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Lisa Ch. 08a: Evil

By: JadenL



And that was the last thing Jessica clearly remembered happening. 

She popped up, aimed at the bearded man's head and fired. And she barely had time to feel relief when her shot hit its target. She turned and fired at the man nearest Riley. She wanted them dead. All of them dead. With a growl she tossed the spent rifle aside and ran toward the gunmen.

Jim heard the shot and squeezed his eyes shut, but moments later realized that he was still alive. Then he heard Josh gasp "Jessica!"

Jim opened his eyes and couldn't believe what he saw. Jessica running toward them in her bikini, gun belt around her waist. She had a six shooter in each hand and she was firing at the men around them, and they were falling.

"No!" he heard Angus yell and Jim noticed a gunman near him raising his gun at Jessica. Jim threw himself forward, hitting the gunman and forcing his gun to fire wide. But Jim fell to the ground, and struggled to turn over so he could see Jessica. She was still firing. He looked around. Josh was struggling to get to his feet, Scott was trying to roll to his knees. Angus and Riley writhed on the ground trying to roll over and get up too. When he looked back at Jessica, he realized that she no longer had her six shooters and had miraculously pulled a rifle from behind her.

She fired and for a moment it looked like all the gunmen were down but then to Jim's horror a couple popped up. Christ ... she'd been shooting at their torsos, like they'd taught her. But these guys must have been wearing bullet proof vests.

Jessica seemed to realize it too because she slid to a stop, dropped to a knee and fired at one man's head, brain and blood flying out the back of his head when she hit her mark.

She tossed her rifle, pulled a shotgun from nowhere and fired but the man she was firing at fired at the same time and Jim screamed "No!" when Jessica's right shoulder bucked and she flew back.

Jim heard the other men yell "Jessica!"

Angus couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was surreal. He felt terror grip him, he was sure Jessica was dead but then she sat up, pointed the shot gun at the man who'd shot her. She pulled the trigger but there was nothing but a click. She pulled it over and over. Then she seemed to realize that the gunman's gun was empty too. She slid her eyes over to the gun that lay near Daryl. She made a move toward it but the man whose gun was empty moved to block her.

"Well, well, looky here." He said, tossing his empty gun and looking at the other two men that were still left standing with him. "Looks like we'll get our fun afterall." He wiped his hand over his mouth and stepped forward. Jessica looked around at the three men surrounding her. Her left arm hung by her side, blood from her shoulder soaking her shirt, but Scott was relieved to see that she was still able to use her arm. She held her hands up and near her body in the fighting stance the men had taught her.

"Run Jess, run!" Scott yelled. And to his horror she did, she ran right at the man. The man hadn't expected it and looked completely surprised when Jessica drop kicked him. When he got up she spun around and kicked his head, punched him in the nose, and landed a fist to his Adams apple. He clutched his neck and dropped to his knees.

The other two men who were watching laughed, dropped their guns and moved toward Jessica.

"Got beatin' up by a girl Troy?" one of the men demanded.  

"For God sakes Jessica, run!" Riley yelled through clenched jaws.

"Jessica!" Josh yelled when she advanced on Troy kicked him in his nuts, and connected a right hook to his nose.

"Behind you!" Angus yelled when the third man came up behind her. Jessica threw her elbow back catching the man in the sternum. Stomping on his toe she threw herself forward just as his arms were about to close around her. She scrambled toward Daryl's gun. Jim turned himself and nudged the gun toward Jessica. 

"Thank you!" Jessica whispered, grabbing the gun, turning and firing right in the man's forehead. He dropped and Jessica screamed, but she didn't have long to register what she'd done. Still holding his throat, the first man lunged at her. Jessica grabbed the barrel of the rifle, swung the gun like a baseball bat and smashed it against his head. And he dropped.

"That's it bitch." The third man said and Jessica turned to see him advancing on her, a huge knife in his hands which he tossed back and forth as he moved forward. "I don't give a shit if I fuck you when you're alive or dead. I'm going to slice up that fucking whore face of yours ..." and he swung the knife out at her. Jessica moved back, just a moment too slow and the knife sliced her chest. Jessica cried out with pain.

"God no ..." Scott moaned, "Jessica run ..."

But Jessica opted for a roundhouse kick hitting the man's hand that held the knife. It didn't knock it out of his hand but it was enough impact for him to step back. Riley wiggled and twisted and dragged himself toward the man. 

"Again Jess!" he yelled as he maneuvered himself directly behind the man. Jessica kicked him again and he stumbled over Riley. Without a seconds pause Jessica threw herself on him, grabbed the hand that clutched the knife with both her hands and bashed it against the ground. The knife fell away the second time she hit the ground, but he raised his free arm and punched Jessica in the back of the head. Jessica swooned for a moment, reached for the knife, and ducking another punch, raised her arms in the air, knife clenched between her hands and thrust the knife down as hard as she could into his throat. Jessica scrambled off the man and fell on her butt on the ground. The man clutched his throat, blood gargling out, a strange sound escaping him, he lunged toward her, but then fell face down on the ground.

"Crap!" She yelled as the man she'd hit with the rifle started to moan and move on the ground. She pushed to her feet and ran past Riley and the two bodies lying near him to one of the rifles on the ground. She cracked it open, look inside, shut it and moved to stand over the moaning man. Pointing the gun at his head she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. 

Jessica stood with her eyes clenched for a minute, letting the rifle drop. 

Opening her eyes she looked at the shattered skull of the man at her feet, turned and vomited. 

"Jess ..." Josh said, stunned. 

Jessica straightened, looked around and when none of the gunmen seemed to be moving she dropped to her knees next to Riley. He turned on his stomach and Jessica pulled on the rope binding his hands and feet. 

"The knife ..." she panted, "I need the knife." She pushed up.

"Where are you going?" Riley demanded, looking up he saw Jessica kneel over the man she'd stabbed. 

"Oh yuck." She said as she pulled the knife out of his throat. Returning to Riley she sawed the rope until it snapped. As he sat up and pulled the rope off his ankles and wrists Jessica went to Jim, Josh, Angus and Scott cutting all of their ropes. 

When she moved to stand-up Scott grabbed her arm and pulled her down against him.

Jessica pressed her face into his chest, and then lifted her head to kiss his lips.

"Are you okay?' she asked.

"Am I okay?" he asked with a laugh, "I guess I am now. Are you okay?"

"Fine ... now." Jessica said. 

"Oh fuck!" Angus swore when cars pulled into the driveway. He struggled to get up. "Run Jessica!" he growled.

"It's Sean and Corey." Jessica said.

"Sean?" Angus asked.

"Holy shit." Corey said, moving toward them, holding a rifle in his hands. Sean, Leah, a few men Jessica had met at the jam session and Beth emerged from the cars.

"I guess you guys managed okay on your own." Sean said walking around and looking at the dead bodies.

"Not us." Riley said, struggling to his feet. "Jess saved us."

"Jess?" Corey repeated.

"Yup." Josh said moving to where Scott stood with an arm draped around Jessica.

The men limped toward Jessica. Angus moved up and pressed his forehead against hers ... the others closed in forming a group hug.

"I thought we were fucking toast." Angus said. "God I thought we were dead."

"We were dead. As good as ..." Riley said.

"And then you ... you crazy, insane, stupid girl ... I couldn't believe my eyes." Jim muttered.

"In a fucking bikini?" Scott said, using the nook of his elbow to pull her head to his lips. "A fucking bikini ..."

"And we told you to run when there was trouble." Angus grumbled. 

"You were supposed to run!" Josh said, awe and disbelief playing across his face.

"But as usual you didn't listen to us." Riley added. "And I've never been more glad that you didn't." he added just as Jessica thought her heart couldn't pound any harder. She felt cold, weak and dizzy and the thought that the men were going to be mad at her was just something she didn't want to deal with right then. 

Jessica blinked. It wasn't until Riley's face split into a huge smile and he grasped her head in his hands, pulled her forward and kissed her that she realized that he wasn't really angry.

Jessica looked around at the men and relief flooded over her as she saw them all smiling at her. They were bloodied and bruised, but their expressions were unmistakable ... they were happy.

"I've never been so fucking proud of you." Scott said kissing her cheek. 

Angus grabbed her head, and stared into her eyes.

"You kicked their fucking asses. You did it." He growled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jessica said, blinking her eyes a few times, she started feeling dizzy. 

"You're one bad ass chick Jess." Josh said clutching her hand. "You can have your privileges back. All of them, and then some. Unfucking believable."

"Really?" Jessica asked.

"Really." Jim said.

"Great, thanks ..." Jessica said and collapsed against Scott.

"Jess!" Angus yelled. 

"Her shoulder!" Riley said reaching for her blood covered shoulder. "She was shot in the shoulder."

"Ow ..." Jessica mumbled when Riley felt her shoulder.

"Sorry babe." Riley said. "I can't believe you fought with a bullet in your shoulder. Didn't it hurt like a son of a bitch?"

"Just a little ..." Jessica said quietly. "I feel dizzy ..."

"She got slashed on her chest too." Jim said.

Riley lifted her shirt. "It looks superficial." He said.

"I can't see properly ..." Jessica whispered and fainted.

"Jessica ... Jessica!" Jim elbowed his way past Angus and Riley and tapped her cheek.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Riley said. "Get her inside." He said bending to pick her up.

"I got her." Corey said handing his gun to Sean.

"I got her." Riley said.

"You've been shot too." Corey observed, pointing at the blood pouring out of Riley's right leg.

"We've all been shot." Riley said, "But I'm okay."

"Give her to me." Corey said grabbing her out of Riley's arms when he lost his balance and almost fell over. "None of you should be carrying her." He added when the other men began to protest. "When Jessica called me I called Paul. He's sending his doctor ... I figure he should be here any time now. The doc and I can patch you guys up, and Sean and the others will bury the bodies."

"Shit." Josh said looking around at the dead men that littered the yard. "I can't believe Jessica did this ...."

"Christ ... what happens when it gets out that we killed Daryl and his ... clan? This has to be pretty much what's left of his clan." Scott asked.

"No one can know." Corey said. "That's why we're going to bury the bodies and all anyone will know is that they disappeared into thin air ..."

Riley nodded.

Just then an SUV pulled into the driveway.

A man got out with a black bag in hand. Following him were Abe and Rick ... Paul' bodyguards, guns in hand.

"What the fuck?" Abe asked looking around at the carnage. 

The man with the bag surveyed the bodies then zeroed in on Corey with Jessica in his arms. He strode toward her with purpose. Abe and Rick following him. The men shuffled to close ranks around Corey and Jessica halting the men.

"They attacked us." Riley said. Now there was no way to keep it quiet. His heart pounding from the fear of having to fight Abe and Rick in his condition, making him feel light headed. It terrified him to think that after all of this they would fail to protect Jessica from their own allies. 

"So I hear." Abe said. 

"We're burying the bodies." 

