Work Text:
Back At One
Charity is sat on the swing slowly pushing her foot on the floor, as she watches Johnny and Moses running around laughing.
Tracey notices Charity, slowly walks across as she notices she had been crying. “Penny for your thoughts?”
Charity looks up, as she wipes her eyes. Charity stands up as Tracey sadly smiles at her.
Tracey frowned, “You can tell me to mind my own business.”
Charity shook her head, “Hayfever....always makes my eyes puffy and run, I will put my drops in when I’m back.”
Tracey sighed, “Is it this adoption with Johnny?”
Charity’s eyes glazed over, as Tracey stood next too her and hugged Charity. At first Charity accepted being comforted which shocked Tracey, then she felt her full back.
“why am I such a car crash? No matter what I do its wrong.” Charity sighs. “Since we moved into Jacob’s Fold we have had nothing but bad luck. I just want one night with Ness without talking cancer. I hate that I am even having that thought....what’s wrong with me?” Charity shakes her head as tears form.
Tracey looks at the boys and back to Charity. “Well how about I babysit the kids tonight, including Noah and Sarah in yours. You take Vanessa out or cook her a meal. You can use my place if you want"
Charity laughed, “Me cook, I made her lumpy soup I wouldn’t give Bell to feed the pigs.”
Tracey laughed, “I have some pre cooked meals in the freezer, help yourself.”
Charity smiled, “Thanks Trace, you"ll make a good sister in law"
Tracey laughed, “well lucky for you, my sister is ridiculously in love with you. For reasons I will never know"
Charity smiled, “well if you really must know"
Tracey covered her ears with her hands, “Tell Vanessa use her old room" as she walked away.
Charity walked across to the pub, with Johnny and Moses when Chas smiled at her.
“Hello boys, who would like some orange and crisps?” both boys cheer as they sit in the booth near the bar.
Charity sighed, “Chas can I ask for a favour. Can you cover my late shift tonight?”
Chas laughed, “I have plans, bottle of wine and Netflix.”
Charity frowned, and grabbed her phone out her pocket as she began flicking through her contacts. Charity put the phone to her ear, and sighed when she heard Bobs voicemail.
“Hi Bob, it’s Charity I am wondering if you could cover the bar tonight for me? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, but then I’m lying. But tonight is really important so call me.”
Chas frowned as she watched Charity look sad, as she fake smiled.
“What’s so important?” Chas asked.
“I wanted to take Vanessa’s mind off her treatment. She is struggling at the minute, we keep arguing and I just want to make her forget for one night. I want to do something special, Tracey has offered to have the kids. But then I’m on the late" Charity sighs as she takes a sip of her coffee.
Chas smiles, “Who would’ve guessed the local vet would break Charity Dingle"
Charity smiled, she didn’t see Vanessa walk in behind her as Charity sighed, putting her head on the bar as she spoke.
“She has done more than break me, she has turned me into an emotional needy teenage girl. I love her, like really love her."
Vanessa smiled as she wraps her arms from behind Charity and kisses her on her cheek, “I really love you, like really love you. Even when you drive me crazy”
Charity turns as she wraps her arms around Vanessa’s waist. Charity smiled, “What you doing here? I thought you wanted some space?”
Vanessa nodded, “Then it was too silent, and Sarah thinks I was a little harsh on you so I wanted to come say I’m sorry in person.”
Charity shook her head, “It’s ok, remember I said I will be your punching bag"
Vanessa shook her head, “It’s no excuse, so shall we take the boys the cafe for some lunch?”
Charity nods her head.
Vanessa smiles, “Let me pop the toilet, be right back"
Charity watches Vanessa walk away, as Chas sighs.
“Go get your girl tonight, I will cover the bar" Chas smiled as she winks at Charity.
“Thanks, I just need to think of something special for her" Charity smiled, as she put the coats for the boys on.
Later in the day Vanessa heard a knock on the door, when she opened it she found a man standing holding a bouquet of roses.
