Poached Eggs?

The sound of shuffling feet caused Rachel to raise her head from the skillet. The ginger didn't need to see more than the purple robe to know that her best friend was up. Glancing at the clock and then at Gabriela's face, Rachel couldn't help but crack a smile on her equally tired face.

"You look like crap."

"I love you too, Rach," Gabby groaned as she slid onto a stool. "I tossed and turned all night. I'd fall asleep for a bit and wake back up, only to toss and turn more. It's like my brain wouldn't turn off. Cute pajamas, by the way," she nodded at the pink two-piece.

The dark-haired woman closed her eyes while rubbing her temples from the growing, sleep-deprived headache. When she opened them, a steaming cup of coffee sat in front of her. Lifting the cup in front of her face, Gabby sniffed deeply. "I'm madly in love with you, hun," she mimicked Clive's voice. "Kind, caring, and a killer rack."

"Oh, knock it off," Rachel lightly slapped her friend's shoulder before walking back around the kitchen island. As Gabby savored the taste of the desperately needed cup of joe, Rachel began to prepare her BFF's favorite omelet.

"Wait, it's not your day again to cook," Gabby realized. As she and Jeff cooked on the first morning, they would be up first again when the rotation started over. The sleepy woman tried to recall whose turn it should be.

"It's Kimberly's turn, but she's not up yet," Rachel spat out. Immediately, Gabby could tell that something bothered her friend. So she asked, and the redhead replied, "Kimberly acted shady last night."

"Shady?"

"Ugh! Let me back up to the start," Rachel responded, calming down slightly. "I couldn't sleep much, either. I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night, but Clive moved the glass in our bathroom. So I came down here, only to find Peyton asleep on the couch in a damp robe. Out cold and looking cold, I wanted to cover her up and recalled that Harvey kept extra pillows and blankets in the basement closet."

Pausing for a moment to adjust Gabby's omelet on the skillet, Rachel sighed and continued. "I found them quickly but also noticed a soaked rag sitting on the bar counter. Knowing it would smell by morning, I took it into the laundry room and hung it up."

"Whoops! Sorry, I must have left it out after cleaning up the kids' mess."

"Don't be as it turned out to be a good thing. When I left the laundry room, I caught a glimpse of Kimberly. She acted oddly, almost stealthily, as she went upstairs. Picking up the blanket, I followed, and when I reached the main floor, my suspicions shot up."

"Why?" Gabby inquired, her eyebrows rising moderately.

"Because I realized that Kim was sneaking around. Right when I was about to speak, she turned, heading down the hallway toward Harvey's room. Speeding up my pace, I came around the corner and found Kim outside the den with her hand on the doorknob."

"What?!"

"And you won't believe the next part. Kim had on this wisp of a black babydoll. The sort I only wear on special occasions, but you wear to seduce your...whatever you call them," Rachel remarked with a shake of her head.

"No shit!" Gabby exclaimed, ignoring her BFF's comment. "When was this?"

"Around 2:30 or so."

"Jesus," Gabby swore, eyes widening.

"I demanded to know what she was up to, and Kimberly looked guilty as hell. She claimed that she woke up, came upstairs to get a drink, and then decided to check on Sean afterward. That's such a lie as she went straight to his room, wearing that outfit. When I told her that, she got very defensive. That...that little bitch had the nerve to ask what I was up to!"

"Damn, she must have pissed you off," Gabby remarked, cracking a grin while partially lost in her thoughts.

"Damn right, she did! I ordered her away from the door, telling her to leave Sean alone and to put on some damn clothes. And she...she..."

"What did she say?" Gabby breathlessly asked, hanging on to every word.

"Kim wanted to know if I had a thing going on with Sean. Sean! He's the son of my friend. He's in high school, for fuck's sake! I would never do such a thing like that?" Rachel's anger poured out as she uttered rare curses. "I'm not you!"

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it," Gabby sassed back with a wide grin. "Sean's a big boy where it counts."

"Gabs!"

"Fine. Now, what did you say back to Kimmie?"

"I gave her a piece of my mind; that's what I did! I told her in no uncertain turns that I knew about her affairs. That I knew about her pass at Finn. I called her several unrepeatable words."

"Oh, shit!"

Rachel proceeded to recount how Kimberly countered by calling her a prude. Grabbing her wrist, Rachel pulled Kimberly away from the door, ordering her back downstairs. The platinum blonde claimed that the door was locked anyway before attempting a parting shot that Rachel couldn't keep her from Sean forever. When Rachel admitted that she lost her cool, Gabby's interest piqued further.

"What did you do?"

"I vowed to make sure that never happened. She thought I meant I would tell Bridget and dared me to. I didn't. I reminded her about what I did to Jodie Ratley," Rachel revealed, causing her BFF to gasp.

"You didn't?! What did Kim say?"

"She went as pale as a ghost. I warned her that if she even looked at Finn or Sean the wrong way ever again, she would get what Jodie got. I protect my boys," Rachel stated, her face immediately softening in regret. "Did I go too far?"

