Watching the playful children running around the yard behaving like wild Indians, Gerry wondered to herself yet again how she had gotten talked into helping her sister with this kid fest. Booze?ah yes, that's what got her into this hell she was currently living in. Now don't get her wrong she loved her niece. Just not when she came equipped with twenty other sugar overdosing, screaming Spawns of Satan who insisted on using her as a living, breathing napkin.

If she had been lucid when her sister had called her over a month ago begging for her help, she would have said no. But her sister, Sam, knew the perfect time to call her. Sam knew damn well that Saturday morning after a Friday night hitting the clubs and drinking Irishmen and sailors everywhere under the table was the one time she was vulnerable. And believe you me she used it to her advantage.

Gerry had given up giving her sister the evil eye from across the yard. Sam just ignored her and glared back when she thought that Gerry had been hiding in her corner long enough and wanted her to get back out and mingle with the other parents or to help her serve refreshments.

It was on one of these enforced missions that Gerry noticed a little girl who seemed to be trying to become a part of the side of the house. The first thing she noticed was how cute the little girl was then shook her head in shock wondering where that errant thought had come from. She never thought kids were cute, never. Trouble yes, cute never.

The next thing she noticed was the little boy walking over to the little cutie with a cup full of punch and from the evil look on his face he wasn't planning on drinking it. Gerry quickly made her way over to the unfolding drama. When she was close enough she yelled, "Brandon! What do you think you're doing?"

Obviously he wasn't expecting anyone to sneak up on him because he jumped about three feet in the air and spilled the juice all over the front of his shirt. The guilty look on his face told Gerry all she needed to know and she gave him an evil look the sent him scampering across the lawn to his mother.

As she turned back to the little girl she knelt down and stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Gerry and you are?"

The little girl was quiet for so long Gerry started to think she hadn't heard her when a tiny voice said, "Angel."

"Well, Angel, it's a pleasure to meet you but don't you think you should be playing with the other kids instead of over here hiding in the corner."

Angel shook her head vigorously in the negative.

"Why not?" Gerry asked.

Before Angel had a chance to answer, a deep husky voice answered for her. "Well, Angel is new to the class and still in the 'I'm shy' stage."

Gerry turned to look at the person attached to the voice and almost fell on her ass when she got a good look at the Amazon standing behind her. She was tall, dark, and absolutely drop dead gorgeous. "And you are?" Gerry stuttered once she got her voice back.

"I'm Tracey. Angel's mother."

The shiver that did a tap dance up and down Gerry's spine let her know this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and if the way Tracey was looking her up and down maybe something more.

*****
"Hey, Ger, would you stop looking at that woman as if she's a chocolate cone you wanna lick or at least be a little bit more discreet in your lust," Sam whispered in her sister's ear.

"Damn, woman, would you stop sneaking up on me? You trying to give me a heart attack?"

"No, not trying to give you a heart attack, just trying to save you from making a fool of yourself. For goddess sake, sis, the woman just moved into town. At least give her a little time to get settled in before you plot how to get her into your bed."

"What makes you think that's what I'm thinking?"

Sam gave her one of those 'because I'm your sister' looks followed by the 'I know you're a dog' look.

"Fine but can ya blame me? Look at that body, especially that ass. Makes me wanna go over and squeeze the Charmin."

Sam laughed so hard at that comment people turned to look at her to make sure she wasn't choking.

"God, babe, it wasn't that funny," Gerry said as her sister continued to laugh hysterically. She looked up and noticed Tracey starring at her with a questioning look on her face. Gerry shook her head signaling they didn't need help then she bumped her sister with her hip. "Would you shut up? You're embarrassing me."

Once her sister finally got her breath back, she popped Gerry on the back of the head and replied, "Well if you didn't say little gems like that I wouldn't find the need to swallow my tongue on occasion."

"I was just telling the truth, babe. Can you honestly say that if you didn't happen to be married to a man, which I still say was the biggest mistake you ever made, you wouldn't jump on that in a heartbeat?" Gerry asked while jerking her head in Tracey's direction.

