Firefight

[ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 ]

Chapter 1

"Branaugh! Report!"

Alice grimaced, ducking low as she shouldered open another door, stepping back as a long plume of smoke immediately issued out. She watched keenly for any flames but saw none and started forward cautiously. "I've just entered the bedroom," she said, spotting the soot-touched bedspread and mattress. "No sign of the woman. I'm continuing into the bathroom." She walked forward slowly, as much out of necessity as caution; her thick, protective suit kept her safe against the licking flames, but it also hindered her mobility.

A few more steps and she was at the next door, turning the knob with her gloved hands and pushing the door open. Many civilians took refuge in the bathroom, hoping that the water from the sinks and showers would keep them safe. After enough time, however, even that couldn't do the trick. Alice knew that all too well.

At first all she could see was the thin layer of smoke that had managed to fill the room, made all the more confusion by the large mirrored areas of wall. The bathroom was spacious and made to look more so by the smoke billiowing off forever in the mirrors, and Alice thumped into the wall twice before she got to the back of the room. In an alcove of its own, she found the bath, which was filled with water.

The woman was sitting, hunched over, in the cold water, face blackened from smoke, clothes soaked through. She was coughing hoarsly, and didn't even notice the other woman until she touched her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Alice said, her voice muffled and strange-sounding through the filtration mask she wore. "You're going to be okay. Keep your head down, I'm going to help you get out of here."

The woman looked up in her shock, immediately screwing her eyes up as the smoke hit them anew, her coughing worsening.

Looking around, Alice quickly grabbed at the nearest towel, dunking it into the water to wash off the worst of the soot and smoke before holding it up to the woman's face. "Here. Put this over your mouth and nose. What's your name?"

"Em - Emma."

"All right, Emma, we're going to do this together. I want you to breathe into that towel, and stand up very slowly. There's a safe way to get out of here, and I'm going to show you where it is."

Still shaking with coughing, Emma stood shakily to her feet, almost slipping several times.

Carefully Alice put one hand on Emma's arm, helping her to step out of the tub. "This way," she said, not removing her hand as she started for the door.

"Where's Luke? Did he get out okay? Is he okay?"

"He's already outside. Come on, I'll take you to him." By now they were into the bedroom and heading for the door; Alice could see darker smoke rising in the hallway. Though it wasn't surprising, it meant that their exit was rapidly being closed off by flame and smoke. They needed to hurry.

Emma was barely able to walk, her body weak from lack of oxygen and her chest burning from coughing and hot air, but she wrapped an arm around Alice, leaning on her heavily and staggering with her through the hallway.

"Don't worry. We're almost there..." Leading Emma towards the staircase, Alice tried to tread lightly but quickly, glancing sideways to smile reassuringlyh at the other woman through her mask.

Most of Emma's concentration, however, seemed to be trained on keeping on her feet, so it was hard to say whether she noticed.

They were halfway down the stairs when Alice felt the first tremors underfoot that meant their route was no longer quite so steady. "Crap," she muttered, moving her grip to encircle Emma's waist and hurry them down the stairs.

The young woman was shorter than her, and a good bit lighter, and this was just as well as they were fully five steps from the bottom of the staircase when Alice felt it collapse underfoot.

There wasn't much to be done in the situation; it was too far to jump, and Emma wouldn't have made it anyway. Still, Alice made a try, pulling the other woman against her and using her own body to cushion the fall as the burning timbers fell around them.

She had landed short, of course, an was now in a veritable cage of burning timber. Emma lay beside her, unmoving, having finally succumbed to her smoke inhalation.

Groaning, Alice slowly pushed herself up, feeling the heat from the flames radiate around them. "Control, this is Branaugh," she mutttered, reaching down to push a piece of smoldering wood off her leg. "We have a situation."

"Where are you?"

"In the entryway, but the way is blocked. The staircase has collapsed."

"Shit... All right, we'll try and send Rog in after you - status of the woman?"

Looking over at Emma, Alice sucked in a breath. "Out of it. Still breathing, but she's not doing great."

"Can you carry her?"

"Clear me a way, and I can get her out."

"We're trying... Okay, give it a go, Branaugh."

"Copy that." Alice shifted, reaching until she could grab the mostly-dry towel that had once been wrapped around Emma's mouth. It wasn't any good now, and the woman's breaths were coming shallower and shallower. Crap... After barely a moment's hesitation, Alice reached up to unstrap the mask from over her own mouth and replace it over Emma's. "C'mon, c'mon," she said, scooping up the woman into an upright position. "Listen, this is gonna be rough--" here her words were interrupted by a bout of coughing "--but we're gonna make it. So just hold on... and don't die on me." With another lungful of superheated air, Alice slung the woman into a fireman's carry over her shoulders and started for the door. At least, she hoped it was the door. The flames and smoke made it hard to tell.

Fighting her way to the exit felt like wading through boiling molasses, the air thick and shimmering, burning hot in her lungs. In the end Alice had to dip her head to concentrate on her feet, not even seeing what was in front of her any more. By the time she collapsed onto the lawn outside she didn't think she'd ever be able to get back up.

Paramedics swarmed around the two women, strapping on oxygen masks and stripping off their scorched clothes to assess their burns. They were both deemed critical enough for immediate evacuation to the hospital. The last sight Alice saw out of the back windows of the ambulance was the house in flames; a fiery inferno that was raging out of control despite the best efforts of the fire crew. She tried to mumble something to the parademic at her side, asking after Emma, but speaking was difficult, and after several coughing fits she gave up, sinking back into the gurney and closing her eyes as the siren wailed.

 

"Ssh... no, don't try to speak, you have a tube in..."

She recognised the voice immediately as Rog's. There was a large, warm hand over hers that presumably belonged to him. The room was dim when she opened her eyes, which was just as well, as they stung horribly still as it was. Slowly his face swam into view.

"You gave us a right scare."

Smiling wanly, Alice tried to move one hand to pat Rog's, her muscles protesting greatly at the effort. Motioning to the tube in her throat, she pointed 'out', as she couldn't speak or ask the questions she wanted to until it was removed.

Rog nodded, disappearing for a few long moments before returning with a nurse, who, apparently assessing her condition to be sound, nodded and removed the tube.

"Christ," Alice said after a long drink of water, which felt wonderfully cool on her throat. "That's not something I'd like to do again."

"You were incredibly stupid. And incredibly brave."

"I'm glad to see you too, Rog."

The burly man just smiled tightly, nodding, his eyes just the tiniest bit shifty.

"How are they? Luke and Emma? The couple? Did they make it?" she asked then, narrowing her own eyes at him.

Rog chewed his lip for a moment. "Luke's going to be fine - he's up on his feet already - he wants to see you, actually, to thank you for what you did."

"What about the woman? How is she?"

Though it was a matter of seconds, it felt like an eternity before the tall man just shook his head.

"No, Rog..." Alice shut her eyes tightly, feeling them start to sting as they dampened with tears. "Shit. When?"

"Last night. She only lasted a few hours. Her lungs were fucked, Alice, there was nothing you could have done."

"I could've gotten there sooner. I could have hurried faster. I should've given her my mask from the start."

"No, love. You know that's no way to think. You did everything you could. A few seconds faster, what difference would it have made? And as for the mask, you'd both have been gonners - you nearly didn't make it out as it was."

Alice sighed and opened her eyes, though she pointedly didn't look at Rog but at a fixed point over his shoulder. "I know. I know. You're right. Did you save the neighbor's house?"

"Yeh, 'cept the garage."

"Good. I'm glad."

"Alice. I'm sorry."

"S'not your fault, Rog. Thanks for being here." She smiled, shifting a bit under the thin blankets. "You probably need to get some sleep."

"Luke Hall wants to see you. To say thanks. Can I send him in? You don't have to, but..."

"No, sure, it's fine. Go ahead."

 

The slim young man who entered the room still bore the marks of the previous night's incident, his dark hair and eyebrows singed, his face blistered and red in some places, thickly slathered with cream, and his hands wrapped in bandages from the wounds he sustained trying to climb the stairs to get to his wife. They'd had to drag him out in the end, and send Alice in.

"Er, hello," he ventured. He sounded almost as weak as she felt.

"Hello," Alice replied, her voice somewhat gravelly still. She struggled to sit up, the movement chafing her own bandages. "Mr. Hall. I'm very sorry for your loss."

The man shook his head. "Luke, please, and don't get up." The man came to sit by the bed, his expression solemn and intense. "I... wanted to thank you. For what you did."

"I was only doing my job." And not even well.

"I heard them talking. You're not supposed to remove your own breathing apparatus."

Alice raised her shoulders in a slight shrug, though what he had said was true. "I wish I could have done more. I'm so sorry."

Luke only shook his head again, hanging it a moment later as fresh tears sprung up in his eyes, lifting a hand to cover them.

"Oh, please..." Frowning, Alice leaned forward, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"S'allright. Sorry, sorry. I should go, I'm sorry."

"No, I... just don't know what to say," Alice admitted. "She asked if you were okay."

"And you told her?"

"That you had made it outside and were safe."

Luke nodded, though he still couldn't meet Alice's eyes. "That's good, then."

"I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do for you..."

"No, no. Just... thank you. I know you tried."

Alice nodded, dropping her hand from the man's shoulder. She wished Rog or a nurse would come in and give her an excuse to stop talking, but it seemed like a rescue was not to be forthcoming. "You're welcome," she rasped finally.

Luke nodded. "I'm going to go," he said.

"All right." Alice watched as the man stood gingerly, her heart going out to him again as she noticed the wooden way he was moving. Still in shock, I bet, said the part of her that had been trained to recognize such things.

 

She only had one other visitor that day. After Luke had left, she had slipped into a light sleep, drifting in and out of consciousness as her body recuperated. She wasn't sure what time it was when her eyelids fluttered open, and a movement by the doorway caught them. The figure of a slim young woman with short, dark hair and pale skin was standing by the door, watching her from across the room. When she realised that Alice was awake, she nodded hesitantly, and made a sharp exit, the other woman too sluggish and weak to call after her.

 

"Really, Rog, I can just catch a taxi home... I don't need an escort." The protest, of course, was futile, as had the other dozen on the way from Alice's room to the lobby of the hospital. After a few day's observation she had been deemed well enough to be discharged, though she was under strict orders from both her doctors and her superiors to return for checkups and evaluation as the week passed.

"I'm driving you home, Alice. Now don't be ridiculous," Rog said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Gimme a minute, I've got to nip to the restroom." He pointed to one of the waiting room chairs. "Wait right there."

Knowing better than to argue, Alice sighed and took a seat, glancing idly at the dog-eared magazines on the table beside her. She was looking forward to going home; though the doctors had advised her to keep physical exertion to a minimum, she was going crazy from being forced to lie still day in and day out. Some freedom would be very welcome right about then.

It was then the she caught sight for the second time of her mysterious visitor. This time she was dressed in what appeared to be nurse's scrubs, though Alice was sure she hadn't been before. She was currently wrestling with the vending machine to the side of the waiting area.

After looking around to make sure Rog wasn't there to bark at her for getting up, Alice did just that, crossing the room in a few long strides until she was standing directly behind the woman. "Need some help with that? They usually just need a good shove or two."

The women jumped, turning light, green-grey eyes on the firefighter, her face registering shock as she recognised her. "Um... yeah, um, thanks..." she stammered.

Reaching out, Alice thumped the machine on the side with one fist, giving a small smirk of satisfaction as the candy bar teetered and then fell into the tray at the bottom. "There you go."

"Wow..." The woman smiled sheepishly. "Thanks," she said again.

"My pleasure. Wouldn't want your money to go to waste."

"Um... shouldn't you be sitting down or something?"

Alice raised her eyebrows, her eyes dropping to take in the woman's outfit before she raised them again. "I'm okay. Just not supposed to do any hard exercise yet."

"Like muscle exertion for example," the woman said, glancing pointedly at the candy bar in ther hand, her expression slowly becoming a little more confident.

"That was hardly exertion. Just a little thump. I didn't even break a sweat," Alice joked. "Promise."

"You're feeling better then?"

"Er, yes."

The woman nodded haltingly. "Good. Good."

"Right. I'm sorry, have we met? Because the last few days have been kind of a haze to me..."

"Ah. No, not exactly." The woman reached to stratch her cheek nervously. "I'm, um. My name is Chris. I, um. Knew Emma."

"Oh." At the name Alice straightened from her relaxed slouch, her expression becoming somewhat drawn. "I'm sorry. You have my condolences."

"I came to see you, but you were asleep, and then. Well, then I chickened out." The young woman placed a hand on Alice's arm, meeting her eyes steadily. "I wanted to thank you. For what you did."

"It was my job," came the automatic answer, the one that Alice always thought sounded so cliched on TV. She could understand why people said it now, though.

"I don't care."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't care if it was your job. It meant something that you tried and you should know that I'm thankful for that."

"Oh." Alice nodded stiffly. "Okay."

"Look, I..." Chris chewed her lower lip a moment, considering her next words carefully. "I've been where you are right now. I know how it feels. If there's anything I can do..."

"I don't know if there is, but thanks." Alice hadn't meant it to sound so blunt, but she honestly couldn't think of anything that would help the way she felt whenever anybody brought up the woman she had failed to save. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so rude," she continued, frowning. "But I don't know if there's anything to be done. I think I just need to get through it myself."

"If you ever want to, I don't know. Know about her, or whatever, you can find me here. Or I'm sure Luke would talk to you too."

"Oh. All right. Thanks."

"Alice?" Rog appeared at their side, frowning a little. "Thought I told you to sit down."

Glancing over (as she and Rog were roughly the same height), Alice nodded. "I know. I just got up a moment ago to help Chris here with the vending machine."

"Well, now you can get yourself to my car and help set my mind at rest."

"I'm not broken, Rog," Alice said, a little sharper than she had intended. "But I'll go. It was nice to meet you," she added, nodding to Chris.

"Think about what I said," Chris said with a tight smile. "Take care. And thanks again."

 

Staring out the window as Rog negotiated the one-way street that led to her apartment, Alice turned over Chris's words again in her head. 'I've been where you are right now. I know how it feels.' How could she? Even if she thinks she has... she couldn't. And even if she did, whatever worked for her to get over it might not work for me. I don't think I'll ever 'get over it'.

"You sure you don't want me to come in, fix you some dinner?"

"I'm sure. Thanks, Rog, but after spending a week around all those people, I'd be happy for a little peace and quiet, you know?"

Pulling up outside Alice's apartment, Rog sighed and relaxed back in his seat. "Fine. But take care, okay? And keep a phone near."

"I will, trust me." Alice unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, though she didn't get out quite yet. "Thanks, too," she said, turning to the man and smiling. "For everything. I'm sorry to have been so much trouble."

Rog smiled, nodding, brushing a stray lock of his sandy brown hair back from his forehead. Hesitating a moment, he leant in to hiss Alice's cheek.

Alice's lips tightened, though by the time Roger sat back she was smiling pleasantly enough once again. "I'll see you soon, right? Going to try to get down to the station in the next few days."

"You are not coming back to work for a fortnight, Alice - don't even think about it."

"I told you, I'm not broken, Rog. I'm fine."

"You need time, and space. And you weren't on call this week anyway."

"Sitting at home isn't going to do me any good," Alice protested, growing frustrated. "I'll just work on reports or something. Nothing strenuous."

"Then work from home."

With a frustrated noise Alice slid out of the car, resisting the urge to slam the door shut. "I'll see you later, Rog."

"See y-" The end of Rog's sentence was lost as the door closed on him, but he smiled amicably enough and nodded goodbye to her before driving off.

 

"Then work from home." Roger was an idiot. A well-meaning, kind, thoughtful idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. It had been a day since Alice had gotten home from the hospital and she was already going nuts. She was an active person - that was the whole reason she had joined the squad, to harness some of that excess energy - and not having anything to do with herself was driving her up the wall. She had cleaned her small apartment from top to bottom the afternoon she got home, but after that was done she really didn't have anything to do. Stupid Rog. Wonder if I snuck down to the station if anyone'd tell him. Probably would... bunch of squealers.

It was the next afternoon, after getting in from a trip to restock her fridge (and her freezer, kitchen and bathroom) that she found a message on her answer machine:

"Hey, you..." The chirpy tone was unmistakable - it was Pam, her long-time, long-suffering best-friend-since-college. "I know you must be feeling really shit, but how about I come over and bring wine and DVDs and we give you liver poisoning? Phone me!"

 

"Hey," Alice said, balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she reached to shove a gallon of ice cream into the freezer. "It's me. You still up for coming over tonight? I could use the distraction."

"You mean they kicked you out of the firehouse when you tried to go into work?"

"Shut up. Just come over whenever, the key's under the mat. I'll make something."

"You're a darling."

 

'Something' turned out to be a frozen pizza; of all Alice's strengths, cooking wasn't one of them. Still, she knew enough to get the crust just right, and she chopped up some peppers and other veggies to sprinkle on top before shoving it in the oven. Grabbing the water pitcher out of the fridge, she poured herself a glass, as her throat was still raw and protesting from when she had tried to go running earlier that afternoon. So maybe the doctor wasn't totally wrong...

Pam turned up about an hour and a half later, true to her word laden down with three bottles of wine and a hanfdul of DVDs.

"Geez, you weren't kidding about ruining my liver, were you?" Alice greeted her, reaching to take the slipping DVD cases out of her hands and shooing her into the kitchen. "I just got out of the hospital, I'd hate to be sent back again."

"Oh, they were on three for two, that's all," Pam said, opening the fridge to offload her purchases. "Oh, you've restocked - you must be really stir-crazy."

"You have no idea."

"Do I smell pizza?"

"Uh huh. Lots of veggies, just for you." Alice slipped on her oven mitts, leaning down to check the baking pizza. "Almost done. You want to pick a DVD?"

"Hey, no, I brought the options, you have to choose."

"All right, fine... that one." She pointed randomly at one of the cases on the table.

"Harry Potter? Really?" Pam said, laughing when Alice did a huge double take. "Kidding, kidding. I knew you weren't looking. Mr and Mrs Smith it is."

 

It was nice to sit and stare at the TV, watching the pretty people run around and cause explosions on various expensive set pieces. For about an hour. Then Alice started to get bored, glancing sideways at Pam between sips of her wine.

Pam knew, of course. She could always tell. It was something about the way Alice shifted her weight on the couch, the way she kept looking around the room. Sighing, she turned to look at her. "You wanna do something else?"

"What? No..." Alice shook her head, trying to look innocent. "Sorry. I'm fine. Just antsy. The wine'll kick in soon enough."

"You're gonna wear a hole in the couch with your fidgeting."

"I said I was sorry. I'll sit still."

"No, no, it's fine, honey. I just wish you could relax, that's all. There anything I can do?"

"Not really. Sorry." Alice gave her friend a tight smile, rearranging her long limbs on the couch again and willing herself to be still. "Unless you can convince Rog to let me back into the station."

"I wouldn't even if I could. I think you could use the time off."

"Then you're a sadist too."

"Come on, you know you're not up to it. You can't fool me, yaknow."

Alice rolled her eyes but didn't disagree; it was hard enough on her pride to admit that to herself. Nearly passing out in the park near her house had been enough to convince her of that. "How's work?"

"Hell. I hate children."

"Quit, then."

"I can't. What would they do without me?"

"Who cares? You hate children."

"No I don't, and you know it."

Smirking, Alice took another sip of her wine. "You're a sadomasochist. You like to torture yourself and others."

"I dunno, sometimes I want your job. I'd be risking death, but at least the people I helped wouldn't talk back."

Her smirk disappearing, Alice gave a tight chuckle, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "Yeah, I guess not."

Pam's face fell. "Jesus, honey, I didn't mean... shit..."

"It's okay," Alice said with a shake of her head, picking at the threads on the pillow. "I know. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. I'm fine."

"No, I know. But shit, that was a little insensitive." Pam leant forward to fetch the wine bottle, topping up their glasses.

"I said it's okay. I can't let stuff like that bother me forever."

"It's been three days."

"Yeah, well. You know what I mean."

Pam sighed, taking a long sip of her wine and shifting on the couch to lean against her friend.

"I'm okay, really," Alice felt compelled to point out, resting her cheek on top of Pam's head. "Slept like a baby last night and everything," she lied.

"Liar." She never could fool Pam.

"Ooh, look, a big gun..."

"Don't you have pills for that? Sleeping?"

"They make me feel like a zombie the next day."

"Well, given that you have no work to do..."

Alice groaned. "Don't remind me."

"C'mon, get that wine down you; it'll help eventually."

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Pam's smirk flickered a little in her concern. "I'll stay all night if you need me, hon, it's a Friday."

"You don't have to do that," Alice said, mussing Pam's hair as she shook her head. "I'll be okay."

"I don't mind. Gina's driving me round the bend, anyway."

"What did she do this time?"

"We're having chore issues. I wish I could afford my own place, like you."

"Or a slavedriver. Why don't you just get a new roomie?"

"Well, I can hardly kick her out, can I?"

"I guess not. If you wanna stay here, you can. I don't mind."

"I'll see you safe asleep, at least."

"Thank you." Alice sighed and rested her wineglass on the arm of the sofa, refocusing on the film in front of them, which had advanced considerably in the time she hadn't been paying attention to it.

"Wait, what'd we miss? Shall we leave this for another day and put some music on?" Pam suggested, now as bored by the film as Alice had been.

"Sure. But you have to pick this time. I picked the movie."

"That I can do."

 

Five minutes later, their second bottle of wine had been opened, and Ella Fitzgerald's warm tones were floating across the room from the stereo. Pam settled back against Alice. "So did Rog make a pass yet?" she asked, changing the subject completely from before.

"Um. I think he tried, in the car. Kissed my cheek. That was after acting like a complete mother hen the whole car ride home."

"Bless him."

"Mm. I'd be a whole lot more willing to consider it if he would just let me come to work..."

"Yeah?" Pam sounded surprised. "I thought you were all with the 'no way am I dating a work colleague' thing?"

"It was just a figure of speech. I don't really fancy Rog."

"No, I really didn't think so. He's so..."

"Dopey? Needy? Freckled?"

"I happen to like freckles."

"Well then, have I got the guy for you..."

"Oooh, no, not even a little bit. No way."

Alice laughed, closing her eyes as 'Satin Doll' came on the stereo. "Sorry. Poor Rog. He's a good guy."

"Yeah. Poor Rog. And poor Alice... How long as it been?"

"You really don't want to know."

"I really already know. It was Dan, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Alice sighed. "Dan."

"You've gotta get over that one, sweetheart. As your friend, I've gotta prod you every so often. C'mon."

"I am over 'that one'. My dry spell has nothing to do with Dan."

"Then what is it to do with. You're attractive, intelligent, funny, and you have a sexy job."

"We've been over this, Pam, there's nothing 'sexy' about my job..."

"It looks sexy from the outside, sweetie, which is all that matters," Pam said decisively.

"Okay, okay. I don't know what it is. I just haven't met anybody I'd... consider potential partner material."

Pam sighed, leaning back against the couch. "That's your problem, you consider the potential in everything. You can't just go with what you feel?"

"No," Alice said, sounding shocked at the idea. "You can't live your life that way. You need to know what's going to happen, so you can prepare for it."

"Or here's an idea: You can never prepare for every eventuality, so yeah, try and keep an eye out, but for God's sake know when to go with the flow."

"I don't tell you how to live your life," Alice pointed out.

"Except for all the time."

"Do not!"

"Ten minutes ago you told me to quit my job!"

"Well, you were complaining!"

"Well, you were complaining about being single!"

"Was not!"

"Were- Oh, no you weren't, were you? Well, why the hell not? By this point I'd be wondering if it'd grown back."

"I'm perfectly happy the way I am! If I could just go back to work things would be peachy."

Pam just tipped her head as she looked back at Alice, raising a sceptical eyebrow.

Sighing, Alice lolled her head back against the sofa, casting her eyes to the ceiling. "I just haven't met anyone I've... 'sparked' with, y'know? Excuse the pun."

"Hah," Pam said, rolling her eyes. "Well, it would help if you went out ever."

"You know I hate going out. Getting chatted up by random guys, having to laugh at their lame jokes, getting called an 'Amazon' just because I'm as tall as they are. It's so..."

"...Necessary?"

"I was going to say annoying."

