This is another story while I'm figuring out Reunion. I've been thinking more about the Wolf-Peralta clan but I was not interested in aging the kids too much. This will be a series of expansions on scenes in New Additions to the Family, More Additions, and Completing the Saga. slf

(The morning after Ava confesses to sleeping with Doris)

"You. You're still here?"

"Yeah and I'm starving. You're fridge is worse than my mom's. I guess I'm going to be the one who cooks in this relationship too" Stunned. "I used the forty dollars you gave me last night to pick up some actual food. I can't afford to eat out every weekend and you might as well use this to hold more than yogurt and wine" looking at the leaking bottle she sighed "that's going to be a bear to clean up if it gets behind the fridge"

When and if Ava ever saw Ashlee again she expected the younger women to treat her with either cold disdain or completely ignore her as other exs had once an unforgivable character flaw was discovered. It had not taken much for most of the people who promised to love her forever to look at her as if she were a horrible mistake that should be quickly forgotten. So seeing Ashlee walking into the kitchen carrying a bag in the opposite direction of the front door was disconcerting. It was this disconnect that had Ava staring in shock as Ashlee kneeled to wipe up the leaking wine. Another one of her messes that someone else had to straighten out Ava thought with sadness as she bent down beside Ashlee and took the damp towel from her hand. "You don't have to do that. I can clean up behind myself."

"I know you can but I already have on shoes and I don't want you to risk getting cut on the glass" Ashlee whispered as she concentrated on the growing stain. She hadn't really thought how it would all work out once she saw Ava in the bright light of day. It had been enough last night to know that Ava wanted her as much as she wanted the brunette. It hadn't occurred to her that Ava's anxiety might increase after the confession. For Ashlee last night again proved how much they were meant to be together. Before Jake arrived she had every intention of acting on her growing physical and emotional desires. There was not a moment since rescuing Ava from Jake in the Sushi restaurant that Ashlee had not ached for a physical connection. At first she hadn't seen their constant texting or emailing as anything other than a growing friendship but an impending lunch date with Daisy made her as distracted. Regardless if she had shared her body with Ava before learning the (EVENTS THAT SHALL NEVER BE DISCUSSED) Ashlee did not know if she could have ever gotten past it but now she had to distract Ava from her habit of brooding. "Why don't you put the groceries away while I Swiffer the floor."

They worked for an hour in weighted silence fearing what the other would finally say and fearing inability to articulate what they were feeling. After looking at the now gleaming spot Ashlee figured it would be stupid not to do the entire floor. Eventually the floor led to the counters and then to the dishes. Ava put away the food and prepped ingredients for omelets and took over the dishes once Ashlee was ready to cook. They ate focused on their plates with occasional discreet glances towards the other until Ashlee stood up and cleared the plates. When she felt a spark of electricity pass between them as their hands bushed but Ava's only reaction was to attempt to flee Ashlee knew moving them past this point would be up to her. "Ava don't" Ashlee whispered as she felt Ava tense and attempt to pull away. "We have to talk about this."

"What is there to talk about? It's only nine you still have time to do all the homework you have been avoiding. I'll drive you to the station and."

Shaking her head Ashlee pulled Ava's hand and directed her towards the sofa and said "It's waited this long it can sit a little longer. I'm not leaving until we figure this out."

"Ash" Ava groaned still refusing to face her. "What is there to say? I slept with your mom and before that I was sleeping with a married man. I slept with Remy while I was in love with Bill and those are just some of the reasons you should be grateful that Jake interrupted us when he did. I'm the last person that you should even be friends with much less."

"Well that's your opinion but." Ashlee began before Ava interrupted.

"It'll be yours too once you've thought about everything. You don't need me confusing your head." Ava concluded before standing up and untangling their hands. "Anyway I'll be going back to Springfield next month and."

"And you think that changes anything? You think that if we were together I wouldn't do whatever it took to make things work?" Ashlee said standing up as well before the woman she'd slowly fallen in love. "Don't you know anything about me by now?"

