"A 'planning' party? You’re making that up!"

"No, I’m not. It’s vital."

"For what?"

"The success of our vacation of course!" Green eyes rolled dramatically giving Claire the distinct impression that Amanda wanted to add 'you idiot' to the end of her answer.

The lawyer clicked off the 10:30 p.m. news leaving the bedroom lit by only the soft glow of the moon. With a grumble, she adjusted the pillow between her back and the headboard. Deciding she should get even more comfortable, Claire turned sideways and stretched long legs the width of the bed, propping her feet on Amanda’s thighs in an unspoken request for a massage. To her delight, Amanda absently reached down and began rubbing tired feet.

"Ugh…" the attorney grunted in relief managing to maintain the thread of the conversation. She stretched for her Pepsi on the nightstand and with exaggerated care took a long refreshing swallow. "Jody and Mark will have an entire cabin to themselves. What do we care what they pack?"

"I give up." Amanda reached down and goosed Claire's bottom, drawing a muffled giggle from the taller woman. "If you want to wallow in a state of disorganization for your entire life… be my guest." Strong fingers shifted to Claire’s toes and the brunette let out another groan of satisfaction that Amanda found half-humorous and half-arousing. The blonde smiled, knowing she'd been itching to get her hands on her lover all day. "But I’d love to get Mark over here at dinner time," she continued, paying special attention to a sensitive instep.

"Why? You’ve seen him. He’s huge! He eats almost as much as you do!"

"Claire…" the blonde intoned as if speaking to a dullard. "…if we invite Mark and Jody over for dinner..." She let the sentence trail off.

"He’ll refuse to eat anything we fix and offer to BBQ for us?" Claire finished, finally catching on.

Amanda nodded, a devilish grin twitching at her lips.

"Ahh… trickery and deceit… and just which law school did you attend, my little BBQ whore? Huh? Hey!" Claire squealed as Amanda mercilessly tickled the feet resting in her lap. "WOW!! Shit! That’s cold!"

Amanda's fingers stopped and she looked up at Claire who was now wearing half the contents of her glass.

"Oops." The younger woman smiled sheepishly. She didn't manage to look very sorry, especially when her eyes were drawn to Claire's nipples, which even in the moonlight, were clearly visible through the wet shirt. Amanda unconsciously licked her lips wishing she were that shirt.

"You know, Claire..." she began, her tone completely serious. "I would never whore myself out for BBQ." A thoughtful pause. "But for homemade apple pie you'd never see me again," she deadpanned.

The bed shook with Claire's silent laughter. "For homemade pie... I wouldn't care," Claire shot back.

"Ouch!" Amanda laughed. "You could always learn to cook," she suggested hopefully.

"So are cooking skills all it will take to make me irresistible?"

"Too late, baby." Amanda slid out from under Claire's legs and curled up next to her. "I already find you irresistible." She bent down and placed a light kiss on the wet material covering Claire's breast, causing the attorney to gasp. "And you know it."

Slender insistent fingers found their way underneath the cool, damp cloth gently tracing the contours of Claire's ribs. "Aren't you going to take this off?" she asked innocently, giving the fabric a gentle tug. She knew her partner preferred to sleep sans clothing.

Nodding vigorously, Claire reached for the top button, but before she could undo it, her hands were firmly held.

"Don't," the psychologist gently commanded. "I'll do it." Amanda replaced Claire's hands with her own. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked knowingly.

"Mind? Umm… I think not." The words were teasing, but delivered in a voice so husky its timbre alone garnered a physical reaction from Amanda. The smaller woman literally shivered and was forced to jump-start her hands, which had stilled under the onslaught of the rumbling, sensual notes.

A playful eyebrow arched as Claire rolled from her back to her side until she was completely facing Amanda. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against her partner's. "Are you sure you don't want me to do that, Mandy?" The lawyer was eager to remove any barrier that lay between her and the silky skin she was already craving. God, I love her hands on me. Claire's heart began to pound.

With a sly smile Amanda shook her head and managed to open the top button before she paused again. This time, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing her senses to be flooded with the gentle fragrance her mind would forever associate with her lover. The light scent of roses that clung to Claire's clothing mixed with the faint but unique aroma of the lawyer's skin formed a heady combination that frankly mesmerized the younger woman.

Her mind flashed to a conversation they'd had several months ago where she'd asked Claire what she remembered most from their first meeting at the Courthouse. Without hesitation, the brunette had answered 'your scent', and Amanda felt a clenching deep in her guts as her body responded to the erotic undertones of the words before her mind consciously processed them.

A second button popped open and Amanda peeled back the fabric to taste the tempting flesh beneath. "Hmm," she purred, her hot tongue snaking out, sliding along skin so soft it nearly melted in her mouth. "You taste sweet." I could do this forever.

Another soft 'click' and the inquisitive lips methodically worked lower, drawing another gasp. "Ah...it's...it's the Pepsi," Claire panted.

As each button was freed, the younger woman delicately opened the fabric, exposing more and more skin. Hungry jade eyes greedily devoured each dip and curve, lingering wantonly over every newly exposed valley and ridge.

Claire was finding it hard to speak. Each fleeting kiss and caress was delivered with such gentleness and reverence that they scrambled the lawyer's senses, sending her reeling into a sensory overload. "Christ, Mandy!" She ground out when the smaller woman circled a painfully erect nipple with the tip of her tongue before taking only the very peak into her mouth and sucking gently.

