Heyo.

DoggyPocky: I think it was more a threat to sue, maybe of unlawfully using minors in a name of the business? Idk. Interesting quote about a drunk man, and definitely the truth about Big Daddy alright. Finch has grown to be more a favorite and I'm glad! He's definitely been one of mine since the beginning.

TriceTokushu: If you think now is crazy we're only going uphill from here. Finch has always been somewhat the safety net so for her to turn to him may or may not have been a surprise.

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Her cheeks heated as she folded a piece of clothing in flustered thought at what started off as one night, progressed into a new reality. Her cheeks as hot as they were as if she could still feel his hands trailing up her frame for the first time, her breath mingling with his in the comfort of his first-floor apartment. Their clothes never lasting before finding comfort on the floor and between the kisses and gasps, the decades-long for desire found consonance. And not for the last time anytime soon.

She was terrible. But somehow, it felt right. The thoughts had gone out of hand all over the place for Caelia as she'd taken less of her asthma medication and drowned herself in a high dosage of anti-anxiety meds. She wasn't entirely wrong about the asthma meds affecting her psychologically for a few years now, and she couldn't afford to feel more a wreck than she was. Let alone let her daughters see any of it.

Those nights spent with Finch though, it just dissipated it. No tears left to cry, no thought other than the present. Dare she say...it might've been-

"Caelia, where's my jacket?" Big Daddy asked.

The pink fairy was pulled from her thoughts, situated in the master bedroom as she exited from her walk-in closet to where her husband called. Her ten-year-old Wanda was sitting on the end of her parents' bed with her legs crossed, having read a book aloud to her mother though she looked up at her father's entry.

"Which one?" Caelia asked, watching her husband approach his own closet.

"The.." he snapped his fingers in trying to remember. "Pinstripe."

She shrugged. "Which pinstripe."

"Caelia, I don't have time for this!"

His wife ran a hand over her forehead as her daughter looked to her.

Reentering from his closet Big Daddy shrugged on a familiar navy blue pinstripe suit with a pink boutonniere. Coming to a full-bodied mirror where he adjusted it in mumbling incoherent things to himself. His wife watched from behind, leaving her daughter's side as she approached closer.

"What's wrong?"

"Damn buyers, trynna discount crap." Big Daddy aid. "As if the bastards didn't have enough."

Caelia narrowed her eyes. "You think you could tone it down a few notches? Our daughter is right there."

Big Daddy looked from the dressing mirror to his daughter sitting cross-legged atop the duvet. "And why is she? This room ain't for public."

His wife gave a distasteful look. Maybe the times when their girls were smaller and had nightmares had completely been forgotten from his mind. Caelia recalled being nudged awake by either Blonda or Wanda for comfort after a bad dream before they snuggled in next to her.

"By public you mean family then." Caelia retorted.

"Forget about it...the cannoli don't need to be readin' in 'ere."

Wanda crinkled the pages in anxiety, sensing her father's oncoming frustration.

"She's just fine here." Caelia said. "And in no one's way."

Big Daddy looked at his daughter, throwing a nod to the door. "Wanda, go."

"I'm sorry, daddy." Wanda dissipated, quickly getting off her butt and scurrying to the room's exit. Caelia watched her go in building vexation towards her husband. As soon as the little girl was out of sight Caelia shook her head at her husband with a pressed frown.

"Was that necessary." She snapped.

He reached for his white fedora. "You've been the one acting up all year, I don't see why I'm in trouble."

"Oh for heaven sake's, just change." Caelia waved and flew back to her own closet. "Instead of dragging me upset down by the ankles. If you're so upset with me maybe tell me why instead of brutalizing my every move."

"Maybe remember who keeps you alive."

Caelia let out a loud laugh. "Myself. Within the jungle of a home you built."

"No jungle 'til you came, toots." Big challenged storming past her and flying to their door. He closed it with a startling slam, nearly concaving the ceiling as he did so. Caelia looked where he left and rolled her eyes in dropping a piece of clothing. No energy nor care to do what she was doing anymore as she came before her vanity mirror.

