Time Warp: Every Persuasion

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

October, 2021

"Lucy?"

There was little point calling out her wife's name as she stepped through the door, but the psychometrist felt the need to. Either way, it wouldn't have been long before the ink manipulator would meet her. She counted on it, even.

A precise hand carefully drew the door to a close before curling around the strap of her work bag. In the other; a candy bar. Or rather, what remained left of it - a crinkled up wrapper.

No doubt it was meant to be hidden within the Australian's car, but very little went unnoticed by Penelope Blaise and her ever knowing gaze. The decision to return to work with the new school year was potentially a bad idea with an infant, and more so with a wife who was four months pregnant.

It was already hard enough dragging herself away from them as it was. The plastic wrapper in her hand proved that she couldn't.

Still, Lucy appeared, and Penny felt the involuntary tug of a smile as she took a step closer. Dark eyes dropped down the Australian's form. On the average day she couldn't help but to look, and it was only proving worse as the signs of pregnancy were showing on her wife.

Her eyes flicked back up. She had to be stern, because it was unacceptable. "What is this?"

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Four months. Still working. Still months before Lucy was supposed to really stop international flights. Months before sitting perched over a person getting a tattoo would become far too strenuous after a few hours. In short, she had no idea of spending the entirety of a pregnancy doing nothing around a house. There was far too much to do, and far too much she could take away from the experience to stop now. Less than a month and she'd be underneath Dom's watchful eyes instead of Penny's.

True to her assumed form, the moment she was called for Lucy found her way to the door. Hell, she didn't even need to be called for; the second she heard a car in the drive way, she knew her counterpart was home, and she knew she'd end up meeting her before she made it too far into the house.

With a growingly expressive son down for a bit of a sleep, the ink manipulator found herself wearing a little stint of pride when she made herself visible. A slight raise of her hand and a silent wave, and not even the wandering gaze of her counterpart could stall her steps. But she didn't get close enough to steal a kiss - or really, any kind of contact - before Penny was holding something up in view. Her dark eyes switched to it.

"Why do you have to come in like that?" She replied, an ounce of an equal bite to her tone, but she seemed more hurt than bitter.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Admittedly, there were better ways for Penny to have made an entrance into their home. No doubt just about any of her options were more pleasant than the way she currently spoke. It was a tactic; if she didn't start strong she'd never get a chance to make her point. Lucy was far too enthralling. Too distracting. This was important.

Penny's nose crinkled as Lucy called her out, and she took continuing steps towards the ink manipulator to close the remaining distance between them. A hand immediately went to the small of her back, drawing her close. Dark eyes glanced down to the Australian's lips, and a half moment later she gave in and kissed her.

It was too much to help, but just as quickly as she leaned in, Penny tilted her head away, eyebrows raising as she gave Lucy a clearly disapproving look. "Why do you think sneaking candy is okay?" The Brit shot back quickly.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The moment the words left her mouth, Lucy knew the expression she was wearing, and she knew there was little she could do to rectify it. A down-turned mouth and confused crinkles between her eyebrows.

And it seemed to work - not that she'd actually put it on for the fact - because Penny had crossed the distance Lucy couldn't quite make. A spare moment and she felt herself drawn in, lost to the minimal contact that was a light kiss against her lips. But it was gone in that; a second. And Lucy found herself leaning in a little more to try and find it.

Gone. And the questions remained.

She opened her eyes, trying not to look as cross as she was with her.

"Maybe you could let me ask you how your day was." Lucy tried instead, "Or I can tell you what I did today." Anything that wasn't akin to arguing or discussing just what she was holding in her hand.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Even if she was annoyed over the evidence of sugar consumption, Penny still struggled to draw away from her counterpart's lips. The irritation read clearly in her features - four months of scheduling and dieting to help make their child as healthy as possible, and it could easily be ruined by however many sweets Lucy decided to try and sneak.

"Lucy." Penny stressed again, taking a quick breath with evident signs of growing frustration. Really, the idea of hearing how her wife's day had gone was on her mind - something she did want to know. And she would, just after she had received an appropriate explanation.

"You can't be eating these things." Trying to take a gentler tone, Penny wasn't exactly sure if it came across well or not. "You already have sugar in your coffee, and I have to practically force you to take vitamins."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy tried to change the subject to no avail, it seemed, as Penny pushed the issue further. It was no secret that the Brit was never one to let things go so easily, but she'd hoped obvious factors would have given her a little room to move. Evidently not. Momentarily she looked irked by a fact she already knew well enough.

A normal conversation; that was all she wanted before Penny started in. So she took the scolding to heart, ran her tongue between her lips and opened them again.

"Lincoln was a little weird today. He didn't want me to put him down to sleep." She explained, doing as best she could to maintain an even stride to her voice, "But don't worry, he's fine now. I sat with him for about an hour before he started dozing off."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

It felt like they were having two separate conversations, because that was exactly what it was. Penny briefly wondered if Lucy was listening at all; possibly crossing through the distance to reach out to her had been a mistake. It proved that the Brit couldn't resist her, which was well known but the physicality that proved it only reiterated the fact.

Tension shot through the psychometrist's jaw; there was no doubt that she enjoyed any story of Lucy handling their son. The idea of him refusing to settle as Lucy stayed with him forced a twitch of her fingers against the material of Lucy's shirt. No doubt, the pair were perfect together.

But she still wasn't answering any of the questions she asked. Proof of guilt, no doubt. Hard as it was to push past the distressed look Lucy gave, Penny continued. "Just tell me how many you've had." Her lips pursed together briefly. "Please."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Just when Lucy was sure she'd thought of the best way to distract her counterpart, Penny proved her wrong again. Any indication to their son was usually enough to stall her, at least long enough to get her to ask some questions. She was the dragon. She was supposed to get caught up in Lincoln Michael's perfection.

