A/N: Hello? Yes, it's been a long time since I last updated...I'm sorry:( Please forgive me?
I offer this to you all:) I'm doubting the quality of this chapter, and if it's not up to par, I apologize.
This is for Tiffythetitan:) She knows why...
A special shout out to Kathrynplove, who did a massive marathon read of this while patiently waiting for TRtW to be updated;)
Also, to RosesAndSkulls, who currently writing an awesome fic called "An Unending Night", so if you haven't read it yet...I implore you to stop reading this and go read that! (Is it wrong that I listen to the song "Porn Star Dancing" when I read that fic? I don't know, but go read and then let me know...hahahaha!)
Alright, on with the story!
Any typos/grammatical errors are all mine.
Disclaimer: Never in a million years could I ever hope to own Skins...or the Beauty and the Beast...unless the zombie apocalypse happens, then it could be a possibility;)
Chapter 8: Hiding and Restlessness
Emily sat behind the old wooden desk that had been found for her, contemplating going down to the kitchen for something to eat, but then thought better of it. Mrs. Potts, or Thelma, as she had insisted on being called, had admonished her for being up and about already a couple of times. Even though it had been a month since she left the hospital and ended up at Casa De Campbell.
'Fuck!' Emily thought to herself. 'A month already?' The last thing she recalled about that night, was the soulless look in Mandy's eyes, and then nothing. She woke up a couple days later, to find Katie and her mum sitting by her bed and then finding out about what happened and the surgery for the shattered, broken ribs she had. There had been the fear that a couple of those ribs had punctured her lungs, but they didn't, her left lung had collapsed, so they had to fix that. The doctors also thought she might have had a cracked skull as well, but thankfully her head was well intact, her dad chalking it up to the Fitches being hard headed.
She found out later, when Naomi, Effy and Gina had shown up at the hospital, about Katie accepting Naomi's job offer. At first she was mad, but after talking with Katie, Naomi, Gina and Jenna, it actually made sense. But it still made Emily cringe, knowing that Katie made that decision for her.
On the other hand, Emily had found out that Effy and Naomi stayed most of those couple of days at the hospital, one or the other, sitting beside her. The thought of Naomi caring, even just a little bit, brought a small smile to her lips as she turned in the chair and stared out the window.
She was about to say fuck it and go down to the kitchen anyway, when a knock sounded at her door.
"Come in." She called out, not turning to see who it was.
"Good morning, Emily." Gina greeted her, stepping fully into the room that served as Emily's lounge/office. "How are you feeling this morning?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
Emily turned then at the the sound of the older woman's voice. She smiled at her before answering. "Good morning, Gina. I'm good, thank you."
Gina smiled at her, moving to sit at the desk. "I just wanted to let you know that I've spoken with your mum, and her and Katie will be by later, along with your doctor." Emily groaned at that info, causing Gina to chuckle. "Now, come on, luv, you know it's for your own good. If everything looks good, you'll be able to start working."
Emily groaned again, not being able to help herself. The thought of her mother and her over-smothering ways was driving Emily crazy.
Jenna Fitch had made it a habit to show up almost every other day, which was fine for the first couple of weeks they moved her into Naomi's, but once she was able to start getting up and move around it just became a nuisance. Not that she didn't love her mum, because she did, but Jenna was worse than Katie at being over protective.
"Well, that's something at least." Emily replied, smiling at the older women. "I'm actually starting to go a bit crazy not being able to do anything."
Gina laughed lightly, understanding what she meant. She had to deal with Naomi being bedridden for those first few terrible months. "I will say this, dear, you're a much better patient than Naomi was." Gina stated nonchalantly, speaking before thinking about it.
Emily jumped on the chance to ask her what she meant. "Was that during the time after her accident?" She asked, hoping it didn't sound too eager, and praying that she would get an answer.
"What?" Gina responded, mentally kicking herself for the slip. Before they brought Emily home from the hospital, Naomi made it clear that nothing was to be said about the curse, her scars or the work that they were hiring her to do, until she was cleared by the doctor with a clean bill of health. And while Gina didn't agree with Naomi, she went along with it.
"Gina?" Emily watched as the older woman went off somewhere in her mind.
The older woman snapped back to the here and now, smiling at the red head. "Yes, it was." She answered Emily's original question. "I'm going to go make sure tea is ready for when your mum and sister get here."
