Ada and Nikki sat curled up on the sofa together for some time afterwards, Ada with her head resting on Nikki's chest and her best friend with her arms around her, all the while absentmindedly stroking Ada's arm as she waited for her friend to sober up slightly.
"Do you think I'm a whore?"
Nikki was startled when she heard Ada's quiet question and she glanced down at her best friend before moving away slightly.
"No" Nikki replied although a part of her brain was saying yes.
"So you don't think I am?"
"No" Nikki chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Ada's head when she saw her friend coming down from the alcohol.
"But there have been three people already and I'm only seventeen" Ada whispered tearfully and quickly reached up to wipe her tears away "If anyone else knew then..."
"Well you're not a whore" Nikki told Ada sternly, Ada looking up at her with hope in her eyes when Nikki said that "You're just ..I don't know, discovering yourself?" she suggested and Ada giggled slightly and nodded, wiping her face again as Nikki smiled.
Nikki knew that she shouldn't be encouraging Ada but she didn't know what else to do, anything else could mean the end to their friendship and arguments between Ada and Georg. If it then got back to Isold what Ada had been up to Nikki didn't then want to cause arguments between them.
"Nikki if.." Ada then frowned and trailed off, shaking her head slightly and a blush forming on her cheeks.
"If..." Nikki prompted with a small smile that made Ada's heart jump in her chest. She however just looked away from Nikki and went to get up, her friend however tightened her grip and refused to let go, stroking Ada's side gently to try and calm her down. "Ada"
"If..."
Nikki then accidently slipped her hand up Ada's t-shirt and froze when she felt the warm skin under her fingers, feeling Ada shiver as tears sprung to her eyes. She realised what she had done and removed her hand, Ada letting out a quiet sigh as she did so.
"I'm sorry my feelings.."
Ada was cut off by the door opening and William poking his head around it.
"What is it?" Nikki asked quickly as Ada buried her face in her shoulder again "William"
"Um..we're leaving now" William told her hesitantly "Is Ada.."
"She'll be staying here for a while"
"Okay" William murmured, giving Ada a concerned look "I'll tell Georg.."
"Tell him that we're just having a chat" Nikki told her friend quickly and the red headed young man nodded before walking from the room and closing the door.
Nikki then turned back to Ada and opened her mouth to say something when the door opened again and Harry walked in with Gabriel in his arms, the little boy crying loudly. She turned to her lover and smiled as he walked over, reaching up to take her crying son from him.
"Hey" she whispered as she cradled him against her and kissed his warm forehead, stroking his blonde hair gently. "Ssh my little handsome"
"Hello" Ada smiled at her nephew as she reached over and took Gabriel's other hand in hers, shaking it gently as she spoke. Gabriel looked at her through his tears and grinned at her, Harry and Nikki seeing Ada's eyes light up as he did so.
Nikki turned to look at Harry as he sat himself on the arm of the sofa and tapped her on the shoulder, nodding to Ada who was still distressed and then shrugging. Nikki glanced at her friend before turning back to her lover and shaking her head; Harry just nodded knowingly and leant down to kiss the top of Nikki's head gently.
"Do you want to spend some time away?" Nikki asked Ada sometime later when Harry was upstairs in the shower, their sons asleep in their nursery. Ada had sobered up slightly but was still under the influence of the amount of alcohol in her system already "Just us two? You look like you need it"
"I can't ask that" Ada smiled slightly and shook her head, glancing at one the pictures of Gabriel and Donovan that lined the walls. It had been taken shortly after the boys had been born and they were both asleep in Nikki's arms, a happy but tired smile on her face. "You have the boys to think about"
"I don't want to abandon you" Nikki sighed as she too looked at the picture of her and her boys, a smile gracing her face when she saw how small they had been when they were newborn.
"Would you be able to leave the boys while we go away for a while?" Ada then asked kindly and Nikki nibbled her lip, thinking about going away with her friend. It would mean she'd have to leave her boys alone for at least a whole day, including a night and that hurt her. She then realised that she'd have to do it at some point and she wanted to help Ada get through some issues, however much she wanted to stay with her sons.
"I'll try"
Ada almost cried again when she heard those words from Nikki, only slightly understanding how hard it would be for Nikki to leave Gabriel and Donovan for a while. She knew she didn't deserve Nikki but she wanted to get better. Ada then realised that she would be spending some time alone with Nikki without Harry being around to take all of Nikki's attention away from her. A small smile spread across her face as she looked up at Nikki and nodded, Nikki's own smile making her heart jump in her chest.
"How about we go away to the coast for one night or something" Nikki suggested and Ada nodded "I can't be away from the boys for longer than that. Not at the moment anyway"
"I understand" Ada smiled "After exams are done"
"Sounds good" Nikki grinned happily, glad that she was going to spend some time with her best female friend; this would also give Harry the chance to spend a lot of time with their sons. She knew that she always seemed to be the first one to jump up and tend to the children, she tried not to, she tried to let Harry do it as well but the automatic motherly response almost made her forget that she had Harry to help her as well.
"Harry Ada and I are going away for a night after exams are over" Nikki called out to Harry as her lover got ready for bed, Nikki herself laying down in bed with a book in her hands, Harry in the bathroom. "Just one night somewhere down south on the coast. She needs to get away from..things"
"Okay" Harry nodded as he walked into the bedroom and turned the bathroom light off "What about the boys?"
"I thought you'd like to spend some time alone with them" Nikki shrugged, looking up from her book and dog-earing the page as Harry wandered over to the bed. "I think it'll be good for me as well" she murmured almost to herself "Having some time away from them and teaching myself to not panic when I'm away from them for too long. It'll only be one night but that's enough at the moment"
"I think it would be good for you" Harry smiled kindly, climbing in next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist as Nikki lay down and turned to face him. "It should be fun for you and Ada to spend some time together away from all us boys"
"Just one night" Nikki assured Harry who just smiled and nodded, leaning across and kissing his lover gently, reaching up to stroke her cheek with his thumb. Nikki smiled and leant into his touch, closing her eyes and letting out a contented sigh. She debated on telling Harry what Ada had told her about the young woman she had slept with as well as going back to Adrian as well. She couldn't understand what Ada had been thinking and in the end she decided not to tell Harry. Not just yet anyway. "I love you"
"I love you" Harry whispered and leant forward to kiss her again "I love you so much"