Thanks for your review EC Brenway! Always enjoy reading them!

Gasping at the Chelly drama! Love it! Chloe did shut the door on Elly's face just like she did with Mel! Elly's bad mood because Chloe somewhat rejected her...? Could be! I hope you enjoy Elly's interactions with Chloe after that lil drama!

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, it was one of my faves to write from start to finish!

The Chemistry In Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sunday 1st December 2024

"Ugh," Elly awoke with her head pounding from a headache, as she slammed her hand against the alarm that was sounding on her bedside table. Elly had to hit it again to switch the alarm off.

As soon as Elly fell back to curling back in her bed, Aster knocked on her bedroom door, then without waiting for an answer, entered her mum's bedroom, "Good morning, Mum!"

"Morning," Elly grumped, even though she did smile when Aster crawled up on her bed and snuggled against her. But Elly soon groaned when Aster's elbow dug into her ribs, "Ow! Aster that hurt!"

"I know, I love the Nu Moon, Mama," Aster giggled.

"New Moon," Elly corrected, "Say it with me, baby girl, New."

"Nu," Aster mispronounced once more.

"New," Elly gently pronounced, "C'mon, Aster, you can get it right, New."

Aster struggled another couple of times, before finally getting it right, then lit up as Elly hugged her when she did.

"The New Moon is the best, Mum," Aster went back to saying.

"Says you, I strongly dislike the New Moon," Elly groaned, "I have to feel like a human being with zero strength and all the icky humanness for an entire day."

"It's one day a month, Mum," Aster teased, "Don't you like being a human for the Nu…New Moon?"

Elly shrugged, "I'm still a wolf, I just don't have any powers on the day and night of the New Moon. It's a weird feeling, Aster, to go from strength to nothing overnight then the next day I'm back to normal. I used to count down the days 'til the New Moon my first couple years but now…"

"You miss being a wolf for one day a month?" Aster asked.

"I do," Elly admitted, "When I was first turned I never thought they'd be a day that I would say I would prefer to be a wolf over being a human but for the past few months every time the New Moon comes to pass for one day and night a month...I miss my powers. I miss you being able to elbow me in the ribs and I don't feel a thing. I miss feeling as close to being invincible as I can be."

"Are wolves still invincible on the New Moon?" Aster wondered.

"I'm not invincible at all, Aster, I can still get hurt...it just takes a lot more to hurt me. But less so today, I'm still a pinch stronger than humans on the New Moon but not by much," Elly explained.

"Will I be a werewolf when I grow up?" Aster asked.

"There's a chance you will be but we won't know until you're a bit older, close to being a teenager," Elly answered.

"I think I want to be a werewolf like you, Mama. Is that okay that I want to be?" Aster questioned.

Elly leant down, kissing the top of Aster's head, "I want you to be happy no matter who you turn out to be…but I do admit I'm a little bit worried over what your life as a werewolf could bring you yet I'm equally scared without werewolf powers that you're vulnerable. I guess at the end of the day, I'll worry about you either way."

"I like that you worry," Aster admitted.

"I'm your Mum, it's what I do," Elly smiled, "Alright, it's time to get up and get this horrible human-like day on the road so it can be tomorrow already and I'm back to being myself. What do you want to-?"

Aster burst out laughing when Elly dragged herself out of bed, tripping over the blankets caught on the edge of her bed and fell over on the floor of her bedroom.

"I strongly dislike the New Moon," Elly grumbled in repetition.

A few minutes later, Elly wandered out to the living area with Aster by her side, immediately shaking her head when she spotted Bea sitting at the dining table with Yashvi on her lap, making out with her, "Good Morning. Yashvi, nice to see you here first thing in the morning for a change. Don't you normally get in within minutes of Bea needing to leave for the garage?"

"Mmm morning," Bea mumbled, not letting go of her girlfriend.

"Got off early," Yashvi mumbled too, continuing kissing Bea deeply.

Elly rolled her eyes at the couple, trying not to feel too jealous of their displays of affection and wanting the same for herself and Chloe, "It's so nice to see you two in the morning and have a meaningful conversation with you both."

"Mmm," both women moaned again.

As Elly led Aster to the kitchen and carefully lifted her to sit on one of the stools opposite the kitchen island, she shook her head at the girls, "Could you two please get a room as I'd prefer Aster to eat her breakfast without the displays of affection where she should be eating?"

Bea eventually dragged her lips away from Yashvi's, "Oh, don't you worry, Elly, we were headed to our room any moment now. I just wanted several minutes of enjoying my girl here when she surprised me by coming home early. Suze should be up soon to mind Aster whilst you go for your run. And don't be jealous, Elly, I know you're craving someone to fall in love with like I have."

Elly narrowed her eyes down at Aster, silently warning her daughter not to chirp up with anything close to resembling Chloe as she didn't want her sister to know she was falling deeply in love with her married friend until she felt confident that Aster accepted her warning. Elly placed some toast in the toaster and turned the gas stove on with the frying pan to cook up some eggs.

"I'm not jealous, Bea. I'm happy you found your happiness. Yes, I might be wishing to meet that person for me but it doesn't make me jealous...annoyed as all hell that you flaunt your love every chance you get," Elly teased.

"And the whole time you've been back, Yashvi has practically been on the night shift and we've barely seen each other, you haven't seen any flaunting," Bea teased back, staring at Yashvi.

"Don't remind me," Elly groaned, then yelped loudly as she burnt her hand against the frying pan, "Oww!"

