"Hey sweetheart! You ready to hang out with your Uncle Ray?" Ray crouched down, smiling broadly at Louise, who frowned darkly at him.
"You're not my uncle." She protested suspiciously. "Mommy says not to trust men who say they're my uncle when they're not."
She crossed her arms and glared at him, while Norma laughed in shocked embarrassment.
"Louise!"
He held his hand up to let her know it was ok.
"That's true, honey. Your mommy's a smart lady. But I'm a sort of uncle. I'm Auntie Sarah's dad."
Louise didn't look convinced, narrowing her eyes at Ray, who glanced helplessly up at Norma.
"I wanna go with you!" Louise whined suddenly, grabbing on to her mother's hem, tugging it helplessly.
Alex dropped to his knees before Norma could say anything, gently tugging Louise away from her and holding her by the tops of her arms.
"Hey Lou-Lou? You know that peach cobbler that mom makes?"
Louise pouted and nodded, her eyes lighting up a little.
"Guess who taught her the recipe for it?" He pointed excitedly at Ray, who smiled and shrugged.
"It was Uncle Ray, and since you're family too, maybe he could teach you the secret?"
The baby gurgled from the bassinet in the corner, and Louise cast her eyes over to her for a moment.
"And then when Theresa gets big, maybe I could teach her?" She mumbled shyly, and Alex's face broke into a beaming grin.
"Yeah! And Uncle Ray's gonna need your help looking after Theresa."
"I could definitely use some help, kid!" Ray offered, holding out a hand to her. She glanced at it, then back to her father, and then cast an unsure glance up at her mother. Norma nodded gently, before sinking to her knees next to Alex and kissing Louise on the forehead.
"You be good, ok?"
"I will." Louise said sincerely, before Alex reached for her, giving her a squeeze and pretending to munch on her, tickling her, earning himself a shrill little giggle.
Pulling back, she finally turned to Ray, taking his hand, and they watched Ray breathe a sigh of relief as she didn't cast a second glance at her parents, gladly going with him to the kitchen. Norma hoped that if, God forbid, Louise ever really did meet a creepy guy who said that he was her uncle, he didn't know how to make peach cobbler. Her daughter was easily bought.
They slipped into the waiting taxi at the bottom of Gabe and Sarah's drive, finding the couple already waiting for them.
"All good?" Gabe asked.
"Yeah. Sorry. We just wanted to get her settled." Norma said, as she put her seatbelt on.
"You didn't cry." Alex observed with a note of surprise in his voice. "I'm impressed."
He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek and ignored the way she rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't admit how close she had come to shedding a tear, as they had bid goodbye to their daughter. She always hated leaving her, but she would have to work on it. Louise would be starting school before she knew it, and they couldn't have a fit of hysterics every day.
"Norma?" The tiny voice from the front seat piped up suddenly, and Sarah turned around in her seat to look at her. Her face was streaked with tears and she sniffled deeply.
"Do you have a tissue or something?" She sobbed, as Norma sprang forward, pulling a pack of tissues out of her bag straight away.
"Oh honey. Do you not wanna go? We can stay in?"
"No, no. I'm gonna be fine." Sarah sniffled, and blew her nose loudly. "I just... We've never left her before."
Gabe leaned through the seats, pressing a kiss against her cheek and murmuring a few supportive words in her ear, as Alex and Norma smiled at the exchange. The first time they had left Louise with Dylan and Emma, she had got up in the middle of the movie, announcing that she "felt in her heart that something bad had happened" and they needed to go home. She had been so convinced, even Alex had started to panic, feeling instantly ridiculous to burst into their home to find a startled Dylan and Emma sitting on the floor, Emma with the baby securely cuddled in her lap, Dylan with a sock puppet on his hand, which he promptly hid behind his back. Apparently only Emma was supposed to know how cutesy he was around the baby, though Alex was secretly relieved to find he wasn't the only man reduced to a baby-talking pile of goo by his baby daughter. Emma had smugly checked her watch, while Dylan looked awkward.
"27 minutes. You owe me five bucks."
So they understood Sarah's reaction, as she wiped her face, and assured them she was fine, even as she stared wistfully back at the house as they pulled away.
"They'll be fine." Alex leaned forward to tentatively pat Sarah on the shoulder.
"Yeah, Alex is right. Ray's nearly got his drug problem under control. He's actually very responsible when he's not high." Gabe said, completely deadpan, and everyone chuckled and some of the tension from the evening lifted.
Even more of the tension lifted after the boys had had a couple of glasses of wine. Sarah couldn't drink, since she was breastfeeding, and Norma had vowed to stay on the wagon with her, even as Sarah protested. It didn't seem fair to leave Sarah sober while they all drank.
"No, honestly Sarah! I don't mind! I'd rather keep my wits about me to go back to the kids."
Gabe and Alex had tried to join them, declaring that they didn't need alcohol to have a good time, but Sarah and Norma had insisted, secretly thinking it would be funnier to watch their other halves with loosened inhibitions and loosened tongues, while they remained sober.
