Safe and Sound

Solving the puzzle doesnt always end in a pretty picture

Lauren was still kinda in shock.

She must be missing something. She remembered saying good bye, and preparing herself to be alone and going to the club then nothing. She shook it off suddenly feeling excited. Ally was home. With that last thought in her mind the girl threw herself at the other girl, not caring there was water splashing, that she was naked, or that her arm was hurt. She hugged the other girl out of pure relief.

Ally was washing her one second and the next was knocked to the ground on her butt with an armful of Lauren, clinging to her.

"You are here! You didn't leave! Wait, are you still leaving?"

Ally had it in the tip of her tongue, yes probably the next day. But the words died in her throat. The green eyes staring at her were equally hopeful and fearful. And now that she settled it in her mind, and in her heart, she could see how little she looked in that moment. And what Ally wanted the most was to protect her and see her happy and healthy and smiling and nurture her and... well maybe ally wanted a lot of things but she also couldn't bear to leave her when she so obviously needed her. The images from the night before haunted her dreams and every time she closed her eyes she could see it. The hurt, the desperation, the brokenness.

So she made a decision. Lauren wouldn't need to be alone. She would find out what happened. And she would be there. Whether it meant she would stay there or take Lo to her home in Texas she didn't know. But she wouldn't leave her.

"'Lly?"

"I'm not, baby. I'm not."

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After putting Lauren back on the bath and letting her get dressed while she changed her own soaked clothes, Ally iced Lauren's arm and put it on the brace. She made pancakes and sat at the table with Lauren still clinging to her, eating her pancakes while the girl sat sideways on her lap, toying with her necklace and biting on it now and then.

"Ok Nena, you need to eat at least a little."

"Nooooo"

"Please baby, you can't be on an empty stomach for so long."

Her only response was turning her head into ally and bury her face in her chest.

She forked a small piece and brought it close to Lauren's face. Only for Lauren to refuse. She bit her lip for a few seconds before having an idea.

"Well I will have to tell Nala you didn't like it."

"Nala?!"

"Yeah she ate pancakes earlier and told me you really liked it! Maybe she was lying? If she did I did them for nothing! Maybe I should put her on time out..."

"NO! I like it! Promise"

"Well then... why don't you try one bite just to tell her it's good?"

"Ok! I will!"

Instead of taking the fork she expectantly opened her mouth and Ally pretended to almost drop it making her giggle.

"There you go, isn't it yummy?"

Lauren nodded and licked her lips.

"Look there's another bite and this one has extra syrup!"

It actually had the same amount but it got the girl to excitedly open her mouth, allowing Ally to feed her.

Ally managed to feed her the whole pancake and keep Lauren and herself mostly clean, with only a bit of syrup around the younger one mouth. She cleaned her face and picked her up, going to the living room and sitting down on their ridiculously comfy couch, immediately feeling the familiar suckling on her collarbone. She squeezed the girl in her arms for a long minute before regretfully separating from the girl and sitting her on the couch beside her.