19 comments/ 37967 views/ 15 favorites A Valiant Effort Ch. 01 By: beardfaceforlife It was exactly 10:26pm on Friday in June when my life took an unexpected turn that began with a frantic knock on the door. I'd been sitting on my couch, sipping a celebration drink, as I'd finally broken away from the first job that I'd taken after graduating college; I'd been a mechanical engineer for a small firm about 65 miles north of Seattle, and after two solid years of grinding through the bureaucratic bullshit, and commuting for 3 hours a day, I finally had given in my notice to pursue some other opportunities. Actually, I had no opportunities available to me at the moment; I was taking a vacation from life. I'd been through several years of college, graduated near the top of my class, and less than a week after the ceremonial doings, I was a full time employee. This was fantastic at first, but early on I realized that I was just a scapegoat for any failings that the firm had. I was treated as a punching bag, berated, bruised, and broken, for the most part. My life, once seeming so wonderful, had collapsed into a dismal pile of waste, with me being angry, upset, and downcast more often than not. The money was good, but the cost didn't equal the value. I'd come from a long line of engineers, so it was expected that I'd make it work, but I decided that the professional life wasn't for me, and I up and quit. It wasn't my usual style to give up on something that I'd worked so hard for, but now that the time had come, and I was free, I couldn't help but feel like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My family, on the other hand, didn't understand, and my phone was constantly ringing, with various members of my network telling me that my newfound desire for freedom was a waste of my potential. I hated how they felt that they knew better than I did, and I despised the fact that they were unwilling to see my side of the story. Since early that afternoon, my phone had been shut off. I had no interest in listening to another chastisement from Grandpa, Mom, or anybody else that had a 'better understanding' of my life. This is why the knock on my door was a surprise; I'd never given the family my new address, and since they couldn't call me, I had figured I was free from the constant advice column. I looked at the clock, and when I saw the hour, I knew only bad things would be coming from the other side of the door. However, even though I'd just quit my only means of sustaining my life, and had no interest in really getting into another discussion about it with anybody, I was preprogrammed to always man up to a given situation. The frantic knocking on my apartment door was one of those things I couldn't just ignore, as much as I wanted to. I set my drink down on my favorite coaster, some local brewery that had an amazing seasonal beer that I liked to enjoy on a nightly basis, and got up to answer the door. I quickly looked around the room to make sure that it was decent for company, although, as always, the room was immaculate; I prided myself on cleanliness, and the ability to leave at a moment's notice in the event that there was some sort of emergency. The knocking continued, and although it had only been a few seconds since that first knock, my stomach was tightening into a knot. This wasn't a good sign, and it was most likely not coincidental that it was occurring on my last day of work/first day of freedom. I sincerely hoped it wasn't my boss, as I knew that he'd drink the rest of my beers, and then make me feel like an ass for not having more, and then somehow talk me back into work for a few more days, under some guise of it being "my duty to finish the projects I'd started, and it's only a few more days". Reluctantly, I still walked over to the door and looked out the peephole. The peephole was of no use, because I had just remembered that I was supposed to change the bulb, so there was only blackness outside, and I still had no idea who it might be banging on my door. With a deep sigh, I turned the deadbolt, and pulled the door open to address the person interrupting my relaxation. "Thank GOD you're home!" she said, and pushed through the door, knocking me back and out of the way. The girl who'd just pushed me out of the way dropped all of her bags on the ground right inside my apartment, and walked straight to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Had I been thinking clearly, I would have realized what just happened, but my mind was in shock. This amazingly hot girl had just burst into my apartment and run straight to my bathroom without so much as a "Hi, hello, my name is ..." My mind began to spin quickly, trying to place the voice, the face, or anything else that might give away who this stranger was in my house. I came up with nothing, though, and I decided to patiently wait until she returned before I really gave it any more thought. This was my standby thinking process- if I didn't see an answer straightaway, I took a momentary pause to reassess the situation and wait for more information. I'd expected her to come right back out of the bathroom, but to my surprise, the shower started up and I could hear the girl muttering something through the door. I wasn't a doormat by any means, but I couldn't believe that a random strange girl would burst into my apartment, leave her things all over my floor, and then head into my bathroom to shower without so much as a word other than the exclamation that I was home. Therefore, logic dictated that I must know her, somehow. Not wanting to be a perv, I decided that a sexy girl in my bathroom wasn't a threat, and I resumed my seat on the couch with my beer. I didn't know how this was going to play out, but I wasn't going to stress too heavily about it. I mean, I had just quit my job, had no real plan of attack for my life, no real friends nearby, and my family was on my shit list, so I thought I'd just wait to see how it all played out. Besides, the brief encounter I'd had with her left me focusing on other aspects of her; rather than who she was, it was more how she looked. She'd been really attractive, I thought, but it was only a momentary glance. My beer quickly was consumed, as I mulled over the possibilities of what was to occur when the girl returned from my bathroom. I got up, and grabbed another, enjoying the taste of my favorite beverage, when the shower shut off. I knew every sound in my apartment, so I knew that the shower curtain was pulled back, one of the clean towels had been removed from the squeaky Ikea towel rack, and the door was opening. The door was opening? I knew immediately that this girl was only coming out in a towel, and I thought maybe that this might be some sort of present from a friend, or maybe my boss, although both were unlikely. I wasn't the type to pick up random girls, and I never EVER hired working girls. Regardless, this situation was reaching a point where I wasn't so sure I wanted this girl in my house anymore, even if she was hot. I decided to approach her when she walked out, so as I took a swig of my beer, I turned to face the bathroom door as it swung inward. There she was, wrapped in a towel, legs still glistening from the hot water that had been cascading down her naked body moments before. The towel was loosely draped, so seeing a figure through that was rather difficult, but I assessed that she had an amazing rack hidden behind that thick piece of cloth. My eyes had started at her feet, and