Title: Snapshots: Anthology of a Life Well Lived
Author: Kimberly21570
Fandoms: Guiding Light / All My Children
Pairings: Olivia and Natalia / Lena and Bianca
Disclaimer: The characters of Olivia and Emma Spencer, Natalia Rivera, Phillip, Lizzie, and James Spaulding are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The character of Sutton Keller is the property of this author, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This chapter's title comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1.
No copyright infringement intended with regard to Guiding Light, CBS/TeleNext, Proctor & Gamble, AMC, ABC/Disney, or any other entity. The dialogue and story content in these scenes are original. Written for fun, not profit. All other standard disclaimers apply.
Much thanks to my friend WickedWanda926 for the read-through when this update was first completed. I've made a few changes since then, so any mistakes are solely my responsibility.
Rating: Chapter 7 is rated PG-13, though this story will eventually reach NC-17.
Synopsis: It's a stroll down memory lane for Olivia and Natalia, Lena and Bianca, and their friends and family, as two of our favorite couples' daughters prepare to enter into wedded bliss, in a double wedding… of sorts…
Author's Note: Pay particular attention to the transitions in time, as this chapter contains flashbacks.
Snapshots: Anthology of a Life Well Lived
Copyright September 2012
"What's past is prologue, and the world awaits."
— Lisa Mantchev, Eyes Like Stars
Chapter 7.1—What's Past is Prologue:
Emma's Dorm Room, University of Michigan—Saturday, August 31, 2019, 12:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"Aw, fuck," Emma cursed under her breath, as she tripped over the threshold, trying to enter her dorm room at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. Awkwardly, she dropped an overstuffed Lincoln Prep duffle bag, a backpack that had been slung over her right shoulder, a small box, and her car keys on the hardwood floor.
An amused chuckle met her as she stumbled through the door. Without looking up, Emma cursed again, as she grabbed her keys and the backpack that was still haphazardly twisted around her arm.
Sutton Keller arose effortlessly from her perch on the floor, wiping smooth hands across the ass of her washed-out Levi's. "Here, let me help you with those," she offered, as she padded barefoot across the floor.
Emma's gaze lifted toward the sound, trailing along a firm, curvaceous body before falling into the most piercing blue eyes she had ever encountered. Her breath caught, and she struggled to form words.
Amused, Sutton laughed at the expression on Emma's face, as she flipped layers of jet black hair over her shoulder with the ease of someone who completed the gesture often. "Cat got your tongue?"
Flustered, Emma's forced response was a complete failure. "What? No." Her keys slipped through her fingers again. "Shit…"
"Well, at least you've got the cursing down," Sutton grinned. She stooped down, retrieving the wayward keys. "That's College 101."
The first signs of a smile tickled the corners of Emma's mouth.
"That's better," Sutton declared.
The brush of her fingertips against Emma's palm as she handed the keys over drew a soft gasp from Emma, and a corresponding smile from Sutton. Grasping the strap of Emma's duffle bag, she hoisted it over her shoulder. "I've got this," she said, rising again to her full height. "You've got your hands full."
"Yeah—," Emma sighed. "Thanks."
Carrying Emma's bag toward the empty bed near the window, Sutton asked, "Do you ever speak in anything but monosyllables?" She sounded amused.
Completely lost in the sway of Sutton's hips, and the way those scruffy old jeans hugged the girl's ass, Emma didn't even comprehend the question. "Huh?"
Laughing again, Sutton turned toward her. "Guess not," she deduced. She was completely oblivious to the effect she was having on Emma.
Emma's eyes drifted downward, taking in the crisp, white button down shirt the girl was wearing. It looked like a tuxedo shirt, only fitted for a woman. Untucked and loose in some places, it was opened down to… there. And yet, it strained against her breasts just enough to reveal a hint of the treasures that lay beneath.
Emma gulped.
If this girl wasn't completely straight, her entire undergraduate career was fucked. Hell, it might be fucked anyway, she thought.
