DISCLAIMER: I'd love to own the rights to this wonderful series, but sadly I don't.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

A Kink in the Plan
By Ann

 

"Blair, where did you put my helmet?" A furious Jo screams at the top of her lungs from her position on the stairs.

"I didn't take your silly helmet, Jo. I certainly don't have any use for it," Blair yells her response from the downstairs couch.

Jo immediately stomps down the stairs and steps between Blair and the television. Glaring at the blonde, she puts her hands on her hips and shoots daggers at the young socialite.

"Jo, move! I can't see 'The Love Boat,'" an upset Blair protests.

"Blair, if you don't tell me where my helmet is, you're going to find yourself on a sinking ship," Jo threatens as she steps closer to the couch.

"Girls, stop yelling! You two have been at each other's throats for the last two weeks for no apparent reason, and I've had enough. Jo, turn off that television and have a seat next to Blair. We're going to settle this once and for all," Mrs. Garrett states as she sits in a nearby chair.

"Mrs. G, it's not my fault. Blair has been purposely hiding my things or generally being a pain in my as… um, side," Jo offers in her defense.

"Me? You're the one who used my special face soap to wash the grease off your hands. You ruined that bar of soap, and it was my last one. I haven't had a chance to go back into the city to purchase more," Blair shouts at the woman sitting next to her.

"You're cracked, Blair. I haven't used your precious soap," Jo yells as she abruptly stands.

Blair jumps up as well, and the two continue their bickering in their new nose to nose position.

"Okay! That's it. I want you both to have a seat and listen to me," Mrs. Garrett orders in a raised voice.

The head of the household waits until the two young women cross their arms over their chest and reluctantly take a seat on the couch.

"Now, that's better. I've got no choice but to force you two to get along. Tomorrow, Tootie, Natalie, and I are going to my friend's ski lodge as planned. You are both going to stay here and clean the basement. You are forbidden to leave the house, and I'll have all the neighbors on the lookout. When I get back, if I hear anything about either one of you leaving, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave permanently. Is that clear?"

"But …," both women reply, but are once again cut off by the older woman.

"Not a word. This is not open for discussion. Be thankful that I'm closing Edna's Edibles for the weekend and not making you work the counter," Mrs. Garrett adds.

Jo once again opens her mouth to reason with Mrs. Garrett, but she is interrupted when the front door opens and Tootie and Natalie make their way toward their friends.

"Hey, Jo. I just heard the snow report for the lodge. The weatherman said the conditions are going to be perfect for skiing all weekend. Isn't that great?" An excited Natalie informs the brooding brunette.

"Yeah. Now, you can show us that fancy skiing you've been talking about for the past week," Tootie cheerfully comments.

"Girls, there's been a change in plans. Blair and Jo are staying here this weekend. Now, why don't you two go upstairs and pack your bags? We have to leave bright and early in the morning," Mrs. Garrett explains as the two friends look at the other women for an explanation.

No one says a word as Mrs. Garrett ushers Tootie and Natalie up the stairs as each looks over their shoulder at the occupied couch.

"Great, now you've done it, Jo. I was looking forward to taking this weekend trip," Blair says in a low tone.

"Just shut up, Blair. You probably wouldn't have left the lodge anyway," Jo replies as she gets up and walks into the kitchen.

From the top of the stairs, Mrs. Garrett shakes her head as she watches the exchange. Sighing, she moves back to help Tootie and Natalie pack for the trip.

Very early the next morning, Mrs. Garrett hurries Tootie and Natalie out the door to the waiting car.

"C'mon, girls. We need to get on the road. I have a thermos of coffee and some hot biscuits in the car so you can eat on the way. We'll have lunch when we get there," the older woman explains as she ushers her passengers into the car.

"But what about Blair and Jo? Shouldn't we at least tell them good-bye?" A concerned Tootie asks.

"No, let them sleep. I left them a note by the coffeepot telling them what time we should return, and I wrote down the phone number of the lodge in case of an emergency," Mrs. Garrett replies as she starts the engine.

"I just hope they're both alive when we get back," Natalie mutters under her breath.

