Disclaimer: See part 1
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
By: S.K Allen
Kiss Me I'm Irish
The next four weeks were easier for both of them. Angel finally settled into a routine of school and study. Jamie found herself not going out as often as her classes became more challenging. Angel helped her as much as she could, but Angel's studies were geared more toward the books, and Jamie's were geared more towards clinical and daily care.
One evening, Jamie came home to find a package on the coffee table for her. She picked it up and moved towards the kitchen where she figured Angel would be. "Hey... ooh, that smells good. What are you inventing?"
Looking at her friend with a smirk, Angel continued to fry the rice in the pan, adding the fresher ingredients that had already been chopped up. "I felt like Chinese, but I've kind of exhausted my pay..."
"Just don't put any of your crazy cravings in it. I'd love a taste," Jamie said, looking at the return address on the package and staring.
Angel glanced at her friend, then turned back to the rice, turning off the stove. Walking to stand in front of her, she watched as her friend gingerly opened up the package.
It was a care package.
With a wrinkled brow, Jamie just looked at the cookies, green and clover shaped. There was a letter inside. Jamie opened it slowly and read.
Angel watched her friend with concern. Jamie's eyes were shut and her body trembled in silent tears, but she looked relieved. Suddenly, Jamie leaned forward and Angel held her and stroked her hair. "Hey, what's going on?" Angel asked. Jamie handed Angel the piece of paper.
"In the spirit of St. Patrick, our peace offering?" Angel read then looked down at her friend. "Um, J, what does that mean?"
"They... wanna look past what I am. They want me back in their lives," Jamie answered, pulling back and brushing off the wetness from Angel. "Sorry."
"That's okay. BDU's are waterproof, remember?" Angel smiled reassuringly. "Does that mean you'll be going home in September?"
"I don't know... there's still a long way to go," Jamie replied. "I'm going to call them," she added, heading for the telephone.
Angel watched her go, chagrined at the possibility of living without her. You didn't think she would stay just because you were here did you? She shook her head and finished cooking her rice then served herself, eating as she sat on the counter. God Angel, you got it bad.
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Jamie walked towards the phone slowly. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding in her ears. What was she going to say? It was hard for her to breathe as she dialed the number she thought she would never dial again.
The phone rang four times and Jamie figured she was safe. She'd just leave a
message. "Hello?" her mother's voice sounded from the other end. "Hello? Anyone there?"
Jamie couldn't answer, she opened her mouth several times but nothing came out. Her mother must have checked the Caller ID because she said. "Jamie? Is that you?" There was concern in her voice.
"Yes," answered a voice so small that even Jamie was surprised. "It's me. I got the cookies. Thanks," the younger woman continued after clearing her throat.
"How are they treating you?" her mother asked
Jamie wanted to say something hurtful like "what the hell do you care," but she thought the better of it. She knew that if her mother didn't care, she would have hung up. "Fair enough," she replied instead.
"We shouldn't have dismissed you like that. We were just so disappointed. The fact is, we miss both of our children. Sean hates us for driving you away. We needed to reevaluate our priorities," her mother answered the unasked question.
"What about daddy?" Jamie asked softly.
"He is still disappointed, but he loves you. We're both willing to look past it, just as long as we don't have to hear about it," Jamie's mother said.
"I see. So every time I see you, I am supposed to leave anyone I may be in love with behind?"
"We still don't think what you're doing is right, Jamie, but we can deal with it. It is none of our business what you do in your bed in your house," her mother said firmly. We love you but it is going to take a while to get used to."
Jamie listened and nodded. "You're right. Is daddy home?" Jamie asked in the same tiny voice as before. Her mother told her to hold for a few minutes and went to get him.
A low voice filled her ears when he picked up. "Get the package?"
"Yes, Dad," Jamie answered.
"Good, munchkin, I'll see you at Easter?" her father asked. "I missed you lots, Critter."
Jamie blinked at the telephone. She hadn't been called those names since she was fourteen but she enjoyed hearing them from him again. "Uh sure, dad, Easter. You planning on coming to Texas?" she asked.
