Devil Ride 57/57B
Title: Devil Ride
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. own these characters, not me.
This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact. It contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, real life's been crazeh!
57
When the eighth graders began their hiphop dance routine, Olivia leaned towards Natalia to whisper in her ear, telling her that she needed to go to the restroom. She got up when Natalia shifted to let her out, then threw Natalia an arched look when a misbehaving hand lightly and playfully smacked her pants-clad bottom as she edged past her.
As she walked down the hall, Olivia began noticing a few people giving her looks, averting their eyes to whisper to each other when she met their gazes. Frowning to herself, Olivia stopped, turned, and saw Natalia engrossed in the performance, oblivious to the looks that were directed her way. Curbing the urge to walk up to the next person who did that to demand to know what their problem was, she clenched a fist and kept on walking with her head held high.
She could hazard a guess as to what those looks and whisperings were for, but as long as these people did not cross their paths, she would leave it be. Having done a fair few things in her life to warrant being talked about behind her back, Olivia had learnt to live with it, and had sometimes even relished in it. But after everything that had happened, she wouldn't hesitate to rip someone a new one if they dared disrupt the peace that Natalia and she had only so recently wrangled.
She made a quick affair of using the bathroom and was washing the soap off of her hands when the restroom door swung inward. Looking up reflexively, Olivia saw Doris Wolfe's reflection in the mirror and her eyes narrowed slightly. Mallet had mentioned the mayor's name during their confrontation. Even if the man was sadly delusional, it would not hurt to be cautious. She gave Doris a nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met in the mirror.
"I know you don't know me well," Doris said haltingly, causing Olivia's brow to rise at the unorthodox greeting. "But... Alan's up to no good. I just thought you should know."
Olivia couldn't help but scoff. "When's Alan ever up to any good?"
"Nevertheless," Doris said heavily before walking towards a cubicle.
"Wait," Olivia called out, making Doris stop and turn. "Where are you in all of this?" she asked curiously. "Your telling me this means that you know, or have an idea of, what's been going on. How are you involved?"
"I'm not. I'm just... concerned," Doris edged with an uncomfortable smile.
Olivia smirked darkly, unconvinced. "Then give me something to work with. 'Alan is up to no good' tells me absolutely nothing."
Doris stared at Olivia for a long moment, as though assessing how much to reveal. Olivia straightened her stance in response. "Do you... Is your friendship with Natalia worth losing your kids over?" Doris finally asked.
Olivia's eyes narrowed, her hackles rising and her stomach sinking. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice dropping dangerously low. When Doris looked hardpressed to answer, Olivia's mind raced to scan the information that she had of Doris Wolfe and finally stumbled on one that she could use. "You have a daughter yourself, don't you?"
Doris narrowed her eyes at that. "Yes?"
"How would you feel if someone threatened you with her?" Olivia asked, choosing her words carefully. "No one fucks with someone else's children. No one should ever use children as pawns in anything. You're a mother. You -"
Olivia was beginning to build a momentum with her words when the door to the restroom flung open, admitting several loudly chattering women. She glanced at them briefly before turning back to Doris, only to be greeted by the sight of a closed cubicle door.
Olivia sighed in frustration and considered waiting for the woman to exit the cubicle, but then more women entered the restroom, and a line began forming. The event had probably ended; Natalia would be wondering where she was, and Emma would be waiting for them as well. She dug into her purse for a namecard, walked towards the cubicle that the mayor was in, and discreetly slipped it under the door. She exited the restroom, hoping that Doris Wolfe would call her to finish their conversation.
Olivia fleetingly wondered if Robert had made the gunshot wound, and whether Paul had any idea that his brother was also in Cedars. Then she brushed all her thoughts aside and sped up her walk, suddenly infused with the irrational thought that she wouldn't be able to find Natalia and Emma.
When Olivia reached the hall, she scanned the sea of people milling about and trickling out of the hall until she caught sight of Natalia standing with Emma, Harley and Raphael. She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't been aware of holding, and was suddenly acutely conscious of how stressed out she must be. Then she caught sight of Alan Spaulding approaching the small party, and her spine stiffened.
Olivia frowned when collective cries of 'Grandpa' erupted from both Raphael and Emma when she reached them. Then Emma caught sight of her belatedly and flung herself at her. "Mommy! You came!"
Olivia felt her face melting into a smile as she wrapped her arms around Emma. "Of course I did, silly. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I'm sorry you had to spend the night with Jodi... but you obviously aren't," she remarked, chuckling at Emma's bright countenance. In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that if anyone tried to take Emma away from her, she would learn how to shoot that damn gun properly and not hesitate to use it. "Did you have fun, baby?" she asked, in a bid to shake off the dark turn her thoughts had taken.
