Fandom: Emmerdale

Pairing: Charity & Vanessa

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing games with them.

Summary: Charity didn't want to be jealous when she saw the selfie Vanessa had sent her…but she really REALLY was.

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Charity had been pacing up and down behind the bar for the last hour and she was sure that it was driving Chas mental. If she could stop it and just stand still then she would because god knows she really didn't want to feel like this.

Vanessa was in a right old mood with her…which was fine, she did deserve it. Obviously she should have told the blonde that she was going on holiday no matter how fast it had all come about. She'd just been in such a rush to get Noah away from Joe fucking Tate. Not that it was a very good excuse. They had taken a big step forward after Charity had confessed that she did actually care for Vanessa and now she had made them take a giant leap back.

Normally that wouldn't have her so worked up because she'd expect to be able to wear Vanessa down into forgiving her. Except Vanessa wasn't home or at the Woolpack to grovel at. No, Vanessa was out in town at a bloody gay bar. A gay bar that would be full of single and very willing gay women for the tiny blonde rocket woman to distract herself with instead. Charity really didn't like that idea. They might just be having fun but that didn't mean she wanted to share.

"Jesus will you either stand still or just go after her or something" Chas finally snapped.

Charity glared at her cousin, annoyed that half the pub could hear what she had said. It was bad enough that she was letting this get to her and she didn't need people she couldn't stand knowing how she felt.

"I don't know what you're going on about" she snapped back.

Her cousin rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. The brunette had been cleaning the bar with a cloth and had stopped to glare at her.

"Of course you don't" Chas replied.

Charity snatched the cloth out of her hand and began to furiously scrub at the bar with it. Several of the patrons were staring at her and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from telling them all to fuck off. It might make her feel slightly better, but no doubt Chas would be livid with her. They could do without the pub going under as well as the rest of the shit they were going through.

Her mobile buzzed in her pocket, so she flung the cloth in the general direction of the sink and retrieved the phone from by the till. For a second her mood lifted when she saw Vanessa's name on the screen. If Vanessa was messaging her then perhaps she wasn't enjoying herself and Charity had really spoiled her for any other women or men. The mood was completely shattered though when the text loaded and she realised it was a selfie.

"Oh fuck the fuckity fuck off" Charity growled at the screen before slamming the phone back down by the till.

Chas was like a blood hound and was over her shoulder immediately, having a good look at the offending text.

"Wow" she commented, "look at Vanessa surrounded by all those hot women."

Charity felt her blood boil because that was exactly wat the picture showed. It was Vanessa sat in the middle of a group of thirty odd year-old women, one of who was leaning against her and looking at her like she was lunch. It was a brunette in a skimpy top and worst of all…she was attractive.

"Shut up Chas" Charity snarled at her cousin.

She turned the phone over, so she didn't have to look at it any more and looked up at the mirror behind the bar. She was fucking hot. She was really hot…hotter than that damn brunette even if she was a few years older. Not only was she hot but she was also really fucking good in bed. The had shared a few REALLY good nights together and Vanessa had said she really liked her. Hell, Charity had even admitted that she cared about Vanessa. They had even woken up together after the damn conversation, rather than Ness doing an early morning flit, and had sex again…followed up by tea and breakfast. It had meant something. Then Charity had messed up as per usual and not even sent her a text to say she would be away for ten days.

"Charity…" Chas began to try and speak.

"Why should I care" Charity cut her off, defences and heckles completely up.

It was complete crap though because she did care. She cared a lot and was doing a really poor job of hiding it.

"Charity you are jealous as hell…" Chas pushed, "…go do something about it."

God, she hated the fact that it was true. She was REALLY jealous at the idea of Vanessa with anyone else. Just the idea of someone else kissing the small blonde was enough to make her want to vomit. Chas looked at her sympathetically and that was the final straw. She wasn't going to let Vanessa Woodfield slip away from her. Charity grabbed her phone and her car keys and stormed out of the pub.

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Charity had been careful not to speed too much on her way over to the bar. She knew where all the speed cameras were anyway which came in useful when one wanted to avoid a fine. She haphazardly parked on the roadside across from the bar, hoping no one clamped it in the time it took her to extricate Vanessa.

She stormed across the road and straight into the bar, ignoring the bouncer who put his hand out to say something to her. She had no idea if he was complaining about her parking or expecting entrance money…but she really couldn't care less even if she tried.

Once inside she pushed passed a group of men who were standing near the door way and towards the bar. She instantly spotted Robert who appeared to be trying (and failing) to chat up some bloke in a really ugly shirt. Vanessa was not with him. He spotted her though and looked surprised…and then oddly pleased to see her. He nodded across the bar and towards a large group of men and women who were dancing to some god awful modern music. Charity marched towards them and as she got closer she could make out Ness, looking really rather amazing in a short black dress, dancing in the middle of the crowd.

The brunette creature was still dancing close by and making eyes at her but to Charity's relief it appeared that Vanessa was too busy having fun to notice her advances. In fact, right in front of Charity's eyes the girl tried to grind up against Ness a bit more, but the blonde moved a safe distance away again.

It was a relief, but it didn't stop the jealous fire burning. The fact of the matter was that Vanessa was here and looking stunning without her, on show and technically available for others to try their luck with. She took a step closer so that she was at the periphery of the group just as Vanessa swung her hips around so that she was facing her.

Everything seemed to stop for a second (except the appalling music) as Vanessa froze and stared at her. The others in the group all looked at her too, curious as to who she was and why her entrance had affected their new friend so much. And Vanessa was affected. Charity watched the emotions flicker across the other woman's face; from surprise, to happiness and then to desire.

