DEEP BREATHS. That was what Gemma was telling herself as she pulled over at the curb of the right house, the street full of cars and the yard crowded with people with red cups in their hands. The music coming from inside the house was muffled but still filled the neighborhood with noise, along with the cheers and chatter of the guests gathered. She had learned from Charlotte that Blake Harlan was already past 25, so she was a little surprised that he was still throwing ragers like these, and it certainly made her feel a little overdressed. Overcome with insecurity, she tugged on her dress to pull it lower on her thighs while walking away from her car, but her train of thought got completely derailed when she spotted Charlotte by the crooked mailbox.

With the air knocked out of her, Gemma swallowed and made her way over to Charlotte who had switched from a sensible, office-appropriate dress into something a little more flirtatious, giving the Moretti a full view of her defined collarbones and long legs. It was enough to make her knees weak, but she held herself upright as she approached the woman, breaking into a weak smile once she saw the smirk on Charlotte's own lips.

"Well, I was right. You do look lovely, Miss Moretti", she complimented Gemma as soon as she was by her side, and with her cheeks reddening, she glanced down at her dress before gesturing at Charlotte in return.

"So do you, Richards. But I never expected you to drop the ball, really", she remarked, her words going straight to Charlotte's ego. Never did Gemma think she'd be the one boosting it, but the praise flowed off of her tongue effortlessly now, enthralled by the stunning woman who certainly knew she looked good.

"Why, thank you. Shall we?" Charlotte nodded towards the house, and agreeing with the idea, Gemma stepped past her and headed inside. Charlotte was hot on her heel, and Gemma could feel her gaze on her as she weaved through the people and into the house where music was blaring at full volume, making it hard to hear anything but the pounding beat. There was a drunken haze in the air, something she was grateful for, as she assumed it would mean no one would question them being there. She suspected the party had already gotten out of hand, or then Blake Harlan was an awfully popular guy with a hundred friends.

Trying to shake off the giddiness, Gemma put on her game face and meticulously scoured the crowd, trying to spot Rhys among the guests. His file had mentioned him being over 6 foot tall, so she liked to think it would be an easy task to spot the man, but at first glance, he was nowhere to be seen. She reminded herself that it wasn't a given he'd show up – in fact, he would be a bit of a fool to make an appearance while on the run from the authorities, but if there was one thing Gemma had learned during her short time as a bounty hunter, it was that people often underestimated her reach and fell victim to the temptation of social settings.

Huffing in frustration, Gemma stepped into the kitchen which had a little less people in it, and she instantly gravitated towards the half-full wine bottle on the counter. She grabbed one of the glasses next to it and poured herself a generous portion, and Charlotte followed her example, the two of them clinking their glasses together and keeping their eyes on each other while they sipped the red wine. The music filled the silence between them for a while, but when Gemma once more tugged on her dress and picked at the fabric, Charlotte cut in.

"Relax. You look fine", she reassured her, her hand landing on top of Gemma's to stop her from fidgeting. It was more than effective, freezing Gemma on the spot as she met Charlotte's gaze and inhaled deeply. "Do I still make you nervous? I thought we might be past that by now", Charlotte went on, tilting her head curiously, and forcing out a laugh, Gemma withdrew her hand from the lawyer's and gently twirled the wine glass in her hand.

"Of course, you do. It's... hard to focus when I'm around you", she admitted quietly, gulping some of the wine down before warily meeting Charlotte's eye. She found the woman staring right back at her, a hint of a smile on her lips and something intrigued brewing in her stare.

Silence fell between them, although the music booming throughout the house did a good job of filling that quiet. Still, they were both wrapped up in Gemma's confession, neither of them quite sure what it meant exactly – why did Charlotte make it so hard for her to breathe and for her heart to stay level? They stood there, gazing into each other's eyes, with Gemma afraid to make a single move in any direction, careful not to disturb the moment. Charlotte, on the other hand, was bold and reached up with her hand, tenderly swiping a stray hair away from Gemma's eyes and tucked it behind her ear. Inhaling deeply, Gemma's eyes flickered over to the woman's hand and then back to her face, which suddenly seemed so flawless to her.

