A/N: Again, I feel so left out because I want in on the side bet! But that wouldn't be fair because I already know what's going to happen and I know who's wrong and who isn't. Anyhow, I shall keep my silence as I snigger from my bedroom at your reviews. Hope you all enjoy.

Serena sits atop a table as she silently watches the muttering brunette standing in front of an easel. She notices how her body is tense as an ever present scowl of frustration is on her face as her grumbling gradually becomes louder with each passing second.

"No…stupid, stupid, stupid!" Abbie begins chanting as she throws her paint brush to the ground and knocks over the easel with a grunt of loud irritation as she begins sending supplies flying across the room.

"Whoa! Hey! Hey! Look at me!" Serena exclaims grabbing the taller woman's wrists before she can do anymore damage with her hands to anything around the studio. "Calm down. Take a deep breath and just calm down."

Gathering herself, Abbie lets out another sigh of frustration as she steps away and begins to pace. She continues to mutter incoherent words, the occasional swear coming out every now and again but Serena can't be entirely sure if she's hearing correctly.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Serena asks gently once she is sure that she can get a word in without causing any type of explosion. "Is something wrong?"

"What does it matter if something is." Abbie replies as she snorts mirthlessly and shakes her head. "I've got nothing, my art is nothing, hell, is it even considered art?"

This time it's Serena who sighs quietly as she shakes her head. "Abbie, your art is beautiful, you know that. What brought this on? You weren't like this yesterday."

Abbie snorts once again as she shakes her head and shoots the blonde a look full of unshed, frustrated tears. "Beautiful, huh? Then if it's so beautiful, then how come I haven't been able to sell anything? How come no one has noticed or taken an interest in any of the work I've done? Last night the electric company cut my lights off because I forgot the payment and then I couldn't even afford to pay the bill to get them cut back on! Alex had to call her best friend to loan us money."

"Abbie, I…I'm sorry."

"And that's not the worst part of it. I can't even afford to take my wife somewhere nice for dinner. There's this restaurant that she really wants to go to and I really want to take her but I just can't afford to. She deserves to be pampered and treated like a queen and showered with the finest of well…everything and I can' t even give that to her. Alex…she puts up with so much and she deserves better and I just…I want to give her better, honest I do."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Serena asks gently, yet curiously as she tilts her head.

Shrugging, Abbie looks around before she looks down at her hands that are quite naturally and expectedly covered in paint. "I don't know. Give up? Alex told me that she wants me to go out and find a real job. She says she can't be the only one who brings home money. I can't exactly disagree with her either…"

Pursing her lips tightly, Serena fully realizes as to why Abbie is suddenly feeling this way. "I understand where you're coming from. Well, I do and I don't if that makes sense. I'm probably not the best at giving relationship advice considering, but I think it would be great for the two of you to come up with a compromise. And getting a job on the side to earn a little extra money does not necessarily mean that you have to give up on your art work completely."

"I suppose…" Abbie responds with a dejected nod before she sighs once more. "I just wish that I could do something really special for her, you know? Something she wants to do. Like I said, there's this restaurant that she really wants to go to and I really want to take her, but there's no way that I can afford it right now…"

"I believe that you will work something out." Serena responds with a warm smile as she places a reassuring hand on Abbie's arm. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Alex meet?"

Abbie smiles and blushes at the same time as she recalls the memory. A nervous chuckle escapes her lips as she gives a half shrug. "It…wasn't like your typical cliché meeting to say the least…" she trails off before continuing on. "I was on a side walk, doing sketches for people to earn a little bit so I could finish putting myself through school. I saw her walking with her friend and I thought she was by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life. I thought I was going to swallow my tongue when I opened my mouth but I realized I had to call out to her. I needed to see her up close.

Anyway, I called her over and I asked her and her friend if they minded of I sketched their portrait. Her friend politely declined and I could tell she wanted to get away, but Alex thought it would be fun. When she sat down on the stool I felt my throat go dry and my palms got so sweaty and my hands were shaking so much that I dropped my pen. While I was sketching her picture, we made small talk and I told her I was just about finishing art school. She was really interested in the fact that I wanted to be an artist. I don't know why, but I guess there was just some sort of bond we formed in the few minutes that it took me to draw her picture. In the end when I was finished, I told her that she didn't have to pay me for it. For me, getting to talk to her way just enough, but she insisted as she slipped a twenty dollar bill into my hand. When I unfolded the twenty it had a piece of paper inside with her name and number saying that she'd like to chat some more. And I guess the rest is history after that."

Serena giggles quietly behind her hand at the conclusion of the story. "Pardon me for saying, but that's extremely cute. I think that some of the most simple first meetings are some of the most romantic."