Emily watched, in frustration, as Gina got up and left the room. 'Fuck!' She knew she had to tread lightly when it came to questions about Naomi. 'Great, Emily! Didn't you learn anything at the party a month ago?' She thought to herself.
She turned back to stare out the window, thinking about the time she'd already spent here. She's spent loads of time with Effy, Cook and Gina, but very rarely did Naomi make an appearance at her door. She's asked questions about everything, and only sometimes did she get an answer. It was more than a little bit frustrating, but what could she do about it? Emily was after all, under their protection from Mandy, so it's not like she could be ungrateful.
But the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to get to know Naomi. She wanted to find out everything she could about the mysterious blonde, but it felt like she was being held at arms length.
Emily stood up and made her way out of her rooms and went down to the kitchen. As predicted, Thelma chastised her for walking all the way from her rooms upstairs down to the kitchen, but then her face softened as she ushered Emily to the small table and fixed her a light lunch.
Emily liked the older woman, and once she got her to open up, she became a fountain of information about the residents of the house. Almost every question Emily asked was answered, except anything having to do with Naomi. After she finished eating, she thanked the older woman and started making her way back to her room.
Walking back down the hallway that led to the back staircase, Emily heard voices coming from behind a closed door to one of the rooms. She knew she should just keep walking, but she heard Naomi's voice and couldn't help herself, as she leaned her head toward the door.
"Naomi, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Effy shouted, which threw the blonde off. Effy had never raised her voice for anything before, so Naomi was finding it increasingly disconcerting. "Look, I know you're just as upset as the rest of us over what happened to Emily, but fuck girl, you are playing with fire."
Naomi sat and watched her best friend pace back and forth. "I don't really see what the issue is here." She said, then watched as Effy looked at her as if she had just spoken in a foreign language. "What?"
"Stalking Mandy is not the way to help Emily, Naomi!" Effy stopped pacing and sat in the chair next to her friend. "Jesus, that's all we need is Mandy filing a complaint against you."
"I haven't done anything, Eff. I just happened to be where she was by coincidence." Naomi said with a shrug, knowing that Effy would be all over that.
"Right, coincidence my ass!" Effy smirked. "Four times in the last three days? That's not a coincidence, that's harassment!"
"Whatever. I haven't done anything wrong." Naomi defended herself. "I'm just keeping an eye on her, that's all. Katie's still working at the gym, and their brother is still going to school. I'm just making sure that Mandy isn't planning anything crazy, that's all."
"Naomi," Effy reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze, "we have to let the authorities handle this, yeah? It has to be done right! This cannot come back to you at all! Fuck, if it was just a matter of retribution, I would have let Cook handle it his way when Emily was in hospital."
Naomi's shoulders slumped as what Effy was saying started to sink in. "You're right, I know you're right, Effy, but she put her hands on Emily!"
"No she didn't, Nai." Naomi's hackles raised at Effy's protest, but the brunette stopped her outburst with a look. "Mandy did not touch Emily, but it is her fault, Nai. We know it is."
Naomi sat quietly, thinking back to that phone call from Katie. She had tried to talk the twins into staying the night, but Emily had to be at work early the next day, so she insisted on going home.
She found out later, after she got to the hospital, that Emily had convinced Naomi's driver to just drop them off at the kerb, which caused Naomi to become so furious at him, that she turned on him and growled. The poor man blanched at the sight before him, and she actually felt like ripping him apart, until Effy and Gina intervened.
Charley explained how he had driven down the road, but turned around at the corner and went back. He told Naomi that he'd had a bad feeling, and when he had gotten back to the Fitch house, the four girls were already attacking Emily.
Naomi found out that he had called 999, and hurried to help Emily. Katie had already run back down to see what was taking her sister so long.
It had been a fucking mess, Katie said. Emily was cut and bleeding, a lot, and if it hadn't been for Charley coming back, who's knows what would've happened to her.
"Naomi!" The blonde was brought back to the present at the sound of Effy's voice. She had a smirk on her face, as she watched Naomi. "Cook is handling the situation, legally, so stay away from Mandy, yeah?"
Naomi was going to protest, but she saw the look in Effy's eye. "Fine! Fucking whatever!" She snapped out, as she stood up, ready to storm out of the room.
She made it to the door before Effy called out to her again.
"Naomi?"
