Sordid Affairs 24/?
Title: Sordid Affairs
Author: outuendo_11
Rating: PG-13
Show: Guiding Light
Pairing: Spolfe, Mactalia
Spoilers: um...no.
Summary: Olivia and Natalia struggle to make their relationship work with Rafe at home and Olivia finds a confidant in Doris Wolfe.
A/N: If you're behind you can go here> http://outuendo-11.livejournal.com/8164.html and I've posted links to all the other chapters. :)
A/N: I am back bizniches! Thanks for the comments...I hope you enjoyed the cookies prepared by the beautiful Doris Wolfe.
And so...on with the story...I hope you continue to enjoy! Read and review away...have fun! ;) Motivate me to write more to share with you lovely people. :)
Chapter 24
“Hey, I know this is kind of late notice, but I’m off work for a couple of hours and I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch?”
Natalia glanced up at the clock, realizing she had been sitting at her desk since six that morning. She had not yet taken her well deserved hour lunch break that she was given and she was certain they would be happy to let her go. “I would like that,” Natalia grinned against the phone. “Where would you like to go?”
“I know this great place down the road from the courthouse; do you want me to just come and get you?” Mackenzie offered.
“Um…yes. That would be great.” Natalia knew she was smiling like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. Mackenzie always made her feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
“Great, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“All right. See you then.”
They said their good-byes and when Natalia looked up, she found herself face to face with Frank Cooper. Her stomach quickly sank.
“You look…happy.” He soberly stated, setting several files down on Natalia’s desk.
Natalia gave him a quick, friendly smile and shrugged. “Are these for…”
“The D.A..” Frank smiled.
“All right. I’ll get them to him.” Natalia smiled back.
“Okay,” Frank sighed, giving her the once over, but knowing that she wasn’t going to divulge her happy little secret. “Well, I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Frank.”
~*~
Ashlee feigned like she was going to a nearby Jamba Juice the following morning. But instead she made her way to Ava’s apartment, having stolen the address from Olivia’s daily planner before her new ‘mother’ could wake up that morning.
She wasn’t sure if Ava would even be there, but she knew it was worth a try.
And to her surprise Ava answered the door. In a silky robe. Her hair bedraggled.
“What do you want, Ashlee Wolfe?” Ava sneered, looking a bit hung-over.
“I want to talk to you about our mother’s.” Ashlee put her hand on the door before Ava could shut it in her face.
Ava sighed and pushed the door open for Ashlee. “You can talk, but I can’t guarantee I’m going to listen.”
Ashlee stepped inside, taking in the rather disorderly state that Ava’s apartment was currently in. She followed her down a main hallway and then in to a kitchen. “Listen, Ava, our mom’s are really happy together. I haven’t seen my mother this content in…well…ever.”
“Yeah, yeah. Well my mother is often happy. It doesn’t mean this will stick. Don’t you think this is just a passing phase? A little foray into the dark side because my mother’s momentarily bored with men?” Ava laughed, pouring herself a cup of orange juice, not offering Ashlee any.
“No,” Ashlee shook her head. “No, I think that this is very serious. And personally, I find nothing wrong with what our mother’s have.”
“Okay but neither of our mother’s are gay. So they’re just doing this to upset everyone and then they’ll go their separate ways. Trust me, Ashlee…that’s what’s going to happen.” Ava shrugged.
“Actually, my mom is gay. I think I’ve known for a long time and I was very proud of her when she finally came clean with me. As for your mom, it could be passing, but I’ll have you know she was head over heels in love with Natalia Rivera for several months before she got with my mother. So I don’t think this is a momentary, fleeting thing.” Ashlee defended the two women who had come to mean so much to her.
Ava tuned to face Ashlee for the first time since their conversation had begun. “What?”
“They’re very serious about this, and I know it would make my mother feel a lot better if you would just…I don’t know…if you would…”
“What? Accept them?” Ava nearly spat. “Why would I do that?”
“Couldn’t you see it?” Ashlee cried. “Couldn’t you see how happy they were together, how your mother practically glows every time she looks at my mother?”
Ava shook her head.
Ashlee couldn’t believe Ava was being a brat about this.
“Okay, you know what? Fine. Don’t accept them. But know that you’re stuck with me and my mother from now on.”
Ava quickly advanced on Ashlee. “No, you and your mother will be gone in a matter of months. Now get out!”
Ashlee turned on her heels. “Gladly,” she cried.
~*~
Frank walked in to the station, greeted happily by a rather intrigued looking Mallet.
“What?” Frank could see it in his eyes. He had an interesting case.
“I’ve got something for you.” Mallet tossed the folder down on a nearby countertop. Frank picked it up and skimmed its contents.
“They need a water patroller for the Springfield lake?” Frank nearly laughed.
“I thought you’d be the perfect guy for the job. It’s temporary. The normal patrolman had to go out of town and they phoned in the station this afternoon, asking if we had someone who could cover his shifts.”
Frank sighed. “So you thought of me?”
“Well, you seem like the kind of guy who knows his way around a boat.” Mallet shrugged.
“It just so happens that I might know a thing or two.” Frank shrugged, grabbing the folder. “I’ll call them this afternoon.”
~*~
Natalia was seated directly across from Mackenzie. She was helpless to take her eyes off the woman before her, the smile across her lips seeming permanent since Mackenzie had arrived to pick her up.
“You look beautiful, today.” Mackenzie blatantly stated, her eyes not straying from her menu.
