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Hero Ch. 01

By: LSanders



Dan loved 3-on-3 the best. It made his legs ache and his lungs burn, but it made him feel alive.

"Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball!" he screamed ... an old habit ingrained from his nail-tough high school basketball coach to let his teammates know where the ball was located.

Karey, the player Dan was guarding, was forced to take an ill-advised, off-balance shot because the shot clock was about to expire. Jimbo, one of Dan's teammates, grabbed the rebound and was fouled immediately. Dan's team was ahead by one point with less than two seconds to go. His team was in the double bonus. If Jimbo hit both, the worst that could happen was overtime. Jimbo was usually money when it came to pressure, and true to form, he hit both. Dan's team was all over the inbounds pass, and time quickly ran out ... Blue Devils Redux, Dan's team, won the tournament.

After the game, the three teammates went to Spud's for a couple of rounds of Guinness. It was a good night. 

Dan still lived in the old neighborhood so he could be close to his grandmother, whose health was failing. The neighborhood wasn't what it used to be. Vacant houses littered the once proud streets. Stray dogs and cats roamed their territory like jungle predators. Dan could have afforded a better house and a better car, but he kept both low-key so he could avoid attracting attention from the local gangs.

He parked in the alley behind his house, across from the weed-strewn vacant lot that used to house the best playground in the area. He noticed some activity in the far corner of the lot but thought nothing of it. Drugs and late night shenanigans were commonplace. As he walked toward his back door, however, something unfamiliar trapped his attention. He heard what appeared to be a muffled cry coming from the area of commotion. He cautiously squeezed through the torn fence and skirted the shadows along the north side of the lot to investigate.

As he got closer, he saw two young bangers from a Latino gang cheering something happening on the ground. He took advantage of their rapt attention to inch closer unnoticed. When he was about 50 feet from them, he saw a big, muscular kid rising from the ground, pulling up his pants. When the kid was off the ground, he saw a terrified young woman crying with her legs spread and her face bruised and matted with blood. A second gang member was getting ready to drop his pants and have his way with the woman. They all appeared to be armed. The smart play would be to quietly back out of the lot and call the police, but Dan was afraid the woman may not survive the time delay.

He racked his brain for an idea. In addition to basketball, Dan had been a gifted high school baseball pitcher, earning a shot with the Braves organization and playing a couple of years in AA and AAA before blowing out his elbow. He looked for a few appropriate sized rocks and crept behind a junked car. He knew the first rock had to do damage. The momentary shock would buy the woman some time and give him a brief opportunity to move to another location to launch a second attack before the goons swarmed on him. The first throw was a perfect fastball that hit the big kid right in the temple, dropping him immediately to the ground. As the gang tried to figure out what was happening, a second rock came sizzling from behind a hedge and smacked the potential second rapist right above the bridge of the nose. He fell back into his partner with such force that the gun was dislodged from third gang member's hand and went skidding into the high weeds.

Dan stormed into the area holding three more rocks, one of them armed and ready to fire. As he approached, the kid who'd been hit in the temple was starting to rise from the ground. Dan spun as he got within range and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to his chin. The kid hit the ground with a dull thud. The second thug was still unconscious, so Dan could focus all his attention on the third goon, who was scrambling for the gun.

"Please ... I'm begging you ... go for it," Dan said in a low menacing voice. The thug looked up at him with a mixture of hate, defiance, and fear trying to figure out what to do. Dan was tossing a rock up and down in his hand, challenging the kid to make a move. He did but not toward the gun. The punk screamed and ran as hard as possible directly at Dan. As the kid got to Dan, he grabbed the thug's jacket, dropped to the ground, jammed his foot in the kid's gut, and used the kid's momentum to throw him hard into baked dirt and gravel. Dan was up in millisecond ready to for the next move. The kid rose groggily shaking his head. Dan didn't wait. He stepped into the asshole and booted him so hard with a side kick to the nose that the kid went completely limp. Dan figured he probably killed the creep, but he couldn't have cared less.

With all three assailants completely unconscious, he turned to the terrified young woman, crouched in womb position, shaking violently and sobbing.

He knelt down to her and, in as gentle a voice as he could muster, said, "Shhh ... It's okay. They can't hurt you anymore." He took off his jacket. "I'm going to pick you up now. Are you okay with that?"

The frightened woman turned her head and looked at him through the strands of black hair spreading across her face. She studied his face for a moment before nodding that it was okay.

Dan gently draped his jacket over the woman to give her back a token of modesty and gingerly cradled her in the strong arms of his sturdy 6'1" frame. He held her close to allow some of his body heat to penetrate her fierce shaking.

When he got to his car, he started to lay her on the back seat, but she clutched him and shook her head no. He lightly brushed her damp hair away from her eyes and smiled warmly. "I understand." He walked around to the passenger side and set her softly on the seat. He pulled the jacket up around her. When he jumped into the driver's seat, she grabbed his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned on the car heat and drove at a brisk pace to the hospital with his right arm holding her tightly to him.

Once inside the emergency room, he carried her to the front desk and explained to the nurse in a low voice that she had been attacked and raped. The nurse told him to bring her straight to the back and pointed to the clinic door.

Dan followed the nurse to an examination room and laid the woman on the exam table. When he started to leave, the young woman clutched his shirt with all her strength and shook her head no. Dan looked at the nurse for guidance. "Is it okay if I stick around for a few minutes?"

The nurse looked at the woman's terrified face and replied, "Sure ... for now. I need to get the response team together, and that'll take a little time." Then she bent to look into the woman's eyes. "You're safe now, honey. We're going to take care of you." She brushed the woman's black hair with her hand and smiled. The victim's eyes showed no sign of relief. She merely clung to Dan's shirt even stronger. 

"Excuse me," Dan said to the nurse. "She doesn't have anything on except my coat. Do you have some scrubs or something?"

"Of course," the nurse answered and pulled together a top, pants, and a robe that seemed to be the woman's size. The nurse left, and Dan turned to leave the room.

"Please! Don't go!" she said with a soft, fearful voice.

"I'm not leaving. I just wanted to give you some privacy," he explained.

"Can you stay in the room with me?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Absolutely." Dan pulled a screen around her to let her put on the clothes. He waited patiently, fumbling with loose change in his warm-up pocket. When she pulled back the screen, Dan saw that she still had on his coat over the hospital clothing, he smiled broadly. She even managed a pinched smile herself.

"Thank you, Mr. ..."

"Dan," he interjected. "Frye's my last name, but Dan will be fine."

"Thank you, Dan," she said as she clutched him and buried her face in his chest. He felt her gently cry in relief.

Dan had to clear his voice a couple of times before finally being able to whisper, "You're welcome." 

When the doctor, nurses, and police specialist entered, he was holding her in his arms with her sitting on his lap in a chair. His cheek was resting on the top of her head, and he was slowly rocking her back and forth. He discovered her name was Lisa Chang. She was startled when the team entered and didn't want to leave the safe haven Dan arms provided.

"Tell you what, you hang onto this," Dan said, indicating the jacket, "And, I'll check on you later, okay? I need to talk to the police anyway." Lisa's chin quivered, but she fought to be brave. She nodded yes to Dan. Her eyes followed him until he disappeared beyond the door.

Dan went back to the front desk where he was told to ask for Detective Castillo. The receptionist pointed with her eyes to the large man in the tan shirt filling a Styrofoam cup with coffee. "Excuse me, detective? I'm Dan Frye."

The officer turned and looked at Dan. "Want a cup? It's not good, but it'll grow hair on just about anything that moves."

"No," Dan said smiling. "Thanks, anyway."

"Sheila, you got a room where we can talk?" Castillo asked the receptionist.

"Family consult #4," she said, holding her hand over the receiver before rejoining her call.

"Sit down, son," Castillo said to Dan. Dan could tell Castillo was sizing him up. "So, you had a busy night. You stopped a gang rape with three bangers and managed to walk away with the girl and your balls intact. There aren't a hell of a lot cops who could have done that. Care to tell me about it?"

Dan went through the basics, downplaying any heroics on his part. Castillo took a few notes as Dan talked but mostly just watched and listened.

Once Dan had finished, Castillo said, "You know that was about the dumbest fucking thing you could have done, right?" Dan gave him an uncomfortable half smile and shrugged his acknowledgement. "What if you'd gotten hurt or killed? What do you think would have happened to her?" Dan was growing increasingly uncomfortable under Castillo's glare. "You would have gotten them riled up. They would have turned a 'party,' as they call it into a full on cluster fuck, and I doubt that pretty young woman would have lived."

Dan was shuffling in his seat now. "I'm sorry, officer. Believe me, being a hero was the last thing on my mind. But, one rape was just ending, and by the time I snuck out, called 911 and waited for the police to arrive, I didn't know what they would have done to her. I just ... reacted."

"I'm gonna tell you, son ... on the record, you're not trained to handle those situations. In the future, you need to let the police handle situations like that. One victim is a crime. Two victims don't make it better. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Dan said.

Then, Castillo relaxed, sat back and folded his arms. "Now, off the record ... I'm damn proud of you, son. That took a hell of a lot of guts. There is no doubt that you saved that woman from a great deal of trauma and probably saved her life. The Norteños don't like to leave witnesses. My guess is they would have used her until they were tired of her and sliced her throat. They're big on knives."

