A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and "liked" Darling. It has meant a lot. I know I haven't been as active on here lately, but all your comments and feedback mean a lot to me. As many of you (the ones I chat with on FB) know, I've been having some pretty terrible writer's block, but I'm working through it. Thanks again for all your support. I've really needed it these last few weeks.

Tom pulled a rack of pint glasses from the back, and brought them to the front of the bar, humming softly as he did. Two weeks. Two glorious weeks since Billie had spent the night in his bed, in his arms. And she'd spent nearly every night there since. He smiled to himself, shaking the image of her-lithe, naked and stretched across his sheets. It wasn't just that either that had him smiling, though that was an image he wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. He could smell her skin. Feel her hands on him, and the way she moved under his. Hear her laugh, soft and breathless in his ear. He loved falling asleep next to her. He loved rolling over in the night, and wrapping himself around her. She always responded to him, molding her body against him, sighing as if she'd been searching in the dark for him and only just then found him. Found relief. He felt the same.

They'd been hesitant at first. He wasn't sure he wanted Gemma to wake up in the morning, and find Billie already there, having obviously spent the night. It was a delicate situation. But Billie somehow made it easy. She was understanding and laid back about it. The first few nights, she insisted that she could leave, at 4 or 5 in the morning to avoid his tiny roommate. He hadn't liked that. Didn't like Billie sneaking out like it was some sort of crime. Or like they were doing something wrong. Still, he knew it was a conversation he'd have to have with Gemma, sooner rather than later.

He ended up sitting Gemma down one evening, over pink dotted cat cookies and vanilla bean ice cream, and talking about it with her. It had gone better than he'd expected, though it hadn't been exactly smooth.

"Gems." He set down two cookies on a plate in front of Gemma, who immediately grabbed one with a pudgy hand and snapped the head off. She giggled and chowed down, cramming far too much in her mouth.

"Gemma. Slow down." Tom blinked, trying not to laugh. She nodded, opened her mouth a bit wider and chewed harder.

"Better." He nodded, watching her over his shoulder as he poured her a glass of milk. He knew she'd ask for it, so he might as well be ready. It was nearing bedtime, and she sat in her super hero pajamas he'd bought from the little boy's section, her hair wet from her earlier bath.

"These are better than last time." She quipped, mouth still full.

"Chew, darling. I'm pretty sure they're the same." He set the half full glass down in front of her, and she smiled at him, and grabbed it with two hands.

"The icing tastes better." She shrugged. Tom nodded and shrugged back. If anyone knew, she would. He'd been buying her those cookies regularly for what seemed like at least a year.

"Gemma, you know Billie?" He asked, knowing it was a dumb question. He just wasn't sure how else to broach the subject. Gemma looked up at him, her brow furrowed, recognizing even at her young age, that he had just asked a dumb question.

"Billie is my friend, daddy." She scowled at him and then bit the tail off the cat. He nodded, leaning forward on the table, swiping a hand over his face. Gemma took a loud glug of milk and then made a satisfied "Ahh!" He grinned and watched her, absorbing every little last detail of her cookie eating routine. She did it nearly the same way every time.

"You're right. She is your friend." He nodded, smiling. She blinked at him and then turned her attention back to her cookies.

"She's also my friend." He started, but immediately regretted it. He groaned inwardly. No one taught you how to explain to a five year old that you were going to have a "friend" sleep over. He wasn't even sure if it was the right decision. He paused and sat back in the chair, watching Gemma quietly.

"She's your friend, too?" Gemma laughed as if this was ludicrous and then licked the hardened royal icing on her cookie. "Is she your girlfriend, daddy? You're like, in loveee? EW." She scrunched up her nose and squinted at Tom. He was taken aback, and reached forward, broke off a small piece of one of her cookies, and popped it into his mouth. He needed a second to recover.

"How do you know what girlfriends are?" He asked.

