ren-mccullers Thanks. :)

Ness: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I hadn't planned on writing anything from Paige's point of view, but I do intend to reveal what she's been thinking/feeling as the story plays out.

Guest: Thank you.

Ponderhouse: Glad you're enjoying it. :)

sali79: Yep, dork Paige is adorable. They both are. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and that it's warming your winter nights a little. :)

Authors Note:. With the holidays being only a week away, I doubt very much that I'll get a chance to add a new chapter between now and Christmas.

So I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Whatever you celebrate, I hope that you get to do so with warmth and love.

I wish you all the best.

Sincerely, Sam.

Chapter 5

The bus ride back to the hotel from the meet was more subdued than the one from that morning. The team had done well, third place overall so far in the standings and most of the girls had advanced onto the next day's competition, either in their individual races or as part of a relay, so everyone was in good spirits but it had been a long, physically exhausting day and they were all starting to feel the effects of their efforts. Instead of gathering in a group in the middle of the bus the girls were scattered around, sitting alone or in pairs, some talking in hushed tones but most were just resting quietly. There were a lot of heads resting against windows and the tinny echo of a dozen pairs of earbuds playing could be heard from all across the bus.

Emily was sitting towards the middle of the bus, taking the opportunity to reply to the string of text messages she'd received throught the course of the day, her mom, Toby, her friends, a few of her classmates all wanting to know how the day's races had gone. She caught them up then took a few minutes to check her Facebook, updating her status and scrolling through her timeline, making the odd comment, liking a few of her friend's posts.

Paige sat in the seat across the aisle from her, her hoody balled up against the window and her head resting against it, eyes closed, headphones firmly ensconced in her ears. Emily let her eyes linger on Paige's face for a moment, so serene and peaceful in her state of rest, then forced her gaze away and kept it on the device in her hand.

Her phone managed to occupy her for the duration of the ride, though she couldn't help but agree with the sentiment when a chorus of cheers rang out as the bus pulled into the hotel parking lot. She was ready for a long, hot shower, her pj's and the hotel bed. It wasn't quite as satisfying as falling asleep in her own bed after a meet, but it was soft and comfortable and she knew it would be exactly what her body needed to rejuvinate for tomorrow's races.

Normally, Coach liked the team to spend time together, especially after meets, she usually took them out for dinner to celebrate or comisterate the day's races but as the bus slid to a stop in front of the hotel she announced that the girls were on their own for dinner that night, they could come down to the restaurant if and when they pleased. She apparently realized that some of th girls just wouldn't be up for the usual boisterous, sit-down meals that were the norm.

Emily lost track of Paige in the shuffle off the bus and as she made her way into the hotel she acknowledged that it felt a little weird to be by herself after spending so much of the past day and a half with Paige right by her side. She knew it was ridiculous, but she found herself missing the other girl anyway.

She slipped into the elevator with a couple of girls from the team, the three of them exchanging small talk about times and competitors as the car made it's slow ascent. It jolted slightly as it reached their floor, rocking the three of them on their feeet, and then the doors slid open with a whoosh. Emily waved her goodbyes and headed one way down the hall as the others went the other.

6bed, fingers and toes hanging over the edges as she lay their star-fished across it's surface. Her shoes dangled precariously from her feet and her jacket bunched in a way that had to be uncomofrtable under her back, but she didn't seem to notice either.

"I'm beat," she groaned.

Emily would have laughed at how pitful she sounded if she wasn't feeling the same.

"Yeah." She kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her jacket before climbing up onto her own bed, taking a little more care than Paige had as she positioned herself against the pillows and let out a soft sight as she sank into the billowy softness.

Her eyes drifted shut, only to pop back open a minute later when a loud groan from Paige's stomach disturbed the silence that had fallen over the room.

"And I'm hungry." Paige gave another groan. "But, I'm too tired to do anything about it."

Emily did laught at this. Paige let out a disgruntled harumph but didn't bother to comment or even open up her eyes to glare, seemingly too tired to offer up any sort of retort.

Emily's muscles creaked in protest as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself up to her feet.

"Why don't I go downstairs and get us something to eat? You know you're going to gather up the energy to eat at some point. And, it'll probably be after the kitchen is closed."

