-Author's POV-

Madison stirs awake to the sound of drawers opening and closing. She groans, shuffling around in bed until her impatient nature couldn't handle it much longer.

"Enough!" She rasps, eyes remaining closed.

It goes silent, but soon enough, another opens and it's her bedside drawer.

Her eyes shoot open, coming into contact with a stranger, resulting to her—

"AHH!!!!" She screams, smacking the woman away, "AH! GET OUT! MAM!? MUM!!!" She shouts hysterically, falling out of bed and landing on her arse, but her fighting never quit.

"Calm down love," The grey haired woman tries to get the teen under control.

"MUM!"

Kimberley and Cheryl come flying through the bedroom, prying their daughter away from the older woman.

"SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!" Madison screams, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around her Mum.

Kimberley chuckles, along with her wife.

"It's not funny! She was robbing us!" The teen continues.

"Babe," Cheryl tries to pull her daughter off the blonde, "Come down and stop being a lemon."

"No." Madison stubbornly wraps her arms and legs tighter.

"She's just cleaning the house." Kimberley tuts, forcing her daughter to her feet. "Stop acting crazy—"

"Cleaning the house!?" The teen screeches, head snapping and looking at the embarrassed woman. "How is looking through my drawer considered cleaning the bloody house!? My room is damn well clean—"

"Let's not tell fibs now." Cheryl cuts in, giggling. "Sweets, apologize—"

"For what!?"

"For hitting her? And also talking shit about her stealing."

Madison huffs, hair a mess, pajamas disordered, only making her that much more adorable.

"There was no need to look in my drawers." She stubbornly stands her ground.

"I was putting away your laundry." The older woman argues.

"Really? Really?" The teen rolls her eyes.

Cheryl clears her throat, "'I'm sorry Anna," She apologizes, "Could you please give us some privacy? I'll clean this room today."

"As you wish." Anna smiles, kindly giving the family their privacy.

Kimberley lightly smacks the back of her daughter's head.

"What was that for!?" Madison rubs her head, wincing slightly.

"Because you say some stupid sh*t sometimes."

Cheryl tuts, "Behave you too." She huffs, "She was being nice and cleaning your room for Christ sake." The Geordie scurries around, putting the rest of the laundry away.

"My room doesn't need cleaning ya'no." Madison comments, walking to the ensuite to brush her hair and teeth.

"You sure about that bud?" Kimberley giggles, falling back into the sofa and kicking her feet up on the wooden coffee table.

"Aren't you going to help us?" Cheryl tuts.

"Why did we call Anna if I'm going to clean?" Kimberley raises an eyebrow, "That was the whole point of her coming today... To obviously clean.."

Cheryl rolls her eyes, "You're a twat." She walks away, carrying the laundry basket and beginning her discarding of clean set of clothing.

"You weren't telling me that last night!" Kimberley shouts from the bedroom, laughing at her wife mumbling curse words.

Madison emerges from the ensuite, brushing her teeth with a scowl.

"You know," The blonde begins, "Keeping your face like that is only going to permanently keep it there."

Madison rolls her eyes, replying with her mouth full of toothpaste.

"I don't understand choking." Kimberley smirks, "Or do I— " Cheryl smacks the back of her wife's head, "What was that for?!"

"For sayin' stupid sh*t!" She huffs, tossing the empty basket onto the floor.

"Go on and finish your morning routine and come out here and help us clean this mess!" Cheryl orders.

Madison groans, stomping her foot.

"Go on before you really choke on that damn toothpaste."

The teen moans back into the bathroom, Cheryl looks at her wife with an unimpressed expression to her face.

"What?" Kimberley shrugs.

"Stop talking dirty in front of our daughter. Do you actually want her to know half of the sh*t you know!?" Cheryl screeches, unimpressed.

"Well, I'd rather her know then be completely lost when someone asks her—"

"I'd better hope that nobody bloody talks to her about choking!"

Kimberley laughs.

"It's not funny Kimba, grow up." Cheryl sighs, redirecting herself to the messy bed.

The blonde stands to her feet and follows her wife's trail. They each grab an end from the large duvet, pulling it off the bed, resulting to Madison's hidden iPad landing to the floor.

Cheryl is first to notice, bending down and picking up the gadget.

"Sneaky little sh*t." She breathes, looking at her wife with an unimpressed expression. "Madison!" The Geordie calls out, waiting impatiently for her daughter to exit the ensuite.

"Yeah?!" Madison replies, still in the bathroom.