Her hand touched the knob, but Naomi dropped it back to her side as she turned around to face Effy once more.
"What?" Effy didn't say anything first, as she looked at her, which made Naomi nervous.
The brunette shook her head at the blonde in slight exasperation. "Why don't you check on Emily today?"
"Why? She doesn't need me checking up on her, she's got you and Cook, oh and let's not forget Gina or Mrs Fitch and Katie." Naomi said, a hint of grumpiness in her voice, bringing a smile to Effy's face. "She doesn't need anyone else hovering over her."
"Naomi, you've been to see her three times since she's been here." Effy smirked, raising a delicate eyebrow at the blonde, challenging her. "Don't you think it'd be a good idea to start letting her get to know you?"
Naomi was on the verge of protesting, but thought better of it. She knew that Effy would only pester her until she did it, and to be honest, she wanted to see the red head. She had so badly wanted to sit with her every day, and that's why she forced herself not to.
"Fine!" Naomi growled out, not looking her friend in the eye. "I'll go and check on her, are you happy?"
Effy was ecstatic, but she clamped that feeling down. She didn't want to give Naomi the satisfaction of seeing her jump up and down with joy, so she merely rolled her eyes and shrugged. "So happy, I'm about to burst." She said, dryly.
Naomi gave her the Campbell Eye Roll, and then turned back around, muttering under her breath, as she turned the knob and wrenched the door open, storming out of the room.
Effy watched her go. After she had given the blonde enough time to make it down the hallway, the laughter she was holding in came out, bringing tears to her eyes.
"She's too much fun to wind up." Effy said, wistfully, to herself, as she went back to the paperwork she had been doing when Naomi came in. "Almost like old times."
Emily flung open the door, practically falling into her room before slamming the door closed and leaning back against it, trying to catch her breath. Her ribs hurt like a bitch, due to the fact that she ran most of the way back to her rooms when she heard Naomi's voice close behind the door.
She berated herself for listening to her and Effy's private conversation, but she couldn't help herself. She'd been cooped up in her rooms since she's been here, Emily felt as if she would go crazy soon, and Naomi presented a mystery too huge to ignore. After her heart stopped trying to beat its way out of her chest, she pulled herself away from the door. As she walked further into the lounge, she thought about what would have happened if Naomi had caught her eavesdropping.
She was walking around the desk, thinking about the strange conversation between Naomi and Effy, when there was a quick knock, and then her mum's head peeked in.
"Morning Emily." She said with a smile. "Gina said you were awake."
"Hi, mum. Yeah, I've been up for a while." She replied. "Come on in."
Jenna walked into the room that would be her daughter's home for the next year, looking around at the furniture and the artwork adorning the walls. She felt her heart clench at the thought of what had happened to Emily, and the guilt that Jenna felt was sometimes overwhelming.
"Where's Katie?" Emily asked her, bringing her back to the present.
She smiled at her youngest daughter, remembering when she was little. She had always known that Emily was different from Katie, but she hadn't wanted to press the issue. She'd had a very strict upbringing, so she promised herself that when she had children of her own, she would never subject them to the strict rules that she had been forced to live by.
"Mum?"
"What?" Jenna once again drifted off into her thoughts. "Sorry, Emsy. Uh, Katie is downstairs, talking with Effy and Naomi and waiting for Jared."
"Oh." She replied to her mum. Emily felt a pang of jealousy at that bit of information. Why wouldn't Naomi come and talk with her? She thought about the conversation she had heard earlier, and couldn't figure it out.
"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" Jenna asked, concern in her voice. She had heard the disappointment in Emily's voice, and knew that something was upsetting her.
"Yes, mum, everything's fine." She told Jenna, hating the way her voice sounded all whiny and childish. "Sorry, I'm just sick of being stuck here all day with nothing to do. I really hope Jared says I can start working."
Jenna smiled at her, reaching across the desk and grasping Emily's hand. "You never were one to sit idly, especially if there were things that needed to be done." She said, her smile making Emily feel comforted.
The two of them sat talking for another thirty minutes when Katie burst through the door, followed by Emily's doctor, Effy, Gina and Naomi.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fitch." The doctor greeted Emily, while nodding towards Jenna, "Mrs Fitch."
"Oh please, Jared, I've known you since you were in nappies, so we can't cut the Mrs shite!" Jenna retorted, causing the young doctor to blush.