Vanessa smiled as she looked at the note. ‘One – Your like a dream come true C xxx'
Later in the afternoon Tracey knocked, she handed Vanessa a card. “Charity asked me to give you this"
Vanessa frowned, “What has she done now?” she sent me roses, now you with a card. I’m gonna kill her, I can’t be dealing with her schemes right now” Vanessa sighed as she opened the card.
‘Two – I just wanna be with you.’ Vanessa looked confused.
Tracey smiled, “Go and get yourself ready. Charity is in mine”
Vanessa sighed, “what’s she doing there?”
Tracey shook her head, “I don’t know, maybe she is trying to make you happy. Give her a break Vanessa, your are going through hell but so is she. Do you know I found her crying in the park this morning, because she thinks she not good enough for you. She wants to spend time with you, just you without any distractions. So if you don’t wanna go, go for her because she needs you too,” Tracey shouted.
Vanessa walked into her bedroom, when notices a present on the bed with a note. ‘Three – It’s plain to see, you’re the only one for me' Vanessa unwrapped her present it was a picture of her and Charity in their wedding dresses smiling.
Vanessa walked across the village, she had butterflies in her stomach something she never realised she had missed. Vanessa felt nervous, as if she was going on a first date all over again. Vanessa stood at the door, she was unsure whether she should just enter or knock. So she knocked, then entered as she noticed the room was in the dark only a handful of candles lighting the room.
Charity stood from the sofa as she handed Vanessa a glass of wine.
Charity smiled, “I was getting nervous then, thinking you wasn’t gonna come.”
Vanessa smiled, “Well Charity Dingle, what have you done with my fiancée?” Vanessa laughed as she raised her eyebrows.
Charity fiddle with her fingers, looked to the floor as she spoke, “She was captivated by the local vet, she is currently under her unicorn powers. Like Cinderella they end at midnight but she turns back into the wicked witch of the village” Charity laughed as Vanessa shook her head.
Vanessa stepped forward, “It’s beautiful, you’re beautiful, it’s the little things like this I love about you. No one gets to see this side of you, I love that you have chosen me to be the person who gets to look at you in candlelight for the rest of my life"
Charity leans forward and kisses Vanessa, holding her face in both hands. “our life, I’m not letting you go anywhere, OK"
Vanessa nods her head, as Charity kisses her again.
The evening went well as Charity and Vanessa sat down for food, chatted away, laughing and smiling at each other.
Vanessa spoke, “I have to say, you need to make lasagne alot more that was beautiful. Tough choice between you and Tracey's whose is the best"
Charity laughed, “Well I would love to take the credit, it was Tracey’s she had left overs in the freezer. I can’t cook Ness, I wanted this to be perfect night"
Vanessa spoke, “So what else have you and my sister planned? She mentioned she saw your crying in the park"
Charity shook her head, “She did, I was just being silly, emotional you know me.”
Vanessa smiled, “Thank you, for everything you do for me, our family all the good and the bad".
Charity stands up, as she speaks “Alexa – play Brian McKnight Back At One” Charity walks around the table and pulls Vanessa up to wrap her arms around her.
Charity looked Vanessa in the eyes, “I’m no good with romance, I never know the right words to say. But this song makes me think of you, everything I want to say, so give me the pleasure of having this dance.”
Vanessa had tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Charity’s neck as Charity looked down at her. As the song played , Charity occasionally rubbed Vanessa’s back.
"Your notes, are lyrics to this song" Vanessa spoke softly.
Charity nodded, then began to sing, “Five – Make you fall in love with me, If ever I believe my work is done, then I’ll start back at one.”
Vanessa laughed, “Well Miss Dingle, you have made me fall in love with you all over again. I love waking up everyday with you by my side. You surely are something special, you surprise me everyday with something new about you. I never had you down as R&B soul fan, I thought you were more Little Mix Salute"
Charity laughed, “Very funny....Ladies all across the world, Listen up we're looking for recruits" Charity sang.
Vanessa laughed as she pulled Charity’s head, so their lips connected.
Vanessa smiled, as her hands slid into Charity’s “Charity Dingle take me to bed, and put that mouth to better use"
Charity smiled, “Oh babe I will gladly rock your world".