Disclaimers: These characters are made up from bits and pieces of personal experiences. They bear resemblance to Xena and Gabrielle property of MCA Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copy right infringement is intended. This story was written for fun only.

Violence: Some mild violence, although nothing out of the ordinary for life as a human being.

Subtext: Yes. It does eventually involve women who grow to care and love each other.

General: There are mild obscenities used occasionally. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so don’t be too rough on me. Thanks.

Comments? Email nanook88@hotmail.com

Part 5

Alex finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and shut the lights out in the kitchen. She grabbed her coat from the closet and she and Sparky went outside. It was a cold evening, but the stars were all out. They walked around the block to settle some of the pasta she’d eaten. Alexs’ thoughts turned to the events of the day and the apartment building fire. They had been lucky that there had been no fatalities. A lot of the tenants did lose memories of their lives through damaged pictures and family heirlooms that could never be replaced.

The next thing Alex knew, she was thinking of Cassandra when she first saw her in the kitchen tonight. Alex had to admit she was beautiful. Those blue eyes you could lose yourself in and that black shiny hair that looked so soft you just wanted to run your hands through it. Hey, wait a minute what the hell was happening to her? Why was she thinking of Cassandra like that? Alex shook her head as if she could shake those thoughts

right out of her head. She and Sparky continued their walk. Before Alex knew it, they were in front of Kelsey’s Market.

Alex opened the door and they both went inside. Patrick Kelsey was behind the counter. He smiled and spoke when he saw who had come in. Patrick had known Alexs’ Father and had watched Alex grow up in the neighborhood. Patrick asked, "What you doing out so late Alex?" Alex grinned and replied, "Need a few things for my house guests."

When Sparky and Alex got back in their driveway, Alex set the packages on the ground then she opened the door to the Ford Explorer, and then reached inside the pocket of her fire coat. She closed the door and she and Sparky went inside the firehouse. When Alex had finished putting away the things she had bought, she shut all the lights off and went upstairs to her room.

Cassandra and Inky walked in to the guest room. She flipped on the light switch on the wall and the television for some noise. She looked around the room and was saddened to think she would never again probably walk into her bedroom in her own apartment.

Cassandra laid on the top of the bed with Inky curled up at her side. She had taken a long hot soak and felt a little of the tension ease away. She reviewed the events of the day. How she had been with Alex at the station and how they weren’t getting along. She had felt Alex was an arrogant, conceited, exasperating woman! How on earth had she been chosen to do this article for the newspaper? She had felt it was beneath her, but now she was sure it wasn’t beneath her. She had had no idea what all was involved in being a fire fighter. All she had been subjected to were drunk firemen trying to pick her up at a firematic function she had had to attend with the Editor of the paper. Cassandra had never given a thought to the women fire fighters like Alex. She knew nothing about this tough breed of women.

Cassandra was the only daughter of a very well to do family from South Carolina. She was sent to only the best boarding and finishing schools money could buy. She never learned how to work for anything. It had all been given to her until her parents’ were suddenly killed in a private airplane crash while returning from a vacation in Denver. Cassandra had been at various schools for so long, only returning to home at holiday times that she never really had a close relationship with her parents. Yes, she loved them but, there was no real bond there. She saw them so infrequently that she had come to rely on herself. After her parents death, she had no one to fund her lifestyle, so she had to do what the common people did… work. Her Father had paid the tuition to the end of the semester, so she had a place to stay and was lucky she was graduating that semester.

She had applied to colleges for Interior Decorating, insisted on by her Mother, but Cassandra was interested in writing, which her Mother did not approve of. Cassandra had been secretly writing since she was sent away to boarding schools. The writing took on a persona of a friend. She could confide her hopes, dreams and disappointments without fear of ridicule by her parents who thought Cassandra’s’ homesickness was just plain silly.