She had noticed last night that the kitchen was only open until ten, and it was already a little past eight. By the time Paige took a nap and rested up, it'd probably be to late to go down and get food.

"You'd really do that?" Paige pried one eye open and peered up at her.

Emily nodded.

"But, it's so far away," she moaned. "I'd feel bad making you go."

"It's just a few floors down," Emily said with a laugh. "And I'm not being entirely alruistic. I'm going to want dinner too."

Paige was quiet for a moment, squinting one eye up at Emily as she apparently thought about it. "Thank you, Emily."

"Sure. No problem. What do you want?"

"Surprise me."

"All right. I'll be back in a bit," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait. Emily."

She turned back just in time for Paige to toss something towards her. She fumbled it before catching whatever it was against her chest. When she glanced down she realized it was Paige's wallet.

"Dinner's on me."

"Paige-"

"A bet's a bet."

Emily felt weird about letting Paige pay for her dinner. Even if that had been their agreed upon terms. It felt a little like entering into date territory, Paige paying for her meal, the two of them likely spending the evening watching movies together once they'd both caught their second wind.

She tried to shake the feeling off as ridiculous. She had bought dinner for Hannah, Aria and Spencer countless times. Just as they had done the same for her. It had no more felt like a date on those occasions than it should now. She was letting her attraction to Paige color how she viewed their interactions and it needed to stop. Friends treated each other to meals. And that's what she and Paige were. Friends. Or at least what they were working towards. She pocked Paige's wallet and headed out.

It seemed like a the other girls had the same idea, there wre a few seated in the restaurant at one of the tables by the window, perusing menus but there were quite a few of the girls from the team were crowded around the takeout counter. She slipped into place at the end of the line and studied the menu, looking for something that would keep if neither of them ate right away. As the line crept forward, she decided to order them wraps. Chicken or roast beef would be okay to eat later and seemed basic enough that Paige would probably like one or the other. She didn't really know what the other liked. And, while she was aware that the spirit of the bet had been for one of them to make the other suffer in eating something gross, she knew that neither of them would have the heart to actually do that to the other. Especially not in the middle of a meet.

She stepped up to place her order, adding in a salad and a side of fries, both of which they could split and then moved to the side, joining the cluster of girls still waiting on their food.

"Hey, Emily," Vicky Donovan greeted her as she sidled up next to her and Caitlin Nash, her roomate for the duration of the weekend. "Dining alone tonight? McCuller's down for the count?"

Emily gave a half-shrug, for some reason not really wanting to admit that Paige was just as beat as the rest of them.

"If you want, you can come hang with us." It was a half-hearted offer, but at least Vicky had made it.

"Thanks, but I'lm all right. I'm just going to grab a bite to eat and then probably curl up in bed."

"I hear ya," Caitlin said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. "Saturday night and I'll probably be asleep by ten. I never realized that being an athlete would make me so lame."

The three of them all laughed lightly at the comment, though there was some degree of truth in it. People thought that being a jock and getting to travel to meets was exciting or a never ending party, when the reality was that the last thing on anyone's mind was drinking or partying. It was tiring, a lot of time spent in transit or waiting around for your event and by the end of it, nothing was more tempting than a soft bed and cool sheets.

The other girls' order was called and they waved their goodbyes and headed out. Emily's was ready a few minutes later and she retrieved it, happy to have it in hand and heading back up to the room.

She returned to find Paige in exactly the same position she had been in before. It didn't look like she'd moved even an inch.

"You still with us?" she asked softly as she slipped into the room, moving quietly in case Paige was now sleeping.

"Mmmhmm."

Not sure if that was an affirmation or a denial, Emily set the bag down on the table between the beds and headed for the bathroom. "Dinner's on the table," she said, in case Paige was in fact awake. "Help yourself. I'm going to grab a quick shower."

She wanted to get the chlorine out of her hair, not to mention how nice it would feel to have the warm stream of water against her sore and tired muscles, but she had a feeling if she settled onto the bed, she wouldn't be getting back up again, so even though her stomach was rumbling with hunger, dinner could wait.

When she finished with her shower and stepped back out into the hotel room she found Paige awake and sitting up in bed. She'd changed into her pj's already and was flipping through channels on the TV.

