Thank you for beta'ing, A Star In My Universe! Warning: Torment, racial and sexist slurs. Happy Halloween! Have a safe and fun night!

Ms. Basara is still Allison's mother but I changed her last name because I had it as Hassan's previously, forgetting that he and Allison aren't actually married for this fic!

tetas de azucar-sugar tits

"We're not interested!" Diane shouts once they're outside in the freezing, foggy air. They're getting chilled to the bone and soaked to the skin, but at least they're away from that pervert. She notices one of the big trees on their barren lawn was leaning on their trailer park, and a few cracks later, it had finally made the biggest hole she'd ever seen right on their rooftop. Their old place is completely filled up with water, and that disgusting creep who was staring at their chests, is now stuck in there, under the tires, unable to move.

Alex looks up at the sky and blows it a kiss. "Thank you!"

"Diane? Are you okay? What was-"

"Our trailer park was destroyed by both this fucking rainstorm, and then, a car!" Diane explains to Charles frantically, on the verge of sobbing.

"A car?"

"Yes, a car...there was no driver...and it just...drove into our trailer park!" She claps her hand over her mouth as soon as she realizes what she's just said. There's no way he'll come close to being completely involved with any part of her life now. "I guess we gotta rent a motel now..."

"I'll come and pick you up."

"No, that's okay-"

"There's no way you're spending money on some shitty place like that. I've got plenty of room for you two at my apartment."

"We'll come over in our car," she says, dumbfounded.

"Drive safe out there!"

"I will, thanks!"

Thunder booms and lightning flashes. The heavy rain pelts on their faces, but they don't care. "Alex, come on," Diane urges her daughter, who had found a soft spot of wet grass under a tree and is just laying there with her arm covering her eyes.

"I'm too tired! It's what, one in the morning?"

"Ten at night."

"There's no difference!" Alex grumbles.

"I know, but the faster we get to Charles' place, the sooner we can sleep in a comfortable, dry bed."

"Alright," she mutters. "I've got goosebumps anyway and the tree leaves provide no shelter...the raindrops slip off them." They both get into Diane's car quickly and she turns up her heater at it's highest temperature. "I was having trouble keeping myself warm!" Alex tells her while breathing into her hands, making her glasses fog up. "Even my breath is cold."

"Same here." Diane examines her own hands in the dim light and finds that her fingers are getting wrinkled and a little bluish tint is appearing on them.

"I was able to curl my toes, but I feel frozen solid, like an ice cube." Alex takes her arms out of her sleeves and puts them inside her sweatshirt. "I thought I would freeze to death."

"My poor girl!" Diane is very careful of the wet pavement that her tires are threatening to skid on. She drives through puddles and gets nervous of suddenly flying off the road.

When they arrive at Charles' place, they get out of their vehicle. Diane leads Alex along since her glasses are dotted with specks of water. They're already dripping wet and their hair is sticking to the sides of their faces after walking a little ways in the rainstorm. The winds are so strong that even after being in their warm car, they start shivering all over again. Diane rings Charles' doorbell and he lets them in immediately. The gust of heat that sweeps over them is so relieving. He closes the door behind them as they're rubbing their hands together. Charles envelopes Diane into a hug and runs his hands up and down the goosebumps on her arms. "I've got the bed all set up for you two."

"Thank you. We'll be outta here as soon as possible," Diane says.

"You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like," Charles responds, and Diane's heart lifts.

"We appreciate it," Alex tells him.

"No problem!"

"Are you sure? Don't you have guests here?" Diane asks.

"People rarely come to sleep over. My family sometimes comes for Thanksgiving, but we'll figure something out by then. Never worry about taking up space."

Diane smiles. "Okay, then!"

"Your room is across from the bathroom, and I'm down the hall," Charles informs them. "When your things are ready, I'll get 'em from the laundry."

"Thanks," Alex tells him.

He puts the clothes they're carrying into the dryer and Diane changes into one of Charles' red long-sleeved pajama shirts that come down to her knees, and a pair of black and white flannel pants. Alex slips into gray sweatpants, a matching hoodie, and a purple top, apparently belonging to Charles' niece, CeeCee. Alex gets into bed and closes her eyes before her head hits the pillow, and Diane kisses her daughter's cheek while running a gentle hand through her hair.

She wanders into Charles' room to tell him good night. He comes out of his bathroom topless, and Diane lets out an embarrassed giggle and blushes furiously. "Sorry..." she murmurs while turning away. She can't help but sneak a peek at him from out of the corner of her eye.

"It's alright," he responds while putting on a thermal shirt. "Are those okay for you? I apologize that I don't have a blazing fireplace for you to relax in front of!"

"Mm-hm, I'm starting to feel better. I'm fine, really." Diane sits on his bed next to him. "I just wanted to say good night."

"You know, as soon I heard that boom, all I could think about was you. What if you were caught in that terrible storm that was brewing?"

"It killed my trailer park, as you may have guessed. The place was flooded!"

"I'm so sorry."

"No, I am...that I didn't tell you about our living condition...but I was humiliated."

"It wouldn't have stopped me from liking you."

"We're going to this elegant restaurant on Thursday, and I don't have a nice dress to my name," Diane mumbles and then chuckles bitterly. "I'll look weird..."

"I'll buy you one...I'll take you shopping tomorrow and you can pick it out. In fact...you and Alex lost almost everything, so I'll cover the cost of replacing your stuff until you've got enough." Charles puts his arm around her and rubs her back in soothing circles. "You can be strong and a badass mother, but still need help."

Diane beams at his kind offer and leans into him. She knows she shouldn't turn it down since she's at rock bottom, in every department but a job and a car. "That's...really sweet of you. I'll let you buy our shit until I get my next paycheck."

"It was my pleasure." When she yawns, he takes a beige blanket off the end of his bed and wraps it around her, making her feel snug and warm. "You can sleep with that if you'd like."

"Sure. I'd love to. Well...good night!"

"Good night to you, too. Sweet dreams!"

"Thanks, same goes to you."

As soon as Diane bundles herself in Charles' blanket beneath the comforter next to Alex, she holds her daughter close to her and kisses her cheek.


