"That's a list of all the questions they'll ask us," Dani said, glancing over as Stella flipped through a folder. They were driving to Portballintrae Friday evening, after Dani had called her parents again to say that she could make Gran's party.
"It's not just me who's coming, mum," Dani had said, "I'm bringing a friend- a, um, girlfriend."
"What?! You're dating someone and you didn't tell us?" her mother had demanded, "Who is it? How did you meet? How long has this been going on?"
"We can talk when I get there. It's only an hour drive," she said as she watched Stella wheel her suitcase to Dani's car.
"I'll make up your room then, and the guest room or will you...?" Catherine Ferrington trailed off.
"We can stay in a hotel, or something. I have to go, mum, see you," Dani said quickly, hanging up.
There was an eyebrow raise, they stowed the luggage, and they were on their way.
Stella looked over the questions again, "What am I allergic to?"
"Pinenuts, and misogyny," Dani replied, drawing a chuckle.
"And you? Any allergies?"
"Nope."
"Who sleeps on what side of the bed?"
"Who- what?"
"Well I sleep on the left side," Stella didn't let Dani interrupt, "So you'll sleep on the right if that's alright."
"Yeah," she tried to focus on the road.
"And when was your last menstruation period?"
"What?!" Dani almost swerved, "Ma'am!"
"It's Stella, remember? Mine was a week ago,"
"That was on the list?"
"Mm," Stella nodded.
Dani took a breath, "Two weeks ago."
"What first attracted you to me?"
"Um, you have a really commanding personality. You enter a room and everyone turns to listen. It's just... wow," Dani paused, "And your eyes."
Stella was silent for a second, "That question wasn't on the list."
They made it to Portballintrae without anymore intrusive questions. Dani learned that Stella had a scar on her left leg, liked hamburgers and wine, and disliked when people left lights on. Dani said that her first pet was a cat named Nibs, liked pineapple on her pizza, and had two siblings.
"Here we are," Dani said, stopping outside a seaside house.
From inside, two women emerged, and Stella belated realized that Dani's mother was bound to be around her age. Not that she'd never slept with younger men and women, quite the contrary, but she'd never met their parents.
"Dani!" the woman flung her arms around Dani, "It's been too long!"
"I know, I know mum!" Dani laughed, "Work just has me tied up-"
Stella was right, Dani's mother looked only a year or two older than her, if that.
"That's our Dani, protecting the streets. She's been busier than normal, although you probably know this," she continued, arms still around her daughter, but turning to Stella, "Especially now that she has a new boss. From what Dani says, she sounds a bit demanding, but I was starting to think Dani fancied her!"
"Mum!" Dani was red in the face, positively modified. Stella's lips quirked up in a smirk.
"Oh but where are my manners?" she held out a hand, "I'm Catherine Ferrington. And this is my mother, Sharon Byrne."
"Stella Gibson," she replied as the three shook hands. The woman obviously hadn't seen any of her press conferences.
"Pleasure to meet you," Catherine said, "And how did you and our Dani meet?"
"Perhaps you'd like to tell your mother how we met, Dani?" Stella's eyes danced with amusement.
Her fake fiance muttered something, and Catherine tilted her head, "Speak up Dani! How did you and Stella meet?"
"At work," Dani said, louder this time, "Stella's my boss."
"The demanding one," Stella specified.
"Oh!" Catherine gasped, looking embarrassed and Stella briefly wondered why she seemed to have this effect on all Ferrington women, "I didn't mean-"
"You really put your foot in your mouth this time, Cath," Dani's grandmother, Sharon, chuckled, turning to go back inside.
Dani fell into step beside Stella, "'M sorry," she said, "We can just say hello then find a hotel."
"A hotel? But you're family! You two must stay here, I insist!" Catherine had recovered for her little blunder.
"We wouldn't want to impose," Stella began.
"No imposition at all! You and Dani can stay in Dani's old room," she continued as they went inside.
"Mum, I'm sure Stella would prefer a hotel-"
"Nonsense love, we wouldn't want to be rude," resting her head against Dani's shoulder, Stella looked up at her, "It's only for the weekend, anyway."