"Well she's not really my type. You know that. I like the girly girls. She's a little too butch for me."

"Butch what do u mean butch!" Gerry said a little too loudly. A smack from her sister made her lower her voice. "She's beautiful. So what if she's over six feet, her face is a little too square and she's not anorexic. Look at those eyes, so dark you could get lost in them. Not to mention that hair. I'd love to feel it whispering across my body and, like I said before, that luscious, beautifully rounded ass. Any ass that's squeeze the Charmin worthy is hump worthy."

"God, Ger, could you get any more crass?"

Gerry turned and gave her sister an evil look.

"Never mind. I don't want to hear it. If you're in lust so badly, why don't you go talk to her?"

"I did earlier."

"When?"

"I saved her daughter from Brandon, the wonder brat, but before I could really talk to her Angel announced she had to potty and that was that," Gerry said while shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, it looks like she's all by her lonesome now. Go work your magic, stud."

"God I hate that name."

"Yeah, well if the shoe fits."

"Bite me, Tiny."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just rub in the fact that I got mom's genes and you were blessed with dad's. But no worries, at least I got mom's genes when it comes to holding my liquor."

Gerry gave her sister the finger as she started to make her way over to the refreshment table to get some more soda. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice someone was in her way until she ran into them.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Gerry mumbled as she looked up to see who she had run into. Her blush became even redder when she finally saw who it was that she had almost run down.

"Not a problem," Tracey replied. "My sister has that affect on me also. She's the only one I allow to get under my skin."

"Don't you wish you could put them back in the womb sometimes?"

"Yes, I do," Tracey replied, laughing "But then I remember if that happened I wouldn't have a babysitter."

"Ah, so that's the reason Sam keeps me around."

"I'm sure it's more than that, Gerry."

Gerry's head popped up at the sound of her name. She hadn't had a chance to tell Tracey her name before she had to rush her daughter to the bathroom and her heart lifted at the fact that Tracey had taken the time to learn what her name was.

Tracey must have seen something in her eyes because she explained, "Angel told me your name as she was telling me how you saved her from the little boy. That's why I was coming over here actually. To tell you thanks for sticking up for her."

"No problem. Us girls have to stick together."

"Isn't that the truth? Especially us butch women," Tracey answered with an evil little smirk on her face.

If she could have, Gerry would have dug herself a deep dark hole to bury herself in, but her luck wasn't that great. Instead she almost choked to death on the sip of soda she had just taken. When she finally stopped coughing, she tried to sputter out an apology but the finger that caressed her top lip kept her from thinking, much less forming a complete sentence.

"No worries, babe, if butch is the worst thing you can think to call me I would consider that a compliment. Though I don't like to put titles on myself. But I have the sneaky suspicion that you like butch girls."

Gerry almost fainted at the arched brow that the chocolate goddess gave her but she just nodded her head rapidly instead.

"Good," Tracey whispered.

For the rest of the party they stood talking to each other while keeping one eye on Angel and the other on each other, as if they were afraid the other would disappear. By the time the party was over they acted as if they were the best of friends and they had a date set for Tuesday night.

****
"Sam, I have nothing to wear. You gotta take me shopping now, as in today!" Gerry said frantically into the phone.

"I swear one of these days I'm gonna kill you, sis."

"Come on, Sammy. You know I can't be trusted to go shopping by myself. Every time I do, you make me take everything I buy back."

"Yeah, because your taste sucks."

"So get off your ass and go with me to the mall."

"Fine but you're buying me lunch."

"Deal. Oh and, Sam, if I'm buying your cheap ass lunch, you're gonna give me a crash course in dealing and communicating with five year olds."

"Sheesh, Ger, they aren't aliens from another planet. They're just little adults."

"Yeah, little adults who can stop me from screwing their mommies if they don't like me," Gerry responded.