Lucy liked to argue, and there was no denying that. The fire in her eyes made it so.

But as of late it had been different. She swallowed hard.

"I don't like it when you're like this." She replied, and she was very fast to turn around and walk away because of it.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

It was a good tactic on Lucy's end, which was exactly why Penny tried her best not to fall for it. Any talk of Lincoln proved to be a distraction, just as Lucy was herself. It did wonders to draw her mind to imagery of Lucy with their boy in her arms as she tried to get him to settle, and even as she spoke, she struggled to clear her mind from the thought.

But Lucy was quick to walk away, both the sudden distance and the statement made dark eyes widen with surprise. Pregnancy brought on a whole new Lucy Serrano, and Penny was still in the process of learning how to handle her hormone driven wife.

"Lucy." A third time, and thrice as much exasperated as the first time she called out her wife's name. Just as quick as Lucy was to turn and walk away, Penny was to follow, letting the back slip from her shoulder and lean against the wall as she reached to catch the Australian's hand. "Can we just talk about this?"

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It was always hard to take steps away; Lucy was useless at keeping away from Penny for too long in the last few months. It was a struggle to see her off every morning she went to work, but the ink manipulator managed. At least, she thought she did. What happened beyond those moments every day were difficult to keep from someone who saw memories so easily.

It took precision; something Lucy wasn't so notorious for having between the two of them. Except when it came to skirting her ability.

"Nope." She replied simply, sticking to shorter words with purpose.

But Penny caught her hand far too easily, and Lucy took a breath at the mere contact. It hardly felt like they were going to talk about it as much as the ink manipulator was going to be scolded. She kept her face hidden by the turn of her form and the line of her shoulder.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Concern was quickly taking over as Lucy gave such a short answer. For someone who was avoiding questions just seconds ago, she was suddenly being very direct. Penny felt the draw of a frown play about her lips as she squeezed the hand she held. At least the Australian offered something of a reaction to the contact.

Lucy still wasn't looking at her.

Her nose crinkled as she gave Lucy's hand a purposeful tug, taking another step to ease away some of the distance. The three fingers that were free from grasping a candy wrapper drew around Lucy's waist. It was as delicate as dealing with a child when it came to Lucy's recent behavior, except more often their son was better behaved.

"It's not going to go away if we ignore it." Her tone lightened slightly, but there was still an evident edge to it as she tried to turn her counterpart so she would face her.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The small tug to her hand forced Lucy to frown. She couldn't help the obvious bitter connotations that coloured her features. It was one of the reasons she was so bent on keeping her face hidden for as long as she could. She needed some form of composure, and this wasn't helping.

Nor was the hand to her waist, or the parental advice offered to her moments later. At least the latter outweighed the effects of the former.

A drop of her attention to the floor and dark hair hung over her face at either side. "I don't want to talk about it." Lucy replied, the first indicators of a wavering tone to her voice breaking through.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny continued to pull, and to still no avail. Lucy seemed bent on staying put, or at least keeping her face far from the psychometrist's line of sight as possible. Even as her thumb brushed the line of Lucy's hand, there was nothing. Her frown deepened. She was determined to at least meet the Australian's gaze.

Panic set in the moment she heard the wavering nature of Lucy's voice. Her breath was instantly caught in her throat, pulse racing, and not in the familiar way she loved.

Her hand left Lucy's side, the other still firmly grasping hers as she stepped around Lucy. Although her hair blocked her face, at least she was facing her properly. "You can't be serious." Quite possibly the worst thing to say to an emotional pregnant woman, Penny couldn't help the way it slipped out. "Don't cry over something like this."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy had little idea what to expect of herself once she learned she was pregnant. She had no idea where her emotional state might land as days turned to weeks, which in turn became months until she stood where she was now. There was the most obvious amount of pressure on her shoulders, and although her counterpart always meant well, little moments flicked a newfound switch inside her.

It was not a good thing.

Water lined her eyes and she knew it was going to from the moment she'd tried to walk away. It was exactly why she tried to peel herself away from the situation; because it was a stupid thing to get remotely upset over. She wasn't even really sure she was upset about it in the first place.

But when Penny pointed it out to her, she sharply raised her head, dark hair flicking away. She looked at her. Cross, maybe. Water-lined eyes and all.

"Shut up."

Because the moment she was told not to, those tears were well and truly destined to fall down her cheeks.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Somewhat oblivious to just how disastrous her own behavior was while pregnant, the Brit felt very aware of every altercation of Lucy's emotional state as she carried their daughter. It was seemingly growing worse every day. Tears threatened her wife over a candy bar.

Penny knew she could be harsh, but this was ridiculous.

She hadn't expected to catch Lucy's gaze; more often than not the moment tears were involved, Lucy refused to look at her just as she had moments prior. Being granted eye contact within that moment was just as irksome as it was surprising. Her lips were parted, having every intent on continuing, but Penny's jaw remained dropped as Lucy told her to shut up, words coming to a halt in her throat.

Instantly, she dropped the wrapper, instead letting her hand become preoccupied with ridding the water that lined her wife's eyes. A thumb brushed across her cheek, already feeling the moisture on her own skin. Another brush and she tried her best to wipe away the next oncoming set.

Lucy rarely cried up until the past few months, and Penny was still unprepared to handle. Cheerful wasn't her thing. She didn't know how to make these moments better. "Would you like a glass of water?"