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The overhead lights made the News anchors look good on TV but if the home audience knew that they sat behind their impressive desk with shorts instead of the matching skirt or slacks to their apparel they would be shocked. Looking up to the control booth, Gavin wiped the sweat from her upper lip against the glare coming from the make-up woman.
The make-up woman could use some help with her own appearance, her dark hair was frizzy with streaks of grey and hastily held back in a twist at the back of her head, small half glasses smeared with fingerprints and bright red lipstick on the earpieces hung low on her crooked nose. Skin wrinkled and stained from too many cigars glowed with trickling sweat under the hot lights. Moving her chewed cigar to the corner of her mouth, she spun Gavin around in her chair and pointed a gnarled finger at her.
"I'm gonna tie your hands to that damn chair!" Using a small sponge dipped in dark make-up, she fixed the white area below Gavin's nose. "Better yet, I'm gonna toss your pasty little ass in a tanning bed. Look like a damn vampire with all that pale skin."
"Ohh please, I'll go willingly!" Gavin raised her hands up in prayer. "If the slave drivers here would give me a day off I might be able to actually get out into the sunlight." She tilted her head back as a brush was pulled through her short blonde hair.
"Face it Gavin," Her co-anchor spoke in his fake Southern accent. "You suck that's why they keep you here for hours redoing promos."
Green eyes narrowed and cast a glare to the side. "Look whose talking; you're the one who gets all the shitty assignments!" She jerked when the producer gave them the count down to airtime. Lacing her hands in front of her, Gavin put on her camera smile and waited for the red light on camera number two to go on.
"Good evening, I'm Gavin De la Rouge, welcome to WKBC in Atlanta." She turned to her co-anchor and flashed him an annoyed look when he did his Rhett Butler act for the camera.
"And I'm Jeremy Lower, before we get started tonight, I want to let everyone out there know," He gave them a syrupy smile and a wink of a brown eye. "That I will be missing from the news for two months," He held up a hand and gave a capped tooth smile making Gavin roll her eyes and give him a disgusted look. She then jumped when one of the camera operators hissed at her for sticking her finger down her throat and pretended to gag. "I know you all will miss me but I will be back after spending time with a group of people called the Storm Troopers. This group of people is responsible for getting us the warnings for tornados, tropical storms and all the other nasty things that Mother Nature hands us."
When the camera came back to Gavin, she pasted on her most painful smile and nodded her head. "Sounds very fascinating Jeremy, I envy you." Maybe you'll get sucked out to sea and eaten by sharks.
"I knew you would Gavin, when you're the best like I am, you get the most intriguing stories." He buffed his long fingernails on his jacket and winked at her. "Not like that story you did on Georgia Peaches and their diseases. Has that rash gone away yet?" The producer was jumping up and down in the control booth pulling her hair and screaming curses to both of her anchors.
"That was poison ivy Jeremy," She gave him a force ten glare. "How's your dick implant, still pumping up all right?" She grinned at the blanched look on his face and was relieved when she heard that they were going to a commercial.
"That was un-called for Gavin!" He screamed and jumped up from his chair.
"So was that comment about my poison ivy you plastic dicked asshole!"
They jumped when the producer came running down on to the set screaming her head off. "What in the fuckin Hell was that shit? Can't you two get along for two minutes without throwin punches?" She pulled on her dark hair, stomped around in a circle, hyperventilated until she spun in a circle and fell over.
"Now look what you did you impotent PRICK!" Gavin yelled and pointed to their producer. "You KILLED her!" She ran from behind the desk and placed a hand at the producer's neck to check for a pulse. "Get an ambulance you assholes!" She yelled at the gawking crew and then pinned Jeremy with fiery eyes, jumping to her feet, she ran after him. He screamed like a girl and ran from the pissed off blond, turning a corner, he looked back at the gaining figure and fell over cables lying across the floor. A blood-curdling scream brought a wicked grin to Gavin, she slowed going around the corner and caught sight of Jeremy tangled in the cables.
"I think I broke something!" He cried and whimpered like a baby.
"I hope it was your dick you chauvinistic ego maniac shithead!" She turned and waved to one of the sound people. "We need another ambulance, dick head broke something." She went back over to where her producer was sitting in a chair with a paper bag held over her nose and mouth. "Hey Shelly, how ya doing there?"
Even though she couldn't understand what Shelly was saying, it was the tone and the fire in her brown eyes that clued her in.
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Gavin walked back and forth at the foot of the hospital bed, each turn, she gave Shelly a glare. "I won't do it Shelly, send someone else!" She threw her hands in the air and stomped her feet. "For Gods sakes, every time I go somewhere something horrible happens to me." She pulled up her skirt to show the faint scar on her thigh. "That's from the so-called harmless goose at that damn petting farm! Shelly, I got chased by hundreds of GEESE!"
Shelly grabbed the oxygen mask and placed it over her nose and mouth. "Please Gavin, just do this for me?" She pleaded and took long pulls of air. "Jeremy has a broken arm and leg, not to mention he knocked out two front teeth!" She rolled her eyes when Gavin laughed. "Give it a week and if it's horrible then come back and I'll send someone else?please Gavin." Gavin dropped her head, ran her hands through her hair and sighed.
"One week and if I so much as get a hang nail or a run in my stockings, I'm coming back with a vengeance!"
"Thank you Gavin just let the news director know that you'll do it for us."
"Gods I am so weak!"
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A caravan of different models of box trucks, cube vans and conversions rolled down Interstate 4 heading to Lakeland Florida. People in other vehicles rubbernecked to take in the sight of the equipment on top of the vehicles. Small satellite dishes, long antennas wiping in the breeze, wind speed measuring devices and other stuff that none of them had any idea of their uses. What caught everyone's attention was the black International Step van with an air brushed picture of a silver tornado and the words Storm Troopers in blue over the swirling force. At the next exit, the vehicles pulled off, stopped at a truck stop to fuel up, and get food. Music blasted from speakers on top of a 1990 Ford F-350, the door opened and two scruffy looking women jumped out and jogged over to the black step van.
"Come on T Storm we're starving here!" The tallest woman said and spun her baseball hat on backwards before pulling welders goggles over golden eyes.
"Ya know Dustball; you're a pain in my ass!" A gravelly voice came from the back of the van. "Give me two seconds ta get some clothes on."
"She's driving around naked?" Dustball asked her blonde haired lover Andy.
Hazel eyes twinkled and then peered into the side view mirror on the van. "Would you expect her to be normal like every one else in the world, us excluded of course."
"I heard that and no I was not naked?," Six foot of dark menace jumped out of the side door, she stomped her feet in her engineer boots and grimaced at the sand inside of them. Pushing her dark sunglasses up on top of her head, she pierced them with pale blue amused eyes. "I just didn't want to get the animals all hot and bothered with me running around in my jockeys and bare chest." She looked to the other truck and pointed. "What's Bevis and Butthead doing?"
Andy shrugged her shoulders. "Something about trying to get an uplink to the station, remember we're supposed to drag that news person around with us, what was the name Dustball?"
"Gavin something or nother, some guy outta Atlanta."
"Shit, I forgot all about that, why in the Hell do we have to do this again?"
"Money T, that stuff we don't have right now. Which reminds me, how we gonna fix the Doppler with no money for parts?"
T ran her fingers through her long dark hair and cocked an eyebrow at them. "We send Bevis and Butthead on a mission." The two women covered their faces and pretended that T hadn't said a word.
"Hey! Wait for us!" The other two women of the team came running towards them with huge smirks on their faces. "We got through to the station!" A tall lanky woman with dark blonde hair trotted forward and slapped hands with Dustball. "The station is flying the anchor in?now get this?in a chopper!"
T cocked a dark eyebrow at her and then looked to her partner in crime. "Please Bevis; tell me she's full of shit."
"Sorry boss, but that's what they told us. They said that we should wait here until they get here."
"And how long is that?"
"Ohh about two hours at tops," She said before grabbing her trouble-making partner by the back of her shirt. "Come on Butthead, you owe me supper."
"Do not! I got us through to the station without blowing anything up."
"Ohh don't try and get out of this, you owe me for getting us lost! Ya had the damn map upside down!"
The other three women watched the two friends argue all the way to the café and then followed at a safe distance. "T do we have to sit near them?" Andy asked.
"Not if we can help it."
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The noise in the chopper was deafening even with the headphones on, Gavin held onto the seat with clenched fingers. One of the things she hated about reporting was the times that she had to get in a chopper or plane. Concentrating on not heaving her guts all over the floor, she closed her eyes and hummed to herself.
"We have about two more minutes Gavin before we're there." The pilot told her, then banked the chopper sharply to the left, and just about threw her to the floor.
"OK thanks Jimmy." You ignorant ass, where'd you learn how to fly? "Where are we anyway?" She said into the headset and tried to look out the small window at her shoulder.
"Lakeland Florida, we're meeting the Storm Troopers at a truck stop off Interstate 4, at least that's where Dana Butkis told me."
"Who's Dana Butkis?"
"One of the Troopers, I think she's a computer geek or something."
"Just great, computer geeks, weather freaks and probably perverts to contend with for a week." She smoothed down her silk skirt and straightened her matching jacket. You will pay for this Shelly. She jumped when the chopper touched down and the engine roared to silence.
"Hold on Gavin and I'll help you out and grab your bags." The pilot was gone in a flash leaving her to struggle with the seatbelt and headset. The side door slid back and Jimmy crawled on board to pull her four suitcases, make-up case and other hard covered cases out of the chopper. He then helped her with the seatbelt and gave her a hand down.
"Where are these Storm Toppers?" She asked as she scanned the truck stop and then looked to the pilot.
"Troopers, I have no idea; I guess we'll just look for a bunch of trucks with their name on the side. Butkis said to look for a black step van with a tornado on the sides." Hefting the suitcases in his hands, he gave Gavin a dirty look and stumbled after her. It took them twenty minutes of walking around the parking lot before he saw the van. Dropping her Louis V suitcases on the ground with a thud, he wiped the sweat from his face and grimaced at the ache in his back.
"I'll go to the café and see if I can find them, wait here." He limped off towards the café with Gavin shooting lasers into his back.
"Just throw my stuff on the ground, what do you care if they cost more than you make in a month!" She straightened her suitcases and other bags before making sure that her make-up was perfect and her suit didn't look like she had slept in it.
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T, Dustball and Andy sat one table away from Bevis and Butthead, there was no way they were going to sit anywhere near them in a public place. Their antics were disgusting and perverted and usually got them thrown out of places. Andy covered her eyes when she saw that Butthead had two straws sticking out of her nose and Bevis was shooting spit wads into an old woman's beehive hairdo. Dustball saw the pilot enter the café and look around him, he seemed tired and a little frazzled at the looks he was getting from the truck drivers.
"I think that's the chopper pilot T, you want me to go talk to him?"
T looked over her shoulder and snorted at the thin man with the leather vest and navigator sunglasses. "How do you know he's the pilot?"
"Big clue there T, he still has his headset around his neck."
"Ohh I didn't see that, I'll go see what he has to say." She got up from the table and cast a quick glance at the two troublemakers. "Better yet, come on and we'll talk to him on the way out, it's getting close to having to run for our lives." She tilted her head over to Bevis who was wiggling her fingers at the waitress's ass.
"Damn her to Hell," Dustball grumbled and pointed a finger at the black woman in warning. "Knock it off you idiot." Her reply was a wiggling tongue. T walked up to the man and looked down into his tired brown eyes.
"You a chopper pilot?"
"Yeah, are you Dana Butkis?"
"If I was, I would be holding a loaded pistol to my head and hoping my aim was good." He gave her a funny look and then glanced to Andy and Dustball. "I'm T Storm of the Storm Troopers; you were bringing some guy to tag along with us."
"Ohh yeah, Gavin is at your van. I really have to get back in the air, I do the traffic reports and they might need me for an emergency." He jumped to the side as Bevis and Butthead tore past them with a trucker on their ass.
"That was Butkis in the lead," Andy snorted. "Guess we better go save their stupid asses."
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Gavin walked in a small circle with quick glances to the café, she tried to remain calm even though she was getting lewd looks from dirty truckers. She jumped backwards, tripped over one of her bags, hit the van with her back and slipped to the ground when two women went racing by with a huge trucker running after them. She would have been concerned except that they kept yelling comments over their shoulders about being a fat bastard. Getting to her feet, she brushed off her skirt and cussed a blue streak.
