Out of everybody in the great state of Florida, her father was the one person Lauren had really been hoping she wouldn't run into. Not so much for herself, but for Camila. Because, while Camila had known and grown used to her particular brand of verbal assault back in the day, even HBIC Lauren Jauregui had nothing on her father. Lauren knew Mike would go for the jugular and, while she was prepared to take it, she wasn't sure Camila knew what they were in for.
She had told Camila that Mike had been abusive, but she didn't tell the brunette why he'd ever gotten angry enough to start swinging. Granted, it didn't take much to set him off if he'd been drinking, which it looked like he more than certainly had been, but she knew that the recent spate of pictures of her and Camila that had been showing up online and in magazines would have angered the man and embarrassed him. She knew that he would see her happiness and sexuality as an attack on the way he raised her, and if there was one thing Mike Jauregui could not stand, it was anything he perceived to be an affront to his 'Christian morals'.
"I can't believe you have the gall to show your face in this state after what you did," Mike spat. "You're a disgrace. An abomination. Bringing your filth around good people, trying to-" he took a step forward toward the group.
"That's far enough, man," Zayn warned, lifting a warning hand at him.
Mike laughed maliciously. "You don't scare me, boy. Look at you," he snarled at Lauren. "What kind of girl goes to a place like this? Huh? Are you trying to spread this disease you have amongst the rest of the world? Trying to infect everybody with your perversion? You're going to burn in hell, you little dyke. You know that, don't you? Are you trying to bring the rest of humanity down with you? Answer me!" he bellowed.
"Mike," Lauren said, reaching back and taking Camila's hand in her own. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do to tell the brunette that they would be okay because she didn't dare take her eyes off of her father when he was behaving this way. When she spoke next, her voice calm and even, even though her body was ramrod straight and primed for attack. "You need to go somewhere and just sleep this off."
"How dare you speak to me like that," Mike hissed, taking another menacing step forward. He was drunk and angry, but he wasn't stupid enough to actually touch Zayn. He ruled his house with fear and intimidation and he knew that if it came down to a real fight he'd lose, so stopped just outside the man's reach. "I am your father, young lady."
Lauren bit her lip and shook her head, blown away by the fact that after everything he'd done to her that he would still try and use that line on her. At this point, he was no more her father than Zayn was.
"Like hell you are," Camila said, stepping out from behind Lauren and glaring at Mike. She had been shocked into silence by the vitriol in the man's voice, at the harshness of his words. Lauren had told her that Mike was an angry, violent man, but knowing and seeing are two very different things and now that the shock had worn off, she would do everything in her power to protect Lauren from that seething mess of a man who just made the mistake of claiming to be her father.
"Excuse me?" Mike said, his voice flat and cold.
Camila stood straighter and stared him in the eye. "I said, like hell you are. You gave up that right when you walked out of her life three years ago. Hell, you gave up that right when you gave her thirty minutes to pack her bag when she was fifteen fucking years old."
Mike grinned. "And what do you know about it, little girl? You're just as bad as she is. You're going to hell, both of you."
"And you're not?" Camila laughed, squeezing Lauren's hand that was wrapped around hers before she twined their fingers together. "Please. If I'm going to hell for loving this beautiful woman who managed to become so selfless and loving and wonderful despite your fucked-up influence, then what about you, you child-beating bastard?"
Mike's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You don't know what you're talking about."
Camila smirked and unflinchingly met his gaze, fighting against Lauren who was trying to pull her back. It was false bravado, but she wasn't going to give Mike Jauregui the joy of seeing her scared. "Oh, I do. And, might I say, that I also find it highly amusing that you're standing in the parking lot of a strip club, where you have obviously been inside drinking like a fish, by the smell of you, preaching about morality."
"I'll show you morality," Mike growled, clenching his fists and taking a step toward the little brunette.
That step forward was the wrong move, because it was just the thing Zayn had been waiting for. He lashed out, connecting a solid jab to Mike's chin and knocking the man out cold. "Goddamn," Zayn said, smiling as he shook out his hand. "I've been wanting to do that for years."
"Shit, Z," Lauren hissed, dropping Camila's hand so she could take his hand into her own to inspect the damage. "Did you break anything?"
Zayn wiggled his fingers tentatively and hissed at the pain. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but it was totally worth it to finally get a shot in at Mike. "Don't think so," he said, as movement from the direction of the club caught his attention. "Aww, fuck. Here comes trouble."
