Brian rushed back in the blizzard where Nova was as soon as he saw her on the ground. She was propped up against his front passenger tire with her head cocked to the side, resting on her shoulder with snow dusting the top of her head. He squatted in front of her while calling her name.
"Hey, hey hey! Nova! Nova come on get up!" He urged in a panic while lightly tapping the side of her face.
Nova breathed in deeply and opened her eyes, much to Q's relief.
"Hey" She said casually, looking around with fatigue on her face.
"Oh Jesus! Thank God! You gave me a freaking heart attack, are you okay?!" He asked.
"Yeah...I'm good...It's cold" She replied blankly.
"Come on, we need to get you inside now" Brian directed, grabbing her arm to pull her up.
Surprisingly, he was able to get her up with ease once she got her legs underneath her.
"You sure you're good?" He asked again, not believing her.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened...I am just so tired, it all hit me at once" Nova apologized, feeling a little embarrassed as Q led her toward the house with an arm around her lower back, incase she collapsed again.
"Don't worry about it. I know you're not feeling good. Let's just get you in the house, we are almost there."
Once they crossed through the threshold to Brian's home, he closed the door and made an attempt to help Nova out of her jacket but she shrugged away from him.
"Thanks but I think I want to leave it on, I'm freezing" She said as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Nova, you are covered in snow, you are going to be soaked if we don't get this off of you now, I'll grab a blanket for you. I would seriously take it off" Brian suggested, looking her in the eyes as if he were trying to convince her.
Nova nodded and allowed him to take off her coat. Once it was off Nova hugged herself and walked to the living room sofa and fell into it shivering. She could feel the heat of the house on her skin but she was still cold, even with the long sleeve shirt she had dressed in. She would have loved a hot shower if she trusted she had enough energy to withstand it. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. Her body felt weak and achy and she was sure she had a fever.
"I'll run out to the car and grab your laptop tomorrow. I think you need to call it a night. Do you want me to make you some tea or something?"
"Mmmm" Was the only noise that came out of her.
Brian walked over and she was draped across the side arm of the couch, eyes closed and using her arm as a pillow with her other arm held tight to her mid section. Brian sighed at the sight of her and his eyes softened.
This poor girl really needed a break.
He stood in front of Nova and squatted down to take her boots off her feet. He left her socks on figuring she would probably appreciate them being on if she was as cold as she said she was. Tossing her boots to the side of the couch, he grabbed her ankles and lifted them on the cushions so she could lay down.
He then leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder and said in a quiet voice, "I'll be right back."
Even though Q had a perfectly usable guest room, he didn't have the heart to move her so he would let her stay on the couch. She was in rough shape and the couch was comfortable so she would be fine there for the night. He just wanted to make her accommodations the best they could be so he grabbed a big warm blanket and a plushy pillow along with some cold meds.
He also grabbed one of his old baggy shirts incase she wanted to change out of her work clothes during the night. He felt bad that she was so sick but he was happy that she was here and he could keep an eye on her.
Her situation made him want to be there for her with how she was kind of out here on her own. With her parents being in another state and her circle being very limited to the people they work with, she really didn't have anyone to make sure she was okay and he would have not felt good about dropping her off at her house between the storm and her current state.
She was really giving this job her all and even though he admired her determination to get things done and to stand out of the crowd, she really needed to learn to take care of herself better. It was hard for her to say no when her to-do list built up and Brian knew part of that was because of Topher and the way he conducted business with her.
When Q returned to the living room, Nova was pretty much in the same position that he left her in, only this time Benjamin Cat was perched on the opposite arm rest, looking at her. Brian wasn't sure if the look he was giving her was one of concern or out of question as to why she was here on his couch. Nova stirred a little causing Benjamin to flee the scene. Brian shook his head and smirked at his silly behavior.
He draped the blanket over her and then stood above her and as gently as he could, Q lifted her upper body to slide the pillow under her. She stirred a little and made another noise, grabbing on to his arm.
"I know, I know, just let me put this here and I'll leave you alone" Q promised as he juggled Nova and the pillow in his arms.