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"So we get stuck with Gavin for a week, what happens after that?" T asked the pilot.
"I guess that's up to Gavin, you'll have to ask?ohh I think it's time for me to go." He turned and ran in the direction of his chopper leaving the women to stare at his retreating back.
"What the Hell was that all about?" T asked.
"Uhhmm?T?take a look near your van." Dustball pointed to the fight in progress. All they could see were dust clouds and figures rolling around in the dirt.
"Who is that over there, if they hurt my van I'll?ohhh SHIT!" She took off at a sprint towards where a trucker was slamming Butthead on the hood of her van and Bevis was helping a woman up off the ground.
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"NEEDLEDICK!" Butkis yelled and grunted when her back hit the hood of the van, they wouldn't have gotten caught if those damn suitcases hadn't been in the way. Now she was getting the shit beat out of her by a trucker who reeked from no soap or water for a least ten years and Bevis was no where to be found. "COCKSUCKER!" She grunted again and felt something break in her ribcage. Then, it all ended with the most beautiful sound her ears had ever heard.
"Hey you dickless wonder do you get your rocks off beating up women." T stomped right up to the trucker and glared into his beady eyes. "Geez ever heard of soap and water?" She covered her nose and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Get away from my van before the paint starts to peel off!"
He shoved her in her chest and yelled. "Fuck off bitch!"
"Ohh ya shouldn't have done that!" Butkis grumbled, slid off the vans hood and hid alongside it to watch the show.
"Did you just call me a bitch?" She shook her head, pulled her sunglasses off and tossed them to Butkis. "Only certain people get to call me a bitch and they're close friends. You are just?," She jumped up, kicked out and caught him under his chin with the toe of her boot. "Never gonna be there." She watched as he dropped to the ground with blood pouring from his mouth. "OK, let's get the Hell outta here before I have to kick the shit outta every trucker in this damn place. Butthead get your scrawny ass in your truck and take Bevis with you."
Andy and Dustball waved to her and pointed to the disheveled blond standing beside Bevis. "Uhhmm T, I think you better come over here." Andy whispered and stepped back from her pissed off friend.
"What is all that crap sitting by my van?"
Gavin clenched her teeth, glared at the tall Storm Trooper and walked up to stand with in inches of her. "That is not crap, those are all my personal belongings in there and who are you?" She jabbed a finger into T's chest.
"Got one better," She narrowed icy blue eyes and glared into flaming green. "Who the HELL are you?" T turned her head at Dustball's urgent call of her name.
"T, the badge on her chest says she's Gavin De La Rouge?ohh my GODS!" She pointed towards the café where a dozen or more truckers were heading their way. They started moving quickly towards their trucks leaving Gavin to stand there spinning in circles with her arms in the air.
"HEY! What about me?"
"Handle it!" T said as she jumped into her van and started the engine.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Gavin yelled at her and then flinched when icy blue eyes burned right to her soul. "You can't leave me HERE!" She started picking up her suitcases and wobbling towards the side door on the van, she stopped when T got out and grabbed them from her hands. Swinging one under hand, T tossed it up on the roofs carrier and did the same with the others. Sliding the door open, she picked Gavin up and tossed her inside before climbing behind the wheel and tearing out of the parking lot. Gavin bounced around inside, fell over a pair of tennis shoes, rolled across the floor and ended up on her back between the front seats.
"Are you insane?" She struggled to her knees and was thrown forward when they hit a huge hole in the parking lot. "Son of a bitch!" She cried out when her head hit the dashboard, stars floated in front of her eyes and then nothing as darkness claimed her.
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Thirty minutes later they were parked in an open field, Butkis was getting her ribs taped and having to put up with snide comments from both Bevis and Dustball. T was on the roof of the truck with the dish for the Doppler system trying to get the wiring replaced with what they had scavenged from other areas. And Gavin was still lying on the floor in her van. She didn't give a damn how much money they would get for having the anchor with them, no amount of money could make her put up with a snobby, holier than thou woman who spent more on suitcases than she did on buying her van. She glanced to where some of the suitcases remained on the roof of her van, she had seen a couple of them fall off with their mad getaway and could only snort and grin wickedly.
"Hey Dustball, turn the dish on so I can see if I got this fixed." She stepped back and waited, as soon as the dish started to move, sparks shot out and smoke followed. "Son of a bitch, I can't fix this with out a new wiring harness." She jumped down from the roof and looked at her two thieves. "You guys up for a little borrowing mission?" One pair of green eyes twinkled while brown ones rolled.
"Whatcha need T?" Butkis asked and yelped when Andy yanked on the wrap around her ribs.
"We need to borrow the wiring harness from Sawyers Doppler system; he's in Bartow right now waiting for the storm front to move in. Knowing that blowhard, he's at the most expensive hotel around. Can ya do it?"
"Butkis rolled her green eyes. "Can ya get a suck job from a tornado, of course we can!"
"You're a dead woman Butthead." Bevis smacked her in the side of her head. "The last time we tried to 'borrow' something they drove off with us on top of the damn truck!"
"How was I supposed to know that they were in there, you said they were in the diner eating." They continued to argue all the way to their truck.
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Gavin groaned and tried to open her eyes, a headache pounded behind her eyes and her back and one shoulder were screaming. Reaching out with one hand, she touched something cold and pulled her hand back. Moving around, she was able to push herself up and see that she was on the floor of the van. Pulling the handle on the passenger side door did nothing; she tried again and cursed her luck. "I'm gonna kill Shelly." Crawling towards the other door, she pulled the handle, crawled forward and fell out on her stomach. Rolling onto her back, she groaned and ran a hand over the huge lump on her forehead. Hearing voices, she turned her head and saw three women standing around a large box truck. Her anger quickly rose and gave her the energy to get up and stager towards them.
"I can't believe you people!" She staggered up to T and poked her in her T-shirt covered chest. "You were gonna leave me to beaten up by truckers, almost kill me with your driving and then leave me on the floor of your filthy van unconscious!"
T snorted at the sight of the small woman before her, her clothes were filthy and torn, her hair standing out at all angles and her face dirty and bruised. "From the looks of you, we should leave you here." Gavin looked down at herself and swore, the designer suit she was wearing cost $2500.00 on sale. "You look a little rough and your expensive clothes are shot."
"And it's your entire fault," She looked around for the culprits. "Where's that idiot that ran me over and my suitcases?"
Andy cleared her throat, took Gavin by her arm and led her over to her and Dustball's truck. "Don't worry about Butkis, she got her ass knocked around and your suitcases are still on T's van. Go in and have a seat and I'll get them down." She stopped and held out her hand. "By the way, I'm Professor Andy Vanson and the shorter woman over there is my wife Professor Dustin Vanson."
Gavin gave her a funny look and shook her hand. "I'm Gavin De La Rouge," She looked to Dustball and back. "You're both professors?"
"Yep, meteorology if ya can believe it. Come on in the truck, it's not much but its home." Gavin got into the truck and couldn't believe what surrounded her, both walls of the truck were covered with monitors and PC towers of every size and shape. Printers, fax machines and a base radio system sat on a wooden bench beneath a collection of flat screen monitors showing weather patterns. At the very back of the truck was a large bed up against the wall with a storage area right above it. She was still looking around when Andy came in carrying two of her suitcases. "I brought these with me; the others are full of camera equipment." She set them down and took a seat at the workbench.
"What happened to the other two, I had four of them?" Her temper was rising again, and grew worse when she opened one that contained only shoes and stockings. "I don't believe this!" She flipped the other open to show only the tops of her designer clothes. Andy hid the grin on her face with a hand and tried not to bust out laughing at the anchors predicament. Gavin slammed the suitcase closed and stood up. "What am I supposed to do for clothes?" She raised her hands out to the sides to show her destroyed suit.
"Maybe some of my clothes will fit you; we're about the same size." She got up, went over to her storage unit, and started to look through what she had. Pulling out a pair of faded Levis, she handed them to Gavin and then a black T-shirt with a picture of a Jack Daniels bottle on the front. "I'll talk to T and see if we can't stop at a store before heading to Winter Haven tomorrow. I'd offer you a shower but that's in the other truck and Bevis and Butkis had to go?get some parts for the Doppler dish."
"Thanks, the shower can wait until we get to a motel." She started to undress and stopped when Andy cleared her throat. "Ohh don't tell me that we're not going to a motel."
"Well, we stay in our trucks when out on the road; we don't have the funding for luxuries like that."
Gavin gave her a curious look and pulled the T-shirt over her head. "What do you mean not enough funding; I thought that the weather service paid for everything?"
"We wish, we have to work for grant money, we're a research team funded by grants and private businesses. The weather service doesn't pay us anything until we come up with something that will help them."
"So you guys live off what?"
"Our savings and what little bit we can put aside after buying and maintaining our equipment. The college helps a little but not much, ya know the football team needs those new shoes every week. Won't matter if our Doppler system goes down and they get blown away with a tropical storm that we could have warned them about if our Doppler and other radars systems were working."
Gavin was finished dressing and pulled a pair of designer boots from her suitcase; she sat pensively for a few minutes. She had no idea that it was so hard to get funding for research; with as important as the weather was, she thought they would be at the top of the list. She looked up into sad hazel eyes and cocked her head to the side. "Was my station going to pay you for having 'me' tag along?"
"At first yeah, but we were originally expecting a Jeremy Lower, we weren't expecting anyone since he got hurt. Then when Butkis told us you were joining us." She held up her hands and shrugged. "T would have all the information since she's the one in charge, including how much the funds are." Andy knew that this was a freebie and any report that Gavin did for her station brought them exactly nothing but maybe a sound bit or two. What she didn't know until now was that Gavin had no idea about the contract with her station.
"That ignorant Amazonian bitch is in charge of this crew?"
"She's really not that bad once ya get to know her, she has a lot of issues with the college and weather service." Andy pulled a binder from the workbench and handed it to Gavin. "This is all the data we got with the last storm system, we would have gotten funding for it but another research team beat us."
Gavin looked at all the print outs of what looked like weather patterns, long columns of numbers made no sense at all to her and then she saw the write up on the last page with the signature of Professor T. Storm. "This is like reading Greek, what's it all mean?"
"Those are the barometric readouts, dew points, temperatures, wind speeds and all kinds of readouts from our scans and Dow system for the last set of tropical storms and hurricanes that hit the islands, and the coast of Florida, Louisiana and Texas." She turned and pointed to a page with a picture of water spots forming over the ocean. "Those formed and then disappeared to later hit up in the northern part of Texas. We tried to send out a warning about it but we had a lightning strike to our dish, Sawyer, the other research team got through but not in time."
"Is that the team that got credit for this information?"
"Yep, ya got it. Sawyer's a rich kid that has his daddy to flip the bill for his equipment and then uses his connections with the weather service to get grants for them."
Green eyes narrowed and looked down at the picture of the waterspouts, flipping to the report on the last page; she read it over and growled. "It says here that the units had been sabotaged beyond immediate repair."
"Sawyer had is crew cut all our cables during the night so that we couldn't send out any information or receive any feeds from the G.O.E.S (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) weather satellite system. We made the mistake of staying in a motel that night because it was dangerous to be in the trucks and we had driven all the way from Wichita."
"What happened after this sabotage was reported?"
"Not a God damn thing, that's what." T said from the doorway. "Andy, we've got the grill going and the hamburgers are almost done." She eyed Gavin and then left to go back to where ever they had the grill.
"So you guys more or less camp out all the time?"
"You got it; we're like a little band of gypsies." She grinned at Gavin and then nodded her head towards the trucks door. "Come on and get something to eat, who knows when the next meal will be."
"Are you guys that low on money?"
"No, we have money for that; it's the storm front that's coming through that will screw up our schedules."
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The darkness hid the two Troopers as they snuck along side of Sawyer's Doppler radar truck, it pissed the Troopers off that he had brand new vehicles and the latest technology and they had pieced together equipment and vehicles at the youngest twelve years old and reconditioned at that. Bevis poked her head up and looked around them seeing nothing, she nodded to Butkis. "All clear not a soul in sight."