The smaller blonde stepped towards her, tripping over someone's foot and stumbling straight into Charity. She opened her arms and caught her, wrapping them around the vet's waist to keep her close. Vanessa flung her arms over Charity's shoulders bringing their faces close together.

"I'm not drunk really" Ness assured her.

It was followed by a giggle that suggested she was at least a little bit drunk but only on a buzzed level. Charity could smell some sort of fruity cocktail on her breath, which was pleasantly ghosting over her own lips due to their close proximity.

"What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked.

Charity suspected that the other woman knew full well that she was there because of the damn picture she'd sent her. No amount of feigned innocence could hide the fact that Vanessa had gotten exactly the reaction that she'd wanted out of her.

"I could ask you the same thing" Charity replied irritably.

Vanessa smirked and stepped onto her tip toes, teasingly brushing her lips against Charity's before dropping back down again.

"You're jealous" the smaller woman declared.

It was Charity's natural instinct to scoff at the suggestion or outright deny it. That would surely lead to a wasted journey, so she bit down the temptation to throw all her walls up and took a deep breath to steel herself.

"Yes" she admitted through gritted teeth.

Her eyes had automatically snapped shut as she admitted it, scared to see the reaction in case it wasn't the desired outcome. So, she was surprised when she felt Ness begin to slowly sway her hips to the music, practically grinding against her because they were holding each other. Charity let her own hips follow the rhythm that Vanessa was setting and flattened her hands out across the smaller woman's back, enjoying the feeling of muscles rippling under the thin material of the dress as they moved. Charity opened her eyes as Vanessa pulled her lower, so their mouths were by the others ear and they could hear each other clearer through the overly loud dance music.

"But we are just having fun right?" Vanessa asked, "So why can't I have fun here too."

That was the million-dollar question wasn't it? As much as Charity was terrified to commit and put herself and her feelings out in the open for all to see…as much as she feared getting hurt…she couldn't escape the fact that she had already fallen for Ness passed the point of no return. At some point the power had shifted completely into the other woman's hands. One wrong move now and she would be hurt no matter what the outcome. The only solution was to take a leap into the dark and take a chance on them actually working out.

"I…" Charity struggled, "…I don't want you to sleep with other people."

It wasn't enough, she knew it wasn't enough, but the words did seem to pique the other woman's interest. Vanessa pulled back slightly so that they were looking at each other again but not enough to prevent their hips from swaying together.

"I've never…I don't…I…" she stumbled over her words.

Charity felt a lost under the gaze of the other woman's blue eyes, desperate to look away and try to regain some sort semblance of control but unable to do so. Instead she was caught in Vanessa's hopeful gaze whilst her stomach felt like it was doing gymnastics and her heart pounded louder than the beat of the music. She was surprised Vanessa couldn't hear it considering how loudly it was ringing in her own ears. They were surely close enough for the smaller blonde to feel it. In fact, Charity was sure her hands were also shaking against the vet's back.

"I really like you Ness" she finally managed to force out, "I want to give this an actual go."

There, she had said it. She may have only used the word 'like' but the fact she had drove across the dales and into town in a fit of jealousy to ask for a committed relationship signalled that the word may have been somewhat of a fucking understatement. Charity had just put it all on the line in the hope that Vanessa genuinely did feel the same. If she didn't then Charity had probably just made a fool of herself.

Time seemed to stand still again as Vanessa's eyes flickered across her face, trying to read if she was being genuine. That hurt a little but after all the games and everything that she had a reputation for Charity knew she had little right to complain. Charity awkwardly glanced down to escape the scrutiny. She was definitely shaking now, so much so that she tried to pull away slightly to put some space between them. As soon as she tried to step back though, Vanessa stepped into her space again and cupped her face with the palm of her hands.

"I only want you" the smaller blonde said with absolute certainty, "no one else…just you."

Charity's internal reaction to those words was hard to describe. Relief, Happiness, Some more athleticism from her internal organs, Desire…there was definitely desire. She practically burnt she was that turned on by not only the words themselves but their honest delivery.

With hands that were no longer shaking she pulled the smaller woman up and into her and kissed her hard…fuck the fact they were in a bar with strangers and a few people who knew them gawping at them. Charity hoped Vanessa's brunette admirer was slinking off right now in the knowledge that Ness was well and truly not available.

Vanessa met her passion equally and tugged her down into the kiss by her hair. Their mouths met again and again until Charity was totally breathless and had to pull out of the kiss, resting her forehead against the smaller woman's as she sucked in some much-needed air. They didn't break for long though and Vanessa was back on her tip toes, teasingly brushing her lips against Charity's without fully diving in for a kiss. It was driving Charity crazy (in a good kind of way) and a little weak at the knees.

"Take me home yeah?" Ness reached up and moaned into her ear.

Charity's hands gripped at the other woman's back in response, drawing a needy moan from the smaller blonde. There was no doubt were this night was now leading. Putting whatever constituted as her heart on the line had been terrifying but she had a very positive feeling that it was going to pay handsomely at least for the near future. She couldn't remember the last time she'd really felt like that or if she ever truly had before. She had spent a life time always expecting the worse.

Apparently she wasn't moving quickly enough for Ness…probably because she wasn't moving at all…just gazing at the smaller woman like a love sick teenager, so Vanessa leant in and nipped at her earlobe.

"Let me show you how much I want you" the other woman moaned into her ear again.

That broke Charity from her stupor. She grabbed the blonde's hand and started to quickly guide her towards the exit, giving Robert a cheerful wave on the way past. She just really hoped no bastard police man had clamped her car…that was about the only thing that could dampen her good mood right now.