A/N: Warning angst ahead
Chapter 14: I Love You's
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Stephanie walked into the kitchen from her bedroom and saw her girlfriend and her sister bickering over Tommy to get him to say their name first. Sara is at the end of the table eating a sandwich. Then when the baby saw Stephanie and said, "Steph."
Both women turn to the taller blonde who had a smug smile firmly in place and said, "What he's been saying it for weeks, here you go, Tommy," then she handed him a cheerio, and at the look the other two were giving her she shrugged and said, "What this is how I train all my men."
D.J. sulked for a moment while still feeding her youngest cereal when her younger sister spoke up yet again, "So I've finished a song and I'd like to fine tune it but I want a whole band." The four women sit in silence for a minute when Kimmy jumped up and says:
"Oooh I have an idea," she comes around the table and plops down onto Stephanie's lap. Then her eyes clamp shut and she rests her hands on her temples and grunted loudly.
"Uh, Steph."
"Hey do not look at me she doesn't even make these type of noises during sex I think she's laying an egg."
"And hatched, we should get the band back together."
"Uh, babe what band?"
"Our band 'Girl Talk'."
"Sweetie we aren't thirteen anymore," Stephanie said as she took in the absolute seriousness in Kimmy's eyes.
"Come on Steph please," Kimmy's lower lip jutted out in the most adorable pout Stephanie had ever beheld and she felt her resolve to crumble.
Stephanie sighed and gently kissed the pout on her girlfriend's face before saying, "This is a terrible idea but sure why not." Kimmy bounced excitedly in Stephanie's lap for a moment before pulling Stephanie in for a kiss, and the middle Tanner sister could feel the excitement radiate from the eldest Gibbler sibling. Then she pulled back and said, "Now what happened to our drummer?"
"Well she drums for Beyonce now," Stephanie informed the room and everyone except Kimmy looked impressed.
"Well that's certainly a step down from 'Girl Talk'," Kimmy said.
"Sure it is sweetie," Stephanie said smiling at her girlfriend.
"I can play the drums," Sara supplied and all three women stared at her in astonishment, "What I played all through high school and college."
"Well that's great now all we need is Gia."
"Ewww not Gia," now all the women were staring at D.J. as she continued, "Steph don't you remember what a bad influence she was; I mean she took you to that make out party and tried to get you to smoke."
"Deej relax I've stayed friends with Gia She tried to get me to not drop out of college, and she's a soccer mom now and walks for like nine different diseases."
"Really she encouraged you to stay in school wow, but what about me I want to be in the band."
Stephanie thought for a moment before saying, "Well you could be our very first audience member."
"Okay Dokie let's rock," D.J. said with enthusiasm and a bright smile.
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The next day Stephanie walked into the basement and just, stared, at Kimmy for a moment. The older blonde was finishing setting up the band equipment, that Uncle Jesse still had stashed around the house, and she was humming something that was vaguely recognizable to Stephanie, but it was off key so she could not quite make it out. She walked over to Kimmy and slid her arms around her waist from behind and nuzzled her neck gently trying to make out the tune. After a few minutes, she gave up and asked, "What are you humming baby?"
Kimmy whirled around in Stephanie's arms and gently began to sing still off-key, "We'll take the trail marked on your father's map oh kiss me."
Stephanie smiled, and took one of Kimmy's hands in hers while settling her hand on the shorter woman's waist and began to dance her around the room and began to sing with her, "So kiss me," Kimmy finished and Stephanie kissed her slow and deep, and Stephanie felt her heart race and a weight settled in her belly as something shifted between the two women. Kimmy broke the kiss first and said, "I love you, Stephanie."
Stephanie processed the sentence quickly and said, "Kimmy I-"
She was cut off when Gia bounded down the stairs completely unaware of what she just interrupted, "Stephanie it's been months since I saw you," She said and pulling her friend into a hug. Then D.J. and Sara walked down the stairs.
"Hey, Gia how is Rocky?" Rocky was Gia's daughter.
