A/N: Okay, so this was much later than I anticipated to update the story and I'm sorry bout that. I'm not gonna drone on about why it's late so I'll just let you guys get to your reading. It's supposed to be longer but I've decided to split it into 2 or it'll be forever before you guys get an update. Enjoy, read and review, please and thank you!

Disclaimer: Nope, Skins isn't mine. Though any typo and error does belong to me since I have no betas.

Chapter 2

Once Emily was in the safety of her house, she sat upon her couple sofa and speed dialled Mandy's number while Katie settled herself on the plushy couch. "Mans, are you okay? Where are you now?" Emily asked urgently when she picked up on the second ring.

"I'm fine Ems. I'm making my way to Karen's art exhibition. She invited me before the Awards ceremony ended but I turned it down. I called her after McClair showed up. She'll be a good alibi if anyone asks. Told her I'll be there in ten since the client cancelled on me." Mandy explained while driving at top speed.

"Oh…," Emily uttered, unsure of what to say after hearing where Mandy was heading to.

Despite the short reply, Mandy knew what Emily was thinking and was quick to change the subject. "Look Ems, I wanted to celebrate tonight and make you happy but all that I have done was made you upset. I'm sorry the night turned out this way…" She continued as she drove into the parking lot.

There was a pause before Emily collected herself and replied with false happiness, "It's alright Mans, you didn't ruin anything." She assured and Mandy willingly accept it. "Anyway, I'll put you on speaker so Katie can update you on the situation."

When Katie finished, Mandy was thoroughly displeased on how the twins had handled the situation. "You really think that someone who, presented the chance, will choose nine signatures over money? What were you two thinking?! That's so gullible of-" Mandy was pacing outside the gallery trying to wrap her head around the story.

"Enough bitch!" Katie snapped, having enough of Mandy's verbal abuse. "I'm only helping you because my sister likes you and you weren't even there to clean up the mess you made." After a breath, she continued more calmly, "We tried, okay? More than once to offer incentives of any kind and she still refused."

"It's okay Mans," Emily spoke. "Kay handled it quite nicely. If McClair decides to pursue with the news, Katie planned to make it look like a scandal with the press."

That ignited Katie's anger once more, "Yeah and this shit is gonna affect her rep. All because of you, fuckwit."

"Well, I'm still unsure... Katie, go find the post officer again tomorrow, tell her to name a price." Mandy asked unconvinced.

"Is that an order you're giving?" Katie retorted although she knows she'll do it anyway to keep this under wraps.

"Please… Katie…" Mandy added begrudgingly.

"Fine"

Emily picked up the call and walked to her room to speak privately, "Have you reached Karen's?"

"Yeah, I'm here. She saw me on the phone just now and most likely guessed I was talking to a client."

"Hmm… Okay, guess you should go find her now. Talk to you again, by-"

"Ems, wait!" Mandy got out before Emily could hang up. When she was sure Emily was still on the line, "I know this isn't easy but like I told you then, six months and all this will be over. Don't you trust me?"

Emily was engulfed by the musky smell of old wood surrounding the church the moment she stepped in. Emily saw her standing by the altar and was feeling especially happy today because it has been awhile since she last met up with Mandy. She walked beside the pews, running her left hand over the corners as she passed. When she was close enough, she jumped upon Mandy's back with her hands wrapped around Mandy's neck and her toes straining against the flooring.

Both girls had their eyes shut enjoying the moment. However, one had a contented smile splayed on her face while the other had despair written all over.

Emily placed a fleeting kiss Mandy's neck and inhaled deeply. "I missed you," she whispered. Sensing something wrong when she felt Mandy's body stiffened after what she had said, she distanced herself and walked around to the front. Finally noting the solemnness in her lover's body language. "What's wrong Mans?"

When no reply came, she reached a hand out and placed it on her lover's cheek while the other grabbed Mandy's hand, moving her thumb in soothing circles. Emily felt Mandy lean into the touch and covering her hands with her own. "Mans, you know you can tell me anything", Emily encouraged soothingly.

"I'm sorry Ems," Mandy choked out, pulling Emily into her and holding onto her tightly.

Those words caused Emily's stomach to drop with the numerous possibilities of what Mandy could be sorry for but nothing could have prepared her for what Mandy said next.