worked their way up, finally resting on her face. In the span of the 10 seconds I was watching her, she hadn't moved, and was just looking back at me. Realization dawned on me as the face became familiar. It was Katie, my step sister. I hadn't seen her in years; she hadn't come to my graduation due to the divorce that had occurred when I was in the middle of college. Katie had been a Senior in high school, and my mom, even though I loved her, decided to take a few new lovers while my stepdad was away on business. This spiraled out of control, leaving Katie in a broken family, again, with me being off at college, safe. I wasn't sure how she'd found me, why she was here, or what she wanted, but she was the one person in the world that I was genuinely glad to see; my thoughts of her rack and sexy body long gone. I wasn't one for incest, and even though there was no blood relation, she was off limits, always had been, and always would be. I loved her like my own little sister, and that was the end of my feelings for her. Given, I hadn't seen her in years, and my body still tried to react. A tiny lurch in my pants called for some extreme willpower, and as a master of my own mind, I managed to shut the boner down before it had a chance to really gain strength. "You got another one of those Ben?" she asked, indicating the beer in my hand. Without waiting for a response, she walked over to my fridge, and pulled another can from the acquired six pack that I enjoyed so much. She cracked the beer and started chugging right in the kitchen, not waiting for the fridge to even close before the can was hitting her lips. I had to say, a sexy woman, in a towel, still damp from the shower, drinking a beer in my kitchen, was one of the most erotic things I'd ever seen in my 24 years of life. I was speechless as I watched her drain the can in less than a minute, toss the can into the sink, and grabbed another one. She didn't chug the second one, but walked back over to the couch where I'd been sitting and plopped down, cracking the beer in a smooth motion with one hand and then setting it on my one and only coaster. I was still just standing in the middle of the room, beer in hand, speechless. This had to be one of the most odd experiences I'd ever been a part of, and I didn't quite know how to react. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I realized I still hadn't even said hello to her, much less asked her what she was doing in my apartment. "Hey Kate. What's up?" I asked, not quite sure what else to say. She was my sister, after all. Pleasantries could be ignored with family, I'd always said, so I wasn't going to give her the interrogation that I'd previously planned on when I didn't know that it was her. "Oh you know, the same shit as always. What's new with you?" She replied, not really giving me anything to work with. I shrugged, and sat next to her, drinking my beer, waiting for her to speak again. I waited a long time. We sat silently, sipping our beers together side by side, and waiting for the other to start the conversation. My curiosity finally got the best of me, and I opened my mouth to ask why she was here, how she had found me, and basically, wondered what she wanted. Before I could speak, she started talking. "Ben, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Can I use your room?" Without waiting for an answer, again, she set her can down on the table, stood up, grabbed her bags, and walked into my room, shutting my bedroom door behind her. I was stunned. She'd been in my house for about an hour, and basically acted as is she lived here. I shrugged to myself, though, because, after all, she was my sister, and if she was here, at least she wasn't out somewhere unsafe. I'd always tried to take care of her, but I had a feeling that she wasn't the kind that needed taking care of anymore. As a matter of fact, she seemed like she was more confident than anybody I knew. I looked at the clock again, but the battery had died. The analog display was still showing 10:26pm. I thought that to be a bit ominous, but decided that it could wait until the morning. I'd already had a couple of beers before Katie had shown up, so decided to call it a night. Since my bedroom was occupied, I started to get blankets out of my linen cupboard to keep me warm throughout the night on the couch. Once the couch was made up, I stripped down to my boxers, turned off all the lights, and went to sleep. I wasn't quite sure how this would affect my new vacation plan, but I thought I'd worry about it in the morning. My eyes closed, and dreams didn't come this night. -- When I awoke, my back was sore. The couch wasn't comfortable, and the room wasn't warm. I cleaned up the beer cans from the table and counter and sink, and began to make breakfast, temporarily forgetting I had a house guest. Considering the minimal contact we'd had last night, it didn't immediately come to me why I had slept on the couch. Once the kitchen was clean, and my breakfast was ready, I sat down at my coffee table again, where I'd been drinking the night before. I had no dining room, so no need for a table, and since I had no guests, typically, the couch was the only seat I really needed. Before the first bite could pass my lips, the bedroom door opened, and I remembered everything- Katie had come over, stole a shower, drank my beers, and hijacked my bedroom. My sweet little sister, who seemed like a demanding monster in the light of day, now that I thought about it. Oh well, she'll be gone soon, and my vacation can really begin. Katie came out of the room, dressed in some pajama pants and a sleeping shirt. It wasn't revealing, so to speak, but it did leave a good deal to the imagination as to her curves. I tried not to notice, and again, as last night, succeeded in ignoring the beauty that was standing right in front of me. "Is that for me?" she asked, sweetly, winking, and reached over to grab my plate of food. Again, before I could respond, the food was being shoveled into her mouth. I was getting fed up with this- first my beer, then my bedroom, then my breakfast. I was irritated, hungry, and sore. "Katie!" I exclaimed, not unkindly, but not in a friendly tone, "What the hell? You stole my beers, bedroom, and now my fucking breakfast. What gives?" My little sister just looked at me, laughed, and continued to eat my breakfast. Even though it was just scrambled eggs and a bit of sausage, she made it looks as if it was the best meal in the world. The sounds of a hungry person eating typically disgust me, but for some reason, I was captivated by the way her arm kept scooping the breakfast into her mouth, licking her lips, the tiny moans as if it was somehow slightly orgasmic. I couldn't look away, but my stomach started to rumble in sympathy, as I really was hungry this morning. I sighed, and walked back into the kitchen to make another plate for myself. As she saw me doing this, she laughed, and took a swig of my orange juice that I'd left on the coffee table. "Got any champagne?" she tittered, not waiting for an answer, and looking into my fridge. Sadly, she found no champagne, but did find the remainder of a bottle of Grey Goose, which allowed her OJ to turn into a screwdriver. A strong screwdriver, by the looks of it. "Kate! Seriously? What the hell? This is my house. You walk in, take over, and I get no explanation, and now you're drinking all of my booze? I think you'd better explain. NOW." I was no longer indulging my little sister's game