A/N: thanks to those of you who are reading… Just briefly a few personalized thank you's

Muffmuncher – I'm always indebted to your lovely thoughts, it amazes me that you still take the time to review every chapter (on every story of mine I believe) and other people's too. People like you make writing very much worth it…

Portamento – I read your review and was like "WOT" O_O. Like ready to cry, I was incredibly flattered. Just wow. To say you thought I stayed close in character and maintained a believability is just exactly what I was hoping for, and although I still worry about that issue, I just… wow, thanks. Your review also managed to slightly amuse me, because however way I read it, it seemed to make it look like I put much more thought into this than I think I can own up to. So, I feel like I owe you and will definitely be working harder to keep an open mind of "the many possibilities" you have seemed to imagine, that I still have yet to discover… Lol…

To everyone else, I feed off your reviews and it gives me a lot to consider and think about, I can truly say you all continually help me to be a better writer…

Chapter Five

Emily woke up startled by a cold touch to her foot. She relaxed when she saw that above her eyes was a flat ceiling and not the staircase she had regularly woken up to. The cold touch by her foot slid up to her ankle and caused her to avert her attention to the general direction of where her feet were. She noticed she was actually under a heavy blanket now, unsure how that happened because when she fell asleep she could've sworn she was on top of it. She shrieked when she realized the thing that felt cold on her foot was in fact moving, her eyes searching the blanket for the source until she finally looked beside her and saw a streak of suddenly familiar blonde poking out from beneath a pillow.

The whole lump under the blanket shifted to Emily's surprise, causing her to fall off the bed and land on her back with a loud thud. When she opened her eyes after the impact while trying to slowly breathe away the pain that had returned to her arm, she saw the blonde now very much awake holding herself up on her two arms on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. "Fuck, are you okay?"

"Mostly…"

"I swear I'm going to have to fucking cover all the floors in the house with mattresses the way you have such a knack for falling…"

"Are you serious?" Emily is taken slightly aback by Naomi's ability to have a sarcastic mouth so early in the morning. Then again, if Katie wasn't the type to sleep in, she would probably have been just as bad or even worse…

"You're right, that would be impractical. We should just cover you in hockey gear; that would be plenty easier…"

"Ha, ha, very funny…." Emily muttered back while she leaned on one of her elbows, and slightly smiled.

"Face it Emily, you've been here less than twenty-four hours and all you've done so far is consistently prove yourself to be a floor-magnet…" Naomi chuckled.

"Fuck off." Emily returned, playfully.

"Suit yourself; let me know if you'd like to come back to bed anytime soon." Naomi challenged, lying back under the covers of the bed, turned away from Emily who struggled to get off the floor.

"Naomi?"

"Yeah?" Naomi smiled without facing Emily, thinking she won the small battle and that Emily was going to beg her now to help her back up.

"Why were we sharing a bed?"

Naomi coughed, taken off guard by a question she hadn't been expecting. Emily recognized Naomi's surprise, but didn't mock Naomi about it; instead she just expounded on her question, actually interested in the answer, "I mean you did mention you have a guest bed… so…?"

Naomi scooted back to the edge of the bed towards Emily and leaned her head on her propped up elbow while looking back down at the girl on the floor, "If you must know, I'm incredibly picky about mattresses, and this happens to be the only one in the house that I like. So my options were to either sleep here, or to make a restless attempt at sleeping somewhere else… I thought the better choice was obvious; in fact, I still do, despite your questioning…"

"You had a third option." Emily returned the matter-of-fact tone Naomi had used.

"Yeah? Well, I wasn't going to sleep on the floor… if that's what you're saying." Naomi wasn't a morning person and wasn't the most interested in having a full-on debate when she was more interested in sleeping. Still, she couldn't deny it was refreshing to talk to someone who wasn't afraid to call her out, people like that didn't come around often, and for that reason she didn't just ignore the smaller girl and go back to sleep.

"I suppose you had four options then…" Emily wasn't going to back down.

"If it's impractical it doesn't count, and I already had considered the practical options…" Honestly, Naomi was perhaps a little bit over-confident. In school, she tended to be the one to set the teachers in a bad mood because she would start an argument and stubbornly hold her own opinion even if she had come to the acknowledgement that she was no longer correct. Perhaps it was a little bit of pride confused with strong passion…

"No, it would've been very practical…" Notably, the stubbornness was mutual.

"Well then, lay out your brilliant fourth option, Emily 'Um'…" Naomi sighed in preparation for what was to come.

