~ Rhapsody's Silver Lining ~
by Larisa


Disclaimer; Ya'll know who they resemble, no infringement meant on anything that's not mine in the story. The normal stuff is here, sex between women, bad language, violence and everything else that I can toss in. If you're not old enough or it's one of those stupid laws about it being illegal. Grow up and move the hell to another state! Thanks to Lesia and Ri for being my sounding boards.



Rhapsody's Silver Lining
By Larisa
Hecate3366@frontiernet.net


Part 2


RJ sat sideways up against the passenger door watching Ray drive, she couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Ray turned her head toward her and stuck her tongue out.

"Tell me about your cousins or I'll tell you what you can do with your tongue."

"You're a wicked woman RJ, if I show you what I can do with my tongue, we'll end up in a ditch." Giving RJ a sample of how she can move her tongue brought a deep moan from her.

"Stop that!" She covered her darkening face with her hands. Just the thought of what Ray could do with her tongue sent fire southward. She could feel her nether lips start to throb just from her thoughts alone.

Ray shook her head at RJ and held back a chuckle, she knew where her thoughts were headed and knew for a fact that both of their minds were in the same place. "About my cousins, actually my one real cousin."

"One real cousin, what's the other one fake?" RJ asked with a snort.

"Smart ass. No, she's not fake; Sydney's my cousin by marriage."

"OK, so if she's married where's her husband?"

Ray busted up laughing, she looked over at RJ with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"What's so damn funny, you said she was married so?"

"To Mallory."

RJ looked confused, it then hit her like a brick wall. "To Mal…Ohh! OK, I gotcha now."

"Not yet you haven't."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Larry opened the door when he heard the truck pull into the drive, he stepped out and waved at them.

"About time you two got home. Princess, your mother has been driving me up the wall for the past four hours!"

A worried look came over her face. "Is everything all right?"

"Don't worry, she said that she just needed to discuss something with you. She refused to give me any details, just to have you call her when you got home."

"For the love of Gods that woman drives me insane! The last time she wanted to know if pansies and African violets would grow together in the flower garden!"

Larry and Ray both shrugged their shoulders and headed into the house behind RJ. She headed towards her office to use the phone and tossed over her shoulder for Larry to behave himself.

"Why did she say that?" He asked with wide eyes.

RJ yelled from her office. "Because you're an instigator!"

"I prefer queen matchmaker, come on Ray lets go in the kitchen and you can tell me all about Sparky."

Ray's eyes lit up at the mention of the name she had called RJ one night. Larry noticed and snickered.

"Ohh girlfriend, she tells me every single thing!"

@@@@@@@@

"Mother, I will not get in the middle of this mess between you and father." She rubbed her temple trying to ease the beginning of a headache.

"Why don't you go to Jersey and visit Aunt Bella? Stay for a week or two until father calms down?" She dropped down into her office chair and pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Mother, please no that is not a good idea; I work 16 hours a day." She hung up the phone after her mother had all ready done so on her end. Dropping her head down onto the top of her desk. A low howl escaped her throat from pent up anger. Ray came charging into the room to see if RJ was all right.

"Princess?" She stopped to kneel beside the office chair. "What's wrong?" RJ picked up her head, looked at Ray and then fell into her strong arms.

"My mother is coming next week to live with me."

"I take it that this does not thrill you to the bone?"

She mumbled from where her face was buried against Ray's neck. "Can I share Sparks stall with her? I promise not to take up much room."

"She's a bed hog, but I'm not." She lifted RJ up into her arms and carried her to her room, laying her down in the middle of the bed, she laid down on her side to watch RJ pout. With one fingertip, she traced a pouting bottom lip. "You look so adorable when you pout." She tried to pull her finger back but found a set of white teeth holding it. She moaned when a warm tongue flicked the very tip before releasing it. RJ took her hand and ran her tongue up her index finger then put the digit into her mouth and sucked slowly while watching Ray's eyes.

Ray's breathe caught in her chest the second RJ's tongue touched her finger, once she sucked on it her heart stopped and fell to her feet. Her insides were turning to Jell-O, embers flared in her center to lick at nerve endings all from what RJ was doing to her hand. She closed her eyes and felt a warm tongue lick the palm of her hand and continue to her wrist where a pair of soft lips placed open mouth kisses.

Ray said with a soft voice. "You're playing with fire."

RJ pushed Ray onto her back and straddled her hips. "I know and I plan on getting burned to a crisp." She dropped her head down to capture a bottom lip between her teeth, sucking lightly until Ray's tongue touched her top lip. Their kiss was one of hunger, teeth gnashing as they fought. The need for air brought them apart to take great gulps of air. Ray cupped RJ's face in her hands and brought her down for a softer kiss, letting their lips linger together until she deepened it to a slow dueling of tongues that brought moans from deep in their chests. Gentle hands ran through blond hair and down her back to come up under her shirt to caress soft warm flesh. With the flick of two fingers, Ray released her bra strap and moved it to the side so she could feel more flesh beneath her fingers. Working the shirt up RJ's body, she pulled it over her head to drop it and her bra on the floor.

RJ's breath caught in her throat when large hands came around her ribcage to cup her breasts. She felt her nerve endings tingle when calloused thumbs brushed her nipples bringing them to hard peaks. Breaking their kiss, she arched her back offering more of herself to Ray. On instinct, her hips rolled down into Ray bringing a moan from her as her hips thrust up for contact. Ray rolled them over to straddle RJ's hips, pulling her shirt up over her head, she tossed it to the floor and then laid down on top of RJ letting their breasts press together.

Ray looked into passion darkened green eyes. "Is this what you want?" Her voice deep with want.

"More than anything." RJ answered.

They kissed deeply as their hands roamed, memorizing planes and contours of each other's torsos. RJ's fingers moved to Ray's lower back to slip beneath the waist band of her Levis, squeezing the firm flesh in her hands she pulled her hips down closer to her for more contact.

"I want them off." She growled against Ray's lips.

"So demanding, makes me hot." Ray growled back.

She lifted her body up and let RJ unfasten her Levis and push them down her hips, small feet came up and worked them all the way down until Ray kicked them free.

"No BVD's?"

"No one stole my dirty clothes this week." She lowered her head to place kisses down RJ's upper chest until she came to the top of each breast, pulling the soft skin between her lips, she sucked until RJ took in a ragged breath. Moving over she did the same to it's twin, looking down she saw the two dark bruises forming on the pale skin. Placing a soft kiss on each one she brought her tongue over each one and then down to circle a hardened nipple.

"My Gods Kiwi!" She wrapped her hands in dark hair and pulled Ray's head down to her aching nipple. "Suck it!"

Ray could feel her wetness coating the insides of her thighs, each small moan from RJ made her center throb with her heartbeat. Now with her becoming demanding it got worse. Sucking the nipple into her mouth, she grazed the tip with her teeth and heard a ragged breath come from RJ. After treating the other the same, she abandoned them to work her way down the faint hairline on her hard abs to the waistline of her Levis. Unbuttoning her fly, she kissed the exposed flesh until RJ was squirming beneath her.

"Kiwi, I'm dying here!"

Ray grinned up from where her chin was resting on RJ's lower abdomen. Getting to her knees she pulled RJ's Levis off and tossed them on the floor, she left her silk panties just to be mean and planed on teasing her mercilessly until she begged. Hovering near the skin on the insides of her thighs, she licked and sucked making RJ squirm. She felt fingers tangle in her hair and try to push her head down. She bit the inside of one thigh close to her apex and felt hips rise upward.

"Sparky, calm down." She blew warm air on the wet spot between RJ's legs and chuckled when she heard a low rumbling growl. Moving up a glistening body, she held herself over her soon to be lover, looking deeply into her eyes she showed her all that was in her heart before. Claiming her lips in a slow passionate kiss.

"I like to take my time." She whispered against wet lips. Moving a hand downward, she used one finger and brought it across swollen nether lips, RJ's hips thrust upward looking for more contact that would never come.

"I can feel how wet you are." She nipped a soft area on the side of her neck. Taking one of RJ's small hands, she brought it down to her own center and pushed her fingers against her to show her that she was the same. "You do that to me with a single kiss." She pushed her hips against the small hand and moaned deeply before she backed off and continued her torturous travels. Stopping at the waistband of silk panties, she used her teeth to pull them slowly down, holding them down with her chin, she snaked her tongue out to lick closely trimmed hair.

RJ's hands were gripping the bed covers till her knuckles turned white, every nerve ending in her body was singing. Her stomach muscles clenched and rolled with each of Ray's touches. Lifting her hips for Ray so that she could remove her panties. Once they were gone, she spread her legs and welcomed the feeling of warm breath caressing her burning center.

Her voice was rough. "I need you Kiwi…Please."

Ray took her first taste of her lover's juices and moaned deeply. Looking up into heavy lidded green eyes, she kept contact with them as she took another taste and continued to slip her tongue between swollen throbbing lips until her lover's head fell back onto the pillow. Slipping her tongue into her center, she had to squeeze her own thighs tightly together to keep her climax in check because of the deep moan that came from RJ. Curling the sides of her tongue up, she moved her tongue in and out of her lover until she was panting and thrusting her hips into her.

"What…are…you doing…to me!" She let go of the blankets to wrap her fingers into dark hair.

Ray could feel her inner muscles throbbing around her tongue, using her thumb she rubbed it across a swollen clit and felt her center clamp down on her tongue.

"Ohh gods!!! Kiwi…I'm…"

All Ray heard were unintelligible sounds coming from her lover when her climax over took her. With her lover's juices flowing over her tongue and chin, her own climax over powered her and tore through her body. When her body calmed to just small tremors, her head was resting on her lover's thigh. Crawling up to lay beside RJ, she pulled her into her arms and kissed her deeply, letting her taste herself on her lips.

"Kiwi, no ones ever done that to me before." She dropped her head down on her lover's shoulder and let her tears flow from her eyes.

"What Sparky?"

She heard a mumble then sniffling. She sighed and pulled her closer to her. "No ones ever been down there before me?" She felt a head nod.

"Not doing what you did." She slipped her hand between her lover's thighs and felt the wetness coating her short-cropped hair and nether lips. Sliding a finger between, she felt her engorged clit and her hips jerk forward. Adding pressure, she soon had her lover's hips thrusting harder.

Ray wrapped an arm around RJ's hips and moved her so that she was riding her thigh, she lifted her leg and made contact and felt RJ's wetness coat her skin. They moved together, pushing each other higher towards the pinnacle. RJ pushed two fingers inside of her lover and whispered to her.

"Come for me."

Ray's center clutched at her fingers, a scream tore from her throat when her body released. RJ followed seconds later with her own climax, she saw nothing but bright light as her breath was stolen from her shuddering body. With the last of the spasms dying down, they fell against each other gasping for air. RJ pushed sweat soaked bangs back from her lovers forehead, leaning forward she placed soft kisses at the corners of her lips.

"Are we dead?" Ray asked when she was able to speak.

"Hope not, wouldn't be able to do that any more if we were."

Ray cupped her lover's cheek in her hand, looked into her sleepy green eyes and sighed. "You are the most precious thing in my life, I love you RJ."

RJ placed a soft kiss to her lips, wiping a tear from a blue eye before she whispered in a choked voice.

"I love you to Kiwi."

She wrapped her arms around Ray and snuggled close to her body, laying her head on her shoulder, she placed a kiss against her neck.

"Sleep now baby." Ray whispered as her own eyes fluttered closed.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Balancing two coffee cups and a plate with bagels on top, RJ walked slowly back to her bedroom. Just before she got to the door she heard a cat call, turning her head she saw Larry leaning up against the wall.

"Nice legs Princess." He came towards her and opened the door to her office. "I can't believe you're up before your Kiwi lover." He snorted when her face turned a deep red. "Did you wear her out last night?"

"Larry!" She said between gritted teeth.

"Just as I thought. So what did your mother want if you don't mind my asking?"

"We are all going to hell! She's coming next week to live with us!"

His jaw dropped to his knees. "You're serious?"

She gave him a mischievous smirk. "Yep, so you know what that means?"

"No, tell me before I burst from curiosity."

"You get to pull out all your gowns and pretty dresses and play drag queen! And I'm going to be the most uncouth, foulmouthed heiress this side of the Mississippi."

A huge smile lit up his face; he clapped his hands and danced in a circle. "Judy Garland move over!" He sobered and looked at her with a serious expression. "What about Ray?"

"What better way to send my mother back to Boston."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. "You didn't sleep with her because of your mother did you?"

"No Larry I didn't. I love her more than anything and I would never do anything to hurt her."

He kissed her temple and smacked her on her ass. "Better get in there before she comes looking for her shirt, but I must say you do look awful sexy in it."

Ray was still asleep, she lay on her stomach with RJ's pillow clutched in her arms, and soft snores came from parted lips. RJ put the coffee and bagels on the nightstand and crawled onto the bed to kneel beside Ray, pushing long dark hair back from her neck; she kissed the soft skin and worked her way down to each shoulder. Leaning back, she trailed a finger down Ray's spine until she came to her rear. Cupping a firm glut in her small hand, she squeezed it gently. A soft moan came from Ray; she rolled over onto her side.

"You terrorizing me?"

"Yep, problem with that?"

"Nope, come here."

Rolling them over, Ray hovered over her lover, placing a soft kiss on her neck she buried her face and sighed.

She whined. "I don't wanna go to work."

"Would S&M take care of the horses for a few hours?"

@@@@@@@@

Exhausted but sated, they came from RJ's bedroom. Tilting her head sideways RJ noticed that the house was silent.

"Damn, Larry went to work all ready."

"He's supposed to be at work, it's past noon."

Sticking her bottom lip out she, whined. "But I'm hungry and he does all the cooking."

@@@@@@@@@

Mallory gave her wife a dirty look, she was about to throw something at her when Ray's truck pulled up to the barn. She pointed a finger at Sydney and told her to get down before she got her ass kicked.

