A little later than normal - I lost track of days! Thanks to A for Antechinus for the review on the last chapter :) Muse & I appreciate it muchly.
As per usual, I own nothing, I claim to own nothing and even if you sue me until the cows come home, nothing divided as many times as you like is still a big fat nothing!
Hope this installment satisfies those of you reading. Until the next chapter...
Sam pulled the duvet more tightly around herself and Lorna, dropping a tender kiss against the taller woman's temple, revelling in the feel of the Scot nestling closer to her, nuzzling her neck inadvertently as she slept in Sam's arms. Resting her head back down against the pillow she and Lorna were sharing, Sam resisted the urge to let her eyes drift closed, knowing that she needed to make a move very soon in order to fulfil the vow she'd made to Jack the previous night to be at the station by seven o'clock The detective had been pleasantly surprised to find Lorna still in her arms when she woke and given the late hour at which the Scot had finally drifted off, Sam was reluctant to disturb her so early. Nevertheless, the DI began the delicate task of extricating herself from the tangle of limbs, shuffling as far back as she could and wrapping the quilt back around Lorna's body filling the void she had created by moving. Carefully, keeping the jostling to a minimum, Sam eased herself over the sleeping body of her lover, climbing off the sofa and padding towards the stairs with a wide yawn. She crept up the carpeted steps, softly closing the bathroom door behind herself, still trying to work the kinks out of her muscles unaccustomed as they were to sleeping on a sofa. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she grimaced at the vision she presented; clothes wrinkled beyond repair, hair limp and lacklustre, eyes bloodshot and watery from her remaining fatigue. She turned the shower on, retrieving some towels and stripping out of her clothing as she waited for the water to heat sufficiently, hoping it wouldn't disturb Lorna or Moira but knowing that she couldn't arrive at work looking as she currently did. The detective hung her clothes from the pegs on the back of the door, hoping the humidity created by the shower would at least straighten out the worst of the creases. She clambered beneath the hot spray, letting the motion of the water revive her somewhat as she grabbed Lorna's shower crème and squirted a generous blob into her palm, lathering it across her torso and arms. The noise of the shower masked the sound of the door opening and closing softly, the rigid shower guard preventing the brief draught from filtering through. Movement caught the corner of Sam's eye however, alerting her to another presence in the room, just before Lorna's head popped into the cubicle.
"Is it too soon to ask if I can join you?" The Scot asked bashfully, valiantly trying to maintain eye contact with her lover rather than rake her gaze over the other woman's naked body.
"No, of course not, hop in." Sam sensed that the request was based more on a want to be close to her rather than carnal need but even so, she couldn't prevent the frisson of desire which coursed through her body at the thought of sharing the snug cubicle with the taller woman. She watched in awe as Lorna shimmied her way into the shower, working to prevent too much of the steam or water from escaping its confines, wrapping her into a warm embrace as soon as she was stable and within reach. "Hope you don't mind, I pinched some of your shower crème," Sam murmured, her voice low and sultry sounding as her body automatically responded.
"Of course not, whatever you need you're more than welcome to," Lorna replied seriously before leaning back to gaze into the shorter blonde's eyes. She leant in close, capturing succulent lips with her own, offering a belated sensual, intimate greeting. "Good morning," she hummed.
"Mmmm, morning," Sam husked in return, instantly deciding that she could quite easily grow accustomed to this as a morning ritual. "I didn't want to wake you but I am very glad you're here," she admitted as she moved back in for another kiss.
