Chapter Text
Vanessa blinked awake to darkness, squinting to make out the blurred red numbers on the alarm clock: 3:47am. For a second, she wondered what had disturbed her sleep before her question was answered sharply by a blow to her ribs that left her gasping for breath.
Quickly turning on the lamp, Vanessa turned to find Charity in the grips of yet another nightmare. Her face, twisted by panic, gleamed with sweat as her girlfriend thrashed against the sheets she had managed to tangle herself up in. Vanessa wrenched the sheet away, freeing Charity’s arm, which was at once flung upwards towards her face.
She caught Charity’s wrist just in time.
“Hey, hey, Charity, it’s me, wake up, it’s just a dream…”
The mantra was a familiar one. Ever since Bails’ attempt to get Charity charged with assault, the nightmares had become a regular occurrence, and they were only getting worse. With every dream, the Bails in Charity’s mind grew bolder and more cruel.
“Charity, it’s me, wake up, you’re safe, he’s not here, you’re safe…” Vanessa repeated the same reassurances over and over, only touching Charity when she had to block a flailing limb. She knew from experience that trying to hold onto Charity in this state would only make her panic more.
Eventually, Charity’s eyes shot open, wild and searching, until they settled on Vanessa. With a hoarse cry, Charity flung her arms around Vanessa, fingers clutching at Vanessa’s t-shirt in a desperate attempt to anchor herself back in reality.
Vanessa held her tightly, rocking gently as she ran her fingers soothingly through Charity’s tangled hair. Charity fought for air, her breathing uneven and ragged as she tried to regain composure.
After a few minutes in Vanessa’s arms, her breaths came slower and the sobs became whimpers. Slowly, Vanessa eased herself back against the pillows and pulled Charity with her. She curled up like a cat in the curves of Vanessa’s body, her head nestled in the crook of Vanessa’s shoulder.
“He was here,” she whispered hoarsely, “Here in this room. He pinned me to the bed, and I screamed but you wouldn’t wake up. You didn’t hear me.”
Vanessa’s heart clenched. She had once stood up to Bails in person and would happily do it again, but she was completely powerless against the version of him that haunted Charity’s dreams. Powerless because Bails had convinced Charity that she wasn’t worth saving.
Cradling Charity’s head, Vanessa let her fingers brush against the nape of Charity’s neck and sink into her hair. Charity’s eyes fluttered closed at the sensation and Vanessa peppered soft kisses to Charity’s forehead.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered against Charity’s temple, “I’m sorry I can’t make you feel safer.”
Charity’s arm snaked around Vanessa’s waist and pulled her closer. “You make me feel safer than anyone else ever has,” she admitted, tipping her head back so she could look into Vanessa’s eyes. “You are the only person who has ever seen me – the whole me – and still had my back.”
The weight of Charity’s words settled heavily in Vanessa’s chest. Anger swelled at all the men who had professed to love Charity but had let her down – Jai, Cain, Bails, Charity’s father – she hated how no one had truly appreciated how lucky they had been to have her in their life.
“Always,” she whispered.
Charity stirred at the sound of Vanessa’s alarm, her eyes flickering open as the warmth of Vanessa’s body faded and the mattress dipped. Instinctively, she tightened her hold on Vanessa.
“Five more minutes,” she pleaded.
“I’m on the early start today, I have to get ready for work.” Vanessa leant back in briefly, kissing Charity softly before pulling away again.
Begrudgingly, Charity released her girlfriend and burrowed beneath the covers to try and compensate for the loss of body heat. She willed herself to go back to sleep, make the most of the hour left before her own alarm would go off, but her mind was already racing. Memories of the dream and how much more vivid they were getting, thoughts of Vanessa holding her until she could fall asleep again.
By the time Vanessa returned from the bathroom, Charity was wide awake.
“Need any help?” she smirked as Vanessa moved to take off her pyjamas.
“Probably not a good idea if I don’t want to be late,” Vanessa smirked, raising an eyebrow at Charity’s completely altruistic offer to help.
“Wise choice,” Charity nodded and settled back against the pillows to enjoy the view.
Vanessa shook her head and blushed, pulling her t-shirt up and over her head. She fully expected Charity to make a lewd comment at the sight of her bare torso, but it never came. Turning, she saw Charity was staring hard at her middle. Looking down, Vanessa saw what had distracted her girlfriend – a fresh bruise was blooming just beneath her ribs, already a deep purple.