"I'm getting together with Karen," she continued and this resulted in Emily breaking free from Mandy's vice-like grips, her pained expression asking the question she could not voice. "Dad's decision", Mandy knew those two words would summarise the long story.

"He really wants it that badly huh?" Emily asked, eyes downcast and still keeping the distance between them.

"Yeah," Mandy moved forward and took Emily's left hand with her right, then produced a bronze Borromean ring. "Three interlinked to be one, not one can be broken. For one lost meant the rest would fall apart. My love, my faith and my trust. Six months, once the elections is over, so will Karen and I. Don't you trust me?" Mandy asked lifting the ring to Emily's middle finger.

The familiarity of the question was not lost on Emily, it was an inside joke of theirs from the first time they met. "'Course not, you're a stranger," Emily replied the usual lines with the cheeky smile of hers.

"Not anymore," Mandy kept up with her lines as well with her own beaming smile and slipped the ring onto Emily's finger. "This is my promise to you, Emily. Six months and it'll all be over." With that, she drew Emily into a hug once more.

Emily let out a chuckle, "'Course not, you're annoying."

"Hey!" Mandy said with a smile, glad to have lighten the mood once more. "Wrong answers Ems, try again."

"'Course not, you're a stranger," Emily answered once more.

"Not anymore," Mandy finished the routine. "So, I'll call you tomorrow?" Mandy quickly added after a pause when she spot the doors to the gallery open and Karen walking out.

"Alright, I'll be waiting" Emily wanted to talk more but she sense from the change of tone that now was inconvenient.

"Goodnight" Mandy said in her formal tone, ending the call and walking towards Karen. "The client that cancelled was arranging for second appointment. Why did you come out?" the lie came easily to Mandy's lips.

"You've been out for quite a while, I was worried." Karen said as she took Mandy's hands in hers.

"No need to. Come, let's go in now, I don't want you to catch a cold." Both girls walked back to the gallery, wrapped in each other's warmth.

On the other side of town, Naomi was just walking through the gate to her front door when it swung open forcefully. Cook was standing on the other side and as Naomi was about to climb the steps, he walked over and smacked Naomi's butt with the broom in his hands.

"Cook! Stop! What did I do?!" Naomi was retreating down the steps of their porch, using her hands to protect her bum from any more harm. When she reached the yard's table, someone walked out the threshold and joined the scene. "Effy, can you please tell me what the fuck is wrong with Cook?!" Naomi asked finally retaliating by snatching the broom from Cook though to no avail.

"We saw," was Effy simple reply. Effy was their next door neighbour and in a higher management at the office with her brother, Tony, as one of the executives. The three of them had formed a friendship in earlier days thanks to Effy's roaming cat and after Gina passed, Effy had helped Naomi get a job at the post.

"Saw what?!" Naomi huffed swinging the broom away.

"You. Sitting amongst a bunch of fan girls screaming along, 'I love you Emily'." Cooked imitated a school girl's high pitched voice before continuing, "I asked you to go on one, one bloody date, is it that hard?" Cook answered for Effy, still panting.

That had Naomi stumped, "I-I asked."

"Yeah?" Cook asked unconvinced. Then it dawned on him, he continued with eyes wide as saucer pans, "Fuckin' hell Naoms… Don't tell me you're going out with a 14 year old kid. You're 25 for fucks sake, what about the birdie from the post?! Wha-" he was cut off by Naomi's raised eyebrows. "Okay… so no, then who were you with sis?"

Her gaze dropped to the grass patch she was standing on, shoulder slumped and stubbing her right foot into the ground.

"Nobody, she got rejected." Effy spoke for Naomi, hitting the nail right on its head. Cook looked to Effy who was smirking slightly but her eyes were exuding empathy then he looked back to Naomi.

Cook covered the distance between him and Naomi with one big step and pulled his sister into his chest. "It's her lost…," he said aloud so that Effy could hear it too from where she was standing.

The hug for another second or two before Effy had enough of the mushiness and cut in, "Ahem, you shouldn't keep your guest waiting…"

"You're no guest Effs, you're family!" Cook replied cheerily.

