Chapter Three

Julie had almost dozed off when she became aware of a tentative knock on Gill's bedroom door. She wasn't quite lucid enough for it to register until the door opened ajar and Sammy's face appeared. For a few seconds neither of them reacted, although Julie was sure that Sammy's embarrassment was probably worse than her own. She'd stayed over countless times before; so finding her sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee in a towelling robe and wet hair the next morning wouldn't have been so unusual. Laying in his mum's bed, holding her in her arms, both obviously naked with their clothes strewn about the room was another matter entirely. Sammy cleared his throat softly having mustered up the courage to speak first.

"Sorry, just wanted to check where she was." He whispered, careful not to wake his mum after the ordeal she had been through that day. He thought that she was probably in need of an undisturbed night's sleep. "I'll just…um…" He indicated that he was going to leave with a nod of his head but Julie felt that she should say something, to at least attempt an explanation.

"Sammy…I'm sorry, it's not what you think…well it is but I don't know what..." Sammy shook his head politely and interrupted her before she gave him too much information.

"It's none of my business, not really. Just…look after her." They exchanged a brief smile in understanding. They'd known each other for so long that Sammy had grown up thinking of her like an aunt. She had been Gill's closest friend in all that time, even though she'd known Janet longer, and Sammy trusted Julie more than anyone else he knew.

"I always do." Julie reassured the young lad and only relaxed once the door had been firmly shut behind him.

Julie stirred gently as she became aware of the fact that she was awake. She instinctively tightened her grip on the warm body she held in her arms before realising with a jolt where she was and who she was with. Gill moved gently and moaned softly as she slowly awoke. She gripped Julie's arms tighter around her body for a few seconds before slowly turning herself over to face her best friend.

"Hi." Gill greeted the taller woman shyly but smiled as she said it to allay any initial fears Julie might have had.

"Hi." Julie responded in kind and noted Gill's smile but it didn't stop her heart from almost beating out of her chest and the worry creeping into her mind. Their arms were still around each other in an awkward embrace but Gill slipped a hand free to stroke Julie's cheek and then ran it through her hair.

"I believe we didn't quite finish what we started last night…" Gill suggested seductively and stretched her neck up to place a languid kiss on Julie's lips. Julie returned the kiss but caught Gill's wandering hand in hers. She laced their fingers together and held the hand firmly. The stark reality of yesterday's events was brought to the forefront of Julie's mind at the sight of the red marks around Gill's neck and the colourful bruising that now ran around their edges.

"Gill…as much as I want to, I think we need to talk about this first." Gill licked her lips and a shiver went through her as she realised that she tasted Julie on them. She nodded gently and ran her thumb over the hand Julie held. Julie looked directly at Gill. "What are we doing?" It was said kindly, a simple and valid question really but one with answers that had serious repercussions. Julie knew how she felt and what she wanted but she needed Gill to be in the same place and to tell her what she was thinking.

"I don't know. I only know that I want this and that it feels right. Beyond that…I suppose I need time to think, to get over what happened with Helen and work out what all this means." Julie nodded and took a deep breath.

"Then I should give you that time. But I think it's only right that you know how I feel." Of course Julie had no idea that Gill already knew from Dave but even if she had've done she needed to say the words herself. Julie sat up straighter in the bed, keeping the duvet pulled up under her armpits to cover her chest. "Gill, I've known you a long time and somewhere along the way, somehow, I fell in love with you. I wasn't looking for it and I could have done without Dave picking up on it and trying to use it against me before I'd even worked it out myself. Which, by the way, is what our barney last night was all about, but that's by the by. Whatever you decide, however you feel, I want you in my life. Even if it's just Gill Murray, mad cow, sarcastic bitch and best friend, because you gave me one hell of a shock yesterday and I know that I can't live without you." It was out there now and despite her nerves Julie felt as though a weight had been lifted from shoulders her after so many years of keeping her feelings to herself.

"Dave said as much last night after I had separated the pair of you and took him outside for a word. When he tried to tell me that he knew how you felt about me, I thought for one awful moment he was telling me that you had slept together. I couldn't understand where this sudden raging jealously and intense hurt had come from and then I came upstairs and saw you sitting here. Something just fell into place in that moment. You know me Julie, I don't take what we did last night lightly and we wouldn't have gone that far if I didn't feel something more for you." Gill paused to share a smile with Julie at her revelation. "Reluctantly though, I do think that I should deal with yesterday before we make any big decisions about what the future holds. I hope you understand?"