Dani was still giving her that vague, deer in the headlights look when a tall, red-haired man rounded the corner.
"Danielle," he said, "Your mother said you couldn't make it. Busy working hard just like I taught you."
"I was able to come for Gran's party," Dani said, pulling away from Stella.
"And who is this? She isn't really your type, is she?" he said to his daughter.
The blonde arched an eyebrow before sticking out her hand, "Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson."
"Brian Ferrington, carpenter," he narrowed his eyes, "I've seen you on the telly. You're in charge of the case about the maniac."
"Serial killer," Stella corrected, "But yes."
"Oh Danielle, I thought you were better than this," Brian said, turning to her, "Sleeping with the boss? What happened to hard work?"
"Da!" Dani sputtered, "It isn't like that!"
"And what happens when this- this-"
"Woman," Stella supplied, feeling herself get hot.
"Woman is done with you? Changes her mind tomorrow? Thought that through Dani girl?"
"Yes, Da, I have thought it through- we both have! Which is why we're getting married!" Dani snapped, shaking. She pivoted on her heel, walking out, taking all the air with her.
"Congratulations," Sharon said with all sincerity, but Stella wasn't paying attention.
In the chill of the night, Stella caught up with Dani at the car, where the redhead was unloading their bags.
"I'm sorry about my dad," Dani said, not looking at her boss, "You probably should have met 'em before askin' me to marry you!"
It was meant to be a joke, and was followed by a bitter laugh. Stella pressed her lips together.
"Dani," she put a hand on her forearm.
"I'm fine! Really!" she snapped before sighing, "I just need a moment. We're only here for the weekend, ma'am, and I'm sure Da' will be better when Jaime and Alice get here."
Stella stayed silent, watching her.
"I'll be done with this in a minute," Dani continued, "Why don't you go back inside, ma'am? It's cold out here."
The blonde watched her for another second, blue eyes boring into her, before turning and walking back inside.
Dani didn't know what Stella did or said, but her father apologized the second she walked back through the door.
"I wasn't thinking, Dani-girl," he had muttered, shuffling his feet, "I just saw my baby girl all grown up and with some woman she was going to marry."
"It's alright Da'," Dani excepted his awkward hug, "Just don't talk about Stella like that again."
His eyes had widened slightly, and that's when Dani knew that Stella had done something.
"No, of course not," he said, and they mutually decided to end the conversation.
Now Dani was entirely focused on the fact that she and Stella were going to be sharing a bed- but not just any bed- her childhood bed.
Hovering outside her bedroom door she paused. What the hell was she doing? This was ridiculous, it was her own house, she shouldn't be worried about what was on the other side of the wall.
What was on the other side of the wall, was Stella Gibson, wearing a tight grey tee shirt and pajama pants. Dani tried, and failed, not to gape.
"Are you coming to bed, love?" Stella asked.
"I, uh, yeah," Dani stammered before rummaging through her things for pajamas, "I'll just go change in the bathroom-"
"Dani," Stella's voice dropped an octave, "It will look odd if you change in the bathroom, then come share a bed with me."
"Right, right," Dani turned away from her, quickly shimmying out of her work clothes and into her pajamas.
Face bright red, she looked up to see that Stella had gone back to her papers, which were spread out on the bed. Moving to her designated side, Dani carefully avoided them as she got into bed.
"Working on the strangler case?" Dani asked as Stella cleared away her work.
"Actually, no. I'm studying our questions for the interview on Monday," the blonde replied, then gestured to the light, "Are you ready to go to sleep?"
"Yeah," said Dani and Stella turned off the light, "Maybe we could quiz each other tomorrow? Get the questions and answers down a little better."
Stella setting back into bed next to her, "Yes, we could do that."
Silence settled over the dark room as they both lay still. Dani could feel the tension in her limbs as she listened to her boss breathe. After a moment, Stella rolled over.
"Dani," she whispered, and Dani turned her head, "Thank you for doing this, it means a great deal to me."
"Of course S-Stella," Dani faltered over her the newness of her name, drawing a smile, "It's my pleasure."
Stella hummed in response, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips, before rolling away to fall asleep.
Dani laid awake in the darkness for several hours after, thinking about the sleeping woman beside her.