"You better be right, if they catch us, T will skin us alive." She crawled up the ladder on the side of the truck, lay on her belly under the Doppler dish and started disconnecting it. Bevis by passed the trucks alarm system, used her lock picks and slipped inside the truck to look around. A huge grin lit up her face at all the fancy stuff around her. Dropping to her knees in front of a control panel, she flipped switches off to the Doppler's power and then unhooked other items that would come in handy. Putting her coup outside in the wheelbarrow they had found at the back of the motel, she then closed the door and waited for Butkis to finish. "Hey Bevis gimme a hand with this." Brown eyes grew wide when the entire Doppler dish was lowered down to her.
"Ohh is he gonna be really pissed off." She chuckled softly and placed the dish in the wheelbarrow. "Come on lets get out of here before we get caught." Bevis ran with the wheelbarrow in front of her with Butkis taking up the rear in case they were seen by anyone. It wouldn't be the first time that they were caught doing something like this and she knew how to draw attention away from her partner in crime.
Stashing all the equipment in their truck, they took the wheelbarrow as well, knowing it would come into use some other time. Jumping in, they took off slowly from where they had parked the truck not wanting to draw attention. Once out on the Highway, they cranked up the stereo and drove the twenty miles back to where the rest of the team was waiting.
Gavin sat in a chair under the awning that Dustball had pulled out on their truck; she had never met women like the Troopers before. They teased each other unmercifully, told filthy jokes and shared everything that they owned without a second thought. It was in unguarded moments that she saw tenderness in the dark Professor Storm; she showed more compassion for her friends than she saw in all of the married friends she had. With a quick glance from pale blue eyes, the tenderness changed to coldness and chilled Gavin. "It's like watching a storm front come in." She said to herself and rolled her head on her shoulders. "What do you know about anything Gavin, you're a news anchor that just relays the facts that other people get you." Rubbing her tired eyes, she looked to see headlights cutting through the darkness and then music coming from the speakers on the roof of the box truck. The others came running from the table they had set up near the van to watch Bevis pull the truck beside Andy and Dustball's DOW (Doppler on Wheels) truck. Butkis came around the back of the truck a few minutes later with a huge grin on her face. "He is gonna be soooo pissed!" She stepped aside to reveal Bevis pushing the overloaded wheelbarrow.
"Ohh my Gods, what all did you two rip off?" T asked as she shinned a flashlight on the coup.
"What ever wasn't welded down." Bevis handed her a brand new top of the line video camera with telephoto lens. "Did we do good or what?"
Gavin looked at all the stuff and felt an anger take hold of her, she wasn't mad at what they had done but at the powers that be that left them no choice if they wanted to do their job that was so important to the survival of many people. She made a promise to herself that she would do what she could to help them with their funding problems. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she walked off a ways and called her general manager at the station.
"Jerry, this is Gavin, I want to know about the funding for the Storm Troopers." She listened to him move some papers around and then his voice was low and controlled.
"According to my papers here, the contract is for five thousand dollars for two months. That was when it was for Jeremy to accompany them, since you're there; the contract is null and void."
"You're kidding right? The contract should still be good no matter who's here!" She barked into the phone.
"Nope, he's the one who got the contract with their boss and from what he told me, he haggled over the price for a solid week before she would agree."
"What do you mean haggled; five thousand is chicken shit to what we give out for research. We spend more than that for the chopper to give traffic reports!"
"They wanted eight thousand and he talked them down to five?,"
She cut him off with a deep growl. "Let me guess, he picked up a bonus because of this. How much was the board willing to grant them and don't lie to me because I'll make another phone call and find the truth?"
He cleared his throat and mumbled the figure to her. "But that's not the point anymore, the contract is no good and we have a clause in there that we don't have to pay if we back out or Jeremy was unable to accompany them because of uncontrollable circumstances."
"BULLSHIT! I want the full amount and if I don't have it in my account by the morning, I will go to the nearest station, go on the air and let the world know what kind of deals you assholes pull, especially sending me out here and not funding them."
"Gavin, if you do that you'll never get another anchor job, think about it. What's so important about giving a bunch of research mice money to chase storms?"
"You're an asshole; do you realize that these people are the ones that let us know when a tornado is coming? As for a job, I can go to CNN, be an anchor, and make triple of what I make now. Just think of the Nielsen ratings if I leave." She heard his intake of breath and knew that the sweeps would be nothing if she left the station. A wide grin came to her face when she heard his next words.
"It'll be there by 8am tomorrow morning, don't make me regret this Gavin."
She didn't say a word, folding her phone closed, she went back over to watch the women act like it was Christmas and they just got what was on their wish list. She saw the gleam in T's eye and then was shocked when she kissed Bevis and Butkis on their cheeks. Now I know why she feels hatred toward me, she knew that me being here would make the contract void and take away the tiny bit of money from their research. I can't really blame her, but I can make it easier for them. Walking up to Andy, she pulled her aside and spoke into her ear.
"Sure we can do that in the morning, we have to stop and get food so going to the nearest bank is not a problem."
"Where can I sleep tonight?" She hadn't thought of it until she felt herself yawning earlier.
"You can sleep in T's van, she won't care."
"She hates me and wanted to leave me behind, I don't think she wants me any where near her."
"Don't worry about her; she doesn't sleep in there unless it's really bad outside."
"Where does she sleep then?" She followed Andy's finger to see a hammock strung up between their two trucks. "She sleeps outside in a hammock? What is she nuts?"
"Nope, she likes to look at the stars."
"Just lovely, probably naked as well so the moon beams can give her a moon tan." She didn't see the smirk covering Andy's face. Yawning, she looked towards the black van with the light on inside.
"Go on and get some sleep, you'll see her bed along one wall."
"She won't come in and throw me out on the ground will she?"
"No, I'll tell her your in there, don't worry, her bark's a lot worse than her bite."
"Not from what I saw today." She mumbled to herself before going into the black van. Looking around for the first time, she saw all the equipment that was stowed in wire cages and the workbench covered with large rolls of weather maps and other assorted papers. A laptop sat on a small table by the twin-sized bed, the screen saver brought a smile to her face. It was Dr. Evil's Mini Me running across the screen after his cat and yelling eeeeeeehhh! She sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled off her boots and her borrowed Levis before curling on her side. Pulling the pillow closer to her head, she picked up the soft scent of a citrus and a soft musk that had to be T. Closing her eyes, she drifted off into a restful sleep to the sound of a low deep voice outside of the van.
"OK Dustball, hand me that can of spray paint." T sprayed the new dish with a rust colored primer in a few places to make it look old; she didn't want Sawyer to spot his dish on the roof of the DOW and hoped this would help. With the final touch placed on the solid tower of the dish, she ran her fingers over the Mini Me decal and wiggled her brows at Dustin. "That should do it, how are we doing with the rest of the equipment?"
Bevis held up a thumb and tossed a frayed cable wire into the spare parts box they had on the ground. "Just finished with installing the new radar screens and rewired one of our servers. We should be good as gold when the storms hit." She pulled Butkis out from under their truck and took the old parts from her hand. "Are we gonna use one of the turtles?"
"Only if we can get close enough to get one in a tornados path, remember only one's ever been sucked up and that was years ago."
Andy snorted at T. "I know damn well that you would anchor yourself down and wait for the suck hole to come over you and personally toss a turtle inside." T just wiggled her eyebrows at her and grinned as she walked towards her van. "Ohh ahh T, I told Gavin she could sleep in your bed." Andy shrunk behind her wife when icy blue eyes swung her way. "Hey now, it's not her fault they pulled the funds from under us. She seemed upset about our funding problems." T shook her head and went into her van; she walked slowly towards her bed and gazed down at the small woman. A feeling came over her that she couldn't name, she reached out a finger and pushed back the silky blonde hair that had fallen over an eye. She watched Gavin sleep for a couple minutes until a soft snore whispered through her lips and she fidgeted with the pillow. Pulling a sheet up over her, she then grabbed her shorts from the foot of the bed and changed. Taking a spare pillow out with her, she crawled into her hammock and lay watching the clouds drift across the sky.
In the wee hours of the morning, T woke to her hammock swinging back and forth, the rustle of trees and the awning popping with the wind. Opening one eye, she caught sight of the dark clouds above and a flash of lightening high up in the sky. Rolling to her side, she watched out across the expanse of field and saw small gusts of wind hit the grass and then stop only to start again in another area. Getting out of her hammock, she ran over to the table and watched the numbers jump on the laptops screen. The temperatures were changing and winds were picking up north of where they were, from the Doppler read out, a storm was coming off the ocean with winds ranging from 90mph to 110. A wide smile came to her face with the knowledge, giving out a yell; she ran to Andy and Dustin's truck, went in and shook the women awake.
"Come on the storms brewing!" She left their truck, went over to Bevis and Butkis', and yanked them out of their bunk beds before going back out to watch the numbers change on the laptop. Minutes later the other four joined her and watched the screen over her shoulder. "I'd say we have maybe an hour and a half before it hits the coast and if the winds keep up at that speed or increase?maybe an hour before it hits around here."
"OK, we'll get packed up, get everything running in the truck for the chase." Dustin ran back to their truck to get everything running. Andy looked to T's van and saw no movement inside; she looked back to T and spoke with a hesitant voice. "You didn't kill her last night did you?"
"Nope, but after we get the chase on, she may feel like committing suicide." She grinned and started packing up their gear. "We'll stop at the grocery store for food and then wait until we have a direction to head off in."
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Gavin felt the bed dip to one side and then blasting music; she opened one eye and looked out the windshield to see stuff going past. Stretching, she sat up on the bed and looked for her Levis and boots. With one leg in her pants, she danced around and ended up on her ass when they took a corner. Cursing T under her breath, she struggled into her pants and stumbled up to hold onto the back of the driver's seat.
"Where are we?"
"Close to the shopping center." T growled while looking into the rearview mirror, she forced her face to not break into a grin when she saw how rough Gavin looked in the morning. Her make-up was rubbed off one side of her face, black smudges under her eyes and her hair looked like she dried it by sticking her head out the window. "We'll stop and get groceries and breakfast before looking for the storm." Gavin looked to the passenger seat and almost busted out laughing, seat belted in was a life-size Mini Me with a pair of sunglasses on, a flowered shirt and Bermuda shorts. T saw where Gavin was looking and growled. "Touch Mini Me and I'll throw you out the window."
"Try it Professor Thunderhead and I'll take him with me." She stepped between the seats, unfastened the seat belt, sat down and placed Mini Me on her lap. At the sound of a grumbling noise, she glanced sideways to see bared teeth and twitching hands on the steering wheel. "Calm down or I'll send my flying monkey's to kidnap Mini me."
"Maybe a house will fall on you during the storm, better yet maybe the Wizard will call you home to Oz!" Her laugh sent shivers down Gavin's spine and the gleam in her eyes made her look like a lunatic.
"Just great, I'm stuck in a vehicle with a cross between Toto and Dr. Evil."
T cast a glance to her side, grinned and purred. "Welcome to my lair."
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Gavin waited in line at the bank, she was about to smack the shit out of the old woman in front of her. She kept arguing with the bank teller about how she had bought three rolls of quarters and not gotten a single new quarter from Texas. Gavin growled and looked to the next teller who was counting out quarters for another old woman. "Listen people, you will all be DEAD before the entire 50 some states come out in quarters, so get the Hell out of here!" The old people jumped and shot her terrified glares, a few of them headed for the doors making her next in line. Looking out the window to make sure the Troopers trucks were still across the street in the parking lot, she ran up to the teller and handed her the withdraw slip and asked for her balance.
The teller gave her a funny look and then told her the amount. "It says here that you have $40, 212.00."
"I want to withdraw twenty thousand and two hundred dollars."
The teller almost fell over at the large sum of money but nodded her head and went in the back to get it for her. She looked to the old woman still bickering about quarters, searched in her pocket and tossed a Texas quarter across the counter to her. "Damn anal retentive people; go buy a damn Star magazine." She turned back to the teller, took the thick envelope, and ran out the door just as T and the others came out of the grocery store. Stuffing the envelope in her back pocket, she helped them unload the bags and place them inside the refrigerator in Bevis and Butkis's truck or what they called the B&B truck. Once everything was loaded, she looked to Andy with a smirk on her face, pulled the envelope out and waved it at her. Taking out two hundred, she walked up to T and handed her the envelope.
"I got your money from my station."
T looked at the envelope and then into twinkling green eyes. "The contract was void; there was a clause in it, we don't get anything."
"Yeah well, I made my own contract and that's the money that was included in the contract."
T opened the envelope and ran her fingers through the bills, steel blue eyes looked up and froze Gavin where she stood. "I don't want this." She handed it back and walked to her van.
