~ I Want To Be Where You Are ~
by thatgirlmct
These characters are my original creation and if the thought of two consenting female adults engaging in sex offends you or is illegal where you live stop here.
Content warning: Some chapters may have rape/violence scenes that are depicted.
I appreciate all constructive feedback and can be emailed at thatgirlmct@yahoo.com
Part 5
Teresa stuffed the last of the groceries out of the trunk under her arms. The timing of every girl to never be around when it was grocery day; didn't escape her. A new chore of who was going to assist her with treading through the endless aisles of shelves loading the car would be brought up at the next staff meeting. A 2007 Jaguar pulled in front of the house. The vehicle wasn't familiar to her and the fact that the car cost more than her entire yearly salary budget for the night staff; she knew it wasn't anyone who worked there. A striking male form stepped out of the vehicle, Teresa recognized it to be Justus Winder that was approaching her. The dark skinned man chiseled features had been part of the campaign team for the Judge until recently.
"Glad you finally can see what goes on at the daily trenching waters at Shoshanna. Well if your up to it I would like to show you around Shoshanna house." Justus extended his arm out for her to lead the way.
The yard as they walked across it towards the walkway cracked and snapped. The girls and her tried to get the most of the glass off of the lawn they could. Anything short of digging the whole thing up and putting sod down; there was little alternatives. Without Kat helping out, the repairs were going at a slower pace. Justus's eyes glanced around the grounds from the two tone colored garage to the broken porch light whose loose wires drooped from the ceiling of the porch with part of the light cover dangling on it too. His eyes that were once sparkling with his boyish grin turned glossy.
"Watch your step." Teresa warned him of the ply wood and loose nails that laid on the ground. Watching his step he stepped over the random nails and wood.
The inside of the house living room was sparse with the furniture stacked on top of each other in the middle of the room covered with tarp. Pictures of the girls decorated the walls and several of the counselors along with Teresa poised in various shots with them. The usual camping trip photo of the catch of the day and the girls running from a worm in another girls hand. The photo that seemed to capture his attention was the first Christmas at the house and the look of anticipation on each girls face as if it was their first Christmas ever. Teresa hoped that his face showed a chance that he might of softened his stance on the house.
"We're working on the room, it got some of the roughest treatment. My office is this way and I can show you a few of the charity events I have lined up for the girls this month. Maybe I can get you to donate some time or money."
A group of girls rushed by talking among themselves the conversation between them was so involved they walked by only acknowledging each other. "Is this how you treat guest?" Teresa looked sternly at each of the girls.
Sam the most talkative of them dashed her eyes between Teresa and the man she had with her. "I… we didn't see you. I'm Sam nice to meet you." Her hand extended out for him to accept soon the other girls followed suit. The baseball cap that graced her head caught his attention as he turned it around. "Cubs fan?" Sam shook her head the hat had been in the church donation bin it was fairly new and she liked the color of it. The frown that Teresa carried on her face quickly faded away.
"Nice to meet you…" Justus firmly shook the extended hand of each girl.
"Sam is the tall one you already have the pleasure of, the redhead is Terri and the little one with freckles is Shell." The coloring of her freckles darkened at the mention of her height." Justus is touring the house so I want you on your best behavior."
"Don't worry I'll notify the other girls and we will put out smoke signals warning you before you come up on anything embarrassing." The sarcasm in Sam's voice wasn't appreciated by Teresa, but she knew she would keep the others in line until she gotten her point across to Justus.
Teresa directed Justus to her office. The room was one of the few areas that wasn't effected by the attack. Each cabinet of the file cabinet against the wall was open and folders laid on top some of the cabinets. "I see some of my staff got a little bit too zealous when I told them to get their paperwork in order." Noticing a change in demeanor from Justus at the statement. "I have to write a grant proposal or two to get this house back up and secure. I want a state of the art alarm system in here with surveillance cameras. Which all equals more money than we already have in our budget."
"I understand that you want to help these girls, but do you think that you are offering them the proper surroundings. You have a felon working on staff."
"If your referring to Kat Cantor she is an old friend of my family and I trust her with the girls."
"To teach them how to become bigger criminals." Justus inquired.
"She can give them a connection no one else here at Shoshanna can." Teresa sat down in her chair her hand slid underneath the desk so Justus couldn't see her twirling her fingers.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't most of the girls here because of having records." Justus glanced through a folder this one had the name Sam on it.
"We're not a juvenile detention center." Teresa flared up at the accusation. "Some are here because their family life is too stressful."
"I agree that all young people need some guidance but in an controlled environment. My program I have drafted to put on the ballot is directed with the money towards redirecting a potential criminal before they reach their teen years." Justus kept his head buried in the file as he spoke never looking up at Teresa.
"Nobody's life is etched in stone. I hope that the time that we have the girls here we are setting to put into the world well adjusted adults. It's not easy rebuilding in a few years what parents have taken years to tear down." The words were said with a calm, soft voice but even then the iciness of the text cut through the air.
"I was not trying to insult you; as I doubt you are me." The question hanged dead in the room as Teresa said nothing to answer him.
"Justus do you come from a two parent household?" He nodded to the question. Of course he would, he is a republican would he give any other answer. "And are you married currently?" Again he nodded. Damn lucky bastard Teresa thought. "Well you have a head start on all the girls. Now if you were in their shoes do you really think that you could of ended up where you are.
"I don't know who you think I am. I did have my parents home and they did teach me the value of a good days work. I'm no silver spoon kid." Teresa sensed he was referring to her. "I worked on a paper route since I was seven getting up before dawn for eight years."
Teresa sat on the desk. "These girls had to work too. Maybe they didn't do it quite the way you did. Some had to steal while others sold drugs or themselves to eat or have a roof over their head for a night. A few of the girls had to hope that the old guy who picked them up on the sidewalk after he was done would drop them off at the same spot in one piece." Teresa kept the pace of her voice to a soothing tone even though every blood vessel in her head screamed out.
Was Sam one of these kids?"
"She had to do what was needed to survive as did Terri and Shell. You have faces to what you want to get rid of now. Tell me how do you sleep at night knowing there is a face to what you call undesirable.?"
"There is nothing personal on my stance on Shoshanna house. I think that it would strive better in a metropolis area."
"Your neighborhood committee is no better than the mob that came the other night. At least they had the courage to say what they felt." Teresa pointed outside the window. "That spray paint said what they felt they didn't use fancy words and they didn't lie about caring for children."
"I'm not about hurting these girls."
"We keep moving them. Another town or neighbor says we need to move on. Where do we go when we have nowhere else to turn to?" Teresa was tired of speculative ideas of men like Justus and the Judge. She needed Kat by her side to help her make the right decision about the future for the Shoshanna house.
________________________________________________________________
Kat opened her eyes to see Kim and Jack with a third man in the small room. The furniture surrounding her was scaled down to size for a child and in that moment of realization she knew where she was. The fact that they chose to bring her to the mansion made her mind a little lighter. There had been few times in her life she ever was wrong about anyone and the last time it cost Teresa her innocence.
She ordered her legs to get up, but they nor her arms would respond. A wiggle of a toe would have been the highlight of the night. She ordered her body again to get up and find K.K. and get her out of this situation. Thoughts of mango scented ebony locks of hair ran through her mind and holding Teresa close as they danced in the moonlight; their lips only inches away from touching. Men like the Judge and Jack couldn't win even if she didn't get the girl. Another order to walk out of there was fruitless she couldn't feel anything except a stabbing sensation that ran through her neck to her stomach. Instinctively her knees curled at the pain. Her legs worked! But not at will. She was going to have to bide her time until she was fully in control of her limbs keeping the rest in the dark to her progress.
She watched on as Jack adjusted to his new surroundings. The doorknobs and fixtures were swallowed up in his hand as he open the kitchen cabinets foraging for food. The kitchen had been the hardest for her to structure hours of labor to painstakingly get everything down to detail showed with the look of acceptance earlier from the Judge and Teresa. The house was a recreation of the mansion except without the well stocked pantry. A box of teething cookies laid alone on the top shelf next to the refrigerator. A growing grumble from Jack's stomach rose as he watched Kim take small bird size bites out of her cookie. Kat wanted to laugh at Jack's butt cheeks as they hung over each side of the kiddies chair he sat on across from Kim. The jostle from the laughter would of made her tender ribs hurt more than she cared to deal with at this time, so she just chose to stay still. For some reason Jack's balance on the chair was unsure, but it was more likely his two hundred plus pounds putting the pressure on the chair that caused it to break into three separate parts. A chair leg standing straight up like a peg in a hole stood attached to his body.
A roar of laughter filled the room, as the chair leg drop to the ground. Jack's shoulders usually broad and strong fell forward. Kat's body jerked at certain points of the laughter at Jack's expense. The pure irony in the fact that anyone making fun of the big guy would of had to answer to her before slapped her in the face. A surprise kick made contact with her soft flesh on the ground. She miscalculated the next blow by keeping a protective cover on her face as it landed on her midsection.
"Get up." Jack kicked Kat's side again.
"Kicking her is not going to make the problem better." Kim pleaded.
"No. It's just more fun this way." The biggest grin he ever wore covered his face. She thought about the times they had played soccer together and he missed every goal, but today his foot was striking straight on the mark with full force that any national team would of signed him up,.
As the swift movement from his boot made contact with Kat's side Jack's hands tighten and clutch digging the fingertips into his skin. Kat tried to keep her emotion in control at this point the constant need to give in to the pain gnawed at her to loose consciousness but she told herself to fight it. Kat's body shuddered and a accidental groan escaped from her lips; Jack's reflexes instinctively unclasp his hands .
"There is a chance I could turn this around. No one has gotten hurt."
"What do you call that?" Jack looked down at Kat and gave another sharp kick. Kat felt a thousand pieces of glass cutting at her insides. Anticipating another blow she moved an arm across her abdomen taking a blocking position muffling his foot with her knees.
Kim moved her body closer to Kat's. "She was a boxer this is nothing more than what she got in the ring with meat like Jonesy over there." She blanketed her entire body over Kat's leaving very little space for Jack to kick without making contact with Kim. He backed away seeing that the blonde wasn't going to retreat.
Kat's first line of sight was a head attached to shoulders rubbing his fist into the palm of his hand. Buckets of sweat flowed down his face to his boxing tattoo surrounded between two sets of numbers a five above and the number thirty-five below
"Don't kick her anymore Jack. I know I can get her to listen. Get me a wet towel for her face." Kim got off of Kat putting herself in a sitting position next to the brunette waiting for Jack to bring the towel. The cool water startled Kat but the beautiful blue eyes of Kim softened her heart for a moment and then she remembered why she was here and how Kim had played a part in it. The blonde placed a hand on Kat's lip her hand was already there to block any further contact and pushed Kim's hand away. "Let me help you." Kat removed her hand allowing Kim to place the towel on her lip.
Kat placed her hand over Kim's holding the towel she felt the stinging from the split lip she received from the first attack before going unconscious. The two eyes of the women made contact again. Only twenty four hours ago her lips ached for another reason, the softness of Kim's skin and the thoughts of wet folds that were wrapped around her fingers brought memories to the surface and a burning need between her legs, but she pushed it to the back of her head
Kat felt Kim moving closer as the space between their two bodies got smaller each inch back was followed by a inch forward. Bending one knee and anchoring Kat, Kim wrapped one arm around Kat's waist and the other over her neck. At the touch of Kim's hand, one corner of Kat's lip twitched and the lower front teeth clasp tighter to the roof of her mouth. Kim released the grasp around the waist moving her hand higher up Kat's back. Kat bended her knee again guided by Kim's firm planted leg and moved up until the two were equally standing together..
The blood flowed into Kat's ear and the pounding of her racing heart took up all of the remaining space. Moving her eyes across the room she saw Jack and leapt faster than Kim who stood next to her could grab her. As she got closer towards him Kim grabbed her along with Jonesy. Kat outstretched her arms in a attempt to reach his neck or any extending body part to do damage.
"I told you that there was no way that she was going listen." Jack jumped back. The fire in her eyes seared through him.
"Kat look at me." Kim grabbed the brunette's face and turned it towards her. "K.K. is okay. I have been taking care of her."
Kat scrunched up her face shoving Kim's hands away. "Doesn't matter. She should be with her Mother." Kim would not let go of her hold on Kat.
"She is going to be with her Mother today. I've already told Jack that he needs to talk to the Judge and get arrangements made."
"Teresa is the one you should be talking to not him. Give her the baby; I don't care what you do after that." Kat pulled away from Kim moving attention towards Jack. Inches away from her need to take some control back and a sick need to feel bones breaking in her grasp. A sharp pain came from the back of Kat's head. Instinct drove her to know what was seducing her into darkness. She looked down to her hand stained with a crimson color and the darkness wrapped itself around her mind and she thought no more about anything else.
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The Judge sat at his favorite table at the restaurant red roses decorated the table, a chilled bottle of California champagne instead of wine sat on the table. Next to the table two violinist waited for a cue from Archer to begin playing music. Archer looked down at his watch seeing that it was only ten minutes past the arranged time to meet Teresa. He pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his forehead sliding the cloth down to his hands wiping each digit individually meticulously. He needed to redirect Teresa into a normal lifestyle and give K.K. the stability that she needed to grow up in. The influences of Kat would soon be forgotten his skin crawled at the thought of that woman touching Teresa. He had been aware of Kat Cantor character and lifestyle, in fact it was the reason that he had helped her get an early release from prison.
2003
In the earlier years, Archer had an ambition to prove that harden criminals could be reformed, which spearheaded his programs that he had started at the two local prisons. The main program he started had certain prisoners reading a book aloud to the other inmates and helping work hours with the literacy program, he felt that words could soften their harden image and work as a PR plus. The program was a huge success when the inmates realized that it would be added to their records and could be used as an influencer with the parole board. The first month of reading circles had been supervised by his assistant, but at the mayor's insistence he went to the fifth meeting.
The bars clamping shut echoed as gate after gate closed. His heartbeat was the only thing he heard but he saw each gate open and close as he walked towards the library. The enclosed place always reminded him of being in a shoe box with no light coming through. If he had his way he would of held all the sessions out in a garden, of course with ten riflemen pointing straight down at the women this was nothing like the tea garden parties he attended with the rotary women during the summer months in town.
He was running forty five minutes late for the seven o'clock reading but was hoping to catch at least part of the group to give a good impression to the city council members. Running ahead of the guard escort, a man who looked like he was a linebacker, he seemed suited for this line of work Archer thought; he was someone he wouldn't mess with even with three men as backup. Eyeing the front door just ahead of him leading to the library Judge Archer didn't see ahead of the brick wall that he collided with, or as he clearly remembered collided into him. The darkest pair of brown eyes attached to a young woman dressed in standard issued prison wear stared down at him as he slowly got his bearings back. The woman's shaggy unkempt hair covered most of her face that he almost didn't acknowledge the incredible treasure they held behind them. The guard upon seeing the Judge on the ground and the young woman hovering above him grabbed the young woman placing a stick across her neck and dragged her to the other side of the room. The patrons and prisoners hearing the commotion outside stuck their heads out of the libraries doors.
Archer brought his body up pushing away any assistance that was offered to him by the mayor and a few of the other visitors. The spectacle was the last thing he wanted to happen and the least of all that they would assume that small girl could get an upper hand on him." I was in a hurry and should pay better attention to my surroundings." He informed the prison staff. The prison guards big faces were like little kids on Christmas morning and when they heard his revelation their smiles turned around as if their stockings were filled with coal.
"I told you I didn't do anything." The young woman shouted at the big guard that had held her back.
"Enough out of you Cantor. You just got lucky this time, but you'll slip up one of these days." The guard sneered.
"That is enough out of you I already explained that the young woman was just at the wrong place at the wrong time." The guard frowned at him. Archer was going to have to talk to his supervisor about the guards attitude, Archer made a mental note.
Archer gave the young woman a smile, the two of them looked at each other for a moment without a return of a smile from her. "Kat." Another prisoner called out as the young woman turned around to walk away from him.
Judge Archer feigned interest in all the activities but his line of eyesight kept wandering off to the same young woman, who he collided with earlier. She was sitting away from the others at a small desk with another prisoner. An older woman in her forties, her hair a combination blonde with grayish streaks intertwined, at first glance he thought that they were sharing a romantic moment. He chalked it up to all the women in prison tapes he kept in his collection that made his mind wander off in that direction. The young woman that the guard had called Kat was pointing to the page in her book she had on the table. Taking the older woman's hand she moved her index finger across the page as they both read. The interaction between the two women finally became clear and he in a way felt a little disappointed. Seeing the tenderness and patience from Kat made the Judge wonder why she was not part of the reading circle.
