Disclaimers: All characters referenced in this story are mine and mine alone. Any similarities between them and anyone else living, dead, or fictional, is purely accidental/coincidental. Basically, hands off without my permission-pretty please.
If you like them, feel free to let me know about it at Jeaninehemail-public@yahoo.com if you don’t, please don’t be mean.
Warnings: This story will depict relationships between women. If that bothers you, I’m sorry for your narrow-minded approach but please leave now and come back when you come out. If it is illegal for you to view this type of story due to age or location then please come back when you age or move. There will at times be somewhat graphic descriptions of medical events, nothing too graphic but not for those who faint at the mention of an IV. With that said, I hope you enjoy!
I’d like to thank Vic and Trish, the two people that encouraged me to put this out to let others decide its fate.
Also, for Sue, the reason I want to do my best is to be the woman you deserve-I’m always on call for you!
Chapter Fourteen
Gina left our house shortly after we returned, which gave us time to spend with Pauly. We got her all set up in the last spare bedroom, which doubled as a bit of storage. There really wasn’t much in there so it was a good place to put Pauly. After getting her settled, we sat on the patio to enjoy some afternoon sun and conversation, as well as a variety of munchies that Caty put together.
Of course, conversation centered around Pauly’s injury at first, but quickly turned to Kristy and her absence from the house. “You didn’t tell me that she was gone already Cait,” said Pauly as she helped herself to some chips and salsa.
“Well, for one thing, she isn’t exactly gone. She just isn’t exactly here either.” Caty looked frustrated with her own explanation and tried to clarify. “What I mean is, she will be moving back to her place on a trial basis, after she gets out of the hospital.”
“What? Why is she in the hospital? She didn’t try to hurt herself, did she?
“No, nothing like that, but there was an incident. She went to the hospital for some help and is doing much better. They did some hypnosis with her, as well as stabilized her medications. She has decided to try living back in her own place when she is released. If that goes well, she will be able to think about working again.”
“Well, that sounds like good news overall, right? I mean, she feels confident enough to go home again, that’s good news!”
Pauly sounded excited by the idea that Spike might return to work. I decided to take on the task of informing her of that game plan change.
“Um, yeah, about her coming back to work … she won’t be doing what you think. Spike isn’t coming back to work at the station.”
I could see the confusion in Pauly’s eyes and expression. I didn’t know how else to say it, so I blurted out, “Spike is dead Pauly. She is never coming back to the station. Kristy is going to teach at the Academy when she is able to resume a work life.”
I could see Pauly blanch at the mention of Spike being dead, so I quickly rephrased it. “I mean that her medic days as Spike the Wonder Medic are over. She has no intention of running again. She agreed to try teaching as a way of continuing to serve without the daily stress of running and working in the station.”
Caty pinned me with her glare, “I cannot believe you said it that way Chloe! What were you thinking?”
I felt my face flush as I stammered, “I … I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to, you know, make a statement about Spike being her street persona. I was trying to say that the street persona is gone, never to return. That’s all I meant.”
As I explained myself, Pauly relaxed and Cait softened her glare. “I’m sorry honey, but I think you need to work on your dramatic flair. The way you said it, it is no wonder Pauly went white as ghost!” Turning to her sister, “We just saw Kristy before coming home and she told us that she wants to go to her place when she gets out. If it doesn’t work out, then we’ll have her move back in here. I think she’s going to be fine though. She seemed to have a good idea of what was going on with her and she is finding a way to deal with it.”
“If there is anything I can do, please tell me. I’d like to help but I don’t know what to do. I guess this doesn’t meet any of our protocols, huh?” She gave me a wry grin.
We have dedicated our lives to helping others, yet when it comes down to one of our own, we were helpless to do anything to help her. “Spike taught so many medics coming through the ranks how to be better at what we do. She has made a difference to so many people that we need to honor that contribution. What do you think about a congratulatory party on getting assigned to the Academy? We can have it at the park, or here. I think we could do it at the station too, as long as she’s okay with spending a little time there. Maybe we could set it up for a day when she is going back to pick up her stuff and empty her locker?”
Caty gave my hand a quick squeeze, “I think that’s a great idea! I can always drive her over to the station to help her carry stuff and you two can have the lounge and kitchen set up for food and drinks. A cake! We need a good cake!”