"You could have woken me up and sent me to the guest room…"

"Oh Emily, you have much to learn… for one thing, sleep is a very, very, very important art form to me, and I have a lot of respect for it. And with such respect comes rules, like not waking up others… so, by default, waking you was not an option." She bit her lip to hide the smile that was fighting to spread across her face, secretly amused and interested by her own ability to make up such bullshit on the spot, being consistent by not allowing herself to be proved wrong. She knew she was talking bullshit, and evidently so did Emily…

"What the fuck…?"

"Fine, you want the boring and simple answer? You were out cold, I tried waking you and you didn't really budge much, and I couldn't be arsed to try any harder… and like I said, I'm very picky about beds so honestly, I was a bit annoyed at first, however, when I came back later to go to bed you weren't in the middle anymore, so there was enough room for me to still have a chance at getting any sleep in my own bed…."

"I'm… sorry." Emily's eyes glistened with tears, she definitely had no interest in climbing back in bed with Naomi again, the way it appeared to have irritated the blonde so much. "I… didn't mean to…" Emily looked away from the blue eyes that were not expecting Emily to suddenly take offense to her blunt response, especially with the previous 'back and forthing' that had gone on. The smaller girl started to close off again, pulled her knees close to her chest and let a single tear flow down her cheek leaving a visibly darker streak on her jumpsuit when it fell. She was laying sideways on the floor and saw only the carpet until two pale wait feet were near her face.

Emily watched them move about until they were replaced by Naomi's face; the blonde girl was now mirroring Emily's position. "Don't cry. Please… I'm sorry… I was a total bitch and it really wasn't your fault at all." Naomi whispered, holding back the urge to reach forward and wipe away another tear that crept down Emily's cheek, watching as it fell to the floor instead.

"I shouldn't have slept in your bed… I don't belo-" Emily cut herself short, looking away from the blue eyes, scared of what she was about to admit out loud to someone outside of the bubble she had been living in for so long, someone who just wouldn't understand what was going through her mind.

"Emily… what were you about to say?" Naomi said softly, almost equally scared by not being able to push away her desire to ask.

"I… I don't belong on your bed, it was wrong of me." Emily says so monotone, her expression blank, the way it always had been when she said the majority of those words routinely.

"Don't do that…" Naomi felt a small tear push it's way down her own cheek, she couldn't believe what Emily just said, how raw and twisted it was… It was coming from a very dark place that she couldn't even begin to understand. Something in that moment grew in Naomi; the urge to make this all go away, to protect and fix anything that had gone wrong to this small girl. "Don't ever say that again, not to me, not to anyone."

"I'm sorry." Emily whispered back, confused by what Naomi has just said. Nobody had ever responded like that when she said she didn't deserve something. (Not that she had really ever said it out loud to anyone other than one certain person.)

Naomi had no idea what to say to Emily, she wanted to tell her not to apologize, but she didn't want to tell Emily to do anything. There was something about the situation that she felt if she told Emily to do anything it would only increase the weird behavior Emily was suddenly emitting. Despite the giant wave of fear and the possibility of the repercussions, Naomi scooted closer to Emily and put her arm around Emily's back, gently rubbing her hand in circles in attempt to slow Emily's crying and soothe away the fear she saw in those brown eyes. She didn't realize but the closeness was having an equally comforting effect on herself.

"I'm sorry too." Naomi whispered after a long silence, finally settling on those three words. Emily seemed to accept them with a weak smile before slowly closing her eyes and trying to ease her tenseness. However, when she closed her eyes she couldn't help but imagine what usually happened when she did something she was told she didn't deserve, when she did something 'wrong.' Her eyes shot open as if it would make the memories go away, but it didn't work. She screamed as she felt a pain shoot across her stomach then a slam into her arm. She could feel the memories physically and was in absolute fright, starting to scream and claw at the floor.

Naomi panicked and had no idea what was going on. The small girl who had just been curled up and silently crying was now moving around the floor and screaming as if something was attacking her even though Naomi wasn't even touching her anymore. In fact, Naomi had back away a fair distance, afraid that she might get hit in the rapid and convulsive movements Emily was making.

The blonde nearly went into overload and collapsed, clutching her heart from the fright when her door was shot open. She instantly felt a little bit more relaxed when she realized it was Gina coming in, aware of what was going on. She silently prayed to all the gods other people believed in, none she favored herself, hoping that Gina had a greater understanding of how to help Emily. She watched as Gina grabbed Emily and pulled the girl tight into her arms, restricting Emily from moving much, whispering words she couldn't make out to the smaller girl.

