Chapter Rating: PG
"Natalia"! Olivia yelled, now frantic. The wounded head in her hands simply rolled forward when she dropped a hand to grab Natalia's wrist. She held her chin up with the other hand as she felt for a pulse. Pressing her fingertips firmly into a predominant vein she felt a heartbeat that was strong and even.
Gotta wake her up; she searched her brain for the best way to do that. Instinctively, she reached over to the inside of Natalia's right arm and firmly pinched the skin. This was a trick Sam would use to get her away from him when they were tickling each other or play-fighting, usually ending the matches altogether. Hurts like a sonofabitch, she thought, she can't possibly sleep through that.
She was right. Although Natalia didn't open her eyes nor recoil her arm, she did, however, roll her head to the other side of the headrest. "Time to wake up sleepy-head." Olivia said in a sing-song voice. She picked a new spot on the arm and dug in her nails and fingertips, nearly twisting the flesh.
Natalia's eyes finally opened and, she was startled to see a blurry figure crouched in between her legs. For reasons unknown to her, this person had a hold of her head with one hand and the other was around her wrist. She panicked and moved her head desperately from side to side to shake out of the grip.
"Woah, slow-down, it's okay... you're okay," Olivia said gently, recognizing the fear in the disoriented woman's eyes.
"Where is he going?" Natalia asked in a frightened voice.
Olivia was taken aback by the question. "He is taking us to the hospital..."
"We are already at the hospital." Though her eyes were open, Olivia now understood that Natalia was still lost within whatever dream she had fallen into.
"Natalia..." she started calmly, wanting to bring her back to reality.
"No!" Natalia cut Olivia off and grabbed unto to her hands. "You have to tell daddy to stop! I've changed my mind; I don't want to do this!"
Olivia unbuckled Natalia's seat belt and moved back to her own seat. She shifted Natalia's shoulders and drew her down towards her so that her head rested in her lap. Natalia moved on to her right side to avoid putting pressure on her wound, and curled up into as much of a ball as the back seat cushion would allow. Olivia ran her fingers gently through her hair with her left hand, and with her right, she made wide, warm circles on the frightened woman's back. She didn't know what Natalia was talking about but she wanted to sooth her back into lucidity.
"Natalia, you were dreaming," she said re-assuredly. "You are in your limo right now, and it's just you, me and Bobby McGee." She couldn't resist trying to add a bit of humor to the terrifying situation. "Bobby is taking us to the hospital because you've hit your head on... well, I have no fucking clue what has smashed in your cranium or how it happened but we are going to the hospital to get you fixed up, okay?"
Natalia looked up at Olivia from her fetal position in her lap. Her eyes seemed to be calmer now, more focused. "Spencer?"
Olivia had never been happier to hear the other woman refuse to say her first name.
"Yeah," she smiled down at her, "it’s Spencer."
"Oh... Hi." Natalia said drearily and looked back down. Her body seemed to release the tension it was carrying, and she sank further into Olivia's embrace. She reached her hand up and took one of the drawstrings from the front of Olivia's skirt that was hanging inches away from her face. She twisted it around a few times in her finger before releasing it again and moved on to the hem of Olivia's shirt. She slowly slid her hand underneath the fabric and upwards until her finger's met with skin.
Olivia had kept up her own ministrations, but her hand slowed when Natalia's had begun its wanderings, and she almost stopped altogether when she felt fingertips brush along the sensitive skin of her midsection.
"Ummm... watcha doin'?" Olivia said casually, not wanting to upset the fragile woman.
Natalia stroked the warm flesh with the back of her fingers, running along as much of Olivia's lower abdomen as was obtainable before being restricted by the skirt. "You gave birth to a daughter," she said in deep contemplation.
Olivia was again confused, not knowing whether that was a statement or a question. Perhaps she is wondering whether or not I actually conceived. "Yes, I gave birth to Emma," she answered.
Natalia still looked as though she were processing something. "Your daughter trusts you."
Certain that this was a statement, Olivia replied regardless, "Yes."
"She needs you to protect her."
"I know."
Natalia looked up at Olivia, the sadness on her face wrenching the breath from Olivia's lungs. "Don't ever steal the light from her eyes," Natalia said softly. "Don't ever rob her of her joy."
The raw emotion of the words fell so heavily upon Olivia's heart she thought it might shatter into a million pieces. She stopped stroking Natalia's back and brought her hand over to cup the side of her face. She ran her thumb along Natalia's cheek several times. Who was it that stole your light Natalia? she wanted to ask. Instead she whispered, "I never will."