Abe looked around at Sean and the others. Swung his gaze back at Riley and nodded.

"We won't stop you." Abe said. "In fact, we'll even help but our primary purpose for being here is her." Abe nodded at Jessica. 

"What do you mean?" Angus growled.

"Excuse me gentlemen." The man with the black bag said and his strong Scottish accent surprised them. "I have one purpose to being here and that is to help that lass there. From the look of her, if you don't let me through, you will be burying one more body."

Angus blinked and then stepped aside. "She's been shot in her shoulder. Christ, hurry please!" he said when he saw how pale Jessica looked.

The man strode past him. He placed a hand on her neck.

"I've gotta get some plasma into her." The doctor said. "Take her in the house." He said to Corey. Looking around at the men quickly he said, "when I'm done with her I'll look you lads over ... if you can make it into the house." And then he followed Corey. And Abe and Rick followed him.

"Shovels are in the barn." Scott said to Sean. 

Angus glanced around at the bodies again, and froze. He hadn't registered that Beth was there. And she stood now staring after Jessica and she looked worried. He looked away. That was a complication he didn't need. When he'd called Corey that morning as he'd told Jessica he would, he hadn't expected Beth to be so bold as to show up at his house. He didn't know how to feel about her and he didn't have time to think about it now so he limped toward the house with the other men hoping she'd keep her distance. 

In the house the doctor and Paul's bodyguards were buzzing around Jessica, whom they'd laid onto the coffee table. They moved in what looked like orchestrated perfection. They looked professional, and serious. Their somber expressions froze the men in their places. There was little doubt that the situation was serious. So serious that none of the men took issue when one of the bodyguards, Abe, Jessica had called him, cut Jessica's bikini top with a pair of surgical scissors. 

"Pulse is faint." The other bodyguard told the doctor, who had just finished sticking a tube into her arm, taping it, and hanging a bag with clear liquid in it from a portable stand he'd quickly snapped into place.

The men let out a collective gasp of relief when Jessica whispered, "Doc?"

"Lass." The doctor replied. "Can't keep out of trouble can you?"

"Sorry ..." Jessica murmured and closed her eyes.

"I don't feel a pulse." Rick said.

"Lass, lass ..." the doctor repeated, tapping her cheek progressively harder.

"What's happening?" Jim demanded.

"Initiate CPR." The doctor commanded and began compressing her chest. Rick dropped and began breathing into her mouth. "You!" the doctor turned his head to Josh who stood closest to him. "Apply pressure to the bullet wound. Now!" He yelled. Josh moved by Jessica's head and dropped to his knees, ignoring the pain shooting from the bullet wounds in his thighs.

"Come on Jess." He begged, pressing his hand on the hole where blood oozed. Tears ran down his face and he made no attempt to hide them.

"We're losing her." The doctor said, "Plasma's not enough. She needs a transfusion. What's her blood type?" he asked. Josh looked up at him, terror in his eyes. Shaking his head he looked around at the other men.

"I don't know ..." he mumbled.

"Blood type? Anyone?" The doctor demanded, never once missing a compression.

The men shook their heads. "Jim?" Riley asked in desperation.

"I never had reason to ask. Scott? You were researching her ..."

Scott shook his head, unable to take his eyes off Jessica's lifeless form. He couldn't speak.

"Fucking hell." The doctor exclaimed. "Fine, I need a universal donor." He said to Abe. "Anyone with blood type O. Get me some blood now!"

Abe stood and looked at the men. They all shook their heads. None had type O. Abe headed for the door.

"Come on lass, come on." The doctor murmured and continued his compressions. 

"One of you come here." He said over his shoulder. Riley moved closer. "Take over for me. Do exactly what I'm doing."

"What?" Riley asked in a strangled voice.

"She's dead right now. You have to keep the blood flowing in her while I get the defibrillator. Hurry up man, or she's going to have brain damage!"

"Oh God!" Riley said, dropping to his knees, almost passing out from the pain.

"Let me." Scott said.

Riley shook his head, both to clear it and indicate no. And he began to imitate the doctor's compressions on Jessica's chest. "Jessica, please ... please." He kept repeating, tears clouded his vision but even so he could see that she was as white as a ghost.

"Move back." The doctor ordered. Scott had to grab Riley by his shoulders and move him back.

"Clear ..." The doctor said and placed the paddles on Jessica's chest, there was a short beep and Jessica's body convulsed. 

"No pulse." Rick said.

"No!" Jim said as he sank to his knees. He watched the doctor prep the paddles again. Inching forward he took Jessica's cold, clammy hand in his and kissed it. Squeezed it, patted it. "Please Jess ... come back, fight. Fight like you always do, please!"

The other men were murmuring encouragement also as Jessica's body convulsed and then Rick placed his fingers on her neck.

"Thank God!" Jim exclaimed when Rick said "It's weak, but there's a pulse." 

"Where's my Goddamn blood?" The doctor looked around the room. The men did too and for the first time noticed Leah sitting on a kitchen chair, Abe draining blood from her into a bag.

"Only two O type donors." Abe reported, indicating Leah on the chair and Corey standing next to her.

"No time for that." The doctor said, "Bring her here." He said indicating the other side of Jessica, "We'll have to hook her up directly to Jessica. They'll need food." He said turning his gaze to Angus who hadn't moved from his frozen stance since entering the house. "Hey!" he yelled, "snap out of it. You have to keep the donors fed or we'll run out of blood."

Angus nodded slowly, blinking he brought his hands to his eyes, wiped away the tears. 

"These two." The doctor pointed at Leah, who was now sitting next to Jessica, watching the blood flow from her arm into Jessica's, and Corey, who was seated next to Leah. Both looked sweaty and dirty. They'd obviously been busy burying the bodies. "Get them anything with carbs, sugar, and liquids."

"I'll help." Scott said and limped behind Angus into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked Angus when he found him leaning on the counter. Angus whipped his head back and forth a few times, like he was trying to shake something off his head.

"I feel light headed." Angus said. "I think I was holding my breath that whole time." He said indicating the living room with his head.

"You're pale." Scott said. "Probably lost too much blood. You and me both, I feel weird too. Let's get back out there and sit down before we fall down."

Angus nodded and handed a loaf of bread to Scott. 

"Best we can do. But help yourselves to whatevers in the kitchen." Scott said quietly to the doctor when he looked up from Josh's leg. He was busy tightening gauze around Josh's thigh.

"Sit down." The doctor said, "I'll get to you in a minute."

Scott and Angus limped to the sofa, handing the bread to Rick.

Scott barely registered the gasp that came from the doorway, or Jessica's name cried out but Angus' furious bellow got his attention.


Lisa Ch. 08a: Evil



"Get the fuck out!" Angus yelled.

Scott looked up to see Beth staring at Jessica, her face etched in grief. She was moving forward but then Sean caught her from behind, looking past Scott with a shocked expression. Scott turned to see Angus, face bright red, veins bulging, lurching toward Beth. He raised a clenched fist. Beth didn't resist when Sean pulled her back out the front door.

"Bitch!" Angus spat and then dropped face first on the floor.

"Angus!" Riley said, trying to stand. 

"Shit." Abe said, pushing Riley back onto the sofa. He'd been working on Riley's leg.

"I think he broke his nose." Jim said. Sitting on the floor next to Angus, Rick tying a tourniquet around his leg he grimaced as he remembered the sickening crack that had accompanied Angus' fall.

"Change of plans." The doctor said standing. "I've got to operate to get the bullets out of all of you lads. I'm going to start with him ..." he said pointing at Angus, "I'm not sure I have enough anesthetic to go around and he's down for the count. The rest of you lie down and don't move. We don't need any more face plants or blood transfusions today." 

Scott nodded as he lowered himself onto the sofa. He closed his eyes, the world was spinning. Relief flooded through him. Jessica was alive. He and the men were alive. He felt so tired. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep the image of Jessica's shoulder snapping back with the impact of the bullet popped into his mind. Then the knife grazing her chest ... her body convulsing with the charge of the defibrillator. Scott's eyes flew open and he looked to the coffee table. Leah sat between him and Jessica but he could see Jessica's hair hanging off the table. Another flash. The night before. Jessica on the table in a completely different position. The fuck machines pounding her ...Scott bolted up. He scanned the room. And there they were. At opposite ends of the couch, as plain as day. There was no chance the other men in the room hadn't seen them. He groaned when he saw Leah eyeing the one nearest her, and Corey who sat next to her, doing the same. Scott didn't personally care but he knew Jessica's face would turn bright red and she'd be mortified if she knew that everyone knew that they'd used those kinds of things on her. He had to move them. He swung his legs off the sofa.

"What are you doing?" 

Scott looked up and saw Corey leaning back in his chair, looking at him expectantly.

"I've gotta move those ..." Scott inclined his head to one of the machines. 

Corey shifted his eyes for a moment to Jessica and then looked back at Scott with a knowing grin. Scott's stomach dropped. She was going to be devastated.

"Look." He said eyeing the front door. He had to get them moved before anyone else came in. It was going to be hard enough to contain with the people already in this room. "I'm really embarrassed." He leaned closer to Corey. "I really don't want the whole world knowing that I like it kinky like that."

It took all Scott's self-control to not laugh at the expression on Corey's face. He looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. Beside Corey, Leah's mouth hung open. Scanning the other men Scott was glad to see that the doctor and the bodyguards weren't paying attention at all, busy working on Angus. Riley, Jim and Josh seemed to just remember the machines and all three struggled to get to their feet.

"What can I say." Scott added, wanting to make sure there was no doubt in anyone's mind about who used the machines, "I like to be fucked by machines, but does everyone need to know about it?" he finished, inclining his head to the door.

Finally Corey seemed to snap out of his shock. The smirk slid off his face. He stood up quickly.

"I'll move them for you. Where do you want them?"

"Thanks man." Scott said, falling back against the sofa. "Downstairs, thanks."

When Corey moved to the first machine Leah's eyes met Scott's. Scott winked and Leah looked away quickly.

"What?" Scott asked when Corey was in the basement with the first machine. Josh and Riley, next to him on the sofa, and Jim, still on the floor, were staring at him in disbelief.

"You're a genius." Jim said. 

"I never would've confessed to something like that." Riley said shaking his head.

"You realize it's going to get around." Josh said quietly.

"Better me than her." Scott said with a shrug but his face turned a light pink despite his blood loss.

"Amen." Jim said.

"Right." The doctor said standing, covered in blood and looking at Jim. "I've removed his bullets. Now it's your turn. I only have local anesthetic. You got something to bite down on or something?"

"I'll be fine." Jim said.

The doctor looked around. Scott was relieved that Corey had already disappeared downstairs again, with the second machine.

"Get him on the kitchen table." The doctor said to Abe and Rick. 

***********************************************************

"How is she?" Angus asked in a muffled voice.

"The same." The doctor reported.

