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Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 01

By: GrumpyGamby



Prologue

The doors slid open allowing the woman to step inside. As her left foot crossed over the threshold of the elevator compartment, she briefly glanced toward its only other occupant. Her eyes registered her shock. The other occupant mirrored the expression and it was in that second a tenuous connection was made. 

The man watched as she turned away, noting her embarrassment and apparent nervousness. He studied her from behind wondering: Who she was? Had they met before? Would they meet again? Should he say something, if so what? All those questions came into his consciousness as his brain noted what his eyes observed and his cock, his great and powerful barometer of a woman's worth, registered its approval. 

She had very long legs for a woman her height. He longed to run his hand over her back side, marveled at the way her jeans seemed to lift and separate her cheeks. Standing with her legs together she had a small triangle of space right at the junction of where he really wanted to explore with several parts of his body. A wide black leather belt encircled her hips and her waist, he noted, was just wide enough for perhaps three of his hands to wrap around. He glanced back down her elegant legs and saw the very tip of a spiked heel sticking out of her pant leg. He was intensely curious about how tall that heel was, how long her legs really were, how would that ass look naked while she stood in those heels. He'd never really fancied himself an ass man before, but this woman could possibly make him a convert.

As she reached for the console to push the "door close" button, he noted a fact about her. She was impatient. Smirking to himself he indulged in a momentary fantasy about getting stuck in here with her and being forced to find a way to distract her, calm her, keep her occupied. But he couldn't complete the image because he hadn't noticed her breasts when she walked in; just her eyes. They were an electric blue lined in thick long lashes. When he concentrated on that seconds old memory, he again experienced that shock. Only now he felt such a visceral pull toward those eyes, it mesmerized him. He felt something from his lungs to his groin, most pointedly in his chest area. He'd never experienced that before and he spent another moment wondering what that meant.

The elevator stopped again and in walked an old woman gripping a tissue to her nose and sniffling. Coming from the oncology floor it seemed more likely she was weeping, rather than dealing with a case of the sniffles. The old woman paid no attention to the other occupants as she entered and turned around to obediently wait out their descent. 

He noted how the unwritten rule about occupants not interacting with the each other, seemed especially true in any hospital setting. But then he saw her turn toward the old woman. He saw her eyes in profile and felt the deep sorrow she showed through her eyes. She reached out to the old woman and gently rubbed her back while murmuring, "I'm so sorry, so very sorry."

The old woman glanced at the young one in shock and then she sort of collapsed into the arms of the younger one.

"Do you have anyone here with you? Is there someone we can call for you?"

"My son. I have to call my son."

"You're here by yourself?"

The old woman nodded and sunk her face deeper into the chest of the young one. The man, who did have a sense of sympathy for this bereaving woman, wasn't happy about this new posture. It prevented him from seeing her breasts. He loved breasts, the bigger the better, simply couldn't get enough of them.

"Was there no one upstairs who helped you?"

Ah, he had gleaned another fact about her and this time it was something they had in common; she too had experience in the realm of hospital-based death. They never let the bereaved leave without making sure they have some sort of escort.

"They didn't know. I haven't told anyone yet."

"What?" The young woman said at the same time the man thought the word. 

The old woman pulled out her cell phone and after pushing some buttons read out loud; "Princess got out. Can't find her. Where do you keep the doggie treats?"

"She's so old, she can't see too well and can't hear either. I don't have any hope of finding her alive."

"Princess is your dog?"

"She's my baby." The woman wailed. "Got her before she even had her eyes opened. The bitch rejected the whole litter and they all had to be tube fed. She's my baby."

The man put enormous effort into not laughing, not snorting and to keeping up the pretense of being deaf. Until the young woman glanced around the elevator, obviously wondering what she should do next and no doubt cursing herself for getting involved in the first place. And that is when their eyes met for the second time. And that is when his fate was sealed.

Chapter 1

"Oh yeah Jeff, perfect."

"You like that huh?"

"Umm, you are the best."

"You know it. I am the man. You should call me Master."

Jeff got up from the table to refill Kate's wine glass. As he sat down again he noted she wasn't touching the asparagus. But the tissue thin slices of flank steak had disappeared. He had marinated that steak for two days, then flash grilled the sucker and served it up rare to medium rare, just how his little sister preferred her beef to be grilled.

Today was Kate's twenty-seventh birthday. They usually went out to dinner for each other's birthdays. She wasn't in the celebratory mood and so he made this dinner for her, instead. 

"Yvonne loved it when you grilled for us. Damn it, why can't I stop thinking about her?"

"Cause you have an obsessive personality and you're horny, and she did have a mighty fine rack."

"Ummm, that she did, for sure, for sure." Kate fell into a dreamy silence for a few seconds then huffed out a breath. "I don't know how to deal with this. I don't want to obsess about her. I want to hate her. I want her to love me and come back to me. How am I supposed to get over this?" Kate began to cry again. 

Jeff mentally calculated how long he should allow the silence to stretch before he consoled her. He hated doing this. He hated doing emotions and sticky things like that. He had been under the impression that lesbians would be better at relationships. Seeing as how they're both women and they get each other's moods. But damn, these tears were just ruining it.

"Kate. God damn it snap out of it. Man up for Christ's sake. You gonna let that bitch ruin your whole year? You've got to find another horse to ride as soon as you get thrown. You don't sit around and lick your wounds and get all teary and shit. You get up, get out and find another woman with a bigger rack."

Kate stared at Jeff; first in shock, then in bewilderment, and then she began to laugh. She laughed and laughed until it became a distinct possibility that she had gone off her rocker. Jeff had no idea what to do next.

"Oh my God... Jeff you... You know what? You absolutely suck in the consolation department. I mean really, you are horrible at this. I have to thank you. That was the best I've felt in two weeks."

Jeff threw Kate the New York Salute and heaped more steak onto her plate. Jeff never gave much thought to relationships or friendships, he was happy with his own company.

Jeff had never really had a relationship that involved feelings beyond the bedroom. He rarely spent more than two months with any one woman before he would tire of her attempts to make things more exclusive. Although there had been a few who agreed with his philosophy and so he continued to see them on occasion. He had friends in college and friends in high school but they seemed more friends of convenience, a shared activity or location. When the common interest was over, Jeff rarely gave them another thought. 

He had his sister and they got along great. They both liked women and they both liked the same things in women, very large breasts. They both hated the Yankees and wore their Raven's caps to Steeler's games in Pittsburgh and Steeler's caps to Raven's games in Baltimore. Kate liked to bake, Jeff liked to grill. They both lived on the water and both hated dogs.

Then there was the incident that they never referred to; they had that in common as well. 

At the time, Jeff had been in college, Kate a senior in High School. On a Friday afternoon, Jeff got a call from his Dad asking to meet up for lunch. During the lunch Jeff was given all sorts of instructions about where to find what paperwork, how to fix the automatic garage door opener, even how much to tip the sanitation crew at Christmas. Jeff pretended to listen as he eyed the waitress standing at another table; she had a very pronounced bust line.

After they paid and got up to leave, Jeff's Dad did something else that, in hindsight, was very odd. He hugged his son and told him he loved him. They walked out toward the car; his father dropped to the cement sidewalk and didn't get up.

Meanwhile, Kate was out shopping with her mother. During the outing, Kate was being bombarded with all sorts of fashion advice, advised on the importance of virtue—Kate understood this to mean virginity—and informed as to where grandmother's jewelry could be found. Kate was told how to pick out a prom gown and how far is too far for good girls on the second date. Kate rolled her eyes at her mother, and then spotted a girl from her school who had a very pronounced bust line.

Kate called out to this girl; but, when she turned around to tell her mother she wanted to go see her friend, she watched her mother drop to the tile floor and not get up. 

Kate and Jeff stared at each other as they both got on the same elevator to take them to the same floor in the hospital where both of their parents had been taken, still alive but only just.

"How did you know?" They said in unison.

"Dad." Jeff said.

"Mom." Kate said. The elevator door opened into a very hectic emergency room waiting area. Jeff and Kate held each other's hands as they walked to the counter and asked for the update on their parents. It was then that they each learned what had happened to the other. It was then the hospital staff came to understand the highly unique and unlikely coincidence that both Mr. and Mrs. Vasily and Raya Andreavitz had been bussed in, under the same life support measures from different parts of town.

Jeff and Kate were directed to the waiting room while someone was fetched who could bring them up to date on the status of their parent's health. Shortly after being seated, a man and a woman wearing hospital scrubs were pointed in their direction. Kate nodded to Jeff and they stood up to greet the pair; doctors as it turned out.

After having been taken to a small room off to the side, Kate and Jeff were informed that Vasily and Raya Andreavitz had both suffered a cranial aneurysm and were in a coma. Awaiting the results of some tests, the doctors said they would be able to better predict their likelihood to awaken in an hour or two.

Kate and Jeff sat at the table, in the little room off to the side and waited for news of their parents. During that time frame, several nurses came into the room to see if the siblings required anything, see if they had any questions or requests. Then the nurses who came in seemed to want to stay with them. They sat with Jeff and Kate and they waited with them. 

Before long, there were several nurses in the room and both Jeff and Kate were becoming uncomfortable managing their sexual thoughts. Unbeknownst to Jeff, Kate was eyeing the same three nurses that Jeff was. Unbeknownst to Kate, Jeff noticed two of the nurses eyeing each other and then eyeing Kate. The sexual energy in the room was escalating at an alarming rate and the nineteen year old boy had little experience upon which to draw that would help guide him through this situation.

The pair of doctors came back to the room, frowned at the gaggle of nurses, and asked if such a large support crew was necessary.

Two of the nurses began to cry and begged to be allowed to remain with the gifted children. The other nurses all stated they were off the clock and staying to support on their own time. The two doctors looked at each other and silently agreed to leave things as they were, this certainly was a unique situation and it had drawn attention from all over the hospital in a very short time span.

The female doctor held up two MRI films and clipped them onto the read out board. She then pulled out a pen and proceeded to explain just how unique this situation really was. Vasily and Raya had each suffered an aneurysm in the exact same spot in their brains. Furthermore, each aneurysm was the exact same size. As best as they could tell, it seemed both aneurysms burst at about the same time. The prognosis for Vasily was identical to that for Raya, no hope for recovery. They both were brain dead, neither having any electric movement what so ever. They were currently being kept alive on a ventilator. The doctors recommended that life support be ended.

The male doctor asked the children if there was a relative or trusted family friend nearby who could be called upon to assist. There was no family in this country and their parents stayed to themselves. There was no one either Jeff or Kate could think of to call. Jeff, being nineteen a legal adult, was then burdened with the heavy task of signing on the dotted line that stated he wished to end his parents' life support.

Then Jeff and Kate were solemnly escorted, while surrounded by the growing support crew, to a hospital room that seemed to be set up for just this purpose, the ending of a life. But in this case, it would be two lives. The beds had been rolled together leaving no gap between. This seemed normal to Jeff and Kate but the doctors were not happy about being denied access to their patients and when they attempted to rearrange things, all the nurses began to protest. It was then that the doctors noticed that Vasily's huge right hand had been pulled out to his side and it encircled the small and delicate hand that belonged to Raya. No one admitted to having done this, and the orderlies who had wheeled the stretchers into the room, insisted they had merely pushed the beds together to make room all around. They vehemently denied ever touching either patient; this was an offense for which they could lose their jobs.

More whispering from the support crew was heard. They had grown in number again. Several were in tears. Neither Jeff nor Kate had any idea what to make of the scene that was developing. They felt that something important was happening, something that was meant to be. What they didn't feel, and what they didn't know they were supposed to feel, was the grief, fear and desolation a child faces when losing a parent. But that would come later.

Jeff and Kate were encouraged again to call upon a neighbor or someone from church, perhaps. When the doctors received more blank looks from the pair, they stated they would have a social worker come to the room and explain what would happen and what steps they needed to take in order to arrange burial and/or services.

Numbly yet effectively, Jeff and Kate listened to all that the social worker explained, made decisions where they should, and finally all was in place for the life support that kept Vasily and Raya alive, to end.

A hush came over the room as the two doctors moved forward. A hush came over the hallway outside where dozens of hospital workers had assembled. A hush came over the floor where people could feel something important was about to happen. A sense of impending something fell over all the occupants in the building. 

But Jeff and Kate remained unaware as they prepared themselves to see their parents move onward into the Next. Jeff grabbed his father's hand while Kate grabbed her mother's. In between the siblings lay Vasily and Raya connected to machines that beeped and whorled and dripped. In between them, the large hand that engulfed the small hand lay perfectly still.

Kate began to hum as she stroked her mother's cheek. Jeff heard her tune and picked it up in harmony. The tune was beautiful; it reached deep into the soul. Those who could hear it were instantly familiar with the tune and those in the room, closest to the couple, began to add their whispering voices to the chorus. The new voices stayed low and insistent. The quiet strength of the new voices seemed the foundation upon which Kate and Jeff's tune was based. Those who had been weeping were now silent and still, absorbed in the melody and, on a fundamental level they would never come to understand, felt at peace.

The doctors nodded to each other, indicating all was ready for the proverbial plug to be pulled. The woman doctor stood near Vasily, the man doctor stood near Raya. They turned off the ventilator, turned off the machine that beeped and then the one that dripped. Except for the quiet humming, the room went silent.

Raya and Vasily Andreavitz continued to breath, but this was to be expected. Slowly their brains would continue to shut down and the last remaining neural connections, those that kept the heart beating and those that kept the lungs expanding would then end.

The humming continued and ever so slowly, so slowly no one noticed it happening, the humming grew in volume. Those in the hallway, who hadn't been able to hear the humming, now could. They added their voices to the chorus. 

Neither Jeff nor Kate had been aware of the passing of time. They held their parents' hands and they hummed the tune. Finally both doctors moved forward and bent over their patients. They put their stethoscopes in their ears and applied the other end to the chest of their patient. They waited and listened. They glanced at each other and nodded their heads in unison. It was done.

Both Kate and Jeff felt a rush of heat as feelings and memories flooded their brains. Instinctively they knew not to alert anyone to what was happening. A moment ago they both felt oddly empty. But now they both felt full, ready to burst with feeling and emotion. Kate allowed her tears to fall but Jeff kept his expression stoic. 

As the voices of those assembled grew even more, Jeff looked at Kate and Kate looked at Jeff. They nodded and agreed.

Kate laughed and threw the gesture for Up Yours right back at Jeff as she waited for him to put the last remaining slices of beef onto her plate. Not caring that she was receiving the lion's share of Jeff's special Hanger Steak.

Jeff ignored Kate's gesture. He went to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a small box wrapped in brown paper. He placed it on the table in front of Kate and waited.

It had already been opened so Kate knew it wasn't a birthday present. She hid her childish disappointment as she reached for the box. First she pulled out a letter folded up in a most peculiar way. She glanced at Jeff in puzzlement when she noticed the letter was written in Cyrillic. She put the letter aside and removed the cotton batting to find two charms. They were identical and looked like a curlicue intertwined with another, in the very center was a red stone. She had no name for this kind of design. Sort of Celtic and Roman and Greek she just didn't know how to describe this set of golden charms.

"I've seen this design before? Haven't I?" Kate held out one of the charms to the light examining it closer.

"Yes. But before I go into the charm and the letter I have to ask you something. Do you remember when Mom and Pop died?"

Kate gasped at Jeff; this was something they never ever discussed.

"What do you remember? Tell me exactly everything you remember?"

"I was in the mall with Mom when she fainted. I was in the ambulance and then I walked into an elevator and saw you. We waited in the waiting room and then the doctors took us to another room where they told us they'd each had something happen in their brain and they died."


Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 01



"Do you remember any singing?"

"No, do you?"

"No. I needed to know what you remembered before I gave you this." Jeff handed Kate an ordinary envelope. But he covered Kate's hand and shook his head when she reached to open the letter. "It's the translation of what's in that letter. I need to tell you the whole story first, start to finish, no interruptions or questions, and then you can read it."

Kate nodded and placed her hands in her lap.

"First, I scanned the letter written in Cyrillic then went on line to get a translation. I wanted the results right away. But what came back made no sense. Some of the sentences made sense but the others... Anyway, so the ones that made sense also seemed like a warning."

"Like what kind of warning?"

"This is a long story so just let me finish? ... As I was saying; I've got this translation and the only parts that make sense seem like a warning; like it was really important that I do what the letter tells me to. But the parts that are supposed to be telling me something are the parts that came out making no sense."

"When did you get this stuff?"

"For Christ's sake Kate, you want some tape for your mouth to remind you?"

"Won't happen again, promise." Kate smirked and covered her mouth with both hands.

"For some reason, I felt like it was really important that I keep the letter and its contents secret. Every time I pulled it out I got this horrible paranoid feeling, like someone was going to burst through the door and beat the shit out of me. When I put it all away, I felt normal again. I decided to take the letter to the Russian Language department at College Park, I was headed there to see Nikki anyway."

At that Kate rolled her eyes and seemed about to say something.

"NO. Shush. Listen. I put the letter in another envelope for transporting it. But as soon as I folded down the flap, I got that paranoid feeling again. Really strong this time. I put the letter down and started looking around thinking something was wrong. Then I came back to the letter and placed it back in the drawer. Feeling gone, in an instant." He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point. "I hate being freaked out. Decided I would master this stupid paranoid business. I grabbed the letter and ran for the door."

Kate began to laugh.

"Yeah I know, like I was going to outrun whatever was making me paranoid. But I can't tell you how horrified I felt, I just can't describe it; like I was going to die. The closer I got to the door the heavier that feeling got. Really, Kate it was... I don't know?"

"Why were you testing?" Kate placed a hand on her hip and pointed a wagging finger at Jeff. Using her memory of her mother's voice and accent she said; "Always listen to yourself." Then in her father's gruff voice and rough guttural accent, though not quite realistic, "If you don't listen to yourself, can you ask others to listen to you?" 

Back in her own voice and her own dialect Kate completed the admonition. "What were you thinking?" 

"Yeah, I know, but this time it was more than some kind of instinct, it was oppressive; physical. This time it was so different. It was focused on the letter. That's never ever happened to me. You?"

Kate shook her head and looked at the envelope with new respect.

"That's what I thought. It was driving me crazy, this letter, I couldn't understand, arriving out of the blue with the two charms. It meant something, that much I knew, but I had to find a way to get the letter translated and the letter seemed like it didn't want to be translated?" Jeff plopped his head on top of his hands, rubbed his forehead then ran his hands through his hair.

"Okay, so then I came up with an idea. I took the copy I'd made from the scan and then divided the sentences up. No more than a dozen and a half or so consecutive words per division. I printed out I don't know maybe twenty-five pages, each page holding only a about eighteen words. I divided up the papers into three piles, like dealing a deck of cards, one pile would go to College Park, one pile would go a Russian language tutor here in town, and one pile I would mail off to a Russian translator from this certified language translator business I found in DC. Stuffed each pile into an envelope, with a letter explaining my request and how to reach me with the results. The whole time I'm doing this I feel no warning or creepy feeling, everything is A-okay."

"I put my jacket on, stuffed one of the envelopes into my breast pocket and again...nothing. No feeling like I was being watched, no feeling like something terrible was about to happen. Okay so this can go forward, I think."

"So, I got all three envelopes dropped off or mailed to their respective translators and sat back to wait for the results to come back. By Wednesday I had all the results back from all the different translators."

"Now pay attention here, I go to see Nikki on Friday night, stay over then drop off the first pile to the professor there on Saturday. On Sunday, I go to County General to spend some time with Sarah."

Kate rolled her eyes again but this time she also licked her lips. Kate had always liked Sarah and hoped one day Jeff would announce that Sarah had discovered she'd been wasting her time with men and wanted a woman instead. So far it hadn't happened. 