"Were you able to arrest them?" Dan asked.

Castillo snorted and answered, "It wasn't too hard. Two of them were still unconscious, lying right where you left them. The third ... well, he won't be causing anyone any more problems."

Dan swallowed and asked, "Will that be a problem for me?"

"Who? The dead guy? You really think any DA wants to prosecute a lone hero who saved the life of an innocent civilian against three gang bangers? Shit! Show me the asshole who wants that case, and I'll show you the next bag boy at Ralph's! No, son, you don't need to worry about the law coming after you."

"Just the gang, right?"

Castillo sighed heavily and looked at Dan. "I'd suggest you disappear for 48 hours. The boys and me'll have a talk with them. I'll tell you how it goes, and I won't pull any punches. Do you have a place to hide out?"

"Yeah, I can go to a friend's house."

"Good. Here's my card if you need me. I'll call your cell after I have my little talk. Oh, there's a reporter rooting around. I assume you don't want publicity?"

"Hell, no!"

"I'll handle that too."

"Thanks, detective." Castillo put his hand on Dan's shoulder and smiled at him before leaving the room.

When Dan walked outside, he was accosted by a slender Asian man. "Excuse me, are you Dan Frye?"

"Yes."

The man grabbed Dan in a bear hug that caught him completely off-guard. "That was my sister whose life you saved tonight. Thank you so much! I don't know how I can ever repay you. She's all the family I have."

Dan awkwardly returned the hug, uncomfortable at both the emotion from this stranger and the attention being drawn to him.

"I'm Jason, by the way. You're ..." Jason didn't know what to say, and so he hugged Dan again.

"Really, it's okay. I'm just glad I could help."

"I told her she shouldn't go into that area by herself -- especially at night! But, no, she always has to do things her way. They've taken her to a room upstairs overnight. She wanted me to try and find you. She said something about a jacket?"

Dan chuckled. "Yeah ... I loaned her my jacket."

"Well, she wants to see you, if you don't mind."

"What about the hospital? I'm not supposed to be up there after visiting hours."

"Let me handle that."

"Thanks, Jason, but she really needs to rest. This has not been her best day. I'm just gonna get a room across the street for the night and crash."

"A hotel ... Why?"

"The cops suggested laying low for 48 hours, and I'm beat from a long night."

"Screw that! You're coming home with me."

"No, thanks for the offer, but ..."

"If Lisa found out I dropped you off at a hotel after what you did tonight, I'd need police protection."

"I don't want to impose."

Jason smirked. "I think we've got enough room. Just wait here. I'll run up and tell her goodnight and let her know you're staying at our place tonight. She'll feel a whole lot better."

When Jason returned, he told Dan to leave his car in the lot, and that they'd pick it up the next day. They walked to a silver Mercedes McLaren Roadster, and Jason hit the button on his keys to turn off the alarm. Jason saw his hesitation and said, "Get in." They drove into the hills to a large contemporary house nestled over a canyon, with an amazing view of the city.

"Guess you don't punch a time clock, huh?" Dan asked. Jason just smiled. He gave Dan a brief tour and led him to the guest suite.

"Make yourself at home. You can ask me where anything is, but just don't ask permission because whatever we have is yours. I'll be leaving about 9:00 to meet Raul, my trainer, but Lisa won't get discharged until 2:00 pm. So, sleep in, have breakfast on the patio, relax. When I get back and shower, we'll head back to the hospital. There's soap, shampoo, tooth supplies, razors ... the works."

"Cool."

Jason turned to go but turned back. "You are ... a 34 waist?" Dan nodded. "I've got some jeans a friend left here. Just leave your clothes outside the door, and I'll wash them. You can have the jeans ... better than sweats."

Dan smiled. "Thanks."

The next morning, Dan fixed breakfast and went out to the patio, which turned out to be a Japanese garden, spa, pool and amazingly landscaped paradise. "I wonder what this guy does for a living?"

Later, Hurricane Jason swept him up and took him back to Memorial. When they entered Lisa's room, she was sitting in a chair reading. She had on a fresh pair of scrubs ... and Dan's jacket. When she saw him enter the door, she practically knocked him down and gave him one of the best hugs he'd ever had.

"I'm so glad to see you," she said.

He looked down at her with a broad smile and replied, "Me too." She'd showered and pulled her long black hair into a ponytail. He was surprised to discover how pretty she was. In the trauma of the previous evening, he hadn't noticed. 

Lisa then gave Jason a hug. "How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"They gave me a pill that zonked me out, so I slept fine."

"Are you free to go?" Jason asked.

"Yep ... the doctor came in about an hour ago." She turned to Dan and asked, "Can you have dinner with us, please?"

Dan looked at Jason, and Jason said to her, "Maybe he has some place to be."

Lisa's face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't presume. I just wasn't ready to let you go."

When Dan saw the disappointment in her eyes, his heart melted. "Sure ... I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Really?" she asked with a huge smile. "Are you sure I didn't just guilt you into this?"

"No ... I'd like to ... really. I was going to meet a couple of buddies at a bar, but I'd ..." he was a little embarrassed, "Uhm ... like dinner ... with you guys."

Lisa hugged him again. Jason stood to the side and watched the two of them.

Later, Jason was the chef, fixing grilled salmon and sautéed vegetables. Dan learned that Jason and Lisa had moved to the US when they were in middle school with their mother, who wanted a better life for them. It meant leaving her husband and working two jobs at menial labor just to survive, but Jason earned a scholarship to Cal Tech in software engineering. Lisa went to Berkley on scholarship in math.

"That's an amazing story. You hear or read about families like yours, but I've never met someone who lived it. Where's your mom now?" Dan asked.

Lisa dropped her eyes. "She died two years ago. But, she lived long enough to see Jason start his own software company and sell it for more money than any of us ever dreamed in our wildest imagination."

"I'm sorry about your mom, Lisa. I wish I could have met her."

She sighed and looked up at him. "Yeah." She reached for his hand and added, "After what you did for me, I would have had a second brother because she would have adopted you." Dan laughed at her comment, but he was somewhat distracted by the tingle he felt when their hands touched. Lisa also held his hand longer than necessary and looked into his eyes until they were interrupted by Jason.

"Who needs their drink refreshed?"

"Uh, sure, I'll take one. Excuse me... I think I'll hit the head."

Dan looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and splashed water on his face.

Back on the patio, Dan had a fresh cold beer waiting on him. As he took his first sip, Lisa had a giant yawn.

"Oh, sorry. I'm definitely not bored," she said.

"You're just exhausted. I should go and let you get to bed."

"Dan, it's almost midnight. It's stupid to leave now. You know where the guest room is," said Jason.

"You guys are really too good to me." Lisa and Jason looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

That night, Lisa tossed and turned. She dreamed she was flying a small plane. The sky grew very dark and was speckled with thunderous bolts of lightning. She tried to fight the storm, but it was too strong. Dark faceless creatures appeared, ripping her from the controls. Without warning, she was thrown from the plane ... falling into the blackness ... falling and falling and falling, until ...

"Uhhhh," she gasped as she sprung up in bed. Her heart was pounding, and she was drenched with sweat. She reached over to get the glass of water she kept on the nightstand, but her hand was shaking too much to pick it up. When she caught her breath, she crept as quietly as possible out of her bed and entered Dan's room. He was slightly snoring, so she figured it was safe. She tiptoed to the chair beside his bed, covered herself with his jacket and eventually went to sleep. At one point, Jason went to her room to check on her and was alarmed when he found her bed empty. He searched throughout the house but couldn't find her. He was starting to get really scared. On a hunch, he opened Dan's door and saw her cuddled in the chair beside his bed sound asleep. He smiled a sad smile and quietly closed the door.


Hero Ch. 01



Just after midnight, Detective Castillo went to the home of the leader of the gang, which was part of Norteños, a western US, Mexico-based gang.

"Carlos, this kid saved an innocent woman's life. The department ain't gonna let you touch him," Castillo explained.

"That's not really your call, is it Holmes?"

"Yeah ... in this case, it is."

"You know I can't let a member of my family be killed and do nothing about it."

"Your FAMILY attacked and raped a defenseless woman, so I don't give a shit about you or your fucked up code! I don't like you, Carlos. I don't like what you do; what you've done to this neighborhood. But, we've learned to live together as long as it's gang against gang. You start going after civilians, I will make it my mission in life to burn every last one of you, moutherfuckers, to the ground, comprehendo? This kid is off limits. If anyone even looks cross-eyed at him, every cop in the city will be swarming all over your little love nest!"

Carlos glared at him, "Your mission? Pigs die every day, just like the rest of us."

"So do IGs (imperial gangsters), Carlos. I need your word the kid won't be touched. Hell, he could easily have exterminated all three. Instead, you just lost one, amigo. You should be thanking the kid." They stared at each other. "Your WORD, Carlos."

Carlos continued staring at him for awhile, pondering the pros and cons of the decision. Finally, he said, "If I let this one slide, you gotta tell Superman that he needs to find a new address."

"Word?"

Carlos sighed heavily. "Word."

While Dan, Lisa, and Jason were having breakfast the next morning, Castillo called to give Dan the update. "So, what does that mean? How safe am I?" Dan asked from the privacy of the patio.