During the whole time they'd been in the car on the way to dropping Lorna off at home, Nicky had been suggesting things that she could do with her father, even watching mindless television with him so they don't have to talk, but the brunette had gotten annoyed with her since she wants to give up on hoping that her dad actually cares about her. Still, Nicky expects Lorna to be hanging out with him when she walks through the Morellos' door because she knows the girl inside and out-she doesn't quit on love. To her dismay, though, instead of Lorna sitting next to her dad on the couch, it's Healy. They're discussing Lorna in the most inappropriate way-or rather, Healy is, and Joe allows it.

"She'd be better off in a mental health facility, Joe. She's extremely sick in the head. It's a shame, she's such a good-lookin' gal."

"Yeah, I know. I'll have to send her away as soon as possible."

Nicky makes sure to slam the door extra hard so it makes a loud noise, causing both men to look at her with stern expressions on their faces. "Lorna takes medication, for your information! Ms. Rogers is being so helpful to her. You two have no right to speak about her in such a rude manner. How the fuck do you sleep at night, knowing how ableist you are...not to mention, repulsive! Look, Mr. Morello, a bit earlier this evening, I was giving Lorna ideas on how she can be closer to you, but I can see that you're a lost cause!" Nicky points to Healy. "You're letting this asshole make suggestive remarks about her, and you agreed with what he said! I don't want either of you near Lorna! You don't deserveher. In fact, you don't even know her." With that, Nicky leaves the room. "Goddamn motherfuckers," she mutters under her breath.

"Thanks for trying," Lorna says as Nicky meets her at the top of the stairs. "I truly meant it when I said not to bother, though!"

"I know, I should've believed ya. Sorry."

"You were just being a good friend." They go into Lorna's room and close and lock the door. "Do you ever think about reconnecting with your mom, like if she showed up someplace-"

"Nope! I hate that cunt. Jesus fuckin' Christ..." Nicky sighs exasperatedly. "My god, Lorna, please, don't do this."

"What? She could've changed, like Aleida did..."

Nicky rolls her eyes. "She didn't, alright? I know you don't take my I hate my mom rants seriously, but you should. I really do loathe her. She made my life so miserable that I had to run away."

"Everyone deserves a family."

"I have one...me, Tricia, Taystee, you, the other girls, and Red."

"Why don't you reach out? She has no way of knowing where you live."

"No. Have you ever considered that I don't want a relationship with her?" Nicky laughs humorlessly. "She's cold and distant...that's not a relationship! Red acts more like a real mom than Marka ever could!"

"Well, I'd be like that, too, if my rebellious teenage daughter ran away! I'd feel like she doesn't love me. Of course, I'd try to bring her back home..."

"Exactly! She did, once, but I kicked her out of my life permanently. She's finished."

"She's your mother, Nicky...she could be missing you terribly. You must miss her...she's probably worried sick about you and doesn't know where you are!"

"Drop the subject, Lorna! Look, it sucks we can't go to the beach because of the storm, so we'll do it tomorrow night, if the sky is clear."

"Fine," Lorna responds stiffly.


The shower water is running and the heat is fogging up the mirrors as Lorna uses the bathroom and washes her hands. "Sorry, I'll be out in a sec."

"Take all the time you need," Nicky responds as she steps out in all her glory and hotness. Lorna gapes at her and her cheeks start burning. "You like what you see, princess?" Nicky teases her and winks in her direction while wrapping a towel around herself. "You're blushing bright red!"

Lorna immediately stops staring. "Whoa...uh...I've just never seen ya with your...goods out before!"

"Oh, no big deal...we're just girls, right? I guess this makes us even, since we've fucked and I got a pretty good view of your-"

"Yeah, but I...I can't talk about this," Lorna says quickly and runs out. She's so mortified that she plans to avoid Nicky until things stop being so awkward between them. She will, however, do some research to find Marka just for the girl she cares about so much.

It doesn't take long, and the woman emails her back right away.

Lorna, hello, thank you for contacting me with Nicole's whereabouts. I can see that she does well at singing and cheerleading, but unfortunately, all that talent went to waste when she ran away. Instead of making me proud of her, she just had to leave home like a stupid, ungrateful brat. I will come to your school where you practice cheerleading at four. By her message, Nicky's mother sounds hurt by her daughter's actions, and Lorna feels sorry for her. She hopes their problems can be fixed this afternoon.


The sunrise wakes Alex and Diane up about seven hours later. "Oh my god, five after seven! Fuck! We gotta go to school! It starts in forty minutes!" Alex freaks out as she bolts out of bed, grabs her glasses, puts them on, and stumbles to the bathroom.

"Hey...I'm gonna call them and say I need to miss first period for personal reasons...I've been working there a while, so I can. Ms. Jones is your sub, and she won't mind if you miss gym because of this...she'd understand!"

"Okay..."

Later, they go into the kitchen when Charles lets them know that he's prepared breakfast. It's coffee for him and Diane while Alex gets orange juice, and then eggs and bacon for all three of them. It makes Diane think of what life could've been like had Lee stayed in the picture.

After they brush their teeth and get dressed, Charles drives them to Martin Van Buren High and says he'll do the dishes when he gets back home.


"¡Feliz cumpleaños para ti, feliz cumpleaños para ti, feliz cumpleaños querida Christina, feliz cumpleaños para ti!" everyone belts out while showing Christina the pink-frosted chocolate cupcakes that she'll bring into class.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Christina, happy birthday to you!

She cheers and claps her hands. "Yay! I'm five!"

"Happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey, you smell like one, too!" Benny sings teasingly and Christina blows a raspberry at him.

"Benny, that's not nice," Gloria scolds him.

"Sorry! I was just being silly! I hope I didn't make you sad, Chrissy."

Christina puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head to one side while widening her eyes like saucers. "No, you're just a weirdo!"

"Hey!" Benny whines.

"That's right, give him some attitude like I taught you," Aleida encourages Christina playfully.

Daya beams at the cuteness of her baby sister and Benny joking around, and the adults chuckle. "Ready to go, troops?" Leon asks.

"Yeah!" the kids scream, jumping up and down excitedly.

"I think they're more than ready!" Daya points out.