"Yeah Sarah's still into men."

"One can always hope..." Kate murmerd.

"Back to the story here. So, I'm leaving the hospital after playing doctor with Sarah on her break and something weird as shit happens. Never EVER happened before and it scared the shit out of me. But here's the thing, while it was happening, I never felt so wonderful in my life. Honest to God."

"What? What happened?"

"I think I fell in love." Jeff sat back and smiled, then shook his head and sat forward with a pleading look in his eye. This was not something Jeff ever intended to feel in his life and it wasn't entirely a welcome surprise.

"Well it's about fucking time. Glad to know your heart works after all."

"No, no, you haven't heard the whole thing yet. The moment our eyes met I felt this... this... I don't know this sense of knowing, like I was supposed to be here and she was supposed to be there and we were supposed to be together? I can't explain it right so I'm not even going to try. God I get all stupid when I even just think about her. Anyway, she is absolutely beautiful, the most perfect woman I have ever seen. We're riding in the elevator, I'm trying to time it right to get her talking to me and in comes this old lady who, oh my God that was funny, she starts crying right, like she's just lost her best friend or something. So Eva, that's her name..."

"The old woman's name?"

"No no, the beauty in high heels. So Eva looks at the old lady all serious and come to find out ... Oh wait let me back up. Eva starts being all nice to the lady and the lady starts to cry and cry. Eva tries to get the woman some help; we're both thinking the woman just had someone die on her. But turns out, she's leaving the bedside of her neighbor who is doing fine. She's crying because her fifteen year old cock-a-poop that's blind and deaf ran away and she's afraid she'll never find the dog since it can't see or hear where it's going." 

At this Jeff breaks into guffaws but after a moment he notices his sister is just staring at him.

"What? You don't much care for dogs either?"

"No, I actually really hate dogs, but I could still see the sadness here. Jeff, you really do have something missing you know that?"

"No wait, I wasn't laughing at her misfortune. Christ Kate, I'm not a beast. I was laughing because Eva was so sympathetic toward the old woman, thinking she had lost someone significant, thinking the hospital blew it by not taking care of the poor old thing, thinking the poor woman was in a state of shock and needed someone to guide her, help her find a relative or a friend who can help take care of her in her time of need and sorrow... Holy shit did I just say all that?"

"There's hope for you yet big brother."

"Yea, so anyway it was a funny situation and when Eva realized she'd stepped into a pile of shit thinking she was helping the lady out of the mud, she looked at me. She looked right at me and I melted, became completely helpless." Jeff refilled his wine and topped off Kate's.

"So, eyes meet, connection's made, falling in love. Got me so far?"

"Oh, can I talk now?"

"No, not yet. I follow Eva and the woman out of the elevator at the lobby floor. Without even thinking, I grab the woman's other hand and lead them all to the cafeteria. Uhh uh, shush. I pull out a chair for the old lady and then pull out a chair for Eva. I sat down and took over. Me. I got involved in another person's problems, willingly."

"Got the woman's son on the phone and explained what had happened and where I was. The guy was pissed about the dog, cause it was his son who was supposed to be taking care of the damn thing. He's on his way over to the hospital anyway because he was supposed to pick up the old lady at about this time. I explain all this to the old lady then I offer to get us all a soda or something. Tea for the old lady, water for Eva and I got a coke. We then walk her to the front entrance and just as soon we got there she saw her son pulling up. Walk her out to the car, bye bye, yes you're welcome, best of luck with Poopsie and finally it's just Eva and me."

Jeff took another sip of wine to calm himself. The strange part was coming up and he wanted to be able to explain without sounding freaked out.

"I turn to Eva at the same time she turns to me. She looks right into my eyes and once again, all thought goes from my mind except 'Gotta make this woman mine, all mine.' I think I may have even said 'mine' to her. Don't ... just... don't Kate; let me get through this?"

"Eva puts her hand on my chest and says, I kid you not; 'My eyes do that to people. Usually I wear glasses to dampen the effect. You were very nice but we weren't meant to be.' Then she turns, and walks ... away. I watch her go thinking I'm going to die without this woman. I begin to walk after her but she notices I'm following so she picks up her pace, like I've scared her. So I yelled, 'Eva, I need you ... and you need me; we are meant for each other.'"

"You what? No." Kate slapped her hand down on the table and looked aghast.

"Yes, I said that. Have no clue where it came from, it just popped out of my mouth, like someone else was saying it. Okay, now we're almost at the end so stay with me here. She stops dead in her tracks. She pivots in place. She walks up to me looking angry. Then she says, 'Show me.' I look in her eyes thinking I'll find the answer there somewhere, but nothing. In desperation my eyes roll down her face and land on the patch of skin between her breasts, which by the way are nowhere near what we like but I couldn't stop salivating, but there between her breasts... is... this." 

Jeff picked up one of the charms from the box and showed it to Kate.

Kate's eyes became huge rounded circles and then she shot up from the table and pointed her finger at her brother.

"Okay you son of a bitch, you had me going there for a while. Damn good story, really applause all around." Kate began to clap.

Jeff remained still and silent, he held Kate's gaze and waited for her to return to listening mode. 

Kate continued to smile and clap but after several minutes, her smile lost its edge, her clapping slowed down. Then she stopped all together and sat back down.

"Bull shit." Kate dared Jeff to prove it. She was about to be very unhappy.

"Remember the time line. I met with Nikki on Friday, stayed the night and dropped off the papers with the professor on Saturday morning. Also on Saturday, I mailed out the other two piles, one went to DC the other here in Annapolis. Sunday, I visit Sarah and end up meeting Eva. I didn't get all the translations back until Wednesday."

"Here, take a look at this. This is the on-line translation that was mostly crap. You see anything that connects with me meeting Eva, other than the charms?" He waited for Kate to shake her head. "Keep in mind, I wasn't able to get a look at Eva's chest until the very last possible second. After all those... whatever, and after I called out to her with someone else's words. Okay, with me so far? Just nod don't talk."

"Here are the translations. The paper on top is where I put them all back together again. The papers underneath are the broken up sections I sent out and their translation underneath. I need some air, so take your time reading them."

I greet you Jesiff, son of my brother. I send greetings to Katerina the girl child of my brother. This missive must come as a shock to you, after all these times have gone by. You will not understand and be much in anger with your Uncle. There is important reason of the secrecy and this you must keep above all. My brother, your father, fled this country long ago to keep his Other safe. You must never search for or find your family names. I have different name too to keep all safe. I wish to be saying everything different, but this is truth and some you must know.

These Charms you must wear at all times. You must not ever remove them. You must keep them out of sight until such a time that you are prepared. Once these preparations have been successful, the charm may be put in such a place that your Other will find it. Do not think hard on this, it will happen as it should. She needs you and you need her, you two were meant for each other. 

When my brother, your father, left this world, his Other also went with him, of course. But they had little time to tell you all you must know. I cannot write in this way, it would be far dangerous more than even this old man would undertake. I so regret that your future must come to you this way, but all is as it should be. You remember the chant, the song you sang as my brother, your father, and his Other moved on to the Next? That chant will be your home. It will be important and have special meaning. Remember it, but do not repeat it unless you feel there is no other way.

Names are important and my brother, your father waited longer time than right to name you Jesiff. Your name means governor. My brother, your father made the right choice.

Katerina, your name means chaste one, pure one. Why your mother insisted on this name I will not know, but I wish you great happiness even though you will never marry.

Now my children, be good to each other. Know that you do have family and we watch over you. It is not safe for us to be together now. Keep your faith, allow it to enter your hearts and open your minds. 

Your ever loving, Uncle Boris

"Oh my fucking God." Kate was torn between laughing, crying, and throwing something really, really hard. "What is this supposed to mean? I'm the pure one? You've got to be kidding me?"

Jeff had walked back into his loft but wished they could move the conversation out to his balcony. He loved looking at the setting sun over the Severn River. He never felt more peaceful than when he was sitting on his balcony at sunset. But it was not private out there and this conversation could not be overheard.

"We can start with that bit first if you want. Yes, you are the pure one who will never marry."

"How can you say that to me? Especially right now with everything with Yvonne and all. And you know I have as much sex as you. This ...," Kate cupped the air that encircled her crotch. "has seen some action. No this whole letter is bullshit."

"Kate, our dear Uncle Boris grew up in Russia, the old part, where newfangled ideas like hot lesbian sex as a way of life didn't exist, well not in the open. You've never "known" a man. You've never had sexual intercourse with a man. You never intend to, therefore you never will marry A MAN. But it doesn't say anything about another woman." Jeff smiled as Kate began to relax and realize she hadn't been cursed with eternal loneliness after all.

"Now I want you to try something. Just relax and open your mind. Open your hand now." Jeff gently placed a charm in Kate's palm then closed her fingers around it. "Think about love, just what that feels like. Don't try to picture anything other than what love feels like."

Jeff sat silently and waited. Just as he was getting impatient, Kate's eyes flew open and she dropped the charm on the table.

"What did you see?" Jeff had no idea if this would work for Kate as it worked for him. He had discovered it quite by accident. After he came home from his encounter with Eva, he sat at his desk and looked at the charm wondering what it could possibly mean. He picked it up and absentmindedly began replaying his encounter, trying to figure out what that mesmerizing pull was, how to define it.

As he focused on how he felt, Eva's eyes, bright as day, popped into his head. That connection from the first instant their eyes had met in the elevator flared in his brain and in his groin. Eva, Eva, such a beautiful name. She was a lovely young woman. He was in love with her. As his wandering thoughts latched onto the word love, the image of Eva grew stronger in his mind. Eva's image changed from that of a memory, to an image happening and reacting in the right here and right now. She had been looking at herself in the mirror, when she pulled back in astonishment. Then he heard Eva say directly to him, 'So it is you?' 

Jeff, like Kate, had been so shocked he dropped the charm on his desk and the enchantment evaporated.

"I saw a woman, but I don't know her. She is so beautiful, her eyes are really magnificent. I felt like she saw me?" Kate whispered.

"She did. That's what I think these charms are. They let us see our Other, and if our Other is holding or wearing the Charm, they will see us." Jeff picked up both of the charms again and offered one to his sister. "The thing I can't figure out is the warning of secrecy, how the paranoid feeling fits in, why it's such a big deal that we have these charms that link us to our Others? Why should we not let anyone else know? I mean, aside from the absolute other-worldliness and unbelievability of it all... seems very harmless to me."

"That's because you don't understand. Now get out of my vision."

"Oh, and you do understand Kate?" Jeff demanded.

"Understand what? What are you talking about." Kate was still holding her charm trying to figure out who the woman from her vision could be.

"You didn't... oh I thought I heard you mumble something about understanding..." Jeff didn't know why he felt compelled to keep the voice, and what it had said, to himself. But he decided it would be best to follow his instinct at this point. Besides, he was now certain the voice was Eva's. What he wasn't certain about was why she sounded so pissed.



Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 02



Eva LeMere sprang from her vanity and ran for her bedroom door. She stood like a goalie guarding the threshold, blocking her four dogs from entering her bedroom. The smallest was the most vocal, also the most difficult to keep out. They had reacted to the noise, come to investigate, to see if it might have anything to do with a threat or perhaps some food might be involved.

"No, you, out." She said to the little one she named Ruffian. Of all her dogs over the years, Ruffian seemed the most in tune with her and she rarely had to resort to such measures as actually talking to him.

She reached behind her and closed her bedroom door; effectively keeping her dogs out of her bedroom for the time being, so they would not walk on the broken glass and shred their sensitive pads. She mentally berated herself for breaking the mirror in her fit of pique. This was not how she expected herself to behave, at all, ever.

She walked down the hallway of her townhouse, down the flight of steps and into the living room where she kept a large bucket of toys for her gang, her pack, her family and her only friends. Her gang followed her, as they always did, excitedly anticipating her actions. The dogs all gathered around the bucket of toys and jostled themselves for ranking position; the closest to Eva was the winner of the mini competition. Eva reached into the pile of stuffed toys, rubber balls, tennis balls, half deflated soccer balls, squeaky rings and teething rings, and pulled out a handful. 

She turned to her gang and said; "Ready guys? Now, no fighting, be good or I take them away again. Here we go." Then she tossed the pile into the air and quickly scooted out of the way. She wasn't wearing socks or shoes and, in their exuberance, her gang wasn't likely to remember not to step on her feet. She watched the ensuing mêlée with glee. Not many things made her giggle like this as when she was watching her gang happily lost amidst a pile of toys. 

But then she remembered why she brought them down here, to indulge them with this free-for-all, and her smile turned to a frown. She went to the kitchen, gathered the supplies then went back to her bedroom to clean up the broken glass and the spilled perfume; the projectile that had broken the glass.

"Well I'm glad I was holding the Poison and not the Jo Malone when Other barged in." Poison was the oldest of her perfumes and it was past time to replace it anyway. Then she cocked a smile and thought how appropriate it had been that she was just grabbing the Poison to toss it in the trash can, when his image appeared. "Good Heavens, he better not be poison. I'm stuck with him no matter who he is."

The spilled perfume had already become overpowering, she was getting a headache. When she opened the window to air out the room, she noticed the beautiful sunset had turned dark and gloomy with a coming storm. The black and blue clouds approached from the east and they appeared to be bringing a huge amount of rain with them. The approaching storm made her smile for several reasons, primary among them, she loved thunderstorms. The overriding power of a thunderstorm was something that seemed to reach deep inside her and made her feel connected to all she surveyed. 

She was also, once again, grateful to Providence that she hadn't bathed her gang this morning as she had planned to. Like washing a car, she felt, she always tried to time the bathing of the dogs with several days of sunny clear weather. Nothing worse than spending a few hours cleaning up the gang, then spending the next week cleaning out the mud from their paws and haunches every time they went outside; not to mention wet dog smell was something not even she liked.

Having cleaned up the mess from her tantrum, she removed her robe and walked naked into her recently renovated bathroom. She sank into the tub with a sigh and slowly she began to relax. It was still warm enough, even though it had been waiting for her since just before the Other intruded. She reached forward and turned on the hot water tap. Warm enough wasn't what she wanted. Hot and soothing was her goal. She gazed around the room in contentment; this was her favorite room ever.

The work and the fixtures cost more than she should have spent, but it was her private grotto. She had annexed the bedroom next to hers and had a soaking tub installed. It looked like it came straight from the decadent and self indulgent conveniences Marie Antoinette had been surrounded by. A little self indulgence for Eva would not cause a revolution, nor her head to be violently removed from her body.

The tub was cast iron, claw footed, eight feet in length, three feet deep, restored porcelain finish with a sloped back; it was her dream come true. In the corner of the room was a fireplace that was original in this old craftsman's bungalow, but she had it converted to gas. The sink was made of pink blown glass and made to look like a wash bowl resting on the green granite counter top. 

The room did not have a shower installed because the contractor refused to budge on that point. Eva had found a crystal chandelier at a yard sale and fell in love with it. The crystals that had been chipped and broken or missing, she replaced and had it installed in the ceiling of her grotto. The contractor would not allow a potential fire hazard; even though the electrician assured him it had been grounded and made safe. 

Why she knuckled under to the contractor, she couldn't say. He seemed so... fatherly? Not that she remembered what a father seemed like. But he was insistent so the shower stall she used daily, and the toilet she used more than daily, remained in the regular, un-updated hall bath.

The walls of her grotto were painted to look like stone flecked with pinks, browns and taupes. She had several Grecian statues, similar to those found in formal gardens, ranging in size from a few inches to three feet perched on shelves around the room. In front of both windows she kept ferns and hibiscus. The valances atop the windows also served as planters for the English ivy that flourished by sending vines trailing around the room chasing the sunlight with glee. 

Yes, this was her room, designed for her comfort, a place where she would find peaceful rest, a place to reflect and rejuvenate. She needed this room to let loose the aches she absorbed from her clients; the hurt and the pain could become intolerable. She never cursed her ability to feel what they felt, she never wished it away. But she did need to release it, on a frequent basis. She was getting better at keeping the mundane feelings of those she interacted with at bay. Finally learning about sunglasses and how they protected her was the best thing that ever happened. 

But she couldn't wear sunglasses with her clients; her children, those who were lost and those who'd been harmed. Children who were gifted prodigies whose talent isolated them, children who had been abused and neglected and needed to heal; these were her children. Her clients needed her and she was meant for them. She alone could reach them and what they buried deep inside. She brought out art supplies and taught the child how to use them. In the process she showed her clients how to release the ache, the shame, the fear, the rage, the blame, and the unrelenting pain. She showed them how to reveal what they needed to tell. She showed them the way to let go of the hurt that would keep them from growing up strong and whole.

But she had to be careful and not overwhelm them by pressing them to reveal before they were ready. Sometimes they needed that fear or that pain that kept their protective instincts on high alert. Sometimes they still weren't safe. She didn't question why they might not be ready; she didn't question why they might not be safe. She had to stay focused on what she could do, she had to let go of what she couldn't do. She couldn't help them to release and reveal if she couldn't maintain that balance herself. So she guided them into releasing only what they didn't need any more. 

She had been working with Angel, a ten year old who had been alternately beaten, neglected and malnourished, when she bumped into her Other last week. So consumed in the child's fear and keeping it from taking over her own emotions, Eva had forgotten to put on her sunglasses as she left Angel's bedside. She wondered if the connection would have been made if she had remembered to put them on. 

No matter, what's done is done and there wasn't a thing she could do to take it back. She wasn't ready for her Other, she wasn't ready to become consumed with his life, nor share hers. She had always kept herself isolated; even when the adults in her life insisted she make friends, she refused. She knew being too close to people would be dangerous for her. But she also knew she couldn't tell them that. Yes, it was difficult to go through life, feel what others felt, sense a common attraction that urged her to be friendly, and yet still keep people at a distance. She didn't feel that she had missed out; she never felt lonely or the pain of her isolation. 

No, what she felt instead was the insistence of the various adults who took care of the strange child Eva had been, to prove she was normal. Apparently, having friends and forming attachments was the only way to prove her normalcy, so they would leave her alone and stop observing her so closely. Eva was delighted when children wanted to play with her and make friends. She hurt when she was forced to keep her distance, she felt their hurt.

Eva had vague memories and impressions of her family; she did have a family at one point. The strongest snippet of memory she retained just happened to be the only memory she has of her mother; a ten second movie in which she can see her mother, Aurore, helping her to brush out the coat of the family dog. Her mother's eyes were so warm and inviting, they shone with love. Between her mother's breasts lay the charm that Eva now wore. 

They all had died in a car accident when Eva was twelve. She had lain in a coma for nearly a week, and when she awoke not only did she have no memory of the accident, she had very little memory at all. For an adult the memory loss would have been devastating, but for a child like Eva, it was something very easy to accept. She knew she had been loved and that was all she needed to know.

The foster homes she lived in were mostly nice. But they didn't understand her need to keep distant from people, her need to be surrounded by animals, or her need for art. It wasn't until she turned eighteen and was headed to college that she finally didn't have to pretend anymore. She had a scholarship from the university, a small monthly stipend from the state and a generous inheritance. She had a job at a veterinary clinic as nighttime kennel keeper that paid her well since she willingly spent every Friday and Saturday night bunked down with the sick and injured pets.

When she turned twenty-one, she got a letter and a box wrapped in brown paper in the mail. At first she was angry to learn that she had relatives after all, who never stepped forward when she needed them. But, as the letter explained, her gift came at a price. In order to protect the family, they had to split up. Aunts and Uncles were out there, watching, keeping her safe and keeping her gift from being used and abused by those who knew of her and wanted not to help, but to harm. It was the letter that helped her understand that her gift was to help, and only she would know who or how. 