Sarah had valiantly recovered from her tears in the taxi, only getting slightly shiny eyed during the one phone call they had allowed themselves with Ray.
"Put the phone by her. I wanna hear her breathing... Yes, I'm serious!" Alex had bit his lip to stop from giggling, as Sarah's worried face smoothed into a relieved smile when she heard her daughters peaceful breathing.
"Ok. I'm putting Norma on now."
"Hi Ray. Did she get to sleep ok?" Alex smiled at how calm his wife seemed, compared to the almost hyperventilating Sarah of a few minutes ago. "Oh... Erm, yeah. That's Paloma. It's... a long story. Yeah... I know." She laughed down the phone.
"Ok, well..." Norma seemed reluctant to hang up, casting an eye around the table for a second. "Well, just tell them we love them, in case we all die in a car accident or something on the way home." She said dramatically, and Alex nodded to himself. Norma wouldn't be Norma if she remained calm and reasonable at all times.
"Well, that was dramatic." Alex pointed out as she hung up the phone, passing it back to Sarah. She shrugged casually in response.
"Hey, if we all died, who'd get our kids?" Gabe asked thoughtfully, and Sarah smacked him on the arm.
"Gabriel! That's so morbid!"
"It's not morbid, honey. It's sensible. You gotta plan for the best, prepare for the worst."
"Ray." She said simply, taking a long gulp of water. "I'd want Ray to raise her."
None of them seemed all that perturbed to be talking about something so tragic and horrifying, and Alex wondered if it was a testament to the sort of lives they'd lived. They'd all been through so much; What was one conversation about dying when you'd been through all Norma Bates had been through?
"Who'd get Louise?" Norma mused, turning to Alex, who was tipsily staring into his wine glass.
"Dylan and Emma. I already asked him." He announced simply.
Norma's mouth flew open, as Alex glanced around at their glasses, not noticing her shocked expression. He half stood, leaning forward to grab the wine bottle, starting to top up his and Gabriel's glasses, before gallantly reaching for the water jug for Norma and Sarah.
"When?"
He didn't catch the surprise in her voice, not glancing at her, carrying on concentrating on filling up their glasses.
"Last week, when we were ring shopping. I mentioned it and he said-"
"Ring shopping?"
Alex suddenly stopped dead, slamming the wine bottle down on the table and sitting back heavily in his seat, closing his eyes and sighing heavily.
"Damn." He whispered to himself, opening his eyes to glare at his wine glass accusingly.
"Ring shopping?" Norma repeated quietly. "Is he... Are they..."
"It was supposed to be a secret." He said glumly, and Norma's hand flew to her mouth, as did Sarah's, even though she had never met the happy couple. It was just a natural Sarah reaction to happy romantic news.
"Oh my god!" Norma breathed out, trying desperately not to cry. "What did he choose? When is he gonna ask her? Are we gonna be there?"
"I told him if you weren't there, he'd never hear the end of it." He assured her. "You know the... farm he used to run, up by the lake?"
She frowned, remembering the pot farm she had so disapproved of.
"Yes?" She said warily, hoping her son hadn't fallen back in with a bad crowd again.
"Well, he's secretly been converting the building into a little house, since Emma loved it up there so much." Norma gasped. "We're invited to a family barbecue there the day after we get back, and he's going to unveil the house and propose then. And don't you dare give it away!" He warned, grabbing her hand frowning at her, as her bottom lip trembled. "No crying before we get there, or... I dunno... taking Emma for a manicure the day before. She's a bright girl. She'll guess and you'll ruin it." Norma nodded solemnly, hating that he knew her well enough to know she was already planning to take Emma for a manicure so her hands would look perfect on all the pictures.
"Ok. Ok." She agreed breathlessly, smiling helplessly around the table.
"Wow. This is so exciting!" Sarah trilled happily.
"I can't believe he took you ring shopping!" Norma grumbled, sounding a little put out to have not been invited.
"I think he just wanted to get a man's opinion on the whole thing? He's never really had a dad around, and I know he's old enough now not to need one, but I was just glad I could help... Ya know, offer some words of wisdom on marriage. That sort of thing."
He glanced up to see Norma smiling tearfully at him, and his eyes darted around the table to find Sarah and Gabe smiling at him sweetly.
"What?"
"Come here." She murmured, pulling him in to kiss him, one hand resting against his cheek, the other still tightly clutching his hand, wordlessly telling him how grateful she was to have him in their lives.
After dinner ended, Sarah had bit her lip, suggesting they go to a bar for a drink, shooting Norma a wild little look that she didn't understand. Her and Sarah weren't drinking so it seemed like an odd request, but the boys were too drunk to notice the strangeness, shooting each other little looks that said they weren't ready to go home yet.
"Sure. Maybe a quick one?" Alex had agreed, and let himself be pulled through the streets of Jupiter, towards a large building with a thudding bass booming out into the night.
"Sarah. This is a club." Alex pointed out, as they grew closer.