"Oh, hell no. What Kimmie did to Larry is unacceptable. Trying to screw Cassie's son is unacceptable. The Rat got what she deserved, and Kimmie will likely get the same too soon. I only wish I saw that side of my bestie more often," Gabby smirked, leaning over the counter to slap Rachel's arm. "Well, not if you plan to attack me for banging Sean."

"Gabby, someone might hear!" the ginger scolded, leaning over to peer out of the kitchen. "I'm very, very unhappy with you for that. But I also know that you wouldn't hurt him. I can't say the same about Kimberly. Every time I remember Finn's face when he told me, I get so enraged. Why can't you hussies be happy with men our age?"

"Young cock is incredible, Rach. So energetic, they can keep going and going, and when they finish, they pop right back up," Gabriela explained with a wistful face. "If you and Clive would open your minds, and broaden your horizons, then you could get one again."

"Gabs! That is not happening. Don't ever speak of that again," Rachel ordered. The omelet finished, Rachel carelessly pushed it onto a plate, nearly tossing it in front of her friend.

"Don't get all pissy with me," Gabby rolled her eyes while cutting into her breakfast. "Next time, take a picture or, better yet, a video. Watching Kimberly go pale is--"

Gabby shut up as Rachel motioned for her to be quiet. Heavy footsteps sounded as a person approached. Rachel fretted the new arrival might have overheard their conversation, while Gabby hoped for more entertainment that she missed last night.

"Oh, good morning, honey," the Stratton mother greeted, watching her eldest daughter shuffle into the kitchen. "Would you like--"

Lana held up her hand, causing her mother to stop speaking. Grumpily, the younger redhead stomped further into the kitchen, heading for the refrigerator. Groaning as she leaned down, Lana began filling her arms with items. Mumbled curses grew louder until the younger woman stepped away from the fridge and looked at her mother. Understanding the unspoken question, Rachel motioned toward the pantry. With her shoulder sagging at having to backtrack, Lana slammed several limes and lemons, a jar of olives, and a stalk of celery down on the kitchen island.

Gabby stood up, walking over to the spice rack to grab the salt and black pepper shakers. Carrying them over to the island, the dark-haired mother began to rearrange the items that Lana carelessly placed down. When Lana returned from the pantry with tomato juice, Gabby pointed to the stool, wordlessly commanding her surrogate niece to sit down. Lana didn't argue with that point. However, she did shake her head when Gabriela grabbed a bottle of Tabasco sauce from the icebox but backed down under the older woman's glare.

Having performed her chore countless times over nearly a quarter of a century, Gabby finished making the Virgin Bloody Mary in no time. Clutching the large glass, Lana gulped down the drink, looking like a woman lost in the desert, discovering an oasis. Watching the events unfold, Rachel both marveled and cringed at how much her daughter reminded her at times of her best friend.

"Thanks, Aunt Gabby, I needed that," Lana said, slamming the empty glass back down. "Although, I hate the hot sauce part."

"I've told you many times that it's essential," Gabby reminded, pointing a finger in warning. "If you skip it, then it won't work. Make it as I taught you." She filled Lana's glass back to half-full again before pouring herself a glass and sitting down next to the younger Stratton.

"Sorry, Mom, rough night. Way too much booze. What? You wanted Finny cheered up, didn't you? Well, he's happy now. Exhausted too, I bet," Lana said in response to the mom-glare she received. "Hey, how come you're making breakfast?"

An explanation followed with a few white lies sprinkled in to cover for what Kimberly had likely been up to.

"If she's pissed off, it's because of us," Lana remarked, taking a small sip from her glass.

"What did you do now, Lana?" Rachel queried, already feeling exasperated at her eldest daughter.

"Been a little mean," the younger redhead hinted with a smirk.

"Ooh, tell us," Gabby coaxed with interest.

"Well, I wanted to cheer up Finny, and the best way to cheer a guy up is with--"

"Can't you think of anything but sex," Rachel complained.

"You should be proud that your pride and joy learned the secret to controlling men at such a young age," Gabby countered.

"Gee, I wonder where she learned that."

"Don't be a stick in the mud, Mom," Lana said, taking advantage of Gabriela's presence to stand up to her mom. "Now, I knew Finny has been mad at me lately. Oh, don't give me that look, Mom. So I let him spank me without using his hands. If you know what I mean."

"Where did I go wrong?" Rachel muttered, rubbing her hand across her face.

"Oh, I know that way," Gabby nodded, smiling broadly.

"And I couldn't leave Nate out. We never get to see each other."

"Lana! I do not want to hear this!" Rachel shrieked.

"Of course, Skye's a guest. It would be wrong not to include her at the same time," Lana continued after Gabby waved her on.

"At least one daughter turned out good," the frustrated mother said, covering her ears.

"That's always a great way to assemble a bit of fun," Gabby remarked, working out where everyone had been.

"Indeed it is," Lana shot an impish at her mother. "That's when Ms. Goose walked into the room."

"Oh, shit!" Gabby exclaimed, eyes widening.

