Emily was actually incredibly proud of herself for the amount of restraint she was showing in any situation where she was forced to spend time with Serena's daughter. Since Kate had, painfully bluntly, told the brunette some home truths about her daughter, Serena had reluctantly been seeing that her girlfriend's mother was right about what she'd said.
Christmas had come and gone with Elinor complaining bitterly when she was forced to spend the day with her mother, Jason and Emily's family. The young woman had been given the option of going to her father's, but she had apparently decided that the Stewarts were the lesser of two evils and flounced through the door of Kate's house on Christmas morning without saying a single word to her.
On New Year's Day Serena, Jason and Elinor were spending the day with the Stewarts once more. After lunch, Emily excused herself to go and pack some of her things to take back to her girlfriend's house. She pointedly ignored the huff of irritation that was directed at her as she bent down to press a quick kiss to the corner of Serena's mouth. Completely ignoring the scowl that Elinor was sending in her direction, Emily headed out of the room and up the stairs.
With Jason and Gordy engrossed in the racing game they were playing on the television and Kate and Osgood politely pretending that they hadn't noticed anything, Serena stood up and nodded her head towards the kitchen. She strode through the door, waiting for her daughter to follow her inside, before closing it firmly behind them.
"This behaviour has got to stop, Elinor!" Serena ordered, placing her coffee on the kitchen table and folding her arms. "If nothing else, Kate and Osgood are my friends and it is mortifying to sit there and watch you rolling your eyes and making comments that are totally uncalled for."
"I have nothing against Kate and Osgood, Mum." The younger woman replied with a shrug as Serena rolled her eyes and picked up her mug once more. "It's her that I have a problem with."
"And why is that, exactly?"
"She's a hobosexual, Mum!" Elinor exclaimed. "Why can't you see that?"
Serena almost choked on her coffee at her words. "She's a what?"
"She's with you because if she wasn't she'd have nowhere to live! Her mother clearly doesn't want her around anymore."
"Rubbish!" Her mother scoffed. "Em doesn't even live with me, anyway. How many times do I have to tell you to get over it? I love you, Ellie, but I love Emily, too. You are not going to turn me against her."
"She's just using you, Mum!" The younger woman tried again. "Why can't you see that? You're ridiculous! She's young enough to be your daughter! Do you have any idea how laughable your relationship is?"
Serena flinched. "How dare you? I have never, never commented on your choice in partners! I never would. Remember who you're talking to, Elinor."
"No, but you've showered enough judgement on Dad because of the age gap between him and Libby. I can't believe you can't see how desperate you look."
"Why can't you see that this is pointless?" Serena demanded angrily, her eyes sparking. "You won't destroy this for me. I won't let you."
There was a tentative knock on the kitchen door and Osgood poked her head around the frame. "Everything OK?"
"Fine, Os, thank you." Serena assured her with a firm nod.
"Jason was wondering if you were coming back in because it's your turn." The bespectacled brunette asked, slightly warily. "If you're busy he said he'll swap turns with you, if you wanted."
"Oh, I'm done here, don't worry." The older woman told her, shooting a glare at her daughter. "Elinor is going to calm down and find her manners before she comes to join us."
As her mother swept through the door and pulled the door closed with a bang, the younger Campbell folded her arms and stamped her foot childishly. She barely had a chance to replay the conversation once in her mind, before the other door leading from the hallway opened and the very person that she least wanted to set eyes on stepped into the room.
"Elinor…"
"I don't want to listen to anything you have to say."
"Not even for your Mum's sake?" Emily asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm under no illusions that me and you will ever be friends, but can't you at least be civil for her sake? You don't even have to talk to me."
"It's for her sake that I'm trying to make her see the error of her ways." Elinor informed her bluntly.
"Right, and upsetting her and my Mum in the process, yeah?"
"It's worth it if she gets rid of you."
Emily rolled her eyes. "Why can't you just admit that we both love Serena and–"
Elinor advanced on her quickly, scowling at the younger woman. "I will never accept you, you little whore. I will never stop trying to break you up."
"Do your worst." Emily challenged, losing her temper and narrowing her eyes at her girlfriend's daughter. "You can say what you want to Serena, you can try your best to break us up, but I've got something you'll never have."
"And what's that?"
"You can call me all the names under the sun," Emily drew back so that she could look Elinor in the face properly, "but the little noises Serena makes… the things she can do with her tongue… when she screams my name…" she smirked, "that is something I'm not going to give up in a hurry."
