Hello loves. Some new fics you might want to consider reading – 'Some people have real problems' by BlueEyedFrog – a tasty something for all you eco art freaks out there, 'Drifting Blues' by funnypain, cause it's a slow burning piece of gorgeousness, and of course no Effy fan should be without 'Heart of Stone' by lizardwriter - *goes to the happy place* Oh, and of course, this one ;-)

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24. Love Is A Riot

Emily

It took a long time and an industrial amount of weed for Freddie to calm down. If I had a pound for every time I had chased someone out of this pub over this bloody love triangle, I would be a very rich woman indeed. But it was over now. Of all the scenarios I had envisaged for the end of this era, the one that had finally played itself out was the one that I had least expected. Although I knew Effy would never have fallen for the distraught young man in beside me, I thought that maybe one day he might see the light, and go for the available girl instead of the one that hated his guts. That, or they would all just drift away from each other and find other partners. I had honestly never thought that Katie would embrace the rainbow flag with such enthusiasm. Indeed it was his own enduring faith in Katie's unshakable heterosexuality, and her consequent denial of Effy, that had been keeping Freddie afloat, but without that rock to cling to, the poor guy was drowning.

"Oh God, I'll never have her now," he wailed through his tears. "Not now she's got Katie where she wants her."

"Freddie," I said softly, for the umpteenth time. "You never were going to have her. She only ever saw Katie."

"But Katie didn't want her," sighed Freds. "And I thought, well, you know. I'm a good person, and I love her. It should make a difference when someone loves you, shouldn't it? I thought maybe one day she could come to see that, and let me look after her."

Maybe now wasn't the best time to remind him that however waif like she might look on the outside, Effy came from a family of killers and did not need anyone to play protector.

"Maybe that's exactly what Katie came to realise," I said.

We must have talked round in circles for at least a couple of hours, sat on the bench beside the duckpond, before Freddie eventually stopped crying. I hugged him, and listened to him and watched him attempt to drug himself into oblivion. It was strange after all the times I been in this position with Effy over him. Over the years it had sometimes been hard to maintain my neutrality, and not get sucked into Effy's contempt after seeing the pain she had suffered at his innocent hands. But in this time and this place, it was Freddie who was a human being in pain, and I can never stop myself from wanting to help people. Effy was hardly being discreet in her triumph, and what with Katie carrying on like a one woman Pride Parade, Freds was going to need a lot of support. There was nowhere for him to escape in our tiny claustrophobic life, and he was going to have to watch them being in love, and try to find a way to cope with it. I suspected the corresponding increase in Effy's weed sales was going to keep Katie in shoes for the rest of the year.

"Do you want to go back to the pub?" I asked him eventually.

"No, I think I'm just going to go home," he sighed. "I'm tired, and I don't think I can face everyone just yet."

"Well, don't go all stoned hermit on us, yeah?" I told him. "And if you need someone to talk to, just call me."

"Why are you being so nice to me, Emily?" he asked. "I thought you would have been celebrating with your best mate."

"Someone was always going to get hurt over this," I sighed. "And I'll be honest with you, Freddie. I'm glad it's not Effy or my sister, but I'm not so cruel that I actually want you to feel like this. The whole thing sucks, but there was never going to be a neat solution. You're a good looking guy, I'm sure when you've had some time to recover there'll be loads of cute girls interested in you."

"Effy could have had anyone she wanted," countered Freddie. "But she never faltered, did she? She never lost her faith."

I didn't answer. I didn't think I had the strength to start the whole fucking cyclical conversation again. There was no easy fix for this, and Freddie's healing was going to be a long time coming.

"Anyway, I've kept you long enough," he smiled weakly. "Don't you have your own gorgeous girl to get back to?"

"If you're sure you're ok?" I said hesitantly.

"I'll manage for now," he shrugged, and started trudging towards home.

After a few steps he stopped and turned back towards me.