"Come out here." The sternness in her voice doesn't settle well with the teen. Nevertheless, she takes a deep breath and comes out of the ensuite.

"What is this?" Cheryl holds up the black iPad.

"Er.. Some call it an iPad but I prefer tablet." She smiles, teeth on display, awkwardly shuffling in her spot, eyes shifting uncontrollably.

"I know what it bloody is, don't get smart with us. What is it doing with you?" Cheryl shoots, impatiently waiting for a reply.

Kimberley remains silent, not finding it a big deal, but allowing her wife to do as she pleased anyways.

"Well..." Madison begins, "What did you expect?!" She huffs, "Am I not allowed to use anything? What? Am I meant to stare at the wall until I fall asleep?"

"Yes."

"But Mam—"

"Why can't you ever just follow the rules?" Cheryl sighs.

"Because what's the point of living a life with rules? You'll never enjoy it."

"Alright cheeky," The Geordie forces herself not to smile, "We said you're grounded."

"Fine." Madison grunts, returning into the ensuite upset.

"It's not that big of a deal babe," Kimberley whispers, "I was going to give her phone back today anyways."

"Well she wont be getting it back today anymore." Cheryl stands her ground, setting the iPad on the bedside table. "I just don't undetstand why it's so hard for her to listen." She sighs, speaking loud enough for their daughter to hear.

"I can hear you!" She makes it known.

"Good!"

Kimberley bites her lip, "I'm glad I'm not the bad guy today." She whispers.

"I heard that too!" Madison walks out of the ensuite. "Yous have obviously not been parents long enough to know the rules." She begins, "Once your child understands the damn lesson then you give them back their phone—"

"Oh? And you know what it's like to be a parent?" Kimberley asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"I've been a daughter longer than yous have been parents." She argues.

"Erm.. I'm sure we've been daughters longer than you've existed there babe." Cheryl shoots back, laughing lightly. "If you're going to argue make it a good one, yeah? Alright? Now enough shite talking and help us clean your room."

"So what?" Madison never gives up without a fight, "I'm never getting back my phone? I want to talk to my Dad." She half lies, "He's probably worried about me. I've not talked to him in days."

"I'm sure he's fine—"

"Alright well don't go psycho on me when he turns up at our doorstep." The teen shrugs, ready to walkaway.

"Wait." Cheryl stops her, cursing herself for giving in. "You can use it but you have to give it back to us within an hour—"

"What?!" Madison splutters, "That's nothing. That doesn't even give me time to tell him about my day – days might I add. Days. I've not talked to him in days!"

Kimberley cuts in this time, "You can have it for a couple of hours and then you've got to give it back to me by the end of the day." She stops her wife from interrupting, put her hand up as her final words to be the result. "Come along and I'll give it to you." She walks out; an excited Madison follows close behind.

"You're the best." She whispers, giving her mother a playful shake to the shoulders. "I love you."

"Yeah yeah. Remember, you've got to give it back when I tell you." Kimberley walks into her bedroom and retrieves the iPhone from her bedside table. "There you go."

Within seconds Madison scurried out of the bedroom, straight down to the front room and plopping onto the sofa with endless messages and phone calls awaiting her.

Kimberley returns to an unimpressed Geordie, getting an eye roll as her greeting.

"What? You can't be serious right now?" The blonde tuts, "She has to speak to her Dad—"

"Agh don't call him that before I throw up." Cheryl gags.

"Yeah I don't know where that came from, come on babe." Kimberley smiles; walking over to her wife and forcing her into a cuddle. "She's been good."

Cheryl sighs, "I guess." She shrugs.

"Lets get this room cleaned and I'll cook us all a nice meal." Kimberley encourages.

"Oh?" Cheryl steps back, "Now you want to clean? Because you know you're in the dog house."

Kimberley laughs. "Nothing could ever be put past you." She chuckles, "You're right. I'm wrong. You're awesome and I'm a dweeb. Now. Can we please clean this dump of a room?"

Cheryl giggles, loudly. "Come on cheeky pants."

------- 

Madison smirks at her phone, unintentionally.

"Oh?" Kimberley raises an eyebrow, "I didn't realize speaking to Jamie made you smirk like that?"

The teen locks her phone, heart nearly dropping out of her ass.

"And since when do we allow phones on the dinner table?" The blonde reaches over and snatches the phone quickly out of her daughter's hand. "That's enough phone time for one night—"

"But—"

"Listen to your Mum, Maddy." Cheryl cuts in, suppressing her smirk. "Eat your dinner. You've not touched it, it's going to go cold like that."