playing attitude. "Oh Ben, don't get so worked up. We have a plan of attack to create today. Now, be a good big brother, and go get ready for the day. I'll finish up here." With that, she pushed me out of the way, and continued to scramble the eggs and fry the sausage I'd started for myself. She'd always been kind of bossy, and apparently age hadn't curbed that aspect of her. Since I wasn't much of a conflict guy, hence me leaving my engineering position, I silently agreed, and turned to go get some clothing so I could shower. I realized, as I was getting my clothes, that I was still just wearing my boxers, and neither her, nor I had commented on my lack of dress. I wasn't embarrassed, but it wasn't something that immediately registered that I'd been nearly naked next to my incredibly hot sister. As I was showering, I got to thinking that this wasn't what I wanted; I really just needed some down time, and my sister being here wasn't going to allow that. As much as I wanted to see her, and hear what was going on in her life, I was preparing to tell her that she needed to move on, and get on with whatever it was that she was doing these days; I wanted to rest. I had no real plans, but I couldn't be babysitting my little sister as I tried to figure out my next move. I dried off, changed into some jeans and a tee shirt, and pulled a flannel over the top of it all. Seattle always called for layers, and I wasn't going to get caught in one of our famous downpours, even if the sun was out for the time being. Seattle weather was fickle, and I'd learned my lesson one too many times. I stepped out of the bathroom, freshly washed, and went back into my bedroom to deposit my laundry, when I realized the state of the room; it was a disaster. Girl clothing was strewn about everywhere, the bed was a mess, the room smelled stale, and in general, I was disgusted. I liked to be fastidiously clean, and this was more like a college dorm room than an apartment, by the looks. I spent a few minutes cleaning up, making the bed, organizing Kate's stuff into piles, and placed them neatly by the door. I wasn't sure what was clean or dirty, but I figured that she could take care of that aspect herself. I walked back into the living room, and the food that she'd prepared was sitting on the table, next to another glass of OJ. Without a word, I sat down, and began eating, noting that it was actually really good; better than the plain-jane breakfast that I'd made for myself earlier. I took a sip of the juice, and immediately realized she'd poured a bunch of vodka in it. I wasn't a big drinker, and never for breakfast, so I ignored the screwdriver, and finished the plate. It was then that I realized I didn't see Kate anywhere. I didn't have her phone number, and had no idea where she might have gone, but I wasn't too concerned; Katie would be back. Moments later the door opened, and she walked in, now wearing jeans and a tee shirt like me. She must have changed on while I was in the shower. I looked at her, and she looked at me. No words, just silent staring, assessing the situation. Finally, she came over, and sat next to me, scooping up the juice that I'd ignored, and tossing it back like a pro. When the empty glass was placed back on my coaster, she looked at me again. "Hi Ben." She said. Smiling prettily at me. All at once, I was captivated by my beautiful little sister. Again. She'd always had such an amazing smile, and knew that it was easy to get me wrapped around her little finger when she used it in such a direct manner. "Hello Katie." I responded, somewhat infatuated, but more concerned by what the smile meant. In the past, whenever she was in trouble, or needed help, or just was being lazy and wanted me to do something for her, she smiled like that. I wasn't broke, but I wasn't rich, so I hoped she didn't want money. I couldn't think of what else would prompt such a random appearance. And considering we hadn't talked in years, and she'd shown up out of the blue, I knew it would probably modify my vacation plans in more ways than one. Fuck. "Ben, I need help." She stated. Here it comes, I thought. "Ok... Katie... um, first. Hi! How are you? What's going on? Why are you here? And all of the other relevant questions. I don't know if you heard but I quit my job and-" "Oh Ben, I know all about that. Don't worry. Before I answer any of that, though, can you help me? Please?" she pleaded. I knew she hadn't answered any of my questions, and I was still prepared to tell her to get her things figured out elsewhere, but, considering I really had nothing else going on, I decided to figure out what it was that she wanted before I had to be the asshole older brother. "Maybe, Katie. Depends on what it is... I've been kind of taken by surprise here, and you haven't been the best houseguest. Really, I'm in a strange place right now, and I don't know how much help I can be." I thought that maybe a slight insult, and a prompting statement would speed this process up. A Valiant Effort Ch. 01 "Oh Ben. Benny. I'm in trouble. I didn't know where else to go. Please?" She avoided my question again, and this time, I caved. "I guess I can help Katie, but really, what's the trouble? I'm concerned, but I've also got my own things going on." A blatant lie, but it was worth a shot. "Ben, I need a ride. Back to school. I kind of left... in a hurry... and forgot some... things. I don't know. It's all messy. Things haven't been so good for me recently, and I need support. That jackass I was dating... and classes... and Daddy, and the sorority, and..." she started to sniffle a bit, but I could tell it was fake. She was good at faking the crying thing, and even though I had the softest of soft spots for her, I wasn't going to be duped by fake crying. Not again, anyways; high school had taught me a lot. Katie was 19, I think. I wasn't sure. She might be 20, now. She was 3 years younger than me, and when I was a senior in high school, she'd been a freshmen. It wasn't a true three years, closer to three and a half, but it didn't really matter. Sometimes she was 4 years younger, sometimes three years younger, depending on the birthdays. The last I'd seen her was her sophomore year, and that was quite a while ago. Nowadays, it looked as if she was going blonde, but when I'd last seen her, she'd had dark brown hair cropped short. It was longer now, nearly natural, if I recalled correctly, and looked like it was soft to the touch. When one of those stray hairs covered her face, I'd always really wanted to brush it back, but I knew that was a line that could never be crossed, even if it was innocent. "Katie, cut the crap." I started, "I know you're not really crying. What's up, and let's talk about it. I might be able to give you a ride." Thinking that the airport was only about 45 minutes away, it really wasn't that big of a deal, considering I had no other things going on. She smiled at me through the fake tears, and immediately started laughing "ok, you got me big brother. I'm having a mental collapse, my boyfriend was a jerk, so I left him, and the sorority was putting too much pressure on me, so I just up and left. Daddy wants me to go see him, but I don't want to hear how disappointed he is in me. I don't want to go back to school, but I need some things that I left. I didn't really think it all out- I just left. I heard from Daddy that you were quitting your job, so before you had any other plans, I thought I'd stop by and see if you might be willing to