"But I'm having fun!" She whined from where she was hanging from one of the arms on the walking machine.

Mallory grinned at her when she heard Ray's deep voice. "Now you've done it!"

RJ and Ray stopped beside Mallory and looked to see Sydney going in circles.

A low snicker burst from Ray's parted lips. "I see you're using the multi-purpose babysitter."

"Haa never thought of using that before, I always use a dog harness but she's gotten good at wiggling out of it."

RJ gave them both funny looks, shaking her head she mumbled. "I won't even go there. I'm going to get something to eat, anybody want anything?"

Ray pulled money from her wallet and stuffed it into her lover's pocket. "Get enough food so that we have some by the time you get back."

RJ crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at her lover.

"Are you insinuating that I'll eat it all before I get back?"

"No insinuating about it." Ray leaned forward and gave her a lingering kiss, then grabbed her ass. "Better get going before I find something else for lunch."

RJ went to the racetrack kitchen leaving the cousins to whisper among themselves; she looked back over her shoulder to see her lover's face a bright red. "Uhh huh, they know!" She smiled the entire way to the kitchen.

"Ooohh I know that look Ray!" Mallory slapped her in her shoulder. "Little RJ knocked you on your ass!"

"I'm not saying a word." She dropped her eyes to her booted feet.

"Don't have to, it shows all over the place, including the sucker bite on your neck!" She jabbed the bruise with her finger and watched her cousin flinch.

"What'd I miss what'd I miss!" Sydney yelled from where she was hanging upside down from the walker.

"NOTHING!" They both yelled in unison.

"So what's it been four, five years?"

Ray's face turned half a dozen colors; she looked to the ceiling hoping to see a UFO that would abduct her on the spot. "Six, but I wasn't counting."

"Not counting what?" RJ asked from behind them. "I got our food, and yes I did leave some so there!"

Not much was accomplished that day at the stables; the cousins took that time to drill RJ on her life and her expectations for their embarrassed cousin. RJ could tell that they cared about the stoic groom and only wanted the best for her.

The week was drawing closer to what RJ had named hell day, with her and Ray's blossoming new relationship she hoped that her mother would not cause any harm with her homophobic thinking. She had to laugh at her self, not to long ago she had been the same way. What one beautiful soul could do to someone was amazing. Her body warmed with just one thought of her Kiwi lover, her heart began to beat faster and with one look from those impossible blue eyes made her knees week. That is exactly what happened the second Ray came from the shower, her hair wet and slicked back on her head, showing off her high cheekbones, flashing blue eyes set off by a deep tan. Her heart stilled, breath caught in her chest as her lover came towards her wrapped only in a towel.

"Sparky are you all right?" Ray asked from not two foot in front of her lover.

Her voice had a breathless quality to it. "You steal my breath away with one look." Ray gave her a small smile and took her into her arms for a deep soul-searing kiss. Lifting her up into her arms she carried her to their bed and laid her down gently. They expressed their love for each other on and off for hours until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

@@@@@@@@@

With the stereo on low, Larry danced around the kitchen making his late night snack of cheese and crackers. He sang at the top of his lungs to the Dixie chicks. A loud knock came from the front door interrupting his solo part, stomping to the door in his fuzzy slippers and silk robe he jerked it open and was about to bark out a greeting, until a small woman with blonde hair streaked with gray gazed up at him with disgust showing in her green eyes. She shoved past him and pointed to her many huge suitcases.

"I want those put in Rhapsody's bedroom immediately, where is my daughter!" She demanded in a strong Bostonian accent.

All Larry could do was stand with his jaw hanging.

"Well just don't stand there who ever you are, get my bags in here and take me to my daughter!"

Finding a voice that was octaves higher than his own was; he stuttered.

"Ma'am it's late and Lady Rhapsody is…indisposed."

"I don't care what time it is, I have flown for hours to get here and the only thing on my mind right now is to retire!" She threw her mink coat at him, looked around her and stomped down the hall flinging doors open on her search. When she came to RJ's office she knew she was close, looking around her, she huffed at the cluttered shelves and desktop.

"Very obvious that she needs to fire that servant!" Pushing the bedroom door open she felt along the wall for the light switch. Flipping it on she immediately walked to the bed and threw the blankets off the bed.

"Rhapsody Beau…Ohh my God!"

Green eyes shot open, RJ rolled over onto Ray's chest to hide their naked bodies. She was in total shock and at a loss for words.

Ray leaned close to her ear and whispered. "Your mother's here."

"Mother what in the hell are you doing in my room?"

"What are you doing in bed with a woman! Who is she? I don't really care at this point but she is leaving this house right now!" She pointed a finger at Ray then swung her arm back towards the door.

"Get out NOW!"

Larry came running into the room, grabbing up the blankets he recovered them and stood guard.

"I am so sorry, I tried to stop her RJ. Really I did but she just…"

Her eyes narrowed at her mother. "It's OK Larry, my mother has no manners!"

Pulling a blanket around her body, she got up from the bed and pointed to her office. "Out Mother!"

"Not until that what ever she is gets out of this room!"

Ray got out of the bed and came to her full height in front of the older woman. Glaring down at Mrs. Beaumont, she spoke to RJ. "I'll get dressed and be in the kitchen." She walked past the small group, picked up her clothes from where she had left them in a chair and left the room with a terrified Larry behind her.

"Why was there a woman in your bed?" Mrs. Beaumont asked as she backed RJ up against her bed. "I will not put up with another abomination in the family!"

RJ's temper flared, her green eyes narrowed as she drilled them in to eyes so much like her own.

"Is that what Roger was, an abomination? Well, you know what mother I could care less what you think of my late brother or me! My lover and I will give you this room and I will stay with her. Makes no difference to me as long as I'm with her!"

"You can not be serious."

"I am most serious, I will not change my life for you or anyone. You will not brow beat me like you to do everyone else." Grabbing up her clothes she walked into the bathroom to change.

@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray was quiet on the way to the Cliffside motel, she kept glancing over to her lover to see how she was handling the situation. Tear's flowed from green eyes to drip from her chin, she held onto Ray's hand for life.

After getting their room, Ray carried RJ from the truck. She continued to hold her in her arms when she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sparky, we'll get passed this. I love you and nothing will ever change that." She kissed her lovers cheek and wiped the tears from her face. "Let's get some sleep and in the morning we'll figure out what to do."

"I really hate how she acts, that was one of the reasons I never returned home after college." Soft sobs racked her body, she buried her face against Ray's chest and cried until she fell asleep.

@@@@@@@@@@

Larry was ready to throw himself into the nearest river. The older Beaumont was treating him as a lowly servant. She had burst into his bedroom and ordered him to change the sheets on RJ's bed and to remove those other women's clothes from the dresser and closet. Now with a garbage bag filled with not only Ray's clothes but RJ's as well he stumbled to his room.

"I hope you girls know what you're doing." He groaned and dropped into his Queen Ann chair. "I can't do this by myself." He became pensive for a few moments. "Whether you know it or not Sally, you're going to help us." He turned in and slept for a few hours before he would have to go in to work.

@@@@@@@@@

Ray and RJ dragged in to the stables the next morning from a restless sleep in a strange place. Eyes bloodshot and aching bodies they opened the door to Ray's room and woke S&M. They told them what happened the night before. And that they could go back home, that they would be staying at the track from now on.


@@@@@@@@@

Mrs. Beaumont looked through the drawers in RJ's desk, she pulled out folders and binders. Looking through them she tossed them into a cardboard box at her feet, pulling the center drawer out she came across employment applications for the stables. She noticed that there was only one baring the name Ray Rawlings. Checking each area a grin came to her face, she knew it had to be her daughter's lover. The address for next of kin was in New Zealand and the woman had an accent. Placing to the side she continued to search the drawer. Pulling out a manila envelope she opened it and pulled out win pictures from the racetrack. Each one had Rhapsody and the tall groom in them, holding hands and smiling for the camera.

"This can not continue, you will go back to Boston and forget this foolishness!" She threw the pictures into the box and closed the drawer. Taking the many boxes one at a time she put them out to the road, she intended to get the house in order so that it could be put on the market.

"She will not need a house once she comes back home to live, that is after she's released from the therapy program I will have set up for her."

Larry came home early from work, as he pulled into the drive he noticed the boxes sitting at the road. With one look at the win pictures on top he knew what the older Beaumont had done. Pilling the boxes in the trunk, he headed out again to go to the racetrack to find RJ.

@@@@@@@@

"I don't fucking believe her!" RJ screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ray pulled her into her arms, resting her head on top of hers she spoke quietly. "Easy Sparky, I know she's over stepped here. There's nothing we can do about it now. Do you want to go over there and talk to her?"

"Absolutely…not. I would just end up screaming and yelling at her."

Larry rubbed her back, placing a kiss on her temple he told her that he had their clothes in his car.

"Our clothes?" Ray asked with an odd expression on her face.

"Yeah, after you two left, I became slave labor. She had me change the sheets, clean the room and take all of your clothes out of the room. Well as I was doing that, I took all of RJ's work clothes to." He lowered his head before continuing. "I hate to say this RJ, I hate that woman!" He smiled when he heard a soft chuckle come from RJ. "I was going to do the drag queen thing but I don't think that will do anything but have her throw me out. Who knows, I may go home and find my stuff at the road."

RJ turned her face towards him. "If that happens you call the police and then call us."

"I feel like I'm in the middle of a soap opera!" He snickered. Giving them hugs he walked away.

"What are we going to do Kiwi?" Sad green eyes looked into troubled blue. "On top of that psycho bitch here, now we have the Boston bitch in our home." She broke down into sobs.

@@@@@@@@@

Instead of staying at the track, they went out to the farm and stayed with Sydney and Mallory. They needed a safe haven away from all the problems that had popped up in less than 48 hours. Mallory had given them one of the large guest rooms to stay in and helped them bring in all their stuff. She didn't know what either her or Sydney could do to help them, but she knew what ever they needed she and her wife would do. Retiring to the room she shared with her wife, Mallory found her going through the binders for the stables.

"Whatcha doing baby?"

Tired blue eyes looked up at her. "Making sure that the Bostonian bitch can't take the stables from RJ."

"What about the big boss?" Mallory asked as she dropped down onto their bed and leaned into her wives side.

"Unless she wants to go up against every barrister in New Zealand, I think she'll leave the boss alone."

"Good, now all we have to do is take care of these two and ride out the storm."

@@@@@@@@@@@@

Mrs. Beaumont had made dozens of phone calls, she had just dialed a number and was waiting for the other party to pick up.

"Hello Dr. Giovanno, this is Mrs. Beaumont. I have a problem with my daughter Rhapsody, she's had a terrible break-up with her intended. Can you perhaps fax a prescription here to West Virginia for an injectable sedative." Pause. "You know Rhapsody and her taking any kind of pills. Thank you and I will see you when we return to Boston, say hello to your family."

Everything was set for their return to Boston. Now all she had to do was wait until the others got there, and then get Rhapsody to the house.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The phone rang early the next morning waking Mallory from a deep sleep, rolling over her wife she answered the phone. Not bothering to hang it up she ran from the room and headed to Ray and RJ's. Flinging the door open she ran to the bed and shook her cousin awake.

"Ray wake up." A pair of blurry blue eyes looked up at her.

"What's wrong?"

"We have to get over to the track. Someone turned all the horses loose!"

The four of them piled into the truck and took off at break neck speed to the track, as they pulled close to the gate they saw a guard running towards them.

"Ray, one of your horses is on the road outside the fence, they can't catch her."

Ray's eyes grew wide, she looked to the others, and before she knew it RJ was shoving on her.

"Go get her Ray, you're the only one. We'll get the others."

She jumped from the truck and took off running towards the road where their horse was running loose. She came around the corner and her heart stopped. Running towards on coming traffic was Spark of Lapis. She took a deep breath and whistled. She watched as the filly hesitated a brief second before she jumped the car that had stopped to avoid hitting her. Ray turned and took off back to the gate, she knew that she would not be able to catch Spark on foot, she slid in the gravel at the corner of the fence; she righted herself and yelled for Katy. Seconds later she heard her whinny back and then the mare came trotting up to her. Swinging up onto her back she stopped at the guard shack and got a rope they kept there for emergencies. Katy took off at a full out run down the grassy area beside the fence, Ray could hear horns blowing and tires screeching up on Rt. 340, then the lights of police cars going through the intersection. Taking Katy up the embankment, they went across the road and up the side to Rt. 340.

She could see cars stopping all over the place and hoped that she could get the filly before she was killed.

@@@@@@@@@

Mallory swung up onto one of the horses and took off after two of the horses that were on the opposite side of the racetrack grounds. Grabbing two shanks from the wall on her way she yelled back to RJ to check the stalls to see who was missing. They had been able to get three of the horses rather quickly since they were right outside of the stalls, she could see seven of them grazing out in the field with the goat. She counted a total of eleven that she knew of, that left five for them to get back including the one that was on the road. She prayed that Ray could catch her. Taking a shank from the wall, she was headed out into the field to help Sydney catch their horses. A sound of hooves on pavement made her turn her head, Ray flew past her on the other side of the fence on Katy.

"Oohh shit! SYDNEY!" She screamed as she ran to where Ray's cousin was at the other end of the field coming her way with one of the horses.

Grabbing the stocky woman's arm she pointed to where Ray had gone.
"Ray just went down the road on Katy! What horses are still missing?"

Sydney looked out in the field and then named the missing ones.

"We don't know which ones Mallory went to get. I'm sure that some of the other grooms are helping catch them to."

