Title: What a wicked game to play
Category: TV Shows » Orphan Black
Author: OTP324B21
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M
Genre: Romance/General
Published: 08-15-14, Updated: 09-11-14
Chapters: 6, Words: 13,015

Here we go with me being inspired by music again. A group called Sons of Serendip performed this weird haunting version of Wicked Games on America's Got Talent this week and I've been taunted by this image of the clones performing it. This was supposed to be a one shot but I got carried away and now my brain has a short plot mapped out so there will be a few more chapters.

"Your drink, Madam." The waiter took a step back as hazel eyes looked up at him with a warning look. "...moiselle." He added, hastily stumbling backwards.

"Stop that Delphine." The older man that sat with the blonde woman didn't even bother to look up from the paperwork he was reading. His glasses were perched close to the edge of his nose and his frail hands covered in age spots moved to turn a page.

Looking at the martini, the blonde woman wrinkled her nose before returning to the list of performers. She only went to these clubs because of the free drinks her step-father and boss would purchase for her. She rarely cared for these open mic nights in these grungy venues. Frankly, she didn't much care for the musical scene at all. She was a scientist and the only reason she accepted the job at the production company was because of the deal Aldous had offered her. Getting her schooling completely paid for in exchange for a summer of barely working...who was she to complain. All she had to do was assist her step-father in his scouting ventures, which unfortunately took her all over the country to listen to half-rated immature musicians covering top 40 pop songs.

That was exactly how she found herself sitting in a dark corner, sipping watered down martinis in San Francisco. Aldous had been tipped that a young trio of women were worth checking out, but judging from the playlist, Delphine highly doubted it. The club was one that apparently was hard to get into as a performer, and each was allowed one song. Wicked Games. This had to be a joke. While the 90s song had been a hit over 20 years ago, the blonde hated it. She felt it was trite and cheesy, the epitome of everything wrong with 90s music. "Why are we even bothering with this?" Her French accent only put emphasis on her irritation.

His indifference was infuriating and Delphine quickly stood up, grabbing her clutch. "I'm going outside for a smoke. What sort of god forsaken place does not allow smoking in a bar." She commented, leaving in a huff.

He didn't protest or follow her. She hadn't expected him to. He was already used to her tantrums. As the heavy door closed behind her, she nodded at the bouncer, hugging her black coat closer against the chilled bay breeze, closing her eyes as she lit her cigarette, feeling the calming sensation washing over her body. It's not that she hated Aldous, but she didn't much like him. He had married her mother almost ten years ago when Delphine was just about hitting her teen years. The owner of a recording company, he was irresistible to her mother who could not resist the pull of money and alcohol, a far stretch from what her poor upbringing had been like in Paris. She would trade all the riches she had for another chance to live back in France, back when her father had been alive and they lived off his meager earnings as a baker. Delphine could still remember the scent of her father's pastries, his habit of dabbing sweet cream on the tip of her nose when she was just a tot, not even tall enough to see over the table.

The raspy voice sounded just off to her right pulled her out of her revelry and Delphine released an exasperated huff, turning to tell off the new annoyance. She froze at the sight of the street lamp reflecting off of horn-rimmed glasses and a lopsided smile, brunette hair pulled back into a mass of twisted dreads settling over a bright red coat. The woman must have seen Delphine's original look of irritation and stepped back, hands up in defense.

"Non." Delphine shook her head, lifting up the silver lighter. "Pardon, I was just surprised."

Hazel eyes darker than Delphine's lit up and a tongue appeared, pressing against the back of slightly fanged teeth. "French huh?" She removed a hand-rolled cigarette from where it was lodged between her glasses and ear, slipping it between her lips. "That's pretty hot." Those eyes outlined in winged make-up took a long leisurely look from Delphine's knee-high boots, over the tight dress that clung to her body and up to her perfectly curled blonde hair. "Not that you need an accent for that."

Raising her eyebrows, Delphine sparked the lighter, watching as the woman took a step closer, the wind threatening to blow the flame out. When a soft hand brushed against her own, creating a protected cove so she could light it, Delphine smiled.

The brunette held in the smoke long enough for Delphine's brows to furrow in confusion before realization dawned on her. Her suspicions were confirmed when the woman exhaled, the earthy scent of marijuana filling the air. "This is illegal, non?" She was answered with a giggle before the woman took another hit.

"I have a prescription." Came out in another puff of smoke. She stretched out a hand and Delphine noticed an abundance of rings and bracelets that adorned the limb. "Cosima."

"Delphine." Closing her own hand around the smaller one, Delphine gave it a gentle shake. "Enchantee."

A look of delight came over Cosima's face. "Enchantee." Her accent was completely destructive of Delphine's native tongue, something that almost always grated at her nerves...except in this instance. Instead, it brought a smile to her own face and she was disappointed when the woman released her hand. "So...what's a belle like you doing in a place like this?"

A genuine smile crossed Delphine's face. "Just listening to the music, you know."

"Bullshit." Cosima laughed, a sound that sent shivers down Delphine's back. "I saw you in there with that old dude. You looked so bored." She had a look on her face daring Delphine to protest. "That entire last song you spent with your nose buried in your phone."

"And obviously you were so enraptured by the music that you were watching me the entire time?" Normally Delphine would be upset...uncomfortable even. She wasn't stupid. She knew that many considered her beautiful and while she didn't try to avoid being seen as so, there were times when suitors became overly aggressive towards her. It wasn't as rare as it probably should have been that she was often followed out of bars when she needed a cigarette or a breath of fresh air. Oddly enough, she felt none of the unsettling sensations she normally felt.

Maybe it was the way the woman grinned. The way she wore her emotions on her face as clear as crystal. "Totally guilty." She laughed again, her eyes starting to take on a glassy look as she reached out to touch Delphine's coat, arrow-shaped patterns set in the heavy black material. "I was actually wondering where you got this coat. It's pretty killer." Maybe Delphine herself wasn't so effective at hiding her own disappointment because the woman quickly corrected herself. "Kidding!" Another drag and she was stubbing out the end, tucking the half a joint back in its place between her ear and glasses. "You're totally a show-stealer, but I'm sure you know that."

Delphine felt the heat rising to her cheeks and nearly frowned. She wasn't the blushing type, and definitely not from someone pointing out things she already knew. "Tu est une petit merde."

Delphine laughed, a laugh that was far more genuine than any laughing she'd done in years.

"Totally rude, but whatever dude." Her grin never leaving her face, Cosima sniffled, reaching up to straighten her glasses. "You know...I'm sure you get drinks bought for you all the time, so I'm thinking instead of me making some ridiculously unnecessary offer, you should buy me a drink."

"Pardon?" Delphine tilted her head in amused confusion. She had never been asked to buy a drink before. Usually drinks would appear in front of her which she always declined. "You want me to buy you a drink?"

Cosima slipped her hands in her own coat, feeling the cold starting to settle in. "Totes." She rocked on her heels slightly. "You know, I don't want to pressure you or anything, but if you wanted to say...get me a cosmo, I wouldn't say no."

Delphine was about to answer when the door opened and a frantic head popped out.

