Coffee, Cake and Covert Secrets
A/N: Surprise! Wishing the happiest of birthdays to my favourite fellow German gal, my gaming nerd, the beloved sunshine of the best group of friends I ever had. May you have cake, cat cuddles, and may that effing Frozen Pony of Ridiculous Drop Rates finally be yours today. I love youuuu 💛💛💛
Warning: mentions of pregnancy
The rain was pouring from the grey skies in heavy curtains, drenching the ground and dripping from the trees at the edge of the forest. Lizzie hurried through it, along the last bit of the muddy pathway ending toward the tiny cottage, through the lush green front yard and found shelter beneath the porch.
She wiped the rain from her eyes and shivered; even for the end of August, it was surprisingly cold in this region of North England. She felt chilly to the bone and drew her coat, which she wore open over her loose jumper, together as best she could. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard before the door opened to reveal a woman of Lizzie’s age, with a blonde ponytail and strikingly green eyes.
“Lizzie!” Samantha beamed, opening her arms and closing them around Lizzie a second later. “I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Me too,” Lizzie smiled back at her old friend. “Sorry I didn’t make it for your actual birthday. I wasn’t feeling well.”
“A stomach bug?” Samantha suggested with a sympathetic look. “People have been getting sick left, right and centre.”
Lizzie hummed in response. “Something along the lines.”
It was only now that Samantha seemed to notice the drenched state Lizzie was in. “Don’t tell me you walked?” she gasped with a mixture of incredulity and concern. “Why didn’t you Apparate?”
“I felt a little queasy this morning, definitely not well enough to Apparate. Good thing I know how to drive, don’t I?” Lizzie nodded to the old car parked at the beginning of the dirt track leading up to the house, now barely visible through the rain.
“You could have used our fireplace.”
“I could have, I guess,” Lizzie said evasively, “but I wasn’t sure you were hooked up.”
That was a lie. Lizzie knew full well that the cottage Samantha was living in was connected to the Floo Network, but the thought of the awful spinning sensation that came with travelling by Floo powder had been enough to put her off the idea.
“Now you know for next time.” Samantha frowned. “Is everything alright? You look pale.”
“I’m just tired. And wet,” Lizzie added, her eyebrows rising. “Can I come in?”
“Of course! Sorry,” Samantha stepped aside to let Lizzie in, colour rising to her cheeks. “No wonder you’re tired, what with a baby and all.”
Walking past the mirror in Samantha’s hallway, Lizzie had to admit that Samantha was right. She looked tired, her skin pale with dark circles under her eyes.
“How’s little Dylan? And where are your men anyway?” Samantha continued to chat over Lizzie’s silence, either not noticing or pretending not to notice. Lizzie was grateful for it.
“They’re having a boys’ day,” Lizzie smiled as Samantha led her into the living room. “The weather wasn’t as bad at home, so they’re probably doing something fun on the beach. As much fun as an eight-month-old can have on a beach, that is. In any case, I’m glad to get out of the house for a change.”
Samantha’s living room was small but cosy, with a big fireplace and fluffy carpets on the floor. The shelves were filled with trinkets and souvenirs, reminding Lizzie of her great-grandmother’s study at Fraser Hall. She sat on the sofa and reached for a colourful pillow, reminding her of the ones her friend Charlie had in his lodge at the Romanian dragon reserve. She laid it across her lap and leaned back into the cushions, feeling the tiredness tug at the borders of her mind.
She and Samantha chatted for a while, about how Samantha had spent her birthday, their families, the weather. Lizzie was trying to focus, but the way she absentmindedly pulled on one of the tassels on the pillow across her lap wasn’t lost on Samantha.
“Do you really not want a coffee? It’s no bother to make one.”
“You don’t drink any. Please, don’t make an effort for me.”
“It wouldn’t be,” Samantha protested. “I keep some in the house for guests anyway.” A mischievous smile was forming on her face. “I could add a shot of whiskey if you like. Irish naturally.”
“No, and especially not with Irish whiskey,” Lizzie shook her head and sighed. “I’m not doing that at the moment.”
Samantha touched her forehead with her palm. “Of course, you’re breastfeeding.”
Lizzie paused. “Yeah, that.”
Their conversation drifted away from the topic. Samantha told Lizzie how much she relished her newfound freedom after the war, and how now - after more than a year since the Dark Lord had been defeated - everything had slowly but surely returned to a fragile state of normality.
“It’s like life just went on,” Samantha sighed. “We lost so many, and yet, here we are as if nothing ever happened.”
“Strange, isn’t it?” Lizzie mused. She chuckled wryly. “Though I didn’t have much choice in seeing how quickly life continues.”
“I bet that whole pregnancy came out of nowhere,” Samantha laughed, not noticing Lizzie’s distinct lack of comment. “But now everything’s going back to normal for you, too. As normal as the life of a Quidditch player gets, that is. Are you excited to go back to playing soon? The season’s about to start, isn’t it?”
Lizzie suddenly looked uneasy. “It is. But I’m not going to return.”
Aghast, Samantha blinked several times. “Merlin’s beard, why not? I thought you were looking forward to it!”