RJ was scared to death for her lover and the horse running loose down the road, she wanted so bad to get in the truck and go after her but she knew that Ray would want her here taking care of the other horses. Walking towards the nearest one she snapped the shank onto it's halter and led it back to it's stall. When she came out Mallory was coming back with one in tow, along with a man who had the other. He put the horse in the stall and walked away not allowing RJ to thank him. He stuffed the shank in his back pocket and disappeared into the early morning. At the sound of a grunt she turned to see Sally being pushed all over the shed row by Reaper.

"You big bone head horse! Stay off my silk shirt!" He pushed the slobbering face away form him with disgust. "Of all the ones I catch it had to be you!" He pointed to the horses stall and ordered him in.

"Hi girls, I must say that I am not enjoying myself!" He wiped his hands on his pant legs and grinned. "How is the Amazon nation going?" He asked Sydney.

"Not good, still missing one horse. Ray went after it on Katy." She looked over her shoulder to RJ with questioning eyes. "Which one is missing?" RJ walked the shed row looking into each stall, they had not gotten them all back into the correct ones so she went by recognition alone. She gasped when she came to the last stall, tears formed in her eyes.

"It's Spark!"

Three sets of eyes turned to her, Sydney nodded to Sally.

"Take her down the road, see if you can find Ray."

@@@@@@@@@@

Katy slipped on the hard pavement, sparks flying from her shoes as Ray took her off the side of the road to run in the tall glass. She could just see Spark ahead of her as she weaved in and out of traffic. The police had stopped all traffic both ways on Rt. 340 and had set up barricades using their cars hoping that the filly would stop. What they didn't realize was that the filly could jump a good six foot without a problem. She saw the filly turn and roll back on her hindquarters when someone approached her. She spun and turned and headed back towards Ray, the only thing she could do was hope that she could get along side of her and rope her. Turning Katy so that they were pointing in the same direction the filly was headed she set off at a low gallop. At the last second Spark turned and went over a fence and out into an open field, Ray followed. Katy was getting tired and she hoped that Spark was to, this would be her last chance to catch the filly, and she knew that another busy road lay on the other side of the field. Laying down over Katy's shoulder she kicked her forward at a ground-eating run. She was gaining on the tiring filly, raising up she swung the rope over her head and let it fly, it grazed the side of her shoulders and hit the ground. Now riding at a full run, sitting up and trying to bring the rope back in was a suicide mission. Trying once again, she threw the rope just as Spark was about to go up the incline onto the other road. She felt the bite of the rope tear into her hands as it tightened on Spark's neck. Wrapping it around her upper arm she squeezed her legs, Katy reacted immediately and backed up. Spark reared up into the air when the rope tightened. Falling back onto her haunches she sat down and fell to her side. Ray slid from Katy's back and ran to the filly, kneeling down near her head, she looked into the filly's tired eyes. Dropping her face down onto the sweaty neck she cried. Minutes later she ran her hands down the now calm horse's neck.

"Come on Spark, lets go home." She stood up and then tapped the filly on her side and watched as she struggled to her feet. Checking her legs for injuries, she found that the right front shoe was split down the middle.

"Guess we all get to walk home." Tying the rope to Sparks halter she led her while Katy walked behind.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

RJ was going ballistic, she was standing in the middle of the road trying to get the direction that Ray had gone. The officer shook his shoulders and pointed down the road.

"We just came from there and they said she came this way!" She wiped the tears from her face, she turned in defeat and headed back to the truck and trailer. She didn't know what to do, she and Sally had spent over an hour driving up and down Rt. 340 trying to find Ray. She wondered if Ray had not all ready caught Spark and was now back at the barn or if she was still chasing her. Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, she turned towards an empty field and saw three figures off in the distance. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, she knew that was her lover out there. Running back to the truck she told Sally and then ran towards the fence. Climbing over she took off at a sprint until she was winded to much to run. Moving at a slow jog she came to a distance that she could make out her lovers features. Fresh tears came to her eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

@@@@@@@@

Ray was exhausted, she walked slowly with her horses beside her, she knew that they had miles to go yet and with the way the three of them felt it would be hours before they got back to the track. She looked up from the ground to see someone running towards her, she knew without a doubt that it was RJ. Her heart filled with emotion, tears filled her eyes at the thought of her lover coming to find her. She picked up the pace until she could make out RJ's features. She could see the relief on the small woman's face and knew that everything was going to be OK.

RJ threw herself into her lover's arms, they fell to the ground at the horse's feet and tears of happiness clouded their eyes.

"I've been searching hours for you."

"Sorry Sparky, we decided to go for a little bit of exercise." She pulled RJ down for a long deep kiss, when it broke she pulled her head down and buried her face in her hair. "Let's go home." She mumbled.

@@@@@@@@@

They loaded the horses into the trailer and took them back to the track, they were greeted by S&M and Larry who had seen all the commotion from the window of his shop. After checking all the horses, Ray rubbed down Katy and Spark. Painting their legs and applying thick wraps, she turned of their lights and went to find her lover. She was beginning to feel every muscle in her body screaming from the over exertion. She wanted nothing more than to take a long hot shower and fall into bed with her lover.

RJ was lying on the bed in only a flannel shirt, her eyes closed making it appear that she was asleep. As soon as the door opened, she looked up.

"Kiwi?"

"Yeah, go back to sleep. I'm going to take a shower."

RJ got up from the bed and followed her lover into the bathroom, she helped her remove her clothes and turned the water on. Dropping her flannel shirt on the floor she stepped into the shower and pulled Ray in with her. With gentle hands she washed her lover's hair and then every inch of her body, when she was finished she led to their bed.

"Lay on your stomach for me." Tired blue eyes looked at her, she leaned up and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You're moving like your ninety, I'm going to give you a back rub." She pushed Ray down onto the bed and rolled her on to her stomach. Straddling her hips she started at her shoulders with strong fingers and worked the tight muscles loose, low moans and groans came from Ray as her body relaxed. Ray rolled over without dislodging her lover, she pulled RJ down to her and kissed her passionately. With slow gentle hands she explored every inch of RJ's body until she had her writhing against her. Bending her knees she slid RJ down until their centers were grinding against each other.

RJ leaned back and ground harder, pushing them higher. She felt warm fingers pinch and roll her nipples, shockwaves shot through her body to stop at her center. Moving one hand between them she entered her lover quickly and felt the muscles throb around her fingers. Pushing one last time she sent them both over the edge screaming out each other's names.

@@@@@@@@@@@

Larry walked up to the front door late that night and tried his key, when the door didn't unlock he checked to make sure it was the right one. Trying again he got the same result.

"What the hell is going on here?" He walked around to the back door and found that his key didn't work there either. He looked into the windows to see not lights on, he continued to walk around the house to his bedroom window. Pushing up on the pane he slid it up and crawled through.

"Can not fucking believe this, here I am breaking in to my own home in the middle of the damn night." He dropped to the floor and fell over what he could only assume was a cardboard box since it crushed with his weight. "Now what!" Crawling across the floor he came to the wall, flipped the light on and almost passed out. His entire room was empty except for a few cardboard boxes that contained his clothes. He opened the door and came face to face with a county sheriff.

"What is going on here?" He asked the sheriff.

"That's him!" Mrs. Beaumont said from the hallway. "I want him arrested for burglary, trespassing and breaking and entering!"

Larry's eyes grew large, his jaw dropped. "I live here! You can't do this!" He was pushed up against the wall and handcuffed. "Sir, that woman is insane! I've lived here for the past seven years! My names on the house deed!"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear it."

The sheriff read him his rights and pushed him into the back seat of the cruiser that had been hidden on the opposite side of the house.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray walked to the office door and opened it to come face to face with a Charlestown police officer. She backed up when he put a hand on her shoulder to push her back into the room.

"Can I help you with something Sir?"

"I'm looking for Ray Rawlings and Rhapsody Beaumont."

"I'm Rawlings." Ray looked over her shoulder at her confused lover.

"I'm Rhapsody Beaumont, what's this about?"

The officer produced a leather shank and held it out to Ray. "Can you identify this?" Ray turned it over in her hands and nodded. She pointed out the brand that she herself had burned into the leather. "It's belongs to the stables. We must have lost it yesterday when we were catching the horses. Is that what this is about?"

"In a way ma'am." He took the shank away to both of their amazements. He motioned behind him and a filthy man came into the room and looked at Ray and RJ. "Do you recognize them?"

"That's them all right, saw them real good."

"You can go now, but don't leave the area." He waved his hand and another officer stepped into the room. "Ray Rawlings and Rhapsody Beaumont, you are both under arrest for the murder of Sandra Pierson." He and the other officer handcuffed them, read them their rights and then took them to the two cruisers parked outside of the barn. Before they were put into the cruiser, S&M pulled into the parking lot.

"Ray what's going on?" Mallory asked as she came towards her. She was kept back by the officer and was not allowed to talk to Ray. "Call Da and tell him I've been arrested for murder." Ray yelled to her as the officer was shoving her into the backseat.

"What the hell is going on with this damn place!?" Sydney yelled but was shoved forcefully back as she tried to get to RJ. She heard RJ yell Larry's name and knew what she wanted her to do.

"Mallory we have to find out what the hell happened."

@@@@@@@@@@@@

Sally was waiting at the front desk of the police station; Larry had called him at home and told him what had happened. He came straight over to get his friend out on bail. Which was a war in it's self with the charges that had been brought against him. He had been waiting three hours for the paper work to be done, and was on his last gay nerve when he saw Larry being brought from the back. As soon as Larry was un-cuffed, they left the station. When they got to the parking lot, Sally stopped Larry and asked him to tell him everything.

"That woman is insane! I can't believe I've been charged with all that shit! We have to go talk to RJ and Ray. RJ should have the deed for the house."

"We'll go right now; I know they stayed at the track last night."

Sally got into the car; he was waiting for Larry who seemed to be staring off into the distance.

"Sally? We don't need to go to the track."

"Why not?"

"Because both of them are being taken into the police station right now."

"What? You are kidding right?"

@@@@@@@@@@@

They ran to the front door of the police station and entered right behind the sheriff deputies. Larry tried to get to RJ but was pushed back from her.

"What the fuck!" He turned to Ray but she was pushed in an opposite direction than RJ. "Sally has the whole town gone insane?"

Sally ran his hands down his face in frustration. "I don't know but someone is going to tell us something or I'm going to tear this place apart with my bare hands!" He grabbed Larry by his hand, pulling him out the door he ran across the street to the barbershop.

"Sally what are we doing in here?"

"I'll be right back." He went into the back room and came out shortly followed by an old man. "Larry this is my uncle John." The old man held out an arthritic hand to him.

"Heard from Sally here that all hell has broken loose."

"You can definitely say that." Larry dropped into a barber chair and shook his head.

"Well, ladies I can tell ya this much about your two friends. They got busted for murdering some woman at the racetrack."

Two jaws dropped open, Larry and Sally looked at each other and then shook their heads.

"I don't believe that." Larry replied. "Neither one of them would kill anybody."

Rheumy blue eyes looked at Larry. "I heard on the scanner that you were arrested last night."

"Yeah, for going into my own house at that!"

"I may be able to help you and your friends, I know all the cops and I also know which ones you can trust." He wrote a name on a scrap of paper and handed it to Sally. "Call her; you can trust her to get to the bottom of all this horseshit."

@@@@@@@@@@@

Mallory called Ray's father and then made a call to RJ's house, she couldn't reach him but got her mother instead. She argued with the woman to find out where Larry was but Mrs. Beaumont kept yelling back that she wanted to speak with her daughter.

"She's not here god damn it! She's in jail!" Before she could say another word, the phone was slammed down in her ear.

"Fucking bitch!" She slammed the receiver into the cradle. "She doesn't know where Larry is."

"She should, the fucking cunt had me arrested last night!" He said from behind them.

The four of them sat in the office and told their stories, and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. They decided to call the police officer that Sally's uncle had told them about and see if she could in fact help.

@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray was cuffed to a metal chair in a small room, she had been there for hours, her shoulders were sore and she was getting madder by the minute when they refused to tell her where RJ was.

"Why did you kill Sandra Pierson?"

She had been asked this question none stop for hours and she kept giving them the same answer.

"I didn't kill any one! I told you that before."

"We find that hard to believe when we have an eyewitness and a shank that belongs to you as the murder weapon." The officer slapped the table in front of her. "You admit that you killed her and we'll let you see your friend."

"Go to hell!"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The officer walked back and forth in front of a frightened RJ.

"Miss. Beaumont, we have all the proof we need to convict you and your friend for murder. We can make a deal with you and have your charges reduced if not dismissed if you tell us that Rawlings killed Pierson."

"Do you people think that I'm stupid? Neither one of us killed anyone! So you can shove your deal up your ass, I'll rot in prison!" She knew that this had to have been a set up, to much had happened in the last two days for it to be just bad luck.

They were removed from the interrogation rooms and saw each other for seconds before they were locked into different holding cells. Ray was ready to kill; she was tired of being accused for something she didn't do. She knew that they were trying to play her and RJ against each other and prayed that RJ didn't fall for it. She hoped that Mallory was able to get a hold of her father because he was the only one who could help her now.

@@@@@@@@@@

Mrs. Beaumont came through the front door of the police station followed by three men in dark suits. She approached the desk sergeant, motioned to one of the men who came forward and handed the sergeant some papers.

"That is an order from the judge releasing Miss. Beaumont into my custody."

The sergeant narrowed his eyes at him.

"I can read." He looked down at the papers and then told them to wait while he had someone bring RJ from lock-up. He didn't like the looks of them and made sure that he memorized what they looked like. Using the phone, he called back to the holding area. Stuffing the paper's into the in box. He pulled out similar ones and handed then to the man.

"She'll be out in five minutes, you can wait over there."

RJ jumped when the cell door was opened and an officer motioned her forward.

"You're being released, come with me."

She followed him to the front, expecting to see Larry, her face paled when she saw her mother and the three men. She turned to the officer.

"Who arranged this?" He went over to the desk sergeant and came back seconds later and told her. "I won't go with them, take me back to lock-up."