"I woke up and you weren't there but then I heard the shower and saw the time so I thought I'd multitask; show my girlfriend how grateful I am for her support and love and get cleaned up at the same time." Lorna manoeuvred them both in the cramped space until Sam was less directly beneath the pounding water. The redhead worked her hands into sodden blonde tresses, making sure the water had penetrated right through before reaching behind her lover and grabbing a bottle of shampoo. Squirting some into her hand, Lorna set about washing Sam's hair for her, combining her efforts with a gentle head massage. Sam was struck motionless by the tender care her lover was lavishing on her. Her own hands rested at the swell of the taller woman's hips. When Lorna instructed her to tilt her head back so that the shampoo could be rinsed out of her hair, Sam felt the breath leave her lungs. With her head leant back into the torrents of steaming hot water, Lorna was granted unfettered access to her neck, access which she opted to take full advantage of. Plump lips fastened onto various areas of the newly exposed skin, nipping, licking, kissing and soothing even as gentle hands continued to rinse her hair. The detective knew what ecstasy felt like in that moment, or at least was pretty sure she did. Sam allowed her hands to grip Lorna's hips more tightly, pulling the taller woman's body flush against her own. The move detached the lips from her neck but they were soon otherwise occupied with her own mouth instead, sharing a passionate, intense kiss which left them both heady with desire.
"I wish I had time to do everything I want to do to you sweetheart, but I've got to get to work," Sam whined regretfully. Knowing that her frustrated lover would never be able to concentrate on anything productive if left in her current state, Lorna slipped one thigh between Sam's own, guiding her back against the cubicle wall and inviting her to alleviate some of the tension which they had created. She too rocked her pelvis against Sam's toned thigh, bringing her own release closer. "Ohhhhhhhh," Sam moaned hotly, head falling forwards onto Lorna's shoulder as she undulated more intently against the smooth skin. "Please, I need… I need you…"
"What baby, what do you need? Tell me and I'll give it to you gladly," Lorna panted, struggling to focus on hearing Sam's request.
"Inside me… I need you inside me… please Lorna… please," Sam's voice was a reverent plea, quietly spoken as some part of her rational mind remembered they were not alone in the house. Lorna released her own whimpered sigh upon hearing what her lover needed, immediately complying and dragging one hand down to the sopping core pressed tightly against her leg. Lowering that limb enough to insinuate her hand in between them, she wasted little time in plunging two fingers deep inside the other woman's body, quickly developing a rhythm, her thrusts aided by the movement of her thigh. Sam yelped and for a moment, Lorna was fearful that she had hurt her but then the blonde, as though sensing the miniscule tension and pause, strongly urged her to continue, that it was exactly what she needed. "So close… please Lorna… yes, yes, right there…right…" Sam exploded with a long guttural groan, convulsing around the redhead's fingers still deep within her. Unable to stop herself, even had she wanted to, Lorna continued to roll her hips, riding Sam's thigh and bringing her own release ever closer. Sam sneakily trailed a hand down the frenzied body, worming her fingers into the almost non-existent gap between Lorna's drenched core and her own tensed leg. She applied gentle pressure to Lorna's hooded clit, rubbing it deliberately in time with the CSE's motion. Sam's other hand moved around Lorna's back, pressing between her shoulder blades and pulling her closer in, effectively offering support as she felt the taller woman's knees trembling. The move reminded Sam of the deft digits still trapped inside her, their tips tickling sensitive ridged flesh and causing her to draw in a sharp breath through gritted teeth. Stars swam before her eyes as another orgasm threatened to rip through her, despite her mind being convinced she had not yet recovered sufficiently from the last. Determined that they would reach the crest together this time, Sam dipped her hand lower and pressed two fingers into the waiting, spasming cavern of Lorna's sex, curling them towards herself and finding that spongy ridge which had given the other woman so much pleasure during their previous encounter.
"Oh God, Sam…" Lorna cried, seemingly less concerned that they might alert her sister to their activities. The two women rocked together, a writhing mass of flushed flesh and heavy breathing, until each plummeted into an abyss of sensation and pleasure, one toppling gratefully after the other in a co-ordinated crescendo. They rested against one another, leaning heavily against the wall for support, while they regained their bearings enough to extricate their fingers from the other. "Wow, I've never done that before!" Lorna exclaimed with a lazy grin.
