Show: Third Watch/Law & Order - Crossover

Title: Just Us Gals (follows Guys And Gals)

Author: The Raven

Pairing: Faith Yokas/Serena Southerlyn

Summary: Fred fucked up; Faith has had enough. (set three weeks after the first story)

Rating: PG 13 or something, though I do not believe in rating things.

Spoilers: - Exposing Faith - Etc. -

Feedback: nerocorvo@f-m.fm

Disclaimer: They are not mine, I'm just rubbing them together to see what happens. The story however, is mine...

Beta Reading: You betcha! Contact me! Pretty please? :)

Note: Well, it was going to be just a one part story, but now it will be two stories, not really a series, though sequential to each other. Thank you all for the feedback and encouragement, it all served to make me smile and to inspire me. The idea for the first section came to me a year before Serena said the "L" word on TV and the first part was posted a month before she did. Maybe I should start a fortune telling business eh? Why'd they fire her though? I don't get the newest season here and the sources online are not so good... - R.I.P. Jerry Orbach -

'If you were not interesting I wouldn't be photographing you...'

The words echoed in Faith's mind as she walked along the street...

It has been exhilarating to be photographed, frightening in some ways; the exquisite attention had reminded Faith of the beautiful blonde ADA, Serena Southerlyn. Now as she could not get the woman out of her mind...

She still had a whole day off, Fred was off somewhere doing something with that stupid truck competition and Faith was deciding that perhaps it was time that she finally reached for something she wanted and damn the consequences. As she came down off the high of making the robbery/homicide bust at the diner, where no doubt she had prevented yet another massacre, Faith found herself fumbling through her wallet for the elegant ADA's phone number.

The small white square showed evidence of some handling, Faith had almost called Serena on several other occasions, but her sense of duty and her uncertainty had stopped her. Realising, that her children would not lose their mother just because their mother found some happiness and not giving a crap about what Fred thought or felt at this moment, Faith stopped by a pay phone.

It seemed that the world was moving in slow motion as the silver coins slid into the chunky mechanism of the phone and her finger dialed the long ago memorized number on the card. At once, Faith heard the phone ringing of the phone and hoped that she had not timed her impulse badly.

It would probably take her another month to come up with the nerve to try again and who knows what Serena would be up to by then. The ADA was a beautiful woman after all, no doubt, suitors would not be hard to find even if the woman herself was not projecting any kind of availability.

In spite of the relatively late hour, the phone picked up on the second ring and Faith felt a wave of heat and then a wave of nervousness wash over her as she heard Serena Southerly's voice.

"ADA Southerlyn."

The precise tone of the answer, told Faith's cop mind that the blonde woman was probably not busy, but was also not really in the mood for the phone call. Having come this far, Faith was not about to back down.

"Serena, it's Faith..."

****

"Faith?"

ADA Serena Southerlyn had cringed when her cell phone had rung. She had been enjoying a rare evening to herself and sincerely hoped that whoever was calling, simply had the wrong number, as she really could not think of anyone that she wanted to talk to.

How wrong she could be...

She heard the woman speak and quickly turned her attention back to the phone.

"Sorry I have not called, you know, work and stuff..."

Serena nodded, before she remembered that of course, Faith could not see her.

"That's ok Faith, I get work and I get stuff..."

Serena could hear the smile in her voice and found that she was mentally holding her breath. She did not know why Faith was calling but was very pleased that she had called. She herself, had almost called Faith on a number of occasions, but had held back, partially out of deference to the other woman's much more complicated personal life and partially because she felt a little unsure of herself.

"Listen, I know this is sudden, but I have this evening and tomorrow off. I don't have to be at work until later the next day... I don't know if you're free or anything, maybe tomorrow, or something..."

Serena smiled at the other woman's slightly hesitant tone before quickly checking over her schedule mentally. She did not technically have tomorrow off, but she could probably wheedle and arrange to have it off.

Faith Yokas was definitely worth the trouble and she found that she really wanted to see the other woman again, even just as a friend.

Impulsively, Serena decided to take a change and quickly spoke into the phone.

"I have not eaten yet, want to go get something and we can talk about tomorrow?"

The response was immediate and quickly Serena arranged to meet Faith in at a little Italian restaurant that they both knew of. As she hung up, Serena immediately called her office, leaving messages for the people who needed to know that she would be taking tomorrow off. They were in a slight lull right at the moment and Serena took days off with such infrequency, that no one would mind or question her in the slightest.