"Rosie told me. I asked why I didn't have a mom. And she said because my mom couldn't take care of me. And then she said maybe one day I would have a mom. You'd just need to get a girlfriend, finally." Gemma rolled her eyes, looking exasperated. Definitely an adult gesture, and one that was surprisingly funny on a little girl. Tom laughed, shaking his head, though sadness hit him as well. He had struggled for a long time about what to tell Gemma about Becca. He'd ended up deciding on being honest with her, and had always answered any questions she had about her absent mother. Still, she often went to Rosie about some of these things, as Rosie seemed to be deemed by everyone to be the authority on most things. And she was the closest thing Gemma had to a mother figure.

"Do you want a mom, Gemma?" He asked softly after a moment. Gemma shrugged, her little face falling for a second. Anyone who said that children couldn't feel the full range of emotions-sadness, loneliness, missing something they'd never truly had, had obviously never truly known and loved a child before.

"Gems?" He pressed gently. Gemma looked at him then and smiled.

"I have you. I have a daddy. I don't need a mommy." She said simply. Tom nodded and felt his jaw tense, emotions running through him. He reached forward, bumping her gently on the chin.

"You do have me. Always, little rhino girl." He managed.

"Mmhmm. And Billie could be your girlfriend, if you want. And then she could be my mom, if she wanted." She added after a beat, looking at Tom from the corner of her eye, as if realizing she was testing the waters. Tom smiled at her. Gemma was bound to catch onto things, despite being so young. She understood more than he gave her credit for.

"I care about Billie a lot. I hope she'll be around more. I can't promise you anything though, Gems. I wish I could." He said. Gemma nodded in agreement, seeming to understand though he knew it had to be over her head. She looked at him, her eyes wide and full of understanding as she gave him a pat on the arm with a sticky hand.

"Give her some cat cookies. She can have one of mine. She'll come around more then." Gemma offered. Tom laughed then, loudly, nodding as he reached over and gently ruffled his daughter's hair. She beamed at him, as if she knew that offering one of her precious cat cookies was a very kind and noble thing to do. And it was. For a five year old, it was.

And since that conversation, Billie had started sleeping over. They tried to be discreet about it. They made sure to be dressed and ready for the day way before Gemma was ever awake. They made breakfast together, and Billie would stay with Gemma while Tom went for his run, or walk with her over to Rosie's and they'd all hang out there until Tom finished. He had more free time than usual until classes started up again. They'd started a bit of a routine, and it was nice. It was more than nice. It was something nearly precious, and Tom held it close to his chest, holding his breath, waiting for the floor to drop.

"You're awfully chipper." Tom's coworker, Chelsea, slid by him, grabbed two glasses and began to fill them at the tap.

"Hmm, perhaps so." He answered with a quick smile. The bar was relatively quiet that night, and Tom was counting down the moments until he could be on his way home. He'd texted Billie a half hour ago, asking her what she was up to, and she'd replied with a picture of Gemma and Rosie, sitting in Gemma's room, reading books. He hadn't stopped smiling since then, despite wanting so badly to be there as well.

"What are you up to after work, professor?" Chelsea asked, setting down two beers in front of two men at the end of the bar. She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms over her ample chest. Tom had worked with Chelsea for over a year now. She was a nice girl-in her mid twenties, perpetually single by choice, rather blunt and straightforward which seemed to attract her fair share of men.

"Home, as always." He flashed a smile at her as he began mixing shots for a trio of women down at the other end of the bar. Some terrible shot he detested called a "red headed slut".

"I see." Chelsea raised an eyebrow at him, her fingers tapping against her arm. "You couldn't be talked into hanging out and getting a drink with me after?" She asked. Not the first time she'd asked him to stick around. The last time had been a few months ago, and she'd point blank asked if he'd like to go home with her. Strangely, he didn't take it all that personally. She often went home with someone after work, and then never saw that person again. It was just her style. He got it. It was flattering that she asked, but it wasn't his style.