"You are such a dog, babe."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway. So just be prepared to answer lots of questions about kids and their practices. I've never dated anyone with kids before, sis. As a matter of fact, I always make it a policy to avoid them at all costs?shit, I am so screwed."

"Yes you are. But you know what?"

"No, enlighten me."

"I've been waiting for this day to come and now that it has I'm gonna do the neener neener dance as soon as Dan comes home since I won the bet."

"What bet?never mind I don't wanna know. Just meet me at the mall in an hour." She hung up with her sister's laughter still ringing in her ear and vowed to buy her niece a loud, obnoxious toy.

Hours later, after a frantic search for the perfect outfit and a crash course in relating to little people, Gerry was finally ready to head out for her date. Pulling up to Tracey and Angel's house she wiped her sweaty hands on her new cargo pants and looked at the rose sitting beside her on the other seat. She wondered if it was too early to be giving Tracey roses, even if it was only one.

It seemed that all her dating etiquette had gone out the window. God why am I so nervous? I feel like a virgin going to the sacrificial altar. Gerry had to laugh after that thought. She hadn't been a virgin since she was fourteen. You'd think this is my first date. I haven't felt this way in a long, long time.

She didn't know how long she sat there staring into space before a soft knock on her window broke her out of her trance. Looking out the window she saw Angel staring at her with a 'are you okay look' on her face. Laughing at herself, she finally got out of the car and squatted down so that she was face to face with Angel. "Hiya," she said, giving Angel her best toothy grin.

"Hello," Angel responded in her patented soft voice.

"How are you doing today?" Oh that's just great, you dork, you don't ask a kid how they're doing, as if they have a clue how they're doing, Gerry said scathingly to herself.

But to her surprise, she heard the little girl respond, "Fine, and you?"

"I'm great. Is your mommy in the house?"

"Yep."

Gerry waited, thinking she would say something else but after waiting for a couple of seconds it became apparent that was all Angel had to say on that subject. "Do you mind if I wait for her in the house?"

"You can ask her yourself. She's watching us through the window."

Sure enough when Gerry looked over she saw Tracey watching them through the window with a silly grin on her face. God she's beautiful. She didn't know how long she would have sat there looking at Tracey if she hadn't felt a little hand on her arm.

"She has eyes in the back of her head so be careful when you plan on doing something bad," Angel said it so seriously Gerry knew it would have been a very big mistake if she had laughed.

Keeping the laughter in somehow, she leaned close to Angel and whispered, "Thanks for telling me that. I hate getting in trouble. Punishments suck."

Angel nodded her head in agreement while she looked seriously into Gerry's eyes. She must have liked what she saw because she took her hand and led her into the house.

That wasn't so hard, Gerry thought as she proudly walked into the house with the little girl's hand tucked in hers. It didn't even feel as weird as she thought it would.


*****
It was another hour before Gerry and Tracey were able to leave. The babysitter was late, then Tracey's mother called to check up on them, then there was another phone call on top of that one. By that time Gerry was ready to climb the walls. But now they were finally on the road and Tracey was smelling her rose, rubbing it back and forth over her lips driving Gerry crazy but leaving a warm feeling in her belly that she had done the right thing.

"You and Angel looked chummy earlier. What were you talking about?"

"Nothing, just a little bit of this and a little bit of that," Gerry said jokingly.

"Ahhhhh so that's how it's gonna be. You two against me. Talking and calling me names behind my back."

"Now would we do a thing like that?"

Tracey looked at her long and hard, then said, "In a heartbeat."

"Yep, yep," Gerry responded, laughing.

"Now since you're driving, you wanna clue me in on where we're going?"

"Ummm let me think on that?nope?just gonna have to wait until we get there."

"Meanie," Tracey said teasingly.

"Babe, you have no idea just how devilish I can be," Gerry responded with an evil laugh. "Now just sit back, relax, enjoy the view, such as it is, and tell me more about yourself. Or you can ask me anything you wanna know."

"Anything?"

"Well, almost anything. Don't want to give you too much blackmail ammo yet. That doesn't happen until at least the fourth date."

