A/N: Sorry for the delay. Thank you all for your kind reviews and messages, as well as the follows and favorites. You all seem to be enjoying it and for that I am glad. This is a bit longer than usual but I wanted to cover both Christmas & New Year's. There will be a small time jump in the next chapter but not much, about a month. As always I don't own anything except my own characters. Again, a shout out to Little Miss Nicap who had the idea for this story. I know I would've never come up with this on my own. To anyone who is curious yes she knows the general premise of the story and we do bounce ideas back and forth but she is in the dark about the majority of this story just as everyone else is. Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 10
Monday evening Emily and Rachel sat in the brunette's car just outside Janet's house. Her boss had invited her for a small Christmas party and had told her to bring Rachel along. "So…are we gonna sit in the car all evening?" Rachel asked.
Emily looked over and grinned but took a deep breath "No. Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?"
Emily motioned between them then pointed at the house "Us going together. I mean there will be people from work there."
"I'm fine with it. Are you?" suddenly a little nervous about how Emily may feel about them going together.
Emily smile now "I'm okay with it I just wanted to make sure you were. I mean we've been out in public together but we haven't done anything like this."
"Well," Rachel said as she leaned over for a light kiss "Let's get this show on the road."
They walked to the door hand in hand, Emily carrying the gifts she had purchased for the kids. They were welcomed in by Janet and all three shared small talk in the entryway before entering the living room to join the rest of the guests. Rachel was just about to accept a drink when a high pitched squeal stopped her.
"Rachel!" Josie shouted as she ran across the room and crashed into the blonde's legs.
"Hey Josie." Rachel laughed as she reached down for a hug but instead had to pick the little girl up.
"You come to our party!" Rachel was about to answer but was quickly cut off "Santa gonna come tomorrow night. We gonna get a lot of presents!"
"I know you will because you have been such a good girl." She laughed as listened to the little girl rattle on about Christmas.
Emily stood back and watched the exchange. She wondered why Rachel had spent so long working at a hospital when she was so good with children. 'She would make a great Mom.' Emily thought then shook the thought from her mind as she wondered how it had crept in there. They had only been dating a few weeks it was far too soon to be thinking things like that. Deciding that if she didn't step in Rachel would never get the drink she was holding for her.
"Hey Josie."
"Hi Emily!"
"I brought a gift for you and your brother. Your Mom put them under the tree."
"Thank you!" she shouted as she wiggled her way from Rachel's arms and ran over to where her brother was getting both gifts out.
Emily handed the glass of wine to the blonde "You're welcome."
Rachel laughed "You gotta love her though."
They mingled for a bit with other guests, Emily introducing Rachel to a couple of people she worked with and Janet introducing them both to friends of hers. Rachel loved how even though when they were on opposite sides of the room they were still somehow able to catch one another's eye. She had just returned from the bathroom when she looked up and caught sight of Emily talking to an older woman. The brunette was wearing a pair of black slacks and a red sweater, her hair curled lightly. Rachel still couldn't get over the fact that someone so beautiful would give her a second glance. She watched as Emily turned and met her gaze a bright smile lighting up her face. Rachel felt her heart beat just a little faster and had to smile. She walked over and placed her hand on the small of Emily's back, her smile growing wider when she felt Emily's arm wrap around her own waist.
They continued to talk for a bit longer before deciding to call it an evening. Rachel put her coat on and held Emily's out for her to put on.
"I'm so glad you both came." Janet said as she stood in the hallway with the pair.
"Oh thank you for inviting us." Emily replied.
"Yes thank you." Rachel said.
They were interrupted when Janet's kids entered the hall to thank Emily for their gifts. Josie hugged Emily then held her arms in the air indicating she wanted Rachel to pick her up. "Bye munchkin." Rachel said as she hugged the girl.
"Bye Rachel." Josie said as she hugged her back. She pulled back and looked at Emily then back to Rachel "Is she your girlfriend?"