The guards and the mayor informed him that Kat Cantor was not a cordial type of prisoner he laughed at what they said wondering if there ever was that type of prisoner inside of these walls . Archer despite the protest of the other sponsors of the program insisted on allowing Kat joining in on the group. The invitation was greeted as he knew it would be with a resounding. " No". The young woman he was told didn't want any interaction with the other prisoners and was a very sullen sort but that information only intrigued him more.
A few months had past and the Judge hadn't visited the prison or thought about the young woman that had interested him on his last visit. The mayor once again required his presence and he again complied. The guard that had escorted him on his last visit had been transferred to a male prison. He felt that if he liked to get close and personal with the prisoners he deserved to have ones that would be equally matched with him. Two new guards one male and the other was a sweet face young woman with dark hair accompanied him on the walk to the library. Erin the guard, whispered her name to him and something about the way she said her name made him tingle. The woman could have been young enough to be his daughter. The male guard had said his name Archer just didn't pay much attention to him when he mentioned it.
"I can't believe I'm escorting the man that ET calls the next Kennedy. I think you are more handsomer than him." Archer loved the way her face turned red as she spoke to him. "I hope you don't think I sound like a gushing teenager." Archer put his arm through Erin's arm continuing their walk down the corridor. The male guard refused to look back at them or was to afraid to; either way Archer like that he had the sole attention of Erin.
"I never heard that comparison before, but thank you."
A discreet dinner with this lovely young woman could be arranged and none of his colleagues needed to know about his dalliances, though they were few and far in between. A prisoner a little taller than the other women walked by the guard he was attracted to. She wasn't unattractive but anyone would look dowdy in prison garb. Not paying any attention to the prisoner Archer just wanted to take as much time as possible to get to the library and drown in the perfume that the guard was wearing. The woman prisoner rushed towards Erin shoving her against the wall and after unceremoniously dispatching Erin turned her attentions towards the male guard.
The cracking of wood over flesh vibrated through the halls and Archer turned around and saw the male guard slumped over with the prisoner hovering over him with a wood stick rested in her hands. The wide-eyed look that the woman had radiating off should of have sent signals to his senses but he was other wise engaged most of the visit. He wanted to run but all his legs did was stand still, of all the days for a prison break or riot, or whatever this prisoner had in mind. His visit and the attack would make the national news and he wanted publicity just not the type that had the possibility of destroying his literacy program.
Alarms rang out as the clanking of the bars slammed shut as more guards came in armed. Archer glanced over to the prisoner that Erin called Barbara as she glared at the guards a short, older man in the group kept eye to eye with her. Archer saw that the first male guard he came in with was still unconscious. Barbara head went up and down looking at him and towards the fallen guard.
To the other side of Archer the guard with the sweet face lowered her baton and mace down. "What do you want Barbara?"
"The only thing that I have thought about since walking through the walls was getting out." Barbara held a menacing stance over the unconscious male guard
The library door opened and Kat along with a red head sneaked their heads out the doorway. Archer waved his hand towards the two female inmates back towards the library.
"Don't try anything stupid." Barbara screamed turning her head towards the library. Archer saw the two women had moved back into the library before she saw them.
"Don't worry. I kissed my Mother this morning telling her not to worry about anything, the worst case scenario I assured her was that I would get a paper cut or hang nail." Erin reassured her.
Archer pondered on why the guards didn't get a list of demands from Barbara, logically a plan to storm the inmate would have been his personal choice, but knew that they had to keep a cap on everything.
"What do you want Barbara?" Erin asked limping towards her fallen colleague.
"Get me a carton of smokes and a couple hamburgers." Barbara paced back and forth her arms flapping wildly. Without reason of why or how Barbara pushed past the easier target of Erin and reached for Archer.
The man who made men tremble with just a slight glance was being pushed around by a five foot seven powerhouse that he at any angle had a size advantage over. The wood weapon she held brushed against Archer's neck, but the adrenaline was rising, so rapidly through his body that he didn't acknowledge any awareness of pain.
"You have three years to go don't throw it away." Erin pleaded.
"Three years!" Barbara laughed. "Three years in this shit hole. You take a thousand plus days with no sunlight in a box and then you tell me what you think about waiting three more years." Archer felt the pressure from the wood stake on his throat dig deeper into his flesh, a trickle of blood dripped down his neck. The warmth of the liquid tickled his neck as it flowed out.
Two more guards came up into their section of bars each keeping a hand near their gun holster.
"Six years served without an incident is incredible. You haven't gone to far where you can't turn back yet. Let him go Barbara." Erin outstretched her arm gesturing towards Archer.
Archer was worried Barbara had passed the point of contemplating her choices. The young guard was not the only variable and he didn't want to worry about the other guards playing heroes.
"Your last chance to get out of here just passed you by." Kat shouted at Barbara. The young prisoner from his last visit appeared out of the library. She swaggered towards Barbara her head never bowed nor her eyes showed an ounce of fear as she got closer.
The guards moved to contain Kat, who at this moment moved closer to Barbara. Kat crossed a invisible line that the guards would not cross.
"Kat!" Erin interjected.
"You messed this up good." Kat said. A large snicker covered her face.
"What?"
"What's the point of going through all this if your not getting out alive. Your going to need help to get out. I got connections and definitely can be your ace in the hole."
Archer saw the way the older woman looked over Kat. Her eyes painted a trace up to the point of Kat's forehead to down by her chin. Kat lifted her hands towards the ceiling allowing the roaming hands of the untrusting prisoner see if she had any weapons. The search yielded nothing in the way of a weapon, even if she had found a flat piece of soap the situation would of quickly turned. "You can't bluff when we play poker, but if you cross me, one more body won't make a difference."
Barbara continued on ordering the two male guards to drop to the ground leaving Kat in charge of tying them up. The keys that Erin kept on her side was grabbed by the agitated woman. She instructed Archer to open the gate as they cleared the one gate behind them. Barbara got the second key ready while keeping the sharp weapon at the end of Archer's chin.
The redhead from the library doorway stood on the other side of Barbara and Archer.
"Liz …..?" Barbara said. Her hand traced the length of the redheads arm.
"Your weren't going to leave me behind?
Archer looked on as Liz took Barbara's hand and guided it between her legs a moan came from one of the women but he didn't know who. He heard the sound of a zipper coming down and the rustling of clothes as the two women moved closer to each other. Barbara's right hand rocked back and forth inside Liz's pants while the left hand stayed close to Archer's neck; the stick firmly in place . He tried to look away but the hold on his neck made him both a willing and unwilling viewer. Liz quivered and shuttered as her lips let out a scream and her body went still, Barbara moved her hand out of Liz's pants. The left hand hold on Archer was tighter as he was held closer to Barbara's body.
A few minutes passed and Barbara ordered Archer to open up the other gate so that Kat could rejoin the group. As the gate cleared Kat looked him in the eye and winked, the man thought that was the strangest thing he ever saw even with the turn of events during the day so far. "Duck." Kat shouted to Archer as the man laid prone on the ground. A spray of tobacco chew flowed out of her mouth. Barbara startled by the voice behind her turned around when the man leapt from her arms taking on the impact of the fluid to her eyes. Barbara was distracted by the liquid extending from her eyelids that she didn't notice the wood weapon pulled from her hand and a rough knuckle making contact with her temple. Blind and bleeding Barbara grabbed for anything. After several attempts the last movement rewarded her with the soft flesh of Kat. Barbara squeezed tighter on Kat's face. The squishy eyeballs of the younger woman sounded like bait swashing in a bucket.
"Kat." Liz cried out.
"Let's see if she or anyone else thinks your so pretty when I'm done with you."
The two guards connected by an arm each tied together with rope seeing the altercation between the two inmates moved over and pulled Barbara off of Kat. The hold on the brunette was so strong that the two men took care to remove her hand off of Kat's eyeball. Archer was relieved to see Kat's eyes intact once Barbara hand was removed.
"No one touches my property." Kat shouted to Barbara sitting balled up in a corner.
Liz smiled at her friend at the brave but clearly stupid move that she just pulled. Archer watched the interaction between the two women. Archer looked on as the guards grabbed his assailant and handcuffed her. As he redirected his sight to his rescuer he put his hand out to shake the tall woman's hand as the other guard dragged Kat away. "I want to thank you for helping me."
"I didn't do it for you. Barbara took something from Liz. I had to pay her back" Kat pulled out a locket from her pocket and put it in Liz's hand cupping her hand to hide it from the guards.
Archer watched on as the remaining guards pushed Kat away in handcuffs her legs dragging on the ground as they left.
Archer saw that Liz remained in the room awaiting escort by the guards, he walked closer to her. "Can I ask you a question?" Archer waited for a response. Liz nodded her head. "Why would you do that to Barbara? After you let her. I mean……." Archer slurred out.
"Why do you care?"
"Its not a sick fantasy. I almost died. I don't know what else to say."
"I was property to Barbara. Kat rescued me when she played a little rough and I owe her it's the code."
"Is the debt paid?"
"Mister the books never clear. The Indians had an old custom that if a man saved your life his life was yours. She's mine and I'm hers."
Archer let the words soak in as the two former guards earlier in the room took Liz out.
___________________________________________________________________
Present Day
He threw the water down onto Kat's face; he had made sure it was at the coldest possible temperature without having ice added. The four adults stood inches apart in the little child's playhouse watching Kat stir from the shock of the water. Jack held Kim back with one arm putting her in another room with K.K. as Debra circled around behind him. The shadows from the room concealed her presence.
"You had enough time to think about my offer. Please tell me your ready to hear the rest of my terms."
Kat shook her head grabbing the top of it; her eyes squashed together held tight and shut. "I'm not leaving Teresa."
"Now Kat I promise you Teresa will be safe with me. Kat rose up as her hand wrapped across Archer's throat. Jack dashed across the room the back part of his hand landed on Kat's cheek. As time past the coloration on her face darkened. "Teresa is going to be my wife."
"Why does my being in Teresa's life frighten you? Are you worried about what I might do to her?" Archer twitched hearing Kat talk. "Does the thought of two women together make you uncomfortable?"
You don't want to be in Elwood all your life . He paused a moment not quite sure he wanted to say what he was thinking. "187". The smug look that shown on her face the last few minutes even when Jack slapped her faded. Archer dropped an Apartment book down. Pictures of well decorated studio and one bedroom apartments splashed across every page. Car keys and a checkbook with her name dropped one after the other next to the magazine.
Kat held the checkbook up showing it back to him. "I want you to be happy." He held her chin in his grasp the heat from her skin warmed the palm of his hand. Two strong arms embraced the young woman as he patted her back and shoulders a passing of his lips graced her cheek as he stood up.
An index finger attached to Archer's hand pointed to the shadows and directed out into the light, Debra. The blonde took a place behind Kat. "Debra some incentive." A small hand gun was withdrawn from her coat pocket. The safety clicked as it was released.
Kat would not say anything. "Make the right choice Cantor I think the world has always been a better place with you in it." As the door slammed shut Archer slip on his jacket to protect himself from the nights crisp air. A few steps down the walk way a lightning strike but more muffled came from the direction of the playhouse. His heart stopped for a second and warm tears froze on his cheek after he knew what the sound meant. As soon as that died out another sound louder than the first or the pounding of his heart made it seemed as such followed. His stance was halted for a second then wiping the tears away he continued down the walkway.
He pushed the days earlier events away from his thoughts, he only wanted to see beauty and she was coming towards him. Archer noticed how Teresa's copper colored dress brought the green tint in her eyes out. The patrons turned one by one as she walked into the room. A young male waiter smiled at her. The chair he dragged across the floor squeaking as he moved it out of her way. Archer tried to move faster but the younger man's stealth movement beat him out on his response to get up. Archer frowned at the waiter the man left abruptly leaving Teresa standing, directing his daughter-in-law to sit Archer pushed Teresa's chair in towards the table.
Words never escaped Archer before tracing his sight to her eyes down to her uplifted lips pouting that were forming a forced smile. Mango shampoo tingled at his nose, the scent was now her signature trademark that left an impression the first moment he had met his daughter-in-law.
"Teresa I am glad you came."
"I doubt I had a choice in the matter, But I would prefer we got on with what your demands are?"
"I want you and K.K. to be taken care of."
"From what has happened in the past few days I don't know what that is through your eyes."
"Regardless of what you think I have or not done. Everything that was done was best for her." He pulled the wine out of the tub to pour her some wine but her hand covered her glass.
"How so?" Archer put the bottle in one hand and grabbed her glass before her own hand could cover it again. Pouring the drink he placed the glass firmly between her hand.
"You're young and don't realize that certain people can bring you down." Two pairs of eyes stared at each other across the table waiting for the other to blink.
"You took my daughter and have the nerve to sit here and tell me about people that will bring me down. So what about you and the lengths you will go to control me.?"
"K.K. is mine also. But at times you lack good judgment"
"Now what do I have to do to get you to think that I'm a suitable Mother?"
Archer pulled out a purple felt box opening the small package three colors reflected back and forth between green, red and gold bouncing off the light above the table. The diamond itself took up the length of the jewelry box, the twisted turns in the white gold band came to a clasp of two hands joined as one. Teresa looked at the box and then at Archer the pattern continued several times before Archer could not stand the silence no more.
His hands shook as he reached for the smaller hand placed inside his own. The ring slid comfortably on her hand the sizing was from memory of each time he grabbed her hand or guided her into an event. "Do me the honor of being my wife." He pondered the sentimental notion of placing one knee on the ground and if it made the answer become a yes he would gladly do it.
"What is this?"
"I hope it is self explanatory." The words cracked as they came out.
"What do you want?" He heard her voice crack.
"You are Mrs. Archer and you should stay that. I want K.K. as my heir to take the reigns as the next Archer to bring us into the millennium."
"What does this have to do with a proposal?"
"I don't want any outside influences on her."
"Is that why you took her?"
"There was never an intent to make you be concerned for her welfare. I just needed sometime to take some distractions out of your way to see that I was one of the best choices for you." Teresa looked at him now aware of the extent he was willing to go to get what he wanted.
"Sick bastard. You can't hold my child and friend for ransom to get a new bedmate."
"No." Archer was hurt that she would think that he wanted her only to use. The moment he fell in love he could never recall but every movement had an end result of how to keep her close to him. "I truly love you and would never hurt K.K."
"What about Kat."
"Accept this and I guarantee that Kat will be fine." He turned the box so the blue color in the diamond could be seen also.
"And if I say. No.?"
Archer didn't know what he would do if she declined his proposal. He stayed quiet hoping Teresa took the pause to interpret that he would be predisposed to hurting Kat without any hesitation. "Say yes." Archer didn't know what he would do if pushed against the wall.
"K.K. and Kat first and then we can discuss this."
"I think I haven't made myself clear this is not a negotiation. Marry me and we can be a family." Archer was irritated by the resistance from the young woman.
"Kale would be disgusted with you." Archer lowered his head down. "I think I do hold all the cards here. You want me and I want Kat and K.K." Archer's face turned flushed at hearing her admittance of desiring Kat. "Kat and K.K. by tonight and you will get the answer you want. Look in my eyes and tell me if I'm bluffing."
The small green speck in her eye made his groin ache as his stomach did summersaults but he didn't see any diversion from the words she spoke to him. Devotion even to a degenerate was worth his respect. "Peach and summer or do you have a preference?
Teresa stared at him.
"The colors and the wedding date. She will be here."
"Kat or K.K.?"
"K. K." There was no way he was going to let Kat be around Teresa again.
"And what about Kat?" Teresa's shoulders tightened between his hands as he massaged her soft skin.
"After we announce our engagement Ms. Cantor will be free to go." He wanted to push the thought of elaborating on it away from his mind. In certain ways she would be free.
"Announcement?"
"At the campaign dinner tomorrow."
Teresa's left hand reached out across the table the finger next to the pinky was raised up. Archer took the ring out of the box sliding the ring on the woman's finger. Archer bent down holding Teresa's hand kissing the delicate digits. The mango taste on her skin was everything that he thought the woman would be.
"I admire Kat even if you don't believe me. I won't ever repeat this but I wish she was my daughter. She is loyal, kind and loved by all her friends. Kat strikes devotion and you can't buy that. I wish Kale only had an ounce of that. I tried over and over to instill that in him." Archer placed his hand on Teresa's lap her legs squeezed tighter. The cat like eyes turned toward him ready to pounce. An exhale of air escaped his lungs every other second followed by a deep breath. "I pushed her and she asked for more and came back there wasn't anything she couldn't take. Under different circumstances she would have been my protégé."
