I had meant to end it there... but the plot bunny savaged me again and there will be more... and some SP action thrown in for good measure...
Jo lay on her side and watched him while he was sleeping, part of her still couldn't quite believe she was in the midst of a passionate affair with her male colleague. Stuart was such a mass of contradictions, and had built a fairly ruthless defense system against anyone getting close. Wherever this was going, and she was certain that it didn't have a great deal of future, Jo was simply happy for the present, it was definitely a gift. She was seeing a side to him which no one else had ever seen and found she really liked the softer, gentler side which he kept well hidden.
Even now, sprawled across half the bed apparently totally relaxed and fast asleep, he had one hand on her hip, as though he was reassuring himself that she was there and wasn't going to leave him. Stuart was so spectacularly good at being a totally arrogant arse, that it was small wonder people didn't warm to his style. But she got to see the sweet caring side, which only came out when they were alone, or when Mai was present. When he'd told her that he loved her, Jo could see the sincerity and the fear in his eyes.
The blossoming of their relationship was something that was relatively easy to keep secret from the rest of CID, purely on the grounds that they'd never put the two of us together, Jo smiled ruefully. Privacy wasn't particularly a problem, Stuart didn't really form the kind of relationships at work which would have led to the sharing of such a momentous confidence, Jo felt it was better for everyone if she and Stuart were the only two in the know, so to speak, which left Mai. Stuart's little foster child was bright, perceptive and quick on the uptake, besides she was sleeping in the bedroom next door. There had been a couple of anxious moments when Jo thought that the little girl might inadvertently spill the beans, but for all that Mai was only five, she was a shrewd little thing completely devoted to Stuart.
Jo pondered that devotion for a moment. Stuart had rescued Mai after her parents had been lost in a boat sinking on the river. He'd found the wet, cold, utterly terrified child and brought her out of the cold, dark, empty factory building where she'd been hiding. So it was small wonder that the little girl should cling to the first person who was kind to her after such a horrendous experience. But that Stuart had abandoned his usual defenses so quickly in front of herself, Stevie and Kezia stunned her. While it appeared that the trained social worker, Claire Jones, could do no right, Stuart had instantly got through to the little girl. Whether it was kneeling down at her eye level and talking to her, or whether it was just Mai not wanting to experience any more complete strangers, Stuart had obviously done all the right things. Anyway, Mai wanted to be with Stuart, and he clearly wanted to keep her. Mai had energetically defended her right to stay with him, Jo smiled remembering the two or three skirmishes with Claire Jones, who wanted to move her to a family, during which Mai had demonstrated her firm dislike of the woman. In the end, Mai had got what both she and Stuart appeared to want very badly. Stuart had gone to court, and it was all ratified by the Judge. Mai was his to keep.
On the subject of Mai, CID was fairly torn. Stevie, Kezia, and Terry were re-evaluating their opinions of DS Stuart Turner, his fellow Detective Sergeants Max Carter and Phil Hunter thought it was some sort of elaborate trick to win back DI Nixon, if only they knew. Jo frowned, that was the one real cloud in her current state of happiness. Sam Nixon, her friend. Sam and Stuart had had a passionate affair, Sam had fallen pregnant, Stuart had panicked somewhat, and made a complete mess of it, tragically Sam had miscarried and in the process, somehow Phil had become involved, and Sam and Stuart's relationship had collapsed.
Sam still had some feelings for Stuart, and he had some feelings left for her. The most intense was his regret that he'd hurt her so much. But he couldn't tell her, and that was a subject which Jo wished that both her friend and her lover could find some closure on.
She put her hand out and stroked his shoulder, remembering the day that led to where they were now, replaying it in her mind, the car, Stuart being hit, the sickeningly loud crunch as his shoulder slammed into the fence post, the way he'd clung firmly to her hand while they'd waited for the ambulance, the confusing and stressful round of x-rays, and examinations and the painful process of having the fracture stabilized... Stuart moved closer and his hand slid up her body, interrupting Jo's reverie.
His eyes opened slowly, "Mornin..." he whispered, and pulled gently, Jo slid closer to him, "mornin... hun", she let the word hang between them, loving the way his eyes lit up when she called him that, it was their little secret word, ordinary, but meant so much to both of them. Then he bent to kiss her, pulling her up against his body, and the early wake up slipped out of focus as they explored each other, making love with a slow intensity.
Afterwards, they lay tangled up together, not wanting to let go, waiting for the alarm to go off, and wishing that it wouldn't. Jo laid her cheek against Stuart's hair, whilst he nuzzled her neck, and held her close. She supposed that she loved this part best of all, whatever her orientation, the closeness that she felt in Stuart's arms, knowing that this difficult, complex and interesting man loved her, made all the difference. Her arms were round his neck, and she squeezed a little, hugging him closer. She moved one hand and stroked his bare shoulder again, strange the things which bring us together, loving the contrast between them, his tanned olive skin against her creamy skin... the shrillness of the alarm most unwelcome.
Reluctantly they broke apart, Mai would be getting up and Stuart didn't really want her to catch them both naked. He grabbed his robe and dived for the shower, whilst Jo made breakfast.
"Have you got everything?" Stuart knelt in front of Mai, doing up her school coat, whilst trying to remember what it was that she needed for today.
"I need kit." Mai pouted, she really didn't like PE, the boys were big and rough, and some of the other girls too.
"Kit??" Stuart racked his brains, "Oh, Mai," he said ruefully, "you pick your moments."
"In the drier. All done." Jo handed him the bag. "Good thing some of us are awake, huh!" She winked at Mai, and ruffled Stuart's hair. Mai giggled and winked back. Stuart sighed, authority had gone to pot, and he knew when he was outnumbered. Perversely, it felt good, being outnumbered.
"Okay, school." Stuart stood up. Pulled Jo to him, kissed her, "I'll see you, later." he promised.
Then Mai's little hand firmly clutched in his large one, he was out the door, and heading for his car.
Jo watched them go, marvelling at how good this all felt, their bizarre relationship, this weird semi family dynamic that they'd built up in a few short weeks. Wherever this is going, we make a good team. She smiled, content to just let things happen.