"No! No, no, no. It's a bar! You'll see."
Norma stopped dead as they rounded the corner, taking in the huge flashing sign above the entrance.
Renegades.
Why did that name sound so familiar? She narrowed her eyes at the club, and then glanced around the street, feeling like she'd been here before. It only took one glance at the sheepish expression on Sarah's face to figure out where they were.
"Sarah, no!" She protested, refusing to be pulled along a step further. "Come on... This is too much. I was too old the last time I came here, and I had a baby since then!"
"Nonsense!" Sarah insisted, grabbing her hand, ignoring Alex's curious expression as he looked from Norma to the club and back again, realisation crossing his face as he realised where they were.
"We've... been here before?" He clarified, memories of Norma in that absurdly short club dress crossing his mind. He glanced at her. Her dress tonight was like a grown up version of that dress, still tight and black, but longer now, a tight pencil skirt hugging her thighs, stopping just above the knee. The straps were wider, but the neckline was just as low, a square scoop neck that revealed a dangerous amount of pale cleavage that he'd barely been able to keep his eyes off during dinner.
"I mean... maybe we could stay for one drink?" She suggested casually, shrugging at Alex. Sarah squealed with delight, clapping her hands together excitedly as she tugged them both towards the pounding bass of the crowded club.
An hour later and "one drink" had turned into three, on top of the wine Gabriel and Alex had had at dinner, and Alex was feeling decidedly tipsy, perhaps even more than tipsy. He'd even danced, letting Sarah pull them all onto the dancefloor, averting his eyes as Gabe and Sarah engaged in a rather raucous display, letting his arms wrap around Norma's waist, swaying his hips in time to a song he'd never heard before. It was no secret that he was a good dancer, but Norma was always delighted when she managed to get him to loosen up enough in time to dance with her, and it would seem that Norma and Sarah didn't need any alcohol to cut a few shapes on the crowded dancefloor.
"You want another water?" He yelled to Norma over the music that he still didn't recognise, leaning in close, and she nodded back, turning to stick with Gabe and Sarah while he headed over to the bar.
There was a queue. Not even a queue really, just a mass of people covering the bar that didn't seem big enough to cope with such a volume of people. The crowd surged around him, and Alex was glad he wasn't claustrophobic, or he'd have started to panic. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to wriggle his way to the front, leaning on the bar, idly tapping his wallet against the shiny chrome rail he was pressed against.
"Hi!" A voice piped up from his right, and he glanced down to see a curvy girl with long, dyed red hair smiling at him.
"Hi." He nodded back politely, casting his gaze away from the girl.
"I'm Sofia." He glanced at her again, smiling tightly as she twisted a maroon curl around her finger, smirking at him.
"See, now you'd normally tell me your name..." She giggled at him, and he cast his gaze around uncomfortably. She was probably at least half his age, and was leaning in much too close for his liking.
"Alex..." He finally said, reluctantly, trying and failing to catch the barman's attention again.
"Ok, Alex. You wanna buy me a drink?"
"Oh... erm..." He cast around helplessly, pleased as Norma suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sliding smoothly in between Alex and Sofia, a smug smirk on her face.
"I'll take a drink." She announced simply, and before he could reply, she held out a hand to him, and he took it automatically.
"Norma. Nice to meet you." She said casually, shaking his hand, and he grinned at her, looking her up and down appreciatively.
"Pleasure, Norma. What you drinking?"
"Oh I'll have whatever you're having." She trilled leaning in close and flashing her eyes at him and she heard the girl sigh in annoyance behind her.
"Bitch." She muttered, and stalked away through the crowd, and Norma giggled, turning around to face the bar, ignoring Alex's wicked grin.
"So, do you come here often?" He asked, carrying on the game.
"No, I'm from out of town. Haven't been here for a long time." She answered wistfully, spinning on her heel as if bored by him, turning her back to him and leaning on the bar.
There was a sudden surge from the left, and he moved automatically, moving behind her, and bracing his hands either side of her on the bar, creating a little cage for her to protect her from the jostling crowd.
"What brings you to Florida?" He whispered in her ear, leaning in close. "Business... or pleasure?" He leaned his chest against her back as he spoke the last word, letting his pelvis connect with her ass as it jutted out from where she was leaning on the bar.
"Well..." She murmured, pressing herself back, more firmly against him, as his hand slid down to her hip, squeezing lightly. "I'm here with my husband so..."
"Ohhhh." He nodded knowingly, as she grasped at his hand, pulling it up to press just under her breasts, his fingers splayed out across her ribcage, pressing her ass insistently back against him, wiggling gently in time to the music. He took in a shuddering breath as she moved her hips slowly, grinding herself against him, feeling his arousal grow as he looked around, noticing that no-one in the crowded bar was paying them any attention. He let his hand slide up an inch or two, his fingers still splayed out, his thumb now gently brushing over her stiff nipple, just about poking through the flimsy fabric of her bra and her dress.