"What?" Rachel asked, uncovering her ears.

"Clive walked in on them."

"What?!" Rachel screamed.

"Just kidding."

"Dammit, Gabs!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. It was Kimmie that walked in on them."

"What did she say?" Rachel asked her daughter.

"She wanted to join in," Lana revealed.

"No way!"

"We shot her down, but she started spewing bullshit about how Skye and I were intimidated by an experienced woman showing Finn and Nate that she could be better. As if that bitch has anything on me."

"Gawddammit! You Strattons need to start turning your phones on to capture these moments," Gabby whined.

"Huh? Whatever," Lana shrugged off the curious comment. "So Nate told her to get lost, but Finny hit home by calling her Mrs. Lufflutz."

"Ooh!"

"Gabs..."

"Hey, that was a good one, Rach."

"It definitely hit home. I swear she almost fell backward. Her face went as pale as a ghost, and then Finn swears she called him by his mother's name before she ran out of the room," Lana recounted.

"Damn, no wonder Kimmie went looking for another cock," Gabby chuckled, sending both Strattons' heads her way. Rachel shot her BFF a dirty look while Lana asked what she meant by that line.

"Gabs, don't you dare."

"Hush, Rach, Lana can always help."

"Help with what, Aunt Gabby?" Lana questioned the interaction between the two women making her more than curious.

"Your mom caught--"

"Gabriela, I said--"

"--Kimmie trying to get into the den last night."

"The den? By Sean?!"

"Exactly!"

"No way!" Lana shouted. Then she recalled the story that her mom told her minutes ago. "Mom, you just said that she was--"

"I know what I said, Lana," Rachel admitted in defeat, shooting a murderous glare at her best friend. Gabby responded by sticking her tongue out.

"You just sat there and lied to me!"

"I know! I think she lies to you a lot, Lana," Gabby continued to twist the knife in deeper.

"Oh, like you don't tell your kids little white lies. Lana!" Rachel screeched. Upon learning about Kimberly's attempted late-night visit to Sean, Lana's jostling around had led to her red robe loosening. Now at the point of being almost entirely open, her mother could see her bare breasts. "Aren't you wearing anything underneath?"

Glancing down at her twin girls, Lana shrugged. "I fell asleep nude and didn't see my underwear when I woke up."

"You could have looked or grabbed a different pair."

"Sorry, Mom, I needed my hangover cure."

"Nothing wrong with a liberated young lady," Gabby defended, wishing she hadn't put any on before coming upstairs. That would've given Rachel a coronary! Now, wait, one second... "You're one to talk, Miss Perfect. Don't think I haven't noticed your babies jiggling underneath that pajama top."

"Wha--I--It's not the same!" Rachel protested.

"Sure, it's not, Mom," Lana smirked.

"I'm covered up, at least!"

"Now what happened?" questioned a new voice.

Spinning around, the three women saw Bridget enter the kitchen. Both Gabriela and Lana appeared to perk up even more at the arrival of Sean's mother. Rachel nearly panicked. Worried sick that one of the others might tell Bridget what happened with Kimberly, Rachel brought up another subject that she wanted to avoid.

"We're learning about how my daughter decided to brighten up Finn's mood last night."

"Not good, huh?" Bridget asked, sensing Rachel's sour mood.

"Nothing that I haven't done before," Lana said as if it wasn't a big deal. Still, she moved to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and to get further away from her mother's potential wrath.

"They played Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Rachel's embarrassed that her sweet little girl played the donkey's role for Finn," Gabby informed Bridget with Lana snickering in the corner of the kitchen.

"My daughter corrupting Finn is not funny! And she hasn't been sweet since she was little. Very little."

"Finn can handle himself around Lana. He's used to her ways almost as much as Peyton. Wait, why didn't Peyton stop your game." Bridget turned to Lana for the last part.

"You know Pey. The party-pooper ducked out right before the blowjob contest," Lana revealed.

"Lana!"

"Ooh, why didn't you mention that before?" Gabby demanded. "Bridget and I have been in our share of competitions like that. Who won?"

"It doesn't matter who won!" Rachel interrupted.

"Who do you think?" Lana asked, raising her hands and giving a twirl.

"That's my girl," Gabby proudly high-fived Lana. "Geez, Bee, why didn't you teach Peyton how to play? A girl needs skills."

Bridget attempted to hide a grin as she watched Rachel's face grow apoplectic. "I sort of assumed that Lana would teach Peyton. Rachel's boyfriends always raved about her skills."

"I swear the hospital switched the babies in the nursery," Rachel grumbled. "Do you want breakfast or not, Bridget?"

"I don't know about that, Rach," Gabby said first. "You've got a slut side buried deep in you. Bee, do you remember our waterpark trip?

"Do not answer that!"

"Hmm, who were the guys exactly?" Bridget teased, tapping her chin.

"We all agreed to never speak of that weekend ever again," Rachel growled.

"Tell me, tell me!" pleaded Lana.

"Lana...go to your room!" ordered her mother, swinging her arm forward to point.

"Mom!"

"Room. Now!"