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At a charitable black tie evening event, Ace sidled up to Susan as surreptitiously as possible. Following her gaze she could see that she was transfixed by Mel’s animated conversation with a couple of people on the other side of the room. Sue’s expression was as neutral as she could manage but Ace could tell that she was completely in awe. She’s still not quite sure what to make of the other woman; despite Mel and the rest of UNIT having assured everyone that she was definitely human and no longer a threat because Sutekh was long gone, never to return. It’s just that Susan seemed almost too good to be true; super intelligent, kind and generous, so Ace desperately wanted to find the chink in her armour before Mel did. She was also tall, striking, and stylishly dressed. She seemed to hold herself confidently but without ego; warm and open to talking to anyone who approached her. Ace didn’t quite know whether she half fancied her herself or was simply jealous of her.
“You really like her, huh?” Ace asked unnecessarily but needed a conversation starter. Sue startled at the unexpected company and the ensuing question, but recovered herself quickly enough.
“She’s amazing.” Susan breathed unsteadily, almost as though the mere thought of Mel had taken her breath away. In some ways it has, Sue hasn’t been this enthralled for a long time.
“Then make sure she doesn’t get hurt.” Susan tore her gaze away to look quizzically at Ace, her dramatic change in tone catching her off guard.
“Sorry pet? I’ve no intention of…” Ace cut her off, determined to set out her stall right off the bat.
“Look Sue, you might be a super famous billionaire philanthropist but all I care about is Mel being happy. Some of the blokes she’s been out with in the past haven’t always appreciated her for who she is and what she’s capable of. They put her down as some sort of bubbly airhead, which is of course so far from the truth it’s laughable.” Ace turned sideways in towards Susan, as though she were about to confess something. “She’s also been alone for a long time.” Ace came across perfectly nice on the surface but Susan could hear the thinly veiled warning just underneath. Ace clearly felt that Mel was vulnerable and didn’t want her to be taken advantage of. She could understand where it was coming from. On paper it could look like she was throwing her money around and cashing in on her fame in order to attract her attention.
“I can assure you that I most definitely appreciate her for who she is, how talented she is. Even before I learned the full truth, I could tell she was so much smarter than she let on.” Mel hadn’t been able to help herself undercover and despite being employed as part of Susan’s PR team, she’d let slip some insightful comments about some of the more technical aspects of computer programming. At the time Susan had done a double take but there had never been an opportunity to talk about it. “And I don’t mind telling you that I’ve been hurt in the past too, so I promise that I won’t ever let her feel like that again.” Susan’s speech was impassioned and Ace heard the raw emotion in her voice.
“Good.” Ace emphatically stated then she took a breath. “I’m sorry for coming on strong, I just get protective.” Ace placed her hand on Susan’s arm in a gesture of tentative friendship and reassurance. “She’s my best friend and she deserves so much more than she’s been through.” Susan smiled gently back at Ace, understanding where she was coming from and how she felt she’d had to protect her friend from heartache.
“I do understand, I’m glad she’s got a friend like you looking out for her. And I promise, as long as it’s within my power I won’t hurt her. Besides, I’ve heard all about you and your Nitro 9.” They both burst into laughter which broke the tension between them. Mel turned her head quickly towards them, the sound having reached her ears from across the room. She was momentarily confused, but they both nodded and smiled at her in reassurance so she went back to her conversation none the wiser.
***
It was Guy Fawkes night when Mel came to a final decision about moving in with Susan. She’d not ‘celebrated’ the occasion since she was a child. It was less about wheeling around a glorified scarecrow on a wheelbarrow asking ‘a penny for the guy’ these days and more about the biggest, loudest fireworks money could buy. However, Susan had been excited by a community event in a local park so had donated some money to cover both some of the costs and the charity they were fundraising for.
They’d arrived about an hour early to partake in some of the other festivities around the main event; food stalls, luxurious hot chocolates or toddies, funfair games and entertainment. It was surprisingly mild and dry which added to the enjoyment for both women. They held hands like young lovers and Susan was acutely aware of the significance of that. Mel hadn’t thought anything of it at all, her past relationships never having come under much scrutiny to the outside world like it had done for Susan once upon a time. Oh it was a different world now, in more ways than one, but those closeted days ran deep.