Men like him need watering. And you're the one who must do it by being loyal by his side.

Caelia was startled by the faint voice of her mother in the back of her head as if she needed that kind of added stress. She didn't know how that line came to her subconsciously at all though. That was said well over many ago when Caelia and Big Daddy were still dating.

As far as Caelia was concerned, no advice given by her mother was of any aid to her. Not unless it was some fashion tip Caelia had possibly inherited. But moral advice? Navigating life? Being a good person? Never, and Caelia had spent years making sure she'd never wound out to be the same person as Jessamine.

So then why was this thought ringing to her now? Jessamine had been the one who'd pushed Caelia to be with someone like Big Daddy, but the way she still acted cold towards her when dating him had never clicked. Could this 'watering' thing possibly, on some level, have been a warning...?

Knowing Jessamine, Caelia knew in her heart it simply wasn't true. But it meant something. Maybe it had to have been more than marrying Big Daddy. Maybe it wasn't just about the measure of Big Daddy's character but of Caelia's.

Firo is like gold, but you're only silver Caelia.

Had she been saying Caelia would have to amount to something different in order for this relationship to last? In order for a life to last? It wasn't clear but Caelia felt as if she knew that Jessamine was almost saying Caelia wasn't deserving of someone like Big Daddy...

...as if that man was really deserving of her anymore.

I've never not been here, Caelia, her mother's voice rang one last time.

She raised her hands to her eyes, pressing them gently against her face and sighing deeply. More thoughts ran at a faster pace as the recently and fervently heated fights with her husband were starting to create a pile. A pile of filth no amount of Big Daddy's Trash Removal could ever remove from sight. Every ounce of hate and coldheartedness Caelia was seeing grow in her husband's eyes was causing a tightening on her soul as her nails dug further into her hairline.

She continued to clutch her hair and face as she trailed to her vanity mirror, breathing now hitched breaths that escalated further into hysterics. She tore her fingers from her disheveled hair, breathing quick and shallow breaths at her reflection as her hand reached for the string of pearls gifted to her long ago by her husband. Screeching at a high level, she tore the band from her neck as pearls scattered to the floor.

Didi picked up a lone towel by one of the lounge chairs before the pool. Checking in on the girls between her outside tasks as Wanda splashed around in the pool while Blonda, at the prime age of thirteen in preadolescence, floated on a pool float with her legs dangling off one side as she read her favorite tween issue magazine. Floating around and every so often watching her sister. Maybe giving a warning if Wanda tried any funny business in splashing her way.

Didi was bemused. Tweens, little know-it-alls. She could only imagine the fiesty waters the house was in for when Blonda reached her teenage years and Wanda started to come around to being a tween herself. The girls were already their mother's daughters, uncontained excitement. But to say where Blonda's dramatics and Wanda's witty comments came from was unsaid. They were like two seeds of unknown magic.

"You almost splashed me!" Blonda blamed.

"I almost splashed the poolside." Wanda defended smugly, her head the only thing over water. She dove underneath before Blonda could get her own splash in on her.

"You two make any mess outside of the perimeter, you're cleaning it up." Didi warned, hiding her charm.

"It's not even me, it's Wanda!" Blonda said, pointing to the pink head of hair that poked out from underwater again.

"What's me?" Wanda asked, having heard only half. She stuck her tongue out playfully at her sister who kicked some water at her. Nailing Wanda in the face and much to Blonda's amusement.

"Come fight me like a real one! Instead of staying on no man's land." Wanda challenged, giving a kick at Blonda's pool float.

"No way!"

"Chickeeeeen."

Blonda smirked. "Oh, fine!"

She threw the magazine to the poolside and dove in, splashing Wanda first as the two proceeded. Didi noticing Caelia's entrance just then into the back and adjusting her hair. A little bit of something unsure in her action but Didi decided today was not a day to pick that battle.