It had been a day since the surgeries. In addition to bandages on his thighs, Angus had a bandage on his nose. It had been broken. When he spoke, Angus sounded like he had a pillow firmly pressed over his face and his eyes were black, bruised from the beating and his fall. 

The men were in pain and weak, but they were conscious. Jessica however had remained weak and unconscious the whole time.

The doctor had drained Leah and Corey into her twice before he felt she had enough blood but despite his calm demeanor, Angus still had the impression that the doctor was unsure of Jessica's recovery.

Jessica had been moved to the sofa, the mattresses had been setup and the men lay on them, next to the sofa. The doctor had told them that it was vital that they talk to her. They spent as much time holding her hand and talking to her as they could. They had Leah, and the other girls do the same. Even Corey, Sean, Abe and Rick. But she hadn't woken up once.

"Come on Jess ..." Angus said, holding her hand to his lips. A chair had been placed between the sofa and the mattress and he sat on it now. He ran his hand across her forehead, pushing sweat stained hair out of her eyes. "What else can we do?" He asked the doctor.

"Just keep doing the same." The doctor said, laying his hand on Angus' shoulder and squeezing. "So," The doc said straightening and looking around at the men, Rick and Abe. "She can't be moved for a while. I've given her a catheter. Abe and Rick will change it as needed." The doctor shifted his attention to Abe and Rick. "And she'll have to be sponge bathed. It's important that she be kept as clean as possible. Once a day should be good."

"We can do that." Riley interrupted. He'd been feeling light headed but the horrifying idea of Abe and Rick running their hands, sponge or no sponge, all over Jessica's body cut through the fog. He looked at the doctor, Abe and Rick, "We've got it."

The doctor looked Riley up and down. He looked white as a sheet and about ready to fall over.

"We got it." Josh confirmed when the doctor scanned his eyes past him.

The doctor shook his head, "Okay, fine. I want to give her a stronger antibiotic and pain killer. Is she allergic to anything?"

The men looked at each other.

"Fuck ..." Scott hissed. "How can we be so fucking clueless about her?"

Jim groaned. He'd been lying on the mattress but had dragged himself to the sofa, next to Angus. He dropped his head against Jessica's leg. "So fucking stupid ..." 

Angus looked at Jim. "I asked her a million questions ... none of them the right ones." 

"Okay then, here's an easier question." The doctor said, "Is she on any medication?"

"No," Riley said, shaking his head. "Just ... shit!"

"Jesus Christ!" Scott bellowed, having followed Riley's line of thought.

"What the fuck!" Rick demanded.

"Birth control pills ..." Josh whispered and he suddenly felt like vomiting.

"That's not a problem." The doctor said confused by the tortured expressions on the men's faces. "They don't interfere with one another ... birth control and the meds I want to give her."

"That's not it." Riley said shaking his head. 

Scott had been leaning on the back of the sofa, trying to keep from falling down. Now he pushed himself to his feet. "Where'd she keep them?"

"In her purse." Jim said struggling to get to his feet.

"I'll get the pills." Scott said and lurched toward the bedrooms.

"We think she's missed some pills." Riley said when the doctor looked dumbfounded.

"And that's a problem?" The doctor asked. "I thought you were married."

Riley nodded. "But we don't want kids."

"She ... she doesn't want kids." Angus corrected. "She's going to be so ... she'll think we betrayed her."

"Well?" Josh asked from his prone position on the mattress as Scott shuffled back into the living room, pill container in his hand.

"She's missed yesterday and today for sure." Scott said looking at the container, "and she has at least a weeks worth here before the placebos."

"Shit, shit, shit!" Jim said. "Doc, can we give her the rest, while she's resting?"

The doctor shook his head. "She won't swallow it."

"Can you give it to her some other way?" Angus asked.

"I could give her something but I don't have it with me. And quite frankly, in her condition, I don't recommend it."

"Come on Doc, please ..." Riley begged.

"Given the trauma she's had, and the meds she's taking now, I highly doubt she'd be pregnant. I suggest waiting to see if she menstruates. If she doesn't, there's still plenty of time to take other measures."

"Other measures ..." Angus mumbled, lowering his head.

"You don't understand Doc." Scott said, "She doesn't want this. She doesn't want to be pregnant, period."

"It can be taken care of. Don't worry." The doctor said.

"She'll think we did it on purpose." Riley said.

"I don't see how she can." The doctor said, looking over his shoulder at Abe and Rick both of whom shrugged their shoulders, not understanding why the men were so upset either. "Did you plan on getting shot? Plan on her getting shot? So how can she blame you. Trust me. Wait a week, she should start to menstruate not long after that. In fact she may start sooner given what she's been through. If she doesn't, we'll deal with it. Okay?"

The men didn't answer, staring at Jessica in silence.

"Okay then. I'll give her the meds and I'll be back later today to change your dressings. If there are any problems Abe will page me."

"Thanks Doc." Josh said. He'd slowly and painfully moved himself from the mattress to stand next to Angus' chair. He lowered himself slowly to his knees by Jessica's head.

When the doctor left, Angus looked around the room. Abe and Rick had moved to the kitchen. 

"I can't believe what we did to her, with the hook and everything." Angus muttered. "And God, what if she's pregnant? She'll never forgive us!"

"I know. It's all our fault." Riley said.

"I kind of thought she'd enjoyed what we did to her." Scott said.

Angus nodded. "Some of it she did. But we went too far. Trying once again to prove that we were right and she was wrong."

"But, it was the other way around." Josh said and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"It's always been the other way around." Jim said.

"She sure knows when she's right." Riley said, "And never backs down."

"Thank God. Or we'd be dead." Angus said and gripping Jessica's hand tighter he leaned toward her. "What are we going to do? If she's pregnant?"

Angus looked up when no one responded. 

"The doc said there were options." Jim said slowly each word weighted down with dread. "We'll have to let her decide which one she wants to take. Will you be able to live with that Angus?"

Angus slid his eyes back to Jessica. "I'll have to. Nothing matters but her happiness. And ... and I don't want her to hate us. She will if she thinks we made her get pregnant on purpose."

"She did make it pretty clear that she expected that of us." Riley added.

"Like Doc said, this couldn't be helped." Scott said. He'd pulled a kitchen chair over and now sagged in it. "She's a reasonable person. If we explain everything to her when she wakes up she'll understand that we didn't do it intentionally."

Angus nodded. "Come on Jess. Wake up, please? I want to thank you, explain about the pills ... make amends ... come on."

"You know there is a way for you to start making amends before she even wakes up." Jim said.

"Well?" Angus prompted when Jim didn't say anything else.

"There's one person who Jessica really likes but hasn't yet come to talk to her." Jim said.

For a moment Angus had no idea what Jim meant but then it dawned on him and anger began to course through him.

"Before you say no." Jim said as Angus' face began to turn crimson. "Think about what you just said to her. You want to make amends. Doing only what you feel like doing isn't making amends. If you really want to make it up to her, you'll let Beth come be with her. Jessica really likes her. Do what's right for Jessica, even if it's not right for you."

Angus opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. 

"If Scott can tell the entire clan that he gets fucked up the ass and in the mouth by machines to avoid embarrassing Jessica then you can let your ex in." Riley said. "It's for Jessica, not you, and you don't have to be here."

Angus nodded. He didn't like it, not one bit, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Okay. For a few minutes. But that bitch can't look at me, talk to me, talk about me. Nothing. Got it?" 

"Got it." Josh said, groaning as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'll go get her."

"Just make sure she understands..." Angus said.

Twenty minutes later Beth stepped through the front door. She paused, saw Angus glowering by the kitchen table and immediately dropped her eyes. She moved to the now empty chair next to Jessica. Sitting down, she took Jessica's hand and began murmuring to her.

"How can Jessica like her?" Angus asked when Jim moved next to him.

"I don't know. But you don't have to stay to watch this. Why don't you go lie down in your room?"

Angus shook his head. "No way am I leaving that bitch alone with Jessica."

"She's not alone ..." Jim began but clamped his mouth shut when Angus glared at him.

"Suit yourself." Jim said and limped to stand next to Beth.

"Do you think it will work?" Riley asked replacing Jim at Angus' side.

"It better."

For half an hour Beth talked gibberish to Jessica at which point Angus couldn't take it anymore. 

"It's not making a difference." Angus growled to Riley. "Get her out of here."

Taking far too long by Angus' standards, Beth finally left.

Angus returned to the sofa and hesitated before sitting on the chair that was still warm from Beth. Angus shuddered and forced his attention to Jessica.

"Wake up Jess." He muttered and caught his breath when Jessica's eyes snapped open.

"Angus?" She whispered, and then she looked around.

"Jess, thank God!" Angus said, dropping to his knees, barely registering the pain shooting through his legs, and pressing his forehead to her stomach.

"She's awake!" Riley exclaimed from behind Angus. Stumbling around the chair Riley dropped to his knees next to Angus, right by her head. .

"I thought ... " she said looking around again, glad to see the other men moving toward her. "Are you okay?" she added noticing how slowly they moved.

"We're fine because of you." Jim said. 

"It worked." Josh exclaimed a smile splitting his face as he nudged closer to Jessica. "Beth worked!"

"Beth?" Jessica asked, her eyes snapping from Josh to Angus. "Oh!" she exclaimed really noticing Angus' face for the first time. "What did they do to you?" She tried to raise her hand but she could only lift it a little. Angus saw it hovering, took it and brought it to his lips.

"The floor and I had a disagreement," he said but when Jessica looked at him in confusion he added, "I did a face plant. It's nothing serious."

"Your nose ..."

"Broken. But it'll be okay. But never mind me, how are you feeling?"

Jessica paused to take stock.

"Tired." She finally said and sudden fatigue overwhelmed her. Her eyes started to close.

"Get Abe or Rick." Riley said to Scott who was closest to the door.

"Stay with us." Josh muttered from behind the sofa, caressing her head.

"Abe?" Jessica muttered though her eyes were closed.

"Yup. He and Rick helped Doc fix us up. The three of them plus Leah and Corey's blood saved your life." Jim said.

"If they hadn't I don't know what I'd do. What we'd do." Riley added.

"I'm sorry ..." Jessica said the pain in Riley's voice cutting through her grogginess.

"No, don't. Don't apologize ..." Riley began but was interrupted by Abe trying to get close to Jessica.

"How long has she been awake?" Abe asked taking Riley's spot.

"A few minutes." Jim said. "Her eyes were open ... she just ran out of energy."

"I think Beth's visit helped." Scott added. 

"Beth ..." Jessica murmured fighting to open her eyes but she couldn't. She rolled her head in Angus' direction, "I thought I was dreaming about Beth. I'm sorry Angus."

"Don't be." Angus said, kissing her hand again. "Don't worry about anything Jessica. Don't worry and don't apologize. You never have to apologize for anything again ..."

"She looks good." Abe said despite the fact that Jessica had obviously passed out again. "I'll give her more fluids." He said looking at the IV that hung at the head of the sofa, "And change her dressings. She should be just fine now."