"Who are you?" The firm tone reaching them over the music got the two women to step apart, like the air between them had been electrified and they didn't want to get stung. Clearing her throat, Gemma set down her wine glass and looked over to the doorway where a tall man stood, a beer bottle in his hands and a narrow-eyed stare directed at her and Charlotte. Sadly, it wasn't the man they had been looking for. "I don't think I know you guys. Who invited you?" he added while abandoning his bottle on the counter and grabbing a fresh one, swiftly unsealing it with the opener in the kitchen.

"I'm a friend of Dana's", Charlotte was the one to speak up, saving Gemma from the effort of coming up with an excuse for being there that didn't include snatching one of the guests. It was a good enough story, but Charlotte made sure to sell it. "And this is my girlfriend", she added, wrapping an arm around Gemma's hips and reeling her in close, their bodies meeting as she proudly smirked at the man. Surprised, of course, Gemma gave her a look and felt her heart jump up to her throat, but eventually, she managed to break into a smile and give the man a nod to confirm what she had told him.

Observing them closely, the man took a sip of his beer and eventually nodded to accept their story. "Alright. Enjoy the party", he shrugged, making a move to exit the kitchen, but before he could slink away, Gemma was chiming in.

"Oh, hey, have you seen Rhys around? We haven't seen him in a while and we thought it'd be nice to catch up", she queried, trying to seem as casual as possible. Thankfully, the stranger sharing the room with them didn't see the question as a red flag.

"Sure, he was just in the living room", he informed before stepping out of the kitchen.

As soon as he was out of their earshot, the two women exchanged looks. With a cough, Gemma retreated from Charlotte whose arm fell from her waist, an air of awkwardness between them. Then again, it might have only been Gemma who was feeling flustered, because Charlotte for one did not shy away from the eye contact and even smiled while watching the Moretti finish her wine and wipe her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You're full of surprises", Gemma pointed out, breaking the silence between them, and with a low chuckle, Charlotte made a dismissive wave with her hand.

"I had to think of something, didn't I?" the Richards reminded before nudging at Gemma and walking away. "Come on, let's find Mr. Harlan", she encouraged, and nodding in agreement, Gemma followed her lead.

The music was louder in the living room, making it hard for the two women to plan how they'd catch Rhys, but it seemed they were getting ahead of themselves, as the man was nowhere to be seen. It was a lot more crowded compared to the empty kitchen, with people all over the couch and armchairs, as well as hanging by the stairwell leading upstairs, but the one man they wanted to find wasn't amongst them. The realization earned a frustrated huff from Gemma, but determined to not leave empty-handed, her next destination was the backyard, also overpouring with party-goers.

Charlotte was right by her side as they entered the dark night, the yard lit up with mellow lights but the noise just as overwhelming as inside. There was a ping-pong table on the grass, the whole setting straight out of a movie, and at one end of the table stood Rhys Harlan. Delighted, Gemma turned to Charlotte who grinned at her, and with confidence, the two women strode over to him.

Just as the small ball was about to reach Rhys, Gemma stuck out her hand and grabbed it, ending the game and receiving complaining groans. "Having a good time, Rhys?" Gemma asked, only a hint sarcastic as she looked at the man and waited for him to understand who she was. "I'm afraid it's time to go now", she added for good measure. Staring at her, Rhys' eyes widened, but it was when he spotted Charlotte that it hit him right in the face and he opened his mouth to protest.

"No, no, you can't take me", he pleaded, and in an instant, Gemma's heart sank a little. She believed in his innocence and she couldn't even imagine how scary it must have been to even consider letting the courts decide his fate, but she also knew that he had a genuinely good chance of winning with Charlotte on his team.

"It's going to be alright, Mr. Harlan. I promise I'm going to fight for you and make sure you're walking away from this a free man", the lawyer spoke up, her voice full of sincerity as she looked at the fearful man. He still seemed reluctant, and Gemma couldn't blame him.

"I know it's scary, but if you run away from this, you'll never clear your name. You're going to have to look over your shoulder every day for the rest of your life", she insisted, trying to get him to see the reality of the situation.