"You must be Emma," Sutton said, changing tactics. She held out her hand in greeting.
Dropping her backpack on the bed next to the other bag, Emma nodded and smiled as she extended her own hand. "Sutton, I presume?"
"Ah, she does possess the gift of multisyllabic language," Sutton teased. Clear blue eyes sparkled as those full, pouty lips twisted into a smile. Emma felt a corresponding jolt of energy course through her veins in response. "It's nice to meet you, Emma."
"Li—likewise," Emma fumbled, the corner of her mouth twitching into a wobbly smile.
"So it looks like it's just the two of us for now," Sutton reported.
"Cool," Emma said. She hoped she sounded casual as she plopped down on the bed. "That'll give us a chance to get acquainted." Inwardly, she found that she was very much looking forward to that.
"I hope you don't mind, I gave you the one by the window." Sutton's tone was tentative. "I'm not much of a morning person, and our window faces east," she added, by way of explanation.
"Nope, that's great with me," Emma assured. And then she grinned. "I'm a total morning person."
Before either of them could say anything else, their attention was drawn to tangle of voices in the hallway just outside their door.
"Dammit, Olivia, put that down!" Natalia scolded, as she attempted to pull a large box from her wife's arms. Olivia had grabbed it from the floor of the elevator when it opened, insisting upon carrying it herself.
"Oh, would you just stop worrying so damned much," Olivia groused. It wasn't a suggestion. "This box isn't even that heavy. It's just bedding."
"And pillows," Natalia added, as if that changed the entire argument. "Let me get it." The bags that were draped from her arms rustled as she struggled to gain hold of the box.
Wiggling around to avoid Natalia's grabby hands, Olivia grumbled, "For Christ's sake, Natalia, just open the damned door."
"Olivia Spencer!" Natalia censured. A throwback to their early days of squabbling, she always forgot the "Rivera" part of Olivia's name when yelling at her.
As usual, Olivia ignored the veiled chastisement. "Well, if we don't hurry up, it'll be Christmas before we even get her moved in," she contended.
"Good," Natalia declared. "Then we can take her back home where she belongs." She was no fan of the idea of leaving Emma so far from Springfield. Even the idea of Emma bunking in the dorms at Springfield University hadn't sounded all that appealing to her. But Ann Arbor? It was simply unfathomable! And yet, here they were, moving their little girl into a dormitory more than six hours from home. She was afraid she might not survive the separation.
Sutton glanced at Emma, who practically grimaced. "My mothers," she said dryly, as if that explained everything.
An amused laugh fell from Sutton's lips. "I have one of those myself," she related.
Olivia made a face at Natalia. "Never mind," she said, as she kicked the door open with her own foot, sending it careening into the wall behind it. Thank goodness for doorstoppers, or the wall might have been dented.
"Well, you two certainly know how to make an entrance," Emma said flippantly, her castigating gaze drifting from one to the other.
Natalia frowned, and dropped the bags that were hanging from her arms. "Sorry, Sweetie," she said, releasing a sigh of resignation. "You know how hardheaded your mother is."
"Yeah," Emma concurred. "Both of them."
Validated, Olivia smirked.
"Oh, stop it." Grinning, Natalia dismissed the comment with the wave of her hand.
Emma laughed. "Where'd you lose Dad?"
Natalia leveled Olivia with a glance. "Behave." Some things had changed over the last decade, but others never would.
Taking umbrage with the implication in Natalia's comment, Olivia's jaw dropped. "What?"
Grinning, Natalia shook her head. She knew Olivia had long-since forgiven Phillip for past hurts. He had proven himself, time and again, in the years since his return to Springfield. But teasing Olivia was still fun—it always earned a similar response.
Olivia laughed. "He'll be up with the rest of your stuff in a few minutes. Right now, he's playing hero to a couple of young girls with huge suitcases."
"Figures," Emma remarked. "He didn't get to do this college thing with Lizzie or James."
