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"Remind me again why we have to do this?" Haley's sitting on the couch of her new apartment, pretending to read her textbook as her girlfriend brews a pot of coffee in the kitchen and tosses two bagels in the toaster, "Because I have a lot of reasons why we can't make it to your mother's house, Em. I'll even pretend to break my arm again."
Emily grimaces as she glares at her girlfriend, Haley’s laughing to herself as she looked up from the couch, “I think I’m still scared from seeing your bone, Hales. No thanks.”
As if she’s reading from a list, Haley looks down as Emily opens up the cupboard, grabbing her favorite mug as she pours Haley a cup, adding a little bit of cream and two packs of sugar. “Alright, we could say that your car broke down.”
“I know how to fix most car troubles, honey. I’ve been driving most of your life and either way, that's not a valid excuse for my mother."
“You’re only ten years older than me, Emily.” Something Haley loved, a constant turn-around in their relationship.
Emily was older and wiser. Haley had coined that immediately, visiting her at work, leaving notes in her lunch and stealing kisses in the bathroom in between classes.
Haley wasn't even our college. She hadn't ruined anything yet. She had her entire life ahead of her, hopefully with Emily by her side.
"Which we're not going to tell my mother, Hales. If she asks, you're at least twenty-eight. A grade school teacher. Something you've always wanted to be."
Haley frowned, they had just celebrated her twenty-second birthday together last week with the rest of her friends.
Emily didn't belong there. Haley hadn't let go of her the entire night, the real star of her show. She frowned, reminders of sadness on her hollow blue eyes. "Em. Are you ashamed of me?"
Her throat run dry. Emily almost bloodied her palms as she held the coffee pot, the everlasting sadness sweet on Haley's lips . "Of course not, sweetheart. My mother… she's a lot, Haley. And she's never liked me, so I can't imagine she'll like you. Mother despises anyone that makes me remotely happy and you're my entire world, honey."
"You could say that I got sick. And you could just go by yourself."
"Then she'd know we're pulling a fast one on her. Sorry, honey." Emily walks around the couch, sitting bedside her as she hands her breakfast, setting her coffee on the table in front of her. "We have to go."
"We could say—"
Emily cradles her cheeks softly, cutting her off as she chuckles."I'm sorry, baby. We have no choice. She wanted to meet my partner."
"You did tell her you have a girlfriend?" Haley questions. Well aware she's being coddled on purpose. Emily's quiet and Haley can't help but pull away. "Emily."
"She knows I'm gay, Hales. Mother just chooses to ignore that."
"So she's going to hate me." Haley lets out a rescue breath, although, it's not doing her any good, she still can't properly breathe afterwards. Resting her head on Emily's broad shoulders, she sighs. "Great."
"If she says anything mean to you… I'll tell her to stop." And then, for good measure, storking her long blonde hair. "Nobody gets to hurt my Haley."Emily says, in between kisses, "Ever."
"I love you."
"I love you more, Haley."
Brooks sighed before standing, "You sure you don't want to hear the rest of my excuses?"
Emily laughs, humoring her as she takes a bite of her bagel, grabbing Haley by her waist as she held the plate in her direction, red hot eyes since she hadn't taken a bite. "Of course, baby. But you need to eat first."
Haley shakes her head, pacing around the living room as she fixed her shirt, or her hair, trying to perfect everything about herself. "I'm really not hungry, Em."
"You need to eat, honey."
"Emily, I'm fine."
"Haley." Her voice was borderline intimidating, standing and following her, resting cold hands on her shoulders as she pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You're beautiful. You need to eat something, sweetheart. My mother might kill you if you try and upstage her evening by passing out."
"I'll just tell her I'm pregnant."
Emily chuckles, handing her the bagel as she takes a small bite. "How far down on your list was that one, Hales?"
"Ten. Only because it's biologically impossible, but I kind of want to see her face when I tell her."
"Don't." Emily, the voice of reason says, and then, "Not until I've had at least two drinks."
"But you're insistent on driving us home." Haley whines, but deep down, she hates driving and loves that she's found someone to do everything for her.
"Wonder why." Prentiss teased, moving a stray hair behind Haley's ear as she kissed her lips, waiting for her to finish breakfast.
—
Emily's hands are anxious, using Haley as a guide instead of ripping her cuticles apart as the love of her life grasped her hand a little tighter, well aware of her anxiety when it came to Elizabeth. Haley felt the same way with her mother, Nancy. Had decided it was better if she didn't tell her parents she was in a relationship, especially with a woman that was almost in middle school when she was born. "I could trip on the step, baby." Haley says, voice so light it almost starts something in Emily, smiling as she looked over to see Emily motionless as they walked up the stairs. "Roll my ankle."
"Haley." Emily tilted her head softly, pupils enlarged as she shook her head, a brief smile tugging at her lips. "Sweetheart. I'm sick of seeing your bones."
"A rolled ankle means my bones are still intact, Em."
"No."