"Sorry miss can't do that." Before she could run for the door, her mother grabbed her by her arm and propelled her into the arms of two of the men. She started screaming for someone to help her and fighting the two men for all she was worth. When they got her outside, one of the men injected her in her hip; she collapsed and was carried to a dark car. The desk sergeant watched from the front window, as soon as they pulled past he took down the license plate number and went to make a phone call.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

One of the officers that had been questioning Ray came to her cell with a huge smile on his face.

"Well, your friend just pinned you with the murder."

"Fuck you, she wouldn't do that." Ray felt her world crumble around her, her heart shattered into millions of pieces; she wished that she could die right on the spot. She couldn't believe that her lover would do that knowing that she was innocent. She watched as the officer stood there with a smug look on his face; she wondered if she attacked him if he would shot her dead. She got up slowly from the concrete bench; she was halfway across the cell when he spoke.


"Afraid so, in fact her mother just got her released."

She froze where she stood, with those words she knew he had lied about what RJ had done. RJ would never call her mother for help.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The desk sergeant pulled the release papers from the in box; he signaled to one of the other officers and told him he was going to lunch and to watch the desk. Going down the hall, he went towards the stairs that led to the basement where the detectives had their offices. Checking as he walked, he wanted to make sure that no one seen what he was doing. Going to the last office on the right he stepped in and closed the door.

"Denny, I have something for you." He handed the papers to a blonde woman in her late thirties; her dark green eyes looked at the papers and then up to him.

"What is it?" She asked with a Smokey voice.

"I had some strange people come in a while ago and have Rhapsody Beaumont released into their custody. I got a bad feeling from it, so I swapped the papers. When Beaumont came out front, she went nuts, was screaming and fighting them, when they got her outside she collapsed. This is the license plate number of the car.

Denny stood up from her desk and took the scrap of paper from him. Looking at it, she stuck it into her shirt pocket.

"Why was Beaumont here?"

He went on to explain the arrest and to tell her that Ray was down in lock-up for the same thing.

"I'll look in to it, thanks Frank."

After the sergeant left, Denny looked at the papers closer. Picking up the phone, she called the court clerk and questioned him about the release forms. A smile came to her face when she hung the phone up. Searching her filing cabinet, she pulled out a thick file and started leafing through it. She came to a certain page, read it and then put the file in the safe she had set in her floor and locked it.

"Big mistake, huge mistake!" She got up from her desk and went in search of the other accused. Before she could get half way down the hall, her cell phone rang.

"Detective Denzel." She listened for a few minutes, throwing in a huhs and OK's in. "Give me an hour and I'll meet you there." Then hung up. "This is getting really complicated."

@@@@@@@@@@@@

"OK, she said to give her an hour and she'll meet us here." Sally leaned up against the wall and sighed.

Sydney pulled her wife into her arms and rested her head on her shoulder. "What do we do until then?"

"Cry." Larry said from where he sat looking out the office door. "This is all so overwhelming. I hope Ray hasn't killed someone in lock-up."

@@@@@@@@

Denny stood outside of lock-up and watched Ray pace back and forth in her small cell, she recognized the tall groom from the racetrack and knew of the case from years ago. She walked forward slowly until Ray stopped and looked at her.

Ray saw the woman watching her, she kept pacing anyway, and she had to do something or go crazy. When the blonde came towards her, she noticed that she had a bad limp and the rough no nonsense way about her. She turned at the smoky voice, her expression blank.

"Rawlings, I'm detective Denzel. I'd like to ask you some questions."

"I've answered enough questions, I told those assholes I didn't kill no one and neither did RJ."

As the detective got closer, Ray noticed that she had a long scar that ran from the corner of her left eye to the bottom of her jaw. And another one near her jugular vein that disappeared beneath the collar of her T-shirt.

"I have had one phone from a friend of yours and Beaumont's and then the desk sergeant coming to me for the same thing." She leaned against the bars, looked right at Ray with her darkened green eyes narrowed. "Trouble seems to follow the Beaumont name." She saw the flames erupt in blue eyes and held up one hand. "Hold on there now, just hear me out. I know Roger was a mafia hit, I also know that his sister has never been in any kind of trouble. So when I hear that she's been arrested for murder, red flags go up all over the place."

Ray stepped up to the bars, stared into the green eyes searching for the truth.

"What do you want?"

"I want to close out a murder case and see the ones who killed Roger go to jail."

"What has that got to do with me and RJ?"

"First tell me what your relationship is with Beaumont." She watched blue eyes darken. "I gotcha, Beaumont was released to an older woman and three men."

She went on to tell Ray what the desk sergeant had told her, and that their descriptions matched ones of witnesses that had seen the same men with Roger before he had the cement accident. Upon hearing this, Ray's knees buckled, she slipped to her knees and leaned her head against the bars. Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them flow down her face.

"They're going to kill her because of me. She told me that the mafia killed Roger for stealing but I think it's because he was gay."

Denzel sunk to her knees with difficulty; she came eye to eye with Ray and saw the pain showing in her eyes. "Why do you say that?" Ray told her how Mrs. Beaumont had acted when she caught them in bed and all that had happened since.

"Ray, do you think they had something to do with Pierson's murder?"

"I don't know I do know that the guy who identified us worked for her." She told her about the horses being left out of their stalls and all that had happened that day with getting them all caught. "Talk to my cousin's Mallory and Sydney, they were there at the stables."

"I've talked to Salvatore; I'm to meet everyone at the track. Do me a favor, if anyone comes in here and starts asking you questions, refuse to answer. Is anyone getting you a lawyer?"

"Mallory was going to call my father."

"OK. A soon as I learn something I'll let you know." She took a few steps away and turned back. "For what its worth, I think you two were framed."

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, hit speed dial and waited.

"This is Denzel, I need an APB on a dark Cadilac sedan, smoked windows, Boston plates, number MQB1941. When you find the car just follow it, I want to know where it goes, what the five occupants do. I have reason to believe that one of the occupant's life is in danger." She paused. "If they drop off a young blond, stay with her and get someone else to follow the others. She paused once again, her voice gruff she answered. "On my order! I take full responsibility." She closed her phone and cussed under her breath. "Asshole men."


@@@@@@@@@@@

Sally opened the office door after the second knock, he looked with suspicion at the rough woman standing there. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Salvatore, I'm Detective Denzel."

"I'm Salvatore or Sally, please come in."

He introduced her to everyone in the room and then offered her a chair.

"My uncle John gave me your number, can you help us?"

"I think I might be able to, I've spoken with Ray. I also know that Beaumont was released from jail. Does she live at her brother's house?"

Larry closed his eyes and groaned. "Ohh shit! Detective Denzel."

"Just call me Denny, what's the ohh shit about?"

Larry told her of his arrest and of finding all the records for the stables and personal files that Mrs. Beaumont had put out for the trash.

"Where are these files now?"

"At our house, we put them in our office." Sydney told her. "I checked them to make that the deed for the house and partnership records were there, I wanted to make sure that the Bostonian bitch couldn't take the stables from RJ or the other owner."

"Who's the other owner?"

Sydney looked to Mallory and saw her nod her head.

"Raylin Xavier Rawlings."

Denny wrote the name down in a notebook she pulled from her pocket.

"Where can I find this Raylin…Ohh shit!" She rubbed her forehead. "Ray's the other owner."

Larry and Sally's jaws dropped in shock. "Ray owns the stables!" They said in unison. Larry jumped up and kissed Sydney soundly on the lips. "I love you Syd!" Sydney looked at him as if he was nuts. "My name is on that deed for the house! I can get the charges dropped against me!"

Sally went over to one of the shelves and pulled out a binder, looking at the pages he swore under his breath. "That sneaky Kiwi! Look at this." He handed the binder to Mallory. "Is that Ray's signature?"

"Yep, she signs all the stable checks Xavier Rawlings. What's the problem?"

"I used to get one check a month for a lump sum and then another check every week for my wages. And it was signed SM Rawlings"

Sydney and Mallory laughed at him. "We gave you the weekly and Ray gave you the monthly."

"You're all nuts, damn confusing Kiwi's" Sally closed binder.

"OK, lets get on with this." Denzel said after she took everything in. "I need you guys to act as back-up for me, I need to find the guy that identified Ray and RJ. Ray said he worked for Pierson and maybe he was here yesterday when you were all catching the horses."

Sydney shook her head. "I was out in the field catching them, what about you Mallory?"

Mallory shook her head. "Nope, I don't remember any…wait there was this guy that brought one of the horses back. He took off as soon as he put the horse away."

Denzel nodded her head at her. "Good, remember what he looks like?"

"Ohh yeah. No problem there, lets go find this bastard. What do you need us to do?"

"If we find him, he's going to take off like a damn jack rabbit. I have a bad leg and I can't move to quick anymore so." She watched a huge grin come across S&M's faces.

"Striker time!" They slapped hands and then jumped up. "Let's go!"

Denzel looked at Sally. "Striker time?"

"Let's just say that the Aussie soccer team can't find their team captains."

"Ohh, hey just don't kill him! I need to ask him some questions!" She limped after S&M, a crooked grin covered her face at their antics. Mallory was riding on Sydney's back and singing the Australian national anthem.

"Don't mind them, they're happiest when they can kick the shit out of something." Sally ran a hand down Denzel's sleeve. "Nice, Armani?"

"Of course, got it cheap at the police auction."

He skipped off after Larry. "We have a new place to shop, queenie!"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray sat on the edge of her concrete bunk, her head in her hands she tried to think of how all this shit had happened. Did it tie into Pierson's murder or was the other stuff just a coincidence? All she knew was that she needed to get out and find RJ and then clear their names. Her head came up with the click of high heels coming towards her. A tall sandy haired woman with blue eyes motioned for the officer to open the cell. She then stepped in and told the officer to leave them. As soon as he was gone, the woman gave Ray a hug and kissed her cheek.

"What the Hell is going on here? I get a call from Da, saying that Mallory and Sydney called him saying that you had been arrested for murder. Why didn't you just call me?"

"I didn't think Sam, I mean one minute I'm with my lover and the next thing we're both being hauled in for murder."

"OK, I need you to start at the beginning and tell me everything that has happened and where to find the two amazon strikers so I can kick their sorry asses!"

After telling her sister everything that had happened, three hours had passed her by. She was more worried now that she hadn't heard anything from RJ. She expressed her concern to Sam and asked her to find out something before she pulled the first jailbreak in Charlestown history.

@@@@@@@@@@@

Denzel and her little army of misfits walked the shed rows looking for the witness. They had checked all the other places that he would be and didn't think he would be back at the barn where the murder took place. Denzel smacked her forehead.

"You dumbass! Where's Pierson's barn?"

"It's number seventeen, back the way we came. I thought you said…"

Mallory never finished her sentence, she knew what Denzel was thinking. "How did she die, I mean we know she's dead but know one has said how?"

"Lets just say she was found swinging."

Sydney's eyebrow rose. "By Ray's shank."

They came around the backside of the stables that housed Pierson's horses, a handful of men milled around talking and drinking beer. The five of them walked towards them with searching eyes, Mallory stopped and waited until Denzel caught up. She pointed to one man who was standing at the very end of the shed row. The minute he saw them he took off running. Sydney shot through the gap while Mallory took of after him. The other three watched as grooms jumped out of Mallory's way when she let out a war cry.

Sally tapped Denzel on her shoulder. "After they catch him they'll take him back to Ray's stables."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

RJ's eyes fluttered open to see only darkness, blinking them numerous times she began to adapt to the dark. She tried to roll from where she was lying but found that her hands and feet were being held down somehow. Lifting her head as far as she could she looked across from her to see a small bit of light coming around a small what she thought was a window. Straining her ears she could hear noises coming from somewhere but the were muted almost foggy in a way. Opening her mouth she tried to speak and only a gurgling sound came out, she could feel slobber running down her neck but couldn't feel her tongue, lips or chin. Her mind reeled at what had happened to her, she remembered her mother and her thugs dragging her from the police station and that was all. Terror struck her, they had done this to her, her own mother had taken her away from her lover. Tears flowed down her face, she tried to sob but her body refused to act. Dropping her head back down she screamed from with in her mind. She had to escape, she had to help Ray.

Hearing a click of a lock she turned her head when a bright light flooded the room. Foot falls thudded on the floor, with the light she could see that the walls were padded with thick soundproof material. A cold hand turned her head back in the former direction. Her eyes widened at the sight of the syringe in the mans hand.

"Your shot should be wearing off by now, can't have you screaming for help." He gave her an evil laugh. "Not like anyone around here would notice with all the screaming the insane do anyway." He jabbed the needle into the front of her neck, she felt a little bit of a burn and then the top part of her chest went numb along with the rest of her face. She lay with her eyes unblinking, drool trailing from the corners of her mouth. She now knew what hell was.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

A dark car sat in the parking lot to the private hospital, two men smoked near the trunk of the car as they waited for Mrs. Beaumont and the other man to come back out. Neither one spoke but looked off into the distance. The both knew that the less they knew the longer they would live, especially when The Mafia Queen was running things. The turned at the sound of heels clicking across the pavement, they got into the car and waited. The look on Mrs. Beaumont's face could make a grown man piss himself. They knew that she was insane, she had to be to place her daughter in a private insane asylum. They all knew Rhapsody and she was fair from being insane.

"Now that she's taken care of, all of the family's problems are over." She said to the man walking beside her. "Except for one. When Rawlings goes into the prison, I want her killed before she can say hello to her cellmate."

The tall man acknowledge her orders. "It will be done on the bus to the prison. She'll never make it inside."

"Good now take me home, I must check on my bed ridden husband."

The mans body shuddered inside, he knew the family was in deep shit, this woman had gone off the rocker and was taking out her entire family one by one and any one who got in her way. He himself had gone to the Don, but was turned away being told it was not his place to discuss such matters. He knew he had to get out now before he himself had an accident like a few of the others had. He looked over the older woman's head to the other men and nodded his head.

