All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
Devil Ride
by
xenalvr
53
The bathroom was tiny. It was even tinier with two people in it. It was exceptionally tiny when one was obliged to stay in it with someone one didn't particularly like. Olivia sighed inwardly but resigned herself to her fate.
"Just so you know, Talia tells me everything worth telling."
Olivia took a breath and clenched her jaw briefly. Then she let the breath out and stared past Maria with a bored expression on her face. "If you say so," she murmured softly with a shrug.
"You think you can come along with your stinking money and, what, save her?" Maria said scathingly in a low voice. "You're just good for the moment. She'll leave you in due time, or you'll drop her after you've had your fun. Either way, this ain't gonna last."
Olivia threw Maria a dirty look. "I'm sure you're an expert in such matters," she said evenly, but she was beginning to fume inside. This woman had an uncanny way of getting a rise out of her. Given the choice, however, Olivia wouldn't be anywhere else because Natalia was just outside the bathroom and Maria's caustic attitude wasn't that much to put up with.
Maria snorted softly as she sat down on the covered toilet seat. "Of course. Don't you know that prostitutes are experts on the game called love?"
Olivia remained silent. On the one hand, she didn't want to participate in the conversation, and on the other, she didn't quite know what to say to the declaration. The woman was dauntingly blunt and it was slightly unnerving.
"We give you what you want, when you want it. During which, we're fuckin' goddesses. Then we're gone," Maria continued, snapping her fingers. Olivia sucked in a breath at that and hurriedly looked to the bathroom door, but when it didn't swing open, she turned back to Maria, who was looking disdainfully at her.
Olivia was slightly bewildered but she got what Maria was saying. How could she not? It was how she felt most of her life. What she didn't get was why Maria felt the need to discuss that now. With her, of all people. Then again, she knew nothing about this woman other than she was someone Natalia had been with and must still trust despite everything. In this, as in everything, Olivia gave Natalia the benefit of the doubt, but her patience was wearing thin.
The voices on the other side of the door grew louder, escalating Olivia's uneasiness. Thankfully, Maria noticed it too, for she fell silent and moved towards the door next to Olivia, who had her head bent and was trying to make out what was happening. Olivia felt her frustration mount as she strained her ears; how could one anticipate a chess opponent's moves if they couldn't see what they were doing?
"Should we go out?"
Olivia rolled her eyes and clenched her jaws, and was about to reply with something sarcastic when Maria's genuinely worried look gave her pause. "Talia's never been good with stalling," Maria said, almost as though she was talking to herself. Olivia's grip on the door knob tightened when she heard Mallet's raised voice demanding for an answer.
"Stalling?" Olivia hissed, irked that Maria seemed to know what was going on. She was torn between not wanting to bungle up whatever Natalia was planning and rushing out to ensure Natalia's safety. "What's she stalling for?"
"If she hasn't told you..." Maria said, her lips curving in a slight sneer, making Olivia want to wipe look off of her face with a steel wool. But before Olivia could form a reply, an ear-splitting bang made her heart stop and her blood run cold. Then everything that followed unfolded with excruciating slowness.
The meeting of widened, horrified eyes.
The urgent twisting of the door knob.
The sharp push of a shoulder against the bathroom door.
The wild visual scanning of the room once the door flung open.
Much later, Olivia would be able to recall the feel of air brushing against her face as she rushed out of the bathroom, the sound of her heart thundering in her ears as she did so, the sight of splattered blood that met her eyes, and the lungful of air that she took before she screamed out Natalia's name. But in that moment of excruciating slowness, Olivia could only take everything in without any thought process and react reflexively.
She pulled out the pistol that she had gotten from Robert's the same time a shocked Mallet turned to her with his Smith & Wesson Automatic.
Any control that Natalia might have had over the situation had slipped away from her completely and things were escalating alarmingly. The smell of gunpowder and the sight of blood jarred her thoughts, causing her mind to blank and body to freeze. She stared at the gun in Mallet's grip blankly as it swung around; she could almost make out someone crying out her name, but the ringing in her ears after the loud gunshot drowned everything out and she couldn't be sure. Then the pain in her arm bloomed and she winced when Mallet yanked her against him.
"What the fuck is this!" Mallet shouted beside Natalia's ear, making her flinch and pull away from him. She couldn't move far, however, for his fingers were tightly banded around her upper arm, and she was still numb with shock.
Natalia tried to concentrate on her breathing as her mind struggled to make sense of things. She blinked several times and swallowed, then blew out a soft breath between parted lips when her mind unfroze.
Mallet had put a bullet through a man who had come through the door after demanding to know who had sent him. Natalia had never seen the man before, but he hardly looked like an assassin with his stringy hair and unkempt appearance. Mallet, on the other hand, had gotten more and more worked up when the man couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, and had snapped when the man finally said that he was just here to look for a shag.
"Jessica, what the hell are these women doing here?" Mallet shouted and shook Natalia hard, making her teeth rattle. She winced painfully.
"I... don't know," Natalia spat out, and began trying to free herself from Mallet's painful grip. "Let me go, you're hurting me!"
"Natalia! You let her go right now, you son of a bitch!" Olivia spat out. Natalia's eyes met Olivia's for the briefest moment before Mallet turned Natalia around to face him while his gun was still pointed at Olivia.
"No! I don't understand. I've gotten rid of Paul Bedwin so we can be together," Mallet said with a pained expression before he frowned. "Who's this man? Is he another one of your clients?" he demanded to know.
"I've never seen him before in my life," Natalia said softly and truthfully, casting a regretful look on the crumpled body that was propped up against the door frame. She hoped that it was still breathing, but she couldn't be sure. The entire building should be able to hear them, but sadly, the noises that they were making were nothing exceptionally out of the ordinary in this neighbourhood. "You're out of your mind," she said when she raised her eyes back to Mallet's face, giving him a look filled with disgust and loathing. The cold rage that flitted across Mallet's face before his lips twisted into a dark smile made Natalia flinch.
"Yes. For you," Mallet said, pulling Natalia closer to him. "Haven't I proven my love to you with everything that I've done?" he asked, making Natalia cringe inwardly at their proximity. She could feel his warm breath on her face and it sickened her. "I'd do anything for you."
"How about leaving her alone then, you pathetic fuck?" Olivia interrupted scathingly, reminding both Mallet and Natalia of her presence. Suddenly, Natalia found herself pressed up against Mallet, locked in a grip by a muscular arm across her chest. She struggled against his hold but it was of no use.
"How about you shut the fuck up and mind your own fucking business?" Mallet demanded angrily, jerking his gun up and down as he spoke.
Natalia saw Olivia's eyes narrow dangerously. The sight of Olivia with a pistol and knowing that Mallet's gun was trained on Olivia were making Natalia's heart doing double time; she began struggling more strongly in the hopes that it would split Mallet's concentration.
"Natalia's my business and I'm sick of you fucking around with us. So you get your filthy hands off of her and maybe I'll let you keep your balls, how about that?" Olivia said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You tire me," Mallet said to Olivia and raised his gun slightly.
Natalia felt Mallet's muscles tense against her and her heart lurched nastily. If she didn't do something-anything, Olivia might get hurt, or worse still... Natalia took a breath and refused to finish the thought. Instead, she did the first thing that came to her, pointing out of the window and exclaiming, "Look, Wonder Woman!"
Time seemed to slow down. Mallet's gun wavered slightly as he turned his head, but the arm that held Natalia captive did not budge at all, making it impossible for her to slip from under it. Natalia reached for the knife hidden in her sleeve and pulled it out. She saw the surprise on Olivia's face when she saw the weapon, then watched it morph into a look of understanding and determination. Olivia readjusted her grip on the pistol and trained her eyes on Mallet.
Ignoring the voice in her head that was screaming against what she was about to do, Natalia inhaled sharply and brought her hand down heavily, plunging the small blade into Mallet's thigh with as much force she could muster. It went against her nature to be violent but if she had to choose between her reservations and Olivia... well, there really was no choice.
Mallet's cry of surprise and pain exploded beside Natalia's face. She brought her heel down on Mallet's foot and finally managed to push his arm off of her and free herself from his grasp. Her adrenalin was rushing and her head was swimming in it. No thoughts infiltrated her actions; she depended solely on her instincts.
Before she could take more than two steps away from Mallet, another deafening clap sounded and Natalia instinctively cowered and averted her face with a grimace, trying to make herself as small of a target as she could.
Olivia had felt slow and dumb and out of control as she watched Natalia struggle with Mallet. Her world had narrowed down to the two of them and herself from the moment she had pushed her way out of the bathroom, and she hadn't taken her eyes off of either of them since then. Her palms were sweaty and she had had to adjust her grip on the pistol several times because of it. There weren't many things between Mallet and herself that she could duck behind in the event that he opened fire at her. Olivia felt uncomfortably exposed and vulnerable; every muscle in her body was tensed, and she had to fight against her instincts to remain where she was.
