DISCLAIMER: See Part One

At length Helen got her door open and led the way inside. She quickly turned on the lamp, slotted in a CD, kicked off her shoes and was in the kitchen hacking at ice with trembling hands.

"Great place you have here" Nikki called through

"Thank you" Helen smiled, picking up the drinks and trying to make it into the room without staggering. She sat as comfortably as possible next to Nikki's slender figure and curled her toes up. "Cheers"

"Cheers" Nikki nodded with a casual smile as their glasses came into contact.

"Maybe we shouldn't be drinking anymore" Helen laughed, throwing her head back to survey Nikki's facial features from a side view.

"Not breaking any rules are we?" Nikki grinned, raising her eyebrow.

They downed their vodka's in one.

"Another?" Helen giggled, trying hard to control her wavering hand.

"Hmmmm if you are" Nikki laughed.

"I'll grab the bottle" Helen jumped up and almost lost her balance. Nikki quickly supported her with strong hands. Which, without a doubt sent a trickle of reaction dancing down Helen's spine. She returned moments later with a partially empty bottle of vodka. "Lets get pissed" She sighed, becoming increasingly confused and to a degree, depressed with the emotions she was experiencing.

"Helen we already are" Nikki laughed pouring them both another.

"Well even more so then" She responded, raising her glass to her lips.

"I think I might have you as my drinking partner more often"

"You might just have to" Helen unconsciously flirted, only realising she'd done so once a smile had made it's way across Nikki's face.

"Tell me about you" She finally spoke, scrutinising Helen's features as she rested her head with her eyes closed.

"Liaisons officer at Larkhall Prison, single definitely not looking..."

"Unless Anna had her way?" Nikki interrupted.

"Yeah, She'd have me with one of Jim's buddies" They both laughed "Always complaining about my love life -or lack of it as the case may be" Helen sighed, turning serious. "Do you want the truth Nikki?"

"Of course" She nodded.

"I'm too old for it all. I can't be arsed any more"

Nikki was appalled that Helen was uttering such words. "No way. The right man will come along" She stated firmly

Helen sat up. "Christ!" She gasped, a burst of alcohol exploding into her bloodstream. Throwing her head back again, she closed her eyes. "I was going to offer another one, but I don't think I can move off of this sofa" She laughed

"No worries" Nikki smiled, resting her own head next to Helen's, their arms brushing ever so lightly.

Helen woke from a doze to find herself in Nikki's arms, en route to her bedroom. Nikki bent slightly to open the door and then unsteadily laid her on the bed and looked over her. "Goodnight Helen" Nikki whispered, bending again to kiss her cheek.

Helen shocked herself by deliberately tilting her head so that the kiss landed squarely on her mouth, and suddenly the desire to feel whole and wanted again obliterated caution. "Don't go" She said unsteadily, looking up into Nikki's face. She saw her close those gorgeous brown eyes and clench her fists, before sitting on the edge of the bed and lifting Helen up on to her lap, their foreheads touching. Helen's breathing was ragged at this force of desire coursing through her body.

"This wasn't meant to happen, was it?"

"Don't you want me?" Helen asked quietly.

"You know damn well I do!" Nikki growled.

"Then show me how much!"

Their lips touched and control didn't become an option. Nikki's breath rasped in her throat as she pulled away to shrug off her jacket, Helen's seeking hands undoing shirt buttons to find soft skin, hot to the touch. Both were past caring how this was going to affect them in any way. All that mattered now were their physical needs. Darts of fire shot through her as Nikki smoothed her out on to the bed and began struggling with the buttons of her trousers, their eyes locked in semi-darkness, neither pulled out of the kisses. Nikki's mouth was hard on hers as they dispensed with their remaining garments. Their bare flesh came into contact, Nikki's eyes blazing with such a need that Helen shivered with excitement and hid her face in the taller woman's throat. A slightly blurred drunkenness pressed on her brain, yet at the same time she felt utterly alive. Marvelling in this new and erotic softness of female skin, inhaling the magical scent of Nikki's neck.

"Oh god!" She moaned in delight as Nikki began to kiss every curve of her body. Helen couldn't help but surge against her, her fingers digging into the taut muscles of her back. Overwhelmed by fiery, rhythmic pleasure that mounted in increasing levels of intensity until white-hot culmination engulfed them both.