First, Gloria, Aleida, and Leon take the youngest children to preschool, with Daya, Benny, and Christina in tow. When Fahri comes into the classroom with an adorable little girl, Daya nudges Gloria. "Look who just showed up!"

"Fancy running into you here!" Gloria softly tells Fahri as she puts Julio on the floor, kisses him goodbye, and slightly pushes him forward to play with Emiliano and their other friends. Staying near Aleida, Daya, Leon, and the two five-year-olds, and Fahri not being the first to talk, is making her brave enough to speak to him. The words flow out of her easily.

"Yeah, you too! I was just...dropping off my niece's daughter, Farah."

"Oh?" Gloria smiles as Farah toddles over to Dina, Julio, and Emiliano. "She's cute."

"Thank you." Fahri looks at Gloria for a second and then turns his attention back to the kids. "So's your son."

"Thanks."

"Friends, let's put the toys away and sit down for circle time!" Ms. Basara announces, and the children do as she asks, but with reluctance. "We'll start with the Hello song!"

"My sister's great with them," Fahri points out.

"I can tell! My son and his friend just love her!"

"Farah does, as well."

"Hello, hello, hello, how are you? I'm fine, I'm fine, I hope that you are too!"

"That's an adorable introduction song," Gloria murmurs.

"It is," he agrees.

There isn't much else to say, but they just listen to the rest of the songs. "It's Wacky Wednesday! What's the weather like today, like today, like today...what's the weather like today...Julio, can you tell us?"

He toddles over to the door and peers outside. "Windy!" he exclaims as he sits back down next to Emiliano. Gloria beams at this.

Next, Ms. Basara has each of the kids come up to her and then she describes what clothes they have on as she dances with them a bit. Emiliano is up first, then comes Farah, and finally, Julio. "Emiliano is wearing a black shirt, a black shirt, a black shirt...Emiliano is wearing a black shirt...all day long! Farah is wearing a rainbow dress, a rainbow dress, a rainbow dress...Farah is wearing a rainbow dress...all day long! Julio is wearing a plaid green shirt, a plaid green shirt, a plaid green shirt...Julio is wearing a plaid green shirt...all day long!"

"Aww," Gloria and Aleida say at the same time. Just before they have to leave, they wave goodbye at their sons and then Fahri, who salutes them.

"That wasn't bad, right?" Aleida wonders aloud as soon as everyone is in the van.

"Nah. Thanks for bein' by me."

"No problem, girl!"

Then, they head to Christina and Benny's kindergarten class, where they start passing out cupcakes right away after Miss Stacy has the students sing her Happy Birthday. "How old are you today, Christina?" the teacher asks.

"Five!" she exclaims.

"Oh, wow, big girl!"

"Yeah!"

The next time Gloria sees Fahri is when he's sweeping up in the backroom of the cafeteria while the ladies are making breakfast. Everyone is hard at work, so no words are exchanged, that is, until a furious voice barks, "Mendoza!" Gloria freezes in action.

"Shit!" Red exclaims, and panic grows on hers and Aleida's faces. Claudette and Norma step forward, in front of the three women. Fahri appears to be confused, but he continues to do his job.

"Yeah, I guess you didn't kill me after all, Stalina."

It all happens in slow motion. Upon seeing Piscatella with his face all cut up, his beard shaved off, and Daya's rapist, Humps, and Dixon striding in behind him, Gloria drops the glass she'd been pouring apple juice into, shattering it fully. The sticky, sweet liquid splashes all over the floor and they're all soon standing in a puddle of it.

"I see we have some fresh meat," Pornstache drawls while leering at Aleida and licking his lips. She just flips him off and leads Gloria away from the mess. "I like it spicy."

"I'll slice you up," Red snarls at him and grabs a knife, but Piscatella snatches it away from her.

"Clean that the fuck up, raghead!" Piscatella orders Fahri while Dixon, Pornstache, and Humps push him aside like the bullies they are. "You can blame the lazy Mexican whore while you're at it."

Claudette and Norma glare at him and the other women give him sympathetic glances. "Stop wasting our time," Claudette snaps at Piscatella while holding up a knife, but he just scoffs and laughs.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," Gloria stammers, backing up against the wall, between Aleida and Red. "I didn't...I didn't mean to...I was...I was startled..."

"I know. It's okay, just an accident." She's shocked that there isn't a trace of anger on Fahri's face. He looks apologetic, strangely enough.

Pornstache yanks his pants down to his ankles and takes out his disgusting penis to relieve himself at the women's feet. They jump up on the counter to get away from the mess while wrinkling their noses at the stink of piss. "Eeeww!" the ladies cry in disgust.

"Ugh, that's gross," Fahri groans. "Are you shitting me right now?"

"Unfortunately not," Gloria mumbles.

"Fuck..."

"We never said you could have a conversation!" Dixon yells. "Shut up, Bin-Laden, unless you want me to break your mop! Don't be such a girl. Slap the shit out of that cunt for messing up the floor you just vacuumed and wiped up. She's used to it anyway."

"I don't hit women, or anyone, really," Fahri says strongly. "I also don't appreciate the way you're talking to me or how you're treating us here. I believe your friend there, actually-"

"We could tell Caputo that he's just hired a terrorist who's hiding a bomb somewhere in the school," Piscatella threatens him. "I suggest you do what my guys say."

"I don't care, since it's not true...I'll just quit. I am not going to lay a cruel hand on Gloria. I won't do that to any of my friends."

"How noble he is," Humps mutters and then snickers. He points a small glass container at Fahri. "Sissy boy. You're just not worth beating up...you're boring, actually."

Dixon unbuckles his belt and winds it tightly around his hand. He rises it, as if to whip Fahri, and Gloria jumps. "Start mopping, loser, or you'll feel the sting. It's not just the niggers who are slaves, it's the seven-elevens, too."

Pornstache yanks his pants back up and winks suggestively at the women, who shudder and turn away from him. Humps stalks up to Gloria with an evil gleam in his eyes while showing her what's inside the cup. "Do you know what this is, tetas de azucar?" he whispers, sending horrible tremors through her.

"I didn't lose that much," Red mumbles while touching her lower lip that has a severe cut on it, thanks to Piscatella's large fist.