"Thanks Emily," he said. "You're a good person. I hope Naomi appreciates you."

"She does," I smiled, and headed in the opposite direction.

There were still cars in the car park by the time I got back, but the pub itself looked dark. It wasn't as if they had a set closing time. The restaurant stopped serving at nine, but after that they pretty much closed when they felt like it. I was just about to call Naomi to see what the crack was, when the front door opened to let some stragglers out.

"Hey Emily," called Megan, as soon as she saw me.

She was the landlords' daughter, and they were away for the week, leaving her in charge.

"Come on in, love," she said. "Everyone's in the back room."

As soon as I went through the door, I could tell that my first impressions had been wrong. The main lounge of the pub was indeed empty, but the air was thick with the sound of a crowd and a thudding bass coming from the back room.

"What you 'aving?" asked Megan, as she made her way to the door that would take her back behind the bar. "I think you're going to need it."

"Pint of cider," I said, before heading warily towards the noise.

The scene that greeted me when I tugged at the door was like something from one of those post apocalyptic movies where everyone has gone feral, except they still manage to find hair dye for their Mohicans and electricity for their badass sound systems. It was the blast of heat and noise that hit me first, and then the blurry motions of the dancing and frolicking revellers. I blinked and took a deep breath before I could begin to analyse the chaos. The pub's little lighting system, more used to the sedate tones of the occasional wedding reception had been turned up to the max, and was flashing away like it had been set free after years of incarceration for a crime it didn't do. Thomas had plugged his iPad into the sound system and was mixing tunes like a pro. The room was full of adventurous locals of all ages, and a few bewildered yet excited looking tourists and some of the surf crew who were camping up at Llangennith. Everyone was smiling, shouting, leaping and yes, I have to say it, writhing. Naomi and Cook were dancing with each other on the tables. Both of them had their tops off, Cook down to his naked torso and Naomi down to her bra. Effy was on the tiny stage with a microphone in her hand singing, fuck me singing, to Katie who was being carried round the room on the shoulders of the rugby boys. The tune was some mental dubstep mash-up of that old tune 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," and every time Effy got to the "I love you, baby' chorus, she was joined by the raucous howlings of the whole fucking room. Megan had been right, I was going to need that pint.

I put my head down and made a beeline for the bar, where Megan had my pint waiting for me. I downed half of it in one before paying her and turning to the one person in the room who could probably tell what the fuck was going on. Sat on a bar stool looking very chilled was a smirking, yet sober-looking Cat.

"What the fuck is this?" I asked her, as Jonno paraded past us with a pair of ladies knickers on his head.

"It's a party," smiled Cat.

"I can see that," I said, as I watched one of the surfer boys doing handstands on the pool table. "What's it doing here?"

"I guess Effy's celebrating," shrugged Cat. "She's been giving out free drugs like they were sweets."

Well that would explain some of the chaos. There was a breakdown in the music, and a section of the crowd started chanting in Cook's direction.

"What do we want? What do we want? What do we want?"

In response, Cook stopped dancing and raised his arms to the sky.

"What do we want?" he asked. "What do we want, Naomikins?"

"WE WANT TEQUIIIIILLLAAAAAA!" yelled my semi-naked girlfriend, and everyone in the room went wild.

Before I knew it, Megan had thrown two bottles into the crowd, and they were passed hand over hand to the two reprobates on the table. Naomi and Cook grabbed a bottle each, and clinked them together before ripping the caps off. Everyone surged forward with shot glasses in their hands and the perpetrators filled them up. When everyone had found themselves some liquor, Naomi instigated a countdown.

"Five, four, three, two, one, SHOT!" she screamed, and everyone downed their glasses, whilst she and Cook slugged straight from the bottles. Thomas cranked the tunes back up, and the mayhem continued anew. I watched as the lads deposited Katie into the arms of her lover, and the pair of them collapsed into each other laughing the laugh of the truly free.

"Fuck's sake," I huffed at Cat. "Nobody turned the pub into Thunderdome when I came out."