Scoffing, he crossed his arms and gave Gemma a judgmental look. "That's what my life is like already. It doesn't matter what the verdict will be, my name has already been dragged through the mud. No one will believe me, regardless", he retorted, making it hard for Gemma to argue otherwise. She knew that he was in a poor position, prejudice undoubtedly complicating things even further, and she couldn't pretend like she understood what that was like.

"Trust me, Mr. Harlan. We can win this and you can still live a full life", Charlotte cut in, trying to work her magic on the man. "Things may seem bleak now, but you've got the best counsel this city can offer and I'm determined to get you justice", she continued, forcing Gemma to stifle a smile – of course, she would emphasize her own abilities in the process of convincing him.

For a second, Rhys seemed to consider her words. He glanced between the women, swallowing thickly before nodding. "You really think you're that good?" he asked Charlotte, who broke into a smile colored with cockiness.

"I don't think. I know."

///

FOR ONCE, Gemma didn't have to drag her bounty to the precinct kicking and screaming, but rather, Rhys had accepted his fate and come willingly and without a need for handcuffs. During the ride to the police station, he had told the women more about his situation and how he had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and how he had been painted as a suspect with no real evidence to back that up. It was unfortunate and definitely made Gemma's chest tighten with discomfort, but she didn't shy away from the discussion, rather, she openly voiced her annoyance with the police who had arrested Rhys in the first place. Not only was an innocent man at a risk for going to jail, but the real perpetrator was still on the loose, which frustrated her greatly. It was a shame that her job wasn't solving crimes. She had thought about it, becoming an officer, but at the same time, the responsibility of finding murderers and bringing peace to the victims and their families scared her.

As they arrived at the station, Gemma, Charlotte and Rhys were instantly greeted by one of the Moretti's least favorite people – Malcolm Graham. He was looking smug as ever, an arrogant grin on his face as he stood across from the woman and tilted his head at her, like he was addressing a child.

"You caught my perp. Good job, Moretti", he pronounced with great exaggeration and mockery, grabbing Rhys by the arm to pull him away from Gemma and Charlotte. The two women tried to protest, but before they could get a single word out, Detective Graham was going on. "You got a real bad man off the streets", he added, and with her eyebrows knitted together tightly, Gemma stared him down in defiance.

"It's obviously a set-up. Were you the one who arrested him?" she demanded to know, a curt expression on her face which didn't intimidate Malcolm in the slightest. Instead, he seemed a little amused by her irritation, a smile threatening to break free under his thick moustache.

"I did, so what? He's guilty", he shrugged, and with an exasperated scoff, Gemma clenched her jaw.

"I don't think he is. He was just the most convenient suspect for you", she argued back, trying her best to defend Rhys and his innocence, but Malcolm only rolled his eyes at her.

"Why don't you stick to finding my criminals for me and I'll be the detective, huh?" he stated sharply, infuriating Gemma to no end, but she didn't have the opportunity to pick a fight any further when Malcolm was walking away with Rhys in tow. Rhys looked over his shoulder with fear painted all over his face, directing a pleading look to Gemma and Charlotte, only for the two women to stand there idle and hopeless. There was nothing else they could do for now, but Gemma hoped with all her might that Charlotte was going to put up a fight in court.

"Come on, miss Moretti. We've done our job for tonight", Charlotte spoke from next to Gemma, encouraging her to follow her to the elevator, and reluctantly, she sighed and did just that.

They exited the bullpen together, making their way back to their respective cars in the dark L.A night. The heat had finally begun to cool down, but Gemma still picked at her dress uncomfortably while walking over to the driver's side of her Toyota. She didn't get in, however, once she noticed Charlotte lingering by her own car, twirling her keys in her hand while breathing in the fresh air and clearly mulling something over.

"Something wrong?" Gemma asked earnestly, her question casual but her tone worried as she eyed Charlotte up and down. There was something vulnerable lingering between them, and it made Gemma nervous. She had seen Charlotte lower her walls back at the coffee shop where she had admitted she didn't always like being so cutthroat, but other than that, she was used to the woman being a refined, collected person who didn't let people in. To see her hesitate now, it was unusual and Gemma didn't know what to make of it.