"Dios mío," Aleida says quietly, nervously glancing from the cup to Gloria, and then back to the cup.

"You're right, it's not your blood," Humps tells Red while patting her head like she's a dog. "However, one of our hot little sluts spilled a bit too much one night, and I was able to collect it all!" His voice still sounds so creepy, and it dawns on Gloria that he, in fact, does have a vial of her own blood in his hands. She gulps while clutching onto her friends' arms. "If any of you knock it to the floor, I'll just have to draw more from her." He gestures all around the room. "These knives make deep cuts."

Arturo uses Gloria as a punching bag again before she sends her boys upstairs that night. He's angry that she'd been twirling the kids around to music, and when she goes upstairs, she feels two hands on her waist, and she shrieks in terror, clutching her hand to her heart.

"Mamá, ¿por qué gritaste?" Julio asks, looking up at her.

Mama, why did you scream?

"Solo queríamos decir buenas noche," Benny adds.

We just wanted to say night-night.

"Oh, me sorprendiste, eso es todo."

Oh, you just surprised me, that's all.

After tucking the boys in bed, Gloria walks out to face Arturo. She's petrified of what he's going to do to her next. She mentally prepares herself for the worst-pushing her down the stairs for loving her children.

"Gritaste delante de los chicos," he says in such a menacing tone, that it makes chills run up and down her spine. "Eso los hará sospechosos." She looks down at her feet, unsure of what to say next. He kicks her hard in the shin and she almost falls over. "¡Mírame cuando te hable, perra!"

You screamed in front of the boys. That will make them suspicious. Look at me when I talk to you, bitch!

Reluctantly, she glances up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She shifts her weight to her unscathed leg and pretends not to limp in front of him. "Lo siento. Me sorprendieron."

I'm sorry. They startled me.

"No te asustes tan fácilmente. ¿Por qué eres tan débil?"

Don't be so easily scared. Why are you such a wimp?

"¿Por qué eres un monstruo?" she asks very quietly, hoping he won't hear her.

Why are you such a monster?

"¿Qué acabas de decirme?"

What did you just say to me?

Gloria races into their room and tries to hide in the closet, but she can hear his ominous footsteps coming toward her. His hand reaches out and grabs her wrist and pulls her out, slamming her against the bed frame. She feels the blood and the pain at once when her elbow hits the corner of the bedpost. She sinks to the carpet, clutching her elbow and her arm, which had hurt worse when he made her injure her elbow. The pain shoots up and down her arm and even goes into her shoulder.

"Ow," she croaks weakly. The tears are coming fast now. "¡Me haces daño!"

You hurt me!

"¿A quién le importa? Soy el hombre de esta casa y tengo que hacer lo que me plazca. Si quiero hacerte daño, puedo hacerlo." He kicks her bottom hard. "¡Levántate, pequeña puta desagradable!" he yells, but not loud enough for the kids to hear him.

Who cares? I'm the man in this house and I get to do whatever pleases me. If I want to hurt you, I can. Get up, you nasty little whore!

She struggles to stand, but the pain is so unbearable that she stumbles and collapses again.

"Usted coño perezoso!" He pulls her up by the arms and punches her in the nose. She falls back on the bed, and he bashes her head against the bed frame again."Si tengo ganas de violarte, lo haré." He pulls her pants and undies down and unzips his pants. Slowly, he takes out his belt and she closes her eyes so she won't have to see it as it comes at her back. Now, she's in searing pain and dizzy with tears. He jerks her legs up and makes her touch his dick to put it into her vagina. He's on top as usual, and his dick seems harder. She's surprised she hasn't had any vaginal tearing yet. She's never wet with him anymore. When he gets tired of it, he takes off his shirt and makes her massage his back. One thing is for sure, he's a chauvinistic, sadistic misogynist pig. "Tómese una ducha y limpie," he demands, pushing her off the bed.

You lazy cunt! If I feel like raping you, I will. Take a shower and get yourself cleaned up.

He rapes her in the shower of course, but she just endures the pain.

Gloria's own coughing and shaking wakes her up and out of her flashback. The blood she'd been forced to drink falls out of her mouth and makes a puddle on the floor. On either side of her, Piscatella has both of Aleida's thin wrists together behind her back in his large hand, squeezing them much too tight as she tries to struggle out of his grasp, and Pornstache has handcuffed Red. Dixon is hovering over Fahri, not letting him witness the situation they're in, and he's also chained Norma and Claudette to the stove, making them cook.

"Good, that's all you had to do!" Humps says brightly and then laughs eerily. "I would've rather you kept it down, but we're working on it. Shortstack, her dumb blonde friend, and my gothic princess threw it up, too. One day, you'll get to my level. I ate a whole cockroach!"

"You gave...my blood...to our girls...to drink?" Gloria rasps out. She'd already been sick to her stomach, but this is enough to make her want to pass out.

"That's horrific," Aleida mutters. "¡Déjame ir!"

Let me go!

"Keep begging, you'll wish you were dead," Piscatella growls.

"You're all disgraces," Red chimes in and spits at the three men.

"What, you can't deal with a few minutes of captivity?" Pornstache frees Red from her confines as Piscatella releases Aleida. Humps throws Gloria down to the ground and she lands on her hands and knees. The sudden impact causes her to gasp sharply and she squeaks in pain. "Back to work, losers! Let's go, boys! Lee, my man, unbind them, all five mama bears should play Cinderella. Those bitches only having one hand to work with doesn't do the trick."

As the monsters finally leave, Gloria's still hyperventilating and close to sobbing. They all appear the same to her, and it's like Arturo won't leave her alone, even though he's in prison. "Are you okay?" she blubbers as she fumbles for Aleida and Red's hands so they can help her up. There's an extremely red handprint mark wrapped around Aleida's wrists and the indents of the metal handcuffs on Red's. "Damn it, of course you're hurt...all because of me again!"

"Yeah, girl, but we should concentrate on you," Aleida responds. "It ain't your fault, mama!"

"Can you stand, honey?" Red asks gently.

"Not well...I-I can't stop...trembling..."