Both blushed slightly. "Well…um…" Rachel was a little unsure as to how to answer the question.
Emily chuckled at the question and Rachel's response. She finally took pity on the blonde and leaned in close "Yes Josie, I'm her girlfriend."
Rachel looked over, her eyes wide. They had only been on a few dates and while she was hoping that she would eventually be able to call the brunette her girlfriend she was taken by surprise when Emily said she was. "Really?" she whispered.
Emily nodded and kissed her cheek lightly "Really."
Once back inside Emily's car Rachel looked over "So you're my girlfriend huh?"
Emily nodded "I know I want to be your girlfriend. I'm sorry if that was a bit presumptuous of me to say. I know we've not discussed it yet what we are exactly."
Rachel reached over and squeezed her hand "It wasn't presumptuous. I would love to be called your girlfriend and to call you my girlfriend. I know it's still early on but I really like you and, well…" she grew quiet for a moment as she thought about what would happen if the call came that she could return to LA. She quickly shook the thought from her mind and decided she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She smiled as she looked up and met Emily's expectant gaze "I can see this going somewhere."
Emily leaned in for a kiss, their lips moving slowly against one another, smiling into the kiss before pulling back "I see this going somewhere too."
Tuesday morning they met at a grocery store in their neighborhood to decide what they were going to have for their Christmas dinner. Emily had suggested maybe just ordering something from a restaurant but Rachel insisted they should try and cook their own. After much debating, and Emily reiterating the fact that she wasn't much of a cook, they settled on a small turkey breast and a few simple sides.
"Are you sure you can roast a turkey?" Emily asked as they stood in the checkout line.
Rachel looked back, pretending to be offended "I can roast a chicken. Actually roast chicken is one thing I make really well."
"Yes, but we're talking about a turkey not chicken."
"Yeah but they're both birds." She started unloading their cart onto the counter then looked up "Besides if you put a naked chicken next to a naked turkey you can't tell the difference."
Emily tilted her head and shook it slightly as the blonde laughed at her own joke "You're so funny."
"So I'll pick you up about four." Rachel said outside as they put the bags in her Jeep. When she didn't get a response she looked up "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Emily said as she stared at the traffic.
Rachel closed the back of the Jeep and turned to the brunette. She stepped closer and placed her hands on Emily's arms "Emily? Do you not want to go?"
Emily sighed and turned to face the woman in front of her. "No I want to go." Ina had invited them both to Christmas Eve dinner at her house that evening. "It's just…" she trailed off as she felt tears threatening. Her parents had been on her mind heavily over the last few days but of course she couldn't talk about that. "It's just my first Christmas in a different place and I always miss my Mom this time of year." She said as the tears finally spilled over. She felt Rachel's arms wrap around her and hold her close.
"Oh Emily." Rachel whispered into her ear and lightly ran her hand up and down her back.
They stayed that way for a couple minutes until Emily calmed down a bit. "I'm sorry." She said as she wiped her tears.
"Hey, don't apologize." Rachel said as she looked Emily in the eye "It's hard losing your Mom." While she wasn't as close to her Mom as Rachel was to hers it had still hurt when the Captain called her into his office to tell her that her Mom had died. Regardless of their relationship Serena was still her Mom and it still hurt to this day. "Are you sure you want to go this evening?"
Emily cleared her throat and smiled "I'm sure."
"Okay then, I'll see you at four." Rachel leaned in for a kiss that lingered when Emily held her tighter. When they finally parted Rachel blinked a couple times to gain her bearings and grinned "I'll…I'll see you this evening."
Later that evening as they sat on the sofa in Ina's living room Emily did her best to control her emotions. The older woman, along with her family, had been so warm and inviting in addition to providing a delicious dinner. It reminded Emily of holidays spent with her own family and how much she was missing them. She startled slightly when she became aware of Ina standing in front of her.
"Emily, honey, you have to try these cookies Rachel made."