"I don't think he knows who you are, but I can't be certain. I did get him to give me his word. Usually, that's something I can depend on. No guarantees, but usually that's good enough. I suggest you follow his advice and find a new place."

"The neighborhood has lost its charm," Dan remarked.

"Where will you go?"

"With my parents temporarily. I need to get my grandmother relocated. After that, I'll find an apartment near work."

"Okay. You've got my number. If you even whiff anything funny, you call me, night or day."

"I will detective."

"No more hero shit ... I need YOUR word."

"Word," Dan said with a smile.

"Okay. Stay in touch."

"Thanks, detective."

"Ramon."

"Thanks, Ramon."

Lisa had gone upstairs when Dan stepped back inside the kitchen. "Was that the police?" asked Jason.

"Yeah. They gave me the all-clear. They suggested I find a new home, however."

"I know a guy who may be looking for a housemate to share expenses. Interested?"

"Where's it located?"

"It's not a bad location ... off Lincoln. The house is decent, and Dennis is a good guy. He still works for Alliant. That's the name of the company I started. I'm still an advisor and board member. Dennis is on the R&D team."

"Sounds promising."

"What's promising?" Lisa asked as she rejoined them.

"Dan's thinking of leaving Shangri-La. He might move in with Dennis," Jason answered.

"Oh, that'd be great! He's a laid-back guy ... surfer," she said.

Over the next few weeks, life resumed its normal pace. The hospital hooked Lisa up with a victim's support group, and she went to individual therapy sessions once a week. Dan met Dennis, and they hit it off. Dan hadn't seen Lisa in a couple of weeks when he went over to their house for a small party.

"Dude! Glad you could make it," Jason said when Dan arrived. 

"Thanks for the invite."

He noticed that Dan's eyes immediately scanning the house. "She's out back."

"Oh ... cool," Dan said, doing a very poor job of being nonchalant.

Lisa was sitting in a chair off to the side with her legs drawn up in the seat and her arms wrapped around them. She looked tired and tense. Dan stood back watching her for a moment. Jason walked up behind him. "Is she okay?" Dan asked.

"She's struggling. I talked a little to her therapist. I think she's become Max."

"Who's Max?"

"He was a golden retriever puppy an old roommate of mine had. Seth also had a cat named Waldo. Waldo had been declawed. Max was a typical puppy, always wanting to play. He'd drive that poor cat crazy. They played this game where Max would sneak up on Waldo, bark, and Waldo would take off like you set his tail on fire. He'd jump up on the back of this tall chair and swipe Max's nose. Without claws, it looked like he was punching him. One day Max was exploring in the back yard and found a loose board in the fence that separated our yard from our neighbor's. They also had a cat ... Vlad ... like Vlad the impaler. He was an old alley cat, tough as nails. Max went up to him to initiate a play session as he did with Waldo. Vlad didn't move. He just watched Max approach. When Max got within range, Vlad attacked Max viciously. The pup had to have stitches. After that, Max whined whenever we tried to put him in the back yard."

Dan's concerned look flipped back to Lisa. Someone grabbed Jason to haul him into a group conversation, so Dan walked up to Lisa. "Never get tired of that view at night, huh?"

"Dan!" she squealed and jumped up to hug him. She held the hug for a long time.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he bent down to her eye level with her back in the chair.

"You know ... hanging in there ... putting one foot in front of the other. Hmmm ... what other cliché can I use," she said grinning. "I'm so glad you came. How's the house?"

"Great! Dennis is trying to get me to learn to surf."

"You'd love it!"

"Do you surf?"

"I haven't in awhile, but I used to go some. As long as the waves weren't too crazy, I could get up."

"Then, if he can get me to the point where I don't immediately drown, will you come out with me?"

"With you? I'd love to!"

The two of them were inseparable that evening. Jason watched the sparkle return to his sister's eyes, and it made him very happy. She ate, drank, laughed ... Dan brought her out of her fortress.

"Dan, I have a favor to ask, but feel free to say no. I know it's kind of weird," Lisa said.

"What?"

"This is awkward. I've been going to this therapy group, and I'm going to have to tell my story this week. I've put it off as long as I can." She paused.

He watched her and asked, "Would you like me to come with you?"

"Yes!" she said, startled that he read her mind so quickly. "You ... you make me feel safe. If you're..."

"Of course, I'll come. You don't need to justify anything."

She hugged him again. He relished the feeling of her body pressed against but was suddenly alarmed when he felt penis begin to swell. He shifted his body so Lisa wouldn't feel anything.

"Hey, I'm parched," he said as he broke the hug. "Let's get something to drink."

Lisa looked down at the three-quarters full drink on the table and said a confused, "Okay."

On Thursday evening, Lisa and Dan entered the community center conference room where the sessions were held. Regular group members introduced themselves and their guests. Lisa was the last.

"Hi, my name is Lisa Chang, and I'm a rape survivor. This is my best friend, Dan. He's actually the person who saved my life that night."

The group applauded, and a couple of the women came over to give Dan a hug and kiss his cheek. Lisa watched Dan's face turn red and shook her head at her reluctant hero. What she didn't know was that it was actually her assertion that he was her best friend that got him flustered. It made him feel humble and proud.

"I've been putting this off, but having Dan here will help me get through it." The crowd was deathly silent listening to her. "I volunteer at a senior citizen center, and we had a lady, named Mildred, who hadn't come in for several days. I said I would go check on her on my way home. I parked the car on the side of the road a few houses down from her's. This van pulled up, the side door flew open, and I was jerked inside."

Dan reached up and took her hand. He could feel it trembling.

"There were three drunken Hispanic guys in the back. They started grabbing at my ... b-breasts and pulling my clothes. I started to scream, and one of them hit me so hard with the back of his hand that I became dizzy and saw stars. Then ... they ripped off my clothes ..." A tear slid down her cheek, and her voice cracked. Dan's other hand was gripping the wooden handle of the chair upon which he was sitting.

"When I was naked in front of them, I tried to cover myself. One of them grabbed my arms and held them roughly behind me." She had to stop and regain her composure. Dan stood up and instinctively held her until she was ready to go on. She smiled at him and indicated he could sit back down.

"One of them was big and fat. He seemed to be the leader. He -- he forced my legs apart and stuck his fat fingers into my vagina. It hurt. I yelled, 'ouch,' and he laughed. He told the others I had a tight ... p-pussy ..." She was really struggling to get the story out. Dan was clinching his jaw and squeezing the handle so hard veins were popping out on his forearm. He was wishing so badly now that he'd killed them all.

"The youngest one then dropped his pants ... and- and shoved his erection in my face. He ordered me to put it in my mouth, but he smelled so bad I vomited. They hit me again and shoved me hard into the side of the van. They were cursing in Spanish. The van pulled into a vacant lot, and they got out and tied my hands to the fence. Three of them got out with me. The driver left to bring more of them back. The young one then started masturbating into my face, telling me to have some jugo (juice). The others were laughing and calling me a whore. Then, they untied me and threw me to the ground. The biggest one dropped his pants and told the others he would stretch me for them." Dan promised himself he would remain strong for her, but he had no idea it was going to be this difficult. A loud snap stunned the group. Dan had broken the arm of the chair in half with his grip.

He looked at the therapist with wide eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean ..."

"It's alright, dear. We've had a few things broken in here over the years," she said with a kind smile. Then she turned to Lisa. "Please continue. I know this is painful, but it's an essential first step."

Dan stood in front of Lisa and took her hands. He tried to push his strength into her through his eyes. "When they threw me on the ground, I landed on a sharp rock in the small of my back. The big guy was on me so fast I couldn't move off of it. He smelled so bad. The sweat, the body odor, the stale tequila made me gag. When he shoved himself inside me, it burned. I felt like I was being torn. Every time he shoved in me, the rock ripped the skin on my back." 

The only change on Dan's stoic face was a single tear that slid from the corner of his right eye. He turned to the therapist and asked in a shaky voice, "Is that enough?"

"That's up to Lisa. This is very much like the poison from a snake. Until it's all removed or neutralized, the wound cannot heal. Lisa, do you need to continue?"

"Only to say that the evil look of power on that disgusting scumbag's face as he looked down at me is one of the hardest things to forget. The others were cheering when he finished. It was at that moment that Dan appeared like a guardian angel."

He wrapped her tightly in his arms and kissed the top of her head. There were many sniffles around the circle.

"Do you want to tell that part of the story, Lisa?" the therapist asked.

"Yes," she said, breaking Dan's grip. Now, she was the one holding his hands. "He moved so fast, I didn't even know what was happening. The second one was starting to get ready for his assault when the first one hit the ground hard. Both the others looked around. It was good to see the scared confused looks on their faces. One pulled a gun, but suddenly the second one flew back into him so hard, his gun sailed out of his hand. Then, my guardian angel ran to them. He kicked the first one so hard he fell to the dirt in a heap. The other one was already on the ground unconscious. He dared the third one to do something. That piece of shit ran at Dan, but Dan flipped him to the ground like he was nothing. Then, he kicked that one in the face. The piece of garbage went totally limp and crashed to the dirt." She looked up at him with such affection as she said, "He then picked me up so gently that I felt like I was on a cloud and wrapped his jacket around me. For as long as I live, I'll never forget how loving and kind he was. It was such a shock to instantly go from the brutality of those vermin to the tenderness of his arms."

