Tns729 Thank you.

Ren-McCullers-There will be smut, but it's still a long ways off. Sorry that I got your hopes up. :(

Guest Thank you.

Dragoncila All in good time, we'll see their interactions. And there will be more with Paige's parents as well.

Guest lol. Maybe. ;)

Guest: Thank you. And yeah, Pam's on a bit of a roll right now. Let's hope she can keep it up.

ponderhouse Thank you. That means a lot to me, especially consdering how much I love your stories, and how much I look forward to updates on Flux. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. It is very Emily to want to make things as easy for Paige as she can, not to shield her from things, but to prepare her.

CarmellaD'Winter I'm glad that you liked that they talked, and that you agree. It's much to soon for them to be taking that step in the relationship.

Guest, Thank you.

Jhas-yep things are getting heated. Paige's question was kind of blunt, but she's never been in a relationship before, and she knows that Emily is, and she was uncertain about where things stood, what the expectations were. And, yeah, they're working now to make their relationship stonger, so they can withstand it when things get rough.

Paraddicted lol. Yeah, that just sort of snuck it's way in there but I felt like it worked in an odd way. I'm glad you liked their talk, and Pam putting a little bit of faith in them. Baby steps, but she's getting there.

subway20 Thank you. I'm glad that you like it. :) And, I'll try and put some more McHastings in there. Paige and Spencer are my two favorite characters, so I'd like to be able to get them both in there.

Guest, Thank you. I'm glad that you like it. I like the slow build, myself, so I'm glad that you're enjoying it.

Guest:(s) :)

Author's Note: I fell behind, I'm sorry. I started the chapter and then didn't get a chance to finish it. Sorry for the wait. But I hope that you still enjoy it. :)

Chapter 21

For the second time in as many days Emily found herself awake before the crack of dawn. Even with an early swim practice, it was still a good hour before she actually needed to be up. She knew from yesterday that it was pointless to try and go back to sleep though.

Sitting up in bed she reached for her phone, intending to text Paige a good morning. She liked the idea of her message being the first thing Paige would see when she woke up and turned on her phone. It seemed like the other girl had the same idea, however. Because when she unlocked her phone, it buzzed to indicate she had a missed text. When she swiped her thumb across the screen it revealed a message from Paige.

Good morning, beautiful. XO

Emily felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips and a warmth course through her. She could practically hear the soft, sweet rasp of the other girl's voice in her head as she read the words. Had Paige blushed while typing the words Had she hesitated before sending the text, wondering if it was too forward? Did she send it in a rush of courage, then panic the moment the text was gone? Emily guessed she had done all of those things.

She wondered if Paige would ever be so bold as to say the words aloud, to Emily's face. She really, really hoped that she would. She pictured the way her lips would form around the words, quirking up at the end, her eyes flashing with warmth before she ducked her head to hide the blush that would inevitably cover her cheeks.

:) Good morning, She debated echoing Paige's sentiment. If she put it in, would it seem like she was simply copying? Was there some other term of endearment she should use instead? When nothing appropriate came to mind, she hit send. She wished that she had something sweet and charming to add, but it was early and her brain was still foggy with sleep so she tucked her phone into the pocket of her pj's and climbed out of bed.

She got ready quickly, changing into her outfit for the day then packing a dry suit and a towel into her gymn bag before heading downstairs to start on breakfast. Since her mom didn't have to drive her to practice and didn't have to be at work until mid-morning, Emily wasn't sure what time she'd be getting up, but she thought it might be nice for her to have a hot (or a cold but microwavable) breakfast waiting for her. She was halfway down the stairs when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She paused her steps to fish it out, unlocking it with her thumb as she resumed walking.

Hey. :) I didn't expect you to be up so early.

Sorry I didn't reply. I was in the shower.

Emily had to shake her head to rid herself of the visual.

You remember we're going to swim practice this morning right? Pool. Chlorine. Water.

Swimming is not a substitute for a shower. :p

Emily rolled her eyes. No? Really?

lol. I went for a run this morning. I didn't want to be all sweaty and gross when I picked you up.