"One sec, Sarah." Cos waved off her band mate, returning her attention to Delphine. "You were totally going to say yes. No take backs! I have to go but I'll be free in like...8 minutes."

"I cannot take back something I never agreed to." Delphine bit her bottom lip, her own eyes dripping down to look at the pink tip that poked out between smiling teeth.

"Come on, geek! Alison's about to crap her lululemons." Sarah stomped out, grabbing the woman's arm.

Delphine snubbed out her own cigarette, tossing the butt in a nearby ashtray. Five minutes later found her back inside, joining Aldous again at the table as she sipped her martini.

"What?" Delphine looked over the rim of her glass as she watched Cosima and two other women prepping on stage.

"Times3 is up next. Well if this is worth our time, that name is the first thing that will have to go." He laughed, signaling the waiter for another glass of scotch. "You were right though. The talent here has been dreadful so far tonight."

Delphine frowned at that. She didn't want Cosima to be dreadful. She imagined that raspy voice attempting to sing and couldn't imagine it. There was a quick introduction before it started. Delphine was expecting a pop cover of the old song, but instead a low and haunting melody came from a cello in the middle of a spotlight, a still silouette on either side of her. Sitting behind it was the woman that had come out to retrieve Cosima, her eyes closed as if locked in her own world as she played the slow tune. The spotlight brightened around a piano where Cosima sat, a mic tilted towards her mouth as she played a soft accompanying tune to the intro before taking a deep breath.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you.

Delphine shifted in her seat as hazel eyes found her in the crowd despite the bright lights. Cosima's voice was raspy and rich at the same time and her 2 band mates accompanied her perfectly as they played their cello and harp.

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and,

Delphine hated this song. It was the personification of sleazy accusations of a man blaming a woman for turning into an obsessed mess. She hated the video that accompanied it in all its naked groping. Maybe she just wasn't a Chris Isaak fan because as she sat there, she felt anything but contemp. The raspy voice sent a chill down Delphine's back as she felt herself drawn in and she felt raw and exposed.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you,

As the instruments died off and Cosima's voice silenced, there was a loud cheering from the crowd. Delphine found herself clapping softly, something she never did.

"That was...interesting." Aldous looked at Delphine curiously. "You seemed to enjoy it." He shook his head. "Well either way, we can leave. I'll add them to the possible list. They have raw talent, but I'll have to think about it overnight." He stood, standing for a minute before realizing Delphine had no intention on joining him. "Are you coming?"

With a shake of her head, Delphine signaled the waiter. "I will see you in the morning. I think I need a little time to myself." Delphine knocked back the rest of her drink, looking up in challenge at her step father who seemed to want to protest.

"Very well." Aldous settled on. In 10 years, he had rarely been able to win an argument with her so he didn't even try.

Delphine watches as he left, crossing her legs as the waiter returned. "Another martini please, this time grey goose, very dry, two olives, and a cosmo." She had no idea what a cosmo was but it was what Cosima wanted so she wasn't going to argue.

"So I see you got rid of the old man." Cosima appeared out of nowhere, plopping down ungracefully into the seat vacated by Aldous. "Who was he by the way? Husband? Dad? Boss? Sugar Daddy?"

A look of distaste came over Delphine's features. "He is my step-father...and my employer I suppose." She nodded to the waiter as the drinks were dropped off. "I only work for him in the summer and he pays for my studies."

"No shit." Cosima discarded the orange that was hanging from her glass, wrinkling her nose at it. "What are you studying?"

"Just general biology right now but I'm steering towards immunology." Delphine ran a fingertip around the edge of her glass, a smirk spreading across her face as Cosima watched her finger, licking her lips.

Cosima cleared her throat. "A girl after my own heart. "I'm a bio major too." She took a quick sip of her cosmo before pulling her chair closer to Delphine, so close the blonde could feel the heat radiating off of her. "Ok so, stop me if I'm being dumb or presumptuous..."

"So I don't want to be like creepy or anything, but I'm getting this vibe from you." Cosima captured Delphine's hand, turning the palm up and beginning to trace the subtle creases she found. "Stop me if I'm wrong."

Cosima grinned. "So this vibe I'm getting is the whole 'I'm normally straight but there's just something about this super cute piano player that makes me question that' kind of vibe." She paused, waiting for a response of which she got none, her grin widening. "And I think I've done a pretty good job so far making my own intentions clear...' She traced the lengths of each long tapered finger. "And while I'm sure that we could do this dancing back and forth flirting that people have a tendancy to do, I would rather spend the time making out with you because you have really sexy lips."

Delphine felt a blush coloring her cheeks but didn't protest. Instead, she bit her bottom lip, sitting up a little straighter. "I can see where you're coming from."

Now, Delphine was never really shy about sex, but she rarely gave in on a first date which is why it was such an unusual thing for her to be in the brunette's apartment less than 20 minutes later, pressed against a door with wandering hands slipping up her thighs, lips carving a path down her throat with her head thrown back against the wood. "Merde." She moaned as she felt her dress pushed up around her waist, a thigh slipping between her own in delicious friction.

Delphine knew that Cosima was being purposely slow, giving the blonde all opportunity to stop as she raked her nails up her thighs. Fingers danced around the edge of her panties as Cosima pulled back as if to ask permission.

The pace was torturously slow and Delphine growled in frustration, reaching down to push the woman's hand under the black lace, moaning loudly as she thrust forward against the new stimulation. The hand began to move against her and she whimpered, tangling her hands in long dreads and pulling the woman forward for a hungry kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance as Delphine's hips took on a mind of their own, grinding down against the heel of a palm as fingers slipped in and out of her. "Cosssssima." She moaned as the shorter woman's lips pulled away, biting a path down her neck before disappearing. Delphine was about to protest when she felt her leg being guided onto a shoulder and the thrusting hand was replaced by a determined tongue.

Delphine could feel her muscles tensing as jolt after jolt of pure hot pleasure came from the head buried between her thighs and the fingers buried inside her. She didn't want it to end but she couldn't control her own body, her hips moving against the woman's tongue and fingers, her breathing a compilation of pants and sharp whimpers. "Cosssss..." Her body tensed as she was pushed over the edge, her nails sinking into the woman's shoulder in the long agonizing moment. "Merde." She was breathing heavily as the tongue continued to move against her, causing her entire body to twitch with each stroke. "Non non non." She pushed the woman away, slipping her leg off the woman's shoulder and hissing loudly as the fingers slipped from her.

Licking her lips as she stood up, Cosima laughed, pressing her body against the taller frame, bumping her nose against the blonde's. "Well...that escalated quickly."

Delphine just laughed in a mixture of arousal and embarassment, burying her face in the woman's dreads.

It took a minute for Delphine's brain to process where she was and why there was an arm draped over her abdomen...and why she was naked. Stretching slightly, she could feel the heat radiating off the body laying beside her. Vivid memories of the night before washed over her accompanied by a million emotions. Had she really gone home with someone she barely knew? Had she really let this short woman get under her skin and turn her inside out?

Delphine jumped slightly, looking to her left to see dark hazel eyes watching her. "Oui." She looked down and intertwined her fingers with Cosima's. There were a million thoughts going through her head, one of which was how deliciously sore her body felt, and how beautiful the woman was. Her eyes trailing down the woman's neck, she felt a light blush raising in her cheeks as she felt a quickening in her pulse at the amount of flesh showing.