"Older siblings?" Sutton presumed.
"Yeah," Emma confirmed with a smile.
"Well, I think he'll get plenty of practice today," Natalia remarked. "I heard a few of the girls whispering about him. One of them called him the best looking dad they'd seen all day."
They all shared a laugh, and then, remembering her manners, Emma stood from her bed and stepped toward Sutton, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed across from her. "While we're waiting, come meet my roommate. This is Sutton Keller."
Natalia was the first to approach the striking young woman. "Sutton, hi," she greeted. "It's lovely to meet you."
Emma wrapped her arm around Natalia's waist. "This is my Ma, Natalia," she introduced.
Flanking Emma from the other side, Olivia gave her daughter an affectionate squeeze. Emma smiled in response. "And this is my Mom, Olivia."
Climbing from her bed, a warm smile played across Sutton's lips as she studied the three women. It was clear which one of them was Emma's birth mother—she looked like a younger version of Olivia, only her eyes were an arresting shade of bluish-green, rather than the deep jade of her mother's. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," she said cordially. Her focus shifted directly to Emma. "I'm looking forward to getting to know your daughter."
Failing miserably at stifling a blush, Emma offered a wobbly smile in response. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, as well."
The Farmhouse of Love—Friday, May 11, 2029, 9:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
Looking back, Emma couldn't deny the infinite truth of that statement. Nor could she deny the boundless joy she'd found within the process of acquainting herself with Sutton Keller. It had been nearly ten years since the afternoon she first set eyes on Sutton, and still Emma's face flushed at the very thought of her. Sometimes, she still found herself speechless or even stumbled over her words when talking to her. Those moments of bumbling awkwardness were few and far between now, but still, they happened at some of the most inopportune times. It was ridiculous, really.
And yet, it was a reality.
At the moment though, Emma couldn't help but smile at the memory of that first meeting. Or the thought of holding Sutton in her arms again. Whether it had been weeks or months, or just an hour or a day since she'd last seen her, pulling the woman into a tight embrace was always her first impulse the moment they reunited.
They'd spent countless hours together over their years as college, med school, and residency roommates—sharing meals, studying anatomy and physiology and everything else that came with being medical students, laughing together, talking until sunrise about life and love, hopes and dreams, and heartbreak—so many heartbreaks—never once running out of things to say.
God, how she loved Sutton!
She loved that Sutton was so genuine, so… fucking real. She didn't put on airs. She didn't bullshit people, and she didn't play games. She was smart, commanding in her work, but not arrogant. Kind and considerate, but no one would ever accuse her of being a pushover. She was exactly who she appeared to be, and she offered neither explanation, nor apology. And she was so fucking beautiful it made Emma's heart hurt, and yet, she hadn't even a clue.
Sutton was a lot like Jordan in those ways, and given that truth, Emma had to acknowledge that what she felt for Sutton was a lot like the love she felt for Jordan, only… different, in a way she'd never quite been able to articulate.
She didn't need to though. Her love for Sutton didn't require explanation, only acceptance.
After nearly a decade of cohabitating, they hadn't seen one another in what felt like years, but in reality, was only a few months. Both had struggled openly with the separation, despite knowing it was for the best. And they were equal parts nervous and excited for the separation to end. The time apart had sparked growth, both personally and professionally. They were different people now. Would things still be the same?
That was what worried Emma the most. But she didn't have time to contemplate it, because now here Sutton was, striding confidently toward the front porch of the farmhouse in that familiar pair of faded Levi's, and that dark blue tank top—the one that brought out the color of her eyes—a stylish black leather jacket, and motorcycle boots, her wavy dark hair blowing in the southwesterly breeze.
Sutton's smile was electric. It made Emma's heart skip a beat. And she couldn't help but smile in return.
Effortlessly hopping the steps onto the porch, her boots shuffled against the wooden planks as she reached the top. And then Sutton allowed her graphite helmet to slip to the ground, freeing her hands to return Emma's embrace, as Emma jumped freely into her arms. It felt like coming home, and she had to fight hard to stifle the tears.
