Yellow Hues

Fandom: The Practice

Series: Photomosaic

Title: Yellow Hues

Author: Carla

Rating: R

Pairing: LH/RK

Disclaimers: Not mine unfortunately, else I would be the very rich and very married to Michelle Pfieffer, David E. Kelley. And Marla Sokoloff would still have a job. This original work of fiction is mine though; as are the original characters herein. In other words if you don’t recognize the name from the show they’re mine.

Archive: Okay to whichever lists I post on and to the Realm. All my delusional writings can be found at http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/carla.htm

Feedback: I find that I am partial to it if you are inclined to give it. On or off list works fine. I can be reached at cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Author Notes: The song Yellow by Coldplay kept running through my head while I wrote this. Probably because I was stuck in traffic the other day when the car stereo/CD player crapped out on me, went into repeat mode and played that one song over and over. I still can’t get it out of my head.

Enjoy

The doorbell rang, announcing the first guest, as Lucy was sliding the last quiche into the oven to warm.

"I’ll get it," Roberta said from the kitchen doorway where she had been standing watching Lucy putter around the kitchen. Lucy washed her hands and listened as her lover welcomed their first guests.

"Welcome, please come in. You’re Lucy’ cousin, Gina right?" Lucy joined Roberta at the front door as Gina was shaking Roberta’s hand in introduction. Lucy’ grandmother, Nona Annie, stood behind Gina waiting patiently to be introduced as well.

"Nona hi" Lucy edged past her cousin to envelope her grandmother in a hug. "I’m glad you came Nona. Gina’s driving didn’t put you in an early grave?" Lucy teased. She took the old lady’s coat and hung it up. Then turning to her grandmother she gently took her by the hand. "Nona I want you to meet someone. You remember I told you about my friend Roberta, the judge. Bobbi this is my grandmother Annie Hatcher. Nona this is…"

"So you’re Roberta." Annie nodded, smiled brightly and held her hand out to Roberta.

"Yes Ma’am Roberta Kittleson." Roberta took Annie’s hand in her own. "It is so nice to meet you. Lucy has told me so much about you."

"Yes well she hasn’t said much about you. Not that I’m surprised her father never tells me much either. They think I’m to ‘delicate’. I’m old not dead." Annie shot both of her granddaughters amused looks, "That’s the problem with this family, everybody has a heart attack in their fifties and spends the rest of their lives being ‘delicate’." The old lady made a pointed examination of Roberta. "You don’t look like you have that problem though." She slipped her arm through Roberta’s, "Now why don’t you show me your lovely home."

"Lucy you never told me how charming your grandmother was," Roberta winked at Lucy over the elderly woman’s head. "Now Mrs. Hatcher where would you like to start?"

"It’s still a little light out do you have a garden?"

Lucy and Gina watched as Roberta led their grandmother through the family room towards the sliding doors leading to the backyard.

"Sorry we’re early she’s been ready to go since four this afternoon. We left the house at six sharp. I took the really long scenic route plus circled the block four or five times before she told me to quit stalling. Your dad said he’d be here later."

"Yeah he called already. So where’s Kara?"

"She couldn’t come tonight. It’s just as well you know Nonie doesn’t really like her."

"What’s wrong with Kara?"

"Same thing that was wrong with Delia."

"Kara has a kid. I didn’t know that."

"No dummy," Gina playfully slapped Lucy on the back of the head.

"Oh you’re kidding me."

"Ironic right. Her two youngest granddaughters are queer and she’s fine with it but in her heart of hearts she’s still a racist."

"What do you think she’ll say about Bobbi?"

"Who knows, Gramps was 23 years older, married and divorced when they met and got married." Gina slung an arm across her shorter cousin’s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze, "Plus she’s white and a judge. Let you know what she says later when we’re home." Gina lived with her grandmother while she went to school.

Their conversation was cut short by the doorbell heralding the arrival of more guests and the official start of the party.

Gina went in search of her grandmother, there was no telling what she was likely to say to Roberta and for Lucy’ sake it had been agreed upon in the family that Gina would stand watch for the first half of the evening. Lucy’ father, Annie’s son, John would take care of the second half and take his mother home when the time came. She found them in the garden slowly walking arm in arm.

"I grow tomatoes mostly in my garden, though I do have a row of lettuce and another one of green peppers. I’ll send some of my homemade marinara with John next time he comes by. Remind me before I leave okay."

"Yes Mrs. Hatcher."

"Annie, why don’t you call me Annie dear." The old woman patted Roberta’s hand reassuringly. "After all you’re my youngest sister’s age."

