"Work Song"

When the doorbell rings, Villanelle is in the back garden stringing up multi-coloured lights between the trees and Eve is in the living room setting the table.

"I'll get it!," Eve calls out to Villanelle who turns her head and starts to follow her to the front door, a smile already on her face as she feels the excitement emanating from Eve's body over seeing Elena for the first time in two years.

"Oh my god, Eve, you stone fox! You look even better than I thought you would. No offense, but I can't really see what you look like in our video chats. You're always hiding beneath a blanket or Marmalade."

Eve pulls Elena towards her as Kenny walks through the door, suitcases in hand, huge grin on his face, and a baby strapped to his chest.

"You alright there, old gal?," he teases Villanelle as she sidles over to him and wraps him up in a big bear hug, kissing the top of the baby's head after she releases him.

"I'd like to reintroduce you to Kenny, formerly known as Carolyn's son but currently known as my husband, and our baby, Charlotte, or Charley as we like to call her," Elena announces, taking the squirming baby from Kenny's carrier and kissing her on the cheeks.

"So you two finally decided to have a baby?," Eve playfully chides, hugging Kenny and winking at him. "Carolyn didn't die from a heart attack yet?"

"Not yet, but only time will tell," Kenny laughs, pulling the suitcases into the entryway and removing his shoes.

"Can I hold her?," Eve asks Elena who nods and hands her over.

"It's about time you showed up, V. I was beginning to think you had lost your edge and gotten killed," Elena whispers to Villanelle as she pulls her in for a hug.

"Me, killed? This one would unbury my body and bring me back from the dead," Villanelle replies, glancing over at Eve cooing into Charley's ear.

"Come on in, the food is going to get cold. Let's eat and catch up," Eve says, leading the pack of people into the living room after Villanelle takes everyone's coats and hangs them up.

"You okay?," Kenny asks Villanelle softly as he notices the obvious change in her gait.

Villanelle stops walking and the two lean against the stove as Villanelle puts the kettle on for tea.

She nods, "Just some old battle wounds. Gives me some of that edge your wife was just talking about, hm? Fatherhood suits you. You've matured."

Kenny grins and glances over at Elena who is chattering nonstop to Eve while setting the table as Eve sits down and talks to Charlotte. "You can thank Elena for that. I don't know how she puts up with me and mum but she's managed."

"How is Carolyn?," Villanelle asks as she sneaks another look at Eve who is blowing raspberries on Charley's belly and making her squeal.

"You know mum. Even though she claims she's retired, she's still neck deep in some government bullshit. I think she'll work until the day she dies. She hasn't even seen Charley that much. Probably for the best. Elena hates it when we go over there and mum pretends she's interested in holding her as she is talking to us about whatever she is working on so we can help out. Anyway. Enough about us. How is she doing, your soon-to-be wife?"

"She's good. All of her students love her, of course. She says she'll retire at the end of the year so I can finally make good on a promise I made to her a year ago and take her around the world."

"You don't think she will?"

"She will, if I asked her to."

"You don't want to ask her?"

"I do, but..."

"But what?"

"Don't you think she would get bored of me after awhile? You know Eve. Always working. You remember mustache's complaints."

Kenny laughs and the room seems to expand with his belly-shaking laughter, eliciting surprised reactions from Eve and Elena who glance over at him and Villanelle suspiciously.

"Are you alright?," Elena calls out.

"Just fine," Kenny quickly replies, winking.

Eve raises her eyebrows at Villanelle and Villanelle sends her a smile back.

"Don't let Eve hear you compare yourself to Niko. She'd never talk to you again. She could never get bored of you. Do you know how many times she called me and Elena each week this last year, 'just to chat'? She would always be antsy, waiting for you to come back to her. She can't wait to be one half of a boring married couple. I hate to tell you, but married life is pretty boring. You'll wake up and fall asleep next to the same person every day for the rest of your life. You'll use the bathroom together, eat together, get into huge arguments, have incredible make-up sex, and then sign up to do it all over again. She picked you, you idiot. Let her choose the boring married life. Anyway, with you two, I don't think boring even exists in your vocabulary. You'll probably be face-timing us from a bridge before going bungee jumping or something."

Villanelle grins as she pours hot water into four mugs with Yorkshire teabags in them.

"You're right. Boring doesn't exist with us. Last week we had sex at the top of New Haven Lighthouse. The view was amazing, if you know what I mean."

Kenny widens his eyes and lowers his voice in admiration, "You old dog."

"Hey, what are you talking about over there?," Elena asks, preventing Villanelle from retorting.

Villanelle hands Kenny two of the mugs and follows him to the table with the other two.

"Thank you," Eve says, looking up at Villanelle as she sets Eve's mug out of Charley's reach. Villanelle kisses the top of Eve's head and sets her own mug down.

"Do you want to hold her?," Eve asks.

"Yes."

Villanelle picks Charley up and rests her against her right shoulder. "Are you going to spit up on me?," Villanelle asks her softly as Charley grabs a handful of her hair.

"Oh, V, you're just a natural, aren't you?," Elena calls out, winking at Eve whose entire face flushes.

"You do realize we have two babies already, no? I'm not completely psychopathic and devoid of emotion," Villanelle responds, looking at a disgruntled Marmalade wind his way around her legs before running upstairs.