"She's awesome misses you."
"We should hang out all three of us soon."
"Gia," D.J. acknowledged then said, "You know I almost didn't recognize you without your cigarette and hickies," Stephanie rolled her eyes, she'd known this had been a bad idea as she watched Gia trade barbs with her sister for a moment while Kimmy helped Sara, whose tiny body was now seven months pregnant, sit on the tiny stool for the drummers.
"Who are you?" Gia asked Sara.
"I'm Sara."
"Our friend and roommate," D.J. explained feeling the need to protect Sara from Gia.
"Yep, we kind of adopted her it's a long story Okay guys let's pretend this is a good idea and practice the only song we know, 'The Sign'. Sara you ready?" Stephanie said.
"Yep Jimmy helped me learn it last night."
"Great let's go," Stephanie said hoping to get a moment alone with Kimmy later to respond to what she said.
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A few hours later everyone had finished playing, and Stephanie had to admit it was not that excruciating, "Guys I think we did alright,"
"We did now I need a smoke break," Gia announced before starting to root around in her purse.
"Uh this is a smoke-free house," D.J. said irritated at the brunette for thinking she could smoke in the house.
"Relax D.J. it's a vapor cigarette and hey it smells like banana bread."
"I don't care, wow that does smell nice, don't smoke it in the house."
"You will never change will you; you are still the snobby goody two shoes you've always been. Come on Stephanie you should come home with me," the brunette's voice took on a sultry tone as she took Stephanie's hand, and said "I have really missed you."
Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor, and Kimmy's heart raced at the implication of Gia's words.
"Gia, I'm not going there besides I'm dating Kimmy," Stephanie said.
"And Kimmy is right frickin' here," Kimmy said rage coursing just under her skin.
"That hasn't stopped you before with other people what's so different about Kimmy Gibbler?" Gia asked.
"The difference is that I'm in love with Kimmy Gibbler," Stephanie said; the conviction of her words was etched into every syllable. Then she turned to Kimmy and said, "It's true I was going to say it back but she came down the stairs and kind of ruined the moment."
"Wow who'd have thunk that after all these years you would have finally given your heart away and when you do it's to Kimmy Gibbler," Gia said with only a small amount of bitterness.
"Yeah it is Gia, look you need to go I need to clean up your mess I'll call you okay."
Gia nodded resignation in her eyes and went up the stairs. Sara waddled after her. D.J. and Kimmy stared at Stephanie with something akin to disbelief, "So you and Gia," D.J. said.
"She was the first girl I was ever with. Truthfully I thought you knew."
"You've cheated on other people with her," Kimmy whispered the full implications of all that Gia said hitting her.
"No well not really I've been in open relationships before and Gia was usually my go-to person when I needed her she was there and vice versa. We were never in a relationship and love was never a thing between us we just liked to sleep together occasionally."
"When was the last time you slept with her?" Kimmy asked.
Stephanie flinched and knew Kimmy probably would not like the answer to this question, but she answered honestly anyway, "The night you told me you just wanted to stay friends. All we had done was kiss, and I needed to feel wanted and lick my wounds she helped with that."
"Wait Steph I thought Gia was married?"
"She is; her husband knows we've slept together I thought you guys knew, to be honest, it's not like I was ashamed."
"We didn't know, and what do you mean her husband knows," D.J. asked knowing she was about to learn something she probably did not want to know about her sister.
"Well they are in an open marriage, he's joined us a couple of times," Stephanie said like it was no big deal. Then she looked at Kimmy who looked about ready to throw up and her heart clenched. She reached forward, "Kimmy I would never cheat on you do know that right?"
"Don't," she snapped backing away from Stephanie as if the middle Tanner was on fire, "You had a threesome with Gia and her husband?"
"Yes I did and that's not the only threesome I've had," then Stephanie turned to D.J., "Can you give us some privacy Deej."
The eldest Tanner nodded, squeezed Kimmy's shoulder in comfort and left the room.