"Different circumstances?"
"She doesn't cower the way everyone else does. She is not in it to please me."
"Why would you want to have a carpenter for your protégé ? That makes no sense."
"I'm sorry I thought that Kat had told you about her other duties working for me. And the delicate situations she takes care of. I guess she doesn't share everything with pillow talk." Teresa stood up and walked away.
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The drive to the center was the longest drive Debra had ever made, but in actuality it only took ten minutes from her apartment to the house. Teresa had called early in the morning asking for extra support in getting the house repairs done. Liz laying next to her when the call came had heard the conversation; turning her down was not going to be an option for Debra to take. Debra looked across to her girlfriend a question was on the tip of her tongue. How would Liz react knowing she was the catalyst of most of the pain for their mutual friends. The last word left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Liz was the first serious girlfriend that she ever had and she knew she wasn't going to leave town without her after the first two minutes they met. The Judge told her where Liz liked to shop and where to go in the store but the moment brown eyes met green she didn't think about the assignment anymore. From the moment her lips captured Liz's sweet strawberry-gloss lips she burned for her and she had to taste every inch of her.
"You look so lost." Liz massaged Debra's temple. Debra smiled at her, the urge to tell her that the Judge paged her earlier in the morning was squished. Debra had come to the employment of Judge Archer after her release from prison for arson. The home she torched by accident when she went to plead for an ex-girlfriend, Kelly, who was her first girlfriend to comeback to her. The girl's Father hearing the nature of their relationship dragged Debra by her arm away threatening her to never to see his daughter again. The loss of her girlfriend and the threats from her father unleashed a rage inside Debra that she had trained herself many times to control. When the cops asked why she did it she just told them she didn't like losing anything that she loved. The jury nor the guards cared that she was sorry. A chance meeting the week before her release with Judge Archer changed her life.
The first assignments were as a collector of debts. Debra looked at her hands rubbing, the knuckles of her right hand that had scratches, cuts and skin discoloration in contrast from her left hand.
The Judge called her a year ago to tell her of her new job. Debra traded sweats and halter tops for business suits and skirts. The Judge just wanted her to befriend Teresa and get back to him with weekly reports. Teresa was nothing like she had expected the young woman to be; she included her in the detail plans for the Shoshanna house before the first donor was on board. The center was just like most of the homes she had been sent to as a child after her parents handed her over to the system. They both were heroin addicts and had tried to attempt to raise her in between getting their fixes. By the time she was three, both her father and mother, who had split up at the time decided to give her up. None of the staff or foster parents she had been with by her sixteenth birthday cared half as much as Teresa did for her girls.
"Can you believe what they did?" Liz asked Debra. "I bet you didn't take time off from school to deal with this type of stuff yet." All she could do was give a weak nod. In the driveway, only a convertible was parked pulling along side it Debra saw the remnants of the previous nights hate fest. Kat had painted the garage, but it still needed repairs to the doors, mix matched paint populated the outside walls of the house and garage. Small pieces of glass broke under Debra's feet as she walked across the grass.
Debra saw Teresa standing on the porch her skin had lost all color to it. Debra dashed her eyes down from Teresa's face as she glance around the grounds, a few of the girls had torn clothes on that bore splashed on paint and dirt. The hair of one particular girl was twisted in several knots. Debra's thoughts went to the night before she had organized the men and told them what to put on the house and garage.
A black Honda pulled up along side Debra's car, the driver's door opened as Kim stepped out. The short blonde was known to her as working the other end of the Judge's business. Kat and herself were the muscle and when she left Jack took over, but this woman did everything on a personal level of touch for him. At least that is how the Judge use to describe her. He told her of the time that a guest came to the house and took a liking to Kim and it wasn't reciprocated. Kat had walked up from behind and broke the man's nose before he saw her face. The rumor around town was she was Kat's woman and the Judge's whore, but Debra saw the way Kat looked at Teresa like butter in a pan and her actions around Kim never was even close to the way she looked at Teresa.
Kim glanced at her as she got out of the car. The two had known the other worked for the Judge, but he thought it was best that Kat didn't know that Debra was on the payroll. All of her previous jobs had been in other counties and the last one was out of the country. where her story of just getting back from spring break in Mazatlan came up the first day she met Liz. It had been a partial truth she did do some studying down there and definitely worked on her tan.
The mess with Kat and K.K. was getting out hand and the more people involved made it harder to contain the situation. The Judge's actions brought questions to what to expect next. Liz brushed up to Debra's side, who was so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice her walk up. The redhead was blazing with emotions and raised her girlfriends arm around her waist pulling the closeness to each other in the attempt to mark her territory which seemed to do the trick. Kim retreated and waited for Teresa to join them.
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Sam sat quietly in her room most of the morning avoiding taking breakfast with the other girls. The young girl gave her word to not say anything and she was going to keep it. Kat knew how to take care of herself and she had faith in her. Wheels approaching the driveway brought Sam out of her thoughts, looking out her bedroom window she saw two women step out of the parked late model SUV. Teresa came out and greeted the women, embracing each one as they came out of the car. One woman was short with red curly hair and the other with long blonde hair The second car occupant stepping out was a familiar face to Sam. The first and last time she had seen the curly haired woman was in the motel room as the two men she was with beat up Kat right before her eyes.
Curiosity took hold over the teenager as she opened the bedroom window to hear the conversation downstairs in the driveway. She watched as the two blondes walked to the side away from the other women.
Sam pulled out an old pair of binoculars that were larger than her hand and cracked on one side. The focus lens dialed to the two female blondes talking. Sam dialed the lens tighter to the women's mouths.
"I'm doing everything. He wanted me to take care of everything by tonight." Sam saw the taller blonde mouth this without hearing, it was another talent that the other girls didn't know she possessed.
"I already have Jack on board I just have to get Kat to agree to this, but I already know she won't have anything to do with us covering anything up with the baby." The blonde with curly locks frowned. With a sweep of a hand Sam saw a bruise under the right eye of the woman from the motel room the day before.
"I don't want to go back in. I'll do anything to stay out."
"Don't do anything." Her voice quivered. "I'm going to get her to agree just wait." The woman from the motel shifted her hand resting it on the other woman's shoulder.
The taller blonde walked away leaving the other woman behind. Her face tighten as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Don't go" Sam heard the remaining woman shout to her companion as she walked away.
Sam dashed out the room to the driveway. Teresa stood in the driveway talking to Liz. "Sam everything okay?" Teresa asked. She didn't know what to say if she told her of the two women's plan or about the motel she would betray a trust and that wasn't something she was about to do. The two blondes walked back to Teresa and Liz side.
"Do you know when Kat will be at work?" Sam looked towards Kim and Debra.
"She took the day off and will be gone for awhile." Teresa said. Sam saw the puffiness around her red shot eyes.
"But she will be back soon to help you girls out." Debra put her arm around Teresa.
Sam felt her chest tighten as she watched Debra put her arm around Teresa.
"Do you know where she is?"
"No. But she always disappears. That boat and her go out for days. " Teresa said. Sam glanced her eye to Kim. The blonde brushed her hair back repeatedly, as she bit her lip.
"Sam I have some friends I like you to meet, Liz." Teresa pointed to the cute redhead. The teenager brought Liz's hand into her own forming a handshake. "And Debra and Kim." Teresa looked down to Sam's hand she had not realized that was still holding on to Liz's hand. Releasing it as Liz gave her a wink and a wide grin. Sam gave Debra a quick sliding of her hand barely touching it, but Kim's hand was enveloped in a firm grip the hold was so tight that she cried out in pain and Sam held even tighter. Teresa's voice and hand on top of their enclosed hands was the only thing to bring Sam back from a place that held no sympathy for this woman.
"Can I talk to you privately Mrs. Archer?" Sam asked. Teresa nodded her head Debra released her arm around Teresa.
Sam looked back at the three other women Debra was the only one who wouldn't look her in the eye. Teresa embraced her as they took their walk along the grounds.
"Is everything alright Sam? Teresa slid in closer. Teresa held their embrace as they walked the warmth of her body caused Sam's breathing to speed up.
"Yes. I was just thinking about Kat. We had a session today."
"Nothing will keep her away for long." Sam felt her arm squeezed as Teresa spoke. Sam redirected their path towards a fountain Kat had finished putting in a day before the attack. Two naked children leaning towards the other with their lips barely touching. The wings outstretched from the two youths bodies and pointed up towards the clouds.
"Make a wish." Teresa handed Sam a coin the teenager looked at the quarter tossing it away from her. The water formed waves as the coin penetrated the water in the fountain. "I hope you get what you want. In a couple of days, everything will be back to normal and Kat will be here." Sam looked into her eyes the outer line of them were moist. Sam pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped away the tears from Teresa's face.
"I know she will. You have to believe in that too. Is that why they were here? Were you interviewing them too help out until she comes back?"
"You're sure full of a lot of questions today. This is the most I ever heard you talk." Teresa looked at her and smiled. "I do. No. And no one could replace her here. They are just some friends helping me sort things out."
Sam puffed and stomped standing up but said nothing. Teresa wrapped her arm around Sam holding her in place. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"
"Your friends…." Sam saw Teresa raise an eyebrow. "Since the men came to the house. I get jittery around strangers. Sam directed her attention to the edge of the fountain. Poking at it and rubbing it; anything to not look directly at Teresa.
"They won't hurt you; they are friends of mine and Kat's. I know you haven't had a lot of time to get use to the adjustments around here, but I could get Miss Roberts to talk to you in private. No one will know you two talked I promise."
Sam shrugged her shoulder. "Maybe after Kat comes back. I'll just wait." Sam knew she had done everything Kat had asked of her. She was keeping an watchful eye out for Teresa and she didn't let her know of the danger Kat might be in.
"Is there something I could help you with. I'm a pretty good listener. Kat told me all her secrets when I was a kid. And if I didn't have to keep them private I could tell you things that would surprise you." Teresa patted her hand on the vacant area next to her on the fountain. Sam sat down next to her.
"I can't. I made a promise to Kat. If she comes back." Sam's voice trailed off.
"It's good to keep a promise."
"She might not keep her part of the promise though. She said she would be here." Sam eyes concentrated on the ground.
"I was ten when I first met Kat. I just came from Texas where I had been living with my Grandmother. My family thought it was time that I got to know my Mom."
"You weren't raised by your Mom?"
"She wasn't able to take care of me when she had me and my Grandmother was moving back to California. We all ended living in a cramped bungalow on the other side of town." Teresa stopped hearing footsteps coming closer and giggling.
A couple of the girls from the neighborhood walked by through the garden towards the street. The back end of the Shoshanna fence led to a walkway to the high school Teresa had thought it would be a great way for the neighborhood kids to get to know the girls in the group house. Two of the girls greeted Teresa and ignored Sam until the stern glance from Teresa met them. The third an African-American girl, who Sam knew was called Vanessa smiled at Sam, a loose part of her braided dark hair hung away from the rest of her hair wrapped in a band, she brushed away the hair from her face. The other girls joined in smiling at Sam without a greeting expressed from any of them.
The girls left the yard and Teresa resumed talking. "I went out to see the neighborhood and she dared me the first second we met. I looked up and saw this scrawny but cute kid looking down at me and she taunted me into climbing the tree she was hanging off of."
"You told her you wouldn't, right."
"Of course I did, and right after that I climbed it and stuck my tongue out. When I got to the top; fell out and broke my arm."
"You cry?"
"Yeah. But more because of what my Mom might think. I was worried she send me back to Texas. I was only home for two hours when she sent me out to make friends. Kat said she would do anything to stop me from crying. We walked three blocks with me wrapped up in her arms to my house. She told my Mother that she had pushed me down when I walked in her neighborhood and the only reason she walked me back was because I didn't know where I was at."
"What did your Mom do?"
"Called the cops on a ten year old girl." Teresa laughed out. "She would of love to but I begged her not to. From that moment on my Mother could see nothing good in Kat. But I remember my Mother calling her worthless and trouble but she took it. She was my champion I still think about the way she carried me back to my house. My Mother until the day she died brought up what Kat had did to me the first day home. Kat is a good protector of secrets. She never told my Mother the truth."
"I'll wait for Kat."
"Good."
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The side of the room was packed with the local newspaper reporters and a few television crews, but no major network feeds. A good mix of older and younger, Male and female. White, African American and Hispanic voters filtered through the room Archer noted. The polls showed that he appealed to all demographics with his conservative but progressive ways the room proved it. Archer glanced around eyeing his campaign manager Caleb, talking to a few donors including Mr. Johnson. From a distance Johnson had the face of a pit bull and was old money but stiff in bending his elbow to dig in his back pocket for his wallet. Caleb quick in thought with occupying the older gentleman had a martini to oil the machinery and another waiting on a side tray. The turnout was better than was expected he hadn't made his announcement of running for the senate but there had been a few leaks during the week. The word buzzing around town about his political endeavors was the furthest thing in his mind at the moment. In a few hours, the county and maybe the nation was going to know that he was going to take the hand of his former daughter-in-law as his own bride.
He held on to Teresa's hand squeezing tighter each time a well wisher greeted him. Archer noticed everyone taking quick glances at his companion he felt the heavy paced breathing rise from her chest, drawing her closer to him.
A young woman with dark hair up in a bun stood up on the podium as she tapped on the microphone. She was one of the new college volunteers that had joined the campaign, one of the most enthusiastic of his canvassers he knew with a foundation like this he was going to have an interesting campaign. "I would like to welcome all of you for coming out here today friends and supporters alike. I think the man I'm about to bring out needs no introduction but I still will. Please bring you hands together for the honorable Judge Arthur Archer."
A full round of applause filled the hall. Archer took steps toward the crowd as various hands patted him on the back as he got closer to the podium. A tug backwards by his arm and a look back reminded him that he still had a hold of| Teresa's arm in his.
"K.K.? You said you would have her here." In a whisper barely audible to his ears.
"And she will be; faith and patience Teresa." Two fingers went to his lip and slid to the soft flesh of Teresa's lips. He felt her skin quiver at his touch.
Archer smiled as he looked across the room. "Friends and supporters; I like to think that you are also friends. I would like to thank you for coming out tonight." The applause died down and the momentum of the response was intoxicating. Gulping down a glass of water as the applause continued he hoped after his speech he would still have the same response. "I come here very humbled before you. I'm sure that some of you might know why I am here today.
"It's about time." An faceless voice said from the crowd.
"Due to some sad circumstances a kind and diligent young man left a seat vacant for the senate. At the prodding of our party they have asked me if I would take over the torch for him. I had to look into myself. At first, I thought I wasn't good enough or ready." Archer pulled out a handkerchief wiping his brow he wanted this moment to last as long as possible. "It took a certain young lady to make me see that I would take it to the people." His hand brushed up Teresa's arm as he spoke. He could feel her moving away from him. clasping a right hand on the small wrist held her in place. His thumb rubbed circular motions on her hand to her fingers the plain clearway alerted him. The wedding ring on her hand was turned around with the diamond facing her palm.
"I would like to announce my candidacy for the senate." Again applause filled the hall. And something that makes me even more happy. My engagement to Teresa Baroques-Archer." The ring was held up for viewing. The band was turned around before the view reached the photographers. Archer placed a peck on the future bride's cheek grinning in the kiss thinking about the votes and continued with his venture.
"How long have you two been engaged?" A reporter bent over to speak above the television crews. From the position he stood at it gave his body form a hunch back appearance. An elbow went into Teresa's back.
"How long have you been dating?" A television reporter now joined in the line of questioning.
"Not that long to both questions." Teresa answered.
"Smart thinking you don't have to change your letterhead Mrs. Archer." No answer came from either of them, muffled laughter in the room followed.
"You have wonderful taste Judge Archer. Quite a day; an engagement, quest for the senate you couldn't time it better." Archer squinted his eyes to see who asked the question. He immediately recognized the man, he had foolishly taken Kim back to the apartment and from there became the new man in his back pocket. A few photos had earned him a new venue for good press.
"It wasn't a political move. Over the past year I have had a chance to know Teresa and her kindness, caring of people and I couldn't help but fall in love with her." A peck grazed across Teresa's face, a small smile came out of the side of her mouth every muscle screamed out that it was forced. Archer eyed each reporter watching where their attentions were at, most seemed occupied by his speech. He knew love would come with time, Sara, his first wife had taken three years to see what his heart had to offer. Teresa would come around too.
The afternoon filled with laughter, embraces and lingering looks made him almost believe in their relationship.