Emily took a cookie from the tray and took a bite. She looked to her girlfriend, her eyes wide "I didn't know you could make cookies. These are delicious! Please tell me you're going to make these for tomorrow."
Rachel laughed "I made plenty today so don't worry."
"You two are just so cute." Ina said causing both women to blush slightly.
"I think so too." Rachel said as she looked at the woman beside her.
They stayed for a while longer, laughing and talking while Christmas music played in the background. As they were about to leave Emily was talking to Ina's daughter in law while Rachel got their coats.
"Ready?" Rachel asked as she stepped next to the brunette. Both looked around though when they heard Ina clear her throat. The older woman was grinning and pointed to the ceiling. Rachel and Emily looked up to see they were standing under the mistletoe.
Emily looked to Rachel who was blushing then grinned "Ah, what the hell." She pressed her lips to the blonde's in a quick kiss. "You're so cute when you blush." Emily whispered as she pulled back.
Rachel chuckled "So are you."
Christmas morning rolled around and both found they were having a little trouble getting out of bed. Rachel lay watching it snow outside, enjoying her first white Christmas but all the while thinking of her friends back in LA. Of course she would be working so Elliot could spend the day with his family but she would usually be able to spend the evening with them. She thought about Fin and the Captain since neither really had any family to speak of and wondered what they would be doing. She also thought about Casey and hoped that she was doing well. Her thoughts then turned to Emily and the new relationship she found herself in. Granted it had only been a couple weeks and they were still getting to know one another but she found that the brunette made her happier than she ever had been in a relationship. Emily was so kind, funny and thoughtful, it scared Rachel because she had never felt this way this early on. She was also worried about what would happen if they called her up and informed her she could return to LA. What would she do? If she was able to go home she would certainly want to go but where would that leave them. Long distance relationships rarely worked out. Would Emily be willing to move to LA? She was just starting over here Rachel doubted her girlfriend would want to move and start over somewhere else. She decided to push the thoughts from her mind since with each passing day she had the feeling she may never return home.
Emily glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was a little after nine and she was supposed to be at Rachel's at eleven but with each passing minute she found she was having more trouble getting up. She rolled back over and continued to stare out the window at the falling snow. She allowed her mind to drift to her family and what they might be doing. New York was an hour ahead of Wisconsin which meant it would be after ten am. If she were home she would be sitting in her parents' house enjoying a cup of her Mom's homemade hot chocolate. She had considered making some for herself on a few of the cold nights but couldn't bring herself to do so. Memories of Christmas past began flashing through her mind as she lay there. Images of she and her cousins as kids playing outside in the snow, the beautifully decorated tree sitting in the corner that her Dad always insisted had to be real. She could picture her Uncle Bill and her Dad discussing city politics and sports. Her Mom and her aunt in the kitchen preparing dinner while they caught up on the latest gossip. She wasn't even aware she had begun crying until she could feel the wet spot forming on the pillow. She pulled the corner of the sheet up and wiped her eyes but it did little to stop the flow of tears.
Emily lay there quietly for a few more minutes before picking up the phone and holding it in her hand. She didn't want to cancel on Rachel she had been looking forward to the day but now she didn't know if she could go through with it. She was just about to dial the blonde's number when the phone rang, Rachel's name displayed on the screen. She cleared her throat before answering "Hello?"
"Hey!" Rachel said.
"Hey."
Rachel could hear something in her girlfriend's voice and she was also pretty sure she had been crying. She chalked it up to Emily missing her Mom "Merry Christmas."
Emily could hear the smile in Rachel's voice and just picturing her smile made her mood lighten a bit "Merry Christmas."
"So I just wanted to call and make sure we're still on for today."
Emily sighed, she would love nothing more than to stay in bed all day but hearing the excitement in Rachel's voice she knew she couldn't cancel on her now "Of course we are. I was just about to get ready."
Rachel grinned "Okay I'll let you go. See you in a bit."