Relief made the men giddy as they watched Abe work.

"How long do you figure it will take her to completely recover?" Josh asked.

"The doc can tell you better than me." Abe said, "but I'm guessing a few weeks in terms of her energy. But it may take a few months before she's back to normal."

"Do you think it'd be okay for her to have a dog in here?" Jim asked. "Baby." He said when the men looked at him like he was crazy, "Beth helped and I think if Baby could lie up on the sofa with her, she'd feel a lot better."

"That's a good idea." Abe said standing when he finished his work. "I think it'd be fine."

"I'll go get her." Riley said wishing he could think like that but somehow these kind of great ideas never came to him.

"Hold on there cowboy." Abe said, "you, all of you, need as much rest as she does. I'll get Corey or Sean to get the dog."

"But they won't know which one she is." Riley said.

"I'm sure she'll come to her name Riley. Sit down will you? The best thing you can do for Jessica right now is to get better yourself. If you don't heal to one hundred percent, everything she's gone through will be pointless."

Riley nodded, suddenly feeling pretty tired himself.

"She has brown on her snout. She's in the third cage from the right, assuming the dogs are still in their cages."

Abe nodded and headed for the door.

Riley returned to his spot next to Angus, near Jessica's head, and sank down with a groan. "I can't wait to hold her again." He muttered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the sofa.

"Amen." Scott said as he made his way to the armchair.

Josh and Jim shuffled to the mattresses that had become permanent fixtures in the living room and with a great deal of pain lowered themselves onto them.

"I'm never going to let go." Angus said.

Jim nodded and Josh muttered, "Ditto."

With the brief interruption when Corey brought Baby and the few minutes it took her to lick Jessica's face, and then settle on the sofa, on Jessica's legs, the men joined Jessica in slumber. With Sean, Corey, a couple of Sean and Corey's clan, and Abe, Rick guarding them, the men felt safe enough to take the rest necessary to heal.

******************************************************




Lisa Ch. 08a: Evil



Jessica giggled. The wet tongue lapping between her toes pulled her from the deep and peaceful sleep she was having, but her eyes didn't want to open. The licking moved from one foot to the other. Jessica concentrated on it, confused by the fact that it didn't feel like either Scott or Angus. It didn't feel like Riley, Jim or Josh either, though none of them were likely to be licking her feet.

Finally curiosity got the best of her and she forced her eyes open.

"Baby ..." she whispered. The dog whined and crawled up Jessica's body. Jessica laughed when Baby's pink tongue lapped over Jessica's lips. "I missed you too ..." she sputtered, trying to avoid the dog's bad breath.

"Jess!" Jim exclaimed, "Down Baby, down." He said, pulling the dog away from her face. Baby lay down on Jessica's stomach and whined again. "You're awake!" Jim said with a huge grin, seating himself on the edge of the sofa.

"Hey." Jessica said.

"Right back at you. How are you feeling?" he asked, cupping her cheek.

"I'm good." She said, and smiled up at Riley who appeared behind the sofa and leaned over the back to look at her.

Scott appeared at the foot of the sofa, Josh and Angus next to Jim. They looked good. Really good. Jessica sagged into the sofa with relief. Everyone was okay.

"Hey there lady ... " Leah appeared next to Riley, "You look awake for real this time."

"Let me through, let me through ..." Abe said wedging his way between Angus and Jim, "How's the patient?" he asked replacing Jim on the sofa.

"Great. I heard it's all thanks to you. And you," Jessica said looking at Rick who'd appeared next to Scott, "and you," she said to Leah, "and you." She added when Corey appeared next to her. "Thanks."

"Hey, it's all in a day's work ..." Abe said taking her hand and placing his finger on the inside of her wrist. "But it helps to have a patient who's a real fighter. You keep it up and you'll be up and about in no time."

"How much longer till she's stable? Till she doesn't need as much care?" Angus asked.

Abe looked at him and laughed. "Ready for us to get out of your life are you?" He asked. And then turned his attention to unwrapping Jessica's bandages. "I don't blame you actually. It shouldn't be too long. Probably a week or two more of rest. But there'll be several weeks of physiotherapy required after that ... for all of you."

"Physiotherapy." Riley stated a blank look on his face.

"Yeah, to get your strength and flexibility back. It won't be easy, but it's necessary if you ever want to be the same again. And quite frankly I can't see how you'll protect yourselves again without it."

"Physiotherapy ..." Riley said again. Abe looked at Riley like he was a simpleton.

"I think what Riley is trying to say in his tongue tied, over simplified way," Jim said, earning a narrow eyed glare from Riley, "is, where the hell are we supposed to get physiotherapy from?"

Jessica looked from Riley's glare to Jim's strangely goofy expression. For a moment Riley really looked mad, but then a smile cracked across his face and he shook his head. 

"A physiotherapist would be my guess." Abe replied and laughed when he found Riley glaring at him in obvious impatience. "Paul is sending a couple of his guys out next week. You'll be in good hands. What?" he asked when he was the recipient of surprised stares.

Jessica was glad he asked, she was wondering about the astounded looks on their faces too. Not only did the men looked completely floored by the news but Leah and Corey did too. Obviously sending out physiotherapists was not common practice for Paul.

"That's, ah, unexpected." Riley said and he seemed completely baffled.

"And why exactly is Paul doing this?" Scott asked, looking between Rick who stood next to him and Abe.

"Out of the goodness of his heart of course." Rick said with a snicker. To Jessica he seemed to be playing around but from the way the men and even Leah and Corey looked at him, it wasn't a shared joke. "Why do I get the feeling that you find that hard to believe?"

"Paul isn't known for doing things out of the goodness of his heart." Corey said.

"Nor is he known for sending out his personal doctor, or his body guards to take care of and protect men in his own clan much less someone else's." Riley added.

"That's where you're wrong." Abe said, his face suddenly serious. "On two counts. One, it has happened before, and two, we are in the same clan. You seem to keep forgetting that."

Silence hung in the air. Jessica scanned the faces around her and was disturbed to find that the tension she thought she felt around her was evident on the faces of the people around her. When the tension dragged, Leah opened her mouth to say something but Corey grabbed her arm and shook his head. And the expression on his face was undeniable. Beneath the tension was something Jessica recognized from when the men looked at her. Proprietorship, dominance, lust. Jessica blinked. Since when were Leah and Corey dating? Maybe they had been all along and she just hadn't known. Jessica felt thrown off by it. When Leah pressed her lips firmly together, not looking pleased about being muzzled, and the silence continued, Jessica squeezed her eyes shut. She felt confused. The men's concern about the help from Paul, the need for protection when Jessica was pretty sure she'd killed everyone who'd come after them, and for some reason Leah and Corey's relationship added to the blur that was twisting through her head.

"Why ... " Jessica began but had to clear her throat. It felt so dry. 

"Jess?" Jim asked. "What's wrong?" 

Jessica opened her eyes. "Can I have some water please?"

"Got it." Scott said heading for the kitchen. "Here you go." He said returning and with one hand behind Jessica's head for support, he put the glass to her lips. 

The silence continued but when Jessica looked around again the tension seemed to have faded.

Abe cleared his throat. "At any rate, Paul is indebted to you Jessica. This is how he's paying the debt back. And besides ..." he added when it looked like no one in the room bought that as an explanation. "His sister likes you. That doesn't happen every day. Trust me."

"I didn't do all that much for him." Jessica said, thinking his words over. "Not any more than the people in the clan do for him pretty regularly I'm sure. I mean I just rode a bike, you ..." She said glancing around at the men, Leah, Corey, Abe and Rick, "risk your lives every time you ..." she paused looking for a polite way to say 'murder people'. She finally settled on, "go to work. But I am grateful. For the help. We should all be." She added giving the men a pointed look.

"I'll pass that on to Paul." Abe said with a nod of his head. "So like I said, physiotherapy won't start for a while and when it does it's hard to tell how long it'll be needed."

"Translation ..." Rick said with a smug smile on his face, "we'll be here for a while."

Scott nodded. "You're right Jess we should be thankful. We appreciate your help." He added, glancing at Abe and Rick. "And to you and the others." He added looking at Leah and Corey, "Thanks for taking care of everything while we can't."

Leah and Corey nodded their acknowledgment but they shifted their eyes back to Abe and Rick. Jessica read mistrust in their expressions. That seemed odd.

"What others?" Jessica asked.

"Sean, Mark, Amanda, Justine, Don, Stan, Chris, and Sara." Scott said, "They're all here. Doing chores, cooking, cleaning, guarding. They've really helped a lot."

"We're family," Corey said looking pointedly at Abe, "and that's what family does for one another. We've got your back."

"Why do we need to be guarded?" Jessica asked.

"Some of Daryl's friends have been asking questions." Josh said.

"And they've been pretty persistent." Jim added.

"So, what did you tell them?" Jessica asked.

Riley shrugged, "That we haven't seen them."

Jessica started to laugh but had to control it when a searing pain shot through her shoulder. 

"Jess?" Riley asked, "What's wrong?"

"Hurts to laugh ..." Jessica muttered.

"What's so funny?" Angus asked bewildered as she continued to vibrate in silent controlled laughter.

"You guys." Jessica muttered and then managed to calm herself, "Haven't seen them ... funny. What did you really tell them?" The men looked at one another with lost expressions on their faces. "For real?" she demanded, "That's the best you could come up with, that you haven't seen them?"

"What would you suggest?" Jim asked.

"I don't know ... something that would have Daryl's friends looking somewhere else. Maybe Daryl and his goons just decided to quit."

"People don't quit the clan Jessica." Riley said, "It just isn't done."

Jessica looked around at everyone with complete disbelief.

"That doesn't matter. Maybe it's never happened before, but there is always the possibility that it could. And you need to convince these guys that for Daryl and his family, it did."

"That won't work." Abe said when no one else looked like they were going to say anything.

"Of course it will. Better than saying you didn't see them. Think about it, if you were Daryl's friends would you fall for that?"

"More than I would believe that they left the clan." Corey said.

"Okay. Well, then you have to find some way to convince them. Some proof." Jessica said. "You guys are letting yourselves be limited by your own beliefs. Come on ... if it's so unbelievable that they left, couldn't they have gone on vacation?" Jessica asked. "So no one goes on vacation?" she groaned when no one looked excited by the possible excuse. 

Angus shook his head when her eyes finally settled on him.

"So what would you believe, if you were Daryl's friend?"

"That we killed them. We may end up having to take Daryl's friends out in order to get any peace." Angus answered.

"Oh great." Jessica whispered and closed her eyes. "I wonder how many friends will come looking for them?"

"I know it seems hopeless." Riley said, taking Jessica's hand, "But you don't need to worry about it. Nothing's going to happen for now and maybe they'll just give up."

"Would you give up?" 

"I guess not."