It only made Delphine smile wider as she leaned forward, brushing her lips against the brunette's, getting a soft and leisurely kiss in return. "So..." She laid back, biting her bottom lip. "...what now?"

Cosima laughed, her nose scrunching up. "Now...I have tea if you would like some...or I can conjure up something resembling coffee I think." She slipped out from under the covers, pulling on a robe. "Your phone's been buzzing like crazy...probably your old man wondering where you are." Slipping on her glasses, Cosima disappeared into what Delphine guessed was the bathroom.

"Merde." Delphine looked around for her phone, finding her clutch on the nightstand. Oddly, she didn't remember putting it there but she shook her head and picked up her phone, finding four messages and half a dozen texts from Aldous. Dealing with her step-father's bullshit was the last thing she wanted to do and she quickly sent off a text message just to appease him as she looked around for her clothes. She wasn't normally a self-conscious person, but she was feeling oddly shy this morning as she grabbed the sleepshirt that was hanging off one of the bedposts. It was just long enough on her tall frame to keep her mildly decent and she could only imagine it falling to the brunette's knees.

"Looks good on you." Cosima emerged from the bathroom, a lopsided grin on her face as her eyes danced with mischief. "I set out a spare toothbrush for you if you want. Did you want tea or coffee? I will warn you though, I'm pretty bad at making coffee so I make no promises."

Delphine couldn't not smile at that. "I seem to be on an adventurist streak right now. It cannot be too bad." She looked around the floor as she stood, feeling a delicious pull of her overused muscles. "I cannot find my clothes."

Cosima's grin spread across her face as she moved to her armoir. "Probably still by the door."

"Oh." Delphine chewed on her bottom lip before nodding and disappearing into the bathroom. She cringed at her reflection and began the process of fixing her appearance.

While the blonde was in the bathroom, Cosima busied herself by quickly changing into a pair of leggings and choosing one of her more casual dresses before heading into the make-shift kitchen area to start a kettle of water. Picking up the strewn around clothes, she found her cell phone near the desk, the notification light blinking and alerting her to the 7 missed calls and 20 or so missed texts. Even as she was about to check the messages the phone started vibrating, Sarah's face taking up the whole screen. "It's a little early in the morning for a stalker." Cosima joked as she answered.

"Bloody hell, Cos. I've been trying to call you all morning. Where the hell have you been?"

Rolling her eyes, Cosima folded up the blonde's clothes. "Good morning to you too, Grumpy. I've been sleeping man. It's my day off."

"Got a call this morning from one of the reps at DYAD records, ya damn nerd. Apparently someone was at the show last night and they want to meet."

Blinking, Cosima looked at her phone before holding it up to her ear again. "Are you serious or are you fucking with me again?" She rooted around for her tin of tea, carefully measuring the amount into the tiny deathstar shaped seeper. "Like if you're fucking with me again I'm kicking you out of the band."

A laughter rang over the phone. "Yeah good luck on that and good luck explaining that to Mrs. S. But I'm not joking. Some guy named Leekie or whatever was at the show and wants to have a meeting tonight."

"What does Mrs. S think?" Cosima looked at the small jar of coffee, not really sure how much she was supposed to use as she poured some into a coffee filter. "Hey, how much coffee are you supposed to use for a single cup?"

"The hell if I know. I don't drink coffee...and neither do you." The voice was suspicious. "Why are you making coffee?"

Cosima sniffled, trying to juggle the cell phone and holding the coffee filter over the coffee cup as she poured the hot water over it. "It's for a friend. What did Mrs. S say?" Mrs. S was Sarah's adoptive mother and the manager of their band. The Irish woman had welcomed Cosima into her home when she was just a teen street rat playing an acoustic guitar on the side of the road for change.

"Same shite as always. You know how she is. She wants to be there of course." There was a pause. "What friend?"

"That's personal, but speaking of which I have to go. Shoot me the details for the meeting."

Cosima ended the call and tossed her phone onto the counter, pouring water into her own cup of tea.

Delphine emerged from the bathroom feeling a little more put together. She had cleaned off the previous night's makeup and applied a light touch of what she had in her clutch. There was no fixing her hair without her usual supplies so she pulled the unruly locks back into a pony tail. "It does not smell too bad."

With a laugh, Cosima offered her the mug. "I don't know if you want sugar or something. I don't have cream but I have some milk." She sipped her own tea, smiling at the taste of mint and honey. She didn't really have a table besides her desk that was littered with school books, so they leaned against the "kitchen"counter which housed her sink and an assortment of dishes and cooking supplies.

"Just black is fine." Delphine looked at the cup, noting a few loose grains of coffee floating around in the very dark liquid. With a hesitant breath, she took a small sip. The coffee was strong and bitter, but luckily that's exactly how Delphine liked it. "It is good, thank you."

Cosima gave her a disbelieving look but didn't comment on it further. "So...did you want to tell me a little about yourself? I mean I know you're a student and you work for your step father or whatever but besides that and knowing where your ticklish spots are, I don't know much about you."

"Oh yes you are." Cosima hid her smile into her mug. "You are ticklish in at least four different spots."

Blushing slightly, Delphine took another sip of coffee, choosing not to comment.

"Oh."Cosima's response was quiet as she looked down at her mug, her brows furrowed just slightly.

It took a minute for Delphine to understand why the brunette's demeanor changed so drastically. Of course they lived on oposite sides of the country. Why had location not seemed like such a big deal the night before? Surely this was just a one night stand...wasn't it? "I'm just in town on business with my step-father."

Cosima put on a smile that seemed a little less than genuine. "You can't just come to San Fran on business! Have you even seen the sights?"

Delphine shook her head. They were only in town for another day. Of course she didn't have time to sightsee. "Non, I'm just here to be an assistant...make copies, get coffee...you know."

"You've got to let me show you around at least."Cosima's free hand flew through the air in excitement as she spoke. "I mean I have a meeting this..."She checked her phone and scrunched her nose at Sarah's angry message. "this afternoon...but you totally have to let me show you some of the great night spots. Let me take you out to dinner or whatever."

The nagging voice in her head told her that she should just leave things as they were. There was no way this would go beyond a fun time, but another weight on her consciousness was telling her that she would regret not accepting. "Ok." The way the brunette's face lit up told Delphine she had answered correctly.

"Of course." Delphine repeated her number twice so the brunette could get it right as she reached for her own phone. She frowned as she saw a text message waiting for her.

"Everything alright?" Cosima must have noticed the look on her face because the brunette had a sudden look of worry on her own.

"Oui." Delphine sighed as she pulled up the test message Cosima had sent her, saving it to her contact list. "Aldous is requesting my presence for something work related." She shook her head before putting a smile on. "I must go, but I look forward to tonight."

"Yeah...ditto...obs." That quirkly half-grin regraced Cosima's face as Delphine leaned in for a kiss.