Olivia had very little experience with guns; Sam had had a BB gun when he was a kid and she might have shot with it once or twice, but her targets had been cans, not humans, and she certainly hadn't had someone that she loved standing anywhere near her line of shot. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her mouth had gone dry; Olivia realised that she had been breathing through her mouth and tried to swallow.
When Natalia had shouted to distract Mallet, Olivia had caught herself just in time before she, too, turned her head. She had kept her eyes trained on Natalia, anticipating Natalia to slip under Mallet's arm like she had slipped under hers at the Beacon, but Mallet's grasp must have been too tight because, instead of that happening, Natalia had pulled out a knife.
It hadn't taken Olivia long to figure out what Natalia had meant to do, so she had returned her attention to Mallet and had waited long, excruciating seconds for Natalia to move out of the way so that she could get a clear shot of Mallet when that happened. She hadn't allowed herself to think because, if she had, she might have frozen up.
Then everything had happened all at once: the knife in Natalia's hand embedding itself in Mallet's thigh, Mallet's loud bellow of pain, Natalia escaping from Mallet's grasp. All the fear, nervousness, and adrenalin pumping through Olivia's bloodstream had culminated in the one simple act of her pulling the trigger.
She couldn't tear her eyes away from Mallet for the longest time. She wasn't sure if he was hunched because of the pain in his leg or if she had managed to shoot him, if he would raise his gun at her again and what she would do if he did. Her arms began to tremble slightly but she refused to lower them.
"You stupid. Fucking. Bitch!" Mallet growled out as he righted himself, favouring his right shoulder. Olivia's eyes widened in alarm when he tried to raise his injured arm and pulled the trigger on the pistol several more times. Instead of the loud, exploding claps that she anticipated hearing, only useless clicks sounded. She saw glee flood into Mallet's face and a part of her wondered if this was to be her demise as she tried to direct her stiff thumb to cock the hammer on her small pistol.
"I watched over Jessica when Alan Spaulding wanted her followed; I made sure Doris Wolfe stayed far away from her so that Alan couldn't get the information that he wanted; I warned Bedwin to stay away from her but he didn't listen. He even had the audacity to mark her, so I ran that fucker off the road."
Olivia was receiving but not processing his words. She swallowed at the maniacal gleam that entered Mallet's eyes as he closed the distance between them in a slow, limping gait. "I told you to stay away from her too, Olivia Spencer, but of course you didn't listen. Nobody fucking listens to me."
Mallet shook his head as he stopped about two feet from Olivia; his gun was almost raised to Olivia's face level as she stared on in frozen horror, her mind screaming for her to do something. Mallet took a breath and tilted his head, giving Olivia a toothy smile that enhanced the crazy but intent look on his face. He swatted Olivia's gun out of his face like he would an annoying branch. "So now. You. Die."
Olivia finally managed to cock the hammer of the small pistol, but faced with a person standing this close to her, she couldn't seem to make herself swing her arm back in position and pull the trigger. She stared into dark, intense eyes, then smiled, surprising both Mallet and herself with her reaction.
"I pity you," Olivia said softly but clearly. "You've never had her. You've never known her. And you never will. You'll never know how it feels like to be loved by her, to laugh with her, to be the person that she thinks about when you're apart. You'll never be the reason that she's happy, or the person she'll turn to when she's sad. You don't know shit about her and I feel sorry for you."
Olivia could see that Mallet was angry, and that, combined with the amount of blood that was staining his shirt from his wound, was making it hard for him to lift his gun. She forged on, mindless of the danger and eager to take him apart with her words. "Paul didn't give her that hickey. I did. You got the wrong person, sucker. She loves me. Not you."
"No!" Mallet shouted, his face slightly scrunched up. "That can't be. You're lying!"
Olivia ignored his outburst and continued, "And stop calling her Jessica, you sick fuck. Her name's Natalia."
A loud crack followed the descent of something dark. Olivia gasped and took a step back in reflex. She watched Mallet's eyes go blank and face go slack before he crumpled onto the floor. Maria towered over him with a large, dented fry pan clasped in her hands. Olivia could see a disgusted sneer on her face when she looked down at the unconscious Mallet and said, "Weirdo."
Unable to help herself, Olivia barked out a laugh at Maria's nonchalant assessment of Mallet, and was met with surprised, suspicion-filled eyes. After she seemed to decide that Olivia wasn't laughing at her, Maria relaxed and smirked back. Then Olivia couldn't think anymore because Natalia flew into her arms with a soft cry of her name, surrounding her with the familiar smell of her skin and hair.
54
"All right, this love fest is boring."
Olivia did a mental roll of her eyes when she was reminded that Natalia and she weren't alone, that there was possibly a dead man by the front door, an unconscious psycho at her feet, and an annoying woman next to them. The adrenalin that had kept her going for what had felt like forever but was quite possibly a matter of minutes had dissipated, and she would have sunk onto the floor if Natalia wasn't there, holding onto her, giving her the support that she needed.
The gravity of what they had done hit Olivia. She took a shaky breath as Natalia shifted, and was thankful that Natalia kept her arm around her waist and the lengths of their bodies pressed against each other's as she turned herself around to face Maria.
"What are we gonna do now?" Olivia heard Natalia murmur, and the fear in Natalia's voice made Olivia dive into a reserve of strength she didn't know she had. Before she had time to come up with sensible advice, however, two armed men barged into the apartment, making them jump and Maria swirl around, raising the fry pan in her hand as though it would rival bullets.
If their situation wasn't so dire, Olivia might have laughed. She clenched her jaw instead, and prepared herself for more unpleasantness.
"Looks like we missed the party," one of the men said as they lowered their guns.
Olivia let out a breath but kept her guard up. She was sick and tired of being a sitting duck and wanted some control over the situation. "Who the hell are you two?" she asked, injecting as much authority as she could into her voice as she took a step forward and away from Natalia.
When neither men spoke up, Olivia took a breath and narrowed her eyes at them. These men looked like they were here under someone's instructions, and if there was one thing Olivia Spencer could do even in her sleep, it was to give orders and demand answers. "You. Yes, you," she said, boring holes into the taller man's face. "Talk."
"Or what?" the man returned, then looked a little uncertain when Olivia took another step towards him.
"Or you have to be very, very sure that you're not pissing the wrong person off with your attitude. Because I can make your life hell with one simple phone call," she said in a deadly serious tone, hoping that they wouldn't call her bluff. "I've just had the worst fucking day, so be very, very careful," she said, punctuating her sentence with narrowed eyes.
"Mr. Vizzini sent us," the other man said, then shrugged at his partner, who turned to glare at him. "What? Someone here tipped the boss."
"Well good thing Billy wasn't shitting me," Maria piped up. Her eyes met Olivia's. "It's what Talia's stalling for," she explained grudgingly. "If that sleazy dude didn't show, they'd have got him." Then Maria turned to Natalia and shrugged. "I ain't sure if Billy could deliver."
What Maria didn't add was that she had come in case no cavalry showed and Natalia ended up on her own with Mallet. It redeemed her a little, in Olivia's eyes-more so because she hadn't mentioned it.
Right then, Gus appeared at the doorway with his gun drawn. The dingy apartment was packed. "Hands where I can see them, fellas!" he instructed as he assessed the situation.
Olivia's mind kickstarted and she thought quickly. If left up to Gus, he would do his good cop routine and take Mallet into custody, where Mallet would have ample opportunity to get escape. She, on the other hand, wanted to make sure that Mallet disappeared from their lives for good. And since the system had loopholes the size of islands, Mallet was better off going to Vizzini than the station. After everything that they had been through, the last thing she wanted was to run the risk of Mallet walking free.
"They're not the bad guys, Gus. You can put that gun away," Olivia said, then caught the amused look that the men exchanged at her words. She rolled her eyes at them. "Not here, you're not," she said in a lowered tone, giving them a look.
Gus looked confused but he lowered his gun. "What's going on here, Olivia?" He looked down at his feet and felt for a pulse on the man lying there. "And who is this? I'm gonna have to call this in."
"Oh no you're not," the shorter man said, pointing his gun at Gus. "Not till my partner and I are outta here," he said, throwing a look at the taller man, who was working to pick Mallet up from the ground.
"Olivia?" Gus called out, not daring to move.
"It's fine, Gus. They just want Mallet," Olivia said, praying that she wasn't making a big mistake.
Soon enough, the men were gone and Gus looked like he was going to go after them when Olivia stopped him. "Is this man dead?" she asked, distracting him by asking after the man by the door. In truth, all she wanted was to get out of this place, soak herself in a tub of nice smelling hot water, and sleep for a week. "Mallet shot him."
"I... no, he has a weak pulse. Olivia, why did you let them do that?" Gus asked, frustrated.