give me a ride..." Another fake sob followed, and then a giggle, as she realized that the fake crying wasn't doing much good. I just looked at her. So all she needed was a place to crash, and then I give her a ride to the airport, and then I can start my vacation. Awesome. "Yea, Kate, I'll give a ride. I can do that... it's only 45 minutes away. When does your flight leave?" I remembered she went to school in Idaho, so I assumed that it was a quick flight for her, and it wouldn't be hard to book a quick flight to Spokane and get a ride down. "Well, actually, I'm not needing a ride to the airport. I was hoping for a ride to school. Like I said, I have things, and... I can't afford to ship them back... I know gas is expensive, but I can pay that... it's just... please, Ben? Just a couple of hours driving there, and dropping me off, and I'll take care of the rest. I promise. Please?" She was begging now, and her voice was ringing with sincerity. I mulled it over, and came to the conclusion that a couple hours of driving over to her school would be fine. However, a couple hours was kind of a stretch, as I recalled that it would take me about 5-6 hours to get to Moscow, especially with the traffic the way it was these days, considering Memorial Day, Father's Day, and all of the high school and college students getting off for summer break. "Let me be clear, Katie. You want me to give you a ride to your school, in Idaho, and want me to leave you there. Although, you claim you need to get some things you can't afford to ship, and you have no new location in mind, correct?" I wanted to make sure I understood what I was getting into before I agreed. "Basically, yes. Well, no, but kind of. I don't know. See, Ben, there's more, but I don't want to talk about it right now. So, yea, I guess. Just take me to Moscow, and I'll be fine. I can manage from there. I shouldn't have freaked out, but since all of my friends have left by now for summer, I have no way to get back to get my things... can you help me? Please?" Her lips were quivering, and I couldn't think of a legitimate reason to say no. "Yes, as long as we can leave today. I'll probably need to come back tonight, so I'll just be dropping you off and leaving. Is that ok?" I asked, noting that it was already 11:30am, so I'd be driving until well past midnight. That was ok with me- I loved driving my car. It was a 1964 Plymouth Valiant, red in color, with a push button transmission, slant-six engine, and was in good repair. I loved that car, and even though the gas mileage was horrible, and it really didn't like to drive around the city, that monster was made for the freeway. I'd wanted to plan a road trip this vacation, and here was my chance. "Oh Ben! You're the best! She leaned over, and kissed me right on the cheek, leaving a smear of her lipstick or lipgloss (whatever it may have been) on my face. I smiled; it had been years since she'd kissed me, and that was always my reward for helping her out of whatever jam she was in. It only took a few minutes for her to get her stuff packed back up, all tossed back into her bag haphazardly, and I grabbed my satchel, which contained all of my emergency items; a pipe, some weed, a pack of smokes, a calculator, pencils, pens, paperwork, bandana, extra clothing, and a fork. These were all things that I needed in the event that I broke down and was stuck overnight in a strange location. I could continue to work, plan, and relax, if needed. In the car there was already an emergency 6-pack in the trunk, a case of water, spare tire, jack, batteries, and other odds & ends that helped keep my worry to a minimum. It had only taken being broken down once overnight to make sure I always kept emergency supplies with me everywhere I went. During the packing of her things, Katie had changed again, this time into some cutoff jean shorts that rode nearly up to her crotch- Daisy Dukes, and a bright red halter top that accentuated her ample rack. It was rather distracting in the middle of packing to look up and see the perfectly formed figure of a sexy woman bending over her bag, giving me a great view of her ass, and seeing those pockets hanging outside of the line where her shorts met her thighs. Those pockets must be for show, as I couldn't imagine getting anything in or out of them, while they were on her. Actually, it had always been a thought of mine, wondering why girls would wear clothing that was revealing and essentially useless to carry any additional items, such as change, a wallet, etc. I didn't ask, though, and I tried not to stare, but my willpower was slowly broken down as my hormones took over. The heart shaped booty that was wiggling across the room continued to capture my attention as I gathered my own travel items. I was content in my own jeans, tee shirt, and flannel, and had no real need to get any other clothing items. However, I was familiar with the Eastern side of Washington, and knew that the temperature could be very volatile, so I grabbed an extra jacket, and a pair of cargo shorts, just in case. I didn't want to be caught in the cold, nor in the extreme heat. It wasn't really necessary, though, because I knew I'd be back before the sun came up the next day. The AM radio worked fine in the car, and since there was no other way to play music in the behemoth, I figured CD's would be an unnecessary addition. Not to mention, on the station I was listening to regularly, they were always reading books on the air. I didn't really think too much about how to occupy myself on the way back, but I wasn't too concerned; if it got too late, I could always crash at a hotel, and charge my cellphone, which had the ability to play music. The view that my little sister was giving me had begun to cause the "man downstairs" to wake up, but I made a point to not take care of business. I wasn't going to go jerk off in my bathroom to the thought of my Sister. That was inappropriate, even given the sights I was seeing. I was a guy that needed to beat my meat at least once a day, and since I hadn't had a chance last night, nor this morning, the need was getting stronger, but I managed to keep my head in the game, and focus on other things. Slowly, the pressure released, and the thought of spurting my hot load faded from my mind. We finished packing and made it down to the car, loading the last of our things for this impromptu trip. At noon on Saturday, the road trip began. -- Before we left the city, I'd stopped and gotten gas, and a few snacks. I had hoped we'd be able to make it on one tank of gas, but I planned on stopping in Ellensburg to get more fuel. Being stuck on the east side of the mountains on I-90 had no appeal to me, so I was going to be extra cautious. The moment the tank was filled, and the snacks had been acquired, we hit the road for real. The traffic was awful, per the norm, but once we were on I-90, heading eastbound, it lessened considerably, and the road began to call to me. I loved road trips, and driving this beast across the state was something I really had been wanting to do for years. I'd gotten the car in Chelan, and driven it back to Seattle once upon a time, but since then, it had been purely city driving. This was the first time since bringing it west that the Valiant was going to be taking me places other than the local pub or grocery store. I'd had another vehicle for commuting to and from work, but the engine had given out about a month ago, so I'd been forced to rely on carpools to get to