Maggie pulled the car up into the driveway, parking it up beside Alex's car. She reached for the doughnut she'd wrapped up in a napkin and got out of the car. She looked down the driveway, seeing a tall, dark haired woman was standing there. "Can I help you?" The woman stared at her for a moment before she walked away quickly. Maggie exhaled lightly, thinking that was a little weird, as she walked up into the house. She put her coat up onto the hook then locked the door and walked down to the living room, finding Alex laying across the couch, her eyes closed as the blue and grey check blanket was half on her, half fallen onto the floor. She put the doughnut onto the coffee table then leaned down in front of the couch. "Alex," Maggie lightly nudged her shoulder. "Sweetie."

"Mmm," Alex stretched her arms out before she rubbed her eyes, sitting herself up. "If I woke you up you'd kill me." Alex murmured as she rearranged the blanket around herself, Maggie siting down next to her.

"Not going to deny that," Maggie murmured. "But you know, you were taking up the whole of the couch." Maggie noted, her lips curling into a grin.

"There are two arm chairs and a foot rest that you could have sat your little self on." Alex replied, before she leaned her head onto her wife's shoulder, Maggie wrapping her arm around Alex, gently rubbing at her upper arm.

"But then I wouldn't get to sit next to my gorgeous Mrs," Maggie told her, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "You want to go be bed?"

"No, I just needed 5 minutes," Alex yawned. "You are going to get your dinner and we are going to watch more of The Sinner," Alex said, reminding Maggie of the plans they had for when she got home from work. "What's that?" Alex pointed to the wrapped up doughnut that was sitting on the table.

"Oh, I brought this home for you." Maggie reached over for it and handed it to her.

Alex opened the napkin up, seeing an Oreo Cookies and Kreme doughnut. "Aww well aren't you a little sweetheart." Alex looked around to her, giving her a smile.

"I try to be," Maggie murmured before Alex gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "How was Emmi's day?" Maggie questioned. It was already past Emmi's bedtime, so she was tucked up in bed and fast asleep before Maggie had returned home.

"Yeah fine," Alex answered, swallowing a bite of her doughnut. "Watched The Little Mermaid again," Alex said, Maggie not looking the least bit surprised. "Kara was over for dinner, so she was pleased about that. Didn't just have boring Mummy to chat with."

"You are not boring, and Emmi would never think that," Maggie told her, Alex giving her a little smile as ate more of the doughnut Maggie had brought her. "You are simply the best." Maggie murmured.

Alex scrunched her face up. "What are you being so cheesy for?" Alex questioned.

"I can't compliment my wife?" Maggie replied, her head tilting slightly.

"Mmm I guess so." Alex murmured.

Maggie smiled lightly at her. She decided not to tell Alex about the Lilian thing until she knew for sure. She didn't want to worry her if she didn't need to, especially because Alex didn't only have herself to think about. "Well, I'll go get my dinner then we can watch The Sinner," Maggie stood up from the couch. "You want anything?"

"Uhm," Alex ate the last of her doughnut. "Just a glass of water," Alex answered. "Oh, and maybe a sandwich."

"Sure," Maggie looked back down to her. "What do you want on it?" Maggie was a little scared to ask. Alex was craving some weird combinations lately.

"Uh...potato chips. The flamin' hot lays that's there," Alex answered. "With chocolate spread and jam." Alex told her, and Maggie scrunched her face up, thinking it sounded horrible.

"Alex, that sounds disgusting." Maggie pulled a face of disgust.

"Well I am not asking you to eat it," Alex retorted. "I'm only asking you to make it."

"I guess so," Maggie murmured. "Well, I'll be back soon." Maggie said as she walked through to the kitchen to get her dinner and to make Alex her sandwich.


Ava had gone back to the Police Headquarters but had been told by the woman that she still hadn't found an officer Rodas. She wanted to burst into tears at the thought of spending another night on the streets. She wanted to ask this woman for help, but she was scared she'd call her Father. He probably didn't care given that he'd kicked her out of the house, but she didn't want to risk it. She thought that she should have maybe stayed with a friend for a few days, tried to find Margarita before she actually got to National City, but then what if she didn't want to help her. What if she had no interest in her. She thanked the woman anyways then left the building, thinking that at least it wasn't as cold as it was it was the previous night. She walked slowly until she found a small hotel. She walked inside, seeing it needed a paint job, but it looked decent enough and she'd be able to get herself a bed for the night. "Hello, can I help you?" The man on the reception desk asked.