"Emily," called Megan, dragging my attention back to the bar. "Effy said if you showed up to give you this."

She handed me a glass plate with a wrap and a couple of pre-racked lines on it.

"So, you're cool with this?" I said with a raised eyebrow, as I took the gift.

"Are you kidding?" grinned Megan. "I'm making a fucking fortune. Mum'll be gobsmacked when she gets back. She'll let me take charge more often, and then we'll have some times. We don't exactly have to tell her why everyone drank so much, do we now?"

She winked at me and turned back to serving the customers clamouring at the bar. Oh well, when in a bacchanalian post-apocalyptic netherworld, do as the post-apocalyptic bacchanalians do, I suppose. I snorted up one of the lines of coke, and offered the plate to Cat.

"Not for me," she smiled back at me.

"Drink?" I shrugged.

"I'm good," she said happily.

"You know, for a hardcore activist and all round international badass, you're pretty clean living," I told her.

"I don't exactly have a choice," she replied.

"How come?"

"I got sick a while back," she said casually. "Very sick. Nearly died a few times. Ended up with a few borrowed bits in me that wouldn't take too kindly to toxins."

"Oh God, I'm sorry," I said, feeling suddenly guilty about attempting to foist my vices upon her.

"Don't be," she said so calmly, you could almost imagine she was kind of high. "I'm still standing, and now every day is precious. When you've been through something like that, you can just get off on life. And this…"

She opened her arms to the revellers as if absorbing their joy.

"This is some kind of hootenanny."

"I keep expecting devils to start emerging from the cellar," I grinned.

"I'll keep an eye out for that," said Cat. "Meanwhile, I think you should go and rescue your girlfriend before she loses anymore clothing."

I looked over to where Naomi was twirling her T-shirt round her head, and Cook's hands were getting a little too wandery for my liking.

"EMILIO!" shouted Cook, as soon as he saw me.

"My beautiful love," exclaimed Naomi with equal enthusiasm. "I've missed you my red goddess. Come and give me a kiss."

As soon as I was close enough, they grabbed an arm each and pulled me up onto the table between them.

"Too many clothes," frowned Naomi, tugging at the hem of my top. "You should take this off."

"Maybe later," I said, before Cook could stick his oar in. "Let's dance."

"Yeah, let's dance," said my shitfaced honey, pulling me to her and starting to grind.

"An excellent idea," said Cook, and came up behind me, sandwiching me between the two of them and joining in the fun.

"You're so fucking beautiful," said Naomi.

Her hot breath in my ear, and her bra clad breasts moving against me, made me forget where I was. She easily drew me into an open-mouthed kiss, which became more passionate by the second. The scenes of wild abandon all around us only fuelled our fire, and my inhibitions started melting in its heat.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," I said, my hands starting to drift unbidden over her exposed flesh, and the cocaine buzzing round my head starting to put all kinds of filthy ideas into my head, until I got a nasty wake up call, poking into my arse.

"Cook!" I rounded on him.

"What?" he grinned, a picture of innocence.

"Your cock," I said dismissively.

"What about it?" he said.

"Stop poking me with it," I growled. "I don't want it."

"Everybody wants my cock, babe," insisted Cook.

"I don't," said Naomi over my shoulder.

"See," I said.

"My GOD, that's a massive boner," exclaimed Naomi, staring at the bulge in Cook's trousers.

I didn't want to look, but somehow I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting downwards.

"Jesus Cook, did you plant a tree down there or something?" I gasped.

"What's a man to do?" he said, completely unashamed at his very public erection. "I got two of the world's finest females getting all hot and bothered with each other just inches away from me. Nature's gonna take its course."

"Well we can't let that go to waste," giggled Naomi turning to the crowd. "Hey! Anybody need a shag? Cook's got wood."

"Oooh, me, me, me," said Bobby Tan, the son of the family who owned the take away in the next village, waving his hand in the air and jumping up and down.