Stupid New Moon, I wouldn't even feel this any other day of the month!

"You okay, Mama?" Aster worried.

Elly shook her hand back and forth, trying to alleviate the pain she was feeling and hide it from Aster, "Yeah, I'm fine, baby girl. Just a lil burn."

"Sure, you're okay, Elly?" Bea asked.

"Yeah, actually that reminds us, we heard a thumping noise a few moments ago. We meant to go check on it but we got all distracted," Yashvi blushed.

"I'm fine," Elly reassured, "I might've accidentally..."

"Mum tripped over getting out of bed and fell on her face," Aster chirped with a smirk on her face.

Bea smiled back at her niece, "That does not sound like Elly at all. Tripping over, burning her hand on the frying pan. Having a bad day, sis?"

"That is exactly what I'm having but I'm sure I'll have a better day tomorrow," Elly announced.

"Maybe you should stay home today rather than go out with Chloe for your run?" Bea suggested.

"Mama will be okay for her time with Chloe, won't you Mum?" Aster checked, secretly hoping the more time her mum spent with Chloe would only lead them to be together.

Elly nodded as she turned back to making scrambled eggs for her daughter, "Yes, I'll be fine to go for a run with Chloe…I might have to settle for not beating Chloe today but I'll try my darndest not to let that happen."

"Alright, well if you're having a bad day, cut the run short and head home, okay?" Bea decided.

"I can do that for you all. Seriously, there is nothing to worry about, it's an off morning. We all have them-ow, ow, ow!" Elly screeched as she grabbed the toast out of the toaster and burnt her hands on the edge of the appliance.

"You sure are having one hell of an off day," Bea shook her head at her sister.

Okay…just let me get through today without looking like a complete and utter fool in front of Chloe…then I'll spend the rest of the day curled up in bed with Aster 'til tomorrow comes and I'm back to myself.

A little while later, Elly stood at the end of Chloe's driveway leaning against the fence. Two days earlier, Chloe had shut the door in Elly's face when Elly had called out Pierce's controlling ways to her friend and things had been strained between them.

It hadn't stopped Elly from turning up for their run the previous morning. Elly had been afraid when she'd turned up at the end of Chloe's driveway on the Saturday morning that Chloe wouldn't be there. But she was and after a few pleasantries, Chloe had quickly taken off out of the street with Elly following her before catching up to Chloe within seconds for their run.

It seemed to Elly that Chloe didn't want to talk about Elly's accusation of Pierce's controlling behaviour. If Elly didn't start pleading her case that Chloe deserved better, than Chloe was happy to go on their run together. Though a strong part of her didn't want to just let it go, she also didn't want to turn Chloe against her completely so decided to hold off until they had a better moment to talk about Pierce, with the hopes Chloe would hear her out this time.

Chloe jogged down the end of her driveway, towards where Elly was standing, "Morning."

Elly let out a small yelp, being so consumed with her thoughts of Chloe she hadn't heard her at all, "Chloe, you surprised me!"

Chloe was almost taken aback by Elly's surprise as she always seemed to know when Chloe was coming, "That's a first. You feeling okay, Elly?"

Elly shrugged, "I'm just having a bad day…nothing that bad, just falling out of bed and burning my hand on the frying pan…and the toaster…I'm good."

"Sounds like a string of bad luck is hitting you today," Chloe noted.

"I won't let any of that bad luck go your way," Elly promised.

"I'm not worried about me, I'm more worried about you," Chloe admitted.

You should be worried about you, Chlo, your husband is a controlling man…I shouldn't say that…

Elly waved her hand to the side, "Don't be silly, it's just a bad morning. I will be back bright and early tomorrow morning, scaring you, promise."

"I'll believe that when I see that," Chloe shook her head.

Oh, you will… Ugh, why am I such a clumsy human? Was I always this way?

"You will," Elly insisted, then waved her hand for them to start their run, "After you."

Not needing to point out this was the first time Elly had ever let her have a head start, Chloe took off down the pathway but within seconds pulled up when she heard Elly trip over behind her.

"I'm good," Elly yelped after tripping over her feet turning to start running and landing on her face on the footpath.

Chloe frowned her eyes as she turned around to see Elly lying on the ground, Elly's unusual clumsiness unnerving her, "You were not kidding about this bad day you're having."

Elly climbed back to her feet, "I think it's safe to say you're gonna beat me today, I'll look forward to coming second."

"If you keep tripping over, you won't be coming second, you'll end up in hospital," Chloe worried.

"Oh, I will not," Elly insisted, brushing off her elbows and the grazes on her arms, "You can patch me up and kiss me better, Chlo."

Watching Chloe's mouth open and close at her unexpected flirtation, Elly couldn't bear to have Chloe call her out on flirting with her if she didn't want her advances. Risking making a fool of herself again if she fell over, Elly winked at Chloe before taking off running down the footpath.

Ugh, I cannot believe I flirted with Chloe so obviously like that…please don't be put off by it and tell me I was being inappropriate…

Was Elly flirting with me? Why…? Did I want…Elly to be flirting with me? Ugh, you're just imagining things…don't read into it…unless Elly does it again… Stop thinking it could…Elly could never want to be with me again…

Elly was relieved when she heard Chloe chasing after her, smiling when Chloe quickly caught up to her and the pair ran out of the street together, commencing their daily run which Chloe eventually won.

Next time - Chelly train together in martial arts, will Chloe let Elly into her other hobby she's found an interest in over the past few years?