"What, you don't get a vacation?" he answered with his own question.
"I'm off Easter weekend and Monday," Jamie replied.
"Okay, then I'll see you at Easter," he said again. "I gotta go, sweetheart. Take care."
It was as if he had forgotten all that had gone on in the last few months, she thought. Her mother was back on the phone and they made their goodbyes. As she turned from the phone, she spied Angel, who was leaning against the wall in her usual nightshirt and sweats, her abdomen looking a whole lot bigger than it did in her fatigues. Still, she was the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen.
Ever since they went dancing, Angel was much more alive and, even more excited about the baby. She seemed eager to continue on with her life, and she took much better care of herself so that the slight lump that Jamie could barely feel as they pressed together in that dance, was now a visible growth around her middle.
"Mom and Dad are coming for Easter," Jamie said to her friend.
Angel smiled at the younger woman and nodded. "Great, I'll go to Mom's while they're here." She lifted something to her mouth and sat on the couch.
"You don't have to do that," Jamie said.
"Oh, yes I do. There is not enough room and I don't have enough patience to put up with guests." Jamie chuckled at that. "I put the furniture for the third room in storage, and I don't think anyone will want to sleep in a crib."
"Point taken," Jamie said, sitting next to her friend. "Wanna go out for some Green Sprite?"
Angel nodded and stood, going into her room to change. Jamie grinned, glad not to have to cajole her into coming out with her anymore. Jamie changed into an old "Kiss Me I'm Irish" sweatshirt, which set off her eyes perfectly, and a pair of black jeans.
When she walked out of her room, she spotted Angel, who sat on the arm of the couch, wearing a loose, silky shirt of the softest blue and jeans that before were too big, but now fitted her well. The blue eyes scanned Jamie's sweatshirt and Angel stood from her perch on the couch, walking towards her. She leaned down and kissed Jamie soundly before turning toward the door. "Now I have luck too. I just can't pull green off like you can," she said with a wicked grin.
Jamie just stood there shocked. Talk about luck of the Irish, she thought as she followed the taller form to the car. Happy St. Patrick's Day, Jamie.
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Easter's Dawning
The seven weeks between St. Patrick's Day and Easter went much better than the first time they had sheared a kiss. This time Angel did not draw into herself, although she never pursued that line of conversation either. Jamie didn't either, neither wanting to push too hard, or go too far.
They finished the nursery together during the weekends. Angel was starting to show more than ever. Her frame was still long and lean except for the bulge of her abdomen. She was still small for as far along as she was. She had started to count down the time now. Eleven weeks and she'll be through. She was becoming slower and more absentminded and it concerned her.
On the morning of Good Friday, Angel remained in bed. She was on leave for a week, since her class was on the same schedule as the local universities, which were on break. However, Jamie still had class, so she had already left when Angel heard a soft knocking on the door.
Rolling out of bed, she groaned at how difficult things were getting for her. She padded to the door, grabbing her bathrobe, and running her fingers through her hair on the way, knowing exactly who it could be. She passed by her packed overnight bags and opened the door.
Jamie's mother stood there alone, while her husband took their bags out of the cab. "Uh... Hi, Private Jackson lives here, right?" she asked, looking at Angel and noting the pregnancy.
"Eyup, c'mon in," Angel said, stepping aside. Angel watched as the older woman looked around the room curiously, her husband in tow, and smiled politely. The younger man with them, who she figured was Sean, smiled broadly and entered last. "I'm Angel. Make yourselves at home. Let me check to see if Jamie left her room ready for you."
"Thank you. I'm Sarah and this is my husband, James, and our son, Sean," Mrs. Jackson said, sitting on the couch.
There was an uncomfortable silence, as everyone just stared at each other. Angel made another attempt at polite conversation. "Jamie is in class today and won't be back until much later. You might want to rest here. Sean can have the couch and the two of you can have Jamie's bedroom. Our spare bedroom is... a nursery," Angel stated absentmindedly, running her hand over a spot where her baby had kicked. The child felt as if it were uncomfortable inside her, as uncomfortable and crowded as she felt, she supposed.
