Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.
Sexual Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts scenes of sexual violence and/or their aftermath. Some readers may be disturbed by this type of depiction and anyone who is sensitive to this particular issue may wish to read something other than this story.
Love/Sex Warning/Disclaimer: There are blatant discussions, references and description of sexual relations between consenting adults. You must be over the age of 18 and it must not be a crime to read material of this nature at your present location. Some of the scenes depicted are explicit. If this bothers you, you should find other reading material.
Language Warning: The language is representative of street language. Therefore is quite vulgar. You must be over the age of 18 and it must not be a crime to read material of this nature at your present location. If this bothers you, you should find other reading material.
A special thanks to beta reader archaeo bard.
Part 3
Brie insisted they go back to her place so she could change. Zan thought she looked fine, but they had time so she relented. Zan waited on the sofa sipping an iced tea, when Brie came out of bedroom dressed in a French maid's costume and hair frizzed out. She looked great, despite the heavy white face makeup.
Zan was very confused and asked, "Why the costume?"
"You'll see," she said as she got several items from the kitchen and put them in a paper bag, "Let's go."
Zan was getting very concerned. She had no idea what was going on and asked, "But what about me? Don't I need a costume?"
"No you don't, Eddie," replied Brie with a huge smile.
"Who the fuck is Eddie?" asked Zan in total frustration.
Brie wrapped her arms around the baffled teen's waist and pecked the brunette's nose with her closed lips and said, "You know, I'm not going to let you kiss me with that dirty mouth, so you'd better quit it."
Brie insisted on taking the Lexus, because she didn't want to damage her costume. Also, she reasoned where would Zan's friends ride? So they arrived at Paul and Carl's place in the Lexus. Zan went to the front door and rang their apartment. Zan heard a lot of static that masked, "Who is it?"
Zan pressed the response button and yelled, "It's Zan. You guys still going to the movie?"
Zan heard some scrabbling and an excited reply, "Oh, Zan, we'll be right down."
Brie was standing by the car looking very smug. Zan still hadn't figured all this stuff out, but she was willing to ride it out, because Brie seemed to be enjoying it so much.
Zan walked down the stoop to wait by Brie. She was nervous about Brie standing by the car looking so good in this neighborhood. Some of the people here were not kind to gays.
Zan had her back to the tenement building when Brie's eyes brightened even more and said, "Oh, goody, Frank and Riff-Riff."
"Who?" Zan asked as she turned around to see her two friends were also in costume.
Zan knew she had been had, but decided to tough it out for Brie. Zan smiled at Brie and said, "Paybacks are ... sumtin"
Zan knew that didn't come out right, but she wanted her kisses so she had to edit her language. Brie was biting her lip in an effort not laugh.
Paul, who was dressed in a black corset with high heels and stockings came up to Brie and said, "Hello, Magenta, darling."
Zan corrected Paul in all seriousness and said, "No, Paul, this is Brie. The girl I was telling you about."
It was too much for Brie and she busted out laughing. Zan started to cloud up. She had had enough and wanted to know what was going on. Brie saw the look and put her hand on the tall girl's arm to calm her and said, "I'm sorry to laugh Zan, but Magenta is the character in the movie I'm dress as. Paul is dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Carl is dressed as Riff-Raff. I would explain it, but you really need to experience it to understand it."
"She's right Zan," Carl said as he approached the group carrying a grocery bag, "Hi, I'm Carl Schmidt and this Paul Smythe. I assume you are Brie. Zan has never spoken more about a person as she has spoken about you. She is cute, Zan. You lucky dog."
Carl and Paul kissed Brie's hand and Zan began to cloud up again. When Paul said, "Don't get your tits in a ringer girl. She's definitely not my type."
Zan gave a half grin and turned beet red. She hated being so easy to read. Brie said, "Okay let's go. Carl, do you know the way?"
Startled by the question, he hesitated before saying, "Sure."
Brie tossed him the keys and said, "You drive. We'll sit in the back, while I fix her makeup. She's a virgin. So you know the rules."
"Do we need to stop for supplies? We're running a little late. We're cast members," informed Paul.
