CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Power and love are desired entities that most people spend their lives for. Sometimes they're attainable and other times the reach is too far to even attempt. Poverty of wealth and the heart are afflictions that Randall couldn't write a book about, but he was familiar with both. He saw it on television had heard conversations and even read books about them, but there wasn't something he could consider himself an expert of.
David like power and money and in his mind Randall was a man after his own heart. He'd spent years letting Blair make her own decisions about the person she would spend the rest of her life with. When he found his inaction had gone awry he made moves to rectify it.
They often had lunch around this time. They would talk shop and David could act like the concerned doting father he had never been. Randall didn't need to know that he was a pawn to kill the last bit of affection he knew his daughter held for Jo. This extra time with his future son-in-law allotted time to make 'suggestions' to woo his baby. Randall, none the wiser, took the information in stride developing a fantasy of his own about what his life would be like when he was at the reigns of Blair's life. It wasn't a position her father would give up easily, but if he played the cards right he could convince David to relinquish it.
Jo watched Lorraine sleep. The woman's face was still swelled, but she didn't look as bad as she first did when she was brought there. Remy called in a physician that first night to look after her care. She was given a clean bill of health outside of the swelling and bruising. If they hadn't gotten there who knows what Bell would have done to her.
"Who is she?"
Jo turned frowning at her unexpected visitor. David Warner had more right than anyone to be there since it was his apartment she was using. That didn't stop her resentment that he came and went as he pleased in a place he freely gave. But she supposed forfeiting any privacy was one of the prices she had to pay, which was why in all the months it was available she hadn't used it until now.
"Someone who needed help," she admitted reluctantly. She moved and relaxed in the den. She didn't want him near her charge.
"I didn't give you this place to make it your own personal half way house," David sat across from her. Jo studied their positions always on opposing sides. It was the reality of their relationship since they met.
"She doesn't concern you," Jo knew he was searching for more leverage.
The older man pursed his lips. "She does when she is accepting Warner hospitality by staying here and cared for by my doctor."
"Not everyone is a power play."
He sighed. "There's a lot of potential in you Joanne, get over that big block of integrity in your path and you're no different than me."
"I like my block," Jo deadpanned.
"What's it done for you so far?" He shifted in his seat, his hand braced on the sides of the chair.
"I can think of one big thing." Warner quirked his brow for her to continue, "it reminds me I'm not you or the Charles March's of the world."
"Obviously it's not so bad being a silver spoon," he smirked referring to his wealth and all the luxuries that came with it.
Jo narrowed her eyes, "for now."
"You don't get your man detective, you don't get the key to city, and you definitely aren't getting the girl," he crossed his legs letting his ankle rest on his knee.
Jo clenched her jaw. Doing him physical harm would be selfish and satisfying, but she knew couldn't, not yet. She let David Warner take his proverbial victory lap. There was always something that could tip the scales. Over a decade of having one of the most conniving best friends had taught her some things. She never knew when she had to use them, but they were part of her repertoire when the occasion called for it.
"So is that all?" she asked bored with his company.
"No," he continued, "I actually came by to drop off a gift," he pointed toward the miniature box that sat on the table.
When her gaze landed on it she didn't let her brow furrow, but she was wary of its contents. She made no move to open it. David didn't wait for her to if he thought she would. Just as quietly and quickly he had come he left in the same fashion. Jo leaned on her knees and looked at the box. It was lavender with a pink bow. She grimaced inwardly at the color choice. Blair would have appreciated the design more than she.
She looked up at the door where he disappeared. There was no one else in the room for her. She tipped the box open to peak at first. H er eyes narrowed. She dropped it on the table and stared at it the necklace. She lay back into the comfort of the chair. It was a modest trinket she took care to choose. It was going on the neck of one of the most beautiful women in the world after all. Blair had loved the gift even though she had her choice of diamonds and pearls when it came to jewelry.
She said she would never take it off. The mechanic succumbed to a flurry of emotions closing her eyes. She didn't wipe away the tear that fell. Instead Jo felt it fall down her cheek to her chin and drop somewhere on her shirt. She remembered Blair wearing it at the ice cream parlor. She tried to remember if she had seen it when she barged in her office. David could have duplicated it. He'd admitted to knowing about them. There was no reason to believe that while he had them watched he wasn't taking notes on how to break them apart. David was as meticulous with a plan as Blair is with her wardrobe choice and a lot more dangerous.
She leaned forward sighing picking the necklace up. She held it to her face looking at the heart twist and turn. Blair had smiled with joy when she woke up with Jo trying to sneak it on her neck. Jo's smile was bittersweet then it dropped into a determined line. She collected her jacket after checking on Lorraine and leaving a note just in case.