"Took you long enough," she teased as Emily made her way over to her duffle bag and began to root around in it for her own pj's. "I'm like half-starved over here."

"You didn't have to wait for me,"

Paige didn't reply, just continued to flip through channels. Emily quickly pulled on her pj shorts and top, then returned to the bathroom to drape the the towel that she'd had wrapped around herself over the curtain rod in the bathroom to dry. When she came back out, Paige had settled on a station and was now pulling the contents of their dinner out of the take-out bag.

She laid everything out on the bed in front of her, divying up the fries and the salad into equal portions on both halves of the styrofoam take-away containers including half of each kind of wrap for both of them. As she did this, Emily slid into the space beside her and settled against the pillows as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They hadn't discussed it, it was just something they both seemed to have accepted as a certainty. When she had finished she pulled one of the makeshift plates onto her lap and passed the other one to Emily.

"So, I found the perfect movie for us to watch tonight," Paige said around a mouthful of salad. She nodded towards the television and Emily followed the movement, catching a glimpse of the film's title just as it flashed across the screen.

She let out a startled laugh, nearly choking on a french fry. "Swimfan?"

Beside her, Paige cracked up. "Sorry. I had to." She reached for the remote and extended it in Emily's direction. "We don't actually have to watch this. There's a spy movie marathon on one of the other channels. All of the Bourne movies and a couple of classic James Bond."

Emily glanced from Paige to the remote to the screen. She actually really liked this movie. It had been Hannah's choice one movie night a few years ago and one of the few that all five of them had agreed was a good one. Some of the scenes in the movie though, they were kind of...suggestive. She cast another sidelong glance at Paige, knowing it probably wasn't wise to watch a movie with scenes like that while lying in bed with the other girl.

"It's up to you," she said finally with a shrug, unable to actually make the decision to change it. There was a part of her that wanted to watch the movie while like this with the other girl.

Paige shrugged and dropped the remote, returning her attention back to her dinner in front of her. Emily side-eyed her for a minute, trying to get a read on her. Was she aware of what this movie was even about? Was she letting it play to test Emily's reaction to it?

Or was she just being ridiculous and reading into every little thing? Emily shook her head at herself and turned her attention to the movie, trying to lose herself in it and forget about the girl sitting cross-legged next to her, so close that their knees touched and Emily could smell the lingering remnants of chlorine on her skin.

Emily was surprised that, despite the constant tension running through her, an elevated state of awareness that was definitely not helped by the movie they were watching, how easy it was for her to relax and feel comfortable with Paige.

Dinner finished with they'd cast aside their plates and were now stretched out on the bed. They'd both sunk down into their pillows and sprawled out across the mattress, their bodies limp and relaxed. The boundries of personal space now non-existant. Their legs were pressed together along their lengths and Paige was leaning slightly into Emily's shoulder. Emily wasn't entirely sure when or how it had happened, but she certainly wasn't going to make any move to change it. It felt nice. They chatted easily during commercial breaks and commented quietly about the movie, though the silences that fell between them were comfortable and just as easy as the conversations.

Emily knew it had to be getting late as the movie ended. She grabbed up the remote, which had fallen forgotten on the bed at her side and turned to Paige to ask her if she was up for another, only to find that the other girl was fast asleep beside her, her head on Emily's shoulder.

Her first thought was that Paige was adorable when she slept. She looked so peaceful, and her eyelids fluttered softly as she dreamed. And up this close, Emily could see the faint smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. The longer she watched her sleep though, the more uncertain Emily became. She wasn't quite sure what to do. Should she slip out of bed, probably distrubing Paige from what looked like a pretty deep, pleasant sleep? Or should she settle in here, stay the night once again in Paige's bed?

She knew what she wanted to do. But she wasn't sure if it was what she should do. And she wondered if this was how Paige had felt last night when Emily had fallen asleep on her. Had it made her uncomfortable? Had she debated on the proper course of action?

After a moment of indecison she decided to go with her instincts. Paige hadn't minded last night, hopefully, she wouldn't mind again. Nodding once to solidify the decision in her mind Emily turned the tv off and stretched her arm out to turn off the lamp. With a faint click, darkness enveloped the room and Emily closed her eyes.