"I'm not hungry." She huffs, "Mum—"

"So what's the plan for Christmas?" Kimberley ignores her daughters arguing, and looks at her now smirking wife.

"Oh you know, this and that."

Madison rolls her eyes, grumpily eating her meal.

"I was thinking—" Before Kimberley could finish her words, Madison's phone begins to ring loudly.

Please Don't answer.

Please Don't answer.

Kimberley takes a look at her phone, frowning.

"Here." She hands the teen the iPhone Madison relieved once seeing her Dad's name flashing.

"Excuse me—"

"You can call him after." Cheryl tries to stop her daughter, but Madison was too quick. "I want to spank her sometimes." The Geordie groans.

"See," Kimberley grins, "I knew we were always meant to be. You're next to spank her, I already used up all my spanking coins."

"Stop being so weird all the time," Cheryl huffs. "Can you just be cute and feed us from your plate or something?"

-------

"I don't like this champ," Jamie sighs from the other end of the call. "I really need to have a talk with Cheryl."

"You can't." The teen argues. "It's only going to start problems, please."

"Okay well, I shouldn't have to beg to see my daughter. You're my bloody daughter at the end of the day." She can her his voice rasping, knowing how upset he was about the situation. She didn't realize how hard it was to have a life with three parents to answer to. It was something she was sure she'd never get used to.

"Dad please."

"Madison." His voice becomes much more stern, "I'm picking you up tomorrow, your grandparents want to meet you. Everyone wants to meet you. So be ready—"

"But—"

"Are you really going to argue? If you don't want to come then that's different."

"No.. No I do." She sighs softly. "Okay I'll talk to them." Her eyes shift, nervously.

"Good. I love you, I'll let you go and have a talk with them and if you need anything you let me know right away. Okay?"

"I love you too.. Okay, okay."

The phone call comes to an end; she hesitantly walks back to the dinning room, releasing her held breath.

Cheryl chokes, "That's not bloody funny Kimberley!" She shouts, "You could have bloody killed us!"

Kimberley rolls her eyes, eating the large bite she was attempting to feed her wife. "Always so bloody dramatic."

"Guys." Madison clears her throat, getting her parents attention. "Dad wants to pick me up tomorrow—"

"Sorry, you're still grounded." Cheryl pouts, sarcastically.

"Well, he said he's coming to pick me up anyways. I don't want trouble—"

"Babe," Kimberley speaks up this time, much softer than the irritated Geordie. "You should have asked us before making plans with him—"

"It's not like I bloody did!" She argues, her voice growing louder. "He's the one that said he's going to pick me up because he wants me to meet everyone. Not like I'm going on a damn holiday with him!"

"Lower your voice." Cheryl hisses, "Sit down and eat your bloody dinner. I don't want to hear it." The Geordie cuts her steak with aggression.

"I'm not hungry, I'm going to bed." Madison goes to stand up, but the sound of her Mam's shout gets her to freeze.

"SIT DOWN!"

"Cheryl." Kimberley breathes, shocked with her wife's tone.

"I've had just about enough of you!" She points her finger at the teen, "Sit down."

Madison gulps and retreats to her spot, remaining quiet.

The Tweedy-Walsh family eats their meal with awkward tension lingering in the air, only cutlery clattering against the white plates to be heard.

"I've had enough of this Jamie business," Cheryl comments, eyes piercing at her daughter.

"You're making everything complicated," Madison defends herself. "Why can't you jut let me have this fcuking relationship with him!"

"Lower your tone and don't you dare curse at us again!" Cheryl grits, hand gripping her cutlery tighter.

Madison huffs, "He's done nothing wrong—"

"What do you know? You're just a child—"

The teen cuts her Mam off, "Don't call me that! You don't even fcuking know me!" she shoots up, screeching her seat back and storming out of the dinning room, leaving the hot mess of a scene.

"You shouldn't have said that." Kimberley sighs, rubbing her temples. "We were getting somewhere with her, babe."

"She's acting like a brat," Cheryl defends herself.

"She just wants to see him, she's with us all day everyday. Maybe it'll be good—"

"I'm not changing me mind!" The Geordie scoffs, "He's ruining everything!" Kimberley can see the tears building in her wife's eyes, shattering her heart into a million pieces.