"Now hold on one damn minute you Thunder headed idiot!"
T spun on her heel and glared at Gavin, she strode forward and grabbed the front of her T-shirt. "We are not a charity case!" Gavin grabbed a hold of T's shirt and pulled her closer.
"I never said you were that money is what the board of directors had planned on giving you in the first place! But you ohh great blockheaded idiot asked for eight measly thousand dollars and then let that asshole dickless wonder Jeremy talk you down to five thousand! Now take the damn money and get your equipment fixed!" She shoved T away from her and walked back to where the others were standing with open mouths. "I swear she is the most maddening woman I have ever met!" She looked over her shoulder at a glaring T and continued with her tirade. "Dresses Mini Me up like a damn Floridian, he's probably the only one who will listen to her." She stuck her tongue out at T and watched her shake her head, run her hands through her long dark hair and get into her van.
Bevis and Butkis looked at each other and jumped into their truck; Andy opened her mouth a few times and then looked to Dustin.
"Ohhh boy Gavin," Dustin whispered. "No one has ever gotten away with what you just did and didn't end up in the ICU." She pulled Gavin closer and whispered. "How much did you try and give her?"
"Twenty thousand."
Dustin grabbed onto her and sunk to her knees. "Twenty thousand dollars!" She held out her arms and did waves at Gavin's feet. Andy spun Gavin around and gave her a little shove in vans direction.
"Go give her that money even if you have to knock her down and shove it down her shirt."
"I might enjoy that." She mumbled on her way to the van, Andy gave her back a wide-eyed look and then grinned to her wife. "Ohh I see a love connection!" She pulled Dustin to her feet and then got into their truck.
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Gavin pulled the vans door open, crawled over the top of T, shoved the envelope down her shirt, then moved Mini Me from the other seat, and sat down. "Now take that money and get the equipment that you need."
"Why did you do this?" T asked in a low voice.
"What you guys do out there is important and people need the information you get. I don't know exactly what you guys do but I do know that Bevis and Butkis wouldn't have risked jail time to steal equipment if it wasn't important." She looked at T's strong profile, the way her cheekbones sloped down to a strong clenched jaw, how her bangs covered her dark expressive brows making her fingers itch to brush them back. Her attention was pulled to the flash of lightening and a loud clap of thunder. "Ahhh Toto aren't we supposed to be chasing a storm or something?" She glanced back to see the scariest thing in her life. T's face had transformed into a feral mask, she reached for the broken door handle and struggled.
T turned icy blue eyes to her and growled. "Time to play with Mother Nature."
"Ohh shit I'm gonna die!" Gavin squeaked, pulled the seatbelt tight and held onto Mini Me. T started the van, flipped the flashing lights on the roof on and tore out of the parking lot with the others following. The storm front came rushing through, winds rocked the vehicles from side to side and rain slashed at the windshield in blinding currents. Gavin was having a hard time seeing anything even with the windshield wipers on full. With each crack of thunder, she jumped in the seat and squeezed Mini Me, at one point he let out a funny Eeeehhhh noise and almost gave her a heart attack. Pulling the mic to the radio to her mouth, T called back to Andy.
"What have we got here Andy?"
"Storm cell is moving in on top of a fifteen degree temperature difference, winds coming from the south clocking in at 97 to 130mph, another cell moving in from the east?T they're gonna hit!"
"Butkis which way do we need to go?"
"Take the next exit off this road, 2 ¼ miles take a left that should bring us right to the zero zone."
Gavin didn't know how any of them knew what was going on, she still couldn't see a thing and was getting nauseous from the rocking of the van.
"What are we gonna do T?"
"Chase it down and kick its ass." She grabbed the mic again and called back to Butkis.
"Hey Butthead, get the camera's ready and I need a turtle pack, catch up and toss it through the door."
"Gotcha T, on the way!"
Gavin gasped and held onto the seatbelt for dear life when T let go of the steering wheel, leaned over the seat and slid the door back. She watched as the B&B came along side of them and tossed a black and silver square through the sliding door. "Hey Gavin, can ya close the door before the wind flips us?"
"You won't swerve and toss me out the door will you?"
"No but if you don't hurry the wind will toss us." She fought with the wheel and then the rain eased to show a dark skyline ahead of them and twins reaching down from the sky. "Holy shit," She grabbed the mic. "We got sisters up here, hang back guys we're going in."
"You be careful up there T." Andy replied.
T swung the van off the road and took off across a narrow ditch, Gavin bounced around the van and cursed under her breath. Her jaw fell open when she saw the twin tornados ahead of them. "Ohh my Gods where are you going?" She held onto the back of T's seat with both hands. Please tell me we're not going near those things."
"Ohh yes we are, hang on it's gonna get rough." She fought with the steering wheel and took off diagonally to where she thought the twins would head. With the way the axis' were spinning, she hoped that they didn't switch back and run right into them. The radio cracked and Andy yelled over the radio.
"T get out of there, the other cell is coming in right over the top of you!"
Gavin gasped. "Ohh shit that doesn't sound good to me."
"It's not; believe me we are in deep shit right now." T slammed on the brakes, spun the wheel, took the van down an embankment, and headed towards a large drainage pipe under the road. She slid the van sideways, grabbed a video camera, put a radio headset around her neck, clipped the radio to her belt and grabbed the turtle pack. "Take the camera and get in the pipe, I'll be right back." Gavin watched with terrified eyes as T lurched against the wind with the box in her hand, she was out maybe a hundred foot when she staked the box to the ground and tried to run back to where the van was. Gavin could feel her heart slam against her ribs each time T was thrown to the ground. Placing the camera up on her shoulder, she hit the trigger and started filming everything on instinct alone. T came alongside the back of the van when the wind picked her up and slammed her against the back doors; she hit the ground and lay still. Gavin ran forward, grabbed her by the front of her T-shirt and dragged her into the drainage pipe with her. Laying the camera on the ground, she pulled T into her arms and held onto her as the wind roared outside of the pipe. She looked up from where her face was buried in T's neck to see the van flipped over on its side and pulled across the muddy ground. Debris tore through the pipe and bounced off them, rain and hail tore through to pelt their bodies and then it was over. She heard tiny voices coming from T's chest and noticed the headset draped around her neck. Finding the radio, she pulled the headset off of her and spoke into it.
"Andy I need some help, T's unconscious and the vans on its side!"
"We're on our way just hold tight!" She yelled back over the radio. Pulling T closer to her body, she pushed her wet hair away from her face and saw blood running down from a gash on her temple, her fingers found a good-sized knot right above it and another cut on her scalp. Using the bottom of her T-shirt, she wiped the blood and mud from her face. She sat rocking her and staring at the peaceful expression. "You're a beautiful woman but you have one nasty attitude when it comes to me."
"That's because you're a pain in the ass, high fluting, designer dressed midget and those boots are the ugliest damn things I have ever seen."
Gavin smiled and wiped an errant tear from her eye. "That's the longest sentence I've heard you say."
"Where's my van?" She tried to sit up and felt Gavin hold her tighter.
"Don't move, you have a knot on your head and you're bleeding."
"I've had worse, now where's my van?"
"Out there somewhere on its side, Andy and the others are on their way."
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Butkis hooked a chain to the rack on T's van and then ran it to the back of their truck; she waved to Bevis and ran out of the way, as the van was pulled back up onto its wheels. Giving out a yell, she punched a hand in the air and ran over to take the chain off. T was slapping at Andy and Gavin's hands as they tried to check her for more injuries.
"Will you mother hens stop it all ready, I only got tossed around not sucked."
"You ain't been sucked in years; well?there was that one woman truck driver with no teeth."
"She had teeth, just not with her at the time."
Gavin's eyebrows lurched into her hairline; she looked over to Andy and saw her face break out in a huge grin.
"T, what she did to you was disgusting!"
"Was not, I've seen you and Dustball do worse, wasn't my fault she had a foot fetish."
"T, she got off licking your boots!"
Gavin snorted and tapped T on her shoulder. "What did you get out of it?"
"Clean boots and a toothless stalker." She slapped Andy's hand away from her ribcage and got up. "Stop or I'll call her and tell her you think she's hot."
"Hey T get over here, we got numbers from the turtle!" Dustin waved a stack of papers at her and went back inside their truck; Andy let out a yell and ran behind her leaving a confused Gavin looking after them.
Bevis stepped up to her and asked. "Did I hear Dustball say we got turtle numbers?"
"Yeah, what's a turtle anyways besides what T will move like in the morning?"
"Ohh it was that box we tossed into the van, to record, this is the second one in history to make it into the vortex. It gives us the wind speeds, temperatures, pressures and a couple other things from inside the tornado.
"So this is good news then?"
"Ohhh yeah this is good news, come on and I'll try and explain it to ya."
Gavin was more confused now than before, the numbers rolling up the screen meant absolutely nothing to her. She found it amazing that they could look at them and know what they meant and then take a map and draw graphs on it to show where the winds and every thing changed as it moved. Then she saw the Doppler read outs and just thought it looked like pretty colors. She thought T was going to throw her out of the truck for that comment. The crowning of the night came when they looked at the tape from the camera she had been using, her heart beat rapidly in her chest when she watched T get tossed around by the wind and then thrown into the van again. Having seen enough and feeling the strain of the day crushing down on her, she left the truck to use the shower in the B&B truck.
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T rubbed her eyes and looked to her friends with a tired smile. "I'm dead guys, I'm gonna take a shower and turn in for the night." She slowly got up from the chair and groaned with pain.
"You're not going to sleep in your hammock tonight are you?" Dustin asked and pulled up the newest Doppler report. "We still have thunderstorms in the area.
"Nope, my bed sounds really good, see ya in the morning guys." She limped from the van and went to take a shower to wash off all the dried mud. Gavin pulled T's pillow to her chest, rolled to face the wall and sighed when her body relaxed into the soft mattress. She had just started to drift off when she heard soft footsteps and then the bed sinking down. She lay perfectly still and pretended to be asleep until she felt warm breath on her cheek and smelled the scent of toothpaste. "You're not a grabby handed pervert are you?"
Gavin turned her head and came nose to nose with T. "Nope but I snore?really loud." She turned her head and closed her eyes.
"Sorry about your luck because I am." She held back a chuckle when Gavin stiffened and moved further away when she lay down.
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T let out a low moan; she could feel every single bruise and scrap on her body screaming. Stretching her long legs, she felt ice cold feet and pulled them back with a jerk. With one eye, she looked at the tousled blonde head next to her shoulder and let out another groan. She had forgotten all about Gavin being in bed with her and then noticed that her hand was resting on a small ass. When she swung her legs over the edge, a whistling noise caught her attention; she stopped, waited and heard it again along with a small grunt. Peering over her shoulder, she snickered when Gavin continued to whistle through her parted lips.
"Snore my ass, you sound like a guinea pig," She remembered her eating habits from the meal they had and added. "And eat like a hog, just call ya piglet."
She wandered out to the table they had set up by the grill and dropped down into the chair to go over some papers from the NSSL. She knew that the storm fronts coming in would have them running across state lines but she didn't want to hit one state and find that the storm had blown itself out. Her other problem was Sawyer, she knew that eventually that he would come looking for them about his equipment. She turned her head, looked at the Doppler dish, and got an idea. Going back into her van, she grabbed a couple cans of light grey spray paint, some decals and other odds and ends that had been on the old one. "The old one, where did they hide it?" She asked herself and tried to think of a way of getting rid of it so that Sawyer wouldn't become curious as to how they had been able to afford two of them. He knew about their grant problems since he was the reason why they had so much trouble getting them. She went up the ladder on the side of Andy's truck and went to work on weathering the dish.
Gavin rolled over and felt the cold sheets beneath her body; she opened one eye and looked around the dim van. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she yawned and looked for her Levis. Seeing an old flannel shirt on the foot of the bed, she grabbed it and put it on over her bra. "Too hot for long pants?too hot for humans." She wiped her sweaty hair back from her neck, stumbled in her underwear and barefoot from the van and cringed from the bright sunlight. Shading her eyes, she looked around and only saw Bevis sitting at the table working on a video camera. A soft curse floated on the humid air and then a yelp, she looked up onto the DOW and snorted when T hit her head again and fell backwards off the truck to land in the dirt. "Hey Toto, you're a danger to yourself." She walked past her and went to the coffee pot sitting on a stool outside of the B&B. Fixing two cups, she put extra sugar in one for T and went over to her. "Have some coffee Toto."