"What's going on here?" the club's bouncer asked as he approached the group. He'd watched the altercation taking place, but had been too far away to hear what was being said. He had only reacted once the younger man dropped the older one with a single punch.
"Nothing, now," Zayn answered, taking his hand back from Lauren so he could face the bouncer. "Look, this man verbally assaulted my friends and looked like he was going to try and attack them, so I hit him. It was self-defense."
"How do you know he would actually hit them?" the bouncer asked skeptically, as he tried to figure out whether or not he needed to call the cops. Brawls in the parking lot were rare, because Felicity brought in a higher class of clientele, but he had seen enough to know that if it was straight-up assault, that he needed to call in the cops.
Lauren groaned. This was so not something she wanted to come out. But, if she was going to keep Zayn out of jail, she needed to explain. "He knew, because it wouldn't be the first time that man had hit me."
"He's her father," Camila added quietly, wrapping her arms around Lauren's waist and holding her tight.
The bouncer looked at Camila and Lauren, finally placing where they looked so familiar from, and down to Mike. He considered himself to be a good judge of people, and he knew that they weren't lying. In which case, the older man on the ground got exactly what he deserved. He nodded resolutely. "Alright. Will he press charges?"
Lauren shook her head. "No. He's not going to want any of this to come out."
Mike groaned on the blacktop.
"How you feeling, sir?" the bouncer asked Mike.
"Like shit," Mike groaned. "Is that bastard still here?"
"You bet your ass I am," Zayn answered. "You wanna go for round two?"
Mike sat up and shook his head.
"Didn't think so. You only like boxing matches where you're bigger and stronger," Zayn taunted. "Get in a cab and go home. Leave Lauren and Camila alone."
"You can't tell me what to do," Mike grumbled as he slowly got to his feet. He brushed his clothes off and finally lifted his gaze to Lauren's. "You're dead to me."
Lauren placed her hands over Camila's on her waist. "Good," she said, staring Mike in the eye to prove that she meant it.
Mike nodded and spat in her direction, before he turned and started back toward the club, muttering about getting another drink and calling a cab.
"I don't think you should let him back in there," Lauren told the bouncer.
"We'll watch him," the guy said. "I'd rather he be in there, where we have guys everywhere ready to step in if needed, than out here with you. Will you all be okay to get home?"
Zayn nodded. "Yeah. I got it. Thanks, man."
The bouncer nodded. "My pleasure. Ms. Jauregui, Ms. Cabello, sir," he tipped his head at each of them. He smiled reassuringly as he watched the two stars' eyes flash with fear that he recognized them and said, "Your secret's safe with me. I'm not going to sell you out."
Lauren sighed and smiled. "Thank you."
The bouncer grinned, gave the group a small wave, and turned on his heel to jog across the parking lot where he easily caught up to a staggering, swaying Mike.
"Well, that was a fun night out on the town – huh?" Zayn drawled, as he reached across his body to pull his car keys out of his right pocket with his left hand.
"Up until that disaster, yeah," Lauren answered. "Seriously, Zayn. Do we need to get you to an ER?"
Zayn looked down at his swelling hand and shrugged. "It seems okay for now. If it's still like this in the morning, then I'll go."
"Are you going to get in trouble at work?"
Zayn grinned and laughed. "Nah. Chief has a special hatred for men like your father – he'll probably give me a medal or something."
Lauren smiled tiredly and leaned into Camila. "Well, if he does, let me know when the ceremony will be taking place because I'd personally like to pin that one onto your uniform."
"Me too," Camila echoed.
"Come on, ladies, your chariot awaits," Zayn said, waving his good hand at his car.
"I better call Clara and warn her," Lauren said as she slid into the backseat next to Camila. She didn't really want to do it, but her conscious wouldn't let her get away with not warning her mother that she might be in danger.
"You want me to do it?" Zayn offered.
"Or I can," Camila said softly, smoothing the backs of her fingers over Lauren's cheek and looking intently into the green tired eyes.
"I got it," Lauren said. "Z, just get us home. Camz..."
"What do you need, sweetie?" Camila whispered, brushing a kiss across Lauren's lips.
"Just hold me?" Lauren whispered, leaning heavily into the smaller woman as she punched in a number she knew by heart but hadn't had programmed into her phone for years. She sank into Camila's embrace as Zayn drove out of the parking lot toward the freeway.