"Oh, you're right, I guess. But there are always opportunities to meet new people - you just gotta grab at them when you see them, y'know?"

"I meet new people all the time."

"Pulling people out of burning buildings is not 'meeting' them."

"I met someone yesterday. At the hospital."

Pam made a face. "Was it a nurse?" she said sarcastically.

"Actually, yeah, I think she was," Alice said thoughtfully.

"You know, they generally do talk to patients. I appreciate the effort but I'm not sure that counts."

"She wasn't my nurse."

"Maybe she knows some hot doctors..."

"I'll ask her if I ever see her again," Alice said sarcastically.

Pam snorted. "So what you're saying is you met a nurse, who was working at the hospital, at the hospital, and, what? How does that even constitute meeting? Do you even know her name? Why are you telling me this?"

It was almost unfair, but Pam had asked. "Her name's Chris. She was a friend of Emma's... the woman who died," Alice said soberly. "She wanted to thank me."

Pam opened her mouth, no doubt about to say that that was still in connection with her job, and didn't count... but it was only a second later that she realised how callous this was. "I see."

"So I do meet people," Alice continued stubbornly. "And we can go out if you want. At least it'll be some form of exercise."

"Oh, no, you're not going to cheat me into letting you strain yourself that easy. But I was thinking about a dinner party, just some friends - at Bill's place I thought. You could bring your nurse," Pam added with a smirk.

"She's not my nurse..."

"Regardless."

Alice sighed. "FIne. That sounds nice. When?"

"Oh." Pam blinked, apparently rather surprised that Alice had agreed so easily. "Wednesday?"

"All right, sure. Should I bring anything?"

"Wine."

"Can do."

"And someone else. I want you to find someone to take to dinner on Wednesday. I don't care who, whether it's your mysterious nurse, or some other medical professional. Could be the guy who comes to clean the windows - I don't care. Just somebody. Another human being who you've somehow managed to befriend all by yourself - how about that?"

"God, Pam, you make it sound like I'm some messed-up recluse..." Alice said, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, why don't I just get myself a dozen cats right now?"

"You'd forget to feed them."

"You're a real ego-boost, you know? Can we go to bed now? I'm tired of being berated."

"Fine, fine... I was going to finish the wine, but..."

"If you do that, what'll I bring on Wednesday?"

"Cheapskate."

"Hey, I have a crazy recluse image to uphold. Which reminds me... maybe I'll fill up the empty parts with antifreeze..."

Pam laughed, nudging Alice, and then standing and holding a hand out to her. "Let's get you to bed."

 

---

 

Chapter 2

Heat and smoke, flames, the smell of ash and burning wood. The going was impossibly hard, it was like walking through boiling water, all of her skin felt like it was being stripped away--

Alice woke with a start, gasping aloud as she opened her eyes. Instead of the fiery scene that had been dancing behind her eyelids seconds before she was met with nothing but the pale walls of her bedroom, lit by the muted tones of the sun rising over the trees outside. Glancing at her clockradio, she groaned and sank back into her pillow. Almost six. Might as well get up... I'm not going back to sleep after that.

The figure next to her stirred. "Mph. Alice? You okay?" Pam turned around, pushing up onto one elbow to look down at the taller woman, rubbing at her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... go back to sleep," the blonde said, shaking her head. "Sorry I woke you up."

"S'okay, I've nowhere to be today. And nor have you - you're not getting up, are you?"

"I have to. Just going to take a walk around the block."

The other woman sighed, relaxing back onto the bed. "Fine. But be back in time to make my breakfast, yeah? If there's one thing you do better than frozen pizza it's bagels and cream cheese."

"Sure. Maybe I'll even pick up some fresh." Alice slid out of bed and crossed to her dresser, pulling out a clean t-shirt and quickly changing into it. She was already wearing shorts; she just about lived in her baggy exercise shorts when she wasn't in uniform, much to Pam's chagrin - 'Though you do have nice legs, there are better ways to show them off, hon. - but it just made things easier. She pulled on her sneakers by the door and left her keys, since Pam would be there when she got back. Thusly prepared, she set off out the door, stretching a bit before settling into a brisk walk.

The air was crisp and clear - not warm, but still enough that it was quite pleasant as long as one kept moving. There weren't too many people around at this time of day, just the odd early morning dog walker or jogger, and a few unfortunate souls on their way to work.

Though Alice could feel her lungs start to protest by the time she hit the fourth block from her apartment, she kept up the pace. Can't get soft now, she thought, wishing she had thought to bring along a bottle of water. Knowing there was a water fountain at the park nearest her apartment, she turned and headed over the bridge towards it, her breath puffing out in clouds before her.

Today, it seemed, was going to be a day when she was not going to escape from her thoughts. Just before the water fountain, sitting on a park bench, reading, she saw the very last person she could have wanted to. Luke Hall. He stared back at her, blue eyes wide, apparently as shocked as she was.

"Oh," Alice remarked eloquently, coming to a halt before the bench. "Hi." She continued to move from one foot to the other, pulling her arms behind her back and then over her head. "Mr. Hall. How are you?"

"I'm... fine," he managed. "Y-you?"

"I'm all right. Thanks."

"Well," he said. Nodding. "All right, then. You're healing up okay then? The smoke inhalation..."

"I'm trying to take it easy," she said with a slight shrug. "But, y'know. Exercise junkie. Um. How are you holding up?"

"I'll live." Luke even succeeded in a tiny smile.

"That's good." Alice smiled back, motioning to the empty spot on the bench beside him. "Want any company? I should probably take a break now anyway..."

"Um. Sure?"

"I don't have to. If you wanted to get back to reading."

"No, please." Luke swallowed audibly. "So sit down."

Nodding, Alice took a seat, leaning down to touch her toes with both hands as she did so. "It's early," she remarked then.

"Mhm. I like to come out here to read. I live two blocks along."

"Oh. It's a nice area."

"Yes."

"It's a little cold for it now, but in the summer there are ducks," Alice said, motioning to the small pond nearby.

"I remember." Luke nodded, glancing towards the pool.

"So, Luke... what do you do?" she asked, switching subjects abruptly.

"I'm a painter."

"Oh, that's really interesting. What style?"

"My own."

Alice smiled. "Fair enough."

"I mostly paint portraits," the young man added.

"I see. Oils, pastels, watercolors...?"

"Oils, for the most part."

"Always a popular choice."

Luke cracked a tiny smile. "Quite. And you. Do you... full time? I understand that a good number of... are part time."

"I'm part time, mostly. On call a lot."

"So do you have a full-time job?"

"Well, not exactly..." Alice began to dig a hole in the ground in front of her with the toe of her sneaker. "I'm a writer. Freelance. So I work on my own schedule, mostly."

"A writer? What style?" The pale young man raised an eyebrow.

"Any style that'll pay," Alice replied with a smirk. "I've done reviews, advice columns, political articles, culture bits... whatever I can grab up, really."

"What would you like to write?"

"The Great American Novel, of course."

Luke chuckled, a dry, thin sound to go with his dry, thin voice and his dry, thin appearance. He ruffled a hand through his dark hair.

"Of course, it turns out that I only have the attention span for short stories. So I don't know if my dream will ever be realized."

"Short stories are good."

"That's what I try to tell myself."

"Have you sold any? Any of your stories?"

"A few. Enough to keep me at it."

"Well. That's good."

Alice nodded. "Yeah."

"I... My paintings sold well enough. Or were beginning to." Luke smiled tightly again.

"I'm sure they will still."

Luke let out a single breath's laughter. "Perhaps they would have. I suppose we'll never know, now."

"You can always make more," Alice said, frowning as she realized the implication of his words. "There's always that."

"Yes. I don't know. Perhaps."

"All right."

Luke glanced away at the duck pond again, his expression one of concentration as he clearly groped for something else to say. "The... rest of your stay at the hospital... it was all right?"

"Yes, thank you. Oh! I met someone. In the hospital. She said she knew... Emma."

Luke frowned. "Oh yes?"

"I suppose she works there. Chris?"

The change in Luke's countenance was instantaneous, and if possible, he paled a little. "Um... I didn't... I suppose she must. I didn't see her, I didn't know that." By the end of his utterance his voice had dropped to a mutter. "I didn't know that."

Horrified that she had unknowingly said the wrong thing, Alice scrambled to think of something else to say. "It was only in passing... We didn't speak long."

"Oh. Well, that's fine. Fine. Chris is. Well, we haven't spoken in some time - how is she?"

"She seems fine?"

"Good." Luke paused, and right before he said it Alice took another look at him and realised what he was about to say. "She's my sister."

"Oh." Of course. The similarities were all there, though Alice had been trying not to look hard at either one of them, for fear of getting them stuck in her memory just like she had Emma. "I... see."

"I didn't know she'd moved to St Helen's."

"Perhaps it was recent?"

"Mm, perhaps..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"What? Know what?" Luke said, suddenly looking a little hunted.

"That you were related. I guess it must seem abrupt, me telling you like that."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm just..." Luke swallowed - "surprised we didn't run into each other. While I was there."

"I'm sure... she was busy," Alice offered lamely.

"Maybe." Luke blinked, seeming to come back from somewhere, and he stood. "Um. I'm sorry, but... I'd, uh, better get back. Don't want to scare my Mum by being away too long. She's a bit edgy."

"Right. I'm sorry to keep you." Alice stood quickly, nodding at the young man politely. "Goodbye."

"Mm." With a single nod, Luke forced another smile, and turned, retreated at a fast, jerky walk.

So much for avoiding my personal demons. Alice remembered to get a drink from the fountain before turning for home, luckily in the opposite direction that Luke had headed. As nice as the young man seemed, he was the last person she wanted for a neighbor at that point.

"Right, I'm up, I'm showered and dressed - well, robed - where are my ba- shit you look worse than when you left."

Alice made her way to the sofa, sitting down woodenly and bending to untie her shoes. She had walked faster and faster on her way home until her lungs were burning, and she didn't quite trust herself to speak, anyway.

Saying nothing, Pam poured her a glass of water, coming over to sit down next to her.

"Thanks," the taller woman said hoarsely, gulping down the water. It helped some, not much, but at least she was able to talk without coughing up her lungs. "Sorry I was gone so long."

"You weren't walking all that time, were you? Because..."

"Not all of it. I ran into Luke."

"Luke who?"

"Luke the husband, Luke. In the park."

"Oh, fuck..." Pam was at Alice's side immediately, arm around her shoulders. "Honey, I'm so sorry. Was it okay?"

"Yeah. Well. Awkward as hell, but it wasn't really bad until I mentioned his sister."

"His whatnow?"

"Oh. Chris. The nurse, from the hospital. Apparently she's his sister."

Pam raised her eyebrows. "So I guess that's how she knew the- Emma."

"I guess so. But it seems like she hadn't been around in a long time. I mean, he said he didn't even know she was back in town." Alice frowned, taking another sip. "It was really strange."

"Huh. Weird. Maybe they fought?"

"I guess so. I feel bad for him, though... I mean, going through all that by yourself and then finding out your sister was there all along? It's got to hurt."

"Definitely. Maybe I don't want her to come to dinner."

"Does that mean I don't have to ask anyone?"

"No! Even if you do have to bring her. Although why you can't just meet someone else..."

"Because I'm an invalid," Alice said dryly.

"Lazy is what you are. And gutless."

"...I run into burning buildings for a living."

"Yeah, and look at you now."

Alice gave Pam a dirty look. "Keep talking like that and there won't be any bagels for you."

"You bought some? After that? God, Alice, you're a Saint."

 

Alice had convinced Pam to stick around a bit longer on Saturday, and the two women passed a pleasant afternoon together before Pam had to beg off to return home. "Don't want to see what state the apartment's in now," she had said with a hopeless expression, and Alice had wished her luck as she saw her off. Alone again, she decided to tackle the few remaining assignments she had left, though their deadlines were nowhere near. Editors loved Alice because she never turned things in late - if anything, she was overly punctual.

By the time she looked up from her laptop it was closing on 3 am, and she realized with a start that she was rather tired. This didn't stop her from having more of the night terrors that woke her gasping before dawn, but at least the next day was Sunday and she had nothing better to do than to try and catch up on sleep.

By the time Monday rolled around Alice was tired, restless, and cranky. She had an appointment with a specialist at the hospital to check in on her progress, and she welcomed the diversion, even if it meant getting poked and prodded by a whiskery old man. Her battered old truck looked a little out of place in the parking lot among the nicer, fancier sedans and sports cars, and she made a mental note to wash it if the weather was nice enough that afternoon. Not that it would make the truck look much better, but at least it would give her something to do.

The specialist was in fact not a whiskery old man, but a rather handsome young doctor, who introduced himself as Dr Kyle.

"You look a wreck," he commented as he gestured to a seat. "And I'm professionally qualified to say that."

Alice smiled tightly, taking a seat and slipping her hands under her thighs to quash any attempts at fidgeting. "I feel fine."

"I should be very surprised if you did," Dr Kyle said, standing and sticking his hands in his pockets, wandering round from behind his desk. "By all rights you have aching limbs, itching burns, shortage of breath, and probably headaches, hm?"

"Well. Besides that, I mean."

"Mm, perhaps. Could I get you to remove your overshirt, and we'll have a listen to your lungs, see what it's like in there," the doctor said conversationally, taking a seat next to Alice.

She nodded and unbuttoned her shirt, pulling it off to reveal a plain, ribbed vest underneath that showcased her toned arms and tanned skin quite nicely. Not that it was intentional. Alice's idea of dressing 'sexily' was putting on her nice jeans and a pair of well-loved leather boots. And maybe some lipstick. "I've been resting like they told me to," she informed Kyle, glancing over at him. "Mostly."

"Mm, for a given definition; it's like a mosh pit in there, must be agony," Kyle said with a frown as he put his stethoscope to use, moving it around her back. "I'm going to prescribe you some heavy duty decongestants, and for God's sake let yourself heal, all right? If there's one thing I can't stand it's trying to convince fitness freaks to take it easy. If you don't want to leave your lungs permanently scarred you will take care."

Alice opened her mouth to argue, but then that sensible voice in her head (it sounded a lot like Pam, truth be told) piped up and told her to bite her tongue. He's a doctor, for crying out loud! Do you want to have permanent damage? Just do what he says, idiot, and suck it up. "Okay," she sighed, scuffing her foot on the floor. "Can't I at least do something?"

"Light stretches."

"C'mon, doc, you're killing me..."

"You're killing you. I'm doing quite the reverse," Kyle said, standing and making his way back round to sit behind his desk. "The nurse'll take a look at your burns in a minute," he said, scanning the file before him with pursed lips. "How're you sleeping?"

"Not great. But I get enough. I have pills for it; haven't taken them yet." Alice reached for her shirt, pulling it back on but eschewing the buttons for now. "I'd rather not, if it's all the same."

"Sleep is an important part of your body's natural healing process."

"Will they stop the dreams?"

The doctor knew better than to ask what sorts of dreams these were. "No; not necessarily. But they might dull the memory a bit."

"All right. I'll try it, then." Alice nodded, tapping her fingers on her knees.

"Mm. Do." The doctor nodded to emphasise this, finishing scribbling on a piece of paper in front of him before passing it to Alice. "Here's your prescription for the decongestants. You can pick them up after you've seen the nurse - next door."

 

"Right. Sure. Thanks." Alice stood and nodded, taking the prescription and tucking it in her pocket before heading next door for the rest of her checkup.

With all the staff in the hospital, all the examinations rooms, different shifts and duties. the chances of the nurse in attendance to Alice that day being Chris Hall seemed slim to none.

And yet there she was.

Alice was already stripping off her shirt as she entered the room, though she paused as she came face-to-face with the other woman. "Oh. Hi," she said, brows furrowing momentarily.

"Hello," Chris murmured, seemingly a little stumped for something to say despite the fact she must have known who her patient would be. "Bit of a coincidence, this."

"Right. Do you want me on the bench, or..."

"It's your legs as well, yes? The bench would be best then."

"All right. Sure." A little gingerly Alice climbed onto the elevated bench, the paper crinkling underneath her thighs.

The heavy boots Alice had been wearing had prevented the worst of the damage to her legs, but her suit hadn't withstood that final charge towards the exit, and her legs had sustained shallow burns from just beneath the knee part way up her thighs. In addition to this she had some minor burns on her stomach; those (and the ones on her knees) being the main source of her discomfort and itching over the past few days.

"Guess you want these off too, then?" she asked, motioning to the loose trousers she was wearing.

"Well, unless they roll right up, thanks," Chris said with a nod.

"Probably be easier this way."

Once she had removed her trousers Alice sat back down, flattening her hands on the surface of the bench and resisting (as usual) the urge to swing her legs or otherwise fidget. "They feel okay. Just itchy. But they said that's normal."

"Mhm. Okay, I'm going to be really careful, but these may be a little uncomfortable coming off, so just don't kick me or anything, okay?" Chris said with a smile as she began to remove the dressings from Alice's legs.

"I'll try my best."

It did hurt. But Alice had been through worse, and barely moved a muscle as Chris revealed inch after inch of raw, flaking flesh.

"Oh, these will heal nicely," Chris said, tutting with approval. "I think you'll be left with very little scarring from this."

"Great." Alice's voice was strangely flat. "Do I need the bandages on anymore? I'd rather they weren't."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You're still at a high risk of infection; I'll need to redress them. We'll take a look at your stomach first, though, let them air a little."

"Sure."

Helpfully Alice hooked her fingers under her vest and pulled it up, exposing the mottled skin of her stomach to Chris's gaze. "It's not as bad there. Just like a sunburn, almost."

"I see you took it upon yourself to remove those dressings already," Chris said, checking her chart.

"...they itched."

"Mm, well, no harm done," the nurse admitted, pursing her lips and running her glove-clad fingers around the edges of the wounds.

Though the burns were not as bad here, the flesh was more tender, and Alice winced a little at the touch.

"Sorry," Chris muttered, her touch lightening. "Okay, you've got a neutral moisturiser at home, right? And E45 cream or somesuch?"

"Yeah, I can take care of it. I've been burned before," Alice replied.

"Of course." Indeed, as Chris's gaze travelled across Alice's exposed skin she spotted several small areas of slight scarring marring her firm, toned flesh.

The tall woman shifted, the paper crinkling against with every small movement. "We all done, then?"

"You thought I'd forget?" Chris said in an amused tone. "I need to redress your legs."

"That's really not necessary..."

"And were you a medical professional I might pay attention to your opinion," Chris countered with a small grin, already prepping the materials she needed. "Now, hold still."

Well, if she's going to punish me... "I ran into your brother the other morning," Alice remarked off-handedly.

This was clearly the wrong thing to say from Alice's point of view, as Chris's start meant she accidentally prodded one of Alice's burns. "Woops, sorry, sorry. You saw Luke?"

"Christ... yes. I didn't know you two were related."

"Mm. Well, we are."

"He wasn't aware you were in town. Though I suppose he knows now."

"Yes. Well, I haven't been here long. We... sort of lost touch."

"I see..."

"Do you." Though phrased as a question, it clearly wasn't. Chris deftly renewed Alice's dressings in the silence that followed. "I'm going to give you some replacement dressings," she said when she'd finished. "Keep them covered another five days at least. And stop overexerting yourself."

"Easier said than done." Alice stood and began to get dressed, moving a bit more stiffly than before now that her wounds were hurting anew.

"Well, if you don't want your knees to scar, you'll find a way. At least for a couple more days."

"I guess so. Um. Chris?"

"Mhm?"

"What you said when I was here last... about having been through what I've been through. Afterwards. Did you have bad dreams?"

Chris sat down by the bench, pulling her gloves off. "For a while, yes. It's the guilt, I suppose."

"Yeah..." Alice frowned, zipping up her trousers and re-fastening her belt. "I guess so. How'd you deal with them?"

"I, um, didn't. Eventually, they faded a bit, and then, now... Now I mostly don't get them at all."

"Oh. Well, that's reassuring, I suppose. I wish it'd be sooner than later."

"I guess all these things take time." Chris chewed her lower lip for a moment, glancing at her hands and then back at Alice. "Look, to be honest with you, I have no idea what I can say to help. When I said we could talk... I mean, we can, I'd like to help... But I don't really know how."

"Well, it might be nice anyway. Just to talk to someone who... understands," Alice stated.

"Well, you know where to find me. Even without trying, apparently."

"I guess so. I was thinking maybe we could arrange something outside of the hospital, though. This place gives me hives. No offense."

"Um..." Chris blinked, clearly a little bemused. "Sure. I mean, absolutely. I'd like that."

"Great. I'm still banned from doing anything useful, so my schedule's completely open. Whatever works for you." Alice turned to face the other woman, spreading her hands.

"I'm free this evening?" Chris suggested immediately, then smiled a little sheepishly. "I don't have much of a life," she admitted. "New in town and all."

"No, hey, tonight's fine. Dinner, maybe?"

"Dinner it is."

 

---

 

Chapter 3

The evening, like the days before it, was clear and dry, and Chris barely even needed the light jacket she was wearing as she made her way to their designated meeting place - a small Italian restaurant that was more or less equidistant between them.

How did this happen? How is it that I'm about to go to dinner with the woman who didn't save Emma's life?

Not that she blamed her for that. Indeed, she'd seen the evidence with her own eyes now that Alice had done everything she possibly could. But it was still... Just a bit weird...

Pam would be so proud. Alice paused, glancing in the storefront window at her outfit. She had considered her 'good jeans', but it turned out that they were too tight to comfortably fit over her bandaged legs, so she had settled on a pair of light linen trousers she had found at the back of her closet. Not wanting to get too fancy, she had completed the outfit with a fitted t-shirt and low flats, not wanting to draw any more attention to her height than she normally did.

So... not quite sure why I agreed to do this. Meeting new people is fine and all, but this goes into just plain weird territory. I mean, she's practically seen me naked, there was the whole awkard thing with her brother, and not to mention the... fire. With a small shudder, she shook those thoughts off and headed towards the restaurant. Alice was never late.

Chris, however, was. It wasn't that she wasn't punctual in general, but she didn't know the town too well, yet, and Alice had been waiting almost fifteen minutes before the young nurse entered the tiny restaurant, looking rather sheepish but very pretty in neat black trousers and a light grey button-down shirt that somehow seemed to accent rather than wash out the green in her eyes.

"Hey," Alice said with a smile, half-standing as the other woman approached the table. "You made it."

"Yeah, I'm so sorry, I got messed up with the side streets."

"No, don't worry about it. I'm glad you're here." Sitting again, Alice motioned for Chris to do the same. "I got us a bottle of wine."

"You shouldn't technically be drinking, should you?"

"Hey, I thought you were off-duty... and besides, I'll just have a glass."

"Mm..." Chris tried for a disapproving look but managed only a smile in the face of the woman in front of her. "Well, I'll be watching."

"Hopefully you'll look away long enough to check the menu. They do a great three-cheese lasagna here."

"Good lord, that sounds like a heart-attack on a plate... where?"

"There," Alice said, leaning over the table to indicate the item on Chris's menu. "It's delicious, especially with the house garlic bread."

"I'll go with that then."

 

"Well?" They had avoided all talk of serious subjects from the time they ordered until their meals had arrived. Alice was torn between wanting to find out more about the mysteries surrounding the other woman and keeping the conversation light. For now, talk about food would suffice.

"It's... delicious. I can actually feel my arteries thickening..."

"That means it's working!"

Chris chuckled, taking another mouthful of the lasagne and chewing with a delighted smile.

Alice smiled back ans sipped her wine, having already taken a bite of her pasta primavera. "It's nice to indulge every once and a while. Though I haven't been here in a while..."

"Mm, you didn't strike me as the sort of person who regularly had dinners in intimate little Italian restaurants."

"I don't?"

"Well. Um, to be blunt?" Chris said, reluctantly continuing, "you look more like the frozen pizza over work you took home with you type."

At this Alice laughed. "Fair enough. And you're right, mostly. I do love my frozen pizza."

"Mhm!"

"But that doesn't mean I can't like nice things too. Occasionally."

"I'm sure you do. So I do - and I'm also a connconnoisseur of the freezer section."

"Oh, really?" Alice said, arching an eyebrow. "Well then, you can hardly poke fun at my tastes."

"Who's poking fun? I'm just making polite conversation," Chris said with a smile.

