It was hard for Cosima to open her eyes, they felt too heavy still, her head was aching and the harsh light that filled the room was not helping, a weird buzz in her eardrums was joined by the steady bip of the machine to her right. She blinked a few times, trying to locate her surroundings, then it came back to her, the memories of what happened invaded her mind.

"Delphine..." Her voice was raw, dry and it was painful for her just to speak. Her hands felt cold, probably because they were not under the covers, like the rest of her body. Cosima tried to moved them inside, but her right hand felt warm almost immediately after she started to move it.

"Cosima, mon amour... You're awake." Cosima would recognize that voice forever, everywhere.

Cosima tried to talk again, but no sound came out, Delphine must have noticed it, she reached for the glass of water on the nightstand next to her bed and, carefully encouraged the brunette to drink some.

"Try to rest." The blonde said, after making sure Cosima drank enough water.

Feeling a little better the younger woman tried to speak again. "Delphine..." The voice was low and husky.

"Shh..." Delphine coaxed. "It's okay. I'm going to get someone, okay?"

Cosima nodded and watched Delphine leave the room. Seating up a little on the bed, she tried to adjust her sight, looking around the room in search for her glasses, but not finding them. After no more than two minutes the professor was back with a nurse, who approached Cosima while Delphine stayed quietly by the door, staring as the nurse checked her vitals. When Cosima opened up a small smile, Delphine returned it, but the brunette could see the worry in her eyes.

The nurse left after saying a few hallow words and Delphine got close to her again. "You're mother just went for some coffee, she'll be right back." The Frenchwoman held her hand. "Unless you want me to call her."

Cosima shook her head slightly." No, it's fine. I need my glasses though." Delphine looked inside her own bag and took them out. "You remembered to bring them?" She asked with a chuckle.

This time the blonde smiled a little wider. "Not really. But I went home to change my clothes and saw them on the kitchen counter." She didn't hand the glasses to Cosima, putting them herself careful around her ears. "A police officer must have found them on the floor and placed them there."

Cosima was quiet for some time, intensively studying the older woman. She look tired, deep brown bags under her eyes and, even if she said she changed clothes, the ones Delphine was on were all wrinkled, clearly slept on.

"You look awful." Cosima said low.

"Well, you don't look that good either, ma chèrie." Delphine said back, but the tone of her voice was affectionate and she raised her hand to lightly stroke the brunette's dreads.

"I was shot. What did you expect?" She squeezed the hand still holding hers. "What's your excuse?"

"You were shot. What did you expect?" The professor said, before giving a gentle peck on Cosima's forehead.

"I'm so sorry about the other day." The student said. "I was an asshole, I shouldn't have..."

Delphine cut her off by placing her lips gently on top of Cosima's. "Forget about it." Their lips still brushing.

Cosima moved her free hand to tangle it in the blonde locks she loved so much and pushed softly Delphine's face with a little nudge of her thumb on the gentle jawline that her lips always craved to trace, so she could look in deep clear brown pools she always got lost in. From the very beginning, since Delphine looked at her, really looked, so many months ago, when Cosima cast her fears aside and dared to meet the professor in her office uninvited, she knew... Cosima knew that once she got a fleeting taste of what it was like to have Delphine for herself, she would never be able to let go, she could never be whole again alone. A big part of her was no longer hers alone, she gave it away, involuntarily, but freely.

"I'm staying right here with you." She whispered, not because it was something Cosima was not sure, but because it was a notion that came so naturally to her, that put it into words was just a mere formality, a simple stating the obvious.

She saw Delphine's eyes narrow barely, showing a small insecurity. "Cosima, you don't have to. You're free to make your own choices, to fallow your own..."

It was Cosima who this time swallow her words with a soft kiss, raising her head from the pillow to pull her lips closer to the blonde's. She knew this reaction coming from Delphine was her fault, she caused it with the harsh words she spoke not too long ago. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." Cosima joked when they finally parted, both women with a smile on their lips while their foreheads remained in contact.

"I wouldn't think of it." Delphine said, lowering her head for another peck.

"Good! You're up." Lara's voice came from the door and immediately Delphine pulled back.

"Hey mom." Cosima greeted with a smile. "And I wasn't exactly sleeping."

"Yes, you were." Her mother handed one coffee cup to Delphine. "The doctors said you should've awaken hours ago.