She reached into the box to pick up the charm; the very charm that once lay between her mother's breasts. Cradling the charm between her own breasts, mirroring the memory of her mother the love she had felt from her mother surrounded her, and she began to hum. It was a tune that was familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it. She sat on the floor of her studio apartment off campus and hummed for hours. She was not aware of the passage of time while she hummed, but when it was time to stop, she did. She wiped her eyes and felt for the first time in her life that all was as it should be, and all was well.

Lying in her tub, she reached over to the accoutrement shelf and grabbed the jasmine scented oil to add to her bath. She was now fully relaxed and emotionally cleansed, the jasmine would be the final touch before she had to get out and feed her gang. She lay back again and absentmindedly fingered the charm, stroking the red stone in the center. Her breasts, floating in the water, began to tingle. Her nipples peaked and ached to be touched. Lost in her relaxed calm, she arched her back in invitation. 

She did not react when she felt the first caresses pulling and twisting on her nipple, nor when she felt the hand that wrapped around the whole of the other breast. Had she opened her eyes, there would be nothing there anyway. She remained relaxed and gave herself over to the sensations. They were delightful and new to her. She'd never ever felt like this and she was happy to feel this now, whatever this was.

Her breathing began to be labored, deep breaths that seemed to stay in her lungs longer than normal; exhalations that seemed to rush out faster than they should. Her back arched with her nipples above the water, the slow gyration of her breasts from side to side was barely noticeable until it grew, in invitation, in want, in need. A whimpering cry escaped on the inhale, a moan slid out on the exhale. 

Her knees fell to the sides of the tub, of their own accord. She felt a soft caress begin at her knee and she gloried in joy as it ended on her mound. Not once in her twenty six years had she ever felt anything like this. Not once did she stop to think how she was feeling this now. She just relaxed and gave into the sensations. She knew all was as it should be.

Barely discernible movement began in her hips as the caress on her mound circled and pressed. It was welcome and wanted this feeling she had. There was something more, she could feel it waiting, lost in the sensations she had faith it would come. The water began to splash over the side as her hips gyrated and bucked. He breasts still tingled and her core was on fire. Her breath was elusive but her cries got louder. All built and built until she was thrashing and begging, "What? What is to come? Make it happen? I can't stand this anymore?"

She felt something enter her, it was big and hard. She knew what it was but not where it came from. It pounded and pummeled and it felt so darn good. Her eyes still closed she reached out to space, to where he was and begged him to keep going. This was something she never imagined anyone could feel. These feelings and sensations that were so foreign to her, made her feel whole, wanted, loved. 

She built her movements, her shoulders, her hips, stronger and harder. Her nipples being tweaked and her mound being caressed, what was inside her got quicker and harder as it came and it went. It pushed her further and further, until, with a keening moan she was launched. She sailed, weightless, nothing but sensation. She took a deep strong breath and continued her flight, bucking and thrashing. God this was heaven, the thought.

Slowly, she calmed and sank back into the tub. Keeping her eyes closed she searched for the man. She didn't want to be alone anymore. Now that she knew, she had to be with him, have him with her. She longed to share her home and her work and even her grotto with him. Now that she knew, she wondered why it had taken so long.

"God Damn it." Jeff fell to the floor of his shower stall panting. He'd dropped his charm just as she reached her peak but before he had reached his. He'd planned to make sure she reached it again and again, but now that link thing was broken and since he had no idea how he'd made the connection in the first place, he didn't hold out hope he could get it going again, not in his state. He was erect and oozing, his moment put off he was angry and frustrated. There was no way he could calm himself right now.  

After he brought himself to peak, he put serious thought into how this thing worked. How did he get from being able to see her to being able to feel her and, more importantly for now, how was she able to feel him? He shook his head thinking this wasn't likely something he would ever be able to scientifically verify, quantify or explain. Unless Eva had some answers?

But as he stepped out of the shower, the one question he had never thought of before hit him smack in the face. Eva who? What was her last name? Where did she live? How could he reach her?

Tomorrow was Saturday; he would get a chain for his and Kate's Charms first thing. He would wear his charm always and soon, he had faith, soon he would connect with her again. Only this time they'd talk and he'd make arrangements to find her and bring her here, where she belonged.



Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 03



She was warm. A limbic, peaceful warmth that, had she any memory, sensory or tangible, of being cuddled and swaddled as a babe, this would be what it would feel like. But then something changed. Something was moving, something that should be still, was moving. The warmth of her slumber was slipping away as the movement continued to creep into her consciousness.

"Oh Bingo, No, no, no. Go lie down." Bingo, the old, white muzzled, golden retriever was standing on the other side of Eva's bed, looking at her and wagging his tail with far too much vigor for this time of the night or morning. "Bingo Down." 

She rolled back over determined to ignore him. Anytime anyone even looked at him that tail went off and didn't stop for at least five solid minutes of ignoring him afterward. Bingo should have been named Happy; it would have been more appropriate for him. Bingo didn't settle down and, instead, became more agitated. Agitated, why was he agitated? Eva thought. 

She heard the loud thunderclap at the same time she saw the lightning. The powerful storm from last night was still making its way across the county, or was this a new storm front?

"Am I missing all the pretty lights? Is that why you woke me up?" She got out of bed and, with a glance at the clock and a grimace at what she saw, she headed toward the bathroom. Bingo followed, tail wagging and tongue lolling. She stepped over Sammy, the young golden, in the hallway and as she entered the bathroom she heard water. She stood stock still and cocked her head to locate the source. Not the bathroom, and not her grotto; she could safely eliminate those two places. She used the toilet and then went to investigate.

Making her way down to the kitchen, she could still hear the running water and still didn't know where it was coming from. By now all four dogs were up, escorting her as she checked each window and door. When she opened the door to the basement, all four dogs alerted to something. Ears up, tails up, chests puffed, heads erect, they listened for a second or two before Ruffian charged down the steps first and the other three bounded after him. Eva grabbed Bellyboy, the Rottweiler, by the collar; his job was to stay with her. This was a perk for having her own pack. Send the beasts to flush out the bad guys but keep the fiercest warrior for personal protection. 

Eva was not the least bit afraid of the barks and other noises the dogs were making and reacting to, she had her Bellyboy and like all good Rotties, Bellyboy stood in front of Eva, studying and waiting to be released in the fray. The barking tapered off and Ruffian came bounding up the steps, dripping water from his haunches and tail. 

"Oh, nooo. You found the water?" At that, Ruffian went right back down the steps.

"Alright, go off." Permission granted, the huge Rottie and his wagging stump of a tail went charging down the steps, no doubt hoping for a piece of the mysterious threat. Eva followed with much less enthusiasm.

The carpet squished, a sodden mess under her feet, as she ventured to the source of the sound. 

"Oh No. No. No." Eva muttered running toward the far side of the basement. The rain was slashing against her house, running down the sides and seeping in through cracks in the molding around the window and door. 

"Son of a gun. He was right, dog gone it." Mr. Surgie had strongly suggested she forgo some of her fancy renovations and tend to replacing the window and door in the basement. Checking the sash on the window she saw nothing she could fix or fiddle with to make the water stop coming in. She went to the door and opened it, then shut it. Again, it seemed to be working fine, other than the gushing water, as far as she could tell. 

She closed her eyes, breathed in and out a few times then stood straighter. There was nothing she could do, and at this hour, no one she could call. When she reached for the door again, there was another lightning burst and for a split second she thought she saw someone outside. Eva quickly pulled her hand back and closed her robe tighter. Heart pounding, she reached for the door again, to make sure it was locked. As her fingers began to turn the lock she heard a whimpering sound. 

She glanced at her gang, her great and powerful barometer of any given situation's potential danger, and noticed all was well, but all were curious. It would have been good if the spotlight worked, she thought, but that too was on the list of repairs. 

"I will never go against his recommendations again, I promise." She said to the ceiling. She rummaged through a drawer, then went back to the door with the flashlight. 

A soaking wet dog stood just outside the door. "Oh, poor thing. Why do people do this? When will they take care of their animals?" Another dog had found her. 

"Welcome to Eva's home for unwanted pets." She said through the door's window as she sized up the new dog. This one looked bigger than Ruffian, but smaller than the retrievers and the Rotty. Through the door she spoke to the dog, "Hang on Sweets, gotta calm the beasts first." She turned to her gang and held out her hands, she stood relaxed and calm, and waited while the dogs sniffed her, gazed at her and finally followed her lead. Their ears relaxed as they lost interest in what was behind the door. They walked away to find something interesting; except Bingo who, as usual, stood with his tail ready for takeoff. Bellyboy walked away entirely disinterested and perhaps a little disappointed there was no threat after all.

She opened the door and the poor wet thing came slowly into the basement. It was filthy and smelled horrible. Matted fur all over; it looked like some kind of spaniel type, only bigger. She knelt on the ground to allow the new one to sniff her. Then she went to her dog bathing tub and grabbed a handful of towels. The other dogs were greeting the new one, when she heard another whimper. 

"Pain? Just ...get you dried off a little." As she leaned down to wrap a towel around the dog, it began to turn in circles, trying to bite its hind end, panting and circling, then more biting. "Hurt down there? Okay, be still. I won't hurt ..." She stood up in shock, this couldn't be real. No, this wasn't something she could deal with at all. Her gift would be too overwhelming; it would be too much for her. 

"No, no, no, that's too much, I can't do puppies. I can't do labor. Huh uh, not for me." As she wrapped the towel around the dog Eva, saw the teats dripping milk, felt the abdomen clench and saw the birth canal swollen and white, pulsing and oozing. 

"This night just gets better and better." Resigned to the ordeal ahead, she looked to her gang for support and noticed they all had backed up a good five feet. "Cowards." 

Eva circled through the basement grabbing two paper sacs filled with old newspapers, every towel she could carry and an old blanket. She called for her gang to follow her as she bounded up the steps. At the top of the steps she turned around and, sure enough, the new one was trying to get up the steps too. Eva ran up to her grotto and dropped her supplies, then ran back to the basement. 

She carefully gathered the new one in her arms and carried her up to the grotto. Placing the new dog on the tile floor, she turned to the pile of blankets and towels. The blanket went down first, then she shredded the newspapers and let them fall all over the blanket, she kept the towels off to the side for future use. She stood in the middle of the heap and called for the Mommy, who slowly sniffed her way to the pile of bedding.

"You're the first girl who's ever found me. Poor thing, were you on your own for long?" Eva spoke in murmurs to the agitated girl. After more cursory sniffing, the girl began to dig into the blankets, turn circles and dig some more. Finally she lay down and the panting of hard labor began.

"You get started, I'll make some tea. I'll bring you some food, though I doubt you'll eat. We're going to need our strength."

Several hours later, the sun was high, strong and warm and Eva was beyond exhausted. Last night, when she went to bed, she had four dogs; now she had thirteen. Eight puppies. What was she going to do with eight puppies and a girl dog that needed a bath and a shave in the worst way? 

She ran the water for her cleansing soak. In a fog of fatigue she dragged her aching body down the stairs, fed her gang, took them out to potty, and then told them to go to sleep. 

She sank in her tub with a sigh and waited for the peace to enter; the pain and fear to exit. She had always protected herself, and stayed away from situations that would be overwhelming to her emotions. But last night was so much more than overwhelming, she simply couldn't find words. The fear of being alone and needing another, the loud noises and bright lights, being cold and weary, everything being new, not being sure if she was safe, the pain and not being sure what it meant, more pain and more sensations followed until Eva felt she would faint. 

Then the first pup came out; just popped right out. The elation mixed with relief was incredible, indescribable; never had she felt such joy. But the agonizing pattern repeated and repeated until Eva, couldn't take any more; she prayed they were done. She was done; but she couldn't leave Mommy. 

Two more pups had arrived, taking Eva from complete emotional exhaustion to the very brink of total physical exhaustion. The body can keep going and keep going long after the brain gives up. But now her brain and body were done, just done. Bleary eyed she turned the water on to fill her tub. She cleaned up the soaked and bloody bedding, then laid down the new stuff.

Gingerly she stepped into the tub filled with hot water and lavender scented oil. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to flow. When they stopped, she would get out. The peace was slowly arriving, filling her tired body and mind with the warmth and comfort that true contentment brings. 

The tears were beginning to slow. A job well done, she thought. Grateful it was Saturday and that she had no appointments with clients. She could sleep the day away. Sleep, sleep, it was all she could think about. She wished she could just sleep in the tub. Maybe just a little nod....

"Why were you crying?" Her Other arrived. She could hear him as clearly as if he was there.

"Took care of Mommy. So long a night. So tired, just need sleep, just sleep." She yawned so much through those few words it was amazing Jeff understood a word she'd said. She was gathering the strength to get up and dry off.

"Eva, how do I reach you?"

"I'm right here silly man." She almost had enough energy to get up now.

"I want to see you. How do I do that?" 

"So tired," She yawned. "Just look and you'll see. Have to sleep now." Eva placed her hands on the edge of the tub.

"No, in person, how do I get in touch... what's your phone number?"

But Eva was already climbing in bed, far too tired to think of numbers, or Others or connections or even puppies. The only connection she could focus on was the one with her pillow.

"Son of a Bitch." Jeff swore, as he gripped his charm in frustration. He'd been trying to reach her all damn day; trying to time things so he was relaxed when she was relaxed. He finally got through and he discovered she'd been crying, could feel her exhaustion, but couldn't get two words from her that made any sense.

Jeff began to pace; if he paced he could get rid of some of the nervous energy. How did he miss his chance? He never missed a chance when he wanted something and he really wanted to make contact with Eva. Did she not want his contact, this connection they had, this supposed fate they shared? That thought made him pause. 

Could it be he felt a stronger draw to her than she toward him? No, that couldn't be, he concluded. His confidence in the rightness of their connection was not just based on that... that bond thing created in the elevator. It was firmly rooted in his experience of life for the last dozen or so years. 

It's like he was born with luck or something. Things just worked out for him, worked out very well for him. As a kid he took it for granted; this was how life is for everyone, right? But when he got older; as his life became more the consequence of his actions than the preparations provided by his parents and other adults in his life, he noticed he was different. Countless times a kid in his school would look at him with wonder; "God you're so lucky." 

His senior year in high school proved to be so fortuitous he became convinced there was something lucky about him. He had the three most grueling, difficult, and (many claimed), sadistic teachers the county had ever hired. At first, this signaled an end to his luck, a comeuppance that had been secretly predicted by many of his peers. 

The assignments he completed zeroed in on what his teachers were looking for, but never alluded to. The tests, that covered a broad range and difficult depth, were designed in such a way that only the most studious, only the most gifted and brilliant student could score more than a passing grade. Jeff was neither brilliant nor studious. He just knew where to place his focus when he studied. He aced every test and twice had to retake tests to prove he hadn't been cheating.

"God, you're so fucking lucky." Jeff heard from several boys in school when word got around he was banging the head cheerleader with huge tits. The only boys who didn't wank off each night thinking of Priscilla would eventually come out of the closet.

"I am so fucking lucky." He said back to those same boys when three months after he stopped banging Priscilla, and started banging her cousin, Priscilla got knocked up and had to leave school.

Jeff asked his mother, half in jest, if he'd been born under a horseshoe or something. She smiled and spoke of gratitude, debt to others less fortunate, and the perils of entitlement. He hadn't noticed that she hadn't answered.

He went to college with his heart set on bedding every buxom babe he could and becoming a police detective. He majored in criminal science and spent all his time checking out the sorority girls. The professors were hostile to him. The only girls he was meeting were pretty flat chested. 

After his parents died, he couldn't get into the classes he wanted. He couldn't even get a hand job. Life stopped being smooth and easy for him. He was convinced his luck had deserted him. 

On a whim, he signed up for a finance class, where he learned of the stock market game. Students formed investment groups and competed against each other to bring in the largest returns, on a hypothetical basis. His team took his suggestions and they made a killing. While his team played with hypothetical money, following Jeff's hunches, Jeff contacted a broker and played with real money. Jeff followed his gut and made a small fortune, but failed the courses. He couldn't explain his reasons for choosing one stock over another given a certain degree of parity. Hunches were not allowed. Decisions were to be made based on factual information.

Every girl in his finance classes had large tits and they all hung out with other girls who also had large tits. Different heights, different weights, different colored eyes and hair, but they all had much, much more than a handful.

"So this is where they've all been hiding." He said to a few male members of his investment group. 

"Hell yeah asshole. Big tittie girls want big bank accounts. This is the major for big tits."

For Jeff, everything, including his cock, was looking up.

His professors, quietly impressed with his success in the game, secretly asked Jeff to make some suggestions. Again, he got lucky. Everyone invested more; and more people, some he didn't even know, began contacting him to ask his advice. The attention he was drawing set off warning bells in his head. He withdrew from college and moved to Maryland, where Kate was going to college. 

After his third night of sleeping on the futon in Kate's apartment, he went in search of his own place. He saw an ad for a waterfront warehouse. He checked it out and liked what he saw. He wanted to buy it, but someone had already outbid what he could afford through his investments and inheritance. 

Three weeks later two things happened on the same day; Kate's roommate moved in with her boyfriend and the warehouse property made front page news in the local paper. It had been condemned due to a discovery that it was used as an illegal repository for toxic chemicals. The new owner was left with the bill to clean up the property and was crying foul at the top of his lungs.

Sitting in a coffee shop, reading about his averted financial disaster when he was supposed to be hunting for a job, Jeff overheard a conversation in which a carpenter spoke of hiring an assistant. The pay was not good but the kid would learn a trade. On a whim, Jeff asked for the job on the spot. The carpenter was in his late fifties, at least. Jeff could tell old man knew his trade and wanted to learn from him. They shook hands and agreed to meet at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

Jeff went back to his coffee and paper, this time with the confidence of the gainfully employed. 

"Well I'll be damned." He muttered. Another ad for another warehouse had caught his attention. This one bigger, less run down, and had more property to it. It had no history to worry him. He bought it.

Three weeks later the carpenter broke his arm. Instead of Jeff carrying tools and cleaning up after everyone, the carpenter stood next to him as Jeff did the actual work, and taught him everything he wanted and needed to know. Jeff and the carpenter worked side by side for the next two years. From sunup to supper Jeff learned from the carpenter. Then Jeff went to his warehouse and worked for as long as he could. Weekends were spent at the warehouse too. While Kate finished college, Jeff renovated his warehouse with all of his spare time.

The year after Kate graduated, they both moved into their own loft units. Jeff had done most of it on his own, but the times he needed help he called Denny, his old carpenter boss, who arrived with a crew of apprentices. Jeff had turned the building into five separate units. He and Kate took the top two, while he rented out the bottom three. The rental income provided the finances to build a five slip marina. Two years later, the entire project had been completed and Jeff was enrolled in boating courses to follow his subsequent whim.

Since the moment he had awakened that morning, all he thought about was Eva and reaching her. He'd tried that first time at about 6:00 a.m. when he normally wakes. He got nothing. He tried again half an hour later, nothing. He went for his morning run and came back filled with confidence this time it would work, nothing. He showered; there it must work it worked so well before. But it didn't. Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.

Jeff had been pacing his loft again when his cell phone rang.

"Guess what. Oh, never mind, you'll never guess. You are talking to the first female head trainer of a division one football team."

"No shit. Really? Does that mean I get free tickets for Terps game?"

"Not only that. They are giving me free rein with the entire defensive squad. Free Fucking Rein. I am so excited."

"Me too. They better make it to their conference championships next year. You always know just how to reach every single one, bringing out the best of everyone you work with. Every team you've touched has reduced injuries dramatically. "

"Not just that, although that is pretty fucking cool. I can get the dead weight to step it up, the third string to push the second, and the second to push the first. Maybe I should write a book on how to influence people?" "Okay, then get your ass over here so you can influence Eva."




Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 03



"Why, what's up? I thought she was your Something or Other, or something like that?" 