Of its own accord, Claire's body arched toward the roaming lips in a quest for more solid contact. But she was firmly pushed back while her partner worked free the last several buttons of her blouse.

Claire lifted her upper body from the bed, allowing Amanda to strip off the soaked material. Soon, dark jeans met the same fate as Claire's shirt and were discarded in the aftermath of seeking teeth and lips and tongue.

When Claire lay clad in only a pair of black cotton panties, her hands refused to be still. In record time, Amanda's pajama top found its way onto the growing heap on the carpet. Wanting no more distance between them, Claire pulled Amanda on top of her for a deep, sensuous kiss.

Both women moaned their approval as breasts touched breasts and hot tongues collided. Panties were worked free, the women touching all along the length of their bodies, nothing between them but a light coat of perspiration. Long legs tangled with shorter fair ones and bare skin slid across bare skin. Jesus, Claire. I want to taste every inch of your body. The psychologist’s mind was awhirl. Claire grasped her hips and pulled her closer, causing an explosion of sensation that drew a long guttural moan from the younger woman.

A small hand snaked down between the panting bodies and deliberately slid through a field of liquid fire. "God, you're drenched," Amanda's whisper quivered, her arousal obvious. The therapist closed her eyes in a quiet bid for concentration and control, the hot musky liquid surrounding her fingertips nearly undoing her resolve. Easy... slowly, she admonished herself.

Part of the blonde simply wanted to take the gorgeous creature beneath her, but an equal part wanted to prolong the pleasure of their coupling for as long as humanly possible. As far as she was concerned, it was a win-win situation.

Amanda tore her lips from her lover's and ducked her head to kiss along the delicate line of prominent collarbones, stopping in the salty hollow of Claire’s throat. "Do you have any idea how fantastic loving you is, Gumby?" she uttered softly as the body below hers writhed under her gentle ministrations. On the second pass over swollen lips Claire gasped and bucked forward, taking in the full length of nimble fingers, effectively relieving Amanda of any pretense of control or restraint.

Sapphire eyes rolled back in rapture as every last drop of available blood pooled southward toward the spiraling ache in her groin. The lawyer's hands tangled in shaggy red-gold hair, pulling the younger woman up into another searing kiss. In a negligent demonstration of strength, Claire sat up without using her hands, taking Amanda's full body weight with her. The movement caused the smaller woman to straddle Claire's thighs without severing the connection between them.

Large hands tilted the pale head back, and Claire feasted on the luscious skin of her lover's jaw and throat until Amanda's strokes turned purposeful and Claire buried her face in her partner's shoulder.

Sensing the older woman was teetering on the edge of release, the psychologist stilled the hand between Claire's legs and drew her partner's face off her shoulder. Passion-soaked cerulean orbs blazed into hers, ratcheting her desire higher still. Amanda opened her mouth to speak but stopped when her eyes were inexplicably drawn to a single glistening bead of perspiration trailing its way from Claire's bang soaked temple to her jaw line. The drop hung suspended in time, shimmering in the moonlight, until Amanda moved forward and caught the salty moisture on the tip of her tongue, then trailed the scorching organ back up the path the bead had taken.

"Yes!" Claire hissed loudly when Amanda's tongue languidly slid up the side of her face and talented fingers invaded her once again. A delicious warmth flooded her belly and groin and her body began to tremble. Then the hand stilled again, seeming to disappear. "Nooo," she whimpered at the loss of contact. Amanda had coaxed her to the edge of the abyss and the lawyer desperately wanted to fall over.

A stream of heated breath tickled Claire's cheek. Amanda shifted her lips so close to Claire's ear that their tickling movement caused the fine hairs at the nape of her neck to stand at attention, and a flurry Goosebumps to break out over her limbs. "Do you want me to make you come, Claire?" she whispered hotly.

She is so good! Amanda's words and the firestorm of sensation they created were nearly more than Claire could withstand. Hypersensitive skin tingled in the wake of near electric stimulation. Claire swallowed hard, her scattered wits fighting to find her voice. I love you so much. "Yes... Yes... More than anything... Please," she finally managed.

The lips alongside her ear curled into a smile. God, I love you too. "Then come," came the tender command as white teeth gently bit into the sinewy muscle running the length of Claire's throat and determined fingers delved deeper than before. Amanda's thumb slid over the previously ignored throbbing bundle of nerves at Claire's center and the lawyer immediately threw her head back and arched into the exquisite touch. A strangled cry was rent from her chest and her body shuddered violently as the blinding force of her climax enveloped her and she simply...

Shattered.

The blonde wrapped her free arm around her lover's back, hissing at the sizzling wet skin that slid flawlessly against hers. She held Claire tightly, grounding her as she rode out the crashing waves of release in total security and love. Amanda's spirit soared as her lover's body plummeted.

After several moments of tremors and whispered endearments, Amanda eased Claire onto her back. The psychologist withdrew her fingers causing Claire to twitch and groan in protest. Amanda smirked and kissed her lover on the cheek. "Sorry, baby," she murmured against the damp skin.

Claire circled Amanda with her arms and hugged the smaller woman fiercely, her body slowly coming back to life. "You should be," the lawyer teased. "That..." meaning the entire sexual experience "...was just awful." You are amazing.

"Oh, I could tell," Amanda chuckled. "I'm surprised Missy isn't in here already. You screamed loud enough to wake the dead." She paused. "That was different."

Claire cupped Amanda's cheeks, suddenly insecure about her uncharacteristic loss of control. "Did you mind?"

