DISCLAIMER: Murder in Suburbia and its characters are the property of ITV. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
That Harpy!
By ralst
Ash looked at the giggling couple and winced. It was bad enough that Scribbs was acting like an infatuated schoolgirl, but her little playmate was ten times as bad, what with her cheerful little smiles and too cute for words pet-names for Scribbs. If Ash had to listen to them for another minute she felt sure she'd kill one, if not both, of them.
"Isn't she just to die for?" chirruped the giggling harpy.
Ash gritted her teeth and tried not to commit murder.
Scribbs hugged her new friend, a move that prompted the sound of grinding teeth from Ash, and grinned devilishly at her partner. "Don't bother with Ash, she had her funny bone removed at birth," she confided.
The harpy giggled louder and Ash dug her nails into her palms.
"You're terrible," the harpy joked. "Isn't she?"
Ash glared at the both of them.
"Told you, funny bone removal." Scribbs tightened her hold on her new friend and bent to whisper something in her ear.
The screech that ensued made Ash wince. "I think Sullivan wants to see us," she lied, hoping to separate the pair. "We should get on."
"Oh, Scribbsie, you haven't got to go, have you?"
Ash rolled her eyes at the name, but didn't give Scribbs time to ponder the question. "Yes, she has."
Scribbs shrugged in apology. "Duty calls."
The harpy pouted and waved, as Ash tugged a simpering Scribbs from the office and towards the stairs leading to Sullivan's office.
"What does he want?" Scribbs asked, once her waving friend was no longer in sight.
"Who?"
"The boss."
"How should I know?" Ash kicked open the door to Sullivan's office and propelled Scribbs inside. "What are you playing at with that...that woman!"
"Ash?" Scribbs peered around the irate woman's shoulder, looking for their boss. "Where's Sullivan?"
"He's on a course all day." Hands on hips, Ash glared at her friend. "I asked what you're doing with that woman!"
"Nothing." Scribbs was confused. "Did he leave us a note or something?"
"Forget about Sullivan." Ash pulled out the big guns and started wagging a dangerous looking finger in Scribbs' direction. "What's going on between you and that woman?"
"Cindy?"
"Pfffft!"
"She's a mate."
Ash's pointing devolved into a grasping action, as she clamped her hand around Scribbs' shirt front. "Are you seeing her behind my back!"
"Huh?" Scribbs had no idea what the hell Ash was on about, but she was rather enjoying the close proximity and throbbing vein in Ash's temple. "She's just a mate."
Ash was too worked up to listen to reason. "You've been cheating on me!"
"I have not."
"Liar!"
Scribbs was no stranger to irrational jealousy, but she'd never been accused on cheating on someone she wasn't even seeing before. It left her a little perplexed as to her next course of action; she could, she suppose, simply point out the obvious and suffer through Ash's embarrassment and denials, or she could take advantage of the situation and come out a winner.
"At least Cindy's not afraid to show she cares."
"I care!" Ash matched her words with a shove to Scribbs' breastbone. "Are you saying I don't?"
Scribbs winced. "You've never said."
Ash's grip tightened, permanently ruining Scribbs' shirt, and bringing their faces to within an inch of each other. "I care," Ash ground out.
Scribbs closed her eyes and waited for the kiss she was sure would follow.
"Well?" Ash interrupted.
Opening her eyes, Scribbs was a little confuse by the lack of lips upon her own, and the questioning look on Ash's face. "Well what?"
"I've said that I care."
"Yeah?" This really wasn't going the way Scribbs had hoped. "Look, are you going to snog me, or what?"
Taking a step back, Ash disentangled herself from Scribbs' shirtfront. "You expect me to kiss you?" She looked appalled. "After you've been cheating on me with that harpy?"
"I haven't."
"It'll be a cold day in hell before I kiss you again."
"Again? You never kissed me the first time." Now Scribbs was beyond confused.
"And can you blame me?" Ash took great pleasure in the look of stunned disbelief on her colleague's face. That would serve her right for carrying on with that pastel polished pretty-girl downstairs. "You've got your work cut out for you, if you want back in my bed."
As Ash turned and left the office, Scribbs collapsed into the nearest chair, confusion colouring her every thought; she couldn't work out if she'd been dumped, propositioned or hoodwinked by Candid Camera, but either way, she had her work cut out for her.
The End