"No, I'm alright", Charlotte finally answered, a weak smile brushing past her lips as she turned to Gemma and chuckled. "Would you care to join me for a second glass of wine?" she proposed, knocking the wind out of Gemma whose heart skipped a beat at the idea. But despite the initial rush of anxiety in her veins, when she looked at the hopeful look on Charlotte's face and considered the thought of another moment alone with her... she knew exactly what she had to say.

"Lead the way. I'll drive behind you", she agreed, and with a firm nod, Charlotte climbed into her car and Gemma did the same. Luck was on her side tonight, as the car started without difficulty and she could roll into motion after Charlotte, tapping her finger along the beat of King Nothing while driving.

Butterflies were beginning to swarm in the pit of her stomach as she wondered what she had gotten herself into, but she couldn't deny that she was curious and admittedly, excited. She couldn't tell when she had begun to look forward to spending time with Charlotte so much, but she was growing tired of holding back and pretending like she wasn't enjoying it. She had hidden enough during her youth, well-aware that her mother wasn't going to like her coming out, but eventually it had gotten too weary to keep such a big secret, and in her second year of high school, she had owned up to her bisexuality and dated her first girlfriend. She was decidedly not going to suffocate that side of her again.

The drive was much shorter than she had anticipated, and soon enough, she was parked in front of a tall, glamorous apartment building that suited Charlotte flawlessly. Gemma knew she was going to find luxury inside, and her suspicions were confirmed when Charlotte led her inside, opening the door to a huge, grand apartment that looked like it had come straight out of a design magazine. Gemma and Talia's shabby place wasn't much of anything compared to what she was faced with, her mouth falling open in amazement as she pulled her boots off of her aching feet and tiptoed around the open space.

"Well, this is exactly what I expected from you", she pointed out, twirling around to take it all in, and with a laugh, Charlotte shrugged.

"I guess you've gotten to know me pretty well, haven't you?" she noted, and pausing, Gemma turned her attention from the high ceiling and art-covered walls to the Richards, finding something fond in her eyes.

Swallowing, Gemma took a step closer to her. "Not well enough, if you ask me", she pointed out with an expectant look in her eyes, not sure if Charlotte was going to take the bait and open up to her the way she was hoping for her to. There was still so much that left the woman an enigma to her, and she wanted to know everything, the good, the bad, the ugly and the dirty. They were on this undeniable path leading to something she couldn't foresee, but it felt like it was too late to turn back and any attempt to resist the grip Charlotte had on her would only make it tighter.

"Alright. What do you want to know?" Charlotte gave in, and with a pleased smile, Gemma considered her answer for a second. The taller woman took the silence as an opportunity to walk over to the grand kitchen and grab a bottle of white wine as well as two glasses, and once her hands were full, she guided Gemma to the large, soft couch. The Moretti couldn't help but wonder how much time was spent on it – Charlotte didn't exactly strike her as the type to spend hours watching shitty TV, but she had surprised her before.

"I don't know. How about... when's your birthday? What's your family situation like? Do you prefer cats or dogs? Just... anything about you, I guess", Gemma gave her some ideas while taking a seat on the comfortable cushions, all the while watching Charlotte do the same and pour them both a generous glass of wine. Gemma took the glass and mouthed a thank you, greedily drawing a sip, much preferring the taste compared to the red wine she had had at the party.

"November 12th, I'm close with my mother but my father passed away a few years ago, and definitely cats all the way", Charlotte shared before taking a gulp of her own drink. Nodding in acknowledgement, Gemma took in everything she said and sat up cross-legged, like it was a gossip sesh at a sleepover.

"May 15th, I don't talk with my mom and I really never knew my dad. And yes, cats, for sure", Gemma grinned, and happy that they agreed, Charlotte clinked their glasses together.

"What happened with your mom?" Charlotte inquired, unfamiliar sympathy in her eyes as she eyed Gemma who drew in a sharp breath and cast a look down at her hands. She didn't absolutely hate talking about it, in fact she felt like her mother had caused her so much anguish that she deserved to be slandered, but it was still a little uncomfortable.

"She just wasn't cut out for the job. She always put herself first and only paid attention when my sister and I did something wrong. She didn't have any love or warmth to give... and she drank a lot", Gemma explained while looking into the wine, relieved that she hadn't gotten addicted the same way. Sighing, she looked back up at Charlotte, only to find her gazing back at her with sincerity.

