Being Taylor doesn't have to be suffering part 3

December 25 2010, Hebert household

I was busy making my breakfast when I heard someone knocking on the front door. I wondered who could it be so early on Christmas morning.

Last night Dad's friends Kurt and Lacey invited us to spend Christmas eve with them and we came back rather late and being a holiday dad was sleeping in.

I took a look through the window next to the door. Even with the loose jacket and the hood up I recognized her immediately.

"Amy?" I said opening the door.

"Hey Taylor." She said bashfully. "Sorry for coming without calling first or anything. But I didn't know where to go..." She trailed off. "Oh, this was a bad idea." She looked like a frightened rabbit.

"Amy!" I grabbed her by the shoulders before she could bolt. She snapped up her head throwing back the hood. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had circles under her eyes. "Listen, I have no idea what happened to you but what kind of friend would I be if I just let you go out there like that. Come on, you don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to but at least come in." I said as I ushered her in giving her an encouraging smile. "Want some breakfast? I was fixing myself a little something."

"Ah... if you don't mind..."

As I led her to the kitchen I noticed that she was carrying the bag she uses when she's going to spend the night at the hospital or when she goes to help in the aftermath of endbringer battles. I would have known if there had been an endbringer attack specially on Christmas and I know Amy can be a bit too zealous in her drive to help in the hospitals but I doubt even her would spend Christmas eve volunteering there. Well, more like Vicky wouldn't stand for it.

Some toast with jam, a cup of tea and a bit of small talk later she was still fidgeting and looking at the door.

"Amy," I finally said with a sigh "I'm sorry, really you don't have to tell me anything but at least tell me what can I do to help."

"It's not that, it's just it is something personal and I want to tell you but ..."

"Oh, if you are worried about my dad barging in he won't be be up until noon but if it makes you feel better we can go to my room."

"Okay." She said in a small voice.

When we got to my room, which to my shame was a bit of a mess, we took a seat next to each other on my bed.

"So..." I said as Amy didn't seem to know how to begin. "Carol again?" To be honest if there is something I learned something about Amy in this year and almost a half that I've known her is that if she is in a bad mood it's likely that her mom is involved in some way. Not that Carol is bad or anything but she seems to be unusually hard on her.

"That's part of it." She said letting herself drop on her back. "I don't think I ever told you this but I am adopted."

"Oh." Really eloquent Taylor. Still that explains some things.

"I never knew who my biological parents are and I still don't but..." She took a deep breath. "Last night aunt Sarah and her family came to our house for Christmas. Carol had some wine and after the dinner she and aunt Sarah were talking and didn't know that I could overhear them. At least aunt Sarah, I don't know what to think about Carol anymore." She said as she sat up again.

"They were talking about the past and somehow they ended talking about me. Carol said that she never wanted to adopt me, that it should have been aunt Sarah who should have taken me in. That she could never trust me in case I ended like my biological father. That..." As she started trembling I put an arm around her shoulders. "That I'd end up in the Birdcage like him."

When she finally started to cry I fully embraced her rubbing her back.

"I'm not like that, I swear, Taylor." She said still bawling her eyes out.

"Shhh, I know, Amy, I know."

We stayed like that for a while until Amy finally calmed down and I let her go.

"That explains so much." She continued. "I always wanted her approval and I was never going to get it not to mention showing me even a bit of love. Mark tried to be there for me, but he has his own problems. The only one that really treated me like family was Vicky and I'm not sure if she knows about my biological father."

"I don't know Vicky half as well as you do but even I know that she won't care." I reassured her. "You are her precious sister and she won't let a little detail like genetics get in the way."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Amy conceded the point with a fond smile.

"Now that I think about it, you two are pretty close. How come you didn't try talking to her about this first?" And she's frowning again, dammit why can't I think before I talk.

"I kinda tried last night..." She bit her lip before continuing "but she was so happy about going to Dean's for lunch to meet his family today that I couldn't bring myself to worry her with my problems."

"Oh Amy, sometimes you are too nice for your own good."

"Like you are one to talk, Taylor." She said with a smile bumping her shoulder with mine. "Here you are listening to my woes on a day that one normally spends with family." She added resting her head on my shoulder.