"Can I get you anything, miss?"

"No, I'm alright." The pink fairy floated past the housekeeper, coming to the pool's edge and watching her children. "I can't keep my eye on either of you without some war breaking out."

"Wanda started it!" Blonda yelped over the splashes. "And I'll finish it!"

Wanda squealed by her sister's underwater attack, being thrown one way.

"Careful," Caelia eased though laughed.

"If you'll excuse me," Blonda nodded to her sister proudly, swimming past her. "Adults lounge in pool floaties and read fashion tips."

"Not if I get to it!" Wanda giggled, swimming quicker as Blonda swam faster in a second challenge. Caelia remained apprehensive in her mood much to Didi's notice. Watching the girls' in their best moments was one way to change Caelia's mood instantly and for it to not made Didi think Caelia might need a bit of a push.

Literally.

The housemaid snuck up with a no-good look crept on her face.

Caelia gasped in a large amount of air by the light push of two hands on her back, diving front first into the deep end of the pool as her daughters squealed in delight at Didi's not-so-innocent act of deviance. Caelia's head came up from the water for a breath of air, drenched in her clothes as her daughters swam up to surround her.

"Didi! You're simply looking for any reason for war." Caelia berated though she smiled.

On that cue, Wanda and Blonda proceeded in antic splashes of water to the side of the pool in aiming at Didi. Their mother laughing in delight at her little troopers water-attacking Didi who laughed playfully and lifted a towel in an attempt to use it as a shield as she scurried off to the side away from the lounge chairs and onto the grass.

A risk for her to push her employer into a pool? Eh, not when it was Caelia.

"Didn't know you were a live scenery kinda guy."

Finch was already bothered enough as to why Piero Fairywinkle was talking to him at all. Painting in the park at dusk was meant to be a means of escape and a way to get some of his best work done. Sorry he didn't work the same way as a stinky magic businessman, but this was basically cutting into his own work hours. He continued his gentle brush strokes, mimicking the purple hills of stone paths and pink cherry blossom trees before him. Picking out the spot where the setting sun hit the top of the hills just right. As well including a fella sitting on a bench right along in it.

"Didn't know you and I talked." Finch said, keeping his walls up pretty high. He definitely would need them from what he could sense was coming.

"I ain't here to pick bones." Piero said, Finch giving a side-eye at how faulty that sounded. "Big Daddy is mildly concerned."

Finch didn't even care, though he knew he should. "Then why isn't he here himself."

He was bothered by Piero coming in front of his chosen scenery to paint. Hardly a face he wanted to include on his canvas as Piero looked to him in studying his behavior. "Any reason he should be?"

The blue fairy shook his head. "No, I'm honestly wondering why you're here."

Big Daddy wanted to get Piero's hands dirty before his own, and Finch knew that. The artist knew Big Daddy might suspect something about Finch and Caelia sooner, but to say he was threatened was only minor. As crazy as that sounds. What was he bothered from over his wife who he treated like a burden? A woman who was growing to be much more comfortable in Finch's bed than one with her husband.

Yet Big Daddy wasn't here over something that could shatter the oh-so-perfect married couple this city's finest has ever seen. No, here was the brother instead. Finch knew about Big Daddy and he'd always kept from calling it out for Caelia's sake. The guy was a coward. Could Big Daddy have the crap beat out of Finch? Oh yeah. Was he going to? Maybe. Big Daddy was already on thin ice with Caelia, and Finch was probably no help.

Finch just lost a lot of damns already in his life.

"I'm not accusing you of nothing." Piero said. "Neither his my brother if there's no reason to be, nor proof."

Finch continued his strokes, unbothered by Piero's inch forward.

"Less to damage if there's anything you'd like to admit."

The artist dipped his brush into a water cup, mixing the pigmented colors of his desire on his palette. Finch was still not afraid. Some people may have stuff to lose, but he knew his battles and he knew how to fight while keeping hush-hush.