"I swear to God, we'll kill those fuckers...we just need to talk to Frieda and bring back that plan you and Blanca had, Red," Claudette says, and Norma nods her head yes in agreement. They kneel down to where Gloria is sitting with Aleida and Red.

"How about...deep inhales in, and slow exhales out," Fahri murmurs while cautiously approaching her, as the ladies have their hands out. He takes a spot near them. "That usually calms me down-"

"Since when have you had a goddamn panic attack?" Gloria snaps.

"I've had some mini ones before, where my heart stops for a second and restarts...I'm sorry..."

"Nah, it's good advice, I apologize...the problem is, I really can't catch my breath," she informs him faintly.

"Why don't you um...think of anything that makes you happy...your kid? You'll see him after school..."

Gloria attempts to picture her boys running into her loving arms at the end of their classes and she grins fondly at the thought. "I have two angels," she murmurs while closing her eyes and rocking back and forth with her arms around her knees. She doesn't feel the need to mention her two daughters who had chosen to stay with their father and never speak to her again.

"Oh, and Santeria, you love doing that!" Aleida puts in.

"Yeah..."

Slowly but surely, her breathing turns normal. "You feeling better?" Fahri asks her warmly.

"I am, actually...thanks," Gloria answers quietly.

"Anytime."


At the beginning of lunch, Lorna pulls Daya aside. "I was thinkin'...what if Caputo fired John because he confessed about you guys being a couple and him being the father of your child like you told him to?"

"Oh, maybe...but even if he did, John still left me!"

"He could've been arrested and had to break things off with you so it wouldn't hurt as much when he was away. You should ask him, Caputo, I mean!" Lorna suggests brightly.

"Okay, then, I will!" Daya walks to Caputo's office and knocks on the door. He has her come in and sit down as he finishes up some paperwork.

"Yes, Miss Diaz?"

Daya clears her throat and switches between clasping her hands together on top of her jiggling knees and clutching the strap of her bag. "Um...did you...get rid of Mr. Bennett...'cause he informed you of our relationship and that I'm...pregnant...with his kid?" she asks nervously.

Caputo takes off his glasses and sighs. "No. Mr. Bennett left on his own. I recommend you do the same. Now move on! Get the hell out of my office with this drama."

"Did he even say anything about us to you, though? Man, I gotta know, at least," she mumbles while preparing to leave.

"Yeah, I should've fired him on the spot, but I didn't want anything like this getting media attention. Go enjoy your lunch."

"Alright, thanks. Bye." Quickly, she exits the room, but by the time she nears the cafeteria, she feels a lump in her throat and runs into the girls' bathroom so she can break down into tears. This was her last hope. It's really over. She allows herself to sob for a few minutes until she can gather herself back together. Once she finally stops crying and sniffling, she uses toilet paper to blow her nose and wipes her blotchy face with a water-soaked paper towel until it looks normal. She texts Lorna that it hadn't worked out the way they'd been hoping, but she's pleased that she had gotten an answer.

Afterwards, Daya finds Adarsh and explains why she's a bit late for lunch. He gives her a hug and she smiles into his shoulder while winding her arms around him.


"That was the worst fuckin' rainstorm we've had, like ever!" Flaca points out while she, Alex, Lorna, and Nicky are eating their corn and fried chicken. Alex notices that Lorna hasn't given Nicky eye contact all day, and this continues to be the case. She makes a mental note to ask Lorna about it later when they're alone in drama class.

"I'm sorry you got the worst of it, hon," Lorna murmurs and pats Alex's hand sympathetically.

"Yeah, well, it had to happen sometime." Alex shrugs. "In a way, P helped me."

"Still, it must have been awful," Nicky tells her.

Daya, Adarsh, Maritza, Blanca, Diablo, Maria, Yadriel, Taystee, Allison, and Poussey join their table. "What's goin' on?" Daya wonders out loud as they take their seats. Lorna instantly embraces her.

"I missed a lot yesterday, as well...I was retaking a test. Did Suzanne actually throw a pie at you, Alex?" Allison questions her incredulously. "That's what Cindy told me."

"She's right."

"Really, where was Suzanne that night?" Nicky asks Taystee and Poussey.

"Honestly, after she went home from her job, we have no idea, 'cause we didn't follow her," Taystee answers. "I regret that!"

"So do I," Poussey says. "Y'all are probably right...Vee had always despised Piper, and she most likely manipulated Suzanne into beating her white ass into the dirt."

"Yo, just tie that loopy bitch up!" Ouija suggests as she walks by their table with her friends.

"Suzanne's in a psychiatric hospital, I think that's enough!" Lorna calls after her.

"What she did to me yesterday was so lame, but nothing compared to my mom and I going homeless because of the bad weather last night...thankfully, we were able to find shelter, but she's planning on getting a new job so she can afford a strong-standing apartment for us. I guess we never realized our trailer park was on its last legs and so expensive! We were about to get kicked out!"

"Wow, that sucks!" Maritza says.

"You know that Disney Channel movie that aired in two-thousand, where the girl has a Christmas toy, she presses a button, and it makes different weather climates happen right in her room?" Alex asks.

"The Ultimate Christmas Present?" Lorna wants to know. "I enjoyed it!"

"Yeah, I did too. Anyway, that looked so cool on television, but in real life, the flood was one of the scariest things I'd experienced...but apart from the fact that a lot of our shit's gone, my mom and I are okay. I'm grateful that we survived."

"Same," everyone agrees in unison.

"Two thousand, how old were we back then?" Maria asks.

"Eleven," Blanca replies.

"Oh, Tricia's age! I was twelve," Nicky lets them know.

"Ten...thirteen, really, but ten...yeah," Maritza chimes in.

"Fourteen," Taystee adds. "Your age, Blanca!"

"I keep forgetting I'm the youngest one here, technically speaking. It's so annoying...but my quinceñera's next month, and y'all are invited! It'll be huge."

"I'll be out of my wheelchair by then, so I can give my lady a dance she'll never forget," Diablo says and strokes his girlfriend's hair. Blanca smiles and leans down to kiss him. "Also, I can comfort her more effectively." He gazes at her. "I've got the best present in mind for you already! You'll be surprised."

"Oooh, so cute, and I can't wait for the party!" Lorna squeals. "You two are seriously relationship goals, besides Maria and Yadriel, of course!"