"I know that you are one of the most special and honest and trustworthy people I know." Ava said with a bright smile before it dimmed and faded when she further confessed "I know that you don't need to deal with my baggage and complications. I haven't exactly been a Sunday school teacher. You should find some nice sweet guy or girl that no one will whisper about as you walk by. I know that you're going to find the perfect person to love you the way you deserve."

"I already have if I can stop her from wrecking everything before it even begins." At that the tears that were burning Ava's eyes began to flow steadily down her face and she doubled over and sank to the floor and tremble as Ashlee took her in her arms. She listened to Ava's labored breathing until it evened out and became calm. The only thing she could think was how lucky she was to have this opportunity and vowed to never let Ava get away despite her insecurity. "Baby there is no way that I'm going to let anyone in your past destroy this not even my mother."

"Ashlee you say this now but what happens when your mother finds out about us? She might be with Blake now and we might be friends but that doesn't mean she isn't going to be totally against you dating me. And if that weren't enough I'm sure it wouldn't be too long before my disgruntled exs start warning you about me" Ava sighed again almost in exasperation but she was not the only one.

Ashlee was becoming increasingly frustrated by Ava's refusal to even consider them as a possibility. "Do you think I give a damn what anyone else thinks of you or me? Do you think I would let anyone dictate our relationship? I'm a lot stronger than you think Ava and I can take care of myself just fine regardless of what you might believe." Using one hand to hold Ava's head towards her own and using the other to wrap around Ava's waist Ashlee rolled them until she was hovering above and vented. "Do you think that I haven't done anything that I regret? Do you think the same people wouldn't talk just as much about me? I don't care about anyone's opinion except yours. And I don't care who you slept with or what you did before we got together because I know who you are when you're with me. I know how you make me feel Ava and I don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose you." With infinite care and tenderness Ashlee slowly lowered her lips towards Ava's mouth and prayed that she wouldn't pull away. The fear in Ava's eyes would have been humorous at any other time but Ashlee was hoping that Ava could trust in them long enough to push past the doubts. There were just millimeters between the two but Ashlee refused to close the distance if Ava was unwilling. Ashlee closed her eyes and was preparing for heartache when the lightest weight brushed past her lips once then twice before Ava pulled away. "Do you trust me?"

Ava's eyes had drifted shut sometime during the kiss but at hearing the soft words blinked and flew wide. "Of course I do. You know that."

"Then trust me when I say that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'm not going to ever let you go."

They spent the rest of their time together wrapped around each other trying to adjust and comprehend everything that had shifted in their relationship. Neither was looking forward to the drive towards the drive to the station that signaled the end of their weekend together. There would be calls, texts, and emails but it would not be the same and never had 5 days seemed so long. "I'll be back next weekend. I'll catch up on everything so that when Friday comes I can spend the weekend concentrating on you." Ashlee said as she leaned over the console to kiss her girlfriend goodbye in the dark train station parking lot. "It's only 5 days. It will go by like that." She said with a small smile.

Ava was hugging her tight and leaning her head on her shoulder when she softly suggested "I could drive you there. It would only take maybe 2 or 3 hours and" but had to pull it up quickly when Ashlee roughly pulled away.

"No don't even start that. First off you are already tired and have a long day tomorrow."

"But"

"No"

"I thought you would want to spend as much time with me as possible." Ava said looking away before Ashlee pulled her head back and placed their foreheads together. "There is nothing I want more but I don't need you getting exhausted by driving up and down California. Anyway if you got within a mile of campus I wouldn't stop until I had you in my bed."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Neither would I but your boss might and besides this isn't going away. You don't have to worry that I'm going to change my mind. Tomorrow, next week, three years from now I'm still going to want to be with you." Ashlee could tell that she'd voiced Ava's secret fears from the way Ava's eyes fluttered and she bit her lip. "I will call you when I get home and I will think of nothing but you until we are together again Friday."