A/N: Guys, please be patient with me, I did say that I have two weeks off, but you have to realize, these two and a half days before Christmas are always really hectic. Please. One update tonight so I'm just letting that be known now before you all go asking in the reviews. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy.
"Now explain to me, once again, why we are doing this exactly? Quite frankly, I don't think that you ever fully explained to me what's going on. All I'm aware of is that we go to an expensive party and then the next thing I know is you're here telling me to invite my cousin over for lunch. You don't say why, you just say 'oh, hey, we are all having lunch at your house and you're inviting Alex, but I'm going to give you know actual information over what is going on.' I swear Serena, sometimes you need to be glad that I like you because sometimes you just…ugh! I mean seriously. You have me cooking. Do I look like I cook on a normal basis?!" Kim exclaims rather loudly as she places the now prepped and seasoned chicken in the oven. "You owe me so big, starting with an explanation."
Serena bites down on her lip nervously before she turns her gaze on something else. "I want to explain what's going on, because believe me, I feel like you have a right to know, I guess, but at the same time, I feel like it really isn't my business to share."
Kim's eyes narrow into frightening, thin little slits as her lips form into a small 'o' shape. "So let me get this straight just to make sure that I am on board with what you just told me here; you want to tell me, but at the same time, you don't want to tell me? What the fuck Serena, how does that even make any sense?!"
"It does, okay! It does, I just…I feel bad. Terrible even, but you know me and I'm not exactly very good at saying 'no' to things. Please just hear me out and be on your best behavior today?"
"Best behavior?! This is my house! If I want to tear up my house, I am going to tear it up because it is my house! If I feel like misbehaving, I can and do you know why? Because it is MY house!"
"Kim, please. Just try to be yourself? No, scratch that, try to be anyone BUT you're self."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" the taller woman questions before she relaxes and nods her head. "Oh, okay, I get what you're saying. You know what? Fine, whatever, I'll be quiet and polite, and everything just to wait and see what the hell is going on here, but as soon as I see something that I don't like…!"
"I know, I know…" Serena says quietly before she sighs and relaxes her shoulders. Both women move around the kitchen and set about prepping the salad for their luncheon when they both are immediately startled by the ringing of the doorbell followed by a quick knocking on the front door. They stand there and stare at each other for a moment before Kim motions her hand towards the door, signaling to the defeated blonde that she has the honors of answering it.
Shaking her head, Serena dries her hands before she makes her way to the front door, glancing at the time and wondering who it is at the door at such a time. She swings the door open in preparation to great whoever it is, but she stops dead in her tracks when she sees a very nervous looking redhead wearing designer clothing standing rigidly on the front porch. "Casey? What are you doing here an hour and a half early? I told you that lunch wasn't until noon and it's just now getting to be ten thirty."
Casey swallows the obviously lump in her throat before quickly drags a hand through her hair before glancing at her watch. "I-I, uh, I thought that the weather, looked up, bad so I-I thought I would…head over just incase…there was traffic or…or something."
Blinking several times, Serena steps out onto the porch deck and stares up at the sky, frowning when she sees nothing but sunlight and not a cloud anywhere in sight. "Casey, there are two problems wrong with your theory. One; there is legitimately nothing but sunlight out here. Two; you literally live right next door. How would there be any sort of traffic."
"Traffic? Oh, right, I, ah, I said traffic didn't I? Well, I mean, you never know. Someone could come along and build a highway or something right in the center of this yard here, and no one would ever know until they stepped out of their house and then they are hit with the surprise of a brand new highway. I-It's possible, right? Well, ah, c-can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure." Serena murmurs as she steps to the side, allowing for the rather tense woman to walk past her. She blinks several times once again before she shakes her head taking note in just how much of a contrast there is between the woman she met last night and the woman that is in her presence right at this very moment. It is a little mind boggling to say the least. "Would you like for me to take your coat?"
Casey stands completely still with a blank stare on her face for probably a good four minutes before the question finally reaches the control center of her brain. "Oh, right, my coat, um, yeah, sure." She rambles as she shrugs the item off and hands it over. Once again out of nervous habit, she drags her fingers through her crimson locks before taking a shuddering deep breath.