Cassandra remembered making a phone call that first semester away from home at the age of 10. Her parents had laughed at her crying to come home. They were giving her everything a young lady could ask for. Everything, Cassandra had written, except unconditional love! So Cassandra had vowed that night, as she lay in her bed far away from home, the only way she could survive this was to distance herself. And she had done a very good job of it. Although Cassandra was liked at school, she really didn’t have a best friend. She really trusted no one and would let no one in. After awhile the other girls accepted this and just left Cassandra alone. Cassandra did write for the school newspaper. and was on the yearbook committee. She found a release for her feelings in the writing and her English teacher had encouraged her to enter several contests under an alias so her parents wouldn’t find out. She had won a couple small prizes, but they seemed like Pulitzers to Cassandra.

Sparky curled up on the bottom of Alexs’ bed while Alex removed her clothes and started the Jacuzzi. Boy was that hot pulsating water gonna feel good on her battered and bruised body. The bruise on her side hurt like hell and she was sure she would be even sorer tomorrow, if that was possible! She stepped into the hot, swirling water and let it pulsate on her body. She leaned her head back on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes.

Alex didn’t know how long she had been asleep in the Jacuzzi, but the blood curdling scream caused her to jerk herself up in the Jacuzzi and step out on to the floor, where she promptly slipped on her ass!! After several son of a bitches and shits, Alex was able to get herself on her two feet and grab a towel and wrap it around herself. Sparky met her at the bathroom door, ears perked up on alert. Alex heard the scream again and followed the sound down to the guest room. She opened the door and was surprised when Cassandra grabbed on to her in a death embrace. Sparky nuzzled her leg and then got up on the bed where Inky stood, green eyes wide with fear. Sparky cautiously sniffed at Inky edging closer to her ever so slowly until his nose rested on Inky’s. Sparky just stood there like that until Inky began to rub the side of her face against Sparky’s snout. He laid down on his side on the foot of the bed and Inky curled up by his chest as close as she could get and started purring.

Alex was flustered. She didn’t know what to do with this sobbing woman who was attached to her. She slowly put her hands up on Cassandras’ arms that had a choke hold around her neck and said, "Cassandra, you’re choking me, I can’t breath. Just relax your hold on me a little. I’ve got you.", and with that Alex moved her arms to around Cassandra’s waist. Slowly the death grip released and Cassandra bent her head down on Alex’s shoulder as Alex started moving her hands up Cassandra’s sides, gently rubbing her back. This must have had a calming effect on her because she stopped her sobbing and heaving of her chest. Alex spoke into Cassandra’s ear which was right near her lips, "Cassandra, do you think you can tell me what happened? If not, I understand." Cassandra pulled away from Alex and was going to answer her but as she did Alex’s towel fell down to her ankles. There she stood naked as a jay bird in front to Cassandra!

Cassandra’s’ eyes took in Alex’s muscular body. She gazed at the lovely, tanned body. The strong neck, the firm breasts, the hard nipples and then traveled down further to her abdomen where they stopped. My God she had a nasty bruise from her ribs on down to her hip on one side. Her chest had small abrasions and bruises. What the heck had happened to Alex?

Alex watched Cassandra as her eyes traveled down her body. At first she was kind of surprised that Cassandra would look at her body, but when she stopped and stared at her, Alex’s delight turned to "Oh shit mode!!" Alex bent down quickly and retrieved her towel and covered up. A blush now graced her face and neck. Alex cleared her throat and said, "If everything is all right now, I’ll go back to my room." With that said, she turned on her heel and left. Sparky followed her and Inky followed Sparky.

Alex returned to her bathroom and turned the Jacuzzi off. She brushed her teeth and put on a pair of boxers and tank top. She entered her room after snapping the light in the bathroom off and saw Sparky stretched out on the bottom of her bed with Inky stretched out right next to him. Alex pulled the covers back on the left side of the bed and got in. She turned the television on and propped herself up in bed with the other pillow.

