Ok so I still have a lot of work to do on my other stories but here is my new one, I have held out on this for a while now but wanted to start publishing it now. I will be updating this and Hidden Benefits regularly (hopefully) and I WILL go back to my others I promise, Testing Times and Return of the Hunter is top of my list once Hidden Benefits is finished, anyways hope you enjoy this and please review. Thanks Jodie xx
Chapter One
August 2011
"Hey sweetheart..." Stevie jumped as Smithy rested down opposite her in the canteen "Hows tricks?" he asked as he took a bite of his toast, he smiled at her and she sighed "Crap how're you?". He nodded slightly "Im good.." a frown covered his features and he asked "Whats up?". She shook her head "Nothing really..". He smiled as he took another bite of his toast before he began to cut the sausage on his plate of cooked breakfast "Well... how about a drink tonight... make you feel better". She shook her head "I cant Smithy... Im skint.. infact.." she gestured to her apple on the table "Im struggling to eat". He took a quick look at the apple before back to Stevie "You pick that on your way to work?" he joked and she laughed slightly "Its coming to it.. believe me Im not a pretty sight when I am hungry Inspector.. and I am starving now" Smithy smiled "Aint you got no savings?" he asked and she shook her head "Nope.. I have never been that prepared and every little bit of my wages are going on my rent and bills...". He smiled "Do you want me to loan you some money?" he asked and she shook her head quickly "I dont borrow money... I would rather starve". He laughed "You are too proud you know that..." he smiled as he pushed his food towards her "Meet me out the front of the station at half seven.." she tried to interupt and he grinned "No arguments... Im paying.. eat that.. you need it more than me" he pointed to the breakfast and she watched him walk away before she began to tuck into the fry up. She hated to be thought of as a charity case but sometimes things just happened and right now she really needed a lifeline and Smithy was the perfect person. She made short work of the breakfast, it was her first hot meal in two days and not through choice, she hadnt meant to leave herself so short but it was difficult when over half her wages were gone before she even started for the month. "Alright Serge?" she smiled up at Terry as he rested down opposite her, she nodded as she took a sip of her tea. "Its Mickeys birthday next week... CID are clubbing together for a gift... do you want to contribute?" he asked. Stevie sighed, she still had nearly two weeks until payday, now she really was stuffed, she felt her brain begin to shut down as Terry began to ramble on about football tickets and nights out.
"Evening.." the Inspector grinned as he approached her sat on his car bonnet "Make yourself comfortable..." he continued and she cut in "I do believe you said half seven Smithy and seen as its now fived to eight I thought I'd take the weight off" he nodded "Yeah.. well you take your top off you could make a lot of money posing like that" she laughed sarcastically and he continued "Pub or mine?". She rose her eyebrow and he laughed "Bottle and a take away..." she cut in "Smithy.." he smiled "Dont start bleating on about money again... I've got some wine at home and how much is a couple sausage and chips eh Moss... get in". She sunk into the car and he smiled at her "Why are things so bad?" he asked and she sighed "My rent is over nine hundred a month Smithy and thats without bills and then I have to run my car and eat.." he smiled "Why not give up your flat... surly you can get cheaper places.. I only pay six for mine.." she sighed "So you think I should move?". He shrugged his shoulders "Its just a suggestion Stevie.. if you would be better off". She smiled "I just hate the fact I am spending all this money on a place.. paying my landlords mortgage.." she smiled as Smithy pulled out of the station and began to drive in the direction of his home "Then get your own.." he cut in "Mortgage I mean... buy your own place". She sighed "Like I can afford that" he smiled "Others are... Jo has just brought a little flat" she nodded "Exactly Mr Smith but I live in the real world and I have no money for a deposit.. and I would end up with a little box with the money I would get for a mortgage". He smiled slightly "I have been looking into getting a mortgage myself" she smiled as he pulled up outside his flat "I want to get a house myself.. but the prices are too much". She nodded as they climbed from the car and began their way into his home "And you are on far better money than me... how do you think I would manage it?" she asked and he smirked at her as he lead her up the steps to his home "Using that charm of your Moss... Im sure you could manage it".
