Fandom: Emmerdale
Pairing: Charity & Vanessa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing games with them.
Summary: Part three of a series of one shots, prompted by memories-and-musings on tumblr, filling in the lack of Vanity (there is no Vanessa this week) going forward in the Ketamine story line.
Charity tries to distract Vanessa from her worries about the RCVS visit but the vet isn't the only one with things on her mind. (Based around the Monday 19th March episode)
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Charity could barely focus on even simple tasks like pulling a pint. All she wanted to do was storm across the pub and wipe the stupid slimy smile off Joe Tate's face. She knew that Debbie wouldn't get back with him or the fun of it, something had to be going on. Charity just couldn't put her finger on what and that bothered her. She wished Cain would ring her back and sharpish. He was bloody useless at most things but at least he could kneecap the posh little tosser for answers.
A text message came through and she grabbed her phone from behind the bar. She expected Cain with a message telling her to get lost because he was on holiday. It wasn't. It was Vanessa. Her girlfriends name actually brought a smile to her face until she caught sight of the Tate brat over the bar again...souring the moment. She read her girlfriends message.
'Can you come over after work tonight? I want to see you.'
Sometimes Vanessa would message to see if she was coming over but rarely to specifically ask for it. Charity had told the vet that she would gladly distract her from her worries about the Royal something or other of Vets visiting and she was glad that Vanessa was reaching out for her. It felt nice to be trusted and needed by someone, especially someone like Ness. It made Charity feel like a better person.
'I'll have Moses if that's okay babe?'
Charity replied via text. She finished at six but then had to pick Moses up from Sammy's. With Ross in hospital for the next few days it had been hard to find enough cover for Moses for her to work her shifts. There was one evening later in the week that she was probably going to have to have him behind the bar with her!
'I have a travel bed x'
Vanessa's response was instantaneous and helped lift Charity's sour mood. Apparently, it was going to be a group sleepover tonight.
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Charity had been greeted with a smile and a peck on the lips when she arrived at Vanessa's at just gone six thirty. Dinner was all ready for them and the boys, a homemade cottage pie that Johnny and Moses had ended up wearing as much as eating.
They had watched a Mickey Mouse Club cartoon after dinner. Moses and Johnny had sat between the two women, both captivated by the show, whilst Charity had snuck subtle glances at Vanessa. She couldn't recall ever being so enraptured by someone before. Every time the smaller woman smiled, or laughed, or joined in with the cartoon, Charity felt like her chest was about to implode. It left her feeling dizzy...but pleasantly so.
Putting the boys to bed had been quite the task. It was obvious which of the two of them was a Dingle because Moses provided most of the devilment. Every time they appeared to be settled he'd giggle or make some other sound that would set Johnny off too and then they would be back to square one. When they were finally settled and asleep the two women had headed back downstairs, and Vanessa had virtually collapsed on the sofa.
"I'll make us a brew babe" Charity offered.
The taller woman headed over to the kitchen area and stuck the kettle on, picking out the two largest mugs she could find. She glanced across at her girlfriend whilst she was waiting for the kettle to boil. Vanessa was slumped back on the sofa, head resting against the back of it, with her eyes closed.
"Was everything okay today?" Charity asked.
Outwardly the vet had seemed fine all evening, happy even, but there was a silent storm brewing underneath the surface. In this moment of quiet Ness looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was an emotional state that Charity knew well. She'd felt like that for years, but it was in nights like these with Vanessa that she had started to find some serenity. She hoped that she could offer some in return...that she did offer some in return and that is why Vanessa had wanted her here tonight.
"I suppose so" Vanessa sighed.
It wasn't a resolute answer but then Charity wasn't expecting her presence alone to work miracles. She continued to make them tea, planning to discuss it further with Ness when she sat down. However, the vet carried on unprompted.
"Paddy moved most of his appointments over to me and Rhona and spent virtually all day going through every single drug cabinet log from the past six months. It meant we were run of our feet trying to keep up and he was pretty unbearable."
Charity had seen plenty of Paddy since he and Chas had been dating. She was quite fond of him in her own way, but he was a total fuss pot, even over the smallest of things. Given that he and Chas had something huge going on in their personal life, it was no surprise he wasn't in the headspace to deal with a work crisis.
"Paddy in a spin...I can imagine" Charity said sympathetically. She only hoped he wasn't giving Vanessa a rough time or he'd have her wrath to deal with.
