It took about five minutes of stroking and comforting before Ashlee would pull her face from Ava's shoulder so they could talk face to face. After Ashlee confessed her insecurities she tried to run back into the bathroom but Ava had hung on tight. Only when Ava screamed out loud when Ashlee accidentally bumped her wound did the younger girl stand with her back towards the bed with her head hung low hugging herself. Ava had known that Ashlee might have some apprehension about the physical part of things but was totally unprepared for how shaken she was especially since Ashlee had spent the better part of a month trying to seduce her. How was it possible that the scared little girl shrinking in on herself in the corner was the same woman who had stepped into a shower unannounced last week on the pretext of scrubbing her back. "Ash? Ash please come here and let me hold you. please" It was only after a fourth plea that the blonde came back to the bed but only after retreating back to the bathroom for a robe but again she faced away from Ava and perched on the very edge of the bed as far from Ava's body as possible. Fuck me have I done something to scare her? "Ash please look at me. If I did something or if I said something that upset you" Ashlee hadn't spoken yet and she still seemed miles away but the back of her head was wildly swaying to negate Ava's fears. "Then what's wrong? Ashlee you said that for us to work I had to tell you when I was hurting but the same goes for you babe. Whatever is bothering you you have to share with me. Please" Finally Ashlee turned around and began crying softly on her shoulder. The pressure hurt more than she liked but she was not about to risk Ashlee running away again just because of a little discomfort. Once Ashlee's breathing calmed and no new tears flowed over the hopefully waterproof bandage Ava turned Ashlee's head towards her own and whispered "What's wrong?"
"Ava I, I mean Ava you um" That Ava loved her she had no doubts but would that love be enough if she failed to please Ava sexually? Would a woman as passionate and experienced as Ava stick around while she fumbled around trying to measure up when she could have any man or woman she wanted? Now that she was so close to having the woman of her dreams Ashlee was at a loss to attempting life without Ava but was it fair. There was never a time that anyone ever wondered about Ava's thoughts on any subject. Ava strong and self assured and Ashlee had no doubt that Ava would be just as direct in the bedroom. How was she going to explain her fears without sounding the complete loser? All these worries filled her head until suddenly the softest pair of lips created sweetly brushed her own. "Uh?" Screw what was I about to say?
Laughing Ava reached for Ashlee's hands and held them in her own but she stopped when faced with Ashlee's bright but sad blue eyes. "Ash jus tell me what's wrong"
"What if I can't" the first part of the sentence was pretty clear but the last part was muffled by Ashlee's mouth on her neck. Trying to focus on comforting Ashlee rather than the sensations her moist mouth was causing below her waist Ava pulled away and gathered Ashlee's face in her hands.
"If you can't what? What's going on with you Ash? What has you so scared all of a sudden? We've seen each other naked lots of times. What made you freak out tonight?"
"Jake" Ashlee ground out.
"Jake what the fuck does Jake have to do with anything?!"
"He said that I. He said that I would never be able to please you. That you couldn't possibly be satisfied by someone like me and once you realized that he would take you away from me"
To say that Ava was angry was an understatement Jake was very lucky that there were several large states separating them because if not the SF police department would want to talk to her about more than a mugging. Yes she knew he cared for her and she even counted the jerk a good friend but he could also be a complete asshat when it suited him. Ava knew he was only lashing out but that knowledge didn't make her more understanding. If anyone should be striking out and trying to sabotage relationships it should be her trying to tank his marriage. Once she calmed down she was going to spend a few heated minutes grilling one Jackson Steel but right now reassuring Ashlee was more important. "Ash look at me"
With her head bowed and eyes closed Ashlee mumbled into Ava's palms "You don't have to say anything Ava. I'm going to do my best to"
"Ashlee baby I love you and" but the younger woman continued berating herself without pause so she made a risky but strategic move. Wish me luck "Ashlee Wolfe shut the hell up!" Oh that made an impression and Ava saw a bit of what Jake must have seen that first night in the sushi restaurant. "I mean it no talking you've had your chance now its mine." She hasn't decked me yet but Ava could tell from Ashlee's narrowing eyes that if she didn't clean this up soon she might have more wounds to report tomorrow at her check up. "I love you and only you. I feel more from just kissing you than I have ever felt from having sex with anyone else. You are the other part of my soul Ash you couldn't help but please me as long as you love me with your whole heart"
"But what if I'm no good"
"Honey the only way it wouldn't work between us is if we were scared to tell each other what we really wanted. Do I seem shy at all babe?" Two hours later they were both under the sheets wearing only panties holding each other playing the what if game. Ava knew that Ashlee had some worries but she thought the past two days were filled with enough stress so she tried to lighten the mood. Feeling Ashlee's heart beating from behind and having her arms wrapped around her torso Ava softly asked "What would you do if I just came home from a two week conference. How would you greet me?" By the end of two hours they had both vividly described scenes of passionate love making. How they kept from attacking each other Ava didn't know but even when she used words to paint a picture of waking Ashlee up after a hard night of writing term papers their fingers only lingered lightly over the shoulders and thighs. Somehow without speaking Ava and Ashlee decided to wait until they were both in full health to make love although falling asleep was a heavy chore.