"Tell us something that made you fall in love with him." The only female reporter in the room asked.
"I saw someone that had made my husband Kale be the man he was. No one could be kinder, gentler or sweeter. He sacrifice all and loved unselfishly regardless if I was with him…. The smile that Teresa carried through most of the day erased from her face. "I fell for the man he is and hopefully for the man he could be." The smile came back. Archer heard the words and wanted to hold this light that was his life tighter than he held on to anyone before . The words had touched him and then in that instant he knew what they had meant to Teresa.
His hot breath brushed against her ears. "Those words were for her weren't they?" He whispered low so only her ears could hear. A rose color hues painted across her cheeks.
"How do you think your daughter will feel about her Grandfather and her Mother being married? And where is she right now?" The bright lights and cameras zoomed in to each of their faces. A Mike Wallace wanna be look-a-like asked the difficult question.
"She adores her Gampa as she loves to say. Currently she is with…." Archer squeezed her arm for support.
"Currently my Granddaughter is in the care of friends…" Archer announced. A familiar head of blonde hair emerged from the crowd. "And she is right here."
Teresa pushed through a collection of photographers to grab K.K. out of Debra's arms.
Archer situated his body to buffer Teresa from the press. The bright flashes from the cameras startled K.K. he knew she was going to have to get use to it if she was going to take over the Archer baton. "That's enough photos don't you think. I would like to have a moment with my family. Then I will be glad to continue to talk to you."
The three adults took the small child into a room next to the press area. Debra clicked the lock to the door. "She is well as I had kept telling you." Archer reassured her.
Teresa pulled K.K. close to her bosom. "Now what about Kat?"
"She is getting on with her life. She wants the same for you."
"Debra can I have a moment with my fiancé." Her assistant's face turned two shades paler.
"Congratulate us Debra." Archer flashed Teresa ring in front of the confused woman. Teresa looked away as the ring was put on display. Her hand shook in his, her fingers shifted as they clasp tighter and the sweat from her hand made an uncomfortable fit.
The nervous laugh from Debra was greeted by an angry look from Archer and an equal laugh from Teresa. "Sorry."
Sara had been nervous the first time he brought her around reporters. The chance meeting at a family barbeque twenty-five years ago proved love can be arranged and learned over time. He had never given much thought of falling in love, the first years Sara had agreed to a business relationship and it worked out well. They slept in two separate rooms the first year they had agreed on three times a week that he would visit her to ensure his responsibility of extending the Archer family line and left to return back to his room. They lived separate lives under the same roof with only pubic affection giving the elusion of being happy. Fifteen months into the marriage, after making love she asked him what did he want to do with his future and not what his Father wanted from him she listened with complete devotion and at that moment he knew he didn't want to get up ever and leave her side. The love they shared lasted for over twenty years so he knew there was hope for him and Teresa.
The door opened up with Teresa holding the handle waiting for Debra to leave them alone. The hold on K.K. 's little hand was so tight Debra left the little tyke with Teresa. The door slammed even if that wasn't her intent to happen. "I want to know where Kat is?"
"She doesn't want to see you anymore."
"I want to hear from her myself."
A scrunched up yellowish parchment envelope came out of his pants pocket. He paused not sure he wanted her to see the letter that Kat wrote before he left. The contents were written under duress but the emotions were true and sincere. Teresa approached the other side of the wall the envelope ripped into two pieces as she pulled out the torn letter; her mouth moved as she read it. Tears ran down her cheek and the sobs became so deep in her chest that she began to hiccup. He had never seen her cry like this before not even when she spoke about Kale. He wanted to put a hand out; anything to make her pain stop. "She didn't write this." She shoved the paper back into Archer's chest. "I'm not stupid. She would never leave me she said she was coming back." The raised voice startled K.K. Teresa gathered several pillows off the couches and placed her on a pile of stacked pillows creating a makeshift bed.
.
"We all had a talk and I told her about how her influences on you were not healthy." He didn't want to talk about the nature of their relationship. But knew that it was time to get things out in the open. He understood that things happened between women if they lacked male companionship the video collection in his wall closet safe showed that and soon as a man popped up he was their main focus. "This friendship with Miss Cantor has made some people talk." The feelings Teresa felt whatever they were couldn't be what he had for his wife Sara.
"Talk!" Teresa shouted Her hand brushed across her child's head as silent whistles and air bubbles release from her mouth. The ministrations from her hand swayed the child back to sleep.
"Kat has the worst reputation in town. There isn't a woman that passes her way that she doesn't tarnish."
"Tarnish and reputations? Am I in the 1950's where the town doctor is suppose to save the virgin? I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions on who my friends are."
"You are going to be my wife and the way you act and the people you have in your life affect my image."
"Well that separates you from Kat she cares more about people than image."
"Think about K.K. how would living a degenerate lifestyle could disturb her. A good Mother would think about this."
"I want her to be happy and my being happy could make her be happy it goes hand and hand." The paper still remained enclosed between her fingers bits of it fell down to the ground when teardrop stains left parts soggy.
He looked into wet stain eyes trying to see some sense of the girl that came to him a year ago and made him know his son made a good choice in a wife. "Give me this." Archer pointed to the paper that was barely half a page left crumbled in her hand. "Do you think she would write you a letter telling you she moved on if she didn't mean it?"
"You knew what was in it?" Teresa pulled away Archer reached for her but an arm pushed him away.
"No."
"You made her write it or wrote it yourself."
"Look down at it that is her handwriting. The only thing I reminded her was that you were a good wife and Mother and that she needed to think about you."
"She said she would come back for me and she always keeps her word. Kat sacrificed her life for me something you wouldn't know anything about. What have you ever given up for somebody?" Archer thought about what she asked and if she knew that he gave up his family and his father's plan to run the family business. When Sara asked him what did he want to do with his life he ran off with her and never looked back. He wanted to make a change in the world and with her by his side he never had a moment of doubt about what he could accomplish. If only Kale had listened to him the choice of wife he picked would have done well for his future ambitions. Kale was a headstrong man and broke away from his father much like Archer did with his. Teresa would of lead him to a bright future, he wondered if she would be able to do that for Kat. But Archer thoughts went to his last moments with her and his heart felt heavy and he wanted to weep.
"I want to see her." Teresa pounded her fist into his chest the punches were more like taps but the wailing that accompanied each strike rang the reality to him that she wasn't going to let it rest until she talked to Kat herself. He didn't know how that would be possible he wanted to erase the last seventy-two hours and start over again but that wasn't going to be possible.
K.K. woke from her nap and screamed at the top of her lungs. She was just like her father in temperament and vocally. The early years of his marriage with Sara and the memories of their young family together were the happiest time in his life. He wanted that for K.K. but the influences of Kat would never allowed her to have that or would it of. Thankfully the needs of his Granddaughter occupied her Mother's time as both of them left out of the room. Teresa gave a farewell glance to him with an icy stare.
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Sam stood outside the doorstep not quite sure what to expect she had maneuvered a meeting, but now that the moment had arrived she didn't know what to do. Kat had yet to contact her as she promised and the few months that she knew the woman, she had yet to disappoint her. Kim opened the door her face still shown the shiner that Jack had given her the day before. Sam wanted to solicit some sympathy for the woman but her concerns needed to stay with Kat and Mrs. Archer
"I don't expect you to believe I'm sorry."
"But you are." Sam raised up a hand facing Kim. In a harsher tone than she wanted to come out.
Kim dragged her in looking around outside before closing the door. Sam was grateful that Kim had a need to protect herself too. Though she wanted to find Kat she didn't want to run into the men from the motel again. Sam pulled out her cell phone putting it on vibrate. She had phoned Teresa to meet her at her friends house, the promise she made to Kat was not to tell anyone it had nothing to do with her finding out on her own that her friends betrayed her.
The apartment as she walked in left her breathless from its frilly, girly flowers from the sofa to the matching window curtains. The room reminded her of Barbie's dream house when she was a kid not that she would have anything that corny. Her sister always was the one with the latest Barbie pieces. She remembered she liked to burn the doll and accessories down and watch them melt together. Her sister couldn't wait to go running to their mother, that is if she could get her to wake up out of one of her alcoholic induced stupors, which got her a beating or a go at several days without food.
"I want to say one thing first and you can think whatever you want about me. I loved Kat. She was the kindest person to me and I won't forget that."
Sam nodded her head what else was she suppose to do. A total stranger just admitted her feelings for her mentor and friend and wanted comfort. "Can you please tell me where Kat is. I've looked everywhere. Mrs. Archer has asked everyone."
Tears formed over the corner of her eye. Retreating to a door in the back of the room Kim moved clothes on several hangers to the side and pulled out a jacket. The dried crimson color stain covered most of the tan Levi's jacket Kim held in her hand. Sam remembered the first time she saw the jacket in the parking lot on its wearer when she asked for a smoke. A shaking of her heart came over her as she tried to hold back tears. "There is not enough stain remover at home to get the stain out." Sam's voice quivered. "She is going to be piss that its ruined." She felt arms wrapping their way around her waist pulling her in closer. "No!" Sam pushed her away but Kim's face drenched with tears pressed cheek to cheek next to hers.
"I'm sorry." Kim sobbed.
"Where is she?" Sam's heart was pounding in her throat and it was all she could hear.
"Nowhere you can go."
"She is alone I have to go find her. I was suppose to wait for her at the meeting place. I should of waited."
Kim wouldn't let her pull out of her embrace. "She's safe now. It's not your fault."
"I heard crying and came right in. Is everything okay?" Teresa walked in eyeing the jacket that laid cradled in Sam's arms. "What is that?" The movement towards them was in slow motion.
"I should of told someone. I should of told!"
"No!" Teresa fell to the ground . Sam rushed to her side escaping from Kim's embrace shaking Teresa's body.
Sam swiped the smelling salts that Kim dragged out of her medicine cabinet underneath Teresa's nose. The bitter smell aroused her and her eyes gazed unto the jacket. Sam tried unsuccessfully to grab it before she got to it.
"What did you two do to Kat's jacket?" Sam refused to speak but the sweltering tears from Kim alerted her to what had happened. "I'm calling the police."
Kim pushed Teresa back down to the floor. "You can't do that."
"She's right there is more going on. And K.K. is still with the people who did this." Sam added.
"I have K.K. " Teresa snapped. Her eyes glanced from Sam to the jacket. "The people who had her did this?"
"You have her? How?" Sam helped Teresa to her feet guiding her to the couch.
"This afternoon….. He promised he was going to let Kat go." Teresa pulled out her phone. Sam's hand pulled down the phone from her ear. "I'm calling Debra she has K.K. in the car.
The baby rested on Debra's shoulders as they both entered the apartment. Teresa kissed her daughter trying to not wake her as she grabbed the infant into her own arms. "Something happened to Kat." Teresa rejoined her and Kim on the couch Sam noted how Debra kept across the room a distance from the others but never taking her eyes off of the jacket.
"I was in the back with K.K.. The Judge asked Kat to pick an apartment and relocate, but she refused. Then I heard gunshots. The door was locked and I couldn't get out. I pounded on the door for hours. When no one came I fell asleep with the baby in my arms. The first thing I remembered was being alone with the baby and the jacket laying on the ground covered in blood.
"But you didn't see Kat." Teresa turned Kim so she faced her keeping her hand clamped on her shoulder. To see the love that forced through the woman for Kat was incredible. Sam wondered why she never saw before the love that the two women had for each other. She couldn't get the feeling every time she looked Debra's way that there was more to what happened to Kat. Kim would not say if anyone else was with her that night but the stare Debra gave Kim said buckets to a full on conversation with words.
"Teresa if he gave you K.K. back you must of given him something he wanted." Sam wasn't quite sure she needed to know how far the young mother went to have her daughter back in her arms.
"I did." A soft trembling hand showcased a two carat diamond wrapped around a delicate finger.
"You're going to marry him?" Kim asked.
Teresa cradled K.K. closer to her bosom. "I would do anything to keep my daughter safe and Kat. You have no right to judge me. You are the one who betrayed Kat."
"Before we get into who did what. I need to know Kim who else was with you. One of them did this to her and I want to know why." Sam asked.
"Because he had tapes on half the town and she was going to leak it to the press." Debra finally put some input into the conversation that had gone on for several minutes.
"How do you know this?" Teresa asked.
"Because just like half the town I'm on his payroll while the other half bankrolls it."
The fire in Teresa's eye made Sam glad she wasn't on the receiving end of the brunette's fury. "What type of tapes does he have? "
Kim barely got the words out of her mouth. Leading the three women to the rear of the apartment to the hidden room that few outside of the circle that consisted of herself, Kat and Jack had been. The camera on the tripod facing a two way mirror in clear view of a four poster bed caught the attention of Teresa. Her hand glided across as limber fingers tapped on the lens down to the camera base.
"This is like go-go gadget time in here." A sound system and a computer sat on the desk behind the camera. Sam inspected the computer.
"Where are the discs?" Teresa kept her eyes on the camera and electronic equipment.
"I don't think you want to see them." Kim put the cover on the camera lens.
"Yes. I do. Is Kat on any of them?"
Sam waited with the rest of them as Kim took time to choose her words. "No."
"Did she ever participate in any…"
"She was the camera person. Her hand pointed to a wire hooked into the wall "See this feeds into a satellite that goes straight to the mansion. Everything that went on here went into his computer and burned on DVD."
"Is there anything that you have that can prove he is part of this?." Sam considered herself a computer geek and she had to admit she was in awe of the tech equipment in the room.
"Except where the feed goes that's it. Kat kept all the records of what went on but I don't know where she hid it.."
"Debra were you in on this too?"
"No. He had me work for you that was it. I only heard rumors about him blackmailing certain people."
That seemed to be at the moment a satisfactory answer for Teresa. "Think back Kim and see if maybe in passing she might of said where she would put it."
"She said that even if he found us he wouldn't be able to touch us or drag us back."
"Why would he need to find you?"
"We quit….we wanted to." Kim lowered her head. "She had money already and we were getting ready that day, she came to the motel."
"She never told me she was leaving. But why was she at the motel?"
"They had K.K. there and we found them at the motel together when they got her. She saw the man she had followed the night before across the street." Sam added not quite sure it was valuable information she gave up.
"She must of recognized him."
"You were with her that night of the drop?" Kim nodded her head." For how long?"
"The whole night."
Debra stood next to Teresa giving her physical support but her mind was somewhere else. Sam didn't want to blurt out her suspicions about Teresa's friend until she was sure. But every inch of her skin crawled every time she set her eyes Debra's way.
"She's a carpenter she builds things what was the last thing she constructed? Debra inquired.
"She has only worked at the Shoshanna center for the last few months." Teresa disrupted a pile of magazines stacking them in a new pile as she checked each one. "She hasn't had time to work for her uncle." A 'religion today' magazine remain the last book on the original pile of magazines. "The angels kissing!"
"Angels kissing?" Sam repeated. "The fountain."
"I'm out of here." Kim reached up to the key rack and dragged a pair of keys attached to a remote control. The other three women followed her out the door.
___________________________________________________
"Should of known there was a reason why she built the fountain." The gold band tightened around Teresa's finger as she thought more about Kat.
"It's got to be somewhere around here." Kim kneeled peeking under what would be the cloth sheet of the angels if they weren't statues.
Kim had always seemed an odd woman, she and Kat had a connection like she and her had. A tangled feeling ripped through her body and she knew it had to do with Kat's relationship with Kim. The thought of them together in the motel played over and over in her head. Did she draw ecstasy sighs from Kat and did Kat make her skin go on fire the way she made hers feel only wanting for more the one night they had been together.
"I don't see where else she could of put it. It must be inside the statue." Debra hit the legs gracing each limb with a tap. "I'm going to have to break it."
"Wait. She didn't know when the Judge would catch up with you two." The words stuck in Teresa's throat. "If, she was going to use it at a moments notice. If she came in the middle of the night she would have to get it quick. No one at the center could notice there was anything different." Teresa took up the progression of tapping on the base of the fountain hitting on a stone loose in the stucco slid out of place from the others. A stick laying near the fountain served as a pick to loosen the stone more. A lighter buried in her purse was pulled out and held lit as her other hand hesitantly went into the hole. Partway into the damp space a velvety texture met with her knuckles grabbing the item and sliding it out. A leather wrap parcel lay within her fingers.
"That has to be it." Kim stated.
"Let me see." Debra examined the package unwrapping the ties. Ten DVD disc laid inside the leather shawl. On the front, each discs had familiar writing ."
"What do we do with it now?"
"She wanted to take it to the media, that's where it should go." Teresa hated that Kim knew about her Father-in-law and the plan to destroy him.