"Serena, who was at the door-whoa, well, um, hi." Kim chimes in as she steps out of the kitchen and immediately notices the stranger standing in the middle of her living room. She doesn't exactly do well with new people, but earlier she did kind of indirectly promise that she would be on her best behavior; or at least, she would try to be. "I don't believe we've met."
"We haven't, exactly." Casey begins before she lags on shaking the other woman's hand a little. "I'm Casey Novak, I live right next door."
"Oh, I see. Well, it's nice to finally be able to put a name to a face I suppose. You're a little early, don't you agree?"
"Yes, well, better early than late, right?"
Kim chuckles quietly before she nods in agreement. "Yes, that is true. Hey, Serena, would you join me in the kitchen for a moment? I need help chopping the rest of the tomatoes." She says before she quickly drags the blonde back towards the kitchen. "Okay, answer me this, why do I feel like I have seen that woman before?"
"It'll all come back to you…as I said before, it isn't my business to tell." Serena says with a quiet sigh as she glances at the time. "I feel like this is going to be the world's longest hour and a half."
And that it is; especially for Casey. The redhead finds her self sitting down and standing up repeatedly as well as pacing excessively, leaning against the wall, mantle, sitting on the edge of the couch arm, and the number one thing, repeatedly glancing at her watch for the time. She bites down on her bottom lip before she releases a shaky sigh, nearly jumping out of her skin when she sees Serena reenter the living room.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." the shorter woman states apologetically. "You look rather…pale, are you alright?"
"Fine, fine, I'm fine." Casey stammers as she glances at her watch for probably the billionth time. "Listen, I don't think that anyone is gonna show, so maybe I'll just go back home."
"What are you talking about? It literally just turned noon. Keep in mind you got here more than an hour early."
"No, no, really. I really should just go."
"Casey, no, seriously. You're being childish. It is just now twelve o clock, plus, Kim isn't even done cooking yet."
"No! This was a terrible idea, and I'm just going home."
"No you're not."
"I am!"
"You're not!"
"Guys, Alex is here!" Kim's voice calls out and rings through the house from the kitchen.
A smile spreads across Serena's face and she turns around to head towards the front door, not missing the fact that Casey just paled about ten more shades than she already was. Her smile widens when she steps out onto the porch and sees her best friend getting out of her car. "Alex!"
Alex is slightly startled by the screeching of her name and she soon finds her self wrapped into a tight hug by her rather bubbly best friend. "Rena, honey, we saw each other yesterday."
"I know, I know, but as your best friend, that doesn't mean I can't get excited to see you, does it?" Serena teases as she tugs on the taller woman's sleeve. "Come on, I'm sure Kim is anxious to see you too."
"Okay…" Alex mumbles quietly as she wraps her coat tighter around her body and follows her best friend into the house. "Why am I getting the incentive that you are in fact hiding something from me?"
Serena pretends to think for a moment before she shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know what you're talking about." She says dismissively as she leads the two of them into the living room. She stops dead in her tracks when she finds the room vacant and a frown immediately creases her forehead. "What the…"
Alex frowns as well and turns towards Serena who seems to be at a loss for words. "What's wrong?" she questions curiously, her curiosities spiking when she sees the other woman begin moving around the room as if she is looking for something. "Did you lose something?"
"Kinda…" Serena mumbles as she continues to look around the living room, pausing when she hears a knocking on the front door a moment later. "Would you excuse me a moment." She mumbles once more as she storms out of the living room and back to the front door, where she swings open the door and is once again met with the same pale, nervous, tense and rigid looking redhead. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Casey doesn't respond as she steps into the house once again, keeping her same rigid and tense posture. She opens her mouth to provide some sort of explanation before she snaps it shut and shakes her head.
"Well? Are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you? Alex is literally in there by her self and here you are acting like a scared little kid! Seriously?"
"Shhh, just…shhh, I'm going." Casey manages weakly before she spins around, takes a deep breath and begins heading towards the living room. As soon as she steps foot back into the living room, her heart falls to the depths of her stomach before it begins beating rapidly, then slowly, then rapidly again. Her throat goes dry as her eyes land on the blonde who is examining some of the pictures above the fireplace and Casey allows her self to take in the woman's natural beauty one blink at a time.