"Mind? Umm... I think not," the younger woman mimicked. Unexpectedly, Amanda grabbed Claire's hand and thrust it to her sopping center, trembling at the touch.

Claire arched a dark eyebrow, her genuine smile lighting up the room. "That was okay, then? I'm not usually so... loud."

"You're kidding right?" Amanda's finger traced soft crimson lips, her wry smile answering Claire's full one. "Gumby, I'm so excited right now I'm about ready to die. You've got ten seconds to do something about it or I'm starting without you."

A second dark eyebrow joined its twin, and Claire allowed herself a few heartbeats to consider just how much fun that would be. Tucking away the thought for later, bright azure eyes twinkled as she expertly flipped Amanda on her back and began peppering her throat with soft kisses. After a moment, small insistent fingers wove their way into thick dark locks, urging Claire downward. Claire's climax had pushed Amanda to the brink herself, and now even the lightest touch from her partner caused her center to flutter and pulse wildly. "Pleeease..., Claire," she begged shamelessly.

Before yielding to her lover's need, Claire stopped and placed a commanding but loving kiss on Amanda's lips, willing her partner to know and understand everything she was feeling inside. And Amanda did, her own heart constricting in response.

Lips finally separated, and Claire gazed at Amanda with a look of such undisguised desire that the smaller woman felt a hot trickle of moisture trail down her inner thighs. She moaned. Hands and mouths were everywhere at once and they celebrated in wild abandon.

Suddenly, Claire's movements gentled and she slowed the frantic pace to worship luscious breasts with unsurpassed tenderness and grace.

Amanda was awash in a sea of vivid sensation, her pulse pounded furiously, and she swore she could hear the rushing of her own blood roaring in her ears. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was vaguely aware that the deep keening sound reverberating throughout the room was coming from her, she just didn't care. Small shaking hands urged Claire downward again, and when the addictive scent of Amanda's arousal wafted between them, filling Claire's senses completely, the lawyer let out a gloriously primal growl and made her way to its source.

Love, lust, compassion, humor, need, vulnerability, and strength, were only a few of the things that flowed like water between these women. One drew from the other in a perfect symbiotic rhythm of give and take. It was simple and complicated and utterly right, and both Amanda and Claire spent long hours appreciating what they had, and what they intended to keep.

Claire laid her head on her partner’s chest, listening as the pounding heart beneath her ear slowly resumed its normal beat. "We should do this more often."

Claire felt the body below hers giggle. "Sweetheart, we do this pretty often as is it." The woman's insatiable. Lucky me!

"So?"

"So any more often and we'll have to take the show on the road. We have to work sometime, you know."

"Hey!" Claire exclaimed in mock indignation. "I thought I was working pretty damned hard!"

"And you deserve a promotion! Head body slave then?"

"You mean I was second banana before?''

"Weeell..." Amanda hedged.

"I wasn't even second banana?!"

"That's all in the past." Amanda waived a hand dismissively. "Consider yourself promoted."

Both women laughed, enjoying the easy banter and camaraderie that they'd established almost immediately in their relationship. Each had long since stopped wondering why she would occasionally be assaulted with a curious sense of what Amanda called subliminal recognition and Claire referred to as Deja Vu. After all, it didn't seem so strange now that they were making their own memories.

"Did you have fun at the Mall of America yesterday?" Claire asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Umm…hmm. And I noticed it didn’t kill you to join us," came the sleepy answer. "Too bad Jody decided not to go. Mark seemed really disappointed."

"I know, " Claire agreed. "Do you think they’re fighting? They've both been acting really weird lately."

Amanda furrowed her brow trying to recall any specific instances. "I don’t think so. But you’re right about something being up." She trailed her hand up the soft skin of Claire’s back. "I hope it’s nothing serious. They’re really good for each other. I’ve never seen Jody happier than she’s been these past eight months."

Claire turned her head to kiss the smooth skin below Mandy's cheek, enjoying its salty tang. "I know," she murmured. Marko seems really happy too. I’m glad. He deserves it."

Claire laid her head alongside Amanda’s on the pillow, pale hair mixing with midnight black. "You don’t think Jody’s just using him, do you?"

"What?" Amanda’s protective instincts flared. "What do you mean using him?"

"Well... I mean..." You're on thin ice here, Claire. "I don’t think Mark considers their relationship casual. He hasn’t dated anyone but Jody since they met." The lawyer’s fingertip traced Amanda’s ear, her attention torn between their conversation and the miles of soft skin only a hairsbreadth away.

"Oh." And what could she really say to that? It was something that she had wondered about herself. Not that she thought her friend was intentionally leading Mark on. She didn’t. But more than anyone, Amanda understood Jody’s need for autonomy. Her long time pal wouldn’t even get a goldfish because she didn’t want the responsibility, and Amanda was pretty sure those feelings extended to all areas of her personal life as well. Mark, on the other hand, didn't appear to exist under such a handicap.

A finger poked into the well of the therapist's ear, prompting her to answer. "Uck. Quit it!" She playfully jerked away. "If you’re asking me whether or not Jody is serious about Mark, then the answer is 'I don’t know'. But I do know she cares about him." Amanda grabbed the offending hand and placed a soft kiss on the tip of the probing digit. "I don’t want to see either one of them get hurt." Unable to resist, Amanda slid the finger into the hot recess of her mouth and watched in amazement as Claire’s eyes, already an ethereal shade of violet in the moonlight, visibly darkened.

"Claire, at this very second are you resisting the impulse to kiss me?" she whispered seductively, her voice taking on an almost feline quality.