"Yeah, real romantic. I was nothing then and I'm nothing now."

"Abbie, that's not true. She married you for a reason."

"Right." Abbie responds clearing her throat as she and Serena begin moving around to set up for her first art class for the day. "So what's your story? In the time that you've been here we haven't really talked all that much about you. I know it's really not my business or anything, but I kind of want to know more on why you said you moved here."

Serena's wide grin fades into a sad smile as she shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know…like I said, I guess I'm just trying to get away." She explains, shaking her head when she realizes how tangled that must have sounded and she moves on to elaborate. "My, um, my ex was abusive."

Abbie's eyes widen at the confession and her mouth falls open as she pauses what she's doing. "Oh my god, I…I'm so sorry. You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want."

"No, no, it's okay! For a while, I couldn't even bring myself to think about it so talking it out must be a good sign." The blonde explains before she rolls up her sleeve to reveal long scar that travels from her wrist all the way up to her elbow. "I got this after we got into an argument and she pushed me into the coffee table. I fell through the table and cut my arm on the glass before she beat me unconscious. That was the last time it happened before I realized I needed to run. So I did, and I never looked back."

"I'm so sorry…it took extreme courage to do what you did. I can't even begin to imagine what that would have been like."

"Every day when I get dressed I have to look at the scar and it reminds me of the memories, but at the same time, it reminds me that I've become strong enough to do things for myself."


"This place is beautiful." Alex says as she looks about the nice Italian restaurant they have agreed upon for lunch. She looks down at the menu and her eyes widen at the prices. "Geez, everything here is super expensive. Are you sure this is okay?"

"I told you, I have it covered. Order anything you want." Casey responds with a grin as she begins to examine her own menu before a chuckle escapes her lips. "In the car on the way over you mentioned you wanted to go to Angelo's at some point. This place is not as nearly as expensive as Angelo's is."

"Oh…" Alex replies in a dejected matter as she comes to the realization that she will probably never once be able to attend such a nice restaurant with her wife giving their current financial status.

Seeing the saddened look on the blonde's face, Casey's smirk fades and is replaced by a look of genuine concern. "Hey, what's going on? What happened to that beautiful smile I was rewarded with a few minutes ago?"

Look up from her menu, Alex blushes at the compliment before she shrugs. "I don't know…I was just thinking about Abbie. Her art is really good but it's not selling and I can tell it's starting to wear on her because she pours her soul into her artwork. I just wish there was something I could do that would help us."

"Maybe I could swing through and buy her paintings. She hasn't met me so it would appear to be completely causal?" Casey suggests as she thanks and dismisses the waitress who returns with their drinks.

"That's not necessary." Alex responds as she shakes her head. "I don't…I appreciate your concerns but it's really not necessary. Not to mention she would be highly upset if she found out. Last night we had to borrow money from Kim to pay our bill and that just about torn Abbie apart at the seams."

"Sounds like pride means a great deal to her."

"You have no idea. She just wants to be the one to take care of me, that's all."

"And she doesn't want to own up to it when she can't." Casey finishes off, giving Alex a pointed look.

Alex opens her mouth to respond but realizes she can't when she doesn't have an argument. "She tries…" she murmurs, that being her go-to answer.

Casey hums at this as she taps her fingers against the table. "She tries." She repeats with a nod before leaning forward. "But does she try hard enough? Aren't there times where you wished you could just afford to go out, and do what it is you want to do? Instead you're being restricted by her irresponsibility."

"Take that back! You have no right to talk about her that way!"

"I'm not talking about her in any way. It wasn't even an insult, it was me simply stating to what I know as fact. Someone who forgets something as essential as paying the electricity bill is someone who is irresponsible."

Sighing heavily, Alex drags her hands through her hair before dropping her head in them. "I just want to go out, you know? You see the two, go all the places that I've always wanted to go and the places I've never been. I just think it'll be nice."

"Then let me take you." Casey states in a matter of fact tone. "Friday evening let me take you to Angelo's."

"Casey, I…again, that's very generous of you but you can't just…do that. We hardly know each other."

"Exactly and that will give us a chance to get to know each other."

"I can't. This…this isn't a date."

"I never said it was." Casey quips with that smirk reappearing at her lips. "Just two friends going out and having dinner. I assume that when it's just you and Kim having dinner it's not a date? Just think of it like that, only the two of us are going to be getting to know each other a little better. What do you say?"

Alex bites her lip as she averts her eyes to the table. This is her chance. This is her chance to see the side of life that she's been longing to see for quite a while now. While deep in her stomach she feels a small knot twisting she can't help but nod her head in agreement. After all, she feels like she deserves the change.

Hmmm and the plot thickens once more. Also, a little more insight on who Serena is here. Leave your thoughts!