Roberta stopped walking, giving the older woman a sharp look before graciously smiling and with a slight bow of her head said, "Thank you Annie."

"You know it’s good of you to let Lucy stay here. After that unpleasantness where she was living before…well you understand, you have children, grandchildren too if I recall."

"Yes a son, a daughter and an eight-month old granddaughter."

"Then you understand why we’re so very grateful that you’ve opened your home to Lucy."

Roberta was unsure of what to say to this. She was fairly certain Lucy had explained the situation to her grandmother but what if she hadn’t. She breathed a sigh of relief to see Gina standing a few feet away and called her over.

"Gina why don’t you join us."

"Sure what’s the next stop on the tour? I understand you have an actually Chihuly. I’m dying to see it."

"Then we shall. It’s on the landing upstairs but first I want to show you something." She led them to southwest corner of the yard and the koi pond. "This is my favorite part of the backyard actually. It’s far away enough from everything to give the illusion of privacy, I like to just sit and listen to the water. My husband built it himself, a gift on the birth of my daughter, Julia."

The three women sat on the stone bench that overlooked the pond. Roberta pointed to an enormous rose hedge flanking the eastern edge of the yard. "Charles planted that rose hedge when my son, Hugh, was born. And over there, that…" Roberta pointed to an elaborate birdhouse that was an obviously newer addition to the backyard. "Lucy and I built it from a kit one Saturday a few weeks ago." She looked directly at Annie as she spoke hoping that the older woman would understand the tacit explanation of Roberta and Lucy’ life together.

"It certainly is a beautiful addition to your home", Annie said. "Gina, sweetheart, would you be a good girl and get me a drink please."

"Why don’t we go inside Nona. We can look at that Chihualy and get a drink. I’m thirsty too."

"Gina I would like a moment alone with Roberta and don’t worry I won’t say anything outrageous." Annie patted her granddaughter on the thigh. "I promise."

"Oh no Nonie that’s…"

"It’s okay Gina I’m sure there isn’t anything Annie could say that would embarrass me."

"Don’t count on it", Gina said in a light teasing tone of voice. "This is an act. Truth is she normally curses like a stevedore."

"I doubt that."

"She likes to call it being blunt but really…"

"Gina"

"I’m going, I’m going. What would you like to drink Nona?"

"Some coke with just a splash of the hard stuff, Glenlivet if there is any."

"Lucy bought some the other day just for you Annie", Roberta said. "Gina why don’t you ask Lucy to show you were the liquor is."

Once Gina was gone the two older women resumed talking.

"Will your children be coming this evening?"

"No Julia lives in Chicago. Hugh lives in Springfield but he had another commitment for this evening."

"What do they say about Lucy living with you? And before you try to play semantics let me say that I am not an idiot. I know what’s going on with you and my granddaughter. Even though she hasn’t said so directly I’ve wondered, after all you’re a successful judge, a mature woman with a family of your own what on earth would you need a roommate for?"

"I don’t think you’re an idiot. My daughter likes Lucy, they are not too far apart in age but Hugh is still getting used to the idea that I am with a woman now."

"Much less a woman young enough to be your daughter, I gather."

"I admit the difference in our ages is…or rather it can seem…daunting but really it isn’t. It’s one of the things I cherish about her. All that youthful energy and vitality…it sparks my own."

"My husband, Lucy’ grandfather was quite a bit older than I."

"So I’ve heard."

"It was different back then. It wasn’t uncommon to see a man in his thirties with a young wife…"

"I love her very much. I promise you that I will take good care of her. Cherish her and stand by her."

"What more could an old Nona ask for." Annie patted Roberta on the thigh then stood. "Come let’s go inside so you can play hostess."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

The last guest to leave was Jimmy who had remained behind to help with the cleanup. Roberta saw him to the door, closed it after him then slumped tiredly against it. Lucy smiled and beckoned her into the living room. Music was playing softly, the words almost inaudible. Roberta pushed herself off the door and made her way into the living room. She laughed pleased to find Lucy standing in the middle of the room one arm extended palm up in invitation.

"May I have this dance?"

Lucy’ voice was slightly husky whether from near constant use all night or from the cigarettes she’d smoked outside with her cousin, Roberta didn’t know. What she did know was that it sent shivers down her spine, made the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end with anticipation and ignited the slow flame of desire between them. She slipped out of her heels so that Lucy, who was still wearing the two-inch heels she’d been in all night, and she were now evenly matched in height.

"I’d love to."

They moved into each other’s arms and danced around the room lost in each other and the magic they created whenever they were alone together. Roberta nuzzled behind Lucy’ ear and the younger woman giggled. Giggles segued into a deep throated moan when Roberta traced the outer shell of Lucy’ ear with the tip of her tongue.