"Your husband?" She gasped as he scratched his thumbnail over the fabric of her dress, the sensation making her arch a little into his touch. His other hand wandered down to her thigh, sliding up along the curve of her hip. His hands trailed lightly up her body, eventually sweeping her hair to the side, away from her ear. He leaned in against her, letting his lips brush the shell of her ear. "So I guess you don't wanna come home with me then?"
"Oh no, no. Of course not." She mumbled out, as he pressed a soft kiss against her neck. "He'd... Ah... He'd be worried about me if I stayed out all night. He's very protective of me."
His hands shot back to her hips, grabbing them tightly as he ground himself against her, no longer caring that there were people around them.
"You should be careful." She warned quietly. "He's a cop."
Their behaviour had finally attracted some attention, drawing a few curious glances from just the two people closest to them, who had probably seen worse as regulars of this club. Nonetheless, Norma felt her cheeks burn as she noticed their eyes darting down to where Alex's hands were clutching hard at her hips.
He leaned in close again, surreptitiously sliding his hands between them to glide over her ass.
"I don't care." He whispered defiantly and she bit her lip, grinning wildly, suddenly jerking forwards away from his touch and the heat from his body. He frowned at the action, wondering if he'd gone too far.
"I er... I could use some air?" She offered, reaching behind her to take his hand, not even glancing over her shoulder as she starting pulling him through the crowd, heading towards a darkened corner that looked like a dead end.
"Norma...?"
She turned on her heel, flashing him a wicked grin, leaning back against the wall suddenly, and pulling him against her, kissing him hard, letting her hips jut forwards, pressing herself against him. There was a sudden clanking sound and she was stepping backwards, suddenly stumbling through an unseen door that she had opened behind her, stepping out into the cooler night air.
"I saw the barman take the trash out here earlier."
She tugged him outside into the darkness with her, kicking the door shut, the sounds and music of the club already quietening to a dull thudding.
He glanced around at the alleyway, frowning at the dumpster behind her, and the blaring lights from the street shining down the alley.
"And they said romance is dead?" He deadpanned, as she kissed him again, her kiss wild and reckless and all too brief, before she was pulling away, grabbing at his hand and pulling him deeper into the darkness, the bass growing quieter with each step.
"What if someone comes?" He ventured halfheartedly, as he pulled him around a corner to the darkened dead end of the alley.
"That's sort of the point." She whispered saucily, brazenly grabbing his hand and pressing it between her thighs. He pushed his fingers against her through the layers of dress and underwear, chuckling at her words as she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.
She reached forwards to roughly palm him through his pants for a moment, before he shoved her back suddenly, earning himself a breathy gasp as her back made contact with the wall. He trailed hard wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck, his hands sliding along the curve of her waist to rest on the swell of her hips, as she squirmed and giggled in his arms. Her hands ran through his hair, and she tipped her head back to give him better access, as his hands started inching the snug fabric of her dress up, slowly sliding it up over her thighs.
"I've missed this." He muttered out against her cheek, as tugged her dress up around her waist, slipping his hand into her underwear, smirking as he found her wet and ready.
"We..." She gasped as he rubbed small, fluttering circles against her clit, the pressure sudden and unexpected. "We... had sex yesterday." She pointed out, letting her head drop back against the wall, squirming against his touch.
His knee raised up a little, nudging her legs apart, his hand suddenly slipping out of her panties and sliding to her thigh, hitching it up to wrap around him.
"Not like this." He clarified breathlessly, as he ground himself against her. She knew exactly what he meant. Their daughter was their world, and they could never bring themselves to regret any part of her presence in their lives, but it was undeniable that, since her arrival, their love making had had to slow to a slightly more reasonable pace. Gone were the afternoons when he would rush home on his lunch break and push her into the nearest empty motel room, desperate to have her; Gone were the lazy sunday mornings when they would stay in bed half the morning, before eventually heading for round two in the shower; Gone were the frantic sessions on the couch, or in the squad car, or bent over the washing machine, making the most of the spin cycle. Instead, there were now quiet clinches in the middle of the night, biting lips to stop from making too much noise, always listening out for the pitter patter of tired little feet coming down the hall. They occasionally made it into Room 11 here and there for the odd quickie, breaking that poor wall beyond repair, but they generally accepted that they had to be a little more sensible now. Until tonight.
"Mm hmm." She nodded, before craning her head to look up and down the alley. Satisfied they were alone, she met his eyes again, grinning wickedly, as her hands slunk between them, making quick work of his zipper, shoving his pants and boxers down with eager, trembling hands. He leaned his weight against her again, clutching at her thigh, hitching it higher around him, and rubbing himself against her, feeling her damp heat through the thin fabric of her panties. Her eyes fluttered closed and he took the opportunity to reach down, hooking his hand under her other thigh and pulling her off her feet suddenly, feeling her wrap herself around him, her hands wrapping around his neck.
Holding her up with one arm, the other slid to her ass, growling in frustration at his hand skimmed over the panties he had forgotten she was wearing. Yet another sign of their maturity - Wearing underwear at all times these days.