Emily woke some time later to the feeling that eyes were on her. It was like when she went to visit her aunt and uncle during the holidays and woke up Christmas morning with her two little cousins standing by the edge of the bed staring at her. She couldn't quite define how it was she knew that they were hovering over her, just that they were. She'd stir into consciousness and the fine hairs on the back of her neck would stand up and when she opened her eyes, sure enough there they were, two pairs of sparking blue eyes staring down at her, waiting to pounce and tell her that Santa had come. It was the same feeling she had now. Only she wasn't at her relatives house for the holidays, she was staying at a hotel for a meet and the only other person in the room was Paige.

Her eyes flew open to find Paige shifting from one foot to the other at the side of the bed, one hand on the alarm clock on the bedside table, one hand hovering just above Emily's shoulder as if debating whether or not to give her a nudge. She blinked sleepily and rubbed at her eyes.

"Morning."

"Yeah. Morning. How is it that you get up on time for school every day?" Paige asked, an amused smile playing across her lips. "That alarm has been ringing for like 20 minutes. It went off, I hit snooze. It went off again, I got up. I tried to wake you and you...you swatted at me."

Emily groaned, but Paige's grin only grew wider.

"So I just let it ring and I went and showered. And it still didn't wake you up. So again I ask you, how is it that you manage to get to school on time every day?"

"I have a really good internal clock. And, my Mom is a really, really good cook. The alarm does nothing but the smell of coffee and pancakes in the morning, I'm up like a shot." She brushed her hands together quickly to emphasize her words.

"So, the best way to get Emily Fields out of bed is to bribe her with food," Paige said, sounding contemplative as she nodded. "Good to know."

Emily tried very hard not to think of the implications of that, knowing it was just an offhand remark.

"So, why is it so important that I'm up at 6:00 in the morning?" Despite having gotten into the routine of getting up in the morning for swim pratice, Emily did not consider herself a morning person. She preferred the days when they had afternoon pratices and she could sleep a couple hours longer.

"You said yesterday you wanted to go running with me," Paige said, shifting in place and crossing her arms over her stomach. "Did you not want to still go?" She bit her lip, offering Emily a sheepish, apologetic gaze.

Emily had forgotten all about that but she nodded her head at Paige's words. "Yeah. I still want to go. Just give me a minute to get dressed."

"Sure thing." Paige gave her an agreeable smile and moved out of the way so Emily could sit up and slide out of bed.

Out of Paige's bed. Because for the second night in a row the two of them had fallen asleep together.

What was that saying, once was an accident, twice was carelessness...she shut down the thought however when the rest of it came to her...three times was a trend. She really did not need to be thinking about making it a trend to sleep with Paige.

Not sleep with, with but sleep beside. A blush heated her cheeks as she mentally corrected herself. She really, really, did not need to be thinking about sleeping with Paige.

She made her way quickly into the bathroom and let the door swing shut, a wry smile tugging her lips as she realized how much of a refuge this room had become to her over the past few days. The tiny little space the only place away from Paige in their hotel room where she could take a moment or two to gather her thoughts and get a hold of herself. Even though she always ended up feeling foolish for hiding out in here, it was essental that she could. If not, she'd have probably made a fool of herself in front of the other girl by now, slipped up and said something, let her attraction show.

Although, for all the somewhat awkward moments, the awkard thoughts, she wouldn't trade this weekend for anything. She liked this easy friendship that seemed to be developing. Was glad that they had been thrown together like this and had managed to, not just make the best of it, but thrive off it.

She leaned against the sink and took a few deep breaths, trying to quell the swirling images in her mind, to tamp down on the flush of heat that coursed through her body. Time to stop thinking about Paige and sleeping with Paige and all the other inapropriate, inoportune thoughts that kept popping into her head. They were going for a run. She needed to wash up, get dressed and go out there ready for a light workout before the meet.

You can do this, She told her reflction with a faint nod.

"Oh my God, I can't do this anymore," Emily let out a groan and slowed her steps to a snail's pace, jogging in place for a moment before stopping altogether. She rested her hands on her legs and leaned forward, breath billowing.

She heard footsteps and a light chuckle as Paige circled back towards her, apparently having noticed that Emily had not just lagged behind but stopped altogether.

"You all right there Emily?" Her words a combination of concerned and amused.