This was the second time in two weeks he'd be turning a woman down. The first had been Carol, his lawyer. He'd called her a few days after Billie had shown up, gently letting her down. She'd taken it well, and been understanding about it. Tom had still felt bad. She'd been an amazing lawyer, and he hadn't exactly expected to have to back out of his date with her. Now, there was Chelsea.

"Sorry, Chels, I've got a lady at home waiting for me." He gave her an apologetic smile, referring to Gemma, though Billie flashed through his mind. She nodded with a smile and then shrugged. Tom gave her a pointed look and then quickly poured the shots into glasses, and brushed by her, delivering the drinks to the women.

"Tom, we heard there was a celebrity here the other week." One of the women reached across the bar, grabbing Tom by the wrist before he could step away. He smiled and gently pulled from her grasp. They were all already drunk, had come in that way, so he had been gently dodging their flirting and come ons all night. One number had already been slipped his way, though the paper was already in the trash.

"Oh?" He began wiping down the bar as the women all nodded, taking their shots.

"Yeah. That slutty singer. What's her name?" The tall brunette nudged her blond friend in the ribs. Tom tensed, biting down hard to keep from saying anything. No one knew he was seeing Billie. Just her family, and Rosie. They'd never discussed keeping quiet, but it had just been an obvious decision. Something that didn't need to be spoken.

"Baby Darling. I heard she was in here, and she got super drunk with some frat guys. Left with them too. Someone had pictures on their phone. I saw it online." Blondy nodded at her friends, who all gasped as if this was the most shocking thing they'd ever heard.

"Is that so?" Tom said, knowing that Billie hadn't been in the Bar since she'd been there with Rachel. And she most definitely hadn't left with any guys.

"Did you see the pictures? Was she naked?" The brunette laughed, her voice harsh and loud. The women started cackling, looking at their phones and chatting. Tom took a deep breath and turned to walk away.

"Has she been here?" A voice cut in, and Tom looked up. One of the guys that Chelsea had been serving was looking at him, obviously having overheard the conversation. It was hard not to. The women were still talking loudly about celebrities, and people they had met before.

"Who?" Tom asked, knowing full well who he was referring to. The two men obviously were from out of town. They didn't have the laid back, vacationer's beach vibe about them. One was wearing a fashionable, but ill fitting suit, with a tshirt underneath instead of a dress shirt. The other wore expensive looking jeans and a polo shirt. Tom waited, feeling his nerves starting to rapidly fray.

"Baby Darling. She's a singer. Does those beach commercials. Great tits, blond hair." The one with the darker hair raised his beer glass and took a drink.

"I don't know." Tom said, his voice stiff, bristling with anger.

"Yeah, she was in here. A few weeks ago." Chelsea quipped, walking up to the bar and leaning into it. She smiled at the two men and refilled the one's glass. Tom froze, trying not to let the slowly boiling anger that was setting in get to him. He didn't think Chelsea knew he was dating Billie, but she definitely knew that he knew her. She knew Rachel, and knew Rachel's family.

"Oh?" The men's interest was piqued.

"Why do you wanna know? Seen one too many home videos?" Chelsea winked, and then turned and looked at Tom. He narrowed his eyes for a second, tilting his head. She shrugged.

"We're professional photographers. There's a pretty decent price for photos of her right now. She's been m.i.a. for weeks. No one's been able to track her down, and she's a hot commodity. We saw her manager fly into LAX two weeks ago, and were able to track his flight back to here." The one man sat back, looking pleased with himself. As if Billie was some sort of fugitive, on the run for doing something terrible. Not just a woman seeking privacy after being exposed to the whole world. Tom felt his fists clench and he crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to calm down.

"She was here. Over a month ago. But she left, and hasn't been back. I heard her mention her manager. Probably went back to LA with him." Tom said through clenched teeth. The photographer stared at him for a minute, as if trying to see if Tom was telling the truth or not. Chelsea raised an eyebrow at Tom, and then turned and walked away.