"Hello?" Clara answered after the third ring.
Lauren cleared her throat. "Hi, um, mom," she said. "I just thought you should know that I'm in town and just ran into... dad."
"Are you okay?"
Lauren nodded. "Yeah. I was with Zayn."
"Good."
"Anyways, I just thought you'd want to know that Mike's drunk and angry, and that you should probably be somewhere else for a few days until he calms down. Zayn laid him out in the parking lot, so his ego's bruised and you know how that usually ends up..."
"He doesn't live here anymore, Laurie," Clara said softly. "I changed the locks last week when I kicked him out and filed for divorce, so he can't get back in here. I'm safe. But, thank you for thinking of me."
"I... uhm... yeah," Lauren stuttered, surprised by the news that her mother had filed for divorce. "I... well, okay."
"Okay," Clara said sadly. "You take care of yourself, sweetie. And let Camila take care of you too, if you need it."
Lauren swallowed thickly as tears rolled down her face. It had been so long since she'd talked to her mother like this, where Clara actually seemed to care about her well-being, which she hadn't realized until now how much she missed having a mother. "Okay."
Clara sighed into the phone. "Right. Well, you know where to find me, if you ever want to talk. I know I wasn't the best mother to you up until this point, but please know that I am here for you now if you need me."
Lauren nodded and turned to rest her forehead against Camila's temple. It was all too much. First Mike, who behaved just like he expected, and now Clara, who was finally acting like a mother. "Okay. Thank you."
"Okay," Clara parroted. "Have a safe flight back to Los Angeles, and tell Zayn that I say thank you for him standing up to your father for you."
"I will," Lauren murmured. "I'll.... I'll talk to you later? Maybe?"
"I'd like that," Clara answered, her smile evident in her voice. "Goodbye, Lauren."
"Bye... mom," Lauren whispered.
Zayn kept his mouth shut and his eyes on the road as Camila gently pulled the phone out of Lauren's hand and set it into her purse so they wouldn't forget it in the car. The brunette smiled softly at Lauren as she pulled back far enough to kiss the tears from her cheeks. Because Lauren had been wrapped up in her arms, she had been able to hear both sides of the conversation that had taken place and she knew that her girlfriend had to be reeling.
"What are you thinking?" Camila murmured against Lauren's cheek.
Lauren shrugged. There were too many thoughts bouncing around inside her head to pick out just one. She was shocked. Upset. Pissed. Hopeful. Angry. She felt betrayed. She felt... "I don't know."
Camila hummed knowingly. "Are you okay?"
Lauren nodded slowly. "I think so, yeah. Just..."
"Surprised," Camila supplied, smiling softly when Lauren nodded. "I'll bet. Me too, baby."
"What do I do?" Lauren whispered, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning so she could wrap herself around the brunette.
"Whatever you want to do, Lauren," Camila answered gently, pulling Lauren in close and automatically running her fingers through soft raven locks. "You don't have to do anything now, sweetheart. Just take your time and digest everything that's happened, and then decide what you want. It is your call, baby. Whatever you want to do, you know I'll be by your side supporting you."
Lauren smiled and brushed her lips over the shell of the brunette's ear. "I love you," she breathed.
"I love you, Lauren," Camila whispered, turning her head so she could claim Lauren's lips in a slow, sweet, lingering kiss.
Up front in the driver's seat, Zayn glanced away from the deserted highway to his rearview mirror to check on Lauren, and smiled as he saw her wrapped up in Camila's arms. For so long, he'd been afraid for her. She was so closed off that he was afraid that she'd never find somebody to truly be with. Somebody to take care of and to allow them to take care of her. He knew she had always been desperate for that closeness, that acceptance she never got from her parents growing up – it was what got him into her pants back in high school, after all – and he was glad that she'd finally found it all with somebody who knew her not only as the woman she was now, but also as the girl she had been. Because, growth and maturity aside, he knew Lauren still struggled with the lingering effects of her past, with the idea that she wasn't worth loving at that everybody was bound to leave her, and it was comforting to know that Camila not only knew all of that but also had the tenacity to fight for her.
The car ride was quiet. Both Camila and Zayn knew Lauren well enough to know that if she wanted to talk she would, so they didn't press. Zayn watched with rapt fascination as Camila slipped into her professional mode and called Ally to let her know what happened. He was used to the whole PR machine because of Lauren, and he had more than a few memories of Camila taking charge during glee, but it was something else to watch the brunette take control like this. This wasn't about getting her way, this was about protecting Lauren, and he respected the hell out of her for that.