"Nope, don't start on me now…," she replied with a slight sneer to Cook and turned to walk back to the house with the two siblings following. Once her back was turned, Effy allowed a small smile to come on from Cook's words that warmed her heart. The two sibling had become a huge part of Effy's life thus far and it was nice to know that they treated her as a family, as would she them. "Come on B1 and B2, movie time."

It was their first movie night together, Effy found Naomi and Cook wearing oversize blue and white stripped pyjamas in their bedroom. Apparently, some leftovers from previous strays and Gina decided to recycle them. The siblings were sharing a room since the others were being occupied by random guests. The room had a wooden bedside drawer placed in between their single beds and that had officially made them looked like the brothers, B1 and B2, in 'Bananas in Pyjamas' cartoon in Effy's eyes.

The three of them made their way into the house. While Naomi washed up and got into her pyjamas, Effy and Cook got the food and movie ready. When Naomi came back they settled on the blankets that were on the floor as Naomi and Cook did not have a big sofa to occupy all of them. Naomi in the middle with Cook and Effy each on one side.

The next morning, approaching the sleek glass doors of the postal building was Katie Fitch in her finest purple suit and pants along with an elegant black heels. Armoured up and prepared for war, well, persuasion really.

On the eleventh story, Naomi was approaching Kieran's desk thinking that he will be pleased to receive Emily's signatures. When she was within hearing distance to Kieran, she called out, "Kieran! Guess what I've got?"

"Nothing good I guess," he replied uninterestedly, never taking his eyes off his computer screen.

"I've got signatures in here," Naomi patted the suitcase slung around her shoulders.

That caught Kieran's attention, his eyes widening as a smile form on his face. He stood and put his hands on Naomi's shoulders, "Really lassie?" and Naomi responded with several nods in quick successions. "How many of them?"

"Nine," Naomi readily answered.

The smile on his face grew to a beaming grin and his gruff Irish accent got stronger as he excitedly complimented, "Good job Campbell, I knew you had it in ya." Giving her a hard pat on the shoulder he continued, "I know I doubted you before but I knew you were good for something, lass. The exchange programme you've signed up for to the New York office, I'll be sure to recommend you now."

Naomi who was not used to getting compliments from Kieran was flattered by what he have said and humbly thanked him. "Well sir, that's awfully nice of you. Although to be clear, I had nine last night but now I'm left with seven since I gave two of them to Cook and Effy."

Her answer left Kieran with a befuddled frown and the interaction had caught the attention JJ, Thomas, Panda and Sophia who just walked into the department. "Who the fuck are they? And why'd ya give it to them for?"

"My brother? Well, not biological brother but brother all the same. Effy, my neighbour? I've told you 'bout them before" Naomi answered trying to keep Effy's identity as a higher-up in the company under wraps after all no one in the department knows about their relationship. Although Naomi is not very good with lying, she managed since technically it was not a lie.

When she was met with silence, she started to take the precious papers she kept in a folder out of her case and explained more deliberately. "If you have good things, you've gotta share them. Don't worry, there's two of Emily Fitch signatures for you, sir. One for you and one for your nephew. I remember you saying that he likes Emily Fitch too," she presented to him two of the papers from the folder with a proud smile.

Almost immediately, Kieran's face morphed to one of rage and repeated in a controlled harsh tone, "Emily Fitch signatures." He took the papers from Naomi's hands and after a second, crushed them into paper balls and threw it on the ground.

His face was red with anger and Naomi could see the vein at his temple pulsing as he took the folder from Naomi's hands, lashing out in an even thicker Irish accent, "Campbell, I wanted policy signatures and you come up here, giving me some bollocks of a paper saying it's Emily Fitch's signature?! Jesus. And you wanted to go for the exchange programme…" a paused before he threw the folder on the ground causing the papers in it to scatter out. "Emily Fitch, geez, why would she even sign nine signatures for ya?" Kieran muttered exasperatedly, walking out of the office after retrieving a folder from his desk, having liistend enough of this nonsense.

"It's really Emily Fitch's signatures…" Naomi uttered quietly as she bent down to pick up the papers and stuff them back into the folder.