work. That may have been a contributing factor to me voluntarily quitting, but I didn't count it. As a matter of fact, it was one of the furthest things from my mind; I was mobbing in the Valiant, The Beast, The Behemoth, The Big Red Tank. And I was with my sister, who I'd missed immensely, although I really hadn't had a chance to talk with her yet, and I was completely free from responsibility. The AM radio was blasting some old classic rock that barely could be considered rock, but both Katie and I enjoyed the music. Sometimes she'd sing along, and sometimes she'd just sit back, and nod her head to the beat, as I just watched. We didn't talk much, and the first mountain pass went by as a silent movie would- quickly, with lots to watch, but not really understanding what's going on without further examination. I could tell Katie was getting anxious, as she was scooting around much more than she should have, so when Ellensburg came, I pulled into a gas station I was familiar with, and got out to pump the fuel. Over half a tank later, the pumping mechanism clicked, and I got back into the car. Eastern Washington was much warmer than Seattle, and I was sweating by the time I got back into the car. I removed my flannel, and looked at Katie to see how she was doing. She was sweating as well, but didn't seem to mind, so I started the vehicle back up, and with a loud roar, we were back on the freeway. Moments after we'd gotten back onto I-90, Kate informed me that she needed a restroom. Of course, I was pissed, because we just stopped at a gas station, where I'd used the facilities, and she'd just sat in the car. Silently, I took the next exit, and circled back, this time heading to a Burger King, where I thought food might be something else she might need. Sure enough, when she came back out of the fast food chain restaurant, she had a bag with the Burger King logo, and a giant soft drink. I chuckled, knowing that I was right, and had we gotten back on the road, within minutes she would have asked for food, too. We hadn't broken into the snacks yet, so I was prepared, but it was good to know that I was right, and could predict her actions. "Ben, do you have a cup holder I can put this in?" she asked, indicating the drink. Sadly, three things the Valiant lacked were a cup holder, a working cigarette lighter, and any form of AC. I shook my head, "No, sorry Kate. We're kind of stuck without." I shrugged my shoulders, and revved the monster back to life. Kate pouted, then decided to chug a bunch of the drink first, so that if she set it between her legs, it wouldn't spill out everywhere in the event of an unexpected swerve or pothole. We still hadn't chatted at all, and I was getting kind of annoyed with the silence, but since I was just being a delivery boy, of sorts, I wasn't going to break the silence. Dropping her off was the goal, but the drive was the part I was enjoying. I loved that car. No sooner than I'd thought it, Katie began to open up a bit. "Why are you still driving this piece of shit? Didn't you get a real job? Can't you even afford a nice vehicle?" She snapped a bit, clearly annoyed that the car did not have exactly what she wanted. "Katie, this is my car. I love this car. I make do. If you don't like it, tough." I was annoyed too; I hated it when people mocked my car. It was a classic, for God's sake. This thing was a tank, and reliable. I couldn't think of anything more fun or safe to drive, minus the fact that it didn't have shoulder straps or airbags. I wasn't going to mention that, though. She sat, silently, still fuming, now munching on her fast food. The road was eaten up as we continued to cruise along I-90, watching the passing traffic, the fields on either side, and the sun still climbing up, considering it was only about 3:30 by now. It had been a bit longer of a drive than I'd expected, and I was realizing that my return trip would be even later than previously anticipated. Regardless, I didn't make any more waves, and just listened to the sounds that the road created. Minutes passed, and I was starting to get irritated. I realized I was now driving my Sister, who seemed less than pleasant company, across the state, in silence, and still wasn't really sure why. "Kate, I think it's time we talked about this... what the hell is going on?" I decided a smoke was in order, so I pulled out the pack from my satchel, and lit one up, blowing the smoke out the window. She wordlessly grabbed my pack, and lit one up herself, somewhat surprising me. "Ok, Ben, I'm going to tell you everything, but it's going to make you upset." She inhaled again, and then looked over at me before continuing. "I dropped out of school. Last semester, about three months ago. I was living with a guy, and he turned out to be... not good for me. So, I decided that I needed to leave. I caught a flight with my last few dollars, and went to see Daddy. He told me that I needed to go back to school, or I'd be cut off. I tried to explain to him how bad things had become, but, well, you know Daddy. He told me to figure it out and get the things done I needed to do. So, I told him off, and left. I met up with some of my old friends in the City, and all was well, but... things got bad again. I realized I needed to be on my own, but also realized I didn't have any of my stuff. I talked to Daddy again, and told him that I needed his help getting my stuff from that guy's house, and Daddy, like the asshole he is, told me that I should figure it out on my own." She began crying into her cigarette, and took a big swig of the soft drink. "I asked him if he had suggestions, and he said that you, Ben, were going to be unemployed soon, too. At that, he closed the door in my face! IN MY FACE!" She sobbed again, ashing the cigarette on herself in the process, thankfully not any hot coals, though. "I called your mom, and she said the same thing, though she gave me a rough idea of where to find you, so I made a few calls to your work, and got the address, and the skinny on what you were doing. I wanted to wait until you were completely out of there before I asked for the ride over here... but... I found all that out about a week ago. I've been living... well... I haven't had a bed to sleep in since... it's been a while, Ben..." She was all out crying now, and I was shocked. I'd had no idea that her Dad, my Ex-Step Dad, was such an ass. And my Mom, being who she is, and not wanting to take any responsibility herself, dumped it all on me. I couldn't believe my boss went along with it all, though. This was bullshit. Here I was, trying to take some 'me-time', and everybody in my life is trying their hardest to stop it... Fuck them all. I was pissed. At least it wasn't Katie's fault. I mean, it was, but at the same time, I could feel for her. I wasn't quite mad at her, I just didn't understand why her Dad was so mean, my Mom so crafty as not to tell me, and my Boss... well, fuck him. Maybe it was retaliation for me quitting. I wasn't sure. And then it clicked- we were going over to her ex boyfriend's house to get her stuff, unannounced. Oh fuck. This wasn't so great anymore. "Katie, I take it to mean that you had nowhere else to go, and now you need help getting your stuff back, and I'm supposed to neutralize your ex while you get this all taken care of, right? And why didn't you come sooner? I wouldn't ever let you be homeless, you know that, right?" I was trying to be calm, but this wasn't the road trip I'd planned. As a matter of fact, this was