The two of them had worked out together so many times, she didn't have to try very hard to visualize Paige just after a workout, bathed in sweat, flushed and breathing heavy, wearing yoga capri's that molded to her body and shaped her ass, thighs and calves and a tank top, darkened with sweat and clinging to her body. Tendrils of hair, damp and unruly from where they'd escaped from her ponytail framed her face and beads of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

It was less imagination, more memory.

In Emily's mind, Paige lifted the hem of her tank top, to wipe the sweat away, revealing a tone stomach and a black sports bra and she bit back a whimper.

She felt like she was objectifying the other girl, the way she was constantly thinking about her body. But, they were together. So, she was allowed. She thought. She hoped.

I don't think you're gross when you're sweaty, she typed, feeling bold. I think you look hot.

She just knew that Paige wouldn't believe her, that the other girl would simply roll her eyes at the text, because for some reason, Paige didn't seem to have any idea how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

Uh-huh.

Emily typed out a response, deleted it, typed another, deleted that one. She didn't really want to get into it over text. It was just something she was going to have to work at making Paige believe. Instead, she focused on Paige's earlier comment.

You said you just got back from a run. What time did you get up this morning?

Not that long ago. It was a short run.

Emily rolled her eyes at the non-answer. It was a short run? Or you ran a long distance very fast?

I can run 3 miles in under twenty minutes

She glanced at the stove clock as she turned on the coffee maker and did a little bit of mental math, trying to determine when Paige might have gotten up.

You're a crazy person.

Yeah, we'll you're the one dating me so...

Emily rolled her eyes as she began rooting around in the cupboards for breakfast ingredients. She was thinking, French toast today. Emily began prepping the kitchen, setting everything up just the way she liked it so she could move efficiently as she made breakfast, texting with Paige all the while. It wasn't long before the egg batter was mixed, the bread was dipped and frying in the pan. Emily leaned against the counter, listening to the soft hiss and pop of breakfast cooking, keeping a careful eye on it even as she texted with Paige.

She was just plating up the last stack when her Mom made her way into the kitchen. "You're cooking breakfast twice in one week," she commented, pausing in the doorway to take in the scene. "Either you don't like my cooking anymore, or you want something."

Emily shook her head as she turned to pour her mother a cup of coffee. "Neither. You know how much I love your cooking. And there's nothing I want." She handed her mother the mug and then nudged a plate in her direction, smiling sweetly and trying to look nonchalant under her mother's scrutiny. It was true, she still thought that her mother's cooking was amazing. And, she wasn't angling for anything.

Her mom sipped her coffee, eyes narrowed at Emily for a long moment before she nodded and turned her attention to the stack of perfectly golden-brown French toast before her. "Breakfast looks great, sweetie," she said, reaching for a fork. "Tastes great too. Thank you."

Emily nodded and dug into her own breakfast, attempting to eat with one hand while surreptitiously texting beneath the table with her other.

"You know, just because you cooked the meal doesn't change the rules while we're eating."

Or, not so surreptitiously. "Sorry," Emily muttered, typing out a quick goodbye to Paige, offering her mom a sheepish smile as she did so. She expected a frown, or some other sign of her mother's dissaproval, but instead, her mom chuckled softly and returned her attention to her own breakfast.

"Breakfast was delicious, honey," her mom said as she rose from the table to carry her plate over to the dishwasher. "Thank you." She dropped a kiss to the top of Emily's head as she passed by her. The small, simple gesture made Emily's heart leap, it had been a long time since her mother had shown her such casual affection.

Emily was just finishing off the last bites of her own breakfast when the doorbell rang, it's melodic chime echoing through the house. Emily's fork hung suspended between her plate and her mouth and her eyes darted across the room to her mother in time to watch all the color drain from her face. A heavy silence hung between them before her mom turned slowly on her heel and took a few stuttering steps towards the front door. Heart hammering in her chest, Emily slid from her stool and hurried to catch up with her mother. They reached the door at the same time and for a moment stood there just staring at it, until finally her mom reached out with a shaky hand to turn the knob. Emily reached out, gripping her free hand with both of her own as her breath caught painfully in her throat.

Her mom swung the door open slowly. "Oh, thank heavens it's just you," she said, breathlessly, as Emily let out a soft sigh of relief as she caught sight of Paige standing on their doorstep, hands shoved into the back pockets of her jeans and staring back at them, brow furrowed in confusion.