"It would be fine—"
Emily stiffed her shoulders, lowering her voice as she tried to get Haley to stop, wondering why she thought his was a good idea in the first place as Elizabeth cleared her throat. "You sure baby?" Haley asked, edging her ankle against the stair as her girlfriend panciked. "Because I won't mind, especially if it means—"
"Mother." Haley froze. Struck with fear she she slowly turned her shoulders towards the door, seeing Elizabeth Prentiss for the first time, a villian that only lived in Emily's stories — a carbon copy of her daughter, likewise. Emily anxiously fiddled with her free hand as she smiled. "Hi."
"Emily." Her eyes darted towards Haley, a scowl stuck on her lips at the inappropriate comment. "Who's your friend?"
Haley extends her left arm as she grinned. Elizabeth is hesitant but shakes it anyway. "Haley Brooks. I'm Emily's girlfriend."
Elizabeth's eyes almost bulged out of her face as she invited them inside. "Shoes go here." She explains, for Haley as she began to slide off her high heels. Emily doesn't break contact once, scared her mother might hurt her if she did. "Haley, are you old enough to even drink?"
Haley clenched her jaw. They had prepared for this.
"Mother." Emily's voice was even more condescending than Elizabeth. Haley didn't mind it. Could take the punches as she smirked.
"Is she even legal, Emily?"
"She's an adult."
"You avoided my question." Elizabeth says, grabbing a bottle of wine as she poured herself a glass. One for Emily as well.
"She's not that young, Mom."
Elizabeth takes the first sip, sitting down at her kitchen table as Haley and Emily do the same. Haley doesn't know what to say, feels Emily's hand on the small of her back as she argued. "Why won't you say how old she is?"
"Why is that the first thing you fucking want to know?"
"Language, Emily."
"Mom." Her arms raise in defeat, tears pooling in her eyes not even five minutes in. She hadn't seen her in half a decade, not at any of her graduations or ceremonies honoring her. Elizabeth didn't care about Emily. She knew this. "Why is everything an argument?" She exhaled, steady eye contact on her mother as she kept sipping her wine condescendingly. "You wanted to see me and meet my partner. Haley's fantastic, Mother. You'd love her if you got to know her."
Elizabeth almost choked, letting out a light laugh as Haley frowned. "I don't know why I agreed to this." Emily says, running a stressed hand through her hair. "Mom, you haven't even hosted us. You promised dinner."
"You said you had a boyfriend." Elizabeth countered. "The guy who did my security clearance a while back." She racked her brain for a name, using her wine glass as an indicator. "Aaron."
Haley's silent, shaking her head as she looked over at Emily. "That was my boyfriend, actually…" Elizabeth's eyes popped as she stood, setting out a board full of various snacks as Haley bit the inside of her cheek. "Emily never dated Aaron. We were engaged actually—"
"So you always go for people twice your age?"
"Mother."
"Emily. She's probably not even twenty!"
"She's twenty-two!" Emily shouted, not bothering to reach for a cracker as Haley takes a piece of cheese. "Jesus, Mom. What do you want from me?"
Elizabeth was quiet, sitting back down as she covered her knee of her left leg. "Nothing." She says, "Dinner's ready if the two of you feel up to it."
Haley smiles. "Thank you, Elizabeth."
"I'm not staying." Emily says, making her mind up as Haley looked over at her, seeing the tears strolling down her cheeks as she cried. "I can't listen to you moan about my personal life anymore."
"Emily, you haven't even given me a chance—"
"I have. Plenty of times, Mom." Emily stood, waiting for Haley to join her as she talked quietly, anxiously. "You never loved me. I'm not sure why we keep pretending like you did."
Elizabeth fixed her shoulders, a sadness washing over her as Emily moved. She knew this was the last time they'd see each other for a while. Saw the way Emily was planning to never come back. "I'm sorry." Her mother admitted. "I'm glad that you're happy, Emily."
Emily nodded, turning her back and walking towards the door, peering her head back one last time as she says, "Thank you." The door closed behind her and the shocked expression on her mother's face stays with her for days. She's silent on the drive home. Haley suggests they order pizza and finish off the pack of beer in the fridge, watching a movie together as they snuggled up close.
Emily has work to do. Haley has homework. But the smile on her lips was real, gently caressing Emily's hand as she drove, agreeing to make her feel better.
"I'm sorry about my Mom." Emily says at a red light, turning her head slightly to smile at Haley. "I shouldn't have brought you into that."
"I'm fine, Emily. I was able to flip her off under the table while you were arguing."
Emily laughed. A real one, one that came deep from her belly as Haley leaned over the center console to kiss her cheek as the light changed colors. "I love you, Haley."
She knew that. Held onto it so tight. "I love you even more, Emily."
The pizza's the worst she's ever had and all the broadcasts are terrible, but Haley puts her head on her neck, so close that Emily can feel the silk from her pajamas on her skin and doesn't let go under she falls asleep. There's laughter and inside jokes that fly overhead. Emily's never been so happy in her life. Slowly lifts Haley off the couch hours after she falls asleep in her arms, not wanting her body to ache the next morning. She tucks her in tight, kissed every inch of her body before waking around and sliding beside her. Emily wishes it cold always be like this, and when she closes her eyes, she knows it will be.