"Delphine was very worried, but I assured her you were just being your lazy self." Lara got near the bed, on the opposite side from where the professor was and placed her hand on the student's forearm giving a gentle squeeze. "How are you feeling, dear?" She asked in a much softer voice.

"Like I've been shot in the shoulder." Cosima answered, grinning .

"This is not funny, Cosima!" Her mother tried to scold, but was much too relieved for her words to have the heaviness required for it.

"How long was I asleep?" Cosima then asked, all the notion of time was lost in her.

"Three days, sweetie." Her mother answered.

"Wow... Really?" Somehow it seemed impossible for her that it had passed that long. But the nods both women gave her, confirmed it. "What happened to Leekie? Was he caught?"

"They're still looking." Delphine replied, tightening a little her hand on Cosima's. "He hasn't been seen since he ran away. But don't worry, there's someone near your door, they won't try anything with a police officer just outside."

"They!?" The young student was confused, she thought it was only Leekie they had to worry about.

"Alex was bailed out." Her mother said, exchanging a glance with the professor that didn't go unnoticed by the younger women.

"How is that possible?! She was caught trying to kill someone!" Cosima was getting more confused and started to try to get up. She couldn't stay there any longer.

"Cosima, you need to rest." Delphine let go of her hand and placed it on her good shoulder, trying to keep Cosima still. "We'll talk about it when you're feeling better."

"I'm fine, but I need to get up." And she tried to push herself forward, against Delphine's touch.

"Let her go, Delphine!" Lara said, staying still and not helping the blonde keep the girl in bed. "She needs to learn on her own."

The Frenchwoman raised both her hands and looked at Cosima." Thanks!" The brunette said flatly and with a dramatic gesture got the covers off herself and moved quickly to the edge of the bed.

In a moment of unconscious dareness Cosima tried to jump to the floor, immediately losing the strength in her legs, she would have her ass on the ground had not Delphine caught her before she fell. No one said anything, but Cosima could hear her mother's stifled chuckles and see the professor trying to hide a laugh. Before she could lose what's left of her pride, she let Delphine guide her back to bed.

"You should get some rest." The older woman said to Delphine. "It's not like she's going anywhere."

"Yes, make fun of the invalid, why don't you?" Cosima complained, but didn't plan to keep the professor around. It's not that she didn't want her to stay, but it didn't take a long look at Delphine to understand she needed rest desperately.

So, after a few more minutes, the Frenchwoman left, giving a very unsatisfactory kiss on Cosima's forehead, while Lara was standing there.

"What are you two gonna do?" Her mother asked when they were alone.

"We still need to figure some things out." She answered truthfully. "First we need to survive what's left of the school year."

"And after that?" Lara was not letting it go. She was the kind of woman who liked to have everything sorted.

"I think I want to stay here."

"This is not because of Delphine, is it?" Her mother moved around the bed as she spoke. "I don't want you to define your future..."

"Mom!" Cosima caught her attention, straining her voice. "I would be lying if I said Delphine didn't influence my decision, but she's not the only reason for it.

"Dr. Palmer talked with me." She continued. "And he offered me a job here, in the investigation staff and I get to keep studying at the same time. That's all I want!"

"Yes..." Lara sat on the chair Delphine had pulled close to the bed. "And if you can stay close to her, even better, right?"

Cosima had a wide smile and nodded. "Right!"

Her mother stayed for a little while longer, but the doctors were insisting that Cosima needed to rest and her mother left.

The next few days were incredibly frustrating to the young woman. She was stuck in bed and even if visitation hours always left her a little tired, it was the only time she had contact with the outside world, with her friends visiting as well as some professors. Her mother stayed as long as the doctors allowed her, but most of the time Cosima felt lonely. This feeling was increased by the fact that her immunology professor was treated like any other visitor and when Cosima talked with her mother about finding a way to make Delphine's visits a little more regular or, at the very least, to have some extra time, her mother strongly discouraged it. It was Lara's opinion that it was just a bad idea, it would rise unwanted attention to what happened.

The little detail that it all happened in Delphine's apartment had caused another wave of gossip around campus, Scott had told her the first time he visited. The story that circulated on campus was worthy of a fiction work: Delphine was involved with Leekie since the beginning of last semester, when she moved to Minnesota. Somewhere in the middle of last semester Cosima got between the two of them - it didn't escape the student the irony that during that period was the only time she wasn't involved with her professor. The final act of the story was the dean finding them in a compromising position and trying to kill both woman in an irrational act of jealousy.