Brie nonchalantly answered, "No, I brought what we need. Cast members, huh. I was a cast member at Columbia, when I was an undergrad."
So, with everyone in the car, they started off to the movie theater. Zan leaned over and whispered into Brie's ear, "I'm not. I thought you should know."
Brie was confused by the question and asked, "Not what, Baby?"
Zan looked around to see if anyone was listening and whispered, "A virgin. Not since I was fourteen."
Brie bit the inside of her lip hard to keep from erupting in laughter and informed her, "No, Baby, that's not what I meant. A virgin is a first Rocky Horror fan."
Zan shook her head solemnly in understanding. Brie had to pinch her thigh this time. She knew that the laughter would be misinterpreted. So, she joined the others in conversation. Everyone was laughing and talking, except Zan, who was getting a headache.
Brie could see that Zan was having trouble with all this. So she decided the girl deserved a reward for her patience and for trying to clean up her language. So, Brie leaned over and kissed Zan on the lips. Zan reflexively opened her mouth and Brie took advantage to do some exploring with her tongue. Brie held the passionate kiss for a couple of minutes before she stopped and said, "A preview of things to come and a reward for being so patient without knowing what is going on."
Zan's headache was gone. She barely noticed the makeup being put on her face. She was too busy reliving that kiss.
They arrived just as Brie was finishing Zan's makeup. Brie showed Zan her new appearance in her mirror. It took a lot of coaxing and cooing by Brie to get Zan to get out of the car. Paul and Carl, as cast members, went through the back. They gave Zan and Brie two passes, so they wouldn't have to wait in line.
When they encountered the line of all the costumed people waiting to buy tickets, Zan started to run back to the car. But Brie caught her and gave her another rewarding kiss. Zan was much more docile after that.
After they took their seats, Brie went into an explanation of the props she brought. "The newspaper is used to put over your head during the scene when Brad and Janet are caught in the rain. By the way, you hear everyone call Brad, arsehole and Janet, slut. Just, do it when everyone else is doing it."
Zan felt her headache coming back and she thought, 'This is so complicated. I'm goin' to make an ass of myself in front of Brie...'
Brie noticed that Zan was starting to breathe funny again. She knew the girl was getting nervous again about embarrassing herself in front of her, so she said, "Zan, just do what I do and we will have fun. I promise."
"You promise?" she asked in a pouting whipped puppy voice.
Brie kissed her one of her best get-the-toes-tingling kisses and said, "A down payment on my promise."
Zan's headache went away again. Then the movie started.
Zan had to admit she was having a good time. It had been rough for second, learning to do the time warp. But it was an easy dance and everyone so much fun with it. She soon found herself laughing and singing and anticipating. Brie knew the whole movie by heart and gave her advanced warning about everything.
Zan really enjoyed watching her friends Paul and Carl hamming it up on the stage in front of the movie. The only thing that bothered Zan was the confrontation between Brie and a lady dressed like Columbia in two rows back, when she laughed at one of Zan's mistakes. Brie had really tied into her about making fun of virgins.
Brie was driving the Lexus with Paul and Carl in the back. It was nearly three in the morning when they left the theater. Brie had suggested going to her place for ice cream and coffee. Everyone agreed.
Paul and Carl were most impressed with Brie's penthouse. Paul, who was an antique dealer, commented on her good taste. And asked about the originals of several of her nicer pieces.
One piece really excited Paul, "Is that a Queen Anne desk?"
Brie went and got four spoons and four quarts of ice cream. She got Chocolate Mint Chip for her; Banana Split for Zan, Cherry Vanilla for Paul and French Vanilla for Carl. Zan was surprised that it was a new quart, she hadn't finished the last quart. Zan figured she must throw them away after one usage.
When she brought back out the ice cream and spoons on an elegant television tray, she commented, "Oh that's not just a Queen Anne desk. It is one of Queen Anne's desks."
Paul whistled, "Impressive, that must have set you back half a million."
Brie replied without missing a beat, "No, I bought for a hundred thousand pounds through Cyr Auction Company last year."
