Jo and Blair sat on the sofa just holding one another contently when Blair broke the silence.

"Well, um, if we're going to be together, there's something you should know."

Jo smiled. "Blair, I think I know everything there is to know about ya."

Blair looked away. "Not this."

Jo put her hand gently on Blair's. "What?"

"Well, I'm not a virgin."

"Blair, stuff like that doesn't matter to me. Anyway, neither am I." The brunette thought for a second. "It was Chad, wasn't it?"

Blair's eyes widened. "You knew?"

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

"But how?"

"I told ya Blair, I know you. I remember last year when you broke it off then took him back again for about a week. You were actin' weird then you dumped the jerk for good. Thank God."

"But if you figured it out, how come you never said anything?" Blair inquired.

Jo shrugged her shoulders. "'Cause it's a private thing. If you wanted to talk about it, you would've told me." She paused for a moment and a feeling of dread washed over her. The acid rose in her throat as her fists clenched. "Wait, that dirtbag didn't force himself on ya, did he?" The thought of Chad doing that to Blair made her want to choke the scum within an inch of his life.

"Oh no, no, nothing like that. I really only had sex with him because I hoped it would change things between us." The socialite sighed and looked down at the floor. "I could never figure out what the big deal was. To hear the other girls talk, you'd think it was the greatest thing ever. Chad was rolled over snoring in fifteen seconds flat. You were right Jo. I never should have taken him back. I thought it best not to tell you I slept with him because I knew you'd be upset."

Jo squeezed Blair's hand. "It's okay Princess."

The tomboy remembered a less than satisfactory encounter with a boy she dated briefly during her Bronx days.

"We've all done things we later regret but then we learn from them. I went through the same thing before I knew ya but it's in the past." Jo felt the emotions welling up within her and her voice was barely a whisper. "And I want my future to be with you."

Blair looked at her through teary brown. "Oh Jo, you don't know how happy that makes me."

They grabbed onto one another in a warm embrace as if holding on for dear life, gently rocking back and forth. Jo pulled away slightly with her arms draped over Blair's shoulders and gazed intently into the blonde's ever expressive eyes.

"We can take it slow. Whatever you want, Princess. I'm not goin' anywhere." Jo smiled warmly. "But I believe sex can be magical...if you're with the right person."

Jo leaned in and her lips tenderly brushed the other woman's. She hesitated for a second, looking for reassurance in eyes the color of caramel. What she saw there was something she'd never seen in the eyes of anyone else. In those beautiful orbs were respect, trust and love. The other thing she saw made her heart slam; a look of desire, raw and real.

Blair's hand gripped Jo's knee while the other held the back of her neck. The blonde's lips were warm and inviting and as Jo felt Blair's tongue pushing forward, her own lips yielded to welcome it inside. Blair's body had always reacted when Jo brushed against her even slightly, or just glanced in her direction. Now, the brunette's kiss caused her blood to pulse and scald her veins. The heiress felt something awaken within her as if she'd been asleep all her life until that moment.

Jo felt Blair's heart pounding in time with hers and she almost couldn't catch her breath, she wanted the blonde so badly. The pounding traveled throughout her aching body and settled in her core. Blair reached up to cup Jo's face in her hands as she spoke, brown eyes burning into green. Her normally elegant speaking voice was husky with desire.

"I don't want to wait."

"Neither do I," Jo panted. "But are ya sure babe? We don't hafta rush."

"It's the one thing in my life I am sure of," Blair said as she tenderly caressed Jo's cheek. "That and the fact that I love you."

Jo's heart soared as Blair's words were the most wonderful ones she'd heard in her life. "I love you too Blair. God...how I love you."

Blair lay back on the sofa and pulled Jo on top of her, both of them groaning at the feeling of full body contact. The blonde slid her hands up Jo's shirt, loving the smoothness of her skin.

The touch of Blair's fingertips felt like fire to Jo, triggering a reaction in her she didn't even realize was possible. The passion she felt for this woman left her dizzy and breathless. Their kisses became more urgent, with tongues interlocked and both women were under the spell of pure need. Blair reluctantly broke the kiss.

"Jo, w-wait. We can't do this."

Jo's heart sank. "What? Why?"

"I mean not here. Somebody might come in."

Jo sighed in relief as she couldn't bear to think of stopping what they'd started. "Who's gonna come in? Mrs. G. and the girls won't be back 'til tomorrow."

"But what if they changed their minds?" Blair looked at Jo with pleading eyes.

"Okay my princess. Upstairs then?"

Blair nodded in agreement.

"Woah, I think ya need to take off a few pounds," Jo kidded as she lifted Blair in her arms to carry her up the staircase.

"Hey!" Blair lightly punched Jo in the forearm. "Who told you to pick me up? You're a barbarian," she laughed. "I don't appreciate being manhandled."

"Manhandled? Last I checked I was still a girl," the tomboy laughed.

Blair reached up and traced a finger down Jo's collarbone to caress the curve of her breast and linger there. A proud nipple was felt, even under her polo shirt and bra.

"Mmm...yes," the blonde drawled. "You're very much a girl."

Even though she tried hard not to, Jo blushed and gave a shy grin. Taking compliments was never her thing, unlike Blair who thrived on and even expected them from people at times.