In a blur of movement the taller woman shot forward and placed a toe-curling kiss on her partner's lips. After a moment she pulled back and smiled broadly. "No."

The young man shifted nervously, his fingers aching from the icy cold. His rants were a mixture of verbal and nonverbal ramblings that echoed in the frigid night air. She's been lead astray by tall good looks. I can fix that. She needs help to see that she was chosen for me and I for her. When I make things right, she'll hear His voice as clearly as I do. I'll guide you, Amanda, don't worry.

Black eyes scanned the house for any signs of movement. He had been watching for days... even before the last counseling session... but no one knew. He was sure of that. The lights had clicked off right at 11:00 p.m. After watching the news no doubt. But that was hours ago and he'd seen no trace of movement since then. It was time. The voice had grown too persistent to ignore.

In nature there is no hesitation. The strong survive and procreate. The weak perish and their seed is obliterated. My seed SHALL NOT DIE. Amanda will be the carrier. Cory stomped his feet in a bid to keep them warm.

Her child will not be allowed to corrupt mine. She is impure, born of fornication and outside holy marriage. But the cleansing fire of blood will set her free. I'll see to that. I would do that for you, my love. But I am patient. Patience is a virtue. I am virtuous. I am righteous.

Cory didn't stop to consider that Amanda's beloved was a respected County Attorney, from a good family, and that Amanda had a loving home and was clearly happy. No one else was good enough for her. Only him. There is only black and white and I am His messenger. Shades of gray are merely an illusion created by the wicked to excuse the damned. In the Lord's eyes their relationship is wrong. It had to be. She was meant for him and no other. Cory understood that the casual, platonic displays of public affection were nothing more than a ruse. I am not stupid. I cannot be deceived.

His thoughts turned to what the lovers did behind closed doors. He closed his eyes and tried to push the evil pictures from his mind, but despite himself, he felt a swelling ache in his groin. His stomach churned. Soon those hands will be my hands. Only mine.

Except for the light crunching of his boots in the snow, Cory's movements were silent. I am a hunter. You are the hunted. As always, he had parked several miles away. There was no car for nosey neighbors to see. He examined the house with care.

Not the front door, that will be locked. But don't think that will keep me out. Cory slid a dark ski mask over his short burr haircut and settled it on his face. Approaching the garage, he pulled a short metal pipe from his bulky winter coat and peered into an eye level window. He looked into total darkness. Next he pulled a towel from his jacket, feeling the chill as the additional warmth left his body.

Car lights shone in the distance and Cory ducked around the side of the garage and leaned up against its wall and waited. His heart was pounding and each shallow breath sent a stream of white fog into the night air. The sweat around his eyes and mouth was beginning to turn to ice. He swept a shaking hand over the mask to remove the forming crystals. When the lights faded into the distance, Cory wrapped the end of the pipe with the towel, doubling the material over several times until the padding was several inches thick.

When he was certain it was safe he returned to the window. With a firm but delicate 'rap' he struck the glass which cracked under the pressure, but didn't break. The towel muffled the sound and bolstered the young man's confidence. Another 'rap' and the glass cracked all the way through, sending a tiny piece clattering onto the garage floor. Warm air poured through the small hole and swirled upward in a billow of steam.

SHIT! Cory hissed. That was not supposed to happen. He stood deathly still, not even breathing, waiting, praying. A hundred heartbeats passed and the only sounds were the wind and trees. Cory let out a shaky breath and began removing the shards of shattered glass from the window frame piece by piece, never letting a single bit fall back onto the garage floor.

When the job was finally finished, he unwrapped the pipe and laid the towel over the edge of the window frame. It would be a tight fit. He'd never been this close before and he didn't realize how small the window was. Making a quick decision he slid off his coat, leaving him clad only in a flannel shirt but greatly reducing his size. I am His messenger. I gladly do His bidding were Cory's last thoughts as he pushed his coat through the window and, with the pipe in hand, slid into the garage.

Gloved hands broke his fall as the slim man slithered down the inner wall of the garage. Even with the glass out of the window, he could feel the increase in temperature and idly admired the heated garage. Bracing himself on a hard metal bumper, he stood and removed his mask and gloves. Turning, he pulled the towel from the window.

What do you ask? Death? The young man began pacing in the garage, not seeming to be in a hurry to enter the house. He cocked his ear toward the sky as if listening but after a few moments his face twisted in rage. Why aren't you answering me! As suddenly as the rage hit, it disappeared, replaced by an eerie calm. Of course, this is a test to see if I've been listening. I have. You won't be disappointed.

Donning his mask and gloves, Cory made his way to the door leading into the house. His gloved hand tightly gripped the knob and he turned it ever so slowly. A light click and a hollow creak sounded through the garage as the door popped open.

Cory stepped into a narrow hallway, his boots softly clicking on the linoleum. The house was darker, the curtained windows blocking out the moonlight. The hallway made an abrupt turn to the right where swinging doors led to a kitchen. Another step and Cory's heavy boot landed on a child's toy. The toy squeaked loudly under his weight and he nearly fell as he stumbled away from it.

"Who's there?" A voice called out from the kitchen.

A little late for a midnight snack isn't it? No matter. Any place is fine. With purposeful strides Cory moved through the hall and pushed open the swinging doors.

"What in the hel..."

WHACK! The steel pipe came down with vicious force, crashing into the lawyer's skull, sending a spray of rich black blood across the white tile. The force of the blow sent the limp body sprawling across the cool tiles and into the kitchen chairs.