"Funny, cause we didn't see her at the airport." The response was slow, accusing. Tom leaned against the bar and reached over to the computer register, quickly bringing up the tab for the two men. He printed it out and set it down in front of them with a thud.

"She's gone. She left. You probably should too. Have a good night, gentlemen." He said with a wide, unfriendly grin. The two men paused, looking angrily at him, not sure what to do. Tom stood in front of them, unwavering, waiting and watching until they unhappily paid their check and left, grumbling the whole time.

****

Tom came home to a dark house. The light on the front porch was on, and it was quiet as he stepped inside. He slipped his shoes off and walked silently into the family room, which was dark save for the blue green flickering of the television screen. He was tired, more so than usual, from his shift at the bar. The obnoxious patrons, and one too many sleazy, shitty remarks, had left him on edge. But, it all melted away as he stepped into his home.

He peeked over the edge of the sofa, and saw Billie there, fast asleep. She was curled on her side, her hands under her face, a blanket tucked around her legs and feet. Her hair was a mess around her face, and she breathed with the slow, even sureness of sleep.

He smiled and then left, walking softly down the short hallway toward Gemma's room. He paused outside her door, which was slightly ajar. He let his eyes adjust, and looked inside. Her moon shaped nightlight gave off a soft, amber glow, and he could make out the shape of her in her bed. She was a tangle of sheets and blankets, sprawled out as if she were swimming. He stood there for a moment, watching her, seeing the rise and fall of her tiny chest. He felt the frustration and weariness of the day slip past him as he watched her, and then he quietly turned and left her to her dreams.

Making his way back to the family room, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, shrugging out of it as he walked around the couch to where Billie lay sleeping. He wore a tshirt underneath, and he quickly untucked that from his trousers.

Reaching forward, Tom leaned over Billie, stroking her face gently. She started, her blue eyes opened widely for a moment but then instantly relaxed as he knelt by her.

"Oh. Hello." She breathed, her voice breathy and low with sleep. Tom felt the tug low in his stomach, the constant, ever ready desire for her. It never went away. It changed sometimes, throughout the day, but it was always there.

"Hello, gorgeous." He smiled and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. Billie reached for him, pulled him by the shoulders and into a kiss. Her mouth was soft, warm and inviting as she pressed her lips to his. She was still half asleep, so her movements were slow, sensual without even realizing it. She arched, stretching out as she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders.

"Mmm, I missed you. How was work?" She said after a moment, breaking from the kiss. Tom groaned softly, and then leaned back against her as Billie pushed her fingertips through his hair. She did this thing with her hands, rubbing his temples and scalp, and then the back of his neck, that made him feel like putty.

"It was work." He said softly, then groaned as she slipped her hands under the neck of his tshirt, rubbing his shoulders.

"You're very tense." She leaned forward, kissing his temple, her lips lingering. Tom nodded, opened his eyes and looked at her. She smiled at him, just a slight upturn of her plush lips, but it was all in her eyes. How happy she was, how glad she was to be there with him. It made his chest feel tight and full. He grinned and reached up, wrapped his arms around her chest and waist and pulled her down off the couch. Billie squealed, giggling as she toppled onto the floor, on top of him.

"I'm better now." Tom let out a soft groan as she settled on top of him. Billie dug her chin into his chest, her hands reaching down and slipping under his shirt.

"Good."

"How was Gems?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again.

"She was fine. She was exhausted. We took a long walk on the beach, and then blew bubbles with Rosie." Billie sat up, slowly, pushing against his chest as she straddled him. Tom smiled, looking up at her as she brushed her long hair off of her shoulders.

"Wish I could have been here." He said, sliding his hands up her thighs. She was wearing a sun dress, with flimsy little straps that he was pretty sure he could easily slip off her slender shoulder without much effort. The skirt rose up her thighs as he moved his hands, her skin silky smooth and warm. He groaned, shifting his hips and making her move with him, trying to get as close to her as possible, but finding it difficult considering the clothes they were still wearing. Billie smiled, slow and seductive as she reached down and looped a finger through his belt loops.