"Ah, well. Can't fault you on that, I guess. Considering the not-polite conversation is a bit..."

"Impolite?"

"Right, that."

Chris smiled again. "But then, I don't really know anything about you, so there's plenty of polite conversation options to exhaust."

"This is true. And I know less than nothing about you, so there's that as well."

"Quite true," Chris agreed. "So how shall we start?"

"Well, first we pick a totally innocuous subject with at least ten minutes' conversation in it, even better if it has the potential to spawn commiserating stories or anecdotes, and go from there."

"Oh, excellent. Right now we appear to be spending an inordinate about of time discussing polite conversation itself." Chris paused. "Which, personally, I think we should be commended for."

"It's certainly a feat few have ever achieved, I'm sure," Alice said with a laugh.

"So now that we have that over and done with, you can tell me what you do when you're not being a firefighter."

"Well, I... write, mostly. And hike. And work out. And generally act like an anti-social recluse. That fills up my day."

"Sounds a little lonely."

"For some, maybe. I don't mind it all that much. My friend, Pam, says she's surprised I haven't just barricaded the door and started threatening the mailman with a cane, but I think she's being over-dramatic."

Chris grinned. "I like the sound of your friend Pam."

"Well, if you wanted to meet her, you could always come to dinner on Wednesday..." Alice paused, laughing a bit at her own surprise. "Sorry, that probably sounded a bit... forward."

Chris blinked. "Just slightly. I mean, no offense, but..."

"No, no, I understand. It's just... well, it's Pam's little pet project to try and socialize me... like I'm some maladjusted dog from the pound or something. Anyway, some of her friends are throwing a dinner party and apparently I have to bring somebody. And wine."

"Aah. And you've spectacularly failed to find anyone, then," Chris finished with a smirk.

"Well, I found you, didn't I? Hence the incredibly awkward invitation."

The other woman's smirk warmed into a smile. "It wasn't that awkward. Well, no more than most of our conversation thus far..."

"I guess not. Which really doesn't say much for our conversational skills."

"Or perhaps it's just the weird nature of how we know each other," Chris suggested gently.

"Or it could be that," Alice agreed, nodding. "Listen, I'm sorry about all this... I didn't want it to be strange, but I guess there's really no avoiding that. I just... I want to find some way to deal with this. Something positive, you know? And I'm not superstitious but it seems like something keeps nudging us together and I thought... maybe it meant something. I don't know." She made a face, crossing her eyes briefly. "Now I know I sound like a crazy person."

"No..." She shook her head. "You don't sound crazy."

"A little off in the head, at least," Alice joked, though her expression sobered quickly. "We don't have to talk about it, though. I mean, that's not the only reason I asked you here tonight."

"No?" Chris placed her fork down, although her meal wasn't entirely finished, and linked her fingers, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands.

"Well, no. I..." Actually have no idea why I asked you here tonight. "Thought you seemed nice. Which you are. And I need to meet more nice people. Pam's far too pushy."

"I'm actually sarcastic and cruel, you know."

"Oh? You hide it very well."

"You thought? I'm flattered." Chris grinned. "You'd think I'd have a better bedside manner."

"Well, having never actually seen you at a bedside, I'm afraid I couldn't judge. Tableside you're very pleasant."

"How about barside?"

"Does that mean you're going to turn a blind eye if I have more than one drink tonight?"

"Does that mean you're buying?"

"What is this, the question game?" Alice asked with a grin.

"Do you want it to be the question game?"

"What would you do if I said yes?"

"Wouldn't you rather be left to wonder?"

"Do I seem like a very patient person to you?"

"How would I have any idea what kind of person you are?"

"Haven't we been talking almost all the way through dinner?"

"And have you actually succeeded in telling me anything beyond a few of your hobbies and occupations?" Chris countered with a smirk.

"Isn't that enough to divine at least something about the sort of person I am, coupled with what you know from looking at my hospital charts?"

"What do hospital charts tell you, really?"

"Besides name, date of birth, height, weight, and blood type?"

"And what does that really tell me about you?"

"My name, date of birth, height, weight, and blood type?" Alice laughed.

Chris held a finger up, "Ah, now that was not a proper question - don't try and pull the inflection cheat on me!"

"Fine, fine," Alice said with another guffaw. "How's this for a proper question then: Shall we adjourn to the bar?"

"Yeah." The nurse nodded, grinning now. "Yeah, why not?"

 

The Grange was one of those bars that you only went to on some nights of the week. Anyone unlucky or misguided enough to have attented on a Friday or Saturday night would have found it packed to the gills with trendy, rich young things, drinking designer drinks until they came back up all over their designer shirts and shoes.

Tonight, though, was a lot more low-key. The clientele was still fairly young, and still affluent, but the music was quieter and more eclectic, the lighting less multicoloured, the staff in a better mood, and most importantly, it was quiet.

Alice and Chris had no trouble finding a booth or getting a waiter's attention, and soon they both had drinks in their hands as they settled back against the dark leather seats. In that time they had moved from one 'polite' discussion to another and were now discussing Chris's hobbies, as Alice had deemed it only fair after she had shared her own at dinner.

"Well, right now I'm mostly bogged down with work - they say nurses don't work the same shifts that doctors do, but really it's just that no one notices how long we've been around," Chris said with a shrug. "I think I could live at the hospital and no one would realise... which is actually quite tempting now that I think about it," she added with a grimace, "since I seem to spend the rest of my time mostly avoiding my housemates. They'll all nurses as well but..." She shrugged. "Eh, I guess they aren't really my kind of people or whatever."

Chris sipped at her drink, then leant her chin on her hand, elbow on the table again, and pursed her lips in thought. "Hobbies... well, back in school I played a lot of team sports - soccer and field hockey, mostly. But I was never very good, was just for laughs, really."

"No kidding?" Alice asked, her smile growing. "I did field hockey too. And basketball, and track... Sports were kind of my 'thing'. Well, and journalism. But sports were my first love. Do you play now? I know a few leagues in the area if you're looking to start..."

"I haven't played in years..." Chris lifted her drink to her lips again. "I dunno. Work takes up so much energy; when I get home sometimes I just wanna collapse. And then there's my dance classes..."

"Dance? What sort of dance?"

"Swing - Lindy, mostly. You done any?"

"Oh God, no," Alice said, laughing and shaking her head. "I'm not a dancer by any stretch of the imagination. But that's really interesting -- how long have you been dancing?"

"Just a couple of years. Starting to get to the stage where I know what I'm doing, y'know? You spend a long time just going through the motions, and you have to wait for this... click... you know?"

Nodding, Alice sipped at her gin and tonic, eyes travelling over the other woman's face. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Like doing freethrows."

"I'm not sure I follow..."

"Well, like I said, I don't dance, but I'd imagine it's similiar... when you first start shooting freethrows, it's kind of a toss-up if you'll make it. Sure, skill counts, but if you do it long enough, you get that 'click' moment, and your stance and the angle of your arms and everything just falls into place. Makes it a lot easier. Or... I could be totally wrong. That's just the closest parallel I could draw."

"No, no, it is a lot like that," Chris said with a nod. "It's like... you have all the bits, you know what to do, and then there's that point where it stops being a thought process and becomes a reflex - gets coded into your muscles and suddenly it's not about this step now, then this turn, this spin out, and instead it's just move... move... move..."

"Yes, exactly," Alice said, leaning forward across the table. "It's like it's been scripted out and your body is just a player, and everything's in synch..."

"A direct, physical connection to your team... or your partner... it's a lot like-" Chris broke off then with a chuckle, cheeks growing a little pink. "Hah, well, you get me."

Alice laughed, nodding and her laying her forearms on the table. "Yup, sure do. I'm glad we're in agreement."

"I should get us another drink," Chris said then, finally finishing her own. "One more for you, then I'm cutting you off," she said with a nod to Alice's glass.

"Ah, you say that now...."

"One more."

 

So. This... isn't bad. Alice sat back in the booth, looking over at the bar, where Chris was currently speaking with the bartender, no doubt getting them both new drinks. A little weird at first, but I think we got over that... now it's just... nice. I honestly wasn't expecting to discuss... any of that stuff with her, but I guess it's preferable to the other stuff we could be talking about, but still. Weird. She's nice, though. Maybe I should invite her to dinner, seriously this time. Pam would be proud of me.

"Sorry," Chris said, returning with the drinks after a somewhat prolonged time at the bar. "Got talking to the bartender - she says there's a woman's night here on Thursday; she was trying to convince me to come - I swear, do I wear a rainbow hat I don't know about or something?"

"Um," Alice said, grinning a bit. "I don't see any hat. Maybe she just wanted to see you again."

"I'm getting that a lot tonight," Chris said with a smirk at the other woman.

"You should stop being so enjoyable, then. It must be your fault."

"Mm, I guess so... and I'm not even trying...£

"I'd hate to see what it'd be like if you were," Alice said, laughing.

"You would?"

"Well..." Alice sipped her drink, raising her eyebrows at the other woman. "Figure of speech."

"Hmm..." Chris said, raising an eyebrow in return in mock scepticism.

"Hmm?"

"Just 'hmm'... What, I can't 'hmm' now?"

"Nope, I took that already."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are we playing the question game again?" Alice asked brightly.

"Do you want to?"

"I think the question is, do you?"

"Doesn't that count as just repeating the same question back at me?"

"Are you calling me a cheater?"

"After our last round ended with you cheating too, can you blame me?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Alice asked with a smirk.

"Don't you think I can handle your answer?"

"How brave are you?"

"Are you questioning my courage?"

"Does it sound like I am?"

Chris laughed. "Why do I feel like playing this a second time is a really bad sign of our conversation skills?"

"Do you have an idea of somthing better we could talk about?" Alice asked. "Or is it up to me?"

"Oooh, two questions, very good," Chris said with a grin.

"And this time you ended it. Which means you have to pick what we talk about next," Alice declared triumphantly.

"Writing."

"Writing?"

"Mhm. You said you were a writer. What d'you write?"

Alice tipped her head to one side, rubbing her fingers over the condensation on the exterior of her glass. "Whatever pays, really. I'm freelance, so I'll do magazines, newspapers, blogs..."

"Yeah? Anything I'd know?"

"Depends on what you read."

"Well? Like what?"

"Umm..." Alice listed off a slew of magazines, ticking them off on her fingers as she did so.

Chris seemed somewhat stunned by this. "Um... Wow. That's some resumé. What d'you write about?"

"Anything they want me to?" Alice ventured. "I mean, you do your research, you can usually fire off an article about anythig."

"Wow. So I'm talking to a real-life writer?"

"Depends on your definition of a writer. I've been paid to write something, yes." Alice felt her cheeks begin to warm. \

"I suppose I shouldn't be down on all those people who've never managed to sell anything, but..."

"But..." Alice raised her eyebrows., then laughed. "It helps pay the rent. That's all. I find firefighting to be a far more rewarding pursuit."

Chris's face sobered a little. "Even with its drawbacks?"

"Well..." Alice sighed. "Yes. Even then."

"Hey, um, sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, no, it's okay. Bound to get there sooner or later."

Chris looked almost more thrown by the change of topic than Alice was, her expression more than a little pensive. "Um... Could you..." She blinked a couple of times. "I don't want you to think this is why I spoke to you, but..."

"Yes?"

"Could you... What happened that night? I mean... You found her, you got her down the stairs and they collapsed, I know, but... What happened? What did she say? Did she say anything?"

Alice frowned, looking down at the table. Here we go. "She... didn't say much. I asked her her name, she told me. She asked how Luke was. She didn't say much else, I think the smoke inhalation had already injured her lungs..."

"She didn't..." Chris blinked again, staring down into her drink. "No, of course she didn't... stupid..."

"What?"

Chris sighed, her voice trembling just a little as she continued. "I just wondered if she'd mentioned me. But of course she didn't, I mean it's not like she had last words or any-" The nurse broke off at this, clearly not quite trusting herself to continue.

Pressing her lips together, Alice impulsively leaned forward, reaching for Chris's hand across the table. "There wans't much time. And what she said doesn't mean that was all she was thinking. I'm sure she thought of you."

Chris took and released a couple of deep breaths, composing herself. "Probably not. Not after all this time. It was just wishful thinking."

"You never know," Alice said, wanting to give the other woman some hope. Though she wasn't qutie sur why.

Chris shook her head with a wry smile. "No need to comfort me," she said, turning her hand to clasp Alice's. "Honestly. I had long since moved on myself. It was just a silly sentiment."

"I don't think so. You... cared for her," Alice ventured. "No reason you shouldn't wonder. And no reason to say she didn't. We'll never know."

"No. And therefore there's really no point in worrying about it," Chris said pragmatically, giving Alice's hand a squeeze before releasing it.

'Right. Well, I suppose that's a good way of looking at it," Alice said, glancing down at her now-solo hand. "Why did you... lose touch? With her? And your brother?"

"Why d'you think?" Chris asked, smiling dryly and rolling her eyes.

"HonestlY? I have no idea."

"We had an affair."

"You... you did?"

Chris sipped her drink, her eyes now trained on it rather than the woman in front of her. "I know. It's horrible."

"I... had no idea. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago - we were practically teenagers."

"Right. Well. Okay." Alice let out a breath. "I guess I understand now."

Chis just shrugged at this. "Sorry. I thought it was pretty obvious. Luke and me not speaking, me asking about her..." She smiled. "I guess you gave me more credit."

"No, I guess I just... wasn't expecting that," Alice said, trying for a smile. "Besides, there are lots of reasons siblings wouldn't speak. Not just... that."

"I supose so."

"Mm."

Chris took another long breath, and shot Alice another of her pragmatic smiles. "I suppose you'll be rethinking that 'meant to meet' thing now, huh?"

"Why? Because of that?" Alice asked. "I don't... see why I would, exactly."

"Well, it's not exactly a stunning character reference, is it?"

"Well, you said it was a while ago. I would hope that you hadn't made a habit of it."

"Never before or since."

"Well then. I think your character is still stellar enough."

Chris managed a half smile. "You're just about perfect, aren't you? Fit, creative, heoric... and endlessly understanding."

Alice shook her head, cupping her hands around her glass. "Far from it. But I'm glad you think that... it means I'm not nearly as much a freak as Pam makes me out to be."

"And modest, too."

"Keep that up and I will invite you to dinner..."

"I thought you already did - what, you're retracting the invitation?"

"No, but you never answered, so I thought I ought to reiterate."

"So I bring the wine, and you bring me, is that it?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Alice said, lifting her glass. "Pick you up at seven?"

"Sure."

 

"Hey," Alice said, surveying her feet as she lay in bed, her phone clasped in one hand. "Just thought I'd let you know I found someone to bring to dinner tomorrow. So you can forget about calling me a friendless loser... ha."

"Yeah? Who?"

" Chris. The nurse."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. You'll meet her tomorrow."

"Wow. How did that happen?"

"Well, um... I went in for a check-up, met her there, we went to dinner... and I invited her and she said yes. Pretty standard."

"Forgive me but it's hardly standard to invite your nurse to dinner."

"Well, standard for me, anyway. Who else was I going to ask?"

"Mm, I guess. I'm just glad you succeeded."

"Yu-huh. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Mhmm. Don't forget the wine."

"Of course."

"Hey, Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Is she hot?"

"Pam..."

"Oh come on, you meet this chick once, and out of the blue you invite her out to dinner. Twice. She's hot, isn't she?"

"Just because I asked her to dinner doesn't mean she's hot. There happens to be a very good reason for both invitations, I'll have you know."

"She's hot."

"Oh, shut up."

"Oh my God, Alice."

"Pam, swear you won't do this tomorrow, please...."

"Yeah, yeah, lemme get it out of my system now, then."

"As long as I don't have to dignify it with a response."

"I can tell you're wound up from all the way over here; that's enough for me."

"Just behave, okay, when you meet her? Things're weird enough already."

"Okaaay, okaaay... Weird how? Aside from you being scary stalker woman?"

"I am not. I just meant the whole... Emma-thing."

"Her being Luke's sister?"

"Yeah, that."

"S'not that weird..."

"Uh, yeah, maybe not for you."

"Fine, fine... Look, I have to run to the store. Take care, okay?"

"Mmhmm. You too."

"I mean it, Alice. No five mile runs."

"I'm hardly going to run anywhere with these bandages on my legs. I was thinking more a stately walk."

"Alice. Behave. Or I won't."

"G'bye, Pam."

 

---

 

Chapter 4

It was dark, at first, and then the heat began to seep across her, burning her lungs. She reached to her face for her mask and it wasn't there, and when she breathed out all that came was smoke. She moved forward, pushing through it, heading towards the sloshing sound, when she tripped she landed on tiling at the edge of the water.

It wasn't a bath. It was a sea, the smoke lying low over the top. She was just beneath the water, lapping against the edge. She was already blue.

It was impossible to breathe. Each attempt suffused her lungs with more and more liquid until her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. Flailing uselessly, she reached for the surface, but couldn't raise her mouth to grab the air.

"Fuck." Sitting up suddenly, the word came out like a hoarse croak. The room was dark save for the reddish glow of her clock-radio. Okay. Maybe it's time to take those pills.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you in the office before Friday at the earliest!"

"I just came in to see the guys, not to work, I swear. I won't do anything that could be construed as strenous in any way," Alice said, holding up her hands. "This is a purely social visit"

"Hmph. Yeah, sure," Rog humphed, picking his newspaper back up. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"Hey Dave, how's it going?" she asked, leaning against the wall and watching one of her fellow firefighters go over his equipment in the same methodical way they had all been taught. "Need any help with that?"

"Ohhh, no, you're not getting me into trouble with Roger."

"What trouble? I just though I could help you out. Four hands'd make the job go faster..."

"No it wouldn't - I'll go faster on autopilot, you know that. How are ya, Alice?"

"Right now? Bored out of my skull. Got orders to do nothing but sit around and rot. It sucks."

"Can't you do your writing?"

"Already did it. Don't get any new assignments 'til later this week."

"You can't do some creative writing or something?" the older man asked, standing and hefting his equipment over his shoulder.

"Now how would that be helping you?" Alice asked with what she hoped was a winning smile.

"I don't need you to help me."

Sighing, the woman nodded, reaching up to itch her nose. "All right, fine. I know when I'm not wanted."

Dave sighed, lifting the heavy pack onto a shelf and turning to look at Alice. "Sorry, Al, but you've gotta get your head out of the game for a bit - it's the only way you're going to get past it. Trust me."

"I'm fine! Why won't anybody believe me?"

"Because you're just bottling things up. Come on, Alice, since when could you fool me?"

"I'm fine," Alice said stubbornly, crossing her arms. "But I'd be a whole lot better if I felt like I was being useful, not just lolling around getting fat and lazy."

"You couldn't be fat and lazy if you tried."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do know, and that's why I'm telling you to take a break."

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It looks like you're lurking around work trying to find excuses to poke your nose in."

"I just wanted to see how you were!"

"Sure you did."

"Look, there's gotta be some reports or something that you don't want to do around here."

David sat down, scratching the back of his neck and shaking his head slowly. "Head out of the game, Al. Go home."

With a frustrated groan the woman pushed herself off the wall, stalking for the door. "Bunch of help you fellows are," she muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, off you go. Go to a movie or somethin'."

"Are you trying to torture me?"

"See you Friday."

Alice didn't end up going to a movie; if there was one thing she hated more than boredom, it was paying good money to sit and be bored. Instead, she ended up going to the shops, and surpringly enough walked out with a new dress, courtesy of a very enthusiastic saleswoman who told her to show off her 'fabulous legs, darling'. Brow furrowed, she drove her truck back to the apartment, stalwartly swearing up and down that the outfit had absolutely nothing to do with dinner that evening. Absolutely nothing at all.

"Wow, you look gorgeous," were the first words out of Chris's mouth as she opened the door of her main-door semi-detached apartment, in one of the quieter, more leafy areas of town.

The shorter woman herself didn't look bad at all. She had opted for a more casual look - trousers with a slim fitting dark blue top, but her short hair was styled a little and she was wearing make-up.

"Now I feel underdressed."

"Oh," Alice said, glancing down at her dress and smoothing her hands nervously over the front. "Don't. I can go back and change, if you want. We've still got time..."

"No, no, I wouldn't have you change out of that; I'll cope."

"I don't know what I got it for... I don't normally wear things like this. I'll probably never put it on again, but it seemed like a waste to get it and then not wear it at all..."

Chris grinned in amusement. "You got so bored you went clothes shopping?"

"Pretty much. They kicked me out of the station and there's a mall nearby. I don't think I've ever stepped foot in those stores before," Alice said with a grimace.

"Well, I think it's lovely. Really brings out your eyes."

Alice supposed the dress did do that, the blue of the dress highlighting the pale blue of her eyes and the warm glow of her exposed arms and legs. She had twisted her shoulder-length hair up into a clip and allowed that the sun-bleached highlights didn't look too bad, all things considered. She had worn a modestly-heeled sandal that night, putting her at a shade over six feet, and though it was clear in the way she held herself that she wasn't entirely comfortable in the outfit, she had a certain athletic grace about her that kept her from seeming too gawky.

Chris realised then that she was staring. "Aaanyway. Shall we?"

"Right this way. We'll be driving in style, in a newly-washed pickup that's just seen its twelfth year... aged to perfection, this one is."

"Oh my God. You actually are some kind of ideal woman, aren't you? How are you not married with cats?"

Alice laughed a little, hesitating as she wondered whether to open Chris's door for her or not. "Now I know you're kidding. Or insane. Either way."

Chris grinned and pulled the door open for herself, climbing in. "Oh come on," she said as Alice climbed in the other side. "Gorgeous blonde Amazonian firefighter slash writer with her own pick-up truck? People like you aren't supposed to exist outside of books and porn movies..."

Blushing, Alice started the car, pausing for a moment with her hand on the gear-shifter as she looked across the console at Chris. "You forget the part where I'm neurotic and obssesive and reclusive and weird. I don't think that'd make for a very good porno."

"I think that probably depends on the porno."

"...I make my own frozen pizza, remember?"

"Oh yeah... Oh well, never mind."

"Don't say anything about the dress," Alice said through gritted teeth, leaning in to give Pam a hug as soon as she and Chris entered the sitting room of the charming little house where the dinner party was being held. "Not one word."

Pam managed to confine herself to a broad smirk before she rearranged her face into a welcoming smile. "You must be Chris. It's really good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too - I've heard so much about you," Chris said with a grin, shaking Pam's hand.

"Only nice things," Alice said, smiling innocently and looking between the two women. "Of course. We brought the wine... do you want me to stick it in the fridge?"

"Be my guest. So to speak."

Nodding, Alice glanced at Chris before taking the bottle in her arms and heading off to the kitchen. She nearly stumbled on a bit of rug and laughed nervously, glancing over her shoulder at the two women before disappearing through the doorway.

Chris grinned as she watched Alice's somewhat ungainly departure, shaking a head a little and moistening her lower lip absentmindedly with her tongue.

"So," Pam said, turning to survey Chris again. "I'd wager you didn't expect to be coming to a dinner party when you started your appointment Monday morning, did you?"

"Um... no, not exactly," Chris said with a sheepish grin. "Not sure how that happened exactly."

"Mm. She's a bit of a strange one, our Alice. I have to say I'm surprised as you are. Not that I'm not happy she's found someone she's so comfortable with. Just... well, surprised."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well, she's a bit of a homebody, normally. Doesn't meet new people very often."

The nurse chuckled. "Well, she didn't exactly meet me in a dance hall..."

"That's true. Maybe she ought to hang out in hospitals more often," Pam joked. "Seems to have worked pretty well this time."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "I knew I'd like you."

"I'm glad, since I had the same feeling about you. Just don't tell Alice that. She's terribly paranoid."

"With friends like these I wonder why."

"Please tell me you're not exchanging embarrassing stories," Alice said then, appearing in the room and hurrying across to where Chris and Pam stood. "I swer I heard my name."

Pam chuckled. "See? Paranoid."

"I am not!"

"Then no, we weren't talking about you," Chris said, pursing her lips in her amusement.

"Oh, so you were talking about another Alice, I suppose?" the blonde woman asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"What, you think I only have one Alice? I get withdrawl."

"That's no fair, I only have one Pam."

Laughing Pam shooed the pair into the main room. "Come on, Alice. Time to socialise."

