It wasn't morning when Allison woke up. The world was still thick and dark but the realization did not smother her as it used to. As she lay on her bed, blanket pulled up to her collarbone and secured over her by Shay's limp arm, Allison felt wonderfully— deliciously— at peace. Shay's arm felt heavy over Allison's abdomen, but she adored the feeling. It anchored her. She hadn't felt this much safety facing the darkness in a very long time. And it was all thanks to the woman curled into her side.

She pressed her chin against her chest to get a better look at Leslie. She had her nose nuzzled into Allison's shoulder. Messy strands of blonde hair relaxed over her pale forehead. Her mouth was slightly open and Allison could feel each far apart tickle of breath on her bare skin. *This girl,* the brunette thought affectionately. She carefully reached a hand out to tuck some of the hair out of Shay's face. At that moment, there was an intrusive, booming clap of thunder preceded by a cyan flash in the window. The walls thrummed with vibrations.

Leslie was pulled awake by the sound. She could feel warm skin under her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she saw the moonlight's silver contour of Allison's neck and chest. She had her head turned toward the window, looking out into the pouring rain. Shay closed her eyes again, unopposed to the thought of falling back asleep like this, but found that she couldn't slip back into unconsciousness. *This isn't so bad, anyway,* she remarked internally. Leslie courteously pulled her weight off Allison, rolling onto her stomach. She propped herself up with her crossed forearms. Allison turned her attention back to Leslie when she felt her move. Leslie smiled sleepily at her. "Your arm asleep?" she murmured, voice quiet and hoarse. Allison chuckled and shook her head. Shay added, "It's a good pillow."

They had unintentionally left the bedside lamp on Shay's side on when they fell asleep. In that soft glow the outline of Shay's jaw, neck, and shoulder were illuminated, just as Rafferty was outlined by the moonlight. Allison traced the parts of Leslie that were visible until she noticed that faint but visible scar on her shoulder. Leslie noticed Allison's eyes fixated on that spot for several seconds. Allison's hand slid under the tousled blanket and found Shay's, slipping their fingers around each other. She guided Shay onto her back. Shay acquiesced and Allison slid over her, blanket falling to the small of her back. They held eye contact in that position for several heartbeats, until Allison slowly lowered her head to Shay's shoulder and planted a kiss on her scar.

Shay felt tears prick her eyes, to her own surprise. The lump in her throat prevented her from speaking, but actions substituted. She gently placed her fingers under Allison's chin, tilting her head up and guiding their mouths to each other. The thunder drummed outside. Thick raindrops ran down the window like hands cradling a glass. They kept on like that, Allison over Shay, kissing each other, through the thunderstorm, through the power shuddering out and the lamp light vanishing. It was took dark to see, and their eyes were closed too long to adjust. But Allison swore she could feel Shay smiling.

The day had, by some whimsical turn of events, brought the two women to a local bookstore. It wasn't the books that brought them inside the small, family-owned establishment, however; it was the prospect of finger puppets, advertised by the sign on the window. The shop was a little chilly, and the way the light filtered in through the windows and lit up spiraling congregations of dust in the air reminded them of early morning.

The shopkeeper was a young girl, probably sixteen or seventeen, though it was always impossible to be sure. She sat in the stool behind the counter, head propped up in her hands as she read her open book. The shop bell twinkled, and in came Leslie and Allison. They courteously smiled towards the girl behind the counter. "Welcome to Saremo's Books," she greeted routinely, reciprocating the friendly countenance. It amused the girl to watch the two older woman go straight for the tub of knitted finger puppets at the end of an aisle of bookshelves. She tried to go back to reading her book, but right before she tucked her head back down, she noticed their gloved hands held together. She watched them stand over the tub for a moment, looking in, and noticed how they only let go of each other to try the puppets on. The brown-haired one slipped the Shrek puppet over her pointer finger and held it up to the blonde, who giggled and eagerly looked for another of the same. The book clerk noted how happy they seemed, a simple kind of happy, and how it was innocent enough that she didn't feel wrong to be watching them. Still, she tried, for their privacy's sake, to redirect her attention to her book. But she couldn't comprehend the lines, even after reading them three times over. Giving up, she shut the book and went back to watching the two women. Their laughs were numerous and close together, but each moment of silence retained their giddiness, stringing it through the air like Christmas ornaments.

"Oh my God," Leslie chuckled, hand diving back into the tub. "Look! It's a little EMT one!" Indeed, there was a tiny, finger-sized knitted girl with a blue shirt and yellow 'EMT' on its chest. It had brown hair. "Whoa, this is the Allison Rafferty finger puppet." Allison gave a good, shocked laugh.

"I'm a paramedic, not an EMT. Get my credentials right," she protested humorously. Shay shrugged. "Close enough. We're getting it."

Allison didn't protest as Shay made her way to the counter. The book clerk quickly looked away, back down to her book as if reading, but then realized it was closed. *Dammit it,* she cursed internally. She shifted awkwardly in her stool, then stood up to receive the customers. "F-find everything alright?" she asked, irrelevantly; they clearly hadn't come for books. Leslie placed the finger puppet on the counter and dug a couple dollars out of her wallet.

"Do you want a bag for that?" the teen asked.

"Nah, I'm just going to make her wear it," Leslie said. Allison elbowed her, shaking her head with a smile.

They exited the shop, stepping back out onto the cold Chicago streets. They tucked themselves into each other to keep warm, hands only braving the cold so they could hold each other. It was very cold out, though, almost frosty. They wandered down the street aimlessly, nowhere in particular in mind for a destination. The feeling of conclusion stirred in Allison's stomach, but she didn't want their afternoon together to end.

"I don't want to go home," Allison said suddenly, turning her head toward Shay. Shay looked at her curiously. Her blue eyes were vibrant in the afternoon lighting. "Unless you come with me."

Shay's mouth parted into a wide smile. She leaned forward and delivered a quick kiss. It felt natural, easy, but certainly not ordinary. "Of course," Shay promised.

A/N: Want to say thank you guys for all the reviews and messages. It really puts me in a better mood when yall take the time to let me know you're reading! I can only apologize for the long wait and hope you guys liked this update.