A/N: HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLES!

I know it's been a couple of months and for that I am truly sorry... Although I did finish The Road to Wimbledon and what a ride that was, am I right? Were you not entertained by that?

Okay, back to this one. I know its a bit shorter than the rest of the chapters, but I wanted to get something posted for all you guys. Any grammatical errors and typos are my fault:)

DISCLAIMER: Why do you pay a couple grand at the ER department for them to say "You've got pulled muscles in your arm and it should be better in a couple weeks." only to find out a month later that you have actually slightly broken your arm? Oh and I do not (REPEAT AFTER ME: I DO NOT!) own Skins or any of the Skins characters...

Chapter 17: Hide And Seek

"Hey, Blondie." Cook greeted Naomi as she sat down for breakfast.

"How's things, Cookie?"

He looked around and noticed that they were the only ones in the room. "Where's the family?"

She shrugged, as she poured herself a cup of tea. "Not up yet. The Fitches all stayed up pretty late, so I suspect they're having a lie in."

Cook nodded, grabbing a cup of tea himself and filling his plate. "This is the third time they've been here, yeah?" He inquired around a mouthful of eggs and toast.

It had been a few weeks since the night that Emily and Naomi turned their friendship into something more and Naomi decided that she had never been happier. The following weekend, Emily had invited her family to the house and it turned out that Jenna and Rob had been having a hard time without the twins around, so Gina extended an open invitation for them to come over whenever they wanted.

Naomi felt guilty for keeping them apart, and when she had expressed this to Rob and Jenna that first weekend, they both looked at her as if she was crazy.

"I'll not hear of it, Naomi!" Rob stated emphatically. "You're keeping my Emsy safe. We understand completely."

And so every other weekend, Jenna, Rob and James would arrive and the fun would begin. It actually turned out quite nicely, because it gave Gina and Kieran someone else to talk to. While the parents talked over a nice glass of wine, the kids would play games, watch movies and invite the rest of Emily's friends over.

Last night, Cook and Freddie challenged everyone, including the parents, to a drinking game that left most of them still in bed this morning. Although, the drinking didn't stop Naomi sneaking Emily away for a bit of fun. Alone. By the time they got back to the ballroom, Effy and Katie had been the only ones to notice them missing, as they smirked at the blushing duo.

"Nai? Oi, Blondie!"

Naomi snapped back to reality as Cook grinned at her over his cup of tea. "What?"

"Christ, girl, you've got it bad, don't ya?"

Naomi smiled at him, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I'm sorry we haven't hung out as much as we used to." She apologised to him.

"Not the answer I was expecting." Cook mused out loud, as he grabbed another piece of toast and some more eggs. "What brought that on?"

"Well, it's just been you, me and Effy for so long, and then suddenly there's someone new. I know I spend a lot of time with Emily and I feel like I'm neglecting you and Effy." She explained with sadness in her voice.

"I wouldn't worry about that, Nai." Cook said as he put down his fork and looked at his friend. "You've had a lifetime of shit piled on ya, what with your dad leaving and then that Chelsea bird...," he wasn't used to heart to heart talks, had never been good at laying out what he was feeling, but the look on Naomi's face right now made him want to wrap his arms around her and comfort her, so he did.

He was terrified when Naomi started to cry quietly, but he just tightened his hold on her and waited until she was done before he spoke again. "Do you wanna know why I stayed?"

"When?" Naomi pulled back to look at him because he spoke softer than she'd ever heard him speak before. Cook usually had two levels of volume, loud and louder.

"Back when we were kids, when you changed. Didn't you ever wonder why me and Effs stuck around?" He smiled at her as she thought about it.

"Maybe a little bit, once or twice."

Cook laughed at that. "Well, it wasn't because of your winning personality, that's for sure." He said as he went back to his chair and poured himself another cup of tea.

"Then why?" Naomi asked, curious about it now. "I was such a bitch back then, and you and Effy were the recipients of my anger on more than a few occasions, so why?"

Cook contemplated his answer as he sipped from his cup, then he set it back down on the table and looked at her. He traced every scar on her face with his eyes, remembering a time when they weren't there, before looking into her eyes. "Even when you were at your bitchiest, you would get this look in your eye, like the one you had the day we met. The day you confronted those bullies as they messed with a quiet little girl." He paused as he thought back to that day. "You were something else, Naomi, you're special and you don't even know it. You saved me and Effy that day, Nai."

Naomi's jaw dropped at his words. "Wh...how do you...I mean, I don't...," she trailed off, blushing as she tried to find the right words. "How did I save you?" Naomi honestly didn't understand.

