A/N: Thanks to all of you for your patience. I am nearing the end of some life-stuff here. So updates should hopefully be more plentiful and frequent as we near the end of this story.

"They say it's calmest before the storm. It isn't calm before the storm. Stuff happens."

A couple years ago...

"So I had a great time," Maya said, with a sweet smile at Emily's doorstep.

"Yeah, yeah... me too," Emily agreed, taking a step back, where Maya had taken one forward toward her.

"You think you'd want to go out again?"

Emily smiled with her lips closed and nodded. "Yeah, of course. I should get in though. My parents will wonder where I am."

"Okay, well," Maya stepped in and gave Emily a stiff hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you Monday at school then. I had a great time... well... bye." She gave a weak wave as she walked off towards her house.

Emily watched her go and blew out a drawn breath. As soon as Maya was out of sight, Emily made her way to a nearby park in hopes of clearing her mind.

"Mom, seriously, you don't need to stay in here the whole time," Paige fidgeted on her bed as her peritoneal dialysis machine whirred next to her. "I'm almost done, then I am going to sleep."

Nicole sat up in the chair next to Paige's bed, pulling a blanket up. "I'm fine, honey. I just want to be here if anything goes wrong."

Paige opened her mouth to protest, but the words died before they left her tongue. Paige recently had a scare with a drastic drop in blood pressure. Now, the small amounts of freedom her mom had previously afforded her were gone.

Emily sat in the empty park, swaying weakly on a swing, more lost in her thoughts than interested in enjoying the swing. She had come out to her friends and her parents. She risked friendships and family to be who she really was... and whatever she was hoping to feel when she went out on her first date with a girl wasn't there.

She found Maya physically attractive. She was sure she liked girls. She was sure she liked Maya. But whatever earth-moving thing she was sure she was supposed to feel... just wasn't there.

Emily sighed and looked up to night sky, hoping to figure out who she was. She poked around the woodchips on the ground with the toe of her shoe and leaned her head on the swing.

What if she wasn't gay and it was just a phase? What if she told everyone she was gay and now they think she was just doing it for attention? Emily pumped her legs and swung higher and higher and higher until she felt like she was almost level with the swing set's cross bar.

Paige put her book face down on the nightstand and wrapped up the evening's dialysis session. Her mom looked comfortably asleep in the chair in the corner of the room. Paige quietly got out of bed, grabbed a pair of shoes, walked out of her room and gently shut the door behind her. She needed to get out of the house.

Emily was getting some serious air on the swing. Like the kind of air that would have made schoolyard kids go "ohhh" and "ahhh" about.

"Ok, Fields. Stick the landing and you're really gay and your dream girl will materialize in this very park."

Emily hyped herself up to jump off the swing and when she swung forward and reached the maximum height, she let go and savored the fraction of a second in zero gravity. She landed with both feet on the ground, knees bent.

"Yes!" she said to herself. "Definitely gay," she said looking around. "But no dream girl." Emily shrugged and checked the time on her phone. When she realized how late it was, she made her way home.

The swing was still swaying when Paige walked up and grabbed the seat. "Hello?" She asked outloud, looking around to see if anyone was still in the park. Without thinking much about it, she sat down and started kicking her legs to get some height. Paige enjoyed the fresh air and the darkness and the sounds of no medical equipment. She knew she could only be out of the house for a few minutes, so she savored it. For some reason, she felt more at peace than she thought she would.

Present Day...

Paige clicked Emily's bedroom door shut. "I need to talk to you about something."

Emily perked up a little at Paige's tone, motioning for Paige to join her on the bed. Paige gently sat down and kept her gaze down, not wanting to look Emily in the eyes just yet.

"What is it?" Emily asked, her voice expressing her concern.

"Nothing, really. I just want to be honest with you about some stuff," Paige responded with a smile. Paige opened her mouth to start talking, but couldn't find the words. "Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought."

Emily reached over and put her hands on top of Paige's, hoping to calm her down.

"Ok, um.. do you remember how I told you my dad was sick and died a few years ago?"

Emily nodded, trying to piece together what Paige was going to say ahead of time.

"Well, he had chronic kidney disease, which I also have. I am doing okay now, but it's a big part of my life and I just didn't want to be dishonest with you about that."

Emily barely let Paige finished before she enveloped her in a tight hug. "Thank you for telling me that. I know that must have been really hard."

Paige smiled and hugged Emily back.

Emily broke away and continued to hold onto Paige's hands, looking at them and playing with Paige's fingers. "Would it be ok if I ask home dumb questions? I don't know very much about health stuff. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want."

"You can ask me whatever you want," Paige gave Emily a small smile and nudged her a little.

"It's just... well, you said you were okay 'now'."

"Yes."

"Well, that leads me to believe there was a time when you weren't."

Paige shrugged slightly. "I was pretty sick for a few years, but that's all in the past. I got a donation and..."

"A donation? Like a kidney donation?"

"Yes, it helped so much. I mean, there are some complications but compared to before the transplant it's like, nothing."