"How many people have you slept with?" Kimmy asked.
Stephanie sighed heavily and said, "you don't want to know the answer to that question."
"Answer it anyway."
Stephanie closed her eyes and felt irritation start to well in her guts as she thought back, "In the upper forty's."
Kimmy sucked in a sharp breath as she tried to wrap her head around that number, "H-how?"
"I partied hard when I first got to Europe I have had a voracious sex life I'm not going to apologize for it. I'm disease free if you want I've got the paperwork to prove it in my bottom drawer. How about you what's your number?" Stephanie asked feeling defensive. She had never been ashamed of her past she liked sex as long as she was safe so what.
"Four and that includes you. I can't believe you let a woman you've had sex with just coming into our house like that; our bedroom."
"I repeat I thought you knew about Gia and me." Stephanie said, "I'm sorry for springing this on you I am, but I can't cut Gia out of my life I'm her kid's godmother, but I'll never sleep with her again I'm in love with you Kimmy and I don't think I've ever been in love with anyone before." Stephanie pointed out trying once again to reach for Kimmy to try to comfort her; Kimmy once again stepped back out of Stephanie's reach.
"I'm sorry Steph I need time to uh process this," Kimmy said her voice wavering and tears spilling down her cheeks.
"No Kimmy please don't do this I love you," Stephanie felt desperation claw at her chest, as she struggled to breathe.
"I need time Steph."
"I um okay I'll see if I can bunk with Deej for a few days, just let me get some stuff to sleep in," Stephanie said the tears in her eyes making her vision blurry and her throat ache with the thick feeling of emotion as she felt her heart begin to crack.
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That night after crying for a while Kimmy put a fake bright smile on her face as she walked into her daughter's room to tell her goodnight and stopped in her tracks. Something was wrong with Ramona she could tell by the look on her face. She pushed down her own heartbreak and uncertainty for the moment and focused on her offspring. Waiting for her to start explaining. Thankfully Kimmy did not have to wait very long, "Mom can I be homeschooled?"
"Why would you want to do that?"
"Here look at this," the teen handed over her phone and Kimmy watched the video. Rage and sadness swept through Kimmy as she saw it, someone was bullying her baby.
"Do you know who posted it?" Kimmy asked, and looking at her daughter Kimmy knew that Ramona knew but she was not giving up the name.
"Oh baby come here," Ramona ran to her mother's arms, and Kimmy held her daughter close for a moment relishing in the familiar scent and warmth of her daughter, and for just a moment the world faded away as maternal affection welled in her chest, "I know it's not the same but I was ridiculed as a teen because I had my own sense of style," Kimmy said pulling back from her daughter.
Ramona gazed at her mom taking her in with the onesie and the sleeping mask and said, "You know I believe that, but mom no one put you on the internet."
"That is very true. Ramona, you are one of the bravest people I know you are totally capable of keeping your chin up and overcoming this. I mean you are a part of me and internet or not you are made of pretty tough stuff."
Her daughter beaned at her at her and hugged her tightly, "Thanks, mom you are absolutely right I mean you have a successful business and a great relationship with a beautiful person, and you live in the house you grew up in rent-free what more could a Gibbler want."
Kimmy's heart clenched at the thought of the fight Stephanie and she was in. Truth be told her resolve and anger was already lessening. She knew she loved the middle Tanner, and Stephanie seemed to love her, but Kimmy knew that this was it if Stephanie broke her heart there was not stitching it together this time she'd never recover fully.
She kept all these thoughts from Ramona she did not need the burden of her heartache to be added to her own instead she kissed the top of her daughter's head and told her goodnight as she walked back to the empty bed that she and Stephanie had made love in that morning knowing she would not be getting any sleep.
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A/N: Mwahahahahahahaha Cliffhanger I decided to throw some angst on this fluff fest. please review let me know what you think I like reviews they are my aesthetic.
Jose Castenada I am sorry I couldn't include your idea it did not fit with the chapter but I still value your ideas and opinions.