"Where are you two going to stay?" Jamie's father asked, looking at Angel speculatively.
"I am going home for Easter and Jamie is staying in my room." Angel's voice sounded just a little annoyed.
"James, that is none of our business," Sarah said to him sternly
"I want to know her intentions, Sarah..." James started. Angel would have laughed if she weren't the object of their discussion. The child seemed to turn inside her, making the churning in her stomach more powerful.
"Guys! They're not together. God, Angel's fiancÈ just died, give her a little respect," Sean said. Angel smiled slightly and turned away. She heard Jamie's mother draw a breath.
"I'm sorry... I didn't ... er...I," James stammered an apology.
"I'm going to get going. We weren't expecting you so early, and I have an appointment today," Angel said, excusing herself as she left the room. She showered quickly and dressed. As she headed out of the house, Jamie came home.
"You're early," Angel said gratefully.
Looking beyond Angel, she recognized the bodies sitting in the living room. "So are they. They let us out of the classes early today and I was hoping to catch you before you went for the ultrasound." She moved to her father and hugged him. "Hi, daddy." Moving on to the other two people, she murmured her hellos.
"See ya next week, J," Angel said, hefting her overnight bag. Jamie walked back to her friend.
"Bye, I'll bring them by Liz's.... Er... maybe not, want to come by for dinner tonight?" Jamie's eyes pleaded to her friend. Angel nodded and headed for the door. "See you then," Jamie said, waving at Angel.
"Later," Angel responded, making her way to the car. My intentions, the lunatic is assuming things.
What are your intentions Angel?
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Dinner had been a true test of Angel's patience. The scrutiny of Jamie's parents was a bit more than what she was used to. This was the first time she had been pegged as a wrong mate for anyone. It didn't bother her that they assumed that she was more than Jamie's friend. What bothered her was that they did not think she was suitable for their daughter
"Angel, was your pregnancy accidental?" Jamie's mother asked.
"There are no such thing as accidents," Angel answered. "Excuse me." She stood up and took her plate to the kitchen. She walked into the nursery and looked around the room. She wanted to punch a hole through the wall so badly. For people that didn't want to know about their daughter's private life, they sure did ask a lot of questions.
"Hey, Angel, are you okay?" Jamie asked, walking up behind her.
"Oh, just peachy," Angel answered her friend while looking out the window.
"Well, like they say in Georgia, you can't get better than peachy!" Jamie said getting the desired smile from her friend. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," Angel quipped.
"Ha... I'm serious now," Jamie said, turning Angel to face her. She placed the palm of her hand on Angel's distended abdomen, which caused her to shiver slightly. "Why didn't you correct them when they assumed that you were my lover?"
The taller woman looked away from her, and back out the window for a moment. The silence had stretched so long that Jamie thought she wasn't going to answer, when she heard the soft voice of her friend. "I'm not so sure that I don't want to be your lover," she said as her hands moved down the sides of Jamie's arms. Then in a louder voice, she added, "Besides, it isn't any of their business."
Jamie looked up, her eyes widened in surprise. Angel looked insecure and vulnerable. Jamie smiled, reached up, pulled the taller woman's head down, and gave her a sound kiss of her own. This had been the first time Jamie had initiated a kiss Angel noticed.
Angel's heart was pounding in her ears and she felt her hands move down to Jamie's waist, pulling her closer to her. When they parted, they could only smile. "You'd better get back out there with them.... I'll see you next week," Angel said slightly bemused, pushing away from Jamie.
"Alright, but Angel, we have a lot to talk about." Angel nodded in agreement. Jamie smiled and headed out of the nursery. Angel thought of how the kiss Jamie had just given her warmed her insides.
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"When did you know you liked me?" Angel asked, leaning against a pillow on her bed. Jamie lay on her stomach next to her. Angel had come back that night after a failed attempt at sleeping at her mother's house.
She had been pacing the hallway until her mother had finally told her to go home. Now here they were, music playing softly in the back ground as they talked.
"Actually, I had a dream about you the first day that I saw you," Jamie answered with a blush.