Jessica opened her mouth to further her point but hesitated when she saw the expressions on the men's faces. They looked confused, and kind of clueless. They looked at one another and the longer the silence continued, the more distressed they looked. And then she noticed how Corey and Leah were still looking at Abe and Rick with distrust. Obviously this wasn't a discussion to be had in front of Paul's men.

Jessica relaxed back against the sofa and eyed the bag hanging on a stand next to the sofa and the tube that ran down to her arm. 

"It looks worse than it is." Abe said taking her hand and squeezing. "Doc will be back tomorrow and if you get even stronger by then I bet he'll take the bag off. So you need to rest, got it?"

Jessica nodded. Abe brushed her bangs off her forehead and smiled.

Angus cleared his throat.

Leah stood up, "You get some rest girlie. We have some work to do outside but I'll call the rest of the girls to come over later and we'll hang out tonight. Watch some movies maybe? I'm really getting tired of those ridiculous video games the guys keep playing ..."

"Hey, hey, don't hate the games Leah, don't hate the games ..." Corey said moving toward the door.

"Abe ..." Leah said when he hadn't moved.

"Right." Abe said and winked at Jessica, "There's so so much to do outside." He said standing. The glares the men were throwing at him made it obvious that there had been a pre-arranged agreement that the men would have time alone with Jessica when she woke up.

"I hate that guy ..." Angus grumbled when Abe finally walked out the door.

Jessica tried to sit up but when she tried to move her legs she couldn't. It wasn't just that her legs were numb but she simply couldn't feel them. In a panic Jessica bolted upright, the blanket falling from her chest. She looked down to see a bandage wrapped around her torso and her injured shoulder.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Jim asked, the look of horror on her face scaring him.

"I ..." Jessica began while she threw the blanket off her legs, "can't feel my ..." and she paused when she saw that she was completely naked, "legs." She finished quietly.

"It's the medication," Scott said, "The doctor gave you pain killers. I guess they numb you."

"So ... so ... I'm not paralyzed?" 

"No sweetheart, you're not." Riley said reaching down and wiggling her big toe. "You're perfectly fine."

"Why am I naked?" Jessica asked.

"It was easier to clean you." Josh said, "don't worry, don't worry ..." he said raising his palms to Jessica when Jessica looked up at him in complete mortification ... her face flaming red, "we were the only ones to touch you. The only ones to see you, the only ones to clean you ... only us."  

'Thank God,' Angus thought as Jessica exhaled and fell back against the sofa. Not only couldn't he have stood the thought of anyone else being that ... intimate with Jessica but even now, days later, evidence of the sexual consequences meted out to Jessica were obvious on her body. Hickies on her inner thighs glared up at him, bruises, rope burns, welts ... even bruises in distinct patterns of fingers grasping her hips and her legs were evident. Scott's instinct to protect her with the fuck machines had been bang on and had anyone other than them seen her used body, Angus was certain she would have been beyond humiliated. Thank God the ones on her torso had been camouflaged by blood. At least, neither the doctor or the 'nurses' mentioned anything if they'd noticed them.

The men shifted around the sofa. Jim moved to the end, next her head. Scott, Angus, and Josh next. Riley leaned across the back of the sofa. Jessica pulled the blanket back onto her legs, Scott, Angus and Scott helping and then slowly, painfully, they lowered themselves to their knees.

"Get chairs!" Jessica ordered in horror as the men's faces contorted in grimaces and turned white as sheets.

Jim shook his head, "Can't get close enough with chairs."

"You're sweating ..." Jessica said as beads of perspiration beaded on Jim's forehead. She lifted her hand to brush his forehead, and then ran her fingers gently over the bruises on his cheeks that were now turning an ugly yellow/green.

"I'm fine." Jim said and turned his head so he could kiss her palm.

"Thanks for saving our lives Jess." Scott said resting his forehead on her abdomen.

"Thanks ... and I'm so sorry about that night ... the consequences." Angus said.

"That damn hook ..." Jim groaned and lowered his forehead to Jessica's cheek.

"Goddamn hook, I'm so sorry Jess." Scott said, his voice breaking. 

"No, no ..." Jessica said when Riley seemed to deflate onto the back of the sofa next to her and Josh dropped his head to her feet. She looked between Riley and Jim, Scott, Angus and Josh who all hung their heads and pressed them into her. "I enjoyed it. Really, I did ..." she insisted when they looked up at her with 'give me a break' expressions. "Okay so maybe it went on a bit too long, but other than that I did enjoy it. And ..." she added when the men looked even less convinced, "I guess I could have lived without losing my privileges."

"You have them back," Josh said, "all of them. And more. Anything, you can do anything you want, any time ... honest." He added when Jessica looked like she was humoring him.

"And when you're better you can give me the same consequences." Angus said. "Yes Jessica ..." he added when she began to protest, "Fuck machines, ropes, hooks and all, you do it back to me."

"Me too." Riley said. The others were nodding.

"I don't want to." Jessica said, "Um, unless you'd enjoy it." Jessica said when the men looked at her like she was disappointing them. "Would you?" she asked in surprise because with the exception of the time she'd used the anal vibrator on Scott none of the men had indicated they'd enjoy being entered anally. But the expressions on their faces made it clear that they would not enjoy it. Not at all. Not even Scott who had cum with an anal vibrator. 

"Jessica, what we did to you, we didn't do it to pleasure you." Angus said, "We did it to ... to control you. As a consequence. We wanted to make sure that you'd never, ever, do anything like deal with, ride for, or even look at Paul again. And, to prove that you were wrong. Wrong about dealing with Paul, wrong about trying to protect us."

"But we were wrong." Riley said. 

"Really wrong." Angus agreed.

"We would have fought with Paul's men and people would have died. Maybe even some of us." Josh said. "You were right."

"At the very least our kill counts would have gone up ... so, you need to give us consequences back." Scott said.

"It's the only way to make it right." Jim added.

"Kill what?" Angus demanded.

"Did ... did you say kill counts?" Riley asked in a hushed tone.

"Shit, I knew there was something we forgot to tell you." Jim said.

"How in God's name did that come up?" Angus asked and rather than sound angry there was despair in his voice.

"It's not important." Jessica said worried by how broken Riley and Angus looked. 

"Yes it is." Riley said, "How did it come up?"

"Jessica told me that she loved me." Jim said, "And to prove a point I told her my kill count ... the other guys did too."

"And what did you tell her our kill counts were?" Angus asked staring at the blankets covering her legs, unable to look at Jessica.

"We didn't." Scott said.

"But ours are higher, way higher than any of yours." Riley said.

"But you've stopped." Jessica interrupted, "You've stopped and that's all that matters. I love you all, equally, and I don't care about your past kill counts only your future ones. And I don't want to give you consequences. Can we please just be happy to be alive? Alive and together? Please?"

"You saved our lives Jessica, we'll do whatever you want." Angus said, "But I want you to know, to be totally honest. My kill count is ..."

"Don't ..." Jessica interrupted.

"But Jess ..." Riley said.

"No, I don't want to know."

"Why?" Angus said, "Why did you want to know their kill counts and not ours? You need to know or you don't know everything."

"Or do you think you'll stop loving us if you know?" Riley asked.

Jessica closed her eyes. 

"I'm not afraid I won't love you anymore. I know I will love you now no matter what." She opened her eyes and found Angus and Riley hadn't lifted their bowed heads. Worse than that they seemed to be slumping. "But I think telling me will hurt you. You're obviously not happy about it. Angus, Riley, will you look at me please?" They lifted their eyes simultaneously and Jessica felt her heart squeeze in her chest. Shame was written all over their faces.

"I don't need to know, really." She added.

"I need to tell you Jessica. I need you to know so I can say you know everything and I need to be the same as these guys." Angus tilted his head to Jim and then the other way to Scott and Josh.

Riley nodded.

"You're not doing this to punish yourselves?" Jessica asked.

"Maybe a little." Riley said, "But I think it's justified, especially if you won't give us sexual consequences for what we did to you."

"Guys, maybe we should do this another time. Jessica is tired." Jim said. Jessica smiled at Jim. She was starting to get a headache.

"What other time?" Riley asked. "We're surrounded by people all the time and we'll continue to be for at least another couple of weeks. We asked them to leave us alone when Jessica woke up ... I'm not sure how easy it'll be for them to find things to do on a regular basis ..."

"No, it's okay." Jessica said. "Tell me your kill counts, and you'll see that it makes no difference. And then you can go easier on yourselves ... okay? 'Cause honestly, the sex ... it was good. I enjoyed it."




Lisa Ch. 08a: Evil



"Ninety-five ..." Angus said and this time he didn't lower his gaze when Jessica brought hers to his. 

"Ninety." Riley added and didn't get much comfort from having a lower number than Angus. Especially when Angus groaned.

Jessica looked from one to the other, and then to Jim, Scott and Josh. 

"Hard to love us now, isn't it?" Angus asked.

"Those are large numbers." Jessica said quietly, "But you don't intend to kill anyone anymore, right?"

Riley and Angus shook their heads.

"Good, then that's all that matters." Jessica said and smiled. 

Silence hung in the air while Riley and Angus searched her face.

"You're serious." Angus said with disbelief.

"Yes."

Riley exhaled. "So, if you won't return the consequences, what can we do to make things up to you?"

"That's easy, you can believe me that we need to convince Daryl's friends that Daryl and his family left. Telling them that you haven't seen them is not good enough."

"We do believe you." Josh said.

"But Jess, I just can't think of a way to do it. Honest to God." Scott said.

"Okay. Well, if it were me, and I were to go to a friend's house and find their clothes and toiletries missing, I'd see that as a clue that maybe they'd gone somewhere." Jessica said. 

"That ..." Jim said after a few minutes of silence, "is good. But I'm sure that by now they've checked their houses."

"True ..." Jessica said, "but ..." she said excited by an idea that came to her, "if I were trying to quit something that had never been quit before I'd try to do it without making it obvious."

"Yes ..." Scott prompted when Jessica became lost in thought.

"So, I'd leave my things alone, but I'd still need supplies to survive. I'd have to get those supplies somewhere else."

"So you'd buy some." Jim said.

"I could ..." Jessica said. "Money. That's it ... if they'd drained their bank accounts then it would be obvious that they left."

"We don't have bank accounts though." Angus said, "We deal in cash."

"Really?" Jessica asked, disappointed. "But how does that work when you're far away from each other? That's not very convenient."

"Emergency fund ..." Riley said bolting upright. "We have an emergency bank account. We don't use it much, at least I haven't. But it's there."

"Emergency ..." Jessica said. "Exactly. In all the movies the spies have safe houses. You know, where they go if things go wrong. Doesn't the clan have something like that? Did I say something wrong?" She asked when the men stared at her.

"No. You're just a fucking genius Jessica." Riley said and a huge grin split his face. "We do have safe houses. But I don't know where any of Daryl's safe houses are."

"And the money?" Jessica asked. All the men were smiling at her now, and she grinned back at them.

"We could take the money." Riley said, "But how would we make it look like Daryl took it?"