"Of course I do love, that's why I asked." They smiled softly at each other before Julie remembered that she had something else to tell Gill and took a deep breath. "Look, I should probably also tell you that Sammy came in here last night, while you were asleep."

"What?" Gill valued her privacy and had taught Sammy early on that if he valued his then he would have to treat her accordingly. He'd never just come into her bedroom without her express permission first.

"He just wanted to see where you were. We did disappear from the party early without speaking to anyone, especially after all the fuss with Dave and everything else yesterday." Julie hoped that poor Sammy wasn't in for a telling off.

"I suppose I can't really blame him for being concerned. What did he see?" Gill wasn't naive enough to think that Sammy hadn't heard her with someone at least once before. She'd certainly heard him and Orla at least half a dozen times. But that was different to actually seeing the evidence for himself.

"Enough." Gill sighed deeply. "For what it's worth I don't think he was too traumatised." In fact he seemed rather accepting of the situation Julie thought, perhaps Dave wasn't the only one who had picked up on something between them?

"I'll reserve judgement on that one." They lapsed into a moment's silence before Julie decided that it was her cue to make a move. She didn't want to outstay her welcome, especially since they'd already established that Gill needed some time alone to think.

"I'm going to get myself together, I need to go home and then make an appearance at HQ sometime this morning." Julie didn't even want to begin thinking about the emails that were stacking up in her inbox. She wasn't that late, it was still only just after 6am and Saturdays she made a point of getting in at a more reasonable hour but there were more reports and meetings to be had from yesterday's events, plus whatever came through 'business as usual' channels. It was at times like this she wondered why she had accepted the promotion to DSI.

"Okay, although just so you know, I'm not kicking you out." Gill chuckled lightly; Godzilla she might be at work but she was a pushover when it came to her romantic entanglements.

"I know, but I really ought to be going." Julie slipped out of the bed and rummaged around the room to gather up her clothes. Once she'd retrieved everything she went into the adjoining bathroom to use the loo and get dressed. She'd spruced herself up as best she could, enough to get her out of the house and through the journey home without looking completely like she'd stayed out all night. Julie paused to have a moment of reflection. She wondered how things were going to be between them now that they'd crossed that line between friendship and something else. First thing the morning after was always going to be a false positive; Gill hadn't been that drunk and she was obviously still basking in the afterglow. Julie could only hope that in the cold light of day and after some soul-searching in regards to her ordeal Gill would feel more confident about taking a chance on their relationship. Julie shook her head free of her thoughts for the time being, she'd have plenty of time to do that later when she was alone. She also couldn't hide in Gill's bathroom forever so she finally stepped back out into the bedroom.

Gill had obviously hopped out of bed to gather up her own clothes and slipped her nightdress on. She sat up in bed with her arms folded in front of her on her lap. Julie saw that her heels had been placed neatly by the side of the bed next to Gill and she reached down to pick them up.

"I left my bag and keys downstairs in the hallway so I'll pick them up on the way out." Julie slipped on her shoes and caught her friend's eye. Gill reached out and pulled Julie onto the bed in a sitting position. She stroked her face before pulling her head down for a languid kiss. Gill slipped her tongue inside Julie's mouth and was pleased when Julie responded appropriately. It did absolutely nothing to calm Julie's nerves but fortunately they seemed to wind it down mutually before things got out of hand. They rested their foreheads against each other as they caught their breaths. "I really should be going." Julie whispered hoarsely, her heart rate and body belying her words. Gill let go of her and allowed the taller woman to stand up.

"I'll call you later, today, see how you are?" Gill offered. She knew that she needed time and space to deal with things but she also couldn't bear the thought of going the whole day without speaking to Julie. It was what they would have done normally, had they not complicated things by sleeping together.

"You don't have to, take as long as you need to work things out. I'm not going anywhere." Julie was kind and understanding, genuinely, but she also wanted to prove to Gill that she was worth waiting for.

"I'll text then, or something?" Perhaps a phone call would have been too much, especially if Gill caught Julie in the middle of something at work.

"Only if you want to. I can wait, I don't want you to feel pressured into anything." It was only now that Julie realised perhaps she also needed some time to think. Being handed your deepest desire on a plate had to require some readjustment.

"Thank you." Gill appreciated the consideration of her feelings and the freedom to explore her options before she made any big decisions. Although, it was already looking like a solid basis for a fully fledged relationship.

"It's okay. I'd better..you know...bye."

