Darker London

Noah hadn't actually told Liz the name of the friend he was bringing with him when they trooped over for dinner, but it hardly mattered to Liz. The more the merrier! She had been pottering around in the kitchen since six in the morning and when Emma had risen and joined her at eight, the other woman had laughed fondly. "Excited about company, Liz?"

"Four kids!" Liz exclaimed as she threw things into the slow-cooker. "I can't wait to squish their little faces!"

"I can't wait to sit on your face," Emma said with a sly grin, just as Hope walked in for her morning coffee. "Well hello, Hope!" Emma said loudly, turning bright red.

"Not the worst thing I've walked in on you two doing," Hope said amused. "I'll just get coffee and go, but yes, Mum, I will be here for dinner, before you ask me for the eleventh time!" Hope filled her mug with coffee and headed back to her room. The second she was gone, both Liz and Emma snorted and grasped each other, laughing delightedly.

That was how the day went on, and the house gradually filled with the delightful smell of Irish Stew. Liz made soda bread from scratch and Emma made up some cold brew tea. By the time Daria and Noah arrived, entourage in tow, the table was set and everything was ready.

A few days after she and Danny had gone over to Cai’s house, and about a week after Zoe had turned eighteen, Cai and Zoe met after school to talk about visions.

Cai had to head home first. Roe had started attending a school not far from London College for a couple of afternoon lessons a week, so he walked past it to meet her on his way home. After that, Dom was also home from work and let him borrow the car to get to Zoe’s, on the promise that he’d pick up groceries on his way home. Cai had passed his driver’s test first time, which was one of his proudest accomplishments, and the feeling was still new enough that he was happy to do almost any chore so long as it involved driving.

( ... )

After a long day messing around in the park, Zoe had invited everyone around to her place for dinner. While Dylan couldn't go, Danny realised he could. And though he didn't usually go around to other people's houses, especially not if he didn't know them that well, he decided it would be okay. Especially since Zoe's mothers were lesbians. They wouldn't look twice at him!

He jogged home to drop off Wolf, for a shower and to change his clothes. Then he returned to the park where one of Zoe's mothers was going to pick them up. Their car was impressive and he lapsed into silence as Rachel chattered to the woman who had been introduced to him as Liz.

Once they arrived at Zoe's house, Danny stared up at it in awe. "It's huge," he whispered to Rachel as they exited the car.

Even though Zoe had extended the invitation for Rachel to come over to her house it took the girls ages to actually do it. A week after that first invitation, Rachel had made good on what she'd said in one of her letters I'll try anything once and had climbed the roof of the gymnasium on a dare from a boy in their PE class, had been given suspension for the rest of the week and was grounded till Christmas.

After that she was a little more subdued. "I got in so much trouble," she told Zoe, when Rachel was allowed back at school (after signing a contract that specifically stated she would follow the rules). "My dad and my step mum fought about me for ages."

( ... )