There was something about kissing Cosima that set a fire in Delphine's being. She could feel the heat errupting from inside as she pressed closer, feeling the hands with strong fingers settling on her hips, pulling her flush against the shorter woman's body. Suddenly there was a tongue, not invading, but just teasing her lips as the kiss deepened and she felt those hands sliding around and under the sleep shirt, pushing the material up as paths of fire raked up her thighs.

"I though you had to go." Was mumbled against her lips even as the sleep shirt was pulled up and off.

Delphine nodded but tipped her head back as the lips grazed their way down her throat. "Oui." She tangled her fingers in dreadlocks, a surprised whimper emerging as lips brushed across a nipple. "I...I think I can spare a few minutes." She felt a chill course down her back accompanying the chuckle she felt against her breast.

"A few?" Cosima's hands were everywhere, raking lines across her back, over her hips, across the back of her thighs and nearly making Delphine's knees buckle. "Maybe you should go..." but even as she said it she was leading them back towards the bed. "...I plan to take more than a few minutes."

The bed hit the back of Delphine's knees and she was falling backwards. She was about to scoot backwards onto the bed when she felt her thighs pushed apart and Cosima was kneeling on the floor between them, lips already grazing her thighs. "I'll tell him there was traffic...merde." Was the last coherant thought she had as that teasing tongue found something else to busy itself with.

Delphine had never been so glad for their over-the-top penthouse hotel room as she managed to avoid an awkward interaction with Aldous as she slipped into her personal room unnoticed. She was well aware, from the stares of the elevator attendant, that she was obviously partaking in the noted "walk of shame." It had taken her some time rooting through the limited wardrobe she'd brought to find a top that wasn't low cut. Although she wasn't ashamed of the lurid red marks across her chest, she didn't really feel like talking about them with her step-father.

After a much needed shower and changing, she found him on the balcony having a late lunch while talking on the phone.

"I'm not even going to ask." Aldous spoke as he got off his call, looking at Delphine.

Delphine was glad for that as she sat down at the table, making a cup of the always available coffee and grabbing one of the croissants.

"I have a meeting in less than an hour and it seems my assistant has been gone off to god knows where all night." He was typing into his phone as he spoke to her, something that always got on her nerves. "I need you to make the standard copies for an intro package...God I hate dealing with uneducated family managers that always think they know best."

Raising an eyebrow, Delphine grabbed her tablet, pulling up the usual packets and sending them to the nearest printing center which was right around the corner. "Who are we meeting with?"

Aldous snorted as he removed his glasses, wiping them down with a hankerchief. "Oh so now you're interested?"

"I am always interested." Delphine frowned. She wasn't aware of any other meetings they were supposed to attend. They had seen a handful of artists on their visit to the bay city and usually her step-father took some time to research an artist before reaching out to them. This is why it surprised her when he finally spoke again.

"That group we saw last night." Aldous cleared his throat as he slipped his glasses on. "While you were off...wherever...last night, I was looking into them. They have a very solid fanbase here and ignoring the fact that they have over a million hits on their last youtube video, they perform well live. I want to invite them back to see how they do in the studio as well as with a song that's not a cover." There must have been a strange look on Delphine's look because he paused and gave her his own questioning look. "Did you not think they were good? I mean if you don't agree..."

Delphine held up a hand. "I didn't say that." She was overcome with a wave of conflicting emotions she couldn't label. Shock? Excitement? Fear? Delight? Aprehension? Thrill? "I'm just surprised you did all that research proactively." She knew it was her own doing. Usually he relied on her to bring that info to him, but because she had left him to his own devices last night, he obviously took it upon himself. It's not that she wasn't happy that Cosima would get this chance, because she was, she just hadn't thought about the complications last night would throw into this.

What would Aldous think if he found out? She looked at the old man who had returned to his phone. She knew that he wouldn't care about Cosima's orientation, because he had signed people of all branches of sexuality. What she didn't know, was how he would react to her own involvement. He had a tendancy to bounce between indifference and over protectiveness and she wondered where this reaction would occur. That's where the fear set in. How would Cosima react? Would she feel betrayed that Delphine hadn't told her about her job? She normally had to work closely with Aldous's acquisitions in the starting processes. Would this make things easier or more difficult? Merde.

"Like I said, the meeting is in about an hour so if you have any objections, now would be the time to voice them before you go get my copies."

Delphine glared at him before she stood. "Non. I think they were amazing." She grabbed her phone before leaving the room. Maybe she had time to text Cosima. Maybe she could explain herself so the woman wasn't completely caught off guard.

The cell phone sitting on the diner's table vibrated and Sarah managed to snag it before Cosima could react. "Get your head in the game, Cos." She tucked the phone away in her bag with a pointed look.

Cosima laughed. "That's fucked up, dude." She commented as she reached for the piece of toast instead. She still had the memory of long fingers and soft lips brushing against her skin and there wasn't much that could ruin her good mood. "Were you able to get ahold of Alison?"

Sarah roled her eyes and signalled the waitress for another tea. "Yeah. She shouldn't be much longer. She just had to wait for Donnie to get home to watch the kids."

"Speaking of kids, I bet Felix pitched a fit having to watch Kira on his 'Date' night."

Sarah's daughter was just barely nine. Mrs. S had been a blessing, helping to watch her when she and the others had a gig, or when Sarah just needed some alone time. Her foster brother loved the girl as well, but he also loved the fredom that came with not having children. "No doubt." Sarah shook her head. "He tried to charge me for all the money he would be losing tonight."

Cosima laughed again, sipping her own tea. "He's a trip." Her fingers twitched as she reached for her phone, remembering too late that Sarah had taken posession of the device. It's not that she had an addiction to the device...well no more than your standard American these days...but what if Delphine had texted? Cosima wasn't the type to go halfway on anything. She was always either very cavalier about partners, one night stands that kept her life uncomplicated and carefree, or she was... Delphine... the name repeated through her head over and over again. Her skin hummed with the memory and her tongue basked in a taste that food and drink couldn't wash away. What the hell was wrong with her? She knew that being so attached to the woman was asking for heart-break. After all, the blonde was just visiting, and chances of seeing her after tonight was very slim to no chance at all, but she couldn't stop herself. Delphine. Damn it.

"Earth to Cos!" Sarah snapped her fingers in front of the woman's face until she got her attention. "Holy shite, Cosima."

Shaking her head, Sarah laughed. "Whoever she was, she must have been bloody brilliant in bed to have you sitting there talking to yourself."

Cosima only grinned. "Alison!" She stood up and hugged their bandmate who suddenly appeared.

Alison looked between the smirking Sarah and the over-excited Cosima. "What's going on?"

"Shut up, Sarah." Cosima threw a piece of toast at the woman. "You are such an ass." She stuck her tongue out.

Alison's brows rose up to the same level as her bangs. "Girlfriend?" She smiled brightly, looking to her bandmate for an explaination.

"You're the one that's full of shite." Sarah commented, tossing the same piece of toast back.

"I know you're not throwing food, Chickens. That would be mighty disrespectful of the cooks and servers here, wouldn't it?"

All three women stood up suddenly. "Mrs. S!" Sarah brushed off the pieces of crumbled toast from her jacket. "We were just waiting for you."

"Oh I'm sure you were." The older woman slipped into one of the seats. "Alright so let's go over the game plan."