"You should have them. I think above all of us you have the most right to them. You will do the right thing." Debra placed the package back into Teresa's hands.
"I know the reporter you should contact." Kim interrupted.
"I'm going to see if there is anything that incriminates and can be use to implicate him." Teresa didn't know what to expect the last thing she needed to see was an X rated
film, but the slim chance it could get some retribution for Kat had to be attempted.
"Here." Debra had the leather shawl in her hand. "Wrap them up for now." Debra shifted the shawl and her jacket in her arm as she wrapped the disc up. Teresa exhaled with relief that they were the ones to find it first.
"Let's go Teresa." Sam guided Teresa out of the backyard.
___________________________________________________________________
Several days had past and Teresa could not get through a night without nightmares about Kat and Antonio. She had to talk to someone the office decorated with pictures of waterfalls hung on each wall. A large 50 gallon tank of purple and yellow colored salt water fish swam happily in the brightly lit tank. The office was a lot more warmer feel than she had expected and put her mind to ease that it was a good choice to talk to Tina about her nightmares and her feelings for Kat.
The tall woman walked in the room. The larger than life frame gave a false intimidation which underneath lied the gentlest of souls she had ever met.. Teresa extended her hand out "So what do I owe this visit to?" Tina brushed away the extended hand and grabbed the startled brunette whose two large arms wrapped her up in the biggest hug Teresa had received; she thought that Tina could give Mr. Cantor a run for the money on super hugs.
"Been going through some rough times for the past couple of days."
"Everything okay?"
A crooked smile came across Teresa's face. "Is there a chance we could meet. I would like you to be my therapist."
"Sure. I can be a friend if you ever need to bend my ear or therapist which ever you feel more comfortable with." Tina walked over to the door closing it gesturing for Teresa to take a seat on the chair next to the couch. Pulling out her chair from behind the desk the two women sat across from each other.
"At this point I need you to be a therapist." Teresa squeezed her yellow sweater ringing it as if the motion would set the cloth in flames. This would be the first time she had discussed her youth and Antonio to anyone outside of Debra.
"What is on your mind."
"I haven't been to a therapist before." The room temperature dropped fifteen degrees. A shiver ran up Teresa's spine. Even though the thermostat had not changed temperatures since she entered the room.
"Take your time. Tell me what ever your comfortable with." Tina laid an hand on her shoulder.
"I have been having nightmares." Tina sat silently a pair of glasses now rested on the bridge of her nose. "Dreams of hurting someone; him hurting me. I wake up feeling the pressure of his body over me." Teresa tears flowed Tina handed her a tissue but brushed her hand away.
"What happens in your dream?"
"I'm in my bed and I feel hands all over me. Touching me in places I don't want them to. A little girl is screaming in the back of the room then I realize its me." She tried to gage Tina's response. Tina's facial expressions hadn't changed since she started talking.
"Have you ever had this dream before?"
"Every night since my Grandmother died."
"What significance do you think it has to your nightmares?"
Teresa was exposed she was completely raw and there was no turning back now. "When she died I took a ride with Antonio. He was my favorite cousin and followed him everywhere." Teresa couldn't continue she didn't want to reveal anymore than she had dealt with on her own.
Tina must have noticed the nervous pause in their conversation. "When you have these dreams do you see his face."
Teresa nodded her head. "He was a blur for years but last year I saw his face and it never leaves me….he was Antonio."
"Before your Grandmother's passing was he attentive too?"
She knows. Teresa thought, she wants me to tell how dirty I am. "He was my hero and I was his shadow until he did something and told me not to tell anyone."
"Secrets are never good if they are used to control or hurt someone." The hand again rested on her shoulder squeezed tighter.
"I was sad she died. And I asked him to hold me. And I made him…" The hand on her shoulder held tight.
"Did you tell him you wanted him that way?" Teresa shook her head. That is all you asked for Teresa nothing more. Don't think wanting comfort is a pathway to sex."
"I deserve what happened I made him do it."
"Did you say you wanted sex?" Teresa shook her head. "Have you ever comforted someone before and were you offering them compassion or were you soliciting sex?" Again Teresa shook her head. "Then how can you say you wanted it."
"I was crying out buckets he was trying to keep me from crying."
"As you should have been you were a young woman who just lost your Grandmother. Do you think he protected you?"
"I needed him and he projected what I obviously wanted." That had to be why Antonio did this to her because she had to have wanted it she told herself, Antonio told her this also.
"I want you to clear your mind and picture this. If Kat had been the one that you had turned to. Do you think she would of took the same liberties?"
"Never." Teresa would never imagine Kat hurting her she would lay down her life for her.
"Ask yourself this question did you want what happened?"
"No." Teresa buried her face in a pile of tissues. She knew she shouldn't of carried the guilt but it was easier to bury the memory in the back of her head along with her self imposed guilt.
"Besides the nightmares is there any other way that the affects have manifested themselves? Did you push your husband away?"
Teresa blushed at the thought of Kat's body near her. Her flesh tingled from the memories. "Kale knew about what happened but never pressured me to have a physical relationship."
"Have you had many sexual relationships in the past?"
What sexual relations she and Kale were only intimate three times the entire length of their marriage. The one attempt with Kat opened up more feelings than she knew could be possible. "Kale was a sweet lover, but we didn't have a physical part to our marriage." Teresa said after snapping out of her deep thoughts.
"Have you had other lovers?"
"I don't know if a half an attempt counts, but nothing came of it." Teresa fumbled as she searched in her sweater for a pen. The pen had been a gift Kale gave from his last tour of duty. The tell-tale teeth marks told of the many abuses she had subjected it to. when she got nervous.
"What happened."
"With Kat but…" Tina looked at her watch. "I'm sorry if this is making you embarrassed. I know you two are old friends."
"I am a therapist right now tell me anything your comfortable with. I was just checking to see how much time I had before I have to go to the Gay and Lesbian center by one. " Tina turned her watch so the face was pointed downward away from her taking a quick glance. "What do you think caused you to not consummate the time you were with her?"
"I didn't want to feel pleasure because when she touched me I kept seeing him."
"Do you want to feel pleasure when your with Kat?" Teresa nodded her head. "The next time that your intimate with Kat or anyone close your eyes and keep their face in your mind as they make love to you."
"I tried that." Teresa wanted to tell her that Kat would never hold her again, but as agreed she couldn't reveal her passing until the Judge was brought to justice.
"But take time it is not a race. Whoever your with should know that this is not a race. They'll know to be patient if they are not aware of rushing you. tell them." A cell phone ring interrupted their conversation. Tina glanced at her watch again. "I'm sorry but its almost one.
Teresa helped herself out the room. The visit helped a lot, but she secretly hoped that there was no need to continue the visits after a couple more times. The secret of her fear of intimacy was talked about and Tina had told her what to do the next time she was with Kat or anyone else. Though she hoped it would of have been with Kat that she explored her sexuality with.
____________________________________________________________________
Debra drove for hours as darkness fell quicker than she anticipated on the road. The road seemed endless and eventually each exit blended into the one before it. If she hadn't kept track of the time on the road she wouldn't of known where she was at. The rock in the shape of a bear stood on the side of the road as a marker and she took a sharp right that was needed to get to her designated spot.
The cabin sat alone in the middle of a clearing surrounded by trees. No lights lit the outside of the structure but the moonlight highlighted the weather worn wood on the outside; with the front screen door hanging on by a hinge as it swayed in the wind. Smoke raised up from the brick fireplace Debra looked around through the passenger side of the car window and convinced she was alone got out of the car.
A mat with 'Welcome Home' laid on the ground in front of the door. Her hand slid underneath the mat to find a key that seem to wait for a possessor to take claim to it. Fitting it into the key hole the metal piece turned the lock but the door stuck, a shoulder force put behind her shove made short work of the stubborn door.
Pitch dark enveloped the one room cabin. A matchbook from the bar down the road had only two matches left in it and she hoped they would stay lit until she found the candles she put in the cabinets a year ago on her last visit to the place. She never had a chance to visit the cabin when she was a child and when she inherited it from her Grandparents she didn't see any need to come up here unless she needed some breathing space.
Padding along the wall Debra hit a door, placing her hand in the open cabinet her hand felt something waxy and sticky, not quite sure what it was she slid it out of the cabinet. The pathway was blocked by another object and not wanting to lose the candles in a search later and before the match burned her finger she drug both objects towards the door. The snap from the front item put pressure on the tip of her fingers. "Ouch!" The flicker of the match illuminated a mouse trap that had just been triggered. Her hand went towards her mouth, the throbbing in her finger was intense, the coloration of them getting redder as the blood flow went to her fingertips. sucking on her fingers as if the saliva in her mouth had a magical elixir.
Across the other side of the room shattered glass rolled along the wood floor. "Who is there?" A female voice asked as the bed creaked. "Don't move!"
The last match was struck and lit the candle in her hand, sliding it towards her face. "It's me Kat." Her hand swooped the candle to the other side. The hollow eyes, sucked in cheeks and drain coloring on Kat's face which the light from the candle accented didn't do any favors in flattering Kat's features. The cloth bandage drenched in blood leaked on the side of her body. "You didn't change your bandage." Rushing towards Kat she pulled out a new cloth gauze from the medicine box that sat in a chair next to her.
"Hurt too much to get out of bed. The pain killers aren't doing any good."
"You should of called and told me to come up earlier."
"I'm suppose to lay low. Remember Caller ID but I tried to; no reception here." Kat waved her cell phone in the air.
"I forgot."
"How is Tess….Teresa doing?"
"As well as can be expected since she thinks that your dead."
"I wish I didn't have to hurt her."
"For this to work we have to keep everyone thinking your not part of the equation."
"You take care of the package?"
"The package will be delivered once we do our announcement. The cloth stuck to the wound and Debra counted slowly to herself lifting the bandage up on every odd number. Kat winced as the old bandage was unwrapped.
"Did he call anymore tonight?"
"Before I came."
"Without a net there is no telling what he is planning to do."
"Kat." Debra stopped herself before she told Kat about the engagement. The knowledge of the new relationship wasn't going to change anything." Kat's eyes met with hers as she glance away; the instant her eyes look into hers.
"What's going on?"
"Want to get this tended to before you get an infection."
"I'm doing good. I been shot a few times and worse off."
"Well at least one of us should know what we're doing." Debra laughed her hand brushed against Kat's side. Kat took a deep breath. "I'm almost done." She held the cloth gauze
With her left hand as her right wrapped the bandage around Kat's waist.
"As soon as all this is over. I'm going to take Tess to a private corner and tell her everything and ask her to forgive me." Kat said as her eyes were clutched tight together.
"How could she refuse."
"She has for the last ten years. But I'm different now; we can make it work." Kat frowned. "You going to tell me what is going on or am I going to have find out when I get out of here ."
Both arms enveloped around Kat's waist. "Hold this." Debra put Kat's finger where the last of the bandage ended and a medical tape was put on the tip to hold it in place. "Teresa and the Judge are engaged."
"Don't move too much we don't want to open up the wound again." Debra sniped. The constant need to rub her hands came the moment she finished putting away the extra bandages.
"How did he pull that off?"
"I don't know the details. She had a two carat at the rally and they both told me."
"Did she look happy?"
"No. She has to be doing it to help you out."
"She thinks I'm dead." Kat had an accusatory tone to her voice. Debra leaned Kat down tucking the side of the sheet in tight into the edge of the bed.
"Not when she was at the rally."
"She wasn't smiling or talking when he announced the engagement. But the look she had when we went to the fountain was a combination of spitfire and emptiness.
"She fought you all the way?" The side of Kat's face raised up, if it moved up just a centimeter it had the dangerous chance of becoming a grin.
"Wouldn't stay at home even when I threatened to tie her up.
"No getting her to do something she doesn't want to do."
"She's a lot like Liz?"
"No Liz is harder to handle but what a ride." Kat leered a little and looking into Debra's eyes it faded away. She knew that the two women were close and that they had been through some hard times. Whenever the past was brought up Liz would shut down and she learned to divert the topic to bring the redhead back. Enough women in town had Kat in their bed and they all had the same doe-glazed look in their eyes, but when she brought up Kat and her feelings for her she never budged. They were just friends and Debra knew in the back of her mind if she wanted to keep Liz when this was over she had to save Kat.
The gun she had pointed at the back of Kat's head was cocked but she wasn't planning on pulling the trigger. The swift glide across the room by Jack surprised her, he reached for the gun the yank back and forth ensued into in a game of tug of war as Kat kneeled unable to move away from either of them. The echo from the gun as it launched out of it's chamber triggered her stomach to sink and do summersaults. The room spun around her when the motionless body fell back towards her she snapped out of her seduction into darkness as the thick mass seeped out of Kat's chest . The dark liquid escaped through her fingers as the pressure of her hand held firm on the wound. Jack had the gun in his possession and prone to pull the trigger again as the gun angled towards Kat for a second time. Debra pounced at Jack feeling the presence of the bullet as it swept past the breeze tingled at her ear and the bullet lodge in the wall across from them.
"Before I forget I got something for you." The lit candle in her hand tilted to the other candle sitting on the table to spark the wick so both could give better light for the bed area. Debra reached into her purse that sat on the chair along side the medicine kit. Plastic DVD casings of various colors lay in her hand. One eyebrow arched on Kat's face. "Don't ask. Your girlfriend is going to be piss when she looks into the leather wrap these were in before.
"You still got it. Thought you might have gotten soft working for the Judge."
"Working for him always kept me in practice."
"How did you get these?" Kat raised the DVD's up higher from her chest.
"To make sure they were the disc we were looking for. She let me look through them while my jacket was wrapped across my arm and when she was occupied I took the DVD's out. It wasn't that hard to switch them with some music CD's I had and gave her back the leather pouch they were in.
"You've seen them. Did Teresa?"
"I looked through them. They are definitely going to do what a whole town couldn't. Bring Archer down on his sanctimonious butt."
"Did Teresa see them?" Her eyes lowered gazing towards the floor.
"She knows what is on some of the disc. And wants to kill you."
"I have to know now she has proof on my involvement with Kim, Jack and the Judge.
Does she hate me?"
"No. You only want to kill the ones you care about." Debra patted Kat's hand. She got up off the bed and went towards two plastic bags that sat in the middle of the floor. "As my Grandmother Ruthie use to say, I got chicken soup; it cures whatever ails you."
"Don't worry Liz loves you no matter what you did is nothing compared to what I have."
"She thinks I'm a student trying to experience some life before I go back. She doesn't know the only education I received had longer than four years to it." Debra couldn't take that her past would be the end of her relationship when it was the reason she had Liz in the first place.
"Can I ask you something? And you can answer me or not."
"Go ahead." Debra wondered if she would regret giving such a quick response.
"Did you only hook up with Liz to get information on Teresa and me?"
She had to think abut it what she would say. The Judge did tell her where the redhead like to shop and that the best way to get into their circle was to bring Teresa and chum up with two other women. An innocent meeting would be enough to ignite what Teresa and Kat hadn't dare acknowledge. Once she realized what true love was she couldn't continue giving information to the Judge. "No I didn't." The soup boiled over on the side as it cooked on the top of the stove.
"She's tougher than you think."
"My record and doing time she doesn't know about. And just because she accepts your past doesn't mean I'll fair as well. She doesn't know how it is on the inside you do what you have to survive whether you can face yourself in the mirror or not after."
"Debra there are some things you need to know, but you and Liz need to talk." Debra wondered what more did she need to know than she had the best girlfriend anyone could hope to find and didn't deserve. The alarm on her watch went off and she remembered she needed to head back to town or she would not be able to keep a watchful eye on Teresa and K.K. "I have to get back but the soup is cooling off in the pan and there is enough food in the bag for a couple of days. I'll be back to check up on you." Kat nodded trepidation echoed on her face. Debra stood at the front door the need to not announce her voice to the bear or raccoon who might be ease dropping she walked back into the room. "What are your intentions towards Teresa?"
A eyebrow rose up. "I'm her friend I'm going to tell her about my involvement with her Father-in-law and see if there is any chance to rebuild our friendship."
Debra raised her hand up. "Your more than just her friend."
"That's all she has to offer me. I would gladly accept that if that isn't already lost."
"I have only known her for a year but she is my best friend."
Kat move both her hands in a mocking fist set in attack position "We might have to compete for that title."
"And if you hurt her like all the other women in the past you'll have more than a gunshot wound to worry about." Debra directed her eyesight down to Kat's genital area.
"It's not like that between us she is my best friend." Kat said in her most juvenile voice she could express.