Charity finished making the two brews and carried them over to the sofa. Vanessa sat a little more upright, gratefully taking one of the steaming hot mugs. Charity sat down next to her, close enough so that they were shoulder to shoulder. The smaller blonde was wearing one of her many knitted
"He wants to check through all the records over the next week, so he is sure that there is nothing else they can pull us on" Vanessa continued. "It means the whole week is going to be manic and if it was just me that was affected I'd be okay with that, but I feel guilty that Rhona looked like she was hanging by the end of the day too."
Rhona was a bit of a sticky subject at the moment considering the other vet had took it upon herself to have a right old go at Charity the other day. Charity hadn't spoken to her since, only seeing her in passing, but the brunette woman was Vanessa's best friend. Apparently, Rhona had apologised to Ness on Friday, so all was well. Charity might take a little more softening especially as she knew full well that Rhona had once had a drug problem and had stolen from the Veterinary Practice to feed the addiction. Charity hated hypocrisy and she disliked people who spouted sanctimonious shit.
"You are not the only one of the three of you to ever make a mistake babe" the taller woman pointed out.
Charity kept her words well-toned down from her thoughts...something she wouldn't normally bother to do. Chas had claimed Vanessa was 'softening' her and perhaps it was true. The smaller blonde made Charity want to be a better person. She wanted to be the kind of person that Vanessa deserved.
"I know" Vanessa sighed.
The smaller woman shuffled slightly, careful not to spill her tea, and rested her head against Charity's shoulder. It felt natural to tilt her head and rest it on top of Vanessa's. It was one of the many differences in this relationship that she had noticed over those that had gone before. There was always the overwhelming urge to have some sort of physical contact with Vanessa.
At first, when it wasn't an actual relationship, those touches would come in the privacy of the night time. As they lay in bed after sex they would always tangle together, holding each other close until morning came. In public, Charity would find herself wanting to reach out and touch Vanessa's hand, so she would pick up a glass or a beer mat to stop herself. Now they were officially girlfriends, Charity felt freer to indulge in any casual touch she desired.
"Are YOU okay?" Vanessa asked, breaking the silence; "You seemed quiet over dinner."
Charity hadn't expected the other woman to notice that anything was wrong...thought she had covered her own worries well. Apparently, Vanessa knew her well enough to see through the cracks.
"It's nothing babe" she tried to assure her girlfriend.
Vanessa's free hand came to rest upon the outside of the taller woman's thigh, slowly tracing patters through the material of her jeans. There was nothing sexual about the contact, it was soothing, and Charity's eyes flickered close in response.
"Charity..." the vet encouraged, "...If something is bothering you then it's not nothing to me."
This night was meant to be about her providing comfort and a distraction to Vanessa's woes, not hers. It was hard to deny Ness anything though when Charity opened her eyes to find bright blue eyes staring imploringly in her direction.
"Debbie came in to the pub today with Joe-flippin'-Tate" the taller blonde growled; "apparently they are back on."
Vanessa, who had been lifting her mug to her mouth, paused and looked at her in surprise. Charity was almost grateful to see someone more removed from the situation have stunned reaction. It made her feel vindicated in her own horror and discussed.
"Why on earth...?" the vet cringed.
That was the question Charity would like to have answered too. God knows Debbie was capable of making some grave errors when it came to men (and women), in that way she was very much her parent's child. Going back to Joe Tate...that was extremely poor judgement even for a Dingle. That's why it was troubling Charity so much.
"I don't know but something weird is going on babe" she sighed.
She'd initially suspected it was about his money but then the more she thought about it that didn't make sense. Debbie had paid for their drinks in the Woolpack...had been insistent that she paid for the drinks, like she was making a point of not letting him flash his cash at her. It was such a mess and she had no idea what to say or do about it.
"The problem is...I daren't hound her too much about it" Charity continued glumly. "I always feel like I'm walking on glass around her anyway. She tends to be more responsive to Cain but he is off on his holidays with Moira and NOT answering his phone."
The hand on her thigh began to move again, nails gently raking up and down. It felt soothing and wonderful. Charity closed her eyes and let the feeling wash over her, safe in the knowledge that there would be no judgement or backlash from her girlfriend about why her relationship with her oldest child was so shaky. In Vanessa there was only the here and now, the past barely registered on the smaller woman's radar. Charity had never been with anyone who hadn't used it or thrown it back in her face before.
"Pity the Ketamine didn't end up in Joe Tate's pint" Vanessa suddenly deadpanned, "it might have made it all feel worth it then."
Charity felt a wave of affection pass over her at Vanessa's attempt to add some brevity to the situation. She placed her mug of tea in her left hand and lifted her right arm across the back of the sofa, encircling Vanessa's shoulders and gently tugging her as close as possible. Vanessa leant into the contact immediately and rested her head against Charity's shoulder again. The taller woman placed a soft kiss on the crown of her girlfriend's head.