Naomi doesn't know what overcame her, maybe it was the look of pain she saw on Emily's face, but she shot forward into her mother's view. "MUM! LET GO OF HER! YOU'RE CRUSHING HER BROKEN ARM!"

Despite the frantic girl in standing in front of her, and the shaking girl in her arms that was taking violent breathes in and out (better than not at all), Gina stopped whispering to Emily and looked at Naomi calmly, "Naomi, I love you, but I need you to leave if you can't calm down. I know what Emily needs right now, and I know what you need right now. Go downstairs and have a glass of water, then I'd very much like it if you'd leave the house for a little bit and see one of your friends, okay?"

Naomi nodded slowly and her gaze dropping from Gina's face to Emily who was still breathing hard but not fighting the holding anymore. She appeared to be more relaxed, hoped that Gina was right instead of herself for a change. The younger blonde brushed away her tears with the palm of her hand and walked past her mother. She was brought to a quick halt by her mother's hand that had grabbed her wrist. She turned to see why she was stopped and watched as her mother slowly lowered her grip from her wrist to her hand and pulled it to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss before looking into Naomi's blue eyes. "She's going to be okay, Naomi."

Naomi didn't want to cry in front of Gina, and her mother knew her well enough to let Naomi run. She let go of her daughter's hand and returned her arm around Emily and watched Naomi shut the door gently behind herself.

She skipped the glass of water and went straight outside and climbed onto her bike. She was pedaling fast and hard until she was out of breathe and stopped in front of a house she didn't even realize she had intended to go to. She got off the seat and leaned her bike against the short brick wall that surrounded the property before walking up to the door and knocking.

She waited a moment and still there was no answer, she was embarrassed by the way she knocked a second time, harder and more desperately. Naomi sniffed to hold off the tears that were about to come and smelled the very familiar scent of smoke from above. She looked up for it's source and saw exactly who she was looking for, leaning out of the second story window smoking a fag while looking down at her.

"Door's unlocked." The girl said, loud enough for Naomi to hear. Smirking because she knew Naomi suddenly felt more stupid than anything for knocking and not even trying the handle to see if it was open. Naomi took a deep breath before pushing the door open and going up the steps in the direction of the room where the other girl would be. She didn't knock on the second closed door, just pushed it open and stood in the doorway looking at the girl who was now sitting on the bed with her long legs crossed.

"Going to come in? I assume there's a reason you are here in your pajamas…I'm pretty sure it's too early for a sleepover…"

Naomi looked down and realized she was still wearing the t-shirt and fleece pajama pants she had decided to wear when she went to bed last night, not able to sleep naked because of a certain someone occupying her bed… The blonde nodded and sat down next to the brunette, both sat in silence until the brunette reached onto the bedside table and grabbed a pack of smokes. She pulled two out, handing the second one to Naomi before putting the pack back down and taking the lighter, igniting both their fags before setting the lighter down and taking a long drag.

"She's older than I thought she'd be…" Naomi said after filling her lungs with smoke and slowly exhaling. She stared at the fag in between her fingers, not wanting to look at her friend, knowing there would be a knowing look spread across it, one she couldn't relate to this time.

Neither needed to clarify who she was talking about. The other girl was highly aware that the Campbell's had frequently housed foster children and that it had been a long time since one stayed with them… that Naomi hadn't even expected Gina to do it again… thought they were a 'retired' foster home.

"Does it matter?" The brunette asked, not really needing to know the answer, rather, knowing her friend needed to be asked so she could think it over properly.

"Of course it does, Effy…" Naomi looked at Effy seriously and sadly, "I mean it's not like she can have a better childhood… not like the others… she'd seventeen, already the person she's going to be… she doesn't get a second chance…"

"Are you saying you don't think she can't get better?" Effy said nonchalantly, she knows her friend would be overwhelmed if she actually acted like she was concerned, Naomi had enough trouble dealing with her own emotions, another person's just complicates things for the blonde.

"NO. Yes… maybe? I don't know." Naomi sounded less and less confident each time she changed her answer. "You should've seen her Eff, she just looked so hurt…" They both know that Naomi doesn't mean Effy should've physically seen Emily… that she's just trying to describe the strength of what she's feeling, and her desire to tell it to someone who is a lot better at explaining things in simple and understandable terms, someone like Effy, to someone who over complicates things, someone like herself.