After climbing in to the car, he directed them to go out the back way of the parking lot and take a different route home. He didn't want to take any chances on being seen. As they pulled out onto the road he continuously watched the traffic.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

A short woman dressed in a nurse's uniform roamed the halls, she carried a clipboard under one arm and a blood kit in the other. She looked into each doorway at the patients. So far she hadn't found the young blonde that she had been told was brought in earlier that morning. She came upon an older doctor with wild gray hair, bushy eyebrows and dark almost black eyes. The hair on the back of her neck stood up when he looked her in the eye.

In a thick Italian accent he told her that she was not to be on that floor, that all the patients were too dangerous for a nurse to be by herself. Dropping her head she nodded and went towards the nearest stairwell.

She thought to herself for a second. "OK, would they put her with the dangerous patients or somewhere else? I all ready checked the computer and she's not listed. So where the hell did they put her?" Taking the stairs she went up one level and began her search anew. "Just my fucking luck to have to search an eight floor hospital for one little blonde."

@@@@@@@@@@@

Sydney burst through the gap and saw the man running towards the racetrack stadium, she knew if he got there he would be able to get outside of the fence and be able to disappear into the town its self. She cut back and went around the opposite way that he had gone, hoping that she could cut him off and that Mallory would be right behind him.

Mallory slipped in the sawdust as she tried to get around one of the men mulling around, she knew that it had cost her vital seconds. If it was not such a dire circumstance she would have stopped to kick the shit out of the drunken asshole. She caught site of the man she was chasing as he went out the door and around the corner. She knew where he was headed and decided to take another direction. Finding a dumpster, she climbed up on to it and got to the roof of the barn. Running along the top she kept an eye on the man. She looked to the other barn beside her saw her wife running along the roof. She made a chirping sound and watched Sydney raise a hand at her and then point down.

Winded, the man decided that he had lost the women who were chasing him. He had always been quick on his feet, he had to be in his line of work. Being a thief and being slow didn't mesh to well. He slowed to a walk and then stood at the end of the last barns. Just ahead of him was his freedom, he would be able to take the ramp up to the grandstands and out of the track.

On silent feet both women edged to the end of the roofs, eyes connected for a brief second before turning back to their prey. They jumped the seven foot downward with war cries piercing the air. The man looked up, eyes bulged from what was coming at him. Before he could blink a shocked eye he was being smashed to the ground by two bodies. He lay spread eagle in the dirt, gasping for air and wondering if a truck running him over would have hurt less.

He mumbled from gasping lips. "Psycho's!"

Sydney looked down at him and growled. "Nah, Amazon's. Now get your stupid ass up before we play soccer with your head!"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Denzel and the two queens sat in the shed row waiting for S&M to get back. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two women coming towards her but no one else. Her heart sunk at the thought that the man had gotten away. Then her spirits rose when she saw arms bouncing along the ground.

"What have they done to him?" She mumbled to Larry and Sally.

Sydney had a huge toothy grin on her dirt covered face, with every step they took a cloud of dust hovered around them.

"We got him! Had to jump off the barn roof but we got him!"

Dropping the man's feet to the ground caused him to let out a loud groan. "Dragged his sorry ass all the way from the near the grandstand."

Mallory tossed her a rope and smirked at Denzel. Denzel didn't know if she wanted to see what they were going to do with the rope. It could mean her job.

"Baby, how many little things does a noose have on it?" Sydney asked while flipping the end of the rope over it's self, she bent down and measured the mans neck with one end and gave him an evil grin. "Your necks scrawny, we won't need a whole lot of rope to hang you."

He scrambled to his hands and knees, looking around him he stopped when he came to a pair of dark green eyes.

"Denzel, you can't let them do this! It's…murder!" He started whimpering and looking for a place to run. He felt a foot in the center of his back and then pressure as the foot pushed him to the ground. The rope slipped over his head and tightened around his neck. Another piece was cut and used to tied his wrists together, the last thing done was his ankles.

"I remember who you are, did you have fun behind bars last time you were in?" She gave him a raised eyebrow. "You know I think it's only right Myers, you were the one who turned the horses loose and you killed Pierson and blamed it on Rawlings and Beaumont."

"I didn't do anything!" He cried. "I can't believe you're letting them do this!"

"Why not? I don't see a problem with family standing up for family." She grinned when his eyes widened as the rope was thrown up over a beam. Mallory started pulling on the rope while Sydney held to the other end attached to his neck. He felt it pull against his skin, his face paled with fright. Mallory whistled and called for Buck who came trotting over looking for the candy she always fed him. She tied the rope to his collar and backed up with him following her. The rope tightened some more, panic set into Myers, he started to struggle against the rope.

"Come on Myers, you know it only takes a little bit of pressure and the windpipe gets destroyed, the carotids collapse and then your dust."

Sydney pulled tighter on the rope, he was now up on his knees and praying to someone. Mallory walked Buck further away from Myers, the rope pulled him to his feet and had him on his tiptoes.

"Come on Myers, another inch or two and you'll be swinging like Pierson."

He started to gasp, shaking his head he fought the pressure of the roped, the front of his pants darkened, tears poured from his eyes as the rope pulled him off his feet.

"All right I did it! I did everything! That bitch was taking 80% of what I stole!"

"So you turned the horses loose, took a shank from Ray's stables and then killed Pierson with it knowing Ray and RJ would be arrested for the murder. Not to mention that you seemed to be the only witness, you thought you had it all locked up?"

"YES! Now let me down!"

Denzel winked at Mallory and told her to take Buck for a run. Myers eyes grew wide, he started screaming bloody murder when Mallory and Buck ran off down the shed row. The rope pulled across the beam dropping dirt on top of them the fell to the shed row and was dragged behind Buck.

"Thank the Gods." Sydney sighed as she let go of her end of the rope. "My arms were going numb."

Myers looked at her as she walked away and the rope around his neck eased up.

"OK boys take this piece of shit out of here and book him for premeditated murder, endangerment, and anything else you can think of."

Two officers stepped from the stall beside Myers and took him away. They could here the officers mumbling about putting him in the trunk so he wouldn't make their cruiser reek.

Sally stepped up next to Denzel, he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her dark green eyes.

"How did you know he did it?"

Giving him a toothy grin and a wink. "Witnesses don't run from the police." She walked next to Sally with the other's following. "He has a mile long record for numerous things, the last time we caught him he was stealing equine pharmaceuticals and selling them on the black market. One of them was pure testosterone or equipoise."

"OK, but why did he kill Pierson?"

"She spent five years in prison, not only for animal abuse but for using illegal drugs on them. She was probably getting the stuff from him and taking more than he liked when she sold it."

Mallory came back down the shed row with Ray's sister, the tall woman looked as formidable as Ray. She was pissed and it showed in every step she took. Her blue eyes narrowed at the small group in front of her.

Sally took a step behind Denzel and grabbed a hold of Larry's arm. His voice squeaky he asked Larry who the blonde was. Larry tried to hide behind Sally and pretty soon both men were trying to find a place to run. Denzel stood her ground and just narrowed her eyes.

"Are you the one in charge here?" She asked with a low throaty voice. She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at Denzel.

Denzel cocked an eyebrow at her and lifted one side of her mouth in a roguish grin. "You can say that, what's the problem?"

"I just talked to the officers, and the way you got that man to admit to the crime was the most unprofessional means I have ever heard of!"

"It worked and that's all that matters, what are you his lawyer?" She heard Sydney and Mallory both snort and roll their eyes.

"No, I'm not. I'm Samantha Rawlings, Ray's sister and her attorney. She stepped closer to Denzel, her voice low and purring. "Can I buy you a drink after we get Ray released?"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray was pacing her cell again when Sam and Denzel walked down the hall towards her. She turned at the clicking of heels, her eyes narrowed at the chatting women.

"Nice to see you two are all happy and I'm going to spend my life locked up with a bunch of psychopaths!"

"As far as I know S&M won't be in there with you." Samantha slipped in and then gave her sister a big smile. "We have some good news for you." She stood there and said absolutely nothing, which got on Rays nerves.

"You had better tell me or I swear I will rip these bars down and kick your ass!" Ray rushed the bars and reached through them trying to grab Sam.

"Oohh all right, go ahead Denny, let the Amazon out before she hurts herself." Ray looked at the way the detective and her sister were looking at each other and all she could think was "Oohh Noooo!"

"I'm free? You got the judge to give me bail?"

"Better." Denzel replied as she unlocked the cell door. "All charges have been dismissed. The guy who identified you admitted to killing Pierson."

Ray jumped through the doorway, she started off at a jog down the hall. "I have to find RJ!"

"SHIT!" Denny said as she took off after her with a limping gait. "Damn it Ray! Hold on!"

@@@@@@@@@@@@

"OK. Where is this place?" Denzel wrote down the address and handed it to Sam. "Has she been found yet? OK, we'll be there in a couple of hours." She rubbed her tired eyes and looked to the two sisters. "They checked her into a private psychiatric hospital up in Pennsylvania. I have one person in there looking for her but she's having trouble finding her. The damn place has eight floors and she can't get past the guards to get to the basement."

"I'm going and I will get in the basement if I have to kill every single person who gets in my way!" Ray burst threw the door and ran for the stairs.

"Is she always like this?" Denny asked Sam as they took off after her.

"Pretty much!"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

RJ turned her head to the side, she looked to the small window and watched as a flashlight shown through and into her eyes. She tried to blink but her face was still numb from the shot. She wished if they were going to kill her they would do it all ready. Tears flowed down her cheeks, she felt her heart break for Ray. She didn't care about herself only how Ray would survive in prison if that's where she was to end up.

"Nah, she ain't dead." A voice said from outside the window. "Just looks that way, how much stuff did you give her anyway?"

"How am I supposed to know, I'm not a doctor or anything."

The window closed leaving RJ in total darkness again. She tried to move her hands and was only able to turn them in the restraints a little bit, she moved her legs and was able to pull her legs up so that her knees were bent. "What am I going to do if I get my legs free?" She thought to herself. "Not much good if I can't use my toes to undo the damn straps!" He temper got the best of her she started rocking her body back and forth with as much force as she could. The straps cutting into her wrists and ankles, sharp pains shot through her limps, pissing her off even further. She kept doing this until she wore herself out. Resting for she had no idea how long, she started rocking again, she could fell a slickness around her wrists, pulling on her arms she could feel the straps move up to her thumbs. Folding her thumbs in, she felt the straps move more. Using all her strength she yanked on one arm and felt her hand slip through the strap. Collapsing from exhaustion, she lay there gasping for air. She knew she had to get all the straps off before they came to give her another shot. She could feel sensation coming back to her face and neck and knew it wouldn't be long before they came back and she would be ready for them.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Everyone was packed in the Dodge truck, Ray was making sure that the sound barrier was something of the past. Denzel was riding in the back next to Sam and Mallory. The unlucky soul riding shotgun was whooping up a storm every time Ray took a sharp turn or downgrade. Denzel prayed that they didn't get pulled over by a PA Trooper, she didn't know if she would be able to get Ray out of the ticket. Mallory tapped her on her leg and leaned close to her ear.

"Did you know that Ray doesn't have a driver's license?"

Dark green eyes rolled, a hand came up and covered her mouth to hold back the loud scream. Glancing over she saw a truly wicked grin on Sam and Mallory's face. Her mind screamed at her. "You are all dead women!"

Ray flew past semi trucks like they were standing still, cars were nothing as she wove in and out of the traffic. She figured that they had another hour before they would hit Norristown and then another half an hour to forty-five minutes before the reached the hospital. Her nerves were just about shot, she wished they had just flown in to Philly and taken a rental to the hospital. It would have been quicker but getting seats on a tiny little jet would be almost impossible, not to mention she hated flying.

@@@@@@@@@

The nurse crept into a storage room, looking around she found a pair of janitor's coveralls. Pulling them on, she opened the door slowly and looked both ways. She had to get to the basement no matter what, pushing out a cart with cleaning supplies on it, she made her way to the elevator. Pushing the button did nothing, then she saw where a badge was needed to be able to operate the elevator.

"Fuck! Now what?" Looking around she saw a door marked stairs, leaving the cart she tried the door and found it locked. "Unfucking real!" Just then she felt her cell phone vibrate against her hip. Pulling it free she answered in a low voice.

"This is Jenny, go ahead."

"Have you found her yet?" Denny asked.

"No ma'am, I've tried everything! Can't we just get a court order and search the place?"

"Sorry, we have to get her out without the hospital alerting her mother. We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Meet us at the loading dock out back."

"OK, I'll head there right now and wait." Shutting her phone off she went back to the storage room and took the coveralls off. She hated missions like this where she was all alone and against sucky odds.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

Denny leaned over the front seat to see where they were at, they had been following signs to the hospital so she knew they had to be close. She heard Ray mumbling something under her breath about being on the wrong side of the street. She watched her put her arm across her cousin's chest and then all hell broke loose when she spun the wheel and jumped the center median strip and spun the truck back into the other direction. Denny ended up laying on her back across Mallory and Sam's laps.

"Now I know why she doesn't have a driver's license!"

Between Sydney's WAAA WHOOS and the screeching of tires she was close to having a nervous breakdown. The others acted like it was a leisurely Sunday drive in the country. She decided that she would just stay down on the floor where she had ended up with the last driving stunt. It seemed saner not to see what Ray was doing. She let out a huge sigh of relief when the truck came to a screeching halt and was turned off.

"Are we there yet?" Sydney asked and received a smack in her head. "Hey I was just wondering? Big meany!"