Zan dropped her spoon and was staring. She stammered out, "You pay a hundred g's for a desk."
Before Brie could answer, Paul said, "That's pounds Zan. Which is more like a hundred and fifty g's in dollars."
Zan stammered, "How rich are you?"
Brie walked over the Zan and grabbed her hands. She looked into her eyes and poured her love into that gaze. Then she said, "Does that really matter?"
Paul cleared his throat and said, "Zan, this penthouse is probably worth about ten to fifteen million dollars, all this furniture, paintings and rugs, another twenty to thirty million. I would say Brie had to be worth more than fifty to sixty million from what I see here. I knew she was filthy rich when you told me she had a penthouse in Manhattan.
And I saw her dancing in the aisles of an old movie house with you. She's right. It don't mean a thing."
Brie looked up at Paul and gave him a thank you smile. Brie looked deep into Zan's soul and said, "If you want, Baby, I will give you a detailed accounting, but with stocks, property, furnishings, jewelry and clothing, I'd say I was worth about three hundred million dollars. But like I told you this evening, it isn't worth a second of your time."
Zan looked into Brie's eyes and saw love. She looked deeper, because she thought she might only be seeing what she wanted to see. But all Zan saw was love. For the first time since her father died in her arms, Zan cried.
All of Zan's hopes and dreams, some she never knew she had until she met this young woman, were suddenly granted. Brie loved her; she could see it. She could feel it. Zan knew she didn't deserve it. Zan resolved to tell the young social worker everything. But the dark teen knew that this warm soul would be repulsed by Zan's past. Zan's heart was exposed and vulnerable. So, what else could she do, but cry.
Brie pulled the girl into her arms and held her. She looked at Paul and Carl and said, "Talk the keys with the blue key chain off my rake of keys in the kitchen. Go down to parking slot A-14 and take my Cherokee. We'll get it tomorrow."
Carl said, "Brie in our neighborhood, it may not last to morning."
Brie said honestly, "I don't care. It's only a car. I can't leave her like this, she needs me. I need her."
They nodded and mouthed their good byes and left.
Zan knew she had to tell Brie everything, but she wanted to live this moment a little longer. She wanted to feel her love's presence, so she could remember it for the rest of her life. Because in her heart she knew after she told this kind soul of her past, this would be their final moments together.
Brie desperately wanted to know what brought this on. 'Could the size of my wealth have overwhelmed her? If she can't handle it, I'll give it all away. WE could finish her restaurant, together. I could get the liquor license. WE could hire Carl and make a go of it. She had total faith in their love,' she thought.
An idea crystallized in her mind, she was in love with this beautiful young complicated and frustrating woman. Money was just a tool to Brie. It wasn't worth losing Zan.
Brie was about to make her proposal when she noticed that Zan had cried herself to sleep. Brie gently laid the girl upon the sofa and made her comfortable. Then, she put a quilt over her and went to use the phone. It was time for some answers.
Brie called Julio. Zan had said he had some information on Zan's mother. Brie wanted that information, too.
A sleepy voice answered on the fifth ring and said, "Hello, this better be important. It's four in the morning."
A voice whispered into the phone, "Julio, it's Brie. Wake up, we have to talk."
"Brie, it's Saturday morning, can't this wait until Monday," whined a half asleep former cop?
Brie decided on the truth, "Julio, I'm in love with Zan. I need to talk to you about her."
That woke him up, he liked both of them, but knew that Zan was not what Brie needed. So he said, "Brie, I'll get my pants. We can't do this over the phone. Is she with you?"
Brie smiled as she looked down at the sleeping teen and replied, "She's sleeping on my couch as we speak."
"Where do you want to meet," queried Julio as put on his pants.
Brie thought for a moment and said, "The coffee house by the office. It's about half way."
Julio nodded and then announced, "Fine. twenty-five minutes?"
Brie agreed, "I'll be there. Thanks."
Brie wrote Zan a quick note and went to meet Julio.