"What else happens after the fourth date?" Tracey asked in a husky voice.

Turning Gerry looked at her quickly and saw all she needed to see in her eyes. "That's for me to know and you to find out," she responded jokingly, effectively breaking up the sexual tension that had started to permeate the car.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Tracey looked at the building, then back at Gerry, then back at the building again.

"Funscape, what in the hell is a Funscape?"

"Just what it says. It's fun."

"Hardy har har, smart ass."

"What do you plan on having us do in the Funscape?"

"Well, since we didn't bring our bathing suits we can't get on the water rides but anything else is game."

"What did I get myself into?" Gerry heard Tracey mumble to herself.

"Come on, babe, give it a go and if you can honestly say you're not having fun in half an hour, we'll go somewhere else. Deal?"

Sticking out her hand for a shake to seal the deal Tracey responded, "Deal."

"Now let the fun begin."

Despite her initial reaction Tracey was having a ball. They had played two games of miniature golf in which Gerry got her ass kicked. Then they moved on to bowling where Gerry was asserting her dominance and had plans to go see a movie afterwards. As they were making their way back home, Gerry looked over at her date and smiled.

"Stop patting yourself on the back. Yes, I had a good time, yes you did good and I'll admit that I'm a somewhat of a snob when it comes to first dates."

"NO! I would never have thought that!"

"Oh, bite me!"

"Oh, can I?can I really?" Gerry said excitedly.

"You are such a pervert."

"If I agree to that statement will that get me biting privileges that much sooner?"

Tracey didn't answer, she just gave her a secretive smile and closed her eyes enjoying the comfortable silence for the rest of the journey home.


****
After that first date they tried see each other at least once a week, twice if they were lucky. Since Tracey had started her nursing job full time, her time had been very limited. She worked twelve hour days and the days she had off she spent running errands or spending quality time with Angel who was still trying to adjust to the move.

Gerry learned a lot about herself during that period. She learned that all kids were not out to get her. She learned that she had been missing out on a lot by shunning women who had children though she was glad she had waited for Tracey. She also learned that she had infinite patience for a little girl named Angel who was slowly but surely stealing her heart, just like her mommy.

Gerry spent a lot of her nights at home with "her" women as she was coming to think of Angel and Tracey. She made sure she kept that little fact to herself though, wouldn't do to rock the boat so early.

Not being able to go out to the clubs and get smashed, didn't bother her as much as she thought. She had just as much fun sitting on the floor playing a cutthroat game of Go Fish with Angel. That sweet little girl became a mercenary out for blood when it came to winning. She didn't like to lose and after playing poker with her mother she realized where she got it from?? the hard way.

****
They had been dating for almost five months and were having yet another grope session on the couch when they both heard Angel call out for her mother.

"This can not be happening. Not again!" Gerry whined from her comfortable position on top of her lover. Her hands were in Tracey's pants on her way to heaven and her mouth on her very bountiful breasts. Her teeth were not happy having to give up the tasty nipple they had been nibbling on happily a second ago.

"I'm sorry, baby. Maybe she'll go back to sleep by herself." The high pitched scream that came again from Angel's bedroom told them both that that wasn't gonna happen. "I'll be back as soon as I can," Tracey said, giving Gerry a quick kiss as she slithered out from underneath her. She straightened her clothes as she dashed into her baby's bedroom.

Gerry was lying whimpering in pain on the couch and she could hear Tracey singing Angel a soft lullaby trying to lull her back to sleep. She once again cursed the babysitter for letting Angel sit up and watch a scary movie. Even though Angel seemed way older than her years, she was still only a baby and still believed there were monsters under the bed ready to eat her.