Jo hailed a cab and gave the driver Blair's address. When she slid back in the seat she watched the city as they sped by. Lights were still on and Jo looked down at her watch to see what time it was. She found only a bare arm and wondered where she left it, and then she remembered she showered at Tootie's that afternoon. Her lip twitched recalling Tootie and Natalie's intervention. They had the best of intentions, but even that was too unexpected for Jo.
When the cab stopped she paid and jumped out the car without a second glance to him. She didn't notice as it left. Her eyes were trained on the stoop and then the house that it led to. She took the steps one after the other almost wishing there were more. Coming over felt like a good idea with raw emotion coursing through her veins, but now she wasn't sure. The lights were off and Jo wished that she knew what time it was. She hadn't thought to ask the cabbie, he would have known.
She turned before she felt something in her jacket pocket. She looked down at her tools and then turned back to the lock. She remembered she used them to break into the Bell home. One second of thought was all she allowed herself to think about what she was doing. A few moments of tinkering and she was inside. Jo opened the door slowly and quietly with practiced ease. She was a professional at sneaking in since the tender age of twelve, when she was young and stupid. Some could say she was revisiting that now.
The door shut with a click. When Natalie was having trouble with rent Blair proposed she stay with her. Blair paid most of the rent lessening Natalie's stress to keep up. Tootie was the first to volunteer, but her place was too small for the both of them and a terrible commute to Natalie's job. Jo had only been here a few times, but never in Blair's room. She looked at the hallway at each door willing one of them to tell her if Blair was behind it. In all probability she wouldn't be happy to see Jo. But her feet wouldn't move to retreat. Her hand closed around the charm and suddenly she was filled with the emotion that brought her out tonight.
"Blair," she whispered harshly. Distancing herself was a long forgotten tactic she pulled on like a second skin when David reentered her life so proactively. Now all she wanted was for Blair to understand that everything she did and had done was what she needed to do. It sounded convoluted even to her even when she didn't say it out loud; perhaps that was why she'd avoided talking about it to anyone. They would think she was over complicating the situation when in fact she wasn't.
Her head immediately jerked in the direction of the front door. She heard it open. She looked down the hallway with the closed doors. She assumed earlier that they were both asleep. She strained her ears to listen. She heard whispering. The sets of voices sounded like they belonged to a man and a woman. Jo frowned she couldn't tell which roommate it was. Her heart sank at the possibility that it was Blair.
Moans replaced talking and Jo for a moment forgot herself and slammed her head against the frame of the wall. The thud was louder than she anticipated and she stopped to listen hoping no one noticed. When the moaning got louder Jo realized it definitely wasn't Blair making the noise. She knew that sound very well. No, Natalie was getting it on with a mystery man and couldn't remember Tootie making mention of a man in her life right now. She had been busy, but Natalie and Tootie weren't subtle about their love lives.
"Yes," Natalie hissed and Jo groaned inwardly. She was stuck. There wasn't another way out and the only way she could escape was passed the two people in heat. It would be a very awkward conversation and she no long felt like a confrontation with Blair would be good considering. She heard a door open behind her and she immediately jetted towards it. Covering Blair's mouth with her hands she moved them back into a startled Blair's room.
A muffled protest erupted from Blair. Working on pure instinct and a few self defense classes she threw her knee upward. Jo groaned then collapsed when she felt something hard and boney connect unkindly in between her legs. Her arms went up futilely when something struck her over and over. In the dark, however, she couldn't anticipate where Blair would strike next.
"Hey," Jo growled, "stop!" Jo struggled to stand but kept getting beat back down by whatever it was that Blair was hitting her with.
The screaming startled the duo in the living area. Natalie and her friend moved hurriedly to the origin of the noise haphazardly pulling their clothes together. When they reached the room, Natalie, more familiar with the architecture, found the light and switched it on.
"It's me!" Jo yelled needlessly now that Blair could indeed see.
Blair stopped herself mid attack when she saw her former lover balled up on the floor. She heard the yelling and the voice had registered on some level familiar. She wasn't going to take the chance to be raped because of familiar.
"Jo?" Natalie frowned. Her friend hauled Jo up and held her looking to Blair.
"Are you ok?" he asked glaring darkly at the intruder as Jo yanked her arm away returning the sentiment.
"Fine," she huffed. Her breath came out fast from the exertion of beating her friend into a pulp. Jo looked at the weapon and smirked at the toy bat she gave Blair a year ago. It was a souvenir from a game a Yankees game. Blair claimed it was hideous, but obviously it had made an impression if she still had, even if it was for a weapon.
"You sure?" he looked Blair over to make sure Jo hadn't harmed her.
Natalie pushed passed him to join in, "of course she's fine the only one here that looks like they need medical attention is this one. Are you ok?"
"Is she ok?" Blair asked indignantly, "I'm the one that was attacked."
"I didn't lay a hand on you!"
"What do you call putting your hand over my mouth?"