"SHE IS MINE!" WHACK! The sickening sound of snapping bones resounded through the kitchen as the pipe struck an arm that lay propped up against a table leg.

Cory's breath was coming in short pants, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. For the first time he noticed that the limp form was completely nude. His eyes roamed over the smooth muscular legs, and his mind flashed back to Amanda and these arms and legs wrapped tightly around her, someone else kissing her, tasting her. Her cries of passion rang out in his mind and he placed his hands over his ears as if to block them out. NO! NO! NO! She was meant for me! She could never enjoy being with you! She is mine!

Cory pulled his mask up uncovering his eyes and looked closely at the blood pooling around the lawyer's head. With a trembling hand he slid off one glove and traced the smooth skin that covered a muscular thigh. He could feel his own excitement growing. He reached down and undid his belt, dropping his pants to his knees. He pulled the limp body toward him, grunting under the strain of dead weight. Matted bloody hair dragged along the kitchen floor leaving a dark liquid trail in its wake. Suddenly, Cory stopped. No. This is part of the test. I won't succumb. I am worthy. I cannot be deceived.

Standing, the young man spat on the still form below and laughed to himself. Too easy. "The strong survive, the weak perish." Cory slipped out of the kitchen and into the living room to finish his task.

RING. RING.

RING. RING.

RING. RING.

An arm snaked out and grabbed the ringing telephone. "Hello," slurred the tired voice.

"Is this Claire Easton?"

Claire rolled off of Amanda and looked at the clock in annoyance. Who calls someone at 6:00 a.m.? "Look, whatever you're selling, you can take it and shove..."

"I'm sorry. I should have identified myself right away. I'm Officer Ryan Pederson from the Minneapolis police department. Am I speaking with Ms. Easton?"

Shit, why do you guys always have to do this crap at the most ungodly hours? It wasn't unusual for the police to call one of the County Attorneys at home when they needed a search warrant right away.

"That's me. Wadda ya need?"

"Do you know a Mark Gustafson?"

Claire rubbed her eyes. "Of course I know Mark. What's the matter, can't he do his own paperwork anymore? Put him on the phone."

Amanda sat up wearily and looked at the clock. Claire held her arm out in invitation and the younger woman immediately wrapped herself around the warm body and closed her eyes again.

"Umm... No ma'am. I'm calling from the United Hospital emergency room in St. Paul. Mr. Gustafson has you listed in his wallet as his next of kin."

"Next of kin!" Claire shouted all traces of sleep having vanished. "What do you mean next of kin?" Her throat went dry. "Are... are you saying Mark's dead?"

Amanda tightly gripped Claire's hand, her own heart in her throat as she waited for her partner to fill her in on the other side of the conversation. Oh God, please let Mark be okay. But the words 'dead' and 'next of kin' were not encouraging.

"No ma'am, I'm not saying that at all. He was wheeled in here about twenty minutes ago, and as far as I know he was alive when they brought him in. I was just told to call his next of kin and according to a card in his wallet you're his emergency contact."

Claire jumped out of bed and began rummaging for something to wear. "What happened?" The lawyer wanted details and she wanted them now.

Amanda thrust a sweatshirt and jeans into Claire's arms and the older woman nodded her thanks.

"Well, I really can't say. I..."

Claire stopped moving and stood to her full height. "Listen Officer Pederson, you GODDAMNED idiot! You'd better start talking! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!"

Amanda cringed knowing her partner was only seconds from an all out fury. She quickly pulled on a pair of sweat pants and grabbed the nearest sweatshirt, not caring whether it was hers or Claire's.

"There was a break-in last night. Some old lady neighbor of Mr. Gustafson's saw a broken window when she got up to take her 'Tums' and called the police."

Ahh... Mrs. Harris, you nosey old hag. "AND?" She shouted impatiently. Amanda reappeared from the closet and clicked on the bedroom light as she handed Claire a pair of short hiking boots.

"And he was found on the kitchen floor unconscious. The ambulance crew thinks he was hit in the head with a baseball bat or club or something. That's all I know, honest." Damn, who is this woman?

"Fine. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Claire didn't wait to hear 'goodbye' before she sat down on the foot of the bed and hung up the phone. She bent over and began tying her shoes with trembling hands as she explained to Amanda what little she knew. With a curse she redid the first knot.

"Here. Let me." Amanda bent down and finished the job.

"Mandy, I need to..."

"I know. I'll get Missy and then collect Jody. We'll meet you at the hospital." Amanda stood and grasped her partner's chin with a gentle hand, tilting her face until they made direct eye contact. "Drive carefully, Gumby. I don't want to be visiting you in the hospital."

Claire nodded and pulled the blonde in for a tight hug. "I'll see you there then," she said against the soft fabric of Amanda's sweatshirt. With a quick kiss Claire disappeared out the bedroom door.

Claire merged slowly onto the dark highway trying to remember the fastest route to the downtown hospital. Leaning over she popped open her glove box and dug around for her faithful-driving companion, Gumby. A frown creased her face when she didn't feel him immediately. She impatiently flung out a small box of tissues that Amanda had insisted were necessary, two road maps, and several frozen catsup packets, before her hands felt the familiar bendable form... and something else. What?

She flipped on the dome light to get a better look at her loyal friend. "Marko, Mandy, you shit heads!" she laughed, happy for the reprieve from the tension that was giving her a pounding headache. Gumby was dressed in a tiny Minnesota Vikings Football jersey, with an odd shaped purple helmet covering his head. It was a gentle jibe from her friends who considered her preference for the Green Bay Packers akin to worshipping Satan.

