Title: We Build Bridges

Rating: E for everyone

Summary: 3 years after college graduation

A/N: I began to write this due to Sivim27's Transatlanticism fic. Really. She broke my N/E heart and I needed something to mend the pieces. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I took a two week holiday in between her final updates so when I got back and it was sadly yet gorgeously finished (reading all the end chapters at once was like quickly ripping off a band-aid). I must admit I did end up on Team Effy for just that ONE time though. But, I still had this fic outlined so I decided to flesh it out. Not beta-ed. Feedback always welcome. Thanks to everyone that has favorited my other fics and left feedback.

Chapter 1:

The little bell on the door echoed throughout the shop as soon as Naomi entered F&F's Flowers. She was already in a foul mood and the light metallic sounds simply amplified it. After all, less than two hours ago she'd arrived from Barcelona to find her house brimming with strangers and, just like old times, they were planning on staying there the whole weekend- her own bed given away even. Furthermore, her mum had her running errands. Really. So, here she was picking up something at some flower shop in the neighborhood she'd never even heard of. It was ridiculous. This was supposed to be her holiday and, unbeknownst, it was just about to get shoddier.

"Jesus." The girl in front of her was the last person in Bristol Naomi expected to see so soon. Or, at all. "Emily. Eh… Hi." She half waved, nervously.

"Naomi, hi." The young woman arranging colorful lilies, tulips and irises into a large vase looked at her curiously. It was obvious Emily hadn't expected to see Naomi either. "What you doing here?"

"Mum sent me to pick up something for her?"

Emily smiled, to some extent. "Right. She comes in every Friday to get fresh flowers."

A skeptical Naomi looked around the flower shop, "Does she?"

"Yeah."

"So, she knows you work here?" The blonde frowned slightly, knowing she'd been hoodwinked by her own mother.

A full smile began to slowly spread over Emily's fine features. "She knows this is my shop." She, too, realized Gina had set Naomi up. What a scheming little hippie, that one.

Naomi couldn't help but chuckle and roll her eyes heavenwards. "F for Fitch?" Emily nodded. "Of course."

The redhead moved from behind the counter and began to gather the usual Friday bouquet for Gina, adding some daisy's to the bunch- Naomi's favorite. "When did you get back? I knew you were coming this weekend but your mum didn't tell me when."

Naomi watched her, noticing some changes and not so subtle changes to the small girl in front of her. Her hair was still red but a darker red than usual, her body thinner, her eyes tired. "This morning. I'm only here for the wedding."

Emily nodded, "Well, we're doing the flowers." She pointed at the vase she'd been arranging on the counter.

"Really?" Needless to say, Naomi was a bit confused. They were acting so casually, as if 1200 kilometers didn't normally separate them and they had seen each other often, kept in touch the last nine months. Which they hadn't. At all.

"Where is that new shipment of seedlings, hun?", a pretty, dark blonde with green eyes asked as she entered from a camouflaged door at the back of the shop. Noticing the customer, she apologized right away, "Pardon the interruption. Hello."

Naomi nodded her hello as Emily introduced her, "Debbie, this is Naomi… Gina's daughter." Glancing over at the visitor, Emily noticed she too found the introduction a bit confusing. Naomi Campbell was many, many things but she'd never just been Gina's daughter. Emily had a whole list, good and bad, stored in her memory bank.

But, before she could amend her words, Debbie smiled broadly in recognition, "The one off in Spain and God knows where else? Heard a lot about you. So nice to finally meet you." She held out her hand, "I'm Debbie."

"Hi." the newcomer said as she shook the woman's hand. She was taken aback to find Debbie had quite a grip there.

Debbie finally let go after about 10 seconds, still grinning, as she got a good look at Naomi. "Your mum is quite a woman. Isn't she, Ems?"

"Yeah."

"We love her," she wrapped an arm over the shorter girl and squeezed her tight. Emily rolled her eyes a bit, stifling a smile.

"Me, too." Naomi replied, observing the affectionate interaction.

