Moms In Leather Aprons

That One Night

Let's go way back in our story, where there were no children, when Nana Rose was still alive, when Toni had recently moved in Thistlehouse, and Cheryl wasn't a Serpent yet. This is the night when the redhead decided that she wanted to be a Serpent, because she was tired of seeing her girlfriend come home hurt, and not be there to protect her. This night, Toni didn't actually come home.

''What do you mean there are Ghoulies vandalizing the Wyrm? You can't possibly think I will let you go to that place right now.'' Cheryl was pacing around the driveway of her house where her pink haired girlfriend already had her helmet on hand and was ready to hop on her bike.

''I have to go Cher. No Serpent stands alone, I have to go help protect them. I'll come back to you, okay? Just hang tight.'' Toni gave the other girl a quick kiss before speeding off to the Wyrm. Cheryl had a bad feeling about this one. She was used to small riots between Serpents where Toni would be caught in trying to seperate them, or getting jumped by one or two Ghoulies. However, this time it sounded much more serious.

The Blossom couldn't do much besides pace around the house and talk about her concerns to Veronica, who came over to the house, also stressing about SweetPea.

''Cheryl, honey, I love you but you need to stop pacing around. I'm going fucking insane.'' Veronica rubs her temples. Sweets was incredibly reckless when it came to this kind of fights, so knowing that Toni was also there was ever so slightly relaxing. Cheryl on the other hand was fearing for the love of her life. Not knowing anything about her until sometimes the next morning was nerve racking.

''I'm also going insane. Insane with the thought that Toni could be lying by a sidewalk bleeding to death and I'm here not doing shit to help! I'm family just like them!'' Cheryl was on the verge of crying. She would usually cry alone, worrying her mind off. Having Veronica just meant she had to stay composed.

''I'm scared too, okay? Sweets could be in jail by now already being trialed for murder or god knows what! But we chose them, we chose to date the most fearless gang members, for some reason.'' Veronica laughed shaking her head.

''I know... And I wouldn't trade my tiny gang member for anything but... It's so hard to believe that everything is okay. Or that it will be okay.'' Cheryl confesses, finally sitting down next to her friend.

Nana Rose wheels out of her room towards the two girls.

''Cherry where is Antoinette?'' The elder asks. Cheryl just groans in frustration and gets up to grab herself a cup of water, leaving Veronica to explain what was happening. When she came back Nana offered to play games or to make some tea, but that only made her explode even more.

''Nana, with all the respect, I can't do this, I'm sorry.'' Cheryl grabbed the jacket closest to the door and exited the house, faintly hearing Veronica yell for her to come back.

During the car ride she thought about how important Toni was to her. All the little moments that were only theirs, the I love you's at 3 AM when they were too excited to be together to sleep. The picnics at Sweetwater River that helped Cheryl overcome her fear of the place. The kisses on Toni's wounds after the fights. Those damned fights.

Before even realizing Cheryl was at the Southside and the mess caused by the Ghoulies was already noticeable. Small fires were spread on the grass, and loud noises were heard from everywhere. The redhead parked her car a little before the Serpent's bar, just so no one would spot her. She exited the car and skipped on her heels to the noisy place. There she saw many people fighting. Some had the Ghoulie skull on their vests, others with the iconic Serpent logo, both sides were already looking tired and bloody. Out of the back of the bar, where Cheryl was hiding, trying to spot her girlfriend, four people are leaving the bar, one of them was still holding their knife, others were with ice packs. Though she couldn't quite see who the people were, the height of two of them made it clear enough.

''Toni!'' Cheryl ran to her girlfriend and hugged her tightly.

''Cheryl what are you doing here! There are still hella Ghoulies out there, you are going to get yourself killed!'' Toni felt relieved to see her, but there was more to this night than she was revealing.

''I waited and waited but no one came home! I got tired of waiting so I left.'' Cheryl shrugged, Toni sighed and looked at the other three Serpent members, Sweets, Fangs and Jug, indicating them that she was going to stick with Cheryl. Both girls walk to the Blossom's car.

On their way back home, Toni confesses something after looking down at her blood soaked shirt.

''So... I just realized. I think I've been shot.'' Toni laughed it off like it was nothing but she was actually feeling high from blood loss.

''What! What do you mean you-'' Cheryl turns her head for a second to look at the Serpent, dripping blood from her stomach. She raises her eyes to look at Toni's face. She is pale,her lips are curved in a smile but her hands are shaking, shock or fear, either way she wasn't looking good.

''Oh my god.. Baby hold on tight, I'm gonna take you to the hospital.'' Cheryl left one of her hands on the wheel while the other made pressure on the smaller girl's stomach.

''I'm okay.. Let's go home.. It is not safe...I need to... protect'' Toni was slurring her words, her eyes making an effort to stay open but it was too much, the pain was finally hitting her once all the adrenaline disappeared. It was too much to handle.

''Stay with me Toni. Please. I can't lose you too.'' Cheryl drove faster, dangerously fast, and in a matter of minutes she was dragging Toni's limp body through the hospital doors. Everything from then on is a blur, as the only new she gets is that Toni is passed out and needs surgery and blood transfusions.

That night, Toni didn't come home like she had promised. For the first time, she broke a promise. Instead she was connected to all this wires that were keeping track of her heartbeat and breathing. Cheryl also didn't keep her promise, that she would stay at home and await her lover to arrive. She stayed with Toni the whole night, only falling asleep at 6AM, when nurses had already begun their work. However, being a light sleeper, she woke up as soon as Toni did too. Even if she had been shot, even after surgery, she had a cheeky smile on her face. That alone reminded Cheryl that the love of her life was alive and that this wasn't a dream, because no fantasy could recreate that smile.

''Who are you?'' The Serpent girl asks, making the Blossom worried.

''I'm Cheryl.. Y-Your girlfriend..''

''I'm gay??'' Toni gasped loudly, indicating that she was just messing with the redhead, who rolled her eyes and kissed her girlfriend sweetly on the lips.

''Oh. I remember. Yup, totally gay.'' Toni laughs but quickly groans as any movement on her stomach is a bit painful.

''I hate you so much. You dripped blood all over my car. Don't ever get hurt again.'' Cheryl pouted.

''Is that your way to show that you are worried about me?'' Toni smiles softly.

''Worried is an understatement. I don't think what I would do without you, you stupid- tiny gang member!'' Cheryl had tears running down her face, the thought of losing yet another person she loved aching in her heart.

''Hey. Hey. I'm right here okay? I'm fine. And now I have a badass scar.'' Toni holds Cheryl's hands and kisses them lovingly.

''I love you so much Toni. You actually don't imagine how much you mean to me, and how far I would go to protect you.'' Cheryl states. This was when the thought crossed her mind. The thought that she would rather be in Toni's place so that pink haired girl wouldn't suffer. So Cheryl could protect her at all costs.

Even if behind Toni's back, she did. And that was one of the best decisions of her life. Because not only did the ginger girl find a family with the Serpents, she also could be part of Toni's world, and take a punch for her girlfriend.