"Shouldn't you call the ambulance? This man might die," Olivia said, wanting to give the men as much time as she could to leave with Mallet. She looked over her shoulder, saw Natalia talking to Maria, then turned back to Gus. "I'll explain everything to you, I promise," she assured him, relieved to see that he had already pulled his cell out.
"Those men work for Vizzini," Olivia said when Gus got off his cell. The look of betrayal Gus gave her made Olivia flinch, but she stood her ground. "Vizzini would have sent someone after you, and maybe us, if he found out that we stopped his men from taking Mallet," she argued. It was hardly the reason why she had wanted Mallet to go with the men, but it was a plausible explanation. "This'll just save us from a whole heap of trouble."
"I'm a cop, Olivia," Gus said, giving Olivia a painstaking look.
Olivia blew out a breath and met his eyes. "Yes, but we're not. We don't want anymore trouble from Mallet, or future problems with some mobster. Please understand," she said pleadingly. When Gus didn't answer, she sighed and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Gus. You've been great and I..."
Olivia never got to finish what she wanted to say because her sentence was cut off by the feel of Gus's lips on hers. Shocked, Olivia took a step back and blinked at Gus, who was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and looking a little embarrassed. "You're infuriatingly obstinate, Olivia. You test my limits and I... I shouldn't have just kissed you like that but I..."
"No, you shouldn't have."
Gus looked up in surprise to find Natalia glaring at him. "I..." He looked from Natalia to Olivia and cleared his throat. "I know. Harley..." he started to say, only to be cut off by Natalia again.
"Yes, Harley, for one, wouldn't be impressed. And I'm not either." At Gus's confused look, Natalia linked her hand with Olivia's. "Olivia's with me, and I'm definitely not impressed that you've just tried to kiss her."
"What? You..." Gus said as realisation dawned upon him.
"Yes, me," Natalia said, turning to meet Olivia's smirking gaze. Olivia's grin widened when Natalia rolled her eyes at her amused expression. "I get to kiss this girl, not you," Natalia murmured softly, her gaze and declaration making Olivia's heart skip a beat. Then a loud clearing of throat behind them made Olivia snap out of the trance that she fell into whenever Natalia looked at her that way, and turn her head.
"I'd say that it's been fun but I'd be lying," Maria said flippantly. "I'm outta here before the cops get here."
"I appreciate you being here for Natalia," Olivia said, looking at Maria, who refused to meet her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, you're still a bitch to have stolen from her, but thanks for knocking that asshole out before he shot me."
"Yeah, whatever," Maria said, shrugging the thanks aside. "You know where to find me," she said, looking at Natalia before finally meeting Olivia's eyes with her own. "If you need to," she continued whilst looking at Olivia, who merely raised a brow at her.
Maria didn't bother glancing at Gus as she stepped out of the apartment. Gus looked at Maria's retreating back, then back at Olivia and Natalia. "Friend of yours?" he asked Natalia, disapproval evident in his tone of voice.
"Yes. Why?" Natalia answered, lifting her chin defiantly.
"Well I hope you won't be looking her up anymore, now that you've... gotten out of your old trade," Gus said, sounding a little uncomfortable.
"What's it to you?" Natalia asked, irritated.
Gus cleared his throat and looked hurriedly at Olivia for support. Olivia remained silent, content to watch Gus dig himself deeper into his hole. "Well, Olivia mentioned that she stole from you. And you wouldn't have met Mallet if not for your... what you used to do. It's better to steer clear of that world."
"Oh. Right. Because only sex workers get stolen from, only sex workers steal, only sex workers get stalked, and the rest of the world are model human beings?" Natalia said, raising her brows and her voice. "Can I remind you that Mallet's a cop, and his job was to protect, not cause harm, which he did, on more than a few occasions." Natalia took a breath and reined in her annoyance. "You don't know anything about the people I know, what they've been through, and the things we see, so I thank you not to pass your judgement on me."
Gus opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the paramedics and local police officers arrived. Olivia sighed and rested her head on Natalia's shoulder, closing her eyes briefly when she felt Natalia's arm snake around her.
It was over. They were all right. And if they were lucky, they would never see Mallet again.
55
In the back of her mind, Natalia had harboured the secret hope that her day would end with her being back by Olivia's side. It hadn't seemed likely at all for the better half of the day, but Olivia had managed to surprise her with both her resourcefulness and her propensity to forgive. A surge of emotion threatened to engulf Natalia and she had to take a breath to suppress it.
A part of her was still processing the fact that Olivia had come after her despite her runaway routine. She had left Olivia with nothing more than a voice message that had relayed hardly anything of value. It still boggled her mind the trust and acceptance Olivia freely gave her, without any reservation, especially when they hadn't been together for all that long. It still boggled her mind how much she seemed to mean to Olivia despite what and who she had been.
It was silent in the car, safe for the purring of the car engine. Natalia glanced at Olivia discreetly before looking out of the window again, brought back to the night she had first gotten into Olivia's car, and the apprehension that she had felt. What she now had with Olivia was beyond her wildest imagination. She had only come to the realisation earlier that day just how out of place she felt in her old life and surroundings; it was only now, when she had almost come full circle, that it hit her just how much everything had changed-or rather, how much she had changed and would continue to change.
Olivia had once stated that she saw Natalia for who she was, and that Natalia should embrace it. Although Natalia had understood the words and had grappled with the sentiment, she was only just starting to discover what Olivia had meant. She wasn't a separate entity from her past; there was no way she could put something behind her when it was a part of her. But she was also more than what she did and the choices that she had made when she didn't think that she deserved anything better, and those things she could put behind her.
It was at once thrilling and nerve-wrecking to realise that everything was and would always be a work in progress until they ceased to exist.
"We're here."
Olivia sounded exhausted. Natalia herself felt sucked dry, both physically and emotionally. It had been a far bigger day than either of them could ever have anticipated when they had gotten up that morning. It was the reason why they had decided to remain in Chicago for the night instead of driving back to Springfield.
Natalia was hit with a sense of dj vu as she stepped out of Olivia's car at the hotel that Olivia had taken her to that first night. This time, however, they walked with linked hands across the marbled floors to the reception desk, and Natalia watched Olivia silently as she requested for a suite.
Every time she looked at Olivia, she found something new to admire about her, whether it be a particular way her hair fell around her face, or the way the light happened to catch her features. Natalia was just thinking how much of a lovesick fool she sounded in her head when Olivia turned to her with a crooked smile and a lifted brow.
"You look dazed," Olivia murmured in a voice completely unlike the one that she had used with the receptionist, reaching a hand out to touch Natalia's cheek. It made Natalia's belly flip pleasantly.
"I love you," Natalia blurted out without thinking, causing Olivia to smirk in surprise.
"Okay... I can live with that." Olivia tilted her head in the direction of the elevator and dropped her voice to a husky tenor when she said, "Wanna go up?"
Natalia nodded mutely. She wrapped her hands around Olivia's arm and briefly pressed her face into Olivia's shoulder, breathing in the scent of Olivia's skin intermingled with the faint remnant of perfume that she always wore as they made their way across the hotel lobby.
Though not the same suite that they had been in before, the suite that they had gotten this time was furnished in a similar fashion and afforded them an equally breathtaking view of Chicago's night skyline. Natalia allowed Olivia to pull her into a tight embrace the moment the door shut behind them, content to let her senses be filled with Olivia's presence.
"Did he hurt you?" Natalia heard Olivia ask softly. She shook her head. "He was handling you pretty roughly back there."
"I'm fine," Natalia said when she pulled away slightly so that she could see Olivia's face but still remain in the circle of her arms. "You?" she asked, threading her fingers through Olivia's hair to push it away from her face.
"Just exhausted," Olivia replied as her eyes fell shut to Natalia's touch. She let her head fall to one side, exposing her neck as she made a funny sound in the back of her throat. Natalia couldn't resist leaning in closer to press her lips against Olivia's neck and inhaling deeply. "I think I need a bath."
"I'll run you one," Natalia offered as she disengaged herself from Olivia, pleased with the grateful smile that she elicited.
The suite they were in probably had a shower separate to the ensuite bathroom, like the suite that they were in before did. Natalia couldn't wait to wash the grime of the day off of her body, and as much as she would love to soak in the tub with Olivia, she felt that she needed some space to clear her head, and she was sure Olivia would appreciate the same.
While the bathtub was filling up, Natalia looked around the bathroom and saw that the hotel had provided them with flower petals as well as candles. She began lighting and arranging the candles around the tub and bathroom, and scattered a handful of red, pink and white rose petals on the bathwater after the bath was drawn. She took a step back to survey her handiwork and almost jumped out of her skin when she realised that Olivia had come into the bathroom behind her.
"Wow."
"Shit, Olivia you scared me," Natalia said with one hand wrapped around the base of her throat.
Olivia managed to look a little sheepish. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you wanted a drink."
Natalia blew out a breath and shook her head. "I'm gonna go grab a shower," she said, reaching for Olivia's hand and giving it a light squeeze before dropping it.