That done, Serena was left with only choosing what she would wear, what she needed with her and getting to the restaurant. Glancing at her wristwatch, the ADA saw that she only had 45 minutes to be at the restaurant so she better hurry the hell up.

Moving quickly, she rose from her couch and moved to her bathroom; the restaurant they had agreed upon was a homey, more casual place. Serena found herself happy at the thought, she wanted to show Faith a different side to her person and she hoped to be able to do that tonight.

A lightening quick shower and toilette later, Serena fond herself slipping into a pair of more casual slacks and a corded sweater. The combination was one that she felt flattered her figure but was also casual in a somehow dressy way, not to mention being cozy and practical, just in case the evening ended in a walk or something equivalent.

Moving even more quickly now, Serena scooped up her phone and wallet and slid into her coat, quickly securing her apartment and making her way to the street to hail a cab, hoping that one would be available quickly, as she was in an almost rush now.

****

Faith managed to arrive first at the restaurant, partially because she was closer to it, but also because unlike Serena, she had already dressed for the evening before she had called the blonde ADA. Unsure of where her path would lead her, Faith had prepared beforehand so by the time she had called Serena, she had been ready for just about anything...

Thanking her foresight at having called ahead to make a reservation as soon as she had gotten off the phone with the beautiful blonde ADA, Faith was quickly directed into the cozy space and seated with a wine list. Almost as soon as she sat down, Faith spied Serena entering the restaurant, a whirl of movement and beauty and for a long moment, Faith was completely captivated by the woman.

Thankfully, (or maybe not) Faith was quickly jarred from her momentary stupor by Serena joining her at their table and sitting down.

"I am so glad you called me Faith..."

Serena said by way of greeting, looking inexplicably shy as she did.

Faith smiled a full smile at that, pleased that the woman was with her and absurdly reassured that the feeling of nervousness was not hers alone to feel.

"It was an impulsive moment, but as soon as you answered the phone I was happy I had followed through on it..."

Faith said quietly as she watched the blonde ADA sit down. Quickly Serena settled down and before long the two women were enjoying the excellent food, wine and company that the evening was providing.

As they ate and talked, it was becoming more and more difficult for Faith to ignore the pull of the attraction she felt for the woman sitting across from her. And as she slowly sipped her wine, she felt her resistance wear down slowly and surely... Her natural reserve was disappearing and she found that she was laughing and talking freely with Serena.

The words of the photographer bored into her mind as she watched Serena so obviously enjoying herself...

'If you were not interesting I wouldn't be photographing you...'

****

Serena slowly fell silent as she felt Faith's scrutiny undergo a sudden change, like the woman had come to some decision inside of herself. Setting her wineglass down, Serena leaned her chin onto her hands and observed the woman sitting across from her.

"What are you thinking about?"

Serena eventually asked, after what seemed like a very long time, but was probably only a few moments in reality.

Her question seemed to startle Faith every so slightly and Serena could practically see her collect herself for a few long seconds before the woman finally spoke.

"I was thinking of you actually..."

Slightly surprised by the other woman's frank honesty, Serena paused for a moment before answering in kind.

"Same here, that is, I was thinking of you too..."

Faith's face seemed to animate at the news and before Serena could really draw breath to continue, she heard Faith say in a low voice.

"Want to go for a walk, or to get some coffee or something, somewhere?"

The slight uncertainly in Faith's strong voice made Serena smile secretly before she lifted her hand to signal to their server.

"I'd love to..."

The blonde ADA projected as much warmth as she could into her voice as the efficient waiter scurried away to fetch their check.

****

Faith made sure that she snatched up the check before Serena was able to get her hands on it. Though it was charming that the ADA was so chivalrous and old fashioned, Faith wanted to be an equal contributor to this friendship/whatever. The two women quickly made their way out of the restaurant into the nighttime city and after a brief discussion decided that they would simply walk and go where their feet took them.

They vaguely agreed upon aim, was more coffee, or maybe a drink somewhere, but for now, they were content to simply amble along and digest their meal...

After about ten minutes of comfortable silence, Faith finally stopped and turned to Serena who was walking beside her.

"What would you like to do now?"

The question, asked so quietly, was loaded with possibilities and potential answers.

The beautiful blonde ADA turned to Faith, pausing only for the briefest of moments before saying.

"Would you like to come to my place? We can have coffee or drinks there and I have a great view of the city from my rooftop. It's quiet and we'd be able to talk in peace, guaranteed."