Pauly started laughing at her sister. “I know Sis, I know. It isn’t a party without cake!” Turning to me, Pauly confided, “Every event in our lives has been accompanied by cake. Cait has always insisted on it.”
In an attempt to defend herself, Caty responded. “Hey, can I help it if I know the important role sugar plays in celebrations?”
We all laughed at her and started making plans. Since everything hinged on her release date, we decided not to say anything to anyone else yet.
#
The next week went fairly smoothly. Pauly started to regain minimal use of her shoulder and went to physical therapy three times a week. Gina spent a few hours over on her days off but she hadn’t yet spent the night and I wasn’t sure if that was because of Pauly’s shoulder, respect or fear of me, or some other reason. Friday was the day of Kristy’s release from the hospital so Cait went to pick her up and bring her over for dinner before dropping her off at her own place. Pauly offered to help and she set the table while I cooked.
“What’s for dinner anyway? I forgot to ask earlier, do we need bowls or anything special?”
“Salad bowls would be good. I’m making my salad dressing and a salad. I thought we could do stuffed chicken with fingerling potatoes. What do you think?”
“Fine by me! I love your stuffing. I think the thing I’m going to miss most about working with you is your cooking.”
I raised an eyebrow as I turned around to face Pauly. “What exactly does that mean?”
Pauly stood her ground, looking me square in the eye as she informed me. “I’ve decided that I want to date Gina. I have strong feelings for her, but I’m not going to have her move from the station that will give her the best training. I’ve decided to apply for transfer to another station. I’ll try to get on C shift schedule, same as hers. That way, we’ll still have the same hours but not have the problems of being in the same house.”
I blew out a breath, letting her news sink in fully. “You’re sure about this? So help me Pauly, if this is a fling I’ll—“
She drew closer to me, until there was only about six inches separating us. “You’ve known me a long time now. Have I ever been the fling type? I never wanted to go through the pain of being discarded after a few weeks or months. After Dad died, I didn’t want to put anyone through the loss we went through either.”
I remained silent, knowing instinctively that she had more to say. More that she needed to say, not just to me, but to herself as well.
“I’ve avoided caring about anyone other than Cait for years, Donny. I can’t explain it but Gina got in under my radar and has broken through a lot of the barriers I didn’t even know I had in place. We’re serious about finding out where this can go and I’m serious enough to move my post to do it.”
I let a smile slowly play across my face. This was good news as it meant she was letting her heart feel for people again. I knew it was something she had been working on in therapy, she told us about it a few times, but it looked like she was ready. “Pauly, I’ll miss you but I’ll put the paperwork through tomorrow when I go in. I hope everything works out for you two.” I gave her a wink and teased her, “Besides, you need someone like her to keep you in line!”
I ducked the package of napkins she tossed at me before turning towards my dinner preparation. “If you’re going to miss my cooking so much, why don’t you come help and learn something.”
“Actually, that’s a good idea. I was thinking about cooking dinner for Gina once I’m able to use my arm again. Anything I can do to help?”
I looked at her arm, still in the sling and decided to have her do some small things to feel useful. “Why don’t you focus on getting me ingredients when I need them? That way I don’t have to clutter up the counter right now. Let’s make the stuffing first. I already chopped the veggies, can you grab them while I get the pan heated up?”
I put a large skillet on the range and poured in some olive oil once it was good and hot. I added in the diced onion, celery, garlic, and mushrooms, sautéing them until they were translucent. “Can you get me that bag of bread cubes please? And the box of chicken stock in the cabinet?”
“Coming up! No home made stock today?” teased Pauly.
“Not today wise acre! I didn’t have any on hand. Why don’t you add the stock while I stir, ok?” She started pouring in the stock in a slow stream as I stirred in the bread cubes. When I had her stop, everything was moist but not overly soft yet. “Grab the herbs I have chopped up please and the honey.”
I tossed in the chopped parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme, topping it with a small squeeze of honey. After mixing it well I set everything aside to cool down and prepped the chicken. I pulled out the innards and set them aside for later disposal, I never used them since I have a bias against organs as food. I rinsed it inside and out, patted it dry with paper towels, and then sprinkled it with kosher salt and some white ground pepper. I rubbed butter all over the meat, under the skin, over the skin and inside the cavities.