"All this... is just for me?" Olivia asked, looking at the romantic setting in awe.
"I thought you might like it, after the kind of day we've had," Natalia said with a small shrug. She knew that they had a few things to talk about but nothing that couldn't wait until they were clean and rested.
"Thank you," Olivia said simply, and Natalia smiled softly in response. Then she left the bathroom and went in search of a shower.
Olivia felt languid and boneless in the bath that Natalia had drawn for her. After dunking her head into the water, scrubbing herself clean, and soaking in the bath whilst sipping on a glass of red wine, she felt much better. Her thoughts had yet to fully catch up with her but after speaking at length to the local police officers about what had happened, Olivia was ready to forget that the day had even occurred. Nothing mattered as long as Natalia was unharmed and by her side.
Thinking of which, she suddenly felt the urge to see Natalia, to make sure that she was really here. Propelled by the thought, Olivia stepped out of the tub and towelled herself dry. Then she put on a robe and exited the bathroom.
All the lights in the suite were dimmed and soft music was playing in the background. A robed Natalia was staring out of full length windows with a drink in her hand. She turned when she heard Olivia, and Olivia had to bite back a sigh at the way her heart contracted, then expanded, in response to Natalia's smile.
She had no words, but it was all right because she needed no words. Everything that she needed to know was etched across Natalia's face, radiating from Natalia's eyes, and evident in Natalia's deeds. Sure, she was still a little upset about Natalia leaving without a word and putting herself in harm's way, but she couldn't say with absolute certainty that she wouldn't have done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. She reached out a hand to palm Natalia's face, smiling faintly when Natalia leaned into her touch.
She wouldn't say that Natalia completed her; that, Olivia felt, was an unrealistic idea. Rather, Natalia complemented and challenged her. For Olivia, Natalia was the difference between actually living and merely existing.
Then Natalia placed her drink on the table by the window and slid her hands up Olivia's arms and around her shoulders, and Olivia could no longer help the sigh that escaped her lips. She linked her hands loosely at the small of Natalia's back as they swayed unconsciously to the music. Then she allowed the rest of the world to fall away from them.
Natalia awoke with a jerk. Scattered images of her dream left her breathing raggedly. Her heart hammered in her chest as she gasped silently with a hand around the base of her throat, conscious of Olivia sleeping next to her, faced away from her.
When both her heart and breathing calmed down, Natalia gently placed her palm against Olivia's back to ascertain that Olivia was both alive and really there. She scooted closer to Olivia, drawn by the warmth that Olivia emanated like a moth to the flame. Pressing the length of her body against Olivia's back, Natalia closed her eyes briefly as she inhaled the familiar scent of Olivia's hair and skin. Then she curved her arm and lightly cupped Olivia's rounded shoulder as she buried her face in Olivia's hair and exposed nape.
She felt Olivia shift in her sleep, unconsciously searching out her hand to pull around herself and to her lips. Natalia smiled in the dark, thankful to be where she was, relatively unscathed from her confrontation with Mallet. Things could have turned out so very differently. She shuddered at the memory of Mallet's gun pointing at Olivia, of Mallet's strong grip on her, of Mallet heading towards Olivia with ill-intent.
"Natalia?"
Surprised by Olivia's sleep-rusted voice, Natalia took a moment before she responded. "Hm?" She placed a kiss on Olivia's shoulder.
"You're thinking." It wasn't a question. Natalia frowned as Olivia turned to face her.
"I... how did you know?" Natalia asked in a soft whisper, as though anything louder than that would shatter the peace around them. Her lips curved up slightly in a faint smile when she was met with gray-hued features of the woman she loved. She lifted a hand to push errant hairs out of Olivia's face before trailing her fingers down Olivia's cheek and neck, fascinated by the smooth texture under her fingertips. Olivia shrugged sleepily and breathed out a soft whimper at her touch, causing her smile to deepen and her chest to expand.
They hadn't spoken about what had happened; in fact, they hadn't spoken much at all since they left her old apartment. The silence had been good. It had allowed Natalia to come to terms with what had happened and to think about what laid ahead.
She had finished her shower long before Olivia had finished her bath-during which, she had listened to a voice message that Olivia had left her earlier that day. Now, in the hazy place between slumber and full wakefulness, in the pre-dawn darkness, she was reminded of it again.
"Can hear you thinking..." Olivia mumbled as she cracked open an eye. She stifled a yawn and rubbed at her eyes.
Natalia quirked another smile at that. "Sorry," she breathed out. "I'll try to be quieter."
"Tell me what you thinkin'," Olivia said, pulling Natalia closer and pushing her face against the crook of Natalia's neck. Natalia gasped softly when she felt sharp teeth scraping across her pulse point.
"I was just thinking about what you said," Natalia murmured, shifting to give Olivia more access to her neck. In the short moment that Olivia stopped her ministrations to think, Natalia could feel her frown.
"Oh. To Mallet?" Olivia asked before she resumed nuzzling Natalia's neck, making her squirm and sigh.
"No..." Natalia said breathlessly as her eyes fluttered shut. One of Olivia's hands snuck under her robe and its slow, purposeful trek caused her skin to blush and tingle. She let out a moan and, upon hearing herself, blinked and choked out, "God, Olivia... I can't think when you... do that..."
"Sorry," Olivia murmured, not sounding apologetic at all. But she ceased her movements, and Natalia wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"The voice message that you left me, on my cell," Natalia said finally when she found her thoughts again. She opened her eyes just in time to see Olivia open hers.
"Yeah, what about it?" Olivia asked, running her eyes up and down Natalia's face before she smiled faintly. "You're so beautiful."
Natalia flushed at the unexpected compliment, then shrugged. "Nothing. You asked what I was thinking about. I was thinking about that." Then she brought up a hand and rested it at the base of Olivia's jaw. "I'm sorry I worried you. I'm sorry I took your car. But..." she said, trailing off.
"But... you'd do it again?" Olivia prompted, her brows furrowing.
Natalia took a breath as she looked for the words to express herself. "I'm not sorry that I did what I did," she said finally, tearing her eyes away from Olivia's face and focussing her attention on Olivia's throat. She fiddled with the collar of Olivia's robe absently. "I'd never forgive myself if he'd hurt you or Emma." Then she lifted her eyes to Olivia's again. "I... I'm not prepared for a life without you in it either," she said in a hoarse whisper, a little horrified at the sudden surge of emotion in her chest. She took a shaky breath and wiped at an invisible tear.
Nothing about their relationship was conventional: not the way that they had met, gotten to know each other, fallen in love. So it wasn't surprising at all for Natalia to find herself feeling this much for Olivia at such an early stage of their relationship. They had been through a lot and had been there for each other in the short time that they had known each other. But if this was their starting mark, how would it be like further down the road? Would they fizzle out as quickly as they had ignited? Or was this just the tip of the iceberg?
"You better be where I'm headed, Natalia," Olivia had said in her voice message. "Because I'm so not ready for a life without you in it."
"I love that you want to protect me and Emma," Olivia said haltingly, bringing Natalia back to the present with her voice. "But we're in this together, Natalia. It's not okay for you to make the decision to take yourself out of the equation, even if it's with the best intentions."
Natalia closed her eyes when Olivia stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers.
"I need you to know how important you are to me, Natalia," Olivia said seriously, and Natalia opened her eyes. "I need you to know and remember how important you are to me." Natalia felt tears welling up in her eyes and hurriedly brushed a hand across them before blowing out a shaky breath. "I need you to know, remember, and never forget just how important you are to me." Olivia gently wiped the moisture on Natalia's cheek off with her thumb and peered at her. "Can you do that?"
Natalia nodded mutely and quickly closed the distance between Olivia's lips and her own. All choked up with emotions, Natalia wasn't sure she could speak. But she could at least show Olivia what she felt.
The kiss was a damp one. At one point, Natalia tried to pull away to dry her tears but Olivia pushed forward, unwilling to break their connection. Natalia buried her hands in Olivia's hair as she rolled onto her back. It was intoxicating to be loved by Olivia, to be loved by someone who saw her for who she was and loved her because of it. She sucked in a shaky breath when the kiss broke, then lifted a hand to push Olivia's hair behind her ear while Olivia dried her tears.
For the first time in a long time, Natalia felt that she deserved a shot at something wonderful. And Olivia... Olivia was that something wonderful.
56
It was ridiculous just how much work had backed up at the Beacon after a day of Greg's and her absence. Olivia stifled a yawn and decided that it was probably a good idea for her to look into delegating more authority and responsibility now that she had the incentive to spend less time at work. The words on the document that she was perusing blurred as her mind drifted.
Olivia sighed and allowed the folder in her grasp to fall back onto her desk. It was no use trying to work when she had the attention span of a goldfish at the moment. Natalia and she had driven back to Springfield early that morning so that she could make sure that her evening was free for Emma's school performance but it was hardly one in the afternoon and already she was thinking of throwing in the towel.
