Thanks for you reviews EC Brenway & Kelly!

EC - It does take a while to get used to "Werewolf Elly" - hope you like her! Definitely a story for October! Elly in leather! Chloe's full reaction to Elly's return is right here! Omegaverse fic, Chelly babies - you'll never know what could be in the future for this story!

Kelly - Glad you saw the time jump coming! Hope you enjoy the Chelly reunion!

The Chemistry In Darkness

Chapter Ten

Monday 18th November 2024

Chloe wandered over to the woman who had just gotten out of the sports car parked in front of the Kennedy's house, terrified she was dreaming or hallucinating that it was her best friend and the woman she'd fallen madly in love with years ago, "Elly?"

As soon as Elly heard Chloe's voice behind her, her back stiffened up and she felt every hair on her arms stand up. She hadn't been expecting to bump into Chloe so soon, she'd barely gotten out of her car. But here she was behind her, she had to face her, having disappeared from her life nearly four years ago.

Elly closed the driver's car door, then swung around to Chloe, but she wasn't expecting the feelings invoked in her at the mere presence of the blonde.

Before Elly could react to it, she felt like she'd been thrown to the ground as her feelings for Chloe hit her like a brick. A large wall full of bricks and every single one battered her.

Every inch of Elly's body was humming as she felt Chloe's eyes roam across her, knowing Chloe was trying to process her being back.

Then before she knew it, Elly was almost thrown to the ground as Chloe all but tackled her into a hug. Elly had to use all her strength to stay upright and to stop Chloe falling to the ground too. All her strength just happened to be a lot more than your average person, that's how strong Chloe was hugging her.

As Chloe's arms enveloped Elly's body tightly and she buried her face into the crook of Elly's neck, Elly felt emotions she didn't know she was capable of. Everything about Chloe was heightening as she had her in her arms.

The feel of her skin against hers, the smell of her hair, the sound of Chloe's heart beating slowly. Time was slowing down and Elly didn't want to let the blonde go. Ever.

But as much as she wanted to hold Chloe in her arms forever, Elly eventually lifted her right hand, stroking it through Chloe's blonde ponytail, and moving some threads of her hair out of her face, then pulled Chloe back to stare deep into her eyes, "Hi, Chloe."

Elly's eyes flicked down to Chloe's lips.

Kissable…

"How?" Chloe managed to mumble out.

"I'm home, Chloe, back where I belong," Elly replied quietly.

In your arms, staring at your lips, wanting to kiss you…where the hell has this feeling for Chloe come from? It's been years since we dated…didn't even date much longer than a week.

"But you went missing and we thought you were…you're here? How?" Chloe asked, staring up at the brunette, unable to ignore the feeling that Elly didn't look like she'd aged a day since she'd gone away.

Whereas, Chloe felt she herself had aged more than her thirty-four years suggested. Years since Elly disappeared after her Hen's party, Chloe had spent worrying about her best friend, worrying about if she'd made the right decision to marry Pierce, that him wanting to start a family with her was the right decision for them.

"I have so much to explain about where I've been, Chlo," Elly whispered, her eyes focusing on every little detail about Chloe's face, taking in every inch of her, "But I need to see my family first…explain it to them…is that okay?"

Chloe nodded gently, "Right…yes, you should see your family."

Elly's skin still felt like it was dancing around on every millimeter of her that had Chloe's skin to hers, "I will explain it to you. I'll find you tomorrow…we'll catch up…on everything. I should spend the day with my family."

"You've missed a lot," Chloe whispered.

"I'm so sorry about that. It's really good to see you, Chloe," Elly admitted.

See you, hear you, hold you in my arms, never want to let you go, kiss you…what the hell is this? There's always been something between us but this feels…so much more…like nothing in the world can keep us apart…

"Mama," came a quiet voice unexpectedly from the car, breaking Chloe and Elly from being unable to let each other go.

"I'll get you in a moment, kiddo," Elly called out.

Chloe stared into the back seat of Elly's car, "Is that…?"

Elly reluctantly let her arms fall from Chloe as she reached over to the car door opening it, "This is Aster."

Chloe's jaw dropped as she stared at the young girl, "You had a girl?"

"Mum, can I get out of the car? I had too much to drink," Aster admitted as she eyed the blonde her mum had been hugging.

"And now you need the bathroom after I suggested you go before we left but you didn't listen to your mum? Sound about right, my girl?" Elly asked teasingly, as she leaned over to reach into the car to unlock Aster from her car seat.

"Yes, mum," Aster admitted, then pointed at Chloe, "Can she get me?"

Elly paused halfway leaning into the car to look back at Chloe, "It's okay with me if…"

Well I was enjoying the view of Elly leaning…but I can lean…

"Sure, of course," Chloe replied, surprised the young girl had asked her to get her out of the car.

Chloe waited 'til Elly had shifted back to allow her room to lean into the car.

