Turn to Me

By Wonko

Part 24

The farmhouse had never been so clean, but Natalia wasn't anywhere near finished yet. It was important that everything was perfect today, because today was the fulfilment of eighteen years of work and toil and longing. Rafe was coming home. A real home, safe and warm and secure, with a real family.

She'd woken that morning wrapped securely in Olivia's arms. That wasn't new - she had often woken up to find Olivia's body had migrated towards hers in the night. What was new was that Olivia was already awake but hadn't pulled away. She was watching the other woman steadily, her eyes swimming with a tangle of emotions that Natalia couldn't begin to unravel at such an early hour. They hadn't spoken. Natalia had just watched Olivia watching her, until finally she'd kissed her, whispered 'Good morning' and slipped out of bed to make breakfast.

Warmth flooding through her at the memory, Natalia looked at the clock. It was 11.30am and Rafe was due at one. Frank had promised to bring him in time for lunch, along with a delivery from Company to celebrate - on the house. With no cooking to worry about Natalia had thrown herself into cleaning with abandon.

"You don't think you're taking this a bit far?" Olivia asked, her lips twitching as she watched Natalia scrubbing the kitchen floor for at least the third time. "Or are you planning to make him eat off the floor?"

Natalia shot her a dangerous look. "I just want everything to be right," she said, returning to work and redoubling her efforts.

"It will be," Olivia soothed. "Because you'll be there and he'll be there. That's all you need."

Natalia slowed her scrubbing then stopped, looking up at Olivia with shining eyes. "Not quite," she said. "But luckily for me I already have everything else."

Olivia smiled. "What's that?"

"The rest of my family." Natalia stood and crossed to where Olivia was sitting. She stepped up as close as she could and wrapped her arms round the other woman's neck. "You and Emma," she explained, leaning down for an entirely too brief kiss.

Olivia slid her arms round Natalia's waist, nestling her head against the other woman's stomach. "Natalia..." she sighed happily.

Natalia curled her hand round the other woman's head, holding her against her body as she breathed deeply. For a moment there was nothing else in the world. Until...

"I want a hug too!"

The adults pulled apart just a little, both turning to see Emma bounding towards them. Olivia laughed. "Okay Jellybean, group hug," she said, holding one arm out to her daughter. The child wriggled in between them and clung on to them both as tight as she could. Natalia thought she might actually burst from happiness. She hadn't known it was possible to actually get everything you'd ever wanted.

"When's Rafe getting here?" Emma asked excitedly when Natalia finally pulled away to go back to her scrubbing.

Natalia smiled indulgently. The little girl was almost happier about Rafe coming home than she was, if that was even possible. "Around one," she said. "How's the card coming?"

"Good. It has purple glitter." Emma looked up at her mother with a gleam in her eye. "Do you want to help me write something in it mommy?"

Olivia looked over at Natalia briefly before turning her attention back to her daughter. "How could I ever resist purple glitter?" she asked. "I seem to recall that's our colour!"

Natalia couldn't quite wipe the silly grin from her face as Olivia stood awkwardly and hobbled after her daughter. Then, after another look at the clock, she went back to scrubbing.

Rafe sat in Frank's car just looking at the farmhouse for long minutes after they pulled up. Frank didn't speak. Maybe he didn't know what to say; maybe he just knew that words were inadequate for this moment.

"I'm home," Rafe said at last. He unplugged his seatbelt, turning to Frank. "You coming in?"

Frank shook his head. "This is a moment for your family," he said, and managed only to sound a little bit sad.

Rafe didn't argue the point. "All right," he said, and grabbed the couple of bags of food they'd picked up from Company. "When should I come by the station?"

"The day after tomorrow, nine o'clock sharp," Frank replied. "I've been saving up my case reports for two weeks. They're all ready for you."

"Oh, goodie," Rafe deadpanned, and Frank managed a smile.

"Have a great day," he said, turning the key in the ignition as Rafe opened the door and stepped out.

When his car was gone from sight Rafe turned back to the house, feeling strangely nervous. Which was silly. What did he have to be nervous about? It was just his mom. And Olivia, and Emma, and the little family they'd built up together over the last six months without him while he'd been in jail, or in the halfway house. Feeling strangely like a cuckoo about to fetch up in some other bird's nest, he took a deep breath and knocked on the front door.

It opened instantly and Emma launched herself at him like a jack-in-the-box. "Mama, mommy, Rafe's here!" she yelled excitedly, bouncing up and down with glee while still clinging to his legs.

He couldn't help but laugh, swallowing his lingering fears. "Nice to see you too, Em," he said. And then his mother was there, closely followed by Olivia on her crutches.

"Raphael," Natalia breathed, crying already as she wrapped him in the longest, fiercest hug he'd had since the time when he was seven and he'd sneaked out of bed to go and play in a friend's house and Natalia had thought he was lost.

"Hey ma," he said, choking back a few tears himself. "I brought food."

And so the four of them sat down together to share their first real family meal. Buzz had outdone himself and provided all of their favourites - cheese-burgers with onions (they were key), chilli, chicken enchiladas and chocolate sundaes for everyone except Rafe, who needed to watch his sugar intake.

"I can't believe you're actually letting me eat this," Olivia murmured around a mouthful of burger. She glanced at Rafe. "She's had me on freakin' rabbit food and vitamins for six weeks."