He sighed as he watched Camila press her lips to Lauren's brow when she told Ally about the altercation in the parking lot, silently reassuring the other woman that she was safe and that everything would be fine, and he smiled as he watched Lauren sink into the touch. He'd never seen the raven-haired woman let somebody hold her like that. Even when she'd been with Jamie, Lauren always had her walls up; she had never really let the attorney in as far and as completely as she had Camila.
That alone showed him that Camila really was 'the one' for Lauren.
"She'll call Jack and get him up to speed," Camila whispered, as she disconnected the call and brushed another soft kiss across Lauren's lips. She couldn't help but smile when she felt Lauren respond to the caress, arching into her and kissing her back tenderly.
"Thank you," Lauren whispered, before she tucked her head into the crook of the brunette's neck and burrowed into the warmth of her embrace.
"Always, sweetie," Camila murmured, resting her cheek on the top of Lauren's head as she caught Zayn's watchful eye in the rearview mirror. She read the silent question in his gaze and nodded minutely, wordlessly telling him that everything would be taken care of, as she wrapped her arms tighter around Lauren and held her close.
The car descended into silence once again, the classic rock pouring from the speakers lulling them all into a daze as they raced past moonlit farms on the nearly empty highway.
"So, besides Ally, do you keep in touch with anybody from glee?" Zayn asked softly, not wanting to disturb Lauren, whose eyes were now closed.
Camila pressed a soft kiss to the top of Lauren's head and smiled softly as her breath fell in steady waves against her skin. "I'll get a phone call every once in a while from Harry, but that's pretty much it."
Zayn chuckled. "Did he flip his shit when the story of you and Lauren came out?"
Camila smiled and shook her head. "Oddly enough, no. He didn't seem too surprised. He's coming out to LA for some big designer something-or-other in October though and has made me swear on my Louboutins that she and I will at least go to dinner with him while he's there, though."
"Sounds like something he'd do. Liam says he's in London now?"
Camila nodded. "Yes. He has a little shop in the West End. He designs high-end menswear accessories – hats, scarves, coats, ties, stuff like that, and seems to be doing quite well for himself."
"You know, I always expected him to stay in New York with you."
Camila shrugged, instantly wincing as Lauren mumbled incoherently and snuggled in closer to her; she hadn't meant to disturb Lauren. "He met a boy when he was at NYU who was from England and when they graduated, he just followed him back there. He did an apprenticeship with some major designer in London whose name I can't remember, and hung up his own shingle about a year ago. How is Liam?"
Zayn glanced at the brunette in the mirror and smiled. "He's good. He's a PE teacher a high school down in Dayton and coaches the football team. They won their division last year, so that was pretty cool. Still not married, but he's been dating the same girl for a couple of years now so I'm sure it's just a matter of time."
"Good for him," Camila said, a genuine smile lifting her lips. "You keep in touch with anyone else?"
Zayn nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much everybody from glee, really. I know Laur said you guys went out with Normani and Dinah so I don't need to tell you about them. Sam's down in Tennessee, doing the country-music thing in Nashville. Artie is in Boston, he's an actuary – don't ask me what that is, I don't have a freaking clue. Mercedes is in med school up in Seattle."
"Really?" Camila interjected, smiling.
Zayn shrugged. "Yeah. I dunno. Um, who else? Oh, Louis is on tour with some hot new pop star whose name I can't remember – he's her lead dancer."
"I'm glad he was able to do something with his talent," Camila said softly, acutely aware of the blonde sleeping on her chest.
"Me too," Zayn agreed. "So, yeah. Pretty much everybody but me managed to get out of town."
"Why didn't you?" Camila asked. "I mean, you don't have to tell me, of course, I was just..."
Zayn chuckled and shook his head. "S'okay, Cabello. I didn't leave because I wanted to watch Nicole grow up. I used to come back home every-other-weekend when I was at FIU to see her, and after I graduated I realized that I didn't want to keep making that trip. I had already figured out that I wanted to be a fireman anyways, so I just joined up in Miami."
"Well, I'm proud of you, Zayn," Camila said softly. "You are really great with Nicole, you know that – right?"
Zayn smiled. "Thanks, Mila."