The knock that sounded on the door made her head snap up and hands fly to the opened folder. Olivia rolled her eyes at her subconscious guilt for not focussing on her work. She owned the Beacon, damn it, and if she didn't feel like working, she jolly well wouldn't. "Come in," she called out, closing the folder firmly and pushing it away from her in a show of defiance. A dark head poked into her office, causing her face to light up with a smile.
"Hey. I know you're busy but I thought you might want some lunch," Natalia said with a tentative smile.
"Come on in," Olivia said with a tilt of her head as she assessed the bag in Natalia's hands. "What'd you get?"
"Buzz burgers, fries and iced tea," Natalia said, hefting the bag. Then she grinned at the moan her announcement elicited from Olivia. "I guess that means I did good, huh."
Olivia nodded as she watched Natalia's approach. "Oh yeah." A sudden wave of contentment washed over her, and Olivia realised that simple, thoughtful gestures meant more than over-the-top shows of affection never could. "I think I love you," she said with a sigh, then smirked when Natalia stared at her offhand declaration for a moment before blushing ever so slightly.
"What, no kiss hello?" Olivia teased when Natalia stopped at her desk instead of walking around it. She chuckled when Natalia rolled her eyes. Then she leaned forward and propped her chin up on one elbow, eyeing Natalia with interest as she unpacked their lunch after shrugging her thick, woollen jacket off. Her stomach rumbled appreciatively but she was quickly distracted by Natalia's trek around the desk.
"Hi," Natalia murmured in a tone that Olivia could only classify as shy. It made her lips quirk with affection. She met the descent of Natalia's head halfway and sighed when their lips brushed against each other's. Enticed by the contact, Olivia cupped the back of Natalia's head with one hand to prolong it. She couldn't explain why, but things felt different between them now-it was almost as though she was falling in love with Natalia all over again, but on a whole new level.
"Olivia..."
Natalia's breathless voice made Olivia open her eyes and smile. She leaned into Natalia's light stroking of her cheek. "Yeah?" she breathed out softly, lightly, letting the word and question hang in the air between them.
It fascinated Olivia that her name could be shaped into a sigh, that she could be anyone's answer to a question, that she could be made to feel so much with such little effort. She reached out a hand to pull Natalia closer to her the same time she slowly rose from her seat, effectively trapping Natalia between her desk and herself. Then Natalia's arms slid around her shoulders to link behind her neck and Olivia hummed, teetering between contentment and anticipation at the feel of Natalia's body snug against her own.
It was geometry: they fit.
It was science: they chemically reacted.
But above all, it was art, and Olivia had no adequate words for it.
So Olivia angled her face as she lowered it, parted her lips to capture Natalia's, then traced them with the tip of her tongue. She leaned into the kiss, moaning in the back of her throat when she felt Natalia's fingers stroke her neck. Then Natalia's hands moved lower, and Olivia growled when they slipped under the flaps of her blazer jacket to caress her dress suit-clad body.
"I didn't..." Natalia began breathlessly when they pulled apart for air, then gasped when Olivia nuzzled her neck. "I just wanted to bring you lunch," she tried again, placing her palms flat against Olivia's chest in what seemed to be a half-hearted attempt to temper Olivia's ardour. "I don't wanna distract you from your work..."
"What work?" Olivia mumbled before renewing her attack on an exposed throat, pleased when she managed to tear a husky moan from an amused and aroused Natalia.
"The work that you're supposed to finish so you can make Emma's performance in the evening," Natalia squeaked out laughingly. "Olivia, stop! Otherwise I won't be able to..."
Olivia smirked. "Won't be able to what?" she asked, dropping her voice an octave. "What are you talking about? You don't make sense, so I'm not stopping," she said, and pushed Natalia up onto her desk before easing herself between dangling legs and pulling Natalia's hips towards her.
"Olivia..." Natalia said warningly even though her lips curved up in an indulgent smile.
'Natalia..." Olivia responded with a playful tone. Natalia captured her smiling lips and she pressed forward eagerly, allowing Natalia to pull her blazer jacket off of her.
"You're insufferable," Natalia mumbled distractedly.
"And you... are beautiful... and all mine," Olivia replied, pulling the violet poet's shirt that Natalia was wearing over her head and sighing at the haphazard cascade of dark tresses over smooth, olive skin. She sobered up a little and looked into dark eyes. "I do so love you, you know?" The way Natalia's half smile made her heart swell reinforced the way she felt.
"And I, you," Natalia murmured, stroking Olivia's cheek.
"I don't want you to move to Paul's," Olivia said suddenly, a little surprised at how sure she sounded when she didn't think she had given the issue much thought. At the slight widening of Natalia's eyes, Olivia rambled on, finding traction in her belief that there could be no other for her. "I'll find a big place for Emma, you and I. We can all have our own rooms... even Rafe, whenever he comes over to visit."
Olivia chewed on her lower lip when Natalia didn't speak, feeling immensely nervous and vulnerable. "I just... I want to come home to you every day, or know that you'll be coming home to me," she said softly.
After what seemed like forever of silence between them, Olivia was about to shrug off her suggestion when Natalia cleared her throat. Olivia peered fearfully at her as she waited with her heart in her throat, deafening her with its loud pounding. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked, mentally kicking herself for missing Natalia's response.
Natalia smirked at Olivia. "Two months into our relationship and you've learnt how to tune me out already?" she teased.
Olivia chuckled, and her nervousness dissipated. She loved how easy it was between them sometimes, how comfortable and familiar it felt to be with Natalia. "I heard it's a good skill to have," she said mirthfully before brushing her lips against Natalia's. "You gonna tell me what you said?"
Natalia wrinkled her nose slightly, crossed her arms behind Olivia's head, and brought Olivia's face close to hers until their noses touched. "I said... you are my home."
Olivia's heart skipped a beat at the sentiment.
"And I'm not sure I can afford to go halves with you on the mortgage to a big place, but if you'd let me pay it off as rent..."
Olivia grinned widely. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she pressed, unwilling to chance misunderstanding Natalia.
Natalia's lips twitched. Then she narrowed her eyes playfully. "I don't know. What is it that you think I'm saying?"
"Natalia..." Olivia growled in a complaining tone of voice, nipping Natalia's neck, then smiled against it when she heard Natalia chuckling.
"You're gonna be my landlady for the next twenty years or so, depending on how much you spend on our place," Natalia murmured, tangling her fingers in Olivia's hair.
Olivia's heart sang at Natalia's choice of words and she took a deep breath as she straightened herself to look Natalia in the eye. "I can live with that," she said huskily, sweeping her gaze down Natalia's face.
"Well you kinda have to now," Natalia informed Olivia wryly with a sympathetic look on her face. At that, Olivia snorted, then threw her head back and laughed.
Natalia washed her hands, scrutinised her reflection, then arranged her hair so that it framed her face in a manner that she was used to. They were running a little late for Emma's performance but Olivia was still on the phone with Mr. Hsiao, her prospective restaurant space leasee. Natalia sighed at her reflection. She was filled with so many conflicting emotions right now that she was surprised she hadn't shut off completely.
After they had gotten back to Springfield, she had gone to the hospital to check in on Paul after dropping Olivia off at the Beacon. Still inflicted with guilt over what had happened, Natalia had been glad to find Paul asleep when she had first arrived at his bedside. He had stirred soon after, however, and the smile that he had greeted her with had sent a fresh wave of guilt to crash over her. Then he had brushed her heartfelt apology aside, saying that she couldn't take responsibility for someone else's deed.
"What are your plans? You know he's not going to quit until he's put away for good, right?" Paul had asked, concerned. His words had validated their decision to let Vizzini's men have Mallet, and she proceeded to give him a halting account of what had happened in Chicago.
"A fry pan?" Paul had said incredulously when her tale winded down. At her nod, he had shaken his head and smirked. "And that's the story of how a utensil dropped a tool."
Natalia hadn't found it the least bit funny up till that point. They laughed so hard at that Paul had had to depress the button that released morphine into his bloodstream. "Fuck, Natalia, this is good shit. Wish I could share," had been the last thing he had said in his hypnagogic state, and Natalia had had to shake her head affectionately at the man who had so quickly charmed her with his genuinity and become her friend.
After wiping her her hands dry, Natalia pulled out her cell to check the time as she stepped out of the bathroom. If they left in the next ten minutes, they should still be on time. Preoccupied, she almost walked into Olivia. Natalia braced herself against a warm body of flesh, then looked up to meet warm, green eyes. "Sorry."
"You can walk into me anytime, gorgeous," Olivia murmured, making Natalia roll her eyes and smirk. "What, you think that's funny?" Olivia huffed, lifting an arched brow even as the edges of her lips curled up in a smile.
Natalia's own brows rose when she found herself being backed up. "Olivia, we're going to be late if we don't leave now," she said protestingly. "What are you doing?"