"Your words, not mine. Although the way Charley is playing with you right now puts dear old Carolyn to shame. Right, Kenny?"

"Yeah. Don't think Charley has even lasted five seconds in mum's hands without crying her lungs out."

As if on cue, Charley starts to cry and Villanelle widens her eyes, wrinkling her nose. "I think she pooped."

"Come here, you," Kenny says, grabbing Charley and taking a bag from Elena.

"Come upstairs, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping and where you can change her," Eve says, walking by Villanelle and running one palm down her back.

"How can such a big smell come out of such a small body?," Villanelle asks, brow furrowed, as she sits down next to the empty seat Eve just vacated.

Elena laughs, sipping the last of her tea. "You'd be surprised. So...you're back for good, yeah? Our girl was worried about you for awhile."

"Yes. Did she tell you about the romantic proposal?"

"She did. Nice ring, by the way."

"Thank you."

"What's going on in that big brain of yours? You're surprisingly quiet."

"She never said anything about wanting children to me. Do you think she did?"

"I think she wanted you to come back alive. That was really her main concern."

"And now that I'm back?"

"You can talk to her about this, V," Elena says softly, reaching out to grab Villanelle's wrist.

"I know."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I don't want her to have any regrets."

"She doesn't."

"She's older now. She keeps reminding me of this."

"Well. Eve likes to state the obvious. Why is she saying that, in what context?"

"Sex."

Elena laughs out loud. "Are you still trying to get her to have sex with you in your car again? Her tailbone was actually bruised from that one time. I saw pictures."

"I just want to pay her back for all the time she spent waiting for me."

Villanelle averts her eyes from Elena's face and hides her own behind her mug.

"And you think being horny all the time and tiring her out is going to do that?"

"Yes?"

"No, V. If she wanted to stop waiting, she would have. You're underestimating her. What Eve wants, she works for."

"I can't do as much as I used to, Elena. I used to be faster. Smoother."

"And you think that, what? Eve is going to dump you for a younger version of you? Ha!"

"Uh..."

"No, she won't do that. Stop thinking about it. Stop worrying so much. This is your time to enjoy the life you deserve. She picked you as your life partner. She's madly in love with you. You don't need to do anything. Just be yourself. Just lose some of the worry, yeah? It's throwing me off."

Villanelle smirks and is about to say something when Eve and Kenny walk back into the room.

"Here, baby," Eve says, handing a very fresh-smelling Charley back to Villanelle.

"Are we ready to eat? I'm starving," Kenny says, sitting next to Elena.

"Do you mind if I take her for a tour of the house?," Villanelle asks quietly, looking at Eve.

"Go ahead. We'll wait for you," Eve replies, shooting a quizzical look in Elena's direction.

"Alright."

Villanelle stands up and walks Charley upstairs and into the guest bedroom where Marmalade and Peaches are curled up on the blanket covering the bed.

"Did you see our two babies? They're small, just like you are," Villanelle whispers, kissing Charley on the cheek.

"Are you okay?," Eve asks, walking up behind Villanelle and sliding her arms around her waist from behind.

"Uh hmm," Villanelle replies before Eve unclasps her arms and walks around her until she is facing her.

Eve leans against the windowsill and smiles at Villanelle, a shy expression showing up on her face.

"You're nervous," Villanelle states, feeling her own heart flutter at Eve's pointed expression.

"Yes," Eve replies, swallowing.

"Why?"

"Something about seeing you holding a baby. Especially my best friend's baby."

"I thought I was your best friend."

Eve laughs and shakes her head. "You're my other best friend. Besides Peaches and Marmalade, obviously."

"You were saying something about me holding a baby does something to you?," Villanelle grins, walking over to Eve so she is looking down on her.

"You can't be serious. They're waiting for us downstairs."

"I'll drop this baby in her crib so fast...," Villanelle warns, eyes darting to the crib in the corner.

Eve laughs and stands up, winding one arm around Villanelle's waist so she can pull her towards her. "Give me a kiss and we can continue this later."

"Charley, close your eyes," Villanelle instructs and meets Eve's lips with her own, moaning softly against her mouth. The two break apart laughing when they hear Elena and Kenny shouting at them from downstairs about the food getting cold.

"We need to go down before they walk out the door and never come back," Eve says, grabbing Villanelle by the hand and pulling her towards the doorway.

"They can't leave without Charley. I have a very strong grip, you know."

"Oh, trust me. I know. Come on, sex machine."

"EVE! Not in front of the baby!," Villanelle hisses, pretending to cover Charley's ears with her hand.

Eve leads Villanelle downstairs and rolls her eyes as she hears Villanelle tell Charley not to tell her parents about the quickie she and Eve just had upstairs.

"Were you two shagging up there," Elena calls out, "...in front of our very small, very innocent baby?"

"Oh, yes. Having an audience is one of Eve's kinks," Villanelle winks at Kenny as Eve groans and Elena squeals, taking Charley from Villanelle.

The group is just about to sit down when the doorbell rings.

"Hello? Can anybody hear me? It's freezing out here!"

"Irina?!," Eve screeches as a huge smile breaks out across Villanelle's face and she gets up to open the door.