The offer, was made in an equally quiet voice as Faith's question had been and Faith found herself instantly accepting mentally, wanting to spend more time with this woman who had enraptured her so.

"I'd like that..."

Faith said after a beat and was rewarded with a brilliant smile from Serena before the woman stepped to the curb and started to look around for a cab. Hopefully, it would not be too long, but neither woman was in any hurry, they had all night after all...

****

Stepping out of a cab forty five minutes later, Serena turned to wait for her guest to emerge. Anticipation and nervousness were making her heart race and forcing her to jam her hands into the pocket of her coat to stop them from shaking. Faith, for all intents and purposes, was just a developing friend, but there was no denying that Serena felt a strong pull towards the police woman and Serena was quite sure that it was mutual.

As the two women approached the front door to Serena's apartment building, the ADA turned to her guest for a final time, wanting to make sure that the woman was not having any second thoughts. Faith flashed a brief smile, but it was full of warmth, reassuring Serena that the woman did indeed want to be exactly where she was. Quick footsteps and an efficient elevator found them standing at Serena's front door in no time at all and after a brief fumble with her keys, the ADA managed to let them both in.

"Please, make yourself at home..."

Serena said as she hung up Faith's coat and moved towards the kitchen to fire up her coffee machine and search for other ingredients that might be wanted for a potential nightcap. She only hoped that she had cream and sugar somewhere, it's not like she did a lot of entertaining. Life and career really did not allow it...

Some minutes later, Serena returned to her living room with a bottle of Port and two small glasses in tow. The lights were still off and as she entered the space, Serena saw Faith's profile outlined near the main window. The woman seemed to be completely engrossed in the view and had not reacted to Serena's quiet, thought not silent approach.

"I have Port, I hope that's ok..."

Serena said quietly as she arrived to within touching distance of Faith.

The police woman turned to face Serena, still silent and seemingly enraptured, her eyes shadowed.

Serena felt her heart skip as she looked at Faith, the moment and the night allowing her to see the woman completely unguarded for probably the first time. Unwilling to break the spell Serena set the bottle and the two glasses down on the window sill and moved half a step closer to Faith, hoping to see more of this intriguing woman. Moments stretched out as Serena felt Faith looking at her, seeming to examine her intently and then Serena felt the lightest of touches on her face.

"You are beautiful..."

The voice was low, almost a whisper and it wrapped itself around Serena's libido like a python wrapping itself around its hapless prey.

At Serena's non response, the touch became slightly firmer, taunting the normally reserved ADA to react. How would she resist? How could she resist? The answer came swiftly, as Serena decided not to ignore the irresistible call.

"I want to kiss you..."

The words slipped out of Serena's mouth before she even knew that they had, but the response was instant.

The almost too light touch on her face transferred to her shoulder and gripped with almost painful tightness as Serena felt herself being gently pulled towards Faith.

The police woman did not say anything as she pulled Serena closer, so that the heat of their bodies mingled, even through the layers of clothing they both wore. Faith did pause, for a brief moment, a space intended to allow Serena one last chance to change her mind or back away from the situation. Serena did not...

"So kiss me..."

The low voice, enhanced now by tangible passion, had Serena's libido completely wrapped up now, a willing captive. Without another moment of hesitation, the blonde ADA complied...

The first kiss was electric, gentle, searching, momentary. Quickly a second kiss followed... Then they were kissing passionately, desperately, all else forgotten as they became lost in each other.

Long, long moments later they separated, panting slightly... Serena looked at Faith in the dimness and asked a question with her eyes, wanting, needing to know the answer before they went any further. In the timeless pause that followed, a myriad of emotions chased each other across the police woman's features before they stilled into one emotion; desire. There was no mistaking that look and without another word, Serena took Faith's face into her hands and kissed her again, this time, putting all of her feelings into the kiss, so as to leave no doubt at all in the other woman's mind...

****

- Epilogue -

'If you were not interesting I wouldn't be photographing you...'

The words echoed in Faith's mind as she nestled further into the embrace of the beautiful ADA deep asleep beside her...

It has been exhilarating to make love with her, frightening in some ways; the exquisite attention had brought Faith more pleasure and happiness than she had believed possible.

Now as she could not get the woman out of her mind; as the dawn light sneaked around the edges of the heavy curtains that covered the windows in Serena's bedroom, Faith realised that she did not want to...

The End