Cosima was surprised that, so far, no one had inquired the reason why the prominent and heartbroken Doctor Leekie had a gun with him in the first place. Then again, when it comes to rumors very few people care to stop and think about such details.

So, even if Cosima was very upset about not seeing Delphine as often or as long as she wanted, she understood why her mother was resolute about keeping the Frenchwoman to regular visiting hours.

Her days, when she didn't have visits, we're filled with reading Scott's notes of the classes they shared and reading what was available online from the others, although most of her professors were kind enough to send her notes of their lectures. It was not like she didn't have enough to keep herself entertained. When she had some time, Cosima took the opportunity to search online for information about Leekie's whereabouts, but, so far, apart from his fall from grace, nothing else had been discovered. What she also didn't find online was news about Alex and what she had done, it seemed like her father had done a good job burying the story. However, according to Scott, the young student was never again seen on campus, it was like she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

After two weeks and the doctors made sure she was good to go, her mother moved Cosima to the same hotel room she had stayed before. And even if Delphine never stayed long, with Lara taking residence in the room next to Cosima's, at least they had some more privacy.

One month after being shot and when Cosima was going half mad, she was finally released to go back to school. It was a shock, to say the least. The dreadlocked brunette was used to be just another student among everyone else, but now everyone knew who she was, whenever she entered a room all eyes turned to her and the colleagues, who before were so keen on ignoring her, kept whispering to each other. To make it all worse, Cosima had to stay away from the blonde in order to keep the rumors to a minimum.

In several ways was worst than when nobody knew anything and they had to sneak around. Then, she was free to meet the immunology professor in her office and they had the nights to themselves. But not anymore, her mother had insisted on staying over until more news about Leekie's location came public and the stares her fellow students gave her prevented her to make a discreet visit to Delphine.

Meanwhile, Dr. Palmer had already taken the dean's position permanently and had officially made his proposal to her. Cosima said she would think about it and would give him the answer by the end of the semester. Truth be told, she had made up her mind long ago, but she thought it was a good idea to wait until then to give her final affirmative answer.

The news came unexpectedly, when she was having dinner with her mother, in her hotel room.

"What do you mean?" Lara said to the phone she had picked up without a word to Cosima. "Okay, okay... Calm down, Delphine."

At this Cosima raised her brow. "What's going on? Is she okay?"

She knew the professor's house was under surveillance, in case Leekie decided to drop by for a visit, but since almost two months had passed, she was afraid the police wasn't keeping it that way for much longer.

Her mother didn't answer her concerns, but got up from the table and reached for the remote, turning the TV on. "Once more, this is live feed." The anchorman was saying on the left side of the screen, while the other was showing images that were hard to decipher, due to the late hour and dark sky. "And the images can be disturbing, so viewer discretion is advised.

"What we can say for certain, so far, is that a body has been recovered from the Mississippi River, right in the heart of Minneapolis. First responders say the body is badly decomposed, but the victim is male and in his fifties."

"Delphine, we can't know for sure it's him." Lara assured over the phone.

"I want to talk with her." Cosima said, getting up and quickly snatching the phone from her mother, before the older woman had time to react. "Delphine, you think it's him?" She asked immediately.

"I don't know, Cosima." The voice on the other end sounded very disturbed. "But..."

"Yeah... I know." The young woman breathed out. "I miss you." Cosima said low, for some weird reason it seemed like the right thing to say.

"I miss you too."

Lara didn't let the conversation extend to much more than that and was fast to recover the phone and say her goodbyes to Delphine. The rest of the night was passed with the eyes glued to the TV, to see if any other news would resurface about the body's identity. It didn't.

But the morning paper did. The man had a wallet with him and the identification had survived almost two months in the water. The police had yet to give an official identification, but somehow the gruesome details had leaked to the public.

Dr. Leekie's body had been recovered for the Bassett Creek, where it had been stuck on its shallow waters, had that not happened, said the article, the body could have never been found, lost forever in the deep, hard currents of the harsh river. And even if the body was badly decomposed, the signs of violence were easy to spot. Dr. Leekie was missing several fingers and although that could have been caused by the fish, the fact that his tongue was also missing and his lips sewed shut was more than enough proof that his death was far from being a pacific event.

"I wish I could say I'm sorry." Cosima said to her mother, after finishing read. "But I'm afraid I'm not that big of a person."

