A/N – So it turns out that travelling in Australia leaves little time for writing, spending 12 hours at a café at Sydney Airport however, does! I hope you find it worth the wait, even if it is something of a filler chapter, which, btw, I'm not happy with at all. Having left the story for more than a month, I found it hard to get back into it, simple as that!

Thank you for your kind reviews and sorry for the late, late, late update!

Chapter 13

Naomi's POV

When Mum returned, we had all had a chance to introduce ourselves, giving our elaborate lie some truth to it. I had learned that the young man was Emily's younger brother and that the elegant lie we had come up with could actually easily have been the truth. It turns out that Effy dated Freddie McClair for a while back in college. Considering how close he and Cook were back then and the fact that we seemed to have other mutual acquaintances, it felt strange that we had never met. On the other hand, having never been fond of Freddie, I usually tried to stay as far away from him as possible. He was crude and a sexist pig, much like Cook had been back then, but without the good heart. I had only tolerated Freddie because of Cook's immense loyalty to him but since their falling out, I hadn't given good old Mr. McClair much thought.

Emily had taken a seat at the foot of my bed and hadn't said more than a few words since Kieran and Mum had left the room. She was smiling though, which I took as a positive sign that she wasn't too resentful of the way we had treated her boss. It was strange really, how Effy and I had been able to conjure up such an intricate lie and I was amazed at her instantaneous grasp of the situation, acting on pure intuition. All Emily had told me about her was her ability to create beautiful things and I suppose a lie could be regarded as a thing of beauty - in which case it all made perfect sense.

I was far from proud of what had happened but I wasn't about to let Emily take the fall and, perhaps more importantly, I wasn't going to allow Kieran to take her away from me after so soon after having found her. I would literally have said anything in order to let her stay. I couldn't help but smile warmly at Emily as her hand came to rest on my leg and she briefly caught my eye.

Effy was still sitting taking up space in my fairly crowded bed but for some reason, I didn't mind her intrusion. Whether it was due to our little bonding session earlier or her confident, easy going-manner, I will probably never know but regardless of why, it felt rather nice. In the span of one weekend, the amount of people I had allowed into my room had increased from one person – Mum, to Emily, Cook and now Emily's brother and Effy. James didn't really say much though, he mostly stood behind Emily and gawked at me with wide eyes like he had never seen a gay person before. Or perhaps a dying person?

We were once again sharing a laugh when Mum came back, this time over Effy's anecdote of her and Emily's sister getting back at Freddie McClair for playing them against each other. I had to admit that despite my dislike of Freddie, I wasn't sure I thought anyone deserved such harsh punishment. When she entered, we all hushed and put on somber expressions. We had agreed that it was vital to keep up appearances and unfortunately, Mum was too infatuated with Kieran and too honest for her own good and would most likely spill the beans to him about me and Emily if we came clean. At least for now, we had to keep up the lie and act like old friends which at the moment, was hardly much of a problem. We were acting like teenagers, hushing when the only adult entered the room and despite my guilty conscience about keeping Mum out of the loop, I took one look at the beautiful brunette sitting by my feet and felt that guilt quickly disappear.

Mum is anything if not perceptive and read that her presence was a slight disturbance to our little 'reunion'. She sent me an overbearing smile before turning to face the rest of the room, "Would any of you like some dinner?", she asked, still smiling.

"Yes!", Cook and James screamed out in unison, Cook eying his younger sidekick before grinning and punching the boy lightly on the shoulder, making me laugh.

"Great! Then the two of you can help me carry it", Mum said and James' excitement faded slightly. She picked up her purse and gestured toward the door. They followed, Cook making sure to smile at me before leaving and closing the door behind him. I heard Mum ask the both of them what they fancied and James loudly voiced his opinion. Apparently, we were having pizza for dinner tonight.

Emily's POV

Once the three of us were alone, Effy got up from Naomi's bed and busied herself with her phone as she took a few steps towards the door, keeping her back turned to us. I knew she was trying to give me some privacy without actually giving us privacy. Effy and Naomi's little trick had temporarily bought us more time but there were no guarantees of how long it would last, leaving me with little time to waste. I turned to look at Naomi and found her already watching me, something akin to fire discernable in her eyes. The look was new and set my heart racing as the rest of my body responded by jumping up and walking to her side.

I found no reason to wait for her permission and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Naomi happily returned the kiss, her hands ever so gently caressing my face as she did. I have never been a fan of public displays of affection and hardly gave Jeremy more than a peck on the cheek or a chaste kiss on his lips, even in front of my sister or Effy. I never much felt the need for it and never understood the appeal. Until this very moment, that is. Somehow, it felt like the world would end if I didn't kiss her, as if I would be in physical pain if her hands left my face.