"Not funny Kate. We'll talk about it later. 

"Oh come on Jeff. Don't lose your sense of humor over this. Let's meet at Baby's. We can eat, drink and be merry to celebrate my promotion. Then we can figure out what's going on with your Something." Kate laughed at her own joke; but heard no corresponding laugh from her brother.

"I'm just pissed and can't figure this thing out. And I'm pissed it's bothering me in the first place. I gotta get my mojo back."

"You never had mojo. Welcome to the wonderful world of pair bonding. It's what most of us have been doing for at least ten years now. Not always pleasant and hardly ever easy. But when it works, it's so worth it. Go find something to fix in my unit. Meet me at six; Baby's, got it?"

Several hours later, Kate and Jeff handed the waiter their menus and sat back to await the arrival of the best baby back ribs in the southern most part of the north. 

"Cheers to your breaking into the big leagues." Jeff held up his ale glass, but then put it down again.

"Nervous much?" Kate grabbed a napkin and wiped up the spill Jeff's shaking hands had created.

"Okay, so Eva was upset and exhausted. If there was something wrong, don't you think she would have said something? Even with her fatigued mind, she would have, right?"

"Well, I guess. But you didn't feel how drained she was. It was horrible." Jeff rubbed his palms on his thighs.

"Listen to your own words, upset, exhausted, drained, fatigued, tired. Do those words sound like something horrible happened; something that would require immediate intervention?" Kate reached for her glass but stopped mid grasp. "Wait. Wait back up. You felt how drained she was?"

Jeff nodded and drank from his beer.

"Care to elaborate on how you could FEEL how drained she was? I mean, considering that up till now the only thing you could correctly interpret from a woman was her level of horniness?"

The right side of Jeff's mouth rose, as Jeff lowered his head and studied his beer. "Well, there are some physical signs that kind of give it away, you know."

"Don't change the subject. How the hell could you feel her?"

"You're the one changing the subject for Christ's sake. I don't know, okay? I have no fucking idea how this is happening or working or why. All I know is it is, and she was drained and not making sense. And I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do about it."

"Okay, okay, dial it back. So worst case scenario, possibly something emotionally draining happened to someone else. Not her. I say not her because if it had happened to her, there would be other emotions attached, right?"

Jeff nodded his head and looked at Kate, wanting to grasp the life line she was throwing at him.

Kate laid her hands on the table palm side up."Your worry is because you think you don't have enough information. But really, you do have enough. You know that she's safe; she's unharmed, and she's sleeping. Yes, unquestionably you'll feel so much better once you know what caused her to be so drained. But really Jeff, you don't know anything about her, it could be her job and that's all."

"What?"

"Maybe her job is something that can sometimes drain a person. Like a caterer, they get so fired up for jobs, run like mad during the job. I'm sure it's not uncommon to be completely drained after a big messy affair. You know?"

"A caterer? Just doesn't... I don't know. Doesn't seem right for her." 

"Remember Marlene, last year, short brown hair, adorable pixie nose? She had just come out and kind of needed someone like me to show her it's okay to let people know. Anyway, she worked for a crazy bitch caterer and there were some jobs she'd worked that were so tense. What you described of Eva sounded like what Marlene was like after some jobs. Bitch slapped, just beaten down and bitch slapped."

Jeff nodded his head. He looked into his beer, took a sip, looked up to the ceiling then looked blankly at the table for a while. 

"Sorry to take away your life line, but have you really given thought to how crazy all this is? Eva, you, that vision I had, your connection, the letter?" Kate rubbed her temples in a circular motion. "Jeff this is, I can't think of the word, but this is all so much more than freaky shit."

"Guess I'm just looking at the trees. Pretty, pretty, trees." 

"See, I mean you'd kind of have to be an imbecile to just believe right? That letter, can't get it out of my head. What was the deal with the singing? The chant will be our home? I've spent some time remembering, like on purpose kind of remembering. I didn't hear any singing when they died. But when I try to remember more stuff, it feels like something's off, like it's not working. I keep thinking and thinking but...Son of a bitch this is driving me crazy." Kate slapped the table loudly.

"Kate, there is a family sitting right behind you and every time you cuss the kids look at each other and giggle. The Mom, however, looks like she wants to, ah..."

"Give me strongly worded lecture?" Kate put huge effort into resisting the urge to turn around and see what Jeff was talking about.

"Something along those lines, yes. Uh, I'm guessing her lecture includes some props but very little audience participation." ____________________________________________________________________________________

Eva was rudely awakened not by one of her gang, but by the phone ringing. She climbed out of bed and pulled her cell out of her purse. The LCD displayed the time, 6:30p.m. and the number calling her, it was another cell number.

"Hello?"

"Eva LeMere? It's Janine Wainwright from DSS. I'm sorry for calling on a Saturday night, but I have a case here and I want your help."

"Janine? Oh right the Walters case. How are they? Whatever happened to those kids?"

"A rare happy for now ending. All four placed in the same foster home. Dad's in jail. He got ten to fifteen times three, concurrent, thanks to you getting the kids to talk. Mom's not so well though, still denying anything ever happened. No visitation while the younger ones process. The oldest refuses to see Mom anyway. Now there's some healthy, well directed, anger."

"So, Eva, I'm teaming up with Det Montgomery again. We're hoping you can work your magic and get the kids talking about what happened. Only, we don't have the luxury of time."

"Hang on a sec." Eva rummaged through her purse and pulled out her little note pad. "Tell me about the case."

"Anonymous report prompted a squad car to the home Friday morning. Two children brought to county general; a girl approximately twelve came in with a boy of probably four. Boy; covered in bruises, girl; malnourished but not a scratch. Both nonverbal. Parents in custody, but they're likely to make bail Monday...he said-she said and we've only got the physical evidence from the boy"

"Monday? Janine I'm not sure why you called me. Most of the workers from your office avoid me because I can't move to the time line of the courts. You know that too."

"Can't or won't? Look, I didn't call you to goad you, I called you because I want you on this case. These kids, they're nonverbal. You're the only one I know who will be able to get pictures and drawings allowed as testimony. We broke the ice on the Walters case, so with you on this case, the judge has to admit their drawings."

"Ha, yeah, if they draw anything other than a pony princess or a monster on a leash. Janine, you do realize I work within my own constraints. I don't care what you need to know or when you need to know it. Last time we had time. This time, we don't. I want to know why you're coming to me with this?"

"Three things. First, parents are going to make bail Monday. Monday is also the custody hearing and we are seeking temporary guardianship. We have enough to get the boy, but not the girl. She's not showing anything physical and we can't get her to talk. Second thing; the girl isn't biologically related to the boy, or to either parent. Mom claims it was an informal kinship placement, but she isn't giving up any names. We need the girl to tell us what happened to her or we're not going to be able to keep them from getting her back."

"Oh Janine, this isn't my type of work. I don't do fresh trauma."

"Look Eva, I wouldn't have called you if I wasn't convinced you were the best person for this job. We know nothing about these kids, and Mom's lawyered up. We're running out of time."

"What's the third thing?"

"She ... this case, it speaks to me. I know you're aware of my reputation. I've earned the iceberg rep. I keep myself detached because I want to sleep at night and live long enough to bother the hell out of my great grandchildren. But this one...? Can't get this girl out of my head. Please Eva, please."

"Alright, I'll give you four hours. That's the best I can do. Wait, where are they?"

"They're in County General until Wednesday. Tomorrow at ten works for me and Det. Montgomery." 

"Okay see you at ten."

"Thank you Eva. I count this as a personal favor and I owe you one. We need to know what has happened to her, why she won't speak. We need to know how she came to live with that family."

"You know I can't promise anything. I'll see what I can do." Eva slammed her cell phone shut and paced her room. Realizing she was working off someone else's anxiety, she went to her grotto and splashed some water on her face.

After checking on the pups, Eva took all the dogs to the basement to be let out for potty and play. Once she stepped on the carpet, thoughts of the new case were put on hold. She let the dogs out, ran back upstairs to rifle though some files, wrote down a set of phone numbers, then went back outside to toss some balls around for her dogs.

She balanced the cell phone between her ear and shoulder while talking to her insurance company about her little flood from the previous night. Then she left a message for her carpenter, Mr. Surgie. She brought the dogs back in and changed in to her running shoes. Just as she finished lacing up her cell rang.

"Hello?"

"Eva? Denny Surgie. I got your message, something about I was right all along? Or something about you should have listened to me in the first place? I couldn't exactly hear it all"

"Okay, okay, I admit it; you were right, I was wrong." Eva bowed her head even though she knew Mr. Surgie couldn't see her doing it. "But I'm still happy with my decision by the way. Um, so my window and door leaked and soaked the carpeting. I already called my insurance guy who said they'd pay but would need two estimates. I don't know how long it will take them to send out an estimator but I really need that basement dry as soon as possible. I was wondering if you had some free time in the next few days?"

"Yes, my dear I will fit you in. Can I come by tonight to take a look-see? Then I will have a better idea on what needs to be done. Do you have a fan? Never mind, I'll bring mine. Need to start drying the place out."

"That would be great, thanks. What time?"

"About half an hour? My wife and I are going to see a movie; I could stop by on the way out? Besides, if you don't mind, my wife is very curious to see your bathroom. I hope you don't mind, but I usually tell Gail about my jobs that seem ... ah ...not so common?"

"Sure, I think that will... oh wait, no that won't work. I mean yes stop in to see the basement tonight but the grotto isn't, um... I had another dog find me last night. She was in labor. She and her pups are in the grotto where they will stay nice and warm and contained. But I don't know what I'm going to do with this batch? I have to find someone who can take this litter and wean them. I can't, I just don't have the time and my place just isn't set up for this. Anyway, the grotto isn't exactly in show condition. Oops sorry, Mr. Surgie; that was more than you needed to know, eh?

"You and your foundlings..." Eva could hear him shaking his head. "Okay, that's understandable. See you in half an hour."

"Places everyone." All but Sammy and the new Mommy understood that those words, combined with Eva placing the dog bowls on the counter, meant they were getting fed. Eva learned from experience that having more than one dog meant feeding time had to be kept under control for harmony to rein. Ruffian, Bellyboy and Bingo, sat in the spot where Eva placed their bowls filled with food twice a day. Sammy stood guard in case anything fell, while the new Mommy cowered in the hallway.

Once she set all but two of the bowls down, she pulled Sammy to his eating spot, told him to sit, then stay, then placed his bowl down. Still in the hallway, Eva ignored the new Mommy and waited for Sammy to calm himself before she released everyone to their respective bowls. 

"Take it." They all moved quickly to their bowls. Eva grabbed the Mommy's bowl and brought her back to the grotto to eat. She couldn't risk her gang getting into a tussle with the new one considering her post postpartum status.

Eva had just let her gang out for "after chow potty time," when the doorbell rang. 

There stood Mr. Surgie, carrying a huge industrial fan, wearing pressed slacks and a button down shirt, not at all as she had always seen him in his work clothes. Standing next to him was a woman in her fifties, with salt and pepper hair cut short in a perfect bob. She was wearing huge gold earrings that seemed to highlight her Cheshire cat grin of barely contained excitement. 

"My apologies, my dear. I made the mistake of telling my wife why she couldn't see your bathroom." Mr. Surgie looked down at the ground as he shook his head in resigned disapproval. "And about needing someone to take the litter." 

"I can take them. I've whelped litters many times and grew up on a farm." The woman was literally bouncing where she stood. "Oh my. Your eyes, they're really quite striking." Mrs. Surgie quickly glanced at her husband. As she did, something flickered across her expression and just as quickly it was gone.

But Eva noticed. She felt the shock, and then she felt the jealousy. Eva looked down and tried to keep her eyes half closed. She murmured a weak thank you and mentioned something about genetics.

"Back to the pups. I'm retired and have all the time to devote to them that they will need." She patted her husband on the shoulder and added. "Denny can never hide things from me. It's cute how he tries though."

"Oh great. What a relief, thank you." Eva stood back from the door and ushered them into her home. She made a grab for her sunglasses but pulled her hand back in time. Can't wear sunglasses in the house for God's sake, she mentally berated herself.

Mr. Surgie excused himself to go down the stairs while his wife and Eva went up the stairs to see the puppies.

"So, I can come by tomorrow at eight? Shouldn't take more than half an hour to get them all crated and ready for transport back to my house, right? You leave for work at 9:30, will that give you time enough?" Eva nodded. "Good, I just wish I could get Denny to come with me tomorrow, that way I could get this stinky Mommy cleaned up before we get back to my house."

Eva was glad to use the puppies as a plausible reason to keep her eyes cast low. She focused her line of sight on the pups, as if she were examining them for imperfections.

"Oh, you can. You can do that here. I had your husband install a bathing station next the washing machine. It was the first job he did for me. With four dogs it was killing my back to bathe them in the yard or in the shower bath. The station he put in is so perfect. You should see it." Eva pointed her nose at Mrs. Surgie's lap where a pup was being stroked. So far so good she thought.

Eva leaned down to replace the pup she was holding and tuck him comfortably back with his sleeping litter-mates. As she did, the charm on her necklace tumbled out of her shirt; damned lack of cleavage. Before she had a chance to tuck it back in, Eva heard a sharp intake of breath from Mrs. Surgie .

"What a pretty charm. My mother has one very similar. May I see yours a little closer?" Mrs. Surgie held out her hand, expectantly. 

Eva felt the woman's curiosity and, not wanting to increase it by refusing; she pulled out her charm and placed it in her hand so the other woman could get a look at it.

"Oh my. This is exactly what my mother has. Where did you get yours?"

"It was my mother's. But I've no idea where she got it and she's been gone for a long time so there's no way I could even find out." Eva would have loved to ask, tell me every single little thing you know about your Mother's charm. 

"Me neither. My mother never talks about hers and she never takes hers off. She is ninety years old, with terrible eye sight, but otherwise healthier than me. She used to paint, oh the beautiful scenes she would create, always the French country side. But now she sketches, just lines and curves and circles, really. But this charm, or this design, is in every drawing she makes." Mrs. Surgie released the charm and scooped up another pup to nuzzle.

"She's very secretive about it. I used to think it was given to her by a long lost lover, perhaps it was my father. She never married you see, back then it was a great crime, not at all like it is today. She never spoke of my father. I've given up wondering about him. Goodness, listen to me prattle."

"That's alright Mrs. Surgie. I tend to bring out the confessions people like to hide ... and the dogs people like to discard." Eva needed to change the subject. She was torn; she wanted to know more about Gail's mother and her charm. Yet she felt strongly the inevitable questions she'd face from Gail regarding her own family needed to be avoided. 

"Call me Gail. So, see you tomorrow at eight?" Eva stood indicating it was time to move on. She waited for Mrs. Surgie, Gail, to put the pup she was nuzzling back down, and then herded her toward the stairs.

"Oh hooray, another littler; I love to wean and socialize puppies. You know, I'm too excited now to go to a movie. I'd rather go home and get everything ready." Gail bounced her way down the stairs.

"Why does this not surprise me?" Mr. Surgie had been standing in the living room waiting for the women to come back down the stairs. Bellyboy and Sammy were circling between his legs, enjoying the rough scratches and pats he was giving out.



Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 04



The next morning, Eva felt him with her before she became aware of herself. She yawned and stretched. A happy contented sigh escaped. She heard him chuckle.

"Now wouldn't it have been better if we were waking up together?"

"Mmmm, but we are together." Eva purred. "What time is it?"

"Don't change the subject. 6:00 in the morning; God, you're a difficult woman to pin down. What is your last name, what is your phone number, when can I see you in the flesh? Tell me all that right now before something happens and the connection's lost all day, like what happened yesterday."

"First you have to tell me your name."

"Eva..." Jeff warned. He refused to be sidetracked and left at the whim of fate before he could contact her again. "Do you know how crazy I was yesterday? All I knew was that you were an emotional wreck and you broke the connection because of it. Jeff is what I go by, my name is Jesiff Andreavitz, I'm twenty nine years old and I have a sister named Kate who just turned twenty seven. I live on the water near Annapolis and if I don't get to see you soon I will self destruct. Since you have such empathy for others, I'm sure you can feel my pain and want to address it, right?"

"Well Mr. Andreavitz, my name is Eva LeMere. I have no family that I know of. I live just across the bridge in Easton. And if you want me to remember my phone number I suggest you stop kissing me there." Eva began to giggle.

"I'm not sure I can? I am thinking about you and thinking about doing things to you and then you feel them. Then I feel that you've felt them so I keep doing it because it feels so good. I don't know how to stop this. It's always been you who's stopped it."

"Didn't anyone explain things to you? A letter or someone?"

"No, well yeah, I did get a letter a few weeks ago, along with the charms. But the letter wasn't written in English and the translation leaves a lot to be desired. Ohh, yes I feel that. Keep doing it." Jeff's cock was being stroked, ever so softly. It was more like a tease, frustrating. He wanted more. 

He thought about wrapping his hand around Eva's, improving her grip and felt his cock gripped. He remembered kissing her neck and how she responded, he thought it again, and felt her response. He thought about her moans as he sucked and pulled on her nipples, and heard them again as he thought it. He wanted to be inside her, he remembered the strength of his thrusts and how good it had felt, but wait, it didn't feel like this?

"Ow, ow. That hurts?"

"I'm sorry, are you alright? I'm sorry really; I don't know how this thing works? I think it—it happens. It's hard to control." Jeff kept his fists at his sides and concentrated on the words. He didn't want to blunder and hurt her again. 

"I'm alright. I'm sitting up now so we won't easily fall back into that."

"Eva, I don't want to hurt you again. I have to know about, uh, more about you."

Taking a deep breath Eva began. "Look Jeff, this... isn't what I pictured... you know it's... it's not something I ever... Oh sheesh make sense here. Not what I pictured for my first time, not that I ever pictured it. Okay, but now I see I've obviously pictured it at some point, right?" She tried to bury her head under her pillow. 

"Eva? Are you still there?"

"Yes." She poked her head out and spoke slowly. " I never thought it could possibly happen. I've always had to steer clear of people." She heaved out a sigh. "I can feel them," she continued; "other people, men, women. The stronger they feel the stronger I feel. It's too much. And then sometimes they feel me, like when you and I were in the elevator? I felt your attraction; that you were attracted to me. I felt everything you felt, and then somehow, you felt what I was feeling and you thought that what I was feeling was mine when really it was yours."

She sat back up in her bed and pushed her long blond hair out of her face. "Let me try that again, I know that didn't make sense."

"I think I get it. You felt me wanting you, then you felt the - um - no I don't get it." 

Eva began again. "You wanted me. That feeling, wanting, longing, sexually charged, I felt that. But, and this is where it's important to see the distinction, I knew that feeling was yours; that it was coming from you. I feel whatever people around me feel, just as if the feeling originated in me. But having been subjected to this my whole life; I know instinctively when an emotion is mine or someone else's. Sometimes, people who are naturally empathetic, will then sense what I'm feeling. Kind of like ping pong, you know? Feeling starts with you, hits me and feels the same, then bounces back to you. Only you don't know that what you're sensing from me is actually a mirrored reflection of what originated in you. You think I'm feeling the same way. Get it?"

"Yes, this does make perfect sense. It explains the elevator when our eyes met." 

"So, now imagine what it's like when men have a reaction to me. They think they're sensing me responding to them, but I'm not. Also, when someone is afraid, they sense my fear too, and it can cause a panic. Fear breeds on fear, same with sadness, hurt, pain, happiness and even joy. The mean kids at school thinking it was okay to tease because I was enjoying it too, they thought. It can be dangerous for me, you see? I stay away from people as much as possible. I can't make friends; I can't have dates or boyfriends, or a social life. It's all too dangerous for me."

Eva blinked and shook her head. "I can already sense your pity so knock it off."