Natalia’s cheeks colored and she quickly looked down at her own menu. “Thank you…so do you.” Natalia awkwardly replied. “You’re very beautiful.” Natalia’s eyes betrayed her and stole another glance at the wonderful woman before her. Had she just said those words out loud? Why could she no longer control her body when she was around Mackenzie?
Mackenzie smiled, hazel eyes moving up to meet large, brown eyes.
Natalia quickly looked away, feigning interest in her menu. “So…what is it that you do? Exactly?” She realized that she had never thought to ask.
“I’m a pediatrician at a nearby clinic.”
“Have you been here long?” Natalia’s eyes wondered back to rest on Mackenzie’s gorgeous face.
“I just arrived here a couple of months ago.” Mackenzie smiled, “I lived in Chicago.”
“What made you move?” Natalia boldly inquired, sipping her water, “I mean…if you don’t mind my asking.”
“No…no not at all.” Mackenzie shook her head, reaching out to place her hand tenderly over Natalia’s.
Natalia’s eyes immediately went to their touching hands, surprised at all the emotions that flowed through her body upon the initial contact.
“I wanted my children to experience suburban life. I thought it would be good for them to get away from the city, for awhile.” Mackenzie sighed, her fingers running light circles on the back of Natalia’s hand.
Natalia looked up into distracted, hazel eyes. “Were you tired of the city?”
Mackenzie nodded. “I was just tired.”
“I used to live in Chicago.” Natalia sighed. “I miss it.”
“Sometimes I do, too.” Mackenzie smiled.
Natalia pushed her hair out of her eyes with her free hand and then rested her cheek against her knuckles. Her eyes moved to study Mackenzie’s face. “So you just left.”
Mackenzie tilted her head, her eyes staying on their hands moving together. “I needed to.”
“Needed to?”
Mackenzie took a deep breath and looked up at Natalia. “All right, we’re going to be completely honest with one another, right?” Natalia nodded. “I…I became ill and I…I just needed a fresh start. My friends couldn’t seem to deal with the fact that I was getting sick, and my job found out so they asked me to leave, and I…I just felt like it was a good time to change locations.”
“Ill?” Natalia pepped up, instinctively shifting their hands so that her fingers were grasping at Mackenzie’s wrist.
“Oh, Nat,” Mackenzie smiled, “I’m fine now. They just…they misdiagnosed my illness and it naturally got worse.”
“What did you have?”
“Well it turned out to be meningitis.”
“That sounds serious.”
“It was, at the time. But once they figured out that it was meningitis they were able to treat it. But it cost me my job.”
“How could they just…throw you out?” Natalia frowned.
“Because I made several small mistakes while I was sick and so they had to let me go. You can’t have someone messing up when it comes to children.”
Natalia nodded.
“I just…I needed a fresh start.”
Natalia smiled, running her fingers across the soft skin beneath her hand. “You’ll get that.”
Mackenzie smiled. “I hope so.”
Their waiter came and took their order, and once he’d left Mackenzie glanced back at Natalia. “Say, how would you like to come to my house later this week and meet my children.”
Natalia raised her eyebrows. “I…I would like that.”
“Good…it’s a date.” Mackenzie raised her water glass and Natalia followed suite, the crystal hitting in the middle of the table.
~*~
“Ashlee,” Olivia’s voice grabbed the young woman as she entered the pool deck.
Ashlee quickly turned to find her mother’s partner lounging on a chair by the pool, a drink in hand.
“Come, sit.” Olivia nodded towards a seat beside her.
Ashlee glanced over at the pool, finding that her mother was in the water playing with Emma. She took the seat beside Olivia, who studied the young blonde as she sat.
“You look distracted, did something happen on your way to Jamba Juice?” Olivia inquired, handing over her drink for Ashlee to try. From what Ashlee could tell it was a mimosa. Olivia certainly enjoyed drinking early in the day.
“I didn’t go.” Ashlee mindlessly stated.
“What?” Olivia turned to face Ashlee. “Where were you then?”
“I went to Ava’s.” Ashlee stated, handing the drink back.
“What? Why?” Olivia frowned, turning in her seat to fully face Ashlee.
“I just…I wanted her to see how…how happy you were with my mother and she just…she acted like it was a passing thing and I just…I went off on her.” Ashlee collapsed back against the seat.
“Well thank you, Ash, but we didn’t need you to defend us.”
“I know, but it hurt to see someone not accept you and my mother. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“Oh, Ash. I’m sorry that it hurt you. We would never want it to hurt you or Emma. But unfortunately you’re one person. There are lots of people out there who would disagree with my decision. But I can’t let that worry me. And you shouldn't either.” Olivia patted Ashlee on the arm. “In fact, your mother, I know, was quite concerned about you finding out. She was worried about your reaction.”
“Well I’m glad that my reaction was not like Ava’s.” Ashlee sighed, patting Olivia’s hand. “Doesn’t it hurt you?”
“No.” Olivia shook her head. “She’ll come around. She always does.” Olivia reclined back in her seat, her eyes traveling to her bikini clad lover.
~*~
“Ava?” Doris was shocked when she opened the hotel room door.
“I’d like to take you out to dinner. I know you’re leaving soon and I want to spend time with you…well all of you.”
Olivia smiled at Ashlee and then got up from her spot on the bed, moving to wrap her arms tightly around Doris’ waist. “All right then, let’s go out to eat.”
“Okay, but none of that.” Ava uncomfortably pointed.
Olivia laughed. “Deal.”