T brushed the dirt from her ass and took the coffee with a growl. "My names not Toto."
"It matches your temperament." She walked over to Bevis and dropped down into the other chair. "She's sure cranky in the morning."
Bevis glanced at the cursing T and then gave Gavin a crooked smile. "That's her good mood you just saw, you should see when she doesn't get her rocks off the night before."
A brow raised over a green eye, Gavin tapped her fingers on the papers in front of Bevis. "She did not get her rocks off with me."
"Ohh she doesn't need you for that," She pointed to the angry dark clouds. "That's what gets her off, lightening, high winds and the most dangerous of all, a tornado."
"She gets off on almost getting killed? She IS crazier than I thought."
"Not really crazy," Dustin said over her shoulder. "More like in search of the past." She sat on the ground beside Gavin and played with her coffee cup. "I've known her all our lives; she changed right after her parents were killed in a tornado that hit Jordan Oklahoma in 1976." She ran a finger across the top of her cup before looking up into green eyes. "It was an F5 tornado with winds hitting almost 300mph, she lost her whole family."
"Ohh Gods?," Gavin looked to where T was standing with her back to them starring out at the dark angry clouds, bolts of lightening shot across the sky and disappeared in the clouds. "What happened afterward?I mean who took care of her?"
"My grandma took her in, her parents were only children and she doesn't have any other family but me, the rest of the crew and grandma. She still sees the center of that tornado after it took her parents, I've always had the feeling that she wants to join them. Their remains were never found Gavin; she's never accepted that they're dead."
"But that's 16 years ago?how could she,"
"Gavin, she was only six at the time, one minute her parents were right beside her and the next thing they were gone. She blames herself for it not taking her." Bevis put a hand on her shoulder and looked into misty green eyes.
"We protect her as best we can, but one day she may just jump in to the suck zone."
Gavin saw that T had wandered out farther towards where the lightening was striking the ground, her pulse picked up and made her do something she never thought she would do, she went running after the tall professor.
"Hey what in the Hell are those two doing out there?" Andy pointed to where T and Gavin were rolling around in the dirt and mud.
"I think they're fighting over T not getting a suck job." Butkis said and watched the two women flip each other in the mud.
"So Gavin knows T's dirty secret huh?"
"Yep, I told her and I know T's gonna beat my ass when she gets done." Dustin shivered at the thought.
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"Ahhh come on Toto, I know you can do better than that, I saw you remember?" Gavin danced like a boxer and wiggled her fingers at the snarling professor. "What's the matter Toto didn't get you Kibble and Bits this morning?"
"You look good covered in mud, Piglet!" T made whistling noises and kicked mud at Gavin.
"Piglet? Where in the Hell did you get that from and pigs don't whistle!"
"Ohh but you and Guinea pigs do!" She ducked the handful of mud Gavin threw at her and whistled. "Here little piggy piggy!" She laughed and then let out an OMMPPFF when she hit the ground. Gavin grabbed handfuls of mud and smeared them all over T's face.
"Gotta make sure ta kill all your fleas!" She let out a yell when T flipped her over her head and pounced on her, mud flew through the air along with curses and dirty names. They would have continued if Andy hadn't started screaming and pointed to the storm clouds coming right over them.
"Get your asses moving!" She screamed and jumped up and down. "Dumb shits gonna get hit by lightening!" She ran back to help the others pack up the trucks and make sure the radars were all functioning properly. Bevis and Butkis mounted video cameras on the side of their truck, ran the remotes through the window and closed the door against the churning wind and slanting rain. They watched T and Gavin push and shove each other all the way to the van and then fight over who was getting through the side door. "And she calls us immature asses." Bevis said and shot a grin to Butkis.
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"Get out of my way, this is my van!"
"I don't give a flying leap but you will when Mini Me gets thrown out the window!" Gavin jumped on T's back and crawled over the top of her into the van. "Dr. Evil!"
"Piglet!"
"Where's that damn doll?" Gavin searched the front of the van, crawled around on her hands and knees and gave out a yell when she found Mini Me. "Wonder if you'll shrink?"
"Wonder if those are Victoria Secrets?" T stood behind her looking down at Gavin's silk covered ass.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She crawled to the front seat, sat down, and wiggled Mini Me at T. "So what's Mini Me got under his clothes?"
"A black garter belt and crotch less panties, not that crotch less panties interest you."
"Ya never know but why do they interest you on a male doll?"
T shook her head and groaned. "How the Hell did we get on this topic?" She picked up her headset and radio and turned it on. "Guys what do ya'll think of crotch less panties?" Gavin rolled her eyes when hoots and howls came over the headset. "Answer your question Piglet?"
"Yeah, I'm surrounded by perverts." She shivered when she thought about what was in one of her suitcases. I'm just as bad as they are; wonder if the batteries are still good? "Are we gonna sit here and let the storm wash us away or what?"
"Ohh I was thinking of taking a shower and waiting until it was over before heading to?hey Dustball, where's the storm heading and is there anything bigger happening out there?" She waited a few minutes and heard Dustin answer her.
"We've got a huge storm cell heading up towards Texas from the Alabama coast, another one coming from the west that will collide with that one if the wind speeds stay the same."
"Looks like we're going to the yellow rose state." T stated and leaned back in her seat to see Gavin roll her eyes when loud music blared from the B&B and the crew started singing.
There's a yellow rose in Texas, That I am going to see,
nobody else could miss her, not half as much as me.
She cried so when I left her it like to broke my heart,
and if I ever find her, we nevermore will part.
She's the sweetest little rosebud That Texas ever knew,
her eyes are bright as diamonds, They sparkle like the dew;
You may talk about your Clementine, And sing of Rosalee,
But the YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS Is the only girl for me.
"I must have really been a horrible person in a past life." Gavin cocked an eyebrow at the singing T and went back to looking out the windshield, she wiped the fog from in front of her, squinted her eyes and pointed. "Toto, who's that coming this way?" She watched the bright red trucks coming across the field and looked over to see T clench her jaws.
"Ohh fuck me to death!" She flung open her door and stood stoically in the rain. Gavin watched as the wind blew her long dark hair, rain trailed down her high cheekbones and that her T-shirt was transparent. She couldn't drag her eyes away from the sight of hardened nipples straining against the thin material and felt her center twitch with arousal.
"Gavin you are a big dog, looking at her tits and acting like a bitch in heat!" She ran her hands over her muddy face and moaned when T threw her arms out to the side making the shirt tighter. "Yeah baby!"
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"What in the Hell do you want Sawyer?"
A tall man jumped down out of a Ford 250 truck in red raingear and high rubber boots, he pushed his baseball hat up to show flinty blue eyes and snarling features. "You sent your dykes to steal my Doppler and other stuff and I want it all back!"
"I did no such thing; our Doppler is working fine so why would we need yours?"
"There's no one else who would need the stuff and Bevis and Butthead always steal what you need!" He yelled and stepped closer to her to shove her in the chest. "I want it back NOW!"
Gavin pushed the door open and jumped out to stand beside T; she looked up at Sawyer and shook her head. "We didn't steal anything from you, take a look at our Doppler and tell me that's yours"
"What are you doing Piglet?" T whispered hoarsely into her ear.
"Trust me Toto, I'm good at this. Remember, I'm an anchor, I get paid to make people believe things." She watched as Sawyer went over to the DOW and looked up at the battered rusted dish with clothes hangers, duct tape, and wire holding it together. Walking around the entire truck, he saw the frayed cables and wires running from the dish down into a hole on the side of the truck. He jumped, slipped and fell on his ass in the mud when a golden eye looked out through the hole. Gavin walked around the side of the truck and looked down at Sawyer.
"Now I don't know about you but I would not steal that piece of shit."
"You dykes better hope I don't find out that you did it or I'll?,"
"What call your daddy and cry?" T said and started laughing when he struggled to get up. "Now get the Hell outta here before I kick your ass and call the police and file a harassment charge."
"Harassment, I didn't harass anyone!" He got to his feet and shoved her in the chest again. Gavin stepped in between them and shoved him back.
"Ohh I know you shoving her was harassment."
T pointed at him over Gavin's shoulder and grinned. "And insinuating that we're all dykes, we are but she's not. So before you get your ass kicked by Piglet here, you better run along and call your daddy." They watched him splash away, get in his truck and leave in a spinning of tires and flying mud. "Stupid damn fucker." She mumbled and walked back over to her van with Gavin following. She yanked her T-shirt over her head and stood letting the rain wash the mud from her body. Using her shirt, she rubbed the mud from her legs and snorted when stripping music came from the speakers on B&B. She turned and shook her breasts for her audience and snorted when Gavin's eyes shoot wide and her feet went out from under her.
Bevis and Butkis jumped up and down in their truck and howled at the look on Gavin's face. Andy clamped a hand over her mouth and elbowed Dustin but not before her comment came over the speaker on their truck. "She likes your tits T!" Gavin fell back in the mud, covered her red face and prayed for a lightening strike right on her head.
"Come on Piglet before you get washed away." T grabbed a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's get cleaned up and get ready to head out of here."
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T and Dustin sat on a bench outside of the GAP while Gavin and Andy were inside shopping. They don't know how it happened, but they had gotten haggled into stopping at the nearest mall so that Gavin could buy some clothes. T was a little saddened; she was enjoying the small blonde running around in her underwear. She rolled her eyes when she saw them come out of the store with more bags to add to the two dozen already sitting at their feet. "Women, they'll give ya a hernia and then want ya ta pay for supper too." T grumbled and spilt the bags with Dustin. "Where's the kids at?" She looked around and spotted Bevis and Butkis in KB Toys. "I really don't want to know what they're getting in there." They struggled with the bags to where the other two were and rolled there eyes at the stupid hats they were wearing. Bevis had antlers and Butkis had earflaps that made her look like a basset hound.
"Teeeeee, do we really have to walk with them?" Dustin whined and tried to hide behind her wife.
Butkis laughed and pulled a baseball hat over T's head. "Ohh its YOU T!" She spun the propeller on the top and took off running with Bevis when T tried to kick her. Gavin and Andy snorted and took turns spinning the propeller.
"Ohh come on guys, its bad enough being a pack horse." She whimpered when Gavin shoved more bags at her and dragged Andy with her to a maternity and baby store. She stopped and gawked at them and turned to the Dustin. "Are you holding something back from me?"
Dustin pointed a finger at herself and shook her head. "Not me, how about you?"
"Don't look at me; I have no idea what they're doing in there." They dropped down on a bench and looked at all the men sitting just as they were. "This is terrible Dustball, we're just like men."
"Nope, we're better; we don't waste blood on a part that only works half the time."
"That's true."
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Andy looked over Gavin's shoulder as she pulled infant clothes off a rack, she was curious as to why she was looking at baby clothes. "Hey Gavin got a bun in the oven?"
Gavin gave her a wicked grin and shook her head. "Nope, but there's a baby in a certain black van."
Andy gave her a funny look and then it hit her. "Ohh Mini Me! She did an imitation of Fat Bastard "Gimme that baby!"
"Ohhh look at this Andy!" She held up a pink dress with white ruffles around the bottom and sleeves. "Dr. Evil will have a heart attack!"
"Her and Dustin are probably already having those; T probably thinks you're pregnant."
"Fat chance on that, anything with a dick makes me homicidal."
"That's interesting, why is that?"
Gavin turned to her and busted out laughing; she squeezed Andy's shoulder and walked up to the counter with the dress still laughing.
The sales woman gave her a wide smile and took the dress from her hand. "Is this all for you?this will look beautiful on your little girl."
Gavin gave her a toothy grin and corrected her. "Little boy." Andy busted out laughing at the sales woman's horrified look and stumbled from the store.
Dustin bumped shoulders with T. "This looks bad T." They watched Andy stumble from the store, cross over to them and drop down onto her wife's lap. "Baby what is so funny?"
"Gavin's scared the shit outta the sales woman."
"What were you two doing in there anyway?" T asked and watched Gavin coming towards them with a smug look on her face and swinging a bag. "Is she pregnant?"
"Depends on if you gave her a spit baby."
"Hey I haven't touched her, besides, she's straight."
"Ohh yeah, just like the snake river." Andy said under her breath and grinned at the look on T's face.
