When Delphine got up in the morning, Cosima was already busy. She sat in the living room, typing quickly on her laptop.

"Good morning, ma chérie," she greeted the other woman. "You're up early."

"Hey, Baguette," Cosima grinned. "I had something in my mind I badly needed to check. I had Scott in WhatsApp earlier and had him send me that little program we made to analyze our sequences."

"Cool. Did you find out anything?"

"Not really," Cosima sighed. "Maybe we were looking at the wrong sequence."

"Maybe," Delphine nodded. "We could browse through a few more projects later, if you like. Not before breakfast though."

"Good idea," Cosima confirmed. "I'm starving. I remember a little Café down the road near the shopping center. Wear something and we could go."

"I badly need to call Maman," the French woman said.

"Use my smartphone," Cosima offered. "But call from the Café. Just in case they listen to her phone too."

Delphine quickly dressed and they left for breakfast, walking down the road hand in hand.

Why does it feel so easy with Delphine? Cosima wondered. We've only known each other for a few days and we are still in our exploring phase. But it always feels comfortable.

"I like your smile," Delphine observed. "How can you smile after only a few hours of sleep, even before you had a cup of coffee?"

"That's only your fault, Puppy," Cosima grinned. "I like to have you here with me, holding hands, talking, you know."

And though. Sometime soon she would have to return home, Cosima thought and suddenly her heart was a lot heavier. What would remain after they left their hiding place and returned to their lives?

She shrugged off her thoughts. "We still have today," she said and Delphine understood what she meant.

They ordered coffee, bread rolls and croissants. While they ate they discussed the next steps and Cosima gave her friend and update about her situation. "My boss needs me back in Minneapolis very soon. Our research project has to look for another funding source and they want me to prepare a proposal paper for a new development activity. I talked him into allowing me a few more days off, but he needs me in a conference call at 11am to discuss the paper with one of the main sponsors."

Delphine swallowed and nodded silently. It was no use of pretending it could go on like this forever. They both had to face the facts. Would they be able to just go ahead?

"I need a cigarette," she said. "And I'll try to call Maman. I hope she is not mad at me, because I didn't call earlier."

Cosima gave her the smartphone and Delphine kissed her and left the Café. Cosima watched her though the window as she was talking on the phone. She was so beautiful and she was never able to stop looking at her. Shit, Cosima, you are falling for her.

After a while, Delphine finally ended the call and returned back inside the Café and to their table.

"You wouldn't believe it," she started to tell Cosima the news. "The police has closed the case and set Helena free. The autopsy found that Aldous died of a natural cause of death. He had a congenital defect of the vessels that caused the stroke."

She was silent for a moment. "This is what they found out. But I doubt that he would have reached his age with such a defect. His life expectancy would have been significantly lower."

"Hmm that sounds really strange," Cosima confirmed. "Maybe that's a hint we should follow later."

"Talking about 'later'," Delphine added. "His funeral will be after noon at 1pm."

"Oh..."

"I know. I was surprised too. I agreed with maman to meet at 11."

"I will come with you," Cosima promised. "Wait... Shit, I almost forget the conference call."

"Then come to the cemetery when you're done," Delphine proposed. "Maman insisted that her driver would pick me up. So you can take the car there."

Cosima nodded. The timing was bad, but she would be there for her friend.

"I will be there," she confirmed.

"Thank you," Delphine said with quiet voice.

They were silent for a moment, and then Delphine smiled. "Be prepared to meet Maman and the rest of my family," she added.

"Oh wow," Cosima grinned. "So officially?"

Now Delphine blushed. "You will like her," she said instead of an answer.


And then Delphine was gone. A big limousine had taken her away and it didn't take more than ten minutes for Cosima to feel alone, although she was used to it.

She browsed through her draft paper and her notes to prepare for the conference call, and then decided to get dressed for the funeral to be ready to leave as soon as the call was over. She chose a dark gray shirt to her black leggings and ankle boots and decided to wear a black jacket over the shirt. For a moment she thought about heading to the shopping center to buy something more appropriate for a funeral, but the call would start in a bit.

