Denise stood helplessly in the Holden's kitchen, watching her best friend tremble. She tried to help, to offer some kind of comfort but Claudia Joy wasn't having any of it.

"Talking doesn't do any good. Talking didn't bring Amanda back."

"Claudia Joy you can't just keep it all bottled up inside you."

The older woman seemed not to even hear Denise. She tried to concentrate on making a cup of tea and in spite of her comment she kept talking.

"I've taken three showers and I can still feel him touching me." She shuddered and nearly dropped the teapot. She tried to take a deep breath and regain control of herself.

"They can't do anything to him. The bastard's untouchable." More than anything else this infuriated her. And frightened her. There was nothing they could do to keep him from coming back if he wanted. No law that could touch him. She was surrounded by an entire garrison of armed men and women and they couldn't protect her.

Claudia Joy gave up on the teapot. She braced her hands on the stove, fortunately not yet turned on. Her mind a whirl, she couldn't concentrate anymore. The shakes started, first with her fingertips and then traveling right up her arms and throughout her entire body.

Denise realized the other woman was about to break down completely. She needed to take no more than three steps before she was able to wrap her friend up in her arms and hold her. With one hand she brushed the tears from Claudia Joy's face. The other hand patted her best friend reassuringly on the shoulder.

"Shhhhh, it's okay, it's going to be okay," she murmured, not even believing it herself but needing to keep the silence at bay.

The shorter woman hugged her back, her face turned up to Denise as she attempted to smile. Moved by the caring feelings she had for the other woman, who was normally the rock all the other women held on to, Denise bent her head and kissed Claudia Joy.

Denise had intended the kiss to be on the other woman's cheek. Somehow though she found herself drawn to the slightly parted lips before her. Her lips touched Claudia Joy's and clung there. Those lips were soft and warm and Denise didn't want to let go of them. Then those lips parted further and the other woman kissed back.

Arms tightened and Denise's head spun at the sudden invitation she felt from Claudia Joy and the taste of the other woman's mouth as her tongue almost automatically began to explore it. The kiss went on and on. Denise's hand slid from Claudia Joy's face and drifted down.

She covered the other woman's breast, squeezing so very gently. A gasp was muffled in her mouth and Claudia Joy pressed against her. Denise hungered to slip her hand inside the shorter woman's blouse, to feel the silky smooth skin against her palm. She wanted to take the hardening nipple she could detect in her fingertips and roll it while she watched her friend's face twist in pleasure. She could feel the heartbeat against her hand, feel it pounding faster as the two women plastered themselves together.

In some dim corner of her mind Denise knew that this moment, as unexpected as it was, had been coming for a long time. Her mouth closed on Claudia Joy's lower lip and sucked it. She released it and showered kisses all over the upturned face before her.

One, two, and then three buttons on Claudia Joy's blouse gave way. Denise's fingers crept into the opening. She ran the tip of her forefinger along the edge of the white lace bra then down just enough to rub the fine material against the nipple. A twist of her wrist and her hand cupped the warm bare orb.

"Denise," gasped Claudia Joy. She tried to lift her hands to push her friend away. She couldn't. Her hands fell to her side and gripped the edge of the stove, barely managing to keep herself upright as her knees threatened to give way.

Denise pulled the other woman's blouse from her slacks and pushed it over her white shoulders. A tug followed and cool air cascaded across Claudia Joy's now exposed breasts. The dark brown nubbins tipping those breasts stood out as though they were made of iron. Denise's fingers closed on both of them and they proved to be yielding as she lightly pinched them.

Claudia Joy's eyes fluttered shut and then open. Her gaze met that of her best friend. That gaze held, even as Denise's legs began to fold, lowering the taller woman until her warm breath could be blown over the twin peaks her fingers had just abandoned. Both women knew that it was too late to stop now. Something that had been building unseen and held at bay, was being released.