If Alice was being forced to socialize, at least it was in a small group, and at least it was familiar people. The three women entered the front room together and were immediately greeted by the guests that had already arrived. Tom, a fellow teacher from Pam's school, grinned and waved at Alice, his thick-rimmed glasses and slightly shaggy hair making him look about as old as the students he taught on a daily basis. Next to him sat Melissa, a veternarian whom everybody called 'Doc' despite her protests, and Celia, who Alice had only met once or twice before but already liked because she seemed just as sporty as she was. Pam's roommate was conspicuously missing, but nobody seemed to be too broken-hearted... she wasn't well-liked, since she regularly made Pam's life hell with her own obnoxious friends and late-night drinking sessions.

Chris seemed to fit in immediately, sitting down near a conversation already in process and somehow ending up involved in it in moments without seeming pushy.

Watching her for a moment, Alice relaxed; she hadn't realized how nervous she had been on the other woman's behalf. It seemed she needn't have been, however, and after a few seconds she forced herself to turn away, sitting down next to Celia and offering the other woman a smile. "Hey there. Long time no see."

Celia grinned broadly, showing her neat white teeth, contrasting with her healthily browned skin and dark hair. "Hey you. Yeah, it's been ages - what happened to that squash game you promised me?"

"It's going to have to wait a bit longer, I'm afraid," Alice said with a grimace. "Can't do anything strenuous for a couple more weeks.'

"Jesus, no, of course not. Sorry," Ceilia said, looking mortified at the subject they were now touching upon. "How you doing?"

"I'm fine, fine... would be better if I actually could do something active. You know how it is."

"Mm, I remember when I got that knee injury. God, I went crazy..."

"How'd you cope?" Alice asked curiously.

"Took up knitting. No, seriously," Celia said at Alice's look. "Knitted sweaters and scarves for my mum's charity."

"Knitting... no offense, but I dunno if that's for me."

"Maybe not, but don't you write?"

"Yeah. I think I'll be hitting up my editors tomorrow for any extra assignments. Couldn't hurt to earn some extra cash, right?"

"Definitely."

"So how've you been?"

"Pretty good, actually, yeah. The swim team coach thing seems to be working out, for all I now permanently smell of chlorine."

"Oh, so that's what that is..."

"Shuttup!" Celia said with another grin, pushing Alice's shoulder gently.

The taller woman laughed and rocked back to nudge Celia in retaliation, shaking her head. "I'm just kidding, of course."

"So you said you worked at the hospital... Chris? Chris?" Tom raised his eyebrows waiting until Chris glanced back at him, then smiled crookedly. "Everything okay?"

"Mm? Oh, yeah... fine..." Chris said, taking another peek at Celia and Alice out of the corner of her eye before turning to face Tom more fully. "Mind wandered. The hosiptal, yes. I'm a nurse."

"Oh? Do you have a specialization? Or are you just one of those wonder women who do everything?" he asked with a bigger smile.

"Yeah, I'm one of those," Chris said, "although they usually just call us 'duty nurses'."

"Ahah. And you're new in town, you said?"

"Mm, been here a few weeks, just."

"Well, glad we got a hold of you early, then. Pam'll feed you so much you won't be able to waddle out of here."

Chris laughed. "You'd be surprised how much I can pack away."

"That sounds like a challenge to me!" Pam declared, peering out from the kitchen. "And one we'll get to put to the test right now. Dinner's served!"

Pam was as true as Tom's word, having provided a large stock of food for the assembled party.

Though she followed Celia into the dining room, Alice manuevred around several chairs in order to claim the one next to Chris, flashing her a grin as she grabbed her plate. "Hey. Doing okay?"

"Mm, yeah, you?"

"Yeah, though I'm starving. Can't wait to eat."

Flashing her another of her grins, Chris took her seat behind one of the empty plates, and moments later everyone else was seated too.

The meal was simple enough but hearty - Pam had broiled a brisket and several bowls-full of potatoes and vegetables, passing them around the table with some warm bread and butter. The room was soon full of chatter as the friends dug in, with the topic du jour being amusing stories about the students and other teachers at the school where Pam, Tom, and Celia worked.

"...and then this kid turns to me and says, 'What? I was studying!'" Pam finished, following her punchline up with one her hearty belly laughs, most of the table joining in.

Alice grinned and leaned forward to grab another roll, her hand colliding with Celia's as they both reached for the same piece of bread. "Whoops," she remarked, chuckling and pulling her hand back. "Go ahead."

"Ladies first," Ceilia said with a twitch of a smile, catching Alice's eye.

"Right, which is why I said you should..."

Laughing, Ceilia then reached for the bread again. "Okay, but only 'cause we'd be here all night."

"And we can't have that," Pam remarked with a shake of her head. "Since it's a school night, after all."

Chris chuckled at this, though her eyes were trained on her food with an expression somewhat akin to concentration.

Once it was 'safe' Alice retrieved her own roll and buttered it, not noticing Chris's serious expression. "Well, that's fine for you teachers, but I'm completely free tomorrow. I could be up all night." And probably will be.

"Quite," Chris agreed. "Not all of us are slaves to the tyranny of weekends."

"You're off tomorrow?" Alice asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, theoretically. I may well end up in work anyway. We'll see."

"Well, in that case you should definitely have some more wine." The blonde woman grinned and reached to top off Chris's glass.

Chris smirked and shook her head, but took a sip of her newly topped-up wine nonetheless. Pam caught Alice's eye with a raised eyebrow.

"You want some too?"

Pam opened her mouth, but then closed it again, simply nodding and sliding her glass across the table to her friend.

As was tradition at any of the friends' dinner parties, the host was excused from any sort of clean-up duty, so Pam retired to the front room to enjoy her newfound freedom. The others banded together to clear the table, and somehow Alice found herself at the sink, an apron tied over her dress and her arms soapy up to the elbows.

As people moved back and forth behind her, some clearing the table, some moving bottles to the door for recycling and so on, some being excused from duty on a 'too many cooks' basis, she soon found herself in a near-empty kitchen - indeed she didn't realise anyone was still there until she felt a warm hand come to rest in a... mostly companionable manner on the bare patch of back between her shoulderblades.

With a gasp Alice's fingers tightened around the glass she was washing. "You startled me," she said with a chuckle, her expression changing to one of surprise as she turned to see Celia standing behind her.

"In a good way, I hope," Celia said with a grin, moving to lean back against the counter next to the sink, removing one of her cufflinks and beginning to roll her sleeve up. "I figured I'd offer to take over; you must have done about half of them by now."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Alice said with a shake of her head. "I don't mind. Though if you wanted to dry, that'd be a help."

"Sure thing," the swimming instructor agreed, grabbing a dishtowel and moving around to Alice's other side, hand brushing past her hip in a way that could have been accidental as she did so.

"So... dinner was good, huh?"

"Very. I always forget how much I enjoy Pam's dinners until I'm at them, and then I'm like, 'Why don't I do this all the time?'"

"Good question. Maybe because Pam'd eventually kick you out?" Alice said with a chuckle.

Celia laughed. "Mm, probably. Although I bet I could get some fine dinners in before she did, if I played my cards right."

"I bet you could."

Celia glanced sideways at Alice with a grin before looking back to the plate she was drying. "You never did call after that last time," she said breezily enough. "I was sorry not to get in a game of squash or tennis."

"God, I know, I'm sorry about that. They upped my hours at the station and I've been swamped in stuff," Alice said apologetically. "Once I'm back in shape I'd love to, though."

"Good. I figured you just didn't want me get the wrong idea or whatever."

"The... wrong idea?" Rinsing off another plate, Alice handed it to Celia, her expression curious. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know. I know that... Pam says..." Celia paused to rephrase. "I got the impression that you weren't interested in... involvement... with people. And I worried that you thought I was coming on to you."

"Oh." Briefly Alice considered a few choice words she would have to have with Pam about discussing her behind her back (though she knew the other woman meant no harm by it). "Honestly, I'm terrible at reading that kind of thing... I just got busy at work and didn't get a chance to call. That's all."

Celia smiled, a hint of relief to her expression. "Good. 'Cause, honestly, not that I wouldn't, in a second, but I really did just want to play some squash."

Grinning, Alice held out a glass to Celia, a twinkle in her eye. "Then you're on."

"Hey, I- Oh. Um. I was just looking for the bathroom..."

"The bathroom?" Alice asked, turning a little too quickly to face the woman in the doorway. "It's back through the dining room, left down the hallway. First door on your right."

Chris gave a tiny nod. "Thanks."

"Hey, um, I'm nearly done here. Usually we hang out and talk after dinner, but if you're wanting to get home I can drive you..."

Chris shrugged. "I'm good, I really don't mind."

"Okay then, well, save me a seat out there?" Alice smiled. "Won't be long."

Chris hesitated a second, but smiled and nodded again, heading off in the direction of the bathroom.

Still smiling, Alice watched her go, fnally turning her attention back to the last few dishes in the sink.

"So how did you and Chris meet?" Celia asked then.

"Oh, in the hospital, actually. She's a nurse."

"Oh, yeah, she said. Wait, you mean she was your nurse? There isn't a doctor-patient thing with nurses? No, I suppose not..."

"Nope... at least, I don't think so. And it was only for my check-up. These bandages?" Alice said, hooking a finger in the hem of her skirt and tugging it up to reveal the bandages across her thighs. "All her doing."

"So she's already seen you in a state of undress, huh? That was fast..."

With a laugh, Alice shook her head. "We're just friends."

"Yeah? Oh, yeah, I forgot you don't really do relationships."

"Geez, how much did Pam gossip about me?"

"Well, I may have asked her about you a bit."

"You did?"

Celia dipped her eyes to the plate she was drying. "Sure. After we first met? At that barbeque?"

"At the barbe-- oh, right, I remember now. With the world's longest hot dog."

"That's the one."

"Oh. So that's why... I see."

"Whywhat?"

"Oh, just when you said... 'not that I wouldn't in a second." Alice grinned sheepishly. "I thought you were just being nice."

"Oh." Celia grinned. "I never joke about these things. But I also never make passes on people with people... which I thought you were..."

"Me and Chris? No, we're not... I mean, we just met."

"As you said." Celia nodded.

"Right." Alice furrowed her brow, washing off the last plate and handing it over to Celia. "Well."

Celia chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to embarass you on top of thoroughly embarassing myself," she said.

"No, don't be embarrassed, I just... like I said, I'm really bad at reading these types of situations. And acting on them. Or in them. Or around them..."

"Well, let's act our way around this one and into the lounge for less uncomfortable conversation," Celia suggested, putting the last plate away in the cupboard and tipping her head in the direction of the door.

"I think that's a great idea."

 

Back in the lounge conversation was continuing at a slightly louder volume than before, lubricated by the wine. Chris was talking to Tom again, the young man becoming more animated, and Pam and Melissa were having some raucous exchange of wits.

"Well, looks like we missed the conversation boat," Alice remarked, sitting down on the end of the sofa, close to where Chris had seated herself. She glanced over at the nurse, trying to catch her eye.

Chris, however, didn't turn, either through intention or chance, and another moment later Celia had sat on the adjacent armchair on her other side and was speaking to her.

"...but it would make sure you couldn't wriggle out of squash again," she was saying as Alice zoned back in on her.

"Hm?" Alice blinked, smiling a bit belatedly. "Um, well, can't rush things... gotta let the burns heal. And I've got some smoke inhalation thing... might be a while before I can do anything really strenuous."

"Well, lunch isn't terribly strenuous..."

"What? Oh, right, lunch. No, I suppose it wouldn't be."

"Well, that's all I was suggesting," Celia said with an amused smile. "What did you think I meant by 'a bite to eat'?"

"Um, no... you know, I don't know? Sorry. No, lunch sounds fine." Alice shook her head, leaning an elbow on the arm of the sofa. "Nice. It sounds nice. When would you like to meet?"

"I'm on a half day on Friday," the other woman suggested, eyes suddenly looking a little shy behind the bangs of her collar length shaggy brown hair.

"Sure, I'm free Friday." And every other day. "You want to give me your number, I can call you to figure out where?"

"Sure..." Celia retrieved her cell and began searching out her number as Alice did the same. She thought for a moment then that she saw Chris's face in her peripheral vision, but when she looked round the other woman was still facing away from her.

"Great," Alice said when she had tucked her phone away, smiling at Celia. "That'll be something to look forward to in a week of boredom."

The evening wore on, and eventually even Pam ran out of conversation. It was just after midnight when the party eventually split for the night..

"Hey," Alice murmured, putting her hand out to catch Chris by the elbow. "Sorry we didn't get to talk much tonight. Hope you didn't think I meant to abandon you or anything."

Chris managed a bright enough smile. "Oh, no, it's fine. I was happy just to chill out and chat to people."

"Right, well... Um. Maybe we should try another dinner, or something, where it's just us. Maybe then we'll actually get to talk."

"Sure. I'm working the next couple of nights, but I have tomorrow and Friday free during the day."

"Tomorrow would be great," Alice said with a grin.

"Um, great." Chris said, returning her smile as they reached Alice's tuck.

This time the taller woman managed to open the door for Chris, still smiling as she leaned momentarily against it. "Y'know, this whole 'meeting new people' thing is working out pretty well. Maybe I should try it more often..."

Chris grinned. "Maybe."

"Though I guess I oughta get you home. I've heard new friends don't last as long if you keep them out past their bedtimes."

"Quite right. Although with the shifts I'm on at the moment my bedtime is in about three hours."

"Oh really? Well, in that case..."

Chris's only response was a single raised eyebrow.

"...I was kinda hoping you'd finish that for me," Alice said then with a grin.

"Take me home?"

 

"This it?" The trunk idled as Alice peered out the window at the row of houses along the street. Her gaze flicked to Chris's face, now much closer to her own, and she was suddenly struck by the unusual color of her eyes.

"Mhm," came the reply with a tiny, unreadable smile.

"Aha. It looks... nice."

"It is, yeah. It belonged to my Grandparents."

"Oh? Um, cool. I like old houses... they've got so much character."

"Yeah. It's nice to have my own garden as well. Not that I do anything special with it - not yet, anyway."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. Out the back. I'll show you it sometime if you like."

"I'd love that," Alice said with a nod. "Oh-- we could do that tomorrow. There's a home-garden store on the other side of town, we could head over there if you wanted, pick up some plants..."

Chris's smile began to spread slightly. "Are you a gardener?"

"Well, not currently, since I have no place to... but a couple years ago, I had this beautiful garden..." Something like regret crossed Alice's face and she sat back in her seat, hands clasping the wheel. "Anyway, I'd be happy to help you. Gardening's not a strenuous activity, is it?"

"I think that depends on the gardening. And the garden."

"Well, since I'll have a nurse supervising me the whole time, it should be okay. Right?"

Chris chuckled. "Hm. We'll see. Anything to keep you from running off and doing yourself an injury."

"So what are you hoping to plant? Veggies, herbs, flowers?"

"To be honest I considered myself to be doing well to keep the grass cut."

"Hm." The look Alice gave her then was clearly exasperated. "I suppose we'll take a look at the space tomorrow... that'll help us figure it out, I'm sure."

Chris's smile had grown a little amused now, but she nodded. "See you back here about... I suppose lunchtime will be too late if we're doing garden stuff..."

"Eight o'clock?"

"Can't we find some kind of compromise?"

"Seven?"

"Hah. If you're here before ten, I'll be in bed."

 

---

 

Chapter 5

Nine fifty-nine and thirty seconds... thirty-five... forty... At exactly nine fifty-nine and fifty seconds Alice was out of her truck and bounding up the front steps of Chris's house, wincing a little as the burns on her legs protested the sudden movement. She ignored it and rang the doorbell, feeling much more at home in her baggy jeans and t-shirt than she had the night before in her dress.

There was a long silence, and Alice's finger was poised to ring the bell a second time before the door creaked open. Chris was wearing a robe, her short hair sticking out at all sorts of angles. She ran a hand over her face. "Jesus... what time is it?"

"After ten o'clock," Alice said brightly. "And you're out of bed, which is perfect. Ready to go?"

Chris shut her eyes, leaning against the doorframe. "Oh God. Come in," she added, straightening and stepping back to let Alice pass her into the house.

This wasn't exactly what Alice had been going for when she said 'go', but she followed Chris in, smiling widely as she looked around.

The small house was sparsly but tastefully decorated inside, the subtly floral patterned wallpaper and old fashioned furniture testifying to its former occupants. Chris led her straight through to a spacious, well-equipped kitchen, gesturing to a seat at the stripped wood kitchen table on her way straight to the kettle. "Coffee?"

"Sure, that'd be great." Alice slid into the seat, drumming her fingers across the smooth tabletop. "I didn't just wake you up, did I? I mean, we did agree on ten, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, no, it's fine, I let the night get away from me a bit, was late to bed. I'll be awake in a minute."

"Oh, all right. I could go walk around the block or something if you'd like to be left alone."

Chris grinned and shook her head, turning and leaning back against the counter. "Nah, don't worry about it. How're you? How did you sleep?"

"Oh, y'know..." Horribly. "Not bad. You?"

"Deeply."

"Yeah? I can tell. You've got the..." Here Alice waved her hands around her head vaguely, "bedhead thing going on. S'very nice."

The brunette chuckled. "I look like a scarecrow."

"Well, apparently you're a good one, since I don't see any crows flapping around here."

"Smooth - d'you use that line on all the girls?"

Alice laughed and shook her head. "No... I don't 'do' lines. And if I did, I'd probably leave out the part about the birds. Even I'm not that socially awkward."

"Also, I'm not sure women generally like being told they scare birds."

"What, so I should tell them they... don't scare birds?" Alice leaned forward, holding her hands as if she was grasping an invisible pad and pen. "Fascinating... tell me more."

"And then you should ask them if you can do their garden."

"Mmkay, garden, check..."

"And then you ask if they want a ride to the garden centre in your shiny vintage truck."

"Shouldn't you ask them if they want to put on pants and brush their hair first?" Alice asked, looking up and blinking innocently at the other woman.

Chris emptied the kettle into a cafetiere of coffee, glancing sideways at Alice. "I guess I should go do that, huh?"

"Unless you wanted to test out how frightened birds are of underpants, yes, probably."

Chris smirked, tightening the belt of her robe. "You assume I'm wearing any."

Alice raised her eyebrows and resumed tapping on the table with her fingers. "Well, you've already seen me with my pants off, so. I feel like there's an unfair advantage here."

"Are you suggesting I disrobe in front of you?"

"I'm just saying that you can't make fun of me for assuming things when you've got the upper hand. It's not fair."

"Mm, it's a sad unbalance of relationship with one's nurse, isn't it?" Chris mused in a mocking tone. "I get to see you half naked, vulnerable, explosed..."

"...taped to an IV, stuck in a hospital bed, gowned up..."

"Unconscious..."

"Drugged..."

Chris smiled serenly.

"This is turning into one really weird conversation," Alice said, pursing her lips. "Maybe you should go get ready so we can continue it on the way to the store?"

"Sure. Got to let the coffee brew anyway," the shorter woman said, passing Alice on her way to the door. Alice swore for a moment she caught, just slightly, the familiar smell of whisky as she did. "Don't break anything, yeah?" she added, and a moment later came the sound of her trotting up the stairs.

As was her wont, Alice got up to wander about the unfamiliar room, peering at the knick-knacks on the counter and reading the labels of the tins and cans that were out in plain sight. It seemed like Chris was a decent cook, at least if the contents of her kitchen could be believed, and Alice tucked that away with the constantly-growing picture of the other woman she had in her head.

Chris emerged downstairs in less then ten minutes, already dressed in a fitted grey teeshirt and battered looking jeans, her hair still glistening wet. "Right, let's have that coffee and get out of here," she said, looking more awake now.

"Sounds like a plan," Alice said, turning to offer her a mug full of the steaming brew.

"Oh, wow, you poured it? Are you a clever little patient?"

"You know, you don't need to sound quite so condescending... and besides, today I'm the gardener, not the patient."

"Mm, I've read all sort of stories about reclusive spinsters and their athletic, virile gardiners..."

"Um." Alice held up one finger in the universal sign for 'hold on'. "Just checking. Are you hitting on me, or have you actually read stories like that? Because if so, I'd like a copy, please."

"You've never read Lady Chatterly's Lover?"

"Obviously not."

Chris made a face. "I wouldn't. Anyway, I can't do both?"

"No, you can, I just... like to know where I stand."

Chris blinked, chewing her lip thoughtfully for a moment. "I hadn't really thought about it," she said, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, not about hitting on you, that comes naturally. But about what I'd say if you called me on it." She sipped at her coffee. "I suppose it's a little inappropriate."

"I guess," Alice agreed, though she didn't look too bothered by this. "Though it's not like I'm going to be your patient forever. I'll be better any day now."

"And I suppose that sort of thing only really applies to doctors and patients..."

"You'd know better than I would."

Chris smiled and shook her head. "I've never been attracted to a patient before. Well, not and..."

"Not and invited her to makeover your garden?"

"In fairness you invited yourself to do that."

"You could've said no," Alice said, though she was still curious to hear what Chris had left out. "I wouldn't have been offended."

"No, no, I like spending time with you," Chris said, holding a hand up. "I suppose that's the difference. I've never... clicked with anyone before - I mean, not clicked like 'oh, wow, we're suddenly best friends' but more... 'there's something about her'..." Chris's eyes slid away from Alice's and she shook her head, cheeks growing a little pink. "You know what I mean. I just saw you and I wanted to know you. I've never thought that about someone, not since-"

"Emma." As soon as Alice said the name she knew she shouldn't have, but for some reason she felt compelled to invoke the name of the woman who had quite indirectly caused them to meet and started their relationship. Perhaps it was curiousity or a desire to avert a conversation that was rapidly taking a turn down an avenue Alice wasn't sure she was quite ready to take that made her ask "What was that... I mean, what happened? You said you were teenagers. Were she and Luke together even then?"

Chris shook her head again, and sat down at the table, resting her coffee mug between her hands. "I said practically. She was nineteen when we met, I was twenty - almost twenty one. She and Luke... They were high school sweethearts; they'd been together since Senior year of high school. He was the artist, she was the writer - everyone thought they were going to be famous together. Yeah, she was a writer," Chris added when she saw Alice's expression, "...you didn't know that? Luke didn't say?"

"Um. No. It didn't come up?"

"Guess not." Chris's eyes dropped back to her mug. "So I'd never really known her in high school - I was two years above her; she was popular, pretty, and I was one of the weirdo kids - sweet, quiet Luke's bitchy freak half-sister. But then we ended up at the same college, and he was at art school a whole state away, and, I dunno, it just made sense to hang out."

"Right, of course. Listen, Chris, I'm not trying to criticize you, or bring up bad memories, I was just... curious. About you and her. And him. And... it's none of my business, I know," Alice said, frowning.

"No, no, it's fine," Chris said, though her brow furrowed as she spoke. "Like I said before, it was a long time ago." She took another long sip of her coffee before continuing. "I dunno when we stopped just hanging out and became real friends. But eventually we were sitting up half the night having those long, intimate chats, you know? The kind that leave you almost shaking, the ones that almost scare you, they make you feel like you've done something forbidden somehow, or... I don't know."

"Yeah, I know," Alice murmured.

"And then... Well, I met this girl. Well, I'd known her a while, actually, and she'd been sort of hinting for a while, but I'd been ignoring her 'cause I wasn't that into her, except I was getting kinda... antsy, I suppose. I shouldn't really have used her that way, but I did. She was nice, you know?" Chris sighed again, pushing her now empty coffee cup away from her a little. "And we all - me, her, Em, everyone - we were all out one night, and Em was in this terrible mood, and she got so drunk, and I was seeing her home..."

 

"I don't get it, Em. Why you being such a bitch? You're usually such a nice drunk." Chris reached for her hand, running the other through her shaggy blue streaked locks. "You wanna tell me what's up?"

"I can walk just fine on my own," Emma replied, snatching her hand away and stumbling a little to one side as the movement put her off-balance. "Besides, shouldn't you be back at the bar with what's-her-face? Paula? Polly? I'm sure she misses you."

"She'll keep."

"Jus' how many girls d'you think you can keep stringing along, Chris? Do you think they'll all just... wait for you forever? Or do you not even care what happens to them when you're not there?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't string anyone along!"