It seemed as if the Sex Gods were against her. Every time she and Tracey started to get down and dirty something would come up. It was as if she was being punished. "Look," she said, talking to the air. "I know when I first started dating her all I could think about was getting into her pants but now that's not the only thing I think about. I think about making her happy. I think about being a good role model for Angel. I actually watch the f-bombs and let me tell ya how big of a sacrifice that is! For all that is holy would you please let us have one night of uninterrupted sex? Hell I'd take an hour at this point," Gerry muttered angrily. Hearing soft laughter come from the direction of the hallway she said, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Tracey replied. "That was a cute little speech you gave there. I didn't know whether to laugh or kiss ya."

"Kissing is always a good idea," Gerry responded as she sat up on the couch and watched her lover approach her with a definite twinkle in her eye.

"Kissing I can do." And she proved it by laying a lip lock on Gerry that had all of her synapses firing again. "It's the staying awake that I don't know about," she whispered as she pulled back from the kiss. When she saw the disappointment in Gerry's eyes she whispered, "I am so sorry but putting her to sleep made me sleepy. I'm lucky I made it this far."

Looking into Tracey's eyes Gerry could see the true disappointment there and tried to tap down her frustration. "No worries, babe. There's always tomorrow?maybe."

"I guess at this point you're wondering what possessed you to get involved with me, huh?"

"Nope, I have no regrets. Except I'm sorry I didn't meet you sooner."

"That was sweet, babe. A load of crap that got you lots of brownie points but still a load of crap."

"No prob, babe. I aim to please."

"And you more than succeed. Now let's go to bed."

"I thought you were tired?"

"I am but that's no reason for you to go home this late. I have tomorrow off. Maybe we can wake up early and have an hour or two to romp around before the munchkin gets up," Tracey said wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"Are you sure babe?" Gerry asked hesitantly. She had never spent the night at their place before. Tracey had told her early on in their relationship that she didn't think it would be wise if Gerry spent the night. She didn't want to take the chance Angel would respond in a negative manner to someone sleeping with Tracey since she would crawl into bed with her mother if she had bad dreams.

"Positive, Ger, I think it's about time I find out whether you snore or not," she said laughing at the offended look on Gerry's face. "And if you're worried about the munchkin, babe, she lo??likes you as much as I do. I don't think it'll be a problem.

"Yeah, you say that now but why is it every time we find time to get up close and personal she conveniently has a nightmare," Gerry piped up.

"Because our luck sucks and, as you said, the Sex gods are punishing you for having lustful thoughts about me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say that like it's a bad thing," Gerry said as she slid off the couch and followed Tracey into her bedroom.

*****

Less than half an hour later they had both washed up for the night. And even though she could have sworn it would take her awhile to calm herself down, Gerry was asleep wrapped around her partner in less than half an hour.

Later that night Gerry awoke abruptly. She didn't know what had woken her up but she felt something staring at her. Rolling onto her back, she saw Angel standing in the doorway watching her and Tracey asleep on the bed. Angel looked uncertain whether she would be welcomed on the bed.

Gerry didn't say a word; she just held out her hand and waited to see if Angel would accept her invitation. It didn't take the little girl long to make up her mind. After a second of indecision she scampered toward Gerry's side of the bed and launched herself into her arms. With Angel snuggled in her arms, Gerry let out a sigh of relief. The hand that she had extended symbolized more to her than she thought. By Angel accepting, she felt that she was finally starting to accept Gerry's place in her mother's life.

Gerry always knew that to a certain extent Angel resented her relationship with her mother. And she knew she couldn't blame her. It had just been the two of them for a long time. But she was determined to win over the little girl's trust, for she wouldn't know what to do with herself if Tracey broke things off with her because of Angel's feelings toward her.

As she got them settled into the bed by laying Angel in between herself and Tracey, she thought to herself that there was no place she would have rather been at the moment. She had no idea how this relationship was going to turn out but she was going to try her best to make it work. She had every intention of growing old with Tracey and Angel.

Now all she needed to do was get Tracey alone for a couple of hours, uninterrupted, so she could squeeze the Charmin to her heart's content.

"Maybe Sam will watch Angel tomorrow," Gerry mumbled to herself as she nodded off to sleep with her two girls.

The End

Copyright @ 12 October 2004 by Dani