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The next week flew by. The weekend was entertaining, to say the least. By the time Wendy and Shelby arrived back on Mercer Island that Sunday afternoon, it was clear to her parents that Megan Marx had no intention of going peacefully into the good night.

Wendy snatched her little girl up, pulling her from Sam's arms. The little redhead had taken to Mama Puckett very easily. She was a big version of the twins, but she reminded Megan quite a bit of Shelby. All the little girl knew was that she was happy. Wendy was her mother, but she fussed nonetheless.

"Shh… I missed you too…"

It was moments like this that the little Marx girl wished she could tell people exactly what she wanted. It all became moot rather quickly. Carly spoke up.

"Honestly, Samantha… Where are your manners? Come on in, you guys. Make yourselves comfortable."

Wendy and Shelby crossed the threshold into Carly and Sam's cozy living room. Shelby held Wendy around the waist, while Megan held tightly to Wendy's arm and upper chest. The redhead was slightly uncomfortable, but laughed it off just the same.

"Okay, okay, okay… settle down there, Spider Monkey!"

Carly and Sam both laughed, watching the little girl try to scurry up Wendy's arm. Shelby smiled broadly, chuckling.

"She does that a lot…"

Carly ushered her friends to the sofa. She wanted to allow them to relax. It had been a long weekend indeed.

A SHORT WHILE LATER, OVER COFFEE…

Shelby was regaling their friends with the details – or rather the broad strokes – of her anniversary getaway with Wendy to northern California. This was what Shelby Marx did best, if you asked her. She was a great listener. Whatever Wendy wanted, Shelby would do her best to provide, even if it was as simple as a getaway to wine country and a cozy little bed and breakfast. With the retelling, Wendy was gushing all over again.

"Omigod, guys! It was amazing… You totally should go!"

Sam couldn't resist picking on her old friend for being such a girl. Only Carly knew what Sam was really like. Behind closed doors, Sam took down her freak flag and was perfectly willing to let her inner daffodility be put on display.

"Omigod, Wendy, like, totally?"

Wendy turned bright red. She knew that Sam was teasing her, but still, this was embarrassing.

"Totally."

Shelby poked her partner in the ribs. Wendy fussed at her. She was busy dividing her time between the grown-up world and watching the kids play together. Their little Spider Monkey had learned to share and play well with others. She decided to continue, regardless of the fact that Shelby was intent on tickling her to death.

"It was an amazing time… We stayed at this adorable little B-and-B that, at one point, had been a winery... Shelby was just awesome…"

Shelby flushed. Now that she could let the façade down and simply be herself twenty-four hours a day, those closest to her knew that the great champion was really nothing more than a soft little girl, when it came down to it. She whined, beyond embarrassed.

"Wendyyyyy…."

Carly felt embarrassed for her friend.

"Should we be hearing this?"

Shelby laughed.

"Yeah, it's fine… it's just… she knows… I'm just…"

Shelby couldn't finish the sentence. Wendy's hand was on the inside of her thigh, patting her gently, the way that she usually did when they cozied up every night to watch a movie together. Wendy spoke up, sensing that she'd inadvertently thrown her partner for a loop.

"She hates when I tell people what a great big teddy bear she really is…"

Wendy threw her arms around Shelby's chest, hugging her the way she usually did. Shelby squirmed, not used to this public a display of affection, even with their closest friends.

Carly smiled. It finally sunk in, after all the friendly get-togethers, that Wendy and Shelby really were just like them. Sam and Shelby tried to play the part of 'big, bad, rough, and tough', when all they really were was wrapped around their partner's little fingers. What Wendy and Carly wanted, they got. That was all there was to it.

LATER THAT EVENING…

Shelby should've known better. Carly and Sam had insisted that they stay the rest of the afternoon, relax, and make an evening of it with them. They would join them for dinner, no questions asked. Shelby did love it here, with her lover and their friends. This was, so others told her, what family life felt like. Most people's families were like this, but Shelby was experiencing this – truly – for the first time. She was comfortable there, sandwiched between the former Carly Shay and her own precious little redhead, when her cell phone took her mind off the weepy girly movie on TV. It was one that Carly and Sam had seen two or three times before, but Shelby had put it off, over Wendy's objections. These types of movies simply cut too close to home for her. If she was going to sit through something like this for two-plus hours, there needed to be some sort of payoff for her at the end. A movie like this – which normally put Wendy in 'The Mood' – basically was the kiss of death to Shelby's own libido. Where her partner saw kisses and rose petals, Shelby connected to trial and tribulation. It was the ultimate buzz-kill.

She answered the call on the second ring. It took a moment to register in her brain, as the call had come across as 'Restricted' on her Caller ID, but when it did, the implication was chilling. It was the alarm company. There had just been a break-in at their beautiful new home. Her blood instantaneously ran cold. The human body had an instinctive response, dating back to the mankind's earliest days. In Shelby's case, however, 'Flight' was never an option. She would always be hardwired to fight. She ended the call quickly and bounced to her feet. Wendy had that panicky, deer-in-the-headlights look that always followed a moment of sheer terror. She was afraid for Shelby. She didn't like hearing her talk this way.

The fighter kissed her partner firmly on the forehead. She looked Wendy square in the eye and spoke sternly. Wendy needed to listen. Shelby loved her more than anything, and Wendy absolutely, unequivocally, needed to obey her, just this one time.

"Listen… I love you very, very much… I have to go… You are to stay here with Carly and Sam until I say it's safe, do you understand me?"

Sufficed to say, it was plainly clear that Shelby Marx was as serious as a heart attack. Fat tears rolled down Wendy's cheeks. Shelby attempted to kiss them away. She knew she needed to go.

She bounded toward the door, which slammed as she left. Wendy heard the Mustang's engine rev to life. She heard tires squeal, and suddenly – painfully – Shelby was gone.

Wendy Marx collapsed into her friends and sobbed. She prayed that her beloved Shelby knew what she was doing.