"Like hell you don't." Emma frowned, concentrating hard on stalking along the sidewalk and not swerving into any obstacles.

"Emma..." Chris caught the other girl's arm, turning to face her. "Emma, what's going on? You've been weird for like a couple of weeks, now, ever since I started seeing Paula. Don't you like her?"

"She's fine," the other girl said sullenly, refusing to meet Chris's eyes. "I mean, she's nice. What does it matter what I think of her, anyway? You're the one who's dating her."

"Because I care about you and I care what you think."

"If you cared about what I thought you wouldn't have started dating her in the first place!" Emma blurted, her eyes widening in delayed shock a second later.

Chris blinked. "Um. What?"

"I... I just feel like now you've got her you won't need me anymore. And I'm scared to lose what we have. I mean, all that talking, the stuff we said... I never told anybody that stuff, Chris, not even Luke. And to bare it all and then have you go and start dating this girl, like 'oh, that was fun, what next?'..." Emma finally looked up, swallowing heavily. "I don't know. It makes me feel really strange, but I think I'm jealous or something."

 

"And she's saying this, and all I can do is stare, because I just start to realise, right then, right when she's throwing it all back at me... that there's a damn good reason I'm not really interested in Paula."

 

"Em, I... I'm sorry, I didn't... I never thought for a second that..."

"I'm not. I mean, I don't. I mean... Chris, I don't know, I just..." Emma took a deep, shaky breath, her hands seeking Chris's waist of their own accord and pulling her closer. "This is so wrong, feeling this way, but I don't want to lose you..."

"You're kidding me, you have to be kidding me..."

 

"All I could do was stare at her. I could feel my face burning - I mean, it was dark, but I was like a beetroot, I was so nervous, and so embarassed because I knew I must have her wrong, somehow - there was no way she was saying what I thought she was, you know? And then..."

 

"I've never lied to you before. I wouldn't start now." And with that, Emma leaned up to press a warm, if somewhat sloppy kiss to Chris's mouth, closing her eyes as if she didn't want to watch what they were doing.

Chris's mouth was already open, and she found herself leaning in without really thinking about it, her arms sliding around her friend as they had plenty of times in the past - but not like this.

Emma let out a soft sigh, though when she pulled back a moment later to look up at Chris her eyes were filled with apprehension.

"We can't to do this," Chris murmured, chewing her lower lip. "We can forget this happened." Even as she said it her hands were playing along Emma's spine and she'd pulled her closer.

The other girl shook her head, closing her eyes and leaning in again, though she didn't move to kiss Chris, merely laying her head on her shoulder. "I don't want to forget it. I couldn't.'

Chris's shoulders slumped a little, and she dipped her own head to press her mouth to the side of Emma's neck. "Shit..." she muttered.

"Take me home, Chris, please. I want to go home."

"'Course, yeah, of course. Come on."

 

Chris stopped here, chewing her lower lip, a deep frown marring her brow. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm guess you really don't need to hear the exact ins and outs of this one. I've never tried to tell anyone about her before."

"No, no, that's... that's okay." Alice had found a seat at the table sometime during Chris's story and had been sitting, listening intently the whole time. "That's... wow. No, that's all right."

"Anyway. The next day we didn't even talk about it, and obviously that should've been the end of it. I broke up with Paula - was only fair on her, really."

Nodding silently, Alice spread her hands on the table until her palms were flat against the smooth wood. "Mm?"

"But, well, I suppose it's obvious that that wasn't the end of it."

"Right. Um... Well. I mean, if you want to tell me more, that's cool... but don't feel like you have to. We could always go to the garden centre and save this for lunchtime conversation...

"Sure, if you like. It is kind of a long story, I suppose."

"Well, we've got plenty of time. And I think some sun would do us both good."

 

"D'you know, I didn't even know half these things existed?"

"Well, they're all offshoots of one another... I mean yes, they all look kind of different, but they're all the same, deep down. So... we need something that'll do well with a lot of sun, since it looked like the garden gets a lot of light for most of the day... right?"

"God, I wouldn't know, I barely have time to go in it..." Chris said as they made their way along the rows of bushes and shrubs and flowers.

"Well, then, educated guess it is. What d'you think looks nice?"

"Hm... I like simple flowers that smell nice and don't attract really big insects."

Alice laughed, putting a hand on Chris's elbow and steering her towards an arrangement of flower flats. "Ooh, how about gardenia? Or jasmine. Those smell lovely..."

 

Chris was looking a little dazed by the time they left the garden centre, the back of Alice's truck filled with various flowers and shrubs, and even a small tree.

"D'you want to do lunch before or after we start prepping the garden? Oh, I know, we could pick something up and bring it with us and eat there. Do you like Chinese?"

"Sure - there's a pretty good one just along the road, actually."

"Perfect!"

 

Though Chris probably would've been just as happy to eat when they arrived back at the house, Alice had insisted on spending an hour and a half tearing out the worst of the weeds and tilling the large clumps of dirt into something more plantable before stopping for food.

Of course, by the time they'd done all this, Chris was really ready to eat, and when she realised how much better food tasted when one was really hungry she concluded that it was almost worth it.

"Dim sum?" Alice asked, grinning and tilting a carton in the other woman's direction. "You're right, this is delicious. I love a good take-out."

"Thanks. Yeah... I don't eat too much take-out. I kinda like to cook, even if cooking for one is kinda depressing."

"Yeah, but think of all the leftovers..."

"Leftovers are good."

"Leftovers are life."

Chris laughed. "You can take them home if you like."

"Oh, no, leftovers stay at the house they originated in," Alice said, shaking her head. "That's the rule. They're all yours. Though I might want to come by and visit them on alternate weekends."

"You've got two days, then I'm putting them in the trash."

"Nooo, not the trash!" Alice grinned and reclined against the back step, digging in her carton with her chopsticks. "Maybe I'll have to stage a daring rescue, then, and liberate them."

"You're really serious about your takeaway, aren't you?"

"You have no idea. Firefighters practically live on them."

"How do you people stay so athletic and toned?"

"Exercise burns calories, whether they're fast-food calories or take-out calories or good calories," Aliec said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but if you're not getting the right nutrients in your diet..." Chris trailed off. "I'm being a nurse again. Woops."

"No, no, it's okay. Pam does the same thing. Makes sure I eat my veggies and all that. Honestly, I probably do need two keepers... if only to give her a break once and a while."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of 'keeper'..."

"What?" Alice said innocently. "I swear I'm housetrained..."

Chris chuckled, shaking her head and digging back in with her chopsticks.

Smiling, Alice felll back into silence, eating quickly and hungrily and occasionally supplimenting her chopsticks with her fingers.

The pair ate in silence for some time. Chris knew she was supposed to tell the rest of the story of Emma and herself, but she wasn't sure she could just launch back into it, and it seemed that Alice wasn't going to ask.

"All right, well," the tall woman said finally, setting down her container on the step and rubbing her hands on her jeans. "I think we can probably get a good portion of stuff in the ground today. It's best to get them in their new home as soon as possible."

"You're gonna have to hold my hand here."

"It might be hard to use the spade that way..."

"We'll improvise."

 

The sun was getting low in the sky by the time Alice and Chris stepped back from digging in the dirt. Alice had been right; they had managed to get a vast majority of the plants into the dirt, saving only a few flowers that Chris had mused about putting in by the front walk. They had both managed to get quite gritty and grimy, and though Alice thought it felt rather sastifying, she knew not everybody shared her enthusiasm for getting messy.

Chris looked tired but satisfied as they found their way back to the kitchen, flipping the switch on the kettle as she passed it. "Do you want to shower or anything before I do?"

"Oh, uh... no, that's okay. I can just do that back home," Alice said with a shake of her head.

"Then can I entrust the coffee making to you while I go shower and change?"

"You can count on me, chief."

 

Chris almost groaned with relief as the shower beat down on her back and shoulders, easing the knotted muscles from digging and planting. Still, it was worth it. She smiled at the memories of the day - the simple pleasure of tending the garden, the even simpler pleasure of the moments she'd halt in her digging to watch Alice at work, the brief (and very modest) hose fight as she'd cleaned the patio of compost. This is just weird.

 

Alice felt a little more comfortable now in Chris's kitchen, having spent most of the day around the house, up to her wrists in dirt and occasionally nipping inside to get a drink of water (in her socks, of course). She hummed a little under her breath, opening cupboards in her search for the sugar jar. Where would I be if I were a sugar jar... hmm. Somehow I feel like I should know this already, which is silly, since I've never been here before. Still, it's definitely like we've spent more than just a couple hours together, so I guess that's why. Strange. I don't think I've ever 'clicked' with anybody quite this quickly before... it's weird. Ah! Sugar, here you are.

 

"Okay, so where's my coffee?" Chris asked as she emerged for the second time that day smelling of shower and with damp hair.

"Right here, madame," Alice said with a flourish, holding out the mug for Chris as she had earlier that day.

"Brilliant." Chris took a long gulp of the coffee, ignoring the burn as it went down her throat. "Ohhh, that's good. You give really good coffee."

"I knew it," Alice sniffed into her own mug. "You were just using me all along, weren't you?"

"Yep, when I invite you in for coffee, I really do mean coffee," Chris said, moving her shoulder bag from a chair to the table and beginning to rifle through it, checking its contents.

Grinning, Alice leaned back against the counter, feeling her legs twinge from the uncomfortable positions she had been crouching and kneeling in all day. Might be time for some more painkillers. "When do you have to be at work? Do you need a ride?"

"I'm good, we have a nurse carpool," Chris said, picking her coffee up for another sip.

"Ah, okay. Cool."

"You feeling okay? I let you work pretty hard, I hope you appreciate my lenience."

"No, yeah, I'm feeling great. Well. Will probably be popping a couple of pills back home," Alice conceded. "But it's a good hurt.'

Chris nodded. "You redress those burns tonight too, okay? They'll be a breeding ground after all that sweating."

"Yes'm. I'll keep 'em clean as a whistle. Which is... conceivably very clean?"

"So one assumes..."

"Right." Alice smiled and finished her coffee, setting the empty mug in the sink and stretching her arms above her head.

Chris didn't even bother to hide her appreciation as she took in Alice's lean, toned form, from the subtle muscles of her arms to the sliver of gently defined abdominals shown off as her top rode up. Her cheeks were clearly a little pinker as she dropped her eyes back to her coffee mug.

"Hm," Alice said as she looked back at the other woman. "I guess I won't see you tomorrow. Or... well." Now it was her turn to look a little embarrassed. "I guess just because I don't have anything to do doesn't mean I can keep monopolizing all your time."

Chris raised her eyebrows. "Not at all," she said, "but don't you have a lunch date tomorrow?"

"Hm? Oh, right, lunch with Celia. That's why I won't see you, I meant."

"I'll be working in the evening again, so..." Chris nodded, pursing her lips. "Yeah, we probably won't get a chance to hang out."

"There's always Saturday?"

"Um... yeah, yeah, I'll be free - sleeping in, mind you."

"So, eight o'clock?"

"Try it."

"Okay, okay," Alice said, making a face. "But you'll be missing the best part of the day!"

"Me and my bed don't care. How about you come over in the evening? I'll cook you dinner."

"That sounds nice. I'll be looking forward to it."

Just then, a car horn sounded from outside. "That'll be me, then," Chris said, tipping her head. "C'n you let yourself out okay?"

"Oh, sure. Um, have a good shift?" Alice said, stepping forward and then pausing as she wasn't quite sure what she meant to do.

Chris seemed to make the decision for her, however, leaning and kissing her briefly on the cheek before shooting her another smile, and making her way out.

Smiling, Alice stayed long enough to wash up the mugs from their coffee and put them away. Though it felt a bit strange being there without Chris, she paused to write a short note on the pad in her bag, tearing it off and leaving it on the kitchen table for her to find when she returned.

 

Chris --

Had a great time with you today. Can't wait 'til Saturday. I think this time it's my turn to bring the wine, though. Red or white? Maybe one of each, just to be sure. See you later.

--A.

 

---

 

Chapter 6

"...so yeah, we got it looking pretty nice out there, actually. I mean, it needs a little more work, but that's what Saturday's for. I think I might bring over some of the seeds I've been saving, since it's a waste just for me to hold onto them when I don't have anywhere to put them." Alice realized she was babbling a bit and stopped, focusing on slicing the tomato for her sandwich.

Celia nodded, raising her eyebrows with a slightly amused expression. "Sounds good. She looked like she could use some time outdoors."

"Hm? Oh, well. Must be all that fluorescent hospital lighting," Alice said with an embarrassed smile.

"Must be. So how're the burns?"

"They're all right. Still a bit sensitive, but hopefully I'll be able to go without the bandages soon."

"And you're taking it easy, right?"

"Besides the marathon I've got scheduled on Sunday?"

"Seriously. I don't want to jeapordising your recovery and stalling our squash session further."

"I'm following the doctor's orders to the letter," Alice said, shaking her head. "Trust me."

"Or nurse's?"

"That too."

Celia speared some pasta on her fork. "Well, at least you found a way to occupy your time."

"Mmhmm. Otherwise I might've ended up alphabetizing my wardrobe again," Alice said with a smirk.

"You've done it before?"

"Yup. Killed a good couple hours trying to decide if my jeans should go under 'J' or 'B'."

"B for..."

"Blue jeans?"

"Aaah... Do you have jeans in other colours?"

"I think I might have a pair in black somewhere. Leftovers from the eighties, you see."

"And black also beging with B, so I have to ask," Celia said, pointing with her fork, "why does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't, really, but it took up time, which is the important thing."

"I suppose so."

"But enough about me... how was school today?" Alice asked, raising her eyebrows.

Celia rolled her eyes. "Hell. I hate kids."

"Y'know, I don't think any one gruop of people says that quite as much as teachers. Why is that?"

"Because no one has to spend as much time around them as we do, not even their damn parents."

"I guess that's true. And it's in spending time with them that you grow to hate them?"

"Nah, not really. I love the little bastards, they just drive me round the bend."

"Well, TGIF, eh? Don't have to see them for a whole two days. That'll be nice."

Celia nodded. Then shook her head. "I do swimming lessons at the local pool on Saturday morning, and coach a softball team on Sunday afternoon."

"Oh, you poor thing," Alice said, making an appropriately sympathetic face. "You're a masochist, but I also pity you. That's terrible."

"It's not so bad. At least those brats mostly want to be there."

"Mostly?"

"Yeh, well, there are always the ones who were just made to go by their overzealous moms, you know the type."

"Guess so."

Celia made a face. "Can't stand 'em. But you do what you can, y'know? Besides, if I had kids? That's probably exactly the kind of mom I'd be."

Alice laughed and nodded. "Yeah, me too. Pushing them into soccer, swimming, track, judo..."

"Lesbian soccer moms of the world unite!" Celia said with a laugh. "Well, lesbian and bisexual in your case, I guess."

"Mmhmm. Tho' you'll never find me driving a minivan," Alice declared. "Ever."

"I think a truck just gives you queer points."

"Why is that? I know why I like them, but that's just because it holds a lot of stuff and drives well in all sorts of weather."

Celia shrugged and grinned. "Trucks are dykey, Al. Deal."

"I guess I'll have to, huh? Oh well. I can't claim not to like all the attention I've been getting recently," Alice admitted.

"Never rains but it pours, huh?"

"Mmhmm. Listening to Pam go on and on about my 'drought' has got me feeling like some big open dead plain."

"I find it very hard to believe that someone like you could be single through anything other than your own choice."

"There you go again, flattering me... as if you're any different."

"Yeah, well..." Celia smirked. "I'm not in a 'drought'."

Alice laughed and took a sip of her iced tea. "I'm glad for you, though I don't think I want to know exactly how 'wet' you are... oh God, did I just say that? This is why I don't do flirting..."

Celia smirked. "I can't even touch that one..." She made a face. "So to speak."

"Enough with the puns already," Alice groaned. "I can't take it."

"Then I suppose I won't give it to you."

Smirking, the blonde woman wiped her mouth with her napkin, setting it down next to her plate when she finished. "So. Do you have more kids to torture this afternoon, or shall we find something to do with ourselves?"

"For today, I'm done. What d'you wanna do?"

"Hm, let's see, something sedentary..."

"Well, we've already covered eating..."

"I'm not a big fan of movies. Unless there's something you'd really like to see. In which case I'll let you drag me to it."

"Sitting in a darkened room isn't really my thing, I tend to get bored and try to find other ways to amuse myself," Celia said with a wink.

"Flicking popcorn at people's hairdos?"

"Bingo."

"As much fun as that sounds, maybe we can find something a little more productive to do with our time. D'you have any chores that need doing? Errands that need running?"

"What, you've run out of housework of your own to do you wanna muscle in on mine?"

"What can I say, I'm greedy like that."

"Well, I do have some food shopping to do... but don't you hate shopping?"

Alice made a face, but shrugged and gathered up her things. "Not as much as I hate sitting around doing nothing. Let's do it."

 

"Told you you'd be bored."

"To be fair, I think you told me I'd hate this. And while I am bored, I don't think I've reached the level of 'hating' this quite yet." Alice leaned on the shopping cart, pushing it slowly through the aisles of the grocery store. "But give it time. You might still be proven right."

"I could always... no, I shouldn't encourage you..."

"Encourage me to what?"

"Encourage you to eschew cooking. I was going to offer to cook you dinner... but I guess we've already done lunch, it's maybe a bit much all in one day..."

"Like I'd turn down the offer of a free meal. Free, homecooked meal at that," Alice said, grinning.

"I can't promise gourmet," Celia warned, gesturing to the simple staples in her cooking basket.

"Who said anything about gourmet? I'd be happy with macaroni and cheese. Oooh... is it too late to put in a request?"

Celia grinned. "I think I could just about whip up some mac'n'cheese."

"That would be heavenly."

"I'm not about to miss any opportunity to take you to heaven," the other woman quipped - and this time even she had the good grace to make a face at the joke.

 

"And... voila! Home cooked mac'n'cheese, just like Mom used to make. Well, except that my mom couldn't do mac'n'cheese for shit."

"I'm sure this is great. It smells good, at least," Alice remarked, bending over the pot and taking a deep breath. "And looks good. Logically taste would follow along those lines."

"Let's hope, eh?" Celia said. "You don't mind us just eating on our laps, do you? I could set the table, but..."

"Nah, don't bother. I thrive on informality."

"Good, good." Celia took a seat next to Alice on the couch, picking up her own plate and fork from the coffee table and reaching for the open wine bottle in its cooling sleeve to top herself up. "You want a top-up? Oh, no, you're driving, I forgot."

"And pain meds," Alice reminded her, spearing a bite on her fork. "One of the many things I've learned from Chris. No mixing those with alcohol. Unless you're under strict supervision."

"God, time off without drinking, how boring."

"I know. I think I may have been sent to my own very special circle of hell. I'm just not sure why."

Celia chuckled. "Payback for having two gorgeous women chasing you at once."

"I'd hardly say I'm being chased..."

"Then I need to try harder, and so does she."

Alice's expression changed to one of slight surprise, and she suddenly became very interested in her macaroni and cheese. Carefully scooping up several noodles on her fork she ate them one by one, chewing slowly.

Celia busied herself with her food for a few moments before she spoke again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to seem forward. I'm not gonna jump you or anything."

"Nono," Alice said after swallowing, giving a tiny shake of her head. "Don't be sorry. I just really am crap at this whole... 'flirting' thing. I tend to either be oblivious to it or misread it completely, and I'm never really sure what to say. It's not your fault, though. I just missed that set of social skills."

"Well, we don't have to flirt," Celia said. "I'm pretty straightforward at the best of times. You'll always know where you are with me if you want to."

"And where is that, exactly?"

Celia opened her mouth, then closed it again, grinning sheepishly. "Um. Wherever you want to be, really."

"Ah." Alice nodded, stirring her fork around her plate. "Okay."

"I can see I'm not going to get the same from you," Celia said, though her grin was still in place.

"Gimme time to think about it?"

"Hey, no, sorry, didn't mean to push you." Celia shook her head, going back to her macaroni. "Sorry. That came out totally wrong."

"S'okay. It's just a little... overwhelming," Alice admitted, chewing on her lip. "Like you said, two gorgeous women..."

Celia once again opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She leant forward to place her mostly finished plate of food on the coffee table and sat back again, smoothing her jeans across her thighs with her hands. "Can I make an observation?"

"Sure. Go for it."

"You spent the first twenty minutes of our date talking about Chris. I think it's a clue."

"Oh." Alice furrowed her brow, then, "This was a date?"

Celia almost managed a smirk. "I asked you to lunch. In some cultures that might be considered a date. I was thinking of it more as a casual pre-date sort of thing. But yeah, it was at least sort of a little like a date."

"Celia, I'm sorry, I'm an idiot..." Alice made a face, reaching up to rake a hand through her hair. "I really am. I'm sorry. Not that... it could be a date. I just didn't really think about it in those terms before."

"Hey, no, you're not an idiot. Alice, I'm saying this all wrong. I'm not picking out wedding rings; I just like you - I was putting feelers out or whatever you call it."

"Sure... of course. Right. That makes sense."

Celia stood up from the couch, picking up her plate and moving back in the direction of the kitchen.

"Um, for what it's worth," Alice continued, raising her voice to be heard in the other room. "I'd like to do this again. With you."

Celia was smiling when she returned, but it looked a little doubtful. "You mean come grocery shopping with me?"

"Or lunch, or dinner... or we could just play squash, when I can."

Celia nodded, shrugging. "Sure. Absolutely."

"All right." Alice stood, feeling as if she had probably overstayed her welcome. "Well, you have my number..."

"Yeah. Shit, no, you don't have to go. Finish your dinner, sit down a minute, have some coffee, but for God's sake give me a chance to redeem myself," Celia said, managing a grin. "I'm so stupid sometimes, I'm sorry."

"You? I thought this was all my fault!" Alice declared.

"Oh, please. You're not the only emotional cripple around here," Celia quipped, wincing a moment later at her own implications.

Luckily Alice just chuckled, bending her legs until she could sit back down on the sofa. "Guess not. Lucky for me."

Celia moved to sit back down. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I guess I forgot that sometimes my straightforwardness is... a little too forward."

"Hey, I don't mind. I've come to terms with my shortcomings. Don't worry about offending me."

"I'm more worried about scaring you off forever."

"I wouldn't worry about that either," Alice said with a grin. "I'm pretty brave. Or just stupid. Either way, I'm not easily scared."

"I suppose you wouldn't be, would you?" Celia conceded with a grin.

"Wouldn't be a very good firefighter if I was."

"And we all know you're a good firefighter - Pam said you'd been offered a medal - above and beyond the call, and so on."

"Ah, yeah..." Alice shrugged, looking a little bashful. "I mean, I'll accept it, of course, but it feels a little weird all the same."

"Because she didn't make it?"

"Yeah."

Celia shook her head. "Frankly?" she said with a wry smile at the utterance - she'd already been more than frank. "Her widower's sister is into you. I think you're in the clear."

"And you think that's not a little weird?" Alice asked, raising her eyebrows at the other woman.

"No? Why would it be weird? The only weird thing is that she's your nurse..."

"Um. Yeah, there's that..."

"Well? That's not such a big deal. Not really. It's not like she's your doctor."

"No, I know. You're right."

"So what's the issue?"

"No, it's nothing," Alice said with a shake of her head. "I should probably finish my dinner before it gets cold."

Chris chuckled. "And again with the overly frank, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I dunno why I'm trying to convince you to go for her anyway. I mean, it's not exactly in my interests."

"Yeah, I was wondering that myself, actually."

"I suppose it's just obvious that you like her."

"Is it?" Alice gave a small shrug. "I thought I just like gardening," she joked.

Celia just smirked.

"I guess it was pretty rude of me to babble about that. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it wasn't. God, I can't say anything right today."

"Um." Alice took a bite of macaroni, then leaned forward to put a hand on Celia's knee. "It's really not a big deal. I'm the one being dense, remember?"

"I think maybe we both are."

"Mm... so maybe we can both stop apologizing for it?"

"Yeah... could do."

"That'd be nice."

"So, d'you need to get home, or shall I throw some music on and get out a pack of cards, or something?"

"Music, huh? Whaddaya got?"