something completely different. I was just trying to relax and take a vacation, and the world was against me. "Oh, No, Ben, I couldn't ask that of you. I just need you to drop me in Moscow, and I'll manage it all. Don't worry about me." She smiled through her tears, although I wondered if I'd just committed to helping her out anyways. Great. "No, really, I can help. It's the least I could do. And if you need a place for a few days, I think you would be fine at my apartment. I can figure something out. I don't know. Are you broke?" I didn't want to know her financial situation, but I couldn't be supporting my sister forever. "I have ways to make money, if I want, Ben. Don't worry about that." And that was the last we talked about money for a while. I should have asked sooner, but I respected her privacy. We were silent for the next 20 miles or so, and traffic had started to pick up again, so the going was slow. The temperature was still creeping up in the Valiant, so I tilted the wing windows to blow air into the vehicle. As long as we maintained 55 mph, the car didn't warm up too badly, but I was wishing I'd put on my shorts. Finally, she broke the silence. "Ben, are you mad at me?" "No, Katie, I'm not. I wish you'd told me the whole story sooner, but... I get it. I understand. It's been good seeing you though, but seriously, no more lies or misdirection, ok? I need information, not stories. You remember how I work, right?" I'd been a kid that got frustrated by misdirection for as long as I could remember. I always wanted to know how things worked, no conjecture, speculation, nothing like that. I wanted facts so I could analyze and understand. "Yes, Ben," she giggled, "I remember." I'm sure she was remembering one time or another that I completely blew up because I was lied to or the whole truth wasn't told, and I made a mess of things based on false information. She'd done that to me several times in my life, and seemed to love to get a rise out of me. Speaking of rise, for some reason the heat in the car was increasing, and my internal temperature was spiking. I was overheating, and I needed to get cooler soon, or I would pass out; another one of my odd quirks. Strangely, though, it wasn't the only thing on the rise. I hadn't been aware, but Katie was slowly scooting her way towards me, and when I realized, she was sitting directly next to me, with her leg rubbing mine. It wasn't sexual, it was just her being close that caused my cock to start growing. A Valiant Effort Ch. 01 Since I hadn't taken care of it last night or this morning, my willpower was waning, and a bulge was becoming noticeable at the right angle. I hoped Katie didn't notice. As I was noticing this, I also realized that her left tit was pressed against my arm, and I could feel something on the inside that wasn't quite as smooth as the rest of her top. HER NIPPLE. Her nipple was erect, and it was rubbing my arm. Or maybe, she was rubbing her nipple on my arm purposefully. I wasn't sure, but I leaned the other way, scooting away from her, and trying to get some air for myself. As I mentioned, I was overheating. "Katie, could I get some space. I'm overheating and I need to breathe." I stammered out, trying to nudge her away. She complied, and moved back to her side, but I'm sure I caught her glancing at my bulge that was now completely apparent. I did my best to ignore the throbbing, but it was so difficult. I was having way too many things going through my head; nipples, erections, ex boyfriends, road trips, money, joblessness, homelessness, terrible parenting, etc. I was trying to compartmentalize all of it, when Katie spoke again. "Um... Ben... can I tell you something else... and this is where you're going to get really mad at me..." She was hesitant, and it didn't seem like an act. I was suspicious immediately, because she wasn't nearly as direct as I preferred, and as she'd gotten older, it seemed that what she said had other meanings. "Oh great. Now what?" I snapped. Immediately, I realized I was just annoyed because I was overheating, so I turned on my indicator, and pulled over, stopping the car on the side of the road. I reached back into my bag, and grabbed my shorts, planning on immediately changing, until I realized I was still completely erect, and it was more than noticeable. "Sorry Kate, I'm just hot. Could you turn for a minute? I've got to change..." I ignored the part where I had wood for my sister, and hoped she'd go along with it. Luckily, she did. As I pulled my pants off, and swapped into my shorts, still sitting in the driver side, I noticed her looking at me in the side mirror. Oh Hell. She saw my boner. Fuck. Oh well, I'm not stressed- she was spying. "Ok, Kate, so what's up?" I said, as I adjusted myself, and got the seatbelt back in place. "Um," she giggled, "all fixed?" she laughed again, and I knew she had seen my cock. Whatever. She was my sister, but seriously, she was hot. I couldn't help my reaction. Plus, why was she sitting so close to me, and rubbing her tit on my arm. Ugh. This was a pain. I should have just stayed at home and told her to find her own way. "Yea, so what's up? What's going to piss me off?" "Ok, it's two things... or more... maybe you should drive?" she pointed at the road, and I agreed. The more time spent driving is more time spent vacationing. Even though I loved this car, I didn't want to be in it forever. Only about an hour left on the road before we hit Spokane, then South, then East again to Moscow. I knew there were other ways to go, but I didn't want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere in the event that the Valiant broke. "So, Ben, it's not a guy we're going to see... it's my ex girlfriend." She started. My head jerked up. My sister was into girls? Oh, well, I guess that's ok. I didn't really care. At least it wasn't some guy I was going to have to fight. That made me breathe a little easier. "ok, and?" "well, it's complicated... See... um... oh hell. Here it goes. So I was dating this girl, and it turned out she had a boyfriend, so that's where the guy comes into play. He hates me, and doesn't like that his girlfriend is also my girlfriend. She won't leave him, but wants me still, and so invited me to live with them. And then he found out that we were sleeping together, but then freaked out. I mean, we had a few threesomes, but when he caught us alone, it was all over. I was asked to leave, and not nicely. And... they're not in Moscow..." she ended on a quiet note. Information overload. My sister, was into girls, and threeways, and... NOT IN MOSCOW? "What the Hell? Where are they? I'm driving you to Moscow... Where is your stuff? Why the Hell...?" I couldn't quite figure out what to say. I wasn't sure what I wanted to know... except, my destination was now different. I lit another cigarette. "Ben... Ok, this is bad, but... bear with me. See, I went to school in Moscow. And I was in a Sorority. And... I learned things about me... ok? The initiation of this particular house was intense, but... I went through it all, except the last part. And when they insisted, I walked away. Another girl walked away too, and that's when we bonded, but like I said, she had a boyfriend. And he was ok with me living there too, because, well, you know, he could fuck us both. But then... when he found out why we walked out... he got really mad, and said that the institution was sick. So he made us move, thinking he had two sex slaves. Well, we decided that he was right- we