“What’s in that, it doesn’t look like normal butter.”
“I can’t tell you Pauly, it is a long held family secret.” It was a family recipe but I was just feeling playful.
“C’mon dude! You sleep with my sister! How much more like family do I have to get?”
“Ouch! Okay, you’re right, you are family.” I grinned at her, letting it sink in but not dwelling on the statement for long. “It is a mixture of parsley, sage, lemon juice, honey, and lemon zest. I soften the butter, whip everything together, and let it harden again. Satisfied?”
She shot a grinned at me and nodded her head. “Thanks Sis!”
I shook my head, both pleased and scared that she had accepted me so easily in her sister’s life.
“Why don’t you wash the potatoes, toss them in some olive oil, and get them into the roasting pan?” I love fingerlings since they cook faster than whole potatoes, have a mixture of varieties, and there isn’t any chopping involved. After she put them into the roaster, I added the chicken, which I had stuffed while she worked on the potatoes. I covered the whole pan with some tented foil and slid it into the preheated oven. “Wonderful! Dinner is handled. I’m going to go get cleaned up before Cait gets back here with Kristy. Keep an eye on things for me.”
#
I heard the bathroom door creak open while I showered and stuck my head out to see who it was. Cait stood there grinning at me. “Hey baby, are you joining me or just ogling?” I ducked back into the shower to finish rinsing off.
“Sorry, just here for the show. I wanted to let you know we were here and give them a chance to talk for a few minutes. I think they both need to clear the air.”
As I wrung the water from my hair, Caty wrapped a bath sheet around me and kissed my shoulder. I shivered at the touch of her tongue on my skin. Groaning, I twisted in her arms so I could capture her mouth. I loved the taste of her sweet lips, the softness of her tongue as it did battle with mine. I wanted to lose myself inside of her skin for days at a time.
Gasping, she pulled away and out of my arms. “You’re dangerous! We can’t do this now, not with them downstairs waiting for dinner with us.” She wore a mischievous expression on her adorable face, one that spoke of promises for later activities. “You get dressed and join us down stairs. We will finish this later, after I run Kristy home and get her settled in.”
I sighed, “Promises, promises.” As I dried my hair with a second towel I asked, “Why do they need to clear the air? What’s going on?”
“Well, you know Pauly feels responsible for Kristy’s hospitalization and leaving the station. Kristy apparently feels guilty for letting everyone, especially you and Pauly, down by not coming back to the rigs. I’ve told them both that this was just the path they were meant to follow but they didn’t want to hear it form me.”
After I brushed out my auburn hair and pulled it into ponytail, I slipped into a pair of boxer briefs and then some shorts. I scrounged in a drawer for a tee shirt to put on over my sports bra as I thought about what Cait had just said. “You mean, she thinks we’re upset with her? That I’m upset with her for leaving active status? That’s nuts!” I blushed as I realized what I had said.
Cait chuckled, “Perhaps not the best way to phrase it, but make sure you let her know you support her choice, okay? I’m going to get down there, are you coming with me?”
I flashed her my best seductive look, “Not yet but you promised me later!”
#
We passed the dishes around the table, helping Pauly get her food on her plate since she couldn’t use her arm that much yet. The tension I felt when I came downstairs earlier hadn’t lessened much, so I took matters into my own hands.
“I propose a toast!” Cait looked at me strangely but raised her glass when I did. “To Pauly for fighting back and regaining some mobility so soon after her injury! And, to Kristy, for having the courage to face her demons, battle them, and come out the other side stronger than before. Best of luck in your teaching position! Cheers!”
The others had raised their glasses and repeated my “Cheers” with a little less enthusiasm but at least it got the conversation started. Pauly looked over at Kristy and asked, “Are you really all right with teaching instead of running?”
Kristy set her glass of sparkling cider down before she answered. She put the force of her convictions behind her answer, “I really am. I think it is time to pass the torch and time to take better care of myself. I’m much better than I was but I still have a lot of work to do. It just isn’t possible to continue to add injury to my psyche while trying to heal it at the same time.”
Slowly, Pauly nodded as she digested the words spoken by her mentor. “Do you blame me? I mean, maybe this wouldn’t be happening if I hadn’t pushed the issue with you and Donny. I never meant to cost you your career Spi—I mean Kristy.”