Melanie, the therapist, motioned to the group, and they encircled Dan and Lisa with a warm group hug. One by one, they thanked Lisa for sharing her story and for her bravery that evening. Once they'd returned to their seats, Melanie said, "Thank you both. You have done an important thing here tonight, Lisa. Talking about the assault takes its power away. You may not feel it right away, but the healing process has begun for you. Thank you also for sharing the remarkable story of your rescue. We don't get a lot of happy endings in here, for lack of a better phrase, and it was heartwarming to hear about your bravery young man."

Dan came to a lot of Lisa's group sessions after that. Knowing he had not only saved her but symbolically struck a blow on behalf of all the victims in the group affected him deeply. Needless to say, he was rock star within the group. He never had to fetch his own coffee or cookies ever again. He always looked down when someone brought him something like he didn't deserve the special treatment. That behavior always made Lisa smile.

A few weeks later, they joined Dennis at the beach for Dan's first surf lesson. It did not go well. He wasn't sure whether he swallowed more saltwater or sand that day, but he figured he'd ingested his mineral requirements for the next 20 years.

When he took a break, he watched as Lisa went out with Dennis. She was way better than she'd said, and she rode the waves like a pro.

"God, I'm starving! What did we pack?" she asked Dan as she ran up to his umbrella and shook the water out of her hair. He searched through the fruit and sandwiches while she peeled off the wetsuit. She sat next to him in her black bikini, grabbed a white peach and bit into it as she looked out at the ocean. Dan's eyes were drawn to the stretchy black material pressing against the flesh of her breasts. His eyes rode the sensuous line created by her firm nipples as they reacted to the crisp Pacific breeze. He gaped at the shape of her body as it drew tightly around her tiny waist and widened along the smooth arc of her slender, womanly hips. He was enchanted by her sleek, athletic thighs and her supple calves. He felt his pulse quicken and his breathing became more erratic.

He was a man being split in half. Part of him still tried to protect her. Part of him was waking up more and more to the fact that she was an incredibly beautiful woman. Again, the man in him was inflating the part of him that symbolized his desire. He quickly picked up the picnic basket and plopped it on his lap, trying to make it look like a natural thing to do. Lisa didn't seem to notice his awkwardness and assumed he was being gallant as usual by bringing the basket closer to her so she could rummage through it. She picked out a turkey and Swiss sandwich and smiled at him.

At night, Dan was often having dreams of his own. That evening he dreamed that Lisa walked into his bedroom wearing only a sheer robe. She dropped it on the floor before climbing into bed with him. She climbed on top of him and looked into his eyes with her silky black hair just barely touching his face. She lifted his steely flesh and impaled herself on it. She rode him to an earth-shattering orgasm with her gaze never leaving his. He woke with a start, sweating and finding his sheets burnished with his ejaculate. He ran his hand through his damp hair and got up to grab a beer to calm himself down.

The following Saturday, Dan was once again at their house for a pool party. Lisa was wearing a pink flowered bikini that was the skimpiest Dan had ever seen her wear. As usual, she ran to him as soon as he entered and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. She took his hand and brought him around introducing him to people. "Go change into your trunks and come right back to me," she ordered with a smile.

Jason was, again, the head chef and was grilling a seafood feast. When the food was served, everyone sought chairs. They were a couple short, so Lisa turned to Dan and asked, "Can you still eat okay if I sit on your lap?"

"Sure," he answered with a frozen smile on his face.

This was a smart funny crowd, and the conversation was lively and entertaining. Lisa was enjoying the evening and would often rock back onto Dan when she laughed at a joke. Dan's body was not cooperating with him. Being this close to Lisa for this long, smelling her perfume and feeling her hair blow into his face brought him to full erection. Lisa got up to get another plate of fruit. It was night with only Tiki torches illuminating the patio, so no one saw his protuberance. However, when Lisa sat back down, she sat right on top of it. She was taken totally by surprise and turned to look at him. Dan's face turned bright crimson. He was humiliated. He picked her up a little and squirmed his way from under her. He made a quick excuse about needing to be somewhere and ran for the door so quickly that Lisa didn't even have time to react.

Her stunned look haunted him. He was supposed to be her protector, and he'd just mashed his big, hard cock into her. He was so ashamed. He'd been gone about a month without a trace of contact with Lisa. He picked up his phone to call her a thousand times but just couldn't dial the number. He was slouching on a bench by himself at the far end of the pier staring into nothingness when a familiar voice shook him from his fog.

"Smell this," said the voice as a carton of Japanese noodles was shoved under his nose.

Dan turned quickly away from the pungent aroma.

"I'm thinking this is what happens in the lab when you try to cross spam with rubber bands." He tossed the container in the trash.

Dan looked up. "Jason!" He shot up like he was on a spring and hugged his friend. "It's so great to see you! Is Lisa here?"

"No."

"Oh," he said as his smile faded. "Well, how are you? How is she doing?"

"Fine ... Not so good. She's really having a hard time, Dan."

Dan's expression became forlorn. "What's wrong?"

"You were her compass. Without you in her life, she's treading water in the middle of the ocean and doesn't have a clue which direction will lead her to safety."

Dan slouched down on the bench again.

Jason turned to face Dan. "Tell me the truth. Why'd you disappear?"

Dan kept staring blankly at the wooden planks. "I just couldn't do it anymore, Jas. I couldn't keep putting on a happy face and pretending I was content just being her friend." His eyes welled up. "Every time I look at her, I ..." He looked away.

"Want to touch her?" Dan didn't answer. "Want to kiss her? Want to wrap your arms around her?" Dan's head dropped further. "Why don't you tell her? I think you owe her that."

Dan stood up and leaned against the rail.

"Is she such a monster you can't let her know how you feel?"

Dan whipped around a little pissed. "Monster? She's the best person I know!"

"Well, then, I can certainly see your problem."

"Fuck you! You don't know anything!" Dan responded as he walked back to the bench to confront Jason.

"Obviously ... I see a smart, generous, sensual woman. The last thing you'd want to do to someone like that is level with her."




Hero Ch. 01



"You're can be such an asshole!" Dan screamed as he stormed off. Jason merely stretched and got comfortable. About five minutes later, Dan strode back. "So, what am I supposed to do, huh? Walk up to her and ... and tell her that I can't stop thinking about her?"

"I see your point. She'd be appalled."

Dan was pacing back and forth. "Just - just blurt out, 'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.'"

"That'll never work. Women hate that shit."

"Sweep in and tell her that every time she walks into the room, I have a small series of heart attacks?"

"No ... you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. You're much better off re-victimizing her every day."

Dan froze in his tracks. "What?"

"Show her who's the boss ... keep her in her place."

"What are you talking about?"

"Toughen her up ... Make her deal with life on YOUR terms. It'll be good for her."

Dan walked right up to Jason and yelled, "Will you stop it and tell me what you mean?"

Jason stood up and got right in his face. "WAKE THE FUCK UP!" The two of them glared at each other for a time. "She's dying, Dan. You explode into her life, pry open her heart, make her feel special, make her feel safe, and fucking vanish without even a phone call?"

Dan was fighting desperately to maintain some kind of control. "Is that what you ... what you ... what you think I'm capable of doing to her?" He sat on the bench and buried his face in his hands. Jason sat beside him and put his arm around Dan's shoulders. "I haven't just fallen in love with her, Jas. I've dive-bombed out of a plane at 1,000 feet without a parachute."

"Then, you've got to tell her."

"I ... can't. I can't lay that kind of pressure on her ... not after all she been through."

"What's your alternative ... this? Sitting here every day in 'Faggot-ville' contemplating your navel while both of you die piece by piece?"

"Faggot-ville?"

"Yeah ... this is a gay pick-up spot."

Dan looked around and realized that most of the couples walking along were guys. He'd never noticed. 

"I'm gay," Jason said in response to Dan's unasked question. "Jesus, don't you get anything? I'm beginning to think 50% of the population of this bench is completely retarded."

That made Dan laugh. "I guess I'm in the group that rode over here on the short bus, huh?"

Jason raised his eyebrows and gave a tiny isn't-that-obvious nod.

"I'm way out of my element here, Jas. Being the 'hero' makes this so much more complicated. I feel like I need to protect her. The story she told that night in the group therapy session is seared into my soul. The other part of me wants to ..." He couldn't make himself say the words "make love."

"Life is usually messy," Jason said as Dan looked at him for guidance. "Sometimes you have to turn your brain off and let your heart tell you what to do. If you honestly don't know how much you mean to Lisa, you may not even qualify for the short bus, my friend. She's struggling with the same issues as you. She's afraid to be intimate, afraid you don't or can't love her, afraid she's damaged. She's the most important thing in the world to me. If I wasn't 100% convinced you are a good man, Dan, I wouldn't be here. I've seen how the two of you are together, and I see how much you are both hurting to be apart. I don't know where your relationship will lead, but I know that you both deserve to find out."

Dan sat with his elbows on his knees resting his chin in his hands. Jason put his arm around Dan's shoulders and gave him a hug. 