@@@@@@@@@

"Denny I don't know how the hell we can get into the basement, I've tried everything!" She told her how the inside was set up and what obstacles were keeping her from getting in the basement where she thought RJ was being kept. She told her that at opposite ends of the lower floor there were locked doors to the stairwells. Maybe if they split up, one group may get lucky and get a door open. Denny split them into two groups, she would take Sam and Jenny with her. While Ray, Mallory and Sydney would try the other end. She handed Ray her cell phone.

"Speed dial three to get Jenny, if either one of us finds RJ we call the other, and then we meet at the truck and get the hell out of this place."

Mallory looked at each one of them, then started shaking her head.

"We may have a slight problem, you three look professional and we look like bums."

Sam raised an eyebrow at her and then grinned.

"What better way to look like you fit then to act nuts?"

Ray's eyes grew huge. "Aaahh uuuhh! I can't act nuts!" She jumped when her ass was grabbed. Spinning on her heel, she grabbed Sydney by her ear. "But you are! So you get to be your stupid ignorant self and we get to be your visitors."

@@@@@@@@@@

Sydney messed her hair up and turned her shirt inside out and put it on backwards. Taking one boot off she handed it to Mallory and then put her sock on her hand and began talking to it. Ray looked at her and shook her head.

"She does that at home to, except she draws a face on it first."

Ray groaned. "Gods help us."

They followed Sydney as she skipped down the hall talking to her sock, when she wasn't doing that she was running into rooms and barking at the other patients. She came running out of one room with a baby doll and had the patient screaming bloody murder. Mallory wrestled her on the floor to get the baby doll back so the patient would stop screaming.

"Mal, she is entirely too good at this." Ray mumbled to her when she got close enough.

"Scary ain't it? But have you noticed that no one has paid any attention to us?"

"You're right." She reached out and pulled Sydney close to her lips. "Look for a nurse's station, see if you can find some keys or a badge." Sydney said something in a strange language and took of galloping down the hall.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Denny and Sam followed Jenny down the hall, they pretended that they were looking the place over for a possible place to bring a relative. Sam chatted up the other nurses and doctors while Denny looked for someway to get in the basement. They weren't having any luck so far, when questioned about the floors they received no information. It seemed that the employees on the ground floor only took care of that one and didn't have access to the basement. Some of them didn't even know it was there. Denny pulled Jenny to the side and spoke lowly.

"Are you sure she's not on one of the upper floors?"

"Positive. I searched every room, some of the floors have people that are bedridden in them and some are assigned by sex. I can't see them putting her with the men, that would be disastrous to the environment here."

@@@@@@@@

Sydney tossed a look over her shoulder at Ray then bunny hopped into a glass-enclosed room. Ray smirked at Mallory and shook her head, when they stepped to the edge of the wall they peeked into see Sydney sitting on the lap of an older black nurse. She had her face buried against the woman's humongous breasts and she kept calling her mommy. Ray gave Mallory a hand motion and then stepped into the room.

"There you are Bunny, I've been looking every where for you." She looked at the nurse. "I'm sorry if she has bothered you, my sister gets a little excited when I come to visit." She took Sydney by her hand and pulled her off the nurse's lap.

"That's OK Miss, she's a lovable thing isn't she?"

"Ohh very lovable." Sydney jumped into her arms and wrapped around her like a monkey. "See what I mean, good day to you Ma'am." When she walked from the room Sydney decided it was a good time to sing at the top of her lungs.

"Key to your heaaaaart, gots the key to your heaaaaart!"

Sliding to the floor she took Ray's hand and pulled her down the hallway. Mallory took off at a slow jog to catch up with them and then ducked into a storage room right next to the door that led to the basement.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

She could hear the man outside the door fumbling with his keys, laying perfectly still, she waited until he came into the room. This time he did not flip the lights on but used a small pen light to shine over her face. She squinted her eyes and tried to speak but nothing came out.

"I think it's time to have a little fun with you, it's not often we get good looking woman down here to fuck."

She tried her hardest not to make a sound or jump from the table. Taking shaky breath, she waited until he got closer to her.

"After I give you your shot, I'm going to fuck your brains out."

He raised his hand with the syringe in it, when he put it close to her neck, she brought up her hand and punched him in the side of his face. His head jerked to his left with the blow, while he was still shocked she grabbed the hand with the syringe in it with both hands and brought to her mouth and bit him. He howled and dropped the syringe, she scrambled from under him, dropped to her hands and knees and searched the floor where she thought she heard it drop.

"You fucking crazy bitch!"

He dropped over her back and tried to flip her over, she kept kicking back and hitting his shins and ankles with her bare feet.

"I love it when a woman fights me, gets me all hard!" He grabbed her around her chest and flipped her over. Looming over her he grabbed the front of her gown and ripped it down the front. When he reached for her breasts, she brought up her hand and shoved the syringe into his chest. A shriek erupted from his mouth as he tried to pull the syringe out. Pushing on him he fell to the side, his feet kicked and then stilled.

Crawling across the floor she pulled the door open a ways and looked out. The place was dimly lit and the only sounds she heard were mechanical. Pulling her torn gown together in the front, she crept from the room and jogged down the hall towards a door that had some lights showing from it. Stopping at the edge, she peeked in to find that it was the laundry room and that it was empty. Quickly she found a white uniform that would fit and left the room to find a way out. She ran down the hall and came to a door, she pulled on it and found it locked. She knew that her assailant had keys, she ran back to the room she had been in and searched his body for the keys. That's when she realized that she had killed him, tears came to her eyes. She had become something that she never wanted to be, part of the very family that she hated.

@@@@@@@@

The cell phone vibrated in Ray's pocket she pulled it out and answered.
"Ray, we got nothing at this end." Jenny said.

"Momma she's crazy. But she has the key to my heart."

"Gotcha, see you outside." She turned to Denny and nodded her head. They went back the way they had come and left the building.

"I hope to Gods they find her." Sam said as she got into the truck.

"Lets go Syd, we need to find RJ and get the hell out of here."

Sydney skipped over to the door, looked around and pretended to have a conversation with her sock. Leaning back she slipped a key into the lock and came up empty. Fumbling around a few more times, she got the door opened. Checking to make sure no one was watching she pulled the door open and motioned for Ray and Mallory. They slipped through the door and waited on the steps for Sydney. She came through and made sure the door relocked it's self.

"Don't need no nutcases down here with us."

"You alone is quite enough." Ray whispered.

They took the steps two at a time until they came to another door, Sydney pulled the keys out and tried all of them until she came to the last one. With a sigh of relief she opened the door quietly and slipped through and then motioned for the others to follow. With all the noise down there, they took off at a jog and began looking into rooms. Mallory gave a chirping noise and pointed to the room she just came out of.

"A dead guy's in there."

Ray's heart slammed into her chest, she took off at a sprint towards the other end of the room searching as she went. She came to the laundry room and found RJ's torn gown on the floor. Stepping out into the hall she tilted her head trying to separate the sounds. She picked up the jingle of keys coming from the direction she was headed. Breaking into a full out run she came around a corner to see a small body dressed in white.

"Sparky?" She half whispered.

@@@@@@@@@

RJ could hear running feet and voices, she was afraid that someone had come down to check on why the guy had not returned after giving her the shot. She was getting frustrated that she couldn't find the right key to the door. She spun around when she heard a deep voice say something, she would kill all of them if she had to.

She froze as the dark shadow came towards her, her heart slamming in her chest from the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"Sparky!" Ray ran to her and caught her before she fell to the floor. She held her now sobbing lover to her chest as her own tears flowed. "I thought I'd never find you!" She buried her face against RJ's neck."

"Thank the Gods!" Mallory said from behind them. "Come on we have to find a way out of here. Turning at the sound of her wife calling her, she read her hand signals and then pulled Ray and RJ to their feet. "Come on Syd found a way out through the laundry room."

@@@@@@@@@

"Where the hell are they?" Denny slapped the steering wheel. "They should have found her by now." They had moved the truck to the corner of the building, they didn't know which way they would be coming out of he building. Out of the corner of her eye Sam saw a cellar door pushed up near where they had meet Jenny.

"We got movement over here, looks like a cellar door being pushed up." She continued to watch as both doors burst upward and a chain went flying through the air. "That's them! It's got to be!" Denny shifted the truck into reverse and pulled right along side the doors. Sydney was the first out followed by Ray carrying RJ in her arms. Mallory being the last, closed the doors and picked up a large rock and dropped it on top. They took off out of the parking lot and drove a little ways to where Jenny had hid her car in a copse of trees. Ray being worried about them getting out didn't look to closely at her lover, until after Jenny had gotten into her car and was leading them to a safe place to recuperate. Her face paled when she looked down at the small hand gripping the front of her shirt, she saw the raw torn flesh and dried blood. Pushing her sleeve up, she saw the bruises around her upper arms.

"RJ, let me see your other wrist." A grumbled voice came from RJ, she lifted her chin up to see the slackness of her lovers face. One side of her mouth was slightly swollen and drooped. "My Gods what did they do to you?" Tears filled her blue eyes and trailed down her cheeks. She ran her fingertips with feather like gentleness down RJ's face. The pain in her blue eyes brought more tears to RJ's bloodshot green eyes. Ray watched a small hand brush against her neck, she saw ugly bruising and a spot where a needle had been stuck into her skin.

"We have to get her to a hospital!" She yelled from where she sat in the king cab area with RJ on her lap.

Denny looked in the rear view mirror and nodded her head no. "We have a doctor waiting for us at the safe house, he'll check her over when we get there."

"Safe house? You mean like the FBI uses?" A toothy grin graced Sydney's face. "This is so cool, we break in to the hospital, rescue RJ and now we're going to a safe house!" She bounced in the passenger seat until Mallory smacked her in her head.

"We can take you back and you can sit on your mama's lap!"

On the ride to the safe house, Mallory and Sydney filled the others in on their adventure in wacko land. Denny couldn't help but laugh at some of the stuff Sydney had done so that they could get in the basement. Sydney told Denny about finding the dead man in one of the rooms and it set RJ off instantly into deep racking sobs. Ray held her tightly, she asked her what happened but RJ still couldn't talk.

"Did you kill him?" She felt RJ nod her head against her. "It's OK, you were defending yourself.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The safe house was out in the middle of nowhere; trees lined the long driveway and shrouded the house from unwanted attention. It was an older house, very nondescript and lacking in any kind of feelings of it being a home. Denny pulled the truck around to the back of the house and took everyone through a door that led into a simple kitchen. Two men sat at the table drinking coffee and reading over papers from numerous file folders that were covering the tabletop. Nodding her head at them, she took Ray and RJ to one of the three bedrooms in the back of the house, making sure that everything was all right so told them that she would send in the doctor to take care of RJ's wounds. Ray laid her lover down on the bed and sat next to her. Running her hand across her forehead, she pushed back dirty blonde hair. Giving her a gentle kiss on her lips, she looked down into misty eyes.

"It's OK. I won't let anything happen to you."

A man came into the room carrying a black duffel bag, giving them both a smile he laid the bag on the end of the bed.

"I'm Dr. James, Denny told me that you have some nasty cuts and bruises on you and that your face is numb." He placed a gentle hand on RJ's shoulder. Let me get those wrists and ankles clean and bandaged and then I'll see why your face is numb."

"She said they gave her a shot in her neck."

His eyes narrowed, lifting her chin he saw the numerous needle marks. "Looks like they used a nail gun." He smirked at them. "Sorry, my bedside manner is a little off. Anyway, what I think they gave you is a nerve block and most likely it was mixed with Novocain. The same stuff some dentists use. It should wear off in a few hours." He ran his fingertips along her jaw and cheeks." Can you feel anything in these areas?" She shook her head and then pointed to her nose and mouth. "Those are still numb huh? Have you tried talking at all since you were rescued?" She made some sounds, mostly a gruff noise. "Just give it time, I know you didn't want to hear that." He smiled down at her and patted her shoulder.

After the doctor was finished, Ray helped her take a bath, she washed her hair and the rest of her with gentle hands. After she was finished and the water had turned cold, she helped her out and wrapped her in a large soft towel and carried her to the bed.

"RJ, I'm going to take a quick shower. When I'm done I'll see about getting us something to eat OK?"

Misty green eyes looked up at her. In a soft whisper she spoke. "Not hungry."

"Ahh no you don't Sparky, I eat, you eat." She bent down and placed a lingering kiss on her soft lips. "I love you RJ and don't you forget that."

RJ lay on her side softly crying while Ray was in the shower. Her thoughts running right to the moment she had killed the man in the room she had been kept in. She didn't know how Ray could still love her after she had killed someone. She didn't know how she was going to live with herself for taking another humans life. Terror filled her heart with the knowledge that she could go to prison for her crime, even though he had tried to rape her, it was still murder. When Ray came out she tried to hide her tears and the fear that squeezed her heart.

Ray knew the second that she stepped into the room that RJ had been thinking about what happened. She laid down on the bed and pulled her lover into her arms.

"RJ, if I had killed someone would you still love me?"

RJ rolled in her arms to face her, green eyes locked with blue.

"Yes." She whispered.

"I know this is tearing you up inside, you have to think of it as an act of survival. He was trying to kill you, you fought back and won. No court would convict you of murder."

RJ started to sob, she hoarsely whispered the words, tried and rape. A rage tore at Rays insides with those words, she never thought that RJ would have been in danger of rape. Tears flowed down her cheeks to drip off her chin.

"Did he hurt you?"

RJ nodded her head no and buried her face against Ray's neck. Ray would make sure that someone paid for all her lover's pain.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Denny and Sam sat side by side at the computer in a small room; she was on a direct link to her computer in her office in Charlestown. Scanning the file folder's she found the one she was looking for an opened it.

"This is the investigation on Roger's murder, look at the descriptions of the men last seen with him and the license plate number of their car. And here is the information that the desk sergeant gave me when RJ was taken from the police station."

Sam leaned in close and compared the information. "They're the same, if you had all this with Roger's murder, why didn't you go after the men?"