Once he got her situated, she let out a small breath. He went to go walk away but Nova held on to his arm, making him pause.
She opened her eyes and with a little smile she said "Thank you."
Brian smiled back and held her gaze for a moment.
"Don't mention it. You should really take those meds I left next to you, they will help. Can I get you anything else?" He questioned.
"Maybe just some water?" She replied, letting him go.
"Yeah of course. Here, I brought this too incase you want to change during the night" He said, draping the shirt on the other side of the couch.
Nova nodded with a weak smile and Brian went into the kitchen to grab her some water. When he came back out she was already fast asleep. Brian wasn't surprised.
He set the glass of water on the end table and then went to go check his phone. All he had was just a text from Joe, letting him know that he got home safe and Q texted him back letting him know the same. It was almost midnight so Q decided that it was his turn to get ready for bed, now that Nova was situated.
As he began his routine of feeding the cats and then jumping in for a shower, he couldn't help but feel bad for Nova's situation at work. Granted it was all Topher's fault but it dawned on him that she was now back to how things were for her when she worked at the Outlet magazine.
Over worked with too many responsibilities being delegated to her by some asshole who has no appreciation none whatsoever.
What killed him is that he promised her that things would be different if she left that job and they really weren't. Actually, they might have been worse because now she was hardly doing any photography and was dealing with a perv for a boss.
And he was sure that there was more going on than she offered to tell him.
This was his show, well part of it anyway and there had to be someone he could go to to help him pull some strings to at least get her an assistant at the very least. He decided that in the morning he would make some calls and see what he could do. She didn't deserve this, she was too good to the show to receive this kind of treatment. This was not what him and his friends envisioned for anyone when they started this show.
It killed him that he let it go on for this long but every time he tried to talk to her about it, she assured she was fine.
Well there was no way she was fine considering that she almost worked herself to death today. It wasn't fair and it wasn't what the show was about.
This had to change, he had to do something for her.
Early the next morning, Nova began to stir awake. She had a coughing fit that left her out of breath with an aching throat and she reached across the coffee table to take a swig of the water Q left for her, along with the cold meds. Wiping her mouth from a few stray drops after chugging it, she turned back over and stared at the ceiling.
Due to being in an unfamiliar place, she had trouble going back to sleep so she continued to lay there, absorbing herself into her thoughts. It was still dark outside so she assumed Q was still asleep.
Well what a day yesterday had been! Full of more downs than ups and now she had no clue when this stupid storm would end. Part of her wished it would stay for a while so she would get a break from the office but Topher would probably make her do as much as she could remotely.
Bleh!
She instinctively dug out her phone and checked the time. It was just after 6am and she had a few missed calls from Topher along with a few texts, trying to figure out if she had finished her work from yesterday. She listened to her voicemail and he sounded annoyed that she wasn't getting back to him. She gave her phone the mental middle finger and tossed it down by her feet on the couch.
It was really starting to dawn on her that she was beginning to hate this job. The money was great and it allowed her to live in the city which is far from cheap, but she couldn't really say that she liked who she worked with because these days she wasn't working with anyone besides Topher. Her only interaction with others was through emails and phone calls mostly.
She missed how the job used to be when she first started. It just wasn't fun anymore and Topher kept her under so much stress.
He really was an ass. Very demanding and he loved to put the fear of God into her. He was always saying if she didn't do this or that right when he wanted her to do it, it would jeopardize the show with delays and the so called "Upper management department" would quickly find out what happened and she would be the one to have to answer to them, which ironically had not happened yet with how much he used that line on her.
Maybe it was time she spoke up and said enough was enough...
The more she thought about work, she could start to feel her heart hammering in her chest and her face heating up so she decided to force herself to think about something else. She rolled over and began to study the various figurines and decor' that occupied Q's shelves and living space. It actually helped distract her and it all made her smile.
His style was so him. So unique and quirky, she was sure every piece had a story. She got a flash of the first time she came here, how he told her about the Ghost Buster's ambulance he had and how excited he was about how he got it. There was something about Q's energy that just always put her in a good mood, no matter how crappy of a day she was having.