“That wasn’t there last night…” Charity murmured, the realisation dawning on her slowly then all at once. “Did I do that to you?” Her eyes locked onto Vanessa’s, demanding honesty. Vanessa squirmed.
“It was just an accident,” Vanessa said with a shrug, aiming for nonchalance.
Charity wasn’t buying it. “I hurt you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her kneecaps. “Everyone warned you I’d hurt you and now I have.”
Vanessa moved quickly to Charity’s side, wrapping her arms around her like armour. “Charity, you were asleep, you can’t blame yourself for this – if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s his fault, not yours.” When Charity lifted her head to look at her, there were tears in her eyes.
“I’m trouble – isn’t that what everyone told you? I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt Ness.”
“And you won’t be, because I’m a big girl and I can make my own choices. You’re not holding me hostage Charity – I’m here because I want to be.” Cradling Charity’s head in her hands, Vanessa used her thumbs to wipe away the tears that had escaped. Charity leaned into her palm and closed her eyes.
“What if it’s the wrong choice Ness? What if I’m not good for you?”
“You are good for me. I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am when I’m with you.”
Charity’s eyes welled with fresh tears as her face softened. “Same.”
“Mulberry is free. Lunch?”
Vanessa smiled at her phone screen before typing her reply.
“Hope you’re making my favourite,” she replied, smirking as Charity immediately replied with a winky face.
“You are so smitten,” Rhona laughed as she walked past. Vanessa blushed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vanessa slid her phone back into her pocket and shrugged.
“Oh, come off it,” Rhona laughed, “have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re practically glowing.”
“I guess I’m just really happy,” she mused, then nodded confidently. She was happy. No bent coppers or accidental bruises could distract her from the simple fact that being with Charity made her sickeningly happy. She looked up at her friend who was grinning like an idiot.
“You are, and I’m so happy for you.”
Rhona had become their biggest supporter, defending them whenever anyone felt inclined to offer unsolicited advice. Vanessa was sure that at least some of Rhona’s support was down to the guilt she felt at how she’d treated Vanessa, but mostly she just knew how much happier Vanessa was with Charity.
“Well, as you are so happy, I don’t suppose you’d mind if I go for lunch a bit early, would you?” Vanessa asked cheekily, fluttering her eyelashes in Rhona’s direction.
“We’re all done for the morning, so I don’t see why not…”
Vanessa was already slipping into her jacket and grabbing her bag.
“Thanks Rhona!” she shouted back as she legged it out of the door.
She’d barely had time to close the door of Mulberry behind her before Charity had her pinned against it. Vanessa opened her mouth to greet her, but Charity closed the gap between their lips with a bruising kiss. It didn’t take long for Vanessa to match Charity, nipping at Charity’s lower lip and pushing her fingers into Charity’s hair, tugging at the roots and eliciting hungry moans from her girlfriend.
Charity slipped her hands beneath Vanessa’s shirt and the contact sent a shiver down Vanessa’s spine as she arched her body towards it. Charity was careful not to catch Vanessa’s bruise as she reached around to unhook Vanessa’s bra.
“I thought you were making lunch,” Vanessa managed to choke out as Charity turned her attention to her neck. Charity nipped at her jugular.
“There’s only one thing I want to eat right now,” she growled into the curve of Vanessa’s neck, hands gliding across her breasts and teasing her nipples. Vanessa cried out at the sensation, forgetting all about the promise of food.
Catching hold of Charity’s wrist, she tugged her towards the stairs. “Take me to bed Charity, now.”
Vanessa was certain that her bones had turned to jelly as she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm. Looking down, she watched as Charity crawled back towards her slowly, leaving a trail of kisses along the way until she claimed her lips hungrily. Vanessa moaned lewdly at the taste of herself on Charity’s tongue.
Looking very proud of herself, Charity collapsed beside her on the bed, turning onto her side so she could trail her fingers across Vanessa’s stomach. Vanessa shivered, her entire body feeling hypersensitive.
“You are amazing,” she gasped, still not sure after four months of sex with Charity how she’d ever thought sex with men was satisfying.
Charity preened a little at the feedback, but her eyes were focused on the bruise beneath Vanessa’s ribs. Her fingers skirted the edges of it gently. “Does it hurt?”