"Listen, I'm gonna take off. All this male bonding without any actual male bonding is screwing with my rep." Dan turned his head to look up at a grinning Jason. "Once in awhile, it's actually better to think with your little head." He patted Dan's shoulder and turned to leave.

"Thanks, Jas," Dan called after him.

Dan sat there for a long time with the sun beating down on him, going through his catalog of Lisa memories one-by-one. If Jason was right, he'd feel it when he got to something important. He smiled when he got to the one with the photo.

The two of them had driven up the coast in search of ... whatever. They drove to an artist's colony north of the city and parked. They walked hand-in-hand all around the quaint town ... eating ice cream ... throwing a Frisbee to a golden retriever ... exploring shops ... watching a street painter do a portrait of a round-faced little girl with blonde ringlets wearing a SpongeBob t-shirt. In this one shop, they saw a framed photo of a couple walking down the beach. In front of them, the sun was a gigantic yellow ball, rendering them mostly as silhouettes. Golden sprays shimmered off the rippling sea water.

Lisa picked up the photo and stared at it. She touched it lightly with the tips of her fingers. Dan had been buying a bag of licorice whips at the register when he looked over at her. He remained at the counter watching her. She cocked her head. A minute smile spread across her rosy lips. He remembered leaning against the counter thinking she was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen in any book or any movie. He'd been slightly embarrassed when he realized the store owner was standing back watching him watch her with a knowing smile.

Dan jumped up so fast he practically knocked over two guys strolling on the pier. He ran as fast as his lungs and legs would allow him to his car and took off.

When he pulled into her driveway, he was heartened to see her car there. He bounded up the stoop and rang the doorbell. He waited, but there was no answer. He rang the bell again. Still no answer. He pulled out the key they gave him and was startled when he realized front door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open slowly and entered.

"Lisa? Lisa, are you home?" He walked around and became more alarmed when he saw a vase smashed on the floor with the water spreading across the tile. "Lisa!" he screamed as he raced through the house. He was in a blind panic by the time he reached the kitchen. Something out of the corner of his eye caused his head to snap toward the chrome refrigerator. He stared at it in disbelief. Dan pulled out his cell phone, dialed Jason, and said, "You need to get home -- right fucking now!"



Hero Ch. 02



Jason screeched into the driveway and sprinted into the house so fast he didn't even close his car door. Something in Dan's voice had frozen his blood. When he entered the kitchen, he stared in horror at the following message written in red lipstick on the shiny refrigerator door:

 "Come to Jefferson Park tonight at 9:00 –
 ALONE! If you chicken out, the bitch
 gonna be our plaything. Bring anyone with
 you, and she gonna die."



Jason's hands ran through his hair as he stared in disbelief. "Do we call the police?"

"No!" Dan barked. "We can't risk it. I'll go alone. They obviously want me, not Lisa. She's just the bait."

"They'll kill you!"

Dan shrugged. "Maybe ... maybe not. But, I've got to try and get her out of there myself."

"You need to let the cops handle this."

"Look, I admire cops as much as anybody. God knows I wouldn't want their job, but that's the problem, Jas. Saving Lisa is a job for them. That's not good enough. I can't put her life in the hands of people that are required to follow rules. I'll do whatever it takes ... WHATEVER it takes to make her safe."

"I'm going with you."

Dan looked at him like he was crazy and shoved him aside as he walked to the front door.

"Hey!" Jason yelled. "I'm fucking going!"

Dan wheeled around. "To do what? Get yourself killed too?"

"She's my sister!"

Dan walked toward him menacingly. "Shut up and sit here by the phone until I call!" Jason grabbed Dan's shoulder, and, like lightening, Dan grabbed his hand and twisted Jason's arm behind his back. Jason cried out in pain. "I'm a fifth degree black belt in Aikido with special training in weapons and weapons disarmament." He released Jason. "I'm her best hope."

Jason stared at him while he breathed hard and rubbed his sore shoulder. "But, they'll have guns."

"I'm aware of that."

"Rock smashes scissors. Bullets stop hearts."

"Maybe, but I don't think they're really expecting me to show up, and I know they're not ready for what I can do."

"If you die in front of her, I'll lose her," Jason pleaded. Dan's eyes shot toward Jason's. "She'll never come back from that."

Very calmly, Dan said, "It's settled then; I won't die." With that, he turned and sprinted for his car. At his house, he changed into sweats, soft canvas shoes, a loose t-shirt, and a leather jacket. He tucked a tantō or knife behind his back and grabbed a jō or long wooden staff and jumped back into his car.

"911. What's your emergency?" the operator asked.

"Operator, I need to reach Detective Ramon Castillo right away. It's an emergency!" Jason exclaimed.

"Detective Castillo is not on duty, sir. I can patch you ..."

"No! No, operator. He knows the situation. He told me to call any time. I just can't find his card. Please, operator! This is life and death!"

"Hold, please."

It took five minutes and seemed like five hours for Detective Castillo to come on the line. "This is Detective Castillo. Why are you interrupting my dinner?"

Jason was so relieved. "Detective! Thank, God!" Jason filled the policeman in on all that had and was happening.

"Jesús, María y José! I told him to call us FIRST! He's gonna get his ass shot! Shit! YOU – stay put! I'll try to stop this before it goes too far."

It was 8:55 when Dan pulled into Jefferson Park. It looked completely deserted, but he knew there were probably twenty sets of eyes focused on him. He grabbed his jō and headed into the open field beside the swings. At precisely 9:00, fifteen members of the Norteños gang emerged from the shadows with the biggest one holding a terrified Lisa with his hand clamped tightly over her mouth. Dan focused like a laser on her eyes to try and determine whether she had been hurt. He sensed she was okay except for being frightened.

"She's a nice piece, Holmes. Sweeeeeeet, like Carlos V (a Mexican chocolate candy). Why'd you have to go hardcore on us, man. You killed my brother ... got my cousins locked up. All they was doing was having a little party. Why'd you do that, man?"

While he talked, the gang encircled Dan. He quickly surveyed them and returned his gaze to the seeming leader. "Your brother? He was a chicken shit little bitch, who got off on attacking defenseless women. Is that how Norteños roll these days?"

"Is this your game, Kimo? You show up ... insult my family ... insult my bother ... try to make us think you're a tough guy. What're we supposed to do we do now ... run and hide?"

The two had started to slowly circle around each other inside the ring formed by the gang. "No ... No more hiding. This is about corazón ... It's about cojones."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," the gang leader said menacingly. "After your lady watch me cut your heart out," he said as he pulled out a knife, "I'll let her have your cojones to remember you by. She can make them into ear rings."

Dan began twirling the staff in his hands. Two more of the gang pulled out knives and joined the leader in swarming around Dan. One of the trio lunged at Dan from behind. Lisa struggled to scream a warning at him, but her captor tightened his considerable grip on her. Dan twirled the staff like a sword, held it above his head, and whipped it behind him to strike the assailant precisely across the bridge of the nose, stunning him and causing him to drop his knife and stagger back with blood pouring down his face. The leader quickly motioned with his eyes for two more to jump in. Dan kept the staff moving in a ballet of precision movements. He quickly ripped one guy's legs from under him, causing the thug to fall and crack his head on broken asphalt. Another was hit so hard along his knuckles that his bones broke apart, rendering him useless.

Gang members now started attacking Dan from multiple angles. He used his jō expertly. He knocked out teeth, broke knees, cracked throats, splintered bones, and put twelve men on the ground in a matter of minutes.

"Not bad, Holmes. Now, play time's over." The big guy put a knife to Lisa's throat. Dan saw him and dropped his staff. The other banger pulled out a gun and cocked it. Dan quickly dropped to one knee, and used his lightening reflexes to fling his knife into the guy's throat. "So, I guess it all comes down to you and me." Dan could tell from the way this guy moved that he was extremely dangerous with a knife.

As they started to move around each other again, a car came screaming into the park, burst through the wire fence and roared up to them. Carlos jumped out of the passenger's door.

"It's over, Miguel! It's over!" Carlos yelled angrily, striding quickly to him. "I gave my word. You're endangering all of us with your vendetta."

"Stay out of this, Carlos! Juan is dead because of this cerdo (pig)! He gotta pay."

Carlos stepped between the men and slapped the knife violently out of Miguel's hand, screaming, "Enough!" He shoved Miguel hard in the chest, making him stagger back. "Go home! Go to your family! This is done! If you disobey me again, Miguel, I'll make sure you get reunited with your brother. Do you understand?" Miguel's eyes still spit venom at Dan. Carlos grabbed Miguel's collar and got right in his face. "Understand?!"

"Yeah ... I understand." Miguel's eyes rolled to Sancho, who was still holding Lisa. Sancho gave a slight nod and started bringing the knife back to Lisa's throat to slice it. Before the big man got very far, a deafening gunshot exploded into the still night. Castillo had blown a large hole through the side of Sancho's head. The lifeless hulk sank like a stone in water. Dan and Lisa sprinted into each other's arms. Miguel turned as if he was leaving. Instead, he lunged for a knife on the ground with the intention of throwing it into Dan's back. As Miguel raised his arm, Carlos plunged his own knife into the center of Miguel's throat and twisted it. He stared with fury into Miguel's eyes until the life ran out of them. Then, he let go of the knife and let Miguel's lifeless body collapse onto the dirt. He spit on it before walking away.