"Keep telling anyone you want that story, but she better not become a notch on your belt." Debra walked out of the cabin leaving Kat to deal with all after the effects with the fallout.
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The side of her body was aching and kneeling in the corner behind the speaker wasn't helping her any with the pain. In a half hour her life and everyone else in the town of Elwood would change, but for the better or worse was in the eye of the beholder. The elevator music played a soft version of her favorite heavy metal song but she never knew that a violin could play the solo part and what the bassoon was doing was sacrileges. A flow of long ebony hair gliding through the crowd drew her out of her senseless ponderings. Teresa was only a few feet away but she might of well been a hundred miles from her.
To have her so close and not able to tell her that she was alive was the one thing that would never be forgiven. Teresa took a seat among the chairs on stage close behind following her was Debra holding K.K.. Teresa eyes were puffy and swollen Kat had never seen her look as she did right now on the podium. Weeks had passed since the announcement of her death and that was more than likely the last time that Teresa had gotten any sleep. K.K sat behind her in Debra's lap playing with the blondes hair. Debra looked towards Kat's way and winked letting her know everything was going as planned and to just sit back and enjoy the night.
The audio speaker ranged out as a female voice spoke. "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome and I would like to bring out the man of the hour the honorable Judge Archer."
Archer ran out from the side entrance to the stage accepting the microphone from the hostess. "Friends it is good to be here again with you. This is a night I am glad that I am surrounded by my family and friends." Archer looked back at the guest that sat in the chairs behind the podium. "Family means everything to me and raising a family in Elwood means everything to me, that even if elected we will still keep roots here. Elwood is the best place to raise a family. We're a town with progressive ideals."
The mike in front of Archer went mute. Another feed came in scratchy as all the supporters covered their ears. The sound was like a nail going across a chalkboard only more annoying. "That's sounds well and good but do you think that kind of place for girls would be suitable for OUR TOWN!." Archer covered up his microphone as the tape played on. The security and the female announcer looked around the podium to see where the feed was coming from. The hostess of the night slid her hand down the wire of the microphone towards the floor. At the tip she saw a piece of the wire unraveled and loose with a few quick twist it was working again.
Archer gave the hostess his signature smile and went back to the microphone "I hope that you reporters are kinder tonight and tomorrow when you report on our little mishap. We have always had a great rapport with each other." He beamed. Kat had to keep the bile from rising up from her stomach as Archer continued talking. "I look at the group of people and I think what my Father always said…..."
"I have a reporter who has a few stories he wants to release next week, that I don't want the public to see. We will handle it like we always have." The voice again intercepted and he had no sound from his microphone. Archer pointed to his own personal body guards to look for the feed to the intercom. Security ran up and down the aisles checking under the seats as whispers filled the room. The last thing Kat wanted was a riot to break out and she didn't have an escape route.
"Tell me did she give in right away or did you have to get her drunk to get in her pants?….There never was an intent to make you be concerned for her welfare. I just needed sometime to take some distractions out of your way."
"Someone stop this nonsense." Archer snarled shoving the podium as it tumbled off the stage landing inches in front of the front row. "I want to know who is behind this." He stepped down off the stage and walked into the crowd. "You know who I am and what I stand for…"
A shriek across the sound system went off "Debra some incentive. Make the right choice Cantor the world has been a better place with you in it." The sound of two gunshots went off one after the other. The whispers in the room stopped and complete silence swept through the entire room. A female voice joined Archer on the intercom speaker. "Sick bastard you can't hold my child and friend for ransom to get a new bedmate." Archer voice came back on the tape. "Regardless of what you think Teresa I have or not done. Everything that that was done was best for K.K.. " Archer eyes met Teresa's and both had equal loathing in them.
Archer ran up to the hostess "Shut off the electricity."
"I can't do that there are state codes about leaving people in the dark. Something you obviously have no idea about."
"This is slander and anyone who organized this event is subject to being prosecuted. You allowed this travesty to go one when I clearly told you to end it. This is false ….."
"Excuse me honey." The second Jack who had been put on the Judges payroll after a few pictures brought him on board as a resistant supporter. Rushed up the aisle to the front. "Folks I'm sorry about any inconvenience or discomfort this evening has brought. I feel that the public should know what type of man that they have been supporting. You should know all the details when you go to the polls. I have an special report tonight on channel 59 at nine and repeating at eleven please tune in. Goodnight." The man walked away completely ignoring Archer.
"Get back here you son of a bitch." Archer lunged at second Jack and threw wild punches on the man, who gave little resistance. The security came up to them dragging Archer back off of second Jack, he struggled as the two men held on to his arms. "Teresa tell them this is all lies." The brunette said nothing as her body turned and grabbed K.K. and the two of them walked towards the rear of the stage. Archer lowered his head as he struggled to get out of the grasp of the two security guards.
Kat looked on as Teresa left she wanted to follow but knew that right now wasn't the time to show all her cards on the table. Liz stared at Debra and said nothing; Debra grabbed her arm bringing her closer that their bosoms stood side by side to each other. Liz pulled away from her grasp. Debra was not letting her walk away without saying something. Many times Kat had screwed up by drinking and throwing up in Liz's car hitting on the same girl she was dating but, Kat knew Liz and betrayal of a friend was the one thing she could never forgive. "We have to talk." Debra pleaded. "There is nothing for us to say. I think you have said enough already." Liz walked away. "But I love you." Debra shouted to her backside. Tears flowed down Liz's face as she turned back to Debra. Kat had never seen Liz cry before she was the anchor that everyone leaned on to. "Right now I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. You hurt someone I love and took them away. I loved you so much that it makes me bad for giving my heart to you. When you so clearly don't deserve it." Debra backed up and walked towards the security guards and Archer leaving a miffed Liz standing alone.
Second Jack spoke to the audience in particular to Archer. "I have a special gift for the police department of Elwood in the utility room all the documents along with his accomplish. The sign affidavit by one Jack Alias and another by Arthur Archer stating their involvement just to name a few in the illegal acts of extortion and kidnapping and even possibly murder."
Kat was glad she had documented the shenanigans going on between Kim and various men he brought to the mansion. Unbeknownst to her Debra was also keeping documents and being the personal assistant to Teresa she needed signatures from the Judge for bank accounts and expenses that involved Teresa or K.K. luckily with the daily need of his approval on a lot paperwork a few extra intermixed in the pile made no notice to his eye.
Archer had been the cause of his own downfall.
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Two weeks later:
Strobbing, dancing lights lit up the neighborhood as the laughter of children echoed down the street. The weather was a cool 72 degrees not to cold or warm for the block party. The clouds were clearing away and the weather reports as always seemed to be wrong about a rainy day. The smoke rolled up blocking her view past two houses. The pits of five donated barbeques let out the aroma combination of ribs, hot dogs and chicken. The sizzle of the carne asada called out to her stomach; a good salsa wrapped up with a warm tortilla was a temptation she was known to not deny.
"Good Afternoon Mrs. Archer." The handsome man who was the neighborhood unofficial leader and an associate of her Father-in-law.
"Glad that you decided to check out our little gathering." Teresa knew that if anyone had a influence greater than Archer it was Justus Winder.
"Anything that helps children I am for." Justus smiled with a toothy grin.
"Well let's continue our tour of the house and the activities the girls are showing today at the stands." Teresa hated being a charming flower with this hard nose pest but she still need allies against the Judge in case he got off without any charges against him.
Justus excused himself for a few minutes to find his daughter and agreed to have Teresa meet him at the podium.
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Hot air hissed into the plastic dog with nets, Sam had turned the inflator full blast in several minutes the dog jumper would have little feet bouncing off its walls and crashing into each other. Vanessa the prettiest of her neighbors came over and turned the inflator lever down, seeing that the bouncer wasn't going up as fast as she wanted Sam walked back to the inflator. The small figure hovering over the motor machine ignited an urge inside to share more than just a passing comment that would definitely earn her more time with the pastor on Saturday youth classes. The first word dangled on the tip of her tongue as her eyes met Vanessa's.
"What did you need Sam?" Vanessa pushed her braided hair behind her ear.
Sam stared out at Vanessa. "I'm trying to get my dog up." Vanessa face was a blank canvas. The two inflated the playhouse in silence and it took Sam exactly five minutes, before saying something else. "I hope I didn't bore you?" As the feeling from sandpaper rubbing on her vocal cords made Sam's voice cracked.
"No." A nervous laugh escaped Vanessa's lips a soft sound close to a breeze repeated the word no. The past weeks the short brunette had passed by the house while Sam mowed the lawn, she would wave, Sam was cleaning out the gutters covered in grime and again she would wave. It was a pattern that Sam was growing quite fond of.
"Well look what we have here boys." The tall man whistled. His large hands went to Sam and dragged her closer to him. His facial skin felt ruff like a brillo pad as if he had missed a few days from having a shave. "Did you girls steal this?" A second man walked closer the stench of beer and Jack Daniels reeked from his body as he passed by.
"We didn't steal anything. People donated it to us to use today for the neighborhood kids."
"Vanessa what are you doing down here? You know your dad would skin you alive if he saw you with her sort."
"Dan don't worry what I'm doing. I can pick my own friends. It would seem a lot better than he picks his employees."
"That's your cue to leave." Sam couldn't help laughing about the little girl and the way she talked to the men who towered over her by five extra inches at least.
"You got a smart mouth on you." The expression on his face shifted from drunken jubilance to a growl. "I'm taking you back to your Father."
"She knows where she wants to be and it seems here with me. When she is ready she will go to her Father." The tallest of the men grabbed Vanessa and dragged her by her ponytail. Sam stood in his walkway and block him from walking further down the street. A large hand landed on her shoulder and pushed her out of the way like a gnat. Before she knew what she was doing her foot lifted up into the air crashing into the man's manly package which upon contact made him stoop over in pain. Sam hovered over the fallen man ready to unleash another blow.
"Whoa stop.!" An older gentleman who at eight o'clock in the morning was attired in a business suit. Justus Winder was street coordinator and the head of the citizen's patrol.
"Daddy they started it." Vanessa pulled away from the man holding her by the hair rushing to intercept her Father as he approached Sam.
"Anyone want to tell me what is going on and why this little girl had her foot in your groin."
"Vanessa was getting misguided by one of those troublemakers and we were trying to get her to go back to you."
"That is commendable but you only have to work for me Monday thru Friday; nine to five after that you can do as you please where it doesn't concern my daughter." Vanessa's Father checked both girls for any bruises. "So tell me are you as much trouble as these two say you are." He looked straight at Sam. She was nervous and touched it had been a long time since she been around stern looks and gentleness in a combination since her Father died.
"She was showing the jumper they had for the neighborhood kids and she was only trying to protect me when these goofballs showed up." Vanessa added as her Father continued his inspection of her face.
"Do you collaborate with her story?" Sam refused to answer him he stood for everything she hated about this town and especially the neighborhood. "You live at the center? How did you end up here?"
"Stop asking her all these questions."
"I guess I should take this as a yes. So are you going to tell me what you did?" The three of them walked as the rowdy tag team scurried off.
"You saw her when she kicked Dan."
"I'm not talking about that. I'm hoping she will enlighten me to what drew her to the Shoshanna center."
"You don't have to answer him." Vanessa threw him a harsh look.
"I had a few strikes against me that would of given me a lot of years." Kat recognized the look in his eyes. Nervous hands shoved themselves into her pants pocket " I did shoplifting and forgery." Sam's throat got dry and she didn't like talking about her past to anyone especially strangers. "I know a lot of your neighbors think we're a bunch of bad kids and don't want us around your families. Not all of us come from families we can turn to when we have to make some tough decisions like eat or not. I hope that you and Vanessa never have a falling out, and she runs away because if she went to another area and the people treat her like we get treated and you wouldn't be able to protect her. There were times I felt like I was safer out on the streets than in Elwood.
"Your parents know you here?" the man's words carried an cold expression but his eyes had a warmth to them. "Do you think a house like this helped you stay out trouble?"
"Enough of the questions. She is my friend and we will be spending some time together today." Vanessa slid her arm through Sam's arm and dragged her away. Sam shrugged her shoulders up at Vanessa's Father she didn't know where they were headed but she was glad to get away. She couldn't be upset with the man if she had a daughter talking to someone like herself she would be all over them too.
Sam and Vanessa sat eating ice cream under a shaded tree a few other couples sat at other trees talking and some holding each other. Sam secretly wished that Vanessa would scoot closer to her but she didn't want to put words to what she was feeling in case it was only one sided.
The squeal of a microphone along with a tap across it signaled that the block party was officially starting. "I would like to thank the girls of Shoshanna house for inviting me and my neighbors to this. I have had the pleasure of meeting a few of the girls some of them not under the best of circumstances. Let me go back to last year. I had a lot of hesitation when I heard what they were going to build here. I knew that there was a need to help these type of girls. But like a lot of you I thought why not put it somewhere else." Teresa watched as hard cold eyes were instantly replaced by warm inviting eyes.
"Of course they need to put it somewhere else." Dan shouted. An ice pack placed over his groin, the anguish look on his face was a combination of the coldness and the pain.
"These are young women, who need a chance to turn around their lives."
"What about our children the influences they will bring in. The drugs and the prostitution."
"I don't know if that is true that any of these girls have participated in such activities, but if they have then they definitely need our compassion and guidance."
"Your letting your heart rule over your head. You have a teenage daughter and the influences that she could have from them here have already made a change." Dan ran up to Justus pulling the microphone away. The crowd watched on as the two men debated in an informal forum.
"Today I saw that my daughter can definitely be influenced. To show compassion and offer friendship, since the house has been here she has participated more around the house helping out and offering little resistance with her chores. The house rules of the Shoshanna house is everyone pitches in with their chores and fixing their evening meals together. They sit down with their counselors and talk unlike a lot of families on this very street do. Most of us grab a quick bite at the diner or fast food drive-thru and when we get home our kids are already asleep
"Just because you don't care about your child doesn't mean the rest of us don't." Dan's comment was followed with a lot of agreement from the majority of the people in the audience.
"I didn't mean you don't care I'm saying that the counselors and Mrs. Archer care for these girls and been there for them as their own families have not. I know that if Vanessa goes a different path from me that there are angels watching out for her like Teresa Archer and her counselors."
"I don't want them here and you know the Judge was right about the trouble they cause." Dan ignored the audience as he directed his question only to Justus.
"I have one question to ask. Your daughter is just a few years younger than Vanessa and the other girls. If she was in a town where you couldn't get to her would you want her treated the way you have treated these girls?"
Dan backed up as his eyes reached a sweet faced girl of about ten playing jump rope with a group of other similar age girls. The sun-drenched freckles on her nose bridge were just like his and the eyelids match completely to his own. Dan put the microphone in Justus hands and walked towards the girls playing jump rope. His arms extended as his daughter recognized her Father watching her she rushed into his arms wrapping themselves into a tight grasp.
"It took me seeing for myself through a young girl's eyes I had met and how a few companions handled themselves to see how I been acting." Vanessa stood up recognizing the voice giving the speech as her Father, she rushed back to the podium with Sam right behind her. "I want the young women of Shoshanna house to know that they are a lovely addition to Elwood and we hope they will thrive with our presence. As the head of the neighborhood watch I'm requesting that each house spend time with the young girls and allow a chance to properly welcome our newest members." He walked off the podium amid applause; a hand from behind held him from continuing and turning back he saw Vanessa waiting with a big smile. She drew him into her arms and hugged him. "Thank you Daddy." He smiled over Vanessa's shoulder at Sam.
A hand pushed forward towards Sam which she gladly accepted. "I can't promise it will change overnight, the Judge stirred up a lot of emotions here in town. But I figure with his image a little tarnished and not having the same supporters on the bandwagon the rest here will soften up."
"That's what the house is hoping." Teresa added as she walked up to the trio.
"I want you to know I didn't know what he had planned or that Dan and the others were involved." He gave another tight hug to Vanessa and place her hands into Sam's "Take care of her today." Sam and Vanessa left Teresa and Justus at a makeshift alley.
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Five hours had past since Teresa had spoke with Justus about the incident on the podium. One of the neighbors not as easily swayed called the police and re[ported a fire hazard at the block party. The fire department found suitable safety equipment at all the designated locations and all the permits in place. A few of the firemen even participated in some of the arcade games once Teresa informed them that the money went to providing new beddings and furniture for the girls.