"Aunt Jenna! I'm trying to be professional." Jared blushed in embarrassment at being chastised in front of everyone. "Do you always have to make me feel like a child?"
"Can we please get on with this? I'm ready to climb the walls here!" Emily said, exasperated. "Mum, leave Jared alone."
"Sorry, sweetheart. I apologise, Jared." Jenna said with a smirk, knowing that he was trying to impress the other girls in the room. "How about we leave the two of you alone." She stated, standing up.
"That would be wonderful. I've got tea all ready downstairs." Gina said to the rest of the group, ushering them toward the door. "Come along, Naomi."
Naomi looked between her mum and Emily, feeling a little apprehensive, but she made up her mind.
"Actually, if it's alright with Emily, I'd like to stay?" She asked, keeping her eyes locked with Emily's. "If you don't mind?"
Emily's heart jumped. Just the thought that Naomi wanted to sit with her made her heart jump. She was suddenly aware that she was required to answer Naomi's question.
"Oh, umm...yeah, sure...that's not...," Emily blushed furiously, as she stuttered like an idiot. She stopped, took a deep breath to collect herself before she tried again. "No, I don't mind, thank you."
Naomi could stop the smile that graced her face, but awkward Emily was seriously fucking adorable. "Are you sure?"
Emily nodded this time, not wanting to embarrass herself any further, and then turned to Jared.
"Okay. Let's get this over with." She told him with a smile.
Gina led everyone else out of the room, while Emily headed into the bathroom to take off her clothes and put on a robe. She knew that Jared would want to check everything out, not just her ribs.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Jared sitting close to Naomi, having pulled the chair he was sitting in right next to hers and jealousy ripped through her as she watched him trying to talk to the blonde.
Emily couldn't help it. She had practically grown up with Jared, his mum and hers being close friends and all. And even though he was almost ten years older than her, they used to be pretty close until he went to Uni, and then to med school. When Jenna told her that she was having her case transferred to him, she felt a bit awkward about it at first, but he had a way of making her feel at ease, so now it was no big deal. But seeing him sitting there, just being able to be close to Naomi like that, was too much for her to handle at the moment.
Emily coughed loudly to get their attention. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked, fake sweetness in her voice, causing two pairs of eyes to snap up and look at her. She looked back and forth between them, noticing guilt in Jared's, but the fear and anxiety she saw in Naomi's almost made her tell Jared to leave. She was about to say something, when she saw Naomi shake her head slightly, as if telling her not to bother.
"Okay, Emsy, let's see what's happening here, yeah?" He said, as he gestured Emily to the chair he had just vacated.
He reached into his bag, bringing out Emily's file, a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope and went to work checking her vitals.
After all the small things were finished, he put his equipment back in his bag. "Okay, kiddo, can I get you to remove the robe and I'll need you to sit on the desk like last time, okay?"
She stood up and suddenly felt nervous. The last couple of times Jared had been to check on her, she'd been alone or with her mum. Having Naomi in here scared her on two levels. The first level being that this would be the first time Naomi would see the extent of the damage Mandy's friends had inflicted on her, even though it wasn't as bad as when it first happened, it was still pretty ugly, and the second being that she was going to be standing in front of the blonde in just her bra and knickers.
Now, normally the red head would jump all over the chance to be half-naked in front of a woman, but with Jared in the room with them, it just made it weird.
"C'mon, Emsy. You wanted to get this done with, right?" He smirked at her, causing her to blush.
"Shut up, Jared." Emily said, almost under her breath. She untied the belt and let the robe fall to the floor.
Emily couldn't help the thrill that went through her as she caught the look on Naomi's face, as she stared at Emily's body.
Naomi's eyes raced up and down, trying to take in every last detail of the petite body in front of her. Even with the ugly, fading bruises left from the attack, it was still the single most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. Emily took her breath away, and she didn't know how to cope with the sensory overload she was experiencing at the moment. Naomi wanted to run, but at the same time, she never wanted to leave this moment.
She watched as Emily went and sat on the desk, raising her small frame to be level with the doctor. He checked the cuts and abrasions along her body, making sure they were healing, before he moved on to checking her ribs.
Naomi watched as he started moving his hands across Emily's torso and around to her back, pushing gently against the bruises that had almost faded. Her eyes snapped up to Emily's, when she heard a gasp come from her, and noticed a grimace on her face.