Just under an hour later Emily was standing at Rachel's door. She smiled when the door opened and she saw the blonde smiling back at her. She stepped inside "Merry Christmas."
Rachel closed the door then stepped close for a quick kiss "Merry Christmas."
"Mmm…Merry Christmas to you too."
After taking her coat off and settling in Emily reached into the bag she was carrying. She handed over a bottle of wine then shyly pulled out a small wrapped box. "I know we didn't really say anything about gifts but I saw it and I had to get it."
Rachel laughed "Thank you." she then reached over to the coffee table and handed Emily a box "Like you said, I just had to get it."
They sat down and unwrapped their gifts; a matching hat, scarf and gloves set for Rachel and a blue cashmere sweater for Emily. They leaned in for a thank you kiss that turned into a slow, lingering kiss. Emily slid her hand along Rachel's thigh, slowly circling until it was around her waist and lightly caressing her back through her shirt. Rachel sighed into the kiss as she felt Emily's hand on her back. She couldn't believe the things the brunette made her feel just by kissing her. She wondered what else Emily could make her feel but quickly shook the thought from her mind, it was too early to be thinking things like that. She wasn't ready let alone knowing if Emily was. She wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulder and pulled her closer.
Emily jerked slightly as Rachel's hand pressed into her shoulder, causing her to hiss as she pulled back.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked worriedly.
Emily took a deep breath and moved around a bit as the pain went away. She was still sore at times if she moved the wrong way or bumped into something. Never mind how the cold could make it hurt especially first thing in the morning. "My shoulder."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Emily grabbed her girlfriend's hands "Its okay I promise. You didn't know."
They sat quietly for a few minutes allowing Emily to recover. As she did so Rachel watched her and could tell there was something just beneath the surface. She wasn't sure if now was the time to ask but decided to give it a shot. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"
Emily blew out a breath before looking her in the eye "I'd rather not talk about it right now. Maybe later?"
"Sure."
Two hours later they stood looking at Rachel's dining room table. "Not bad for two people who aren't too great at cooking, huh?" Rachel asked as she lit a couple candles and took a seat at the end of the table. A spread of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. In addition to some leftover dessert from Ina.
Emily took a seat to her right and laughed "Not bad at all, but this was made by someone who isn't too great at cooking and someone who sucks at cooking."
"You don't suck." Rachel said as she squeezed Emily's hand. "You made the mashed potatoes and gravy and they look great." She took a bite and smiled "And it tastes delicious."
Emily rolled her eyes but had to laugh "They are instant potatoes and the gravy came from a jar. It's not like Julia Child fixed this dinner."
Rachel quickly kissed her cheek before going back to eating "Well I'd take this over something from Julia Child any day."
After lunch and cleaning up they settled in on couch to see what was on. "So is there anything in particular you would like to watch?"
Emily shook her head "I've always liked It's a Wonderful Life. I bet it will be on later."
Rachel checked the guide on the tv "It'll be on tonight. We can watch it if you want."
"Well I know you like A Christmas Carol is there anything else you would like to watch?"
A title caught her eye on the screen and Rachel began to smile "I used to love watching Miracle on 34th Street when I was a kid. Do you mind if we watch it?"
Emily shook her head no as she wondered if she could keep her emotions in check while watching. Here she was trying her best not to think of home and Rachel had just asked to watch a movie that was synonymous with New York and Christmas. She shifted and moved throughout the movie finally excusing herself to go to the restroom when she could no longer hold back her tears.
Rachel had carefully watched Emily throughout the afternoon and now the early evening and she couldn't turn off the detective part of her mind that the brunette was hiding something. She chalked some of it up to her missing her mother as she had admitted the day before. Even though she wasn't close to her own mother she was missing her. She also noticed more than once that Emily had been favoring her shoulder. She tried not to pry but did ask again if she was okay to which Emily said she was. They had decided to watch a choral program on the local access channel before starting the final movie of the evening.
