An Alphabet of One Shots

Q Is For 'Quick'

Maya Bishop had always been quick; quick to sit unaided, quick to learn to crawl, and quick to speak her first words. Therefore, it came as no surprise to discover that she was also quick at running, She wasn't just 'normal' quick though; Maya Bishop was a multi-national record holder, back-to-back state champion, London 2012 Olympic Gold medal winner quick.

When Carina DeLuca first encountered Maya she was mesmerised by many aspects of her being, but the one thing that really stood out was how quickly the blonde moved through life. Only a flippant comment had to be made about the mere possibility of something, and before the Italian could even blink, there would be a clipboard containing a comprehensive plan in front of her. She would sometimes mention a craving for a particular snack when leaving for work in the morning and would find it waiting for her on her desk by lunchtime, having no idea how Maya had time during her shift to get it or how she had snuck through unnoticed to her office. When the furniture for the nursery had arrived at their home, Carina barely had time to remove all the boxes and packaging before Maya had practically built everything. She could think of many things to call her wife, but slow was not one of them.

Although the Italian had been successful in getting Maya to slow down for certain things, like their walks to the park or how soon they needed to get out of bed on a weekend, there were some things she knew would never change despite how much the occasion may call for it.

"Mamma! Mamma! Look at Mommy's medal!" A tiny whirlwind of brown hair and blue eyes came barreling towards Carina as she made her way through the crowd. She braced herself for the impact she knew she was about to feel from the little human who showed no signs of stopping, scooping the youngster into her arms. Carina revelled in the giggles that escaped her daughter as she peppered repeated kisses to her cheeks.

"Ciao, Piccola! Fammi vedere. Let me see." Carina smiled widely as she watched the tiny hand open as if it were holding the most precious cargo, which, to the five-year-old, might as well have been the case. "Wow! That is fantastico!" The Italian bounced the girl in her arms causing another round of giggles to fill the air.

"Basta, Mamma! I'll drop my medal." The youngster pleaded breathlessly with Carina as she clutched the medal tighter to her chest.

Carina quirked her eyebrow at her daughter "Your medal? But I thought Mommy won it, no?" From the corner of her eye, Carina spotted her rather sweaty wife approaching them, sporting a mischievous grin.

"Si, Mamma. But Mommy said I get to keep it cuz I was the bestest cheerleader and I'm a winner too." An identical grin painted its way across the youngster's face as she stared at her Mamma.

"So I'm going home with due campioni tonight then, huh?" The Italian chuckled at the vigorous nodding she received in reply.

"Uh-huh. Can I go show my medal to Tia Andy and Zia Vic, per favore?" The young girl wiggled to be put to the ground as she spotted two of her favourite people.

"Si, Certo! But Gia, please watch where you're going and slow down." Carina shook her head lightly, watching the girl sprint off. She gasped just seconds later as she watched the youngster tumble to the floor, incredibly grateful she had made it to the grass.

"Sto bene, Mamma! Don't panic." The girl grinned back at Carina before sprinting off again.

"Dio mio Gianna Isabella, slow down!" The Italian momentarily tensed at the feeling of arms wrapping around her waist before relaxing into the familiar embrace of her wife. "She gets that from you y'know?" Carina shivered lightly at the feel of Maya's lips pressing lightly behind her ear.

"Huh? What?" Maya slightly released the hold she had on her wife, allowing the brunette to turn in her embrace.

"Don't play dumb with me, Maya Bishop. You know what I'm talking about." Carina waggled her finger at her wife with a playful glare on her face.

"It's Maya DeLuca-Bishop, thank you, and I can't help that the Olympic genes are just that good. Besides, you get to go home with a champion tonight." Maya's grin grew wider as she wrapped her arms tighter around Carina's waist.

Carina wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck. "You're so full of yourself. You just couldn't help yourself could you?" Her tone was playful as she quirked an eyebrow at her wife.

Maya feigned shock as she raised a hand to her chest and let out a gasp. "Me? I have no idea what you are talking about."

Carina couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. "A new school record Maya, really?"

The blonde didn't even try to hide the proud look that painted her face. "You said I couldn't go flat out from the start; you said nothing about me winning. It's not my fault everyone else was slow; they should have trained more." Maya feigned innocence as she used her best puppy eyes to add to her innocent act.

"It's a parents' race at a children's sports day Maya, not the Olympics." Carina's hand gesticulated wildly as she playfully scolded her wife.

Maya moved her face closer to Carina's and whispered against her lips. "Did you know I won at the Olympics too?" She pulled back with the biggest grin on her face as Carina released an exasperated sigh.

"You're impossible." Carina waggled a finger at her wife once more.

"But you love me anyway." Maya leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on the brunette's lips before pulling away from their embrace with another smirk on her face. "Oh by the way, Dylan's Mom was looking for more volunteers to help with the bake sale for the fundraiser next week, and I know how much you loved it last time, so I volunteered your services again."

Carina scowled at her wife and had to exercise great restraint to not stomp her foot upon hearing the words that had left her lips. "Maya! You know I cannot stand that woman and her incessant need to tell me about her latest house renovations. Why would you do that?"

Maya continued to move further towards Gianna who was still proudly displaying her medal for the team from the station to see. "I'll already be here with the team for the kids to take turns in the engine, and I didn't want you to get bored. I also may have said that you'll bring homemade biscotti too..." The blonde brought her arms up in a playful shrug as she watched the emotions flicker across Carina's face. She knew she'd have to pay for this later, but right now she was having too much fun.

"MAYA!" The Italian could think of a few choice words she wanted to say to her wife, but she was well aware that she was surrounded by lots of little ears.

"What's that Gia? You need Mommy right away?" Maya giggled loudly at Carina's antics as she continued to move further away from the inevitable Italian wrath. "Sorry. Duty calls."

"Maya DeLuca Bishop, get your ass back here right now! Don't make me come after you; we both know how it'll end." Both wives knew that the threat of punishment would not make the blonde back down; if anything it would only spur her on further. She had yet to receive a 'punishment' that neither of them had enjoyed a great deal.

"You'll have to catch me first, Babe." An impossibly bigger smile painted Maya's face as Carina moved towards her. Just as she was about to set off running towards their daughter, she made sure to rile her wife up once more. "Good luck. Apparently, I'm really quick."