An hour later, a grumpy brunette walks down the stairs in search of coffee. Her happiness at finding a full pot lasts only until she sees the note propped up next to it. Grabbing a mug from the cabinet, she pours herself a cup before sitting at the table with the short missive.

'Girls, I know you are upset and disappointed not to make the trip, but it's important that you resolve the issues between the two of you. Your constant bickering has got to stop. This household can not take any more of your yelling and shouting. Please sit down and talk to each other, calmly that is, and try to see each other's viewpoint. We'll be back around nine Sunday night. I've listed the lodge's number below. Oh, I almost forgot. The cleaning supplies are in the garage. See you Sunday, Mrs. G.'

Jo runs her finger over the writing in deep thought. She knows what her problem is, but she's also quite sure Blair's isn't the same. Finishing her drink, she decides now is as good a time as any to get started on the basement. She places her mug in the dishwasher and heads for the garage.

Blair stumbles down the stairs hours later and heads straight for the kitchen. Finding her mug beside the coffeepot, she pours herself a cup and leans against the cabinet slowly sipping her morning elixir. Spotting the note on the table, she walks forward and sits down to read.

Coffee forgotten, Blair closes her eyes and contemplates the past few weeks. 'Why do I have these feelings for Jo? It's like, all of a sudden, I see her in a completely different light, and it scares the hell out of me. What am I going to do?'

A loud noise pulls Blair from her thoughts, and she rises to investigate. Opening the door leading to the basement, she moves down the steps following the cursing sounds.

"Son of a bitch, that hurts. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Jo," the voice continues to berate herself.

"Jo? Where are you?" Blair asks as she looks around the darkened lower floor.

"At the bottom of these damn stairs. I was trying to change the burned out light bulb, and the stupid chair I was standing on broke," Jo explains.

"Are you hurt?" A concerned Blair asks while slowly making her way down the steps.

"Nah, Blair. I just like to sit on my ass holding onto my ankle while cursing my stupidity," Jo sarcastically answers.

The next sounds Jo hears are those of footsteps heading back up the stairway.

"Great, Jo. Take it out on Blair why don't you. It's not her fault you climbed up on a rotten old chair," the injured woman says aloud.

"It's not your fault either, Jo. You probably couldn't tell the chair was broken in the dark, but it might have been a good idea to use a flashlight," Blair's voice filters down the stairs followed by a clicking noise.

A bright light is directed toward the bottom of the stairs, and Jo puts her hand up and squints trying to keep the light out of her eyes.

"Point that thing somewhere else, Blair. You're blinding me with your light."

Blair quickly adjusts the angle of the light and slowly descends the stairs toward her friend.

Reaching the bottom, Blair easily finds Jo, and she is indeed sitting on her ass holding her ankle. She's also holding the apparent burned out light bulb.

Kneeling next to her friend, Blair tries to assess the injury by lightly palpating the ankle.

"Ow, stop that. You're only making it worse," Jo protests as she slaps Blair's hands away from the injured site.

"Jo, your ankle is already quite swollen. We need to get you back upstairs and get some ice on it," Blair replies as she stands.

"It hurts too much to move. Can't you bring the ice down here?" A whiny Jo asks.

"No, I can't. Besides, we need more light. We may even need to go to the hospital for an x-ray so let's get you up and see if, together, we can navigate our way back up the stairs," Blair replies while shining the light back down on the swollen ankle.

"Hospital? I'm not going to any damn hospital. Mrs. G said we couldn't leave the house, remember?" Jo stubbornly points out.

"Jo, this is an exception. Mrs. Garrett wouldn't expect you to abide by her conditions if she knew you were injured," the blonde answers in a no-nonsense tone.

Jo looks up at Blair and folds her arms over her chest in protest.

"Well, you can forget it. I'm not moving from this spot until you promise me that you won't try to make me leave the house," a determined Jo states.

"You are the most stubborn individual I've ever met. Fine, let's just get you up these stairs," Blair replies as she temporarily agrees to the compromise.

After a bit of cursing and apologizing, Blair finally gets Jo on her feet and shines the light on the stairway. She puts her arm around Jo's waist while Jo places her arm over Blair's shoulder.