Angel laughed softly "God, J, dreaming about your drill sergeant? I was awful that day."
"Are you kidding me, I hated you. But you were... are rather breathtaking. Don't even act like you didn't know. You teased me all the time."
It was Angel's turn to blush. She looked down at her hands playing on her rotund abdomen. "Sorry ëbout that."
With a smile, Jamie reached for Angel's hands and kissed them. Angel looked up, and locked eyes with her friend. They both leaned forward, neither could control the motion, not sure that they would want to. Angel pulled the smaller woman towards her, settling Jamie's body against her.
Pulling apart slightly, Jamie ran her fingers through the long dark tresses. "You are beautiful," Jamie said softly, leaning forward to kiss Angel on her neck as she pushed her back onto the pillows again.
Angel shivered under the light touches. Her newly sensitized body, added to her awakened feelings for Jamie, made the slight touches deeply sensuous. She took a deep shaky breath, running her hands along Jamie's sides.
As Angel worked the shirt up over Jamie's head, Jamie took hold of her hands and pulled them away. "Let me please?" she whispered into the skin of Angel's neck. A soft moan escaped Angel's lips. Her breath quickened as Jamie continued to work on her body. Jamie pealed Angel's loose shirt off of her, delighting in the sight of her new lover's breasts. They were larger than she remembered although she never really had a good look at them before. She moved her hand to cup one and traced the nipple with her thumb, causing its owner to gasp and shudder.
Jamie looked up to meet blue eyes so full of desire that she wanted to just wrap that desire around herself like a blanket. "So beautiful," she whispered, breaking eye contact and lowering her head to the aforementioned nipple. She circled her tongue around Angel's nipple until she reached to center, then took the nipple into her mouth and suckled gently, trying not to apply too much pressure since she remembered Angel's previous complaints that they were getting sore.
Angel writhed in pleasure, although not being able to touch Jamie drove her insane. She shut her eyes tightly as Jamie suckled at her nipple. Jamie's other hand was at her other breast. "Oh god," Angel whispered as Jamie let go of the first breast to repeat her actions on the other.
Jamie's hands slid down the older woman's body, removing the shorts she wore. Slowly her hand made it's way back up, caressing her thighs as she did so. She traced her thumb around the elastic at the leg of Angel's panties, feeling the moistness already collecting there. "Oh, Angel, I bet you taste so good," Jamie said more to herself, than to the woman beneath her.
"No... no... not till... later... I don't think it's such a good idea." Angel said as quietly and sternly as possible.
"I forgot, you're right." Jamie said, pressing a kiss on her inner thigh.
Wherever Jamie touched, Angel's body trembled. The waves rippled through her body like hot lava. Jamie tortured her with light touches, her mouth moving down over her body. Soon, Jamie was removing Angel's panties and went inside her for the first time.
Ecstasy was the only word that Angel could use to describe what she felt as Jamie made love to her. Her orgasm was so powerful; her body shook for what seemed like hours. It had been so hard to keep from crying out loud that she had pulled a pillow over her head, biting down hard on it as she felt the firm pressure of Jamie's fingers inside her.
Jamie waited for the tremors to subside before sliding her fingers out of her lover and moving to hold her in her arms. She smirked as she removed the pillow from her lover's face. They looked at each other and laughed. Angel leaned her head on Jamie's shoulder still laughing. "Oh, my god," Angel said softly.
"What?" Jamie said, wrapping her arms around her.
"I hope no one heard me," Angel said, slipping her arms around Jamie's waist. She moved to kiss on her neck, feeling Jamie's response immediately. She looked up into her eyes and ran her fingers along the short blond hair on her lover's head. "I love your eyes," Angel said. "I could look into them forever."
"Why does that give me the feeling you are about to break into song," Jamie said laughing in an unconscious attempt at deflecting the complement.
Angel only laughed. "I could you know. You make me want to sing."
"I would love to hear you sing," Jamie said. "You are so good."
"You're not so bad yourself," Angel said, grinning.
"Sing to me?" Jamie asked, looking down at the baby blues.