Brie was sitting at a table having a cup of coffee and a donut, when Julio came in. Julio ordered coffee as he came over to sit down. He was carrying a manila folder. As Julio sat down he handed her the folder and started talking, "Catlin Agair, fourteen years ago, her husband reports her missing. She went to work one day and disappears. At first, we thought it was just a case of simple abandonment, but after talking to her friends and neighbors, we knew it wasn't.
This woman was in love with her husband and her five-year-old daughter. There is no way in hell she just walked away. We searched every where. We found zip. I had to interview Alexandra. She was smart as a whip. She took her mother's disappearance hard. She blamed herself.
Every thing is in that file. Alexandra's father spent a fortune on private detectives. He posted rewards for information. He had flyers made. I really admired the man. But we lost touch.
A few years later, I found out about the break in and how he was murdered. I went looking for Alexandra, but couldn't find her. I found out a couple of weeks later, she and her gang had gone west and were raising hell in Ohio.
I hadn't heard of her or from her, until Thursday, when you called me into your office."
"Can I keep this," Brie asked, motioning with the folder.
Julio held up both hands and said, "Sure, it's a copy. I was haunted by this case and never knew why. I guess I felt like I let Alexandra and her father down. You see I promised the little girl, I would find her mom. I did it to calm her. Instead I failed her. I don't think she has forgotten, nor forgiven my promise."
Brie took Julio's hand and said, "We all make mistakes. The thing to do now is help Zan. She is hurting and needs help, though she would burn alive before she admitted it. Listen I have to get back."
"Breakfast is on me," she said as she put a twenty on the table and left with the folder.
Zan woke up to an empty house. She saw the note on the table, but left it there. She walked over to the coffee maker and poured a cup. She sat down with her coffee and stared into space. Her mind was a jumbled mess of random thoughts. She was scared.
Brie was desperate to get back to her lover before she woke up. The elevator ride seemed to take forever. When she walked into her apartment she saw Zan sitting drinking coffee and looking into space. Zan noticed her and jumped up spilling coffee every where. Zan was panicked and apologized for everything from spilling coffee to the death of Elvis.
Brie cooed and coaxed the young woman to calm. That it was all right. That it was her fault for startling her. Slowly, Zan began to respond and she started to cry again. Zan couldn't help. It irritated her. She had cried more in the last couple hours than she had in all her memory.
Brie pulled the tall woman into her arms and said, "I talked to Julio and I got the police file on your mother. I thought you might want to read it."
Zan said, "I was so worried that youse were mad at me for goin' to sleep on youse, while you wanted to talk. I thought youse were throwin' me out. I was about to leave, but I wanted to beg youse to let me stay before I left."
Brie smiled apologetically and said, "Zan didn't you see my note. I put it right on the table."
Zan bowed her head and looked at her hands and replied, "I saw it."
Brie was confused and asked, "Why didn't you read it? I explained where I was and what I was doing. It would have eased your mind. That why I left it."
Zan pouted and mumbled, "I wish I could've read it. I can't read."
Brie pulled the teen to her and hugged her and said, "Oh Zan, I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I had I would woke you or something. I didn't mean to worry you. Well, that's one more thing we have to work on."
Zan could see the hurt in the green eyes of the woman she loved, so she said, "I'm hurtin' youse. I should go."
"No Zan," Brie was getting frustrated with all the girl's insecurities, "that is definitely not what I want. I want you to stay."
Zan couldn't stand pity; she needed love not pity. So she mumbled, "Brie, youse got a kind heart and I know youse feel sorry for me and all, but really I'm tough. I know I'm stupid, but I'm a fighter, too."
Brie's temper exploded, "I do not want to ever hear you talk like that again. You are not stupid. You may be a little under educated, but you are not stupid. I am not just feeling sorry for the poor tortured girl. I'm upset, you have been hurt so much. But I want you to stay because I love you. Damn you can make me mad."
Then Brie heard Zan sob, "We have to talk."
Zan decided the best way was to jump in the deep water and try to swim out. So she said, "Brie, I love you. I know we just met, but I knew the minute I looked into those beautiful green eyes of yours. Please, let me finish. There's a lot more."
