In This Life

(16) Job 17:9

The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger

Ava didn't even know where to begin finding her father. He was quite literally a ghost, nobody had heard or seen him since Ava was born, not even Reya could find him. She doesn't even know his name.

"I don't know how I'm gonna do this." Ava found herself saying out loud. In response, she felt a familiar set of warm hands creep around her midsection and was pulled into and even warmer embrace. "How about you let me think of the plan?" Beatrice spoke softly, pressing a kiss to the back of Ava's head. "You always have better ones anyway. My last one nearly fucking killed me." Ava couldn't contain the smile as Beatrice gave her stomach a swift but gentle smack. "Let's not joke about your near death experience. Instead, how about we do something more productive?" Ava spun round in Beatrice's arms so quick that if the latter hadn't moved her head back, she'd probably be knocked out on the floor.

"Please...please tell you mean making out because I've been dying to get a moment alone with you since London."

"I-I actually meant we strategise..."

"Ten minutes? What's ten minutes when the worlds gonna end?"

"Ten minutes is everything when the world is ending."

"You mean to tell me...you would rather spend ten minutes planning how to find my deadbeat dad...than ten minutes kissing your hot ass girlfriend?"

"Ava..." Said girl leant up slightly and pressed her lips very softly to the corner of Beatrice's mouth. "You know you want too." Ava sung and Beatrice knew she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't want Ava right now.

"Ten minutes."

"It'll be the third best thing to happen to you."

"What's the first two?"

"Well second is having me as your girlfriend..."

"And?"

"The best thing that will ever happen to you is yet to happen. I'm optimistic though." Ava pressed another kiss but on the other side of her face. "I'm sure you are but you do realise you're wasting the ten minutes." Beatrice chuckled as she pulled Ava even closer. "Trust me. I'm not." Before Beatrice could even comprehend the sultry tone to Ava's voice, lips were finally against her own and she lost all train of thought. Time stood still as they embraced and kissed slow, savouring each movement, touch and noise that came from them.

"And you thought strategising would be better than this." Ava teased in a whisper, her lips ghosting her girlfriends.

"Ava, I love you but please shut up." Beatrice pleaded. "Yes ma'am." Ava replied because who was she to refuse such a request. However their time was cut short by a knock on the door. Ava groaned in protest. "Shit." Beatrice hummed in response before reluctantly stepping away from Ava. "Come in." She called as Ava gave her a side eye. She didn't need to be a psychic to know that Ava planned to continue this another time.

Lilith stepped inside the room, alongside Camila who were decked out in their stealth outfits, ready to go. "If we going to start anywhere, we best start with the beginning." Lilith stated and Ava furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?" The half-demon approached the couple and gave Ava a look she had only seen a handful of times. A look of sincerity.

"While you were gone we did some digging into your past. Vincent still had your file from the orphanage so we looked back over it, there was no details of your parents but there was a police investigation about the car crash, the one that killed your mother. Camila hacked into the police database and pulled the file."

"W-What did you find?" Ava asked shakily.

"Your mothers name was Isabelle Silva. She was born in Madrid but moved to Miami, Florida to start Medical School. She was married to a man named Joseph Grove for month and half before the birth of their daughter. Joseph disappeared and has been actively missing for nearly twenty years."

"Isabelle...that's her name..." Ava felt the tears welling in her eyes as she tried to picture what her mother looked like. There was nothing but a feeling for love and heartbreak. She felt Beatrice squeeze her hand in comfort and stroking her knuckles so Ava brought herself back to reality.

"Anything else?" Ava asked with a crack in her voice.

"The house is in Miami, it's owned by an old friend of Isabelle's. If anyone were to know about Joseph it would be them." Lilith added and Ava took a shaky exhale, squeezing Beatrice's hand back. "When would we leave?" Beatrice asked for Ava, knowing that her girlfriend wouldn't be mentally prepared to leave at that very second.

"As soon as possible. There are still some arrangements that need sorting so you'll have about an hour or two to gear up."

"Is there room for two more?" Beatrice inquired.

"Yes, why?"

"We have people who could do with a field operation." Lilith rolled her eyes before exiting the room leaving the girlfriends alone again. Something Ava instantly took advantage of.

"You owe me around eight minutes."

"Technically it's closer to seven."

"Beatrice Silva. Keep testing me and I'll make it twenty minutes." Ava warned completely oblivious to what she had said. Beatrice gave her a lopsided grin before pulling her in by her hips. "Beatrice Silva? Where'd that come from?" Ava blushed violently before she shyly hid in her girlfriends neck. "I don't care if legally your name is something different. To me, you'll always be my future." Beatrice felt herself physically swoon.

"Beatrice Silva, doesn't sound bad at all." She admitted making her counterpart break out her infamous grin. "You know, you make it really hard to keep my hands to myself." Ava stated as her hands began to wander across Beatrice's ribs and around her back.

"Ava...we don't have time for this."

"I know. Fucking sucks."

"Let's get moving." With a huff from the halo bearer they finally broke apart and grabbed the bags they had packed from beside the bed. Before Ava could open the door she was pulled back by her hips and was silenced by a quick kiss to her lips. "Whilst we've put a pin in us for the moment, we also need to revisit something else." Beatrice muttered as she cupped Ava's cheek. Her tone was soft but stern. "About what?" The shorter girl asked with a furrow of her brow. "Your mother, darling. I don't want you bottling up your thoughts on the matter because it'll drive you crazy, which in turn drives me crazy. So, we'll find a moment to be alone and we'll just talk." Beatrice wasn't leaving room for an argument but Ava didn't care.

"You know what baby, that sounds real fucking good to me."

"Then it's settled."

"I also want my eight minutes straight after." Beatrice chuckled at the eagerness of her girlfriend.

"You should know, you also make it very difficult to keep my hands to myself."

"And you should know I will always encourage touching. Especially the inappropriate kind."

"Alright now it's time to go."

"Buzzkill."