Celia nodded towards the CDs stacked on the bookshelf in the corner by the sound system. "Help yourself."

With a grin Alice nodded and pushed herself off the sofa. "You're going to regret saying that..."

"I'll fetch the cards."

 

---

 

Chapter 7

"You're on time. As usual," Chris added with a grin as she opened the door. "C'mon in." She stepped back to let Alice pass, the house already smelling of cooking.

"Wow, that smells great," the tall woman remarked, pulling open her bag as she stepped in to reveal two bottles of wine. "Now, which one of these do we get to crack open? Because I purposefully didn't take any meds today and I need something to distract me from these damn burns."

Chris raised her eyebrows. "Not driving tonight, then?"

"Hey, it's early, and I can hold my alcohol. We just better get started soon, eh?"

"God, an alcoholic. All I need," Chris said with a laugh, shooing Alice past.

"I am not! I'd be quite happy to just leave these as a gift, if you'd prefer." Alice smirked and made her way into the kitchen, setting her things down on the table. "I'm just trying to be pragmatic here."

"Glases are on the top shelf on the ri-" Chris said, cutting off as she turned to see that Alice had already found them. "You're fast."

"You forget, I've had ample time to familiarize myself with the layout of your kitchen already."

"Oh yeah, you were snooping around while I was in the shower - thanks for washing the dishes by the way."

"Anytime," Alice said with a cheeky grin. "I figured if anything was going to get me invited back, it was that."

"You'd already been invited back."

"Invited back the next time, I mean. I like to think ahead."

"Very wise. Dinner's almost ready, d'you mind eating at the kitchen table? I have a dining room, but it's cosier here."

"Not at all. I thrive on informality.'

"Good. Then you can put some mats out," Chris said with a grin, nodding towards the stack in the centre of the table.

"Hey! I already did the dishes!" Alice protested, though she moved to begin placing the mats at two of the spots anyway.

"Yeah, yeah, moan, moan, moan," the nurse said, pottering around the stove area adding the finishing touches to dinner.

Alice sniffed the aroma of the food appreciatively, coming to stand behind the shorter woman when she finished. "Mm, that looks great. You weren't kidding about the cooking thing, were you?"

"Apparently not. Haven't cooked properly in ages, it's nice to know the muscles haven't atophied."

"I wasn't aware taste buds were a muscle."

"Your tongue is."

"True," Alice said with a chuckle. Then, "good to know that hasn't atrophied, either."

Chris chuckled. "The jury's out... okay, I think we're done."

"Great. Let's eat."

 

"So," Alice said, smoothing her hands over her napkin in her lap. "How was work? Catch the eye of any other patients while you were there?"

"Well, naturally they're all clamouring for me once I jab them in the ass with a needle and fit their catheters."

"I can imagine. Did you use a bedpan to beat them off?"

"I strung several together to use as armour against their amour. So to speak."

"How clever."

"Mm, I thought so," Chris said, spearing some food with her fork but waiting for Alice's cue to begin eating.

Whether or not she realized this, Alice soon picked up her fork and began to eat, making appreciative noises with the first bite. "So how's our garden doing?" she asked then jokingly, glancing over her shoulder at the door to the backyard.

"Still there, last I checked."

"Good, good. You watered it?"

"Just like you said," Chris said with a roll of her eyes.

"What? You wouldn't want to have spent all that money just to have it wither up and die on you, would you?" Alice asked skeptically.

"No, no, I know, I know..." the nurse conceded with a grin. "When're you going to come over for us to finish with the planting?"

"Whenever you like. I've still got another week of torture."

"You can start exercising lightly this week if you want to, though. Well, I should probably take another look at your burns first, but it should be fine."

"Yeah? Do you think you could do that tonight?" Alice asked eagerly, reaching for her wineglass. "Would that be official enough?"

"Sure, so long as we do it before I'm too drunk."

"How drunk is too drunk?"

"My eyes need to be open."

Alice snickered. "You mean you can't do it by touch?"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "You're on good form tonight."

"You mean I'm not stumbling over myself and looking like an idiot?"

"I meant you're quick off the mark. You been taking innuendo pills?"

"Not unless they snuck something into my presecription when I wasn't looking..."

Chris just raised an eyebrow then, smirking wickedly.

"I can cut it out if you want."

"Cut what out?"

"The innuendo."

"Oh." Chris shot Alice a slightly shy smile that turned more thoughtful as she observed her. "You're very carefully spoken, aren't you?"

The taller woman shrugged, tracing a finger over the stem of her wineglass. "I try to be. Doesn't always succeed, but... I try."

"No, you do. Succeed I mean. You never put a word wrong - you never stutter, or stumble... I'm like Luke - not as bad as him, but it's the family curse - we all stumble through sentences like we're making up half the words as we go along."

Alice found her interest piqued as Chris mentioned her brother again, and nodded. "I guess it just goes with owning up to your words. Not being ashamed of what you're saying or revealing about yourself. Not that you have any reason to be ashamed. But people tend to worry too much about what they say, I think."

"So that means the innuendo was intentional then?"

"I'm not ashamed of it."

Chris's only response was a smirk, and the pair fell into a companionable silence, making short work of their food.

Between the two of them they also managed to finish off most of the first bottle of wine, though Alice drank less than Chris, in deference to the fact that she had to drive home later that evening.

Consequently, Chris swayed slightly as she stood from the table to clear up the dishes. "Woah, headrush... that's what I get for being short and wimpy." Indeed, Chris wasn't short at all, but next to Alice she looked it.

"Why don't you let me clear?" Alice offered, scooping up her own plate and glass. "Since there's all of four things."

"I guess I could go fetch the first aid kit to the lounge," Chris responded, and catch you there in a few?"

"Sounds like a plan."

 

Chris sifted through the contents of her first aid kit, laying out the non-stick dressing pads and surgical tape, along with some soothing antiseptic lotion that wasn't ideal for burns, but would serve in the absence of the right stuff.

So this is going well. I think. It's hard to tell with her, for all her assertion that she 'owns up to her words'. I don't even know what I'm suppose to want here anyway. Chris pursed her lips thoughtfully, leaning to top up her wine from the bottle she'd brought through.

"All right, I'm ready for my checkup," Alice announced a minute later, drying her hands on her jeans as she walked out of the kitchen. "Where should we do this?"

"Wherever you like," Chris said. "Well," she added with a chuckle. "Within reason - I know you like the garden an' all, but..."

Alice laughed appreciatively and glanced around the sitting room. "Well... I don't want to scandalize your roommates if I can help it..."

Chris echoed the laugh, adding. "Nah, they're both working shifts this weekend, I probably won't see them before Monday night. I'll be able to kick 'em out soon, anyway." she paused. "Which now that I think of it has nothing to do with the issue at hand."

"Oh?" Alice asked as she began to undo her belt buckle, raising her eyebrows. "Why's that? The kicking out part, not the other part."

"Oh, well, I've got 'em here right now 'cause I need the cash while I settle in, do some repairs and so on," Chris explained. "But I don't have a mortgage to pay on this place, so as soon as their lease is up I'll probably be able to afford to live here alone."

"Aha. That's excellent, congrats. Living alone is a blessing."

"You don't get lonely? Not that I disagree but at least it means I have regular contact with other human beings, however much of a mixed blessing it might be."

Alice shrugged, unzipping her fly. She seemed to realize halfway through this that she was still wearing shoes and took a seat on the nearest chair to unlace them and pull them off first. "I dunno. I guess I don't get lonely. I mean, I see enough of people at the station, and Pam forcing me to socialize, so. It's nice to have a place to retreat where it's just me."

"I suppose I keep this place very much a reflection of me, anyway, since I'm the landlady and what I say goes," Chris said, picking once more through the first aid supplies she'd laid out.

"Oh? So the barren garden out back..."

"Oh come on, I've only been here a few months."

"And if I hadn't come along to inspire you, how much longer would it've gone without any attention?"

"I'd have cut the grass eventually."

"Ah," Alice said knowingly, kicking off her shoees. "Well then."

"Anyway, it was perfectly well-kept. Just minimalist."

"There were weeds. Weeds are not minimalist."

"They're untamed."

"Exactly. The antithesis of minimalism." Smirking, Alice stood and began to shimmy out of her pants.

It had been different in the clinical environment of the hospital. Here, Chris couldn't begin to attempt to hide the obvious appraciation in her eyes as they travelled up Alice's long, toned legs, for all that their lines were somewhat broken by the white dressings. "Um, best thing might just be if you came and stood over here. I'm about the right height sitting down." Apparently.

"Sure, one sec..." Stepping out of her pants, Alice laid them across the chair and then crossed the room, apparently not at all self-conscious in her half-naked state.

Chris gently removed the dressings, eyeing Alice's burns critically. "I see you took our advice and kept a better eye on them," she said. "They're looking good."

Grinning, Alice nodded. "So I can start running again?"

"Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? These are right over the joint." Chris finished running an antiseptic-soaked tissue over the wounds and soothed the slight sting they'd left with some cool lotion. "You know, I wouldn't usually expect a girl to strip off on the first date," she joked.

"First date? I thought this was the fourth. Retroactively," Alice said with a chuckle.

Chris glanced up at Alice's face before looking back to the table to select a dressing pad. "I guess I wasn't sure yet if it was an anything-th," she said.

"Do you want it to be?"

Her smile turning a little uncharacteristically shy, Chris covered her nerves by commenting, "Little unfair to ask me with your legs in my face like this, isn't it?"

"Maybe I'm trying to tip the scales in my favor," Alice replied, shifting slightly. "Or maybe I forgot. Can I get dressed now?"

"Justasecond... Yep, yep, I'm done." Chris sat back, chewing her lip a little as she watched Alice put her pants back on. "Sorry. I guess when dating comes up you stop being a patient and start being a gorgeous woman in my lounge with her pants off."

"Right, right... sorry about that," Alice said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I guess I thought it seemed like as good a time as any to bring it up. But I'm dumb sometimes."

"You're not dumb. It's endearing that you didn't even seem to notice. I'm wondering what else I can get you to strip off. You had a breast check-up recently?" Chris said, smirking and skirting the edge of good taste to cover her mild embarassment.

"Yep, all up to date on those," Alice said with a laugh, coming to sit back on the sofa near Chris. "Unfortunately."

Chris chuckled. "Any moles needing checked?"

"No, though my lips are awfully chapped..."

Chris turned to face Alice, suddenly aware of how close they were. "I could offer you some chapstick..." she suggested, already leaning in just slightly. After all, there was really only one way to read that.

Smiling, Alice leaned in as well, brushing her lips lightly against Chris's. Despite her prediliction to hermitism she wasn't shy, and figured this would be a good way to test and see if whatever it was between them was worth paying attention to. Chris opened her mouth a little, though she didn't deepen the kiss, enjoying their slight contact, just at the lips and nowhere else.

This is nice... still weird, but also nice. Do I want this to be our fourth date? Do I want this to be a date at all? I definitely like her, and we seem to get along, it's just... weird. Another second and Alice pulled back a little, licking her lips. "That feels better already."

The shorter woman was blushing a little now. "Good. Um. Good." She chuckled, dipping her eyes and shaking her head. "Sorry. Eloquent of me, I know. I'm just... not sure what I should want here. It's... weird. Is it weird? It feels weird to me."

"No, it is weird," Alice agreed, a touch of a smile still on her lips. "Nice, but weird."

"Good. I think. Well, good that it was nice. I thought so too. Although I dunno what we're suppose to do about the weird."

"Keep plugging along and hope it goes away?" Alice suggested. "Not ignore it, of course, but maybe it just needs time. It's been... what, all of a week? Week and a half?"

"Just barely."

"Right. So I'd prescribe a little more time. In my professional opinion."

"As an expert on such matters," Chris teased.

"Well, maybe I ought to get a second opinion. What do you think?"

"I think everyone else can keep their noses out of my business," Chris said with a grin, mustering her nerve and leaning in to press another light kiss to Alice's lips.

Apparently this was the right answer, or at least the one that Alice wanted to hear, as she returned the kiss with a smile, her eyes fluttering closed as the kiss stretched out several sweet seconds. This time Chris lifted a hand to press her palm to Alice's face, deepening the kiss a little and turning to face her more fully. Right, still nice, still a little weird... It had been a long time since Alice had been physically intimate with anybody. Good to know I haven't forgotten how.

Chris seemed keen neither to break the kiss nor to advance it, happy to simply trace the contours of Alice's cheek with her fingertips as she kissed her.

Eventually Alice decided to deepen the kiss, tilting her head and opening her mouth a little, leaning in to increase the pressure between them. She felt the brunette tremble a little, but Chris moved closer nonetheless, their legs touching as she closed her eyes and let her tongue explore a little. Alice tasted a little like dinner, and a little of wine, and a little of herself - healthy, fresh, and definitely pleasant.

Now Alice moved her hand along Chris's leg, starting at her knee and slipping further up towards her thigh. She didn't want to overwhelm the other woman, but now that they had broached the subject of their physical relationship she felt no desire to stop quite yet. Chris smiled against Alice's mouth, although she shivered a little again, her kisses stilling a little momentarily. Didn't expect to be the follower here... she thought. The surprise was not unpleasant though, and her hand moved to the back of Alice's head, fingers weaving through her hair.

Ohhh... Her smile widening, Alice's hand found Chris's waist, something stirring within her as she felt the other woman's hand slip against her scalp.

Aware that Alice was not at her most maneuverable, Chris was the one to shift, folding a leg beneath her to allow her to move closer on the couch, barely breaking contact as she did so. The weirdness hadn't gone, but as their kisses grew deeper and her free hand moved to Alice's thigh she found she cared less and less.

Leaning back against the arm of the sofa Alice drew Chris with her, smiling against her lips. "Mm," she sighed, circling her fingers at the base of the other woman's spine. Chris stomach flip-flopped a little again, though she at least had the presence of mind to make sure she wasn't leaning anywhere sensitive before letting herself rest against Alice, eyes closing now as she let her tongue flicker against the other woman's.

"We don't have to do this," Alice murmured, though as she said it she hoped Chris wouldn't take her up on that offer.

"We can stop whenever you want," Chris replied, sound just as non-committal about the idea.

"Mm, well... then we won't stop quite yet."

"Sshh, kiss me," Chris murmured, the hand on Alice's thigh sliding up across her hip as she leant in again.

The taller woman complied willingly, her hand slipping up Chris's spine, warm throughthe fabric of her shirt.

Chris squirmed a little, teeth tugging a little at Alice's lower lip as she felt herself responding all too quickly to the other woman's touch. For my peace of mind I'm calling this a fourth date...

Alice shivered as Chris caught her lower lip between her teeth, her hips rising of their own accord even as she winced a little at her thighs' protests. Down, girl.

Chris didn't miss the gesture, or the wince that followed it, and as the movement drew a tiny gasp from her she pulled back a little. "Too fast?" she asked breathily. "Are we okay? I'm sorry, I... with the weird, and then the... and... wow... y'know? And now I'm babbling."

Alice couldn't help but chuckle even as she gave a slight nod, rubbing her hand up the length of Chris's back. "I think we've done enough to figure out we're compatible in 'that way'."

"So... you want to stop?"

"Don't want to, no, but maybe we should... talk about the weirdness first?"

Chris closed her eyes again for a moment. But she nodded, sitting back. "I guess we should," she said. "Sorry, don't mean to soundn reluctant, you're right. Only I'm not sure how to start."

"Um. You were telling me about you and Emma?" Alice ventured, braving the most daunting subject first.

"God. Yes." Chris took a breath. "Where had I got to?"

"You... went home with her. And that should have been it. But it wasn't."

"Oh yeah. Well, not exactly. I mean, I took her home, but I didn't go home with her - I didn't mean to imply that. I saw her to her door, and I went back to my apartment, and the next day she phoned me and we had coffee and deliberately just didn't even talk about it - I didn't realise until later that she'd invited me out especially just to not talk about it, like she was proving she could, that we could just forget it. I told you I broke up with Paula? Well, I did, but... I'm not proud of it, but we did keep sleeping together. I hadn't told Emma, which felt like a complete betrayal, and then I felt guilty for feeling guilty, and then every time we saw each other there was all this stuff left unsaid and, well, it was all a bit teenaged and depressing for a while, really."

"Oh." Alice nodded, though she furrowed her brow in confusion a moment later. "For a while? So what happened after that?" Because that isn't much of an affair. If any at all.

"Well, I guess the whole situation was this proverbial pressure cooker, you know? And then the weekend came when Luke was going to be in town, visiting Emma - and me, I guess - at school. It was the first time she'd seen him since we'd kissed."

 

"Hey, look who it is," Emma declared, smiling widely as she opened the door to her dorm. "Luke, Chris is here. Are you almost ready to go?"

"Just a minute, I'm fixing my hair!"

Chris rolled her eyes at Emma, stepping into the hallway. "God, that just outta bed look really takes some doing, doesn't it?"

The other girl laughed, though she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "It'll just be a moment. You look... great."

"Yeah, well, it's not often we have dinner at Marco's with our incomes," Chris said with a shrug, smoothing her hands over her sleek black dress. It was one of the few dresses she owned - a classic 'LBD', cut with a modest but classy square neck and ending a few inches above the knees. Chris didn't return the compliment; the look she gave Emma said it all.

Blushing, Emma reached up to fuss with her own hair, which she had drawn up with a few long curls spiraling down around her face. "Won't this be fun,." she remarked nervously. "Dinner with the three of us."

Emma sighed and nodded silently, her raised eyebrows testifying to her doubt about this.

Please, the look Emma gave her seemed to say, though she soon glanced back over her shoulder as Luke approached. "Well. Shall we?"

Luke straightened his jacket a little; though it did little to lessen his endearingly scruffy appearance. "Yep, let's go."

 

"It was excrutiating. We could barely talk to him - I could barely look at him. And all the time I was thinking that for God's sake, it was only a kiss, you know? I mean, we could have told him and he'd hardly have minded..." Chris shook her head, shooting Alice a wry smile. "I can't speak for Emma, but that's when I realised that this wasn't something I was going to be able to just ignore. The question was what the hell I was going to do. Eventually, I decided to just leave. I pled a headache and went home without finishing dinner."

"And then?"

 

"Chris? Chris?" The knock came again at the door, louder this time. "Chris, I know you're there!"

Shit... There was no question of not answering. After all, she'd gone home to bed, hadn't she? Not that Emma would have believed that either. Pulling a robe on over the thin teeshirt she was wearing in bed, Chris went to answer the door.

"Em, it's almost midnight; shouldn't you be with Luke?"

"I know, I just..." Emma shook her head, fingering the buttons on the edge of her coat. "I wanted to see you. You left so abruptly. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Chris closed her eyes briefly against the sight in front of her - Emma looked just as good as she had earlier than night, and Chris's resolve was already far more frayed. "I just... Look, I just couldn't sit there with you two and pretend."

"Pretend what? What would you be pretending?"

"That it was just a kiss. For me, anyway."

"Oh."

Chris sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Look, Em, we'll get past it. I know you didn't mean to screw with my head like this, and I do want to stay friends, and I'm sure we can. But for now... I guess I need time to process, that's all."

The younger girl looked increasingly more nervous, shifting from foot to foot in front of Chris. "Luke is asleep... I have a few hours before he'll notice I'm not there. Can I come in?"

Chris blinked. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

With a sigh Emma nodded, taking a step back from the door. "All right. I'm sorry. I'll go."

Chris shook her head. "Don't be. This isn't your fault. S'just. You, here, late at night, looking the way you do tonight... recipe for disaster. And something we're just gonna have to avoid for now."

"No, I... I understand. I just wanted to tell you..."

Chris hesitated, but nodded for Emma to go on.

"No, I should go," Emma said, shaking her head. "You're right."

"Jesus, Em, you know I hate it when people do that. What?"

"This isn't exactly something I should be saying, Chris. You're right, I should go. Back to Luke."

Chris opened her mouth to protest again, but wasn't this just what she'd asked for? Eventually she just nodded again. "Fine. Yeah. Go."

"I just wanted to tell you that I... I was going to tell Luke about us."

Chris shook her head. "No. There's nothing to tell. There's gonna be nothing to tell. I promise."

"Oh. Oh." Emma nodded, her face falling as she glanced down at the carpet beneath her feet. "Right. Okay. Thanks. G'night, then, Chris."

"Emma..."

"Yes?" the girl said, looking up quickly.

"You're remembering that he's my brother, right?"

"Of course I am. How could I forget?"

"I need to be able to look him in the eye. I know you're not gonna leave him over this, and even if you were I wouldn't let you. So... Well, there is no 'so' - that's it. That's all there is."

Emma let out a shuddering sigh, unable to meet the blue-haired girl's eyes. "You're right. I just wish I believed it as much as you do. "

 

"I could've said so many things right then," Chris said, sighing and leaning back on the sofa. "I could've told her it didn't matter what she believed, that I wasn't going to let anything happen, that I'd stop seeing her first. I could've told her how scared I was that after this tiny little thing, this blip, she'd become all I thought about. I could've told her that it was about Luke, that it was Luke who mattered. And she might've gone back home to him and that would've been it. What I said instead was the one thing I thought would be certain to drive her away."

 

"I'm still sleeping with Paula."

 

---

 

Chapter 8

Emma blinked, though she didn't look too surprised at the revelation. "I know," she finally said, lifting her eyes to meet Chris's gaze.

Chris wasn't sure what to say now. That was supposed to be the deal breaker. "Um. Okay."

"I don't blame you. There's no reason you shouldn't," Emma said, reaching up to finger one of the loose curls around her face. Chris noticed that her nails, which were always kept very short and very neat at the best of times now seemed even shorter and more ragged, as if she had been chewing on them distractedly for days. "Can I come in?"

"I already said you shouldn't."

"Please."

 

"'Course, we both knew that it was a stupid idea for her to come in - that night of all nights. But of course I caved. I could never say no to Emma. That was half the problem."

 

Once inside, the younger girl couldn't seem to relax, pacing over to look out the window at the building across the street before turning to face Chris again. "He was talking about moving in together tonight. After we both graduate. He wants me to come live with him."

"That's... I see."

"I told him I'd have to be married first. I mean, I just... couldn't."

Chris just stated at her blankly, nodding as though she was only half hearing what she was saying.

"What do you think I should do?" Emma asked then, nervously.

The other woman's eyes widened as she registered this. "You're kidding me, rihgt? You're not asking me for advice on this..."

"Well we have to talk about something!" Emma declared, her voice growing louder and higher-pitched than before. "Don't we?"

"You're the one who wanted to come in!"

"You're the one who let me!"

"What do you want from me, Emma?"

"I want... I just want you to tell me it wouldn't all go away. If I married Luke. That we could still have... what we have," she said in a rush of breath.

Chris stared at her another moment, trying to process, and failing. "And what's that?"

"Our... friendship," Emma said, her cheeks coloring. "Our closeness. That we could still see each other, and talk, without it being... awkward."

Sighing, the short haired woman slumped down into the nearest seat on the couch, folding her arms. What kind of an answer was that? "Emma, that's not just up to you. I told you. I'm going to try to get over this. I want to stay your friend. I can't make any promises."

"Why not? Why is it so hard to be my friend? Don't friends care about either other? Don't they think about each other?" Emma began to pace again, though when she got near the couch she abruptly dropped down next to Chris, reaching to take her hands. "I think about you, Chris. And I care for you very much."

Chris shook her head slowly, her eyes moving around Emma's face. "I don't want to be your friend," she murmured quietly, her expression making clear what her tone did not.

"Chris, please..." Emma's hands trembled and she squeezed the other woman's tightly. "Isn't there any other way?"

"I hope so. Someday, maybe."

"I don't want someday, I want you now."

Chris's response to this was more like a gasp than a sigh, her mouth falling open slightly as she shook her head mutely, though the gesture was more pleading than it was negative.

Staunchly ignoring the motion, Emma leaned in, her lips first finding Chris's cheek, skimming across it until they paused by her ear. "Did you hear me? I want you, Chris. Now, not later, not someday," she whispered.

"Emma, please..." Chris tipped her head forward to rest it on Emma's shoulder, a shiver running through her as she breathed her in. "Please. I can't be the only strong one here."

"Then don't be."

"Emma..." Then again, more emphatically. "Emma."

The other girl flinched, the expression on her face miserable as she sat back, unclenching her hands from around Chris's. "I'll go."