Emily just nodded breathlessly, though her sudden inability to speak had nothing to do with how winded she was and everything to do with the way Paige's hand was rubbing soothing circles against the bare skin of her back.

She bit her lip against the moan that welled up in her throat and clenched her eyes shut, concentrating on her breathing and not the slight rasp of Paige's calloused fingers against her skin, suddenly cursing herself for deciding to run in this particular tank top, a loose flowing one that had ridden up when she'd bent over, allowing Paige access to the skin that she was not touching.

"I'm onto you, McCullers," she rasped, standing upright and turning to face the other girl. Her mind cleared slightly as Paige's hand fell away, but still remained somewhat blurry as she caught sight of Paige's running gear. The other girl was wearing a pair of form fitting capri leggings, the stretchy black spandex hugging the curve of her ass and her thighs in just the right way and her t-shirt was tight to her body, the definition of her taut abs clear beneath the material not to mention the cap sleeved showed off her tight, toned arms. The whole ensemble was topped off by the messy ponytail now coming loose in tendrils that clung to the faint sheen of sweat that covered her face and neck.

"You figured by bringing me running with you this morning, you could off me and take my place in today's races." She had thought that the two of them were coming out here for a light workout, an easy run along the shades paths within the park, not a sprint like the hounds of Baskerville were at their heels.

Though, she supposed she shouldn't really be surprised. Paige was kind of an intense person. She was pretty much full on, all the time. Why should running be any different.

Paige chuckled softly. "Yep, you got me, Fields. I was going to run your ass into the ground. I've actually got your grave dug up just over there." She gestured vaguely over her shoulder with her thumb. Her laugh strangled in her throat and the color drained from her face a moment later.

"Oh my god. Emily. I'm so sorry."

Emily was a little slow catching up, her brain still foggy from lack of oxygen and the site in front of her. It took her a moment to realize that Paige had just made a pretty morbid and rather insensitive joke, considering. But she just shook her head and waved the other girl off.

"Don't worry about it. Really."

As much as she missed Ali. As much as her heart ached sometimes at the though of her and she cried sometimes, remembering her, she had moved on. It had been a long process but she had healed as much as one was able to heal after something like that and her mind didn't automatically go to that place every time someone made a joke like the one Paige had just made. She'd have gone nuts ages ago if that was the case.

Paige ducked her head and Emily dipped hers as well, trying to catch her gaze. "I'm sorry. I wan't thinking..." Paige's eyes darted around, avoiding hers.

"I'm okay. Really." She offered up a smile, hoping that would reassure the other girl. "It was just a joke. And I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Paige's eyes met her briefly before shifting away. "I have foot in mouth disease," she mumbled.

"I know."

"Hey. You're not supposed to agree with me." Paige's gaze finally met hers, and Emily grinned at her.

"Got you to look at me, didn't it?" She asked. "And to stop feeling embarrased."

"Yeah. I guess." Paige was back to mumbling, but she didn't avert her eyes.

"Look, I do have my triggers. Certain things that make me think of Ali and set me off. But, what you said didn't upset me. It might have, if it were close to Ali's birthday or the anniversary of her death, but please don't think that you have to watch your words around me or not say what's on your mind because my brain might make some connection."

Paige nodded but Emily was unconvinced that the other girl had really taken in her words. She decided not to press the issue right now though.

"So, I'm going to head back," she said, gesturing in the direction of the hotel. "Because I want to swim in the races today, not sink to the bottom like dead weight because my legs are so tired."

"But, we've only made one lap around the park."

"Yes, Paige. We've made one lap around the park. That's plenty of warm up for the races today."

"But-"

"Paige, I can't run anymore. My legs are tired. I'm all sweaty. And these running shoes are starting to give me blisters."

While Emily was competitive, she wasn't afraid to throw in the towel when it wasn't worth it to her to keep going. And, what would going another lap do for her? Exhaust her before her races? Take her out of peak form and give her competition the edge?

Not to mention, she didn't really like running. She did it because it was a neccessary part of training. It kept her in shape and helped her in the pool. But she wasn't like Paige, who seemed to enjoy being active in any form.

She watched the other girl's face fall and she felt guilty. She didn't like running, but Paige did. And Paige had invited her along for the company after all. It would be unkind to just ditch her and head back.