"You brought us together, you gave us a family that cared about us, cos let's face it, our own families weren't doing the job, were they? You made us believe that anything was possible, and trust me, that's a feat in itself." He grinned at her. "The rate I was going? I was heading for a life of crime and prison, and you know it."

Naomi thought about what he said and knew he was right about that, but her saving him and Effy? He was so far off on that it wasn't even funny. "No, Cook...you and Effy saved me, mate." She stayed quietly, watching a blush creep up his face as he ducked his head, avoiding her gaze.

"How about we call it a mutual saving and leave at that?" Cook stated, still blushing. He wasn't used to all this feelings shite and it made him uncomfortable. "How's about we talk about you and Lil' Red?" He looked at Naomi, wiggling his eyebrows, in true Cook fashion.

"Um, how's about not!"

Emily's husky voice floated across the room as the petite girl stepped up behind Naomi. She dipped her head to place a kiss on Naomi's cheek. "G'morning, Naoms."

"Morning." Naomi replied, smiling up at her. "How're you feeling?"

Emily shrugged. "Like the whole British army is marching in my head, but I'll survive." She reached for a plate and started filling it with food, as Cook's eyes widened. "What?" She asked as she glanced up, catching his look.

"What're you gonna do with all that?" He asked, gesturing to the food.

Emily smiled. "Well, I don't know about where you come from, but where I'm from we eat it." Naomi laughed at Emily's reply, causing Emily to laugh as well. "Don't tease me, Cook! I'm hungover and I need the food to soak up whatever booze is still in my stomach."

"Alright, alright...I'm sorry, Lil' Red." Cook conceded through his laughter. "No matter what way you look at it, last night was a top night!" The three of them agreed that the night was fun, as they continued eating their breakfast.

By the time they were finishing up, everyone else started trickling in.

"Oh, good morning, love." Jenna greeted Emily as she came in with Rob.

"Morning, Mum. Dad. Did you guys sleep alright?" Emily asked, pouring her mum and dad a cup of coffee and passing it over to them.

"Frederick needs to find a different game to play." Jenna stated with a grimace, causing everyone else to chuckle. "Or else keep us old folks out of it!"

"Well Mrs Fitch, if it's any consolation, my parents didn't fare nearly as well as you and Mr Fitch." Naomi smiled at the pair of them. "We probably won't see them for another couple of hours, I suspect."

Laughter broke out around the table, as everyone settled in to enjoy breakfast. One by one, the rest of the kids trickled in and sat down, as conversation flowed around the table.

The sneaky looks shared between Naomi and Emily didn't go unnoticed, and as Katie and Effy watched them, Jenna watched them too.

"Hey, how would guys like a tour of the studio?" Naomi asked Emily's family.

"Me too?" Katie asked shyly, never once going in all the time they'd been there.

Naomi smiled at her. "Yes, Katiekins, you too." She replied earning a stellar smile from the older twin. "So whatdya think? You can see what Emsy's hard work has produced."

They all agreed that yes, they would love to see what Emily's been doing since she arrived and an hour later, after saying goodbye to Freddie, JJ and Panda, saw Naomi in a company car, driven by Charley, with Emily and her family.

During the drive, the conversation drifted from one topic to the next, ranging from politics to pop culture. Once again, the looks shared by Naomi and Emily didn't go unnoticed, but neither Katie or Jenna said anything about it.

James asked many questions about the video game that Naomi was developing, and she took great pleasure in explaining every detail. She found him very knowledgeable and he had no problems telling her if something would or wouldn't work in the game. Naomi made the decision to have him talk to the developers when they got to the studio.

"Here we are." Naomi stated eagerly as Charley pulled into the car park.

"It's so small." Jenna exclaimed, looking at the nondescript building, expecting something a bit...bigger.

Emily scoffed at her mother's disappointment. "There's only a handful of us in there, Mum." She explained with an eye roll. "We don't need much room. And besides, Naoms and I aren't there all the time."

Jenna looked slightly chagrined, so much so that Naomi kind of felt bad for her.

"The thing is, Mrs Fitch, Emily and I bounced between here and the house, sometimes working at the main office." Naomi informed the older woman. "We do a lot of the researching for the backstory on the game, then we come here and work with the designers."

"Oh, well that seems exciting, doesn't it, Rob?" Jenna said with a smile as they all went into the building.

After Naomi and Emily introduced everyone, Naomi took James to meet with a couple of her designers, who started asking the young man question after question.

Jenna watched as a couple of young ladies came over and pulled Emily away for a moment. As the three girls bent over a worktable, Jenna studied her daughter, feeling a sense of pride.

