Over the edge. chapter 1.
Vanessa had stayed over again. It was becoming a habbit of hers. Not that Charity minded of course. The anger she had felt towards the other woman only a week previously had completely dissapeared and was replaced with a sort of warm, safe feeling that she had never felt before. What was this hold that Vanessa had over her she wondered. She was starting to miss her when she wasn't around. Really fucking miss her and that certainly wasn't something she was used to at all. Noah being the stroppy teen that he was had had a go during breakfast and Vanessa had made a quick exit, looking very uncomfortable in the process.
When Vanessa came back later in the day she still looked upset. But unfortunately it was for a completely different reason. The unbelievably passionate blond had shoved a newspaper in her face and started ranting and raving about how she had to stop DI Bails from making a mockery of vunerable women. How he had been in her house, talking to her little sister about the trauma that she had been through when he had raped a child. The child being Charity when she was 14 years old. The disgust on Vanessa's face was evident as she pleaded with her. "We have to do something!"
Charity froze, unable to speak. We? What the hell does she mean we. Hadn't she been told already to leave it well alone. Coming face to face with that monster again was not something that she could just do, not even for Vanessa. It could destroy her life if she got messed up with him again. She couldn't face any more time behind bars. There was no way. Why was Vanessa doing this to her. She was on her own if she wanted to take on that pervert then more fool her.
"You might." Charity said blankly, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Have I not made myself perfectly clear! I'm not getting involved. If you want to take this further then go ahead. But leave my name out of it!" she spat, hoping that Vanessa would drop it. "I'm warning you though. You'd be best to stay well clear of him for your own sake!"
"For god's sake Charity. Tracey is my little sister! What am I supposed to do just stand back and do nothing while he takes advantage!"
Charity didn't know how to answer that one so stayed silent hoping that if she did Vanessa would just go away. She was so scared that she could quite easily throw up. She wanted the conversation to end before she agreed to go into the lion's den. She knew that if Vanessa kept pushing her buttons she was going to cave in and that would be a bad move.
"So what you're just going to ignore this and pretend it's not happening!" Vanessa asked dramatically and when Charity turned away and refused to reply she grabbed at her arms to pull her round to face her. "Please talk to me!" she begged.
"I can't!" Charity practically screamed in the smaller woman's face, pulling her arms away roughly, "I can't alright. I can't face it. The thought of seeing him again makes me feel physcally sick. Are you happy now!" she wipes at her eyes and glares at Vanessa knowing that this thing between them is getting way too heavy, but also realising that she can't throw it away no matter how scary it gets. "Well now you know the truth yeh! I'm a coward. You still think I'm amazing now do yah!"
Vanessa stepped closer, a sad look in her eyes. "Of course I do. Oh Charity I'm not trying to hurt you with this you know that. I just.. need to do something." she said softly, daring to brush her fingers gently over Charity's tear stained cheeks, giving her a look of affection which Charity both loved and hated at the same time. "Look. I'll handle this on my own. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
Charity doubted that very much but just nodded slowly and tried to compose herself, putting on an expression of disinterest. "Fine. Just don't do anything too hasty will you. You don't want to get yourself mixed up in something you can't handle."
"I can't promise that. But I can promise to leave you out of it. I'm not some kid he can bully! I can handle myself perfectly fine. Done it before with that perverted scumbag Pierce." Vanessa replied definitively, picking up the newspaper and turning to leave, "I'll see yah later ok." she added, giving Charity a quick kiss on the cheek.
Charity was about to let her go but just couldn't bring herself to. She knew what ever happened this was going to end badly for somebody, probably Vanessa and that was just something she couldn't let happen. "So, what are you going to do anyway." she asked hurridly, trying not to sound as full of panic as she really was, hoping that the foolish woman was just going to talk to her sister and not do anything stupid.
"Well, apparently he's meeting Tracey round mine again today. Should be any minute now in fact. I'm going to storm in there and knock his block off!" Vanessa stated determinedly, a crazy look in her eye. "Kick him right where it hurts!"
Charity couldn't believe what she was hearing. It would be laughable if it weren't such a dangerous situation. Someone Vanessa's size beating the shit out of DI Bails. It was ludicrous. But yet she had been afraid this might happen. Vanessa was way too hot headed for her own good. "Babe, are you literally insane! You haven't thought this through have you. He is a police officer genius. Do you want to end up inside!"
"I literally don't care at this point. He is not getting away with this. He got away with hurting you. He won't get away with hurting someone else that I love, no chance!" And with that she was off at the speed of a gazzelle, not even acknowledging what she had just said.
"Ness wait!" Charity shouted, chasing after her in a most rediculous fashion. She couldn't believe what she actually doing, chasing after a complete idiot, or maybe she was the idiot. "Use your brain will yah. Please!"
"I've made up my mind Charity!" Vanessa yelled back, trying to push past Chas in haste."And I have to do something!"
"Trust me babe if you do this I'm not bailing you out. What about Johny, forgotten about him have yah!"
"And what about Tracey. I couldn't live myself if anything happened to her!"
"And what is kicking him in the nuts going to achieve except getting you arrested of course and leaving him free to do what he wants to your sister!"
Chas looked at Vanessa and then back at Charity with confusion. "What the hell do yah two think you are playing at! Having a full on barny in a place of business! My place of business!"
"She's finally lost it!" Charity hissed, nearly colliding with her cousin. "We have to get her back upstairs quick! She thinks that assaulting a police officer is a smart idea!"
Chas shook her head, "You've lost me."
"Just grab her will yah." Charity pleaded.
Chas sighed loudly and caught a hold of Vanessa's arm firmly "Right, what's going on here." she demanded. "This is a public house. You two are scaring away my customers with your lover's tiff!"
Vanessa was shaking with rage. Charity could see that she wasn't thinking straight and she needed to calm her down if there was going to be any reasoning with her.
"Ness look." Charity began lightheartedly. "Chas has you pinned with one arm. How you gonna take on a man of his size by yourself. Stop being such an idiot and calm down."
It didn't work. Vanessa scowled, even more determined to prove she wasn't a weakling. "He won't know what's hit him!"
"Right! Upstairs the pair of yah and sort it out!" Chas shouted, and Vanessa looked like she was about to argue "Don't you dare argue with me lady. If you think you can behave like this in my pub you've got another thing coming!"
Charity took Vanessa's hand cautiously and led her away, shooting an apologetic glance at Chas. She was scarier than usual these days what with the pregnancy.
Vanessa sat down on the couch still visibly shaking, tears of anger or defeat starting to pour from her eyes. Charity couldn't bare to see her cry. That's why she had avoided these conversations at all costs. She took Vanessa's hand in hers again and held it tightly.
Charity was the first to speak, "Hey, don't do that. Look I understand. But it is just not worth it. Anyway I'd kind of miss you if you got yourself locked up. "
Vanessa gave a humerlous laugh and squuezed Charity's hand tightly, "So, what do you propose I do. Sit back while he rapes Tracey or whatever he has planned for her? "
"No of course not.I'll warn him off ok. When he hears what I've got to say he won't come with in 100 miles of this village if I can help it." she grudgingly agreed, stroking her thumb carefully across the back of Vanessa's hand, "You don't need to worry about Tracey. I'll sort it out. when I heard what you were willing to do I'd already made up my mind."
"You'd do that for me." Vanessa said in a small voice.
"I guess so." Charity sighed. And then placed her fingertips under Vanessa's chin. "He's not getting away with hurting anyone I love either." she whispered.
Vanessa smiled and more tears fell. "If you're sure."
"I'm dead sure." she said and then kissed her with more passion than she ever had.