"Bye." Julie left and shut the bedroom door closed behind her. She stopped for a moment and let her guard drop for a second. It had been difficult to say goodbye, not quite knowing how to now that they'd slept together and not wanting to presume anything either. Although, going by the kiss that Gill had just initiated the feeling really did appear to be mutual. Julie allowed herself a grin of satisfaction as she recalled the previous evening's events and it remained on her face until she finally made it home.

Gill gave Julie ten minutes to get downstairs, collect her bag and car keys and drive away before she got up properly and headed into the shower. Once dressed and fully refreshed she tentatively went downstairs to see what damage had been done to her house. Surprisingly it hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be, although it looked like Sammy and Orla had been working at it for a while. Orla was trailing a black sack behind her as she went round the living room dumping paper cups and plates into it, and making sure that she tipped out any leftover liquids into a bucket. She greeted her mother-in-law to be with a 'Morning Gill' and left her to discover Sammy in the kitchen. He was elbow deep in washing up, wearing a very fetching pair of marigolds and what looked like half the washing up water down his front.

"Well this is a nice surprise!" Gill grinned at her son and gave him a peck on the cheek. He actually appeared to be mildly embarrassed and Gill raised her eyebrows in question.

"It was our party Mum. Besides, after what happened yesterday I thought that perhaps you would appreciate the rest. I presume you're not expected in work today?" Sammy continued with the task at hand while Gill leaned against the counter-top to chat to him.

"No, they've given me a week off. I need to go in and make a statement at some point but not today." She'd already given a brief statement but she needed to sign it and elaborate on some of the finer details. No doubt the Chief Constable or at the very least the Assistant Chief Con would like an informal chat about yesterday's events too.

"How are you feeling?" Sammy was a sensitive lad anyway but had become quite protective of his mother in recent years. He could tell when she wasn't quite herself.

"Fine." At Sammy's disbelieving look Gill relented. "Okay, well not fine but better than you think." And she was, at least for the moment while the kids were around and filling her house with noise and chatter and life.

"Any particular reason for that?" It was out of his mouth before Sammy had really thought about what he'd said and winced at how suggestive it sounded. He'd honestly promised himself that he wasn't going to mention it.

"Ahh…yes…about that…Julie said that you'd come looking for me." Gill had already planned to sit him down and speak to him about it at some point but thankfully Sammy had given her an opening right there.

"Look, I didn't mean to bring it up. What you do is none of my business. Honestly I wasn't even going to say anything about it." Sammy looked at his mum and spoke as openly as he could despite his obvious embarrassment.

"Perhaps we ought to talk about it? You do still live here and have every right to know what's going on." Gill had always treated her son with respect and honesty, even when he was a little boy. She didn't believe in telling children half-truths because the adult was uncomfortable with the subject matter.

"I don't need to know all the details, I saw enough last night to work it out." Sammy had of course told Orla and she'd been very understanding as they had discussed how he felt about it. Not that he was going to tell his mum any of that mind you.

"It wasn't exactly planned you know."

"So it was the first time you…and Julie…?" Sammy winced again when he realised that was more information than he could comfortably deal with knowing about his mum. "Forget I asked that! I really don't want to know." And he didn't, the fact that his mother even had a sex life was something he would prefer not to think about, let alone discuss.

"I want to be honest with you Sammy. I don't know what's going on myself only that it happened and I think we'd both like it to happen again. How would you feel about it if Julie and I…?" Gill paused, unsure of how to exactly label it. Which was partly why she needed to think about it.

"I wouldn't mind, like I wouldn't mind if you were dating the postman, as long as you were happy." After what his father did to her, Sammy would just be pleased that she had someone in her life that was going to treat her properly for a change.

"Yeah but Julie's not exactly like the postman is she?" Gill hadn't quite known how to bring up the issue of Julie's gender and had seen the postman remark as an opportunity.

"What, because she's a woman? Get with the 21st Century Mum! Or is it that she's already your closest friend? Isn't that how relationships should be, a friendship moved onto another level?" Sammy had discussed this with Orla last night and although he didn't have a problem with his mum seeing a woman, he had found it a bit strange to get his head around. Orla had coached him on the right words to say if Gill brought the subject up though, so he thought he'd done alright there.

"Since when did you get all grown up and sensible?" Gill was exceptionally proud of her son and was relieved to find that she had an ally in him.

"Since I started dating my best friend and now look at us, we're getting married Mum!" Sammy grinned in delight, still unable to really believe it himself.

"I know love and I'm very, very happy for you both." Gill kissed his cheek and went over to the other side of the kitchen to put the kettle on.