BILLY & EVE (GirlxGirl)

Part 7 - Heaven Is A Place On Earth

"They say in Heaven, love comes first. We'll make Heaven a place on Earth..." The sound of Belinda Carlisle was the first thing Billy heard when she woke up. From behind closed eyes, Billy touched each finger to her thumbs and clenched each fist slowly. The lyrics formed in her head and she listened to the song finish before she tried opening her eyes.

Bright light spilled into her vision and she blinked a few times to adjust.

"Oh my god." She heard from beside her. "Oh my god. She's up. Oh my- Billy?"

When her vision had un-blurred, she saw Jared leaning over her.

"Billy?" he whispered.

Jared looked awful. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was flat. Evidence of a few day old stubble outlined his face and he looked pale and sleep deprived. It took Billy a second to remember what had happened. Slowly the memory of the kiss and the fight came into her mind but after that there was a gap in her memory.

"Hi." She croaked, her voice raw and cracked.

"Oh Bills. Oh. Oh Billy I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I love you." Jared cried, and wiped his eyes quickly.

"It's okay." She whispered. "It's okay."

"It's not okay. It's not and I'm so sorry."

"Jared. What happened?"

"Oh Bills, I was so angry- I thought. Oh God. I thought I'd kill- I thought you were going to die." He sniffed

"I'm fine. It's fine." She reassured him, and turned her hand over by her side to weakly take his and squeezed it gently. He smiled down at her through his tears. "Great song." Billy said, gesturing to the phone on the bedside table. Jared could only manage a weak laugh.

The door opened and Emma and John filed in. The first thing they noticed was Billy and Jared holding hands.

"Oh Billy!" Emma cried and ran over to her, draping her body over Billy's and kissing her face. Dripping tears onto her cheek. "Oh!" She could only manage.

"Hi Emma. Dad." Billy said smiling weakly, casting a nod to her father as Emma dismounted.

"Hiya love, how you feeling?"

"Not too bad. Head hurts like a bitch. Would kill for a cigarette."

Her dad laughed and shook his head.

"So, I know I took a fall, and I know i'm in hospital. But what am I missing?"

The family took turns to share a glance, before Jared replied.

"You fell and hit your head, pretty hard. After the ambulance came and got you they stitched you up and examined for any brain damage, and luckily you only had a bad concussion and were knocked unconscious. It could have been so much worse based on how far you fell..." he trailed off and his breath hitched in his throat. "You've been asleep ever since, that was 2 days ago now."

Billy nodded slightly. She didn't want to ask about Eve though she really wanted to know where she was. Assuming she'd gone to stay with her own parents, Billy decided to stay quiet about her.

"Jared you look like shit."

"Ta Bills, I've not been home since the night it happened."

"Well. Look at me. I'm fine. Go home. Please." She turned to look at her whole family, "all of you, I promise I'll be just fine. Go have a shower." He managed a small laugh. Smiling down at her, Emma. John and Jared didn't try to protest, Jared gave her a reassuring squeeze on the hand. "Okay, one shower and a sandwich, then I'm coming straight back alright?"

"Alright."

When they left, Billy closed her eyes and rested, falling in and out of sleep, waking up when nurses would come in to check on her. Then from behind closed eyes Billy heard a voice from outside her room door.

"I'm sorry ma'am, you really can't go in there, it's family visiting only, you're not family."

"-and I'm TELLING you. I'm her fucking girlfriend. Not friend who is a girl. Girl-friend. So let me in before I really kick off." The door opened.

Billy smiled lopsidedly at Eve, who smiled broadly back. She stood still in the door way, just staring her Billy in the hospital bed.

"Girlfriend?" Billy asked.

"Shut up. They'd never let me see you otherwise."

"Ah yes. That's why you said it." Billy teased with a knowing smile. Eve wandered over and Billy lifted her arm up, Eve gave her a sad smile and climbed into the hospital bed as Billy hugged the girl to her chest. They lay, quietly listening to each other's breathing.

"Billy?" Eve said finally.

"Yes."

"Will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Be my girlfriend?"

Billy smiled into Eve's hair and left her in suspense. "Yeah." She said finally, and Eve waited a second before looking up at Billy, with a matching smile, and kissed her briefly. Suddenly Eve's smile faltered and Billy noticed a tear in her eye.

"Oh Billy. I thought you were-" she sniffed, "I thought you were dead. There was so much blood. So much, and screaming and panic. I just stared at you, doing nothing, you were so... so pale and lifeless. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Billy hugged Eve tighter to her chest. "Eve. Look. Here I am, I'm fine."

"I know, I know, it's just I was so useless, and you needed me. I promise you. I will never not be there when you need me again. And I prom-"

"- I love you."

Pause. Billy listened to the sound of the hospital clock tick by. Finally Eve sniffed and whispered "I love you too Billy."

Billy sighed in relief and the girls lay together, completely calm and at peace for the first time in either of their lives.