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The theater lit up with the lights from the light sabers in Dooku and Yoda's hands, the audience yelled and rooted for Yoda as he spun in the air and struck out at Dooku. Gavin and Andy slunk down in their seats when T, Dustin, Bevis and Butkis jumped up and fought in the aisle with light sabers of their own. Chasing each other up and down the aisle came to a screaming halt when security escorted them out under the yells from their audience. T gave them a bow before she was shoved out the door. Gavin and Andy covered their faces and went out a few minutes later to find the troublemakers in the middle of the mall fighting again. "Is it always like this with them?" Gavin asked.
"Pretty much, they're just big kids. Let's get them out of here before they get arrested again."
"Arrested?again?" Gavin was shocked but then again.
"Yep, they ahh kinda got busted in Washington DC for indecent exposure. They were skinny dipping in the reflective pool by the monuments."
"You weren't with them?"
"Nope, I was at the police station paying for our parking tickets, so you can imagine the scene when they were dragged in all cuffed together."
Gavin chuckled. "Ohh to be a fly on the wall!"
"Ohh believe me I left out of there the size of a slug, Bevis and Butthead wanted to be locked up with all the hookers."
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Gavin arranged her new clothes and camera equipment in one of the empty cages in T's van; she placed her new work boots with them and looked down at her cross trainers with a grin. It had been years since she had anything but designer clothes and shoes. She had forgotten how comfortable it was and was not looking forward to the end of the week when her life would go back to bright lights, thick make-up and Jeremy Lower. She grabbed her cell phone, dialed the station and waited for her news director to answer.
"Hey it's Gavin, I've changed my mind. I'm staying the full two months."
"You're what, but I thought that you wanted out after a week?"
"Not anymore and as soon as we get back on the road I'll work on my report and send it to you when it's done." She gave him no chance to reply before she hung up. Leaning back on T's bed, she smiled and thought of the time she had spent with the Troopers. It was like having sisters, something that she always wanted but never got.
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They had stopped driving once they got to Montgomery Alabama and found an open field to pull off in for the night. Now with the charcoal burning down in the grill, the marshmallows eaten and the beer almost gone, they lay back in the grass and looked up at the stars. Dustin rolled over and looked at T, she noticed that her friend seemed calmer and laughed more. She wondered if it had something to do with a certain news anchor. "So T, whatcha think of Gavin?"
"She's irritating, stubborn and tortures me in her sleep."
Golden eyes blinked. "Tortures you?come on T, details!" She shoved T's shoulder a few times.
"She whistles and flops around in her sleep; the worst part is her feet are like ice cubes."
Bevis and Butkis snorted and threw grass on her. "Ohh sounds like love ta us." They said in unison.
Andy poked her with her marshmallow stick. "Yeah, who else would take care of your illegitimate bald headed baby?"
"Come on guys it ain't like that, it's all innocent." She rolled onto her side and shook the grass from her hair. "Anything good on TV tonight?"
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Gavin crawled up into the B&B and felt her face turn bright red and her jaw drop, on the TV was her and Jeremy having at it right before he broke his arm and leg. Five sets of twinkling eyes swung her way and then they stood up and started clapping. "Ohh my Gods, I can't believe they re-ran that!" She moved closer and started to chuckle when they showed her with her finger in her mouth gagging. "My producer is a dead woman." She dropped down on the edge of one of the bunk beds and shook her head.
"And that's all we have for our behind the scene antics of Gavin De La Rouge, have fun out there Gavin. And believe me, you are missed." The station call sign came up and then went to a commercial. "I can see it now, asshole Jeremy suing my ass because they aired that."
"So that's what you do when they have the camera on the other guy?" T said and gave Gavin a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Only when I have to work with him, he's irritating and thinks he's god's gift to women. I hope he's in traction and his casts are making him itch like Hell."
T narrowed her eyes at her. "Just how did he end up with a broken arm and leg?"
Gavin gave her a wicked grin. "I was chasing him and he fell over the cables on the floor, knocked his front teeth out too." She got up and went out the door snickering. That'll give them something to think about.
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When T climbed into her van, she knew Gavin was already asleep, she could hear the soft whistling noise coming from between her lips. Shedding her shoes, shorts and T-shirt, she crawled onto her side of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. A low grunt, a flop and Gavin was lying halfway on top of T, with an arm wrapped around her waist and a leg over one of her thighs. "Just great, she's the cuddle type." Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she thought of everything imaginable to take her mind of the warm breath caressing her neck and the dancing fingers on her hip. "There's no place like home, there's no place like home and I must be nuts if I think this will work." She concentrated on the soft whistling and drifted off to sleep.
@@@@@@@@
"Ohh don't you two look so?tangled." Andy whispered into T's ear. "Rise and shine grouch, storms on its way to Texas and we got fresh donuts." A blue eye opened and peered over Gavin's shoulder; she looked down at the relaxed face of the small blond and groaned. "Ohh what a surprise huh?" Andy laughed at her expression and left her to her embarrassment. T untangled their limbs and crawled over the top of Gavin. She couldn't figure out how she had gotten on the inside of the bed and was shocked that she had spooned up against Gavin. Rubbing the sleep from her face, she shook Gavin's shoulder until she saw a green eye open.
"Come on piglet, we got fresh donuts." She scratched her stomach and ran fingers through her hair while looking for her T-shirt. An eyebrow rose when she saw where her T-shirt had disappeared to, it hung to the middle of Gavin's things with the sleeves stopping below her elbows. Picking up another shirt, she pulled it on before going outside to suffer the teasing that was sure to come from the others. She stopped and tilted her head sideways at her friends, shaking her head; she ignored them and got two cups of coffee.
"Freaks and geeks."
"Ya see anything Bevis?" Butkis swung her head and jumped at the size of her friends head through the binoculars.
"Nope, nothing yet, no hickeys." Bevis turned and let out a yelp at the huge green eyes looking back at her. "Damn that's scary!" Lowering her binoculars, she still saw huge green orbs before her. "Freak!"
"Yeah well take this!" She leaned back in her chair, held up a fork, closed one eye and chanted. 'YOU'RE IN JAIL, YOU'RE IN JAIL!!!
"Ohh for Christ sakes you two!" Dustin shot rubber bands at them and ducked the flying plastic utensils. "IDIOTS!"
Gavin wandered out to see the fight and rolled her eyes before going onto the B&B to use the bathroom, when she came out; T was waiting for her with a cup of coffee and the box of donuts.
"Better get one before the pigs over there eat them all." Once every one had taken a seat, Andy stepped up behind T, whispered in her ear and handed her half a custard donut. She sat down beside her friend and they waited until Dustin looked over at them. The sight of custard donuts in their hands made her moan deeply and slap Bevis on her leg. All eyes turned towards Andy and T and waited for them to start eating.
T winked at Gavin, reached out with her tongue and flicked it across the edge of the donut. Dragging her tongue back and forth a few times before licking the custard. She then moved her eyes to the other observers, fought back a chuckle and moaned instead. She knew damn well what she and Andy were doing to the others and saw the sweat forming on Gavin's upper lip and a blush racing up her neck. Continuing with her tongue exercises and soft moans, she lost it and busted out laughing when Bevis and Butkis fell backwards to the ground in there chairs. Dustin came over and dragged her wife into the truck and Gavin sat with her jaw hanging open. "Just love donuts with stuff in them." T said, took a huge bite and wiggled her brows at Gavin. "Pour some water on those two will ya." Gavin slowly nodded her head and watched T walk back to the van.
"She could kill a person doing that!" She wiped the sweat from her upper lip and then felt the dampness in her silk panties when she moved. "Why couldn't we have stayed near a lake or something?" She reached over for a bottle of water and poured it on the two unconscious women. "Get a grip Gavin before little Gavin gets your ass in hot water." She had just taken a sip of her coffee when she heard her name screamed and a ferocious T stomping out of the van with Mini Me held in one hand.
"I know you did this to Mini Me!" She wiggled him in her hand and stopped a few feet away from a smirking Gavin. "This is something that?I would?,"She looked at her doll and growled. "Expect out of them!" She pointed a shaking finger at Bevis and Butkis.
"I really think pink is his color." Her eyes widened, she jumped and took off at a sprint with T hot on her heels. Bevis and Butkis sat up, looked at Mini Me in his pink frilly dress, and snickered.
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Gavin zigzagged across the open field and made the mistake of looking over her shoulder; T overtook her and rolled them to the ground. They struggled against each other, one trying to get free the other holding on for dear life. Gavin felt her body flipped in mid air and then a warm body came down on top of her. Her arms where pinned above her head and a leg wrapped around both of hers making it impossible for her to move.
"If I apologize will you let me up?"
"Maybe?maybe not, give it a try."
"I'm sorry T," She sighed with relief when her arms were released and T moved so that she was hovering over her. "T?I think he looks good in pink!" She slapped at T's hands, wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her head down to her chest. The feel of silky hair sliding over her body and warm breath against her breast made her moan. She eased up on T's neck and waited for their eyes to connect. With pale blue eyes looking deeply into hers, she let her eyes wander down to moist pink lips. Pulling T closer, she brought their lips together and felt a jolt of electricity. She wondered if it was just her or if T felt the same thing. She moved back, looked into deep blue eyes, and had her answer. "Ohh Gods." She mumbled before pulling T back down to her. "Kiss me T."
T looked into dark green eyes flecked with gold, she felt her heart lurch and tingles rush through her body as their lips met. Brushing their lips together softly, she pressed harder when Gavin tangled her fingers in her hair and pulled her closer. Lips parted and tongues briefly touched for an instant before they became braver and deepened the kiss. They swallowed each other's moans; T rolled them to their sides and ran her hand down Gavin's body to stop at her hip. She felt Gavin press into her and rolled her onto her back, they came apart with ragged breathes and searching eyes. Gavin lowered her head, ran her tongue across a bottom lip, and then dueled with T's tongue in an open mouth kiss. Breasts pressed together and hands roamed as they kissed deeply until they heard Andy yelling for them and the sound of her panting as she drew closer.
"For the love of Gods, what is it with you two and an open field?" She bent over at her waist and tried to catch her breath. "Weather service just sent out a T-Storm warning for surrounding areas. Do we stay or go?"
T covered her face with one hand and cussed softly. "Mother nature must hate me. Lets get out of here; I don't want us sitting out in the middle of a field." Gavin rolled off of her with a grumble and was then pulled to her feet and pulled along side T as they jogged back towards the trucks and the crew running around getting their gear stowed away. Minutes later, they were back on the road and headed for Texas. Gavin leaned against her door and watched the lightening reflect off T's face.
"What would have happened out in the field if we weren't interrupted?" T glanced over to her and then back to the road.
"That would have depended on you."
"Why me, I wasn't there alone."
"Listen Piglet, I suck at relationships, I have no social skills and all my lovers have left me after they find out that my job comes first." She sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you Gavin, you're only here for a little while and then you go back to your glamorous life and I'll be out here chasing down the next storm."
Gavin watched T's jaw clench and her fingers tighten on the steering wheel; she shook her head at her. "They were stupid and my life isn't so glamorous, I've laughed more in these couple days than the last year. What I do for a living is something I would give up for the right person."
"I don't believe that, I?my research is my life?,"
"Toto, what you do saves thousands of people, my job informs them but I can't save any of them like you can. My time as an anchor is coming to a close; we don't survive too long in the news business because new talent comes along all the time. No one can replace you."
Tears formed in T's eyes; no outsider had ever told her that what she did was important, crazy yes but never anything else. "Let's change the subject, what kinds of music do you like? If you say blue grass, I'm throwing you out the window." She pointed to a black CD case on the floor. "Those are some of my CD's, B&B have the others."
Gavin looked through the CD's, picked one and slipped it into the CD player and hit the select button until it stopped on one of her favorites. She leaned back in the seat, watched the wipers slap across the windshield, and then turned her head when T started to sing Terri Clarks song 'To tell you everything'. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at T's profile, not only was she a beautiful woman but her voice was like an angels.