"Me either," Sam admitted, admiring the flush of colour adorning the normally pale woman's skin, proud to realise she had been the one to cause it. "And as much as I would love a repeat performance, I really should be making a move to work or else Jack might not be so genial." Lorna nodded sagely, reaching beyond the short blonde and passing her the shower crème while she collected the conditioner so that she could finish taking care of Sam's hair. Turning her around so that Sam was facing the spray of the shower, affording Lorna a wonderful view of her smooth naked back and buttocks, the redhead began working the conditioner through the soft blonde hair, allowing Sam to cleanse herself once again.
Sam heard movement at the top of the stairs and was quite keen to make her escape before having to face Lorna's sister, just in case she had overheard their bathroom antics.
"Lorna, I'm going to make a move and head into work. Call me, if you hear anything at all or if you need something, or if you just want to talk for a while, please promise you'll call me?" Sam implored, arms wrapped around the taller woman's waist, blue eyes boring into tender green ones.
"You can count on it," Lorna assured her sincerely. "Promise me the same? I know you're not likely to be kept informed of what's going on officially, not now that Jack realises the extent of your… interest, but people talk and there are a lot of people in that station who have a lot of time and respect for you, I'm sure they will want to keep you at least somewhat aware of any developments."
"Of course I will. Anything that I learn, you'll be the first to know although I would hope that the FLO, Grace or whoever it is, will be keeping you fully informed at every stage of the investigation." Sam rose on tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss against her lover's lips, her reluctance to leave becoming more and more evident.
"I'll be fine Sam, go do what you need to do. I've got Moira and I have you at the end of a phone. I'll be ok. Just be safe and promise me you'll come home… come here when you can tonight?" Sam's heart swelled at the reference to the house being their home, feeling a sudden sense of longing that it was true despite a momentary panic about the implications of that.
"I've no intention of doing anything which would give rise to any reason I couldn't be by your side tonight and any other night you'll have me for a long time." Sam dropped one last kiss on her lover's lips before stepping away, spying Moira as she moved standing in the kitchen doorway, eyes averted from the tender scene before her. "Call me anytime, honey," she called softly as she stepped past the broader Scot and moved towards the front door, offering a shy "hi and goodbye" to Moira as she went.
Once the front door was closed, Moira looked to where her sister stood, seeing the facade threatening to crumble. Hoping to quell the growing sense of discomfort, she quipped, "I heard you found God in the shower this morning." She levelled an imperious gaze on her taller sibling, cocking an eyebrow.
Lorna felt her skin flush and wondered if she couldn't just escape after Sam and hide away from her sister's inquisition. "Ummm, you heard?"
"Enough to decide that I'll be taking a shower at home this morning!" Moira teased, maintaining her straight face only through sheer stubbornness.
With a groan, Lorna hid her face and began to apologise profusely. "I didn't realise how thin the walls are in this house. I'm sorry, really I am Mor, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or force you to think about things you'd rather never consider…"
"Oh relax Lollipop," Moira stated, her resolve breaking, the use of her childhood pet name for Lorna reassuring her that her sister had not been overly disturbed by what she had discovered that morning. "I'm glad that Sam could give you a little piece of comfort and love. Heaven knows you deserve it with everything you are going through and have already been through. Just maybe, you know, keep it to a minimum on the volume if you go for another round while I'm here could you? It's a heck of a long time since Robert has made me want to call out like that and jealousy is never a pleasant emotion to wear!" She gathered her sister into a fierce hug, squeezing tightly before releasing her and leaning back to study her more closely. Lorna fidgeted under her intense unwavering gaze, wondering what was going through the other woman's head. "You wear it well, love. I thought so when you found James but I'd forgotten how beautiful you are when truly in love. That in itself has me convinced that this is what God wants for you, that this is His doing. And I'm not about to argue with Him, not when it obviously suits you so well. So long as she is good to you and treats you with the devotion and courtesy you deserve and as long as it doesn't have a detrimental effect on Katie, I'll be happy to welcome Sam into our family."