The lawyer expertly twisted the long green arms around the top of her steering wheel. Her dark head shook. Where did you ever find a jersey and helmet so small? Then Claire remembered their trip to the Mall of America just two days before. Her heart hurt when she thought of her partner and best friend, pale heads tilted together in conspiracy.

"He's gotta be okay, Gumby." Claire felt the bottom of her stomach drop. "Shit, the boys." She mentally calculated which Monday this was, and correctly figured that Keith and Bobby would be with their mother. "That dumb-ass cop would have mentioned them if they'd been at the house or hospital." Okay, okay, they're all right. Relax.

Claire changed lanes decreasing her speed. The closer to downtown she got, the worse the traffic, even at this early hour. "What do ya think, Gumby? Residential or highway? Yeah, you're right." She spoke as if her little green friend had answered. "If I go residential I'll get stuck behind a damned snowplow."

After another ten minutes, she pulled onto the tall brick-parking ramp for the hospital. She stopped at the front gate and rolled her window down to yank a paper ticket from the metal dispenser. Finding a space near the second floor elevators she quickly pulled in and shut off the ignition. Then she sat there, her feet seemingly glued to the floor. Jesus, Claire, get a grip. The cop said he was alive. He'll be okay. Even Marko's not stupid enough to croak a week before a vacation and two weeks before Christmas.

She slowly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Who did this to you, Buddy?" Claire waited for Gumby's answer but none came. She felt a dark sinister anger brewing and did nothing to quell it. It was easier to focus on that rather than the stark pain that accompanied the possibility of losing her oldest friend.

Claire grabbed Gumby and reached over to open the glove box. Her hand hesitated on the knob and then she changed her mind completely, shoving him in the front pocket of her brown leather jacket as she exited the Pathfinder.

The coat had been a gift for her thirty-second birthday from Amanda. She'd never really cared much for leather, but the blonde had seen it while window-shopping and simply had to buy it. Claire smiled at the happy memory as she strode down the enclosed walkway that led into the hospital itself. How could she complain? For some inexplicable reason, the psychologist couldn't seem to keep her hands off her when she wore it. Mental note: buy more leather.

Claire made her way through a large round turnstile and was immediately assaulted by the universal antiseptic 'hospital smell'. Now she couldn't avoid the unhappy thoughts even with visions of Amanda. Emergency room, where are you? Determined blue eyes scanned the seemingly endless array of arrows and signs until she found the one she was looking for. Subconsciously, she increased her pace with every passing step until she was nearly running down the long winding tunnel to the emergency room. Hang on, Buddy. Please.

"C'mon, Sweetie. Missy, help me out here." The child had fallen asleep on the short drive to Jody’s apartment and her mother was struggling to extricate the sleeping body from the car seat. Goddamned car seats from hell!

With a loud groan Amanda hefted Missy up and settled her face down on her shoulder. She tightened the toddler’s furry, pink hood with her free hand. "There you go, baby. C'mon."

Amanda tried not to stumble as she waded through the knee-deep snow in the apartment parking lot. Looks like the plows haven’t come by yet. No wonder Jody drives that hideous purple beast! Amanda reached for the doorway to the apartment building and hissed when her bare hand nearly stuck to the frozen metal. "Ouch!" I can’t believe I forgot my gloves.

The blonde tugged the handle but the door didn’t move. She jerked it harder but with the same results. Locked.

Shifting her daughter higher on her shoulder Amanda strained her eyes until she located the buzzer marked 'Jody Penbrook'.

BZZZZ. Nothing.

BZZZZ. Still nothing.

"UGH! Jody you'd better not be in the shower." Amanda held her wrist to the glowing yellow light sconce just outside the doorway. 6:35 a.m. You should be getting up about now.

BZZZZ. Ugh!! Answer and BUZZ ME UP!

"Hello," a faint voice crackled.

Amanda was lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet to stay warm. "It’s Amanda and Missy, can you buzz us up?"

"What are…BUZZ…this…CRACKLE…morning?"

"Just let us up! We’re freezing." Missy’s warm rosy cheek was tucked snugly against Amanda’s and the toddler was snoring. Okay so I’m freezing.

CLANK. The door automatically released and Amanda quickly stepped into the dimly lit hallway. No wonder she hates Chester for getting the condo in the divorce. This place sucks.

Halfway down the hallway Amanda stopped. As she raised her hand to knock on the black apartment door, it opened before her hand struck the wood. Jody was standing in the entryway, wearing only a dark green towel.

The shabby exterior gave no hint to the beautiful apartment that lay within. Like her office at the Cornerstone Clinic, her home was filled with treasures and decorations of all shapes and sizes. The baubles and furnishings ranged from the downright odd to resolutely classical.

"What are you guys doing here so early?" Jody moved out of the doorway, allowing the two blondes to enter.

"Whoa. It’s really warm in here. How do you stand it?" Amanda commented nervously as she laid Missy on the couch. I do not want to tell her this.

Jody bent down and tugged away the corner of Missy’s hood to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hiya, Kiddo," she greeted softly.

The short-haired brunette straightened and turned serious caramel eyes on her friend. When Amanda was anxious or upset it was always painfully obvious. "What’s wrong?"

The younger woman shifted uncomfortably and unzipped her jacket. "Jody there’s been accident… sort of."

"Is it Claire?"