Pam squeezed her daughter's arm before turning and retreating upstairs, to compose herself. And probably to send an email to her father. Emily was certainly craving to pull out her cell phone and listen to some of the saved messages right about now.

"What was that all about. Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" It wasn't until Paige's hands cupped her face and her thumbs brushed softly against her cheeks that Emily realized she was crying.

"I'm fine." She reached up, closing her hands around Paige's wrists and pulling them away from her face. "It's nothing. I'm okay."

"It's not nothing." Paige guided Emily into the living room and gently pulled her down onto the couch next to her. "What's going on?"

Emily exhaled slowly and slumped back against the couch cushions. "It's really nothing. It's just, the doorbell ringing unexpectedly... "

"OK. I don't get it."

"When something happens to a solider, when they...you know...they send someone to inform the family. It's every military family's nightmare to open the door to the sight of some uniform, there to inform them-" Emily couldn't finish the sentence, she broke off with a soft sob.

"Oh, Em." Paige reached out and gathered Emily into her arms. "You thought I...I'm so, so sorry."

Emily took a deep breath, struggling to get herself under control. "It's not your fault. You had no way of knowing. I should have told you but I forgot. All of our family, our friends, they know to text rather then ring the bell. And I guess I've gotten so used to everyone knowing that I forgot you didn't. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who-"

"Let's not do this," Emily interrupted. "We could go back and forth all day with the whole, it's my fault, no it's not, it's my fault thing. Let's just agree that it's entirely your fault, for being the only teenager in the world who actually gets out of the car and rings the bell rather then just sit in the driveway and honk."

Paige laughed lightly. "Well excuse me for having manners."

"Nope. Sorry. There's no excuse for you, McCullers."

Footsteps on the stairs alerted them to Pam's presence a moment before she appeared and Emily gently untangled herself from Paige's arms to stand and check on her mom. She stepped into the room looking as composed as ever, makeup subtle and flawless, not a hair out of place. But, Emily could see the cracks, the tension in her shoulders, the way her eyes shone brightly with extra moisture. She shook her head slightly before Emily could say anything, and Emily nodded, understanding that not talking about it right now was they only way her mom would be able to put it behind her and get back on even keel for the rest of the day.

"Don't you two have a practice to be getting to?"

Emily glanced at the clock on the mantle, they were going to be late if they didn't get going.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Mrs Fields," Paige said softly as she rose to her feet.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie." She reached out and squeezed Paige's arm gently, giving the girl a reassuring smile. "You girls have a good day. I assume I'll be seeing you both for dinner?"

Emily's gaze shot first to her mother, in surprise. Then, questioningly, over to Paige, who shrugged.

"Yeah Mom. We'll see you later." She kissed her mom's cheek and gave her an extra tight hug before grabbing her bags from the foyer and preceeded Paige outside to the car. She rounded to the driver's side door and pulled it open, ushering Paige into her seat with an exagerated sweep of her arm.

"You're stealing my moves, Fields. Not cool."

Emily just smirked as she waited for Paige to step past her. Once she had settled in her seat, Emily shut the door firmly and made her way around to the passenger side of the car. She tossed her bags into the backseat and then climbed in.

"You ready?" Paige asked, turning the ignition but pausing before pulling out of the drive.

"Not yet. Come here." Emily leaned forward in her seat and beckoned Paige to do the same. A smile playing on her lips, Paige complied, leaning forward as far as her seatbelt would allow. When she was close enough, Emily bushed a soft kiss against her lips.

"Good morning," she said, as she pulled back.

"It is now," Paige whispered, her smile growing into a grin as she closed the distance between them and kissed Emily again.

Emily hummed softly in the back of her throat as she felt Paige's tongue pulse lightly against her bottom lip, seeking entrance into her mouth. As much as she longed to deepen the kiss she pulled back, laughing lightly as Paige craned her neck, chasing her lips, trying to pull her back into the kiss. "We're going to be late for practice."

Paige pouted for a moment before sighing heavily and straightening up in her seat. "Fine. We'll go to practice," she muttered, like it was some big imposition. "But you're so making it up to me later."

"Oh, trust me, I look forward to it." Their eyes met in the review mirror as Paige backed out of the driveway and Emily raised an eyebrow suggestively, causing Paige to blush deeply even as she attempted to meet Emily's gaze with a suggestive grin of her own. Emily shook her head, biting back a smile at the other girl's adorableness.