"I was looking for a room, for a night or two." Ava told him.

"Just a standard single?" The man asked.

Ava nodded. "Whatever is cheapest." Ava put her hands into the pocket of her hoodie as the man checked the computer. She looked around the room for a moment, biting her lip.

"Okay, if you can just fill this out for me," The man handed her a sheet. She jotted down her name, date of birth, then saw her home address. She gulped, looking up to him then back to sheet. It wasn't like he'd do anything with it, Ava gathered so she jotted down his address in Nebraska. "And a signature there," The man said, Ava signing her name. "You traveling by yourself?" He asked as he glanced at her age.

"Just traveling through. Meeting up with some family later." Ava lied, sort of.

He looked at her for a moment, before nodding his head, taking the sheet of paper from her and grabbing a key from the board. "Room 7. Up the stairs and on your right," He told her. "Rooms are $40 a night. Payment is on check-out but I do need a deposit of some sort," He said. "A passport or ID card. Credit or Debit card copy."

"Uhm," Ava gulped again. "I lost my purse. Left it…I dunno...somewhere, obviously," Ava hated lying but she had no choice right now. "I've to go back to the station tomorrow. Hopefully someone will have handed it in."

"Well that's unfortunate." He said, Ava nodding lightly.

"But once I meet with my family I'll get money and be able to pay," Ava told him. "So, you don't have to worry about that." Ava could feel her heart beating faster. All she wanted was a warm place to sleep. A bed. It didn't even have to be that comfy. And a shower. A shower would be nice. Maybe a bath. That would be even nicer.

"I see. Well, I'll let you get up to your room then," He told her, giving her a smile. "You uhm, you hand the key in to reception if you got out. Breakfast is included in the room rate and is served between 7 and 10 through those doors there."

"Thank you," Ava gave him a smile before she went up the stairs and found her room. The room was pretty basic, but it had a bed and that was all that Ava cared about. She kicked off her vans and pulled her socks off before she took her backpack from her back. She sat down on the bed and opened her bag, pulling out her phone and its charger. She plugged it into the wall and left it on the bedside table. She'd ran out of battery before she was even half way to National City. Soon enough her phone was buzzing with messages and missed calls from Kate, her best friend. She sighed lightly, the only person she wanted to message her hadn't. At least not yet. She ignored the messages for now and walked through to the bathroom. She put the plug into the bath and started running the water. There was little tubs of shower gel and shampoo and conditioner on the edge of the tub, so at least she'd be able to get a wash. She put a little bit of the shower gel under the running water, hoping it would make a little bit of bubbles in her bath. She walked back through to the bedroom and pulled out the half-drunken bottle of mountain dew, taking a drink, leaving it sitting on the bedside table. She took out the clean clothes from her bag. She didn't get a chance to get much in amongst the yelling. She grabbed a clean set of underwear, another pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a zip up hoodie, but that's all she was able to get before he'd grabbed her and forced her out of the house. She pulled the vitamins out of the bag. She hated that she had to steal and hoped she could one day take the money to the shop for the man, as well as paying the hotel man, but for now, it was just something she needed to do. She opened the box and took out a vitamin and popped it into her mouth, before taking another drink, washing it down. She took off her hoodie, t-shirt and bra, before unzipping her jeans and pulling them from her body, leaving them in a heap on the floor. She walked back through to the bathroom, pulling her panties down then slipping into the bath. It was still a little shallow, so she let the water continue to run, wanting her bath a little deeper. She exhaled as her hand went down to her stomach, rubbing over it lightly. "Ahh, what am I going to do?" Ava murmured, feeling her eyes welling up with tears.


Alex, Maggie and Emmi were enjoying breakfast together. These were Emmi's favourite mornings, when she got to have breakfast with both of her Mums. She'd requested pancakes again but had been quickly told no from the both of them, so she'd settled for toast and cereal, with an apple juice to wash it down. "Mama remember I have swimming after school," Emmi told her. "Don't forget my kit."