"We done here?" Carlos asked Castillo as he walked toward him.

"Yeah. We're done."

Dan picked Lisa up in his arms and squeezed her with all his strength. He carried her to the back seat of Castillo's car and let her cry some of the adrenalin out of her shaking body. He wrapped his leather jacket around her as he held her. "Are you all right? Did they touch you?" She nodded that she was okay.

Once all the sirens had disappeared into the night and all the questions had been answered, Castillo drove the couple to Dan's car. He turned to face Dan in the back seat. "Think you're ever going to listen to me?"

Dan smiled sheepishly. "I'm really not trying to be a superhero. It's just that ..." He pointed to Lisa with his eyes

Castillo smiled. "She is a treasure. I'll give you that. You take care of her, hear?"

"That's one promise I CAN keep."

"You know, I can take you home and have an officer deliver your car tomorrow."

"Thanks, detective."

"Ramon, remember?"

"Right. Thanks, Ramon."

"Buckle up, kids."

They sat in silence for while. Finally, Lisa asked, "Are you going to stay with me this time?"

Dan sighed. He lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. "I am so sorry, Lisa. I ... I panicked. I was so confused."

"About what?"

"About how I feel about you. About ..." He gulped in a breath before saying, "About how much I love you." Her dark eyes reached inside him on that chill California night and looked deep within his heart.

"Don't you know I'm in love with you too?" she asked. 

He closed his eyes as their lips melted into each other. The tenderness of their embrace belied the scorching heat that began seeping up from the depths of their souls. They blocked out the sounds. They blocked out the lights. They blocked out everything on that chill night except each other.

Castillo eventually cleared his throat – LOUDLY. "Kids, I kept thinking you were going to have to come up for air at some point, but then I remembered how much ... enthusiasm ... I had at your age. If you don't mind, I'd really like to get into my bed before the sun comes up." Dan and Lisa fell over onto the seat laughing.

Dan carried her into the house, where Jason tackled both of them. They all three fell onto the carpet in a giant heap and just lay there silently for awhile in each other's arms. Soon, Lisa fell asleep on Dan's chest. Dan crashed with both arms locked tightly around her. Jason gently slid a pillow under Dan's head and covered them both with blankets. He then closed all the blinds, and they slept until the early afternoon.

When Lisa awoke, her stirring also woke up Dan. She looked up at him and said, "That's the first peaceful sleep I've had since you left."

"Lisa, I didn't even know it was possible for humans to be as miserable as I was after I walked out the door. I hope you know that I can't ever let you go again."

She smiled and relaxed on top of him. No one moved or said anything for a few minutes until they decided they'd be a lot more comfortable on the sofa. Dan tenderly rubbed her soft hair while she lay against him.

"So, you really meant what you said last night?" she asked.

"What? About being in love with you?" he responded.

"Yes."

"Lisa, loving you is so easy; I'm not even sure when it happened. It seems like I've always been in love with you."

"Then, why didn't you tell me?"

"I worried you didn't feel the same," he answered shyly. "Then, I worried you might feel some sort of warped obligation because of the whole rescue thing. I love you so much that I was afraid that if you didn't love me for just me that I'd fall apart. There was also ..."

"What?"

"I feel kinda stupid."

"You can say anything to me. I need to know what you're feeling and thinking."

Dan pondered how to say it. "I think you're beautiful, Lisa."

"Yeah ... that's a really hard thing for a girl to hear," she teased.

"No, I mean it ... you are REALLY beautiful! And, you, uhm, get me ..."

"Excited ... like at the pool?"

"Yeah," he answered timidly.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"You're making jokes, but this is really difficult for me."

She sat up and glared at him. "Why? Because I was raped?"

He sat up as well. "Yeah, I mean, that story ..."

She got up and stormed out of the living room toward her bedroom. 

Dan was confused but jumped up to follow her. He reached for her hand in the hallway. "Lisa, I'm sorry. What did I ..."

She spun around and looked angrily at him. "How can you even think something like that? What those cowards did was an act of violence and Sadism. Oooo!" she squealed as she continued on to her room. She slammed her door so hard it bounced back open. He followed her inside. "How am I ever supposed to heal if the man I love more than anything can't get past it himself?" she screamed as she paced up and down with her hands clinched.

Dan sat on the edge of her bed trying to figure out what to do and say. Then, a thought hit him. "Jason said something about re-victimizing you. Is that what this is about?"

"Yes!! You big ... jerk!"

He rose off the bed and grabbed her in a bear hug. She fought for a brief moment but quickly hugged him in return.

"I need to know I'm still a normal woman ... that I'm still desirable. I need to know that the man I love wants me sexually ... that I'm not damaged goods," she said with her cheek against his chest.

Dan suddenly started laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny about that."

"No, it's not what you said. It's something Jason said to me one time. He said it's a miracle any guy ever gets laid because we're all such jackasses."

"You won't get any argument from me. Believe me, if women had any choices beyond something made from polymers, men would quickly become extinct!" 

She looked up at him and added, "I'm just as scared and confused as you, for pretty much the same reasons. You're worried I won't love you, just the hero. I'm worried you won't love me, just the damsel stranded in the tower. What I want is work this out together. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah. If I can force myself to stop being an asshole, I can."

"You can still be an asshole. Just be MY asshole," she said as she hugged him. She took his hand and pulled him over to the bed to sit next to her. "I've been thinking about a lot of stuff. One of the thoughts rolling through my head is that as horrible and terrifying as the attack was, maybe there was a silver lining." His eyes widened in disbelief. "In a few short minutes, I learned more about your character than most people who spend a lifetime together."

She got choked up as she continued. "I meant what I said in that group meeting. For as long as I live, I'll never forget how your kindness and gentle strength made me feel safe ... right when I needed it the most. I was certainly grateful for your bravery, but it was your gallantry that made a much bigger impression. You were the one who made sure I was clothed and covered that horrible night, not the nurses who get paid to do that stuff. That's all you ... that's what comes from here," she said as she patted his heart. "I don't ever have to wonder what you'll say to our daughter who comes home in tears because her first boyfriend just dumped her. I don't have to worry about how you'll react to our son getting cut from the team or blowing a mid-term. I know you'll be perfect. That's the stuff that made me fall in love with you ... not the red cape."

Dan hugged her for a minute while he waited for his throat to loosen. Finally, he was able to push her back so he could look into her eyes. He brushed her hair and said, "And what made me fall in love with you is your intelligence and your inner strength. I was so humbled watching you fight this monster of a situation on your own. I know I give you support, and I am SOOOO happy I do. But, you still have to do the work. You have to confront everything yourself, and I know you would do that whether I was here or not. If none of the bad stuff had ever happened and I'd met you at a party or in a bar, I would have driven you crazy pursuing you. You'd have requested police protection from me."

"Never," she said smiling and rubbing his hair. "Last night was the most terrified I've ever been ... much more than the rape. When I saw them amassing an army to kill you ..." She laid her head against his chest and cried. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you."

He tightened his grip on her and said, "Maybe coming alone wasn't the smartest decision, but, honestly, I didn't trust anyone else with your life, including the police. I just couldn't."

"I know. And, that's exactly what I was afraid you'd do."

"Well, it's history. All I want to think about now is the future with you. For once, I'd like to think about nothing except how much I love you and how beautiful you are."

She pushed him back so she could look at him. "You really mean that don't you ... the beautiful part?"

"God, yes! You hair ... your face ... your body. I could spend my whole life getting lost in those amazing eyes of yours. You have no idea how many times I had to do something to distract you from the third leg I was growing when I looked at you, especially in a bikini."

She smiled and blushed slightly at his exuberance. "Well, you don't know how many loads of laundry I've had to do because of staring at that body of yours. I even got a little preview of your package one time."

"You did? When?"

"Remember watching that movie we rented with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusak?"

"Yeah."

"We were lying together on the sofa, and we both fell asleep. You woke me up with your snoring, and when I opened my eyes, I just happened to be staring at the giant anaconda that had snuck into your pants. Once I made sure you were dead to the world, and I put my hand over it and rubbed it. You were so big and so hard, I got goose bumps."

"Wait a minute ... wait a minute! You just made me feel like a turd for being too chicken to tell you how much I love you, and the whole time you were feeling me up – in secret – without saying a word?"

"Not the whole time," she said, suppressing a giggle.

"You're gonna pay for that!"

She started laughing. "Oh, yeah, tough guy? How are you gonna make me pay?"

"Like this." He began tickling her unmercifully.

"Stop! Stop! I give! Uncle!" she said as she squealed with laughter. He rolled onto his back with Lisa in his arms. "Maybe we've both been dopes," she said.

"Yeah, maybe we have," he said softly. He rolled her onto her back and smiled down at her. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her slowly and sweetly, letting the temperature rise at its own pace.  She ran her fingers through his hair and played with his tongue. The remained like that for a long time. At one point, she reached down and squeezed his cast iron prick, and they continued kissing while they both laughed. Jason crept past their room and saw them making out. He thrust his arms into the air and screamed a silent, "Yes!"

