Changes
Jo was meant to be going to St. Hugh's to get checked over, but she got the driver to pull in at the station first. There he was. Jo called over to Stuart, and thanked him. After all he had just saved her life! Stuart looked embarrassed as she pulled him into a hug.
"Thanks…hun." They laughed.
While Jo was getting checked over, she thought about Stuart. Today, despite all of the bantering between them, he had really proved himself. They may not show it often, but deep down, Jo knew that they were good friends. What if she hadn't known Stuart this long? Would someone have still picked up on the odd pointers concerning her absence? Would they have had the guts to persist, to try and persuade the DI that he was wrong? Would she still be here now? Jo shivered at that thought, her, dead? Not a very pleasant thought at all. The nurse smiled and said that it was okay for Jo to go. Jo got her coat, stood up and thanked the nurse. She was quite pretty really, maybe a bit too neat, not quite her type, but almost. When Jo reached the bus stop, she rang Stuart, and told him to bring a couple of people from CID – drinks were on her!!
Stuart answered his mobile. At the sound of Jo's voice his heart leapt, not quite back in the world of 'Jo's-okay-and-isn't-about-to-be-killed'.
"What? Oh, yeah, sure. 8:00? Alright, see you then."
Stuart looked at his watch – 7:40. The end of his shift, with plenty of time to get there. He called over to Phil and Mickey, and they agreed to go for a celebratory drink.
45 minutes, and many drinks later, Phil was talking about anything.
"Carrots are very good for you, you know, orange as well. Your hair's orange Jo, but it suits you. You're really pretty, did you know that? Do you want to dance?"
"Er…no thanks Phil, I know what you normally do, and I hate to break it to you, but I'm gay if you hadn't noticed." Replied Jo, who still had a clear head.
"Just one dance? Please Jo? Just for me?"
"Phil, how much more simply can I say it? I'm not your type. Ask a waitress or someone, I don't do dancing, especially not with men."
Phil's face fell, and he decided that Jo would like a dance anyway. They reached the dance floor before Jo started to struggle. A drunken Phil wasn't pleasant. He put his hands on her hips, and she felt really uncomfortable. Mickey and Stuart had been having a laugh over a pint, but they stopped when they saw their colleagues. Stuart got up, Mickey following. Phil was so intoxicated that he didn't put up a fight when Stuart prised his fingers off Jo and passed him to Mickey. For a moment, it was Stuart who was swaying with Jo, Stuart whose hands were on her body, holding her close; and then it was over. Her took her hand instead and led her to a table, away from Phil. The waiter popped up and they ordered some fruit juice to drink. Stuart was berating himself for what had just happened. He had held her a little too long and enjoyed it a little too much. His feelings slowly became clear, and he was annoyed. Why couldn't he fall for the waitresses like a normal guy? He sipped his juice. Nothing could ever come of this, Jo was a declared ladies' lady and proud of it. Gay. A lesbian. She was off limit, not one open to him. He tried to identify all of the fruits in his juice, but couldn't. All his eyes (and mind) would concentrate on was Jo. Her big eyes, soft hair, luscious looking lips… Stuart shook his head to clear himself of these images. He had to get out of here before he did something he regretted. He had to shout over the music to be heard, and even then it was hard to hear. Eventually Jo heard, and decided to accompany him to his car.
Outside was a perfect contrast. It was quiet, dark, and deserted.
"I'm getting a bit of a headache, so I think I'll head home before it gets any worse. I'll see you in work tomorrow Jo."
"Okay, see you tomorrow. Thanks again."
Jo quickly hugged him and gave Stuart a kiss on the cheek. Lesbian she was, but she could stretch to that, couldn't she?
Feeling her warm lips on her cheek made Stuart clench his fist. But it served no purpose, as a second later; he turned his head and kissed her on the lips. Stuart could taste the juice on her lips…was that Mango? Suddenly he pulled away. What had he done? There was a quick word of 'goodnight' before Stuart melted into the darkness towards his car. When sitting, he banged his head on the steering wheel. What the bloody hell had happened, how, and why?
Jo watched as Stuart ran off. She licked her lips, tasting his scent. For a lesbian, that kiss hadn't been too bad, quite bearable actually. What had come over her? A week ago she would have slapped the guy that had dared to touch her, let alone kiss her. She hadn't let Phil near her (voluntarily), and yet it didn't bother her that Stuart had kissed her. Maybe her attitude was changing. She'd always wanted children when she was younger, but that idea had gone out of the window when she had worked it out. Her orientation presented a problem on the kids' front, so she forgot about it – it didn't exactly come with the territory.
Whether it was the one Southern Comfort and Coke talking, she didn't know, but an idea was forming in Jo's mind…
Stuart drove home, the music on full volume, trying to forget about what had happened, concentrating on the lyrics. Not that they were very uplifting.
Now come on come on to this tragic affair,
Wipe off that make up what's in is despair,
So throw on the black dress, mix in with the lot,
You might wake up and notice you're someone you're not,
If you look in the mirror don't like what you see,
You can find out first hand what it's like to be me,
So gather round piggies and kiss this goodbye
Encourage you smiles and expect to all cry.
My Chemical Romance, Black Parade, 'The End'
When he reached his flat, he sat on his sofa, head in hands. How could he ever face Jo again? With the current 'rota' he was paired with DC Masters a lot, which would be the worst time. Long silences, awkward around each other…Stuart had seen it happen to his friends, but never would it have crossed his mind to think that it would happen to him. Especially not with a work colleague. A gay work colleague who would probably kill him the next time she saw him. Well, he might as well make the most of being alive. He put his comfiest jumper and trousers on, before getting a bottle of whisky and a large glass. He had just taken a sip, when the doorbell rang. Stuart figured it would be someone trying to sell products – it was only 11:20, and he had had someone round at 2:45 in the morning before! He put the glass down, got up, and stumbled over a shoe before reaching the door. When he opened it, he was so unprepared; he literally collapsed against the wall in shock. It was Jo!!
She rushed to his side, checking everything was okay. Leading him towards the sofa, she said that she had come to talk about earlier. Stuart didn't wait until he was sitting down. They stopped in the hallway.
"Look, Jo, I'm really sorry, I don't honestly know what came over me. It must have been the alcoh-"
"In fruit juice? I don't think so. I've seen you looking at me all evening, and I'm not that thick Stuart." Jo paused, working out how to phrase the next bit. "I don't really mind."
"You don- What?! You're a lesbian though, through and through, proud of it."
"I think I might be changing though. I've always wanted kids, and I think the maternal hormones are kicking in and once they are there, it's hard to stop them."
Stuart was standing against the wall anyway, so all Jo needed to do was place her hands on his shoulders, before capturing his lips in her own. Stuart didn't struggle or complain, Jo had nailed it. She had worked everything out, not that it was hard. Stuart waited a second, before deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue between her teeth, exploring. And Jo let him. She could understand what Sam meant now, about being held in a man's arms. The kiss wasn't that much different, but she enjoyed it a little more.
Disclaimer – I own nothing to do with the Bill, and no copyright infringement is intended.