All this running nowhere fast
All these faces that I pass
All these souls that don't reach out
Leave me feeling so without
I think you got here just in time
I think it's meant to be
And I'm ready to do anything
I want to tell you everything
Every nightmare, every dream
Every fear I've ever had
All the good and all the bad
All the secrets that I've kept
My mistakes and my regrets
The relief that it would bring
Just to tell you everything
Just to be all you need
When you need somebody there
Just to let go and still know
You won't go anywhere
Just to find myself again
Tell you who I've always been
Just to feel my spirit rise
When I look into your eyes
And see what I've been dying for
Baby I want nothing more
Than these songs I'm gonna sing
When I tell you everything
Just to be all you need
When you need somebody there
Just to let go and still know
You won't go anywhere
All this loneliness that ruled
All the years that had me fooled
Now they seem to slip away
When you turn to me and say
I think you got here just in time
I think we're going to be just fine
And it would be enough for me
Just to tell you everything
Baby I'd do anything
I want to tell you everything
T looked over when small fingers gripped her hand, she saw tears falling down Gavin's cheeks, and at that moment, she knew that she had fallen in love with her and would tell her everything just like the song said. She brought Gavin's hand up to her lips and kissed her knuckles softly. "I'll tell you every dream." Gavin looked to her with misty eyes and offered her a small smile.
"I'll be everything you need."
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They drove through out the night taken turns driving until they came to Athens Texas. Gavin pulled into the parking lot of a Best Western and parked close to the building. T opened her eyes when the engine stopped and looked around her.
"What are we doing here?"
"That's easy; I want a hot shower, a nice big bed and room service."
"Piglet, we don't have money for this. We'll stay out here and you can get a room."
Gavin got out of her seat, went over to T and straddled her lap. "This one's on the station, I have an expense account that I never use." She kissed T softly and brushed her bangs back from her forehead. "Let me do this for everyone, we deserve to have a few luxuries every once in a while."
"I'll warn you, B&B are horrible in motels, they steal everything not nailed down."
"Good, I've always wanted towels and a new bathrobe." She got up and pulled T with her. "Come on Toto, let's go get some rooms."
T stood back and watched Gavin charm the young man behind the counter; she felt anger build when he started flirting with her. She was about to lay into him and wondered why, she had never felt jealous before. Taking a deep breath, she felt a warm hand take hers and pull her closer to Gavin's side. "I put the rooms under our name baby," She wrapped her arm around T's waist and leaned into her. "Two with queen-sized and a twin for the kids, room service is good for another two hours if we want to order." She gave the young man a raised eyebrow. "And that's for what ever we want right?"
He looked from Gavin to an intimidating T and nodded. "Just sign here Mrs. Storm and I'll get your room keys." Gavin flashed T a smile, signed her name on the paper and took the offered keys. "Come on, I hear the shower calling our names." She handed keys to the others and pulled T towards the elevator with Andy and Dustin following. She waved to B&B and snorted when they pointed to the bar and lounge.
"Damn lushes, they'll be toast in ten minutes and passed out under a table." T looked to the pouting Dustin and raised her eyebrow at her. "Someone must be in trouble."
Dustin flipped her off and stuck her tongue out. "Shud-up Toto, whipped little dog?" Andy clamped a hand over her wife's mouth and shrugged her shoulders at her friends.
"She knows better than to drink with B&B, the last time she puked for hours and acted like she was dying."
"I was dying, damn moonshine almost killed me."
The elevator stopped on the third floor, the door opened to a blue-carpeted hallway with white doors. Gavin looked at the number on the key card and turned left out of the elevator. "Our rooms should all be next to each other somewhere down this way." After checking the numbers, she stopped outside of their room, looked to a nervous T and opened the door. "See ya guys in the morning and you can order room service if you want."
"Ohh I think T is in for one Hell of a night." Andy whispered and pulled Dustin to the next door. "I caught them making out in the field this morning."
"T was doing that?" Dustin wiggled her tongue and yelped when she was yanked into the room.
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Gavin went over to the bed and fell backwards across it; she closed her eyes and felt T's eyes on her. "Why are you staring at me?"
"I was wondering why you got us a room together and why you used my last name like we were married." She moved closer, stood at the end of the bed, and looked down at Gavin.
Gavin opened her eyes and looked up at clouded blue eyes that jumped to stare at the bed. "Do you want your own room, I can get you one? Are you mad at me for letting that kid think we are married?" She felt like her heart was being squeezed when T didn't answer, she rolled over onto her side and took T's hand. "Toto?"
"I just figured you'd want your own room and no one has ever even thought of me being wife material, I was?am shocked."
"Toto, I told you before that they were all stupid," She pulled T down onto the bed beside her and lay across her. "I want you here with me," She placed a kiss to the side of T's neck and then whispered in her ear. "I know you're wife material no matter what anyone else thinks." T moaned when she felt a warm tongue trace the outside of her ear and then dip inside.
"Piglet, I'm gonna be coffin material if I don't get some food."
Gavin nipped her ear and rolled all the way on top of her. "You're so good at ruining the mood, go ahead and order us some steaks and sides while I take a shower."
"What do ya want to drink?"
"Iced tea with lotsa sugar and extra sour cream for my baked potato," She pulled her T-shirt over her head on the way to the bathroom and turned to look at T. "See if they have any Cheese cake for desert." All T could do was nod her head, and stare at Gavin's half-naked body. Once Gavin was out of sight, she fell back on the bed and covered her face with her hands.
"Ohh boy?instant arousal for me."
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Gavin had a shit-eating grin on her face when she stripped out of the rest of her clothes; she knew damn well that she had an effect on the storm chaser. The hungry eyes that had stared at her were all she needed for confirmation. Standing beneath the hot water eased her tired muscles and relaxed her to almost putty. Quickly washing her hair and body, she turned the water off and stepped from the shower just as a knock came from the door. Drying off, she slipped a robe on and walked into the room to smell food. Her stomach growled loudly and her mouth watered from both the food and T standing near the tray in her boxers and wife beater. Her tall form was muscled and deeply tanned, with each movement; her muscles rippled and bulged beneath smooth skin. Gavin felt her pulse speed up and her stomach flutter. Just looking at her excites me.
"I know you're behind me Piglet, come over here and eat before it gets cold." She turned and took in Gavin's robe covered body. "Well the robes aren't one size fits all are they?"
Gavin waved the sleeves at her and shook her head. "Nope, no midget sizes here." T stepped forward, rolled the sleeves up for her, and then held a chair out. "Come on I'm starving." She took a bite of her steak and rolled her eyes. "Gods it's been so long since I've had steak, I just thought of something we forgot."
"What's that?" Gavin asked around a mouthful.
"Clean clothes for in the morning and something to sleep in."
"We'll get them in the morning, and I don't sleep in anything." She winked at T and almost choked at the expression on her face.
"Ohhh?OK?ahhh."
"Eat T before it gets cold."
Supper finished and the tray placed in the hallway, Gavin shed her robe and crawled into bed. She looked over her shoulder at a fidgeting T. "Toto, go take a shower and stop worrying."
"Uhhmm?yeah." T walked into the bathroom and started the water, she stood leaning against the wall trying to get her brain to start functioning again after seeing Gavin's naked body slipping between the sheets. "Think of Butkis in a bikini!" She shivered and rubbed her eyes hoping to get rid of the awful picture in her head. "That's scary enough to make me become a nun!"
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B&B had managed to find a couple bored executives to play poker with; they sat at a back table and waited for the men to join them after buying a round of drinks. Butkis grinned at Bevis and expertly shuffled the cards in one hand, when she saw the men coming towards the table; she flipped the cards all over the table and floor and cussed. "How was that Bevis, think they bought it?" She asked in a low whisper.
"By the smirks on their stupid faces, yeah."
Thirteen hands later, Bevis was singing show tunes with Butkis tap dancing to the beat. The men looked from each other to the two women and nodded their heads. They had noticed that whenever they started to sing and dance, they had shitty hands. Raising the ante up to the point that neither woman had any money left brought huge grins to their faces.
"OK, lets see what you have there ladies?"
Bevis called out, leaving Butkis to tap dance like a maniac under the table. "More for me when I take this hand Bevis." She cracked a grin and wiggled her cards at her friend. "Wanna see what I got boys?" She dropped one card at a time until she revealed a royal flush. "Well boys, it was nice playing with ya, but we gotta go." She scooped up all the money in the center of the pile and stuffed it into her pocket. "Better luck next time." She grabbed Bevis by here hand and ran from the bar.
"Hey you can't take our money!" The men screamed at them and ran after them.
"Go Bevis! Take the stairs!" They busted through the door, took the stairs to another door, burst through it, and ran down the hall to the next door. As they cleared the doorway, they heard the men panting behind them. Taking the next two sets of stairs, they ran down the hallway and into their room. Butkis dropped onto one of the beds and pulled the money from her pocket, Bevis sat on the other side of her and helped her count it.
"Subtract our hundred bucks from it first." She said and then started counting out the bills. "Can always find stupid men ta rip off." She grinned up into twinkling green eyes. "I got $233.00 here, what have ya got there?"
"Ohh I got $302.00?that's $535.00, not bad for having to listen to you sing those nasty show tunes."
"Well, you sounded like River Dance; I was having a Hell of a time counting your damn tapping toes!"
"What in the Hell was singing in the rain? I got all confused and didn't know what cards you had."
"I didn't have anything," She took her share of the pot. "I thought you would have figured that out. We gotta figure out better how were gonna count the cards and signal. I hate show tunes!"
"Not anymore than I do." Butkis shoved her money in her pocket and fell back across the bed. "I'm gonna get us one of those rewriters for the truck, we can put all our tapes on the CD's and get rid of some clutter."
"I'm gonna get us a new digital camera with lotsa memory, then we can put it onto a CD instead of having to get film developed all the time." They looked to each other and shook their heads. "Ya know, we always spend our coups on stuff for the truck, we're?"
"Married to our jobs!!" Butkis finished and whimpered.
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T stepped cautiously into the room and let her eyes adjust to the darkness; she turned towards the sound of whistling and shuffled over to the bed. Shedding the robe, she eased down onto the bed and waited a few seconds before slipping beneath the sheets. As she rolled over, she felt a warm hand pull her opposite of where she was going.
"I'm awake T."
"But you were whistling you do that in your sleep."
"And I also do it when I'm waiting; I've been waiting for you to do this for days." She rolled over to face T, took her hand, placed it against the side of her breast, and then tangled her fingers in her wet hair at the back of her neck. "We don't have any donuts, but I have something else you can lick." She said close to T's lips before pulling her closer and taking her mouth in a deep passionate kiss. T felt all her defenses fall to the wayside when Gavin crawled on top of her and pressed their bodies together. Their kiss ended and left them panting and looking at each other with hooded eyes.
"What's you're real name T?"
"Can't tell ya that, it could just be the letter T ya know." A deep moan came from her when lips pressed to her pulse point and then sharp teeth nipped. "Just T?simple name?ohh Gods!" Gavin kissed and licked her way down to tease hardened nipples. Circling each one with the tip of her tongue, she stopped and looked into hooded blue eyes.
"Terry?" She flicked her tongue across a nipple and tried another name. "Tracy?" T shook her head and moaned when her nipple was sucked between warm lips and stroked. "Teresa?" She moved between T's breasts and licked the damp skin. "Tammy?" She was quickly running out of names but enjoying the way she was trying to get T to answer. Gavin moved to straddle T's hips, leaning forward, she ran her tongue across T's lips before plunging inside to duel. Their tongues tangled together, T sucked greedily at Gavin's wet muscle and felt her shudder against her. Running her hands down her back to cup her ass, she pulled Gavin closer and broke the kiss to whisper against her lips. "You'll never guess and you'll never get it out of me."
"Wanna bet Toto?" Gavin slid down her body and cupped her breasts in both hands, massaging them and then flicking her tongue across her nipples had T arching her back. "Won't tell!" She ground out from between clenched teeth and whimpered when Gavin pressed their breasts together.
"Yes you will." Kissing her way down with an open mouth, she left her hands where they were and teased T to make her thrash on the bed. "Tonya?" A shake of a dark head urged her on among other things, she could feel he essence flowing from her and knew she was close to loosing it. She could smell T's arousal and feel her wetness against her. Bending her head down, she licked around T's naval and grinned at the flexing muscles. "Teryl?"
"Not!" T gasped out and thrust her hips against Gavin. She could feel every muscle straining, tingles rushing through her blood stream and was ready to beg for release, something she never did. Gavin slid between T's thighs, wrapped her one arm around a muscled leg, and ran fingers through short-cropped curls. "Toto?"
"Gods no!" She jerked when a warm tongue slipped between her lips and tasted her juices. "Gods yes!" She panted out and thrust against her lover. Tangling her fingers in blonde hair, she pulled Gavin tighter against her and whimpered.