"Yes! Jodi's cat just had babies and her mom said if you say it's okay, I can have one. Can I, Mommy? Please?" Emma asked imploringly.
Olivia lifted her face and saw Natalia smiling tightly at Alan, who was talking with one hand resting on Raphael's head. Then she looked back down at Emma. "We'll talk about it when we get home, okay 'Bean? Promise."
Emma's eyes widened. "Is that a maybe?" she asked breathlessly.
Olivia had to smile at her daughter's young exuberance. "Yes, that is a maybe." Then she planted a kiss on Emma's crown and steered them forward to stand next to Natalia with Emma leaning back on her. She met Harley's eyes and they exchanged faint, polite smiles.
"I think Emma and Rafe should be at the mansion for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow," Alan said, looking at Harley and Olivia expectantly.
Olivia rolled her eyes discreetly and had to force herself to sound civil when she said, "Sorry Alan, but we already have plans."
"So do we," Harley said quickly.
"Gus said that you guys didn't have anything special lined up," Alan began, frowning at Harley.
"Sure they do," Olivia said, cutting in. "I've invited them to spend Thanksgiving at the Beacon. My treat. It must have slipped Gus's mind," she continued with a shrug and smile. "The offer still stands."
"Right," Harley said to Olivia before turning to give Alan a nod. "Yes, it would be a fantastic treat. The boys would love it, and if Gus doesn't want to join us, I'm sure he'd love to join you at the mansion, Alan."
Olivia wasn't sure but it sounded as though Harley wasn't very happy with Gus at the moment. She idly wondered if Alan's plan to break Harley and Gus up might come to fruition after all. "Cool!" Raphael said excitedly, shaking Olivia out of her reverie. She snorted softly, suspecting that he hadn't heard anything past Harley's agreement to her invitation. "Do we get free breakfast?" he asked, turning dark, shining eyes on her.
Olivia had to chuckle at that. "You drive a hard bargain, mister," she said teasingly, and her smile deepened when she heard Natalia smirk beside her. "I'll see what I can arrange." Then before Alan could raise any objections or, worse still, suggest joining them at the Beacon, Olivia turned to Natalia and said, "We should get going now, I think?"
Natalia nodded. "See you, Harley. And you too, Rafe. You were amazing tonight," she said with a wistful smile, reaching out a hand to ruffle Raphael's dark curls.
Olivia smiled faintly as she watched them. It was the first time she had ever seen Natalia and Raphael together, and it struck her just how much Raphael resembled Natalia, especially when he smiled or harboured the look of anticipation. She found herself hoping that one day, Raphael would be a permanent fixture in their lives.
"Will you be there too?" Raphael asked, tilting his head up to look at Natalia.
Olivia saw Natalia's brows furrow when she asked, "Where?"
"The Beacon. When we're there. Will you be there too?"
Olivia's lips quirked when she heard Raphael's clarification, aware just how happy the simple query would make Natalia. The dimpled smile that spreaded across Natalia's face made Olivia's heart do a tiny flip even though it was solely directed at Raphael. It was unbelievable just how sappy she had become but God, she did so love this woman--the way she looked, moved, spoke... the way she simply was.
"Mm hm. Maybe we can all do something together," Natalia said, looking up at Harley with a hopeful expression that Raphael mirrored.
"I'm sure that would be fun," Harley said simply, and Olivia felt a sudden rush of affection towards this woman whom she hardly knew.
"Bye, Grandpa," Emma said, approaching Alan with a hug. Olivia watched them and knew a moment of regret that she could never trust her daughter with her grandfather. "Happy Thanksgiving," Emma added, tilting her head up to smile at Alan.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Emma," Alan said gruffly, palming Emma's cheek.
If only Alan Spaulding wasn't the underhanded, manipulating schemer that he was. If only Emma's father wasn't lost and delusional somewhere, and could be a part of their bright and loving daughter's life. If only she didn't have such a fractious relationship with the Spauldings. If only. Then Olivia's gaze fell upon Natalia's profile and she realised that she wouldn't want her life to be any different if it meant trading in what she had with Natalia.
"Let's go, Mommy! I'm hungry!"
Emma's plaintive cry broke Olivia's reverie and made her roll her eyes and bark out an indulging laugh. "Well let's go then," she said as Emma took both Natalia's and her hands.
She could feel prying eyes on them and hear whispers buzzing about them as they strode through the hall, but Olivia didn't care. Olivia didn't care because her daughter was telling them about the little mishap during rehearsal the day before and Natalia was chuckling at Emma's goofy reanactment. At the end of the day, that was everything Olivia could ever want.