did need to move, but... we didn't want him with us anymore... It wasn't love- we were his sluts... And he sometimes... Anyways, we moved to Montana, and we were happy, but when we told him that he wasn't part of us anymore, he went crazy, and... I had to leave. So, there is a guy,... and he is an asshole... and sort of an ex... and I left him... and I quit school... but I was thinking... if I got to Moscow, I know people there that could help me get to Montana. It's going to be ok. End of the line is Moscow, for you, ok? I promise." I thought overload had occurred earlier, but this was too much to take. My sister was a slut? She was being fucked by this guy over and over again, and... I wonder why they left the sorority. It wasn't my business, and I was afraid to ask. But the big brother gene had kicked in, and I was going to beat the living shit out of this dude that had used my sister as a cum dumpster. I had a feeling I wasn't getting the whole story, still, but that thought was minimized by the anger I felt. This was my little sister, and nobody messed with her. I was going to set things right, and I knew that by the end of this little adventure, my sister would be on better ground, now that she had the big bad brother to come save the day. It was funny, only moments before, I'd been so angry about driving across the state under false pretenses, but now I was ready to drive even further to get revenge on behalf of this sweet little girl sitting next to me. This sweet, sexy, loving girl that I'd known for most of my life. I wanted nothing more than to fix her world as best as I could. "Katie, we can do whatever needs to be done. I'm going to help you," I decided on the spot, "and we're going to make this assbag pay for what he's done to you. Where exactly are we heading now?" Now that I'd realized Moscow was out of the question, I needed to review more geography so I could plan the travel route. So much for a day trip. "Oh Ben, I love you!" she gushed, and leaned over to kiss my cheek again, as she had earlier that day. "I can give you directions. Just head for the border, and I'll let you know. It's kind of confusing." She ended, still not quite giving me the answers I wanted. I sighed internally. Looks like this road trip was turning into a true adventure, and I was getting somewhat excited at the prospect of travelling further, even though I wasn't quite sure where we were going. It also occurred to me that there would need to be an overnight pit stop somewhere, because I couldn't drive all night. I could handle another 5 hours, maybe, but not much more. We were getting closer to Spokane, and I knew enough to stay on I-90 until Coeur D'alene, but after that my road knowledge ended. I figured that would be as good of a spot to stop as any. "Katie, we're going to stop in Coeur D'alene tonight, and then we can discuss our next destination, deal?" I asked, not wanting to get into detail about my specific plan to deal with the assbag, or the rest of the trip. "Oh, that sounds great! Just make sure to stop at the border. I need to do something, right at the sign, ok?" She asked, but it sounded rhetorical. Basically, I was the driver, and she told me where to go, and when to stop. I wasn't too concerned, but it did irritate me slightly that I was still in the dark. The rest of the drive to and through Spokane was quiet, and we simply road in the car, letting the air blow over us from the windows, both hot, both sweaty, and both lost in our thoughts. I was focused on how to deal with the situation as it had been explained, and where we'd be stopping, and how the rest of our trip would play out. I couldn't tell what Katie was thinking, but I was starting to realize how much trouble she really was. Even though this wasn't a planned adventure, I was beginning to have a bit of fun, being on the open road, and heading off into previously unexplored country. Still, this wasn't quite how I liked to live my life, clearly. As we neared the border, Katie cried out that we needed to stop by the sign at take a picture. Exasperated, I pulled over, and watched her get out and walk to the sign, assess it, and walk back. "Ok, Ben, here's the deal. I need to you take a picture of me by this sign. Here's my camera." At that, she walked back to the sign and waited for me to get out to take the picture. This was irritating for me, as I didn't like taking pictures, ever. I had done poorly in photography courses, and had no real need for a camera, as I had a near perfect memory for imagery. I popped open the lens, and pointed the camera at my sister. "Say Cheese!" I yelled, and was about to take the photo, when I saw what I was focused on. My sister had pulled her halter up, exposing her tits at oncoming traffic and at the camera. "Holy shit! Katie! Put those away! You're going to get us in trouble! Seriously!" I pulled the camera away from my face, and she made a pouty face, still showing off her incredible set of titties. I wanted to look closer, but I was embarrassed. This was the first set of real tits I'd seen in quite some time, and my body responded immediately, my cock rapidly stiffening in my pants. She continued to flash, pouting. "Please?" she called out. "HELL NO!" I yelled back, and crawled into the car. Embarrassed, hard, confused. Not quite sure how to deal with all of this new information. Reluctantly, she pulled her top down, and came back to the car, adjusting herself as she got in. "You're no fun, you know that?" she muttered, not making eye contact, or even addressing the fact that she'd just shown her tits off to at least a dozen passing cars, and completely ignoring the fact that I'm her brother. "Shit, Katie. That's not cool. You can get arrested for stuff like that. Plus, why would you ask me to do that? I'm your brother. Ugh." I ranted at her, waiting for her response. Silence was all I got, so I revved the behemoth back to life, and pulled back onto the freeway. The silence continued until we hit our destination, which was a hotel on the eastern part of Coeur D'alene. Still quiet, she got out of the vehicle with me, as we walked up to the lobby of the hotel. By this time, my cock had shrunk to normal size, but the image of her titties in the broad daylight, bouncing as she tried to entice me to take that photo, was still imprinted on my mind. One room, this early in the evening was about $100. It must have appeared that we were a couple in a fight, because the room had only one double bed. I wasn't sure if the guy at the counter was trying to help us out, or just reveled in the idea of a couple fighting in a tiny room. In any case, I made no mention of it, and hauled my things into the room, making a return trip for Katie's stuff, which she'd left for me to take care of. When I had everything in the room, I looked at her, and she was scrolling through her camera photos. "Ok, Katie, what was that all about back there? You flash the camera and wanted me to take a picture? In broad daylight? What gives? Seriously, this is a bit much for me. I'm trying to let loose a bit, and have fun, but you're going to give me an anxiety attack at this rate. Please, what is going on here?" I started strongly, but ended up speaking calmly, hoping to extract an answer from her. "Ben, it's stupid. Nevermind, ok, I won't bug you about it again." She pouted, still focused on the camera. "No, Kate. Really, what was that all about? I'm worried about you. These last 24 hours have been crazier than the last 2 years combined