"I love that sound, doing that to you", Roberta growled out directly into the brunette’s ear. "God, it feels like I’ve been waiting forever to touch you."

"I know what you mean. I thought Jimmy was never going to leave."

Lucy kissed across the line of Roberta’s jaw. She playfully nipped Roberta’s chin then pressed her lips to the other woman’s. Lucy, her arms draped over the jurist’s shoulders, gave a soft mewl as Roberta’s hands slid around her waist and came to rest on her backside. The kiss deepened as they swayed together in an increasingly erotic dance that ended with them on the sofa, Roberta straddling Lucy.

They stayed like that silently devouring each other with their eyes. Roberta reached out to finger a lock of sable hair. On the CD player the disc changed to one Lucy had burned specifically for the day’s gathering. Roberta recognized the song that was playing as one she’d heard on the radio when they were in New York a few months ago and smiled.

"You have a beautiful smile." Lucy ran her fingertips over Roberta’s lips. "I love it, the way it reaches your eyes and makes them dance." Her voice lowered sensually, "Like the stars in the sky. Like the lights outside our window in New York."

"That’s my special Lucy-smile. Just for you," Roberta whispered as she leaned over to claim Lucy’ lips with her own.

Lucy’ hands found their way to the buttons of Roberta’s silk blouse, making quick work of them. Undoing the last button she gave an urgent tug pulling the tail end of the blouse free from the confines of belt and slacks. Roberta sucked in her breath with a hiss. The heat of Lucy’ palm on her stomach felt like a brand, searing her and marking her as ‘belonging’ to Lucy somehow.

Lucy snatched her hands away, "What? You okay?"

"Very okay." Roberta shrugged out of her blouse, reached behind to deftly undo the clasp of her brassiere and removed that as well. She took Lucy’ hands guided them to her breasts. "Very, very okay."

When the doorbell rang some time later they were still naked and intertwined on the sofa, basking in the afterglow.

Lucy slipped into her dress and went to answer the door. "Hello officer..."

"Stewart Miss. Officer Stewart" he held his hand out and Lucy shook it automatically. "I’m looking for Judge Kittleson. Is she here?"

"Umm…sure hold on a minute. Is everything alright has something…"

"I really must speak with Judge Kittleson." He took his hat off and played with the rim somewhat worriedly.

"Nevermind. Wait here please." Lucy closed the door and returned to the living room where Roberta was fastening the last button on her blouse. "An Officer Stewart wants to speak to you."

"He say about what?"

"No. He wouldn’t tell me."

Roberta ran her hands through her hair. "Shall we go see what he wants."

Roberta opened the door to find Officer Stewart as Lucy had left him, hat in hand looking slightly abashed at having to be there at this hour. "Officer Stewart won’t you come in." She stepped aside to let him in and noticed him noticing Lucy who was going upstairs to change. "Officer."

"Oh right" he had the decency to look chagrined about being caught eyeing the younger woman. "Um sorry. You have a son, Hugh."

"Has something happened?"

"We tried calling several times but…"

"What’s happened to Hugh? Is he hurt?"

"No nothing like that Ma’am. My Captain sent me here as a courtesy. Your son was picked up for public drunkenness and solicitation, we have him down at the precinct."

"I see."

"The Captain thought you might want to take care of this yourself, discreetly."

"Yes. Which precinct?"

He offered to wait for her and she refused instead getting directions to his precinct across town. She thanked him, watching as he turned and walked down the stairs to his patrol car, before closing the door.

She turned around to find Lucy sitting on the second stair tying her sneakers.

"What’s up?"

"Hugh was picked up for public drunkenness and solicitation."

"You want me to call Bobby?"

"No I don’t think that’s necessary." She made her way upstairs, Lucy following her, as she continued to talk. "Professional courtesy. You know how that goes."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Roberta’s muffled response came from the depths of the walk in closet.

"You don’t have to."

"I know I don’t have to. Do you want me to?"

"This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened with Hugh."

"Bobbi?" Lucy watched as Roberta changed.

"Please." She could not look at Lucy as she said it.

"I’ll go start the car."

Roberta turned then and grabbed Lucy’ hand. "Luce…Lucy."

"Yes."

"Thank you." She gave the small hand in hers a squeeze. Lucy squeezed back and with her free hand tucked a lock of errant hair behind Roberta’s ear.

"Hey this is what it’s about. You and me right?"

"Right."

Carla

It's a one time thing...it just happens a lot (Suzanne Vega, Cracking)