After what seemed like only a second, I heard Effy clear her throat and reluctantly pulled away, panting slightly as Naomi had succeeded in leaving me breathless with mere soft, innocent kisses.

"I'm sorry, Ems, but your sister wants a word."

Naomi released me from her hold and I closed my eyes, gathering up the strength to talk to my sister. I knew it would be about Jeremy, well either that or Effy had been giving her a report on earlier events. Regardless, it was hardly going to be a conversation that would leave me in a particularly good mood. I reluctantly took Effy's phone from her outstretched hand and walked outside, closing the door behind me.

"Emsy?" Surprisingly, Katie's voice was laced with concern and not the expected annoyance at having to wait a while before I answered. "Are you alright?" More concern, strange.

"I'm fine, Katie." I realized she probably didn't know what had just happened and was referring to my general state of being. After all, the last time she saw me I was a wreck, my head in a bucket full of my own stomach acid. "Effy said you needed a word?"

"Good, I'm glad." She started, a hint of apprehension in her voice. "I spoke to Jeremy…", she paused before continuing, "we went back to the apartment and he packed some things for his trip to Zurich tomorrow." Odd, I couldn't recall him mentioning he had to go to Zurich again this Monday but realizing it hardly mattered now, I let it slip.

"Thanks, Katie, you really didn't have to do that, you know." I paused because despite being truly thankful for her help, Katie rarely did these things without having an ulterior motive. I just wasn't sure what it was yet and decided to ignore it for now and simply appreciate her dealing with the situation for me. "I'm grateful though, truly."

"Please, it was nothing, anything for you, Emsy", she said sweetly, without hints of sarcasm or insincerity. What is it with everyone today, all helpful and insightful?

"Right", she started, the distinct and loud sound of her car engine starting up startling me slightly, "Which room is she in then?" Effy obviously had updated her but I couldn't really blame her, or any of them, for their curiosity. Katie surely didn't deserve any resentment after what she had done for me during the past 24 hours.

I let out a sigh. "Room 306, Nuclear Medicine and Radiology."

I walked in on Effy and Naomi having what seemed like an intimate, albeit platonic moment. As I handed the phone back to Effy, I noticed her eyes were shining more brightly than usual but the sadness displayed in them convinced me it was not due to gaining a new friend. I walked to Naomi's side and found the same desolation on display on her beautiful face. Effy sniffled a little and shook her head in dismissal.

"I don't know how you do it, Emily."

I frowned. "What?"

Naomi took hold of my hand and laced her fingers with mine. It felt divine and utterly natural. "How you can stand being around sick people with death sentences every day and not go jump off a building."

"Ah, that!" I nodded once and sat down at Naomi's bedside. "I suppose I try and think that these people will help us cure others. I probably cry more during a normal work day than most people but the things we do here can be magical to experience." I smiled affectionately at her, "Naomi will help us cure others and hopefully, her knowing this, will give her life more meaning."

Despite my trying to lighten the mood, it did little for any of us. Granted, it was a standard speech I had heard Kieran and JJ give patients and their loved ones time and time again but I honestly did believe it. How could I not, doing what I do?

Effy nodded solemnly and wiped a runaway tear from her cheek. I watched as my friend took a deep breath and regained her composure. She smiled and slid down into a chair by Naomi's bed. "You know, I really should try and pay more attention to you when you tell me about your work, Emsy…"

"I gave up on you years ago", I laughed, "James is the only one who really listens and tries to understand!"

"Is James clever, like you?" Naomi interrupted with honest curiosity.

Effy snorted and shook her head, laughing, "Oh no, no one's clever like Emily, Naomi." I opened my mouth to object but she continued, "Alright, maybe a few, but the odds of them being in the same room are probably gastronomic."

I felt my face redden as Naomi turned to me, a proud smirk on her lips. "Really?" It was more of a statement than a question but my face turned crimson nonetheless. I shied away from Naomi's dissecting yet teasing gaze and felt utterly self-conscious. Being clever was never something I had been proud of because I knew it wasn't any of my doing, not really. I just had good genes and a thirst for knowledge.

Effy nodded and either didn't pick up on my discomfort or chose to ignore it, knowing Effy, it was likely the latter of the two. The silence stretched on, Naomi eyeing me curiously with the same smirk across her lips and all I could think of was bending down and wiping it off using my lips. I was about to follow through on my instincts when James came bursting through the door carrying several plastic bags of drinks and snack foods.

"Sorry", he paused, slightly out of breath, "Cook sent me ahead to make sure we didn't walk in on something. Well, walk in on something again", he said with a crooked smile and the hint of a suggestive wink. His winks were improving, any day now and he might actually succeed in doing it subtly. He looked back over his shoulder, checking for Gina and Cook. "Coast is still clear though, if you wanna, you know…", he hinted at Naomi.

