Title: In Media Res
Pairing: Natalia/Olivia

Summery: Coming into quite a situation that brings Nat and Liv together in a weird way.
Disclaimers: I own none of these characters, P&G, CBS, and whoever else does.

"You shouldn't be here."

Olivia was not as tall as Frank or Mallet, but that didn't seem to matter. "My daughter and my... and Natalia, not to mention Buzz are inside, being held at gunpoint by Alan Spaulding. So, please explain to me why I don't get to be here, explain that to me Frankie?"

Mallet stepped between the two. "We don't need this now. He has Beth, Buzz, Natalia and Emma. Alan was willing to let Emma go, but she wouldn't leave Natalia's side."

Frank shook his head, "What does he want?"

Mallet stared in the window of Company. "That would be the question." He and Frank moved to one side to talk more, leaving Olivia alone. She stared in the window, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Olivia glanced back at Frank and Mallet and then at the door. The two men, the door. Finally she made her decision. She was through the door before she had a chance to think about it too hard.

She locked it with a click, "Seriously Alan. If you're going to take hostages, lock the doors too." She reached over and the blinds to the window came crashing down. "You sorta seem to suck at this Alan."

Olivia wasn't sure who was more surprised by Olivia's presence, Alan or Natalia. Emma's eyes got large, but after her mother gave her a wink she seemed to relax, though she didn't let go of Natalia's hand.

Alan swung the gun around so that it was aimed at Olivia, "Are you insane woman?"

"My daughter is here, call it what you will Alan, this is where I am. Why are you doing this?"

The gun swung back and was aimed at Beth. "Why do we do anything Olivia, and you know perfectly well I would never hurt Emma."

Olivia met Natalia's eyes again as she spoke, "I know. Why a gun Alan? A gun is so... it's not like you. Beth is wrecking your life, and you're going to let her get off with dying by gunshot?" Olivia shook her head, "Not like you at all."

A laugh seemed to explode from Alan and everyone but Olivia jumped. "And what about you? If you found out that... Natalia was... sleeping with Frank, what would you do?"

"We're not..."

Olivia found the gun pointed at her again, "This is a truth serum. You are not Emma..." He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't have to.

Olivia swallowed, "I would... it would hurt, but I would give her my blessing Alan."

"Your new heart has softened you."

Olivia chuckled, "First of all, Natalia would never just... go with Frank in that way without getting married."

"Pathetic."

"Not pathetic, just who she is. Secondly, I chose to come into a room with yet another Psycho Spaulding. One who happens to have a gun. That's soft?"

Alan's gun moved slowly back to focus on Beth. "I will let you, your daughter and your who..."

Olivia took two steps towards Alan and practically growled, cutting him off, "Don't. You. DARE!"

A smile with no joy in it came to Alan's face, "I will let, you and Natalia as well as Emma go."

"And Buzz and Beth."

"You don't care about Beth."

Olivia stared at Alan, "I know how you feel. To have all this love, unexpected love, real love, love that eats at you all the time because you know it won't work, you know you don't deserve it. It makes you want to be better, it makes you want to go to the top of the tallest building in Springfield and yell to the world that you're in love." Olivia stepped forward. "But, if the other person doesn't feel the same it's not their fault." Olivia took another step towards Alan. "Sometimes connections just work, two people who are meant to be together find each other, live happily ever after." And another step towards the Spaulding patriarch. "But sometimes you find someone, they're your everything, but you're not theirs. That's life Alan. We both know that's life, we've both lived it."

She took a final step forward and with a quick move the gun was out of his hands and in Olivia's. She unloaded it with a shake of her head, "A .22, really Alan."

Frank and Mallet came storming through Company's door, shattering it all to hell.

"Frank..." This was from his father Buzz, "Was that necessary?"

Mallet cuffed Alan as Frank grabbed the gun from Olivia, "What were you thinking Olivia. You could have gotten yourself killed, all of them killed."

Olivia patted Frank on the arm, "I know you mean Natalia." She turned, putting Frank out of her mind. She knelt down next to her daughter, "Are you okay Em?"

Emma sniffed, but nodded, "Can we go home?"

Olivia ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, "First we need to talk to Mallet. Then we will."

Olivia stood and met Natalia's eyes, "We'll see you at home?"

Natalia nodded and watched Olivia and Emma leave the restaurant. As they left she heard Emma ask her mother, "Does Grandpa Alan not like us?" Natalia winced to herself.

"Is Emma asleep?"

Olivia looked up from the couch, "Uh, yes. Long day."

Natalia sat down at the other end. "Did you make her dinner? I'm sorry that I... I went to visit Rafe."

Olivia sighed, "I know I don't act like it, but I do know how to cook, fairly well. It... even relaxes me every once in a while."

"Good, then you can start cooking too."

Olivia turned towards Natalia, tucking a leg under her. A small smile came to her face, "What do you want?"

"Surprise me."

Both women trailed off. It was Natalia who broke the silence. "Who were you speaking about, back in Company, to Alan? Your great, unexpected love?"

"You."

"Oh."

A yell came from Emma's bedroom, "Natalia."

Natalia looked over her shoulder at the stairs, "Should I... or do..."

"Natalia..."

Olivia nodded, "Go, go..."

This spurred Natalia to movement and she was up the stairs. Olivia put her head in her hands. She was still like that when Natalia came back down.

"Olivia, what's wrong? Do you need your pills?"

Olivia dragged her head up, "No, no... Emma?"

Natalia sat back down, this time closer to Olivia. "It was a nightmare." Olivia nodded, "Are we going to talk about what you said?"

"You love Frank. I get that."

"He's nice, I don't know what I feel for him."

Olivia stood, "This is a bad time to talk about it. With everything we've been through today."

Natalia stood and grabbed Olivia's arm. "I don't know what I feel for you either Liv."

Olivia swallowed and gently removed Natalia's hand from her arm. "This isn't you Nat, I've seen that. I... I shouldn't have kissed you, I'm..." She shook her head. "I'm not used to being friends with women. That's... that's what this is."

"Oh please." Natalia gave Olivia a whack on the shoulder. "How in the world did you get married five times, with that, that was horrible. You're not used to being friends with women... agh... Puleeze."

Olivia blinked at Natalia, and then transferred her stare to the floor, obviously confused, "Huh?"

"Look at me." Olivia looked up and Natalia shook her head. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"I know that..."

Natalia stopped Olivia mid-sentence with two fingers to her lips. "Don't tell me what I believe. Have you ever asked me if I am against those who find same sex love?"

"HmmMmmm..."

"Well, thinking about two men together makes me shudder with... but Jesus taught us to love. He did not teach us to love those who are the correct color, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, he simply taught us to love all." She trailed off to barely a whisper, "And I think I love you..."

Olivia gently removed Natalia's fingers, though she didn't let go of Nat's hand. "I don't think he quite meant it that way..."

Natalia stared down at their intertwined hands, "What..." She looked up, "Oh..." and laughed uncomfortably, "Right..."

Olivia brought Natalia's hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it. "I'm not going to screw this up."

Natalia blushed, "Uh, at least not right away."

This caused Olivia to chuckle, "Yes, at least not right away. Sometimes, I don't understand your faith, but whatever you..."

"Oh, just kiss me again Olivia Spencer, the rest will come out in the wash..."

Olivia smirked, "Pink if I do it, right..."

Natalia's laugh was cut off as Olivia did as the younger woman wanted and kissed her.

Fin ~ January 31st, 2009