"No one is saying you need to feel sorry." Lara said, setting down the paper and returning to her breakfast.

"Honestly... I just think the world is a better place with him not on it."

"Cosima, get up! We are gonna be late."

Delphine is overly excited on top of the young woman, who pushes the pillow to her face with a sleepy groan. The blonde is not having it though and reaches for the pillow, trying to get it away from Cosima's face, but doesn't succeed. She stops and thinks for some time, her tights still straddling the brunette.

The professor lowers herself, her hands releasing the pillow and focusing on Cosima's sides instead. "I have a surprise for you if we make it on time." Her voice is soft, enticing.

Cosima moves the pillow from her head, just enough for her eyes to meet the clear brown ones. "What surprise?" She asks suspicious.

Delphine laughs gently. "If I tell you, it wouldn't be a very good surprise, would it, ma chèrie?" She moves from the bed and walks out the bedroom. "C'mon Cosima, we have a plane to catch!"

With another groan Cosima sits up on the bed and looks at the several bags by the bedroom's door that she brought the night before because Delphine doesn't thrust her to get ready on time if she was on her own this morning. She's probably right, but who can blame Cosima? It's 4am, this is no time to be up, especially since they didn't go to sleep all that long ago.

The Frenchwoman channelled her excitement over going home by spending several hours exploring Cosima's body. The brunette is not complaining, but she is feeling exhausted.

She gets up, her muscles angry with the lack of rest as she walks to Delphine's bathroom for a quick shower. It's not just this night that is heavy on her limbs, either. The last week had been like this.

When Cosima's mother thought it was safe to go back to San Francisco it was too close to the finals and Delphine had been very persistent about the student staying away and concentrate on her studies. Besides there had been the little problem with the gossip in campus and the professor had wanted to make sure they wouldn't add more reasons for suspicion to the pile. Cosima had complained about the distance, of course, but she understood the reasons behind Delphine's decision to stay away.

"We will have time for us, Cosima. I promise." She had told the student over the phone, one night when Cosima had been more pushy about spending some time together, alone and preferably in the horizontal.

And so they did. The last week they made up for lost time, the blonde more than happy to accommodate Cosima's every wish and the younger woman returning the favor tenfold. Which is one of the reasons why the hot water hitting Cosima's back is making miracles.

"Cosima!" Delphine's voice just outside the shower stall. "You have to hurry!"

The brunette smiles. "You have to come and get me out of here!"

"Or I could just turn off the hot water." The Frenchwoman's threat is joined by her laugh.

"You wouldn't!"

"Wanna try me?"

Usually Cosima wouldn't believe Delphine's kind soul would allow her to do something like that, but today's circumstances are far from usual, which makes Cosima get out from the shower fast and get ready.

"Are you that scared to meet my parents that you would make us lose our flight?" Delphine asks, hiding a smile, when they are in the cab on the way to the airport.

"No... No, of course not!" Cosima's answer is too fast to convey any truth in it.

The entire ride to the airport is spend with the older woman teasing the younger, with promises of a nerve wracking experience.

Once on the plane, Cosima can't keep pretending she's totally cool and relaxed with the idea of visiting Delphine's parents.

"Is it gonna be that awful?" She asks, looking with eyes wide open at the other woman.

Delphine's stare softens and she places her hand over Cosima's on the armrest between them. "You know I'm just joking, Cosima. My mother can't wait to meet you..."

"Yes, but your father..." Cosima starts, recalling Delphine's reserves about the man.

"My father is an hard man, but I'm sure you can soften him a little." The blonde says calmly. "Besides, his English is not very good, so if you say something weird he probably won't notice."

At this Cosima laughs. "So, I just need to stay there and smile?"

"Oui." The professor surrounds Cosima's cheeks with both hands. "But be careful with the smile you give him."

"What do you mean?" Cosima raises her brow.

"Well, mon amour, some smiles you give are more revealing than words." And she places a soft kiss on the smaller woman's lips.

"Is that so?" Cosima asks, their lips only inches apart still.

Delphine nods. "That's how I knew you liked me from the start. Your smile." Followed by another kiss. "It was also the first thing that got my attention."

Cosima moves one hand to rest just over the blonde's knee. "Hmm... The first thing that got my attention in you were your sinfully long legs."

"You are so romantic, ma chèrie." Delphine says, laughing softly.

"I know, right!?" Cosima answers, winking.

