(Authors note: hi ducklings! (did I just refer to you as "ducklings"?! oh well.) anyway, hi ducklings! Long time no see, I have been quite busy with life, I have recently started taking music lessons in flute, so I haven't really had much time to write, but a couple of days ago I watched "Carol" and I felt so inspired! Now, thid picks up where the movie ends, with Carol seeing Therese in the restaurant, so I hope you'll like it! Oh, and to Emison fans: don't worry, I haven't abandoned my other fic "Immortality My Darling", there will be more chapters.)

I've made my choice.

Therese stopped for a second as she saw the beautiful blonde woman sitting at the table. She was surrounded by so many people, and Therese thought for a second that maybe this wasn't a good time, but after all, Carol had invited her, and there wasn't any doubt or second thoughts in Therese's mind anymore. She took a deep breath and tried to get a hold of herself before taking another step towards the table.

Her shoes weren't making much of a sound, and she didn't expect anyone to really hear or notice her, but suddenly, Carol looked up. Their eyes locked, and a small smile danced on Carol's lips. Therese stopped and tried once again to get a hold of herself. She couldn't just storm up to the table even though that was what she wanted to do the most. She needed to present herself a bit more graceful and elegant and not just like a girl with no manners. She saw how Carol's delighted expression had changed into a concerned look when she had stopped, and she quickly took another small step towards the table.

The concerned look on Carol's face disappeared and changed into a small, anxious smile. It was clear to see, that she feared that Therese would turn around and leave.

But Therese took another step, she had almost reached the table. Their eyes met once more, and Therese returned Carol's smile. Without breaking the eye contact with the older woman, she walked the rest of the way to the table and cleared her throat to make Carol's friends aware of her presence. They all looked up.

,,Is there room for one more?" she asked quietly, looking directly at Carol.

,,Of course there is! Please sit down." Said Carol, so eagerly that her friends looked confused and surprised at her.

Therese smiled again and sat down beside Carol.

,,Everybody, this is a dear, dear friend of mine, Therese Believet," said Carol and there was an unmistaken sense of pride in her voice.

,,Nice to meet you, miss Believet," said a tall, dark haired man on her right. ,,I'm Daniel. Daniel Jenkins."

,,Nice to meet you, Mr. Jenkins," said Therese politely and shook hands with him.

The other people at the little, private get together introduced themselves, but Therese immediately forgot their names. She couldn't focus on anything but the blonde woman next to her.

,,So, what do you do for a living, miss Believet?" asked a cigarette pulsing redhead.

,,I take pictures."

,,Like a photographer?"

,,Yes, exactly, like a photographer."

,,That's swell. What do you take pictures of then? Landscapes?"

,,Mostly people, actually. People who inspires me," said Therese and noticed how Carol blushed slightly.

,,I'm thinking of putting a portfolio together," she continued.

,,Do you think your pictures will be known some day?" Daniel Jenkins asked. He seemed genuinely interested.

,,I can't say much about the future yet, Mr. Jenkins, but I certainly hope so."

,,Very impressing, miss Believet. Say, these people you're photographing, you think they'll ever be recognized by people?"

,,Oh yes, absolutely!" said Therese and locked eyes with Carol again.

Daniel Jenkins nodded and the conversation continued, but Therese didn't hear much of it, for Carol had leaned forward slightly, to hide the fact that she was holding Therese's hand in her own.

Therese felt how Carol squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back without thinking twice about it. She didn't pay much attention to the conversation, only when Carol included her, which she often did. It was obvious that she trying desperately to make Therese feel welcome and a part of the conversation.

It was difficult for Therese not to feel slightly amused by how anxious Carol was. Carol's friends didn't seem to notice, but Therese knew her so well to know that her true feelings boiled under her classy and sophisticated behavior. And all the time Carol held on to Therese's hand. It was like she feared that Therese would flee the restaurant if she let go of her hand.

,,I think you'll have to excuse us now." Said Carol suddenly and Therese could hear how her voice threatened to break from emotion.

,,You're leaving? Both of you?" said the redhead whose name Therese had already forgot.

,,I'm afraid so. I have to get settled in before starting my new job, and Therese… miss Believet, have pictures to take. Don't you, miss Believet?" she asked and her voice was clouded with deeper meaning.

,,Yes. Yes I have. A photographer never truly rests."

,,Well, it was nice to meet you, miss Believet. Perhaps we'll meet again?"

,,I should think so, Mr. Jenkins. I think you all will see a lot more of me in the future." Said Therese, and Carol's lips curled up in a smile.

They said their goodbyes and left the diner. Once outside Carol turned around to face Therese and raised an eyebrow in a "now what?" manner.

Therese immediately knew what she meant. ,,Earlier you mentioned an apartment."

,,Yes I did."

,,An apartment big enough for both of us, you said?"