for me." I insisted. "Do you really want to know, Ben? It's nothing special, it's just a thing I... we... do. Ya know?" She finally looked up at me, but appeared to be abashed. "No, I don't know, Katie. Please explain." "Or what? You'll leave your sister in a hotel in Idaho?" she snickered, testing me. "No, Katie, I won't do that. I wouldn't do that. I just want you to tell me the truth about things. This is irritating, because I only get half a story that changes, and then it turns out to be a lie, and then you do things like this, and it's got me on edge. Please?" I had given up. She'd either tell me, or she wouldn't, but she needed to know I wouldn't leave her. "Really, Ben? You wouldn't leave me? Even after that? Even after all the things I've told you?" she looked sincere again, but I wasn't quite convinced. I expected another half truth, but half was better than zero, from my perspective. "No, of course not. I promised to beat the crap out of Assbag, and get you what you needed. I told you I'd give you a ride, and since I really have nothing else going on, I suppose it's not an issue anymore. Just level with me, please?" I figured no answer was coming, and since I was sticky from earlier in the car, I was going to take a shower. I turned to walk to the bathroom, but before I got halfway there, she called to me. "Ben, come see. This is what I was doing. Seriously. I know it's weird, but come on." She had finally relented. I was supposed to look at the photos. I was sure I knew what I'd be seeing, but I wanted to check it out anyways. Katie had wanted me to take a photo of her tits next to the border sign, so I assumed they were several pictures of her topless. I was mostly right. I sat next to her, somewhat hesitant about what I was going to see, when the first photo appeared. It wasn't Katie. It was some other girl, who I assumed to be in her Sorority, and she was topless next to the sign. Completely topless, not just flashing. Katie gave no explanation, and just went to the next photo. Another girl, similar pose, topless. And then another. And another. And another. This must have been the initiation thing that Katie had previously refused to do, I thought. And then there she was, at a different sign, but still a Washington/Idaho border. Tits out, flashing, but not topless. And another of her. And then another girl. I'd seen enough. The first photo had gotten me going, and seeing my sister's titties again had sealed the deal. Rock hard, my cock was arrogantly jutting straight up, clearly visible through the cargo shorts I was wearing. I ignored it, knowing I'd take care of it in the shower in moments, regardless of how dirty it was to think of my sister while I jerked off. I started to get up and leave for the shower, when she asked me what I thought of it. I wanted to keep my back to her, so she couldn't see how hard she'd made me, so I busied myself in my bag, while answering. "I don't get it Katie. Why do you have so many topless photos of yourself and other girls in your camera?" I thought it might be because she liked girls, but I wanted to hear her say it. It was turning me on to think of my sister as a rug muncher, even though I wasn't too keen on that phrase. "Oh Ben. It's funny. Laugh, come on, please?" she began to laugh, although I could tell it was somewhat forced. "It's a sorority thing. Even though I quit, I still take the photos. Every time I cross a state border, I like to show my tits to the state I left. It's just a thing we do. I'm not shy about it, here, let me show you!" She reached down to pull off her top, but my mind had had too much already. "NOPE!" I shouted, and bolted for the shower. I was not going to let my sister strip for me before I went and worked myself over. That just wasn't going to happen. I quickly turned on the water, and stripped down, crawling into the water. I wanted to immediately rub one out, but I felt sticky and sweaty still, so I started to wash first, allowing the water to drip down my naked body, with my angry hard cock standing at attention, demanding a pressure release. I wanted to so badly, but I kept myself in check, turning back to face the water, and allowing the water to drown out all of my thoughts. Slowly, my erection started to flag, and I could think clearly again, knowing that I'd just barely escaped fantasizing about my sister as I stroked myself to completion. Oh God, what did I almost do? As I mentioned earlier, I knew all the sounds of my apartment, so I could tell when somebody was taking a towel off the rack, the shower was on, the curtain moving, etc. This wasn't my apartment. A cool breeze hit my back, and before I realized what was going on, my sister was right behind me in the shower. I knew it was her because I could hear her giggle at my naked body and vulnerable state. I turned around to verify it was her, but she planted her hands firmly on my hips, forcing me to stand still. The soreness from the couch, the driving, and the warm water had lowered my physical defenses, so I just stood with my back to her, waiting to see what was coming. I didn't want her touching me, but those hands on my hips had already brought me back to full attention. "Sorry Ben. I just needed a shower too, and I knew you were going to be a while in here. I'm wearing a swimsuit, sort of." She giggled. I didn't want to know. I assumed that she just wanted the shower, so I was going to get out. I didn't care if she saw my cock, I just wanted to be out of the confining space with my ridiculously attractive sister. I tried to move away, but she held me firmly in place. "Ben, my big brother, you've been so good to me today, let me be good to you... please?" she cooed at me, hands starting to move from my hips up my lower back. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't resist, as her hands moved up and down my back, rubbing me, kneading all of the soreness away. Her hands left my back for a moment, and that's when I tried to make my escape, but they were back, and I was powerless to resist again. Soap had found her hands, or maybe her hands had found soap, but regardless, I was being washed by my sexy sister, in a hotel room, in Idaho, where nobody knew us. And I was naked, rock hard, and she wasn't wearing... well, I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew if I turned around, my world would be changed forever. I leaned my head against the wall, and allowed her soft, delicate hands to rub me with the soap, starting at the lower back, and working their way up towards my shoulder blades, up to my shoulders, my neck, and then down the sides of my arms. I was in bliss. This wasn't helping with my boner, but it was putting me in a state of relaxation that I so rarely felt. It had been a long time since I'd been with a girl, and even longer since that girl had actually just rubbed me in a nonsexual way, although this was hardly nonsexual. I didn't speak, and neither did she. Her hands had completed the return journey to my lower back, and then they began to drift lower, rubbing the sides of my ass, and down my legs, getting my ankles, calves, and knees. I knew she had to be on her knees behind me, and that thought got my cock positively dancing; begging for release. My willpower was completely gone, so if she reached around to touch me, there was nothing I could do to stop her. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted anymore... did I want her to touch me? I shouldn't, but it didn't seem so wrong in this moment.