 

"And she did. She actually left, and I closed the door behind her, and I just stood there - I think for minutes." Chris shook her head, thinking of the moments that followed - the ones that had, after all the tiptoeing and promises, defined everything that was to come. "And then I opened it again, and she was still standing there. She knew I was there the whole time, and she'd waited." The nurse smiled wryly. "She always knew me better than I did myself. She always knew I'd cave."

 

They hadn't talked any more that night - though there was much to be said, the two girls concerned themselves purely with the physical. The only sounds they made were the hushed whispers in the hallways outside Chris's bedroom and later, the louder, more enthusiastic cries of pleasure, first from Emma, and not much later from Chris. Emma left before the night was over, returning back to her room to see Luke off on his early-morning train back to school.

 

"And that was us. We barely spent a night apart the whole rest of that school year - we spent all our time crammed into one of our single beds in one of our apartments, avoiding our friends and whatever family were around in case they found out. It was awful - hard, guilt-ridden, paranoid." Chris sighed. "And some of the happiest days of my life."

"Um, wow," Alice remarked, finding that she had barely moved a muscle during Chris's entire recounting. "When you said affair, at first I just assumed it was a passing thing."

"Well, it was. It happened; it passed."

"Right, but a year..."

"A school year. It was about eight months from start to finish."

"Oh, okay. Well."

Chris breathed in and then back out slowly. "The end's pretty simple. Luke finally did ask her to marry him, in the end. And in a fit of honesty or guilt or something, she told him. At least," Chris added, "I assume that's what happened. I had just left college, so I wasn't living nearby anymore. And one day the letters just stopped, from them both, at the same time. And the next I heard they were married, so..."

Pressing her lips together, Alice shifted to put one hand across Chris's shoulders. "I'm sorry."

Chris shook her head. "It was a long time ago - god, six years now."

"Six? God, then you're still a baby..."

Chris raised her eyebrows. "What age did you think I was?" She paused. "Wait, what age are you?"

"You had my chart in your hands!" Alice exclaimed, shaking her head. "If you didn't take advantage of that then I'm not telling you now."

"Oh, come on, I was treating your for burns, not checking your teeth..." Chris argued.

"How old do you think I am?"

"I dunno. I'd assumed about my age, but since you've gone all motherly, maybe... thity?"

"Close enough," Alice said, looking amused.

"Oh come on, I took a guess - which is a serious faux pas usually. You've gotta tell me now."

"Thirty-three," Alice said with a grin. "See? Close."

"Thirty three. Wow." Chris had an expression that was partway between surprised, impressed and a little nervous. "I do feel like a kid now."

"How do you think that makes me feel?"

Chris had the good sense to look chastened. "I guess you just don't look it."

Chuckling, Alice shook her head and reached over to pat Chris's knee. "Thanks. That was the right thing to say."

"Anyway..." the nurse said in a 'moving on' tone. "I guess that whole story doesn't actually go very far in explaining the weird, as such. But... well, you know pretty much everything about me and Emma now. I dunno whether that helps, or just makes everything that little bit stranger."

"Right. I'm... not quite sure yet, honestly. But thank you. I know that couldn't have been easy."

Chris's brow furrowed. "Actually, it kinda was," she said with a shrug. "It... just came out."

"Oh," Alice said, looking surprised. "I guess that's good?"

"I don't know what that is," the shorter woman said with a shrug.

"Maybe it's a sign we should... talk about something else? Or do something else entirely?"

"Like what?"

"Umm... I suppose it's too late to look at the garden?"

Chris raised her eyebrows. "It's getting dark," she said.

"Mm, guess so."

"We could... You could head home? We could... meet up during the week?"" Chris sounded less than enamoured with this idea.

"If that's what you'd prefer," Alice said, making no move to get up from the couch quite yet. "I'd like to see you again."

"It's up to you," Chris said, but added, "But I'd like to see you again too."

Alice grinned. "Well..." Leaning in again, she slid a hand along the back of the couch. "I don't have to leave quite yet."

Chris blinked a little in mild surprise, though her tongue darted out of its own accord to wet her lower lip. "Thought you wanted to talk," she murmured.

"Didn't we?"

"Well, we didn't really answer any questions..."

Briefly Alice paused, looking vaguely worried. "No, I know. Does that bother you?"

Chris took a moment to think about this, though as she did her eyes were roaming across Alice's face and body, as though she was trying to take as much of her in as possible, commit her to memory. She realised he was shaking her head before she even made the decision to do so. "Not really. Not right now."

"Because it's okay if you want to... take this slowly," Alice murmured. "I don't mind that at all."

"There's an option to not take it slowly?" Chris said with a raised eyebrow. "No one gave me that one before..."

"Sure... I mean, your room is right down the hall, right?" Alice asked with a chuckle, her hand slowly sliding to Chris's shoulder.

Chris's mouth fell open just slightly at that, her gaze defocusing for a moment at the tingle that ran through her. "Um... yeah..."

"So there's that."

"Yeah?" The nurse only nodded a little at this, looking less and less capable of decision making with every caress of Alice's fingers across her thinly clad shoulder.

"'Course there's also the taking-it-slow option." Which I hope you don't take. "

"There is?"

"I seem to remember something along those lines, yeah. We could watch a movie or talk some more, or I could head home."

Chris only smiled at this idea, daring to lean a little closer to Alice as she conspicuously didn't jump at the options she was being given.

That was motivation enough for the taller woman to lean in, smiling as she pressed her lips to Chris's. She didn't let the kiss linger lightly too long, slipping her hand across the other woman's shoulder to cup her neck as she deepened the embrace.

With a purr of approval, Chris closed her eyes, moving a little closer again as she followed Alice's lead, her own hands finding the blonde's waist.

Wow, I didn't realize just how much I missed this... This time it was Alice who began to bear Chris down against the sofa, ignoring the protests of her legs at the movement.

Chris, it seemed, was more aware, stilling her with a hand on Alice's arm. "Um...Your legs... maybe we should..."

"Your room?"

"More space there..."

"Good idea."

 

Whether it was the move to a bed, or just the comparative certainly of the situation now, Chris, at first barely able to think straight enough to return Alice's attentions, slowly grew bolder as their kisses deepened. Holding herself above the other woman her lips moved against Alice's, and then travelled across her cheek to nip lightly at her neck.

Alice let out a moan, cupping her hands around Chris's waist and letting her fingers roam across her back. Wow. Didn't think this was actually gonna happen... especially not after hearing that story. Can't believe she told me all that.

If anything, Chris seemed keener than before, her confidence growing as she found a comfortable position, one thigh sliding between Alice's, nudging her legs apart just a little.

This sent a twinge through Alice's thigh which soon turned into a shiver; like any good adreneline junky she was well accustomed to the fine line between pain and satisfaction.

"You okay?" Chris murmured, barely breaking contact to speak, her teeth nipping at Alice's collarbone.

"God yes," came the reply as Alice practically pressed herself against the other woman shamelessly.

A tiny gasp escaped the other woman's throat as the sensations from a little earlier rippled back through her, and she moved her lips back to Alice's, tongue flickering into her mouth as she kissed her enthusiastically.

Before too much longer Alice had slid her long, nimble fingers under the hem of Chris's shirt, and they were cool and smooth against her warm skin. Her lips stilled for a moment as she took in this new sensation, sliding up her side until they encountered the barrier of Chris's bra

Chris arched her back, letting her small breasts fit neatly into the other woman's hands, grinning down at Alice as she pressed her thigh up between her legs, shifting just slightly against her. The tall woman moaned, the arousal that flooded through her strong and undeniable. Hooking her thumbs over the top of Chris's bra she tugged it down until she could rub the calloused pads of her fingers over her nipples. Christ...

Moaning in appreciation, Chris pulled back, lips parted, eyes dark as she gazed down at Alice. Supporting herself a little shakily on one elbow, she began to fumble with the buttons of Alice's button-down shirt, all thumbs in her clumsiness, her eagerness to see the other woman.

There was a slight tangle of limbs - Alice wasn't entirely graceful, especially in her distracted state - and it probably took longer than it should've, but eventually Chris was able to part the collared shirt, exposing the firefighter's flat stomach and surprisingly, total lack of bra.

Evidently delighted at this, Chris smiled again, dipping her head to capture one of Alice's hard nipples between her lips, her tongue flickering provocatively across its tip. Sucking in a breath, Alice arched her back and busied herself with the process of sliding her hands around to Chris's back and unhooking her bra as quickly as possible. As soon as she felt the catch free itself, Chris pulled back to let Alice pull her shirt off over her head, her bra joining it on the floor before her mouth found the writer's other nipple, teasing it with her teeth.

OhGod... Alice had been in several relationships over the years - true, the past few had been rather barren, but she hadn't made it to her mid-thirties without being in her fair share of relationships, both serious and not. Her partners had been a roughly equal number of men and women, owing to her 'very flexible' (as Pam put it) standards of attraction, and she felt relatively qualified to say that when it came to foreplay, women certainly outperformed men every time. Not that the opposite sex didn't have its plusses, but when it came to really working her up the women she had dated had taken the cake.

Of course, her current level of excitement could've had to do with the relatively long stretch of time since her last physical encounter, or the strange connection she and Chris seemed to share, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, Alice liked it. A lot.

Chris appeared to be no less excited, now grinding shamelessly against Alice's hipbone - though she seemed to be self-aware enough still that she was careful not to do anything that would chafe Alice's burns - not too badly anyway. Indeed, as her cool, dry hands smoothed across Alice's stomach, feeling the slight raised patches of old scars and new, her touch gentled, and she met Alice's eyes questioningly again, seeking further reassurance that she wasn't hurting her.

Reassurance came in the form of a deep kiss as Alice leaned up to capture her lips, pulling her flush against her and groaning at the delicious sensations that ensued. The burns protested, of course, but Alice ignored them in favor of slipping a hand between them to slide between Chris's legs and press against her, hard.

The nurse's exclamation sounded almost as though she'd been winded, and indeed she followed it up with a gasp, her eyes closing as her kisses renewed in fervour. Her own hands slipped up across Alice's ribcage, reaching her breasts, thumbs grazing almost painfully across her nipples in an instinctive understanding that Alice must relish the juxtaposition of sensations.

If this is what Pam means by 'meeting new people', maybe I should take her advice more often... Alice caught Chris's lower lip between her teeth, her free hand pressing against the small of the other woman's back as she continued to tease her with her hand between her legs. The fabric of Chris's trousers was enough of a barrier that she couldn't do much else but press and release her fingers there, but it seemed to be an adequate tantilization, for the moment.

Minutes passed, Chris's hands roaming across Alice's body, thigh shifting rhythmically between her legs as her hips shifted against her hand, her lips now finding the older woman's face, or neck, or collarbone as often as they did her mouth. Eventually she pulled back long enough to mutter breathlessly, her voice thick with arousal, "If we don't take my pants off, I swear I'm gonna soak right through them."

With a breathy moan that did little to help her sore throat Alice shifted her fingers the few inches up to Chris's fly, deftly unbuttoning it and then beginning to push the trousers down, over her hips. "Wouldn't want to make a mess," she murmured.

"Indeed not," came the reply as Chris squirmed out of her trousers, her hands moving to unbutton Alice's jeans, tugging her forward such that she lifted her hips from the bed. Teeth catching her lower lip, Chris slid the jeans down carefully, easing them over Alice's freshly dressed wounds.

It was almost too gentle, and Alice had to restrain herself from immediately pulling the other woman against her as soon as their clothes had been deposited on the floor. As it was, she took the opportunity and space between them to run her hands down Chris's sides and hips, fingers tracing the dips and curves of her body hungrily. Chris was a little slimmer than Alice, her frame slighter, her curves softer, missing much of the firm planes and definition of the firefighter's, though she was by no means unfit. She looked even paler now that she was naked, the dark hair of her head and between her legs standing out starkly against her creamy complexion.

As Alice gazed up at the other woman she couldn't help but let her mind wander a little - So this is what Emma saw. This is where she put her hands... - but the thoughts that came were somewhat troublesome, so she pushed them away and concentrated on Chris. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to her neck, then her shoulder, her tongue flickering out to the slender groove of her collarbone. Chris moaned again, tipping her head back, eyes fluttering closed, her free hand starting to smooth down Alice's side, cupping the rise of her hip bone before trailing across her lower stomach.

Eagerly Alice settled back on the bed, mirroring the nurse's movements with her own hand, slipping it down to carress her thighs. There was still enough light in the room that she could see every expression that crossed Chris's face and watched raptly as she continued to inch her hand upward. Chris's arm shook a little where she was supporting herself above Alice, but her expression nonetheless bordered on blissful as her fingers trailed down, feather-light, between Alice's legs. Impatient, the taller woman lifted her hips, forcing closer contact and moaning softly as Chris's fingers slipped against her. She soon followed suit with her own hand, finding with an electric shiver that she hadn't been joking about her apparent arousal.

Chris whimpered, arching her back against Alice's hand. Her brow furrowing and her eyes shutting tightly once more, her arm at last buckled beneath her, and her full weight rested on the other woman. "Sorry," she murmured, shifting to the side a little to keep her moving hand free.

The taller woman meant to tell her not to apologize, but the words were caught up in another low moan, and then her lips found Chris's jaw and she forgot about anything but the taste of her and the slick feel of her against her fingers. Her body protested the sudden weight and pressure but the sensations were soon overwhelmed, pain joining with the pleasure to send waves of building bliss over her.

Chris was now virtually writhing on top of her, her sense of rhythm and coordination suddenly a chore to maintain as her breathing began to come in moans, her once cool skin now hot, damp with sweat. Alice seemed happy to drive this process further, and shockingly enough leaned up to murmur several dirty things into the other woman's ear, her own voice hoarse and throaty with desire.

The younger woman came first - loud, and hard, and Alice felt sure that had they been not in Chris's house but in her own modern apartment, her neighbours on both sides would have heard. The other woman's face was a picture of concentration as her body tensed against its convulsions, going in a split second from rigid as a board to a loose, dead weight on top of Alice, unmoving but for her fingers, somehow still moving slickly against her. Shuddering in anticipation, Alice finally shut her eyes, her lungs and throat burning as she let out one breathy moan after another. When she finally climaxed she made no noise, merely arching her back hard enough to lift them both off the bed and digging her fingers into the flesh of Chris's back.

Chris couldn't seem to be close enough to the other woman, arms wrapping tightly around her in her slow come-down, and she kissed Alice deeply, muscles still twitching with after-tremors.

With a shaky sigh Alice returned the kiss, her hands gradually relaxing and moving to slide about Chris's waist. The other woman still lay almost completely on top of her, and as the pleasure receded it left in its wake a dull ache, made worse by the pressure on her legs and stomach.

It was a few moments longer than she would have liked, but Chis noticed some second later that she was constricting the other woman, and shifted to the side, smiling apologetically. "'Msorry..."

"Mm, don't be. I like you there..."

"I'm a bit heavy for it, though."

"Maybe just for now." Alice smiled, turning to nuzzle Chris's neck.

Chris squirmed delightedly again. "Jesus. I mean, that was..."

"Really really nice?"

"That doesn't exactly cover it."

"I think that's all my brain can muster up right now, unfortunately."

"Mm, mine too I think," Chris said, curling against Alice and snuggling up to her.

The tall woman smiled, drawing a hand up and down Chris's side. "So... that's taking it fast."

"Mm, apparently," the shorter woman mumbled, chuckling. "I think I like it."

"So do I."

"So..."

"Hm?"

"So what now?"

"Hm. Well." Alice shifted again, weaving her legs with the other woman's. "We could rest, and try that again... or rest, and not. Or I could get up and go home now, after we make plans to see each other again. Or I could get up and go home after we don't make plans to see each other again. I don't like that option very much."

"Mm m, me neither," Chris said, shaking her head almost childishly. How about we go for the resting option, and see where it leads us?"

"Sounds good to me."

 

Chris wriggled a little, her body suffused with a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. "I really didn't think I was gonna manage again so soon."

"Surprise?" Alice chuckled, the laugh giving way to a cough as her throat protested. "That dancing really must've helped your stamina."

Chris frowned, turning to sling an arm and leg over the other woman's warm, damp form. "What's up with your throat? You okay?"

"Mhrm, yeah," Alice replied, wheezing just a little. "All that moaning and calling your name just made me a little hoarse. It's okay."

"I like the way you call my name," came the automatic response. Chris cleared her throat, then, chuckling wryly. "Woah, way to sound like a scary obsessive on the first time."

"Nothing scary about that. Unless you follow it with 'it'd sound even better with your last name'."

"Damn, pre-empted me." Chris paused. "I don't even know your last name."

"Okay, now we're back to weird." Despite her words, Alice was smiling as she turned to face Chris on the pillow. "It's Branaugh."

"Right. Mine's... you know mine."

"Mmhmm. Now we're all caught up. That wasn't too hard."

"I suppose not," Chris said, smoothing her hand along the sweep of Alice's side.

"So... are you going to kick me out, or do we broach the daunting territory of staying overnight?" the blonde asked bluntly, tempering her words with a half-smile that grew at the other woman's touch.

Chris blinked at the frankness. "Well, I'm not going to kick you out," she said. "But I have to warn you, I'm kind of a light sleeper. I toss and turn a bit."

"That's all right."

"Then I'd love you to stay," Chris said with a smile. "Although what does it say about me that I don't find it terribly daunting?"

"That you're a kind woman who wouldn't kick me out into the cold after subjecting me to your ravaging?" Alice ventured.

"My ravaging? You're not the one with bruises." Chris reconsidered this momentarily, pulling back just slightly and glancing down at the other woman's figure. "Not the only one, anyway."

Chuckling, the taller woman pulled her closer, closing her eyes and giving a contented sigh. "It's only fair to share."

 

---

 

Chapter 9

The two women drifted to sleep in each other's arms, the lights in the room finally dimmed so that they could succumb to slumber. Alice felt drained in a way she hadn't for some time, her limbs pleasantly heavy and her thoughts for once still.

But that didn't stop the dreams.

She was underwater again. Her hair was loose, floating around her. She didn't know whether the hands at her shoulders were trying to help or hinder her, but she knew that she was breathing water and that was not good. As she opened and shut her mouth, more and more of it poured down her throat.

Alice thrashed about on the bed, churning the covers with her arms and her legs as she tried to resurface. The water began to boil, growing hotter and hotter until the steam scalded her throat and lungs and she began to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen.

The hands seemed determined to hold her under now, shaking her, shaking her violently, the figure's yells muffled by the water in her ears.

With a hoarse gasp the firefighter finally came to, even the dim light of the room seemingly bright to her eyes as they flew open. She didn't know where she was, this wasn't her room, she was lost...

"Alice? Alice!" The hands shaking her, Chris's hands, stilled a little as she woke, instead moving to wrap warm arms around her in an instincively protective gesture.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Alice felt hot tears leak from between her eyelids, and she hugged Chris tightly, almost too tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing her cheek to the other woman's shoulder.

"Don't be stupid," Chris murmured, returning the embrace. "It's okay. It's okay."

"I just... the water. I couldn't breathe."

"Water? Not fire?"

"Not at first," Alice said, shaking her head. She breathed in deeply, ignoring the burning in her lungs and concentrating on the scent of Chris, reassuring despite its newness.

Chris just held her silently for a moment. "The bath," she muttered then. "You dream you're her."

"I..." Alice blinked, her lashes heavy and wet. Not with water. Tears. "Oh."

"So did I."

"When?"

"Just now." Chris seemed to realise then that Alice had misunderstood her. "I mean that I dreamed that you were her. Not that I was."

"Oh," she said again. She couldn't seem to pull away quite yet; Chris's body was the only thing keeping her grounded, keeping her here. "It's happened before. Every night. I can't stop."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you," Chris said, closing her eyes tightly, her arms tightening momentarily around Alice. She lay back down on her side from where she had been leaning over the other woman, pulling Alice with her to curl against her.

"I should've warned you," Alice murmured then, swallowing past the rawness in her throat. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine, really. I'm just glad I could be here this time."

"Thank you."

"It's early. Go back to sleep."

Alice pressed her lips to Chris's neck, closing her eyes. "I'm glad you were here too," she said softly.

"Mm," came Chris's non-commital reponse, half-way between agreement and a simple expression of how nice it was to be close, despite recent happenings.

It was easier than she thought to slip back into sleep, instead of rousing herself as she had done every other time upon waking from a dream. Alice idly drew her hand over Chris's skin in a repetitive, soothing motion until she began to fall asleep again, hoping that this time would be unmarred by terrors.

This time it was Chris that lay awake, her thoughts mulling over the dream she herself had been roused from, the one she could still feel tingling between her legs despite her rude awakening. It had been Alice's smooth, tanned thigh she had kissed along, Alice's toned, scarred stomach. The face had been Emma's.

 

It seemed Alice slept through the night; at least, she couldn't remember waking again. When she finally awoke the morning sun was pouring through the window and a glance at the bedside clock showed that it was later than she normally slept.

Turning and putting her arm out, Alice found that she was alone in the bed, and judging from the cool sheet beneath her hand she had been for some time. It was then that she saw the note on the pillow by her head.

Working. Back this evening & wouldn't mind if you were still here; spare keys in bowl on dresser. Feel free to do my garden : )

No regrets. I hope the same is true for you.

~C

 

Well... not like I have anything better to do, Alice thought.

Alice was in the shower; perhaps it was a bit presumptuous of her, but seeing as she was currently covered in dirt and grime it was preferable to getting Chris's kitchen messy. She grinned as she squirted Chris's shampoo into her hand - now I'll smell like her until tomorrow. She had worked all morning and afternoon putting the garden in order and had even planted the front walk, watering and weeding before retreating inside to strip and wash off.

Perhaps due to the sound of the shower, she didn't realise that Chris was home until the woman herself popped a head around the door of the en suite. "You got everything you need in there?" the nurse asked.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed, rubbing her hand over the steamy shower door. "I think so." She grinned, her hair a soapy mess. "As long as there's a towel for me out there when I'm done."

"You going to be long? 'Cause I could really use a shower..."

"C'mon in."

Clearly not needing to be asked twice, Chris stripped off in moments, and was soon joining Alice in the shower, moving close so that they'd both fit under the spray.

"How was work?" Alice asked, sliding her arms around the other woman's waist, ostensibly to soap her back.

"Tiring. Might need an early night."

"Mm. I've ordered take-in... it should be here in twenty minutes or so. We'll get you into bed before you turn into a pumpkin."

"We, hm? Who says you're invited?"

"You should take a look at the garden before you kick me out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Oh, has someone been busy?"

"Mm, quite." Alice slid her hand down Chris's back slickly, smirking.

"Oh, good. Because nursing plus garden work plus last night's activities and I thought I wasn't going to walk this morning."

"Oh, that's nothing. If I were in top shape I'd be up for a five-mile run right about now."

"You know that I hate people like you usually, right?"

"As long as this is the exception to the rule."

"You're the exception to a lot of my rules."

"Oh yeah? Like which ones?"

"My not dating patients rule. My not moving too fast rule. All sorts of rules."

"They say that rules are made to be broken. I can't say that I disagree with them there. Whoever they may be."

"Ah, the myserious Them."

"They're very wise."

"For all They spout a load of crap sometimes."

"Everyone has their downfalls."

"How're your knees?"

"Not too bad... keeping them nice and clean, just like you told me to."

"Well done. Later, we'll see if we can't find you a cookie. Or a lollipop..." Chris said, punctuating this with a nip at Alice's clavicle, just about the highest part of her she could reach.

Grinning, Alice pulled the other woman against her under the spray of the showerhead. "How much later?"

"Hurry up and finish showering."

 

"...okay, who was complaining about being tired?" Alice asked, nuzzling Chris's neck with a weary grin. "Because I think you ought to tell her I'm getting there myself."

"Shame, because that's the food arrived. Guess I'll eat it myself."

"Well, maybe I'm getting a second wind..."

"Damn."

"Hey, I paid for it, it's only fair I should get some..."

"Then you'd better go get the door before the delivery-person gets bored and wanders off."

Alice grinned and pecked Chris on the cheek, pushing herself up. "Where do you keep your robes?"

"Behind the door."

"How thoughtful."

"Hurry up!"

"Good things come to those who wait!"