"Can I?" He ground out as she nipped at his earlobe.
"Mm?" She muttered out in confusion, as he slid his hand through the leg of her underwear, grabbing it hard.
"Can I rip these off you?" He growled in her ear, and she shivered involuntarily at his words, glancing down at herself for a minute, responsibly making sure she wasn't wearing anything expensive, before giving a little nod. His grip on the flimsy grey lace tightened, and he tugged, twisting his fist in the fabric. She yelped as the fabric painfully dug into her hip for a split second, before the material gave way and he ripped the ruined garment from her body with a flourish, throwing it to the ground triumphantly.
Without skipping a beat, she was reaching between them, kissing him deeply, feeling him smirk against her lips as her fingers closed around him. Her other hand tightened it's grip on his shoulder, and she squeezed her thigh muscles to raise herself up a little bit.
"Don't drop me." She warned, as if he any any intention of doing so, but he reassuringly tightened his grip around her thighs, bracing more of her weight, lifting her up as she lined him up and then relaxed her leg muscles a little, sinking herself down on to him. He gave her a second to adjust, watching as her eyes fluttered closed and her head dropped back, waiting till her face relaxed before he suddenly slammed her back against the wall, tearing a shill, breathy squeak from her throat. He didn't give her a second to recover this time, bracing her weight against the wall, thrusting into her at a savage pace, his fingers digging in hard to the undersides of her thighs.
Alot of the time, he let Norma take control - He was happy to. Happy to let this glorious, fragile little creature move the way she liked, sometimes gentle, sometimes not, but today, he was in control, every hard fast thrust driving her up against the wall, forcing a breathy moan out of her.
"Yes... yes..." She whispered out frantically, her eyes fluttering closed, as she clung to him desperately, powerless to do anything but let him bring her ever closer to the edge, panting hard against his shoulder.
His pace increased, his hips snapping against hers furiously, leaning her shoulders back against the wall, a series of frantic moans now spilling from her mouth. He allowed himself a small glance over his shoulder, checking they were still definitely alone, as she grew louder and louder and, satisfied that they were, he sank his teeth gently into her neck, nipping and tugging at the sensitive flesh there, pleased with she released a desperate, trembling moan.
"Fuck." She breathed out, barely audible, and he grinned against her flesh, loving the desperate way she swore when he was inside her.
"Oh god..." She muttered, her cries quieting to frantic, quiet little sobs for a second, biting her lip as she held her breath, her face contorting with concentration. He felt her begin to tighten around him, her chest heaving hard as she started to let out a scream into the deserted alley, before there was a sudden sound of a door opening around the corner, mere feet away from them. His hand flew to her mouth, pressing against her, cutting off her cry, his movements stilling as the sounds of music and the bustle of people suddenly spilled out to them. He was still for only a second, before, as silently as he could, he carried on bucking up into her, letting her ride out her orgasm, her eyes fluttering closed, biting down hard onto his hand to muffle the shaky moan she couldn't help.
"Shhh." He whispered frantically, his eyes darting behind him, to the sliver of light peeking around the corner, listening to the sounds of footsteps echoing down the alleyway, the sound of a garbage bag rustling as it was carried to the dumpster. She panted, her breaths coming short and hard as he slowed his pace to a stop, feeling her internal muscles still twitching around him. Her body sagged, her trembling limbs no longer strong enough to cling to him anymore.
She slid a few inches down the wall, before his hand dropped from where it had been pressed against her mouth, tightening his grip around her, catching her as she slumped against him. Both hands shot out to grab weakly at his jacket. Alex was no weak man, but even he had his limits, and his muscles shook from the exertion of trying to hold her up when she no longer had the strength to assist him.
In the distance behind them, the door slammed shut and they were in darkness once more, the silence hanging between them for a moment, before he bent his knees, slipping out of her and depositing her shaking feet back on the floor. She trembled for a second, her knees still weak, her breaths still coming fast, her eyes flickering open to find him smirking at her.
"I could watch you all day." He muttered sexily, kissing her deeply, his hands stroking down the curve of her waist.
She smiled against his lips, pulling back and casting her eyes down, raising a pointed eyebrow at him, before he spun her roughly, the unexpected action making her gasp. Her cheek made contact with the cold brick wall as he pressed a hand against the centre of her back, bending her forward a little and surging back inside her without another word.
"Ah!" She breathed out a surprised little moan and he faltered, leaning his chest against her back, brushing his lips against her ear lobe.
"Ok?" He muttered, and she nodded, reaching behind her to grasp the back of his head, letting her fingers run through his hair.
"Yeah." She whispered, and jerked her hips back a little against him, letting him know she was fine. She hadn't had a panic attack for years; The terror she had once felt over the memories that being intimate could stir up was long gone, officially vanquished after that horrible night in their kitchen. But that didn't stop him checking in with her every now and again, sometimes needing to clarify that a little gasp when he did something unexpected was just surprise, not fear, or that a tremble running through her body was pleasure, not echoes of some distant painful memory. She was always fine, but she was always touched when he paused, on those rare occasions, his concern for her taking priority over his own pleasure.