"Steady on, Bobby," laughed Cook. "I'm not that fucking drunk."

Seconds later, he was dragged from the table by Stella Pemberton, a strikingly attractive blonde in her late thirties. She was a rich lawyer from Birmingham, a second homer who had a cottage not to far from Naomi's. Normally she came down here with her husband, but two weeks ago she turned up here on her own, and every time she came out her eyes were red from crying.

"How about it big boy?" she said. "Wanna help me drown my sorrows?"

"Fuck yeah," said Cook, as ever a willing sinner.

I decided I'd had enough of table dancing, and really fancied another pint. I jumped down and then turned to catch Naomi who tumbled more than stepped down from its heights.

"Lil bit mashed," she smirked at me, attempting to kiss me on the nose but somehow missing and slobbering into my eye. Good job I fucking loved her.

"No shit Sherlock," I said. "Cook is a seriously bad influence on you."

"Yeah, but he's SO much fun," she beamed.

My attempts at a fake severity were doomed form the start. Truth was, I loved seeing her like this. Just like geeky Naomi, sleepy Naomi, shy Naomi and half a dozen other manifestations of my love, wasted Naomi was unfeasibly adorable. I knew her brain spent too much of its time working on overdrive, and it filled my heart to watch her throwing her cares away and just letting go. Her eyes were shining as she steadied herself against me and I wallowed in their magnificent blueness, as if I was diving into a pool filled with sapphires.

"I'm so fucking happy right now," she told me. "I think I might just be the happiest fucking girl in Wales."

"Dunno," I said. "I think you might have some competition."

I turned her round to face the bar, where Effy was standing on top of it with her back to us, arms out in a crucifix position. She let herself fall backwards until she was caught by the crowd, and travelled held aloft on their arms, eyes closed and drifting on the sensation, her permasmile grown even bigger on her face.

"Fuck that's cool," said Naomi in awe. "I wanna do that."

Before I even had time to blink, she was off again, surging through the throng to try to emulate Effy's stunt. I let her go. Naomi deserved every ridiculous bit of happiness she could get. I thought about what Cat said, and she was right. Every moment was precious. There was something looming over us that could change everything. Something we'd been playing at the past couple of weeks, but which we were going to have to face at some point soon. I know I had reconciled it with Naomi, but now maybe Effy would be the one to have second thoughts. The party raged on around me, but for some reason I couldn't lose myself in it like everyone else. Freddie's sadness and my own sense of foreboding were keeping me on edge. I saw Katie sat on the edge of the stage, and wandered over to her.

"Hey little sis," she said, holding her arm out to wrap round me as I sat next to her.

"How's it going?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure," she said. "But I think I might be having the most fun I've ever had in my life."

"Spontaneous parties are always the best," I laughed. "And this is some party."

"I think my girlfriend might have something to do with that," she said, before collapsing in a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?"

"I have a girlfriend," she said carefully, as though still getting used to the sound of the word in her mouth.

"And how's that going for you?"

"Like this," she said, gesturing to the glorious mayhem all around us. "This is how it feels. It's a fucking riot."

I looked up just in time to see Naomi stage-diving head first off the bar into the waiting arms of the crowd.

"That good, huh?" I smiled.

"Where'd you disappear to anyway?"

"Freddie," I replied. "He's not taking it too well."

"Stupid boy," said Katie, but there was no malice in her voice. "He should have known he was never going to get her. He should have given up and moved on."

"That's what I kept telling Effy," I smiled.

Next thing I knew, Katie had punched me in the arm.

"What?" I frowned at her, rubbing the sore spot.

"You told her to give up on me," said Katie crossly.

"I didn't know you were going to have a sudden revelation," I complained. "I hated seeing her hurting over you, I thought I was trying to help her. She never fucking listened to me anyway. She never gave up on you, not even for a second.