Loud and steady banging on the door accompanied by constant ringing of both Ava and Ashlee's cell phone and the room phone pulled them from sleep, barely. Ashlee sat straight up in bed and almost gave herself whiplash but Ava just buried her head under and extra pillow. What that heck?! It sounded like a swat team was descending on them. She spared a quick look to check the time and was surprised that it was only one but felt as if she had slept for hours. But it wasn't until she heard her mom's voice screaming her name from the other side of the door that Ashlee got up from the bed. When she opened the door after a quick check for nudity that she saw Doris and about six half asleep people inside their hotel room standing outside watching the scene unfold. "Mom?"
Doris pushed her way inside and pulled Ashlee along with her as she tugged at the prone body still in bed. "Ava Ashlee get dressed Olivia needs you to come to the hospital Natalia just went into labor" Doris filled them as they readied. Doris had already gone once to the hospital to take Emma back to Blake's until morning but not before Olivia demanded her eldest daughter's presence. It took them thirty minutes and three sets of hands to get dressed being careful of bruises and injuries and by the time they were leaving the hotel the staff had gathered coffee and sandwiches. Olivia was in bed waiting on Natalia to finish showering when the other woman burst through the bathroom door naked. Olivia was a bit shocked by the over the top performance but she just figured Natalia wanted to be on top tonight. It wasn't until she looked up that she noticed the absolute terror on Natalia's face and reasoned another round of sex wasn't going to happen tonight. By the time she got Natalia ready and bundled up Emma the contractions were already ten minutes a part. Trying her best not to frighten Emma too badly Natalia tried to silenced her pain by moaning into her elbow. They arrived at Cedar's twenty minutes later without causing any serious damage to the car or anything else on the road. Although there were a few near misses as Olivia raced through two stop signs. That Natalia didn't say anything about slowing down and being careful told Olivia just how much pain her lover must be in. Emma was assigned the job of calling Ava and Doris Olivia would call Frank once Natalia was settled at the hospital and leave word with Rafe after the baby was delivered.
"She's not answering mommy"
"Keep trying sweetheart"
By time Doris reached the hospital the contractions were seven minutes a part and Natalia was taken to get prepped while Olivia sat with Emma in the waiting area. The month that Natalia had runaway Olivia looked absolutely horrible and although she didn't look as bad it was very close. Emma was still in pajamas up under the blanket that was wrapped around her and a teddy bear was peaking through the folds "I swear I'm going to bill you for every wrinkle I get from all these middle of the night calls" Both Olivia and Emma looked up and Olivia pulled her into the tightest hug ever. For a chic with a bad heart her grip was fierce.
"I need you to take care of Emma so I can be with Nat and could you please bring Ava here?" The doctor and nurse left the room and Emma said good bye to Nat and whispered a few words and laid a kiss for her sister on Natalia's stomach. As wired as Emma was in the hospital the adrenalin was no match for sleepiness and Doris had to carry her to Blake's guestroom. Blake was already up waiting and made Doris change out of her pajamas into jeans and sweats and promised to be at the hospital once Clarissa and Emma were dressed and fed in the morning. Frank was in the room with Natalia and Olivia by the time Doris, Ava and Ashlee got to the hospital but they saw the rest of the Cooper clan in the waiting room. In less than two minutes Frank was walking out and told Ava that her mother had come out of the room three times looking for her. Just as she was about to push open the door Olivia was pulling it backwards and caught her in a hug. Pulling Ava into the room Olivia checked once more that Natalia was as comfortable as possible before taking Ava to the room's bathroom to talk. "Are you okay with this sweetheart?"
Thinking that Olivia was talking about her injury Ava responded "Of course mom I took a pill before I came and I brought some extras just in case"
"No I mean are you okay with being here since you know" Olivia paused and bit her lower lip.
Biting her own lip it took a moment to figure out what her mother was alluding to "Since Max?" That her mother would consider her feelings about that tragedy almost three years prior in the midst of trying to take care of Natalia and Emma almost blew Ava away. She really does love me Ava thought although she knew it was true even before her flight for San Francisco for treatment but Olivia's concern silenced any lingering doubts that Olivia might still harbor resentment. "I'm fine mom honest but how are you? You're going to be a mommy again in just a few minutes" Ava smiled. Looking at her mother's wife holding the rosary with eyes closed in quiet contemplation Ava kissed her mother's head and then kissed the side of Natalia's turned face. She had realized that the child Natalia held would be her sister but it wasn't until that moment that she felt it. "I'm going to be a big sister again and this time I'm going to be there from the start" Ava whispered to her mother with a smile.