"Naomi, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I sense you didn't come here because you were worried about Emily…"

They both shared a look, shared many times before. Effy and Gina were the only people who were able to get into her head so easily to know that she was avoiding the real problem with everything Naomi had said since she arrived. "Out with it…" Effy gave her a stern look; one that was secretly laced with care for her friend.

"I wasn't able to help her."

"And?"

"That scared the shit out of me… she was in so much pain and I just fucking stood there like an idiot… didn't even call for help… I didn't. Do. A. Fucking. Thing… I'm a horrible person, Eff."

"Bullshit."

"What the fuck do you mean, bullshit? You didn't see me? She was fucking screaming out and shaking like she was being beat up and I fucking stood there! What the fuck could possibly redeem me?"

"The fact that you care more than the person who she was probably thinking of. Doing nothing will always be better to that girl, than beating her up like whoever she was thinking of."

"Why don't I feel that way…?" Naomi sighed sadly, holding her head in her hands, careful not to ignite her hair with the hot end of the cigarette in her fingers. "I mean, standing by and watching someone get beat up is just as bad as beating them up. I don't see how it can be any different with… her?"

"Naomi, stop thinking for one minute and actually listen to me." Effy waits for Naomi to sit up and look into her eyes. The blonde knows Effy is being serious. "For one thing, there wasn't someone else physically in your room, actively beating her up. It was in her head, and obviously, you aren't capable of getting into her head. There wasn't really an easy solution which is why you stood there and waited for something to happen. Whether you'd like to admit it or not, we both know that you are not cutting yourself enough slack because as you mentioned the girl was screaming, so you must've known Gina would rush upstairs and take care of things. And despite your tendency to ignore Gina, you listened to her when she told you to leave so you'd be out of the way. Face it; you're not a horrible person."

Naomi stared at Effy with her mouth hanging open; it was very unlike Effy to say so much.

"It's more like me to call out your bullshit than to not talk, so shut your mouth, you twat." Effy smirked before taking another drag and getting up to stand by the window sill and lean against the wall.

The blonde isn't one to apologize unless it's over something that really matters, so she doesn't say sorry for acting so shocked by Effy, and instead asked something else that caught her attention. "Eff, how did you know Gina told me to leave…?" Perhaps Effy's answer would bring her one step closer to solving the enigma that is her wise yet mysterious friend.

"She called to make sure I was in, told me you were on your way. She knows you just as well as I do, Naomi… She was worried if I wasn't here you'd panic… probably would've." Effy mumbled the last part to herself, amused, but she knows Naomi heard her say it.

"Fuck off," Naomi scoffed playfully.

"She also said when I had you sorted out, that you could return and Emily was feeling much better."

"Jesus, it's like you're fucking married to the woman the way you both talk about me without my knowing, so often. Shit, that's a disturbing thought… I take that back."

Effy doesn't say anything, just smiles that Naomi seems back to her normal self.

The blonde flicked the remains of her fag out the window and nods goodbye to Effy and starts to leave. As Effy expected, Naomi stops in the doorway and faces her again, looking less sure of herself than she did a minute ago, "Eff… something changed… I felt different after she broke down and I have no fucking idea what it is…"

"Sympathy? A little guilt? Maybe a tinge of warmth and care in that cold heart of yours?" Effy suggests shrugging her shoulders.

"God, you're so…" Naomi was about to come up with something snarky but changes her mind, "Thanks Eff… See you around." The blonde leaves Effy, knowing her friend could probably use a nice nap anyway considering it was still fairly early in the morning for both of them… she could use a nap too… Just as she shut the front door behind her a thought entered her mind, 'a tinge of warmth? The fuck is that supposed to mean…'

A/N: the whole thing about Naomi knowing she talks bullshit sometimes and won't admit it just for the sake of being right, actually made myself laugh out loud. I don't know about you, but I think that is something that really defines Naomi… (also the whole passion and pride bit…) (This is until she comes to learn that there is one person who she would ALWAYS give in to, after bit of a loving push of course, Naomi ain't an easy one to tame...)

Hope you liked the friendship between Effy and Naomi.

I dunno, I was fairly happy with how in character this turned out to be… (hope you agree)

(the last line also happened to make me laugh…)

Anyhow, thank everyone who is reading, and everyone who reviews as well. I most 'indeediliy' love everything you have to say, as much as we all love Naomily.

AND guess what. I have a nice twist in plot coming up… hehe. (It has been hinted too within the first and second chapters… involving a certain character… might you guess whom that person is?) LOL. I think you'll laugh a bit… (-sorry, I'm a bit of a tease, LOL)

THANK AGAIN!