"I'm not owned by any studio. I'm an artist." The blue fairy reminded in a dull tone. "I hardly see why there's any reason to try and snub me from studios from ever hiring me again. Tell that to the pieces I gave them."

Piero could almost laugh at how cocky this guy was being. "Why should we snub you?"

Finch held out the partly used paintbrush, the businessman eyeing it oddly by Finch's motioning of the tool. "Everyone has rumors, doesn't make them true." He swiped it away, flicking paint to the purple grass and the businessman flying free from any splash. "If you'll excuse me, art takes peace of mind."

Piero hated the stubborn ones. But he most of all hated the roots Finch had grown deep that he'd have to report back. Finch was not a businessman with a family like the others. He did not have a title to fall from grace, and he didn't put all of his time into Big Daddy's hands. It didn't mean he wasn't another bug to squash though.

"We can do what we want," Piero reminded, inching towards the canvas' side. "Whenever."

"And that includes what," Finch mixed his palette. "An arrangement on my face?"

The palette was knocked clean by his hand along with the brush my Piero's smack of his grip. Being lugged by the collar as Finch resisted his grab by a grunt though Piero did not choose to let go, nor would by the wild look in his eyes.

"An arrangement on your whole goddamn life."

Finch inched his nose towards his, musky breath of the Fairywinkle lingering with Finch's. "My life? The one you've always called 'for the rats?'"

"Rat you be, alright.."

"And what about Caliea," Finch shoved Piero back to free himself. "How's she ever gonna live that down?"

"Where she got to go?" Piero said. Ticking Finch off beyond measure as he drew forward and shoved Piero again, startling some nearby park occupants.

"I should've warned her as soon as she met your freak family.."

Piero cocked his chin up. "And we shoulda got rid of you before you chained yourself to that Oakbelle."

Content after dinner with just the three, Caelia and Blonda settled on the white chez lounge in the entertainment room where Wanda practiced her piano across from them. Caelia listening while also occupying herself with a book and Blonda sitting right next to her and nose-deep in the sane tween magazine. Filling out a celebrity crush quiz with a squeal of excitement at every potential one she got.

Her mother looked at Blonda from her happiness of another result and then to Wanda. Seeing the girl eased in her piano and going along with gracefulness rather than overdetermination for excessive preciseness. Caelia kept silent on part of respecting the peace and respecting her daughter's clear state of mind.

Big Daddy busted in.

Wanda played the piano keys harder.

"I take one dinner with a few guys and they ask for an extra shipment the day of. Who do they think they are?"

"That's real nice Firo, maybe you'd like to tell it to our bedroom walls." Caelia added sarcastically, eyeing her book.

"Oh, boohoo." Big Daddy said, heading no doubt for the bar. "I don't see you at the office dealing with it."

"I'm not, so let's not." Caelia warned, seeing Blonda's noticing of the conversation as easily as Wanda as she played. They were getting older and smarter, and Big Daddy just didn't seem to care what he said.

"You think I wanted to eat dinner with them?"

"No.." Caelia said, floating towards her husband that poured a glass. "I'm sorry."

"Let alone sell our recent to Wick?"

Caelia tried to find the sympathy within her. Associating this with times where he stressed about work and she was there to comfort him. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that, I could understand it's tough."

"Maybe if you'd stop repeating yourself.." Big Daddy held a hand to his head.

And once again, she was to blame. Wanda's gentle music continued in the background despite the small dispute happening. Didi entered by the slight antics she heard, keeping standby for the girls.

"I'm just trying to help." Caelia reminded.

"I don't need no help."

"Then what is your point here."

"An ear? I dunno." Big Daddy said, hands slamming the countertop.

"And I'm trying, but if my voice is so irritating." She quieted for her daughters' sake. "Why bother."

Her husband eyed her in reminder. "For the love of everything, would you at please put on a smile before Thicket gets here? Fairywinkle charm, babe."