Jeff was silent for a moment, getting his thoughts under control. Yes he felt pity, but not the way she saw it. Always alone, she was always alone.

First things first, he thought; he had to learn to think about keeping his hands to himself, and think about taking things slowly, and think about not thinking about things that would upset her. He sat straight up in his bed as their situation took on more clarity.

"Good God Eva, do you realize how difficult this is going to be for us?"

"Yes, I've lived with this my whole life. I never gave a thought to having a relationship, always assumed I was meant to be alone. I don't know why I have this gift if I'm fated to have a partner; an Other. You wouldn't happen to be an emotionally stunted, disengaged person, would you?" She quipped.

"Have you been talking to my sister? What are you doing today, when can I see you?" Jeff lazily stretched his legs out.

"Have to work at 10, I've scheduled four hours, but I need to keep that flexible. I could be done around noon or it could be an all day deal." She gave Jeff her cell number and she programmed his into her cell phone. 

"We cannot go out after, or well I can't. What I do, it's emotionally loaded. I have to come home right after, especially on this one, and release everything."

"Well seeing as how your virtue's intact I know you can't be a sex surrogate. What is it that you do?"

"Maybe I should have done that instead." Eva laughed. "I'm a clinical art therapist, working primarily with children who have been abused and neglected."

"Are you kidding me? You can't be around people because of their flying emotions and yet you work with abused kids? How the hell does that work?"

"It's not easy. I have to protect myself. The sunglasses filter out a lot; other than that there isn't much I can do. But this is my gift and I have to use it to help. I come home and cleanse myself, I release what they've given me and I'm back to normal, except I'm pretty darn tired."

Jeff thought about holding her and comforting her, but felt her tense. "It's alright; this is all I will think about. Just relax and let me hold you for a little while longer."

Eva did as instructed and felt a weight let go. There was a weight? She hadn't realized. She relaxed even further and felt the tears begin. Where were they coming from? She vaguely thought.

"Jeff, it's... this isn't... What are you doing to me? Why am I crying?"

"I think, I think maybe you were wrong. You do need to have someone and maybe you always have. You and I are so different. I've never needed anyone. I've never felt a pull toward anyone or even a distinct dislike. Well, I've certainly felt things toward some people but, you know, that was just um, you know."

He thought about stroking her back and felt her response; she leaned forward and moved her hair out of the way. "Wow, even your hair responds. Does this mean if I think about grabbing a handful ..."

"Ouch. Oh no, stop it. No, no, no, no fair, no fair. Stop please I'm so ticklish, no fair." Jeff stopped long enough for Eva to ask, "No, I don't 'um you know' what you're talking about. But I'm pretty sure I don't want to, um you know."

"Omph. Okay, okay you win, don't squeeze any harder. You win. You win." Jeff panted and relaxed as the vise around his balls loosened.

"I have to get moving. I'll be at County General. I'll call you around noon and let you know how it's going. But Jeff, I have to come back here right away. Okay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sir, Controller Smith will be briefing you this morning." The general's aid stood at attention after making the statement to his boss. He waited for the General to nod, then spoke again. "Controller Smith sir, if you're ready?"

A man in his forties stood from the table, gathering his notes, he turned to the lap top set up on a nearby desk. It was wired to a projector and pointed at a white screen. He picked up the little remote control to begin his presentation.

"In 1945, our Berlin OSS agents confiscated paperwork that spoke of the Nazi's attempts to channel the extra sensory power of several people during the war."

The General's eye brows twitched once but his face remained impassive. "Excuse me... Smith? I can read as well as write." The general indicated a folder in front of him. "Exactly why do you want me here today and exactly what is it that you want permission to do."

"Thank you, sir." Smith bowed his head slightly; gratified he wouldn't have to go through the entire history for this green light.

"We've found the progeny, the tenth generation. She fits every description found in the original curse and the transcript of the prophesy." Controller Smith quickly advanced frames until he came to a picture of a little girl with long brown hair and striking blue eyes. She had an ethereal knowing expression on her face. She appeared to be looking right into the camera; an incredibly powerful binocular camera that was being pointed in her direction from several blocks away from inside a van with tinted windows.

"And what is it that she can do?" The general whispered as he studied the photograph being displayed by the projector.

"We don't know yet."

"And do you have plans on how you're going to discover what she can do?" The general's eyes never left the child's eyes on the screen.

"Our plan is to wait until all three of them are together sir. Bring them all in and do the testing. Once that's completed we'll be able to access their combined strength." Smith replaced his remote control and stood at ease. His presentation over, his request on the table, he waited silently.

The general indicated to Smith he was finished looking at the picture. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He would allow himself only a few minutes to decide the fate of three people who may or may not be a national security threat. 

With uncanny speed, the General's mind raced through the ancient history of this family's curse; marveling again that this story was actually verifiable. The scrolls were several centuries old, found in a church vault in Turkey. He mentally reviewed what was written in the texts. They told of two brothers traveling with their wives and families.

They were nomads. The younger brother, Babür, had a wife who was very productive; they had 15 healthy children, eleven of whom were sons. The older brother, Cezmi, had a wife who ended up barren after having produced only 3 sons and a worthless daughter. There was a disagreement. The brothers parted ways. A few years later Cezmi came upon Babür in a distant town. Babür, having so many mouths to feed was not as prosperous as Cezmi. 

There was trouble; Babür told his tale of sorrow to Cezmi. While carting a load of goods into the pazari to sell, Babür's horse had bucked and bolted. This caused his cart to upset. It landed on and killed a boy from a wealthy family, their only son. The grieving family called a vendetta against Babür's whole family.

Babür asked his older brother for help, but was turned away. Two more times Babür went to Cezmi to ask for help, each time his tale of woe grew in urgency and detail. Each time he was turned away. 

Cezmi did not believe this tale of woe and sorrow. He thought Babür was exaggerating. 

But there was. Early one morning Babür's children had been forcibly gathered and put to death in the street, while Babür and his wife were forced to watch in helpless horror.

Babür knelt in the street screaming, spitting, and beating his chest in agony. He blamed his older brother for failing to help him escape. Then Babür cursed Cezmi and his family with eternal loss, grief and desolation, to feel just what he himself was feeling. He willingly gave his soul in payment for the power to inflict this curse on his brother. He then slit his own throat. His wife picked up the blade and followed her husband and children by driving the blade into her heart.

Cezmi's wife, Melek, was pious and devout. She was pure in thought and deed. When she learned of the tragic fate of Babür's children and of the subsequent curse against her own, she ran to the temple and prayed her family be saved from this curse. She offered her soul in payment. She asked that Babür's soul be spared as well. His grief and pain had driven him mad, his moment of desolation should not overshadow all the good things he'd done in his life; she reasoned. 

Her devotion to her family, her love of her God and her desire to pay for the sins of another brought favor to her request. The angels spoke to her and told her how to break the curse. Instead of her soul, they took some of her skin and left her with a scar that was shaped like several serpents dueling to be on top. The scar, located in the very center of her chest, was a mark from the angels that she had paid in full and owed no more. 

The general flipped through some of the papers in his folder and stopped when he found the one that contained a photocopy of the actual scroll that bore a drawing of the scar's pattern. Next to that was a photograph of a golden charm with a similar design except the starbursting pattern had been replaced by a ruby. 

Melek and Cezmi took their children and left the town. Before they made it to the next town, Cezmi suddenly died. Though the cause was unknown, Melek believed it was the curse that took him. They buried him and moved on. When they arrived at the next town Melek sold every possession and went to the jewelry maker. She showed the scar on her chest and asked that he make four golden charms that looked exactly like her scar. A few days later she went back and was happy to see that he kept his promise. The charms looked as if they had been taken directly from her chest, the patterns matched perfectly. She gave him more money and asked that he place a tiny ruby in the center of each charm. 

Melek waited until her daughter fell asleep before she took her sons aside and explained all they needed to know. She told of the curse, how she asked for deliverance, and how it was granted. She told them their sister's progeny would be the one that had strong enough gifts to break the curse. She warned they had to leave her and never to make contact again, or they too would share the fate. She instructed them to always keep watch but only help if they could do so while hidden. She hugged her sons and called them her Guardians. 

She gave them each a charm and showed them how it matched her scar, how she paid for this chance to heal her family. The charm would be the sign, passed down from parent to child; their responsibility wouldn't be complete until the curse was broken.

Tears streaming down her face, she watched her sons leave. When she could see them no more, she gathered her sleeping daughter and set off to beg. But where her daughter awoke, Melek was shocked to see that her eyes had changed colors. They went from the warmth of golden brown to deep pools of blue that matched the sea. 

The daughter was silent as Melek explained that her brothers had gone; she just sat by her mother's side and never uttered another sound. After a while, the mother realized she somehow still knew what her daughter wanted or needed just as if she had spoken.

The mother saw the signs the angels had spoken of, in her daughter. "Ocean blue eyes that see all, mute she will stay but her thoughts you will know." 

With no husband and no sons, the woman and child were suspected of being immoral. The townspeople threw stones to get them to leave. The daughter stood and looked at the people. They stopped throwing stones and went away. The mother was surprised and worried they would come back and throw more. But her daughter spoke in her head, she reassured her mother that they would be alright because she'd told the townspeople not to hurt them, and so they had stopped.

Melek was afraid for her daughter. How would the townspeople react to a child whose eyes changed color and could put words into other's mind? Melek knew this was the gift the angel had given but no one would believe her or understand this to be a gift. Melek and her daughter left the town that night and traveled for days and days. Melek became ill and knew her time was coming. They encountered a band of traveling people. Melek asked them if they would take her daughter. They refused; there was something wrong with the child, they could tell. 

Melek ended her search when she encountered gypsies traveling the road. They took one look at the child and knew who she was and what gifts she had. They agreed to take the child with them when the left the next day. Melek was grateful for one last night to cuddle and hold her beautiful daughter. Melek died in her daughter's arms, before the moon had completely come out.

The general opened his folder and skimmed through the pages that had been collected over the years, beginning with the transcripts of the scrolls, then skipping to the detailed paper work supplied by Hitler's SS. Eva and Leonid Grünberg along with two of their sons had spent considerable time being tortured by the SS in an attempt to harness the power they were believed to have had. The SS ended up killing them all and never finding the remaining son or their three daughters, but not before they were able to document that Eva could read minds and her son could project thoughts. They used the two together to force a demonstration of how far reaching their power could go.

The general lifted a corner of his mouth as he pictured the scene. Stupid fucking Nazis, he thought. The woman and her son caused half the guards to begin shooting the other guards. A lowly private with either self preservation or fast thinking was able to turn his gun on the family to end the compulsion to shoot his fellow officers. So they proved it all true but only to kill what they had in the process.

The raised corner of the general's mouth morphed into a full grin. He glanced at Controller Smith and nodded. "I'd like an update in seven days and I'd like you to bring it in person. Good work, Controller Smith. Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 8:00a.m. on the dot, Mrs. Surgie rang the bell. Eva calmed her dogs and went to the door, Bingo and Ruffian right behind her. Bellyboy wasn't interested in a non-threat and non-food event at the door. Sammy was playing with his pretend friend, a sight that always brightened Eva's day.




Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 04



"Good morning Eva, my dear. I barely slept last night I was so excited. How is Mommy and, of course, her babies?" Mrs. Surgie clapped her hands together and held them under her chin as she gazed directly into Eva's eyes. Eva could feel the excitement and need to nurture wrapped around the woman.

"They are eagerly awaiting your excellent care. Shall I get Mommy and show you to the bathing station?"

"If you don't mind, I'll walk with you. I have something kind of strange to share with you about your necklace. When Denny and I got home last night, I went straight to my mother's bedroom and told her about your matching necklace. She looked... well, she was more than surprised."

Eva didn't understand the accusation in the woman's voice, nor the hurt she was sensing. "I couldn't get any more sense out of her. I was so worried she'd had a mini stroke or something. She just cried all night. I was going to call for an ambulance."

Ah, that explains what Gail was feeling; Eva thought.

"All night my mother cried and smiled. It made no sense. Said she was happy, she was so happy. Are you two long lost relatives or something?" 

Gail placed a hand on Eva's elbow and again looked directly into her eyes. 

For a fleeting moment, Eva felt a strong suspicious accusation. It was coming from Gail. But then it was overrun by a sense of mirth, sarcasm. Eva desperately wanted her sunglasses.

Eva opened the grotto door and called Mommy to come out, taking the time to school her expression. "I don't think so Gail. I would have found out by now if there was a missing grandmother, right?"

"Well yes, by now someone would have reported her missing." They both laughed as they made their way down to the basement. Eva helped Gail get the stinky Mommy dog bathed then packed up the pups. She helped Gail to the car with the pups, carrying the huge bag of newspapers that the pups would go through in no time at all.

After Gail left, Eva sat down to think. What on earth could this mean? Gail Surgie's ninety year old mother had a charm too. But Gail didn't know anything about it and other than being a genuinely kind and openly affectionate person, there was no gift that Eva could sense. However, the kindness and open affection were in themselves a gift, to others. So was that a gift gift or just a gift?

It sometimes angered Eva that she had been forced to go it alone. She wanted to hang a banner outside her door saying: "Confused about gift, please contact." For if her relatives were watching, they would see it and come knocking on her door with all the answers. 

Hah, wouldn't that be nice, Eva mused, but realizing the futility of her thoughts, she decided to get ready and leave for the hospital early.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You will remove the shades before you begin right?" Social worker Janine Wainwright glared at the sunglasses as Eva slid them up on top of her head. They had met in the hospital lobby to brainstorm the best way to get as much information as possible and to make it as admissible as possible.

"They'll stay right where they are, thank you." Eva turned from the petite woman as she shifted her supplies into her left hand. "Detective Montgomery; nice to see you again." 

Jo Montgomery could have passed as one of the Williams' sisters, Serena or Venus. Her café au lait skin was flawless. The bone structure in her face screamed strength, power and confidence. She gave Eva her hand and plastered on a condescending smile. "Ms LeMere. I'll be sitting in on this interview..."

"I'm sorry but no, you won't. And this isn't an interview." Eva had to suppress a desire to duck and cover contradicting the overpowering presence of Jo Montgomery. She turned to Janine and accused; "You called me, remember? This is how I work and you knew that. I'm not compromising on this."

The three strong willed women stood in a triangle, playing a silent game of chicken. 

"You know, Ms LeMere, we're all on the same side here. But I'm the one whose ass is on the line for proof." Jo Montgomery took a slight step forward, crowding Eva.

The hostility was overwhelming Eva. She found herself gritting her teeth and clenching her free hand into a fist. Unaware of what she was doing, Eva also took a slight step forward.

"Ladies." Janine stepped between the two women. "Jo, there's no need to get territorial." She mumbled the barely discernible rebuke.

Eva blinked and brought her sunglasses back down over her eyes. She took a step back and then a deep breath. "I apologize Detective. Technically this is your case. I really am sorry I reacted that way. I don't usually allow myself to get drawn into the heat of the moment, but sometimes, it's ..."

"Impossible not to push back? I'm not sorry. I pushed on purpose and I got what I wanted. Ms LeMere, if you're going to work this case you better be ready to go toe to toe with the big guns." Jo turned to Janine. "Did you hear who the lawyer is? Chase Tannen himself from Braxton Tannen."

Janine sucked in a breath.

"That's right. Trailer trash, psycho-mommy got herself the most sought after criminal defense team on the east coast. Now that sets my alarm bells as high as they go. We are in for the biggest fight ever just to get the judge to award temporary custody of the boy. Unless you can get solid stuff from this girl, she'll be back with psycho-mommy before she's even released from here."

Janine walked away, clenching and unclenching her fists. Eva and Jo watched as she muttered to herself and rubbed her arms. Eva felt the fear gripping Janine even as she continued to distance herself from the group. Unconsciously, Eva touched her sunglasses. Something wasn't right. 

"I don't understand Detective; I thought this was a simple child abuse charge."

"It was until we added kidnapping to the tally. The girl isn't biologically related to the boy and the only way we can get DNA samples from Mom is to compel her with the kidnapping charge. We don't know which kid belongs to Mom, but we do know neither kid is related to the other. Dad has cooperated seeing as how he's only been the dad for the past two years. We can only charge him with 'after the fact' and maybe abuse charges."

Janine appeared back in the triangle, much calmer. "Eva, I told you last night how important this case was to me. Just tell me what you need to get the girl to open up; I'll see that you get it."

"How about we use the interview room for the session? You," she turned to the Detective, "can set up your tape recorder and observe through the window. You get continuity and integrity of statements or evidence, but you don't get a chance to ask or interfere."

Janine placed a hand on Jo Montgomery's elbow. "This'll have to work. It's the best we can do given the constraints we're working with."

The detective gritted her teeth and gave a single nod of her head. "Okay, that'll have to do. But at my signal, you'll take a break and meet with me in the observation room so I can get as many loose ends cleared up as possible. I don't know what we're going to discover. You have to give me that much."

"That's doable. Here's my pager number. Just page me when you want a break. I'll stand up and stretch when I've reached a good place to pause. Keep in mind Detective; I won't pause unless or until I feel it's the right time." Eva nodded at Janine again. "You knock on the door bringing in a snack you two can share while I go talk with the Detective. Agreed?"

Janine's face was ashen, her pupils dilated. But she heard Eva and responded by nodding her head.

"Janine, I'll do what I can. This goes against every ethical boundary I have. They're there for a reason; you have the same boundaries, or had."

"Wait till you meet her. See how easy it is for you to keep the boundaries so clear. I'm not drawn in easily, but his girl... Just go, Eva. Go and get started."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff backed his nine-year-old Chevy S10 into the farthest parking space he could find. It was extra long and had a trailer hitch for his boat. He needed two parking spots but that wasn't the only reason he headed to the farthest spaces he could find. He was extremely early, foolishly early, embarrassingly early, and he didn't want to get caught being so eager. He wasn't expecting a call from Eva for at least another hour. He hoped the call would indicate she was ready to leave, but knew he might possibly still be waiting right here for another two and half hours.

He didn't notice the Ford Taurus parked eight spaces closer to the entrance, nor did he notice the three men sitting inside. But they noticed him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eva knocked on the door softly, counted to five then knocked again a little bit harder. She counted to five again then opened the door to reveal herself. She stood for another few seconds with a calm and contented look on her face. 

This was an important ritual for the first interview. Knocking softly, waiting, and then knocking again implied a respect for personal space, a respect for the child's feelings. She revealed herself without mystery or bluster; presented a straight forward honest image. She waited for the child to take her in, observe the image she presented, so she could gauge any reactions. 

Eva took a few more steps then looked directly into the girl's eyes and gasped; she was unprepared for her own response. The child's eyes were the same as hers. The girl gazed directly at Eva, she had no fear at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bored and wishing he'd brought a newspaper or book to read, Jeff got out of his truck. He headed to the hospital's gift shop.

He didn't notice the rather short man with rather large shoulders, wearing rather nondescript athletic clothing follow him. He didn't see the aviator glasses nor the tiny black wire that extended from his ear to the temple on the glasses.

Jeff placed the newspaper on the counter top and pulled out his wallet. On impulse, he asked for a pink balloon and smiled. He'd give that to Eva. Women always liked those little spontaneous gifts; just a little something to demonstrate his thoughtfulness.

Heading back outside, Jeff was struck by the beauty of the day. The sun was hot but the humidity, for Maryland at least, was low. A good day to sit outside and read the paper, he thought. 

Looking around for good place to sit, Jeff's eyes skimmed over the rather short man with rather large shoulders. Jeff thought it was too damn hot for a sweat pants and a jacket that's zipped. Since the guy appeared to be healthy, Jeff's curiosity was momentarily piqued. Jeff smirked when he noticed the guy's aviator glasses; what's he think he's a spy or something? What a jerk, Jeff laughed to himself.