The flight to Paris is long, but Cosima hardly notices it, taking the opportunity to get some much needed rest. Occasionally opening her eyes to notice Delphine is doing the same. When they are waiting for the transfer to Nice is the first time Cosima sees Delphine in her natural environment. Her accent getting thicker every time she interacts with someone else, either at one of the cafeterias or the smiling young woman who helps them boarding their next flight.

"How long will it take?" Cosima asks, buckling her seat belt.

"A little over an hour." Delphine responds.

Now it's the older woman's turn to get nervous, she enjoyed making fun of Cosima the entire time, casually disregarding the fact that she is about to introduce her girlfriend to her family. However, now that the event is moving from the realm of possibility to the realm of reality, Delphine's anxiety is finally settling in.

Sensing this Cosima puts her hand on the blonde's trembling knee. "I seem to remember you promising a surprise if we make it on time." She comments softly against Delphine's ear.

"You'll get it later." The professor says back in the same way, feeling the hand traveling up her leg.

"I am not good at that waiting thing." The brunette says, looking down at her hand, now covered with the paler one to stop it from going further north.

Delphine smiles and gives a gentle peck on her lips, but not exploring the subject. Despite her nervousness her hand remains on top of Cosima's, keeping it there the remaining of the short flight.

Fortunately Delphine informed her that they were starting slow, since it's her older sister the one who is picking them up from the airport and, in a moment of incredible rationality, the Frenchwoman had refused her mother's constant pushing for the two women to stay in her family's home. It is just not a viable alternative, her parents live in an apartment with three bedrooms and they would be all occupied. The possibility of Cosima stay in her room is something Delphine doesn't even want to consider. Which is, at some level, very weird - when she was young her mother was constantly complaining that Delphine never had one of her (non-existent) friends to stay over.

Stepping out into the southern France hot sun the two women are about to lose it, finding little comfort in one another, either hunted by their own concerns, so much alike and yet so very different. They walk in a nervous silence, Delphine a step ahead, guiding her former student to meet her sister, who's parked close to the line of taxis.

The blonde's step falter a little at the sight of her older sister and Cosima takes a closer look at the other woman. They are different, but is undeniable that at least some features are close enough to guess the relation. The other woman is not as tall as Delphine, nor is her hair as blonde, more like light brown, the eyes are nothing alike, not in shape nor in color, but the nose and chin are the same.

She doesn't look that scary, Cosima decides and, holding Delphine's hand, they walk together the last strides, the blonde letting herself be gently pulled by the younger woman. Reaching Delphine's sister the blonde says nothing.

"Hi, I'm Cosima!" She starts, extending her hand and putting her best smile.

"Bienvenue a France, Cosima." She shakes Cosima's hand slightly. "My name is Paula." And she looks at her sister.

"Oh... Hmm... Merci!" The brunette tries, thinking she should've let Delphine taught her some basic French, like she insisted. Especially considering the Frenchwoman is still unable to speak.

"What have you done with my sister?" Paula asks, laughing, her accent much pronounced than Delphine's. "I know she is usually quiet, but..."

Finally Delphine seems to snap out of it. "Paula, is good to see you." She says with a small smile.

The ride is tense, the sisters keeping the conversation in English for Cosima's sake, but they are talking about people and places Cosima doesn't know, so she focus her attention outside, enjoying the view of the blue coast line, vaguely noticing that somewhere along the way the two other women change to French. She doesn't mind the least, they need to catch up.

They decide to make a quick stop at the hotel to drop their bags and have a shower before heading to Delphine's family home, but they hardly have time to talk about anything, since Paula is in the lobby waiting for them.

"You are not gonna be like that the entire time, are you?" Cosima asks when Delphine gets out of the bathroom with a towel around her body.

"What do you mean?" Delphine says, getting to her bag and choosing a fresh dress to face the hot summer weather.

"I kinda need you to speak, babe." The brunette gets closer to the blonde and wraps her arms on the Frenchwoman's waist. "I can't understand shit of they say."

"I tried to teach you, so don't complain." Delphine says with a smile and kisses Cosima's cheek. "Get a shower, we need to go."

"If you don't help me, I am gonna start to pretend to know French." Cosima let's her go and starts to walk to the bathroom. "And I assure you... You are not going to like that."

The small drive to Delphine's parents was much lighter, with Paula asking Cosima trivial things and the American answering easily. And even though Paula still hasn't asked, the two women had agreed on their story. They met when Cosima visited the UMN for a future job interview. Cosima was still a student just not Delphine's student. Maybe one day they would tell the real story, just not quite yet.