Damn…Chloe can keep running with how good her legs look in those tight shorts…

Chloe unclipped the car seats straps and before she knew it, Aster had sat out of the seat and curled her arms around Chloe's shoulders. Chloe shifted back out of the car, with Aster wrapped to her left hip and her arms around her shoulders.

Chloe stared down at the young girl in her arms, "Hi, I'm-"

"Chloe?" Aster answered, unafraid to interrupt the blonde, "Mum talks about you all the time."

Elly blushed at Chloe, "Well, not…all the time."

Chloe smiled at their words, gazing back down at the young girl, admiring her light brunette hair that was tied up in two even plaits, "You're exactly how I pictured you, Aster. I can't believe how big you are. You're…nearly four years old."

Elly observed Chloe nearly quiver at those last words.

No matter what I tell Chloe, she'll never quite understand why I had to go away for so long.

Aster suddenly reached out her left arm to Elly. Elly stepped towards her daughter and Chloe, assuming Aster wanted to crawl into her arms, but instead Aster just wrapped her arm around Elly's shoulders, pulling the three of them close together.

Chloe smiled up at Elly, "Aster's perfect, Elly. I don't know what you've been through but…you two look like you've looked after one another."

"We have, Aster got me through a lot," Elly admitted, then without realizing it she placed her free hand to Chloe's hip, her fingers grazing against Chloe's skin where shirt had ridden up.

"I'm glad, you two are perfect together," Chloe replied, unaffected by the way Elly was holding her.

The three of us are perfect together…this…I want this. Chloe and I. With Aster. I want the three of us…I want this more than anything like nothing in the world could possibly stop Chloe, Aster and I from having this…being a family…loving each other…

The fucking rings!

Elly tried to hide the fact she swallowed hard as she noticed Chloe's wedding ring on her fingers as she shifted her hand against Aster.

You knew Chloe was still married…cause of course she is! As if Chloe would leave Pierce when he's her security blanket for her Huntington's…is he the one thing in the world who can stop this…? Chloe, Aster and I being a family…?

Elly cleared her throat, her mind and feelings mixed with so much confusion over how she felt about Chloe that she hadn't expected to have upon seeing her again after so long, "I gotta get Aster inside to the bathroom and to see my family."

Chloe nodded at Elly, even though she didn't want to let the pair of them go, "You go do the mum thing with your gorgeous girl and then see your family. They'll be beside themselves when they see you. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"I'll find you tomorrow sometime," Elly agreed, squeezing Chloe's hip before gently allowing Chloe to slip Aster from her hip and onto Elly's.

Chloe stepped back from the pair, the smile on her face wide and glowing, "I can't wait."

Elly watched as Chloe turned around and practically skipped away from them over to #24 and up the driveway. It almost pained Elly to be apart from Chloe after holding her in her arms.

Chloe makes me feel like…

"Muma, your eyes are golden," Aster giggled up her mum.

"What? My eyes are not golden," Elly nearly frowned at her daughter, then glanced at herself in the window of the car, shocked to see her eyes brightly shining back at her.

"You just met your mate," Aster teased.

"I did nothing of the sort, Aster. Mates are just a werewolf folk tale your Aunty Lexa and Aunty Clarke keep spinning," Elly asserted.

"Chloe's your mate and nothing in the world is going to stop you two from being together. Those are the rules. You've met her, your entire world is spinning and your eyes have turned golden," Aster giggled once more, "Do I get to call Chloe, step mum?"

"Don't you dare call Chloe step mum, she's just a friend, Aster," Elly insisted, "There's no such thing as mates. It's just a legend. Even if it wasn't, Chloe's married, I'm not getting between that."

"Chloe's your mate," Aster repeated, "You love her. My mummy's in love. I get a second mummy. I like it here, Muma…I need to pee."

Elly glanced at herself in the car window, glad to see her eyes had reverted back to their normal colour, then turned around to begin carrying Aster to the front door of her Aunt and Uncle's house, "Aster, baby girl, you can't be saying stuff like that. Nobody can know I'm a werewolf. Everyone will be in danger if they know the truth. Chloe's not my mate, she's just an old friend…"

Aster shrugged, "I'll keep your secret, Muma. Chloe's your mate…you'll see."

Chloe can't be…I can't possibly love Chloe more than anything in the world nor think that nothing will ever stop us from being together…right? The whole wanting the pair of us to be a family with Aster doesn't mean Chloe's my…

Every single second with Chloe…my world felt different…it felt right for the first time in my life.

I think Chloe is my mate…what the hell do I do now?

Next time - Elly and Aster reunite with Bea - how will Bea take the news that her sister's returned? Is Bea the same girl Elly left all those years ago?

Who loved lil Aster? I think she's a Chelly shipper already! And yes, Aster was the reason for the time jump as I wanted a younger child in this fic as opposed to a baby - good decision?