Not finding any picnic tables or some kind of outdoor patio, Jeff walked around the back of the hospital where he knew he'd find an area where old shade trees grew. With his newspaper and pink balloon, he settled under an oak tree to read and wait.

Having been thoroughly noticed, the short man with large shoulders returned to the Ford Taurus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eva opened the door and let Janine into the room where the girl sat at the table finishing a picture she'd made.

"I thought Deci might be getting hungry?" Janine smiled and set a tray down on the table.

The girl ignored Janine, but looked at the burger and fries on the tray. She reached out toward the tray and froze. She pulled her hand back and glanced at Eva with a frightened look on her face.

"Go ahead Deci. The food is for you, like Ms. Wainwright said. You are allowed to have food whenever you want to. No one should ever deny you a meal, ever, for any reason, do you understand that?" Eva smiled and rubbed the girls arm lightly. Deci was accepting of being touched, showed no signs of rejection or fear, but was clearly unused to affection.

"I'm going to make a copy of these pictures you've drawn. I like them very much. Is that okay with you?"

Eva exited the room and tried to calm herself. Fear, both hers and the child's, threatened to overtake Eva's equilibrium. Eva didn't know what to make of this. Something was terribly wrong but she didn't know what. The girl's eyes were just like Eva's. The shock of the immediate connection nearly knocked her off her feet at first. As soon as she'd gotten hold of herself, the girl's pictures threatened to topple her again. In each picture the girl drew she also drew the same charm that lay hidden between Eva's breasts. 

She was startled when the interview room door opened. Janine, holding the tray of food, and Deci walked out into the hallway.

"We're going to sit outside and eat. It's a beautiful day and I think Deci could use a little sunshine. We'll be back in twenty minutes, okay?" 

Eva looked at Deci and felt the girl's happiness and excitement to go outside. She smiled and winked at the child, then turned, pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes, and entered the observation room. 

Eva knelt and laid the pictures out on the floor in the order they were made. Jo was standing over her shoulder, anxious to see what if any, facts could be gleaned from the child's pictures.

"Okay, first, here's the trailer where they lived. See how the back of the trailer is red while the front is white? Have you seen the trailer?" 

Jo nodded 

"Are the colors the same?" 

Jo shook her head. "It's a two tone, single. Top part is white, bottom part is green. No mistaking the color scheme."

"So something angry happened in the back." Eva said as if thinking out loud.

"What's this scribble over here? Is that important? It's right in the middle of the red but it looks ... Not scribble, is it some sort of design?"

"I think so." Eva decided to evade the topic with Jo until she had more time to consider it. "Look at the second picture, the interior. Here is where she and the boy slept. Here, she drew herself but look how faint of an outline she drew of herself compared to the boy. See how she is almost obscured by the covering? Her side of the bed is nearly white while his side is darker, more developed. The symbolism suggests she thinks of herself as someone unimportant, in hiding, no meaning, and/or invisible. I can't say, at this point, if this is wishful thinking or simply how she sees herself."

"What's this marking on the floor on her side?" Jo pointed to yet another place Deci had drawn the design of the charm.

"I'm not sure but let's put that on hold for now." Eva moved to her right and pointed at the third picture, which only contained three things. "You overheard everything right? This is her mother, but all she could draw were the eyes and this design again."

"Okay, now we're getting something solid. The woman in lock up doesn't have blue eyes, they're brown. So she knows that woman isn't her mother. Now talk to me about this design. She's put it in all three pictures so it definitely means something."

For the first time in a long time, Eva had no idea if what she was about to say was what she should say. She took a deep breath and began. "You're right, it is a design. It's a charm as a matter of fact. Where she saw it, how she knows about it, what it means to her are all questions I need an answer to."

Eva stood up and turned to face the detective. She reached into her polo shirt and pulled out her charm. The opening on the polo was quite small, showing no cleavage what so ever. "There was no way she saw my charm at all." Eva placed her charm in her opened palm, the chain still around her neck.

"Holy shit." Jo looked at the charm, looked at Eva, back to the charm and back to Eva again. Then she bent over and picked up the third picture. She held it up next to Eva's face. "So is this wishful thinking, she wants you as her mother?"

"No, you heard me in there, right? I saw she was drawing a set of blue eyes and asked if she thought they were the same color as mine. She shook her head then pulled up a gold crayon next to my face, as if she was telling me she saw the flecks of gold in my eyes." With great discomfort, Eva pulled her sunglasses away from her face and looked directly at the detective. After a few uncomfortable seconds of being scrutinized, Eva turned to the third picture again. 

"See how she drew this picture, see where the blue kind of drips out of the iris in both eyes. That's not a mistake; the blue is dripping out in the exact same spot in each eye, the same area where tears come from. She knows who her mother is and she believes her mother to be crying, sad. Keep in mind this is a common theme among children separated from their parent, including the ones who had been abusing them. They all fantasize that their Mom, or whoever they've been taken from is missing them and is sad without them. 

"So again, I can't say if the sadness is what she knows to be true or something she wishes to be true. But I can say this; she thinks it a secret that her mother is sad. Otherwise she would have followed the theme more closely and drawn real tears."

"Back to your charm Eva. What the hell does that mean? How can you be sure she never saw your charm?" Jo placed the picture back on the floor.

"It was my mother's and it's like a protective ID dog tag charm to me. I know it's silly. I wear it every day, always. Also, I always keep it tucked in, under my shirt. If I'm doing something active I pin it to my bra. Yeah, superstitious I know, but it's harmless in either case. So there is no way this charm came into view without my knowing it. In terms of what it means that this child drew my charm in every picture? I surmise it means she associates this design as being very significant in her life; perhaps, like me, it's part of her identity? I'm just guessing here because I didn't probe at all on this design. But when we start up again you can be sure I will.

Eva and Jo planned out what points needed to be probed further until they saw that Janine and Deci had reentered the interview room. Deci was holding a pink balloon.

"Oh, that reminds me. I have to make a quick call, be back in two minutes."

Eva fished her cell phone out of her purse and was surprised to see four missed calls from the same phone number. She didn't know whose phone number it was but assumed the four voice mail messages would answer that question. She scrolled down her contact list to find Jeff's number and pushed send.

"Hey there. I've been hoping to hear from you." Jeff decided he should play it cool. Now that he was talking to her the thought of Eva finding out he'd been out back waiting for her to call was distinctly not cool.

"I wouldn't forget something like this. I'm anxious to see you. But this is going to take a while longer. No matter where I am in this session I'll be walking out the doors at 2:30, the child simply can't go longer than that."

"Is it a bad one?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, but it's a very important one. I have a feeling I'll be ready to collapse once I walk out. Please be here? I know it's a lot to ask, please could you come early and wait for me? I don't think I'll even be able to drive myself home after this."

"I'll be there waiting for you. I'll have a shotgun to shoot stray zombies, a machete to slice up vampires, and what do they say kills a werewolf?"

"A silver bullet, I think." Eva smiled and felt mildly relieved he wasn't acting impatient. "And a chocolate bar in case we encounter any dementors?"

"Dementors? That's a new one for me."

"Are you serious? You've never read any of the Harry Potter books, never saw the movies? Oh you're education is sorely lacking." 

Jeff laughed; "Uh, no kids and I'm a little too old for children's books. But I have seen almost every 'Girls Gone Wild.' I can tutor you on those if you missed them?"




Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 04



"Oh dear, I can see we're going to have to blend a great deal here." Eva pulled her charm out and rubbed it like a talisman. "We seem to be very different people."

"Of course we are. I'm a man and you're a woman. And that's a good thing Eva, trust me on this. Remember you're new to this relationship thing. I'm not a girlfriend here, we're not going to be crying together watching chick flicks. We're going to argue over who controls the remote for the TV, and what color scheme for the bedroom. I'm going to be messy, and you're going to complain about it. I'm going to slay the insects that enter our home and you're going to tell me what to wear when we go out."

"That makes sense in an odd way. But I do trust you, even if I don't understand you."

Jeff laughed again. "Naw, you'll have me figured out in no time. But I'll never understand you. That's the way it works, or so I've been told."

"Good to know one of us knows how to do a relationship. I've got to head back. I'll do my best to be walking out the doors in an hour, but I can't guarantee it. Please be here?"

"Shotguns, silver bullets, a machete and a chocolate bar, be on my way as soon as I have all that rounded up."

Eva clicked off and pressed voice mail on her cell. At 10:23 a.m. the first message was recorded.

"Eva? It's Gail Surgie. The pups are fine but, well my mother isn't. She absolutely insisted she see you today. Today she says you have to come today. I... don't know what to make of it, she isn't usually a demanding woman. Eva? This feels really important. I can't explain it but, well, please call as soon as you get this message?"

The second message was recorded at 10:58 a.m. 

"Eva? It's Gail again. Listen I'm sorry to bother you but really, this is so important. My mother is becoming very agitated; she is crying and begging that I get you to come see her today. She says it must be today. Call me when you get his message?"

The third message came at 11:15 a.m.

"Hi Eva, this is Gail... AGAIN. I'm here with my mother and she would really like you to come and visit her here today. She says it's very important. Yes Momma, it's Eva's answering system, I told you she didn't pick up the phone, yes I'm sure it's Eva's number. Oh for goodness sake Mother, I told..."

The fourth message was recorded at 11:19 a.m.

"Hello? Is this Eva LeMere's answering machine?.... Yes? Well then I'll leave a message myself. My name is Anna LeCompt, you know my daughter Gailie? I must speak with you Eva, today. The charm Eva, it's about the charm. They're coming Eva. You must come see me now."

Eva slowly closed her cell phone and put it back in her purse. She stood perfectly still, slowly breathing in and out, in and out. Never had she felt such fear, because this time, it was all hers.

"Ms LeMere? Are you okay?" Jo stood in front of Eva waving her hand in front of her face. 

Eva blinked. She had no recollection of Jo coming down the hallway, standing in front of her or speaking until just now. Eva had no idea how long she'd been vacant or what that momentary lapse was all about.

"Oh, yes, sorry Detective. I just zoned out thinking about this case and what it means. I sometimes do that. So are we ready?" Eva sensed she hadn't convinced Jo there was nothing wrong with her, but she had allayed most of Jo's concern.

At 2:00 p.m. Eva walked out of the interview room exhausted. She still had to brief the Detective on what they'd learned. "Detective, I really don't feel well. I'll give you another ten minutes then I must leave. There are few points you might be able to use for tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff pulled out his cell and opened his new text message. "Plse can barely stand be out front at 2:20"

He had plenty of time to get out of the parking lot and drive into the giant U in front of the hospital. There he waited for a parking spot to open up in the patient loading and unloading zone. As he pulled into the space a mini-van was exiting, Jeff saw Eva stumble out the front. He raced around and grabbed her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to his truck. 

There was another man with aviator glasses and a little black wire that went from his ear to the temple piece in the glasses, who brushed by Eva, just as Jeff grabbed her. There were a lot of people around so the man kept on walking. He lifted his hand to scratch his head and mumbled a few words. The man began to walk very fast toward the parking lot.

Jeff pulled out and asked Eva where she lived.

"Have to rest; wake me when you cross the bay bridge." Then Eva closed her eyes.

Jeff pushed the pedal to the metal as soon as he got on Rt 301, a double lane divided highway. He slowed down near the Crownsville exit and sure enough a radar trap was set up. "Hah, still got it." He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw a black Ford Taurus a good distance behind him but gaining on him. He saw the lights go on from the state trooper's car. They pulled out just behind the Ford Taurus and tailgated until the Taurus put its right blinker on. "Oh man you are so busted."

They would be crossing the bay bridge in another five minutes. Eva was out cold. He stole glances at her as she slept. He thought it odd how he really had no idea who this woman was but felt as if he'd always known her. 

He reached over and lightly stroked her cheek. It was nearly time to wake her. He wanted to give her enough time to be more alert so she could direct them to her home. She began to stir and within seconds was completely alert. She told him where to turn off and within another fifteen minutes they were pulling up in front of her house. 

The Ford Taurus, having long passed the exit where Jeff and Eva turned off, continued eastbound on RT 50 for another twenty-five miles. It slowed, put on its left blinker and made an illegal U turn, back toward the bay bridge.



Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 05



** There are significant changes in this chapter, although the essential story remains unchanged. I draw you attention to this name: Elsie Kuhn-Leitz. The actions she is attributed to be responsible for in this chapter, which is fantasy, are actions she undertook during WWII, for which she was named a Righteous Gentile. 

*Merci M. Tootallday

*

"Dogs. Jesus Christ you have four dogs? As if one of these beasts isn't enough?" Jeff stood in the doorway of Eva's home, staring down the big black dog that looked like someone had cut its tail off. 

"What the hell happened to this one's tail?" He pointed at the dog he was talking about.

Bellyboy's hackles went up, ears went back, and his tail was very still. Bingo had a tennis ball in his mouth and weaved in between Bellyboy and Jeff, tail wagging so fast her was kicking up dust. Sammy was trying to grab the tennis ball out of Bingo's mouth. Ruffian was barking his head off and sniffing at Jeff's leg.

Eva, too tired to truly appreciate the moment, walked back to the doorway where Jeff stood frozen to the spot. She stood in front of Jeff and shooed everyone away. No one paid her any attention. Eva stamped her foot, clapped her hands and looked straight at Bellyboy. 

"You. Out. Now." She made a sweeping motion with her arm and ended it by pointing to the back of the house. Bellyboy slowly backed up and backed up until Eva turned away from him and focused on Ruffian. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned over top of him. She said nothing, just stared at him. He slowly stopped barking and walked away. 

"Bingo, drop it." Bingo dropped his ball and as Sammy lunged for it, Eva kicked it across the room. Sammy and Bingo slipped and slid on the hardwood floor trying to get to the ball first.

"Jesus Christ. How did you do that?" Jeff finally took a few steps into her home so Eva could shut the front door.

"I speak dog." She locked the front door then walked to the basement door. "I'll be right back, have to get them outside to potty. Kitchen's down the hall to the right. There's a kettle on the stove. Would you heat some water for tea?"

"That, I can do all by myself." Jeff clapped his hand and began walking toward to the kitchen. At the sound his hands made, Ruffian began barking again.

Eva opened the basement door and whistled. 

As Jeff entered the kitchen he heard the pounding of what sounded like an army running down a flight of steps. He shook his head as he picked up the kettle and filled it with water. Once he set the burner to high, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Kate. "OMFG she had 4 big dogs."

"What the hell did I get myself into?" he muttered as he looked around the kitchen. Sleek lines, stainless steel everywhere, utilitarian in appearance; evidently Eva was not a doily and still life kind of girl. He approved. The windows looked original though, and, on this 75 year old house, he did not approve. He opened the cupboard doors in search of a mug and some tea bags. 

He found the mug and then realized the tea bags would be in the stainless steel canister marked "Tea" on the counter top. "Hidden in plain sight I see." He tried to remember how Eva took her tea from when they were helping that old lady with the dickshit dog, or whatever it was called. "Dickshit? That wasn't the kind of dog. What was that?"

"Cock-a-poo. Not a dickshit." Eva sounded irritated but he saw she was holding in a laugh. "I left the dogs outside. They are harmless really, well, except Bellyboy. But he'll get to know you and then he'll be fine."

"What the hell are you doing with all those dogs?" Jeff sat down and watched Eva pull out a very dainty tea cup complete with saucer.

"Kind of a long story. I've had Ruffian the longest, going on nine years now. They all found me over the years. I've had more than that, but four is my limit. The ones I keep are the ones that seem to just mesh with us from the get-go. Just this morning I gave away a mother and her eight pups born in my house two nights ago. Oh. That was when you tried to contact me and I was so tired I couldn't talk, remember?" 

Eva proceeded to tell Jeff the thrilling tale of the dog in the night, delivering the pups, and the flood in the basement. All the while he sat watching her as she made her tea. He smiled looking at her ass when she reached up into the cabinet to get the honey. He noticed the band of smooth flesh she exposed when her shirt rode up. He saw how her petite breasts seemed like a decent size on her. He saw the way her mouth moved when she talked and focused on her tongue when it slipped out to wet her lower lip. She had set of plump lips that were highly kissable. Highly erotic looking, also, when wrapped around something much larger than the honey stick she was currently sucking on. 

Then he looked into her eyes and once again, he was mesmerized. She could be telling him anything and he'd agree right now.

"So who'd you get to take the puppies?" Jeff asked, not caring about the answer. He just wanted to keep watching her lips and her hands as they moved to accentuate her story.

"Would you believe the contractor, or well carpenter, who's done all the work around here for me? He told his wife and she begged to take the lot. She came over this morning. Oh, um that reminds me. I have a lot more to tell you. But I really need to soak in my grotto and I... um..." her face turned bright red and she looked like a deer in headlights. 

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here. I have to go soak in my tub and unwind but, um, you're here." She looked down then looked at the wall as if something interesting had appeared there, her face bright red.

Jeff grabbed her hand as she reached for her empty tea cup and encased it in both of his. "I'll do whatever you want me to do, stay where ever you want me to stay. But I want to be with you."

"You really mean that."

"Don't sound so surprised. Yes, I really mean that, all of it." He stood up and pulled Eva to her feet. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "We've touched in our thoughts, but not in real life. I've held you and you've felt it, but we've never looked in each others eyes and talked. So yea, this is kind of weird for me too." 

He kissed her lightly on the nose, then turned her around and patted her behind. He placed his hand on her shoulders and marched her toward the stairs. "I'll give you a twenty minute head start. Then I will come up and sit somewhere so we can talk. Just talk while you unwind. Does that sound like a plan?"

Eva turned around before she hit the second step. "Jeff, I ... Oh I hate sounding like such a little school girl. I'm not used to sharing my thoughts, my feelings and certainly not my..." she ran her hands from her neck down to her cleavage, then twisted her hands away. "um... Is there something I'm supposed to do or say?"

Jeff cocked his head. "I'm not sure what you mean? Do about what?"

"Am I supposed to let you know when I want to have sex, or do I wait for you to let me know?"

"Both, you always let me know and I'll do the same. Hopefully, we both will be on the same wavelength. But if not, we'll work it out."

Eva smiled brilliantly. "That sounds so easy. Okay I can do that. I like what you did to me when I was in the tub that first time. I really liked that a lot. Maybe when I finish unwinding?"

"Oh yes, I was thinking along those lines too. You know you're down to about 15 minutes now?" Jeff purposefully looked at his watch. He laughed quietly as she turned and ran up the steps.

"So, does this little girl have blond hair too, like you? Are you suggesting she might be a sister or something?" Jeff was paying close attention now. He was filled with that same overpowering paranoid feeling he had when he'd first got the letter and the charms in the mail. Jeff was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the grotto. 

"No, and that's just it. I don't feel like I'm anymore related to her than I am to you. There's just this connection, this bond that became solid the moment I looked into her eyes. And I know she felt it too. She doesn't talk, but she understands everything, more than everything. Have you ever heard that expression "old eyes?" It's used to describe children who, for whatever reason, seem to know a lot more than a child should, understand a lot more than a child would. Like their eyes have been there and done that. Deci has old eyes, the oldest eyes I've ever seen on an abused child, and I've seen a lot of abused kids with old eyes."

"And this Anna LeCompt woman, you haven't called her back yet? What kind of feeling do you get with that one."

"Fear, deep dark fear. I've got to go see her and hear what she has to say. It's something scary, but something important." Eva shivered and the water splashed over the tub a little bit.

He jumped forward in response to Eva's shiver, but forced himself back against the wall. She was in her tub completely nude while he was sitting in his khakis and madras button down shirt. He had taken off his whitewashed docksiders though.