Like right now, just thinking about him she felt a warmth seep throughout her chest, making her grin and forget about everything that was bothering her.
She knew he had always cared about her, but now that Nova was really adding up all the things in her head that he had done for her, it really hit her just how much and her heart began to swell.
He was always checking in on her, always asking if she needed anything at the office. Knowing that she was so secluded, she also noticed that he always tried to meet with her for lunch whenever his schedule allowed it, sometimes even moving things around just so he had time for her. Giving her rides to make sure she got to and from work okay, even though it was out of his way and the way he cared for her tonight, it all spoke so much that she had been deaf to, trying to keep the dignity of their friendship alive.
Not wanting to be too involved to risk what they had, but they had already been through that, and they definitely came out on top. After everything they had been though, he was still here making an effort to stay in her life and that was something special to her.
She had remembered the night when they found out about all of the lies Robin told the both of them to keep them apart. Even though it was Robin bending the truth, the hurt from him not hearing her out was still fresh at the time when Q asked her if they could ever resume what they had. Along with that and all the obstacles she was about to face and overcome, she still believed that no, it wasn't the time back then but maybe now it was...
*FLASHBACK*
"You know, it really does suck...All that time wasted. It seems like it was just a big misunderstanding" Brian said, feeling the situation out.
Nova stopped petting his cat and looked at Brian seriously.
"You know, we really were good together, right?" Q asked, getting a little more brazen.
Nova looked at him and grinned. She looked as if she were tossing the idea around in her head and then she nodded.
"We are kinda like my dad with his old ambulance. It may look pretty from the outside, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done on the inside and it is not the time or the place to start."
*END FLASHBACK*
Yes, at the time that was the case. There was a lot of damage that needed to be repaired between them and no, back then it was not the time or place to start up again but they both took the time and they did it. They fixed their friendship and Nova knew that there was something real between them.
After Brian did not believe her side of things, her image of him did falter but it was from false pretenses and now she held him in the highest regard and trusted him more than anyone here. She knew he would never intentionally hurt her and with all the time that had past, they really got to know each other on a different level and he was her safety net. He had her best interest at heart no matter if it was an inconvenience to him or not. He proved that to her through pure actions.
It hit Nova that there was nothing standing in her way but herself and that she was still just as in love with him as she was before. It never really went away, it was just put on hold for a bit.
All the sudden, Nova didn't want to be alone anymore. Not now, not ever, all she wanted was Brian Quinn.
So She went to him...
Nova lifted herself off the couch and slowly stood up. She was feeling a little better after a good nights sleep but definitely not 100% yet so she made sure her movements were slow and calculated. Before she made her way upstairs, she stripped off her work clothes from the now previous day and pulled the fresh shirt over her head that Q had left for her. It was much more comfortable and it made Nova feel less constricted. It went down to about mid thigh so she didn't feel all that exposed, she had worn dresses that were shorter.
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and exited the living room.
The house was dark but Nova was able to navigate around pretty well from her memories. She had remembered Q's room being upstairs, even though surprisingly she had never seen it, she figured it shouldn't be too hard to find once she got up there. Climbing up a very creaky set of stairs, Nova's heart fluttered the closer she got. She even questioned if she should be doing this but pushed past those thoughts knowing this was what she really wanted.
Nova made her way to his bedroom door and saw that it was already partially open so she pushed it with her hand and stepped in. It was darker than the rest of the house with all the blinds to the windows being closed and draped over with thick thermal curtains. Nova squinted to where the bed was and even though she couldn't see very well, she was pretty sure Brian was not in there. She saw two cats dart off the sides when they saw her but no Brian.
Nova made a face and just when she turned to walk out, she bumped right into him as he was coming back into the room behind her.
"Oh shit! You scared me!" He exclaimed as they both jumped.
"Oh! I'm so sorry...I...I..." Nova stammered, beginning to feel very awkward that she was there. She didn't really plan this accordingly.