Angel blushed slightly. "I ...um... okay," the older woman replied. She was rewarded with a soft smile. She settled on her back so that she could sing and not be too loud. "Let's see." Jamie switched around and placed her head on her lover's shoulder.
Angel searched for something that she could sing to Jamie. "I kind of only have one song in my head right now," Angel said softly.
"Sing that one," Jamie said softly. "It's probably something fitting to our situation since you always have a song for everything."
"It's in Spanish," Angel warned.
"I just want to hear you sing," Jamie said beseechingly, looking into her lover's eyes. As Angel looked back, she started to sing a song from Gloria Estefan's Mi Tierra album. She thought it was fitting.
Tus ojos, claro de monte.
Como guitarras trobadoras, de San Juan
Tus ojos, son mi suplicio.
Son mi perdon, mi rendicion,
Mi despertar.
Tus ojos que me arrebatan,
Son mi locura, son la plena perdicion
Tus ojos lo tienen todo
Nada me falta porque son mi bendicion
Tus ojos que tienen mi ausencia
Como dulce y fresco sereno de mar
Tus ojos son mi equilibrio
Son mi libertad
Mirame, dame fuerza Y alivio
Mirame, es lo que necesito
Mirame, para tenerlo todo
Solo basta quedarme, fundida en tus ojos
Your eyes, clear as the grasses
Like thrumming guitars from San Juan
Your eyes, are my torture
They are my pardon, my surrender
My awakening.
Your eyes that drive me wild
They drive me crazy, as I get lost in them
Your eyes have it all
I want nothing more because they are my blessing
Your eyes that have my absence
Like the sweet and fresh calm of the sea
Your eyes are my balance
They are my freedom
Look at me, give me strength and relief
Look at me, It is what I need
Look at me, to have it all
All I have to do is drown in your eyes.
Angel stopped singing and kissed Jamie softly. After they parted from the kiss Jamie smiled. "What did the song say?" she asked.
"It just says that I really like your eyes," Angel answered with a grin, turning over on her side and running her hands along Jamie's body. "Now off with this sports bra," she murmured, removing the offending item and bending down to collect the nipple into her mouth.
Jamie gasped. She ran her fingers through dark tresses encouraging the woman to continue.
One of Angel's hands felt the insides of her lover's thighs. She was soaked, and that only excited her more. She reached the waistband of the boxers Jamie was wearing and pulled down on both the boxers and her panties, removing them. She made love to Jamie, instinctually knowing exactly where to touch her.
The younger woman could not believe this was happening. It was better than she had imagined from someone who had never made love to a woman before.
Angel moved them so that Jamie was straddling her. Letting her arm rest from the excess weight she carried. She sat with her and worked the fingers inside her. Leaning forward, she swallowed Jamie's moans with a kiss.
Jamie finished with a series of amazing spasms that she had never experienced during any of her many trysts. "Oh god," she unconsciously mimicked her lover as she leaned forward and dropped next to her lover's body. Strong arms wrapped around her and she fell into a light sleep with a sigh.
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Jamie awoke wrapped around Angel. The older woman was still asleep. She would have stayed there forever, except that she heard movement outside of her bedroom. With a groan, Jamie rolled out of bed and reached for her discarded boxers and T-shirt. She opened the door and the scent of breakfast greeted her. She could hear Angel stretch out in bed.
Turning around to face the older woman, Jamie closed the door again. "Morning... they are up."
"So I smell... so?" Angel said softly.
"They don't want to know that we're more than friends, Angel." Jamie said disappointedly.
Shaking her head, Angel slid out of bed. "I want to take a shower. I suggest you keep them busy until I am gone," Angel said softly, picking up a few things.
Jamie watched her for a few moments, then walked out to the kitchen to talk to her family. Fifteen minutes later, she saw Angel's Mercedes speeding down the street.
"Was that your roommate that just sped down the street?" Jamie's father asked.
"Yes," Jamie answered, sitting at the table with a glass of orange juice. Angel, they are not like your mother. She sent that thought out to her lover, hoping that she would understand.
She did.
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