Stepping into the elevator, Cosima has almost jumping up and down. She had never been to a meeting like this and while she wasn't sure what was going to happen, she knew nothing bad would. Either they would think about signing, or they wouldn't. What could possibly go wrong?

"That is her calm."Alison flicked a loose thread off her cartigan, her nervousness showing in her fidgeting hands.

"Settle down girls." Mrs. S looked at them in the reflection of the doors. She glanced at the elevator operator who wisely said nothing.

Cosima settled on rocking back and forth on her heels...until the elevator stopped and she was hopping slightly again.

The elevator operator held the doors open for them, waiting for all four to exit.

Stepping into the large welcoming room, Cosima's eyebrows went almost up to her hairline, whistling a long note between her teeth. "Ok can I move in here?" She joked, turning in a slow circle to admire the expensive furniture and art.

The older male voice made Cosima jump as she turned to find it's source. The man was older...and very tall, and something triggered in the back of Cosima's mind as she tried to place the familiarity.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." He laughed a very soft laugh, one that Cosima would imagine a grandfather would...if she remembered her grandfather. "Thank you very much for meeting with me, I'm Aldous Leekie."

Aldous. Cosima froze. Her mind fogged over with the sight of dim lights and a table where an elderly man was seated with a much younger companion. A companion with curly blonde hair, killer long legs, and what she would find out was a delicous French accent.

"Mr. Leekie." Mrs. S accepted the offered hand with a tight-lipped smile. "The pleasure is all ours. I'm Siobhan Saddler. These are the girls, Alison, Sarah, and Cosima."

"Alison...your harp skills are very lovely." He spoke as he shook the suburban woman's hand. He turned to Sarah and was surprised by the fist bump. "Sarah, your cello playing was amazing and quite haunting I must say." His smile grew wide as he took Cosima's hand, holding it between his two bony hands for a moment. "And Cosima. You have a stunning voice that just tops off the whole package. I was lucky enough to catch your performance last night and it was incredible."

As if waiting for the perfect moment, the doors to the living space opened and none other than the tall, long-legged, french accented beauty walked through, a stack of papers in her hands.

"This is my assisant, Delphine. If there's anything you need, she'll be happy to get. Coffee? Water? Tea?"

Delphine's eyes fell on Cosima and it was like time stopped. Cosima wasn't sure what she expected. Maybe she expected surprise or maybe even aprehension. She didn't expect to find a look of dread boardering on fear in those eyes.

"Excuse me just one minute." Aldous spoke as his cell phone rang. He gave Delphine a meaningful look that she had seen before. "My work here is never done." He smiled and exited the main area, his voice echoing off the walls as he turned his attention to the call.

Delphine gave the four women a tight-lipped smile. "If you'll follow me." She gestured to the small meeting room that branched off the entrance. "Could I get you anything? We have coffee or tea, but I could get something sent up if you would prefer something stronger." It was normally a joke, but right now she felt as if a stronger drink would help.

"What can you get that's stronger?" Sarah asked, not one to ignore a chance for free booze. She dropped into one of the seats and crossed her feet on the table only to have them knocked off. "Oi!"

"Tea will be fine for her as well as myself, thank you." Mrs. S spoke up, giving Sarah a glare.

"Tea would be perfect, thank you." Alison smiled in appreciation as she sat down.

Delphine looked at the remaining brunette who had her arms crossed over her chest and a look of upset contemplation on her face. She could see the gears turning behind the suspicous eyes, trying to work through things. "Cosima? Tea?" She wasn't used to lying. Maybe if she was she'd know that she hadn't been introduced to them yet. Maybe she'd at that point understand the mistake she made so quickly that aparently only one person in the room caught.

Sarah glanced between the two, a lopsided grin starting to spread across her face as she noticed the tension between the women.

Cosima gave Delphine a tight-lipped smile. "That's fine." She watched as the blonde walked away, wishing she could be upset. She hated lying, and even more so she hated liars. She tried to live her life being as truthful as possible because she'd learned the hard way in life how far lies could drag you down. She felt the anger bubbling just below the surface of her constraint, but no matter how much she wanted to be upset, she remembered the fact that Delphine wasn't gay. It kept her anger at bay, the thin layer of undrestanding making it just that much more obvious how much she needed to have a discussion with the blonde. Her own coming out hadn't been gracious, and she tried to not think about it. It was a lifetime ago, a life she never wanted to return to. She remembered her own mother throwing her out of the house and she couldn't be upset with anyone for wanting to keep what was probably a one night stand secret. That didn't stop it, however, from hurting like a bitch. Sure she understood, but who did this goddamn woman think she was turning Cosima's life upside down in the span of less than a day and then pretending like they didn't know each other?

Everyone turned to look at Sarah who had a look on her face that was a mixture of disbelief and humor. "Cos...you are so busted." With a laugh the woman shook her head, leaning back in her seat.

Cosima narrowed her eyes at the shit-eating grin that graced Sarah's face. "She has no idea what she's talking about and she's going to shut up right this instant." As she glared at her bandmate, she could tell by the glint in Sarah's eyes that the woman knew exactly what she was talking about. She had no idea how the woman knew, but there was no doubt that she knew.

"Not a word." Sarah chuckled. "Bet she brings you honey for your tea." It was an on-going joke between them since they were younger. Having not been used to living in a tea-drinking household, the then recently homeless girl had resulted to pouring copious amounts of honey in her tea, claiming sugar wasn't strong enough to mask the earthy taste. Everyone in the household, however, was thoroughly disgusted by the taste.

As if on queue, Delphine reappeared with a tray of tea cups and a kettle. "How do you like it?"

"Just milk please." Mrs. S looked between the girls, wondering what in the world was transpiring. She had made it a habit to stay out of their petty squabbles, stepping in only when disbanding was a threat or when something major was happening.

"Just the tea, thank you." Alison cleared her throat, sitting up straighter to accept the cup that was held out to her. Personally, she had no interest in getting between Cosima and Sarah's little squabble. She'd learned long ago that it never did her any good to get involved.

"Milk and two cubes of sugar for me." Sarah grinned mischieviously, reaching to accept the cup. "And Cosima will just take sugar."

There was a pause before Delphine poured the tea, a slight look of confusion on her face. "I'm sorry, but was that sugar or honey?"

Sarah coughed into her tea, having been in the middle of a sip. There was a good chance she would have choked if Mrs. S hadn't reached over and swatted her across the back.

There was no way Cosima could not grin at that. She gave the blonde a soft smile. "Honey, please." She didn't remember telling the woman how she drank her tea, and she was curious herself. Still pissed...but curious.

Delphine was halfway through drizzling the honey into the steaming liquid when realization dawned on her and she dropped the spoon into the cup, her cheeks flared a bright red. "Merde." She cursed, removing the utensil. She gave Cosima an apologetic look. "Je suis desolee."

Why did the nervousness have to be so damn adorable? Cosima sighed softly as she leaned forward. "Don't worry about it." Cosima gave her a real smile now, one that took over her whole face and brought a darker blush to the blonde's face as their fingertips brushed. "It's cool, Delphine." She spoke, her reassurance reaching beyond the tea. She should be mad. The woman was pretending like they hadn't woken up together naked, but she Cosima just couldn't stay upset.