As Natalia turned back into Olivia's lap, Olivia turned to look out the window. Both women kept touching each other with lazy strokes, now more out of thoughtless instinct than for comfort and reassurance. Each were acutely aware of the fact that this was the first time they had gotten so close to each other without being consumed by the furious fire of anger, or being controlled by the mindlessness of their desperate desires. This moment was mutually cherished. And for both, it was far too brief.
The limo pulled up to the emergency entrance of the hospital.
"We're here, up you get." Olivia helped Natalia back into a sitting position and steadied her as she opened the door. She crawled over top of her to get out, for some reason unwilling to use her own exit. She needed to keep at least one hand on the bleeding beauty in order to ease her own fears. She guided Natalia out of the car and propped her against the side, allowing her to get her bearings.
"You with me Rivera?" she asked before they moved.
"Until the glorious moment when I get to be without you?... Yes, I am."
Olivia smirked. "Good to have you back. Now let’s get moving, I have giant pain in my ass that I need to get treated."
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Natalia was now lying as comfortably as possible for being in a hospital bed. They had just been ushered into the private room. Getting the room was no easy feat and it involved Olivia using the phrase 'Do you know who I am?!' twice before she realized that, of course, they really wouldn't. She was then attempting a second verbal barrage of 'Do you have any idea who she is?!' when, finally, Natalia reminded her that they owned hotels, not senate seats. She decided to switch her approach and asked Natalia how much money her family had donated to the various hospital programs and research/development funds. The reluctant younger millionaire gave a ballpark figure and, miraculously, the hospital staff was more than willing to accommodate their every need.
"See? It may not buy love, but it sure can squeeze the very best out of our shoddy health-care system," Olivia grinned, pleased with her efforts.
Now that Natalia had been given the okay by the attending nurse, she closed her eyes without fear of being beaten back into consciousness by the woman pacing at the other end of the room. Every now and then she opened her eyes to see Olivia still walking back and forth, anxious for the doctor to finally get there.
"Would you please sit down, you're making me dizzy."
"Well, I am no physician, but I'm fairly certain that it's the half-inch crater in your skull that is probably to blame for that."
"Sit down. Now."
Olivia hesitated, more so out of not wanting to give in to a direct order.
"Fine." She relented and moved to the chair beside Natalia's bed. "So how exactly did you end up with that... contusion between my suite and the boardroom, anyhow? I mean, I do remember really wanting to hit you over the head, but I don't actually recall doing it."
Natalia rolled her eyes. "Don't know. I think I must have bashed myself over the head to try and forget the entire afternoon."
Olivia simply stared, not looking as amused as she just was.
"I fainted."
"Huh," Olivia narrowed her eyes in thought. "I like the image of me bashing you over the head so much more."
"I’m sure you do."
Another nurse finally came in to take preliminary tests and irrigate the wound for the doctor to take a look at it. When the doctor entered the room moments later, he checked out the gash, ordered the nurse to get everything ready to stitch it up, and went through a list of questions as he did so.
"So how did you injure yourself, Ms. Rivera?" he asked.
"I got really dizzy in my hotel room and everything went dark. Woke up on the floor with a killer headache."
"Anything around you?"
"Oak coffee table."
"Looks like you free fell into the corner of it."
Olivia winced at the thought as well as the fact that Natalia was clutching the side of the bed in pain as the doctor pushed a couple of sutures through her already angry skin.
"Feels like it too." Natalia hissed.
The doctor laughed. Olivia wanted to smack him.
"Are you prone to fainting spells?" he continued.
"No."
"Were you undergoing any kind of physical event at the time? Elevated heartbeat… emotional distress... could something have triggered panic?"
Natalia looked directly at the woman above her who seemed to be wanting to hear the answer more than the doctor did. They exchanged a knowing glance before Natalia looked down at the bed.
"No." She replied quietly.
Olivia closed her eyes and looked away.
"I was drinking before the incident, and I was looking out of a high-rise window."
The doctor nodded his head, "Well that could do it I suppose, but I want to get the blood results back, check everything out to be thorough. Blood sugar, pressure, pregnancy test."
"If I was pregnant, I wouldn't have been drinking," Natalia said indignantly.
"Oh, no, of course not, I wasn't implying you would..." He startled stumbling over his words. "I'm just saying that I want to rule out the possibility. You could be in very early term and not know it. When was the last time you had intercourse?"
Olivia spun back around, suddenly very intrigued in the conversation. Natalia closed her eyes and muttered obscenities in her head.
"Long enough ago to know that I am not pregnant."
"Well, with all due respect, some women don't find out as late as their fourth or fifth month."