"We tried, but every move we made was stonewalled. Our witnesses ended up either dead or missing and the judges refused to give us warrants."

"OK, so now what do we do about what happened to RJ? We have to get the people who did this to her."

Denny leaned back in her chair, her dark eyes flashing as a small evil grin came across her face showing just the tips of her white teeth.

"Oh we'll get them, the whole damn lot of them but we need RJ's help."

Sam's blue eyes were wide. "Oohh shit! You don't mean…"

"Yep, we're going to Boston."

"What about jurisdictions? We can't go in there and arrest them."

"Ooh yes we can, after her mother rats her self out. Not to mention I have some heavy connections with the FBI. They just love to bust Mafia connections."

@@@@@@@@@@

Ray and RJ had fallen asleep in each other's arms and had been sleeping for hours before Sam came into the room and woke her sister. Blue met blue for a brief second before Sam motioned to the door. Ray nodded her head and then got up leaving RJ to pull her pillow to her chest and continue to sleep. Once dressed, she joined the others in the kitchen, she noticed that her cousin's, Sam and Denny had all taken showers and wore clean clothes. Denny explained to them what she wanted to do, she saw the silvery blue eyes of the tall groom come to life and flash with something she knew she never wanted to be on the receiving end of. The minute she mentioned flying, the blue eyes darkened to almost black.

"I hate flying! Can't we drive there?" Ray said with whininess to her voice.

"Come on you big bad wimp." Sydney shoved her in her shoulder. "You flew over here and that was how many hours in the air?"

"That was different and that was years ago!" She ran her fingers across her face to look over the tips of her fingers. "How many hours?"

Sam rolled her eyes at her sister. "Can you handle three hours at the most? This is for RJ does it really matter?" Sam knew her sisters weakness and knew saying the small blondes name would settle all problems.

"For her I would hang from the landing gear the whole way there. When do we leave?"

Denny smiled at her. "First thing in the morning, we have a chopper out back that will take us to a remote field. I've arranged to have cars there and the FBI to take those scumbags in." She dropped her eyes to the table and took a deep breath. "Do you think RJ will do this? It is her mother."

"I'll talk to her when she wakes up." Ray didn't know how RJ was going to take this. She knew that she had cut all ties from her family but this was different. He mother would go to prison along with others for the murder of Roger and her abduction and possible attempted murder. This brought her to another big problem. "Denny, that guy RJ killed. It's really messed her up, she has never been involved in any of the family business because of the way they just kill whomever they want. She's afraid that she's going to prison because of it. Can you help her?"

Denny looked over her shoulder to one of the FBI agents and asked him if anything had come across the radio about finding a mans body at the hospital. He answered no and added that one of their people who was still on the inside had called and said that someone removed the body and it was put into a dark sedan outside the loading docks.


"There's your answer Ray, tell her he was mafia and sent to kill her. That should help ease her mind knowing that he wasn't an innocent person but someone who was sent by her mother."

Mallory and Sydney shook their heads and looked around the table at their friends. "This is getting complicated, what do you need us to do?" Mallory asked as she made eye contact with Denny.

"When we get there, I want you two to guard our car. If anyone and I mean if a squirrel gets near the car, you kick the living shit out of it."

"No problem." Sydney grinned at her. "I love kicking the shit out of…everything!"

@@@@@@@@@@@

Ray sat on the edge of the bed running her fingers through RJ's hair; she loved the feel of the short silky strains as they brushed across her fingers. She knew that she would do anything for her lover including killing anyone who tried to take her away from her. She was not looking forward to this conversation but knew she had to be the one to do it. Because it deemed how they would live for the rest of their lives. Leaning down she placed a kiss on soft parted lips, when a soft mumble came from RJ, she smiled until a small hand found her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"How long have you been up?" RJ asked her with a gravely voice.

"Few hours, how are you feeling?"

"Like a stampede of horses ran me over and then made sure they did it right." Green eyes opened to look around the room in confusion. "I thought I was dreaming but now I know I'm in the middle of a nightmare."

Ray lay down beside her and pulled her into her arms. "It's almost over though, we have just one more thing to do and we can go home."

RJ loved that word. 'Home.' She had never really had one until Ray came into her life. "What needs done?"

Ray told her everything that she and the others had discussed, and what they had planed once they got to her mothers house in Boston. Tears formed in green eyes and trailed down pale cheeks.

"Is Denny sure of all this? I mean that mother had Roger killed and was planning the same thing for me?"

"She has it all in her files and the FBI is convinced."

RJ pushed herself up onto one elbow and looked down into her lovers eyes. After kissing her until they broke for need of air, she locked determined green eyes with blue and nodded her head.

"I want her to pay. She may have given birth to me but she was never my mother. Roger my have been a huge asshole but he didn't deserve to die because of it. When do we leave?"

A brilliant smile came to Ray's face, at that moment she loved RJ more than she thought possible. The inner strength that the small woman had in her was astounding.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Well, we have some time before we go and I want to use every second of it worshiping your body."

@@@@@@@@@@

As they rode in the helicopter on the way to the Philadelphia airport, Ray had her eyes closed so tightly that RJ didn't know if she would ever be able to open them. Nor did RJ think that her hand would ever be functional after it was held in a vise like grip until she had no feeling clear to the elbow. Never in her wildest dreams would she take her lover as one who was terrified to fly, she did her best to give her comfort and hoped that this was as bad as Ray got. Once they landed in the field where the FBI had cars waiting for them, Ray finally let go of her hand. She thought Ray was going to fall to her knees and kiss the ground. Denny moved off to the side to speak with whom RJ thought to be the senior agent. All she could make out of what they were saying was that her family were all in the mansion and they were ready to move when she was. She could feel her hands start to sweat from nervous tension, she didn't know what her mother was going to do when she walked through the door. She knew that she could handle anything as long as her lover was with her.

Ray pulled her back against her chest and rested her chin a top her head.

In a deep purring voice, she asked. "You OK with this?"

"I'm scared shitless." She rubbed her hands across Ray's strong forearms, feeling the soft downy hair graze her palms. "Will you be going in there with me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She leaned her head down and placed soft kisses on her lover's neck. "I'll always be by your side no matter what."

@@@@@@@@@@@

Three cars pulled down near the entrance to the long driveway of the Beaumont Mansion, RJ looked up to where she knew the Mansion was hidden behind old trees. It had been years since she had been here and the old feelings of despair squeezed her heart. A cold shiver ran the length of her spine, making her move closer to her lover to chase away the cold with her warm body.

"I hate this place with a passion." She said between gritted teeth.

Ray wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "It'll be over soon then we can all go home and forget about this."

With RJ and Ray in the lead, they walked up the long drive and noticed two dark sedans parked close to the front door. Ray covered her ear to hear what Denny was saying over the receiver that she had given her before they had left the car. Watching as two agents ran to the cars and disabled them in seconds, they were given the go ahead to enter the mansion. RJ opened the door and took a hesitant step into the marbled foyer. Looking to each side of the long hallway before them, she decided to check the library first for her mother and father. She felt Ray take her hand and give it a small squeeze to reassure her that she was not alone. Opening the large wooden door to the library, she poked her head in to find it empty.

Speaking to Ray in a low whisper, she said. "They might be in my father's office, if not there then maybe in the sitting room in the back."

Before they could get close to the door, she heard her mother's voice raised in anger. She shuddered at the crazed sound of her mother's voice. Ray turned her around in her arms and placed a soft kiss to her lips, when she pulled back she looked into terrified green eyes. "I'm here and I will not let her hurt you ever again." RJ wiped an errant tear from her cheek and nodded her head.

"Let's do this." She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Sydney and Mallory were standing next to the cars. They were told by Denny to take out anyone who was not the FBI. Sydney's brows dropped over her nose when she saw a figure walking down the sidewalk towards them. Before she could attack the person, Mallory grabbed the back of her belt.

"Denny didn't mean to beat up old ladies with canes."

"But baby!"

"I said NO!" She cuffed her wife on the side of her head. "Now behave and look for bad guys."

"Never get ta have any fun." She mumbled under her breath. "Ya'll mean ta me."

Mallory wrapped her arms around her from behind. "You are such a big baby."

"Look what we have here? Two of those Australian Dundee's." A tall man said to the man who was standing beside him. "What do you think they're doing in our country?"

Sydney turned her head and looked over her shoulder. "Mal, They don't fit the old lady category."

Mal took a look and closed her eyes. "Nope, they don't. I think we should kick their asses just for calling us Aussies." She let go of her wife and turned to face the men. "You have a problem mate?"

"You could say that we don't like your kind." He said with a growling voice.

Sydney stepped closer to them. "And what type would that be?"

"Dykes. So that means you'll just have to disappear." They pulled a Glocks from their shoulder holsters and were about to point them at the women when all hell broke loose on them. Two sets of feet connected with their hands sending the pistols into the air. Sydney spun on one foot and connected her toe with the man's chin. He flipped over backwards to land on his stomach unconscious.

"Wimp ass!" She yelled as she dropkicked him in his ribs. She turned to watch her wife do a spinning back kick to the other mans head and then a front kick to his chest. With in a minute both thugs were on the ground taking a nap.

"That was fun! Can we look for some more?" Sydney asked as she pulled the mans wallet from his pocket and took all his cash. "He just bought us supper at a verrrrry expensive restaurant."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Denny and an agent walked up behind Ray and RJ, they gave them the go-ahead and let them know that they would be right outside the door if there were any trouble. Before Ray moved forward to open the door Denny handed her a small voice activated tape recorder and motioned for her to put it in her pocket. "It's back-up." She whispered to the tall groom. As she reached for the door, RJ put her hand over hers and raised a finger in the air. Her mother was closer to the door, her voice clear as she yelled.

"What do you mean she's not there? How could she have escaped the hospital?"

"She killed Tony and got out through the cellar door." A mans voice replied. "We searched the area but she hasn't been found yet."

"I want her found and killed on sight! Do you hear me!?"

"Yes Ma'am."

RJ's entire body tightened at her mothers words, her teeth ground together and a low rumbling growl came to her lips. She flung the door opened making it slam against the wall startling the rooms occupants.

"Your search is over mother!" She came to stand toe to toe with the older woman. "What kind of mother are you that you would have your own children killed?"

Crazed green eyes looked into RJ's fiery orbs. The woman was obviously nuts.

"I am riding this world of abominations! You are not fit to live among us!" She pointed over her daughters shoulder at a snarling Ray. "You are to blame for this! You will die a very painful death right beside Rhapsody!" She motioned over her shoulder to the man behind her. "Kill the tall bitch first and then Rhapsody so she can see her lover die before her evil eyes!"

Rhapsody backed up against Ray's chest to protect her.

"FUCK YOU MOTHER!"

As the man pulled his pistol from its holster, a shot rang out and he dropped to the floor. Mrs. Beaumont spun on her heel and dropped to the floor to grab his pistol. Ray and RJ jumped forward, RJ jumped on her mother's back while Ray grabbed the pistol and tossed it to Denny. Using all her strength, RJ flipped her mother over and punched her in the jaw. "You fucking bitch! All these years I thought father was the evil one and it was you!" Her green eyes vibrant with anger as she looked down at the woman who had brought her into the world. "Now it's over! I hope you rot in prison!"

Denny came forward with three FBI agents, she touched RJ on the shoulder and then helped her up. Looking down on the stunned older woman, she raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like you lose this time Beaumont."

Beaumont's face paled, she looked like she was looking at a ghost.

"But you're dead! I saw you blow up in your car!"

Denny laughed at her. "Your eye sight is the first to go with old age you old bitch!" She limped over to stand above her. "Your man was an amateur, you never put an explosive charge under the driver's seat when you want the passenger dead. He killed my partner and as you can see I'm very much alive." She motioned to one of the agents. "Get this bitch out of my sight before I shoot her just for the hell of it!"

One of the other agents pointed to the dead thug on the floor. "Special Agent Denzel, you want us to call the ME for this one or have one of our units take him?"

Two sets of eyes looked at Denny with shock. "Special Agent Denzel?" Ray asked and received a huge grin and a shrug of shoulders. "I was going to tell you later after I debriefed you all."

"Too late!" Sam said from the doorway, ice blue eyes drilled into dark green. "We are going to have a very long talk later."

Mrs. Beaumont was read her rights and taken into custody by the FBI. They would take her to their headquarters and hold her for interrogation into other murders that seemed to be connected to the Beaumont name. When they were all about to leave the mansion, one of the agents reported that Mr. Beaumont was found in his bed and was deceased. RJ took a deep breath and shook her head before leaving the house. She was the last of the family and felt no pain for the loss of her father, who never loved her to begin with. As she stepped outside the front door, she realized that at that moment she was a free woman, never to have to worry about what anyone in her family would think of the way she would live her life from that day on. She took Ray's hand and brought it to her lips. Kissing her palm, she looked into clear blue eyes. "Let's go home."

@@@@@@@@@@@

The entire drive home RJ said not a word, but looked out the passenger side window at the scenery that was flying by. Ray as well as the others cast sideway glances at her; no one knew what to say to her. After hours on the road, Sydney and Mallory feel asleep leaning against each other. Sam was lying with her head resting on Denny's chest, her one arm wrapped around her waist, while Denny had both arms wrapped around her. Ray looked to her right to see her lover sound asleep with her head bouncing off the window; she reached out with her right hand and pulled her over on the seat. She moved her gently so that her head was resting in her lap. Running her fingers through her short blonde hair, calmed her and claimed the tension she had been feeling since they had left Boston. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her sister and Denny holding onto each other, a smile came to her face when she thought of her out going sister and the stoic FBI agent. It was so much like Sydney and Mallory and her and RJ. Things just work out the strangest ways.

RJ came awake when the truck came to a stop, sitting up she looked around at where they were.

Her voice still groggy she asked. "Ray are we home?"

"Yeah baby, come on lets wake the others and go in to bed."