"Bitch…"
Before Emily knew what was happening, Elinor had pulled back her arm and slammed her fist into the other woman's face. Emily couldn't deny that she was slightly impressed having expected that, if she ever did, the other woman would have slapped her with as much effect as a gnat. Instead, though, she found herself stumbling back against the 'fridge in surprise.
"What the hell–?"
Both women looked sharply towards the source of the sound, finding their mothers, Osgood, Jason and Gordy staring at them in shock. Elinor looked defiantly at them, folding her arms across her chest, while Emily straightened, putting her hand to her face to assess the damage. She winced at the warm, sticky sensation of blood on her fingers as she touched her nose.
"I'm fine." Emily assured her mother, holding up a hand in Kate's direction as she lurched forward. "It's fine."
"It is most certainly not fine." Serena growled out, her eyes flashing with fury as she surveyed her daughter's petulant expression. "Apologise."
"No."
"Apologise now!"
"No!"
"Serena, really, it's fine." Emily told her. "I provoked her."
Her girlfriend shook her head. "I don't care. Elinor, apologise."
"I hate you." Elinor spat out, looking directly at the younger Stewart. "I hate you so much. You've ruined everything."
Serena stepped forward and for a moment Emily thought she was going to hug her daughter. Then, with as much of a surprise element as her daughter, she slapped Elinor across the face. The younger woman gasped, raising a hand to her cheek and blinking at her mother.
"I've tried to be understanding." Serena told her, sounding more tired than anything else. "I've tried to give you time to come round because I know this must have been a shock for you. But I'm not going to stand back and watch you attack my girlfriend just because she dares to love me? I thought I'd raised you to be tolerant and open-minded. Obviously I failed and for that I apologise."
"Mum, I just need to make you see–"
"No, Ellie, no!" Her mother shook her head, pulling her hand away from her daughter's outstretched one. "You don't need to make me see anything. You need to see that I'm happy and I'm in love. I've made my choice."
There was a long pause as the disgruntled brunette looked between her mother and Emily, who was still dabbing at her nose with a ball of kitchen roll. Elinor's eyes narrowed and she took a step towards the Emily, evidently not to apologise for punching her.
At once Kate was striding forward, physically putting herself between her daughter and the perceived threat. "Don't even think about it."
Looking the blonde up and down, Elinor snorted derisively. "I wouldn't waste my energy."
"Go home, Elinor." Serena ordered her in a weary tone. "Go home, pack and make sure you're out of my house before we get home."
Elinor blinked. "What? Where am I supposed to go?"
"Your father's? One of your friends'? I'm sure you'll think of somewhere."
"Mum…"
"No, Ellie, not this time."
There was another pause and then Elinor turned on her heels and stalked out of the room. No one moved until they heard the front door slam and then Kate was turning to her daughter, moving the kitchen roll from her nose to assess the damage. Well aware that Serena was going through a crisis over what had just happened, Emily waved the blonde away and told her she was fine.
Getting the hint, Kate ushered her girlfriend, son and Jason out of the room, pulling the door gently closed behind them. Sighing, Serena dampened a tea towel and used it to wipe the blood off Emily's face. Taking the fabric from her hands, the younger woman discarded it on the counter and pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.
"I really am sorry." She whispered, feeling Serena nuzzling her nose into the crook of her neck. "I was my fault. I pushed her too far."
"She still shouldn't have hit you."
"No." Emily conceded. "But I don't want to be the reason you fall out with your daughter, Rena. You'll end up blaming me and I can't… I don't think I could handle that. It would tear us apart."
"She'll come round." Serena assured her softly. "And if she doesn't… it's her loss."
"But…"
"No buts." The older woman pulled away, placing a hand on either side of Emily's face. She nuzzled their noses together before placing a soft kiss on her mouth. When Emily let out an involuntary hiss of pain, her eyebrows furrowed. "We'll have to get that looked at."
Emily chuckled, rolling her eyes. "It's fine."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."
With a sigh, the younger woman rested their foreheads together. "There is nothing to make up. Having you… being able to call you my girlfriend… is more than enough, Rena."
From the doorway there was a cough. "Kate's wondering if you're going to come and watch Mary Poppins?"
"Of course we are." Emily told her stepmother with a grin, pulling Serena towards the door by her hand. "Mary Poppins on New Year's Day? It's a Stewart tradition!"
A/N: My mate introduced me to the term 'hobosexual' when we were discussing a mutual friend. He actually IS one, though, unlike our Em.