"Sorry about that." Aldous re-appeared, his ever-present smile gracing his face. "It seems like my job is never done." He sat down and accepted the cup of coffee from Delphine. "Now, time for some of the business stuff." He looked at Delphine and his brows furrowed in confusion before he shook his head. "Delphine do you have those copies?"

"Oui." Delphine nodded quickly, remembering her job as she began to hand out the packets.

Cosima blew out a deep breath, counting the seconds after the elevator doors closed. She got to three before she felt the nudge. She ignored it as the elevator descended and about two seconds passed before there was another nudge. "Stop."

Sarah snickered. "We should go out for drinks." She reached over and nudged Alison. "I think a small celebration is in hand."

"We haven't even signed anything." Alison cleared her throat. "No matter. As intriguing as that sounds, I'm going to rescue my children from my husband."

"I have plans." Cosima responded, hoping that she still did. While the looks of fear and panic had eased off, she hadn't been able to actually talk to the blonde at all.

"I'm sure you do." Sarah laughed. "I'm also sure Delphine would love to come out with us...or did you get enough of her last night?"

Mrs. S whipped around to look at the girls, looking from Cosima's glare to Sarah's smirk. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that correctly." She looked back and forth. "Because I am sure that no one in this elevator would want to risk a possible record deal with a major recording company over some ill-advised shagging."

The silence was palpable for a matter of seconds before Sarah and Cosima cracked in a fit of laughter at the same time. Cosima leaned against her bandmate, trying to catch her breath but the laughter kept coming.

"Holy shite." Sarah spoke between laughs, holding her side as she struggled to stop herself. "Could you explain what would be considered well-advised shagging?" She got out between laughs.

Cosima slapped a hand over her own mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing but her shoulders kept shaking.

Sarah was still snickering as she reached into her bag, digging out the phone. "Cos." She blindly handed the phone to her bandmate as she rooted around for her own.

The indicator light was blinking as Cosima flipped through the notifications. She stopped suddenly. There were 2 missed calls and 6 missed texts from Delphine.

"I really hope I got your number correctly. Cosima it is important you contact me before your meeting."

"Sarah you asshole." Cosima muttered as she quickly responded to the text. So the blonde had tried to warn her. There was that at least. "Sarah stole my phone. Are we still on for tonight?" Walking with her eyes on the screen she walked straight into a solid form. She looked up to see pale blue eyes set in a firm gaze. "Sorry Mrs. S., didn't see you."

She didn't need to ask what discussion. Mrs. S always operated by a certain moral code which usually had strong rules over who and who not to sleep with. Cosima smiled. "No discussions needed, S."

Mrs. S eyed her suspiciously before her gaze softened. "You know I'm just trying to watch out for you Cosima. I've thought of you as one of my own since that day Sarah dragged you home with her and you were covered in street dirt, half starving." She reached out and squeezed Cosima's shoulder. "I'm just worried about you. Sometimes cat fights are the worse there are and I don't want to see you burned. This is a sketchy business and you have to take care of yourself and those other two girls who are relying on you."

Cosima swallowed. She knew Mrs. S was right. The woman had a wisdom to her that had kept them out of bad situations before. The problem was that when her phone vibrated again with another message, she felt a flutter in her stomach. How could she listen to the woman that had been the closest she'd had to a mother since she was a teenager when her mind was enwraptured by blonde curls and light hazel eyes...she couldn't wait for later that night. "You don't have to worry, S." She smiled a sincere smile, because she appreciated the fact that someone cared about her. "I'm in control."

There was a slight hesitation before Mrs. S nodded before turning around, heading towards the trolley stop.

Looking at her phone, Cosima couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face at the message.

So this was always intended on being a one-shot, but then my brain wouldn't let me give up on it. Faced now with the delemna of making this a really long chaptered fic or a short one, I'm going to be ending this story with the next chapter. While I would love to take you all on this journey, I know like zero about the music industry and Ihave another story that I've been working on that will take this ones place so hopefully you won't be too mad ;),

Cosima was still only half dressed when there was a knock on her apartment door. "Hey." She gave the tall blonde a grin.

"No no no." Cosima stepped back, letting the blonde in. "I'm late. I'm kinda always late though, so kinda always sorry." She was just in a slip, her dreads already pulled up into a neat bun. She let her eyes drift over the woman's body, grinning at the curves accentuated by the sleek black dress. "Nice...I like that dress." She chuckled as the woman sidled up to her, her eyes focusing on the bottom lip that was tucked between white teeth. "Not to be creepy or predatory or whatever, but it would look much more awesome on my floor."

"You are so cheeky." Delphine accused as she leaned down and pressed her lips against the woman's. "You are also very beautiful, especially only half-dressed."

Cosima chuckled, nudging the woman backwards step by step until she was pressing the woman against the door. "Now...why does this seem familiar?" She brought a hand up to caress the woman's cheek, tracing a bottom lip with her thumb.

Delphine smiled, pulling the shorter body tight against her own. "I seem to have forgotten what you're talking about. Maybe if you remind me..."

"Yeah? I'm pretty sure I'm still mad at you." Despite the words, Cosima grinned a full grin, her tongue peeking out between her teeth. Her eyes focused on the bottom lip being worked between Delphine's teeth and she couldn't stop herself from licking her own lips. "It's so tempting...but I have the munchies like mad style."

Tipping Cosima's head back with a fingertip, Delphine looked into her eyes which she found to be slightly dazed and glassy. "Are you high?"

With a laugh, Cosima pulled away. "You're so cute." She grinned, moving to the sleeping area and grabbing the red dress she had chosen to wear.

Delphine hummed softly, knowing the woman was ignoring her question. She looked over the mix of science and art books, smirking at the little knick knacks that were so Cosima. A book sitting on one shelf caught her attention. It was not organized like the others, but instead sitting ontop of the others, the spine worn and pages dog eared. It was an English version of a book her own father had gotten her when he had seen how interested she was getting in science, one of the last gifts he'd ever given her.

Cosima's voice nearly scared her out of her own skin and she quickly put the book back. "Merde." Her hand covered her heart, feeling it pounding quickly breathe the surface.

"Whoa...sorry..." Cosima was winding the black scarf around her neck, the rhinestone skulls sparkling even in the low lighting. "You ok? I won't hate you if you haven't read it."

Raising an eyebrow, Delphine shook her head. "Non, I've read it. Actually I've read it in it's intended form. It is a much better read."

"Oh really?" Cosima zeroed in on her. "Well...I don't speak French." She gave her a small grin. "Maybe you could read it to me later?"

Delphine laughed, a low throaty chuckle as warm hands settled on her hips. "I'm yours for the night, ma cherie." She caressed a soft cheek. "I'll read you anything you want."

Cosima laughed softly in delight, leaning in for a kiss. She tangled her fingers in blonde hair as she pulled the woman closer, feeling an arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her tight against the tall form. Her tongue sought out Delphine's and she was surprised when she heard herself moan into the kiss. She pulled back and laughed, leaning her forehead against the blonde's. "I'm still mad at you." She grumbled, stepping away and grabbing her coat, a dark red coat that slipped easily onto her shoulders. "But you're cute, so let's go have dinner. I'm starving."