"Still a bit tender there, Emsy?" Jared asked, concern written on his face, as he continued to check her over. "Have you been resting?"
"Yes, Jared!" Emily said, ducking her head. "That's all I'm allowed to do, until you say otherwise."
Naomi smirked as Emily pouted like a scolded child. She did notice that the other girl blushed deeply and looked guilty at the question, but she didn't know why. As far as she knew, Emily hadn't left her rooms since she arrived. She shook her head and tuned back into what they were talking about.
"Well, I'm gonna give you the go ahead, Emsy." Jared finally stated after another ten minutes. "You'll have to stop into the office in a few weeks, so call and set up an appointment with Janice."
Emily's head popped out of the bathroom door, where she was getting dressed. "Really?" She asked excitedly, as she stepped back into the room.
Jared looked at her and laughed. "Yeah, squirt. You're good to go." He looked back down at the chart he was scribbling in. "But you're still gonna have to take it easy, yeah? No classes at the gym for another couple of weeks at least." He informed her, not aware that she wouldn't be there.
"Don't worry, she won't be doing anything like that." Naomi stated firmly from behind him. "She'll be shuffling papers soon." She said, answering the questioning look he had.
"Oh, I didn't know you quit working for your parents." Jared said, making conversation now that he was done.
Emily and Jared spent a few more minutes talking about her new job, while Naomi stayed mostly silent, watching the two of them, only answering when asked a question. They walked him downstairs, and Emily showed him out.
When she shut the door, she turned around and came face to face with Naomi, who had waited for her in the foyer.
"Well, looks like we can get started, Emily." Naomi smirked at the relieved look on the red heads face. "Are you ready for this?"
"Absolutely." Emily replied with a smile, as she followed the blonde down the hall.
"So what we have here is a standard employment contract, yeah? Once you sign these, you'll be issued an employee ID, Effy's got all the payroll forms that you'll have to sign, and then later, we'll take you on a tour of Campbell Corporation." Cook stood at the table laying out the forms, grinning like a lunatic. "Do you have any questions?"
Emily sat there feeling strangely overwhelmed, and she did have questions, but she didn't think they'd be answered so she shook her. "No, I think I'm good." She glanced over to Katie, wondering if she had the same feelings as her.
They were all sat around a large table. Gina, Naomi, Effy and Cook, along with Emily, Katie and Jenna.
"I have a question." Jenna spoke up. "When will they be able to come home?" She asked, her voice cracking on the last part.
Emily looked over at her mum and saw the heartbroken look on her face. "It'll be fine, Mum."
Jenna smiled at her, reaching out to rub her shoulder. "I know it will, it's just...neither of you have ever been away from home before."
"I know, Mum, but now you can spend more time trying to straighten out James." Katie replied with a smirk, causing everyone around the table to laugh. "And besides, like Naomi explained in the hospital, this is a two-way win, yeah? Emily gets protection from Mandy and money for Uni."
Naomi cleared her throat, knowing that Jenna asked the question for a reason. "Mrs Fitch, I understand this is a huge change for your family, but rest assured that she'll be safe here." She received another smile from Jenna before continuing. "As it states in the contract, the employment term is one year, for both Emily and Katie. And as discussed, the living arrangements for both of them are for their safety."
"Jenna, we're working with your man, Doug." Cook offered his piece. "We'll get Mandy, rest assured. Two of her friends have already grassed her up, and the police are doing their best to crack the other two." He paused to let his words sink in, noticing the semi-relieved looks on all three Fitch women. "We just need to draw Mandy out, but having Emily or Katie out there puts Emily in danger."
Gina had sat quiet next to Kieran, but she understood Jenna's concerns, and felt the need to discuss them. "It's alright to be scared, Jenna. These are your children and you're being asked to put their lives in someone else's hands. That's scary in itself, dear. It's a mother's job to keep her children safe, but sometimes you have to let go." Gina smiled at the look of understanding in Jenna's eyes. "Trust me to keep your daughters safe. I promise that I'll treat them like I treat my own children." She gestured toward Naomi, Effy and Cook.
Jenna sat in silence for a few minutes, turning Gina's words over in her mind, trying to decide if the woman was telling the truth. "Okay." She simply replied, looking at her daughters. "I trust you Gina," she said looking around the table, "I'll trust all of you."