“If you hadn’t spoken when you did, I might have been much worse before I could get better. You did the right thing kiddo. Honestly, I owe you a debt of gratitude for caring enough to get me some help when I didn’t recognize the need for myself. Thank you for that, all three of you.” With that, she raised her glass to each of us and took a sip.
Pauly turned a few different shades of red but turned her attention back to her plate. I cleared my throat and asked Kristy what her plans were for the night. “Did you want to crash here tonight and then one of us can run you home tomorrow? You’re more than welcome to stay.”
“Thanks, but I need to do this tonight. I’ll just grab my gear after dinner and head over. I can walk it from here.”
Caty shook her head emphatically. “Nonsense. Chloe and Pauly can do the dishes and I’ll run you home. No sense lugging your stuff around while you’re walking.”
Pauly groaned, “That’s why you have me here, to do chores!”
“Yes you one armed wonder, that’s why we have you here.” Caty smirked at her sister with affection.
#
I was upstairs in bed, reading, when I heard the front door close, the quiet steps on the stairs, a soft knock on Pauly’s door and whispered murmurs. Finally, our bedroom door opened carefully, but it still creaked. “Damn, we have to remember to WD-40 those hinges,” she complained.
“Then I would lose my alarm system,” I kidded.
Caty shed her clothes on her way to the bathroom. I heard the water run, and the general sounds of her getting ready for bed routine. I couldn’t remember feeling more content in my life and said a quick prayer of thanks to whoever might be listening. The bathroom door opened and Caty came out in her oversized sleep shirt, looking as adorable as ever. Her brown hair shone, her hazel eyes seemed to glow, and she had the most glorious smile on her face.
I pulled back the covers for her then tucked them around her as she settled in next to me. “Tired baby?” I asked.
“Uh-uh.”
“Good!” I laid my book on the nightstand and reached for her. As we joined in a kiss, I lost myself in the feel of her tongue and lips merging with mine. I ran my hands through her hair, moaning as I felt her hands cup my breasts. Her thumbs slipped across my nipples, encouraging them to stiffen and swell. She gently lifted my shirt over my head before doing the same with her own. As we came together, skin to skin, I felt the heat emanate from her body and fuel the fire burning in me. I bent my head to kiss my way from her neck to her breasts, skimming her nipples with my thumbs before following with my tongue.
Caty’s moan fed my passion for her, hearing her was a major turn on for me. “Oh yes baby, that feels so good!”
Her hand found its way down past my waist and ran lightly through the curls above my cunt. “God yes Caty! Touch me, please! I’m still hot from earlier.” I groaned as her hand ran lightly down one thigh and up the other before brushing across my labia.
“I want you baby, can I go inside? I need to be inside you,” whispered Caty.
All speech seemed to vanish and all I could do was moan and nod. I felt my head snap back as she teased my opening before plunging inside, deeply and quickly. I felt her tweak my clit, my hips bucking as she did.
“Oh no you don’t! You don’t get to make me come without giving me a chance to taste you,” I panted. I pulled her hips around so I could help her straddle my face, inhaling the musky scent of my lover. Gently, I nosed into her wet folds, licking the moisture from her as I eased my way into her center. She readjusted her fingers inside of me, then bent her head to take my clit into her mouth.
The combination of having her inside of me, sucking me, and me tasting her, was enough to set me off. I felt the orgasm coming from deep inside and pulled my mouth away long enough to warn her. “I’m gonna come baby, come with me!”
I went to work on her clit, sucking and swirling my tongue around and over her. I pushed the hood back over her hard clit and teased the tight bundle of nerves with the tip of my tongue. I felt her stiffen with her approaching orgasm and let myself go over the edge, confident that she would catch me, as well as join me.
I groaned her name against her cunt as I continued to come and drink from her. I felt her withdraw from me slowly, and I gave her clit one last teasing lick, before letting her turn and settle into my arms. As we regained our breath, I heard her ask, “Are you okay baby?”
Too tired to do more than hug her and whisper, I replied. “I am amazing, you are amazing, and I love you so much baby.”
“I love you too sweetie, let’s get some sleep.”
With that, she burrowed into my arms and we slept.