Rafe laughed. "Yeah, my mom knows exactly how to guilt people into eating right," he said, thinking of all the times as a kid when he'd really wanted to sneak a candy bar or an ice cream to be more like his friends, only to find his mother's disapproving voice in his head talking him out of it.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "It's not a guilt trip," she said defensively. "I just want the people I love to be healthy, is that so wrong?"

Olivia smiled and threaded her fingers through Natalia's casually. "Not at all," she replied, with such warmth in her voice that Rafe looked up from his food. When he saw their joined hands he smiled and winked at his mom, who blushed crimson, but couldn't help but smile too.

"I made you a card!" Emma said suddenly, rushing off to retrieve it from the living room.

"Oh, wow," Rafe said when she came back and handed it to him. "This is awesome, Em. I love the colour."

Emma giggled. "Purple's our colour," she explained.

Rafe studied the card for a few moments. Big block letters declared Welcome Home Rafe and underneath them Emma had drawn a picture of their little family - a tall boy and a little girl off to one side playing with some ducks while two women looked on, holding hands. "This is great, Em," he said, opening it and reading the message inside.

"What does it say?" Natalia asked. "They wouldn't let me read it."

Rafe looked up at his mom who was surprised to see tears glittering in his eyes. He coughed. "Dear Rafe," he read. "It's been a long time coming but you're finally home. I know this is something your mother's been dreaming of for a very long time - and I don't just mean since you went away. What you have here - both of you - is a home where you will be safe and loved always. Wherever you end up going in life - and I just know that you will go far - know that you will always have a place here, with people who love you unconditionally and without limits. Welcome home. Love, Olivia."

He looked up. His mother was crying and Olivia was blushing and Emma was grinning from ear to ear.

Natalia wiped her eyes. "I don't know who to hug first!" she exclaimed, laughter bubbling up from inside.

Rafe shook his head. "Yes you do."

Natalia nodded. "Yes, I do," she admitted. She turned to Olivia and wrapped her in a crushing hug, which was eagerly returned. Emma climbed up on her chair and leaned against her mom's back.

"Come on Rafe," she said, gesturing to Natalia with her eyes.

"What the hell," he muttered and stood, crossing to the other side of the table in two easy strides and joining in their first - but not last - group hug.

"I think I need to take an extra shot of insulin tonight," Rafe said as he helped his mom with the dishes. "We've had a bit of sugar overload in here."

Natalia swatted his arm. "Stop it," she said, but she was smiling. "We're all just really, really happy."

"I know ma," he said gently, and looked over at Olivia who was playing cards with Emma. "You got through to her then," he added, lowering his voice a little so the woman in question wouldn't hear.

Natalia turned to watch Olivia, her eyes filling with warmth. "I did," she said, then turned to Rafe. Her happiness faltered for a moment. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

Rafe rolled his eyes. "You're impossible ma," he muttered. "You give me everything I've ever wanted and you ask if I'm okay with it?"

Natalia smiled slowly. "Everything you've ever wanted?"

Rafe nodded. "A nice home. A place to belong. A real family, with a little brother or sister and...a second parent. That's everything we came to this town to find, right?"

Tears leapt to Natalia's eyes again. She couldn't even count the number of times she'd cried that day. "We came here looking for a father for you," she amended.

Rafe shrugged. "And we found him. I had Gus in my life, even if it wasn't for very long. I don't need another father figure." He smirked. "And if I did...well, Olivia can be pretty butch."

He laughed at the scandalised look that crossed her face. "You are too much," she said, shooing him away. "Go and play with Emma. I think I'll get this done quicker on my own."

She turned back to the dishes and lost herself in them for a few minutes, basking in the warmth of her family, together and safe at long last. She was so far into her own little world that she didn't notice Olivia's approach until she was pressed up against her back, her arms round her waist and her chin resting on her shoulder.

"Hey," Olivia breathed.

"Hey," Natalia replied, leaning back into her...friend? No, that didn't even come close to covering it. Girlfriend? A little too sophomore for her taste. Lover? She suppressed a shudder. Not yet but, oh...soon. She really, really wanted it to be soon.

Olivia kissed her cheek and tightened her hold. "Are you happy?" she asked.

Natalia turned in the circle of her arms, leaning back and draping her own arms round Olivia's neck. "Very," she purred. She watched Olivia with half-lidded eyes for a few moments. "Thank you," she said at last. "For what you wrote on the card."

Olivia blushed. "It was nothing," she murmured, but Natalia hushed her with a kiss.

"No," she said. "No it wasn't. It was the truth." She brought her hand round and nudged Olivia's chin up. "And not just for me and Rafe, you know that right?"

Olivia looked away. "You don't need to say anything..." she said softly, but Natalia shook her head.

"Yes I do," she said. "You know I think actions speak louder than words. And I've shown you how I feel in every way I know how. But you need to hear this too." She took a deep breath, and ducked her head, forcing Olivia to look her in the eye. "I love you," she breathed. "I love Emma. This is your home. This is where you belong. There is nothing...nothing...you could ever do that would make me stop loving you." She smiled. "Unconditionally and without limits," she said. "I love you, Olivia."

The world dropped away and for a brief moment nothing existed but the two of them, enclosed in the bubble of each other's arms. "I love you too," Olivia said, her voice little more than a sigh across Natalia's lips as she leaned in to kiss her.

"It's rude to stare," Emma hissed at Rafe, swatting him on the arm until he returned his attention to their game. "Got any threes?"

He blinked, unable to reply for several long moments. Finally he shook himself and smiled at her.

"Go fish."