Zan went to the freezer and return with their ice cream from the night before and handed Brie her ice cream and a spoon. She opened hers and took a big mouthful. She swallowed and said, "Youse right it do help. Brie, remember when I told you about my papa and how he died. Well, I didn't tell youse the whole story.
I was princess of the Warriors. We were a local gang then. You know kid stuff, hangin', actin' all bad, that kind of stuff. Anyway, we had a rumble with the Lords of Death. We kicked their butts.
So they wanted revenge. One night while I was out whorin' with my homeys, the Lords trashed my papa's place. He tied to stop 'em. They hurt 'im real bad. They cut his eyes out and cut open his stomach. When I found 'im he's nearly dead from the loss of blood. His guts were laying on the floor. It was horrible. It took me weeks to get rid of the blood stains on the floor."
She broke down and cried again. Brie went to hold her, but Zan held up her hands to keep her away and said, "My papa was in a lot of pain and he beg me to let 'im go. So, I just snap his neck and his pain was gone. But before I killed my papa, he told me that the Lords had done it. So I went after 'em. I caught the whole gang in an abandoned store on Bond St. There were fifteen guys and eight gals.
Zan got to her feet and started to pace before she continued, "I don't remember much about it, but I do remember the lookout had two Glocks. I broke his neck and took the Glocks and walked in with guns ablazing. I took other guns when one of them emptied. I don't remember the details, but when I finished, I was the only person standing. And the only blood on me was theirs."
As Zan collapsed onto the coach, she continued her tale, "I don't remember much about the next eight months. I gathered my gang and we hit the road. We cut a path of destruction across the Midwest. I don't remember most of it. But what I do remember is pretty ugly. We stole; we raped and we killed. I did most of it personally, I think, I'm not really sure. I know I was making everybody pay for my papa."
Zan took a deep breath and let it out. Then, she closed her eyes and took the deep plunge, "Then one day, I woke up in a motel room with an eighteen-year old girl in my bed. There was blood all over the sheets from where I stole her virginity. She had ugly welt all over her, some where new, some where days old.
I remember reaching out to touch one of the bleeding welts. The girl woke up and asked, 'What can I do for you, Mistress?' She seemed frightened and excited at the same time."
"She licked and sucked my fingers. She put my hand on her breast." Zan seemed to go to a far place as she said, "I remember they were marked and red. Her nipples were pierced and had rings in them. Her nipples and breasts had obviously been stretched until they disfigured. There were needle pricks all over her breasts and there was dried wax on them, too."
Nervously Zan opened her eyes and sent out a silent prayer of forgiveness, "Then the memory of what I had done to that girl came back to me. I remember how I had taken sixty-four hours to break her into beggin' me to take her. I remember how, I'd spent six more days in that motel room enjoyin' my conquest. My conscience had been awakened. I felt shame."
Zan pounded her fists into the couch and ventured, "That's when I came home. I took the girl with me with the intention of reversing the damage. I couldn't undo what I had done. She left me, because she needed what I couldn't do anymore. She's a street whore now. Her street name is Skinny Laura."
Zan sank into the couch, then pulled her hair into a ponytail. Then she released her hair and sighed, "Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson had papa buried and keep the building going while I was gone. The chalk line where my papa died and the blood had stained the floor. It took me four months to clean it all up."
Zan sat up and looked into Brie's eyes and pleaded, "I was constantly haunted by nightmares of what I'd done. Every night I would wake up screaming until I looked into your eyes. Now, my only nightmares involve losing you."
Brie sat quietly and listened. Tears welled up in her eyes. This young girl had had so many traumas in her life. Brie thought she had family problems, but her problems were nothing.
That Zan always reacted by using violence was frightening, but Brie knew she could change that. Brie had to change that, because she couldn't image life without this wonderful, complex human being.
Brie could see Zan was about to bolt, so she reached out of grabbed the tall young woman by her arms and said, "Zan, don't you dare run from me. I will not allow it. We will work through this together. I love you. Do you understand me?"
Relief washed over Zan as she realized her life was not leaving her. 'She heard the worst and she letting me stay. She said she loved me. I heard her,' it was too much for the young woman, she cried again.