"Okay, let's take this very slowly. I'll step up first, and you follow. Don't put any weight on your ankle; lean on me instead. We'll take it one step at a time," Blair helpfully explains.

Jo doesn't answer, but she tightens her hold on the other woman. Blair takes the gesture as a yes, and steps on the bottom step as she pulls Jo closer.

Eventually, the two women make it to the top of the stairs after taking several rest breaks. Neither realized how hard it would be to make the short trip, not because of the physical exertion, but because of the physical contact with the other woman.

Stepping into the kitchen, Blair asks, "Do you need something to drink or would you like to go on to the couch?"

For the first time, Jo looks at her savior and realizes that Blair is wearing her pajamas, the ones with the tank top and short shorts. With the added pressure of her arm over Blair's shoulder, a left breast is dangerously close to being revealed.

Jo opens her mouth to request some water when Blair shifts her precious cargo, and the aforementioned left breast joyfully springs free.

Closing her eyes tightly, Jo blurts, "Couch. Bring me to the couch."

Thinking Jo is in extreme pain, Blair doesn't waste any time helping her friend to the den. Jo keeps her eyes closed the entire trip, trusting Blair to avoid any walls or furniture.

A worried Blair quickly maneuvers Jo to the couch and assists her in sitting. Misreading the reason for the closed eyes, Blair gently touches Jo's face.

"Jo, I know you are in tremendous pain. Won't you please let me take you to the emergency room?"

Leaning into the touch, Jo opens her eyes to respond but is dumbstruck by the sight of her new view of Blair, as now two gorgeous breasts are on display. She shuts her eyes as quickly as she can, but the image is permanently etched in her brain, never to be removed.

Offering comfort the only way she knows how, Blair hugs Jo close bringing Jo's head to rest on her ample chest. Jo once again opens her eyes and immediately begins to hyperventilate when she realizes her mouth is inches from her dreams.

"Jo, it's okay. Calm down. I'm here," Blair whispers as she holds Jo closer and begins a steady rocking motion.

The words and motion seem to do the trick as Jo finally relaxes against her friend. She reaches her arms around Blair and returns the hug as she is no longer feeling any pain.

Lifting back slightly, Blair looks down into Jo's green eyes. Neither woman says a word as they remain locked in their embrace. Finally, Blair strokes Jo's face, and ever so slowly, leans forward.

Mesmerized by the moment, Jo watches as Blair's lips come closer, and afraid to wait any longer, she lifts up until contact is made. Both woman revel in the feel and taste of the other's lips; each finally realizing their hopes and dreams.

The rest of the weekend is spent in each other's arms with an occasional break to work on organizing the basement. Jo's ankle is responding well to the ice treatment so a trip to the hospital has been avoided. Of course, every time Blair mentions the h-word, Jo manages to distract her with kisses.

Trips up and down the steps are now much more enjoyable, and the two actually manage to get some work done on Mrs. Garrett's project. Although not thoroughly cleaned, the basement is definitely less cluttered.

Sunday evening finally arrives, and Blair joins Jo on the couch to watch the movie of the week. She settles into her girlfriend's arms as the beginning credits roll on the screen.

Half-way into the movie, the sound of a key turning in the door alerts the women to the arrival of their housemates. Tootie bursts into the den immediately telling stories of the trip. Blair sits at the far end of the couch with Jo's ankle resting on the pillow in her lap as Natalie alternates with her friend in relating tales of their weekend.

"Jo, I'm so sorry you were injured. I never should have told you two to clean the basement. I thought it would help if you had a chore to concentrate on," Mrs. Garrett offers in apology.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Mrs. G. I should have been more careful. Besides, Blair was here to help me out," Jo replies.

"Well, it's certainly nice to see you two getting along. I'm just sorry that you had to get hurt in the process," the older woman says to the brunette.

"No problem, Mrs. Garrett. I guess you could say that Jo's injury was the catalyst in getting us to see the light," Blair replies with a smile.

Watching Blair gently stroke Jo's ankle, Mrs. Garrett returns the smile, grateful that even with the kink in her plan, the two women have finally admitted their attraction to each other.

The End

Return to The Facts of Life Fiction

Return to Main Page