Gina smiled at the other woman, as Cook continued going over the forms with the twins.
And hour later, Emily and Katie were saying goodbye Jenna. She gave both girls a kiss and a hug, causing them to blush.
"Now, Katie, I'm expecting you home tonight. You've got to be at the gym first thing in the morning to finish training the new girls."
Katie sighed and rolled her eyes before answering. "Yes, mum, I know. I'll be home by seven, yeah?" She replied, feeling like a twelve-year-old all over again. "Just go already, will you? You're embarrassing me."
They watched as Jenna's car heading down the long drive. Once she was out of sight, Effy appeared at the door.
"You two ready?"
Katie and Emily jumped at the sound of her voice, neither one knowing that she was there. Effy merely smiled at them and beckoned them into the house.
Katie looked at Emily with a smirk. "Are you ready for this?"
"It's now or never, yeah?" Emily replied with a smirk of her own. "Come on, let's go see what the mystery is all about."
The twins walked through the door of the Campbell house, more curious than they'd ever been in their life.
Emily studied the book in her hand as if it held the answers to all her questions, before looking over at the papers that lay on the desk. When she signed Naomi's contract two weeks ago, making her Naomi's research assistant, she was finally allowed to know what the job was.
A video game.
A video game based on history, wrapped up in the myth of witchcraft. That's what the mystery was all about.
Emily knew that Naomi headed the software division of Campbell Corporation, but she wanted to step away from PC software, switching over into the console market. They had been responsible for creating some of the most progressive environmental and educational software, winning awards left and right, but with the decline of the personal computer, Naomi felt that changing their platform would be much more beneficial and still be able to get education out to children. Emily thought it was a brilliant idea, Katie on the other hand thought it'd be something a little more glamorous.
Not that it really mattered what Katie thought. She was Effy's PA and was always out with her, running errands, going into the office, so it's not like she had any reason to bitch and complain anyway. But Emily was finding it all exciting. She was deep into census reports and historical documents at the moment, sitting in Naomi's office and so focused on what she was doing, that she didn't notice when Naomi came in and sat in the chair across from her.
"Finding anything interesting?"
Emily jumped, her heart beating really fast. "Damn it, Naomi! You scared the shit out of me!"
Naomi laughed at the look on her face, unable to help herself. "I'm sorry. I thought you heard me come in." She said through her tears.
Emily glared at her, making the blonde laugh even harder. "Are you done yet?"
Naomi tried to control herself, but every time she looked at Emily, she would lose it again.
"Naomi!"
"Okay, I'm stopping now." Naomi wiped away the tears, as she sat up in the chair. "I'm sorry, Ems, but it was too funny."
Emily stopped scowling at Naomi, feeling something shift between them at the simple use of the nickname. She lowered her gaze, when she saw Naomi staring at her.
"Did you need something?" Emily asked quietly, causing Naomi's insides to flutter at the huskier than normal voice.
The blonde sobered up real quick and began to fidget in her seat, thinking she had done something wrong.
"Oh, um...yeah. I just came in to see if you were almost ready to meet with the developers?"
Naomi wanted her to meet with the designers and scriptwriters for her project, that way Emily would have a better understanding of what she needed to be researching. Naomi had explained what she wanted to a couple of the developers that worked for her, and they just ran with the idea, so as long as she could keep everyone on point and keeping everyone in line, it was the perfect cover story.
As they pulled away from the office, Naomi was deep in thought. The last two weeks had been nothing short of what she called a pleasurable torture. Working so close with Emily had its advantages, but also it's disadvantages. Naomi had found that Emily was meticulously organized and hated more than anything to deviate from her schedule, much like herself. Also, Emily was funny, smart and very easy to listen to, which she had figured out a couple of months ago, at the ball.
'Wow! Has it only been a couple of months?' Naomi asked herself, feeling as if she'd known the red head for longer than that.
Emily too, was letting her thoughts run rampant. She sat and watched the scenery out the window of the car, very aware of the blonde sitting next to her. The last couple of weeks had been kind of up and down, to say the least. It had taken that long to get the hang of working with Naomi, who could turn into a bitch at the drop of a hat. And even though most of that attitude had been aimed at Lara, Effy or Cook, Emily still felt the tension from it at first.