Emily listened and had to stop herself from hugging Paige a second time. She just wanted to be physically close to her, wanted to be wrapped up by her and wanted to wrap her up. She felt that before, but even moreso knowing she could have lost her before she even knew her. Emily got chills at the thought.

She stared at Paige in the eyes for a few seconds after she finished talking, and before she could stop herself, she said, "I want to know everything about you."

"Paige Marie McCullers, 17, aries, likes cheesy old movies and long walks on the beach..."

Emily let out a small laugh and pushed Paige lightly. "You won't find a lot of beaches in central Pennsylvania."

"You're right about that."

"I, um... one day, I'd like to talk to you about when you were sick and how you got through it. But, to be completely honest, I don't think I could stand to hear you talk about it right now. Just hearing you say what you said... it scared me more than I can describe... I just, I got chills just thinking about it."

Paige put her arm around Emily's shoulder and hugged her to her side. "I'm happy to talk whenever you'd like. But I understand you not wanting to hear about it. I'd be the same way if it were you. And, you know, I'd really like to hear more about your dad. I know he must be hard for you to talk about. But he was important to you. So if you ever want to talk about it, I'd like to hear."

Emily tilted her head up for a light kiss and smiled. "Thanks, Paige. But today, I would prefer to marathon watch some tv show or movies and not think about anything for a while."

"That works too," Paige smiled.

Emily flipped on the TV, choosing the Food Network without much of a second thought.

Paige snickered a little under her breath. "What's so funny?" Emily asked, looking at Paige from the corner of her eye.

"Nothing, I was just thinking of something Hanna said before I came here. I told her I was coming over to watch a movie and she said that was just code for making out with the TV on."

"Ughh," Emily sighed.

"What?" Paige's eyebrow raised slightly.

"I just hate when Hanna's right," Emily gave Paige a smile as she turned towards her.

xxxxxxxx

"This is the most bored any person has ever been since the beginning of time. I am experiencing that level of boredom," Paige's science lab partner, Carmen, muttered as Paige examined slides in their microscope.

"Well, thanks."

"YOU aren't boring, science is boring."

Paige laughed a little and jotted down the stage of the cell cycle in her notebook.

"I think it's anaphase, but it might be metaphase. You look."

"Oh my god, Paige, do you not hear how boring of a sentence that is?"

"Boring or not, we have 20 of these slides to get through before the end of class and I just want to finish."

Carmen rolled her eyes and looked in the microscope. "It's anaphase."

"Thanks," Paige mumbled as she changed out the slide.

"Hey, are you doing anything after school?"

Paige shrugged, "I don't know. Why?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to work on the assignment together. Maybe get some food?"

Paige considered the offer and thought for a second. "Could I ask my friend Emily to come too?"

Carmen dropped her stare and shrugged, a little irritated. "Sure, I guess."

"Cool, I'll let you know before last period. I think this one is prophase."

"Fantastic," Carmen mumbled.

As class ended, Paige got her things together quickly and made her way across the hall to Emily's classroom. She managed to get there just as Emily was making her way out.

"Hey," Paige grinned, grabbing Emily's textbook from the other girl's hands. "Where's your next class?"

Emily blushed slightly at Paige's simple kind gesture. "Two halls down. You don't have to walk me if it's out of your way."

Paige waved it off, following Emily in the direction of her class. "A friend from class asked if I wanted to get food after school and I said I'd ask if you wanted to go. We'll probably do a little homework, if you have some you want to get done."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, absolutely. That sounds great. We can talk more about it at lunch?"

"Sure," Paige agreed and stopped awkwardly in front of Emily's classroom. Unsure of how to leave, Paige gave Emily a tight hug. Emily gripped onto the bottom of Paige's t-shirt, even after they separated. Emily briefly wondered if it would be too forward to suggest skipping class to makeout in a bathroom.

"Your book," Paige handed the thick textbook back over to Emily. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit."

"Yeah, see you!" Emily waved, and then immediately regretted waving. Who waves? What an absolute dork. No one waves. But then Paige offered a small wave back and that's when Emily was sure she was in love. Well, maybe not love, but something really close to it. Because when you do something that makes you feel like a complete dork and someone you really like does the exact same thing, it's hard not to fall in love.

Emily considered all of this later as she made her way to gym class. Hanna was in that class with her, and she wanted to get her best friend's take on everything going on in her head.

After the two of them were changed and tasked with "playing volleyball" - which just meant standing on a volleyball court, or walking around the track, Emily took Hanna aside.

"Do you think it's weird to be in love with someone when you've only known them for a little while?"

Hanna quit picking at her cuticles and looked up at Emily. "Are you asking for any specific reason, or are you just making super serious, random conversation?"

"It's Paige. It's weird. I mean, I really like her. And she's kind of perfect. And so pretty. And she plays music. And she smells really good. And she's always warm somehow. Like every time I hug her, she's warm. And she played guitar over the weekend and her hands were just like so - ok, that's besides the point, Hanna. She's just.. everything about her is perfect. And today she walked me to class and I waved goodbye and I felt like an idiot, because who waves? And then she waved too. And... her hands were really sexy and her hips. Stop asking me about her hands, Hanna!"