"Gracias," the couple responds together.

"Hey, guys, I don't know if I've formally introduced him to the group...but this is my friend, Adarsh, from English," Daya announces while patting his back fondly.

"Hi, everyone," Adarsh says while waving at them, and they give him head nods, waves, and grins back.

"Oh yeah, I saw y'all at Dave and Busters," Poussey remembers. "It seemed like you was vibin', like goin' for each other!"

"Nah, we're just friends," Daya says, but the girls giggle anyway.

"Yo, Flac...you never talk about Kubra...are he and your ma still together?" Maritza wonders out loud, and their friends focus on them. "He ain't around when I come over."

"Yeah, he's awesome! Maybe he doesn't wanna be there when I have guests, though, but that's alright, or he could be working. He plays video games with my brothers, helps me think up super cool songs for our band...and last night, I was teachin' him and Mama how to play the guitar. I don't trust Marco and Pedro, they could break my strings because of carelessness!"

"I get that. Oh, neat!" Maritza comments.

Alex snorts while glancing over her shoulder at Fahri taking out the trash. He should hear this! "Kubra seems friendly! I think that's great."

"Mm-hm," Flaca says. Her eyes scan over something else behind Alex. "Would you say the matchmaking plan was a success?"

"Kind of, we got somewhere...we planted the seed!" Daya replies happily, and she, Flaca, Blanca, Maria, and Nicky appear to be as proud of themselves as Alex feels.

"I just keep thinking no! We didn't get Gloria and Fahri to fall in love at first sight," Lorna says glumly.

"Nah, I'm disappointed, too," Maritza agrees, and they turn to look at Gloria serving meals to the students in line.

"Hey, come on, it so was a fantastic outcome!" Flaca assures them. "You know, when I was raped, I wanted a boyfriend to take care of me and shit, but it just so happens that it isn't the same with Gloria. We gotta respect that and at least be happy that we got the two acquainted and talkin', and they're basically going on a triple date tomorrow!"

"That's nothing, it's like all of us hanging out as friends!" Lorna protests.

"Yeah, not really our goal!" Maritza says.

Alex can't believe what she's hearing, and she buries her face in her hands and groans. "People cope differently with rape and abuse," Daya mutters.

"You should be more sensitive to this," Nicky tells them sharply.

"Okay, I was raped, but I still want someone's love!" Lorna blurts out, and half of the crowd is shocked. Daya hugs her in support. "I just don't get it."

"Yeah, and I was sexually harassed, but that doesn't stop me from seeking a girl to protect me," Maritza pipes up.

"That's you guys! Gloria's doin' her best...and after what she's been through, I'm surprised that she even wants to speak to Fahri, let alone be in the same space as him!" Maria insists.

"Word," Blanca says. "She's one brave woman."

"Okay," Lorna and Maritza respond at the same time.

Aleida makes her way over to their table and puts her hands on Daya's shoulders. "Your abuela's comin', so practice your Spanish," she says while pulling a face.

"That was last minute, I thought she was gonna be here Saturday."

"Nah. You know her, that bitch arrives whenever she feels like it."

"Well, it is Christina's real birthday."

"Her party ain't today...look, I don't know what goes on in my mama's head, but we gotta spend family time with her." Aleida rolls her eyes. "I'mma go back to kitchen duty now, but I just wanted to warn ya."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"Yeah, it was nothin'." Aleida waves at Daya and her friends as she walks away from them.

"My little sister's birthday is today, she's five," Daya informs everyone.

"Aw, how adorable! Tell her happy birthday for me!" Lorna says.

"Okay!"

Later, as they're walking to Drama class and Lorna is chattering away about yet another romance movie, Alex rests her elbow on her shoulder. "Okay, snatch sister-"

That shuts Lorna up right away. "What?"

"Well, we both fucked the same chick, Nicky...so, we're snatch sisters."

"Oh."

"What is happening with you two, may I ask? You haven't spoken to her all day. Are you mad at her or something?"

"No...I feel kinda weird telling you this, but, um...I was in the bathroom where Nicky had been finishing up her shower, and she got out...she was butt naked!" Lorna whispers. Alex's jaw hits the floor and she tries not to crack up or even let out a low chuckle. "With her...big boobs and...perfect ass...and beautiful physique...and I...I've been all...holy shit since. She is seriously making me wonder if I'm really straight...she's been doing that a lot lately."

"You have a thing for her now? Like, an actual crush?" Alex questions her.

"Maybe? We sleep together a lot, but so does Flaritza. All I'm sure is that if she wanted us to be a couple, I'd be fine with it. We've already struck home...we just gotta kiss to see if there's somethin'. I can tell she's got feelings for me...by the way she gazes at me, it's like into my soul."

Alex raises her eyebrow. "Wow! Really?"

Lorna nods her head yes. "I'm on my meds, honest...and this is real. Only thing is, she's the only girl I'm attracted to, so I'm probably bi. I ain't comin' outta the closet until I talk about it with Nicky, though, and there's no way my dad or Mikey is findin' out, ever! I know they don't give two shits about me anyway, but they're homophobic, so..."

"I understand. I'll keep your secret." Alex pretends to zip her mouth shut and hugs Lorna to her side as they stroll along. "My lips are sealed, I swear on Piper's grave."

A pleased expression crosses Lorna's features. "Thank you."

"No problem."


"You will all be dissecting rats today!" Humps announces to the class, and they groan. He drops one on Lorna's desk, and she looks at it with disgust. "Yes, the same one that was about to snack on your skin and bones, but it's dead now."

"Oh, god," Nicky mutters as he plops a dead rat in front of her. "Fuckin' creepy...it's just staring at us with its beady eyes!"

"I can't touch this thing," Lorna mumbles, and she begins sweating and shaking from how grossed out she is.

"You have to, it's part of the lesson plan." Humps chortles and a few boys join in. "I'm the authority figure here, so do as I say." He picks up the rat and strokes her face and lips with its tail, causing her to whimper and Nicky tries to bat it away, but he just smacks her hands with a ruler. Lorna's sobbing and hyperventilating so much that she hiccups deeply a couple of times, gags, and pukes on him. She can't get the image of the animal alive and wiggling, waiting to attack her while she was extremely vulnerable, out of her head.