"God, I'm glad you're home," Emma murmured against Sutton's ear. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."
"Feeling's mutual, Babe," Sutton whispered. She pressed a solid kiss against Emma's cheek. And then leaning back within their embrace, her eyes sparkled as she smiled into those familiar greenish-blue depths, before lightly brushing her mouth across Emma's.
Emma smiled in response, and released a deep sigh of satisfaction. And then she patted her hands up and down Sutton's body, her eyes following quickly behind, reassuring herself that everything was intact.
"Christ, Em, I'm fine," Sutton chuckled. "It's not like I was working in a war zone or anything."
Sutton's wry tone did little to amuse her, and Emma gave her a rankled look. "You're not even a little bit funny, Sutton Keller," she admonished. And then she wrapped Sutton in a close embrace again. Damn, it felt good to hold her again after what felt like a lifetime.
Sutton felt that same sense of relief, of comfort and satisfaction, being in Emma's arms. It was warm and familiar, and most of all, safe, after months of working triage under barbaric conditions in northern Syria in the wake of the latest air strikes and ground shelling events that destroyed virtually all that was left from previous attacks by a government that had ruled by terror for more than two decades now. Like a bad media loop, history just kept repeating itself, and still, no one seemed amenable to change. It was infuriating. And to those who worked in the chaos of it, it was heartbreaking.
Most of the victims were children. Women were next, in terms of numbers. Given all of the death and destruction that had already besieged them, men were few and far between. Those who weren't injured, maimed, or killed outright were left displaced in a country that had run out of space free from violence long before most of the latest victims were even born. Not only did it break Sutton's heart, it fueled her relentless determination to continue fighting to save every life she possibly could. That's simply what trauma surgeons did. And Sutton Keller was one of the best.
Releasing the tight hold she had on her, Sutton let her arm drape loosely around Emma's waist, as they sauntered toward the bench across the porch. "So how are things at Mass Gen?" she asked casually, as if there was nothing more pressing to talk about.
"It's brutal," Emma groaned, knowing full-well that it should be exactly that. She was completing her second year of residency in their cardiothoracic program, and due to finish in another six months. "But totally worth it."
"I can relate," Sutton commiserated, as they dropped down onto the bench, side-by-side. She had completed her trauma residency earlier that year, and headed straight for the front lines in Syria through the Doctors Without Borders program. Brutal didn't even begin to describe it there, and she quickly found herself grateful for the chaos of the trauma bay at Mass Gen.
"I start a six-month stint as chief resident in cardiovascular at Children's after the wedding," Emma announced, referring to Boston Children's Hospital.
Sutton's eyes lit up. "Oh, my god, Babe! That's fantastic!" she exclaimed, squeezing Emma tightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Emma felt her face flush under Sutton's display of enthusiasm over her accomplishment. "I got the call while you were in the air this morning," she explained. "I wanted to tell you in person."
"I am so unbelievably proud of you, Em," Sutton professed, pressing a kiss against Emma's temple. She knew from experience how competitive it was to earn chief resident, and no one deserved it more than Dr. Emma Spencer.
"Thanks," Emma smiled, almost sheepishly.
"We need to celebrate tonight," Sutton declared. "Nice dinner with the family. Maybe a little champagne," she said, nudging Emma's side as she offered a roguish grin.
Chuckling at Sutton's playfulness, Emma nudged her back. "I think tomorrow's shower is celebration enough for one weekend," she announced in a cautionary tone. Too much champagne could end them up in a boatload of trouble.
"Spoil-sport," Sutton sighed accusingly.
"Hey, just trying to keep us both out of jail," Emma reasoned with a grin that said she was thinking of a few college and med school celebrations that got more than a little out of hand.
"Touché, Dr. Spencer," Sutton sighed again. "Touché."
TBC in Chapter 7.2…