"You should see Katie and Sam together, Mor, honestly it is amazing. Katie adores her and she already knows about the nature of our relationship, she's fine with it. In fact, she was the one to give me the biggest kick up the seat of my pants to get me to pursue the chance of something more than friendship with Sam. I really hope you get the chance to see what they're like when they get going, verbally sparring with one another and playing games on Sam's Wii. I've felt more like I had a proper family home life again over the last few weeks than I've felt since James died. I've loved it and now I'm so terrified that it's gone for good. That Katie's gone for good." The reality of her situation settled over Lorna once more, causing fresh tears to spring to her eyes but she blinked them back, not willing to shed any more until she knew for certain she would never see her daughter again.
Lucy replaced the receiver into its cradle and went in search of her partner. "Jo babe, where are you?"
"In here," came the muffled response from the general direction of the bedroom. Lucy walked in, half expecting to find her lover buried back beneath the duvet. Instead, the older woman was semi-submerged in her wardrobe, rifling through clothing and occasionally tossing items over her shoulder onto a growing heap on the bedroom floor.
"What you doing, sweetheart?" Lucy picked up one of the discarded tops, examining it as if she could divine the reason for its rejection through sheer concentration.
"You're going to need some space for your clothes and I'm not likely to be wearing any of this stuff again so I'm killing two birds with one stone; making space for you to move in to and getting rid of things I no longer have any use for." Jo continued to ruthlessly weed out clothing.
"Darling, we can sort out where my stuff will go any time, there's no urgency to do it right this minute. Why don't we go downstairs and have a cuppa? Relax for a while."
"Don't you need to be getting to work? You're already going to be late as it is," Jo cautioned with a pointed glance at the digital clock on the bedside cabinet.
"No I'm not. I just spoke to my boss and he's agreed to give me the rest of the week off." Lucy had explained to the man about how hard they were both finding it since Jo came out of hospital, how they were struggling to adjust to the realities of what living with her cancer meant and how guilty Lucy felt for going back to work so soon after Jo's return home. At first, he had been reluctant to give her more than a few additional hours in a morning, hoping that it would suffice if Lucy could spend some time making sure her partner was ok before leaving her and heading in to the office but Lucy had haltingly informed him of how she had discovered the older woman earlier that morning, preparing to take a pair of scissors to her own hair, convinced of her unattractiveness and worthlessness. The young brunette had promised that in return, she would work through the summer months, covering the workload of others when they wanted to take holidays, within reason. She hoped that it was a bargain she wouldn't live to regret making.
"Are you sure? That seems very generous of him. What do you have to do in return?" Jo was immediately suspicious of the cost of this agreement. Lucy had made no secret of the fact that since she had informed her boss of her relationship with Jo – a necessity following the need for repeated time off and answering personal phone calls during her working day – he had been overly attentive to her whenever she was in the office; watching her as she worked, standing closer to her than necessary when he visited her desk, following her to the staff room when she went to make drinks for herself and her colleagues.
"I've agreed not to take time off in the summer months, so my colleagues can go away on their holidays. Most of them have kids so they need time off during the school holidays and of course, we tend to be really rather busy around then with people trying to book last minute getaways. I'm not tied to needing leave at certain times of the year though so it really is no skin off my nose," Lucy advised.
"So long as that doesn't give him an excuse to have you working every weekend throughout the summer months and as long as he doesn't try anything. You need more than one day off a week, love, or you'll burn yourself out." Jo paused in her spring cleaning efforts long enough to cup her lover's cheek with a warm palm, caressing the ridge beneath her eye tenderly with a gentle thumb.
"Right now, spending time with you and making sure you are alright is my only priority. I'll cross whatever bridges I have to when the time comes in summer but I can assure you if he so much as hints on making a move on me, he will be the one working every weekend and covering for all the staff on leave, on his own after I castrate him! I'm a big girl Jo, I know how guys like him operate and I have no intention of being a malleable, timid target for his attentions." Lucy leant into the soft caress, stepping closer and settling her own hands behind Jo's neck, clasping them together effectively capturing her lover in her embrace. "Now, will you please come and join me downstairs for a cuddle and a cup of coffee? I'd like you to come back to doing this later when we can spend time going through it together. There are one or two tops on the floor here that I'd like to see you in again."