Alex catches that feeling of being watched once again and she turns way from the mantle, only to be met with a pair of familiar emerald green eyes that she hasn't seen in quite some time now. Her mouth falls ajar for a brief moment before her voice comes out in a harsh whisper. "Oh-oh my god…" she whispers as her eyes widen and her heart stops for a brief moment. She actually feels a little feint and she has to clutch onto the mantle to keep from tipping over.
The two women stand stock still for the longest of times and just stare into each other's eyes, as if their eyes alone are speaking about a thousand and one words all on their own. It's almost as if no words need to be spoken at all because their eyes seem to be doing it all for them.
"Alex…" Casey whispers as she takes a seat on the sofa still feeling like all of this is just another one of her surreal dreams that she is going to wake up from any moment now. Her breath hitches briefly when the blonde joins her on the sofa and she immediately falls prey to the familiar scent of Alex's perfume. "It's been awhile…"
"It has…it's been eight years." Alex begins as she swallows the lump in her throat before she looks away. "Eight long years…how…how have you been?"
Casey smiles at the statement and she drapes her arm over the back of the sofa before she involuntarily moves closer. "I-I've been well…great actually. You?" she asks, immediately regretting her question as she catches sight of the expensive wedding ring sitting on the blonde's finger when she reached up to place a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear. "I see you're married…"
Alex quickly drops her hand as her gaze falls on the ring once again. "Oh…yes…I'm married." she murmurs quietly. "I tried to get my wife to join us for lunch, but my wife is always so busy and she-"
"No, no, that's quite alright. I'm sure that we can…we can meet some other time." Casey cuts in quickly before she takes another deep breath, unable to stop her heart from continuing to swell. In all honesty, it takes every thing in her for the words 'I love you and I've never stopped' not to leave her lips, but she knows that it is much too soon for that. "You look amazing. I love how you let your hair grow out since the last time that I saw you it was just above your shoulders."
"Thanks." Alex whispers bashfully as she involuntarily runs her fingers through her hair that now falls well past her shoulders. "Abbie…she likes it long like this."
"Abbie?"
"M-my wife…"
Casey quietly sucks in a great amount of air as she wipes her hands on her pants. "Right…your wife…" she repeats quietly to her self before she shakes her head and her smile returns. "So…do you want to tell me what's been going on with you? How life has been?"
Meanwhile, Serena and Kim keep repetitively poking their heads in and out of the living room to see how things are going and they notice just how lost in each other the two women see. As much as they feel like they should speak up and say something, neither of them can bring her self to do so.
"Look at that. Gosh, this really was a bad idea, wasn't it? I mean, Alex is married for heaven's sake!" Serena exclaims quietly as she begins pacing the length of the kitchen. "Oh gosh, I hope this doesn't backfire."
"What I can't understand is why she didn't come back after the war." Kim mumbles shaking her head after she has had everything explained and cleared up for her. "You know? I mean, if you love somebody so much that you would do anything for them, why didn't you come back for them?"
"That's what I've been trying to figure out." Serena replies with a headshake of her own before she pokes her head back into the living room, seeing just how close the two women are now sitting. "Lunch is ready!"
Alex pauses mid sentence as she hears her best friend's voice calling for lunch to be ready. "I guess that's our queue to head into the dinning room." she says quietly as a blush appears on her cheeks when she realizes just how deeply Casey is staring at her.
Casey breaks her gaze and clears her throat as if to bring her self back to reality. "You're right…" she responds as she stands up from the couch and offers Alex her hand. "Maybe when we've finished lunch, I could show you around my house? It's just right next door."
Alex hesitates for a moment before she takes the hand that is being offered to her. It's almost as if a jolt of electricity flows through her body at the skin on skin contact as she finds her self blushing even more. "I'd like that yes." She responds quietly as she allows her self to be lead into the dinning area. All she can do is hope and pray that her wife doesn't call any time soon.
Hmmm….leave your thoughts?