Mel watched Susan’s face light up in delight as a firework whooshed above them and set the sky on fire with a beautiful display. It was then that she fully acknowledged to herself that she’d fallen hard and deep for this incredible woman and was far more interested in her than the firework display that they’d come to enjoy. In fact, Mel suddenly realised that despite the shock of Susan’s proposal to move in together, she’d actually been thinking about it and sorting herself out in preparation for weeks. Mel squeezed Susan’s hand in order to get her attention. Once the older woman had turned around to face her, Mel grinned widely and simply said ‘yes.’ For a few long moments Susan was confused but as the expression on Mel’s face radiated more joy, she was able to make a fair guess.
“Do you mean…? Are you sure…?” Mel rolled her eyes lightheartedly.
“Of course! I want to and I’m ready, as long as you are?” Mel felt slightly unsure now that she’d said it aloud, what if Susan had changed her mind?
“Absolutely! But there’s no rush to make up your mind, I’m still happy to wait until the new year if you need more time.”
“No, I don’t want to wait. I don’t think I’ve been this happy or excited about something for years.” Susan took a quick look around, everyone was still watching the fireworks, gasps of delight rang out from the children and the adults were busy chatting away or recording the event on their phones. Bravely Susan cupped Mel’s cheek with her palm and leaned in to press a firm but quick kiss on her lips. Mel would have liked more but she knew what it had taken for Susan to be that bold in public.
***
The restaurant Susan took Mel to was a surprise but also a relief; it was a small, unassuming building in the heart of East London. Mel had had visions of somewhere grand and famous and that they’d be hiding from journalists at every turn all night. She should have known that wasn’t Susan’s style. They were, however, ushered to a table in a room right at the back for privacy. The staff seemed to know Susan, or at least of her, and were friendly and attentive.
Mel wasn’t a stranger to going out on a date, she’d been on a fair few since settling back on Earth after her travels with the Doctor and then Glitz. She had become used to having company around her and whilst she was highly self-motivated and had a very busy lifestyle to keep her occupied, there was still a hankering to share it all with someone. She’d had several boyfriends as a result but none of those relationships had lasted long. She hadn’t quite trusted any of them enough to be truthful about her past and most dismissed her as being attractive but a bit ditzy. She simply hadn’t connected with anyone on both an emotional and intellectual level. Until Susan had come along. She’d never considered a relationship with another woman before, and while she certainly didn’t have a hang up about it, she was a little unsure and not especially confident about it.
Of course, Susan was lovely about everything. She was warm and reassuring, gallant and respectful. She treated her as an equal, just as keen to hear about all her adventures as well as talk a little about herself. Susan was still trying to process everything she’d found out about UNIT, aliens and the Doctor and Mel was an ideal person to help her through that. Although the whole thing about a version of the Doctor living on Earth as a permanent fixture was still confusing! Family had been a difficult subject for both of them but Mel in particular. Susan inferred from their discussion that she’d made a pseudo family from those with a similar connection to the Doctor.
They'd flirted gently throughout the evening, the more the wine had flowed, the more confident they'd each grown along with it. Mel had initially been more self-conscious, nervous at how she came across to the other woman; worried her inexperience with women would be all too plain to see, that she'd be too geeky, too clever for Susan to cope with, or not funny or attractive enough, perhaps not even gay enough? Susan's nervousness came from the fact that her whole life had been stripped bare by Sutekh, she was no longer whatever she had once thought she was, she was discovering a whole new world as well as being truly open and honest for the first time. What if Mel didn't like what she saw? What if she didn't want the burden of everything that came with being associated with her fame and money? She had no doubt that Mel was genuine but it was a lot to ask of someone who hadn't chosen that life.
However, the chemistry that had been so palpable between them, which had led to this date, saw them through the evening. All those nerves and worries melted into a comfortable atmosphere, marked every now and then with a look or a touch or a revelation that solidified the feeling. They parted with a kiss to the cheek and Mel insisted that she saw herself home. Susan was left with a bereft but hopeful feeling and Mel took the long way round to indulge her whirling thoughts and feelings.