Before I could react, Naomi pulled me down for a kiss and the sound of James' reaction faded for a few, all too brief moments. She released me and straightened my shirt where she had pulled at it. "Time to act professionally, Emsy." She deliberately emphasized the affectionate name Effy had used earlier, smiling quite proudly as she made me blush anew. I bit my lip and glanced at the door before stealing another quick kiss.

Naomi's POV

I outdid myself by eating not one, not two but three entire slices of a surprisingly delicious pizza. I hadn't had that big of an appetite in months and glancing at Emily, I suspected that my current mood change was the cause. Watching her now, she seemed much more relaxed being around her own friends as well as mine. Knowing that Cook wasn't going to pummel her had probably increased her confidence slightly as well. However, having her sit at the foot of my bed was proving to be a frustrating experience. The sensation of her warm, tight body pressing against me and her mouth eagerly attacking mine was still evident in my mind and despite the lovely company, I was growing desperate and impatient. I had tried hinting at Cook and he was usually quite good at picking up unspoken signals but today he was proving to be quite thick.

I slid down in the bed and accepted that this new 'gang' of visitors would be sticking around for a while. Don't get me wrong, they were all making my short life better and I felt guilty about wanting to throw both Mum and Cook out the door but nothing can really compare to the extraordinary sensation of falling in love. So yeah, I needed them to leave.

To my surprise, James was the one who seemed to catch one of my attempts at signaling Cook. He suddenly sat up straight in his chair, which honestly seemed quite uncharacteristic of him, having previously done nothing more than slouch in the very same chair despite feasting on an entire pizza. He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his coke before clearing his throat.

"Emily, I've been meaning to ask you something about the trial…", he started and waited until she turned to face him.

"And?", she asked before pressing a much too large bite of pizza in her mouth.

James leant forward, placing his elbows on his knees and transforming from a shy, young boy to an intelligent, inquisitive young man before my eyes. "Well, the last time we talked, you mentioned having issues with the delivery of the radiosensitizer and were contemplating using a different method." He shrugged and continued, "Since I've met one of the patients now, I was wondering which one you ended up choosing? I know it's getting late but it would be fun to know before we have to leave."

"James, you and I have very different ideas on how to determine 'fun'", Effy interrupted with a sigh. "But you're right, we should probably be leaving soon." She shot me an understanding smile and I knew she saw right through me. I was starting to understand that it was common to feel that way around her.

Emily however, seemed less intuitive and the prospect of lecturing us on science was apparently more important than getting to spend time with me, alone no less. Didn't Effy just call her a genius or something an hour ago?

"Well, that's an interesting question, James..." Emily started and I noticed Effy rolling her eyes realizing, like I had, that Emily had missed the entire point to James' question. It wasn't to necessarily press her for details but more a reminder that it was getting late and they should take their leave. I poked Emily's leg with my foot, which succeeded in making her pause but only momentarily. She was still completely unaware of her brother's attempt at being considerate and giving us an opening for a fast goodbye and the privacy I was in desperate need of. "We were having issues last year, when –"

"Really, Ems, that's what you choose to spend this little reunion doing?" A voice with a slight lisp suddenly interrupted, "Talking shop?" I turned to see someone I instantly recognized as Emily's twin standing in the doorway. She gave me a quick once-over before walking towards my bed and leaning down to give me a quick peck on the cheek. She had the most conniving smirk on her face but seeing as I had never seen her before, I wasn't sure if it was her usual expression. Despite being twins and, I must confess, very similar, there was a completely different force emanating from Katie. It was clear she was a powerful character, her confidence in herself radiating from miles away. Her style was very different from what I was used to seeing Emily in, much more colorful and playful. Youthful, I suppose. Both she and Effy had that whole aura of being artistic about them and under different circumstances, I would probably have found both Katie and Effy attractive. All I saw now was the polar opposite to the dark-haired beauty sitting by my feet with a slightly apprehensive expression on her face.

"Naomi, I came as soon as I heard," the smirk on her face was quickly replaced by a seemingly sincere smile as she turned to face Mum. "Mrs. Campbell, I'm so happy to finally meet you. We never got the chance to back in Bristol." Mum stood, seemingly quite stunned and confused but nevertheless shook Katie's outstretched hand and smiled.

Realizing that no one had ever mentioned Katie to Mum, I jumped in. "Mum, this is Katie and yes, her and Emily are twins so you can stop gawking." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Effy winking at me, obviously picking up on how I had elegantly given our lie more depth. After all, if we weren't all old chums, how could I possibly know Katie's name?

Thanks for reading! I realized early on that the science wasn't going to fit into this chapter and will be pushed to the next one – as will much needed Naomily-privacy, this I can promise.

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback and as you can imagine, I'm currently suffering from review/feedback/follow/fav/general writing obsession-based withdrawal! :)