"Are you okay? I went to go grab some water and then I saw you weren't on the couch." He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine...Haha we must have just missed each other" Nova said letting out a nervous laugh.
"Oh...Well why did you come all the way up here?" Brian asked with confusion.
(TIS CONFUSION! haha sorry I couldn't help myself, continue :P)
"I uh...Well I don't know...I woke up early and I couldn't go back to sleep...I was kind of lonely down there" Nova said while looking down at the floor.
Brian's eyes softened and he gave her a half smile. An awkward silence passed with them not really knowing what else to say to one another and she finally looked up at him.
"I'm sure you're still tired, I know it's early. I'm sorry for coming up here like this. I'll let you go back to sleep, I'll see you in a few hours" Nova rushed, side stepping to move past him.
This seemed like a great idea in the moment but now she just felt weird and stupid for doing this.
"No no no no, hey it's okay. Come on, the bed is big enough for both of us. You can stay" Q reassured.
"Really?" Nova said with a sweet smile.
"Yeah, come on. At least now I can keep an eye on you" He said jokingly as he put a hand on her back and led her over to the bed.
Nova allowed him to lead her and she let him kneel on the bed first. After quickly shooing Chessie off, he cleared some pillows out of the way and moved so she could slide in next to him.
Nova adjusted the blanket that she had around her shoulders and moved it on top of her, and then Brian moved his comforter on top of both of them so she had two layers. He let out a yawn and turned to face her as she got situated. He noticed that she was very close to him but he didn't mind.
"How are you feeling?" He asked. He reached up to rest the back of his hand against her face to check her fever.
"Still a little stuffy but I'm better than I was yesterday. Sleeping helped" Nova replied.
"Ah, well later when we get up you should take more of those meds. They always help me when I get sick. You still feel a little warm"
"I just took two before I came up, and that's funny because I'm still freezing" Nova replied, pulling both blankets tight around her and scooting closer to Brian so her legs were pressed up against his.
Something changed in both of their expressions and Brian's hand went from her forehead to the side of her cheek. With tenderness in his eyes he stroked her cheek bone with his thumb and held her expression for a moment. Nova's heart fluttered as she leaned into his touch. He felt so warm.
She wrapped her hand around his side and scooted closer so their bodies were flush against each other. Resting her head against his chest, she nuzzled into him, inhaling deep. He had always smelled so good.
Brian rested his head on top of hers and wrapped his arms around her, enjoying being this close to her again. He used to love cuddling with her back when they were together and this was feeling very similar to that. As much as he wanted to keep it going, he let her be the one to lead.
They stayed like this for a few minutes, getting used to being this close in proximity again. There was no rush and Nova took her time, just enjoying being held again. She then slowly moved her head up and buried her face into his neck, resting the bridge of her nose against the crook of it.
Brian stiffened a little and his heart starting to thump with more force. He could see where this was going and after all this time he was ready but still surprised.
He loved Nova.
She was one of the few that he would do anything for and he genuinely enjoyed being with her. She was easy to talk to and she knew just what to say or do to cheer him up when he was down or stressed. She got his world and knew what he was all about and accepted him. Things were just easier with her than any other girl he had been with. There was never any head games or counting of favors. They knew how to just be and not get caught up in the drama of things. She was always the most welcoming face at the end of the day and that little bit of light whenever things were getting tough.
She made him feel like he could do anything and even with all he had accomplished, she made him feel like even more was possible. But he didn't need more, he just needed her.
Nova stayed frozen at his neck, feeling apprehensive on the next move. It would be a big one considering she was so close to him already, she was nervous to take the next step and she could feel her heart start to pound again as she dwelled. She knew she wanted him but was never good at these things.
As if Brian sensed her dilemma, he decided to help her out on the next one.
He leaned into her and reached up, scooping her bottom jaw in his hand and he slowly craned her face up to meet his. Looking into her eyes once more until he saw the edges of her mouth pull up into a smile, he moved forward and kissed her.
Nova's eyes widened for a second but then she closed them and reciprocated his action. She pressed into him as he did her, closing any space that was between them. It was like fireworks going off, the fire being them and the the boom being their hearts beating erratically.