His hands slid along the curve of her waist, coming to rest on the swell of her hips, his fingers hooking around her, holding her tightly while he set up a frantic rhythm. It felt like an age since they had stumbled out into the alley and his body ached for his own release, his hips snapping back and forth mercilessly, her fingers splaying out against the wall as she braced herself, pushing back, meeting each thrust.
One hand slid from her hip, brushing over her hand on the wall, grabbing it and pushing it between her thighs and she obliged immediately. He left his hand draped loosely over hers for a second, marvelling at the way her fingers deftly danced over her clit in some complicated dance.
After years together, he had a pretty good idea of what Norma liked, and he prided himself on the pleasure he was able to bring her. However, he was not a proud man, and, when time was of the essence, nobody knew what Norma Romero liked better than Norma Romero. His hand left hers, leaving her to her ministrations, resting on her hip again, his fingers digging in hard to her soft flesh there as he ploughed into her, watching as she rested her forehead against the wall, sighing out a series of moans at the ground.
He closed his eyes, tipping his head back, biting his lip as his whole body trembled with the effort of holding back, listening to her soft sighs increase in volume. Knowing he needed it, she brought herself to climax quickly and he'd never been so grateful, breathing out a sigh of relief, as her fingers fluttered to a rough, speedy crescendo, her breaths hitching for a second. There was a silence for a moment, only the soft slapping of his hips against her ass echoing around the alley, before she let out a shaky sob, her fingers stilling, flying out to brace herself against the wall again as he erratically thrust up into her a few more times, spilling out into her with a tortured groan. His fingers dug in almost painfully to her hips as he pushed her roughly up against the wall with a couple of last desperate thrusts, letting his head drop, resting his forehead against the back of her head.
The lavender of her shampoo filled his nostrils and he nuzzled against the soft strands, letting out a breathless, happy chuckle into her hair, his hands wrapping around her, pulling her flush against his chest, feeling their hearts beat wildly as one. His hands stroked up and down her sides, triumphantly still feeling her body tremble and shiver, her legs shaking like a new born deer as she leaned heavily against the wall, puffing out satisfied little pants at the floor.
"We should do this more often." He muttered, and she giggled, the sound vibrating through both their bodies.
"Romance really is dead." She confirmed.
"Where have you two been?" Gabe asked, almost the second they got back inside, and they glanced guiltily at each other.
"Erm... the bar." He said shiftily.
"Getting some air." She spoke at the same time as him and they both closed their eyes awkwardly.
When they opened them, Gabe was pressing his lips together, his eyes flashing knowingly at Alex, and he chuckled before jerking his head towards the door.
"Come on. Sarah's separation anxiety finally back full force. We've been lucky she lasted as long as she did. I'd be moderately surprised if she hasn't gone home without us."
They emerged from the club to see Sarah wringing her hands together nervously, throwing her hands up in exasperation as they appeared.
"Finally! I was about to go home without you!" She snapped, and Gabe turned to grin at them.
"Where have you been?" She demanded, and Gabe stepped close to her, leaning in close.
"Norma and Alex were at the bar or possibly getting some air." He said both options with invisible quotation marks in his voice, teasing them as they both blushed.
"Oh." She said simply, and then her eyes widened, and she glanced at them, letting her eyes rake over them. Norma's hair was sticking out wildly in all directions, and Sarah wondered if she was aware of the angry bite mark blossoming on her neck, while Alex's shirt was hanging half untucked from his pants, his lips smeared with a faint hint of coral lipstick that really wasn't his colour.
"Ohhhh..." She added knowingly, winking at them, as they glanced at other, both of them selfconsciously trying to neaten up their appearances.
"No, no." Norma protested weakly, her cheeks flaming red with embarrassment. "It's not-"
"See! I told you!" Sarah said suddenly cutting her off and turning her attention to Gabe.
"Told me what, beloved?" He said distractedly, as he scanned the street for a free taxi.
"I told you!" She repeated pointedly. "Theirs is four and they just had sex in a club! Even we've never had sex in a club!"
"We didn't-" Alex started unconvincingly, but Gabe held up a hand, as if deeply offended by her words.
"It's not a competition, honey!" He said incredulously, holding his hand out to hail a passing cab.
"I know!" She sounded like a petulant child, as she got into the front seat and then twisted round to carry on their slightly mortifying conversation.
"But I'm just saying - You have nothing to worry about." She directed her words to Gabe, who looked embarrassed. Alex tipsily gazed between them in confusion.
"Worry about what?" Alex asked, and then immediately regretted asking, as Norma swung out a hand to flick him in annoyance. She just wanted the conversation to be over, and to take a shower, and to never talk about this with her brother in law and his wife again.
Sarah twisted around further in her seat to fix him with a gossipy grin, as the car lurched towards home.