When they finally broke apart, Dan said, "I may not have to say this, but I want to say it. You're my whole life now, Lisa. I'm not going anywhere. We can take as long as we need to get to the point where we can express our love in the most intimate way. The most important thing for me is that you heal ... and I heal too for that matter ... so that when we're both ready, we never have any fear or regrets."

Water leaked from her eyes as she looked up at him. He gently wiped it away with his thumbs and kissed her eyelids. "If you don't stop saying perfect things like that, I'm going to dehydrate from all the lost tears." He laughed.

She sat up and wiped her cheeks. Then she kissed him and walked over to lock the bedroom door. "I want to try something. I'd guess you'd call it second base?" Dan sat up on high alert. "But, I need to ask if it's okay."




Hero Ch. 02



Dan looked at her oddly. "Are you asking if I give you permission to take your shirt off? Is this a trick question?"

"No!" she said as she slapped his arm. "I've just heard it kind of hurts to be hard for a long time without ..."

"Cleaning the pipes?"

"Yes" she said chuckling. "I know you've been like granite for a long time today. I don't want to you to be in pain."

Dan thought for a moment. "I guess the only way to deal with all the questions like this that are going to arise is to be brutally honest. In that spirit, I can honestly say that if you think I would turn down an opportunity to see you with your shirt off because of a potential case of blue balls, you're completely nuts!"

She laughed again. "How sweet!"

"At the same time, this is something that needs to feel right to you or I don't want it to happen."

"I know." She started to unbutton her top button, but Dan stopped her.

"Wait! I almost forgot something. Don't go anywhere!" He raced out of her bedroom and was back in a flash with his hands behind his back. "I got these things for you yesterday but never had a chance to give them to you. First, these," he said as he handed her a bouquet of slightly wilted tulips.

"Dan, they're beautiful! But, they need water badly." She dumped an artificial arrangement out of a vase in her bathroom, placed the tulips in it and filled it with water. Then, she set the vase on a magazine on her dresser. She took a step back to admire them. "Thank you so much! I love them," she said as she kissed him.

He broke off the kiss so he could add, "And, here's part two." He slowly took the photo from behind his back.

She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God! How did you ..."

"Lisa, I remember every single moment I've spent with you ... every smell ... every look ... every touch. I've opened up a whole, big unused part of my brain just so I'll never forget anything about you," he said with the earnestness of a little boy. She sat on the bed staring at the framed print, feeling her eyes grow moist. He sat beside her and put his arm around her. "I wanted to buy it the day we saw it, but I wasn't sure how you'd react."

She looked up at him as salty droplets slid down her cheeks. "You are just the sweetest man!" She hugged him and looked back at the print. "That's us, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You are going to charm the pants off of me in no time."

He pulled her down on the mattress and said, "That is part of my evil plan."

"What's the other part?"

"To make you fall so hopelessly in love with me that we're together for all time."

"You accomplished that goal a long time ago ... except for the hopeless part. I'm never hopeless as long as I'm with you." She got up to lean the photo against the mirror of her dresser, next to her flowers. Then, she lay back down next to Dan, took his face in her long slender fingers and kissed him sweetly.

Lisa sat up and started unbuttoning her shirt again.

Dan leaned up on one elbow. "Are you really sure?"

"More than ever. I know this may be a slow process, but I want to push through it as fast as possible so we can get to the really fun stuff like lying here naked day after day, so exhausted from non-stop sex that we don't have the strength to shuffle out of the bedroom."

"I know I can hold up my end of that deal," he said with a mischievous grin.

She ran her hand through his brown wavy hair and said, "Me too." She pulled the shirt over her head, and Dan sat up staring at her. He felt his mouth grow dry and his heart hammer in his chest. She saw the longing in his eyes and felt emboldened by it. She unhinged the front clasp of her bra and opened it for him.

"Jesus ... I bet I've fantasized a thousand times about your body, but nothing I dreamed up ever came close this."

She smiled self-consciously. "But, they're so small."

"Women are way, way more hung up on breast size than men. I mean, God, look at how perfect you are." Though Dan would normally have asked permission to touch her, he was so caught up in the exhilaration of the moment that his hand was drawn to her. He reverently touched her skin. "I love how the dark skin of your nipples contrasts with the light skin of your breasts. They're so ..." He stopped, looked at her and asked, "This is awkward, but is it okay if I loosen my pants? I won't take them off or anything, but I need to adjust a little."

"Sure. Do what you need to do."

He rearranged his boxers inside his sweats so his erection wasn't bent. Then, he moved close to her. She was fascinated by the eagerness with which he explored her body.  She felt herself grow very wet watching him. He bent down to kiss her nipple and take it in his mouth, but he stopped to look at her for permission. She nodded. He closed his eyes as the bumpy texture connected with his tongue for the first time. Though her breasts were modest, her nipples were prominent. He rolled it all around his mouth, sucking and rubbing it against his tongue. She closed her eyes and moaned slightly at the pleasure of his touch. She had to lean back on her hands to brace herself.

Dan moved to the other nipple and repeated his oral exploration, while his hand gently massaged her other breast. He kissed his way up her chest to her neck and nibbled the sensitive skin under her ear. She shivered from the sensation. He laid her down on the pillows and continued kissing her body.

"Lisa, if I go to the bathroom for a couple of minutes, will you stay right here just like this?"

"Only if you promise to pick up where you left off."

"Oh, I promise!" he said as he ran into the bathroom. His balls were now aching. He didn't have time for preliminaries. He dropped his pants and spit into his palm as he immediately began jacking himself. He came so quickly and so hard that he drenched the tissues in his hand. His orgasm dropped him to his knees. He knew the ache would take a little time to go away, but he felt a great relief. When he was able to stand, he washed his hands, tossed the tissues into the toilet, flushed, and rejoined Lisa. She was happy to see his pants pulled up ... happy that he felt comfortable enough to masturbate and ease his discomfort.

He was like a new man. He put his hands behind her back and arched her body so he could push her breasts more fully into his mouth. As she lay cradled in his arms, she tried to sort through her feelings. The images of the brutal attack still stung so sharply she never imagined she could give herself to a man, even Dan, so quickly. But, now she was beginning to wonder. She stopped his kisses and sat up.

"I really don't know how far I can take this, but I want to try being naked together." He froze and looked at her. He was very intimidated at the thought. He was afraid the sight of a fully erect naked man would ignite terrifying flashbacks.

"Lisa, I don't know. As much as I want you, I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"I don't know if it is either, but I know that if I can't handle it you'll stop. See, that's what makes it okay to try, because I know you would do anything for me. You've already risked your life for me – twice! You're the only man I trust enough to try this."

He had a very concerned look in his eyes. "Okay, I guess, but you have to go first." She pulled off her socks and began slowly pushing down her jeans. He couldn't help but look at her crotch. His eyes were drawn to it like magnets, but he was still very uneasy. She had soaked her panties so much that they were partially translucent. Her dark hair filled him with anxious desire.

"Should I continue?" she asked.

"You're asking me?"

"It's just that you aren't saying anything."

He held out his hand, which was shaking. "Look at my hand. I've never wanted anything so much in my life, but I'm also terrified." He took her hands in his. "I'm sooo ... attracted to you that I'm worried that when I see you and feel you and taste you I won't be able to stop. I can't let myself lose control."

She was continually taken aback by his bursts of frankness. Dan bottled up many of his emotions until the cork popped. Then, they would all spew out until he was drained.

"I'm torn in half too, you know. I never imagined having someone love me so much he was afraid of losing control. That's a profound realization. But, the wounded part of me is also scared. Jason's told me many times over the years to stop analyzing so much and to follow my heart." She paused. "My heart really doesn't want me to stop, sweetheart."

He smiled. "That's the first time you called me by a lover's nickname. I like it."

She smiled in return. Dan sat upright as she tugged her sopping undies down her smooth legs.

Before he allowed his eyes to feast upon her, he asked, "Would it embarrass you or gross you out if I took those?"

"No." She handed them to him. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Mmmmm ... I love your aroma." He breathed her in again to emphasize the point. Then, he looked down at her crotch. He cautiously asked, "May I ..." She nodded quickly. He delicately spread her slender thighs and looked at her sex for the first time. She felt his hands tremor and saw perspiration form on his forehead and upper lip. She looked at his chest, wondering if she would actually be able to see his heart beat. He suddenly toppled slightly on his elbow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing ... I just got a little lightheaded. I think too much blood is rushing from my big head to my little head." His gaze returned to her thick, flushed pussy lips. "Sorry for being a broken record, but, God, you're beautiful!"

"Are you ready to return the favor?"

He searched her eyes. "My dick is gigantic and harder than the leg of that table. Are you sure about this?"

"Totally. Watching your reactions to my body is making all that bad stuff seem less and less important." Dan stood and turned his back to her as he slid off his sweatpants and his boxers. He turned around and stood in front of her with his bursting erection bobbing like a metronome.

A knock on the door startled them. "Hey, you guys hungry?" Jason asked.

"Go the fuck away!" Lisa shot back.

"Okay. Just ... checking. I'm going out," he called before heading down the stairs. He was very happy to hear that defiant tone in his sister's voice.