"Aaah, I like your germs."

Some of their classmates cheer for some weird reason and while he wipes his face clean, Nicky and Lorna prepare to leave.

"Crybaby, crybaby, dry your little eye, baby!" a bunch of students chant while leering at Lorna.

"Shut up and fuck right off!" the blonde yells at them as she takes Lorna out of the room. Nicky and Lorna don't speak until they reach the girls' restroom. Lorna washes her face quickly and rinses out her mouth. She drinks some water and Nicky holds her and rocks her until her panic attack goes away. It's so nice. She wonders why Nicky is still being sweet to her, even though she'd been ignoring the blonde since her shower. "Hey...after this morning, we haven't really conversed. Did I do something wrong?"

Lorna feels guilty for not talking directly to Nicky, but still accepting her comfort. "No, not at all! I'm sorry, it's just...when I saw you...underneath...it was awkward."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm...like I invaded your privacy."

"You didn't! Friends walk in on each other sometimes, it's okay, really. I kinda laughed it off when you left."

"Why?"

"Sometimes, kid, with situations like those, you can. It's not that serious. I'm comfortable with you."

"I am, too."


While she's finishing up the cheer that they're going to do on Friday, Nicky catches sight of a familiar woman with short blonde hair, a dark blue pantsuit, and black heels that clack on the floor of the gym. "Oh, shit, what the fuck is she doing here?" Nicky hisses to herself, about to blow up any second, since Marka is a trigger.

Her anger intensifies when she notices Lorna practically running up to Marka and shaking her hand. "Have fun gallivanting in Brazil with Paolo?" Nicky asks loudly, and the rest of the squad must notice the budding tension in the room, because they leave instantly. Red and Lorna appear to be confused.

"Nicole-"

"Shut the fuck up, Marka, I don't give a shit what you have to say," Nicky growls.

"What is going on here?" Red wants to know.

"That is no way to speak to your mother!" Marka scolds Nicky.

"Maybe you should listen-" Lorna begins.

"I can't believe you did this!" Nicky harshly interrupts Lorna.

"I just-"

"Nuh-uh! Stop talking." She storms over to where Red is sitting on the bleachers. "You'll never guess what Lorna did! She invited Marka...my mom, who should've been infertile, to the school, and that bitch is here now!" Nicky points out Marka with her middle finger stuck up in the air. "She's trying to reunite us, but she doesn't fuckin' get that it can't ever happen, not in a million years! I've told her many times, but it's just not sinking in!" Nicky cries, feeling tears build up behind her eyes. She swallows the lump in her throat. "I hate her...not Lorna, but Marka is dead to me!"

"Okay...I'll get rid of her," Red whispers as she hugs Nicky and kisses the top of her head.

"I could get you on American Idol! You just need to work with me! Don't be difficult, Nicole!" Marka wags her finger at Nicky.

Red shoves Marka aside while still holding Nicky away from the bitch. "She's good enough to be on it, but even though she isn't famous, she's still someone to be proud of! We're just gonna go, and if she doesn't want you in her life, you need to stay out of it!"

"Maybe she was just stressed at the time..." Lorna mumbles.

"She wasn't," Nicky snaps.

"Oh, don't fall for this woman's bullshit, honey, she just wanted to exploit Nicky's talents for her own reputation!" Red tells Lorna, who now looks completely lost.

"Being famous would be cool, but I know that Marka's just offering that for her own benefit! She only wants to make herself look good by having a prodigy for a daughter instead of a rebellious teenager!" Nicky clarifies.

"You made yourself that way, Nicole, if you come back home-"

Nicky scoffs. "Home? It didn't feel that way to me. We just had a big house filled with fancy rich people shit. It's nothing without love. You may have given me life, but that was really it. I mean...the bond between us started fraying when you sent me away overnight when I was three, and it only got worse from there. You didn't take a second out of your busy life to even glance at the Mother's Day card I made you...I-I even baked cookies for your fuckin' ass...and I wasn't even in kindergarten yet. Sure, I had Paloma, but when she left, I had to as well. You didn't even live with me...you bought another apartment for yourself and your child-hating boyfriend! Yeah, kids have germs, but you know what? You don't choose dick over your daughter, you deadbeat prick!" Nicky turns to Lorna. "Marka hadn't changed in ten years, and it's no different now...except for the fact that I stopped having a maid to care for me since I was thirteen and that's why I ran away-it would've been like living alone, anyway!" She faces Marka again. "I'd had it up to here with nobody celebrating my birthday or even acknowledging it, maybe once in a while, you gave me money and a Hallmark card. I was thirteen...my first year of being a teenager, and you just...brushed it off like I meant nothing to you. I waited for you at my eighth grade graduation, but you never showed up!"

Lorna gasps and gives Marka a death stare. "You tricked me! You really screwed up Nicky's life! How dare you?"

"That was never my intention, dear, you have to understand-" Marka begins pathetically, but Red cuts her off.

"Shut your filthy mouth, Marka, I'm sick of your voice. Her name is Nicky, and she is more my daughter than she could ever be yours! Your presence is not welcome here. Get out! I'll make sure you never come near my little girl again!" Red pushes Marka towards the door, and Nicky beams at how Red is defending her. She enjoys the fact that Lorna was as well, but she's hurt that Lorna hadn't just taken her words to heart.

"All I wanted to do was reconnect this girl I care deeply for, with her mother, but now I got concrete proof that your relationship is too damaged to be fixed..." Lorna trails off when Marka finally goes away.

"Like I said!" Nicky shouts in Lorna's face, making the shorter girl flinch back. "Thanks a lot! I told you not to contact her!"

"I don't understand, I was trying to help!"

"Oh, and if you really gave a fuck about me, Lorna, you would've left it well enough alone!" Nicky stomps off to Red's car and Lorna follows her. It's hard to be mad at the brunette, especially since she gets tormented constantly, not to mention, Nicky loves her.

