No More Charity

It was Mum, "Hi, Faith, will you be back later today? I'll have dinner ready. I assume that you've not had any luck."

"Mum, I found her last night. Hope's in the loo right now and I'm bringing her back. She's scared and looks terrible, but I found her and she still loves me. It's going to be hard though. See you later, I'll let you know when to expect us; we have some stuff to sort out here first."

"You found her?" Mum screamed and must have turned to Ellen as I heard her say, "She's found her, Hope's okay."

The bathroom door opened. I switched to the speaker, "She's here Mum, she can hear you."

Mum was in tears as she spoke, "Hope honey, we've been so worried, please come back to us, we all love you."

"Come home Hope, I've missed you more than you can know. And I need your help; these two are still ganging up on me." Ellen sounded happy and the words made Hope smile for the first time since I'd found her. She was still there, the beautiful person I'd fallen for.

"Thank you, I'm scared and embarrassed and sorry."

"Don't be any of those; just come home, to your home." Mum's words seemed to encourage her just a little.

Hope had been living hand to mouth and I had to help her out to settle up for her digs. The owner of the garden centre admitted that he knew she was running away from something and told her that he was sorry to see her go. He hoped that one day she'd be able to enjoy her life. Her outstanding pay was enough to pay me back, not that I cared. She was my girlfriend and money was not my worry.

Hope was quiet as I drove south and her answers to my questions were monosyllabic, at least until we stopped for coffee. She bought a bunch of flowers before getting back in the car.

"What happened with your bank account?"

"I'd forgotten about it. Then I got a message about my overdraft limit having been reached. He'd taken £2000, he'd also used a credit card to buy some stuff, but I knew nothing about it. I think he's forged my signature. I've paid off everything that I owed, but it used up almost every penny that I had. By the time I got to Ambleside, I was almost skint. I was scared to take a job where I had to give my National Insurance number because I knew that you'd find a way to trace me. I called myself Charity Jones and worked casual jobs."

"You look thin. I guess that you've not been eating much."

"I had no appetite and couldn't face eating. I've been living on my nerves, scared at every bump, expecting him to turn up any moment."

"He did turn up. He attacked me outside the office. I got a kicking and he was arrested but he's out on bail."

Hopes hand flew to her face and she started to cry. "I'm so sorry, this is my fault."

"It's Jimmy's fault, not yours. Anyway, the cop who dealt with that incident was able to work out that you got the train to Penrith. It took a few days until I connected that to the daffodil poem and your school trip."

"How long were you looking?"

"I spent a weekend there a couple of weeks ago. Then I managed to get a week off. I got there last Saturday and was about to give up when I spotted the garden centre. I never thought you'd change your hair or your name."

"You love me don't you?"

"I've been sick since you left. There's no doubt in my mind about my feelings for you, none."

"Thank you." Hope sat quietly and left me with my thoughts. I still wasn't convinced that she wouldn't run off again.

Mum and Ellen were waiting for us and as I grabbed our bags they grabbed Hope. It would be hard for her or anyone else who witnessed their welcome to believe that she hadn't been missed. She handed over the flowers and Mum made tea.

Ellen put her hand on Hope's knee. "We really are glad to see you back home. I've missed you and Faith has been crazy with worry. We understand why you went away, even if I think that you were wrong. But we're not going to ask you questions until you feel ready to tell us. Maybe tomorrow we can talk about what we're going to do. Tonight lets' just give thanks that you're safe."

Hope burst into tears and grabbed Ellen, then pulled my Mum in. She just kept muttering that she was sorry.

*****

We'd finished breakfast and sat with more coffee. Mum looked at all of us before she spoke. "Hope, you don't look ready to go back to work. Why don't you chill out here for a couple of weeks? You can read, sleep, just keep your head down and we can see how things go."

"I agree. Keep a low profile for a while and give yourself a chance to recover."

That's what she did, although she cooked, did the housework and the laundry. When I joked about it she simply replied, "I have to earn my keep somehow."

I held her every night and we kissed plenty, but she never seemed to want to make love. When we spoke about it she just said that she wasn't ready yet. It was frustrating, but I had her back with me and that was enough for now.