"That's because she knew," said Katie. "Effy always knows. It's not like it was for Freddie, because I liked her back. I liked her for so long, Ems, but I was just too fucking scared to admit it. And I hurt her for no reason. I screwed things up for myself, and now I've hurt Freddie too. I wish I had been brave like you. You never let anyone else's idea of you fuck you around."

I realised then that I had let my friendship with Effy take something from me. That there were whole sides to my sister I didn't even know anymore. Maybe now I would start to get her back.

"So why now?" I asked her, taking hold of her hand.

"When I found her at the church, she was crying. Proper full on uncontrollable crying. I had never seen her like that, and I'd grown used to her fucking attitude. But she was in bits, and it broke my heart when I realised I was the cause of that. I just wanted to look after her. And then when we went back to the boat, we were talking about you and Naomi. I remember making some crack about having to sort Naomi out if she ever hurt you, and Effy just scoffed 'as if I'd ever let anyone hurt Emily.' And that's when I knew, she didn't just care about me, she cared about everything that was precious to me. She still made me feel the way I felt all those years ago when she first used to write to me. I realised that there was no fucking perfect Prince Charming waiting out there for me, because she was right here under my nose. So, I did something about it."

"I had no fucking idea," I said, shaking my head. "That's a hell of a story."

"It's a hell of a happy ending," smiled Katie.

Just then Princess Charming herself, staggered over towards us.

"Wow," she said spacily. "My two favouritist, most gorgeousist, brilliantest women in the world. Come and dance with me."

She grabbed us by the hand and dragged us both to our feet, pulling us into a lazy embrace. But the idea of the three of us dancing quickly faded into Effy and Katie becoming ever more intimate and leaving me out of the picture altogether, as their mouths became locked together and their hands started sliding around each others curves. I decided to leave them to it and go in search of my own princess. I was trying to make my way through the throng, when a girl turned round suddenly in front of me and we all but collided, causing her to spill the drinks she was carrying over her hands.

"Shit," she said, putting the pints down on the nearest table and trying to shake the drips from her fingers.

"I'm sorry," I said anxiously.

"No worries," she smiled back at me. "Accidents will happen, especially in this place."

The first thing I noticed was the Australian accent. And then the gorgeous green eyes, the messily cut bob of natural auburn hair, the toned upper arms of an athletic body, and the cute little smile. Emily Fitch, you are a bad fucking girl.

"I guess," I said lamely.

"Yeah well, I think I've managed to lose most my of dignity. I don't think losing half a pint of beer is gonna add up to much in the grand scheme of things tonight."

"It's not always like this," I said to the stranger. "Mostly dull as dishwater."

"So you live round here?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I teach surfing at the Fitchwater watersports place," I replied.

"Yeah," said the girl, a little more coyly. "I've seen you on the wave. You look pretty good."

"Yeah well, you know," I said dismissively, not wanting to seem arrogant.

"I'm staying up at Llangennith at the campsite. Maybe we should ride together sometime. Girl power and all that. Show the boys how it's done."

It was always nice to surf with other girls, and I was contemplating her offer, when Naomi came riding up towards us on Jonno's back.

"Woah, mighty steed," she cried, and Jonno stopped, making appropriately horse like noises as he did so. I couldn't help but giggle. The pair of them looked ridiculous. At least he'd taken the pants off his head.

"I challenge you to a duel," Naomi slurred at the Australian.

"What?" said the red head, understandably confused.

"You madam, are a thief," said Naomi, jumping from Jonno's back. "And I challenge you to a duel."

"I'm not a thief," countered the girl.

"I put it to you that you are," smiled Naomi manically. "I put it to you that you are attempting to take something from me."

"Why would I be doing that? I don't even know who you are."

"I am Sir Naomi of Bristol…. Slash Plymouth, and you…."

Naomi attempted to point at the girl, but she was having trouble focussing.

"You are trying to steal the heart of my lady," she grinned triumphantly.