,,That's right. I did." Said Carol, and her eyes lit up when she understood what Therese was implying.

They soon caught a taxi's attention, and Carol quickly gave the directions to her new apartment. As soon as the driver's eyes were fixed on the road, Carol leaned back and found Therese's hand once again. Therese laced her glove clad fingers into Carol's, but she didn't say anything.

The drive was fairly short, but for Therese it felt like a thousand of miles. But finally the taxi stopped at Madison Avenue. Carol paid the driver and let Therese into the surprisingly large apartment.

,,Would you like the grand tour now or…?" Carol didn't finish the sentence, and Therese did nothing to help her as she curiously walked around in the apartment.

,,This is a wonderful apartment. So spacious. But of course I won't require much space."

Carol shook her head in awe. ,,What a strange girl you are."

,,Why is that, Carol?" said Therese and laced her fingers into Carol's once more.

,,I didn't expect to see you again, and here you are."

,,Yes. Here I am."

,,What changed?"

,,I went with Jack to this.. Party, and even though I was with people, I was in a crowd, I felt alone. The only point in my life when I don't feel alone is when I'm with you. I… need you. I need to be with you."

Carol's face lit up in a smile and she freed herself from Therese's grasp to rest her hand on the younger woman's cheek.

,,I need you too, Therese. And I need to be true to myself and to who I am, and the only way I can do that, is by being with you."

,,You really want to live with me?"

,,Yes! There is nothing I want more in this world."

,,I will spread my photographs all over the floor. I will frown and sulk and complain about them not being good enough…"

,,…And I will convince you that you are wrong, and encourage you."

Therese smiled. ,,I know you will."

,,How soon can you move in?"

,,Now. I'll have someone fetch my stuff tomorrow."

,,Do you really mean that?"

,,Yes. I truly do. I've made my choice, and I choose you."

Carol pulled Therese closer and wrapped her arms around the younger woman.

,,My darling Therese."

Therese looked deeply into Carols blue eyes. ,,Kiss me," she whispered.

Carol didn't need further encouragement and locked her hands on Therese's lower back as she tilted her head slightly and let her lips meet Therese's.

When Carol kissed her, Therese felt like she had been on a long, painful journey and now she was finally home. This was her destination. This was where she was supposed to be. She ran her hands through Carol's luscious, golden locks, and the slightest moan escaped her when Carol kissed her jaw.

Neither one of them never really noticed how they made it into the bedroom, the bedroom Therese hadn't even seen yet. The only thing she saw was Carol, and the only she felt was Carol removing her clothes bit by bit, Carol's hands on her body, the waves that slowly built up inside her, to finally wash over her and carry her over the edge with Carol.

Streams of sunlight on her back woke her the following morning, and for a second she didn't know where she was, but then she turned around to see Carol smiling at her, and she remembered last night. Blood rushed to her face and colored her cheeks rosy.

,,This is a sight I shall never tire of." Said Carol and cupped Therese's cheek.

,,I am here to stay," Therese gently reminded her.

,,Please, say that again. My mind struggle to believe it."

,,I will stay with you. Forever." Therese promised.

,,I believe you." Said Carol and let her finger trace along Therese's bottom lip. ,,My angel," she said adoringly and a bit disbelieving. ,,Flung out of space."

Therese smiled when she remembered the first time Carol said that, but she couldn't dwell on the memory for very long. Carol suddenly rose from the bed.

,,Where are you going?" Therese asked and couldn't hide her disappointment.

,,Fear not, dearest. I was only going to cook you breakfast," said Carol and smiled as she threw on her robe.

,,Breakfast sounds nice."

,,Don't go anywhere. Stay exactly where you are," Carol almost ordered.

,,I won't go anywhere." Therese promised.

Carol fastened the robe around her and was about to leave the bedroom when Therese called out to her:

,,Carol?"

,,Yes, dearest?" said Carol and turned around. There was a hint of concern on her face.

,,I never said it back last night, but… I love you. I love you so much Carol." Therese's voice grew thick with emotion, and Carol rushed to her side and kissed her, there was so much happiness and passion in that kiss, their tongues met, carefully at first, but then more forcefully and desperate. Carol almost pulled at Therese's hair in an attempt to be as close to her as possibly.

,,Oh Therese! My darling. I love you too. We've been apart, but never again."

,,Never," Therese agreed.

She quickly forgot all about breakfast as Carol lowered herself onto her and made her entire body tingle.

Yes, they'd been apart, but now they were together again. And they always would be….

The End.

(Authors note: well, that's it. I will be quite frank with you, Carole and Therese is my new favorite couple. And thanks to Carol I will never recover from my fascination with the wonder that is Cate Blanchett. And as to miss Rooney Mara? What can I say? She's a sweetheart. An angel. Flung out of space.)