Naomi was going back to her desk after recovering the last of the papers as did everyone else who was previously observing the spectacle when she spotted one of the Fitch twin by the reception desk who had witness the whole exchange between Kieran and her. Easily pinpointing that it was Katie Fitch with her slightly bigger built as well as her permed and dyed dark purple hair.

They were at the 'Sky Garden' on the top floor of the building. Naomi was the first to break the silence although it was Katie who asked to talk privately. "So… How can I help you today, Miss Fitch?" Naomi questioned while looking at the landscape beyond.

"How do you do that?" Katie looked at Naomi amazed. She did not wait for a reply before rushing out, "I mean, all of them thought you were lying, you could see it from their faces. Your manager even ridiculed you in front of your department! How are you so calm and collected?" Naomi turned and found that Katie was genuinely curious.

Naomi paused to think, her demeanour changed as her shoulders slumped slightly and straighten once again when she answered. "Not everything and everyone you meet in life is shit and even if they are, they won't stay that way. Just gotta smile through it, Miss Fitch."

Katie was quietly running through what Naomi had said in her mind. When she concluded that Naomi was probably an alien like E.T to live on Earth with that kind of mindset. She raised her brows before nodding patronisingly in answer.

Naomi turned on her thousand-watt smile towards Katie. "So how can I be of your service this fine morning, Miss Fitch?" Naomi once again got right to the point of the meeting.

"Katie, please." The guilt Katie had been feeling for what she was about to say had amped up three times now after hearing Naomi's reply. "I need to talk to you regarding what had happened yesterday." Katie began.

"Oh… Did you guys come into any trouble with the reporter?" Naomi asked, eager to offer her help if she could.

"No… You see, there's actually a much more complicated story to what we have told you yesterday and there are people involved who really can't be implicated with this issue. So," Katie took out the blank cheque she have written before coming here, presenting it to Naomi, "I need you to fill in an amount here, this would assure them that this matter has been settled."

Naomi looked towards the cheque that was held between Katie and her. She looked up into Katie's eyes, took a breath and said with a humbling smile "Miss Fi- Katie, I understand that we barely know each other and you hardly trust me. All I'm asking is for you to know that I'm glad to offer my help to you and whoever that is involved without a reward. Please, take my word for it and know that I will keep my word. I'll be going back to my work now." Naomi finished with a slight bow before walking back into the building, leaving Katie mulling over her words.

Katie let herself into Emily's bedroom, spotting Emily by the vanity table doing her make up before they have to leave to meet a producer about a new season of her show.

Emily spotted her through the reflection of the mirror while drawing her eyeliner and asked, "So how was it?"

"I've never felt more embarrassed in my entire life," Katie said wistfully.

That piqued Emily's interest and she paused in her work to look at her sister through the mirror with raised brows, asking her to elaborate without actually speaking before she continue to draw the dark lines.

"She turned it down and gave me a good talking to about how we could trust her to keep her word, kinda like she's hinting that I should have some faith in humanity." Katie recalled the conversation with Naomi.

"Hmm… Okay, I'll Mans about it then." Emily answered with little interest on the matter.

There was a short uncomfortable silence as Katie continued to ponder on the issue behind Emily. This made Emily speak up again though her hands never stop with her work, "What is it, Kay?"

Katie brows furrowed when she realised she have been miles away for a while, "It's just that, she's different huh? How can someone be so fucking optimistic and still smile like nothing happened after being humiliated in front of everyone?"

Once again Katie's words caught Emily's attention. "Humiliated?" Emily questioned.

"Yeah, when I walked into the department this morning, her manager was going off at her bout the signatures you signed being fakes. Crushed one of them too." Katie said empathy laced in her words. "I think I saw her name in the file he was holding when he walked out as Naomi was picking up your signatures. Then, I heard him muttering something bout Naomi should've been fired long ago anyway and saw the file titled 'Retrenchment' when he close it. Looks like it's a bumpy ride for her." Katie finished retelling the story.

"Huh…" Emily responded, sounding contemplative and stopped her work completely.

"Yeah," Katie replied, snapping out of the memory as she started to walk out. "Get your arse into the carvan when you're done, the producers won't be happy if you're late."

When Emily was alone again, she dropped the eyeliner and looked into her reflection. "Huh…" she repeated, to no one but her own reflection.