The car stops and the two Frenchwomen look back, Cosima's hands unable to stay still, the nervous habit of her playing with her rings resurfacing.

"No need to worry, Cosima." Delphine's sister assures her, opening her door. "My father is usually a pacific man." And she laughs, getting out of the car, shutting the door quietly.

Cosima gives a nervous chuckle, looking at Delphine, who's still inside, her torso turned to look back. "Now I see that irony runs in the family." She comments off handily.

"Only to those who don't have the Y chromosome." The blonde says back. "So you might want to keep that in mind."

"Brilliant!" Cosima says under her breath, getting out of the car and following Delphine inside the building where Paula has been waiting.

Climbing the few flights of stairs Cosima finds herself trapped between the two older women, Paula in front and Delphine behind her. It crosses her mind they are doing it so she doesn't run away. They stop in front of a wooden door, the older of the three looking back before ringing the bell, even though she obviously has the keys.

In that moment the time stops for the American and her breathing ceases completely. She can hear her heart beating furiously in her eardrums and she swallows thick, starting to wonder if she is going to have a panic attack. Then, all of the sudden, the brunette feels soft fingers tickle the palm of her hand, before those same fingers intertwine with hers.

"It will be alright, mon amour." Delphine whispers against her ear.

The door opens, revealing a woman in her fifties, just a couple of inches taller than Cosima and with a pleasant smile. The woman doesn't look menacing at all, Cosima knows she's not about to jump and strangle her, yet she can't move. It takes a push from Delphine at her lower back for her to be able to give the few steps to enter the house.

She watches Delphine pass in front of her and hug her mother tenderly, then step to the side a little. "Maman, Cosima." She clears her throat gently. "Ma copine."

Cosima understands that introductions are being made. "Madame Cormier, very nice to meet you." She says awkwardly and slowly, extending her hand. Delphine had told that her mother understands English fine, as long as Cosima doesn't start her fast rumbling of words.

The older woman doesn't take her hand though, choosing instead to give her a tight hug and place her cheeks against Cosima's, once on each side. "Oh... Trés heureuse!" Then she puts her hands on Cosima's shoulders and looks closely at the young woman in front of her, all the while Cosima's feeling like she's under inspection. "Mais elle c'est trés adorable." Mrs. Cormier finally decides, staring at her daughter with a smile.

"That I understand." Cosima says, relaxing a little and giving a wide smile, with her tongue peering between her teeth.

Delphine rolls her eyes in response, but laughs a little. "Where's dad?" The blonde is back to English and she visibly tenses when her mother indicates somewhere inside the house with a head movement, also losing some of the amused expression.

The energy between the three women darkens considerably, but now that they're here there's no going back. Cosima starts to breathe fast, but Delphine's hand is on hers again and that gives her a little comfort.

They enter the living room and Cosima's eyes set on the man getting up from the couch and approaching them. His face is not pleasant but it isn't severe either, his expression is neutral, as if he hasn't decided yet how he's going to face this situation.

He extends his hand. "Cosima, oui?" His voice is deep and with a formal inclination.

"Oui." The brunette takes his hand, giving it one light squeeze. "Hmm... Bonjour, Monsieur Cormier." She offers in her scratchy French.

The tense moment is broken by a child running fast and stopping only in Delphine's arms. "Ahh... Mon petite ange." The blonde says bringing her up, so the little girl is taller than everyone else in the room.

The girl eyes Cosima curiously and then looks back at Delphine. "C'est ta petite amie?"

"Oui." The professor answers with a smile. "Cosima, meet Iris."

At this the little girl extends her small hand.

"Allô, Iris." Cosima says smiling and taking the small hand in hers. The little girl giggles and whispers something in Delphine's ear, who laughs and nods in agreement. "I... What did she say?" The younger woman asks.

"She said you talk funny." The blonde answers and listens to something else the girl is saying in her ear. "And that she likes your hair." She finishes, putting the girl back down and looking at her mother. "Où est Ana?"

"She's out with Gustave." The older woman answers in English and shrugs like there's nothing she could've done.

"It seems like we have to wait for my little sister to return." She explains to Cosima, who shakes her head vigorously. She has plenty to deal with as it is, she's not eager to meet the apparently bratty teenager girl.