Delphine had been looking out the window, lost in the sight of the bay bridge lit up in the darkening sky of the evening. "I was hoping to avoid the discussion." They had been having a nice dinner in the small restaurant high above the city and were now simply finishing the bottle of wine off. She looked around nervously at surrounding diners, unable to stop her paranoia.

"Dude...chill." Cosima reached across the table, filling the woman's glass. She poured the remaining wine in her own glass, setting the empty bottle down. "You're like in a distant city far away from anyone you know." She leaned back in her chair, cradling the glass in her hand. "Now, what happens in New York, depends on how you answer the next question."

Shifting uneasily in her seat, Delphine leaned forward on her elbows. "What question?"

"As you know, we're going to be in your neck of the woods very soon for this little studio audition thing your step-father wants us to do..." Cosima leaned forward, mirroring the blonde's pose. "Also I feel like I should add that in no way will your answer affect the rest of this evening at least on my behalf." She grinned. "So...what are you getting out of this?" She took a sip of her wine as she watched the emotions flash across the blonde's face. "I mean, apparently we're going to have to deal with each other, so I need to know where to put my expectations."

Something about the way that was worded caused Delphine to pause in her processing. "Your expectations?" Her brows furrowed.

"Well yeah." Cosima took a long sip from her wine before setting the half-empty glass down. Or was it half-full? Cosima wasn't really sure. She'd bounced around a lot in her life from pessimist to optimist to realist. In a way it almost prepared her for this very discussion. She had no real expectations. She hoped it would lead to certain events, but she understood if it didn't and prepared herself for the worse. "I mean, I'm not gonna be the asshole to make you come out of the closet. Shit man, for all I know you're just window shopping. I just need to know how to proceed." She smiled.

Taking another sip of her wine, Cosima contemplated for a minute ordering another bottle, but she decided against it. "Well the easy part to figure out is if this is just a...well a two-night stand for you." Her hands came up now, attempting to illustrate the words that were now taking over her mind. "If it is, then we get to have a great date, some awesome sex, you get on a plane, and when I see you in New York, there's maybe a little harmless flirtation but nothing beyond a simple working relationship."

"The second choice is we get to have a great date, again some awesome sex, you get on a plane, and when I see you in New York, we get to have occasional casual and super hot sex everytime we are in the same city, but nothing more."

Delphine's eyebrows rose to her hairline at that, but she knew there had to be more to it. "There is something else, isn't there? A third choice?"

Cosima smiled as she raised her glass to her lips, taking a long sip from it. "There is."

"We're not going to discuss that option unless this is more than a fling for you." On that Cosima looked away. It's not that she didn't care which Delphine chose, it was the opposite. She just couldn't bear to even think about the third option if Delphine was just having fun.

Delphine thought about that and the way the woman was now looking out the window, not meeting her eyes. "How can you be so calm and collected about this?" She shook her head. How could this woman be asking so much from her as to make this decision? Surely it was just a fling, but she couldn't say those words. Just thinking about saying them caused a pain in her heart. "This is not easy for me. I've never been with a woman."

"I know." Cosima stopped her. "Look I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass and I don't want to ruin tonight. I just need to know what to expect here...so I can prepare...mentally and stuff." She turned finally to look at her, having finally gotten her own emotions under control.

Delphine could see an odd glint in the woman's eyes. "So you say that no matter what the answer is it will not ruin tonight, oui?"

"Ok." Delphine leaned forward over the table. "Then I will answer after tonight."

"If it doesn't matter how it will affect tonight, when you get the answer doesn't matter." She grinned. "I'll tell you before the night is over." Fighting the urge to look around, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against the brunette's, feeling the smile spread across the kiss.

When she sat back, Cosima rolled her eyes dramatically. "Fine. Point goes to Cormier." She laughed, signalling the waiter to bring their check. She looked at her watch and hummed softly to herself. "We're gonna be late. You don't get seasick do you?"

Dropping enough cash on the table, Cosima held her hand out to the blonde. "Come on."

"Are you still cold?" Cosima leaned into the woman who was sitting on the low stone wall, feeling the knees squeezing her waist as hands slipped under her coat and around her waist.

"Oui...just a little." Delphine bumped her nose against the woman's. The air was chilly but smelt of wildflowers and ocean salt and she was glad to finally be outdoors again. She wasn't going to admit it, but ghosts terrified her, and although she had enjoyed herself in the historical walk-through of the abandoned prison, the endless ghost stories had started getting to her.

Cosima chuckled, pulling the woman closer and pressing her lips against the blonde's. She could feel them trembling slightly and she pulled back to look at the blonde. "Are you scared?" She asked in disbelief.

Delphine shook her head, looking away. "Non...non..." She knew how childish it was.

"Shit man, I'm sorry." Cosima looked at her in sympathy. "This was a dumb idea...we should have just went to a club or something...I'm so stupid. I should have..."

A smile spread across Delphine's lips before she silenced the woman with a kiss. "It wasn't stupid. It was cute." She reached up and caressed the woman's face, feeling it slightly chilled from the breeze. "I loved it...I'm just being a baby."

The dazzling smile Delphine prefered spread across Cosima's face. "You are not." She nuzzled the woman's neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume. "I'll make it up to you." She whispered, gently biting the flesh she found there. She was rewarded with a sound that was a mix between a moan and a strangled squeak. "Whenever the damn boat gets here."

Delphine hummed softly, leaning back and looking into the dark hazel eyes that sparkled with intent behind the black frames. "Vous êtes belle." She whispered before leaning forward for another kiss.

Cosima grinned again, her nose scrunching up in delight as her tongue peeked out. "You're beautiful." She whispered, meeting her lips in another kiss.

The same words emerged from bruised lips as she traveled a path up bare skin covered in a light sheen of sweat, the sheets damp beneath their twined bodies a couple hours later. She hummed softly against a collarbone, feeling the rapid pulse against her lips, her own body pulsing with pleasure. The woman's body was still trembling as she felt arms wrap around her waist pulling her closer.

Delphine closed her eyes as she felt the blanket being pulled up and over their bodies. Their lips pressed together and she smiled, feeling the woman's weight shift to half off her but still half covering her own body. Opening her eyes, she found the woman curled up to her side, eyes blinking with exhaustion.

"What time is your flight?" Cosima mumbled sleepily, running her fingertips slowly up and down the pail abdomen.

Her flight...Delphine sighed. She would be on her way back to New York tomorrow. "Ten in the morning." She was rewarded with a sleepy whimper and Delphine smiled, brushing her lips across the woman's temple. "Path three." She whispered, seeing sleepy eyes looking up at her in surprise. "I would like to choose the third choice."

Cosima hummed a soft sound of delight, a smile spreading across her face. "Good...cause I'm kinda stuck on you."

Alright, this is the last part. It's pretty much an epilogue for the story. I enjoyed writing this, but time to look towards other projects. Thank you everyone for the comments and reviews.