Once Helen had opened her eyes and the bright light of day poured in through the gap in the curtains she wondered if she'd dreamt the events of the night before. But one look at the wild disorder of the bed told her it had all been blazingly real. A violent tremor ran through her at the thought of it. She breathed deeply, pulled back the covers and got out, raked her hand through tousled hair, pulled on a dressing gown and ventured to the hall to make sure Nikki Wade had gone. When she found that she was alone in the flat once more, she let out a deep shaky sigh. Hugging her arms across her chest, her face soared heat with the memory of her utter, drunken, abandon in the dark. She dressed hurriedly and went into the kitchen, then stopped dead as she saw a note propped against her kettle.

I thought you'd want to be alone when you woke. I'm at work if you want to call me. Speak to you soon I hope.

Nikki

Helen slumped down into the chair and put her head in her arms. What the hell had she done? Never, ever before had she felt the physical need to make love to a woman. She wasn't even interested in relationships so what the hell had happened the night before? Heat surged inside her. Shaken by the sheer, physical force of it all, she fought hard against temptation. Last night, she told herself fiercely, had happened solely because she was drunk. Nikki had restored her faith in herself quite miraculously. The night together had been a fitting climax to a part of her life, fulfilled the side of her that was curious. But now it was time to get on with life. There had been a strong magic about their night of passion, but magic couldn't be expected to last or even happen twice. Yes, Nikki Wade was a woman of powerful charisma and in her drunken state; her fanatical lovemaking had provided quite a wonderful salve. Part of her wanted to see Nikki again, but realistic Helen knew that what seemed so irresistibly romantic in the hours of darkness may seem very different in the harsh light of day.

She sat bolt upright with wide eyes

"And she's a bloody woman!" She reminded herself darkly

In no way was she attracted to another woman and she refused to think about the events any further as she turned on the radio full blast, taking one look at Nikki's note and tossing it into the bin.

Nikki tried to get through to Helen several times after their night together. She was either constantly out, her mobile was never answered and she hadn't had a returned call after any of her answer messages. It could only mean one thing and she didn't like it. Helen was avoiding her. She kept telling herself that falling for a straight woman was against the rules. She had been there, crashed and burned. Inside she felt a deep sense of fear and guilt for surrendering to the luscious Scot's advances. But what else was she supposed to do? Truth was that no one had managed to stir feelings like that up inside of her before, and making love to her that night only served to strengthen whatever feelings she had. She was angry with her, yet at the same time she was easily aroused at the thought of her.

"Fuck!" She hissed, throwing her newspaper across the room. She had to see her.

Helen piled her files into a bag and took one last gulp of coffee before storming out of her office. She hadn't heard from Anna since the night at Nikki's club, which was almost a week ago. So when she received a call from her distraught best friend, she was glad to have the afternoon away from work so that she could see to her distress. The house was open when Helen finally arrived and so without a second thought she dropped her eyes and bag and made her way into the living room, only to see Anna trying to control her tears. She sat and took Anna into her arms.

"Shhhh sweetheart, it's ok, I'm here" She whispered, rocking her like a child "What's the ma..." Helen stopped in shock as Anna looked up to reveal a deep cut across her bottom lip and a purplish, ugly bruise forming on her left eye, distorting her attractive features.

"Oh Helen!" She whined, bursting into more tears "Look at me!"

"Did he do this to you?" She demanded angrily.

Anna nodded and Helen jumped to her feet.

"I'm calling the police Anna. Jim cannot do this to you!"

"Helen no!" Anna cried, dragging her back down "I love Jim. He won't do it again, he was...he was very drunk that's all"

"That's all?" Helen gasped "Look at you Anna, you can't marry him"

"I love him" She sobbed

"Leave him!" Helen sighed "Darling, leave him"

"He'd kill me Helen!" She whispered into her friends shoulder.

"He wouldn't dare. come on" Helen stopped and tried to pull Anna up.

"No! I love him and I'm not going anywhere"

They looked at each other and Helen crouched again "Ok" She sighed "Let me see to your face then"

For the rest of the afternoon they drank cups of coffee and Anna tried unsuccessfully to get Helen to believe that Jim Fenner didn't usually hit her. On top of her own problems, it only gave Helen more reason to hate him.