She was distracted most of the time during the call, though she was well prepared and had the keywords for the proposal in her notes. Her boss made it clear, how important the topic was for him and the whole department and she had the impression, the sponsor seemed to be completely oblivious what she was talking about.

It was a good while after noon when the call finally ended and Cosima was scared when she checked the time. "Shit," she exclaimed. "I really need to hurry up..."

She grabbed her bag and key and hurried out of the apartment and to the car. It took her a few more minutes to find the location of the cemetery with her smartphone and made it find a route. Then started the car and followed the routing system's directions.

She was almost in time if only the parking lot in front of the cemetery wasn't completely full of cars. With a silent swear she followed the road into a back street, searching for a place to park the car.

Ten minutes later she arrived at the funeral. The ceremony had already started and she sneaked into the chapel and stood behind the last row of the benches.

There were several speakers praising Leekie's merits to science and teaching, presented him as caring, dedicated and passionate scientist, which his students and staff set great value on. Cosima was surprised, how many praising words could be said about her hated biology teacher.

In the back of the chapel a few more people were standing. She wasn't the only one who had been late. She scanned the audience and noticed her classmate Rachel Duncan not far away from her near the aisle of the chapel. Remembering her incident with Leekie on the school anniversary she clenched her fists angrily. What kind of business had that bitch at Leekie's funeral? She tried to ignore Rachel and followed the speeches.

At the end of the service there was a sudden movement in the audience. Some people started to leave through the aisle and Cosima observed Rachel looking out for somebody. Her glance finally focused on a tall guy with a black coat and a heavy looking business briefcase. He nodded inconspicuously to Rachel, but when he passed her, he quickly handed over the briefcase while Rachel gave him a small package in return. Then he vanished through the entrance and Rachel moved in the opposite direction and was gone too.

Cosima was taken by surprise by the strange observation. Who would perform such kind of business transaction during a funeral?

Before she could finish her thoughts and take a decision the service was over and people started moving out. They squeezed through the crowd that came through the aisle and moved to the front, where Delphine stood with the members of her family.

"Hey Cosima," Delphine greeted her friend. "You were late..."

"I'm kind of always late, though," Cosima nodded, "so, kind of always sorry."

Delphine took the other woman's hand and gently guided her through the people around her to an older woman, dressed in an elegant black dress.

"Maman," she addressed her. "I'd like to introduce you a very good friend of my. Meet Cosima Niehaus. She's a really brilliant biologist working for one of Uncle Pierre's research institutes."

"Enchantée," Madame Cormier glanced at her from head to toe before she offered her a hand.

"Enchantée, madam," Cosima answered. "Very nice to meet you."

They shook hands and Cosima smiled, and awkward moment running by.

"A brilliant biologist, you said," Delphine's mother repeated. "Did you offer her a job in one of our labs then? I hate Pierre getting all the good ones."

"Maman," Delphine blushed. "We only met. We didn't have the time to discuss..."

Cosima shook a few more hands until they met another woman nearly their age. "And this is my cousin Danielle," Delphine introduced them. "Danielle, meet Cosima. She was the one that saved me and helped me escape the police and everything."

Danielle's smile revealed much of her relationship to Delphine. Cosima gave her a warm smile. "Nice to meet, Danielle," she greeted her. "And thanks big times for borrowing us your apartment to hide."

"Hey Cosima," Danielle smiled, "and very welcome. Whoever is a friend of Delphine is a friend of mine too."


It took a while until the two women could leave the Cormier family and return to the apartment. Cosima had been introduced to "Uncle Pierre" and they had an enthralling discussion on some of Cosima's research projects, while Delphine and Danielle were whispering and giggling like teenage girls. After all Madame Cormier said her goodbye and the little gathering resolved, as if the others were bound to follow her action.

Cosima sank onto the couch the moment she entered the apartment and Delphine threw her heels by and slipped out of his mourning outfit and cuddled close to Cosima in just her undies and pantyhose.

"Hmmm," Cosima purred when their lips met and pulled her close. "I was thinking about that all day."

"Oui. I should have guessed," Delphine smiled. "And I was thinking just the same. Let's have a little break before we go through the sequences of the stroke projects."

"Good plan," Cosima grinned slipping a hand into the other woman's panties. "I want to make crazy science with you."