Dramatic events

Two weeks later I left the office, after checking that it looked clear I was halfway to my car when someone grabbed me from behind. I tried to pull away, but I felt a pain in the side of my belly. I realised that this wasn't good, so I stood up straight and launched an elbow backwards. It caught him on the nose. He flinched so I turned and kicked him in the crotch. He didn't go down, but slashed at me with a knife, a brutal looking thing with a long blade. He missed by millimetres. I grabbed the hand with the knife and twisted it. As he struggled, I tried to break his grip, but couldn't. He pushed hard towards me, but I had hold of him and the stabbing motion caused his hand to go backwards and he stuck the knife into the top of his leg. I saw him stagger backwards but I have no memory of anything else until I saw a paramedic looking down at me. She was speaking to me, but I had no understanding of what she said.

When I opened my eyes I saw my Mum sitting in a chair nearby, with Hope sitting on her knee crying. I blacked out. The someone was there fiddling with something and her face came into focus, Ellen! "It's okay Faith, you'll be fine, just relax, I've got this."

I'd been stabbed near to my waist. The knife had missed all the important bits but it pierced a small blood vessel and I'd lost a bit of blood. That and the shock must have caused me to collapse. Fortunately, Jimmy had gone down as well and his injury was much worse than mine.

I was never alone. Hope was there most of the time but my Mum would send her away to rest and she stayed with me. Ellen was in and out several times every day and was constantly checking on the doctors and nurses looking after me.

A few days after I'd got home the police called and asked me to come to the station. They needed a statement but suggested that I might want to consider bringing a lawyer with me because of the severity of Jimmy's injury. Ellen suggested her former patient and gave her a call.

******

We met Marcia, the solicitor, in the police station car park. She told the others to wait in the coffee bar next door. I got hugs and kisses before they left. By the time I reached the counter my knees were knocking so loudly I expected that everyone would be able to hear them. Two detectives took us to an interview room which was sterile and poorly decorated, with minimal furniture.

"We're investigating the incident involving you and Jimmy Mulvaney. He's sustained serious injuries which it appears you may have caused." I gasped at the implication. Marcia touched my hand and smiled at me.

The officer continued, "We're aware that there is a history to this and believe that he may have instigated the incident, but we need to ask you some questions. We need to interview you under caution and for the time being treat you as a suspect."

Marcia spoke on my behalf. "I must tell you now before you start, that my client was attacked by this man and I find the implication that you want to treat her as a suspect an insult. But go ahead and ask your questions and I'll suggest which ones she answers."

It wasn't bad. They knew about the previous incidents, the anonymous phone calls. They lead me through the events and the questions were searching but not unreasonable. However, when you're sitting there having been cautioned it all seems very scary.

"I think that's everything and thank you for coming here and answering our questions. I'm pretty sure there won't be any further need to speak to you, although there may be a trial of course."

I sighed with relief, but now it was Marcia's turn to get annoyed. "Frankly I find that this procedure today has been an outrage. You must have known what took place and therefore you could have simply asked my client to provide a statement, maybe at her home. Dragging her here, suggesting that she might need my services and causing a great deal of anxiety to her family is deplorable. Fairness, bollocks!" Not what I expected from a solicitor but at least it made me smile, just a little.

There was group hug and lots of relieved faces outside. I thanked Marcia and was grateful that she'd been there with me. The five of us went for lunch and all had too much wine to drink.

Jimmy was remanded to await trial and that meant that we were safe from his antics, for a while at least.

More drama

A few weeks had passed; Hope had brightened up and was getting back to be the bouncy girl that we'd all missed. We'd just finished dinner and were sitting chatting when the doorbell went. Mum went to the door and came back with two police officers trailing behind her. "These officers want to speak to you two."

"You and your partner might want to stay and hear this as well." The officer who'd spoken took the offered seat and the second one stood nearby. This looked serious and I was a bit scared.

"As you know Jimmy Mulvaney was on remand in Locksley Prison. It seems that this morning he got into a dispute with another prisoner."

I knew that this wasn't good, but the next words shocked all of us. "They fought, but Jimmy was stabbed. He sustained fatal injuries and died."

There were loud gasps from four of us. I hated the man, but it seemed wrong to take any pleasure from this news. Hope burst into tears and clutched me. There were a few questions before the officers left. Ellen poured some stiff brandies for all of us before sitting next to Hope and hugging her arm. "You okay?" she asked.

Hope wiped away the tears and looked at us, "I hated him. I hated what he's done to us, to you, but I would never have wished this on him."

"I agree. It's sad." Ellen replied we could all agree on that.

We talked for hours that evening before heading to bed. Hope was sitting up when I came out of the bathroom. She opened her arms and beckoned me. "At least I know that this nightmare is over at last. I feel a great sense of relief and safety. Maybe now we can resume our lives properly."

"I'd like that. I love you."

"I know you do. You've been very patient and right now I want to show you how much I love you." She grinned the grin that I recognised but hadn't seen for a long time, the one that said that I was going to enjoy the next half hour or longer if I was really lucky.

I lay down on the bed beside her and she leaned over to kiss me. This was like the kisses from before disaster struck, slow, sexy and with great passion. Our tongues played together, they probed, they withdrew. Our lips were mashed together, then they were tender, she bit me, well, nibbled my lips. This was better and then I panicked as she withdrew a few inches.

"Faith, I love you. I'm sorry I've been remote, but a weight has lifted and now I want to reintroduce myself to your breasts. She slid down, at the same time grabbing the hem of my T-shirt and yanking it over my head. She didn't pull it off just left me blind and I felt her take one of my nipples between her lips. I tried to raise my arms to pull the T-shirt off, but she pinned my arms and muttered, "Leave it."

Her tongue played my nipple and one of her hands came up to tease the other. I stopped resisting, I didn't need to see, so I just let myself feel and enjoy. I could feel every touch and it was exciting me very quickly. I have no idea how long she played with my breasts before I felt fingers probing at my entrance, stroking, penetrating, withdrawing, and arousing me to dizzy heights and then with a thrust she inserted several fingers and I came. It took me by surprise and I lifted clear of the bed, but she didn't stop. As I started to relax she withdrew and for an instant, I was disappointed, but her fingers were replaced by her tongue. I hadn't realised that she'd moved, but my mind was off somewhere in the distance as I came and came over and again.

I'm not sure if I passed out, but I felt her pulling my T-shirt clear and she was lying half on top of me with a huge and very dirty grin. "Thank you for that. I loved it."

I was confused, "But I didn't do anything."

"No, I did and I loved it and you. Can I confess something?" I nodded.

"One night, after I'd been away for a couple of weeks, I was lying in bed in some awful B&B, I thought about you, about what we'd done and what I wanted to do. I thought about the fact that I'd fallen in love with another girl and knew that it was so much more ... I knew that I'd never go with a man again. I lay there imagining doing something like we've just done and I brought myself off. It was amazing and then, as I came down, I burst into tears and sobbed because I knew that I'd never have that again with you."

"But here we are ..."

She kissed me, before going on. "Here we are. I've been scared to let go again because I was afraid that something would end this. Now I know that he's gone, it's the two of us again. I want to start to get back to being me and being free again."

"I'd like that, whatever it takes. I want us to be happy. Are you still okay being here, we could find a place of our own?"

She gave me a dirty look before answering. "No please, can we stay here? I've got a Mum now... well, two Mums really, as well as you. As long as they're happy with us being here, I'd like to stay. When I was away I realised how much I was going to miss this place and all of you."

"I was crazy when you left," I said, "Mum told me that maybe you wouldn't want to come back. I told her that if you stood in front of me and told me that you didn't love me anymore, I'd have to accept that."

"I could never have told you that. I left because I thought that it would keep us all safe and I couldn't stand the idea of you, any of you, coming to harm because of me. I was wrong about that too. Now, kiss me."

*****

Two days later we'd cleared away the dinner dishes and were about to turn on the TV when Hope looked at us all. "I knew that Jimmy wasn't good for me and I should have moved on long before I did. I'm sorry that I didn't. I've thought about this a lot. I didn't know that I was gay but that might have been the issue all along. Faith chased me and I'm glad that she did. She brought me to this house and this family. I've got my partner, I've got my Mum, who happens to be one of my bosses as well and I've found my real Mum in Ellen."