After helping Sam and the others from the truck, Ray picked RJ up and carried her into the farmhouse and to their room. Laying her on their bed, she pulled RJ's shoes off and then her Levis. Before she could cover her up, she was sound asleep and snoring softly. Striping out of her clothes, Ray got into bed beside her and spooned against her back, within minutes, she was snoring softly. Hours later Ray woke to the thrashing and moaning of her lover, RJ struggled with the blankets and the body lying next to her. She kept kicking her lover and mumbling until a loud scream tore from her chest.


RJ kept seeing repeatedly, the man ripping at her clothes, his putrid breath assaulting her face with each breath. His hands grabbing at her breasts and she could do nothing but struggle against straps holding her down. Then pictures changed to her stabbing him in the chest with the needle repeatedly. Blood covering her hands and arms, her legs where it poured from his body like a river until she, was completely covered in it. Her screams echoing in her head, running down a long hall that never ended. The sound of footsteps behind her getting closer as the ray of light at the end of the hallway was getting smaller. A deep voice kept invading her mind, calling to her; she tried to block them out with her screams. She felt herself being thrown onto her back and a heavy weight holding her down, warm breath caressing her ear as the deep voice spoke. The last words spoken to her pushed away the fog of her nightmare.

Ray rolled over on top of her and pinned her to the bed, whispering into her ear until. "It's OK baby, I'm here." She continued to whisper into her ear. "No one is going to hurt you anymore." She calmed and green eyes opened to see concerned blue looking down at her. Light sobs turned in to racking ones that had the small blonde clutching Ray in a breath-stealing hug. RJ wept into her lover's chest until sleep claimed her once more.

Ray felt small hands drawing circles on her chest, with one eye she gazed down to see a fingertip circling her hardened nipple. It always amazed her that her body betrayed her while she slept. Gods only knew what RJ would do to her if she slept any sounder than she did. Red-rimmed green eyes gazed up at her, a lazy smile crossed pink lips when RJ crawled up her body. Kissing her until she saw stars float before her eyes from lack of oxygen, she finally broke the kiss. She had tasted something on her lover's lips that surprised her.

"What have you been doing Sparky?" Her left eyebrow rose to her hairline.

RJ rested her chin on her folded hands that lay between Ray's breasts. "I'll tell ya if you tell me why you call me Sparky."

"'Cuz you get these little sparks in your eyes when you look at me. Now what were you doing?"

A wicked grin crossed RJ's face. "I won't tell you but I'll show you." She eased her body down Ray's, dragging her breasts down her stomach made Ray moan deep in her chest. A warm wet tongue dipped into her naval then trailed down to her soft curls. Ray's hips jerked upward when she felt a warm tongue slip between her nether lips. Spreading her legs further apart for her lover, she looked down with lidded eyes.

"You are…evil…Sparky!" Her hips thrust upward and ground against her lovers face. Every nerve ending in her body sang out to her, muscles tightened as her climax drew closer. She cried out when a warm wet tongue entered her and sent her over the edge. Her body convulsed against a warm mouth as RJ licked her juices from her. When her body calmed, she felt her swollen clit taken between her lovers lips and sucked until she was thrown to the heavens once again.

"Oohh Gods!" She screamed out as her body was rocked with another climax. RJ kept sending her over the edge before her body could relax; she grabbed her lover by her ears and pulled her up her trembling body.

"Please Sparky…I can't…Godssssssss!" She moaned when she felt her lover's wetness cover her all ready wet curls.

"Bet you can?" RJ growled against her breast. "Bet I can make you cum again?"

Ray threw her head back into the pillow; a deep growl came to her lips when she felt RJ press her sex down against her heated skin. Reaching forward she took her lovers breasts into her hands and rolled her nipples between her fingers. A hissing noise came from between RJ's teeth, rolling her hips forward she thrust against Ray with a hunger she only felt with her. Ray raised her hips and matched her lover's rhythm, she watched as RJ threw her head back and screamed her name out with her climax. RJ's juices poured out to cover her and run down between her throbbing lips, she arched her back and screamed as her orgasm tore threw her, then left her limp and panting. She couldn't move, she had never been so sated or exhausted in her life. A soft chuckle came to her lips when she thought of what a little blonde had done to her.

RJ's voice deep and raspy vibrated against her breast where she had collapsed. "What's so funny?"

"Ohh that you were teasing the hell outta me while I was sleeping." She ran a finger across swollen pink lips. Her expression became somber with memories of the night before. "Are you all right?"

Green eyes filled with tears, she crawled so that she was able to bury her head against her lover's neck. "I am now, don't ever leave me."

"Never, I will always be next to you."

@@@@@@@@@@

Six-exhausted woman sat at the large kitchen table eating the breakfast that RJ and Ray had cooked. Ray looked over at her beaming sister and shook her head. She knew that Sam had slept with men but she had no idea that she had any interest in women, but from the looks, she was giving Denny proved that Ray didn't really know her younger sister at all. She was caught with a smirk on her face by eyes that matched her own.

"Problem Kiwi?" Sam asked with a grin on her face. "You know you two could bring down the roof."

Ray wiggled her brows at her while RJ turned a deep red and mumbled. "Not the only ones."

Sydney threw a muffin at RJ and then gave her cousin an evil glare that lasted all of two seconds when she broke into a toothy grin.

"So Ray, when we all leaving for Belmont? Gotta get everything set ahead of time. You know like getting sound proof rooms and such?"

The stake race was in a week and Ray always liked to get there early so that the horse could get used to its surroundings and she could get rest from the long drive. This year it would be easier since they now had their own truck and trailer. All the other times she had to find someone to take her horses up the road, which wasn't all that often. That was one of the reasons she had never bought the truck and trailer before.

"Is the big Kiwi boss gonna be there this year?" Mallory asked with her eyes still looking down at her food. She didn't want to look up because she knew her eyes would give away Ray's secret. She heard Sam start to say something so she kicked her under the table and gave her a glare.

Sam jumped and made a soft sound that she covered up with clearing her voice. "Yeah is big X going to be present this year or hide away like all the other times?"

RJ kept looking back and forth between everyone, she knew something was up but had no idea what.

"OK, what the hell are you guys talking about?" She pinched Ray on her ass. "Who's this Big X person?"

"Your…ahh silent partner. X has never come out of hiding for any of the races."

RJ's brow raised at her, a slow grin came to her face. "Is that so, well what makes you guys think that he'll show up this time?"

Sam cleared her throat and looked at RJ. "Simply because if X doesn't show up, I'm going to kick some ass! That's why."

RJ missed the stiffening of Ray's back and the paled complexion on her face. "And she will to!" She whispered hoarsely.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

With Denny and Sam in Sam's Mercedes following the truck with the others in it, they made go time to the Belmont racetrack. They would spend two days terrorizing the surrounding area and then be at the racetrack to see Spark run for the stake race. Ray was a nervous wreck for the first time in ages; she would be letting the racetrack world know who she really was not to mention her lover. She prayed that RJ wouldn't be to upset at her revealing the truth.

RJ was sitting on the bed waiting for her lover to come out of the bathroom, she was kind of confused over the fact that Ray was dressing in there since they always did that together in the same room. She straightened the pale grey Channel suit jacket and checked to make sure that her trousers cresses were straight. She had learned after many mishaps that skirts and horses did not mix. She looked up with expectant green eyes as the bathroom door opened. Her breath caught in her chest when Ray stepped into the room, clutching her chest she stared slack jawed at her lover. Never had she seen Ray look the way she did right now. Her tall muscular body was covered by a dark gray Armani suit that fit perfectly across her broad shoulders, a light blue silk dress shirt beneath the jacket brought out the color of her eyes making them a silvery blue. Her dark hair hanging loosely around her shoulders shone with blue highlights from it's inky blackness. RJ did all she could, not to pass out on the spot when a cocky smile came to Ray's lips.

"You ready to go?" Her voice low and purring in her sexiest tone sent shivers to run down RJ's back. Her body caught fire, tendrils licked at her center with a hunger only Ray could bring out in her.

Wide green eyes looked up at her; RJ moaned and reached out to take the offered hand. "Come yes, go? Wish we didn't have to."

@@@@@@@@@@@

The six of the stood at the railing that was above the racetrack its self, they watched as Spark of Lapis trotted with the pony in front of them. RJ smiled at the checkered hindquarters of the young filly, she knew that Syd and Mallory had groomed her for the race. Syd always used a toothbrush on the hindquarters to back-brush the hair to look like a checkered pattern. The jockey wore a new set of silks in a royal blue with silver sleeves and a silver X in the center of the chest and back. She had never before seen the pattern and asked Ray about it.

"I thought it was about time that the stables insignia was displayed."

"And that would be?" RJ asked with a raised brow.

"Xavier Racing Stables of New Zealand."

RJ gave her a funny look. "Xavier? Who's that?"

"The big boss, the one with alllll the money." Ray winked down at her. "And believe me, filthy rich is no where close to what Xavier is."

"When do I get to me this mysterious Mr. X?"

Ray took her small hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. "In the win circle."

Shaking her head, RJ chuckled. "Sure are sure of Spark aren't you?"

"I trained her, so of course I'm sure." She leaned down and placed a kiss on RJ's soft lips. "I'm the best there is."

"Arrogant to."

They watched, as the horses were loaded into the gates for the last race, all of them taking deep breaths with the exception of Ray who just leaned forward over the rail. The horses burst from the gates, all eight horses held nose to nose until they came to the first turn in the seven and a half furlong race. As they came towards the front stretch, horses dropped back leaving four fighting for first thru third place. Spark was running nose to nose with the second horse, gaining and then loosing ground. RJ was ready to fall over from the stressful race, she wanted the young filly to win, not because of the money but because her lover would be happy. They were seven strides from the finish line when RJ heard Ray whisper the word "Now." Spark was given her head, she dropped her nose to her chest and broke away from the other horse and was gaining on the leader. RJ started jumping up and down beside Ray, her yells making Ray flinch and give her a grin. At the finish line, two horses crossed at the same time, RJ looked to the scoreboard and saw the words "Picture finish." Flash across the top. Her nerves were about to drop her to her knees, grabbing Ray's hand, she squeezed so hard that Ray let out a gasp.

"Sorry Kiwi, I'm dying here! Who won?"

"Who do you think?" She asked with a bright smile on her face. "She turned her lover back to the boards and pointed a finger as the winners boxes lit up and the announcer called out the winners.

"In first place is Spark of Lapis of the Xavier Racing Stable, second goes to Might be home and third goes to Tripped up tight."

RJ's mouth fell open, she threw her head back and gave out a war cry that was drowned out by the ones that her friends were doing. She jumped into Ray's arms and planted a bruising kiss on her lips.

"I love you Kiwi!" She yelled loud enough to bring down the grandstands.

"I love you to, but after you meet Xavier you may toss me to the side." She leaned in for another kiss ad then whispered into her lover's ear. "I hear she's hot!"

A bright blush covered RJ's face. "Is she younger than you?" She smiled. She never got to hear the answer as they were rushed to the winners circle by the officials. They all stood next to Spark, with Ray at the filly's head and RJ next to her holding onto her lover's hand. A tall man walked forward carrying a large trophy and a check in his hands. He handed them to Sydney and then offered his hand to Ray.

"Congratulations Xavier, I wondered when I would see you back here." He offered his hand to a shocked RJ and to all the others. RJ turned her wide eyes to her lover, her mouth worked a couple times but never had a word come forth. Ray turned to face her with a huge smile.

"You…you're…my partner?" She forced out.

"Told you she was hot." She dropped down to one knee before her wide eyed lover, taking her left hand in hers she placed a kiss on each of her knuckles before looking up into darkening green eyes. Taking a gold ring from her pinky, she held it up to RJ to see. "I'm asking you in front of all these people. Will you marry me?"

RJ narrowed her eyes at her, taking her outstretched hand in hers she made her stand up. Coming toe to toe with her lover, she jabbed her in her chest with her finger.

Ray's heart stopped beating; she thought RJ loved her enough to want to be with her forever. She felt like she was about to die right on the spot in front of all the people watching. If RJ said no, she would be on the next plane back to New Zealand.

"I don't want the half owner of the stables!" RJ growled at her and jabbed her in her chest again making Ray flinch from pain. "I want the filthy, non-speaking, stoic, bull headed groom I feel in love with!"

A bright smile came to Ray's face, her dark eyebrow raised over a squinted left eye as she looked down her straight nose.

"Didn't shower before changing." She held out the ring between her two fingers and watched as RJ slipped her finger through the hole. She looked at the thick gold monogram ring with the X in the center surrounded by diamonds and sapphires.

RJ looked up at her lover with tears flowing down her cheeks, her voice tight with emotion she looked deeply into silvery blue eyes.

"I love you with all my heart; my life has always been shrouded by a dark cloud of family secrets. When I met you, all those clouds went away. You my Kiwi lover are my silver lining."

Ray's eyes filled with tears from the sweet words spoken to her, she picked her lover up and kissed her deeply until the sound of the crowd around them deafened her.

"You are the most important thing in my life and I will always chase away the darkness. I love you Rhapsody J. Beaumont."

"Rawlings, the last name is Rawlings, Kiwi."

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The living room of the farmhouse was crowded with lounging woman, Ray and RJ moved in permanently with Sydney and Mallory. RJ signed her house over to an ecstatic Larry who now had Sally for a housemate. Denny and Sam had been dating for a while and spent a lot of time at the farm during their off hours. Everyone was just waiting to see who would pop the question between them. Even with Ray and RJ being two of the wealthy people in the entire area, they still went into the track everyday and cleaned stalls and worked the horses. They were happy with the way things were before and didn't want one single change. Except for one little thing, RJ went back to writing her novels for a lesbian audience and Ray was her inspiration for every scene.

The End
Rhapsody's Silver Lining
By Larisa
Hecate3366@frontiernet.net



The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive