Hey! Sorry for the lack of updates - Got back from my holiday and lost all motivation to write. Didnt have a clue what to do with the story but once I started writing this chapter I couldn't stop. Wasn't intending to have Naomily interaction again in this chapter but it was necessary for the story to progress. Thanks for all feedback :)

Emily walked as fast as she possibly could away from that pub and away from the girl who had affected her life so much. She replayed their last meeting in her mind over and over again. The way Naomi's eyes had lit up when blue eyes met brown once again if you didn't count the anger behind them when she first bumped into her spilling the coffee. Her blonde hair was several inches longer than it had been in college and was a lot more blonde - practically white. The loose waves surrounding her face fell gracefully, resembling an angel in Emily's eyes. She seemed sure of herself and a lot more mature - even looking after Effy's baby. Naomi Campbell - the girl who once demanded that all shops should have a dogs allowed sign and a baby's not allowed sign. What the fuck changed?

Deciding she was a safe enough distance away, Emily leaned against the nearest wall and took several deep breaths reminding herself to keep calm. She ran her fingertips down the scars on both her wrists and started to whimper when she remembered the raw pain she felt just before she attempted to end her life. Holly had escaped from her mind the second her brown eyes met with the blue pools belonging to that of the blonde. There was no way back for Holly now even if she came fighting, kicking and screaming trying to break through the protective barrier that had surrounded Emily since she was 17 years of age. At that moment, Emily didn't know how she could even comprehend starting a relationship where deep feelings of love could potentially be involved. Her relationship with Nathan was a safety net for her; a way to protect herself from the whispers and stares she would get if she was walking hand in hand with a woman rather than a muscly chap like Nathan. She cared deeply for her husband and although she was never in love with him, she did love him. She longed to be deeply in love again but couldn't even comprehend that thought. She was still damaged and only she could fix herself. How? She had no idea.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft angelic voice calling her name, the desperation in her tone not being missed by Emily. She could see the platinum blonde hair in the distance, making its way closer and closer to her. She hitched her rucksack back onto her shoulders, determined to continue on her way when a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"What do you want Naomi?" Emily snapped, whilst snatching away her wrist from the blondes grasp and pulling down the sleeves of her jumper in attempt to hide the scarred skin.

She watched as Naomi's face was registered in shock for a split second before composing herself and retrieving something from her bag. She instantly recognised the object as her purse and looked for the hint of recognition to cross the blonde's face.

"You left this." she smiled, holding out the purse for Emily to take.

"Thanks."

"Looks like its been through a lot. I remember giving you that purse, you looked like you'd won the lottery."

Emily's eyes snapped up, "You remembered?"

" 'Course. I remember everything Ems."

The brunette smiled despite herself at the shortened use of her name. Naomi took the smile as an opportunity to invite Emily to finish the drink that they'd started. She glanced at the clock, mounted in the nearby wall.

"Look, I know you've got somewhere to be, but I think we could do with a chat. Don't you? Its been seven years after all."

"I suppose half an hour wouldn't hurt."

Naomi's eyes lit up and she led the way back to pub they had left mere minutes ago.

"Right, well here we are again."

Emily nodded, glancing around the pub once they were seated. They were in a quiet area, a fair distance away from the bar which was propped up by people who had obviously just arrived in London or were waiting to leave the city. Their luggage bags being a huge giveaway to the reason for their presence. Punters of different ages, sex and religions were propping up the bar and it was this that made Emily appreciate how diverse the capital city was.

"Ems, deaf or what?"

"Sorry," Emily shook her head from side to side, a slight blush covering her cheeks.

"I said how have you really been?" Naomi asked patiently. The sincerity in her voice brought tears to Emily's eyes immediately. Not once in this past year had someone asked how she was and genuinely wanted to know the answer. She wiped at her eyes to instinctively brush away any tears that were in danger of forming, her action not being missed by the concerned blonde.

"Em," Naomi's voice was close to a whisper as she reached her hand out a brushed the top of Emily's hand with the pad of her thumb. Emily flinched momentarily before relaxing at the comforting touch.

"What do you mean?" Playing dumb wasn't one of her strongest traits, but Emily expected Naomi to pacify her and not laugh in her face. "So you're mocking me now?"

She removed her hand from Naomi's grasp and looked down as she placed it in her lap to join her other one. She felt a smooth finger lift up her chin but she refused to move her eyes.

"Look at me Em," Emily did as she was told and allowed Naomi to brush away the few tears that had formed. "Its your eyes."

The blonde elaborated further when Emily gave her a questioning look.

"They're so expressive. That's one of the things I always remembered about you. I remember what they look like when you're happy, when you're angry or worried. And right now they're full of hurt and sadness. The last time I remember seeing them like that was when you found the tickets for Cyprus on my bedside table." She was trying hard to steady her voice but found it difficult with the emotion behind her words.

"When you told me you were going I thought it was an empty threat Naoms and then when I found them my heart just broke in half. I don't think my eyes or my heart have been the same since then, but you're the first one to notice."