"Nicky, stop it, I can't read your mind! Marka wasn't around, so how would I really know she was that bad, huh?" Lorna asks while folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"I'm here for you and even get you goddamn help, yet you can't even hear me when I say I hate Marka's fuckin' guts and I never wanna see that bitch again!" Nicky hollers. "I have every right to be upset! You didn't listen to me about her or take me seriously...but I regularly protect you against your bullies and I never judged you once! I could've told you that you shouldn't have stalked Christopher in the first place, but I didn't, right?"

"No...and I'm sorry..."

"Wouldn't you normally not push a relationship with their parent on someone if you don't want them to do it to you?"

"With my father, it was obvious that you needed to give up! You see it right in front of your eyes, if you're not blind!"

"You really don't know the extent of the damaged relationship I have with Marka, huh?"

"No. I thought you were just being stubborn like usual! It's how you are!"

"Well, that was your big mistake, then! You have a distant relationship with your mom, too...so what are you doing encouraging me to reconnect with my mom when you're not even doing the same thing with your own?"

"Mine has an excuse, which is being sick. I couldn't think of any reason why you and Marka wouldn't be able to kiss and make up! Many years had passed, so..."

"Wow!"

"Girls, enough of this arguing!" Red intervenes. "Lorna, you shouldn't have brought Marka back here if it was expressly against Nicky's wishes, but Nicky, this is the kind of shit that happens when you don't let close friends in and open up to them."

"I let her know what a horrible idea it was!" Nicky protests. "She thinks I'm just being dramatic!"

"Explain why you don't want to see your mother ever again. I get that you have a hard time expressing your feelings, but Lorna was honestly trying to be a good friend, she had good intentions, and how was she supposed to know exactly how much you hated Marka and the reason for it?"

"Yeah, like I even asked why, but you didn't want to talk about it!" Lorna tells Nicky. "I'm sure you've shared it with Red and Alex...I've let you in every aspect of my life, so why don't you tell me shit about yours? I know almost nothing about you!"

"Why should I have to bare my soul to you? Nobody else expects me to explain much about my past...like, it kinda just all came out with Taystee and Tricia since we're sisters, and Red's basically my mom, and Alex...well, she and I got close while I was still doing heroin!"

"I wanna know, too...I'm genuinely curious!"

Nicky takes a deep breath, preparing to spill. "Marka got rid of Paloma right when I finished eighth grade! She didn't go to my middle school graduation, nor give me a special birthday...she let Paloma do that. I turned thirteen in April, and when Marka let Paloma go the month after, I decided that if my cunt of a mother missed one more of my special events, I'd simply pack my bags and take off. So, after hours of waiting and searching for her while standing on that stupid stage in my cap and gown, feeling pretty fuckin' pathetic, by the way, I took the bus home." Nicky's voice starts to crack as the memory plays out in her head, but she keeps telling her story. "She wasn't there, obviously...she let me know the night before that I can be home alone now, so she'd purchased a separate place for her and her boyfriend. I left her a note...it said, goodbye, don't try to find me. One less thing for you to deal with, more money for you to spend on lavish vacations with Paolo, have a nice life, even though I don't give a shit." Nicky senses Red rubbing soothing circles on her back as she sniffles, and Lorna squeezes her hands and then wipes a few tears crawling out of her eyes. "I went off the grid for a few years...I took a train somewhere, then a bus...and I traveled cross-country and came back to New York when I got to be sixteen. Once, I took a taxi, and Marka happened to be in the same one...she was all, 'I found you at last, Nicole! Would you stop wasting my time and being such a baby, you're so ungrateful!' I just stared her dead in the face and said, 'Go to hell, Marka!' and left the cab without looking back!" She laughs through her tears. "I'm not crying because it's sad...I was more than happy to get away from her. It's just...before you and Red and the rest...I never really had a family. As kind to me as Paloma was, she was paid to be my nanny and get the job done." Nicky gulps hard and kicks the ground while staring down at it. "I blame myself for not telling you everything, Lorna..."

"Why did you not want to before?"

"You really wanna know?" Nicky asks loudly. "It's because I'm horribly in love with you, okay, and I probably just fucked it all up because you think we're friends, and you're straight, but I'm-" Lorna cuts Nicky off by pulling her head down, both palms on either side of her face and thumbs stroking her cheeks, index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers cupping Nicky's jaw, her warm breath and hands heating up Nicky's whole body, and out of the blue, her perfect red lips passionately touch Nicky's pink ones. She slides her hands up Nicky's sides and it kills her dead, but it's also the best thing in the entire world. Nicky kisses her back hard, sucking her bottom lip between her two teeth and nibbling on it. Lorna presses into her touch as their tongues tangle, and it's incredible. Nicky places her hands on the brunette's hips and slides her hands down the bottoms of Lorna's goosebump-covered thighs in order to lift her up and spin her around while mentally cheering. The smaller of the two wraps her arms around Nicky's neck. Excited sparks shoot through Nicky and she's so content that she could burst. She sets Lorna back down while they're still making out, but they only stop when Red clears her throat behind them. Lorna's softness is leaving Nicky tingling for more. She doesn't know what prompted Lorna to make the real first move, but she's on top of the world right now. She'd never expected anything like this. "Holy shit, did you just do that thing where the girl gets smooched in the middle of a rant? That was hot." Nicky grins from ear to ear and butterflies swarm around her belly. Red appears as if she's filled with pride.

"I love you, too. That's why I wanted to help you, hon! You're protecting me all the time, so I'm returning the favor...I'm doing my best to!"

Nicky smiles at her and pushes back the thought that Lorna had probably only kissed her to shut her up and make her feel wanted and desired, even though the petite girl doesn't, and could never, want to be more than friends. She'll talk to Red and Alex about this later, but for now, she's just reveling in the moment. It's a dream come true, and she doesn't ever want to wake up from it. "I know. You're a great girl, baby," she murmurs as she wraps Lorna into a romantic embrace and and pecks her cheek, very close to her mouth, practically on it. She's in so deep, and she just can't resist the sweetness of the pretty brunette Italian, nor take her eyes off her.

When Red is driving them home and focusing on the road, Nicky pulls Lorna almost into her lap, and they lock lips over and over again, not bothering to come up for much air and giggling the whole time.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, A Star In My Universe and HannahMiley1fan!