"She's doing very well here." Naomi came to stand next to Jenna, speaking quietly.

"Yes. I can see that." Jenna smiled one last time at Emily before turning her steady gaze to Naomi. "You've done her a world of wonder, I've never seen her so...comfortable, so open."

Naomi could feel herself blush. "Well, Mrs Fitch, I really had nothing to do with that. She's an exceptional young woman all on her own, so...," Naomi trailed off, embarrassed.

"Nonsense!" Jenna dismissed Naomi's words with a narrowed glare. "I see what's going on, so you can save your denials for someone else, Naomi Campbell."

"I don't...what do you...mean?" Naomi stammered out, feeling as if she was under a microscope, which always seemed to bring out the inarticulate side of her.

Jenna kept the look for a few more seconds before realising the she couldn't keep a straight face anymore. "I'm sorry, dear," Jenna said with a chuckle, "the look on your face is priceless!"

Naomi looked around to make sure no one else was paying attention to them. "What?" She was gobsmacked at the thought that Jenna might know about her and Emily.

"I'm not blind, Naomi." Jenna replied gently. "Just...be careful with her, yeah? She's special." Naomi didn't know what to say to that, so she didn't say anything at all. "So, are you going to show me around this place?"

Jenna's request knocked Naomi out of her head and back to reality. The next hour and a half was spent showing Rob and Jenna the concepts for the game and explaining everything to them and Katie, who had ventured over when James started getting on her nerves.

Emily was still tied up with Lisa and Virginia, but she made sure to keep an eye on her family, especially her mum and dad, as they followed Naomi around. She knew that her mum knew that something was going on with her and Naomi, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

'Not even a little bit.' She thought with a smile, as she went about what she was doing. She did however wonder what her mum and Naomi were talking about, but Emily figured she could find out later.

A few hours later, the group found themselves back at Chez Campbell, the parents all settled in for a quiet night while Naomi and Emily initiated a game of hedge maze hide and seek. James and Cook jumped at the chance to team up, causing Katie and Emily to groan loudly.

"C'mon Ems, it'll be fun. We can team up against them." Naomi smirked at the younger twin, her eyes lit up in glee. "It could take them ages to find us, you know."

Emily didn't miss the look in Naomi's eyes at the thought of the long wait to be found, as desire flooded her whole body. "Um...yeah...that sounds...like a good...plan." She had to swallow thickly a few times, but Emily managed to stammer out a response.

"Oh for fucks sake!" Katie rolled her eyes at Emily's attempt to hide what her and Naomi have been doing. "Let's try and remember that the rest of us are around, yeah? If I come up on you two making out, I'm gonna throw up!"

Effy and Cook burst out laughing, as Katie glared and James got a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was trying to picture the two girls together.

"Katie, I can make no guarantees." Naomi said cheekily, holding up her hands in mock surrender smirking as the older twin made gagging sounds and Emily blushed even deeper. She couldn't help but laugh along with Effy and Cook. "Alright, let's do this, yeah?"

The six of them made their way into the maze, coming to rest in the big garden. They divided themselves into three teams; Katie and Effy, Cook and James and finally Naomi and Emily. Effy, Naomi and Cook played paper, rock, scissors to determine who would count first.

Cook and James lost, so with their eyes closed they started to count to 100, whilst Effy and Katie left through the west exit and Emily and Naomi left through the north exit.

The rules were simple. Once you were found, your team became it and counted to 50, allowing the first team a chance to hide. The safe spot was the big garden, and the winners were the team to have stayed hidden the longest.

Naomi could hear Effy and Katie laughing throughout the maze, and much like the night she and Emily spent the night out here, she felt happy. "Cmon, Ems!" She said to Emily as they made their way through the twists and turns.

Back in the garden, James was counting really loudly, making sure he would be heard. Once he was done counting, he looked at Cook with a grin. "How big is this maze?"

Cook laughed, shaking his head. "It takes up almost the same square footage as the house, mate," James groaned loudly, but Cook wasn't finished yet, "there's over 2 kilometres of pathway here, so it ain't gonna be easy kid, not when two of those girls know almost every inch of it like the back of their hand! You ready?"

"Fuck yeah!"

"That's my boy! Let's go!"

Cook and James took off running through the east exit, hoping that one team went this way.

"Fucking hell, Effy! How far have we gone?" Katie called out as Effy skipped ahead of her. "I see why you warned me about wearing my heels!"

Effy howled out a laugh. She felt like a kid again and she didn't know who to thank for that...Katie or Emily? "C'mon Katiekins! We've got to get to the Twisted Willow before they find us!" She replied breathlessly, laughter in her voice and her face glowing in the sunshine.