TBC
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. own these characters, not me.
This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact. It contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, real life's been crazeh!
57
When the eighth graders began their hiphop dance routine, Olivia leaned towards Natalia to whisper in her ear, telling her that she needed to go to the restroom. She got up when Natalia shifted to let her out, then threw Natalia an arched look when a misbehaving hand lightly and playfully smacked her pants-clad bottom as she edged past her.
As she walked down the hall, Olivia began noticing a few people giving her looks, averting their eyes to whisper to each other when she met their gazes. Frowning to herself, Olivia stopped, turned, and saw Natalia engrossed in the performance, oblivious to the looks that were directed her way. Curbing the urge to walk up to the next person who did that to demand to know what their problem was, she clenched a fist and kept on walking with her head held high.
She could hazard a guess as to what those looks and whisperings were for, but as long as these people did not cross their paths, she would leave it be. Having done a fair few things in her life to warrant being talked about behind her back, Olivia had learnt to live with it, and had sometimes even relished in it. But after everything that had happened, she wouldn't hesitate to rip someone a new one if they dared disrupt the peace that Natalia and she had only so recently wrangled.
She made a quick affair of using the bathroom and was washing the soap off of her hands when the restroom door swung inward. Looking up reflexively, Olivia saw Doris Wolfe's reflection in the mirror and her eyes narrowed slightly. Mallet had mentioned the mayor's name during their confrontation. Even if the man was sadly delusional, it would not hurt to be cautious. She gave Doris a nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met in the mirror.
"I know you don't know me well," Doris said haltingly, causing Olivia's brow to rise at the unorthodox greeting. "But... Alan's up to no good. I just thought you should know."
Olivia couldn't help but scoff. "When's Alan ever up to any good?"
"Nevertheless," Doris said heavily before walking towards a cubicle.
"Wait," Olivia called out, making Doris stop and turn. "Where are you in all of this?" she asked curiously. "Your telling me this means that you know, or have an idea of, what's been going on. How are you involved?"
"I'm not. I'm just... concerned," Doris edged with an uncomfortable smile.
Olivia smirked darkly, unconvinced. "Then give me something to work with. 'Alan is up to no good' tells me absolutely nothing."
Doris stared at Olivia for a long moment, as though assessing how much to reveal. Olivia straightened her stance in response. "Do you... Is your friendship with Natalia worth losing your kids over?" Doris finally asked.
Olivia's eyes narrowed, her hackles rising and her stomach sinking. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice dropping dangerously low. When Doris looked hardpressed to answer, Olivia's mind raced to scan the information that she had of Doris Wolfe and finally stumbled on one that she could use. "You have a daughter yourself, don't you?"
Doris narrowed her eyes at that. "Yes?"
"How would you feel if someone threatened you with her?" Olivia asked, choosing her words carefully. "No one fucks with someone else's children. No one should ever use children as pawns in anything. You're a mother. You -"
Olivia was beginning to build a momentum with her words when the door to the restroom flung open, admitting several loudly chattering women. She glanced at them briefly before turning back to Doris, only to be greeted by the sight of a closed cubicle door.
Olivia sighed in frustration and considered waiting for the woman to exit the cubicle, but then more women entered the restroom, and a line began forming. The event had probably ended; Natalia would be wondering where she was, and Emma would be waiting for them as well. She dug into her purse for a namecard, walked towards the cubicle that the mayor was in, and discreetly slipped it under the door. She exited the restroom, hoping that Doris Wolfe would call her to finish their conversation.
Olivia fleetingly wondered if Robert had made the gunshot wound, and whether Paul had any idea that his brother was also in Cedars. Then she brushed all her thoughts aside and sped up her walk, suddenly infused with the irrational thought that she wouldn't be able to find Natalia and Emma.
When Olivia reached the hall, she scanned the sea of people milling about and trickling out of the hall until she caught sight of Natalia standing with Emma, Harley and Raphael. She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't been aware of holding, and was suddenly acutely conscious of how stressed out she must be. Then she caught sight of Alan Spaulding approaching the small party, and her spine stiffened.
Olivia frowned when collective cries of 'Grandpa' erupted from both Raphael and Emma when she reached them. Then Emma caught sight of her belatedly and flung herself at her. "Mommy! You came!"
Olivia felt her face melting into a smile as she wrapped her arms around Emma. "Of course I did, silly. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I'm sorry you had to spend the night with Jodi... but you obviously aren't," she remarked, chuckling at Emma's bright countenance. In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that if anyone tried to take Emma away from her, she would learn how to shoot that damn gun properly and not hesitate to use it. "Did you have fun, baby?" she asked, in a bid to shake off the dark turn her thoughts had taken.