"I'll accept the invitation for a drink and for the cuddle as well. As far as the clothes go, I'm making no promises there, I'm sorry," Jo murmured, ducking her head and extricating herself from the younger woman's hold.
"We'll see how you feel later. Come on, I've got some things I want to talk to you about." Lucy led an apprehensive brunette from the bedroom, tugging on their joined hands until she had got Jo settled on the couch. She returned a few minutes later to find the other woman in the same position, a worried frown sitting deeply on her brow.
"What's up?" Jo's tone held distinct overtones of nervousness and anxiety, her body rigid and unyielding as Lucy attempted to guide her into a comfortable embrace.
Dropping a tender kiss against the detective's temple, Lucy assured her, "it's nothing bad, I promise. Nothing that is going to hurt you. I just wanted to talk to you about earlier, about this morning and what happened in the kitchen." She felt the muscles which had just begun to relax a little tense up once more. "Hey, don't do that, don't pull away from me and shut down. I want you to feel like you can talk about anything you're feeling, everything you're experiencing, without fearing that I'll disappear. So I'm going to sit here with you for as long as it takes for you to understand that I love you, that I am in love with you and that no matter how hard this fight gets, no matter how many times you think I might be growing tired or wanting to leave, I will be right here, beside you, holding you, kissing you, making love with you and supporting you. We knew, when you had the treatment options outlined, that there was a distinct possibility you would lose some if not all of your hair. I knew it, then and now, and it makes no difference to how much I love you, to how much I want to show you that I love you, to how beautiful and stunning and gorgeous I think you are. Have you given any thought to what you want to do until your hair grows back? Would you prefer wearing a wig, would that make you feel less self conscious? Or would you prefer headscarves or hats, caps, bandanas? Personally, I think you'll look beautiful whatever you choose to do but even more so if it's something you can grow to be comfortable with." Lucy kissed Jo's hunched shoulder, one arm draped across the back of the sofa's cushions, the other hand resting on Jo's toned thigh.
"I… I've… I haven't really given it much thought. I guess… I mean people are going to know it's not real if I wear a wig aren't they?"
"Not necessarily. It's amazing what they can do now, they look natural and you can style it to suit you," Lucy assured.
"I never realised I was so vain," Jo grumbled glumly, leaning forward and burying her face in her hands, elbows propped on her knees.
"Oh honey, it's not about vanity. It's about confidence and identity and choice. Changing your appearance like this isn't what you would choose for yourself, it isn't within your control. Which is why we're going to go shopping for whatever you do choose which would make you feel more like 'you' for the duration of your treatment. And why we're going to get a hairdresser to come here and cut your hair for you rather than waiting for nature to take its course – give you back some of the control about how and when instead of the drugs being completely in charge. So what do you say? Are you more of a baseball cap kinda girl or are we going to be looking for scarves? Or some of each? I personally think we should get you some warm beanie hats, for when you go out, at least until the weather turns a bit warmer again but it's entirely up you, whatever you want." Lucy's hand soothed wide circles over the expanse of Jo's back.
"I think I'm more likely to feel as comfortable as I'm going to with bandanas rather than headscarves, I'm not really a flowery type person," Jo answered at length after considering her options.
"Oooh, I think you're going to look bad-ass and sexy," Lucy assured her lover, offering a wink and a cheeky grin when Jo turned an incredulous look on her.
"Oh yeah, that's likely. Bald and barfing, if that's what turns you on I think we might have a problem." Lucy couldn't tell if Jo was being serious or not, so opted for a practical demonstration of precisely what turned her on, kissing the older woman soundly.
"I will always find you sexy," she murmured against her girlfriend's pliant lips before resuming their kiss.