"All of our friends with babies have got sick of each other." She announced dramatically. "And this one was worried that we were gonna go the same route."
She flicked her head to Gabe, who held his hands up in mock defiance.
"Now now. I didn't say that. I'm not gonna get sick of you." He said sincerely, reaching past the headrest to tenderly tuck an errant blonde curl behind her ear. "I just... as soon as we had Theresa, all our friends starting telling us how things were going to change now."
"Things do change." Norma nodded, before noticing their stricken faces. "Not for the worse though." She added quickly, and Alex reached over to grasp her hand, the movement not unnoticed by Gabe and Sarah. Their faces softened.
"Someone else comes first now." Alex pipes up. "But if your friends got sick of each other, then they probably weren't that great to start with?" He ventured, before turning to smile giddily at Norma.
She grinned back, and he raised their entwined hands to his face, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles.
"Me? I'm more in love with her now than I've ever been." Their eyes remained locked for a second as they smiled dreamily at each other, before an exaggerated retching sound from the front seat broke the spell, and they turned to see Sarah rolling her eyes at them.
"Wow! Thought you were a Sheriff, not a poet?" Sarah teased from the front, while Gabe chuckled from next to them.
"Yeah, seriously honey? Why are we asking people who had sex in a club's toilets for romance advice?" He agreed, laughing as both their mouths dropped open in embarrassment.
"We didn't have sex in the toilets!" Norma blurted out, and Gabe roared with laughter, hearing in her voice that the only part that wasn't true was the "in the toilets" part. She smacked Alex hard in the ribs suddenly, as if imploring him to do something, as Sarah joined in the giggling, but he was helpless to protest, not able to stop the chuckle that escaped along with them.
By the time they pulled up to the house, even Norma was giggling quietly, even as she pretended to still be offended.
The laughter died off as the car stopped and Alex paid the driver as they all eagerly spilled out, excited to see the babies they'd only be separated from for a few hours.
"Now, Sarah...?" Gabe grasped Sarah's hand as she started sprinting up the drive. "I know our baby is perfect..." He started, noticing Norma glaring childishly at him. "BOTH of our babies are perfect, of course." He corrected himself, and Norma's glare softened.
"But we mustn't have a breakdown when we see her, ok?"
The door had been open for all of about three seconds before Gabe ignored his own advice, pushing roughly past Sarah to sprint into the living room, skidding to a halt as he took in the scene in front of him.
Ray was asleep in the middle of the sofa, his legs outstretched on the coffee table, Theresa resting on his chest, while Louise had nuzzled her head against his shoulder, sucking her thumb. All three of them were sound asleep, Ray with his head flopped back, his mouth hanging open, his hand protectively wrapped around the sleeping baby on this chest, protecting her even in his sleep.
Gabriel was scooping the baby out of his hands, excitedly pulling his daughter against his chest, not even bothering to pretend he hadn't missed her, when Ray stirred lightly, reaching for Theresa half asleep.
"Hmm?" He murmured, confused, glancing around the room to see all four of them staring down at him with smiles on their faces.
"Oh hey guys? You're back early. You have fun?" They all cast their eyes to the big clock on the wall, raising their eyebrows at how not-early it was.
"Huh... Well, turns out I'm not as young as I used to be. Guess looking after the kiddos took it out of me?" He sounded disappointed in himself, for falling asleep on the job, but none of them really minded, understanding how tiring their kids could be separately, let alone together.
"Understandable." Norma assured him, crouching down to brush a caramel tendril out of Louise's face, watching as she stirred unhappily in her sleep. She cast her gaze to the floor for a second, looking troubled for a brief moment. "A newborn and a four year old can be tough..."
"Hey sweetie. Let's get you to bed, ok?"
"Mm.. k." She murmured sweetly, holding out her arms weakly, and Norma obliged, scooping the little girl up with a small grunt.
"Goodnight guys." She whispered, turning to nod at them, watching as Gabe and Sarah barely looked up from taking in the sleeping baby in their arms. She remembered that phase well - Every hour away felt like a lifetime, and when you returned, it was like you couldn't get enough of them. She couldn't blame them for feeling like they just needed to stare at the sleeping babe in Gabe's arms a while.
"Thanks again, Ray."
"Anytime darlin'." He nodded graciously at her, even as he rose from the couch unsteadily, stretching out his aching muscles.
"Wait!" Louise protested sleepily, and Norma halted, half turning back.
"Goodnight Uncle Ray. Goodnight Uncle Gabe. Goodnight Auntie Sarah." She said politely, albeit half asleep, her eyes remaining mostly closed as she spoke. They all smiled at her words, returning the sentiment, with Sarah rushing over to plant a soft little kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight sweetie. You wanna go to the lighthouse tomorrow? It's pretty cool?" She singsonged.
"Yay!" Louise murmured, before her eyes fluttered shut and she sagged heavily in Norma's arms. Alex rushed forward, sliding his hands under his daughter, taking her weight from Norma and cradling her against his chest.