Emily held the blanket up as Rachel returned from the kitchen with a plate of cookies and two cups of hot chocolate. She smiled as the blonde settled back in next to her and pulled the blanket back over them. As the choir wrapped up their program with Silent Night as much as she was missing her family Emily realized she hadn't felt so calm and at peace in ages as what she felt in that exact moment. She sat up slightly and turned to face the blonde "Can we talk?"
"Of course." She said as she turned the tv down and turned to face the other woman.
"Okay, so…you know how you asked about my shoulder earlier?" Rachel nodded. "Well there's something I need to tell you. I mean if this relationship continues like I hope it will you will eventually find out anyway but I'd like to tell you now."
Rachel placed her hand over Emily's that was resting on the back of the couch. "You can talk to me about anything."
"Okay." Emily blew out a breath "Remember how I told you about how I worked in a bank before I moved here?" Rachel nodded "Well, I was…" images from that night outside the bar began flashing through her mind and she had to take a deep breath to remain calm "I was shot."
Rachel's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped slightly "Shot? How?"
"The usual way." Emily said sarcastically in an effort to lighten the mood.
It took Rachel a second to catch on and she grinned as she ran her fingers along Emily's forearm "You're okay now though, right? I mean no lasting effects?"
Emily shook her head "I'm okay. I mean it still hurts from time to time depending on what I'm doing or if I sleep on it too long. The cold makes it hurt too."
"So were they like holding you up specifically or how did it happen? If you don't mind my asking."
Emily closed her eyes for a moment as she pictured the pages she had studied repeatedly. "We all stayed behind the counter. They had incapacitated the guard. We thought it was over they didn't take too much because we only had a couple teller windows open at the time. We thought we were going to get by without them firing any shots but one of them bumped into the counter knocking something off. I guess it startled the other guy and he fired his gun. It caught me in the shoulder. I guess it could've been worse."
Rachel was quiet for a moment. She had known there was something Emily was hiding she just didn't expect this. "I am so sorry that happened to you. It must've been awful."
"Painful would be the word I would use." She smiled halfheartedly at her attempted joke.
"I'm sure. I've seen gunshot wounds in my previous line of work." It wasn't a lie.
Emily shook her head and smiled "It's Christmas, enough bank robberies and gunshot wounds." She slid closer and snuggled further under the blanket "I was very much enjoying being curled up here with you watching movies." she leaned in for a heated kiss.
"I'm enjoying it too. I'm also enjoying this." She said as she leaned in for another kiss.
By the time It's a Wonderful Life ended both were barely awake. They were cuddled close together under the blanket, both leaning against the back of the couch and their feet propped on the coffee table and Rachel's arm around Emily as the brunette rested her head on her shoulder. There was a comfortable silence between the two and while neither knew it they were both thinking the same thoughts. The movie had them thinking about their lives, the lives they left behind, and how if their lives had not taken the drastic turn they had they never would've met.
"I really should get going." Emily whispered but made no initiative to move.
"It is getting late." Rachel replied. The question was on her lips but she knew it was too soon to ask. Not that anything would happen, she would gladly take the couch and give Emily her bed but she knew deep down it was still too soon. She wanted this one to work.
Emily sighed as she finally sat up and stretched. Part of her had hoped Rachel would ask her to stay but an even bigger part was glad she didn't. She knew it was too early in the relationship to be doing such things and she wanted to do this one right. For the first time in her life she could see herself in a relationship for the long haul.
They stood at the door, Emily already dressed for the cold night air, and held one another as they shared a long goodnight kiss. "I really like kissing you." Rachel mumbled against her girlfriend's lips.
"Mmm, I really, really like kissing you." she finally pulled back "But I have to go." She stepped out onto the porch "Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?" Rachel shook her head no "Want to spend it at my place?"
"Sounds great."