"C'mere babe." She beckons her over, instantly getting the Geordie to stand to her feet and settle in her lap. "Shh, I know babe, I know. This is a messy situation we're in. We've never dealt with a teenager before.. This is new to us, and this is new to her. She's got us.. but she's also got him now." She pulls her crying wife back, catching the tears and wiping them gently with her thumbs.

"I-I hate th-this." Cheryl hiccups, sniffing her tears away.

"I know, babe. So do I." Kimberley smiles sadly, enveloping her wife back into a cuddle. Cheryl rests softly against the blonde's chest, needing the kind contact from the only person that will ever understand her, every part of her, every outrage and every whisper. She understood her, completely.

"Should I go talk to her?" Kimberley suggests.

Cheryl sniffs, "No.." She breathes, playing with the necklace resting around the blonde's neck, "It's best if I do... She needs to understand where I'm coming from, ya'no?"

Kimberley smiles, "That's what I was hoping you would say." She releases her, Cheryl standing to her feet and taking a sniffled deep breath. "Go on then, might want to armor up though." They share a giggle, "She's probably loading her gun up there."

"Get out." Cheryl laughs, timidly walking out of the dining room and heading up to her hotheaded daughters bedroom. She takes a deep breath, wiping any evident tears left behind and taps on the door.

Another tap.

Another soft tap.

"What?" Madison sounds, her voice raspy.

She's been crying. Cheryl thinks, her heart melts to the sound.

"Open up sweets, please." She softly speaks, instantly getting a response with the door cracking open.

Madison speaks through the small opening, "What?"

"I want us to talk."

"You're just going to tell me he's a bad guy, there's no point in us talking."

"Did I upset you?" Cheryl asks, seeing her daughters eyes shaded in deep red.

"No.. I'm fine." Madison shifts her eyes, lying.

"Babe, let us just come in and talk. Yeah? If you don't want to hear it then you can kick us out."

"Alright." Madison opens the door and walks in, settling herself down on the sofa.

Cheryl goes to sit beside her daughter, but the teen stops her. "No, too close."

"Oh don't be so dramatic." The Geordie rolls her eyes, sticking herself next to the grumpy teen. "Babe we need to talk about this—"

"We already have," Madison sighs. "You always tell me the same thing. You tell me he's not the best guy – but do you know what? He's showed me sides that you've probably never seen. At the end he's still my Dad, and he cares for me, and he loves me, and he wants me to be around. Something I've never had." She opens up, allowing it all to come flowing out. "I've never had a father who wanted me around the way he does, he wants to take me out, he wants to spend hours and hours with me. And do you know what? I like it. I like being wanted for once, it makes a change. I like being told that I'm important and that I'm loved. And that nobody will ever protect me the way he does. He shows me that a man can be gentle, that no matter what happens in life that he'll probably put me first before anyone or anything." She explains, taking a deep breath.

"You don't think your Mum and I feel the same about you—"

"No of course, I didn't say that." She sighs once more, "You're not getting my point. You're a woman. Of course you're going to be loving, of course you're going to hold me for hours on end, you're going to show me that no matter what you'd love me through it all. But.. With Jamie it's a different relationship, it's a different type of .. Type of protection. I've never had that.. Not after Chris."

Cheryl tries not to get jealous, but she understands. "You think it's important for you to have a manly figure in your life?" She asks, knowing the answer.

"I've missed it is all." Madison meets her Mother's eyes, "Mam, I need you to understand that you and Mum are my number one, everyone falls second. You need to understand that just because I go see him or want to spend time with him doesn't change our relationship. We're solid. We could never be pulled apart." Madison tears up, "You gave birth to me, I ... was here." She shakily reaches out and rests her hand against her Mam's stomach, Cheryl crying now. She takes her daughters hand, placing her own hand atop of the teens. "I... I don't know how much closer we could be, but, I hope you know that you'll always come first. I don't want you to think with Jamie in the picture it's going to change us.. Mam.. You.. You healed me. I don't know how much more I can prove to you that I love you. Even with my attitude and my stupidity—"

"You're not stupid—"

"Kinda am though—"

"Maybe a little but it's only because you're a damn pain in the ass." They share a giggle.

"But do you get it now?" Madison asks.

"C'mere." She pulls her daughter onto her lap, "You're too wise for your age."

"Mum once said—"

"Which Mum are you talking about?"

"Clara," Madison clears her throat, "She'd always have me reading loads of books, and she once said that it would help me in the long run.. I guess that's something she was right about for once." They laugh.

"I love you, you know?"

"I know.. I love you too, you know?"