"Camila," Lauren mumbled sleepily.
The brunette smiled as she turned her attention away from Zayn to the woman in her arms. "It's okay, sweetie," she soothed. "I've got you. Go back to sleep."
"Okay singing princess," Lauren murmured, tightening her hold on Camila and dropping a sleepy kiss to the brunette's neck.
"Singing princess?" Zayn whispered once it was clear that Lauren had fallen back asleep.
"Long story," Camila replied, smiling as she pressed a soft kiss to the top of Lauren's head.
+++/+++\+++
It was nearly three when Zayn dropped the girls back off at the Cabello house. Camila had been pleasantly surprised when he had jumped out of the car to pull each of them into a big hug, and she had to bite her lip to keep from tearing up when he'd whispered in her ear that he'd missed her and asked her to take care of Lauren.
The two women walked hand-in-hand up the stairs to the brunette's bedroom, where Camila closed the door quietly behind them and made sure to engage the lock. Her fathers weren't in the habit of just walking into her room anyways, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry.
She watched Lauren pull some pajamas out of her suitcase and she smiled as she crossed the room to gently pull them out of Lauren's hands. "Not tonight," she whispered, dropping the clothes onto the open bag.
"Your dads," Lauren argued weakly. She craved that skin-on-skin contact Camila was promising her, it was comforting to be completely surrounded by the brunette like that, but she was also very aware of the fact that she wasn't necessarily on Hiram's good side yet and she didn't want to do anything to make him disapprove of her any more than he already did.
"Know that we're sleeping together," Camila replied in her typically blunt manner. "And they don't just walk into my room unannounced. And I locked the door," she said, kissing Lauren softly as she began slowly undressing her. "I like feeling your skin under my cheek when I fall asleep," she murmured as she unzipped and removed Lauren's top, unconsciously licking her lips when Lauren's bra-less chest was exposed to her. "I love feeling your breath on my skin when you let me hold you, as you fall asleep on my chest." She dropped the shirt onto the floor beside their suitcases and slid her hands down Lauren's sides to dip into the waistband of her slacks.
Lauren groaned as she flicked her heels off in the direction of her suitcase. "Camila."
"I know, sweetie," Camila breathed, smiling as she leaned in and kissed Lauren softly. She moaned softly when Lauren's hands landed lightly on her waist, holding her close as their kisses deepened, their tongues stroking slowly against each other as she unbuttoned and unzipped Lauren's pants and pushed both them and her underwear down over her hips until gravity took hold and carried them to the floor.
Camila's shoes and shirt were the next to go, followed immediately by her bra, skirt, and panties, and the brunette moaned softly as Lauren's arms wrapped around her waist, hands spread across her back, pulling her in closer. Their kisses remained slow, deep, and languid, more about providing closeness and comfort than arousing, and when they eventually slowed to a stop, Camila buried her face in the crook of Lauren's neck to soak in the warmth of her lover's embrace.
"Thank you... for being there for me today," Lauren whispered, as she pressed a soft kiss to Camila's forehead. "For going to Nicole's party, for standing up to Mike... for holding me and reminding me that I wasn't alone."
Camila sighed and brushed a soft kiss to Lauren's neck. "You're not alone, baby," she murmured. "I will always be here to hold you. It's one of my favorite things to do, actually," she added, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had surrounded them ever since they'd walked out of the club earlier.
Lauren nodded, her cheek brushing against the top of Camila's head. "Come on, let's get in bed, Camz," she whispered as she pulled away from the brunette.
Camila watched as Lauren slipped under the sheets, and she smiled as she climbed in after her. She settled onto her back beside Lauren and whispered, "Let me hold you?"
Lauren smiled shyly and nodded as she rolled onto her side, her right leg slipping between the brunette's as she laid her head on Camila's shoulder. She bit her lip as she ran her hand up the brunette's stomach and whispered, "I love you," as she placed it over her heart.
Camila covered Lauren's hand with her own, twining their fingers together, and whispered, "I love you."
"I do believe you, you know," Lauren murmured, her lips brushing against the soft skin of Camila's throat as she spoke.
Camila squeezed Lauren's hand gently. "About what, sweetie?"
"That we'll find a way to make us work when we're done filming," Lauren whispered, closing her eyes as exhaustion once again swept through her body.
Camila smiled and pressed her lips to Lauren's forehead. "Yes, we will," she murmured. "Yes, we will."