"No." Thank God. Amanda felt a flash of guilt over her relief that it was Mark, not Claire, lying in the hospital. "It’s Mark. Someone broke into his house last night and somehow he got hurt. The police found him unconscious this morning and called us from the emergency room at United Hospital."

"Is he…?" Jody wasn't able to finish the words before her face went ashen.

Amanda stepped closer to her business partner. "No… at least I don’t think so. He was alive when they brought him in."

The taller woman stood deathly still, her short dark hair dripping into her eyes.

This was not the reaction Amanda was expecting from her sometimes-explosive friend. "Jody?"

The stocky counselor’s pallor shifted from gray to doughy white.

Crap! She’s gonna pass out. "Sit down," Amanda insisted, immediately easing her friend onto the couch. "Are you okay?"

"No… I don’t feel so good. I think I’m gonna…" Amanda’s face was beginning to turn fuzzy and a creeping darkness started to invade Jody's peripheral vision.

"No. You’re not." Amanda laid her palms on her friend’s and forced her to focus. "Take deep breaths and relax. Put your head between your knees. That’s right," she soothed.

Amanda knelt in front of Jody, never removing the supportive contact. Jody concentrated on the heat from the warm palms and took several calming breaths. The blonde smiled reassuringly when her friend’s color began to improve and her breathing evened out.

"I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened I…" Jody started to babble uncharacteristically.

Amanda got off her knees and squashed herself into the small space between Jody and the end of the sofa. "It’s okay. But we need to go, Jody. I don’t know how serious this is."

Jody nodded and moved into the bedroom to get dressed. Less than thirty seconds later, she confidently strode out of the room wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a heavy cotton shirt. Her dark wavy hair was combed neatly in place and she was shoving her car keys in her front pocket. She shot Amanda an irritated look. "What are we waiting for?" Jody bent down, scooped up Missy, and headed for the door.

The younger woman didn't hide her startled reaction to the transformation. Just like Claire, she thought. She’s all lion on the outside, all pussycat on the inside. I just hope, for all our sakes, Mark is all right.

Claire sat at the edge of Mark's bed and smiled down at her best friend. Marks left arm was in a cast that stretched from his shoulder to his wrist. His head was wrapped in so many layers of gauze that she wondered why they'd bothered stopping the mummification process at all.

"You look like shit, Marko!"

Hazel eyes rolled toward blue. "Thanks a lot pal, I love you too," the bass voice rumbled a little softer than usual.

No more needed to be said. They loved each other and they both knew it.

"'Bout time you woke up."

"Hmm. How could I sleep with all that yelling going on outside my door. You, I take it?"

"Hell, yes it was me. The doctors and then the police weren't being as... forthcoming with information as they should have been. They just needed a little motivation, that's all."

Mark shifted his cast to his stomach, trying to get comfortable. When that didn't work, he muttered a few curse words and laid it back in the exact same spot as before. "So you kicked ass and took names?"

The brunette smiled sheepishly. "Basically."

"Hey, you brought Gumby." The big attorney pointed at the green rubber man whose head was sticking out of Claire's pocket. "He's a Viking now!" he asserted proudly.

"You... Keep your big dumb paws off of Gumby or I'll break your other arm." Claire gave Mark the look that made hostile witnesses pee their pants and he brushed it off without a second thought.

"But you let Amanda play with him," he whined. "I've seen her!"

Claire smirked, her eyebrow arching to its highest level. "Amanda gets to play with all my toys. You don't."

"Tell me about it," the blonde mumbled.

Claire's smirk shifted to a worried smile. With her fingertips she gently traced his bandage. "How ya doin'?"

"Great," he answered with a little too much zeal.

"Are you nuts? Why are you so happy? You could have been..." For the first time Claire took a good look into dazed hazel eyes. Ahh. Feeling no pain. "Good drugs, huh?"

"Umm...Hmm." He flashed her a toothy grin and surprised her by pulling her down with his good hand and kissing her full on the lips. At that very moment Amanda, Jody and Missy walked in the room.

"Ahhheeem," Jody cleared her throat loudly. "I see you're not dead," she said sarcastically.

Mark’s faced creased into a boyish smile. Jody, my sweet. Come here so I can kiss you too!

Thank God you're okay you stupid... giant... giant... gorgeous... ahhh! The muscular psychologist stepped up to the foot of the bed to examine her friend. Mark was lying under a thin Pepto-Bismol pink blanket. His large bare feet hung over the edge of the too short hospital bed and an angry purple bruise crept its way out from under his stark white bandage. His eyes were glassy and red and strands of his nearly shoulder length dishwater hair were poking out from underneath his bandage in odd directions. "You look like shit, Marko!"

The tall man's smile broadened even further, showing off deep dimples. That's my girl.

"That's what I said!" Claire exclaimed as she Mark and Jody burst out laughing. Mark immediately reached for his head and moaned through his chuckles.

They're all mad! Amanda thought. But she found herself smiling along with the rest of them nonetheless. She knew Jody and Claire had just been through the wringer and was glad that their natural humor was already reasserting itself. Amanda watched as Claire covertly laid a reassuring hand over Jody’s before quickly moving it away. What is it about those brooding brunettes that I can’t resist? she wondered. Amanda smiled her hello to Mark.

"Cwairrr," Missy squealed and scrambled out of Amanda's arms to see the lawyer.

Claire bent down and nuzzled the child's neck, tickling her with kisses. "How are you this morning, Pumpkin?"

Amanda's ears perked up at the endearment her father used, and she felt a fierce rush of affection at seeing her child and lover together. The woman who could make juries weep with her elegant speeches and criminals confess rather than face her in court, plainly worshipped the ground her child walked on. It was a paradox she found intriguing and endlessly appealing.