As Jo carefully put her down on the bed, both women were in near disbelief that it was actually happening. After years of fighting their mutual attraction, they could finally express their passion for one another.

"Jo?"

"Yeah?"

"I- I've never been with a woman before. Have you?"

"Nope. And to tell ya the truth, I'm kinda nervous," Jo answered bashfully.

"Me too." Blair paused and grinned slyly. "But I'm confident we'll manage."

They both giggled and it eased the tension they felt. Blair wrapped her arms around Jo's neck and pulled her down toward her.

"Now, where were we?"

"Hmm...I dunno," Jo grinned. "Remind me."

The blonde nibbled on the brunette's bottom lip. "Familiar?"

"Yeah maybe," Jo answered, a playful tone in her voice.

Their lips met again with increased fervor as they lay side by side. Jo wrapped her leg around her partner's to bring her closer and Blair sighed in contentment. It felt amazing being enveloped in Jo's strong, comforting arms. From the start, the heiress thought of Jo as a protector of sorts and as she lay in her embrace it seemed even more so. It just felt right, like she'd found home at last. Their mouths continued their mutual assault on one another, with Jo finally breaking the kiss to get a breath. As Blair tugged at Jo's shirt, the Bronx native took the cue and removed it quickly, tossing it across the room. Toying with the lace trim of Jo's bra, Blair enjoyed the softer, more feminine side that the tomboy rarely showed. Jo's breathing hitched when her partner commenced kissing the sensitive skin of her neck. She arched her neck to give Blair more room to nibble, with the socialite more than happy to oblige.

"I've wanted this for so long," Blair whispered as she continued her attentions to Jo's neck. "I would dream of touching you. You touching me. Then I'd wake up feeling so sad it wasn't real."

"I know baby. Me too," Jo answered in between gasps. "I think I must be dreaming right now."

Jo moaned and her breath became faster as Blair unfastened her belt and pants. Never before had Jo allowed anyone to undress her this way but it seemed perfectly natural and she anticipated the beautiful blonde's touch even more.

"Blair," Jo breathed. "I've never wanted anyone so much."

She sat up quickly and fumbled with the buttons of Blair's pink silk blouse, nearly tearing one off in the process. Jo devoured Blair's tongue with hers once again and the blouse was finally removed, joining the other clothes on the floor.

"You feel so good," Blair murmured as Jo positioned herself comfortably on top of her. Jo lightly bit Blair's earlobes as the blonde grasped her muscular shoulders. The brunette relished the sensation of Blair's hands moving over her skin and the touch aroused her even further. Blair unhooked Jo's bra and then her own, both women moaning as the feeling of skin on skin consumed them.

Oh my god, Jo said to herself in a slight panic. I can't believe I'm really here and that I have this effect on her. Me! She looks so beautiful I'm gonna have a heart attack. Stop it Jo. No you're not. Just love her. Yeah. I can do that. I've waited for so long.

Sometime later, they both realized it had been worth the wait. Blair lay among the pillows, eyes dark and heavy lidded. Sure that her lover was well satisfied, Jo smiled softly. "Hi," she said.

"I feel like I am," a glassy-eyed Blair answered with a grin.

Jo suddenly felt very shy and unsure of herself. "So...uh...it was okay then?"

"Jo, I didn't think it was possible to feel the way you just made me feel." She kissed her softly. "Now it's your turn sweetheart. I've wanted to make love to you for so long."

As confident as Blair Warner seemed in her public persona, she did at times have some self doubt. She loved Jo and wanted to please her more than anything, but having so little experience made her feel apprehensive. She too, spoke to herself.

Oh god, I hope I do it right. I just want to Jo to feel as good as she made me feel.

Blair needn't have worried.

The young lovers slept soundly among strewn about pillows and twisted sheets. Jo awoke once during the night due to Blair's amorous advances, to which she gladly surrendered.

As the morning sun rose and peeked through the blinds, Blair opened her eyes and saw a beautiful face with a drowsy smile.

Jo greeted her partner in a voice hoarse from sleep. "Hey babe."

"Good morning sunshine. Am I dreaming this too?"

Jo laughed softly. "No it's real. I already pinched myself. Twice." A look of puzzlement came to her face when she realized what Blair had just said. "Sunshine? What happened to barbarian? I'm not your barbarian anymore?"

The blonde yawned and nuzzled into Jo's shoulder. "Baby, you'll always be my barbarian."

"Okay. I was just checkin'.

They both giggled and cuddled closer.

"I'm goin' back to sleep for a while. You kept me up so freakin' late last night," Jo said with a crooked smile.

Blair raised her eyebrows. "What? I kept you up late? Why you were...you were..."

"A barbarian?"

"Yes!" Blair began to laugh heartily, joined by her partner.

"A princess and a barbarian. What a combination," the tomboy observed.

"Well Jo," Blair responded. "It's worked for us so far."

The couple had just entered new territory and neither could be sure what the future held. For now, they were together, just loving one another, and that's all that mattered. Whatever problems came up later on, Jo and Blair would handle them together, just as they always had.

the end.

The Facts of Life and its characters are the property of Sony Pictures Television. No infringement is intended.