She's not sure how, but Cosima ends up staying the better part of the afternoon sat on the floor with Iris, a book in front of her, trying to read the words the little girl points out to her and earning a fit of giggles in response. However, the entire time she's very aware of Delphine's father sat on the couch, reading the paper.

Cosima gets up after the girl abandons her saying something very fast, but the American caught something like "toilet" in the middle of it, right before she gets off running. Looking around the room she noticed she's alone with the man.

"Umm... Delphine?" She asks him with a small voice.

He looks at her and aims his finger to a door behind him. Cosima looks in that direction and gives one step that way, before stopping suddenly and clearing her throat in an attempt to get his attention.

When he looks up at her, with an inquisitive expression, she takes one deep breath and starts. "Mr. Cormier, I know this is probably not what you want for your daughter." She speaks slowly, hoping he understands her. "But I really like Delphine and I pretend to keep her close for a very long time.

"So... I hope you can find it in you to accept her decision and..." Cosima notices she's starting to babble. "Yeah... That's it!" She finishes awkwardly.

During her entire little speech the man is looking at her with a serious expression and when she's done, his it turns to the closest thing Cosima as seen from him to a smile and he nods slightly.

"Très bien..." He says low, before returning his attention to the paper.

Cosima puffs out and her eyes go again for the door he pointed before, finding Delphine's mother right outside, staring back at her with a gentle smile and what looks like tears in her eyes.

The older woman hugs the brunette when she gets close to her, but says nothing about those words, pushing Cosima inside the kitchen instead.

"Viens, I need help in the kitchen." Delphine's mother says.

"Whoa..." The dreadlocked woman gives one step back. "Didn't Delphine warned you? I'm not very good at the whole cooking thing."

"Never too late to start."

They work exchanging a few words and eventually Cosima has to give the little story she and Delphine agreed on, which, fortunately, causes few follow up questions

"I can't believe my eyes!" Delphine says, getting inside the kitchen and approaching Cosima. "Don't cut yourself, Cosima." She jokes.

"I gave her a blunt knife." Mrs. Cormier laughs as well. "Don't worry, I take good care of your girlfriend."

The rest of the night goes smoothly and Mr. Cormier, as time passes, gets more involved in the conversation. By the end of the night, he has even given a few laughs.

However, it's not until they are in the taxi, getting back to the hotel that Cosima allows herself to breathe a little easier.

Delphine laughs, noticing the tension release the younger woman's shoulders. "You did great, ma chèrie." She assures, placing her hand on Cosima's thigh.

"So... This means I deserve that surprise you keep mentioning?" Cosima asks, smiling.

"I keep mentioning?" The blonde teases, but brings her lips closer to the brunette's ear. "Oui."

Cosima throws herself at the bed the moment they enter their bedroom. "Alright! Surprise time!" She says excitedly and starts to take off her shirt.

"Keep your shirt on, darling." Delphine informs laughing and going through her purse.

Cosima pouts, but sits up and pushes the shirt back over her torso, suddenly very interested in what the blonde is taking from her purse. "What's that?" She asks.

Delphine's laughs increase and she doesn't answer. Getting close to the edge of the bed, she lowers herself and extends her neck, demanding a kiss with her lips. Cosima easily complies, but when her hand is going to the back of the blonde's neck to go further, Delphine pulls back and shows her what she's holding between her fingers.

The smaller woman's eyes widen and her lips open in a huge smile. "You brought that from the States?"

"Of course not!" Delphine answers and fishes for a lighter in her pocket. "I asked my brother-in-law. My sister was not always so stiff." She lights it and takes a deep drag. "Not that my parents have any clue about that."

Cosima takes the joint and gets up, moving to the balcony, with Delphine right behind her. "I bet your family is full of secrets." She breaths in the herb and gives it back.

The professor nods and brings the smoke to her lips. "But you did much better than I was expecting." She says. "Iris loves you."

"I told you..." Cosima points to herself. "A well of charm!"

The Frenchwoman laughs loud and gives the joint back to her. "Oh... Oui... A well."

Cosima's smiling widely, the last few hours filled with tension and now the pot, making her want to loosen up. Without warning she grabs one of the straps of Delphine's dress and pulls her close, their bodies crashing. The brunette can feel the heat caused by the blonde's body and the weed to travel inside her, pushing forward until she has Delphine trapped. Their mouths meet hungrily, teeth clashing and bitting lips.