"Yes! Jodi's cat just had babies and her mom said if you say it's okay, I can have one. Can I, Mommy? Please?" Emma asked imploringly.
Olivia lifted her face and saw Natalia smiling tightly at Alan, who was talking with one hand resting on Raphael's head. Then she looked back down at Emma. "We'll talk about it when we get home, okay 'Bean? Promise."
Emma's eyes widened. "Is that a maybe?" she asked breathlessly.
Olivia had to smile at her daughter's young exuberance. "Yes, that is a maybe." Then she planted a kiss on Emma's crown and steered them forward to stand next to Natalia with Emma leaning back on her. She met Harley's eyes and they exchanged faint, polite smiles.
"I think Emma and Rafe should be at the mansion for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow," Alan said, looking at Harley and Olivia expectantly.
Olivia rolled her eyes discreetly and had to force herself to sound civil when she said, "Sorry Alan, but we already have plans."
"So do we," Harley said quickly.
"Gus said that you guys didn't have anything special lined up," Alan began, frowning at Harley.
"Sure they do," Olivia said, cutting in. "I've invited them to spend Thanksgiving at the Beacon. My treat. It must have slipped Gus's mind," she continued with a shrug and smile. "The offer still stands."
"Right," Harley said to Olivia before turning to give Alan a nod. "Yes, it would be a fantastic treat. The boys would love it, and if Gus doesn't want to join us, I'm sure he'd love to join you at the mansion, Alan."
Olivia wasn't sure but it sounded as though Harley wasn't very happy with Gus at the moment. She idly wondered if Alan's plan to break Harley and Gus up might come to fruition after all. "Cool!" Raphael said excitedly, shaking Olivia out of her reverie. She snorted softly, suspecting that he hadn't heard anything past Harley's agreement to her invitation. "Do we get free breakfast?" he asked, turning dark, shining eyes on her.
Olivia had to chuckle at that. "You drive a hard bargain, mister," she said teasingly, and her smile deepened when she heard Natalia smirk beside her. "I'll see what I can arrange." Then before Alan could raise any objections or, worse still, suggest joining them at the Beacon, Olivia turned to Natalia and said, "We should get going now, I think?"
Natalia nodded. "See you, Harley. And you too, Rafe. You were amazing tonight," she said with a wistful smile, reaching out a hand to ruffle Raphael's dark curls.
Olivia smiled faintly as she watched them. It was the first time she had ever seen Natalia and Raphael together, and it struck her just how much Raphael resembled Natalia, especially when he smiled or harboured the look of anticipation. She found herself hoping that one day, Raphael would be a permanent fixture in their lives.
"Will you be there too?" Raphael asked, tilting his head up to look at Natalia.
Olivia saw Natalia's brows furrow when she asked, "Where?"
"The Beacon. When we're there. Will you be there too?"
Olivia's lips quirked when she heard Raphael's clarification, aware just how happy the simple query would make Natalia. The dimpled smile that spreaded across Natalia's face made Olivia's heart do a tiny flip even though it was solely directed at Raphael. It was unbelievable just how sappy she had become but God, she did so love this woman--the way she looked, moved, spoke... the way she simply was.
"Mm hm. Maybe we can all do something together," Natalia said, looking up at Harley with a hopeful expression that Raphael mirrored.
"I'm sure that would be fun," Harley said simply, and Olivia felt a sudden rush of affection towards this woman whom she hardly knew.
"Bye, Grandpa," Emma said, approaching Alan with a hug. Olivia watched them and knew a moment of regret that she could never trust her daughter with her grandfather. "Happy Thanksgiving," Emma added, tilting her head up to smile at Alan.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Emma," Alan said gruffly, palming Emma's cheek.
If only Alan Spaulding wasn't the underhanded, manipulating schemer that he was. If only Emma's father wasn't lost and delusional somewhere, and could be a part of their bright and loving daughter's life. If only she didn't have such a fractious relationship with the Spauldings. If only. Then Olivia's gaze fell upon Natalia's profile and she realised that she wouldn't want her life to be any different if it meant trading in what she had with Natalia.
"Let's go, Mommy! I'm hungry!"
Emma's plaintive cry broke Olivia's reverie and made her roll her eyes and bark out an indulging laugh. "Well let's go then," she said as Emma took both Natalia's and her hands.
She could feel prying eyes on them and hear whispers buzzing about them as they strode through the hall, but Olivia didn't care. Olivia didn't care because her daughter was telling them about the little mishap during rehearsal the day before and Natalia was chuckling at Emma's goofy reanactment. At the end of the day, that was everything Olivia could ever want.
TBC