"The what?" Katie stopped, sure she heard the brunette wrong.

Effy realised she was alone suddenly, turned around quickly and every thought was knocked out of her head as she saw Katie standing there with the sunlight shining off her hair. The older twin had a smile on her face that just did crazy things to her heartbeat.

"You are so fucking beautiful, you know that, right?" Effy breathed out, afraid to say it any louder, but Katie heard it all the same because she blushed a deep red at the compliment.

Katie felt like a deer trapped in the headlights, because whilst she had been told on numerous occasions that she was beautiful, Effy saying it made her actually believe it. "Um...thanks?"

Effy sensed that she should have kept that thought in her head as she watched Katie mentally take a step back. "Sorry...I shouldn't have blurted that out." She chastised herself.

Katie felt weird all of a sudden, unsure if there was a meaning behind Effy's statement, but afraid to ask about it. "Look, Effy...,"

"I know, Katie." Effy replied to the unsaid statement. "It's just...you are and I really meant for that to stay in my head, but I get it, okay?"

Katie smiled at the uncharacteristic ramble from Effy. "Look, how about we get to the Twisted Willow, yeah? I don't wanna lose to my brother!"

Effy smiled at her, grateful for the way Katie didn't seem to want to run. "Yeah...let's go." She turned back around and led them further into the maze. "It's this way."

Five minutes later found Effy and Katie stepping into a small clearing, coming to a stop underneath a very large, very twisted weeping willow tree. The branches hung down with the leaves brushing the ground.

Effy stepped through the branches, beckoning Katie to follow her.

Katie hesitated for a few seconds, the thought of being hidden somewhere alone with Effy in light of her compliment moments ago confusing her, because somewhere deep down she was pleased by Effy's words and the fact that Effy said them.

"C'mon, Katie!"

"Alright for fucks sake! Hold on to your vagina, I'm coming!" Katie answered back in true Katie Fitch fashion, making Effy chuckle.

They could hear Cook and James yelling out from somewhere inside the maze, informing the girls that they were going to find them and Katie rushed under the branches of the tree, bumping into Effy.

"Whoa...slow down there, Fitch." Effy smirked as she dropped her arms from around Katie's waist, as the older twin steadied herself.

Effy expected Katie to pull away from her as quickly as possible, but she didn't. Katie take a few seconds to study Effy's eyes as if in thought, before finally stepping back. "Sorry, Effs...I-I'm...don't get the wro-,"

Effy stopped her before she could embarrass herself any further. "Calm down, Katie. I'm not going to take advantage of you, yeah?" She smirked down at the older twin. "We'll just wait here for a few minutes then make our way back to the garden." She said, hoping to put the smaller girl at ease.

Katie felt stupid all of a sudden, because for all her protests about not being like Emily, why did she feel disappointed by Effy's statement?

"In here, Naoms!"

Naomi was standing in the middle of a pathway, contemplating on where to hide, when she heard Emily's voice drift over her. "In where?" She asked turning her head this way and that, because she honestly didn't know where the red head was.

They had traveled deep into the maze, almost to the spot that both of them now thought of as their spot, when Emily ducked behind a hedge. Naomi was having a blast trying to outrun Cook and James who had, unknowingly, almost caught them when they stopped to snog against one of the trees they passed.

"Ems?" Naomi stepped toward the sound of her voice but didn't see her anywhere. "Emily, where the fuck are yo-...fucking Christ!" She screamed as Emily reached out to grab her around the waist, dragging her into the tree tunnel where she was found as a child. "Jesus, Ems! Are you trying to kill me before the curse does!" Naomi inquired playfully, as she waited for her heart to go back to its normal rhythm.

Emily's own heart had stopped beating at Naomi's words. She turned Naomi around quickly and backed her up against the wall of trees, framing the blonde's face in her hands. "Don't say that, Naoms...," Emily pleaded softly, gazing into Naomi's eyes, as they caught the last of the sunlight.

Naomi saw the tears that Emily seemed to be holding back. "Ems, I was just kidding." She brushed away a tear that started to slip down Emily's cheek.

"Don't joke about, okay?"

Naomi wanted to tell her that it wasn't her problem and that she shouldn't worry about it, but the look in Emily's eye stopped those words from slipping off her tongue. "I promise, Ems." were the words that came out instead, accompanied with a kiss.

A kiss that Emily extended into something deeper, the need to erase the thought of Naomi's curse and its outcome.