The younger woman very aware of every part of her body that's in contact with the Delphine's, the heat starting to concentrate in her core, creating a liquid burn between her thighs. She pulls back, softly sighing and brings the joint back between her lips, mixing Delphine's taste with the pot, before her mouth goes back to the other woman's. She does this a few more times and with every drag she feels Delphine's hands on her back tugging them closer.

When Cosima feels a strong leg brushing against her center and the other woman's hands flat on her ass, she throws the smoke away, favoring Delphine's insistent mouth over the weed. Her hands going to the slender waist to push them back inside, finding their clumsy way to the bed. Delphine on top of her, making quick work of the button of her pants.

Cosima dives her hands in the blonde curls and laughs lowly, enjoying the smoothness of the hair under her fingers. "I know I said earlier that were your legs that got my attention first." She says, raising her head to a quick claim of lips. "But... Come to think about it, maybe it was your hair."

Delphine's chuckles join hers, but she's not stopping on her mission of having Cosima naked. "Are you sure that was it?" She asks, her lips going to the top of Cosima's right knee, once she has relieved the dreadlocked woman from the pants.

Cosima shivers slightly. "Maybe it was your accent." She reconsiders, pushing Delphine up by her neck. "Or the way you were so excited about such a boring topic like immunology."

The professor bites her shoulder a little hard in response and pulls the shirt over the dreadlocks fast. "You seem to be pretty undecided about it."

"Well... It's a very important issue." Cosima says and spins them fast, capturing Delphine's wrists over her head and attaching her mouth to the discovered cleavage of the light skin. "And I want to be sure if it."

She reaches for the zipper on the side of the dress and pulls down, her hands going to Delphine's breasts the moment they are free and her lips moving to her favorite spot on the Frenchwoman's neck. Their bodies glued again, dancing as one over the covers, their hands desperately moving to release them of what's left of their clothing, both women sighing in contentment when they're skin to skin once more.

The brunette slides down the longer body, her tongue making a quick stop on the bellybutton, moving slowly around it, before continuing the journey down. At the first contact with the wet skin both women moan deeply and Cosima feels legs shutting around her head. She places her hands on the outside of Delphine's thighs and pulls more to herself. She laps languidly, lavishing in the taste of the blonde on the tip of her tongue, while Delphine rocks her hips forward to meet the strong muscle.

With her right hand Cosima moves two fingers inside her, feeling Delphine's heat incredibly swollen and gives a few thrusts before curling them. The entire time her tongue is licking, deliberately avoiding the clit except for a few light brushes.

"Cosima, mon amour..." The pleading voice comes when apparently the blonde can't take it anymore.

But Cosima is enjoying too much having Delphine moving against her mouth to end it just yet and she keeps going like that, increasing the rhythm just barely. However, soon two hands are pushing her head down a little and Cosima ends up with the tip of her tongue on the Frenchwoman's nub, moving in lazy circles, her fingers buried and curling against Delphine's wet center.

Delphine groans in pleasure, her lower body leaving the mattress and Cosima moving up with her, the free and going around the back to take a hard grip on the blonde's ass, pulling the other woman's body to her devouring mouth, greedily taking everything Delphine has to offer, until the body beneath her goes slack and Delphine sighs shakily.

With a smile, she moves up. "What I said? High sex - super awesome!" Cosima finishes her statement, placing a soft kiss on Delphine's lips.

Delphine is smiling also, but it's something a lot softer. "Dis-moi que tu m'aimes." She requests in a low voice against Cosima's lips.

Cosima moves her head up, meeting Delphine's eyes. "I love you, Delphine." And she kisses her slowly.

The Frenchwoman surprises her by getting fast from under her and reaching the nightstand, getting something from inside the top drawer.

When Cosima sees what is, she turns very serious. "Are you sure?"

Biting her lower lip, Delphine nods, her eyes not leaving Cosima. "I want to wake up with you every day." She says.

"Even when I piss you off?" Cosima asks.

"Even when you piss me off!" Delphine confirms.

"Because that's probably gonna happen a lot."

"I'm counting on it." She says extending the keys to Cosima.

She takes them while her smiling lips go to Delphine's.

The End

A/N: I really want to thank everyone that has accompanied this story, was an absolute pleasure to count with your support along this (very) long journey. I really don't think I could've made it without you... All of you.

Thank you for the lovely reviews, the favs and follows. And thank you for the lovely guests that also bright my day.

I'm kinda sentimental right now... Love all around...