Eva reached over and grabbed a bottle of something, poured a few drops into the tub then replaced the bottle. The room began to smell like some exotic flower. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Reflexively, she grabbed the charm that lay on her wet chest and rubbed it between her thumb and finger.

Jeff felt his desire leap. His once calm resting heart rate doubled, he could feel his blood pulsing through his veins. His cock roared to life and Jeff was terribly uncomfortable in his slacks sitting the way he was.

"Eva, are you feeling better now?" He whispered.

"Yes" she whispered back. "Are you coming in?"

"Yes, oh yes I am." Jeff nearly tore his clothing off in his rush to meet Eva in her tub. As he took the few steps toward the tub, having removed all his clothing, he decided this would need two venues. He walked around the tub and stood just out of her reach. He wanted Eva to look at him, look at all of him. 

She opened her eyes sensing he was there. She saw his muscular legs and the dark curly hair scattered throughout. "Not too much but not too little. Just right, said Goldilocks." She murmured aloud. "You don't look like a hairy beast, I like that." She'd felt him before this, but had never seen him, had never seen any male at all, actually. He looked similar and yet very different from pictures she'd seen in text books. 

The only other time she'd seen an erect penis was when she was in college. She hadn't actually seen the penis; she'd seen the penis doing what penises do with the vagina of a girl in a private corner of the library. 

She had been so engrossed in her history text she hadn't heard a thing. She began to feel flush, like a heat wave was rolling over her body. She started to breath deeper and became acutely aware of her skin and how it felt when her clothing moved around. She began to feel wetness between her legs and wondered if she was getting her period. Her crotch felt swollen, her jeans were digging into her crotch in a very uncomfortably way. Her stomach seemed to tense up and then she rolled her shoulders back and arched. She let out a moan at the same time she heard a moan. 

Startled, Eva jumped up from her chair and looked around; someone was forcing this feeling on her. This wasn't right she had to get away. But first she had to know what was happening. Through the shelves down the aisle on the right, she saw movement. She walked down the aisle, all the while those feelings becoming ever more acute, even painful. Another moan and this time it wasn't hers. 

Eva moved a few books out of the way and saw a girl arching her back over a large beanbag chair, legs in the air spread wide, rhythmically punching the air like the arms of a conductor. Between the girl's legs, she saw the penis. It was larges and wet looking. It was coming out and going in, fast and hard. She saw his ass, cheeks clenching as he pumped into her. She looked up to his face and jumped back in shock. He was looking right at her, like he knew she would come. He winked and motioned with his head to join them. She heard his laughter as she ran away.

"Oh, you were referring to my body hair?" 

"Yes. But you might be a little bit too papa bearish in other areas." Eva was studying his swollen cock. She looked from his cock to his face and smiled apologetically when she saw his smirk. "Did I say something wrong already?"

"No, not at all." He stepped into the tub and stood between her knees which were bent up and sticking out of the water. He looked down at her and laughed. "Don't look so intimidated. I promise it won't hurt you."

"How do you know? That first time it didn't, but the second time it did. So how does anyone know when it will hurt?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is that...? Do I see...? Why yes I think I do see. I'll be damned; you realized your lower lip is actually sticking all the way out?" He sat down in the tub between her knees and splashed a little water at her. "I do know and I won't hurt you again. I'm sorry I hurt you." He ran his hands from her knees down her shins then back up again only on the inside of her legs. 

"I didn't know you were a virgin. Theoretically, we've had intercourse twice. Technically, you're still a virgin. So that means I could sit here, and you could sit there and we could always make love this way and you'd always be a virgin." He blinked several time in rapid succession. "God, that's mind blowing, isn't it?"

Eva lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "But I want the real thing. Would that make me less to you, not being a virgin anymore?"

Jeff slid he hands up Eva's back and gently pushed her hair back from her face. He cupped her chin and their eyes met. Once again he gasped at the all encompassing sensation. "No, never. I teased and I shouldn't have. There is no way you will be getting dressed again as a virgin." 

His gaze went from her eyes to her lips, his lips followed. He feathered her lips with the sweetest kisses he could muster. What strength of will this was taking, not to devour her. He wanted to shove his tongue down her throat, claim every bit of space in her mouth and on her body as his.

She gasped. She'd felt that. 

He slowed, and clamped down on his desire. Focused only on her lips, he gave her sweet little kisses again. The kinds of kisses he remembered from when he was barely a boy and the girls asked to be taught how to kiss a boy.

She inhaled and moaned. She was ready.

He nibbled on her lower lip then sucked it into his mouth. He toyed with it, licked it and then reached further to lick the gums below. 

She moaned some more. She offered her tongue in return and they danced with each other, shooting from one mouth to the next. Until she captured his tongue and held it captive by sucking it further into her mouth. 

He moaned.

"I win." she laughed.

"But I get the prize." He leaned forward and pushed her back. Now he was laying on her. He moved his hands from her shoulders to her breasts. He feathered more kisses down her neck and sucked in a few spots, each of which caused her to shiver more. His thumbs found her nipples, hard and erect; they were waiting for him. She arched and moaned as he strummed her nipples. He took his time. He knew she liked this and stayed right here until she showed him it was time to move on.

When he felt her hips swaying he increased his pressure on her nipple and took one in his mouth. He licked and lathered it until she was near to frothing at the mouth. He reached down and stroked her mound. He dipped his fingers over her clit and experimentally patted her.

She jumped and shivered. "That was the part. That's what you did, oh that's so good."

"Um hmm, a good part alright."He stroked her with the back of his hand, pushing his knuckles over her clit, straying down to her opening, then quickly back up to her clit.

She moaned and gasped as he her hips began to buck forward and backward.

He stopped and brought his arms around her. "No more in the tub. It would be better to finish this in the bed, alright?"

"But it worked last time in here?"

"The water feels good for now, but when I uh we ..., the water will actually make things more difficult for you." 

She looked at him with her mouth hanging open. 

"Real life is a little different from those dream connection things we do." 

She closed her mouth but cocked an eyebrow. 

"Come on, really. I've done this before and I kind of know what I'm doing." He stepped out of the tub and held his hand out for Eva. Once she placed her foot on the floor, he bent down and scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. 

She squealed in delight.

"Sheesh you're so strong. I can't believe you can just carry me like this? I mean intellectually yes I know how our bodies are different. I've just never experienced it. It's really very exciting to be carried."

"No more intellectual observations." He tossed her on the bed and then climbed on top of her. He began right where he left off.

"Jeff! We're all wet!" Eva tried to scramble off the bed but Jeff blocked her with his body.

"We sure are, and we're going to get even wetter."

She didn't take much warming up and he was beyond ready to go. He just wanted one more thing before he would allow himself to enter her and take her virtue for all time.

He kissed his way down her belly, the lower he got the wider apart her forced her legs. He was nearly there when she began to giggle.

"Stop, not there I'm so ticklish." She tried to push him away.

"I'll be careful not to set you to giggling." Instead of lightly kissing her tummy, he pushed harder, making sure to rub his chin and push his nose into her skin.

His hands gripped harder as he raised her knees up and out of the way. He scraped his chin down the inside of her thigh, rubbing her too hard. When he got to the place where he could finally taste her, he devoured her. 

She gasped and moaned but not a single giggle did he hear. 

He latched onto her clit with his teeth and shook his face from side to side. He brought his hand near to his mouth and his finger took over as his tongue delved down into her opening and sought the source of that sweet taste. 

She pitched her body forward but he pushed her back. She bucked wildly stamping her feet down on top the bed then arched again. Her hips making their rhythmic approval, she started making sounds like she was crying.

He looked up at her, her arms covered her face. He climbed back up her body to move her arms away. She opened her eyes and smiled brilliantly.

"Oh my God, that was, that was so, so out of the world. That was just so much better than before, even though before was really great." She pulled him down to a kiss. Breathing heavily through her nose she chewed on his lip and pulled on his tongue.

He slowly put himself in position, still stroking her quivering opening. He spread her lips and with one hand on his cock, he rubbed it up and down several times. He studied her eyes and began his slow and smooth seduction to relax and open her. With aching slowness he pushed, he kissed, he licked. He pulled out then pushed and kissed and licked. Over and over with no surprises he entered and left. He kept his pace steady; nothing to make her tense. 

"Relax, relax, and let me love you, trust me and relax." He kissed her over and over. "There I can feel you relaxing now. Do you know I never thought I'd feel this way, ever? I didn't think it was possible. But I can't imagine spending one day without you now." He pushed in and pulled out, pushed in and pulled out. Each time he pushed it went a little further, each time he pulled out it killed him not to slam right back in.

She gasped loudly and arched, her eyes rolled back in her head.




Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 05



He thought again about how he'd like to be buried so deeply in her.

"Oh... oh, that's... so good."

This time he thought about being balls deep as he pushed half way in. She moaned and scraped her nails down his back.

He kept thinking of himself being buried as deeply as possible, and he slowly inched his way into her. By the time he was fully seated, he was dripping with sweat and knew he wasn't going to last no matter how he proceeded.

"I'm all the way in now and God you're so tight. I'm not going to last much longer." He pushed all the way in, pulled all the way out, over and over watching her.

"Harder, like last time."

"Quick study." He accommodated and they came together not long after. He fell onto his side and brought her with him. Trying to get his breathing under control, he stroked her from neck to ass and back again. His heartbeat finally calming, he slowed his stroking until his hand remained still, resting on her hip bone.

"Um, Jeff, I just thought of something."

He opened his eyes wide at the tone in her voice. "Oh no, I came in you, you're not on the pill or anything are you? I can't believe that never crossed my mind. Christ. I've got condoms in my wallet and in my glove box and not once did I think of it." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. "I'm so sorry love."

"Jeff, I'm not sure this is the time of month to worry. So let's just not think about that this time. Okay?" She snuggled up closer to him and waited to be sure his anxiety went away.

Jeff awoke when he felt her licking his neck. He smiled and reached out for her. He jumped up and launched himself out of the bed. He had been kissed by that sandy haired dog. He wiped the spot on his neck that was all slobbery. The dog was standing on the bed, his tail wagging back and forth at a very fast pace. 

Jeff laughed. "Dude, you've got to be cooler, you know. You don't go around licking other guy's necks for Christ's sake." Bingo's whole back end was wagging now. "Whoa horsey, dial it back."

Eva walked up the stairs carrying a tea cup and a mug. "Come on drink your coffee and let's get moving. Gail Surgie has called three more times. I told her we'd be there in forty-five minutes. Bingo get off my bed."

"Wait, did you say Surgie? Her husband's a carpenter, about 6'3", around sixty years old?" When Eva nodded Jeff smiled. "Well I'll be damned. Denny Surgie? I used to work for him, he taught me everything I know, helped me convert my warehouse to loft units. He's a great guy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The General walked out of his office and returned his aide's salute.

"I need a walk. Not to be disturbed." He pulled a Cuban cigar from his breast pocket. He waved it so his aide could see what this walk was all about and smiled as he left.

Exiting the building he walked east toward the Potomac. Once he arrived at the inlet he began to stroll and smoke the illegal cigar. After a few minutes he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number he had memorized, but had never dialed before.

"D. My man. I'm smoking that baby girl from your trip to the islands. She's a delight." He listened for a moment then threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, if only I could get away, even seven days would be enough." He listened some more, then because a plane was flying overhead to land at Regan National, He practically shouted, "Absolutely, somewhere on the water so I could just sit calmly, put my feet up and wait for the fish to jump into my boat."

He walked and talked some more then hung up. He kept his gaze on the boats at the inlet marina. One day he'd have enough time on his hands. He'd be standing atop a Flybridge with nothing but open water to see from miles around. One day, he said to himself. Then went back inside the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff and Eva pulled up in front of Gail and Denny Surgie's sprawling ranch home exactly forty-five minutes later.

"So, you see Jeff I really think it would be best if you stayed down here with Denny. Mother doesn't even know you; I really don't want to aggravate her more than she already is."Gail scowled as she looked in Eva's direction. "She been so upset all day, it's just been too much for her waiting for you."

Eva was wearing her glasses, but felt something was not as it should be. She studied Gail and felt nothing; she studied Denny and felt curiosity. That was it. Gail was giving nothing out. She was hiding something. Eva hadn't encountered too many people who could keep their feelings to themselves, it was very rare. People like Denny, who had very easy going countenances and rarely experienced much range in emotion were more common in men, but still not terribly common. Both a husband and a wife able to hide things from her, how unusual, she thought.

Denny slapped Jeff on the back. "Don't bother the women, son. I want to show you some antique router bits I just got. They're in mint condition and I think we can use them on the handrails on your marina."

Eva and Gail walked down the hall to the bedrooms while Jeff and Denny walked the other direction to the garage.

"Mother? I've brought her, mother. Eva is here." Gail patted her mother's liver spotted hand and waited for her to wake up. "She's worn out, poor thing. Worrying all day, waiting for you. Eva, you really should have called sooner."

"You'll just have to trust me that I called as soon as I could." It was on the tip of Eva's tongue to apologize, but she held it back. Gail was acting like an indulged princess. This was not the Gail Eva had come to like. 

"Sit there Eva. I don't know how long it's going to take for her to wake." Gail pointed absentmindedly at the chair on the other side of the bed. 

Once seated, Eva reached out to touch the woman's cheeks. "So smooth and soft, still." 

"I don't think Mother would approve of a total stranger stroking her cheek. Maybe you should just sit and wait for her to wake up." Gail barely looked at Eva.

"Gailie, do not speak to Eva that way. She came all the way out here to see me at my request." The old woman was awake and alert. As if she hadn't just been sound asleep.

"I'm sorry mother, I was just worried. I'm sorry Eva." But Gail wasn't feeling any contrition that Eva could tell.

"Gail, please go and be with Denny while I talk with Eva. What I have to tell her is for her alone. I'm sorry my sweet daughter, but it must be this way."

Gail huffed and glared at Eva as she turned to leave the room.

"Gailie, my sweet. Thank you. I love you more than I can say. You know that, right?" The old woman struggled to sit up more but gave up and blew a kiss to her daughter.

Gail smiled and left, shutting the door quietly. It took the woman a few minutes to take her gaze from the door. Eva waited patiently. The woman let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. She squeezed out a tear, which surprised Eva.

"Eva... Eva LeMere? Let me look at you my dear? Oh, such eyes, yes, I've seen them before." She began to weep ever so delicately. "Oh, enough sentimental old woman. Do you speak French my dear?"

" Oui, Je parle un peu français. " 

"Bon, tres bon. But we'll stick to English anyway. I have a rather long and, I dare say, unbelievable story to tell you. I don't know how much time we have left together, so I must ask you not to interrupt, just to listen. Yes, you can do this?"

Eva nodded silently and waited for the story to begin.

"I was a very lucky 19 year old girl. Considering the times back then, when most 19 year old girls were looking for husbands or some way to earn a living to help the family, I was headed off to Paris for the next seven months. Or so I thought...

"My family was just my mother, my father and me. My father was a mechanic; he worked for Mr. Ford from the first day of that famous assembly line when they only produced six cars a day. Mr. Ford liked my father and as the factory expanded, my father moved up and up. Even during the depression, when no one had money and very few had jobs, my father kept his job and kept moving up. 

"So, there I was. A high school graduate who wanted to go to university and study art history. I loved art but loved history even more. My parents didn't want me to go to college; they felt I should stay home until I was married. I had been accepted at Columbia Normal School- that's what they used to call a teacher's college-and wanted to go so badly. My mother was on my side but my father wouldn't hear of it. I lost hope and finally gave up. My mother saw how sad I was and tried to introduce me to nice boys so I could get married and forget about Columbia. I wasn't even a little bit interested in getting married and turned up my nose to every man she introduced me to.

"But the year after I graduated something wonderful fell into my lap, from the most unbelievable source imaginable. My father, the man who insisted his daughter remain at home until she found a husband, had heard about a group of girls—back then you were a girl until you got married or were old enough to be an old maid—who were leaving in three weeks time, for Paris, France. They were to stay in a convent in Paris while they studied at the Sorbonne. They were only staying the fall and spring term and they would be heavily chaperoned and supervised by Catholic nuns. If I wanted to study art history, this would be my only chance. Of course I took it and was extremely grateful for the chance. I promised that when I returned home, I would agree to look for a husband and settle down.

"The liner we took to cross the Atlantic was huge. I had never been on a boat before but had seen pictures of the great ocean liners. During the three weeks it took to cross, the sisters had us taking classes daily. We had to be proficient in French. They gave us maps of the city and had us study them. We were only allowed to travel through the city in groups of four, no less. If we were to be gone from the convent for more than five hours, we had to have one of the sisters with us. The rules were endless it seemed, but I was determined not to break a single one. I was so grateful for the chance I would not want the sisters to be upset or worried. This was the second such trip they had organized for girls and we knew if anything went wrong, there would never be any more trips for anyone in the future.

"There were twenty of us, all good catholic girls, all from families that hadn't been affected by the great depression. We became fast friends and sisters to each other. We arrived in Paris on August 20th, 1939.

"The next eight months went by in a blur of elation and worry. France had declared war on Germany, French troops were gathering and mobilizing. But here we were in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne; we were safe. Telegrams were sent explaining our continued safety and the decision to keep to our schedule and return in May, after a two week journey to Amsterdam. From there, we were to board a liner that would take us back to America.

"We did not pay much attention to what was happening in the world, or I didn't, at least. I was engrossed in my studies, determined to soak up everything I could, see every painting I could, eat in every patisserie I could find. But May arrived, as much as I wished it away, and it was time to prepare to return to America, my home, my family and my future; my future as Mrs. So-and-So from such-and-such. This was not a happy thought for me at all. 

"We never made it to Amsterdam. The Germans had invaded Holland and Brussels. The sisters frantically searched for a liner that would take us back to America from France, but the military had commandeered everything to rescue the trapped allied forces. And so we became trapped. The sisters then turned to Spain, thinking they could find safe passage from there. I never did find out how they all got back, if they got back. I've never had the courage to look.

"Due to the tensions in the city, people were preparing to leave. It was only a matter of time before the war arrived in Paris. The sisters granted four of us permission for one last trip to the Louvre. The next day, May 16th we were to leave for Spain, we had one last day in which to study. I was in the south quarter, studying the last of the French masters on my list when I heard explosions outside. They were so loud I can still feel the rumbling in my chest. Chaos broke out as everyone tried to get out of the museum and find safety. We thought the Nazis had arrived. I was swept along with a crowd of people moving so fast, it was all I could do not to fall and get trampled to death.

"Once I got outside I could see the smoke and the flames from the building next door; Port de Louvre the street that ran on the south side of the museum was clogged with traffic and cars and people trying to contain the fire and rescue those trapped inside. The meeting point for my group was right there, in front of that very building. I became as panicked as everyone else thinking another bomb would drop on us any second. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't find any of my group. In a daze I stood there, watching the building burn, waiting for some sort of direction.

"A woman grabbed my elbow. She had tears running freely down her cheeks, and asked me in French if I was to meet people over there. Numbly, I nodded and tears squeezed from my eyes. She shook her head and put her arm around my shoulders; "Je regret... Je regret" she said over and over. After I looked at her blankly for a while, she reminded that she had accompanied our driver that day. Since it was an unplanned excursion, the regular couple were unavailable. Her neighbor had been our driver and she had agreed to accompany him to appease the sisters who would not leave young ladies in the care of any man without a woman present. 

I don't know how she recognized me because I didn't really recognize her. I had always been lost in thought and wonderment traveling in the city. I counted on my group to keep those details in mind. Now I had no group, now I had to pay attention.