The first few blocks passed pleasantly. Paige sang softly under her breath to the radio and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel in time with the beat, and Emily sat with her head turned towards Paige, simply watching her. Every time they hit a stop sign or a red light, Paige would glance over, catch Emily watching her and fall silent, blushing and ducking her head. But as soon as they got rolling again, she'd be back to singing along.

Until, one light she stopped singing and didn't pick back up again. Her hands stopped tapping along the wheel and instead gripped it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The set of her shoulders shifted, her posture becoming tense and slightly hunched.

Emily watched the change occur before her with confusion. And then it dawned on her, Paige was growing tenser the closer they got to the school. She slumped back into her seat at the realization.

"Why don't you pull over and let me out," she suggested, forcing the words out around the lump in her throat. "I'll walk the rest of the way from here."

Paige bit her lip, her gaze darting over. Emily was hit with a sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized Paige was actually considering it. She held her breath, awaiting Paige's response. After a long, tense moment, Paige shook her head.

"No. No. We're teamates. We're...friends. There's no good reason why I can't give you a ride to pratice. Right? I mean...If anyone says anything about it..." she shook her head again. "Ugh. I hate this."

"Hey. Easy. We talked about this, remember?" She forced herself to keep calm, because one of them needed to be. She pushed down her hurt and her sadness and focused on getting Paige past her moment of uncertainty.

Paige nodded. "I know. Yeah. But it still sucks, doesn't it? That I can't be seen with you in public, I mean, I can't even drive you to school without freaking out. How messed up is that?"

"Yeah. It sucks. But it's still better than the alternative."

Paige turned to her, one eyebrow raised. "Which is?"

"Not being able to do this." Emily reached out and squeezed Paige's knee gently. "Or hold your hand. Or kiss you. Or, take you out this weekend."

Paige's head whipped around, her eyes wide. "What? You want to take me out this weekend?" The way she lit up at the prospect was what made all of this worthwhile. If Emily just kept reminding herself of that, she would be able to get through this.

"Well, I hadn't planned on asking you like this, but yes. I was hoping that we could have our first official date this weekend. So, what do you say? Will you go out with me?"

Paige's smile threatened to crack her face and she nodded so enthusiastically that Emily was concerned that she was going to give herself whiplash. "Yes. Of course. I'm in. Yes."

Emily's own grin was insuppresible. And it took every ounce of willpower she had not to lean over and kiss Paige, right then and there. Having to tamp down on her natural instinct did nothing to diminish her mood though. She had a date with Paige this weekend. And knowing that was more important to her than being able to walk down the hallways holding the other girls hand or shout from the rootops that they were together.

It was still early, so while the school grounds weren't deserted, they weren't exactly teeming with students, either. They passed a handful of students, walking alone or in pairs towards the front entrance, heading to a pratice or club meeting of some sort. Nobody gave the car, or it's occupants, more than a cursory glance as they passed. Even so, Paige was still tense and silent as she pulled into the student lot.

She shut the car off with a harsh flick of her wrist, the song on the radio fading away, leaving a defeaning silence in it's wake.

"Okay. So, we're going on a date this weekend," Paige muttered, speaking more to herself than to Emily. "And, this morning we're going to walk to practice together. Because I gave you a ride. Because we're team mates. And it's perfectly acceptable. And at lunch...at lunch I'm..." She turned to Emily, eyes wild and wide. "What about lunch? I mean, I want to sit with you but.."

"But, you're worried about what people will think," Emily finished when Paige didn't. "And I get it. But, just because you sit with us doesn't mean people are automatically going connect me and you. You said that you and Caleb were kind of friends. And you've known Spencer for years. You've played on the same sports teams and you're in a lot of the same classes. I'm not saying you have to, I'm just saying that if you do, nobody's going to notice."

Paige nodded at her words. "Okay. Yeah. I'll think about it. I'll try."

That was really all Emily could ask for. "Okay. Whatever you decide, it's fine."

"Right. Thank you." Paige flashed her a thankful smile before taking a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling. She exhaled loudly and then turned to face Emily. "Are you ready? Let's do this."

"Are you sure?"

Paige nodded resolutely.

"Okay, then. Let's get to practice."