“No, not at all,” Vanessa assured her, turning onto her side so the bruise was no longer on display. “Please stop beating yourself up about it – I’ve had injuries far worse than this at work.”
Charity didn’t look completely convinced. “And you know I’d never hurt you on purpose, right?”
“Of course I do, you daft mare.”
Charity looked like she wanted to say more, but the sound of her phone ringing distracted them both. Reaching over the side of the bed, Charity retrieved her jeans from the floor and freed her phone from the back pocket. Checking Caller ID, she frowned and answered it.
“Lisa? Everything okay?”
Charity moved to a sitting position as she listened to Lisa, her face falling further and further as the conversation continued.
“Woah, slow down Lis, back up… she did WHAT?”
Vanessa couldn’t hear what was being said but from the look on Charity’s face, she knew it wasn’t good.
“Tell her not to say a word til I get there, I’m on my way.” Charity ended the call and at once leapt from the bed in search of her clothes. The flush in her cheeks from earlier had been drained completely by whatever bad news Lisa had told her. Vanessa’s mind raced with possibilities – death, injury, a car accident. Charity was halfway into her jeans when Vanessa caught hold of her wrist and forced her to stop. “What’s going on?”
Charity tugged her hand free and continued to pull her jeans up over her hips. “It’s Belle, she’s on her way to the police station to confess to murdering Gemma.”
Vanessa wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Of all the Dingles, Belle was by far the kindest. There was no possible way that the young girl was capable of murdering anyone, not least her best friend.
“That’s impossible,” Vanessa blurted out as Charity fastened her jeans.
“It was an accident, according to Lisa, she pushed her, and Gemma hit her head, I have to stop her from talking to the police Ness.”
Vanessa knew that the Dingles had a somewhat strained relationship with the police, but for Charity it went much deeper. Her fingers trembled as she tried to button up her shirt, cursing whenever a button slipped from her grip.
Realising that Charity wasn’t going to calm down, Vanessa began pulling on her own clothes. “Let me text Rhona, and then I’ll drive you.”
Hotten police station was an imposing grey building, that Vanessa had never really had cause to visit. Charity however, headed straight for the entrance, making Vanessa jog to keep up.
Belle sat sandwiched between her parents on the blue plastic chairs in the foyer. Cain was there too, pacing the small area and looking completely exhausted. He was the first to see them as Charity charged through the door.
“It’s about time! Wait – what’s she doing here?” Cain looked furious, but Vanessa had stood up to him before when he’d tried to threaten her to keep quiet about him and Moira. She didn’t shrink back from his glare and instead looked at Charity.
“Wind your neck in Cain,” Charity huffed, barging past him to kneel in front of her young cousin. “Belle, have you said anything to anyone yet?”
Belle shook her head.
“They told us to wait here, said someone would come out and get her in a bit,” Lisa added, looking at Belle as if she might be snatched away at any second.
“Okay, so let’s go before they come out eh Belle? You don’t have to do this – it was an accident – it wasn’t your fault – but these arseholes will make out like you’re some sort of psycho killer if you let them!”
Charity tried to tug Belle up, but the young girl refused to move and pulled her arms free of Charity’s grasp.
“No Charity – I have to do this. It’s the right thing to do.” Belle’s voice was firm and unwavering as she tugged her arms free of Charity’s grasp and crossed them defiantly against her chest. Charity looked like she might explode.
“This isn’t a game, Belle! They could send you to prison – destroy your reputation - the police are not the good guys you think they are!” Charity clutched Belle’s shoulders and shook her in an attempt to make her see sense, but Belle remained stoic, leaving Charity to throw her hands up in exasperation.
Just then, a door on the far wall opened and two plain clothed officers stepped into the foyer. Vanessa was the first to recognise him, half hidden behind his female colleague who smiled down at Belle.
“Hi Belle, my name is DS Alford and this is DS Bails, would you like to follow us?”
Charity scrambled to her feet and spun around. Bails faltered for a split second at the sight of her, but he recovered quickly, fixing his smug grin back in place. He purposefully shifted his attention to Belle, letting her know that she could have one of her parents in the interview room with her.
Stepping forward, Vanessa threaded her fingers into Charity’s and pulled her back, as far as the tiny room would allow. She could feel her entire body trembling as she wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. Bails ushered Belle and Zak through the door before turning to look at Charity again.
“Don’t worry folks, we’ll take really good care of her,” he said, his lips curling into a sneer.