Ellen snorted. "Black woman, white daughter and no man. Quite a thought."

"Ellen, you've been more of a mother to me than ..." She paused, then continued, "I wish that you were my mother, my real mother. I love you to pieces. I love living here. I'm so very sorry for all of the shit that I brought to your door."

My Mum took her hand. "Hope, we all love you. It wasn't your fault."

Ellen took Hope's other hand, smiling, "This family is a bit crazy. I'll never have kids but now I have a step-daughter, even though Faith is too old for that. I also have you, Hope, and I wish that you were mine. I love you, I love you all, I've never been this happy."

Hope turned to me; there were tears in her eyes. "Faith, I love you. I know that you love me; you've shown it in so many ways recently. I want to be with you, I want you all. Faith, I don't know if this is the right time or even if you trust me enough, but please can we get married and soon?"

I was overjoyed at the idea. "Of course, I'd like that, as long as there is no more Charity," I replied.

"One more thing, now he's gone I want to fix my hair. I hate this bloody colour."

*****

I could smell cooking as I arrived home and called out "Hi," as I stepped through the door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Hope. She was wearing a sweater, short skirt and heels. Her make-up was done and I took all of that in, but it was her hair that made me look at her wide-eyed. It was back to being blonde, maybe a bit lighter than before, what little there was of it, maybe an inch, but no more! "Bloody hell that's incredible."

"Going back to my own colour was going to be an issue, so I decided to chop it off and start over. I like it, but I suggest that you close your mouth, or you'll catch flies."

"Are they home?" I asked.

"No, your Mum is going to pick up Ellen and they're going to look at something. They'll be another hour."

I took her hand and pushed her back against the worktop. We kissed and as I was doing so I ran my hand up the outside of her skirt. "Dirty girl, no panties."

"What do you think that means?" she giggled.

"That you want something." I dropped to my knees and pushed the hem of her skirt up. Hope parted her legs and I saw that she was wet and her lips swollen. I licked her thigh and ran my tongue over her slit. She groaned.

I licked her clit then sank my tongue inside her and slid a finger in as well. "Oh dear God, please do not stop, please!" I felt her throw her head back and she yelled, "I'm coming! I'm fucking coming and it's so good!" She screamed and I felt her legs give.

I helped her to the floor, "Why don't we go to bed—it'll be comfier."

"No, now, here, now please I need you badly, please don't tease me." I wasn't teasing, but maybe it was time that I did. I slipped out of a few clothes and right there on the kitchen floor lay on top of her in a sixty-nine position. I used my tongue on her and she did the same to me. It was a bit crazy, much screaming, yelling, sighing and several orgasms.

All of this was brought to a sudden halt with the sound of the door and Ellen shouting, "We're home!" There was a scramble to pull on clothes and I'm sure that we both looked a bit sheepish as the two of them appeared at the door and started laughing. Ellen was holding her sides as she spoke, "Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what you two were up to. Sorry, we interrupted."

Mum and Ellen walked away laughing. I looked at Hope and she burst out laughing as well. "Come on let's sort out dinner and we can have an early night. It's been a while since you used that dildo."

I was happy and in love.

Wedding

I was nervous—this was it. I looked stunning, my dress was simple, but form-fitting, my hair and make-up was a masterpiece, my flowers were also simple, my heels were very high. Then there was some music and Hope appeared in the doorway opposite. I gasped. She must be wearing crazy heels as well, but they were hidden beneath a long ivory dress with a full skirt and fitted bodice covered in small pearls. Her hair was short and very sexy, her make-up stylish. The artists who'd worked on us had done great work. Despite all of that, it was the twinkle in her eyes and the corner of her lip tilted slightly to one side that told me she was happy. We walked towards one another and joined hands before turning towards the Registrar. Mum and Ellen were behind us and although I'd seen their dresses before today they were going to grab the attention of any hot-blooded man or woman. The contrast of their skin tones was quite something but they wore identical smiles.

"You may kiss your bride." I moved a few inches and our lips met, magical. As we stepped back I knew that I'd never been so happy and my wife was grinning in a way which suggested that she was equally happy, but that she also had something else, something dirty, on her mind.