When they heard Cook and James getting closer, the girls pulled away from each other with breathless smirks and burrowed deeper into the tree tunnel, until the coast was clear for them to leave the safety of their hiding spot and make their way back to the garden. Only this time, they didn't run as they held hands, choosing instead to take their time.

It was well after midnight when the six of them wondered back into the house, exhausted, but happy.

Cook and James had bonded while on the first leg of the game, which really didn't surprise any of the girls at all, but what was throwing Emily off was Katie.

She watched Katie tiptoe around Effy, which was unusual in and of itself, but Emily watched as both girls traded looks back and forth. Effy looked at Katie with desire and something else. But what really threw Emily off was the look in Katie's eyes. It was a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

'Hmm,' she thought to herself, as she climbed into bed that night, 'there's something to keep an eye on!'

She was on the run now. Even more than before than before.

That bitch Jess had actually fucking turned herself in!

Mandy needed her and she just left her stranded!

She was running out of time. She knew this because every time she'd get to somewhere that she had been safe in recent days, she was told that someone had been there looking for her, or she'd start to dig through the mainframes of Fitch Fitness and Campbell Corp. and she found out that all her data collectors had been removed. When she tried to replace them, she'd hit a wall so thick that all the skills she had ever learnt wouldn't penetrate it.

Right at this very moment Mandy was stuck inside an eight by ten dingy room, pacing back and forth, agitated beyond recognition. Emily was hidden from her and she had a pretty good idea where she was, or rather who she was with.

Naomi fucking Campbell!

Naomi Campbell who, up until five years ago, thought the world revolved around her. Naomi Campbell, who by all accounts, used people as it suited her. Until something happened to one of those people. Until an accident that turned her into a monster.

Mandy had been able to dig deep enough to find out that Naomi was a recluse, due to the visual remnants of the accident. But she had heard enough talk around Fitch Fitness to know that wherever Emily was, she was under the protection of the Campbell Corporation.

She had followed Panda for a few weeks, thinking that the blonde would lead her to Emily, but she came up empty handed. She had even tried following that fucking tosser Freddie, but he had noticed and called someone, so she took off again.

And now here she was, stuck in the dodgiest part of Bristol, waiting for something, anything!

It wasn't even about being with Emily anymore. Fuck Emily Fitch if she thought she could turn her nose up at Mandy and toss her aside like a piece of garbage!

No, now it was a matter of pride and revenge. Revenge against Emily and Naomi. Hell, Mandy didn't even want Emily now that she had probably let that Campbell bitch touch her.

The thought of it made her stomach turn, but she pushed down the revulsion and knew her last chance was Rob and Jenna Fitch.

She had installed a GPS tracker to Rob's car, but it had been coming up empty. Now that she had Internet access again, she logged into the history and prayed that she didn't hit a dead again.

After an hour of searching through every route on the fucking thing, Mandy felt her body tense up. There in the last month and a half history, she spotted what she hoped was a break.

Four round trip journeys to a place just outside of Bath. Each trip starting around four on Friday afternoons and returning around four on Sundays.

As Mandy searched the address and didn't come up with an airport or an office or another fucking gym, she started to go mental.

One address for all four trips. An address that belonged to a Gareth and Gina Campbell.

Mandy felt like celebrating. She felt the need to go out and fuck someone, but in her haste to get out of that dingy room, she didn't realise it was almost five in the morning and nowhere was open.

'No big deal!' She thought to herself cheerfully. 'I'll do it later, properly!'

With that promise in mind she went back to her room and settled in for a nice rest. Now that she had somewhere to look, things were about to get so much simpler.

"Hey, Ems?" Katie called out. "I think I found something else?"

Emily stood up and went over to the large table where Katie had spread out all of the files that Gina had sent over.

"Yeah?"

Katie nodded without looking up. "Yeah...look."

Emily bent her head down over Katie's shoulder, following her finger along the paper and read.

She read it four times just to be sure and then she ran ha I to her desk and shuffled some files until she found what she was looking for.

"Oh my god! Katie? Do you know what this means?" Emily asked as Katie came to see what Emily was looking at.

"Um, if you think it means that Gareth might have been set up to fail," Katie stated with a touch of sarcasm, "then yes, I know what that means."

Emily and Katie stood there staring at the files that proved the doctor who was working on cancer research, the very same doctor who arranged Gareth's transportation to Tibet, wasn't even a doctor.

Alright...You guys still with me?

Yeah? Great! I've already started working on the next couple of chapters, so I'm hoping to get the next one up in about two weeks:)

Thanks guys, for sticking with me on this, every review/alerted/favorited, every nudge via PM or Twitter is very much appreciated:)

Love to you all,

Marsupial