“I was,” Lizzie sighed, picking at a loose thread on the pillow, before letting go of it with a sigh. “But I won’t be allowed to, for at least another year.”
Lizzie waited with bated breath as Samantha processed the information. When the pieces finally fell into place, Samantha’s green eyes went wide.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered, leaning slightly forward. “You’re not pregnant again, are you?”
Feeling a mixture of relief and misery, Lizzie nodded somewhat unhappily. Samantha squealed and jumped off her seat, hugging Lizzie so tightly that she struggled to breathe for a moment.
“That’s fantastic news! How long have you known? When are you due? Do you know what it’s going to be? Do you even want to know?”
The sheer enthusiasm Samantha was putting on display made Lizzie laugh after all. “I’ve known for a bit now, I’m due next spring, and no, we don’t know, but it doesn’t matter anyway. If the new baby is half as relaxed as Dylan, I’m perfectly happy with anything.”
“Does Orion know yet?”
“Judging by how loudly I cursed when I found out, probably all of Montrose knows. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me throw the bottle with the test potion against the wall,” Lizzie added wryly and then sighed. “Certainly wasn’t one of my stronger moments.”
“You’re not happy about it then?” Samantha asked, suddenly looking apprehensive.
“No, I am,” Lizzie hurried to reply, placing her hand onto her stomach beneath the wide sweater in an unconscious movement. “It’s just really soon after having Dylan, and it’s all a lot. And it means saying goodbye to Quidditch for another while… if not completely.”
The sad look on Lizzie’s face made Samantha reach out, lightly touching her arm. Lizzie gave her a grateful smile and visibly pulled herself together.
“I didn’t come all the way by car to talk about myself and the consequences of being hormonal and reckless, though,” she said determinedly before breaking into a small giggle. “I’m here to celebrate a birthday, even if it’s late and only with sad, whiskey-less tea.”
Samantha’s face lit up. “Do you know what goes with tea and birthdays? Cake!”
Lizzie laughed, feeling a lot lighter now that her secret was out. “I had a feeling you were about to say this. Is it from your birthday still?”
“Obviously, I was. And no, I baked it this morning. There’s nothing better for the soul than chocolate cake,” Samantha called out as she vanished into the kitchen. Lizzie heard the clatter of plates and cutlery before she returned with two huge slices of cake, a fork sticking out of each. When she stopped to set one of the plates down in front of Lizzie, she suddenly looked worried.
“You can still do chocolate cake, right?”
Lizzie laughed and picked up her fork. “There’s only one way to find out.”
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The Extra Mile
Summary:
Norman has it's fair share of tourists every year, but rarely do people move to the town to stay.
And yet, this year, there's a new tall, dark, handsome stranger every month.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard, Coats & Male Shepard, Coats/Abby Williams
Characters: Male Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Tadhg Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Niamh Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Caleb Shepard (O'Connell - OC), Jacob Taylor, Illusive Man | Jack Harper, Kelly Chambers, Rahna, Harbinger, Samantha Traynor, Urdnot Bakara | Eve, Barla Von, EDI, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Conrad Verner, Sarah Williams, Ashley Williams, Abby Williams, Coats, Alec O'Connell (OC), Iain O'Connell (OC), James Vega
Tags: Mass Effect, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hallmark AU, Established Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Comedy of Errors, New In Town, Meddling Kids, Milkshakes, Sibling Bonding
Excerpt:
Pursing her lips, Ash speared a noodle and held it out to her sister. A peace offering, even if there hadn’t been a fight. “Hey, chin up, buttercup.” As hoped, Abby frowned at the old nickname. “You never know - maybe…things are starting to change. Maybe this new friend of Caleb’s will be tall, dark, and handsome, too.”
“He’s got a heck of a track record. The pair of men who followed him to town are smartass redheads,” Abby reminded her.
“True,” Ash conceded, “but this is our fantasy.” Watching Abby stick to her rule about carbs at lunch, Ash popped the noodle into her own mouth. “So, what do we think Caleb’s friend looks like?”
Abby considered the question, the lines in her forehead smoothing out. “You know…I don’t need him to be tall. Taller than me, but who wants to stand on a box to kiss their man? Wouldn’t mind broad, though.” She grinned at the image. “I like a man with shoulders.”
Ash chuckled, but said nothing.
“And…short hair, I think.” Propping her chin on one fist, Abby shifted her gaze to the maybe-real flowers as she sketched out her maybe-real man. “That military style is pretty sexy.” She flicked a glance at Ash. “I’m going with decent moral standing and base intelligence as a given.”
“You don’t want to date Kevin?” Ash asked, reaching for her own iced tea.
“Service to your country is attractive,” Abby replied. “Community service because you’re a dumbass is not.” A pause. “Dark hair, to go with his eyes. ‘Eyes like the sea after a storm.’”
Ash’s lips twitched. “And does your Dread Pirate Roberts have a scar? A long-faded cut across his cheek, that he refuses to tell you where he got it from?”
“Yes, and don’t forget a nice voice.” Abby grinned so Ash knew it was coming. “Proper British, if you please. And kinda gravelly, like he’s growling when he talks.”
The next installment of The Town of Norman series!
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