They wrapped their arms around each other and Nova pulled Q on top of her for closeness. Her eyes still closed and utterly lost in being reacquainted to the feel of him, she let go and let her feelings drive her.
Brian let out a low moan as she deepened the kiss and he was right there with her through every movement. He took his time, making sure to do things the right way. He grinded his hips against her as she licked and bit his bottom lip, figuring that she must have remembered that being a turn on for him. Nova's thoughts spiraled to oblivion.
The feel of his breath on her neck.
The weight of his body locking her against the mattress.
The way he pulled back and twisted her chin away, cupping her face so he can place sloppy kisses along her neckline while he grabbed her hip with his other hand.
It was almost too much, complete sensory over load in the best way.
It was all coming back to her through every movement and it was giving her all sorts of feelings, some old and some new. The instant they had started she couldn't get enough and it felt right, like every action, every event, every single thing that had happened since her move here had led her to this moment.
Like it was always suppose to be this way.
They continued to just kiss for a while, getting the feel of one another again until Brian pulled away. Nova stifled a whimper and she looked at him with startled eyes.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to spoil the moment but before this gets out of control I have to ask...Are you still on the pill?"
"The pill?" Nova asked, blanking for a moment.
Brian gave her a look as if he said the wrong thing. He was just trying to be responsible before they hit the point of no return.
"Ohh! Duhh, yes the pill! Yes, yes I am...HaHa I don't know what I thought you meant" Nova said throwing a hand over her face.
Brian looked down and then back into her eyes.
"So does that mean...?" He said suggestively.
Nova laughed.
"Yes! Yes Brian...I want to...I want you to" She said honestly.
Brian smiled and kissed her again, resuming what they had going on.
He went back to her neck and placed a few rough kisses there, her skin prickling at the brush of his facial hair and he began to work his way down south. Nova swallowed in anticipation. She knew where he was going.
He was definitely leading things to the next level.
He trailed his kisses down her chest, over the shirt he gave her and when he got to her stomach, he pushed the fabric up just below her breasts. From there he kissed down her stomach while gripping her sides, making her laugh and twitch from the tickle of his beard. Q smirked as he hooked his thumbs into the band of her underwear. He picked his face up from her stomach to look for one last glimpse of approval from her.
The sight of Nova laid out underneath him all hot and bothered from his touches was enough to send him over the edge, but he wanted one last bit of reassurance from her that this was okay. Nova reached down and gently stroked the side of his face, giving him a little nod that it was more than okay to proceed. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand.
She let her thumb linger by his mouth for a moment and he grabbed it between his teeth and sucked the tip. Letting go and then giving her a rather seductive look, he pulled her panties down and over her legs in one motion so she was now bare from the waist down before him.
Nova's skin heated as she forced herself to lie back and let Brian do what he was so good at. She relaxed and opened her legs, giving him full access and he began to warm her up with his fingers. Once she got the feel of him down there and he felt her fully relax, he lifted her thighs up so they are resting on his shoulders and he dove in.
Going right for that sweet bundle of nerves, Nova fists the sheets as he flicks his tongue over it firm but slow. Again and again he continues, gaining speed and building her up, lapping at her steadily. He then works her with his fingers at the same time, sending Nova writhing at his everything. Her legs tremble and her hand finds his hair, nails practically digging at his scalp.
He continues the same motions for a while, enjoying the feel of her losing herself in him. Nova was so close to the edge, she practically had tears coming out of her eyes. Gasping from the sensitivity he brought out of her, Brian finally pulls away.
Nova let out a pout but as soon as she sees him crawling back up to her and pulling down his boxers, she is sated. Q Nudged her thighs so she was spread wider than before and he carefully laid down on top of her, lining up with her entrance. In one swift movement he pressed forward.
Nova gasped as soon as he entered her and let out a deep moan. Brian made a deep noise as well as he buried himself all the way inside her. He paused for a moment, enjoying the noises that were coming from Nova as her body adjusted around him.
"You good?" He asked, unable to read her facial expression.