"Thanks for tonight, guys." Norma nodded at them, watching as Sarah leaned her head gently against Gabe's shoulder. "And... I don't think you have anything to worry about." She added, raising her eyebrows at them pointedly, and they smiled happily at each other.
"We know." Gabriel nodded in agreement, and they both turned their attention back to their daughter, as Norma, Alex and Louise started up the stairs.
"I need to take a quick shower." She muttered, when they got into the guest room, feeling very acutely aware of the stickiness between her thighs now her infant daughter was in the room with them, her cheeks burning. They were parents. What were they thinking, behaving like that? And yet, as she watched Alex settle on the bed, still cuddling their child in his arms, wincing as he sat, his muscles clearly aching from their evening, she couldn't bring herself to regret a second of it. They could be parents AND exhibitionists. No-one said they had to choose.
She returned from her shower, feeling much more like herself, and more prepared to share a room with their child now, stopping dead in the doorway. Alex was lying back on the pillows, fully dressed, sound asleep, with Louise curled up to the side of him, her tiny fist wrapped in his own hand against his chest.
Silently, she padded over to the bed, flicking the light off and laying down on his other side, leaning down to grab the quilt from the bottom of the bed and wrap it around them. He stirred, his eyes fluttering open as she snuggled against him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder, feeling his arm naturally wrap around her.
"Mm.." He muttered. "Gimme a sec. I'll put her in the cot." He went to move, but she wrapped an arm around him, holding him still.
"Don't." She protested. Gabe and Sarah had set up a little cot right next to their bed, complete with unicorn sheets that Norma suspected Sarah might have already had, but Norma was just too comfortable right now. "Let's just let her stay with us tonight?"
Although Alex spoiled Louise rotten, he was usually against unnecessarily baby-ing her, wanting her to be the independent woman her mother was, but once in a while, he couldn't say no, and he wrapped the blanket more firmly around Louise, feeling her snuggle against him, her little fingers splaying out against his chest.
"Mommy?" A tiny voice whispered, sounding 90% asleep.
"Yes sweetie?" Norma's voice came from across Alex's steadily rising and falling chest, her hand reaching out blindly to cover Louise's.
"I had peach cobbler for dinner but Ray said not to tell."
Alex barked out a tired little laugh that segued into a yawn.
"Well that's ok once in a while. We're on vacation."
"Ok, good." She muttered, before her breathing evened out again, apparently satisfied her conscience was now clear, falling back into a deep sleep.
"I hope this honest streak lasts well into her teen years." Alex mused, his hand absent stroking up and down Norma's arm, his nails trailing lightly along her back.
"Mmm." Norma murmured, not wanting to think about that just yet.
There was silence for a long time, while Norma mulled something over, and Alex yawned again.
"Alex? You're not sick of me yet are you?" She queried thoughtfully, and he huffed out a little laugh.
"Not quite yet."
"No plans to get sick of me in the immediate future?"
"Not the immediate future, no." He deadpanned.
"Why do you ask?" He whispered, as Louise stirred in her sleep, making a soft little noise.
"No reason. Just thinking about what Gabe said..." She muttered non-commitally, as she curled her free hand around her stomach, splaying her fingers out against her tummy, feeling a small smile playing on her lips. She'd tell him tomorrow.
She bit her lip, turning to look at him through the darkness, staring at 'the Romero eyelashes' fanned out against his cheek, wanting to tell him now, the words on the tip of her tongue, managing to stop herself. Perhaps the lighthouse tomorrow? She smiled broadly to herself, realising that would be the perfect place.
"Gabe and Sarah were being absurd." He assured her, mistaking her concerns. "They're being dramatic. They're perfect for each other. Having a baby isn't going to change that."
Her hand drifted from where it had been affectionately rubbing her stomach, to press over his own hand where it was resting against his chest.
"I'm sure it'll all turn out okay in the end."
"You think so? You think it's all gonna be okay?" Her mind drifted back to her news, as he pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead, just as Louise nuzzled closer to her father in her sleep.
"Kind of. Yeah, I do."
The end.
So... it's over. How we all doing? I won't lie. I'm an emotional wreck! I've LOVED writing this story! I've LOVED creating this world! I've LOVED reading all your reviews and interacting with all of you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your reviews, and tweets, and direct messages and to everyone who told me they'd recommended this fic to their friends! It means SOOOOOOO much, you seriously have no idea! I never expected this reaction, and reading super long reviews, and engaging with people on twitter and just hearing how much people liked my writing has made me SO, SO happy. :) I seriously love this fandom. The response has been incredible and I've made SUCH good friends through this fandom and I just really can't thank you enough!
There will DEFINITELY be more to come from me, so if you liked Fragile Bird, please add me to your Author alerts, and add me on twitter if you haven't already geneharl0w. I post sneak peaks, and just generally chat shit so follow me. :)
Thank you again for all your support for this fic. In some ways, this fic was very personal to me, and very close to my heart, and I just... I can't thank you guys enough for being SO kind and wonderful. Love you all... 3
-Genie xxxx