Clearing her throat, Cosima plopped down into the chair, sipping from the steaming mug as she listened to the editor twerk and fiddle, fitting the overlapping pieces together. "Hold up..." She held ahand up and made a twisting move with her finger. "Roll that back." As they listened to it again, Cosima winced. "Do we have another segment for Cello there? Sarah's a bit sharp." She shook her head, taking another sip.

"She's going to have to come back in and record another cut." The editor smiled at her. "Nice catch."

"I've been dealing with them for years, I know exactly what to listen for." Cosima chuckled, looking at her buzzing cell phone. Pulling up the text, she grinned and sent off a response. They both looked up as the door opened. "Hey, S."

"Oi Oi, Chicken. You about done in here for the day?" The older woman came in and pat her on the shoulder, looking over at the editor who gave her a respectful nod.

Cosima noded. "Yup. I'm just listening in on this and drinking some tea." She held up her mug. "Can you yell at Sarah? She needs to come in and record again. Her shit is off-key in this piece." She chuckled into her mug as she took a sip, the taste of honey and mint sliding down her throat as she thought about Sarah's more than likely cursed response.

"Oh she'll love that." Mrs. S crossed her arms over her chest. "Where are you heading off to tonight?" She asked in a disapproving tone as if she didn't know.

Smiling at her phone, Cosima sent off another text message. "Oh...just some dinner...maybe a movie...you know all that teenage type crap." She stood up and stretched.

"I know I know." Cosima held up a hand, gesturing to the door and out of the room. "I know what you're trying to say and I hear you, but Leekie doesn't even care. He's so indifferent it should be illegal." She sighed softly as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"You're playing with fire, Cosima." Mrs. S stopped her as they exited the studio building. "She's his daughter. If anything happens..."

"Step-daughter." Cosima cut her off with a hug, holding the woman tight. "Nothing is going to happen. I've got this." She held the woman at arm's reach.

Cosima smiled softly. "And I love you for that, but trust me when I say I got this." Her smile turned to a grin when she saw the woman look away. "I love her, S. I can't even bear the thought of being without her." She sighed softly. "I got this."

Cosima pulled her into another hug. "Thank you." She grinned and pressed a kiss against the woman's cheek. "You've always been an awesome mom to me."

Looking over at the towncar with the tall driver waiting patiently by the door, Cosima chuckled. "Yeah. We're still on for lunch tomorrow right?" At the woman's nod she jumped up in excitement, getting another text. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The car was something Delphine made her use whenever she was in town. Something about inexcusably expensive cab fares and no parking. She didn't mind too much...anymore anyway. At first she'd been irate about it, thinking the blonde was trying to win her over with flashy gifts and shows of money, but now she was appreciative. Something caught her eye as she looked out the window and she grinned. "Hey Chucky." She spoke up to the driver. "Can we make a quick stop?"

"Sure thing, kid." The middle-aged man spoke with his thick New York accent. "You know the rules. Anything you want that doesn't include prostitutes and firearms."

Cosima laughed in response, hopping out as they stopped in front of the flower shop.

"Hey Sexy." Cosima grinned as she stepped into the apartment, rolling her eyes at the cd playing as she presented a bouquet of daffodils to the woman who was leaning over a text book. "Some pretty flowers for a pretty lady."

"Merci, ma cherie." Delphine accepted the flowers but set them to the side so she could gather the brunette into her arms. "I missed you terribly today." She breathed in the familiar smell of perfume and something else. "Cosima...were you really smoking at work?" She looked down in disbelief.

Cosima grinned. "Why Delphine, I believe you're breaking the rules we have regarding never discussing work on the off hours." She sniffed and her grin spread wider. "I smell Thai food. Something spicy I hope." She settled her hands on the blonde's hips, running her fingertips around the edge of her skirt. "And I missed you too." She nuzzled the woman's neck. "Mrs. S sends her regards."

"Was it in the form of another threat?" Delphine's asked wryly, pulling away and grabbing the flowers. She pulled a vase out from one of the cabinets, carefully arranging the stems and adding water. "These are beautiful, by the way."

"I saw them on the way here and they reminded me of our first date." She grinned. "Well you know...the first official date and not so much me just taking you home to test the sturdiness of my door."

A blush rose to Delphine's cheeks as she rolled her eyes. "Cheeky." She stopped and leaned against the counter, smiling as she watched Cosima retrieving wine glasses and a bottle of red wine, needing no instruction on where to find things anymore.

It had been almost 6 months now since Times3 had signed onto Dyad records, 5 months since Leekie had found out about them and had been more upset he'd caught them half-naked in the studio than the fact that he'd caught them. The three women and their manager had been back and forth, recording in the studio in New York and back in San Francisco doing shows with the occasional out of town show. Delphine's employment at Dyad didn't quite cause a problem since she was back in class now. The weekdays that Cosima wasn't in town were the worst for Delphine. They spent a lot of their time apart video chatting while doing homework together. It was an odd arrangement they had. One neither woman was happy with, but content enough to not complain.

"What are you staring at?" Cosima handed her a glass, leaning against the prep counter in front of her.

"Mon âme soeur." Delphine answered, smiling over the rim of her glass before taking a sip.

Cosima tilted her head in question. She'd begun to study a bit of French, but hadn't gotten very far yet.

Setting her glass down, Delphine held her hand out to the woman, pulling her close when their fingers intertwined. "Je t'aime." She whispered, leaning down to press her forehead against Cosima's. "Every moment we are not together kills me." She brushed their noses against each other, catching sight of the smile just barely an inch away from her own. "You complete me."

Pushing herself up onto her toes, she pressed her lips against the blonde's, tasting wine and the faint hint of cigarettes. She wrapped an arm around the slim neck pulling her close, allowing access to the demanding tongue that took possession of the kiss with practiced ease, not surprised when she found herself lifted onto the countertop and she was suddenly taller than the blonde. She tangled her fingers in curls, moaning into the soft lips.

Delphine broke the kiss off, feeling her heart beating out of control as she pressed her ear against a heaving chest, hearing the matching erratic heartbeat.

Cosima hummed softly, her body now very aware of every inch of skin touching her own. "I love you, too." She whispered as if talking too loud might ruin the moment. She grinned, feeling the hands slipping up her sides. "God I miss you so much all the time." She wiggled around as the hands brushed against her ticklish sides. "Even when you're being a brat." She laughed, tipping the blonde's head back, looking into the sparkling hazel eyes and getting lost in them. "What did you call me...before?"

With a smile, Delphine kissed her lightly. "Mon âme soeur." Her hand came up to caress her cheek. "My soul mate."

Cosima felt the light inside her that was directly related to the blonde grow a hundred times bigger and she pulled her forward to crush their lips together. Dinner and text books were forgotten as they attempted to get under each other's skin, clothes cast aside as moans and whimpers masked the music coming from the speakers.

What they had wasn't perfect, nowhere near it. They spent most of their time missing each other, sharing calls and texts during the days and video chats at night, and sometimes the separation was unbearable and put them on edge. They both had school and Cosima was always busy with rehearsals and performances, but when their schedules lined up and Cosima was in New York and Delphine wasn't under a deadline, it was like the perfect storm. No matter what they went through when they were on opposite sides of the country, when they were together, it made all the loneliness and crying nights worth it. When they were together, they were whole again.