"Yeah, yeah...It's just been a while" Nova said through a strained voice.
Brian blinked and remained still. He moved his arms so the were around her neck, giving her something to prop her head on.
"What's a while?" Brian had to ask before he could stop himself, genuinely curious on her answer. He moved his hips back and forth, only slowly pumping once and smirking at the sharp breath she took in.
Nova gave him a look that told him how long.
"Wow, really?" He said with flattery in his voice.
"Em HmMm" Nova said through gritted teeth as he thrusted into her again.
With how tight she was he believed her.
Brian smiled and placed an open mouth kiss on her lips. Nova kissed him back and Brian deepened it, his lips remaining on hers as he began to pick up the pace pumping his hips into hers. The sounds that were coming out of her mouth were a real turn on for him.
It wasn't long before Nova was able to melt into him and lose herself again to the high of having sex. Her hips met each of his thrusts, tightening her walls around his cock each time his hips were flush against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he told her told hold on and he quickly flipped them so that she was now on top, calling the shots.
Nova put her hands on Brian's chest to steady herself. She felt him much deeper this way and braced herself for the ride that was about to come. Rolling her hips on to him, she began a back and forth motion that soon became intense.
When her shirt came off? She had no clue! She was so in the moment, she didn't realize that Brian's hands had left her hips and were not gripping her bare breasts, keeping her up for support. Everything he was doing to her and making her feel was pure ecstasy.
Throughout this whole rekindling, Nova could not help herself or think that maybe this wasn't the best idea. Everything felt so good and even though the both of them were thoroughly enjoying themselves, being able to touch and make each other feel things again from the first time they were together, she had ignored the fact that she was sick and being in an upright position quickly reminded her of that.
Nova had gotten out a few more thrusts before it became harder for her to catch her breath. Q's eyes were closed so he didn't notice anything out of the norm and even though Nova felt a fever wave wash over her, she kept going. It wasn't until Q heard her breath hitch when he opened his eyes.
Her face was beat red and she was sweating. She did not look so good and Q made her pause.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked. His hands trailed down to her hips and he held her there to make her stop and do a mental check on herself.
"Yeah, I'm good" Nova breathed out.
Now that he wasn't propping her up anymore, Nova noticed it took all her strength to stay put and she quickly felt her energy bottom out. She swayed a bit, catching herself on Q's chest, feeling dizzy.
"Oh...Maybe not" She said faintly.
"Yeah I thought so, come here" Q said as he lowered her down all the way on his chest.
He flipped them so they were on their sides now, and he used his arm to prop her head on a couple of pillows. Nova let a breath rush out of her and Q reached over on his nightstand to grab his bottle of water for her.
"Here, drink this" He said as he brought the bottle to her lips, not giving her a chance to refuse.
"Wow...I guess we over did it huh?" He said as he screwed the cap back on and put it back.
"Yeah...Maybe doing this when I'm sick wasn't the best idea...But to be honest, I don't regret it" Nova admitted.
Q looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah? Well neither do I" He said proudly.
Nova grinned and snuggled up against him.
"I missed you Q. I really did. I'm so sorry I let so much time pass between us. I just had so much going on with the apartment and all the changes at work. I still don't feel like I am on solid ground but I just...I just really really missed you" She confessed.
"Sweetheart I've been here the whole time, and I'm not going anywhere. I've missed you too but I knew you had a lot on your plate. We both did. I didn't want to pressure you when there was no reason to rush. I knew after the whole Robin thing you and I both needed time to figure things out and honestly, I enjoyed doing the friends thing for a while. I think it was what we needed. Now don't get me wrong...I love this too but it was kinda fun taking things slower this round. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we got to know each other on a different level"
"Yeah you are right. Thank you so much. For everything. You have been so good to me and you have no idea how much it means to me to have someone like you in my life. Even though we weren't together, you really gave me so much to look forward to every day, even on days where I just wanted to say fuck it and quit and throw it all away. You just make it all so much bearable."