"I think you've just broken my heart by telling me that," Naomi admitted, the tears now flowing freely over her cheeks.

Emily was taken aback by Naomi's honesty her obvious show of emotion. She closed her eyes as the now mature Naomi started to use her thumb to stoke her cheek, relishing in the affection she was being shown. They broke apart as the bar maid from earlier started clearing away glasses and left over plates from their table, belonging to the previous occupants.

"Don't mind me lovies, I'll be out your hair in a sec."

"Its no bother," Emily stood up and wiped at her eyes, "I'm just going to clean myself up." She headed for the toilets totally aware of Naomi's eyes fixed to the back of her retreating form.

"She wants you to follow her you know," the barrnaid smiled at the look of disbelief on the blonde's face. "And if I didn't know better I'd say that what you want to do too," she finished her sentence with a wink.

"You don't know an Effy Stonham do you?"

"No, why?" the barmaid laughed.

"I just think you'd get on really well," she left the chuckling barmaid to carry on with her cleaning and headed straight for the toilets, in search for her broken Emily.

"Get a grip of yourself," Emily murmured to her reflection in between splashing water on her tear stained face. She lifted her shaky hand and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear in attempt to make herself look more presentable. The action caused her sleeve to slip further down her arm, revealing the scars that she was trying to forget. She covered it up upon hearing footsteps approaching the door and escaped to the nearest toilet cubicle.

"Em?"

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute."

Naomi positioned herself on one of the sinks and waited for the once red head to emerge from the only engaged cubicle. Her patience wavered slightly after ten minutes and she tentatively knocked on the door.

"Ems, come out?"

The door opened several minutes later to reveal a puffy eyed Emily. "I thought you'd gone."

"You thought I'd gone?" Emily nodded. "I thought you'd gone and done a JJ on me."

"A JJ?" Emily asked with apparent confusion.

"Oh it's a long story but basically on his first date with his now wife, he tried to escape from her through a toilet window. Think he was a bit freaked out."

"What, JJ's married?"

"Yeah, they've got a son too. Albert. JJ treats him like his own."

"Wow."

"Yeah, who would've thought it? Look Em, I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't," Emily answered hastily, "Its just me. My heads all over the place lately."

"Yeah, my mum was the same when she divorced my dad but that could be because he did an unexpected runner from our lives." She covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes widened when she realised what she had said. Naomi was getting caught up between the information Emily had told her about her life as herself and as Holly.

"Sorry but what's your mums divorce got to do with me?" the question wasn't spiteful it was just genuine curiosity which Naomi noticed.

"Nothing, I just, I mean she was a mess too and," she paused as she saw the tears well up in Emily's eyes yet again. "Come here will you?"

The blonde gently pulled the brunette towards her and comforted her the best way she could, whispering words of comfort whilst rubbing her hands up and down the smaller girls back, where she could feel her spine through her clothes. She hadn't noticed before how thin Emily had gotten due to the layers of clothes she was wearing but when she really looked at her she could tell she wasn't looking after herself properly.

Naomi released her grip slightly and kissed Emily's forehead. She was momentarily frozen in place when she realised how natural it felt to have the brunette back in her arms and how she hadn't objected to her display of affection.

She kissed Emily's forehead, followed by both her eyelids that were lightly closed, her cheeks and her button nose. She paused before kissing her lips lightly and started to kiss more forcefully when she felt it being reciprocated. Naomi ran her hands down the sides of Emily's arms and managed to pin them against the wall above her head. Glancing up in between kisses she noticed the marks on Emily's wrists causing alarm bells to chime so loudly in her head. Effy. Effy was a mess, all over the place when Naomi had returned home one day to find her sitting on the bathroom floor, pool of blood surrounding her. She couldnt bare the thought that something similar had happened to the love of her life and she hadnt been there to help her through her turmoil.

"Em, what's?"

Naomi felt a sharp pain when she was pushed by her shoulders and her back met the edge of the sink counter.

"Don't Naomi. You can't just kiss me and expect things to go back to normal. For me to trust you with my life again. I did that once before remember and look how that turned out."

"No I didn't…"

"So what you just expect me to fall into your arms and for us to grow old together? You and I against the world?"

"No, I mean yes, but…"

Emily shook her head and bristled past the blonde who it seemed was unable to string a coherent sentence together.

"Goodbye Naomi."

"Its not just Naomi."

"What? Naomi I've not got time for this. I'm tired, just so sick and tired of it."

"I mean, I'm her. I'm Holly too."

Several moments of silence passed by following Naomi's revelation. Emily never took her eyes off the door handle that her hand was currently gripped so hard to that the whites of her knuckles were clearly visible.

"So that's why you kissed me is it? To distract me from putting the pieces together and figuring out that you knew about my divorce?" Her sentence was met with one of the most uncomfortable silences either woman had ever endured. "You're un-fucking-believable Naomi."

The helpless blonde sunk to the floor trying hard to control the sobs that were wracking her body and watched as Emily shut the door, leaving her behind once again.