"There has to be a way." Jessica said.

"There is." Josh said, "Don is a computer whiz. He'll know how to do it, I'm sure of it. He hacks into the government computer systems all the time."

"Okay but will the money be enough? I'm not sure how we'd figure out where Daryl's safe houses are." Jim asked.

"No, we need the safe house too. If we take the clothes and toiletries from there it will make it look like they ran away. And if Don is a computer whiz he can help there too. We still have Daryl's car, somewhere, right?" Jessica asked.

"Corey and Sean took care of their cars but I guess they're around somewhere." Riley said.

"And it's likely they have GPS systems in them?" Jessica asked.

"They did have an emergency ..." Jim said, "They may have gone to a safe house, we could probably find it with their GPS. Jess, that's just ... amazing."

"You're amazing ..." Scott said.

Jessica smiled and despite the pride she felt swell up in her she also felt her cheeks burn red. 

"Why are you embarrassed?" Jim asked, gently running his thumb over her red cheeks. 

Jessica shrugged and searched her mind for a diversion. It was embarrassing to get flattery for some reason.

"Are we going to keep this a secret from Abe and Rick?" She asked willing the red on her face to disappear.

"As much as I'd like to," Riley said, caressing her other cheek, "I don't think it'd be a good idea. They're here all the time, if we try to keep it from them they'll know something is up. And as much as I distrust Paul, he has been good to you ... to us. He may even be able to help."

Jessica nodded. "I don't know about Paul, but I like Abe and Rick. I think they'll help." 

"You look tired Jess. You should rest for a bit." Jim said.

"You guys look pretty tired too." Jessica said.

"We've been resting on the mattresses here in the living room. We can pull them closer to the sofa and watch a movie." Josh said hitching his thumb over his shoulder. Jessica looked between Jim and Scott and saw their bed on the floor.

"Good idea." Jessica said beginning to feel fatigue flood over her.

"Before that though, there's something else we have to tell you." Angus said and his tone cut through Jessica's drowsiness. He sounded and looked despondent.

"Shit yeah," Scott said. Angus' demeanor made it clear to Scott that Angus was talking about the birth control pills.

"What is it?"

"You've missed almost a week of your pills. The doc said there was no way to give them to you while you were unconscious. He doesn't think it's likely you'd get pregnant but he said to wait and see if you get your period." Angus said.

"Oh." Jessica said, stunned. 

"But he has no idea how much sex we've had ... I don't think he realizes how likely it is that you were inseminated. " Riley added.

"But he really didn't think you could get pregnant with the trauma you've had, and the meds he's given you." Jim added when Jessica grew paler than she had been.

"And if you are pregnant there are options ..." Angus said quietly and Jessica groaned and closed her eyes.

"We're sorry Jess. Doc said there was nothing we could do." Jim said.

"Jessica," Angus said and when she looked at him he continued, "If you're pregnant we'll support whatever you want to do. Whatever choice you make, I'll stand behind you."

Jessica stretched her hand down to try and take Angus' hand. She couldn't quite reach, but Scott leaned back and Angus leaned forward, laying his head on her stomach. Jessica rubbed his head, running her fingers through his short gold hair.

"I won't lie." She said, "I'm ... terrified."

"Six armed psychopaths, no problem, one potential baby and you're scared ..." Josh said shaking his head.

"Ha, ha ..." Jessica said. "The six armed psychopaths are dead and gone, a baby would be completely dependent on us and be with us forever."

"Forever?" Angus asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Forever." Jessica said brushing his hair back off his forehead.

"Do you mean ...?"

"Yes. I do."

"Jess ..." Angus murmured, a smile splitting his face.

"You still look terrified." Riley observed.

"I am." Jessica said, "I'm not ready to be a mother."

"You probably don't have to be." Jim said, "Let's just wait and see."

"To be honest, I'm pretty terrified too." Scott said.

"Yeah, me too." Angus said.

"Christ ... I don't think I've ever looked forward to your period before." Riley said with a forced laugh.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

"Time must be up." Jim said when Jessica looked at the door in surprise, "They've run out of things to do out there."

"You guys set up the bed and the movie ... I'll go find Don and ask him about the money and safe house." Scott said.

"I'd sure be curious to see how he does it ..." Jessica said, watching Scott struggle to his feet.

"You and me both." He said, moving to kiss Jessica on the lips. "Come in!" He called out when a knock sounded on the door again ... "I swear we can't get a moments peace these days." He muttered, pecked Jessica's lips again and with a wink and a huge smile he shuffled his way toward the door that was now open, admitting Corey, Sean, Abe and Leah. 

Several hours later Jessica blinked as the living room light went on. The men had arranged their mattresses near the sofa, the others had sat on chairs from the kitchen and the armchair, and Leah had folded herself onto the sofa at Jessica's feet. The men had been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and watch Twilight again but Jessica had talked them out of it. She'd been certain that Sean, Corey, Abe, Rick, Mark, Stan and Chris would have no desire to watch Twilight and she was certain that she'd doze in and out anyway so there was no reason to play it on her account. And she'd been right, she'd slept on and off even though the men had picked the Die Hard movie and explosions and gunfire erupted constantly. 

Neither Scott or Don had come to watch the movie and now as the light went on she saw Don come in, grab the coffee table that had been moved off to the side put it just under the front window. Scott limped through the front door, white as a ghost, carrying a couple of small boxes and a bag. Don, took the boxes and bag from Scott and when Scott noticed Jessica watching him he nodded and then limped over to the sofa. Despite how pale and clammy he looked, Scott was grinning from ear to ear.

"Scott, you have to sit down ... you're going to pass out." Jessica said, trying to sit up.

"I am going to sit, over there with Don." Scott said tilting his head toward the table that Don had put under the window. "Don can do the money and the safe house. I told him that we wanted to see how he did it so I bought us a lap top and router. He's going to set us up and do everything right from here so we can see."

"Not only is this a brilliant idea but I finally get to bring you guys into the twenty first century." Don said standing next to Scott.

"What idea?" Mark asked.

"Jessica had a kick-ass idea for getting Daryl's people off our backs." Don replied and Jessica felt her cheeks turning red again.

"And it is?" Corey asked.

"You didn't tell them?" Don asked Riley, "Okay, this is great," Don said when Riley shook his head, "so we're going to take supplies from one of Daryl's safe houses and money from the emergency reserve. It'll make it look like they took off."

"You can do that?" Rick asked.

"I've gotta do some snooping but once I have a few pieces of info I can transfer the funds online. Once I find one of their safe houses we can clear that out too. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Well," Abe said getting up from the chair he had next to the mattresses and moving next to Don to stand by Jessica's feet. Jessica had looked down at her hands so he paused until she looked up, "that is a brilliant idea. I knew you were a clever one. Now, if you'll all excuse me for a minute I should check over my patient."

The men shifted the mattresses back a little, and Jim, Josh and Riley followed Scott and Don back to the table under the window. Leah stayed near Jessica's feet and Angus lay back on the mattress, leaning on his elbows and watching every move Abe was making. Corey, Sean, and Mark moved to the kitchen and rummaged in the fridge emitting the sounds of glass clinking on glass.

"Anyone want a beer?" Mark called out. Jessica watched her fingers play with the blanket edge as she felt Abe settle next to her on the sofa and listened to the chorus of beer confirmations sounding around her. 

It was embarrassing enough to be praised like that, in front the men, additionally embarrassing to be praised in front of a roomful of acquaintances but it was especially embarrassing to turn bright red in front of them. Jessica closed her eyes and wished her face to pale.

Suddenly a finger slid under her chin and lifted. Jessica found herself looking at Abe.

"Beautiful, brave, brainy and bashful ... quite the package Jessica. Don't be embarrassed about having it all." Abe said with a wink.

"Can you please stick to nursing ..." Angus grumbled.

"How are you feeling?" Abe asked, ignoring Angus.

"Fine, but I don't like not feeling my legs." Jessica replied.

"Doc will be back tomorrow, I'm sure he'll wean you off the anesthetic, don't worry."

Jessica nodded.

"Everything looks good." Abe said after examining the bandages and feeling Jessica's forehead. "Just keep relaxing. I'm going to whip up some Shepherd's Pie for dinner, so make sure you eat to keep your strength up. 'K?"

Jessica nodded, "I love Shepherd's Pie. Thanks."

Angus watched Abe move to the kitchen. When he looked back Jessica was looking at him.

"I was rude, I know, sorry. He's just way too friendly for my liking." Angus said.

"I love you Angus," Jessica said laying back against the arm rest, "no amount of friendliness from anyone else is going to change that you know."

Angus laughed. "I still don't like him ... but he is right about the package thing. You shouldn't be embarrassed about that."

"It just kind of happens." Jessica said.

"Angus, you up for some annihilation with Call of Duty?" Mark asked.

"Jess, did you want to watch or play anything?" Angus asked.

"No, you go ahead."  

"That's truly unbelievable ..." Leah said stretching out next to Jessica. Leah was watching Angus move closer to the TV with Mark. "He really has changed. Are you okay if I squeeze in here?"

Jessica nodded and tried to shift closer to the edge as Leah arranged herself around Jessica's tubes.

"The girls are gonna come over after dinner." Leah said, and then lowered her voice, "I have to tell you that I love being here. The men actually cook! Back at home us girls get stuck with it ... how'd you pull it off?"

"I guess that's one of the perks of not being trusted in the kitchen." Jessica said and laughed when Leah looked at her funny. "Not because I can't cook ... early on they thought I'd stab them with a kitchen knife. But it looks like Abe must cook a lot too and I had absolutely no influence on him."

"You know what Beth told me?" Leah said in an even more hushed voice.

"No, what?" Jessica whispered back.

"That she had the distinct feeling that Abe and Rick were bumping boots with Paul's sister." 

"Stasia?" Jessica asked and thought back to the night at the bar. "I guess they did seem pretty close. I wonder what Stasia's husband would think of that if he knew ..."

"I wonder what it means to us if he ever finds out." Leah said her voice going cold, "I doubt things would be settled on a race track."

Jessica shivered.

"Never mind, hopefully they have the good sense to not be so obvious around her husband." Leah said patting her arm. "Though they are good looking men ..." Leah tossed in, popping her head up to watch Abe in the kitchen.

"Leah, you are so bad ..." Jessica said laughing.

"Just a healthy hot blooded female ..." Leah said. "That reminds me ..." Leah said settling back on the sofa and lowering her voice. "Does Scott really ... does he enjoy ..."

"Enjoy ...?" Jessica asked when Leah was clearly struggling with how to word her question.

"Machines ... you know, sex with machines?" 

"What?" Jessica gasped, "How, why, where ..." she sputtered, "Did you get an idea like that?"

"Scott told us, Corey and me, when we came in to give you blood."

"He what?!" Jessica demanded, "Why would he do that?"

"He was hurt and couldn't move those ... machines. He had to ask Corey for help."