Gavin flattened her tongue and dragged it across a throbbing center; she moaned and groaned as more juices flowed from her lover. Using her thumb, she exposed the end of T's clit, flicked her tongue against it, and felt her lover's body convulse. Her stomach muscles rolled, thighs strained and she screamed out her own name during her shattering climax. "TOBY!" With her body still shaking, Gavin slipped two fingers inside her and thrust her own hips into the bed when muscles clamped down on them. T whimpered and thrust harder. "Ohhh Gods?its Toby?" Her back arched, heels pressed into the mattress as she went over the edge again this time taking Gavin with her. She felt Gavin cry out against her nether lips and then collapse with her face against her inner thigh. Taking gulping breathes; she ran her fingers through damp blonde hair and fell back against the pillow with a satisfied smile on her face.
Gavin pulled her way up her lover's long body and rested her face against a breast; she angled her head so that she could look into her lover's eyes. "So do you always scream out your own name?" Toby moved down in the bed so that she was closer to Gavin, kissing her to the point of seeing stars before her eyes, she broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together.
"Nope, actually that was the first time I've screamed anything." She kissed Gavin's bruised lips and mumbled against them. "Tobiath, my names Tobiath Carlisle Storm, and I'm gonna make you scream it in a few minutes." She rolled them over and loved every inch of Gavin's body until she screamed her name loud enough to make the window shake in its frame.
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Dustin fell out of the bed; Andy clutched the pillow to her head and laughed hysterically. "Holy shit!" Dustin groaned as she crawled back up to her wife's side. "I have never heard her scream before and she screamed her own name out at that!" She wiggled her way under Andy's pillow and purred into her ear. "Wonder what Gavin did to get her to spill her name?"
"No idea, but I know how to get you to scream."
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Bevis and Butkis sat on their beds wiping blurry eyes; they looked to each other and flinched. "Damn you're ugly Butthead!" She pointed to the tangled hair and snickered.
"Yeah well seeing you's enough to make me scream, wonder if Gavin and T are still alive in there?"
"No idea," They jumped when T's name was screamed again, pulled their pillows over their heads and groaned. "Ain't fucking fair!"
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The next morning Gavin woke to warm breath washing over her breast, a warm hand cupping its twin and a muscular thigh between hers. Wrapping her arms tighter around her lover, she placed a kiss on her forehead and sighed. Her body was sore but in a good way, it had been a very long time since anyone had actually made love to her or satisfied her more than once in one night. She sent out a thanks to all of Toby's previous lovers for being stupid and leaving her for her to find. Running a hand down to brush through soft curls, she smiled when Toby mumbled against her breast and hugged her closer. "I'm in love with a Storm Trooper." She whispered against Toby's forehead and felt her stir against her. Toby moved granting Gavin more access to her nether lips. Brushing the outside of the moist lips with a fingertip made Toby moan and move against her and bring her knee in contact with her aroused clit. A low whimper poured from her lips and then she gasped when her nipple was rolled between fingers. "Ohh Gods Toby."
Toby rolled over on top of Gavin and nipped the side of her neck. "Hold that thought." She slid from the bed and staggered to the bathroom; Gavin watched the tight muscles in her lover's body ripple beneath tanned skin and groaned. "Only one word to describe her, mine!" She heard the water in the sink turned on and brushing noises, sliding out of bed, she went into the bathroom and placed a kiss between Toby's shoulder blades before dropping down onto the toilet. Toby finished brushing her teeth, spit in the sink and then turned the shower on before walking over to her lover. She bent down and captured Gavin's lips with a toothpaste-covered mouth. After their kiss broke, she wiped the toothpaste from Gavin's chin and grinned at her. "Are you as sore as I am?"
"Ohh yeah, but I wouldn't change it for anything." Toby pulled her up and led her to the shower. They stood close together beneath the hot water letting it loosen sore muscles until small hands started to wander and explore Toby's body taking her near the edge. Picking Gavin up in her arms, she walked back to the bed and gently laid her down on the tangled sheets. Hovering over her, she dropped her head to explore the strong columns of her neck before giving her a soul-searing kiss. "We may need wheel chairs to get out of this place.
"Don't care." Were the last words spoken between them when Toby licked her way down to stop between her lover's thighs, butterfly kisses were placed on the insides of Gavin's thighs, teasing her to the point of begging. With quick flicks of her tongue, Toby had her thrusting forward with out reward of her touch. Placing her lover's legs over her shoulders, she nipped the tender flesh all the way to her apex before backing off with a flick of a tongue to her clit. When Gavin whimpered ad begged her, she slipped her tongue into her juices and moaned. With one hand, she spread her nether lips apart and plunged her tongue deep into her center and retreated. Repeating the teasing until her head was crushed between thighs and a death threat was issued in a growling voice.
"Stop teasing me or I'll?throw Mini Me in?a suck zone!" She bucked against Toby when her clit was pulled between wet lips and sucked until she screamed out her release in garbled words. Panting, she gripped strong shoulders with her fingers and urged Toby to move up to her. "Come up here Toby?I wanna?ohhh Gods!" She felt her lover's wetness paint her stomach when she moved. "Stay right there!" She scooted down the bed, wrapped her arms around her lover's thighs and buried her face between her legs. Toby fell forward onto her hands and dropped her chin to her chest, she watched Gavin lick her and felt her climax gathering quickly. She moved her hips in rhythm with Gavin, gripped the sheets in white knuckled hands and felt her juices gush from her with her climax. Yelling out Gavin's name she whimpered when fingers slipped inside her and stroked her sensitive spot until she came again with Gavin following. Exhausted, she fell over onto her side and pulled Gavin up to her, wrapping her in her arms, she whispered in her ear. "I love you Piglet." Gavin felt tears form in her eyes with the words; she nuzzled Toby's neck and answered in a choked voice. "I love you too Toto."
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"For Gods sakes come on Bevis, no matter what you do to your hair, its still?you." Butkis dragged her partner in crime down the hallway and to the elevator, waiting for the door to open; she pulled a sales paper from her pocket and waved it at Bevis. "We can stop here, get the stuff and then go cruising for chicks!"
Bevis grinned and smacked hands with Butkis. "Lets go find some Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!!!"
Butkis rolled her green eyes and stepped into the elevator with Bevis following. "Uuhhmm?Bevis, where in Athens Texas?Ohh the Hell with it."
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With their new gear bought at the local Best Products store, Bevis and Butkis cruised through Athens looking for some action. Finding a local bar was no problem since that's all that seemed to be around. Pulling into the parking lot, Bevis spotted a man in an old broken down cowboy hat and scuffed boots. She whistled and waved him over to the truck. He staggered over and leaned on the doorsill, the stench that came off him made Bevis cringe, hold her breath and force out her words. "Girls to party with, where?"
"Ohh ya want some girls?" He took a long slug from a bourbon bottle, belched and waved a hand at her. "Go back the way ya came, at the next right, turn left, nother left at the broken fence and you'll find a bar there with whatcha want." He took another long drink and grinned at them with rotten teeth. "Can I come with ya," He grabbed his crotch and thrust his hips. "Could use some action for my oil drilling bit." Bevis shoved him away from the door, hit the gas pedal and peeled out of the lot. Tears rolled down her cheeks from her hacking fit, she swerved all over the road until Butkis grabbed the steering wheel.
"Holy shit! That guy reeked of Gods only know what!"
"I don't even want to know what he reeked of!" Bevis took a deep breath and blew it out between parted lips. Let's go get some girlies!"
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Andy and Dustin pounded on their friend's door and heard moans and groans before it was opened by a hunched over naked Toby. They stepped in, closed the door and watched her fall back into bed. "Did ya guys over do it last night and this morning?" Andy asked them as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Who knew about those muscles?" Toby groaned and then whimpered when she tried to sit up in bed.
"Ohh someone's still got the mojo," Dustin sat next to her wife and pointed to a still sleeping Gavin. "Is she still alive?"
"She's whistled out," She ran her hand down her lover's back and grinned when she moaned and pulled the pillow closer to her chest. "What time is it?" She blinked her eyes a few times and still couldn't focus on anything. Andy looked at Dustin's watch and grunted.
"It's just now noon, we were going to see if you two sex fiends wanted to have lunch."
A blonde head popped up, sleepy green eyes looked around before focusing on Toby. A lopsided grin came to Gavin's face. "Food?" She crooked out and crawled closer to her lover. "Can we have buffalo wings?"
Andy looked at the rough little anchor and shook her head. "Maybe a case of ensure to wash them down with, you two look like shit."
"Gee thanks Andy," Gavin mumbled. "Love you too, where's B&B?"
Both women shrugged their shoulders. "Ohh I hope they didn't end up in jail." Toby grumbled.
"We heard them come back last night, so who knows where they are. We'll meet you guys down stairs." Andy said and pulled Dustin up from the bed. "Use some ice on your sensitive areas, works for me."
Toby flipped her off and fell back into her pillow. "I'd need a glacier to help me." She moved closer to Gavin and gave her a soft kiss. "Come on baby, let's get dressed and crawl down stairs for lunch. Maybe by the time we're done eating the kids will be back."
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B&B looked at the huge house with the balcony on the second story and the wrap around front porch. They had followed the cowboy's directions to the T and ended up at the house and not a bar. Pulling next to some other cars and trucks, they shrugged their shoulders and got out of the truck. "Might as well go see if we're in the right place, if not maybe we can get better directions."
Bevis rolled her brown eyes and snorted. "Like you can read a map or follow directions?" They stepped up onto the porch, knocked on the screen door and felt their jaws drop when a scantily clad woman answered the door.
"Can I help ya?" The buxom redhead asked and gave them the once over.
Butkis gave her best toothy grin and nodded her head but couldn't get her mouth to work; Bevis shoved her out of the way and crooked out.
"We wanna have some fun?two girls?kinky?leather?and tall."
The redhead smiled at them and nodded as she opened the door. "I've got just what you two are looking for, fifty bucks and they're all yours." She held out her hand and accepted the money from them. "Take the stairs, go to the last room on the right and I'll send them up to you." B&B grinned at each other and raced each other up the stairs. They entered the room, stripped down to their boxers and wife beaters and waited for the girls to join them. Butkis sat on one of the beds with her feet tapping the floor and Bevis bounced on her heels. Looking to each other, they gave the thumbs up and jumped when the door opened.
"Ohhh my GODS!" Bevis gasped and backed closer to Butkis. "This is your fault Butthead!" She scurried across the bed and found herself trapped in a corner by a huge six and a half foot tall woman dressed in black leather S&M outfit with tall thigh high boots with spikes on the heels and snapping a riding crop on her thigh. Her dark hair brushed her thick shoulders and her face was completely covered by a black leather mask; the bulging muscles on her body rippled beneath dark skin. "Butthead, I'll trade ya?" She said as she jumped over the bed and tried to hide behind her friend.
"I don't want what I got, why would I want yours!" She scrambled behind Bevis and peeked over her shoulder. "We are in sooo much trouble!" She crawled over the other bed and found her body lifted up and slammed onto the mattress, the woman who did it was beyond scary, her leather looked old and worn, chains with leather cuffs hung from her waist, a bullwhip coiled, hung from her hip and the hair on her chest was thick and animal like. Butkis whimpered and tried to get away. "I want my mommy!" Bevis let out a yell when she was pinned face down on the bed, and straddled by the huge woman. She yelled again, when the riding crop cracked down on her ass. "I want TOTO!"
"Don't you want to have some fun?" Bevis' beast asked in a deep voice that sent tendrils of fear through B&B. "We can show you little freaks a good time."
Butkis wiggled on the bed, screamed when the woman fell on top of her, and thrust something that was not quite right against her thigh. She became hysterical when she found a cuff slapped around one wrist and attached to the brass rail of the headboard. "Ohhh this is NOT GOOD!"
"You're telling me! I'm dying here!" Bevis forced out from behind the gag that the beast was trying to fit over her mouth. Ten minutes later, they were both chained to the bed and being tortured with the whip and riding crop. Their screams were not of pleasure but terror when the woman pulled their masks off to show thick mustaches and sideburns. They looked to each other and screamed in unison "MEN!" Houdini would have been proud at the way they got out of their restraints in mere seconds and ran screaming in their boxers from the room. The women downstairs laughed and pointed fingers at them as they went through the screen door and peeled away from the whorehouse. The buxom redhead shrugged her shoulders and remarked. "They wanted kinky, they got kinky."
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Continued In Part 2