Olivia waited with her lips clamped shut to avoid a huge smile.
"Then like I said... not pregnant. Can we drop it now?" She glared at the doctor.
The doctor took the cue, finally, and finished what he was doing. He told her he would be back to dismiss her when the test results came back, took his chart, and left.
Olivia sat there with one elbow on the edge of the bed, resting her head on her hand and staring amusedly at the newly embarrassed younger woman.
Natalia knew it was inevitable. "Go ahead, get it over with," she said defeatedly.
Olivia finally smiled the big toothy grin she had been holding in. "So... less than half a year? Or over?"
Natalia sighed and rolled away from Olivia.
"Over? Seriously!" Olivia's eyes went wide and she took a deep breath.
"Oh goody, here it comes," Natalia muttered.
"Did your Italian mime do his vacationing in prison this year?"
Natalia clenched the bed-sheet at her waist.
"Did you forget which parts went where and decided to give up entirely?"
"Are you finished?"
Olivia held up her finger. "Not by a long shot," she said. "Guess you've answered my question about why you came to my room, huh?" she laughed.
"Spencer…"
"Seriously, how do you not have carpal tunnel?
"ENOUGH!" Natalia yelled. Olivia sat back, stunned, silently knowing she had pushed it too far.
"It was personal decision that I made for reasons that I will never discuss with you," she said quietly. " I am propositioned everywhere I go, and I could very easily have anyone in the world that I desire," she turned to face Olivia, dark eyes staring intently into green ones. "And I came to your door, Spencer."
Olivia could only stare back as she tried to absorb the serious meaning of what Natalia had just admitted.
"So go mull it over in that thick head of yours for a while, why don't you. Right now, I'm going to do my best to slip into a coma so that I don't have to deal with you any longer." She rolled back around and closed her eyes.
Olivia just sat there, not quite sure what to say. Natalia knew she had basically just sabotaged her chance of adhering to the 'I was drunk, it was a mistake' defense, but she couldn't take it back now.
"I want you to leave." Natalia said.
"No."
"Look, I am grateful for your assistance. I know how many 'moral codes' you must have had to simulate having in order to not just let me die on the boardroom floor."
"You're welcome... I think?"
"But I'm fine now, all sewn up, so you don't have to stick around."
"I know."
Natalia sighed. "Why are you being difficult; I basically just said thank you!"
"I heard you."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"An apology." Olivia said quietly.
Natalia looked down at her hands as Olivia continued. "I could actually say that I'd like an explanation but we both know you are just going to continue to lie to me... and yourself."
"Well since I'm such a liar then... Fine! I'm sorry!" Natalia shot back. "Guess we don't know for sure whether or not I truly am, huh?"
Olivia sat looking at her for another moment and then raised herself out of the chair and placed her hand unto the bed next to Natalia’s head. She leaned over top of the motionless woman placing her other hand to the other side of Natalia's waist. She slowly bent down and placed a reverent kiss on her forehead. Natalia didn't breath. Her skin burned where Olivia's lips pressed against it. Her heart beat wildly in her ears. Olivia brought her face down within inches of the other woman's. Natalia looked into knowing eyes.
"Yes, we do, Natalia," were Olivia's last words before she slowly leaned in and lightly captured Natalia's lips between her own.
It was a simple kiss, but it said everything that the two women had needed to say to each other, wanted to say to each other, but couldn't. Because both knew they would never bow to the other. This kiss revealed to both of them what had tried to remain hidden under insults and anger. It was the enlightening glimpse of what could have been and the promise not to forget what never was.
The kiss ended as slowly as it had begun. And both women kept their eyes closed as Olivia finally broke the silence.
"Goodbye, Rivera," she whispered.
"Goodbye, Spencer," Natalia whispered back.
Olivia straightened up and made her way around the bed. This time she didn't look back. She kept telling herself there was no longer any reason to. She was almost to the door when Natalia's voice reached her ears again.
"Do Unto Others," Natalia said quietly.
Olivia turned to face her.
"What does that mean..."
"The Golden Rule for women like us Spencer... Do unto others before they do unto you."
Olivia understood that she was finally getting her explanation, and her heart sank inside her chest.
"No hard feelings?" Natalia asked, her voice shaking.
Olivia straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath.
"No feelings at all." She nodded to Natalia and turned around to reach for the door.
This time Natalia did hear the door close. She tried to feel her heart grow cold once again. She closed her eyes and tried to embrace the usual numbness, but she couldn't. She quietly accepted her fate.
Her heart was never going to be the same again.
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