Emily, knowing Naomi as well as she did, sensed the underlying sarcasm. A part of her actually wished to see what would happen when the blonde got home from this calculated run-in. Amongst the million things she missed was the hilarious mother-daughter confrontations; Naomi so angry about something or other and Gina so blasé in her reaction. You didn't need to watch the telly in that household, those two were born entertainers.

Debbie carried on, oblivious, "She's picked out some exquisite bouquets for the wedding. Hasn't she, love?"

Emily blushed, caught daydreaming for a moment, and quickly finished arranging the flowers for Naomi's mum. "Yeah. She has." She handed Naomi the bouquet, flinching when their fingers accidentally brushed.

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?" she asked, trying not to put to much thought into Emily's reaction. Of course she'd seen her flinch, felt it even.

Emily shook her head, "Nothing. You have a tab." Her voice seemed huskier than usual and so she cleared her throat hoping it would help- knowing it wouldn't. Not knowing what else to do she looked down at her hands and wrung them, thinking she needed some lotion to smooth out her rough palms. Fucking gardening and blistering gloves.

"We do?" Naomi found this all a bit surreal. Flowers, tabs, Emily standing right in front of her, not looking at her, jumpy. She couldn't stop gazing at the redhead though, willing her brown eyes to connect with hers.

Debbie was unaware of the uncomfortable silence, smiling all the while, "Be sure to say hello to your mum for us."

"I… I will. Thanks, again." Emily quickly looked up and their eyes linked, "See you around, Emily." is all Naomi could think of saying right before she quickly turned around and exited the shop.

Watching the blonde look at both sides of the street before crossing, Debbie chuckled. She twirled to the only other person left in the room and smirked, "THAT was Naomi Campbell?"

Emily's eyes slowly wandered back to Debbie, she too had been eyeing Naomi's departure. "…Yes?"

Debbie shook her head in disbelief, "I'm telling you, Em, why you aren't off living with that bird in Barcelona right now is beyond me. She's a stunner."

Emily agreed; Naomi's physical beauty still overwhelmed her. Her hair was a bit longer (just under the shoulder), wavier, brighter- probably an illusion due to the permanent tan her skin now glowed with. And her eyes, her sea colored eyes… She turned back to the half finished arrangement she'd been working on before the interruption, "It's complicated." she told Debbie.

"Complicated how?"

Emily sighed, "She makes it complicated."

*

Knowing it probably wasn't proper to throttle the bride just before her wedding, Naomi merely slammed the front door as she entered her house. "Mum?! Mum!" She yelled, finding the woman in question in the kitchen with one of Kieran's sisters. "You enormous cow!" she seethed at her mum. "Hi, Chiara." She coolly added to the other woman as she placed the bouquet on the counter and crossed her arms over her belly to glare at her mother.

Chiara chuckled at the scene, "Hello, dearie." She knew all about Naomi's temper- heard it from both Kieran and Gina- and was quite happy that all four of her boys had no chance in hell with the attractive, fiery blonde. Truth be told, Emily should have been considered for Sainthood- in her humble opinion, of course.

Gina cheerily smiled at her daughter as she grabbed the bouquet and put them in water. "Saw Emily then, did you, love?"

"It's her fucking shop, mum! You knew she would be there."

"Yes, I did. The Fitch's bought it for her graduation." She placed the vase on the kitchen counter. "Entrepreneurship and all that."

"Why would you do that to me?"

"Send you to get my flowers? I thought you were still friendly with her. Aren't you?"

"Yes." Naomi wanted to slap her, her mum didn't understand anything. "No… I don't know."

"Which one is it?"

"It's…" she was beyond frustrated, "Argh."

"Right." Gina smiled again. "So while you figure it out we'll be carrying on with the baking for tonight. This goose isn't going to cook itself. 'Aitin' the gander' indeed. Isn't that right, Chiara?"

"That it is." Chiara softly smiled at Naomi. And, then, watched the girl shake her head at her mum one last time and head out to the hall.

"Fucks sake." Naomi mumbled as she grabbed her mobile and speed dialed #1. Before the person on the other line could even say hello she muttered, "I need to see you. Please."

TBC