When Claire straightened, Missy threw her arms up in a bid to be held. Her mother moved forward to take the toddler but the taller woman shook her off with a grin and scooped up the delighted child.

If it weren’t for the fact that you look like night and day, no one would suspect you weren’t her mother, Amanda happily mused.

Once secure in Claire’s arms, Missy could see who was lying in the bed. "Marko!" she screamed.

Mark cringed at the shrill sound.

Amanda shot Jody and Claire an evil look and shook a motherly finger at them both. "She’d better not repeat the rest of what you said."

The injured attorney decided to jump in and rescue his friends, who were now staring guilty at their shoes. "Hi, Missy," he rumbled.

At the sound of her favorite "uncle’s" voice, Missy began to squirm in Claire’s arms in an effort to get closer to the bed. "No, Missy," Claire admonished gently. "Uncle Mark is hurt so you need to stay with me and be very quiet. Okay?"

The little girl’s mossy green eyes turned round and watery and her bottom lip poked out and began to quiver. Nononononono! She looks just like, Mandy when she does that. Please don’t cry. I can’t stand it when you cry. Claire looked over to Amanda in desperation but the blonde just rolled her eyes.

"She has you so pegged, Gumby." Amanda faced Missy and spoke sternly. "Claire said no and she meant it." The tears stopped immediately.

Claire’s eyebrows shot into her hairline and her jaw dropped to her chest in an expression so comical both Jody and Mark diverted their eyes and turned their heads so Claire wouldn’t see their sniggers.

I... I can't believe it! "She does that to me on purpose?" And I fell for it? You little sneak! Claire took a deep breath, ready to accuse Amanda of teaching Missy such treachery, but before she could speak the door opened and a petite, extremely attractive doctor strolled in.

"My name is Dr. Musa." Her voice was colored by a rich African accent and she approached Mark with a blindingly white smile. "How are you feeling, Mr. Gustafson?"

"My head is starting to hurt," Mark replied bluntly.

Dr. Musa picked up the chart from the foot of the bed and gave it a quick once over. "Of course it does. You have a severe concussion," she replied equally bluntly. Reaching into the pocket of her crisply starched lab coat, she pulled out a small penlight and shone itinto Mark's eyes. "You are quite lucky that the blow was only glancing." She clicked off the light. "Your skull is not fractured."

For the first time since she arrived, the doctor directed her attention someplace other than Mark. Chocolate eyes quickly flittered over Jody and Amanda but lingered over Claire in open appraisal.

Amanda frowned and wrapped her arm tightly around Claire’s waist in an act of possession that clearly stated, "MINE." The black orbs drew back to Amanda's where they held for a timeless second and a silent message was conveyed. Then, with an almost imperceptible nod, the doctor's eyes dropped to floor as she moved toward the head of the bed.

Shifting Missy, Claire leaned down and whispered into her mate's ear. "Why don't you just piss on me, Mandy? It might be more effective."

"Watch it, smartass." Amanda whispered back, adding a pinch to Claire's butt for good measure. "Considering where your lips were when I walked in, I'll be marking my territory anyway I choose, thank you very much. Poor Mark," she snorted. "He probably won't even remember it tomorrow." The frown came back. "Did you talk to the police?"

Claire nodded and fished Gumby out of her pocket for Missy to play with. "Yeah, but I still have a few more questions. I'll fill you in at home." Claire looked over at Jody. "Is Jody gonna be okay?" The darker therapist was sitting in a recliner several feet from Mark's bed with a worried expression on her face.

"I think this scared the crap out of her. But yeah, she'll be fine."

Claire thought for a moment about how she'd feel if it were Mandy in that bed, bandaged and hurt. I'd be going out of my mind. "I love you," she said suddenly.

Amanda's arms circled both Claire and Missy in a warm hug, understanding the spoken and unspoken words of the declaration. "I love you too."

"You should be resting," the doctor smoothly informed her patient as she laid a cold stethoscope on his chest.

"I'm not tired," Mark protested, even as his eyes were closing.

Satisfied with the results of her cursory examination Dr. Musa replaced Mark's chart on the hook at the foot of the bed and addressed the woman who had sent the emergency room into a tizzy when they weren't quick enough in answering her questions. "He'll need to stay here for at least the next 24-48 hours, assuming the results of his CAT scan show no hemorrhaging. Could I speak with you ladies outside in the hallway?" She looked pointedly at Claire and Amanda, apparently unconcerned with Jody who was sitting so quietly. "He needs to rest now, and I'd like to give you some instructions for his future care."

The doctor made a motion toward the door then marched out of the crowded room, clearly expecting the women to follow her. Claire and Amanda exchanged 'a look' and followed on the heels of the small woman, intent on giving Jody and Mark a few moments alone together.

When the door shut behind them Jody walked over to the big man and laid a sloppy kiss on his cheek. His lips twitched at the contact. "You're coming back, aren't you?" came the nearly inaudible request.

Jody felt a lump forming in her throat and coughed awkwardly, trying not to cry. "Course I am, ya idiot. I'm just gonna go see what the doctor has to say, then I'll be right back."

Mark grasped her hand tightly but didn't open his eyes. "Promise."

Oh... boy. This is gonna be worse than I thought. "Yeah, I promise." She sighed. I need to have that talk with Amanda... soon.

Comments or questions to Advocate advocate8704@yahoo.com
Continued in Part 4.