"Jesus, Emily, exhale. You're just sucking in oxygen at this point and I am not sure you're even making sense."

"So, we're dating."

"I know."

"And she told me about how she was sick... before. I know you know."

Hanna nodded slowly, unsure how much Emily knew, and not wanting to tip her hand.

"And it just made me like her even more. Everything I learn about her makes me want to learn more. And I've been away from her for like 90 minutes today and all I can think about is how my cell phone is in my gym locker and I wonder if she texted me."

"Wow," Hanna said slowly.

"Yeah, so you see my problem."

"I don't see a problem."

"You don't?"

"Pft. So you love someone? I say good for you. It may have taken you by surprise, but who cares? Enjoy it."

"Do you think I should tell Paige?"

"I'd maybe wait? You know, until you've known her for more weeks than you can count on two hands. But that's just me."

xxxxxxxxxx

"Paige, hey!" Carmen called Paige and Emily over to a booth she had saved for them after school. They were in a nearby pizza shop that was popular at their high school.

"Hey Carmen, this is Emily. Emily, this is Carmen, my lab partner," Paige introduced.

Emily greeted her with a genuine smile, and was met with a tight-lipped nod from the other girl. Carmen scooted over in her booth to make room for Paige, but she chose to sit on Emily's side.

"So, you guys were going to study?" Emily asked, hoping to ease some of the tension she felt coming from Carmen. "I have some homework to do too, so I'll just read that while you guys work. I don't want to disturb."

Paige shot Emily a subtle smile and moved her hand on top of Emily's. Both were resting their hands on the booth, out of sight from anyone else.

Emily knew that one little action would make it impossible for her to focus on anything else for the next hour. Paige's hands were... just perfect. Soft and slender and they fit like a missing puzzle piece into her own. Emily was lost in a world of metaphors about linking hands and wasn't paying too much attention to her homework, or to Paige and Carmen's conversation.

She was brought back to her senses when the pizza arrived for the table and Paige removed her hand to grab a slice for both of them. Emily immediately missed the contact and likened it to being unplugged from a generator. Like someone flipped off the lights. To get some of the contact back, she put her hand on Paige's leg.

Emily took a bite of her pizza and thought how pitiful she must seem. She honestly hated not touching Paige for even just a second. She missed it. She wanted that contact back instantly. Just when she thought Paige must think Emily was being obsessive and overwhelming, Paige grabbed Emily's hand and gave it a little squeeze.

Emily tried to focus on her history text book, but she ended up re-reading the same sentence about 40 times as she felt Paige's thumb drawing little circles on her hand.

She spent a second looking over at Paige and couldn't help but smile again.

She was so beautiful. Just the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

Emily was roused from her thoughts when she heard Carmen suggest she and Paige get together over the weekend. While Emily and Paige didn't have plans, Emily assumed they'd get together at some point. And more than that, she didn't like the idea of Paige hanging out with some other pretty girl without her. That was stupid, Emily knew. Paige liked her, and she trusted Paige, and Paige could hang out with who ever she wanted. But still, it didn't sit right.

Paige looked over from Carmen to Emily, back to Carmen. "Um, maybe? I'm not sure if Emily and I have plans yet."

"Oh?" Carmen looked expectantly at Emily, like she was somehow responsible for answering.

"I mean, I can do Saturday or Sunday. I can make plans around whatever you guys want to do," Emily answered, wondering if Paige could read her real thoughts.

Paige gently squeezed Emily's hand and shrugged at Carmen. "Maybe we can just do another study session after school some time next week?"

"Sure, yeah, that works too. Ok, well, I have to get home," Carmen announced, tossing some cash on the table and heading out.

Emily crinkled her nose slightly as she watched the other girl leave.

"What?" Paige asked.

"She likes you," Emily said as if it were obvious.

"Carmen?" Paige asked, genuinely unaware.

"Um, yes. Her."

"Oh. I don't think so."

"Paige, it's fine. I'm not mad or anything. It's cute. I mean, you ARE likeable. I speak from experience."

"I mean, we're just lab partners. I don't think she sees me like that."

"I kind of felt like she thought this was a date. Did she ask you to come out?"

"She suggested it, but I thought it was just a study thing. I won't hang out with her again if it makes you uncomfortable."

Emily laughed a little and gave Paige a quick kiss on the cheek, something she had been dying to do all day. "You can hang out with who ever you want."

"Well, I think Carmen is a fine person, but I don't want to see her if that's her train of thought. Because well..."

"Well?" Emily asked with en eyebrow raised.

"I'm kinda taken," Paige said, poking Emily in the stomach playfully for emphasis. "And random people from school are just fine if they want to hang out or study, but I don't want to be around people who expect more than that."

"You really didn't pick up on the fact that she likes you?" Emily asked, trying and failing to surpress her grin.

"I still don't believe that YOU like me," Paige admitted earnestly.

"Well, believe it," Emily emphasized her point with a sweet kiss. As she closed her eyes to deepen it, one thought trickled in her mind, 'Definitely Love'.