"Time to make up for lost time?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. He nodded, not taking his eyes from her. He reached up as she pushed his shirt up, revealing his stomach as she gently scratched her nails over his skin. He felt himself tense under her hands, and even more so as she moved her hips, grinding against him.

Tom slipped a finger under each strap on her shoulders, sliding them effortlessly off. Her dress fell to her waist, revealing her breasts. He drank her in, unable to take his eyes off her-the heavy, roundness of her perfect breasts, her soft skin, the quickly hardening dark pink tips. Tom moved then, sitting up and still keeping her on his lap. He covered her with his hands, taking her nipple in his mouth as he pressed her breasts together. Billie gasped softly, her head tilting back, her lips parted as she offered herself to him. He held her closer, rolling his tongue over her nipple again and again, biting gently as he sucked and pulled against her.

"Oh, Tom. Yes..." She breathed, pressing her face into his hair, kissing every where she could reach. He ran his hands over her skin, up and down her back, over her stomach, between her breasts, not wanting to leave a single inch of her untouched.

"Bedroom." He groaned as she reached between them, rubbing the hard length of him through his pants. Billie nodded and started to try and get up, but Tom scooped her up, standing in one quick movement. She laughed and let him carry her, taking her into her bedroom and closing the door behind them.

Billie quickly shimmied out of her dress and panties as he sat her down, and then pointed at him, motioning for him to take off his clothes. Tom smiled and obeyed, yanking his shirt off and then stepping out of his trousers. Billie stood on the bed, pulling him against her, giggling because for once they were nearly the same height-in fact she was a bit taller now.

"I can't get enough of you." Tom breathed into her neck, kissing her shoulders, as he slid his hand up her thighs and between her legs. Wet, so wet. And completely ready. He felt his stomach tighten, and his hands itched just to grab her, throw her on the bed and bury himself in her.

But he had more self control than that. At least he did for the moment. And this was about Billie. He slowed himself down, pressing his fingers into her thighs. Billie gasped and held onto his shoulders. "I have you, and yet five minutes later, I want you again. I go to work, and all I can think about...is this." He bites her gently, sucking and kissing his way down her stomach.

"Me too. God, me too." She gasped again as Tom threw her leg over his shoulder, placing small, perfect kisses to her inner thighs. He was starving for her, desperate to taste her, but also refusing to give her exactly what she wanted right away. He loved watching her squirm, making her beg just a little bit. Then he loved making her shake, and cry out, in absolutely no control over her body.

Billie whimpered, raising a hand to her mouth, trying to keep her noises as quiet as possible. Tom pulled away, and she grabbed at him, lifting him up to her mouth, obviously not wanting him to stop. He kissed her, deep and passionate as she tugged him onto the bed with her.

They slid together, lying down next to each other, their bodies touching as their legs intertwined together. They stilled for a moment, as Tom reached forward, cupping her face in his hands. She watched him, her eyes full and just a tad bit hazy.

"How did I get so lucky, Billie?" He whispered, eyes never leaving hers. Billie smiled then, her eyes tearing up just a bit. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead and then the tip of her nose.

"I could ask the same." She whispered, her voice seemed to be caught in her throat. Tom pushed his hands through her thick, unruly hair, tugging gently.

"I care about you so much. This is...surreal to me. Having you here, in my bed." He got serious then, stroking her neck and shoulder as Billie relaxed against him.

"It's surreal to me too. I never thought..." She trailed off.

"I just want you to know though... as much as I love this-being here with you, touching you, feeling you... that's not what's important to me. You know that, right? I'd have you any way I could. This is just a bonus." His voice was soft, tender as he spoke. Billie was quiet for a moment, her eyes lowered, unable to look at him. Tom took a breath, holding it in as he watched her, waiting and wondering if he'd said the wrong thing.

It took her a few seconds, but when she finally looked up, he could see she was crying, or close to it.