A week later Rachel pulled into Emily's driveway to start their New Year's Eve celebrating. It had begun snowing again likely to add another couple inches to the nearly foot of snow already on the ground. She had barely closed the door to her Jeep when she felt something hit her in the back. She turned to see Emily laughing hysterically while forming another snowball in her hand. While she knew she needed to be on defense she had to take a moment to take in Emily's outfit. She was wearing jeans and a black coat with yellow rain boots and a gray knit hat, she looked adorable. "Sneak attack? You play dirty Dawson!" Rachel leaned down and grabbed a handful of snow and began making her own snowball.
Emily continued to laugh "When it comes to snowball fights sometimes you have to play dirty!" she finished her sentence just as Rachel launched a snowball at her. Her laughter grew till she was struggling to catch her breath when Rachel fell while trying to throw another snowball. She rushed over to make sure she was okay but continued to laugh "Oh my God, are you okay?" When she saw Rachel's head pop up from behind a pile of snow she couldn't help but notice how cute the blonde looked in her cream knit cap with the two little tufts on top, the very one she bought her for Christmas.
"Yeah." Rachel groaned as she tried to get up but her feet were on a little patch of snow covered ice and no matter what she did she continued to slip "Damnit I can't get up!" she laughed which only made matters worse when it came to getting up.
"Here let me help you." Emily extended her hand but was of little use because she lost her balance and fell as she began pulling Rachel up.
They lay there in the snow in Emily's little front yard laughing hysterically. When they finally calmed down a bit Emily leaned in for a quick kiss "You look adorable in that hat."
"You look quite cute yourself."
They lay there for a few minutes simply staring at one another choosing to ignore the cold as it began seeping through their clothes. Rachel was about to make an attempt at getting up when Emily grabbed her arm "Let's make a snow angel."
"Huh?"
"A snow angel. Haven't you ever heard of that?"
"Yes I know what a snow angel is."
"Come on, let's make one." Emily said as she stood and moved over to an area of undisturbed snow. She held her arms out and fell backwards then began moving her arms and legs in a sweeping motion. "Come on!"
Rachel stepped just to her side and fell backwards mimicking her moves. When finished she stood and admired their work. "That's the first time I've ever done that."
"Well I'm glad I could share your first time."
"Well I'm glad I got to share it with you too." Rachel whispered as she leaned in for a kiss. It was short lived when the sound of a car door slamming startled them. They turned in time to see the pizza delivery that Emily had ordered.
The rest of the evening was spent sprawled out on the couch eating pizza and snacks while flipping through the channels watching bits and pieces of different New Year's Eve programs. As it grew later in the evening Rachel found herself lying on the couch with Emily half laying on top of her. The brunette had dozed off and Rachel decided to just enjoy the closeness and allow her to sleep for a little bit. She lightly ran her hand along Emily's arm but was mindful of the brunette's shoulder. She sighed and smiled when she felt Emily's arm wrap tighter around her waist. She forced thoughts of how she ended up here and what would happen if she was told she could return home from her mind. This was too wonderful a moment to think of such things.
Emily woke and had to stop herself from panicking when she felt the body she was curled around. However when she breathed in the scent of Rachel's perfume she immediately relaxed. "Sorry I fell asleep."
"It's okay. I was gonna make sure you were awake in plenty of time to ring in the New Year."
Emily nodded slightly. She looked down at where her hand was resting on Rachel's abdomen and couldn't help the bit of excitement she felt when she saw a tiny bit of olive toned skin peeking out from under Rachel's shirt. In an emboldened moment she carefully slipped her hand under Rachel's shirt. Feeling a slight shiver from the woman beneath her she wondered if she had made a mistake "Okay?"
"I'm good." Rachel replied as she willed her body to relax. When she felt Emily's fingers lightly move over her scar she looked down into questioning eyes. "From an accident."
"Care to share?" Emily asked as she rose up slightly so they could look eye to eye, her fingers still lightly moving over Rachel's skin.