"Nuh uh. We're not going anywhere until you kiss me," Olivia said, shaking her head with a glint in her eye.
Natalia chuckled and found herself being wedged between Olivia and a wall. "You are so demanding," she murmured, smoothing the front of Olivia's blouse with the palm of her hand.
"You think a kiss is demanding?" Olivia said, feigning disbelief. "I want a kiss every time I see you, every time you leave my side, when I open my eyes in the morning, and before I close my eyes every night."
Natalia's eyes widened and she chuckled, reaching up and around Olivia to link her hands behind her neck. "What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered out loud.
"Keep going and I'm gonna think of more places to insert mandatory kisses," Olivia said shrewdly. "I think you should kiss me every time you say my name, every time I see... the colour blue... and..."
The rest of Olivia's sentence was smothered by Natalia's lips on hers, and she melted into the intimate embrace willingly. It took them a good fifteen minutes before they finally left the suite and ran for the elevator, flushed and giggling like two teenagers. When they went past the reception desk, someone called out Natalia's name, making her turn and lag behind Olivia.
"These came in for you, Miss Rivera," Russell, who was minding the reception desk, called out.
"Oh, thanks," Natalia said, taking a small package and an envelope off of him. She glanced at both items, saw her typed out name and address on the envelope, and briefly wondered who they were from before stuffing them into her jacket pocket and hurrying after Olivia. Olivia had already gotten into her car that the valet had driven up for her and Natalia didn't want to hold them up any longer than necessary.
"Late, late, late," Olivia mumbled under her breath as she stepped on the accelerator after strapping on her seat belt. "Gus's siren would come in handy right now."
Natalia turned to Olivia at that. "Gus's siren?" she asked, then felt a tinge of annoyance at the thought of the man. "I can't believe he kissed you!" she declared, folding her arms across her chest.
Olivia smirked. "Well I am kinda hot, if I might say so myself."
Natalia rolled her eyes and shook her head, but could not keep from smiling. "What siren?" she asked, not wanting to stroke Olivia's ego further.
"I took Gus's car to come after you," Olivia said with a small shrug. "And... I might have used the siren..." A guilty smile played on full lips. At Natalia's snort, Olivia turned to her and grinned. "You should have seen how the traffic parted. I can totally see the appeal of being in a car chase. The adrenalin rush was unbelievable! It was like... Moses and the Red Sea!" she exclaimed gleefully.
"You are so lucky you didn't get caught," Natalia said, shaking her head. She placed a hand on Olivia's thigh and smiled when Olivia clasped it in her own.
"As if anyone would get in the way of a speeding cop car," Olivia scoffed, then lifted Natalia's hand to her lips. "I'm so glad I got there before Mallet did," she murmured in a more serious tone of voice.
"I was so scared that he was going to shoot you," Natalia said as images from the day before appeared in her mind's eye again. She had been trying to put them and the accompanying feeling of nastiness aside the entire day.
"Hey, he didn't, okay? We're here. He's not. Game over," Olivia said, and Natalia smiled faintly at the reassurance that she was given.
"You're a pretty good shot. Have you gone to the range before?" Natalia asked in a bid to wipe the image of a shouting Mallet pointing his gun at Olivia.
Olivia snorted. "I got lucky. You'd laugh if I told you what I was aiming for," she muttered.
Natalia shifted in her seat and asked, interested, "What?" When Olivia responded with twitching lips, Natalia shook their linked hands. "What were you aiming for?"
Olivia cleared her throat and turned to Natalia briefly. "His um... manly bits."
Natalia stared at Olivia for a moment, then chuckled. "You were aiming for his dick but hit his shoulder instead?" Natalia pulled her hand out of Olivia's and rested it on Olivia's shoulder as she stroked her cheek. "My not-so-sharp shooter..." she murmured mirthfully. "Or did you forget where it's located, now that you're a lesbian and all?"
Olivia turned her head to Natalia again, this time more sharply. "Hey! As if!"
"Oh look! We're here!" Natalia said, snatching her hand back from Olivia and unbuckling her seatbelt.
"Not so fast, you," Olivia growled as she reached for Natalia and pulled her face close. "I see a few blue cars around the lot."
Natalia frowned, confused. "So?" she asked, not getting Olivia's point. The traffic on the way had been smooth, and there were still a number of people pulling up in the school parking lot, so it was safe to assume that they weren't the last people there. Natalia was relieved; she disliked being late.
"So... I said earlier that you have to kiss me whenever I see the colour blue!"
Natalia groaned laughingly. "Olivia..." Nevertheless, she inched closer to Olivia, cradled her face, and brushed their lips together before looking into Olivia's eyes. "Now, can we go, my love?"
Olivia's eyes fluttered shut briefly. "Oh, I like the sound of that," she husked out, making Natalia's stomach flip pleasantly with the sensual tone her voice had taken on. Natalia tilted her face up to kiss Olivia's forehead, smiling when Olivia smiled. Then they made their way companionably into the school, shoulders bumping and arms brushing against each other's.
Olivia seemed so light and carefree now that Mallet's menacing presence was eliminated from their lives. It was a little difficult for her to adjust to initially, but now it was infectious, and Natalia found herself lifted by Olivia's spirits and optimism for their future together. She knew that the repercussions of Mallet's actions would come back to haunt them, that the nightmare she had had the night before might not be a one time event, but things seemed a lot less dire with Olivia by her side. Not too long ago, it would have freaked Natalia out to have her world so intimately entwined with someone else's. Yet now... now she knew no other way it could be.
They entered a crowded hall lined with row upon row of chairs. Natalia saw Harley and waved at her, a little relieved that there were too many people between them for them to exchange verbal greetings. It saved her from having to decide whether she should give Harley a heads up about Gus. The lights in the hall dimmed, and Natalia quickly slid onto a chair next to Olivia.
Of all the ways she had imagined her life would be after she left Chicago, sitting in a hall beside her girlfriend, watching her girlfriend's daughter and her own long-thought dead son performing on stage was definitely not one of them.
She reached for Olivia's hand and tangled their fingers together. The quick look that they exchanged warmed her chest and caused her lips to curve upwards. Then she settled back to watch the performance, experiencing an unfamiliar surge of pride and wonder whenever her eyes fell on Emma or Rafe.
She had so much to be thankful for.
57
When the eighth graders began their hiphop dance routine, Olivia leaned towards Natalia to whisper in her ear, telling her that she needed to go to the restroom. She got up when Natalia shifted to let her out, then threw Natalia an arched look when a misbehaving hand lightly and playfully smacked her pants-clad bottom as she edged past her.
As she walked down the hall, Olivia began noticing a few people giving her looks, averting their eyes to whisper to each other when she met their gazes. Frowning to herself, Olivia stopped, turned, and saw Natalia engrossed in the performance, oblivious to the looks that were directed her way. Curbing the urge to walk up to the next person who did that to demand to know what their problem was, she clenched a fist and kept on walking with her head held high.
She could hazard a guess as to what those looks and whisperings were for, but as long as these people did not cross their paths, she would leave it be. Having done a fair few things in her life to warrant being talked about behind her back, Olivia had learnt to live with it, and had sometimes even relished in it. But after everything that had happened, she wouldn't hesitate to rip someone a new one if they dared disrupt the peace that Natalia and she had only so recently wrangled.
She made a quick affair of using the bathroom and was washing the soap off of her hands when the restroom door swung inward. Looking up reflexively, Olivia saw Doris Wolfe's reflection in the mirror and her eyes narrowed slightly. Mallet had mentioned the mayor's name during their confrontation. Even if the man was sadly delusional, it would not hurt to be cautious. She gave Doris a nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met in the mirror.
"I know you don't know me well," Doris said haltingly, causing Olivia's brow to rise at the unorthodox greeting. "But... Alan's up to no good. I just thought you should know."
Olivia couldn't help but scoff. "When's Alan ever up to any good?"
"Nevertheless," Doris said heavily before walking towards a cubicle.
"Wait," Olivia called out, making Doris stop and turn. "Where are you in all of this?" she asked curiously. "Your telling me this means that you know, or have an idea of, what's been going on. How are you involved?"
"I'm not. I'm just... concerned," Doris edged with an uncomfortable smile.
Olivia smirked darkly, unconvinced. "Then give me something to work with. 'Alan is up to no good' tells me absolutely nothing."
Doris stared at Olivia for a long moment, as though assessing how much to reveal. Olivia straightened her stance in response. "Do you... Is your friendship with Natalia worth losing your kids over?" Doris finally asked.
Olivia's eyes narrowed, her hackles rising and her stomach sinking. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice dropping dangerously low. When Doris looked hardpressed to answer, Olivia's mind raced to scan the information that she had of Doris Wolfe and finally stumbled on one that she could use. "You have a daughter yourself, don't you?"
Doris narrowed her eyes at that. "Yes?"