"So he said they were for him?" 

Leah nodded. 

Jessica couldn't believe it. Scott had humiliated himself to protect her. 

"You're the only ones that know right?" Jessica asked, embarrassed for him.

"No," Leah said and hung her head, "we kind of told Sean and them."

"No ..." Jessica groaned.

"I know, I know, it's bad. I'm sorry, but we just couldn't seem to keep it to ourselves. So, it's true then?"

Jessica looked over at the men by the window and while the others were huddled around Don and the laptop, Scott was standing slightly apart from them. To Jessica he looked left out, alone. Jessica felt an ache in her chest. She couldn't believe he'd done that. Embarrassed himself for her. She couldn't leave it like that. 

"Actually Leah, it's not true." She said and she felt her face burn red, "Scott was protecting me. I'm the one who uses the machines."

"Really?" Leah asked in a hushed voice. Jessica nodded. "I won't tell anyone." She added.

"No, you have to. Tell everyone who thinks it's Scott. Please, it's not fair to him."

"But you're turning bright red Jess which is quite the feat given how low your blood pressure probably is."

"I always turn red ... I'll get over it. Please just tell them the truth."

Leah looked over at Scott. "He must really love you ..." she said in a dreamy voice and sighed, "to do something like that for you."

Jessica looked at Leah in surprise. She looked sad.

"I'm sure Corey would do that for you." Jessica said.

"What?" Leah gasped swiveling her head back to Jessica so quickly Jessica was certain she'd given herself whiplash. "Why would you say that?" 

"You and Corey are together, aren't you?" Jessica asked confused by the panic that was rolling off Leah in waves. Jessica was certain that she'd picked up on something between them. Maybe it had been the medication. She certainly had been kind of out of it but she was sure of what she'd seen. "I thought ... I was pretty sure that you two seemed ... together. Sorry if I misinterpreted things." Jessica said.

Leah's eyes strayed to Corey and Sean sitting at the dining room table, drinking beer and laughing. She seemed to turn green.

"Are you okay?" Jessica asked.

"No." Leah said and dropped her head against the back of the sofa. "How did you know?" she whispered.

"It was kind of obvious." Jessica said, "maybe I'm wrong ..." she added when Leah groaned and collapsed on top of her, holding her head. "Why is it a bad thing?"

"Sean doesn't know." Leah said. "And he can't know ..." she said suddenly sitting up and grabbing Jessica's hand.

"Why?"

"I don't know what he'd do but I can guess and it wouldn't be pretty." Leah said.

"Sean and Corey are best friends aren't they?"

Leah nodded her head, "But I think that may change when Sean finds out about us."

"Why wouldn't he want his sister and his best friend to get together?"

Leah shrugged. "I don't think Corey himself would be the problem. Sean doesn't want me to date anyone in the clan. I don't know why, but he's made that pretty clear."

"So he'd let you date someone outside the clan?"

Leah snorted, "Not likely."

"So he expects you to never date anyone? Ever?"

"Seems that way."

"Well, that sucks." Jessica said.

"Tell me about it." Leah said.

"So you're going to keep it secret forever?"

"I guess so. But if you could tell then maybe we won't be able to."

"How long have you been together?" 

"A month. Tonight is our first monthevsary." Leah sat up, "To celebrate Corey's rented us a room in a hotel. We're sneaking out later. It'll be our first time ..." Leah said looking nervous again. She looked up at Jessica, "Actually, it'll be my first time. And I know it's lame," Leah added when Jessica looked at her in stunned silence, "since you had five to deal with and I only have one ... and you were way younger than I am your first time, but do you have any advice?"

"Uh, yeah, use protection." Jessica said her mind spinning. "No seriously," she added when Leah looked at her like she'd lost it, "especially if you don't think Sean will approve. The last thing you want is to get pregnant."

"I'm sure Corey will have protection." Leah said. "I didn't mean that kind of advice. Corey has experience so I think it will be ... great for me." Leah said, pink coming to her cheeks, "But what should I ... do ... to make it great for Corey?" 

"Oh," Jessica said. In her mind she ran through the multiple first times that she'd had with the men and decided to discount the rapes and even the later consensual sex and only count the sex they'd had after the oath. "Well. You need to use your hands and your mouth a lot ... on their, you know, cocks." Now Jessica's face was burning. She felt a little uncomfortable too ... what she and the men did was private to her. Discussing it with anyone else seemed wrong.




Lisa Ch. 08a: Evil



Leah nodded, turned pinker too, and then winced. "I've heard of that, using your mouth. Do you really have to ... swallow? Because, I don't think I can ..."

"I guess you don't have to. But men sure seem to like it."

"I really don't think I can ..." Leah said with a look of terror.

"It's not supposed to be scary ..." Jessica said. "If it's scary then it's not being done right. Two minutes ago you were excited about the whole thing. Look, when you see Corey, or think about him, do you get all tingly ... everywhere? I mean everywhere?" Jessica said when Leah was nodding her head. After a pause and some thought, Leah nodded again. "Then just go with that feeling. Believe me, it'll make you do things you never, ever, imagined you'd do. And don't worry, Corey will do the same. Are you okay?"

Leah nodded while observing Corey. "I definitely do get the tingles when I see him." 

Settling back onto the sofa Leah looked over at Jessica's men crowded around Don and the laptop.

"I guess you know all about tingles." Leah said and then looked back at Jessica. "All the girls in the clan have the hots for Scott, Jim and Josh. And now that Riley and Angus aren't assholes, them too. They're terrifying, but hot. I get so tongue tied I act like an idiot around them. No I 'm serious." Leah added when Jessica laughed like she didn't believe her. "My brain goes to mush."

"Your brain sure wasn't mush when you told Jim and Josh off at the jam session." Jessica said.

"Yeah. I don't know what happened there. That was unusual, really threw me for a loop." She laughed, "And that's probably why they looked at me like I'd grown a second head ... I really never talk to them."

Jessica giggled remembering the expressions on Jim and Josh's faces.

"Dinner's ready!" Abe called and appeared next to the sofa holding a plate, and placing a chair behind him he sat down.

"I got it." Jim said limping toward them, hand out to Abe. "I'll feed her."

"You should go eat first." Jessica said when he switched places with Abe, "I'm really not that hungry ..."

"You have to eat Jess ... I'll get my food after." Jim said.

Sean and Corey had brought extra folding chairs over to accommodate everyone and Angus, Riley, Scott and Josh were setting some up around the sofa and settling onto them.

"All of you?" Jessica asked, "there won't be any food left."

"There's plenty." Abe said, "I made a huge batch."

There was a knock at the door and Mark opened it to let Sara, Amanda and Justine in. They made a beeline for the sofa.

"Hey Jess, how you doing?" Amanda asked.

"Better thanks."

"I guess we made it in time for dinner, huh?" Justine asked eyeing the plate that Jim held in his hand.

"Help yourselves." Abe said, nodding to the kitchen.

"You'd better get some food." Jessica said to the men when Sara, Amanda and Justine left for the kitchen.

"Nah, there'll be enough." Abe said, "I made enough for an army." And he followed the girls.

"Well I guess I'll get my dinner," Leah said struggling to get off the sofa, "Thanks ..." she said to Josh in a hushed voice when he took her hand to assist her. 

Leah really hadn't been kidding. Once off the sofa Leah lowered her eyes and almost ran to the kitchen.

Jessica looked at the men, and they were looking at her. And although she was numb from her waist down she felt an odd phantom tingle. To say they were hot was a major understatement. Even weak and tired from their wounds their bodies were perfectly sculpted muscle. Coiled muscle. Seeming to strain at her. Jessica's phantom tingle roared and the men seemed to notice because a look of surprise crossed each of their faces as they looked from one another to Jessica, and then leaned forward in unison. Silence hung between them as the men's eyes moved over Jessica. Her face, her body, down to her blanket covered toes. Jessica took her time looking them over too ... faces, chests, arms, legs. Finally Josh looked over at the group of noisy eaters in the kitchen.

"Figures that for years we barely saw them ..." and he nodded at the group, "and now we never don't see them."

Jim cleared his throat, "We can tell them we need time alone." 

"They could patrol the grounds ... they need to patrol the grounds." Angus added.

Jessica looked from Jim, who didn't seem to notice that he was holding a plate out in one hand and a fork mid-air in the other to Angus who looked as aroused as he'd sounded. But weak. Jessica looked Scott, Riley and Josh over too. Forcing herself to ignore her desires it was obvious that none of the men were physically fit enough to walk much less ravish her despite how much she or they may have wanted it.

She sighed and shook her head, "I can't do anything anyway. I'm completely numb, can't even feel or move my legs."

"You sure look like you feel something." Riley said, "You look really ... horny."

"I am ... kind of. It's weird, I want you and I remember what it feels like to want you ... but I can't actually feel anything. I don't think I can even move my legs."

"And, you're on an IV and a catheter." Scott said quietly, "Is it wrong that I want you anyway?"

"What the hell is wrong with us?" Jim demanded, "Christ." He shook his head and then suddenly realized that he was holding Jessica's food and fork. He scooped the food onto the fork, "Here, Jess have some before it gets cold."

"Nothing is wrong with you ..." Jessica said, "I want you too, remember? I mean, I guess we could ask for some time alone ..." she paused eyeing the IV hanging next to the sofa, "and work around the IV ..." and then she looked at the tube next to it where yellow liquid streamed by, "and the catheter ..."

"You wouldn't feel anything Jess ... what would be the point?" Angus asked looking at the tube filled with yellow too.

"But you would."

"Yeah, a whole lot of guilt." Riley said. "Thanks Jess, but no way would I let you do that, no way would any of us let you do that."

"Guilt?" Jessica demanded, "Why would you feel guilt?"

"Because. Despite what some of our history may suggest, we don't like to ... use you. We don't just need your body for sex. We want to pleasure you. And you can't be pleasured like this." Angus said waving his hand at the tubes attached to her.

"It wouldn't be using me if I wanted you to, but I know what you're saying. And, thank you."

Angus picked her hand up and kissed it.

"Besides," Jessica said when Jim started moving the fork toward her mouth again, "we won't have visitors forever, right? Once Don moves the money, and we find the safe house we won't need protection anymore. And it won't be long before we're better ... right? What's wrong?" Jessica asked when the men looked less than confident about things.

"Don ran into a small problem with the money transfer." Josh said. 

"What problem?"

"Jess, eat this please, come on ...' Jim said. No sooner had Jessica accepted the food than Jim was back with another forkful.

"He's going to have to go to Daryl's place. His computer's not on so he can't find the info he needs." Scott said.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Jessica asked, "I can't eat anymore Jim. Have the rest, please ..."

"You barely ate." Jim said, "But don't worry about Don, he'll be in and out. And he won't be alone. Have some more, please ..."

Jessica accepted another forkful but then pressed her mouth shut and shook her head when Jim tried another. Jim sighed and ate it himself.