"It happened at work. A patient came in one night, he was a paranoid schizophrenic, and he had a knife on him we didn't know about. One minute he was fine and the next he thought the doc was trying to kill him. I just happened around the corner at the wrong time and next thing I knew I had been stabbed." The images of what really happened flashed through her mind as she told her carefully crafted lie. Seeing the look of shock on Emily's face she shrugged "It could've been worse. They had to operate to stop some internal bleeding but that was it."
Emily leaned in for another kiss. "I'm glad you're okay. I hate to think I would've never met you."
Rachel felt a lump in her throat at the words "Same here baby, same here." She said as she pulled her back to her.
Their little make out session lasted longer than the previous one that evening but was cut short when Rachel saw it was almost eleven. Rachel refreshed their drinks and straightened up some of their mess while Emily excused herself upstairs briefly. They had watched the ball drop in Time's Square and since they were an hour behind the East coast were now waiting to watch a celebration from Chicago on a local channel. Little did Rachel know Emily had excused herself in order to get her emotions under control at watching her city celebrate the New Year.
"I grabbed each of us a soda, is that okay?" Rachel had limited herself to one beer knowing she would have to drive back home that night. There would be more than enough drunk drivers on the road, she didn't need to add herself to that crowd as well.
"That's fine."
Rachel turned to look over her shoulder and she was sure she stopped breathing when she saw Emily wearing a pair of brown, almost tortoise shell framed glasses. She swallowed a couple times to try and find her voice. How had she not known that Emily wore glasses? "Since when did you start wearing glasses?"
Emily chuckled at the expression on the blonde's face "Since forever. I guess staying up at night and reading by flashlight as a kid ruined my eyes. I usually wear contacts but every now and then I wear these. After falling asleep my contacts were hurting my eyes so I switched." Then deciding to tease "Do you not like them?" adding a slight pout.
Rachel reached out her hand and quickly pulled Emily down onto her lap causing her to squeal "Oh I like them…I like them a lot." She placed her hand on the back of Emily's head and pulled her in for a heated kiss. "It doesn't matter what you do you can't not look beautiful, can you?"
"You're good for my ego." She said with another kiss. They stayed that way, sharing kisses and looking at one another until they heard the countdown. When they could hear the cheers from the crowd, the music playing and the fireworks in the background their lips met in another kiss, this one slower but no less passionate. "Happy New Year baby." Emily whispered as she ran her fingers through Rachel's hair at the back of her neck.
"Happy New Year." Rachel replied as she lightly traced her fingers along Emily's jaw line.
They watched a little bit of the celebrations in Chicago before getting up and straightening up their mess from the evening. When finished Emily pulled Rachel to her and began to sway to the music coming from the radio they had been listening to. "I know you have to go but I want one dance."
"You got it."
They held one another close as they swayed to the music, Rachel's arms around Emily's shoulders while Emily's arms were around Rachel's waist. After a couple songs Rachel regrettably pulled back "As much as I hate to I'm gonna have to go."
"I know." Emily said as she watched the blonde put on her boots then her coat and hat. She pulled Rachel in for a hug and held on tight "Please be careful. There's gonna be a lot of drunks out tonight."
"I know, and I promise I'll be careful."
"Call me?"
"As soon as I'm in the door." Rachel leaned in for another kiss, then one more after that one ended chuckling as she pulled back "Okay I've really got to go."
"Okay. Be careful."
Rachel waved as she made her way down the walk, laughing as she passed their snow angels. Once in the car she sat and waited a moment for it to warm up. She watched as Emily closed the door then stepped to the living room window to wave goodbye. 'I could fall in love with her.' Rachel thought to herself 'I could see a future with her.' A bright smile spreading across her face "Who am I kidding, I am falling in love with her."
A/N: In case you wonder about the hats I mentioned them wearing I took inspiration from both Stephanie and Mariska's instagram. There are pics of both of them wearing those hats there.