"How would you feel if someone threatened you with her?" Olivia asked, choosing her words carefully. "No one fucks with someone else's children. No one should ever use children as pawns in anything. You're a mother. You -"
Olivia was beginning to build a momentum with her words when the door to the restroom flung open, admitting several loudly chattering women. She glanced at them briefly before turning back to Doris, only to be greeted by the sight of a closed cubicle door.
Olivia sighed in frustration and considered waiting for the woman to exit the cubicle, but then more women entered the restroom, and a line began forming. The event had probably ended; Natalia would be wondering where she was, and Emma would be waiting for them as well. She dug into her purse for a namecard, walked towards the cubicle that the mayor was in, and discreetly slipped it under the door. She exited the restroom, hoping that Doris Wolfe would call her to finish their conversation.
Olivia fleetingly wondered if Robert had made the gunshot wound, and whether Paul had any idea that his brother was also in Cedars. Then she brushed all her thoughts aside and sped up her walk, suddenly infused with the irrational thought that she wouldn't be able to find Natalia and Emma.
When Olivia reached the hall, she scanned the sea of people milling about and trickling out of the hall until she caught sight of Natalia standing with Emma, Harley and Raphael. She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't been aware of holding, and was suddenly acutely conscious of how stressed out she must be. Then she caught sight of Alan Spaulding approaching the small party, and her spine stiffened.
Olivia frowned when collective cries of 'Grandpa' erupted from both Raphael and Emma when she reached them. Then Emma caught sight of her belatedly and flung herself at her. "Mommy! You came!"
Olivia felt her face melting into a smile as she wrapped her arms around Emma. "Of course I did, silly. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I'm sorry you had to spend the night with Jodi... but you obviously aren't," she remarked, chuckling at Emma's bright countenance. In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that if anyone tried to take Emma away from her, she would learn how to shoot that damn gun properly and not hesitate to use it. "Did you have fun, baby?" she asked, in a bid to shake off the dark turn her thoughts had taken.
"Yes! Jodi's cat just had babies and her mom said if you say it's okay, I can have one. Can I, Mommy? Please?" Emma asked imploringly.
Olivia lifted her face and saw Natalia smiling tightly at Alan, who was talking with one hand resting on Raphael's head. Then she looked back down at Emma. "We'll talk about it when we get home, okay 'Bean? Promise."
Emma's eyes widened. "Is that a maybe?" she asked breathlessly.
Olivia had to smile at her daughter's young exuberance. "Yes, that is a maybe." Then she planted a kiss on Emma's crown and steered them forward to stand next to Natalia with Emma leaning back on her. She met Harley's eyes and they exchanged faint, polite smiles.
"I think Emma and Rafe should be at the mansion for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow," Alan said, looking at Harley and Olivia expectantly.
Olivia rolled her eyes discreetly and had to force herself to sound civil when she said, "Sorry Alan, but we already have plans."
"So do we," Harley said quickly.
"Gus said that you guys didn't have anything special lined up," Alan began, frowning at Harley.
"Sure they do," Olivia said, cutting in. "I've invited them to spend Thanksgiving at the Beacon. My treat. It must have slipped Gus's mind," she continued with a shrug and smile. "The offer still stands."
"Right," Harley said to Olivia before turning to give Alan a nod. "Yes, it would be a fantastic treat. The boys would love it, and if Gus doesn't want to join us, I'm sure he'd love to join you at the mansion, Alan."
Olivia wasn't sure but it sounded as though Harley wasn't very happy with Gus at the moment. She idly wondered if Alan's plan to break Harley and Gus up might come to fruition after all. "Cool!" Raphael said excitedly, shaking Olivia out of her reverie. She snorted softly, suspecting that he hadn't heard anything past Harley's agreement to her invitation. "Do we get free breakfast?" he asked, turning dark, shining eyes on her.
Olivia had to chuckle at that. "You drive a hard bargain, mister," she said teasingly, and her smile deepened when she heard Natalia smirk beside her. "I'll see what I can arrange." Then before Alan could raise any objections or, worse still, suggest joining them at the Beacon, Olivia turned to Natalia and said, "We should get going now, I think?"
Natalia nodded. "See you, Harley. And you too, Rafe. You were amazing tonight," she said with a wistful smile, reaching out a hand to ruffle Raphael's dark curls.
Olivia smiled faintly as she watched them. It was the first time she had ever seen Natalia and Raphael together, and it struck her just how much Raphael resembled Natalia, especially when he smiled or harboured the look of anticipation. She found herself hoping that one day, Raphael would be a permanent fixture in their lives.
"Will you be there too?" Raphael asked, tilting his head up to look at Natalia.
Olivia saw Natalia's brows furrow when she asked, "Where?"
"The Beacon. When we're there. Will you be there too?"
Olivia's lips quirked when she heard Raphael's clarification, aware just how happy the simple query would make Natalia. The dimpled smile that spreaded across Natalia's face made Olivia's heart do a tiny flip even though it was solely directed at Raphael. It was unbelievable just how sappy she had become but God, she did so love this woman-the way she looked, moved, spoke... the way she simply was.
"Mm hm. Maybe we can all do something together," Natalia said, looking up at Harley with a hopeful expression that Raphael mirrored.
"I'm sure that would be fun," Harley said simply, and Olivia felt a sudden rush of affection towards this woman whom she hardly knew.
"Bye, Grandpa," Emma said, approaching Alan with a hug. Olivia watched them and knew a moment of regret that she could never trust her daughter with her grandfather. "Happy Thanksgiving," Emma added, tilting her head up to smile at Alan.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Emma," Alan said gruffly, palming Emma's cheek.
If only Alan Spaulding wasn't the underhanded, manipulating schemer that he was. If only Emma's father wasn't lost and delusional somewhere, and could be a part of their bright and loving daughter's life. If only she didn't have such a fractious relationship with the Spauldings. If only. Then Olivia's gaze fell upon Natalia's profile and she realised that she wouldn't want her life to be any different if it meant trading in what she had with Natalia.
"Let's go, Mommy! I'm hungry!"
Emma's plaintive cry broke Olivia's reverie and made her roll her eyes and bark out an indulging laugh. "Well let's go then," she said as Emma took both Natalia's and her hands.
She could feel prying eyes on them and hear whispers buzzing about them as they strode through the hall, but Olivia didn't care. Olivia didn't care because her daughter was telling them about the little mishap during rehearsal the day before and Natalia was chuckling at Emma's goofy reanactment. At the end of the day, that was everything Olivia could ever want.
58
Natalia asked for the bill when Olivia and Emma left the table to use the restroom. Towers wasn't a cheap establishment, but Natalia didn't mind forking out for pricey meals when it came to Olivia and Emma, despite Olivia's mild protests. While it was true that she wouldn't have chosen to eat at somewhere like Towers if she were on her own, she wouldn't be living rent-free in a high-end hotel suite and driving around in luxurious sedan either. It was futile to try and match what Olivia had given her, but she could at least contribute in the ways that she could.
As she dug around her jacket pockets for her wallet, Natalia was suddenly reminded of the items Russell from the reception desk had handed her earlier. She took them out of her pockets and left her jacket slung over her lap. After paying the bill, Natalia looked in the direction of the restrooms. Catching no sight of Olivia and Emma, she returned her attention to the two items in her hands, hefting the small package lightly while running her eyes over the envelope.
Apart from her name and the Beacon's address, it only had the words 'Private and Confidential' printed on the top left corner. Natalia frowned; she didn't know how anyone had known where to locate her to send her anything. She placed the envelope on her lap so that she could open the package first, and her eyes bugged out at its contents.
Two thick bundles of money.
Before she could look further to see if there was any indication of who it was from, Emma bounded up to the table and she hurriedly stashed the package and the envelope back into her pocket as she stood up. Her thoughts were everywhere.
"We're ready now, Natalia!" Emma announced brightly. Natalia's lips curved up easily at that. She blinked her questions away and rested a hand on Emma's slender shoulder.
"We're ready now, Natalia," Olivia echoed her daughter as she slid an arm around Natalia's waist, but in a low, scratchy voice beside her ear, sending a small shiver through her body. She met Olivia's eyes and briefly cupped her cheek before they made their way out of Towers.
They were almost at the entrance when Emma saw one of her classmates and looked up at Olivia. "Mommy, can I go say hi to Tara?"
Olivia nodded. Emma sprinted over to where Tara and her parents were seated, and Olivia lagged behind, looping her arm through Natalia's, smiling when their eyes met. "Did you have a good time tonight?"
Despite being in possession of a mysterious package of money and not knowing what the official looking envelope contained, Natalia couldn't help responding to Olivia's happy grin and slight wrinkling of nose with a faint, indulgent smile of her own. "Mm hm." It was crazy how being with Olivia made everything else fade in comparison.
"When you smile like that, you make me want to kiss you," Olivia murmured softly, peering down at Natalia through her lashes.