"I'll be fine." Don said. Don stood behind Riley, laptop in hand.

"You guys go eat, I'll show Jessica how to find Daryl's safe house." He said, lifting the laptop higher. Jessica looked around and noticed that everyone from the kitchen was now behind the sofa. Leah, Justine, Amanda and Sara were leaning on the back of it.

"Have a seat." Jim said getting off the chair, but rather than go get some food he, like the other men, tried to see what Don was doing on the computer.

"So, I have software that will go on the site of the company that supports Daryl's car's navigation system and allow us to see all of his previous destinations." Don said.

"Did you write the software yourself?" Jessica asked while Don typed and the laptop screen flickered.

"You betcha." Don said. "There, we're in." he said turning the laptop more toward Jessica. "Now I'll put in his license plate ... like I thought it was fake. Okay, that's fine..." he muttered to himself, "There's more than one way to skin a cat ..." he his fingers flew over the keyboard. Soon a list of addresses, dates and times scrolled over the screen. "And now we find the date of the attack. There." He said pointing at an address. "That's rural. That has to be it."

"But how do you know that it's not a friend's place?" Jessica asked.

"Two ways to be sure." Don said with a smile. "One, I'll search through this listing to see if he's been there before. CTRL F, put the address, ENTER ... nothing. Second," he said opening a new browser window, "I'll Google the site and see what it's listed as ... there it's a condemned farm house. You don't always get so lucky with that kind of search, but this time we did."

"That's ... amazing. Someday would you mind teaching me how you wrote that software? That was really cool." Jessica asked.

"Sure." Don said surprised and clearly pleased.

"You want to learn to code?" Scott asked.

Jessica nodded. "It looks really interesting ... and powerful."

"It looks really complicated." Angus said. 

"I'm sure Jessica is smart enough." Don said, "It's not rocket science."

Riley'd been leaning over Jessica's head to see the laptop. He brought his hand to her good shoulder and squeezed. Jessica looked up, and smiled.

"That safe house is pretty far away." Riley said bringing his attention back to the laptop and squinting at the screen. 

"Yeah." Don said typing something into the computer again, "It'll take us a couple of days to get there." He turned to Mark, "I think we should transfer the money while we're at Daryl's place. It won't take long." Then turning to Riley he said, "And we should head to the safe house right from there. It'll be faster."

Riley nodded.

"So we leave tomorrow." Angus said.

"What?" Jessica demanded. 

"It'll just be a few days." Angus said.

"Where exactly are you going?" Jessica asked and her tone made everyone freeze. Angus looked from Jessica to Riley and then around the room. Everyone looked as surprised as he felt.

"To the safe house ..." Angus finally said, "with Don and Mark."

"No you're not." Jessica said and neither her tone or her expression left any room for argument.

"Jess ..." Riley began.

"No." she said snapping her eyes to Riley's and then back at Angus. "Neither of you are going anywhere."

"But Jess, Don and Mark need help." Scott said.

Jessica pinned Scott with her eyes and then swung them to Angus.

"You can barely walk. You would be more of a hindrance than a help. If Don and Mark need help someone else can go."

"We can still shoot a gun Jess," Riley said .

"But you can't run away. You go on at me about self-preservation. Now take your own advice. You are not going anywhere." Jessica said. Silence hung in the air. Jim looked around the room. Riley and Angus looked shocked, everyone else looked like they wanted to crawl under a rock, and Jessica looked as if she had every intention of getting up and making them stay.

The silence dragged. Jessica and Angus stared at one another. Jessica couldn't read Angus' expression. Her mind raced. What would she do if they didn't listen to her? Beg, plead, blackmail. She wasn't beyond making them stay in lieu of the sexual consequences that they said they'd let her have.

"Jess ..." Jim said finding his voice but completely unsure what to say.

"You're right." Angus said and nodded his head. He looked at Don "You'll have to go without us. Maybe Sean or Corey could go too." Turning his eyes back to Jessica he said, "Sorry Jess. Are you okay?" 

Any color that Jessica had begun to get back in her cheeks had gone and she looked like she'd pass out.

"Jess?" Riley asked, shaking her shoulder.

Eventually she nodded but in truth she wasn't sure. Her heart thudded against her chest and the feeling of terror subsided. She had no idea what she would have done if Angus and Riley had insisted on going.

"Well. We have to go check on the animals ... check the parameter ..." Sean said. It was like he'd shot a starter pistol. Don shot off the sofa, everyone other than Riley, Angus, Scott, Josh and Jim disappeared.

Angus winced as he dropped to his knees next to the sofa. He cupped Jessica's cheek in his hand. 

"I'm really sorry Jess. It was a stupid idea." Angus said.

"A really stupid idea." Jessica agreed.

"You guys sure know how to clear a room." Josh said with a laugh.

"Yeah Jessica you were pretty scary ..." Scott said.

"Me?" Jessica demanded, "I was scary ... I'm pretty sure that Angus cleared the room, not me."

"I don't think so." Angus said, "Even I was scared ... seriously!" he added when Jessica gave him a 'give me a break' look. "Honest Jess, I thought I was going to have my ass handed to me."

"By me ..." Jessica said, doubt evident in her voice.

"By you. I was half expecting your head to spin around ..." Riley said.

"Ha, ha." Jessica said.

"So, are we okay?" Angus asked.

"That depends. Do you have any other stupid ideas?"

"Ouch ..." Riley said, "We're not going to live this down are we?"

"I'm sure you will ... eventually." Jessica said and smiled. "Do you really think it will be that dangerous for Don, Stan and Mark?"

"So long as they don't run into any of Daryl's friends it should be a piece of cake." Josh said lowering himself onto a chair.

"Someone else should go with them then." Jessica said.

Scott nodded, "We'll make sure someone does. Don't worry."

"Um, Jess." Riley said looking toward the door when voices could be heard just outside it. "They must be done. The girls brought some movies and some magazines ... " he shook his head, "some of those fashion and gossip magazines that I'm not at all sure Sean would approve them having. Do you have enough energy for all that?"

Jessica nodded vigorously.

"I honestly never thought there'd be a day when we had the whole clan here." Angus said.

"The whole clan?" Jessica asked, her heart dropping. Beth wasn't here. She hoped she wasn't home all alone.

"Caleb isn't here." Jim said when Jessica's smile disappeared. It was obvious to everyone who Jessica was thinking about and Angus' face contorted in anguish.

"He's out of town." Josh said, "sorry ..." he added when Jim glared at him.

"Will he be back soon?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know." Scott said adding his own glare at Josh.

"Where exactly is he?" Jim asked curiosity getting the better of him.

Josh shrugged. "Paul called him out to take care of part of the clan out west ... some kind of flu has knocked them out."

"He is a doctor right?" Jessica asked, looking around at the stunned looks on the other men's faces.

"Not officially." Riley said.

"And he's not Paul's doctor." Scott added, "Paul's doctor is here."

"Is that weird?" Jessica asked.

"He had them both at the race ..." Jim said making a fake scowl at Jessica when he said race.

"But he called Caleb out after ... Kept doc here. I guess maybe he figured a flu epidemic wasn't doctor worthy." Angus said.

Jessica and the men sat in silence mulling that over. 

Scott was already looking at Jessica when her eyes met his. His face melted into a smile and his eyes softened in a way that made her heart ache. Once again she couldn't believe what he'd done for her ... taking the embarrassment of those machines onto himself. She opened her mouth to say thank you when the front door opened and Sean stuck his head in.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked.

"Yeah. Come on in." Riley said and suddenly they were surrounded by pandemonium as the men's places were taken over by Leah, Amanda, Sara and Justine.

Jessica looked around her in disappointment. She wanted to thank Scott but not with a ton of people around. It was embarrassing enough knowing that they probably all knew by now. When Jessica looked back at Scott he was cocking an eyebrow at her. Jessica inhaled. Well, he'd humiliated himself for her ... she could do the same.

"You okay?" he asked. Jessica nodded. "You sure?"

"Yes. But, Scott I know about ..." Jessica paused, looking around at the people around her and turned bright red.

"Jess, Jess, stop." Scott said, obviously confused by the red tinge to Jessica's cheeks but unwilling to let her embarrass herself.

"But I have to say thank ..."

"Wait, I'll get us a few minutes alone."

"Come on man," Corey said planting a hand on Scott's shoulder. The other men had already gravitated to the kitchen, "We're playing some poker."

"It's okay." Jessica said forcing a smile, "We can talk later. Honest, go play."

"But ..." 

"I love you Scott. And, thank you."

"Huh?" but it only took a few seconds for Jessica to be surrounded by giggling women.

Jessica smiled and blew Scott a kiss. He blew one back, shook his head and headed for the kitchen. To Scott, winning money off these suckers wasn't quite as enjoyable as spending time with Jessica, but at least he could keep an eye on her while he did it. And when she had a moments peace he could go find out what she'd wanted to tell him. 

"What the hell kind of noise is that?" Riley asked half an hour later. The men were in the kitchen. Corey and Sean had also brought a folding table which supplemented the kitchen table and all the men sat around it, cards in hand. The other men followed Riley's gaze to the sofa where the girls had arranged themselves into a shrieking, giggling, mass. Justine was combing Jessica's hair, Sara was holding some magazine and seemed to be reading something from it that caused ongoing shrieks and laughter from the others ... most notably, Jessica.

"They seem to be having fun." Abe said, looking up from his cards.

"Do they do this at home?" Scott asked Corey.

"No, not really. Every once in a while they get in a mood." Corey said.

"They just seem happy." Sean added. "Jessica seems happy."

"And that surprises you?" Jim asked, Sean's tone leaving no doubt that it did.

"Not anymore." Sean said. "When I first heard that you got married I was pretty sure it was against her will. I mean, how do you go from being someone's prisoner to marrying your captors ... not just one but five? But she saved your asses, and it's obvious you love each other ... with this whole safe house thing ..."

"And the machines ... don't forget the fucking machines." Corey added with a shake of his head.

"The what?" Scott asked. "What about the machines?"

"Leah told us." Corey said and shook his head again, "The fact that you'd let us all think ... and then that Jessica would want everyone to know that it was her not you that used them ... that's gotta be love."

"What?" Scott demanded.

"She didn't tell you?" Sean asked. "Leah asked her about you and those machines. Jessica set the record straight."

"Jesus Christ." Jim whispered.

"Leah should have kept that to herself." Scott said.

Sean shook his head, "Jessica told Leah to tell everyone. Even though she turned as red as a tomato, she wanted us to know the truth. That my friend is love. Even I can see that."

Jessica and the girls squealed again.

"Why does happiness have to sound like pigs being butchered?" Riley asked in mock seriousness.

"One day I hope I have that kind of love ..." Corey said and purposely ignored the questioning look from Sean.

"So are you in or out?" Rick asked Riley, looking back at his cards.

"In." Riley said forcing his mind back to the game. Scott folded and spent the rest of the night staring at the back of Jessica's head.