit busy at the moment, and they say her girlfriend is a bit of a jealous gal' before giving her a big kiss on her lips and a few pats in her butt for being a tease.

25. Do they let each other get away with things that would normally bother them?

Danielle is always trying to be on check with what bothers Audrey and when something slips through that control check, she's more quick to apologize than to get away from it. Which marks the difference, again, in how different Danna and her manage things. Audrey sometimes gets a bit worried because whatever it slips is harmless and it's not really that bothersome, but Danielle always have the apology in the tip of her tongue ready.

But when it comes to Audrey, Danielle finds herself indulging and letting her get away unless is something really big. Danna always makes fun of her because she always was the big scary wolf that could fist fight you if you touched her food, but when Audrey steal some spoonfuls of ice cream, she finds herself not minding at all...until Danna tries to do the same and she gets punched in the stomach. She's so smitten by Audrey, my friends, that she would give up half the ice cream in the world if that means Audrey gives her that innocent yet mischievous look to check if she's pushing a wrong button, but the only one she's pushing is the 'you get a kiss' button.

26. Do they talk often? What about?

Mostly is serious stuff what they talk about, because Danielle isn't that...creative like Danna. She knows about specific stuff in deep more like a million different tiny things, so sometimes she gets a bit lost when Audrey talks with her about some banal stuff outside her comfort zone. However they try to keep talking as much as they can during the day, even if one of them gets lost (Audrey sometimes listen to her without having a single clue what she's talking about, but it's okay, because at least she gets to hear her talking and see that spark of emotion in her eyes), because it helps them to learn about each other more.

Sometimes they wish to have more time to talk, in between work and having weird schedules, but they can always count with vacation or when the whole gang (the cousins and their partners) gets together to be more talkative.

However, they also like to share the silence at times and it's quite fine for them too. There's this weird feeling of peace and calmness around them that makes all their thoughts settle for the moment when they are together like that.