 

"Well, you're not wrong - this is good. Did I have the menu for these guys or is this a number you had on hand?"

Alice laughed and tapped her temple with one finger. "It's all up here. I'll write it down for you if you think you'd like to call them again, though. It's very valuable information."

"It's okay, there'll be a minu among all this stuff somewhere."

"But if you do that, what will you need me for?"

Chris grinned, although the expression faded into something a little more serious as she said, "I'm sure I'll think of something."

Ducking her head, Alice pursed her lips, rubbing her fingers on her napkin. "Let me know when you do. I'd like to hear it."

Chris's brow furrowed a little. "Penny for 'em?"

"Hm? Oh... just idle pondering, really."

"Alice, I..." Chris cleared her throat, putting her plate down for a moment. "I've really enjoyed the time we're been spending together. A lot. I wanted you to know that."

"So've I," Alice said, glancing up. "I didn't want to seem... weird. But I've enjoyed i too."

"I think maybe this just is weird, and that's that."

"So we should just accept it? And... move on?"

"I dunno. What d'you want to do?"

"I'd like to see you again," Alice said, smiilng.

Chris smiled. "I'm glad. I do too."

"I suppose tomorrow would be too soon. And Tuesday... well, I'm free in the evening."

"Mm, but I'm working. Wednesday?"

"Wednesday would be great."

The nurse nodded. "In the meantime, we'd better get you home," she said, checking her watch.

"I suppose so."

"Well, you don't have a change of clothes, do you?"

"No... surprisingly enough I didn't actually plan on staying overnight when I came here," Alice said with a grin.

"That just shows a lack of foresight."

"And being sent home is my punishment?"

"Well, you could just pick up your things an come back...."

Pausing in her motions, Alice looked down at Chris, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Really?"

"Sure, if you wanna."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Um..." Chris raised her eyebrows, not having really considered the option properly. "We could do that. If you don't think it's, I don't know. A little too much too soon."

"Hm. I suppose it might be," Alice said, tipping her head to one side consideringly.

"But... I do like having you here."

"Well, it probably is a bit soon for two nights in a row. And I'd only wake you up again if I stayed the night. It might be best if I went home."

Chris nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're probably right," she said with a pragmatic sigh. "Things have been a little... intense."

"True."

"And we've plenty of time ahead of us."

"Also true," Alice said with a smile. "And I'll see you Wednesday."

"I'll look forward to it."

"Me too."

Alice stood tall, sweat trickling down the back of her neck as the summer sun beat down on her from overhead. It didn't help that she was wearing her dark blue dress uniform, the one that had to be specially tailored for her tall, lean form. Her badge glistened as well, showing off the nearly obsessive polishing job she had done on it the night before.

"...and it is because of this incredible valor and dedication to duty that Officer Branaugh is receiving this commendation today," the chief was saying, she realized, blinking at the sound of her name and refocusing on the small crowd gathered in front of the station. Her fellow firefighters, of course, had showed up to lend their support, and there were a few reporters scattered about, notepads at the ready. Alice managed to pay attention through the rest of the speech, and stepped forward to accept the medal to the polite applause of the crowd.

On stepping down from the podium she was beset upon by the reporters who were present, who all apparently wanted an account of the incident in question despite having done the topic to death weeks previously.

Alice fixed a smile on her face, shaking her head and trying to make her way towards the station as politely as possible. Spotting Rog and knowing the tall man would provide her better protection than a brick wall she veered told him, reaching out to put a hand on his sleeve as she neared. "Hey Rog."

Rog grinned down at her, then glanced around, spotting the reporters and taking her arm, steering her gently away from the crowd. "Hey you. Congratulations."

"I'd rather have not had to get it at all," she said with a shake of her head, letting out a sigh of relief as the reporters retreated.

Roger frowned. "You should be proud - they don't hand out medals for just anything."

"No, no, I'm not saying... I know. But it's just another reminder, you know? 'Not quite good enough... here, have a medal'."

Sighing, Rog poured her some water from the cooler in the office, not even checking whether she wanted it after the hot sun outside. "Here. Alice, you were amazing."

"Thanks." She took a drink of the cool water, leaning back against the wall and hooking a finger under the collar of her uniform. "I'm not trying to complain, Rog, really. I just don't like getting lauded when somewhere out there there's a husband missing his wife." Or a college lover missing her... I don't even know what.

Roger nodded, sitting down behind his desk and leaning his chin on his hand, his elbow on the surface beneath him. "I know. I know. But everyone knows you did everything possible."

"Mm. Small consolation. At least I can come back to work next week. That'll do me more good than anything else."

"You say that, but be careful, honey - it might not be as easy as you think."

Alice raised her eyebrows, finishing her water and crossing to stand by Rog's desk. "I don't care about easy. I just want to be useful again."

"Well, and useful you'll be. Just... don't be offended if you find yourself off weekends for a bit, that kind of thing."

"Rog..."

"It's not my call. But for what it's worth, I agree."

"Because you're a Communist," Alice grumbled, unbuttoning the top button of her uniform. If they keep scheduling me like that, I might actually have to have a life to fill up all that free time. Not that I wouldn't mind seeing Chris on the weekend... Alice's fingers tangled as she daydreamed, her expression distracted.

"Hey..." Rog stood, lifting a hand to cover Alice's to help her with the buttons.

At first the feeling of hands on hers made Alice smile, and she turned a hand over to touch Roger's palm before she realized who was standing before her. "Oh," she said, flushing and pulling her hand back quickly. "Sorry.'

Roger smiled gently, her eyes lighting a little. "No, no, it's okay."

"I should probably head out... don't want to distract all you working stiffs from the grind."

"You can stay if you like, so long as you don't do anything," Rog teased. "Or I could take an early lunch..."

"Oh, Rog, you don't need to do that," Alice said, shaking her head. "Like I said, I've already caused enough hassle around here today."

"It would be my pleasure."

"Oh. Well, in that case. Okay."

 

---

 

Chapter 10

"...So anyway, then the secretary tried to pull us back to the minutes of the last meeting, and the chairman - it was Bill, you know Bill - he got all het up 'cause that was his job, although he wasn't actually doing it of course, and then everyone was just arguing... We could've done with you there, actually."

Laughing, Alice shook her head. "So that I could play mother hen to you all and shut you up so some actual work could get done? Heaven forbid."

"You always take such good care of us..."

"Well, I hope you can hold things together until I return. I'd hate to come back to a godawful mess."

"Yeah, we're managing," Rog said with a wave of his hand. "I'll... I'll be glad to have you back in the office, though," he ventured. "I've missed you."

Alice smiled. "I've missed you too, Rog. Pam has been forcing me to socialize, but it's not the same as being down at the station."

"Only you would see work as a welcome break from partying."

"It's hardly partying... just a few dinner parties, seeing friends, y'know..." Vigorous bouts of sex...

"More than I see of a weekend."

"Well, if you want some time off, you know I'll gladly cover your shifts," Alice said, pursing her lips.

Rog chuckled. "Nice try."

"Didn't work?"

"Not even close."

"Damn."

 

It wasn't until after lunch that Alice noticed she'd received a text message on her cell.

 

heard you were getting your medal today; congrats. up for a celebratory drink? -celia

 

It took Alice quite some time to compose a reply; she didn't normally use her phone for anything other than the occasional call. It wasn't long after she sent her response that Celia sent back a time and place, and then Alice didn't have anything else to do but go home and wait for it to be eight o'clock.

Celia's horn was heard from outside just after eight on the dot, and Alice emerged downstairs to find the other woman waiting for her in her beat-up vintage VW Beetle. "You look great," she commented on the other woman jumping into the car.

"You're just saying that," Alice laughed, strapping herself in. "But thanks. So do you."

"This old thing?" Celia joked, glancing down at her own neat, dark shirt and pants. "Picked it up off the floor."

"Well, then, I admire your... unconventional wardrobe organization. The results are impressive."

Celia laughed. "So how have your past few days been?"

"Oh, well... can't complain."

"Sure you can, that's why I'm here. Complain away if you wanna."

"No, I... really can't," Alice said, shrugging. "They've been good. How about yours?"

"Boring. Same old, really. I hate kids."

"So I've heard. Any kids in particular, or just all of 'em?"

"Well, there is this incredibly obnoxious little boy in my Monday gym class who just can't shut up."

"So tape his mouth shut. Simple!" Alice glanced at the other woman, grinning. "That teaching thing doesn't seem so hard..."

Celia laughed again as they pulled up near the bar where they'd planned to go.

"I'm sure you'll figure out something. You're a smart gal."

"C'mon you. Let's get you drunk."

 

Alice hadn't meant to really get drunk, regardless of what Celia had said. And she wasn't, really, but she was well on her way. She was laughing just a little too loudly, talking just a little too much, and if she hadn't been so tipsy she would've told herself that she had had enough. Unfortunately, she was so tipsy.

Celia, of course, had had only one drink, when they'd first got there, but she seemed as merry as Alice, happy to laugh and chat with her as the night wore on.

Eventually the conversation turned to the day's ceremony, and Alice bashfully told the other woman about it, reiterating that it really wasn't a big deal. "It was weird, I almost... well, I thought maybe some of her family might be there. But they weren't."

"Not even her husband? Or Chris?"

"Mm, no. Well, Chris had to work, so I didn't expect her there."

Celia raised an eyebrow. "You know her schedule already, huh?"

"Well, we hung out this weekend, and made some plans to see each other again, so... it came up for discussion."

Celia chuckled, and nodded. "Sounds like, um, you two are getting on well, then."

"Oh, yeah, I'd say," Alice said with a snort.

The only response to this was another arched eyebrow.

"Um. That is, yes. We... are."

"Glad to hear it."

"Mmhmm." Alice nodded solemnly, drawing her finger around the rim of her glass. "It's strange, though."

Celia nodded, sipping at her lemonade. "Because of Luke?"

"Well, yeah. Him, and Emma."

"I suppose it must feel a bit weird, het sister-in-law..."

"Yeah, not to mention the whole affair..." Alice realized a few words too late that her tongue was a bit too loose and clamped her mouth shut.

Celia just frowned, at first, her face registering only confusion as her brain ticked over. "Wait..." she murmured, as the only possible explanation dawned. "Chris... and Emma..."

"Um. In college?"

"Interesting. Yeah. Um. Yeah, that is a bit weird."

"Mmhmm. I only hope it goes away soon."

"Are you okay with that? I mean, being with her when..."

Alice shrugged, her expression growing overly serious as she pondered this. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind, if I thought she was okay with it. But I'm not sure she is."

"It's a lot to get your head round. You were the last person to see Emma alive."

"Right.... I know. I know. It's weird."

Celia just raised her eyebrows, shrugging.

"Anyway," Alice said pointedly. "We sure do end up talking about Chris a lot, you and I. That's a bit strange in and of itself."

"Well, she's on your mind." Celia smiled ruefully. "You don't seem to like talking about you, and I find it hard to believe you're interested in talking about me..."

"No, no, of course I am! I'd love to hear about you," Alice said, looking chagrinned. "Please."

"Well, I dunno what to say now you're put me on the spot..." Celia chewed her lower lip a little. "Ask me something?"

"Hmm... if you could go anywhere in the world, money's no object... where'd you go?"

"Hm... Australia."

"What would you do there? Besides be very, very afraid of snakes."

"Well, that's the thing," Celia said, grinning. "I'm a total adrenaline junkie. And pretty much all the most dangerous passtimes in the world, Australia's the place - plus, all the most poisonous animals too. Double trouble."

Alice made a sound that sounded like a moan, though Celia realized that she was grinning and sitting forward in her seat eagerly so it had to be a sound of pleasure. "God, that's a good answer."

"Yeah, well, what about you?"

"Can't I come with you?"

Celia grinned. "'Course you could."

"Well then, that's my answer."

"That's a rubbish answer."

"Is not," the taller woman said with a pout.

"Yuh huh. Sure, you can come with me to Australia, any day, but at least have your own answer too."

"Fine, fine... I'd go to Alaska. Happy?"

"Why?"

"Because it looks like a gorgeous place, and I can't think of anything better than hiking around in the wilderness for a week or two?"

"Okay, fair enough." Celia sat back, nodding. "Can I get you another drink?"

"Oh, I don't know... I really shouldn't. I've had quite enough."

"You can still parse sentences!"

"Only with extreme concentration!"

"Extreme conversation, I like it," Celia said, grinning and motioning for the barman to serve them another. "I'll add it to the list of things to do in Oz."

 

They chatted more about extreme sports as they drained their next round, and Alice began to share her stories about her younger, wilder days, including her fond memories of skydiving. "S'how I met my ex," she confided, leaning her elbows on the table. "We were on the same drop one weekend."

"Yeah? Where was that?"

"Out in the desert. A bunch of friends and I used to go out every weekend, get in as many jumps as we could. Dan was a newbie, so he and I got paired up..."

"And the rest is history?"

"So it would seem," Alice said with a smirk and a roll of her eyes.

"So was Dan your last serious..?"

"Uh-huh."

Celia nodded, sipping at her drink. "When was that?"

"Oh... a couple years ago or so."

"Right." The other woman just nodded again. "How did it end?"

"Well. Dan was an adrenaline junkie, too, like you. And after a while, bungee jumping and base diving wasn't doing it... so..." Alice took a drink. "He started cheating."

Celia made a face. "Niice." She paused. "That's not very like me," she added, to clarify.

"Glad to hear it," Alice said solemnly.

"Doesn't... No, nevermind."

"Hmm?"

"I just... I just think it would phase me a little, seeing someone who... someone who'd been the other woman. So to speak."

"What? Oh... oh, Chris." Alice's brow furrowed. "Well. She said she only did it the once. And it was a long time ago..."

"Yeah..." Celia seemed to catch herself, then, shaking her head and blinking a couple of times. "Yeah, of course. Ignore me, I wasn't trying to... It was just a daft thought."

"Mmm... right. Hm."

Celia rolled her eyes. "Way to kill a mood. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize... you've been buying all the drinks, after all."

"My pleasure. I'm sure you'll return the favour should I ever win a medal."

"But of course! You know I'd be more than happy to."

"Although what I would win a medal for I can't imagine. 'Gym teaching above and beyond the call'."

"Hey, you never know. You could have to save one of the weekend brats from drowning," Alice pointed out.

"Hah, let 'em drown."

"But... but... the medal!"

"Or one less brat in my swimming class."

"Free driiiiiinks."

"How about you buy me drinks for ridding the world of some horribly snivelling school child?"

"I think that goes against my code of ethics. Or morals. Or something," Alice grinned. "Not s'posed to encourage homicidal tendancies."

Celia chuckled. "Well, maybe you could just buy me drinks then, sometime."

"I think that could be arranged."

 

"So when will I see you again?" Celia asked as they pulled up at Alice's apartment block. The drive back had been quiet, though comfortable enough.

"Umm..." Alice tipped her head to look at Celia, smiling warmly. "I don' know. I'll call you? Should be able to play that squash game next week..."

"That would be really nice."

"Great. We'll do that, then."

"Sunday afternoon? Or is that too early in the week?"

"The sooner I can get active again, the better."

"Cool, well, I'll take it easy on ya."

"Oh no, don't give me that. You'll just use it as an excuse when you lose terribly."

Celia just grinned.

Alice grinned back, reaching over to fumble with the door handle. "Well... g'night. Thanks for the drinks. And the company. And the..."

Still smiling, Celia just caught Alice's hand, leaning over and kissing her cheek before she had a chance to protest or pull away. "I'll see you soon."

"Um.... yeah. Soon." Finally managing to get the door open, Alice slipped out of the car and made her way towards her apartment. Her head was spinning from the drinks, but that didn't keep her mind from tangling around the thoughts that Celia's musings had shaken loose. ' I just think it would phase me a little, seeing someone who... someone who'd been the other woman.'

 

"Alice... Hey, Alice." Chris was pointing with her fork as Alice registered her, grinning in amusement. "You were off on another planet there."

**there... Alice in Wonderland."

"Hm? Oh, sorry..." With an embarrassed smile the tall woman shook her head, dipping a piece of her garlic bread into the extra pasta sauce on her plate. "Guess I saw a bunny or something."

"With a waistcoat and pocketwatch?"

"That's the one. You know him?"

"Mm. He keeps asking me to find his gloves."

Chuckling, Alice set down her fork, shifting to scoot closer to Chris on the sofa. "Damn lazy longears. Make him find his own accessories."

"Now, now, no need to be prejudiced..." Chris said, placing her own fork down and slipping an arm around Alice's shoulders as she moved closer. "I missed you," she admitted quietly, though it had only been a few days.

"I missed you too. Glad we didn't have to wait 'til the weekend to do this."

"Me too." Chris grinned, leaning in to peck Alice on the lips. "Sad pair we are, huh?2

"Sad? Well, I dunno about you, but I just think it makes us..."

"What?" Chris's face was still close to Alice's, her breath tickling the other woman's lips. "Makes us what, hm?"

"Umm..." Alice forgot what she was saying completely, closing her eyes as she leaned in to kiss Chris again, more fully this time.

"Mmm..." Chris smiled against her mouth, pressing closer and moving a hand to Alice's cheek. "Yeah, I definitely missed you," she murmured, barely breaking contact to speak, closing her eyes.

"Missed me, or missed this?" Alice asked, tasting the garlic on Chris's lips and smiling. Good thing we both had some.

"Mhm..."

That wasn't quite an answer, but Alice didn't really care, and soon talking was the last thing on her mind as she pushed the other woman back on the sofa and deepened her kisses.

"So... mmm... is this your way... of saying you need me to check your dressings?"

"Yes please."

 

Chris seemed quite determined that the couch was not the place for such activities, citing her housemates as an excuse, and it wasn't long before the women found themselves back in her bed in a tangle of limbs and half-shed clothing.

"They feel... good," Alice breathed as the other woman tugged at her trousers. "Just a little itchy." Although itchy wasn't exactly the word she would use to describe the sensations running through her as the other woman's fingers slid down her thighs.

"I'll get you some cream," Chris said, hands lightly skimming across the skin she'd just exposed. "Later."

"Mm... how much later?"

"That depends..."

"On?"

"How long I can stall you."

"Oh no you don't..."

Chris raised her eyebrows, pulling back a bit. "What?" she said in an innocent tone.

"You're going to force me to take things into my own hands," Alice informed her, sliding her hands up Chris's now-exposed front.

"Oh, please do..."

"With pleasure."

Chris sighed as Alice cupped her breasts, her own hands roaming across the firefighter's skin, tracing her toned stomach and back in turn. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"That's silly talk," Alice demured, tracing her fingers around the other woman's nipples.

"Nu uhh..." Chris said, the second syllable seiging into a groan as Alice's mouth replaced one of her fingers.

"Mmhmmmm...." Slipping her hand around to Chris's back, Alice pulled the woman down against her again, sighing as their bare stomachs pressed together.

"I'm more qualified than you to comment, you know," she murmured before kissing Alice deeply. "Bet you anything I've seen more naked women than you."

"Oh yeah? How many? And how much?"

"Lots. Very."

"I'm gonna need numbers..."

Chris pulled back with a grin, shaking her head. "I totally don't have those for ya."

"Then I dunno if I can believe you," Alice replied, chuckling and running her fingers lightly up Chris's stomach.

Chris arched a little beneath Alice's touch, biting her lip and smiling. "That's probably just as well."

"And why's that, hm?"

"Because I wouldn't want to make you think badly of me."

"I wouldn't."

"You sure? I was pretty rampant in college..."

"Oh yeah?" Alice asked, curiousity warring with other, more physical desires.

"Mhm," Chris murmured, her hands crawling up across Alice's sides to her breasts.

"That's-- mm. That's okay."

"Good... because I can't take it back..." The younger woman grinned and arched her back again as Alice's lips travelled down her body.

The blonde chuckled and began to shimmy down the bed, trailing her fingers after her lips. Her curiousity about Chris's college antics dwindled as she listened to the sighs and moans the other woman made, though she made a mental note to pursue that avenue of conversation later. Perhaps much later.

Chris groaned with pleasure, writhing lazily beneath Alice's touch. "You know you're a genius, right?" she murmured, her speech a little slurred as her concentration on such mundane things as speech fast deserted her.

"I thought I was gorgeous," Alice said, not bothering to lift her lips from the smooth curve of Chris's lower stomach.

"Mm, that too."

"You're not half bad yourself, beautiful..."

"Hey, whose turn is it to dole out the compliments, and whose turn is it to use her mouth for something more useful..." Chris teased.

"Mine?"

"That's not an answer."

"Then how about this?" Alice asked, smirking and ducking her head.

Chris's gasp gave way to a long, low moan. "OhGod... Mhm, yeah, that'll- ...do."

 

It was the same nightmare again. There was water all around her, filling her mouth, her nose, obscuring her vision like thick smoke. Alice kicked and flailed, trying to surface, her screams muffled by the liquid that threatened to gag her completely. And yet as it began to heat up, searing her skin, her screams grew louder and she could hear them clearly despite the rushing, bubbling water.

"Chris! Oh God, Chris, help me!"

She felt strong hands grab her shoulders, and at first it felt as though they were pulling her further under, deeper beneath the boiling water, but a moment later she realised she was being shaken, and the water ebbed a little, and she could hear her own name being called.

Chris's face was a picture of concern as it swam into view. Her arms were tight around Alice's shaking, damp form as she leant protectively over her.

She was sure she'd heard that you weren't supposed to wake someone during a nightmare, but when Alice had called out she couldn't help it.

"Shit," Alice muttered, pressing her forehead to the other woman's shoulder and squeezing her eyes shut. She was still disoriented, and though she recognized Chris she was still a bit confused about who she was. Alive. Not dead. Not drowning, not burning. Chris...

"Shhhh... you're okay..." Chris pushed a few damp strands of hair back over Alice's ear. "You're okay."

"I thought I was drowning. The water, it was hot..."

The other woman had nothing to say to this, her arms tightening around Alice. "I'm here..." she murmured.

Shivering as the cool air hit her now-damp skin, Alice pulled back a little, eyes searching Chris's face. She could read worry and concern in her eyes, and tried to muster a reassuring smile. "I'm okay."

"You will be. I promise."

"Maybe I should go home..."

"No, stay, please," Chris said immediately. "Unless... I mean, if you don't want me here..."

"No, I do," Alice said just as quickly. "I just don't want to keep you from sleeping."

The other woman just shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

Nevertheless, Alice was frowning as they lay back down. "I'm sorry. If I knew how to make them stop... I wish I did."

"I know. Really, sweetheart, it's okay."

"I was having a good dream until... that happened."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm. Think it was about Australia... at least, there were kangaroos."

Chris chuckled. "Sounds, um, nice."

"It was," Alice sighed, drawing her arms and legs close and snuggling against the other woman.

"And what were you doing in Australia?"

"Taunting snakes?"

"Sounds a little dangerous..."

"S'my middle name."

Chris chuckled. "No, I think your middle name is very dangerous."

"But that's two words..."

"We could hyphenate it."

Alice smiled, kissing Chris's collarbone. "Sounds like a plan."

 

They talked some time, murmuring nothing in each other's ears until eventually, Alice slipped back into a shallower, but more restful slumber. Chris watched her for some time before sleeping herself.

Alice was gratified to find that Chris was still there when she awoke the next morning; while she wasn't one to laze about in bed there was little she liked more than rolling over on top of her partner to wake them with a kiss. This she did, grinning as the other woman stirred sleepily underneath her.

Chris didn't respond at first, but it was only a matter of seconds before she returned the kiss, lifting her head a little and smiling against Alice's lips. "Hey you," she mumbled, voice a little muffled by the other woman's mouth.

"Hey you yourself," Alice responded warmly. "Sleep well?"

"Mm, mostly." The younger woman wriggled lazily beneath Alice, stretching slightly and slipping an arm up around her. "You? Afterwards I mean..."

"Mmhmm. I feel great."

"Really? I mean, that's good." Chris grinned like a kid. "That's great."

"Obviously you're a very good nurse," Alice said with a chuckle, leaning in to brush her nose against the other woman's.

"I don't usually offer this sort of after-care, y'know."

"Oh? Is it expensive?"

"Uh huh."

"How much?"

"Breakfast in bed, for a start."

"In bed you say?" Alice grinned. "That is pricey."

"Mhm. Get to it."