Synopsis: Julie has a strange encounter at Sammy's engagement party.
The front door had been left on the latch, as she knew it would be, so Julie Dodson pushed it open with ease. She'd just about managed to have a shower and then change into a pair of dark denim jeans, heeled boots and a loose fitting blouse before heading over to Gill's place. The party was clearly in full swing; teenagers were dotted about the place and swayed heavily on their feet from the excesses of alcohol already and the middle-aged guests tried to appear as though they weren't in the same sorry state. Julie recognised at least a dozen police officers she knew and wondered just exactly what the Gill to Sammy ratio of party goers there were. Although, she knew that her best friend's son wouldn't have begrudged his mother some familiar company, especially after everything she had been through earlier in the day.
Had it really been a mere fourteen hours ago that everything had gone tits up and she'd very nearly lost her best friend? It felt like longer somehow; the heap of paperwork she'd had to sign off on before she could even think about getting here this evening was a testament to that, plus her own weariness from the burden of being in charge of the rescue mission. She had done much soul searching before she had made her way over to Gill's and had come to a decision, probably the biggest of her life. When something like this happened to remind her that life was far too short for comfort and that her best friend wasn't made of steel it made her re-evaluate certain things. Certain things that she'd put to the back of her mind and heart because it was too much of a risk that she would be rejected and their friendship wouldn't survive it. However, after today's events, Julie now felt that to leave it be would be a bigger risk.
Julie spotted Gill by the table of drinks in the kitchen and her breath caught in her throat. She'd phoned as soon as she had heard that Gill had been safely escorted home but until she had seen her with her own eyes she knew that she wouldn't feel completely at ease. Julie's gaze was drawn to the bruising around Gill's neck and she couldn't help but let out a small gasp. She barely had time to register the full extent of Gill's injuries before she noticed who she was taking to. Chris bloody Latham and the young man had the audacity to rest his arm around her waist! As far as Julie knew their fling had fizzled out long ago and Gill had been perfectly fine about it. She'd not expressed any sort of desire to go back and rekindle the short lived affair, at least not to her. Julie's courage began to wane and she wondered if she should back out of her own promise to herself.
"Oh shit!" Julie heard a quiet voice behind her exclaim. She looked around but couldn't see anyone from which the expletive could have come.
"Pardon?"
"You heard me?!" The disembodied voice seemed surprised at being caught.
"Of course I heard you. Where are you?" Suddenly a small goblin like creature appeared in front of her, hovering in the air in her line of sight. It had triangular ears and small tufts of downy hair protruded from inside. Sprouting from its back were a pair of white and grey wings which gently fluttered in the air to keep it aloft. Despite its muddy green skin tone and wrinkled appearance, it was actually quite sweet in a strange way.
"That's weird, I've never hit the wrong person before," the creature muttered to itself.
"You're not real; you're just a figment of my emotionally drained imagination." Julie screwed her eyes up tight and told herself out loud as she shook her head in disbelief. As Julie reopened her eyes she could see that the creature looked momentarily hurt and it puzzled her somewhat.
"Cheers love!" Its accent had turned from neutral British to something decidedly Mancunian. Julie rubbed at her forehead, at the space just above and between her eyebrows. She often had intense headaches focused on that area, particularly in times of stress or confusion and she was most certainly confused right now.
"I can't believe that I'm having this conversation with... Who...what are you exactly?"
"You're a detective, can't you tell?" Julie shrugged her shoulders as the creature almost preened with pride.
"If you know that much about me then you probably know that I've had a bit of a shit day. I'm not really in the mood for games." The creature fluttered its wings a little harder for emphasis and from seemingly nowhere, drew out a bow and pulsating golden arrow. Sparks of glittering hearts, flowers and butterflies emanated from the weapon in a bit of a show and Julie rolled her eyes at the display.
"You have got to be kidding me?!" Cupid chuckled at Julie's response.
"I take it you weren't the sort of little girl to believe in fairy tales, happy endings and one's true love?" Julie glanced back into the kitchen and at her best friend once again. She was still engrossed in her conversation with Chris and Julie's heart clenched in familiar heartache; so familiar it almost felt like another limb.
"Maybe, once upon a time..." she whispered to herself. Julie rubbed at that spot on her forehead once again and Cupid smiled at her kindly.
"Do you know why you keep doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Your head..."
"Because I have a headache?" Julie muttered sarcastically. She was beginning to tire of this very bizarre conversation.
"You've been struck; a very long time ago and very deeply. People assume the deepest love is the one that has been struck directly in the heart but that's just not true. If you pulled the arrow from the heart it would bleed, for a while, but you would live and time would eventually heal. But between your eyes and into your soul, your very being is dependent on that love remaining whole."
"But what if it's unreciprocated?" Cupid laughed in joy, this was the best part of her job after all.
"Oh but it's not! You can't get struck with Cupid's arrow without it being mutual, that's the point. Anything else just isn't love." Julie looked back over at Gill once again and Cupid followed her gaze and realisation dawned.
"Ahh, that explains why I missed. I can't believe I didn't see it before." The creature chuckled at its own stupidity.
"What?"
"She's the one isn't she?" Julie nodded sadly. "She's already been struck, through her left armpit and towards her heart. It wouldn't have been imbedded that deeply to begin with but it's been there a long time, gradually getting deeper and closer to her heart."
"What are you trying to tell me?" Julie was had a horrible feeling in her gut and she began to feel a bit nauseous. Perhaps she had already left it too late?
"It was platonic at first but over time she fell in love and it's deep and strong."
"But I thought you said the ones in the heart weren't the deepest?"
"The ones directly into the heart yes, but this love has grown with time. It hasn't been the first time she's been struck; I can see the old, broken arrow still in her chest."
"Does it ever go?" Julie had seen Gill through the worst of the fallout from having her heart broken by Dave and she felt sorry that the scars would forever remain.
"No, but why would you want it to? Despite the pain that often comes with falling in love, each experience is a part of the person you become. There's no room here for jealousy, it's your arrow that burns in her heart now. All you need to do is tell her how you feel."
"My arrow?" A dawning realisation began to overtake the previous feelings of doubt and sadness in Julie's heart.
"Yes, of course. I can't very well go around telling you about a non-matching arrow." Cupid took in the look of shock on Julie's face. "For one of the smarter ones you're rather slow on the uptake!"
"My arrow? They match? But she's not...and then there's him."
"Ah, well I think I've just sorted that one out." Cupid said with a wink, perhaps she hadn't missed the right target after all. "And as for the other thing, you silly humans and your labels and boxes. Love just is, whatever the packaging." Julie looked carefully at her best friend and took a few moments to drink in the sight of her. Despite the obvious weariness around her eyes and the colourful bruising on her neck she looked as beautiful as she had ever been. The fitted emerald green party dress and grey cardy looked good on her, not to mention the high heels that accentuated her short legs. Gill had a sort of energy around her which had swept the older woman up in its wake the day they had met and she had never quite righted herself since. Julie hadn't stood a chance against someone as bright and vivacious as that. She turned to her miniscule companion for further clarification.
"How do I...?" However, the sentence died on her lips as she realised Cupid had disappeared. Her vision swam and she reached a hand up to soothe the headache that throbbed in its usual place. She really was exhausted, especially if she thought that she had been having an imaginary conversation with Cupid of all people. Julie made the decision to leave; a good night's sleep and some time alone would cure her of the silly notion of confessing her feelings to Gill. Her vision back in focus, she looked up only to find Gill right in front of her and a concerned expression written plainly on her face.