An hour or so had passed and the two had drank two bottles of wine and he had popped to the chip shop at the end of his road, Stevie was resting on his sofa flicking through the tv, trying to decide on anything to watch. She rose to her feet as she finally decided on friends and headed to Smithys DVD collection and began to look through them. "You always this nosey" she jumped at his voice and turned to face him. She smiled "Why do you have so many DVDs with womens names on?" she asked raising her eyebrow. He smirked slightly moving over and passing the bag of food to her "Unwrap these.. I'll grab some forks" she giggled as he disapeared and she glanced back to the cabinet before moving to the sofa and sinking down. When he reappeared he had another bottle of wine and he smiled as she passed him his food, he placed it to the table as he poured them some more drink. She nodded her head towards the DVDs "Kezia..." she smiled "Is that as in Kezia Walker?" she asked and she noticed him blush "Is it really any of your buisiness?" he asked and she shrugged her shoulders "I do believe as best friend.. I have the right to know things". He sighed "It was a long time ago... just eat your food Moss.." she giggled and he pushed her slightly "Shut it Moss..." he paused smiling at her "I like to keep me memories.." she nodded as she took a bite of her saveloy "So you film them". He smiled "They all aggreed" she smiled "I didnt think for one second they didnt... Im just a bit shocked at how kinky you are Inspector Smith". He paused as he ate a chip before he glanced down at her "We get on well dont we Moss?" he smiled and she glanced up at him "You arent about to ask me to help you make a dodgey porno are you?" she asked and he laughed "Do me a favour.. no.. I was thinking.. I want to buy a place.. you want out of your flat.." she cut in "I dont think I actually said that". He rose his hand to cut her off "Maybe we should do it together.." she slowly chewed over another bite of her food and smiled slightly "What?". He nodded "Buy a place together... lots of friends do it.." she cut in "And live together?". He smiled "Yeah.. we get on well.. it would be great for us.." she smiled slightly "But there is a big difference between being friends that hang out a couple of times a week and being housemates Smithy.. I have lived alone for so long... its not as simple as we just buy somewhere and move in". He smiled "It could be... we could get a bigger place together.. we would have our own bedrooms.." she cut in "Obviously" and he frowned at her "We could have a living room and a dinning room.. we could still live seperate lives.." she smiled "And what would happen if one of us wanted out.. met someone and started a family or something?". He shrugged his shoulders "We would cross that bridge when we came to it.. right now.. I think it is the best solotion to both of our problems Stevie". She smiled "I dont see how getting into so much debt is a solotion to my money problems" he faked a laugh "Think about it... a mortgage probably wont cost you over nine hundred.. plus we could split the bills... and you would end up part owning a house... seems perfect to me". She smiled "Can I think about it?". He nodded "Of corse... I aint about to rush you down the bank sweetheart... you need to put a lot of thought into it.. if it aint what you want thats cool.. you need to be sure".
Three days had passed and Stevie was more and more keen by the hour on Smithys idea, it would be good for them both, maybe she should go for it. She hadnt seen him since he had suggested it and she missed him, but then she always missed him when it had been a few days she hadnt seen him. She had disscussed the idea with her bank manager and he had said she would almost definatly get a mortgage, so as she sat picking over her prawn sandwich, all she could afford from the canteen, she had made her choice, she was going to buy a house with Smithy and she was excited about it, looking at houses, decorating it how they wanted, living with her best friend, it was everything she wanted but now she just had to tell the inspector. She knocked on his office door and he called "Come in.." she headed inside and he had his head burried in a folder, he took a quick glance at her and smiled briefly "Afternoon Moss... how can I help?" he asked. She grinned "I have been thinking about your idea... moving in together". He smiled up at her "I know.. it was a stupid idea.. sorry" she watched as his eyes remained staring at the paper he was scribbiling away. "Really?" she asked as he glanced up "Because I was going to say yes". He laughed slightly as he stared at her "For real... you want to do it?" he asked and she nodded "Yeah.. what could go wrong" she smiled. He rose to his feet and moved over to her, whisking her up into his arms "I cant believe we are going to do this... we are gunna buy a house... this is brilliant.." he moved back over towards his seat and sunk down, pulling on her hand so she sunk down onto the desk infront of him "I want the biggest room though" she smiled, he nodded "But if we have a spare room I want a gym". She smiled "We will have to talk about that... I could have a tanning room.." he frowned slightly before rising back to his feet "How about we meet up tonight... you can come to mine... have a look online.. see whats about?". She nodded as she leant up and kissed his cheek "Sounds great... see you later babe".
Four months had passed before Smithy and Stevie found the perfect house, a semi detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac just out of the city, it was an ideal location for work and conveinient for town and the pubs, it had three bedrooms, a stunning living room with a huge fire place and a dinning room that opened out into a huge kitchen, it was painted cream throughout, which they had decided to leave other than there their bedrooms. In the bathroom it had a lovely round bath with large crome taps, it was her dream home and now it was all theirs, they were moving in at the end of the month, just five days before christmas. Her life couldnt be more perfect and she was sure that things were looking up for them, maybe even the idea of something happening between them excited her mind but right now they had to make this work and she could concentrate on getting her man at a later date, after all she was a step closer now they were going to be living together, wasnt she?
Please review?