DISCLAIMER: Murder in Suburbia and its characters are the property of ITV. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
In the Giving
By trancer
Ash slumped in her chair, placed a hand on the back of her neck to massage the coiled muscles stretching across her shoulders. The Police Christmas party had always been an event of the scandalous sort. This year was no different. Kate supposed people would be talking about this year's party long into next year.
Scribbs entered the room. A wide smile stretching across her lips, she was humming, a large bag swinging from one hand. She plopped down in the chair behind her desk, immediately swinging her legs upwards to place her feet on desk top.
Ash smiled. "Someone's in a mood."
"Yes. Someone one is," she swung her legs off the desk, scooting forward, leaning forward on her elbows. "C'mon, don't you wanna know?"
"Know what?"
"What's got me in such a mood?"
"No. I fear it may involve that party and, well," Kate shook her head. "I saw things that have me questioning how it is I managed to retain my sight."
"Aw, c'mon," Emma raised a forefinger and thumb, pressing them together. "You're not just a teensy bit curious?"
Kate groaned, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "You're going to keep harassing me until I ask, aren't you?"
"Pretty much."
"Fine, why are you so cheerful?"
"Because," she smiled triumphantly, reaching down to place the bag on the desk. She pulled out a small green box wrapped in a red bow. "Merry Christmas."
"I thought we agreed to not exchanging gifts this year?"
"You agreed," Emma smiled cheekily. "I lied."
"Good," Kate grinned, reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out her own ribbon wrapped present. "So did I."
The two politely exchanged gifts, as if unwilling to admit how gleefully happy they both were. A comfortable silence fell around them as they both unwrapped their gifts.
Kate frowned, staring down into her gift box. She lifted her eyes towards Emma. "I know we've both commented on the sad state that is my personal life but don't you think this is a bit much?"
"Eh?" Emma lifted her head. Her eyes went from Kate's face towards the green box in her hands tilted discreetly towards her.
Then, the color of Emma's face began to change. First, she paled to a horrified sheet white. Then, in the span of a thick groan, Emma's face quickly turned a deep shade of pink. It extended from the hairline on her forehead and dipped down to below the opened vee of her sweater. So deep and uniform, Kate wondered if Emma's toes had turned pink.
"I swear," Emma muttered. "I don't know how to explain this.."
"I think this," Kate motioned towards the gift box. "Is fairly obvious."
"I meant - that's not your gift."
"If it's not for me, then who IS it for?"
"I.." her eyes snapped from the box, to Kate's eyes, and back again. "I have to go to the toilet."
With that, Emma jerked up from her seat and hurriedly made her way around the corner.
Kate followed. She quietly entered the women's room. It was empty and quiet except for the soft sound of something pounding against a wall and the word "bugger" repeated over and over again.
"Scribbs?" Kate leaned against the closed stall door.
"Those bloody gift wrappers," Emma's voice carried angrily from the stall. "You'd think since, you know, they're being paid they'd get it right! I oughta go back and arrest the whole lot of them."
Aghast, Kate spoke to the closed stall door. "You purchased a vibrator as a Christmas gift and didn't have the common sense or, well, decency to wrap it yourself?"
"Hey!" The stall door swung open. "I liked the box. And I'm pants at wrapping presents. Besides," she shouldered her way past Kate and towards the sink. "It's all your fault."
"How is this my fault!?!" Kate asked, eyes wide with shock and a bit of humor.
"You said 'it'," Emma used finger quotes, "would never happen again."
'It' was a drink at the pub that turned into a glass of wine at Kate's flat. One glass became two, then three. Which all ultimately turned into Kate screaming Emma's name as she mentally rearranged her 'best orgasm list'.
"And 'it' hasn't," Emma continued. "And now I can't stop thinking about it. And all those things you do that remind me of it.."
"What things?"
"Like, that little sigh you make when you're in deep thought and about to make a point. Or when you place the tip of your pen on the center of your lips. Never wanted to be a pen so much in all my life," she paused, thinking about pens and Kate's lips. "And then there's that!" She pointed with an angry finger.
"What?"
Emma continued jabbing with her finger. "That head tilt with the wistful look in your eyes. It's the same look you have on your face right before you.."
"I do not!" Kate huffed, folding her arms across her chest in an irritated manner.
"Yes you do. Trust me, I became very familiar with that look during our night of 'it' and you had that look every single time. And it and you and thinking about our night of 'it that will never happen again' is driving me insane. Because every time you do it, I just want to slam you against a wall and kiss you breathless!"
"Oh," Kate's eyes lit up. A soft sigh exhaled across her lips as she ignored the annoyed grunt that followed from Emma. "The vibrator was for you?"
"Oh my God! It's like I'm talking but my lips aren't moving? Am I dreaming?" She turned her head to gaze at her reflection. "Did someone spike the punchbowl again? Because that was definitely a night I never want to relive."
Kate stared at Emma's reflection. "You bought a vibrator because I make you horny?"
"And they call you a Detective Inspector," Emma snorted.
"Well then," Kate stepped towards the sink, until they stood shoulder to shoulder and staring at the other's reflection. "I guess there's only one thing left to do then?"
"Yeah?"
"Give it back to you."
Emma rose an eyebrow, not exactly sure where the conversation was heading. "Yeah?"
Kate leaned in closer, lowered her voice. "It's like they say - it's not in the gift, it's in the giving. And I wouldn't be your partner if I didn't help you get over this. But, I can't give it to you all at once. So, we're going to do this," she wrapped an arm around Emma's waist, nudged her way between the blonde and the sink. She leaned in close, grazing her lips across Emma's cheek. "We're going back to my flat, where I can unwrap my present properly. And then," she drew her lips across Emma's jaw line with light, butterfly kisses. "I'm going to give it to you. Again. And again. And again."
Emma swallowed hard. "Sounds like a plan."
Which is what they did. Until Emma's voice went hoarse. Until her body was a boneless pile of shuddering mush and afterglow and couldn't move from sheer exhaustion.
And Kate? She kept Emma's 'gift'. It would be another week until Christmas and she had every intention of giving 'it' to Emma.
Again.
The End