Brian blinked, surprised at her statement. He had no idea that there were days where she felt like that and even though he was happy that he was the one to help her get through it, it broke his heart that she viewed her job that way.
"Wow...Damn...I'm so sorry Nova. You have no idea how pissed off that makes me that work has been that bad for you. We really need to figure out what we can do to change that because I'm really not comfortable with you or anyone else on set feeling that way."
Nova decided to drop the act about work and just come clean. She pulled Q's shirt back on and started off with a big sigh.
"You know, as excited as I was when I received this promotion, I would really love nothing more than to go back to being on set. I miss taking pictures and without a camera in my hands, I don't know...I just feel like I'm straying away from what I want in life."
It felt so good for Nova to get those words out in the open. She had been holding them in for so long and even lying to herself that this was the path she needed to be on, it felt empowering to finally be able to admit to not only Q, but herself that this is not what she wanted.
All the sudden she sat up and looked Q in the eye. With confidence she began to let it all out.
"You know what? Topher is a fucking asshole to work for! He is a creep and I swear he probably jacks off behind his cushy desk over making my life miserable. Ever since I turned him down he has been a nasty, over bearing, son of a bitch and I really think I am done! I don't want to work for him anymore and you know what? I don't care if things don't get done! Let the network come after me over these damn deadlines! I will fucking tell them that it is impossible for one person to meet all of them, which I have been killing myself to make happen and if they believe everything Topher says to throw me under the bus, then fine! I would love to see them try to fill my spot!"
Nova had to take a deep breath after getting all of that out. It was the first time she had admitted any of that aloud.
Right away Q sat up with her and started clapping. Nova blinked, surprised at first that that was his reaction and then laughed, just because that was really all she could do at this point.
"Well it is about time! I knew this was going to come sooner or later, there was no way you were as fine as you said you were taking all that on. Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?" Q said with a big smile, trying to egg her on even further.
Nova paused for a moment and looked up in thought.
"Well first of all, fuck all those corrections and fuck all of those emails. I am not doing them. At least not when I'm not in the office. Secondly..." Nova trailed off, not finishing her sentence right away.
This was going to be a tough one to get out but it needed to be done. There was no way she could fight him all on her own.
"Secondly?" Q urged her to get it out.
"Secondly...I am going to need help. I think I am going to ask to step down but I'm worried if I do that Topher will find a way to fire me. I need someone in my corner who is familiar with how the network operates to help me argue my case. Someone who knows exactly who to arrange a meeting with the right people and is aware of the kind of person Topher is...Do you know anyone I can talk to?" Nova asked.
"Well, as much as I personally would love to volunteer, I have to be honest I don't think I am your best guy. Granted I fit the bill on everything you said but I think I know a little too much that I might lose my shit on him if he says anything that slams you or the show. But, I can however call in on a few people that I know can be helpful and set up a meeting to make it all happen. I can also ask Murr if he wants to sit in on your benefit. He's really good at these things and is probably the most level headed out of the four of us. He knows a lot about the network and I think it will be good for you if one of us sits in." Q responded.
"Great, yeah do what you gotta do. Q I am giving you full rein to do what you have to do to get me out of this situation. I cannot work under Topher anymore. And if I have to I would at least like to be back at doing what I love which is being behind the camera and back with everyone else. Please, just make it happen. You have my permission" Nova said seriously.
Q gave her a hard nod of assurance.
"I'll make a few calls in a couple of hours. I'm not sure when exactly it will happen mostly because we gotta see what this storm does but I will try to see if I can have a meeting arranged as soon as possible."
"Thankyou" Nova said sincerely.
Q gave her a smile and touched her hand.
"Thank you for letting me finally help you. To be honest I wanted to do this a while ago but you didn't seem ready and I didn't want to push. I promise, everything will be okay and I'm going to try to get you as far away from Topher as possible."
Nova smiled and nodded. She laid back down on the pillows and Brian followed her lead, turning on his side so he was facing her. They looked at each other for a moment with gentle eyes and Brian leaned in and kissed her forehead.
Pulling her into him, his last words before they both drifted off back to sleep were "I'm never going to let you go again."