"I'm just being a good friend." I in turn rested my cheek on top of her head. "And my dad is making a great job imitating a hibernating bear so it's not like I had something better to do." I remarked getting a giggle from Amy. "So, anything else to confess now that we are on a roll?" I cursed myself mentally when Amy got tense again.

"Actually..." She said getting up from the bed and begging to pace in front of me. "There is something else, but I'm kinda afraid because..." She paused, averting her gaze "I don't know how you'll take it."

"Oh." Thank you brain for such articulate response .

"It's that... you see... I kinda... like girls." She finally said still pacing and not looking at me.

"That's all?" I said getting up and putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I don't see what's the problem. Other than Vicky trying to hook you up with boys. She doesn't know does she?"

"No, but that's just part of the problem." She answered shaking her head. "There is this girl I've liked for a while... I'd even say that I fell in love with."

"Does she know?" I asked and Amy shook her head again. "Do I know her?"

"Yes, yes you do. But the problem is that she is straight and I doubt she'd ever be interested in me."

I felt my face heating up as my brain connected the dots. Girl, check. Straight, check... Amy and I discussed my preference for beefcake multiple times and now I understand why she couldn't explain what kind of boys she liked. Known Amy for a while, check. Oh, Amy.

"I... Amy. I... I'm really flattered, but..." I stuttered trying to let her down gently.

"Wha..." She looked up at me surprised. Why is she surprised? She herself said that she doubted that I'd be interested. "Oh! No. No no no no no no no no no no no." She rushed through all the noes. "It's not you, Taylor. Not that you aren't attractive because you are. You really are but we are friends and I'd say even that you are my best friend and I don't want to put that at risk and there was already this other girl anyways and... and..." She ended breathless looking at me wide eyed.

How do you react when your lesbian best friend makes you think that she has fallen in love with you only to be friendzoned a moment later? I'll tell you how we reacted. Laughing, laughing so hard that we ended rolling on the floor in stitches. So hard that dad woke up and came to see what the ruckus was about. Of course him in his pajamas with bed hair did nothing to calm us down.

"Sorry, dad." I said when I finally managed to stop giggling. "Remember Amy? My friend from school."

"Sorry for waking you up Mr. Hebert." She said still red in the face half from mortification half from all our laughing.

In the end dad just went away grumbling something about teenage girls.

"So, can I know now who is this girl you broke my heart for." I said bringing my hands to my heart dramatically sending Amy back into giggles. To which she responded throwing my pillow at me.

After a brief war that ended in a draw because we found ourselves again laughing so hard that we couldn't move, Amy finally responded.

"Actually..." She said shyly as we laid on the floor with Amy using my stomach as a pillow while I absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair. "It's Vicky. The girl I'm in love I mean." She waited a moment before continuing. "I know it's strange even if she is not really related to me we still grew up as sisters so having these feelings for her makes me even more of a deviant..."

"Hey, none of that." I said caressing her cheek with my thumb. "We can't help who we fall in love with. Yes she might be your sister figure, but from what you have told me of your family she was also the only one who showed you love when you needed it most. I'm no expert on human psychology but I can easily see that turning into a crush and from there growing into romantic love. You are no deviant Amy Dallon, you are just human."

"Taylor," When I looked down at her again Amy was smiling and crying at the same time. She rolled into her stomach and drew herself up leaving her face next to mine. " Thank you." She said kissing me on the cheek before resting her head on my shoulder and cuddling into my side.

"You are welcome." I answered kissing the top of her head.

We stayed like that for some time before I had an idea.

"Hey, Amy, it's been a long time since I had a friend sleeping over and I think you could use some time away from well, everything." I sensed Amy nodding. "So what do you say if my dad calls your family and you stay with us for a couple of days?"

"I'd love that." Came her muffled answer from my side. "But does it has to be now? I'm tired and you are very comfy." She said tightening her grip on me.

"Humm, maybe it'd be better to wait a couple of hours until dad is more awake." I said bringing my free hand to my mouth in a pensive gesture and then ruffling Amy's hair. "Looks like you are in luck young lady."

"Taylor," Amy yelped "less moving and more sleeping. And you know that I'm older than you."

I closed my eyes with a smile on my face. Yes, this is nice.