Natalia rolled her eyes self-deprecatingly, but her dimples deepened alongside her smile and Olivia dipped her head for a light kiss. Natalia slid her hand up Olivia's arm in a familiar fashion and sighed softly. She couldn't wait to be back at the Beacon suite, curled up beside Olivia, discussing where the money might have come from and finding out what the other envelope contained. "I love you," she said in a barely audible whisper, but she knew Olivia had heard her because she was treated to a full-fledged smile. "I can't wait to be alone with you," she added, and smirked when Olivia's brows rose. The sensual curve of her lips made Natalia sigh inwardly.
"Did you wanna go grab the car while I pry Emma away from her friend?" Olivia asked, already digging into her purse for the car key.
Natalia grinned and tilted her head slightly. "Sure. I'll be out front," she said, taking the key from Olivia. She let her hand linger against Olivia's; that Olivia still trusted her without a second thought after what had happened made her chest swell briefly with emotion. She knew in that moment that she would try her best to not let Olivia down again.
"And I'll try to be quick," Olivia murmured laughingly as she threw a glance at Emma, who was chatting animatedly away, gesturing wildly with her hands.
Natalia smiled fondly at Emma before walking in the direction of the elevators that would take her to the undercover parking lot. She could feel the bulk of the money pressing against her hip. Curious to know what the other envelope contained and if it was linked to the mysterious package, she pulled it out and ripped it open.
It was a lawyer's letter requesting her to attend the will reading of her recently deceased father.
Momentarily stunned, Natalia blinked several times before she knew to exit the elevator. She didn't know what to think, if she felt, whether she cared. She quickly located Olivia's car and unlocked it, tossing her jacket and its contents in the backseat. Then she decided that Olivia would help her make sense of it, one way or the other. In any case, she just wanted to go home with Olivia and Emma. Everything else could wait.
Just as she was about to climb into the car, someone called out her name, causing her to look up in surprise.
"We need to talk."
"Mommy, I'm cold," Emma complained. "Where's Natalia?"
Olivia frowned as she pulled Emma against her tightly. "I'm not sure, 'Bean. She might have forgotten where we parked the car," she said with a smile as she looked out for the familiar sight of her white sedan. "I'll call her. Silly Natalia must be wandering the parking lot, trying to find the car."
Emma giggled and snuggled closer against her as she reached for her cell to dial Natalia's number. The call went straight to voice mail. Slightly annoyed, Olivia pursed her lips, then sighed. There must not be any reception in the parking lot. "We'll wait for another two minutes and if she still isn't here, we'll go look for her, okay?" Olivia smiled when Emma nodded while stifling a yawn. "You were so awesome today, 'Bean. Natalia and I really enjoyed your performance."
Emma immediately perked up with the praise. "I was a little bit nervous. But I remembered all my lines!"
"You sure did! I'm so proud of you," Olivia murmured as she leaned down to press a kiss onto Emma's crown. "Okay, it is getting cold and Natalia is taking way too long. What do you say, shall we go rescue her?"
Emma snickered and nodded. Then, as they made their way to the elevators, she said, "Mommy, Tara asked if Natalia was your best friend and I said she's your girlfriend, and Tara didn't understand what that means. So I said you and Natalia are together... like Jodi's mom and her boyfriend are together... Is that correct?"
Olivia depressed the door close button in the elevator while she thought about what she was going to say. Then she turned to Emma. "That's correct. Do you... have many of your friends asked you about Natalia and I?" she asked hesitantly.
Emma shook her head no.
"You... do like Natalia, right 'Bean?" Olivia asked, feeling insecure all of a sudden. Even though she was fairly certain that Emma adored Natalia, she needed to hear her daughter say the words.
Emma nodded. "I like her. She's nice and fun and pretty," she stated matter-of-factly.
Relieved, Olivia smiled as they stepped out of the elevator. "I'm glad, Emma. Not everyone embraces diversity... that is, things that are different... so you might have some classmates asking or even teasing you about Natalia and I," Olivia said haltingly. "Maybe it won't happen, but if it does, I want you to talk to Mommy about it, okay 'Bean? I don't want you to ever feel like you can't tell me anything."
Even though Emma nodded, Olivia still couldn't fully rid herself of the worry that her daughter might have a hard time in school because of her relationship with Natalia. However, there was nothing she could do to prevent people from talking if they had a mind to; they would just have to cross that bridge if and when they got to it.
Emma quickly spotted their car. She turned to Olivia with an odd smile and asked if Natalia was playing a game with them. "I bet she's waiting to scare us," Emma said before jogging towards the vehicle.
A feeling of unrest sprung up within Olivia and quickly escalated in proportion to each passing second of not sighting Natalia. Even though Natalia had expressed her regret for causing her to worry when she had left her without a word, the incident was still too fresh in Olivia's memory for her to not jump to the immediate and rather irrational conclusion that Natalia had left her again. The breath she didn't realise she was holding was forcefully expelled when Emma opened the car door and poked her head in as she giggled to herself.
"Is Natalia in there, 'Bean?" Olivia called out. She forced herself to continue her trek towards the car at a leisurely pace. It seemed unlikely that Natalia would play such a prank on them but in the event that she did, Olivia didn't want Natalia to think that she mistrusted her.
"No," Emma replied, and Olivia's stomach lurched nastily. "But her jacket is here."
Olivia frowned as she picked up Natalia's jacket. She looked around, half expecting Natalia to rush up behind them, but the parking lot was silent. "Get in the car, 'Bean," Olivia instructed nervously. She found the car key on the driver seat and blood rushed from her face. She did not know what to make of the situation; insane scenarios jumped into her mind, none of them good.
"Natalia!" Olivia suddenly shouted as she swivelled around to scan the parking lot, hoping against hope that Natalia was around somewhere. "Natalia?" She would not allow herself to panic or give in to hysteria. She would remain calm and collected. "Natalia!" At her third cry, tears suddenly pressed against the back of her eyes, and her voice broke slightly. She wrapped a hand around the base of her throat, telling herself to think.
"Mommy, where's Natalia?" Emma asked in a small voice from the back of the car.
"I don't know, Emma," Olivia said in a hushed, distracted voice. She pulled out her cell, saw that there was no reception, and took a deep breath. She would first make sure that Natalia was not in the parking lot, then she would drive out so that she could try Natalia's cell. "I'm going to see if Natalia's around, okay? You stay in the car and Mommy will be back in a minute."
"But I don't wanna be in the car alone..." Emma mumbled, sounding like she was on the verge of tears herself.
If someone had attacked Natalia-Olivia squeezed her eyes shut briefly at the thought and quickly admonished herself for thinking the worst-then the last thing she wanted was for Emma to be exposed to that kind of danger. "Okay, I won't leave you alone. We'll drive around to see if we can see Natalia, okay? Come on up in front. Mommy will need your help to spot Natalia," Olivia said with a forced smile.
"Is Natalia okay?" Emma asked as she scrambled to the front of the car.
"I'm sure she's just waiting for us to find her," Olivia said, trying to sound as flippant as she could. "And when we do, we'll tickle her for hiding from us, okay?"
Emma nodded mutely but the worried look left her face as she reached for the seatbelt. Olivia drove around the lot slowly but Natalia was nowhere to be found. Vexed and thrumming with fear and unrest, Olivia sped out of the undercover parking lot.
"Where's Natalia, Mommy?" Emma asked, sounding as small and afraid as Olivia felt.
"Maybe she went back to the Beacon without us," Olivia said, glancing at Emma with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Here, how about you try giving Natalia a call with Mommy's cell?" she said, reaching for her cell. It beeped right then and Olivia's heart skipped a beat. "See, Natalia must have left us a message while we were looking for her in the parking lot!" she said loudly, wishing for it to be true.
Olivia pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked at her cell. She had a voicemail. She sighed in relief when she heard Natalia's voice. Natalia hadn't disappeared without a word. There was some sort of explanation for this. Then Olivia frowned when she realised that she was actually listening in to a muffled conversation. Olivia hit the repeat button and concentrated on the voicemail after hushing Emma and promising to tell her what Natalia said.
Olivia lowered her head as she pressed her cell tight against her ear. "... you taking us?" The recording had started in the middle of the conversation.
"Just shut up and drive," came the response. Olivia's brows furrowed as she tried to make out who the other person was.
"I really don't know where Mallet is, Marina." Natalia's voice came through loud and clear. Olivia's head snapped up the same time Marina screamed, "Don't you dare say his name!"
The line went dead and the recording ended.
The End
A/N Yes, it really is the end. Suffice to say, there will be a sequel. I'm mean to end it here but I'm not cruel enough to just leave it here. However, this is a devil ride, and it just wouldn't feel right to have a happy ever after ending.
I don't think I could do an epilogue with an ending like this... but maybe. I'll go mull over it for a bit. But regardless, I'd really like to thank everyone who have commented, lurked, PMed me, and joined me on this ride. I hope this ending is one befitting of the journey you've taken with me. X