"The woman, Madame Victoire, told me she had left the car to go in search of a cup of chocolate, otherwise she would have been burning too. She offered to take me back to the convent. But first we had to secure transport. We hurried and pushed our way west on Port de Louvre, which became more and more clogged with people. We heard more explosions from a distance, but kept our pace away from the important buildings. From the maps the sisters had made us study, I knew we were headed in the wrong direction, we should have turned north on Rue Royal if we were supposed to be going back to the convent at Montmarte. But I trusted Madame and knew she would lead me in the right direction. 

"She had stopped several cars trying to get us transport, but none would allow us. Then she spoke to a policeman who would not even spare a glance in our direction, so busy was he getting the traffic to move so emergency and military responders could get through. He told us there were bombings in the north and to go south. 

"You know, when 9/11 hit in New York, I saw on the news the people traveling the streets in a daze. That's what it was like back then. But we didn't have news coverage or cell phones and rumors were flying through the city, making everyone even more panicked. Finally Mme. Victoire decided that we would go back to her home and wait to hear what we should do. 

"By the time the truth came out, that Paris had not been attacked, that only the one building had exploded due to a gas leak, which set off other gas leaks which set off other fires, we were long gone from Paris, my group had left without me, and the Nazis were indeed rolling down the Champs-Élysées. 

"We arrived in the country, west of Le Mans, I had never been on a farm in my life. We stayed with Mme. Victoire's sister and her husband and their seven children. I had sent off several letters to my family letting them know that I was safe, for now, and that I was staying with the LeVeigh family. M. LeVeigh was a huge man who loved life but hated the Germans. When news arrived they had entered his beloved Paris, M. LeVeigh cried like a babe.

"I'm growing so tired, but there is much more you must know. I shall have to skip to the end, just about.

"By Christmas 1941, I had made many attempts to secure passage back home and they all failed for one reason or another. It became too dangerous for me to stay with M. and Mme LeVeigh, so many people "knew I was an American and it was only a matter of time before the Nazis would want to know about me too. We moved to another farm, north of Bordeaux, just outside a little village called Bourg. 

"There we stayed with M. LeVeigh's cousin. M. Lemaire had 5 children, his wife had died several years before. It would be plausible to pass me off as Mme Victoire's daughter, if we could secure the papers for a new identity for me. Mme Victoire would become M. Lemaire's new wife in a legal ceremony. Apparently this was something Mme Victoire had wanted for some time

"Again, I go off track. I'm so sorry my dear, this old mind remembers clear as a bell those days, but can't remember what happened this morning.

"Mme Victoire is now Mme Lemaire. We are successful in passing ourselves off in our new identities, when news of the Jews being rounded up and kicked out of Paris trickle down to us. I thought, stupid girl that I was at the time, I should have stayed in Paris so that the Germans would kick me out too. But we hear more and more rumors about Jews being murdered, whole families wiped out. M. Lemaire is furious at what the Germans are doing to his country. He and his oldest son join the Resistance. His farm is so close to where the great Gironde and Dordogne meet that the Resistance come to visit us often. But never when we are awake, always he warned us; "You sleep all night tonight, let nothing get you from bed where all you will see are sweet dreams."

"One morning, in June, 1942 I woke up and found a strange man sitting at the table talking with Mme and M. Lemaire. I knew immediately he was a Jew but I didn't know how I knew. Although he was malnourished, and disheveled, I felt an instant attraction to him. His eyes, almost like chocolate, bored into my soul and I felt like we knew each other already. M. Lemaire directed me to fetch more wood and begin making breaklfast. 

"I watched him eat and saw that he had high table manners not commonly found among the french farmers. Each time M. Lemaire spoke to him, he replaced his fork and waited to see if a reply was needed. After a long time of poor Leopold just listening and not eating, I asked M. Lemaire to tell me again how he swam the Gironde with his brother rowing beside him. Once M. Lemaire was thus engaged, Leopold ate his breakfast very fast and winked at me several times. 

"I thought my face would catch fire with how red it must be. When Leopold looked into my eyes, I had no other thoughts at all. I had so many questions about him, but knew better than to ask.

"Leopold stayed hidden in the barn for the next week. We never saw him and of course I never spoke of him. Then one night M. Lemaire woke me up and told me to dress in the warmest clothing I had. He gave me an extra pair of socks because my boots were too big for me.

"They were going to smuggle us out. Leopold was to be intercepted by some other group of the Resistance while I was to be taken to Spain. At the rendezvous point, where we were to split up, my escort didn't show. The fighters who had arrived to escort Leopold were getting nervous and didn't know what to do with me. Finally they could wait no more and were going to leave me behind. I cried and begged to be taken with them. I had no idea where I was or how I would find my way back without alerting the whole countryside to what was happening. 




Charmed to the Tenth Ch. 05



"I didn't notice the looks exchanged between two of the fighters. Here was this troublesome, twenty one year old American girl, no good to anyone, making a scene and endangering everyone's lives. All of a sudden, Leopold jumps into my way, knocking me down on the ground. That's when I noticed one of the fighters had taken out his knife. They were going to cut my throat to cover their tracks. It was then I grew up, in that moment. Life ceased being an adventure and started being a business I would have to take seriously if I wanted to stay alive. Leopold spoke to them in German, then in French so that I could understand too. 

"If you want my services she will come with me. Any harm comes to her and I will walk to the nearest Nazi and turn myself in."

"The fighters spit in my direction and nodded. I was still not worth their trouble and if I ever held them up for anything, I was certain they would cut my throat open the moment Leopold turned his back. We walked for the rest of the night and more than once I was grateful to M. Lemaire for the extra socks.

"By the time the sun was burning off the morning dew, Leopold and I had been hidden away in a barn. I don't know whose barn it was, but they were very kind to harbor us. If Leopold or I had been discovered, the entire family would be killed. Every day a trap door was opened and a pail of water, a jug of wine and food was sent in. Again, at night, we sent out the used straw and they sent us fresh. We never saw them and they never saw us. It was cold at night and beastly hot during the day. 

"The food was rather plain but we were grateful they shared with us. The wine... that was altogether the best wine I have ever had. At first, Leopold mixed it with some water. Who needed a drunken American girl singing gaily when the Nazis were on the prowl?

"Leopold and I stayed silent during the evening, and spoke quietly during the day. We were able to talk almost freely, during feeding time when the animals were restless and hungry. He wanted to know how I came to be trapped in France during a war. He called it a comedy of errors and taught me to laugh at my own follies. I saw how intelligent he was, how lively his eyes became when he spoke with passion and even when he was just listening. But most of all, I saw gentleness in everything he did, everything he said.

"By the end of the first week, we smelled worse than the animals. They sent in an extra bucket and a sliver of soap. I desperately needed to wash out my underthings and blouse. I asked Leopold to help me create a barrier so we could be decently separated while I washed our things and hung them to dry. 

"He gathered my hand in his. He held it for a while then placed it on his cheek. He looked right into my eyes and said, "We don't need a barrier. You were sent for me; I was sent for you." He said it so slowly and carefully, like the words themselves were dangerous.

"I was mesmerized and at once felt the truth of what he said. Without a care for my modesty, I removed my clothing and washed myself. I handed the soap to Leopold and he did the same. Then I washed out our clothing and hung it up to dry. I had never seen a naked man before and seeing Leopold naked did things to me I didn't understand. But, by the next morning I understood very well. 

"The weeks went by; days filled with boring routine and nights filled with tender lovemaking, occasionally broken up by extreme terror. Twice the Nazis visited the farm and searched it

"Although there was nothing else we could do, we found we simply couldn't get enough of each other. I had to know everything about him, everything. He asked the same of me.

"He had been at university when the Nazis came to power. His father had been a munitions designer during the first war. Leopold was also studying this subject; until the Nazi's came to power and the Jews were kicked out of universities. The unbelievable truth slowly crept in and they knew they had to escape if they wanted to stay alive. His mother woke him one night; she had been crying. She unhooked her necklace and with shaking hands she kissed it, and then she told Leopold to leave. Sell the necklace and save his sisters; get them out of Germany. He quietly left his home, and went searching for a way to escape and to hide.

"But when he returned the next day... He told me he had cut across their neighbor's yard and watched. He saw the Nazis load up his father and three brothers; he assumed his sisters had already been loaded. His mother was shoved on last. He wanted to go to her, wanted to pull her off the truck. He could barely contain himself as he described watching the Nazis filthy hands on his mother, his stomach and teeth clenched tight, his hands made fists and he was... he had to stop for a while before he could continue his story.

"He said he had almost taken a step out of his hiding spot to go to her. But just as began to step forward to get her back, she saw him. He told me her face lit up with such joy he had never seen on her before. She smiled and looked right at him. Leopold said her smile consumed her whole face and conveyed more messages than he could immediately decipher. He told me in that instant, of seeing his mother smile at him as the Nazi's pushed her into the truck, he felt so alive, so connected to her and so loved. 

"You see? She was telling Leopold to go on, go on and live, find a way to go on. 

"He stood hidden, leaning on the neighbor's house trying to breath, trying to gather himself, not call attention to himself. He watched the Nazi soldiers hoist her into the back. He saw his father's arms reach out to take hold of her. He saw his father wrap her in his arms just before the flaps were pulled down. He never saw them again. 

"Determined to go on, determined to live, and determined to kill as many Nazis as he could; he went into hiding. He had one gentile friend left and Leopold waited outside her home. His friend, Elsie Kuhn-Leitz, was much more than a gentile friend. She was a singular force to be reckoned with. Elsie's father was very rich, he owned the Leica Camera factory and Elsie was not the kind of girl who stayed silent and still when action was called for. Elsie kept him hidden for a whole year and then made plans to smuggle him into Switzerland. 

"The day before they were to leave Leopold told Elsie he had a very bad feeling about going to Switzerland. He said he needed to be in France. Elsie's father, Ernst Leitz, had a boyhood friend, Heinrich Otts. The Otts family owned the Inn where Elsie had taken other "friends" and she agreed to take Leopold there too. Because the Inn was located in Weil am Rheim, almost at the borders between Germany, Swtizerland and France, it was the perfect place. Leopold ended up staying there for nearly six months.

"Elsie helped get Leopold transportation into France and a hide out at another Inn owned by another friend in Village Neuf. While Leopold was waiting for a way to make contact with the French resistance, he learned that Elsie had been captured by the Gestapo and the three Jewish women with her were killed. Before he moved on he learned that Elsie's father threatened to close down his factory, they had been making cameras before the war but ended up making optical equipment for the Reich Military machine during the war, if his daughter was not released.

"Finally, two years after he saw his mother for the last time; two years on the run and in hiding, he made contact with the French resistance. Two days later he appeared at the breakfast table at M. LeVeigh's.

"Leopold was invaluable to the Resistance. He could build bombs and knew just where to place them for maximum effect. He was waiting for transport to Caen, where he would be put to work doing whatever the French Resistance wanted.

"We talked and talked about his plans to help topple the Nazi's. He was filled with confidence that they would not prevail. One night towards the end of the summer, we heard a truck pull into the farm and prepared for more terror thinking it was more Nazis come to search. But nothing happened. The next morning, as usual, the trap door was opened and along with the bucket and food came a bundle. We opened it and saw clothing. An army nurse's uniform... for me. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach. We were to be separated. 

"You know, all that time in hiding, afraid I'd be found, afraid I'd be killed and get others killed with me, not once did I think of what would happen to me when Leopold's transport to Caen came through. I never gave it a thought until we unwrapped that package.

"I looked at Leopold, sick with fear and worry. I clung to him and cried. This could not be happening to us, to me. We couldn't allow ourselves to be separated, could we? It was war time, we were in danger, we were putting other people in danger. Those were the words Leopold spoke to me, holding me and stroking my hair. He memorized my body and my face as I memorized his. My love for him in those last few hours we had together was crushing; it physically hurt. 

"He memorized my history, my parents' names and my home address. We had no idea when we would see each other again. He pulled me up on my knees and wrapped his hand around my face. He looked right into my eyes and the fear and desolation that had been so think I wanted to faint... it just went away; disappeared. I was left feeling only his love for me, my love for him. 

"He wanted me to keep working to get home, said I must get back to America safely. We made love one last time and I got dressed in my nurse's uniform and waited for the trap door to open. He gave me his mother's necklace. Those last few moments, waiting for separation, I can't describe... There aren't words. 

"Before the trap door closed I turned back for one last glimpse. He smiled, his face lit with joy. It was the same smile I think, his mother's smile. I knew what he was telling me then."

She stopped talking for a while, her eyes had filled with tears but they never slid out and tumbled down her cheeks. They stayed in her eyes and she looked far away, swallowing hard.

Eva was so intent on the story it took her a moment to realize the deep sadness that was coming from this old woman was as raw as if it happened yesterday. Eva reached out and stroked her cheek. The woman turned to Eva, a look of surprise on her face.

"Where have you been?" The woman studied Eva's eyes, waiting for an answer. But Eva remained silent, waiting for the confusion to pass. The woman blinked a few times and smiled, she was fully back now.

"Aside from my Cozette, this necklace is all I have left of my Leopold. Cozette was born on the USS Marshall, on our way back to the states. That day, the ship's radarman handed me a slip of paper holding his cap in his hands. 

"Leopold next of kin STOP Worked major target STOP Killed in action STOP Confirmed STOP"

"Much later, years later I learned that "major target" was Hitler. It had been my Leopold who built the bomb that was used in the 1943 assassination attempt. I was stricken with grief all over again thinking my Leopold died in vain. But then I remembered the American patriot Nathan Hale. "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." I knew Leopold would have felt that way, even as the Nazis put the gun to his head.

"I woke up in the bed of the private cabin afforded to a woman on a naval vessel and especially a woman ready to deliver any day. The sheets were soaked; my water had broken. So this was to be the "any day." At first I was excited and thought immediately of my Leopold. But then I remembered. I was angry he was gone and not here with me. I was angry at the war and all people in uniform. I didn't want them near me. I didn't want anyone to share this moment with me. I was bringing Leopold's child into the world so shortly after he had left it. This was a private time and I would not share it. I did not alert the ship's doctor as I had been instructed to do, but stayed, weeping silently, in my private bunk.

"I used my love for Leopold to keep me strong throughout the labor. I had no worries that anything would go wrong. Having spent those years on the farms I'd assisted many time with goats, cows, pigs and even horses. I felt like I knew what to do. As the pain increased and the time wore on I became separated, somehow, from what was happening in my body. I could just feel the edge of pain, but no more. Then, oh my love, then I could feel his face next to mine, and his arms holding me. I felt him kiss me more than once and I felt his tears, wet on my shoulder when Cozette finally arrived.

"I felt him wrap his arms around us both as he looked over my shoulder to our beautiful baby girl. We sang then. We sang together a song of our love and the bitterness of the short time we had together, we sang of endurance and we sang for our child. I felt like all was well and right. I missed him and would love him the rest of my life, but things were as they should be.

"He had to go, he said. But first there was something I had to know. He told me remember but never repeat. When it was time for us to be together again, then I could repeat."

The woman blinked and seemed to regain herself; to realize again where she was and who she was with. She sat up and reached behind her neck to remove her necklace. She gingerly laid the charm on her shaking palm and stoked it lovingly.

"Go over to the table over in the corner. Yes there. You see the tape recorder? Bring it here. See, it's been recording the whole time. I'm almost done and when I finish, I want you to take the tape. Never let anyone else listen to it. You already know who you can trust, follow your instincts my dear. 

"Oh, I'm so excited to finally tell this part. Before I begin though, I have to tell you another thing. I guess I should have started with this but I'm an old woman. You mother, Arore, is my granddaughter. You are my great granddaughter.

"Yes, I see you are stunned. I'm so sorry it had to be this way. I gave birth to Cozette, she gave birth to Arore and Arore gave birth to you. It is the curse that's kept us apart my love. But soon, soon we'll all be together."

Eva was numb. She simply stared at this woman, but knew she had heard the truth.

"Okay Eva? Okay dear? It's time I must tell you the last part now. It really is past time. Hold my hand dear?" 

When Eva grasped the woman's right hand, she was surprised at how cold it was. The woman placed her other hand on top of Eva's and wrapped the necklace around Eva's hand.

"You'll need this very soon. Take it with you." She laid her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. Then she began.

"The gift goes on unerringly, through Charms. It reaches its peak and peace will arrive. The peak is the Tenth, the strong and the brave. The Tenth is born knowing all the secrets. So heavy, this burden that she carries. Her secrets, her burden, for she alone. Mute she must stay, never to reveal them. So sad is her road without protection.

The Ninth will find the Tenth. Nine protects Ten. Seven shows Nine to Six then Nine will know. From Six to Nine and the path way made clear. Six will tell Nine everything she needs. Nine takes her Other they stay together. Two Nines will make Ten as safe as can be.

The goodly, the Godly will be watching. Smoothing the way but never revealing. The dark ones make dangers, they will watch too. For riches, for power, they seek the Tenth. They wait, they watch, they want it all themselves. Hear me Nine, listen and learn from me well. My story now ends my heart breaks no more. I go to my love. He waits for me there."

Eva waited for the woman to say more, but she remained still. Watching her very closely, time passed unnoticed, tears gathered and descended, unnoticed. Eventually, Eva leaned forward and with a shaking hand felt her great grandmother's neck. She turned to call for Gail, but then she remembered the tape recorder and her instructions. She turned it off and took the tape. Then she replaced the tape recorder back where it was.

She sat back down next to the woman and placed the necklace around her own neck, tucking it in right next to the one she'd had for a few years already. Eva grasped her great grandmother's hand again and called for Gail. 

But it was Denny who came in, Jeff close behind him.

"Go, you have to go now." Denny looked at Eva, then the old woman and froze for a second or two. In three strides the huge man stood next to the bed. He looked down at the tiny old woman with tenderness, than grasped her hand from Eva. He felt her forehead, then closed his eyes as he kissed her hand. He placed her hand to cross over her lifeless body. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Eva heard him sniff and saw him wipe his eye, just before he turned back to Jeff.

"Get your Other out of here and get her safe, NOW go NOW."

Jeff grabbed Eva to force her out of the room, but she dug in her heels and turned back to Denny.

"You've known me my whole life? I've been all alone and you've just watched?" Then she flung herself at Denny and began beating him. "Why? Why did you do that? You left me all alone, why?"

Denny grabbed her and wrapped his huge arms around the tiny kicking woman. He held her gently until all the fight was worn out of her. The years of loneliness and longing to know who she was and why she was, long buried sprang fresh and poignant. She sobbed in his arms. He picked her up and held her like a baby, then walked her over to Jeff and passed her to him. He kissed the top of her head and pushed them out the door.

They heard tires spinning their way up the gravel driveway as they headed toward the front. Jeff stopped and put Eva down. He looked through the window and saw a black Ford Taurus kicking up dust coming closer and closer to the house.

Eva stood just where Jeff had placed her; staring into space without reacting to what was going on.

"Eva. Eva." He grabbed Eva's hand pulled her tight to him. "We're in trouble. Something about bad guys with guns and attitudes? Wake up and stay alert."

Eva blinked away the confusion and squeezed Jeff's hand.

He turned just before Denny called his name, just in time see Denny launch a .38 police special flying toward him. "Are you fucking crazy?" He jumped in front of Eva and caught it with both hands and pointed it to the floor.

"Safety's on, quit crying. We're going to go out back and up the hill. It's a straight shot to the trees with no cover. Eva, you take off and run, don't slow, don't look back, don't turn, you keep looking straight forward and move as fast as you can. Jeff, you run behind her and I'm behind you. I'll stop half way and go low. You guys keep going. Crest the hill and veer west, toward the bay. Here," Denny threw a key on a chain with a foam float attached to it. "Name's Anna Belle, she's a thirty foot Chris Craft and I just refinished the teak decking. Take her back to your place. I'll contact you or someone will. Go."

"Wait, how will know it's safe?"

Denny shook his head at Jeff. "Boy, how do you ever know anything?" He tapped his head. "GO."