Not too long later, there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door. Alex must have dozed off, because for a second she didn’t know where she was. When her eyes focused , she saw Cassandra standing in the doorway, the white long sleeve shirt the only thing she had on now. The tails of the shirt came to just about mid thigh on her. Her long jet black hair was tousled, but still looked beautiful. Cassandra spoke from the doorway, "I just wondered where Inky was. Sorry to bother you. You all look so comfortable." Cassandra turned from the doorway. Alex spoke, " Hey, you don’t have to go. Come on in. I’m just winding down before sleep with a little television. Come on in and get Inky if you want. She’s made a new friend." Cassandra came over to the bed and sat on the very edge of it and started to pet Inky and Sparky raised his head and nuzzled underneath her hand looking for attention to. Cassandra smiled and started to alternate between petting Inky and Sparky.

Alex looked at Cassandra. Her smile was absolutely breath taking. Her eyes sparkling a shimmering blue, like sun shining on clear blue ocean water. She had long fingers and perfectly manicured nails. Alex could just make out the hard nipples through Cassandra’s shirt. God how she’d like to taste one of those nipples. Whoa… she was doing it again. What the hell was the matter with her? She was out of her league and besides Cassandra was straight . Get your mind outta the gutter Alex.

When Alex returned from daydreaming Cassandra was speaking to her. "Alex , are you listening to me? " She said. Alex shifted again in the bed, cleared her throat and stated, "Sorry, I was lost in thought a moment. What did you say?" Cassandra said, "Well Inky looks really comfortable and as you said you’re not sleepy yet so is it all right if I stay in here awhile? I’ll just sit down here outta the way if it is okay with you?" Cassandra’s eyes pleaded . Alex replied, " No way. You’re not gonna sit on the bottom of the bed." Cassandra looked close to tears. Alex patted the bed up beside her. "Come up here Cassandra and get in under the covers. It’s cold in here. It’s a queen size bed, plenty of room on the other side and I’ll even give you the pillow back!" Alex ended with one of her best lop sided smiles. Cassandra hesitated only a moment. What would it hurt? The bed was big enough .They were both adults. She didn’t want to go back to her room alone. There was something about being with Alex now. She just felt better. Why she didn’t know she just did and for once she wasn’t gonna analyze her feelings. Just accept them.

Alex pulled back the covers so Cassandra could get in. She slid in and fluffed up her pillow. The sheets felt good on her body and they smelled like Alex. Alex turned to speak to Cassandra. "Cassandra, there’s an old Bette Davis and Joan Crawford movie on. Two of my favorite actresses. Do you want to watch it with me? You don’t have to go in to work early with me." Cassandra turned her head so she could see Alex’s face. She looked tired, but her green eyes were bright and her smile was very inviting. "Yes, Alex I would. I have a bunch of phone calls to make in the morning concerning the fire. I’ll be down later to the station. I also have to buy some clothes." Alex replied, "You take all the time you need. My house is yours. We can always make up the day at the station. If you’d like I’ll come home early and take you out to the mall and we can have an early supper out., my treat. I feel bad we got off to such a bad start." Cassandra smiled, "Alex, that’s very kind of you. Yes, that would be nice. I also have to start apartment hunting. I’ll call the paper and Kim down in ads can maybe sift through some listings for me and compile a list. She’s a friend. I’m sure she’ll help." Alex said, "I’m sure there are a lot of people that would help you Cassandra, if you’d let them in."

When Alex was awakened by the sound of the phone ringing, she was suddenly aware of some thing next to her. Hell, next to her, on top of her! When she finally came around, she figured out it was Cassandra and some how in the night she had attached herself to Alex’s’ body. Alex laid on her back and Cassandra was snuggled in to Alex’s side, her arm around her waist, her head on her shoulder and her leg over top of Alex’s and her knee pressed up into Alex’s center. Man, what a way to wake up! That damn phone, she had to answer it.