Caelia doubted she was the one who'd have trouble with that. "Maybe take a breath mint, Firo."

"I'm not the issue! If you'd like to consider that!" He growled, rubbing his aching forehead.

"I'm not the issue here, actually-"

"WANDA, WILL YOU SHUT UP WITH THAT MUSIC ALREADY!?"

Buzz of silence, as a pair of wide pink eyes looked from the piano to her heated father. The little girl's fingers had retracted from the keys in a frozen snap as she stared at her parents. Long seconds into a staring contest, a quivering frown rose upon the girl's face as her fists raised to her watering eyes in a whimper.

"What is wrong with you!?" Caelia snapped at Big.

Tears too began to leak from Blonda's eyes in similarity to her little sister. Didi quickly shuffled over in taking both girls by the hand and bringing them along to the lounge exit as their cries began to waver more loudly as they left.

Caelia held the bar's countertop. "Go apologize to your daughter."

"Don't get why she's wasting her time on that thing.." Big Daddy grumbled. "Get her a fax machine, make herself useful..."

"That is enough!"

"Better yet, anything that'll keep her in line."

"FIRO, I'VE HAD IT!"

With little to no remorse in his eyes looking at her, Caelia wanted to take an exit before no more words were left to scream. All this yelling and maybe one day her defective lung would actually implode.

"While you're busy," she nodded to his glass. "I'm gonna go clean up your mess."

Maybe reconsider why the heck Fairywinkles were so popular to begin with.

Dark grey sheets that felt like heaven's embrace enclasped the lovers of the apartment bedroom underneath the duvet. Roused after their playful deeds in each other's arms as they enjoyed the afterglow of it all. A gentle romantic piano of a playlist from Finch's Bluetooth stereo played in surrounding them, making the session more enchanting after a day when it was needed for both of them.

The sheets came halfway to their middle torsos as the duvet had found its way to the bed's bottom edge. Caelia's face tucked against Finch's neck in his arms, remaining only in her black undergarment set while Finch's hand stroked the back of her head, remaining in his blue boxer briefs.

"I'm sorry it's taken this long..." she whispered against him. "..whatever this is."

His hand clutched her curls gently as he rolled them over for him to peer at her from atop.

"I don't deserve you.." she spoke.

One thumb trailed her cheek as his cornflower blue was so captivating in her eyes. He whispered tenderly back. "You deserve the world..."

Her lids fell into place heavenly, her heart warmed by the touch of his lips on hers. The gentle gusts of the room's ceiling fan unable to override the rising heat as Finch crawled further atop her and Caelia's lips asked for more as her hand found his hair in encouragement. The same idea of round two coming to an equal agreement.

Slight tremors came from Caelia's throat from what she felt. Notice by Finch as well by his closeness and he pulled back just barely. "You okay?"

"Yes.." Caelia panted, connecting their lips again. The heat continued to crank as Finch's hands roamed further, until Caelia jerked and disconnected her lips. Coughing mildly and slapping a hand to her mouth to prevent it.

"Cee?"

"I'm-fine-" though she spoke through struggled coughs.

As Finch observed her, he stretched his body over her to her purse on the bedside that was closest, reaching for an obvious pill bottle that was at the top. ironic for being the least used out of all.

"Cee, you can be honest with me." He said, holding the bottle to her eye's view.

She lowered his hand with it. "Doesn't matter." She said, her coughing concluding.

Her watering eyes from her constricted throat looked up to him, surprised at how close his gaze was to her's but the rest of his face remained entirely serious. He kept the bottle in his grip as he raised it back to view. "It matters to me."

Caelia petted his face. "I don't want you worrying.."

"Too late."

"Finch, put it aside." She said, proning a small laugh even. "I just wanna be with you.."

His lips kissed her's briefly. "As do I," he agreed. "Because I care about you and your health."

"That's very sweet," She took the bottle from his grasp and set aside on the bed. Her hands made way back to his face. "And my health will be fine so long as I'm watching it."