Sirens and lights from the police cars and ambulances echoed in the night. Through the smoke Kat recognized a small figure at a distance. "Teresa." Her voice raised up to carry it across the emergency vehicles sirens. Teresa walked the opposite direction not letting the chance to pass by again Kat followed behind her. "Teresa." Kat ran hoping the closer she was then Teresa would hear her. Teresa turned a corner a block ahead, Kat stepped down into the street concentrating on Teresa she didn't notice the siren barreling down the street. A ambulance race by blocking the view of Teresa in her sight and the crowd of neighborhood people standing around delayed the vehicle getting on its way. After several minutes the ambulance was gone but the distance between them caused Kat to lose her.
Her head turned back and forth hoping to see a glimpse of Teresa. The brunette stood at a popcorn concession stand picking through her purse. "You're never going to find it. Let me pay for you." Teresa's face turned two shades paler than Kat had ever seen a person do before. Two lips connected slow with Teresa wrapping her lips around Kat's lower lip, and sated with the quench she devoured the upper lip. As the kiss grew from soft and tender to hungry and need Teresa pulled away. Kat's legs went to jelly The kiss was what she had dreamed about for months, it left her contented and exposed. Kat exhaled reminding herself to breath, but her head spun around and the tingling sensation remained on her lips. Teresa's eyes beamed up as she looked into the brown eyes she adored and in a second her light went dim. The hand struck suddenly before Kat could respond and left a stinging on her jaw. "How dare you drag Sam into this." Her backside was the only thing that Kat saw as she walked away.
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The yellow embers fluorescent with specks of dark charcoal illuminated the moon as the clouds under it rolled past at a slow pace. A large brown owl hooted almost the color of the old oak it sat on. A branch that resembled arms twisted and bent at the elbow was the resting spot for the nocturnal creature. The chirps of the crickets hiding in the tall, green grass lullaby Kat just as a mother stroking her child's head to sleep would. Resting her body on the large headstone with a full bottle of scotch going straight to her head. The heavy granite felt like soft goose down feather pillows. Even with the full strength of the liquor taking hold of her she saw the place where the moon had led her to. The years were not kind and inattentiveness shown as the weeds crept around the headstone and the flower holder had just a stick in its slot. The name was still clear but the year's nine was chipped on the bottom. Antonio in life was never a comforter but now he was a quiet companion that gave solace to her aching heart.
Tipping her bottle of scotch towards the headstone. "To you." Kat was so wrapped up in a drunken daze she didn't hear the footsteps come towards her.
"Full moon does make people do strange things." Liz bundled up in a jacket over her turtle neck sweater stood over Kat.
"Want some?" Kat's breath smelling of alcohol curdled Liz's nose. The redhead took the offered bottle, Kat's fingers gripped into the bottle and the two played tug of war for a few seconds. The scotch securely into her own hands Liz tipped the bottle upside down draining the remaining contents out onto an ant farm near her foot. The night allowed some cover in the darkness that Kat didn't notice Liz's actions; grabbing the bottle back she shoved it down her throat tapping on it after several attempts to get small droplets of scotch. Kat threw the bottle against the headstone breaking it into several shattered pieces.
"Noise your making could wake up the dead."
"The way I'm feeling I wish he could come up here and I could tell him where to get off." Kat leaned on the headstone her stance was not firm as she thought bringing her body up she fell over the headstone draping it with her body. "He always wanted me on top. So I guess you got your wish."
"Let's get some coffee before you say anything else disrespectful." Liz arms wrapped around Kat's waist lifting her up.
"I love you." Kat slurred her words.
"Well I love you too otherwise I wouldn't be here. "Afterwards if you want we can go to an AA meeting."
"You are never going to give up on that one are you."
"It was only a suggestion. But let's go get some coffee I'll even throw in a croissant to sweeten the deal."
"What I want is for this son of ….." Kat pulled away from Liz's arms and lunged into the headstone wailing a fist followed by her feet kicking at the stone. Steady strokes of fist and feet swung repeatedly until fatigue took over and her strikes were like feather taps. The blows left cut marks on her flesh but not one mark on the headstone. Tears rolled down her face as her jacket sleeve swiped to dry her drenched cheeks. Kat realized that Liz was watching her and she pulled up her shirts hood over her head. "Some badass I'm balling like a big baby." Liz shushed her the same arms that held her a few minutes ago and for the last five years once again wrapped her up in the only other safe place she had known in her life.
A few minutes passed as Liz held her in complete silence between the two women. "You ready to go now?"
"First I have to do something." The backpack she brought was next to the headstone. Rummaging through it Kat pulled out a cylinder uncapping it and threw the lid to the ground and shook it. Standing in front of the last reminder of Antonio; Kat pondered all that had happened in the last ten years. "You stole ten years from me and Teresa. You took a lifetime from Teresa. The world needs to know what you are. I only wish you were here and would brand it on your forehead so you could carry this for a lifetime like she has to. The index finger raised above the spray cans button. Liz's hand reached out and blocked the release of the spray.
"Don't do it." Liz eyes pleaded with her.
"You don't know what he did to us. People like him, Archer even her Mother hurt people and never suffer for the pain they cause."
Liz moved her hand away from the can. The spray spread across the stone the letter "R" with the paint running down the sides was spelled. "I know what he did to her. But you can't let the hate make who you are. You have loved her for so long.." The letter "A" followed. "And you have protected her this long." His actions might have separated you two, but your love for her always been there and he couldn't do anything to that." The top half of the letter "P" was sprayed with the circular half only there. "Let it go for Teresa."
"You don't know what he….."
"I do and what your doing doesn't help Teresa this is only about you. It helps you and if that is all you care about go ahead finish." The line came down on the incomplete letter forming an "P".
"I can't face her. I think about everything he has done to her. I let her think one thing for years and nightmares followed her all this time. She is a basket case."
"You sure put a lot of guilt in that bag you brought. You sure you got enough room in there for all of it." Liz's squeezed her hand. A normal gesture the friends did for the other when they didn't know what else to say. The spray can dropped out of Kat's hand to the ground.
"Her Mom knew what he did and that I would never let her serve a day in prison." Kat blew out a deep breath not sure she wanted to say or admit that her Mother knew. "She rather see her own daughter suffer without counseling or support just to keep me out of her life. She was so full of ignorance she made Teresa suffer." Even though the night temperature outside was around sixty degrees Kat was sweating. "But I love Teresa and I'm going do something that proves to Mrs. Baroques I love her daughter more than my own life." Kat raised her head towards the sky. "I forgive her and want to ask her to watch over Antonio because those two deserve each other as much as I deserve Teresa." A frown grew on Liz's face. "I mean it to love Teresa my heart has no space for this type of darkness anymore so I forgive them both.
"Instead of coffee I'm going to get us another bottle of scotch." Liz waved her hand at Kat's invitation. "Rum, Bourbon or what ever you want."
"Coffee." Liz insisted.
"I could be swayed to get coffee but you have to call Debra and give her a chance."
Her puppy dog eyes sloped as Kat's hands clasped begging her.
"We're working on it. Part of my recovery is I can't have lies in my life and our relationship was based on a lie.
"She told me she dated you because she wanted to. You know the Judge is a persuasive man but him putting her in a situation like that for a year pretending. He couldn't get a performance out of Kim for that long."
"Has she told you how she feels about me?" Kat noticed the line down the crack of Liz's eye widen and it only did that whenever she was nervous.
"She's crazy about you. The first day she met you she knew she wasn't going to leave town." The crack wasn't shrinking. "I'm not suppose to tell you, but part of why she still worked for the Judge was so she could keep an eye on him and make sure he wouldn't hurt Teresa or K.K."
"The baby was kidnapped and you were shot. Great plan." Liz laughed droplets of warm tears fell down her cheek that stung as the cold night breeze hit them.
"She had paperwork stockpiled on him that incriminated the Judge. All the tapes and victims I had a list on wouldn't of added to an indictment without his own signature of his own guilt. So if you two were to hook up that would be great, but I am going to continue seeing her as a friend. I wanted you to know before we had an awkward moment." Kat waited hoping that whatever Liz was going say would be given some time before she said something she couldn't take back.
"Chocolate croissant sound good?" Liz held our her hand Kat grabbed it leading them out of the graveyard. "Can I take a rain check on the coffee I promise between you and me I won't drink anymore tonight or any other night." Kat's hand moved back and forth between their bodies as she spoke.
"Yeah I'll take a rain check."
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A tree is a lot higher when your head is full of booze and looking down brings up thoughts of nausea Kat realized. The window at Liz's apartment lifted up as Kat crawled through it, a ripping sound went on as she entered the room. The burning sensation rushed through her leg the moment she rolled face first towards the carpet. A hole the size of Idaho was on the side of the jeans with the dripping blood running down to the red patch adorned with skulls and crosses near her bottom cuff. The pain was forgotten as her eyes darted across the room to the comforter on the bed that rose up and down. The room smelled like mangos and Kat wondered would every morning be like this or was the scent only noticeable after Teresa washed her hair.
Kat kneeled next to the bed staring as soft sighs came from Teresa. Their faces were only inches away from each other as Kat inhaled Teresa's breath and she breathed Kat's. Brown eyes opened with lashes flapping rapidly. "Shh." Kat slid a strand of Teresa's hair away from her face that hanged loosely to the back of her ear. The heat rose to Teresa's responding body from Kat's fingertips as a low moan escaped from Teresa's lips. Teresa pulled away the moment her arousal was evident Kat's eyes dropped towards the carpet she couldn't stand to see the rejection in her Tess's face. Kat prepared herself for the response she had known that every straight girl gave once she knew that their relationship was going to the next level. The guilt of what they did over rid what their body wanted them to do. One knee was bent to stand up to make a graceful exit when she was excused. Teresa seeing that Kat got the wrong idea pushed her body to the other side of the bed making an empty space closes to Kat. Her hand patted on the sheet where she had sat. Kat didn't need much encouragement kicking both shoes off she jumped on the bed sparking the box springs to bounce a few seconds before the springs settled down to the shape of both of their bodies. Teresa leaned back her arm outstretched. Kat didn't want to lean on her tonight the role reversal was more than she could handle, all the times they had ever slept together Kat had been the rock. She squirmed and sat up then put her head back down on Teresa's shoulder the softness was more inviting than the awkwardness that she felt being in Teresa's arms.
"You went to a party?" The smell of liquor was strong on Kat's body.
"I was trying to forget." Kat snuggled in closer.
"Kat I need to talk to you about Antonio."
Kat stiffened she didn't know whether to say something or change positions to hold Teresa. A nod came from her and she wasn't sure but she thought she might of said a faint "Okay".
Teresa lowered her voice down to a whisper. "He….. Let me explain what happened first." Kat nodded her head again. "My Grandmother's death hurt me real bad. My parents were dealing with it on their own and didn't have time to be a support group and you were gone during that time."
"You mean I was the guest of the state like always." Kat remembered she had got picked up for going past curfew and was waiting for her Uncle to bail her out, but she unfortunately choice a weekend that he went on one of his fishing trips where no phone reception came in.
"Not your fault either you were there for me later." Teresa's eyes cradled her with reassurance. "Antonio got me when no one thought to come get me to tell me she had passed away."
"I'm sorry baby." Kat clasped Teresa's hand rubbing her knuckles with her thumb.
"We sat comforting each other and one thing led to another." Teresa sped up her speech as if she was running for a gold medal in the 50 yard dash of words . "Something he said to me that we could be closer if we didn't have our clothes on he told me. We sat holding each other in our underwear and I could feel him getting more attentive. I kissed him on his cheek and then he kissed me on my lips. I told him I didn't want that but he said it would make me feel better and then…… he raped me." The expression Kat gave was of concern but none of the surprise she had expected. Her hand pointed to Kat to let her ask any questions.
"None of this is your fault."
"I took my clothes off and I kissed him." Teresa turned her head away.
"You both were cousins and very close. No means no it doesn't matter when you say it." Kat held on to her but wanted to give her some space. " Do you want me to sit in the chair or stop holding you? I want you to be comfortable."
It was Teresa's turn to shake her head. "I feel dirty all over I'm going to take a shower."
Teresa rubbed her arm rapidly turning the skin red.
Kat withdrew the arm from scraping anymore skin off. "Your safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
"There are nights I feel him crawling all over me and his hot breath down my neck."
"What can I do to make it better?"
"Just listen to me."
"Okay."
"I had pieces of thoughts but didn't know what they meant. There are times when a slight brush will make me freak out. Kale didn't get a fair end with our marriage. I pushed him away."
"I'm sure he understood."
"He was the sweetest man on this earth." Teresa's eyes sparkled as she spoke about her husband.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to meet him. I know you miss him." It pained Kat to hear Teresa talk about her feelings for her husband.
"You two would have been good friends."
"We already have something in common we both care about you." Kat smiled at Teresa
who's forced smile strained her muscles on her face and exposed the pressure she put on her jaw.
"Kat I want you to know that I loved my husband, but we didn't share the type of passion a husband and wife should feel for each other."
"Because of the attack. The memories weren't surfacing yet."
"More than that. I think I never would have had thoughts about him that way. I passionately loved him as a friend but not like a woman should her husband." The way Teresa looked at her when she said it made Kat think there was more too it. And later when Teresa had time to clean the cobwebs out of her head they could address what she meant. "The pain of his abuse made me push it back in my subconscious. All these years I didn't know what happened the night he got shot."
"Don't talk about it. If it had to be done again I would do the same thing over."
"I wish I could take away the ten years that you were away. The town treats you differently because of a lie." Pained eyes looked into Kat's.
"That's the past."
"I've known you since you were ten even when you don't cry. I can still see your heart break. Your street name is all over town." Teresa moved to her side facing Kat who turned her body as well.
"That's the past." Kat directed her eyes away from Teresa she couldn't look at her lips and not kiss them.
"I'm going to tell the police that I killed Antonio and that you need to be exonerated of all the charges." Kat sat up with her head cradled in her hand.
"You can't do that."
"It would be the right thing to do."
"Nothing would change. He would still be dead, " Kat pulled Teresa up to her side. Teresa's breast escaped out of her gown as it grazed Kat's elbow her eyes focused on the exposed flesh.
"The right person has to pay for the crime."
"They already have. I should of known what he was doing to you."
"I'm not your responsibility." Their eyes locked in on each other a few quick glances down to the revealing flesh within the opened robe ignited the blood rushing down from her brain snapping Kat back to reality.
"You have been since the day you fell out of the tree. You been serving a sentence of guilt and carried a prison in your mind. Promise me you won't do anything. We both suffered enough don't let him take anymore away." Kat concentrated on Teresa's mouth and needed to touch them, but knew that Teresa was not ready. "Let it go."
"Tell me one thing. Parts are cloudy but I remember you firing the gun in the air and switching clothes with you.." Kat knew that she remembered that night. "Why did you do it?"
"It was what needed to be done at the time. If the gun wasn't in the glove compartment…."
"He would of raped you too." Teresa interrupted.
"You wouldn't be tormented and he would still be alive." Kat knew that if history could be rewritten she would want Antonio alive and serving behind bars the ten years she was incarcerated for.
"I need you to be honest with me Katherine Kay Cantor."
"Why when you go all dramatic you have to say my full name like a mom?" Since they were kids she knew when Teresa was mad or upset with the beginning of a conversation with her full given name said.
"Did you do all of this because your in love with me?" Kat's lips moved but the words would not come out. The years of planning for this moment and she didn't know what to say. She allowed her mouth to tell of the years of promises. The kiss was a slight peck but a brush of tongue came across her top lip Kat could of sworn. Kat pulled away Teresa's lips stayed puckered awaiting another brush with delight.
"You l-o-v-e me ." The snicker on Teresa's face was worse than a five year old who won a race. Kat couldn't let that smug look stay on there too long. Her arms outreached with fingers dancing made contact with Teresa's sides tickling them as Teresa giggled senselessly losing her balance they both fell back on the bed. The pleas were heard on deaf ears as Kat continued her attack.
"Stay with me tonight and wake up with me in the morning." Teresa pleaded.
"Tess I'm planning on doing this for the rest of my life." Kat pulled Teresa into her arms. The melding of her body into hers felt right maybe after a few years she would lean on her Tess but right now she needed to be the rock. A kiss on the top of Teresa's head confirmed that Teresa fell asleep already. Kat couldn't close her eyes tracing every inch of the brunette's face to remember every moment in case she woke up tomorrow and realized it was just a dream. Several hours later sleep finally won out and Kat closed her eyes and dreamed.
_____________________________________________________________________
.
Kat took in the room adjusting to her environment the road crew doing renovations in her head were working overtime. The feeling in her left arm lost all sensitivity to it with a quick glance Kat saw the small frame body gracing her arm snoring with small little air pouts.