The two of them split their time between Naomi's office in the city and the house, which was fine with Emily, because the Campbell residence came equipped with the largest personal library that she had ever seen, causing the hardcore reader in Emily to think she had died and gone to heaven.
When Naomi showed the great room to Emily, she felt her jaw drop at the beauty of it. It had three levels of floor to ceiling shelves, complete with rolling ladders. As the red head look around, she noticed first editions, rare books, historical documents, census reports, autobiographies, fiction and audio recordings. Some of the books came in various languages and it made Emily's continuously pulsing body tingle even more. More often than not, when they were working from the house, she could be found in the library. There had many times that Naomi, Effy or Katie found her curled up on the chair next to the huge fireplace, asleep.
Neither one of them noticed when Charley slowed the car and came to a stop, only realising when he opened the door for them.
"This is it?" Emily asked, eyeing the nondescript building on the outskirts of the city skeptically.
Naomi smiled as she followed Emily out of the car. "Yeah. It's not much, but it serves its purpose." She explained, leading Emily up to the small, deserted looking building. "C'mon, Ems. Time to meet the crew."
"So what you're telling me is that it's time to get my geek on?" Emily smirked at her.
Naomi laughed as she reached for the door. "Yeah, something like that."
Emily loved making Naomi laugh. She loved hearing it and knowing that she was one of a select few to hear it, made her feeling pretty fucking special.
She followed the blonde through the door, walking down a hallway that led into a large room. Four guys and two girls, all looking to be around her age came out of individual offices. Naomi made the introductions and then it was all business from there. The two girls, Lisa and Virginia, were the ones working on the concept of the game, while Lucas, Kane and Finn were working on the base design, and a slightly older guy, by the name of Mason, along with Virginia, would be writing the script.
It was a long day, but Emily felt it was productive, when after listening to everyone's ideas, she got a clearer picture of what was going on. After six hours, Naomi decided that Emily needed to rest, calling a halt to the meeting. Emily groaned, but she knew Naomi was right, because she was feeling a bit run down. So after saying goodbye to everyone, they headed for home.
Emily couldn't explain it, but she was excited to really get into this research. She knew it was going to take a lot of hard work to find what Naomi was looking for, because she had never heard of the Children of Gemini before, even though everyone in that room insisted that they exist.
'You wanted something different, Emily. Looks like you've found it.' Emily thought to herself, before drifting off to sleep in the car.
Naomi watched as the red head closed her eyes, wondering how in the world she was supposed to make Emily fall in love with her.
'Cheer up, Naomi!' Naomi groaned as Sophia's voice popped into her head. 'You're doing a fine job.'
She looked over, making sure that Emily was asleep before saying anything. "What do you want, Sophia?" She asked, making sure to keep her voice at a whisper.
'Just offering encouragement, yeah? Also, I wanted to remind you about Ash-,'
"Yes, I know, Sophia. Why do keep reminding me?" Naomi asked in frustration.
'I'd hate for you to get distracted, Naomi. You know how you get sometimes, what with your one-track mind, and all.'Sophia responded, giggling inside Naomi's head.
"I won't forget this year, just like I didn't forget last year, or the years before that!" Naomi responded through clenched teeth. "Please, just leave me alone, Sophia. Please?" Naomi begged, expecting a response from the voice in her head, but after a few minutes with nothing, she relaxed a bit, thankful that Emily was sleeping during the exchange.
Naomi felt the weight of the past few years settle on her shoulders, and she found herself tired of it all. As she herself closed her eyes for a brief nap, she didn't notice Emily's head turn toward her and brown eyes staring at her in confusion.
Okay, I know I've left it hanging once again, but I'll try not to leave it for so long this time.
As some of you may know, I suffered the loss of a beloved family member to suicide, hence the delay in updating this or The Road to Wimbledon:( It just felt like every time I sat down to write, my heart would ask me "what's the point?"
It's not something I'm ever going to understand, and even though it hurts like fuck, we have to keep living, right? So this is me dealing with it...I've cried my tears and let my feelings out by writing a couple of songs, and now I'm ready to let go...
I'm just telling you this because I've had a couple of readers ask me if I was giving up on my stories... and to that I say "Hell no, I ain't giving up!" It may take me longer to get chapters posted, but I will finish this:)
Thanks so much to each and every last one of you who have read/faved/alerted/reviewed!
Marci