"You go do another lap. I'll stay here and do my cool down stretches. When you're done, we can go get breakfast from that diner across the street, how does that sound?"

Paige shook her head. "No, it's okay. We can head back if you want to."

"No, go. I know you have another lap in you. You're practically bouncing in place."

Paige stopped moving, falling completely still.

"Paige, seriously, go. I'll be right here, stretching out in the sun." She took a few steps over to a patch of grass beside the running path that was bathe in golden yellow sunlight and extended her arm across her torso, pulling it tight to her chest with the crook of her elbow of her other arm. "See?" she raised an eyebrow at Paige, who stood biting her lip for a moment then nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Don't hurt yourself, rushing back," Emily cautioned, unable to shake the feeling that was exactly something Paige would do. They were still getting to know one another, but she was starting to get a sense of the other girl. And if Paige thought that Emily was impatient to leave, she'd rush through her own workout, potentially risking injury just to please the other girl. It was endearing, that Paige was so concerned about her well-being but not if it was at the expense of her own.

Paige touched two fingers to her brow in a salute then turned. Emily forced her eyes away from the other girls form and down to the ground, keeping them trained on the blades of grass at her feet and not the sway of Paige's hips as she ran away.

When Paige returned, sweating slightly but still barely winded, Emily had worked her way through her cool down routine and was now doing a bit of yoga on the grass. She had to admit, she didn't really know much. Just a few poses from that one summer when Hannah had dragged her to a few classes because she thought the instructor was hot.

She caught sight of Paige striding towrards her, an amused smile on her face, as she came out of downward dog.

"Not a word."

"What? I wasn't going to make fun. Yoga's hardcore." Emily couldn't tell if Paige was teasing her or not. She sounded sincere, but that smirk was still playing around the corners of her lips.

"Anyway, I just have to cool down. Help me stretch out? I felt some tension in my left calf and I think it could use a really good push."

Emily's throat grew arid at the thought of putting her hands on Paige and helping her through her cool down stretches. The other girls skin heated and sweaty from her workout, her soft skin, her supple muscles. She could only nod as Paige did a few arm stretches where she stood dropped down beside her and lifted her left leg.

Emily was more than familiar with the stretch. And it was far from the first time she'd helped a teamate, hell helped Paige, perform it, but her hands still shook and her breaths felt shallow and airy as she knelt into position and braced Paige's foot with one hand and the top of her thigh with the other. Her fingers slipping against the silky fabric of her pants before finding purchase.

"Ready?" she husked, hoping Paige wouldn't notice the extra rasp in her voice.

Paige merely nodded and began exerting pressure against Emily's hand. Emily, in return, pushed back against Paige's foot, feeling the muscles in her leg flex and loosen. She bit her lip as she slid forward, the position of the stretch bringing her to where she was hovering over Paige. She chanced a glance down, hoping her eyes wouldn't give her away, but unable to get a glimpse of what it might look like to be in this position in an entirely different situation.

The sight took her breath away, Paige's hair was splayed out across the grass behind her head. Her face was flushed and sweating, damp tendrils of hair clinging to her forhead and her brow furrowed in concentration. Her mouth hung open slightly and she breathed audibly, unevenly.

It was too much for Emily, who rocked back on her heels quickly. Too quickly and ended up on her ass. Paige's foot fell to the grass with a thud and she let out a grunt, then rose up onto her elbows to peer at Emily in concern.

"You okay?"

"Fine. Just lost my balance. Sorry." She offerd up a smile and hoped that her complexion hid the blush she could feel flaming across her face.

"No worries. I think that did it. Thanks." Paige lifted her leg and rotated it a few times then nodded, satisfied. "Feels good. Are you ready to get out of here? I could really use some breakfast."

Emily nodded, though her stomach was aflutter and churning. The last thing she needed to add to the mix was food. Paige hoisted herself to her feet and then bent down, extending her hand to Emily. Reluctantly, Emily took it, holding in a sigh as Paige's long, dexterous fingers closed around hers and tugged upwards, pulling her to her feet with ease.

"Steady?" Paige asked, her grip as soon as Emily was on her feet, her hands hovering around her waist in case she needed help finding her balance.

Emily was feeling anyhing but steady. but she nodded anway.