"I'm sorry. That sounds like behavior that has life-long consequences", she frowned, and with an agreeing nod, Gemma gave the woman a grateful smile. Never had she thought she'd be opening up to Charlotte about her family issues, yet here she was. And it didn't feel wrong, either.

As the wine slowly decreased in their glasses, minutes turned into hours and they uncovered each other's secrets. Charlotte talked about her own mother and how she had almost gotten married after a pregnancy scare, only for the relationship to end when he turned out to be in it for her money. Gemma retold how she had met Talia and how she was incredibly close with her niece, and in return, Charlotte shared a disastrous babysitting story that made them both laugh to the point of tears in their eyes. Gemma's initial nervousness was nowhere to be found – instead, she felt very at home next to Charlotte, inching closer and closer to her on the couch until their arms were brushing together.

She suspected the wine had something to do with her boldness, but she was no longer resisting the voice in her head that kept telling her to get closer to Charlotte in every sense of the word. Now, as the dark night outside was starting to turn into dawn, she felt like they had bonded and like she knew a little more about the tall woman next to her, and she liked what she had learned. There was so much more to Charlotte than could be seen at first glance, and she wasn't sure why she was so hesitant to let people see the real her, but it did make Gemma feel special and lucky to be witnessing her at a moment like this, with the orange light outside illuminating her golden hair and the alcohol wearing out her resolve.

"You did a good job today", Charlotte spoke up after a moment's silence, her hand coming to rest on top of Gemma's. "Thank you for helping me out", she added, and with a careful smile, the Moretti nodded and slid her hand from beneath Charlotte's so she could squeeze the lawyer's slender fingers.

"I'm glad I could prove to you that I've got what it takes. You know, after that disastrous first case", Gemma grimaced, but when she saw the amusement break out on Charlotte's face, she couldn't help but giggle a little. It was a memory that haunted her at times but she supposed that in hindsight it was quite funny. At the time, though, she had dreaded letting down Charlotte and embarrassing herself in front of the woman.

"I can't believe you nabbed the wrong man! He must have been terrified to be handcuffed for doing nothing wrong", Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh, and throwing her head back while cackling at the humiliating memory, Gemma tried her best not to spill the wine she had refilled a moment ago.

"In my defense, they had to be twins or something. He looked so much like the guy I was really after!" she insisted, shaking her head in disbelief, only for Charlotte to laugh even harder. As embarrassing as it was, it had taught Gemma a valuable lesson in always checking her work and being thorough right off the bat, and she didn't take it for granted.

Playfully, Gemma shoved Charlotte's shoulder, and the laughter in the air slowly faded away as they stared at each other and gulped in the realization of the lack of space between them. Gemma couldn't stop her eyes from glancing at Charlotte's lips, and the other woman immediately noticed, breaking into a smug grin when she did. The tension between them was so thick it could have been cut with a knife, and it was driving Gemma crazy, up to the point where she no longer wanted to fight against it.

Acting on impulse, Gemma cupped Charlotte's face with her free hand and leaned in, their lips colliding together and her eyes squeezing shut as she kissed her. Charlotte didn't hesitate to respond with equal fervor, her body lifting off of the couch as she pressed against Gemma to kiss her harder, her own hands resting across her neck. Sick of balancing the wine glass in her hand, Gemma lowered it to the floor while letting Charlotte push her onto her back on the cushions, her heart racing because of the new, thrilling position. Every time their mouths disconnected, it was only to get a breath in, and then they were back all over each other with sloppy, desperate kisses. All the pent-up yearning and longing between them was being channeled into the clash of their tongues and the wandering hands trying to touch every inch of each other, all the while Gemma wrapped her legs around Charlotte's hips to pin her down.

And as she did, there was not a hint of regret in her body.

///

Author's note

It's happening!!! This might be my favorite chapter so far, just because they're so fun to write together, but I do have some twists planned that I'm excited to get to. This is another long chapter, I hope it's not too much! I keep getting carried away with these two, but I really wanted to include the case as well as some privacy with my girls. 

Thank you for being here! <3