"Oh, Billie. Darling." He whispered, running a thumb over her cheek. She smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you. Really. I... No one has ever said anything like that to me. You tend to do that a lot." She said with a soft laugh. Tom pulled her to him, closing the small gap between their bodies. He felt her take a deep, shaky breath, letting him hold her as she held him back.

God. He could lose himself in this woman. If he hadn't already.

Billie pulled back after a few minutes, kissing him gently as she did.

"Tom. You know, I could help you?" She said, her voice quiet but steady. He frowned, tilting his head as he ran a fingertip over the outer edge of her ear.

"Hmm?" He asked, tugging gently on her lobe.

"With Becca's debt." She answered. Tom froze, feeling a ball of emotions well inside of him. "I have more money than I know what to do with. More than I could use in multiple lifetimes. I could pay off the debt so easily. I would love to do that for you...for Gemma." She spoke quickly, and he could tell she was nervous. He felt the emotions move in his stomach, warm at first but with cold, curling fingers. It was hard for him to wrap his head around what she was saying. What she was offering.

"Billie, I couldn't..." He shook his head and she quickly pressed a finger to his lips.

"Listen, you don't have to answer now, okay? Just know, I've thought about this a lot. I have...multiple cars sitting in my driveway in LA. Cars I've never even touched. I could sell one and it'd be enough to pay off the debt. Or I could use the money from the...from the tape. At least some good would come from it. I want nothing to do with that money anyway." She was holding onto his shoulders now, as if she knew that her statement might make him want to step away, to uncurl from her and the bubble they'd created.

"It's my issue, Billie, not yours." He said gently, knowing she was just trying to help, but feeling all the worse for it.

"I know. But I..." She kissed him, softly, gently, nudging against him as she did. He responded, unable to keep from it. "I care about you, so much. You and Gemma. Please, think about it? You could quit the Bar. You'd even have more money to keep for Gems." She wrapped her legs around him, pressing her hips to him. She kissed him again, forcing him to stay present with her, and not retreat back into his mind, into the space that being with Becca had created.

Tom rolled Billie onto her back, quick and steady, feeling the coldness in his stomach thaw. It had been a very long time since anyone had offered him something like this. And he knew her intention. It was nothing but good. It moved him in ways he couldn't even totally comprehend, but he felt it, deep in his chest.

He covered her body with his, pressing her into the bed as he slipped his arms under her, cradling her against him as he kissed her. They didn't speak. They didn't quite need to. Billie kissed him back, deeply, their tongues sliding and moving against each other. He touched her once, feeling her wetness, her readiness, and then Tom slide inside her, fast, unyielding and true. Billie gasped against his mouth, her hips rising to meet his. Tom wrapped his hands in her hair, pushed his face into her neck, biting and licking as he felt Billie respond to him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her heels digging into him, her fingers pressed into his shoulders. Her gasps were soft, then urgent, breathless, deep and yearning, verging on out of control.

Tom drove into her, the movement smooth and earth shattering, making his mind spin as he felt her, tight around him. Billie arched under him, saying his name as she panted softly, telling him "more, more, more." He gave her what she wanted, reaching between them at one point to touch her, making her nearly lift off the bed as she crumbled beneath him, shaking and clenching around him. He nearly lost it then, torn between coming apart as well, and holding her fiercely against him. He did the latter, holding her as she came, as she sobbed softly for a moment before her moans turned to soft, content laughter. He grinned, and then quieted her giggles with more moans as he picked his pace back up.

A few moments more, and he was gone as well. She did the same for him, wrapping herself around him as he pushed hard into her. He felt her hot and tight, clenching around him, her body instantly reacting to his, shaking in response. He said her name, roughly, and then collapsed on top of her. Only for a second, wary of crushing her, but when he went to move off away, Billie sighed and held him to her, locked around him as she ran her hands up and down his spine.

"Thank you." He whispered softly, barely above a whisper, into her ear. "For being you, Billie." He felt her smile, her lips lightly touching his shoulder. She nodded and squeezed him a bit tighter.

X۬