Teresa smiled her cheeks unfolded with a rosier color as she covered her face with the pillow the moment she woke and saw Kat staring at her. A eye peeked out and hastily covered itself back up. "I have to get up and I can't do that if your looking." Teresa muffled the words through her pillow.
Kat's took in the full unclothed figure of her Tess as she laid down. The night tussles
of the two of them had left her robe undone. "I am a true honorable woman your honor was not tarnished and I have seen nothing." Kat stated in a mock old English accent.
"Really?"
"Nothing…. more than what your mother saw the day you were born." Kat smugly replied back.
"Why you." The pillow that covered her face swiftly brushed Kat across her forehead knocking her to the floor with a loud thud. "That will teach you to mess with Tess Baroques."
"Never again." Kat sat on her knees moving forward her lips touched Teresa's for a hurried peck. Her right hand first two fingers entwined together hidden behind her back as she made her promise.
The bedroom door opened wide as Liz rushed in. "Thought you hurt yourself in here Teresa. Oh!" The knowing look she gave Teresa and the wink to Kat expressed what she thought she interrupted.
"We were just wrestling." Kat stood up straightening out her shirt that she had slept in.
"I bet you two were. Well have fun kids. Glad to see you two worked things out."
"Everything alright in there." A faint voice from the hall asked. The top of a blonde head woman could be seen standing behind Liz.
"I'm glad you did too." Kat pulled the door wide open to see the half dressed barely awake assistant/ babysitter standing there. "Well if you don't mind we were getting up. We can talk later." The door closed on the stunned faces of Liz and Debra.
"That wasn't nice." Teresa threw the pillow again towards Kat hitting her in her stomach.
"I don't want to share you with anyone else." Kat rushed to the bed her arms ached to hold Teresa but she wanted Teresa to decide when it was okay for her to touch her again.
"Nobody?"
"K.K."
"What about your Uncle? The girls, Sam, and Liz ….." Teresa rubbed her nose on top of Kat's. If they never went past hugs and Eskimo kisses and she always felt this way Kat would wait a whole lifetime for more.
"Okay your right but I want just you and me for a few minutes more before we have to be at work. Stay in my arms until Liz has to butt her nose in and peek again. The strong urge to play my Mother will never escape that woman. She knows my schedule better than I do and won't let me be late for anything." Kat fell back the dark ebony hair fell on her shoulders and she inhaled the sweet scent of mangos. "I probably will ruin this moment but I want to start with a clean slate. You know I care about you, but I never thought I would of ever had a chance to hold you like this again." The rawness of her throat made it hard for Kat to continue. "Know that for the rest of my life I will never want another woman in my bed." Kat had to get up letting go of her hold on Teresa. "It was just a need to hold someone and it didn't mean any…..every woman in my bed before I just used their bodies. I will never use you." Kat looked into Teresa's eyes "I will wait until you tell me you want me and it doesn't matter if it's five minutes or five years from now." Teresa put her fingers over Kat's dry lips. "Shhhh." With that action Kat knew that no more had to be said and all was forgiven.
____________________________________________________________________
Six months later:
The pipe is where it all started for her feelings for Teresa and for their six month anniversary they celebrated there in each others arms. The two leaned against the painted walls enjoying the night breeze. A patch of hair wrapped around her hand Kat twirled the locks in between her fingers. She stroke the thick mane soon soft breathing escaped from Teresa lips indicating that she had fallen asleep. She didn't want to wake the sleeping beauty that was in her arms but she couldn't control her urge to touch her. The nearness of their two bodies was the closest they had been in ten years. Kat directed her eyesight from Teresa button nose to the dimple on her cheek. Kat wanted her body to encase every smell and touch and lock it into memory and take over the mission started with her eyes. The small hand fit comfortably in her own Kat allowed the softness of each finger to brush the palm of her hand. Teresa eyelids opened catching Kat her nervous smile met with a secure smile.
The smaller woman shivered in her arms. "Your trembling." Kat hoped that her closeness didn't cause stress. The last thing she wanted to do again was to make her nervous around her. "Are you cold?"
"I'm just a little nervous." Teresa whispered.
Kat pulled away her hand from Teresa waist and back relieving the majority of weight from her body. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Teresa grabbed the hand before it pulled back placing both their hands on her cheek. Teresa again gave a smile as her face turned towards Kat's hand.
"I can't brea…" Kat blew out a short breath. "Feel this." Kat moved their hands to her chest. Their two eyes stared at each other neither sure what to do next; Kat closed her eyes . She directed Teresa fingers to her top button on her blouse where it stayed for several minutes. Teresa removed one button at a time Kat's hand shook as she guided her to undo the next button. Her heart pounded so deeply she thought it would leap into her throat. The warmth of Teresa hand on her flesh made her tingle and she held back a moan, the build up rolled in the back of her throat. The outstretched fingers of the dark haired beauty grasp for more contact as the fingertips grazed Kat's nipple. The mounds hardened as the friction between Teresa fingers and the blouse sent waves through her body. Kat opened her eyes hoping not to find that this was a dream and seeing lust in the eyes across from her she guided her own hand to her lover's breast. A moan escaped from Teresa and Kat drowned the moan with her mouth. She fought to keep control of her senses and she tried to steady her legs but her lower half of her body weakened and she fell forward pushing Teresa to the ground.
Teresa shivered from the contact of her back on the hard cement in the cool air. "Wait I don't want this to happen here. Not in the drain pipe." Kat out of breath tried to say supporting her weight with one arm.
"It's the perfect place." Teresa put baby kisses along her shoulder. And Kat was finding it hard to hold on to her resolve. "Wait." Kat kissed her own finger placing it on Teresa lips who finding the finger pleasing sucked on the single digit until a moan escaped from Kat. Teresa wore the most devilish smile as if she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Kat didn't want to leave but she needed to get the surprise, she left hoping to continue where Teresa and her left off at.
The darkness in the pipe made it hard for her to see where she was going. A rock half the size of a penny, but felt like a silver dollar found an exposed part of her foot in her sandal. The little drops of blood dripping from the cut alarmed her but the throbbing sensation between her legs directed her attention away from the stabbing pain in her foot. The surprise secure in her arms she concealed it with her jacket hoping not to reveal it until the right moment. Her two feet dueled to balance on the edges of their sides hobbling back to Teresa. Extending a hand down to Teresa which she gladly took and lifted her off the ground. "What do you have there?" Teresa asked about the package under Kat arms.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Hand in hand they walked out of the pipe and through the park. A clearing of trees allowed the moonlight and a sky full of stars to light their way. "Beautiful night." Teresa gushed like a teenage girl. Kat had to agree with Teresa it was. It reminded her of the night she made a wish and now was coming true. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Kat shook her head Teresa groaned at her not cooperating in telling her their destination.
"Stop." Kat held her hand up blocking Teresa from moving another step. Kat spread the blanket she held in her arms on the ground and pointed to the stars above them.
"This is the surprise." Teresa asked. Even in the darkness Kat could see her blush when she saw the blanket spread out on the ground and their personal star from a night ten years ago. The thoughts of what would be happening on it in a few minutes made her stomach bounce with butterflies. The thought of touching parts of Teresa's body that she had only dreamed about, made her nervous like she was fifteen again and having her first time. The difference was then she wasn't nervous and she just wanted to get it over with. She and the other girl didn't know what they were doing making several fumbling attempts and Kat didn't even orgasm. Kat had wanted to know what all the talk was about and as soon as it started it was over. "Here is where we pledge forever. You have had my heart since I saw you from toe to head on that tree." Teresa raised one of her eyebrows up. "You forget I was upside down at the time. I want to show you how much I love you, if you will let me." Kat kneeled on the blanket holding out both arms to embrace Teresa.
One hand held Teresa as the other one still hung at her side. "Are you scared?" Teresa nodded her head covering it with her free hand. "Because you never been with a woman?"
"I haven't been with anyone except Kale. And I can't admit that we only been together that way a few times." Teresa kept her face buried in her hand.
It was now Kat's turn to reassure the brunette. "I am too." Kat stood back up.
"You have done this before."
Kat holding onto Teresa's hand brought it closer to her chest. "But this is the first time for us. I want you to know how beautiful it can be and I'm worried I won't please you."
"We did it already I shouldn't be nervous." Teresa swung the hand that held Kat's back in forth.
Kat's arms were starting to hurt from the motion. There was no question Teresa was nervous but she didn't know how to reassure her. "The first time we were together that was just sex and nothing really happened and doesn't count. "
"Because I'm a freak." Teresa turned her head away.
Kat moved Teresa's face back towards her. "It doesn't count because neither of us wanted it to happen. But now we know how we feel and it will work its self out."
Teresa's hand went to Kat's last button on her shirt and undid it. "I don't know what I'm doing."
"From what I remember you do. Just feel with your heart when your loving me there is no wrong way for you to touch me. I can feel your heart and that alone sends me over the edge." Teresa smiled embarrassed at the comment. Kat sense the tightness of her grip and sat down and brought Teresa with her. "Take your time no one comes to this part of the park. We'll have all night."
"Kiss me." Teresa pleaded her eyes drowning in desire.
"If I only hold you I would still love you more than you ever been done before." Kat concentrated her sight on Teresa and her lips, the need to devour them was stronger than she thought it would be. She wanted to pace herself her hunger caused Teresa to runaway the last time and there was no way she was going to let her go. She didn't want to admit it but she wouldn't be able to stop loving her even if she wanted to, the need to have her took all reason away. She touched the waiting lips with force opening her mouth allowing her tongue to enter Teresa's.
Her moist tongue dipped and dove into Teresa's waiting mouth as if it was an altar she gave reverence to. The motion of Teresa's sucking on the tip and Kat could not bury her moan she was going to let the woman know how much she wanted and needed her. Kat's hands wandered over Teresa's body tightening every muscle as Kat moved closer to her center. "Relax, trust me." Kat guided Teresa with her arms onto her back on the ground; Kat put all her weight on one elbow as she laid next to her. Kat slowly slid Teresa's skirt down. Teresa lifted her hips up making it easier for Kat to take off her skirt. As sure hands reached for her silk panties Teresa held her hand blocking Kat from touching her underwear. Teresa place both her hands on either side of her panties and slipped them off laying them in a pile with her dress. Kat had to remind herself as she looked at the vision in front of her that she had to have patience and gentleness. "I want you to watch my hand." Teresa gave a nervous nod. Kat raised her hand palm flat down and the fingers stretch out. A slow trace of her hand a few inches above but not touching Teresa's body began at the base of her feet. The strokes waved back and forth just above a soft patch of triangular hair that was the doorway to her secret treasures. Heat rushed from Teresa's flesh to Kat's hand her legs opened wider as Kat concentrated her attention on the center that drenched of wetness trailing down her leg. Kat's fingers continued its course that was so close but never touching the heated flesh that craved attention. Teresa whimpered with pleasure as ecstasy waves rushed through her, but Kat wanted her to scream out her name, scream out in ecstasy. Seeing eyes tightly shut Kat shuddered and pulled back to the other side of the blanket. Teresa sat up bending her head over to see Kat's face. "What's wrong?" Teresa asked in a soft innocent voice as if she wanted another cookie instead of physical love. Two strong arms pushed Teresa back to the ground as Kat lay on top of her. Kat couldn't say what she felt about possessing the woman and not being able to hold back if Teresa couldn't continue. She didn't want to talk anymore covering Teresa's mouth with kisses.
Heat rushed from her toes to her stomach Teresa had never felt anything like it before, it was as if all her sensors on her body came alive. The velvety texture of Kat's tongue the sweet hot air she breathed in her ear. Every inch of her body was explored by Kat's hands, the touch that burned into her flesh had ceased to continue its contact Her eyes hope to open up to the strapping, longing of her lover that haunted her thoughts when her eyes were closed but was replaced by a ghost whose face turned more than three shades paler than an eggshell. Kat hovered over her frozen as tears rolled down Kat's cheek Teresa rubbed her wet thumb across Kat's eyes. "Shush it will be alright." The soft words from her mouth could not break through the frozen exterior of Kat's stoic face. Her hands wrapped themselves tight to Kat's shoulder as the swift motion back and forth on the brunette's body did little to snap her out of her daze. "It will be alright." A soft kiss was placed on a salty cheek covered with Kat's tears.
"I love you." A soft whisper came from Kat's mouth that it barely registered as words or sound. Teresa said nothing as Kat gave up any hope of a response that gave back an equal declaration of emotions. The softness of the brown eyes calmed any angst she had about forcing Teresa into having sex. Kat felt time would have to tell if there was to be more between them.
"I saw your face and I knew we're going to do …. " Kat couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted to do to her.
"I'm really looking forward to that." Teresa said in her ear as her tongue licked the tip of Kat's ear lobe.
"What if I can't make you feel safe or I make you do something your not comfortable with. What…"
"That is a lot of what ifs. I'm the one that is practically a virgin and should be nervous. I am wondering about how am I going to please you too ."
"You don't have to worry about that. You just have to look at me and I'm in heaven. I already came at the pipe touching your hair."
"Damn your easy."
"So I've heard." They both laughed Teresa swatted Kat on her shoulder. The giggles instantly turned into awkward silence.
Gentle hands reached down jerking her closer and pulled on Kat's pants zipper with a forceful push downward bringing her underwear along with the pants as they cleared her knees resting at her ankles. Kat was quite surprised by the forcefulness of her lover but also very turned on. The scent of her lover intoxicated Teresa and she drunk it in. The need to see what called out to her without words erased any shyness she felt. Teresa slid her hand to the hot sex that cried out to her during most of the night. "Touch me." Kat moaned in her ear. Teresa paused her hand inches away from Kat's center. "Do what you like done when you please yourself." Kat grunted. The wetness painted her fingers drenching the digits and slid upon contact down Kat's leg away from the heat.
Retaking control Kat rolled her body over Teresa maneuvering the pants at her ankles down to the ground. The naked lower half of Kat's body stood fumbling with her pants, Teresa smiled pleased by what she saw of her naked frame. Realizing inquisitive eyes looked upon her awkwardness in undressing Kat moved closer towards Teresa to set the pace again. Kat glided a hand across Teresa's arm up to her neck guiding a pathway that her lips followed inch by inch right behind. A low growl emanated from Teresa as the hand invaded the top of her blouse. Hands grazed against silk and lace as the blouse slipped off over her head. Kat cupped both breast lined in between a lace bra she rubbed needing to get through the barrier to the prize that lay behind it. Kat's thigh spread Teresa's waiting and willing legs apart that opened up before she moved towards them. The scent of Teresa reached Kat's nostrils. "May I." Kat moaned into Teresa's ear. The legs spread further as Kat's leg rubbed Teresa's center. Fast strokes soon replaced slow ones, A rhythm began that both women met equally on. With each stroke Kat gave Teresa met with the same timing with her hips. Kat licked the exposed neck dragging her tongue from the neck to Teresa's eyelids. "I don't think these have been thoroughly kissed." Kat continued kissing the eyelids. Teresa's body slid up higher underneath Kat's stopping where her breast were in direct sight of Kat's warm tongue. Seeing the young woman squirm up higher Kat knew what she desired but couldn't put words to. Her nipples hardened as Kat blew hot air on them the agony of wanting them to be touch screamed out in Teresa's eyes. "Do you want me to lick them?" Teresa moaned in agreement as a hungry mouth captured Teresa's the kisses grew in intensity laying underneath Kat allowed her easy access to her lower lip and she sucked on it as if to get sustenance. Teresa's body shuddered. "Kat!" Teresa screamed out. "Ooooh Kaaaat!" as the rest of her cries were muffled in Kat's neck. Kat cradled the smaller woman in her arms until the waves in Teresa's body subsided.
The feel of flesh on flesh was the most incredible feeling that she had experienced in her life. Nipples laid on top of nipples and Teresa thought she was the closest to heaven without dying. Soft snores escaped from Kat's nose and would of upset Teresa, but the closeness of their two bodies at this moment made her realize she hungered for every part of Kat both the good and bad. A loose strand hair covered Kat's eyes and as she blew out air from her nose it moved up and back down. Teresa brushed the errant hair back behind Kat's ear. "I love you Kat Cantor. Since I was ten years old; I have wanted to only love you." Teresa looked down into Kat's face and saw that the brunette had slept through her declaration. "Even if you never hear me say it to you. I will show you every day how I feel that is a promise, my love." The right hand thumb returned to the cheek it had caressed most of the night as Teresa joined Kat in sleep and they wrapped arms in arms, leg entwined with legs and one set of breast nestled into a soft, warm back.
THE END