In another attempt to kiss him, a finger bordered against her lips and pressed her back down.

"You're not watching it."

"The pills don't keep me from catching illness, anyway! They stop asthma but that's not the only thing anymore!" Caelia suddenly yelled, Finch getting off her as Caelia threw the sheets down and got up. He got up as well and grabbed the bottle.

"But, the doctors-"

"The doctors keep telling me to take it and it won't work!"

"Caelia, it's not over the counter, it's prescribed!"

"They prevent asthma! ASTHMA! Do they keep away the bronchoconstriction, the strep throat, dysphagia, laryngitis over and over and over!?"

Finch tried to press the bottle into her palm. "Would you please listen-!"

A swipe of her hand against his knocked the thing clear from his grasp. The cap exploding by the bottle plummeting against the floor and pills scattering about.

"They stopped working a long damn time ago after I had Blonda-!"

Dry wracks of a weak breath left Caelia as she held a hand to her mouth. Her back frailing forward before whisking herself against the wall and sliding down in her continuous coughing. Finch flew for her purse, scrambling out different items and feeling helpless in finding her inhaler at the very bottom and coming straight to his knees before her.

"No.." Caelia horsed out.

"Caelia, for crying out loud-"

"Stop telling me-!" Caelia coughed profusely and gasped for air. "How to do everything, like EVERYONE!"

"Cee-!"

The pink fairy inhaled dryly for air, clutching Finch's shoulder with weak fingers.

"Cee, your damn INHALER! TAKE IT!"

She felt faint and then was it time to panic. Nodding in a cry for help, Finch directed the pump to her mouth and she held his hands against it as he pressed down on the canister and she puffed in the breath it gave her. One wasn't enough though as a second came and she inhaled it greedily. Parting the inhaler from her lips and lowering it in Finch's hands as he let it go and took her soft, flushed cheeks into his palms as they took in breaths together.

Escorting her back home in the late of night, Finch held a supporting arm to Caelia as her's wrapped around him as well. Her pink curls tucked in the crook of his neck as her other hand snugged his chest. He looked at her every so often until they were upon the gate's entry of Fairywinkle manor. The faraway windows of the house pitch black in indication of the house's sleeping occupants. The two approached the gate's keypad entry.

"3..4..1..7.." Caelia mumbled, Finching tapping the keys by her direction. With the buzzing of the gate, he entered with her.

"I'm sorry.." Caelia whispered by his lead of her.

"You have nothing to apologize for.." Finch said as his hands stroked her hair. "No one knows what you've dealt with but you."

He smiled from the soft of her lips kissing his cheek.

Partway down the path, Caelia stopped in looking at the house. Despite the dark windows, this was as close enough as she could bring this affair to the borders of everything else personal within her home. She weakly parted from Finch's arms, holding his against his chest in a feeble attempt to create distance.

"Too..risky." Caelia muttered. "Unsafe."

Finch watched her gaze cast to the ground, the moonlight beaming gently upon the dishevelment of her bob of swirls and dried tears.

"Someone shouldn't feel unsafe in the same house as their husband."

Nothing different came to the surface of Caelia's face as she continued to hold his wrists. "My girls.."

His thumbs dragged over the iciness of her knuckles.

"My babies.."

In dragging her forward gently, their hands remained intact tightly. The warmth of Finch's palms sending signals of ease to Caelia's anchored heart that lifted higher and higher. But was still attached by the ankled chain of what lay behind her. What laid behind her in a house she wasn't entirely sure was home anymore. No different than Oakbelle manor and supposedly never had been.

Caelia's nose brushed Finch's genty in lifting her chin, looking through lidded eyes at his. "It's all for them.."

To be continued...

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I ended up rearranging a lot of events between this chapter and another for a nicer order. But I think this turned out better because of it. Things just keep going cray cray for Caelia, huh? And no slowing down by the looks of it...

~McSgwizzle