I stared at my wobbly blonde avenger and my heart burst wide open, leaking slushy gushy liquid soppiness all over me.

"God, I fucking love you," I told her.

"Yay!" she said sweetly, waving her hands in the air, before lurching forwards and trapping me into a big sloppy kiss.

"She wants to shag you, Ems," she nodded, in a charmingly failed attempt to look serious.

"Not going to happen," I assured her. "You're the only girl for me."

A smile every bit as huge as the one Effy had been wearing for the last three days, exploded across Naomi's face. She turned towards the Aussie chick.

"Mine" she mouthed, tapping herself on the chest. "But I'll let you off the whole duel thing, because my lady's heart is true."

By this time my would-be suitor was smiling too.

"Your girlfriend's cute," she winked at me. "And she was right. But far be it from me to interfere with true love. I'll leave you ladies to it. Maybe, I'll catch you out on the wave sometime."

"Sweet," I said as she waved goodbye.

"Phew," said Naomi, grabbing onto Jonno's shoulder for support. "I'm glad I didn't really have to fight her, cause I don't think I'd be very good at it right now."

The last bit was delivered in a conspiratorial whisper, as if she was actually good at fighting the rest of the time. She was so fucking cute I wanted to eat her up.

"You wanna go home, babe?" I asked her.

She frowned, as if seriously trying to weigh up he pros and cons.

"You gonna be nekkid?" she asked me finally.

"I think that could probably be arranged," I laughed.

"Then yes," she said decisively.

"Cool, where's your top?" I asked her.

She looked down at her bra clad torso as if realising she was semi-naked for the first time, and then patted herself down as if looking for the elusive item of missing clothing.

"Hmmm" she said finally. "Not sure."

"Did you have a jacket?"

"Nope," she said, shaking her head goofily.

Well that was walking home out of the question then, and I was reluctant to subject poor Asif to the temptation of Naomi's flesh. And then I remembered Cat. Non-drinking, non drug-using Cat, who was about to become my toxin-free best friend. As we made our way out to her car, Naomi wrapped her arms around our shoulders and serenaded us with a little song she'd just concocted.

"I'm going to shag my pretty Emileee

She won't shag the surfer, cause she wants to shag me…"

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Of course she passed out in the back of the car before we even got home. And she was still passed out when I left to go to sea the next morning. I met Cat at the boat and she already had the coffee on.

"Effy's on her way back," she said. "She had to take Katie to work."

"Oh God, I bet that went down well."

We finished off two pots of coffee and a couple of rounds of toast before Effy reappeared.

"How is she?" I asked her.

"Slumping miserably on the counter of the shop as we speak," smirked Effy. "I pity any customer who dares to disturb her."

"How come you're looking so fresh faced?" asked Cat. "You were completely off your head last night."

"Training," shrugged Effy. "I put in a lot of practice."

There was no indication that today was going to be any different from any of the other days we had messed around at sea constructing our alibi until we reached our destination, when instead of getting ready for a dive, Cat called us round the table.

"I've had a message from Stingray," she said. "They want to start repairs on the pipeline now that the police investigation is over. Our window of opportunity has arrived. If we're going to do this, it has to be next week."

Effy and I stayed silent as the implications of her words sank in. We weren't playing any more. Shit just got serious.

"Emily? Are you still in?" said Cat.

I thought about everything I talked with Naomi about that day at the lagoon.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm in."

"Effy?" said Cat. "I know things have changed for you in the last week. If you're having any doubts, then now's the time to air them."

"I love her so much," said Effy. "The thought of being without her now is almost incomprehensible."

"It's ok," said Cat, putting her hand on Effy's arm. "I understand."

"I don't think you do," replied Effy, a hint of pure steel in her voice that brought out echoes of her mother. "We have to do this, not in spite of the fact that we have people that we love, but because of them."

She was right. A better world was possible, and we all had someone we wanted to share it with. It was time.

"Right then Ninjas," said Cat. "Time to get our stealth on."