"Auntie Kara is picking you up from school and taking you to swim class today." Maggie told her.

"Why?" Emmi wondered.

Because I gotta work a little later today," Maggie said. She usually picked her up from school and took her to swim class, but today she needed to stay later at work so wouldn't be able too. Emmi frowned lightly. She liked it best when Maggie took her to swim class. It was kind of their thing. "It's only this one week, sweet girl."

"We have a competition soon. You better not miss that." Emmi said, looking at Maggie before looking at Alex then back to Maggie. It was going to be the first competition that Emmi was competing in, so it was important that both her Mums were to see her.

"We will both there," Alex assured her, and Emmi smiled as she put the last piece of her toast into her mouth. Emmi loved swimming which fit in well with her great liking for fish and mermaids. "You finished?" Alex questioned, and Emmi nodded as she gulped down the rest of her apple juice. "Okay, got get your swimming stuff ready. And don't forget your swim cap this week." Alex said.

"I won't." Emmi jumped down from the chair and ran out of the kitchen, Alex and Maggie both hearing her thumping up the stairs.

Alex took a drink of her apple juice before glancing at Maggie. She stared at her, twisting her lip. "What?" Maggie questioned. "Have I got something on my face or something?" Maggie wiped her hand over her cheek.

"No," Alex shook her head. "I just….have you felt like….I dunno, I just.…" Alex pursed her lips and Maggie waited for her to keep talking and tell her what she was going to say.

"Please, go on." Maggie said when Alex took too long to reply.

"I dunno," Alex shrugged. "I kinda feel like someone has been watching me lately," Alex pursed her lips. "Have you felt anything weird like that?"

"Uh," Maggie rubbed the back of her head. "There was someone hanging around the bottom of the driveway when I came home from work last night," Maggie said, giving a little shrug. "I asked her if I could help her and she quickly left," Maggie scrunched her face a little. "Have you noticed someone or?"

"Kind of. Maybe," Alex shrugged. "I thought I saw someone the other night but that could have just been the lady from across the road," Alex clicked her tongue. "But then yesterday when I picked up Emmi from school, I just….I felt like there was someone there, you know?" Alex sighed lightly. She was probably making something out of nothing, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Well it was the end of school," Maggie reminded her. "I'm sure there was plenty people there picking up their kids."

Alex tilted her head to the side. "Someone not there for a child." Alex told her crossly.

"Well," Maggie shrugged. "I don't know, Alex. You are probably just being paranoid." Maggie couldn't really think of why someone would be watching them.

"Okay." Alex murmured as she picked up the dishes from the table, Maggie grabbing what she couldn't and following her over to the dishwasher, the pair of them loading it up in silence.

"I got everything." Emmi came back into the kitchen, her coat on and her school bag on her back as she had her swimming bag in her hand.

Alex looked around and walked over to where Emmi was standing by the door, leaving Maggie to finish loading the dishwasher. She took the swimming bag from her and opened it. "Towel, goggles, swimming costume, hairbrush and swim cap. Awesome, all there." Alex closed the bag again and smiled at her daughter.

"Remember to give it to Auntie Kara." Emmi told her hold.

"I will," Alex gave a little laugh. "Right, I best get you to school and get to work." Alex said, looking around to Maggie as she walked over them.

"See you later," Maggie ruffled Emmi's hair before looking to Alex. "Be safe." Maggie told her, leaning up and kissing her cheek.

"You too. See you tonight." Alex answered, ushering Emmi out of the room and down the hall. She grabbed her coat from the hook before opening the door, Emmi running off outside as Alex grabbed her keys then left the house. She opened the back door of her car and Emmi jumped up into her seat, throwing her school bag on the floor of the car. Alex put her swimming back down beside it then closed the door and got into the driver's side and started up the ignition before putting on her seatbelt and reversing out of the drive, heading off in the direction of Emmi's school.

The woman watched from the end of the street. She pulled the little device from her back pocket and flipped it open. She keyed in the number then waited for a moment as it was looking for a connection. "Hi," She said as a face appeared at the other side. "She's here. I've found her."


Thoughts? :)