"I just didn't want you to interrupt Tarzan and Jane in the living room."
Natalie blushed and her friend's face reddened as well, but neither woman noticed. Natalie knew that whatever else either one of them said wouldn't be welcomed or acknowledged. Her investigation into the department's investigation wasn't far from being broached. Though, she didn't think it was the time or the place to talk. She pulled her curious companion from the room and shook her head when he opened his mouth to speak. There was no point in interrupting their argument. Perhaps this is what they needed anyway, a confrontation to let out all the tension.
"Why are you here?" she placed her hands on her hips with a determined stance.
The question prompted Jo to close her mouth swallowing the reply on the tip of her tongue. She knew why she had come and now standing in front of Blair it seemed like a stupid gesture. What had she come here and expected? Blair was angry with her, it made sense for her not to want Jo's gift anymore. In school it wasn't uncommon for Blair to discard gifts when she found a suitor unworthy of her affections. Jo had proven herself unworthy and Blair had finally gotten over her. It wasn't something she wanted even though Jo's actions up until that point said the opposite.
"Nothing," she responded sheepishly.
"Nothing?" Blair held up her bat, "you risked getting beat to death for nothing?"
Jo quirked her brow at the weapon.
Blair tilted it challengingly and Jo started towards the door, "where are you going?"
"Leaving," she didn't bother to turn, if she had she would have ducked. Blair swung hitting her hard on the back of the head. Jo stopped in her tracks.
"What was that?" Jo held the part of her head Blair smacked.
"A goodnight kiss," Blair answered smartly.
"You…if you hit me again…." Jo trailed off wishing for something inventive.
"What?" Blair stepped forward in challenge. Both hands held the bat ready to strike again.
Jo looked down at the offending object and for the first time wondered if that it was actually a good idea.
"I'll hit you back," Jo finished. She turned fully to the heiress daring her to take a swing.
Blair smiled thinly. She lowered the bat down to her side and nodded her head. It was only until Jo turned around to leave again did she strike. Jo whipped around grabbing the bat first backing Blair up to the bed. She fell on the mattress when the back of her knees gave out at the impact. She lay breathing heavily. Jo noticed that her top had opened slight letting the curve of her breast peak out in greeting. There was nothing especially sexy about her pajamas, but she learned a long time ago Blair could make anything she wore work.
"Are you going to hit me now?" Blair husked angrily. She was aroused. Jo made her aroused and she hated that fact. She wanted to hate Jo, but it was hard to separate rage and lust when it came to the cop.
Jo leaned over resting on one hand while the other kept a tight grip of the bat in the other. She never expected to give into Blair. This was when the debutante was at her sexist. In her natural form without all the makeup just the look in her eyes was enough. It also helped that she knew the woman wouldn't be wearing anything underneath.
Closing in on Blair's lips Blair thought about smacking her. She wanted Jo to hurt as much as she did. It was physical pain, but at least it would be something. Her plan was to let Jo kiss her and then retaliate with teeth instead. The plan had gone horribly wrong and instead she responded whole heartedly with tongue.
They grappled for control of the kiss. All their rage and frustration melded, battled, and bent with both their wills. Neither was ready to give up power and neither would. Jo pushed Blair farther of the bed straddling her. She threw the bat away not caring where it landed. She was too focused on her body and the woman underneath her.
"Jo," Blair moaned when she pulled her mouth away and let the brunette attack her throat.
The mechanic whimpered in answer, but Blair forgot what she was about to say. This was what she had wanted. This was what Jo denied her for months. How she and Jo would feel after didn't matter. All that mattered was here and now they were together. It felt good to be underneath Jo, even as she acknowledged the thought she pushed Jo aside and claimed the top.
Jo leaned up as much as she could pushing away the hair that had fallen into Blair's face. It wasn't usually unkempt so Jo took pleasure in the moments that very few people were privy to. Blair was all control and shallow to a point, but not now. She loved Blair. And for the first time in months she wanted to say the words out loud. She wanted to give Blair back everything she had taken and denied. Everything that included what David Warner said she could never have.
Jo eyed Blair's hips as they moved against her stomach in a silent rhythm. Jo grunted biting the bottom of her lip becoming painfully aroused. Blair, ever the extrovert, brought that energy into the bedroom. It was a show that Jo came to anticipate enthusiastically. Jo rose to meet her half way when she leaned down but instead Blair pushed the other woman away.
The mechanic dropped her head back down to the mattress. Her chest rose and fell as she stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Licking her lips catching her breath she leaned up on her elbows. They stared at each other breathing heavily.
Time felt at a halt lost in each other.
"Lay with me." Jo coaxed her further caressing her thighs through the fabric of her pajamas.
The blonde acquiesced after a moment of hesitation. She fell gently on her lover's chest. They didn't speak their truce and the blanket of silence was too fragile to ruin with words.