Can She Fix It? Yes She Can!(requested)

Chapter 29

Darkness has well and truly fallen leaving only the dull orange hue of streetlights illuminating their path as Cheryl flicks on the indicator, guiding the car round another corner as Kimberley stifles a yawn behind her hand.

The Geordie smiles across at her,

"Won't be long now pet"

Glancing in the rearview mirror Kimberley notices that Nicola has, once more, dropped into slumber.

"I thought it'd gone quiet" she jokes.

"She's such a heavy sleeper now" Cheryl replies thoughtfully, "you'd never have guessed it. When she first moved in with us she used to cry every night. Me mam got her a bed of her own but she'd always end up crawling into mine"

Staring blankly out of the car window Kimberley lets the brunette's words sink in, trying to suppress a twinge of jealousy at the closeness between her girlfriend and the redhead. Mentally chastising herself for the momentary selfishness she turns her head, giving Cheryl a sympathetic look.

"Must have been awful for her having her parents taken away from her like that"

"Aye" Cheryl nods, "she was such a lost soul, all I wanted to do was make her happy again"

"Is that why you had sex with her?"

"What?!"

Cheryl startles, catches the steering wheel in surprise and causing the car to swerve a little.

"Whoa!" Kimberley grimaces as they narrowly avoid hitting the wing mirror of a parked car, "sorry, I probably could've worded that better"

Cheryl raises an eyebrow,

"Well, d'uh, yeah and, no, I don't sleep with people just cos I feel sorry for them. Nic's never been a pity fcuk, you know she's far too special to me for that"

"Of course. Sorry babe" Kimberley manages a half smile. The green eyed monster in her brain silently adding on 'how could I possibly compete with Saint Nicola?'.

"Are you sure you're really ok with this?" Cheryl asks tentatively, "I thought you wanted to hear all about me childhood and Nic's a big part of that?"

Kimberley forces down the insecurity simmering inside,

"Yeah I do, that's why I want to know everything about you and her"

"Oh...ok then"

Seemingly content with Kimberley's reply Cheryl smiles, starting to recount everything from her and Nicola's first kiss in the graveyard, to the moment that she and then Nic decided to come out and, eventually, their first time together in the warmth of Cheryl's tiny single bed.

"So you lost your virginity to one another?" Kimberley asks, painfully aware that this was a sensitive topic they'd never breached before.

"Yeah" Cheryl confirms with a nod, "it was around this time of year..."

November 5th 1999...Bonfire Night...

Sixteen year old Cheryl Tweedy sits on the grass, her legs stretched out in front of her as she gazes upwards at the myriad of stars twinkling brightly against a backdrop of obsidian sky. A few feet away a large bonfire crackles and spits, its heat the only defence against the biting cold of Winter. Running her hand over the tight cornrows covering the front portion of her scalp the Geordie looks back down. Her eyes scan the various groupings of teenagers scattered around the field until she spots her younger brother Garry messing around with a his closest mate.

"Here Chezzabella, got your burger!"

Cheryl's silent contemplation is broken as Nicola plonks herself down beside her, one hand proffering a greasy burger loaded with onions and ketchup, all wrapped up in a cheap paper napkin.