"Jesus, if you lived in Renaissance Italy, you'd be modeling for statues." He smiled shyly at her. "Lie on top of me and press that big beautiful dick into my pussy." He did as he was told and looked down into her eyes. He put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. He rocked his pelvis slowly up and down as they kissed. They never did anything more. They kissed and touched and held each other until their eyelids were too heavy to keep open. Dan cupped his body around her and pressed his cock into her ass. She pulled his arms tightly to her and placed her hands over his. Neither of them moved until morning.

They awoke early due to the hollowness of their stomachs. They jumped into the shower together and had a glorious time cleaning each other. "That's one advantage to showering with a guy," Lisa observed giggling. "You never have to worry about grimy tits!"

Lisa told Dan to get back into bed naked. She threw on her robe and skipped down the stairs to the kitchen. Jason smiled when he saw how happy she looked. "Did you two ..." He made a circle with his left hand and pumped his right index finger in and out of it.

"No, but we did practically everything else. That hurdle's probably going to be crossed today." 

She was busy gathering all manner of fruit, cheese, croissants, jam, etc. Jason got up and said, "Here let me do that. I'll knock twice when the tray is resting outside your door. Then, I'm going off to the beach."

There was something in his voice that made her pause. "By yourself?"

He grinned. "No ... with Mark."

"Mark, huh? Spill it."

"We met earlier at Phil's party. When I ran into him a couple of nights ago at Benedict's, we decided to roam the dunes together today. But, I'll tell you more about that later. Right now, I want the dish about the two of you."

She grinned and said, "He's ..."

"Great, isn't he?"

"Jason, he's the kindest, most sensitive man I've ever met – by a WIDE margin! And, you should see his body! He's actually beautiful."

"I get a really, really good feeling about him, Lis. I want this to work out for the two of you only slightly less than you want it to." He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "He's the one."

"Yeah ... he's definitely the one. He makes all the other men on the planet seem like they're from a completely different species."

"I know he feels the same about you."

She shrugged shyly and said, "Considering that he spent the entire night either telling me how beautiful I am or excusing himself to go into the bathroom to jerk off, I think I can safely say he feels the same."

"He actually did that? You didn't help?"

"He wouldn't let me. He said we have plenty of time for that later. He was so worried that I would get overwhelmed."

Jason hugged his sister and kissed the top of her head. "Here's what I want to do ... I'm leaving, so you'll have the entire house to yourselves for the rest of the day. Run around naked. Go into the spa. Do whatever you want to do. When you get hungry, text me, and I'll take care of it."

"What about you and Mark?"

"He's very cool. He'll run errands with me. Then, we'll get right back to doing whatever we were doing." He looked at her and added in a soft, serious tone, "I don't want you two to have any distractions from each other today. Remember ..."

"I know. Listen to my heart."

"You were always a good student."

She squeezed him again. "I don't know whether you're better at being a big brother or a best friend."

He hugged her one more time and said, "Go on! Get outta here!"

"Thanks," she said smiling as she disappeared down the hall.

Lisa told Dan the plan for the day. "So, I get to spend the whole uninterrupted day playing with you while we're both naked?"

"That's the plan."

"Geez, I don't know what to do first. Wait ... yes I do." He jumped up and took her foot in his hands. "I give great foot massages!"

"Mmmmm ... that does feel good." She ran her eyes up and down his body. "Am I ever going to see that big thing limp?"

"I can't imagine how. When you're naked, that's just boner city. Even if you're clothed, depending what you're wearing, I'll probably still be sporting wood."

"I woke up briefly twice last night and kissed your hand. Both times, I backed my butt into telephone poles."

"Hello ... you were naked!"

There was a light knock on the door followed by, "Toodles ... Have fun, children." Then, Jason bounded down the stairs and out of the house. Dan and Lisa raced for the food. They were famished.

Once their most urgent hunger had been sated, they started playing. Lisa bit a strawberry in half and rubbed the remainder up and down Dan's thick shaft. Then, she licked off the juice while she giggled. He turned her over on her back, held the honey dipper over her pussy and drizzled the sweet liquid over the whole area. Then, he worked his tongue around until he'd cleaned it all off. In the process, Lisa's engine started running in the red. Dan put his hands under her butt cheeks and started getting serious with his tongue and fingers. Lisa hadn't even thought about an orgasm since before the attack, and the mounting tension from playing naked together was pushing her to the critical point. He was determined to make this a masterpiece. He brought her to the edge and backed off over and over again. She tried grabbing his hair and pushing her sex into him, but he always managed to wriggle free. She was panting and thrashing. Her body was covered in sweat as she ground her pussy into his mouth. He had now maneuvered two fingers into her juicy canal and was working magic on the nerve bundles inside her vagina.

When he started to back off once again, she pleaded with him, "Please don't stop! I can't take much more of this." He didn't. He put his whole mouth over her clit, which had turned deep rose and was practically as hard as his penis. He knew he had to rub it carefully, so he used the soft part of his tongue just behind the tip. Explosive is really the only word to describe her orgasm. Every nerve in her body burst into flames, and every muscle tensed. Lisa screamed as the pleasure waves steamrolled over her. Again, and again, she cried out. She lost complete control as Dan's fondling whisked her to undiscovered heights of erotic bliss. Dan was rewarded with a hot spring of clear nectar that drenched his mouth. It was her body's way of thanking him. When her frenzy finally abandoned her, she was completely spent. He lifted her limp body off the bed and carried her to the soft leather chair in the corner of her bedroom, where she curled up on his lap and fell into a deep, contented sleep. He rocked her and said a silent "thank you" to the Gods for bestowing this gift upon him.

When Lisa awoke, Dan was daydreaming and softly stroking her breast. She quickly reached down and chuckled when her hand, once again, encountered erection. "Just checking," she teased. He shrugged with a told-you-so look on his face. She kissed him and said, "Thank you sooooooo much for that."

"For giving you pleasure? That was way more fun for me than it was for you."

She stared at him for a moment before replying, "Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? No ... for reminding me how good it feels to be alive ... to be a woman ... to be your woman. Dan, I was just a lost soul when you went away. I felt sad and alone and worried that maybe I was injured beyond repair. But, now that you're back and have helped me understand all the demons you were fighting, I don't know ... I feel like my heart's building a wall around the pain so it can't hurt me anymore. I'm babbling; I guess. Maybe it's because of the dream I was having."

"What dream?"

"It was so real. You and I were standing together by a big porch next to this huge tree. And, I got the feeling it was kind of like the tree of life, only we weren't Adam and Eve. We were ourselves. Both of us were howling with laughter watching our two children ... twins, a boy and a girl. Dan, they were so beautiful; they looked just like you."

"Wait – if we have a girl ..."

"Will you please shut up? This is my dream. They had long, wavy, silky brown hair and crystal blue eyes. They were wearing light colored clothes, like Easter clothes. They were holding hands and running all around the yard. I think they were looking for Easter eggs. They were giggling and cackling so loudly I can still hear them when I close my eyes. We stood off to the side with our arms around each other hysterical because their joy was so pure and so infectious. I don't remember ever feeling so happy or so serene." A tear fell onto her lap as she was transported back to that place. "That was my sign. You know how Jason always says to listen to your heart? That was my heart sending me a message that it's time to move on," she said as she intertwined her fingers with his and held them to her chest. "I know this sounds insane, but I'm really starting to believe that fate was forced to inflict that horrifying experience on us because that's the only way we could be brought together. I feel like you're my destiny now." She looked up at him with eyes filled with hope and wonder and asked, "Will you make love to me?"

He started to ask a question, but she put her fingers to his lips. "I've stopped thinking. I'm just feeling, and this feels so right to me. Something tells me that once I'm made whole with you, that's when the real healing will begin."

"Do you have a condom?" he asked.




Hero Ch. 02



"There's no way in Hell I'm ever putting anything between your skin and mine, especially this first time. This stuff might help a little though." Lisa spread some lubricant on her vagina and along his shaft.

Dan moved between her legs but stopped to drink in her beauty. His voice cracked as he confided, "I've been waiting for you my whole life, Lisa." 

She gently kissed his hand. "I doubt that I'll ever be able to tell you how much you mean to me with just words. You managed to transform my darkest moment into a sunny dawn. But, if you don't start making love to me right this second, I very well may explode."

Dan smiled and positioned himself at her entrance to begin his slow descent into her most intimate sanctum. She was very tight, but the gel enabled him to slide in with minimal resistance. As he pushed deeper inside her, she was at peace. Their eye contact was intense. All thoughts of the attack remained shuttered. She was far too consumed with the overwhelming affection radiating through her lover's eyes and with the exhilaration of sharing her body with him for the very first time to permit any distractions from intruding upon the moment.

They started slowly with their bodies moving in perfect harmony and allowed their speed and fervor to build naturally. Dan became more and more relaxed as his fear of seeing pain or panic in Lisa's eyes withered. "I love you," she whispered, sensing his tension drain away. Finally, he stopped worrying; stopped thinking. At long last, he set himself free. 

He felt the delicious return of heat to his loins. He felt her velvety grip welcome and caress him. He felt consumed by a love so vast that it encircled their twin hearts in a danza immortale. He, too, could now hear the distant peal of laughter from the children Lisa met in her dream and felt the realization of his own destiny reflected in her eyes.

He felt ...................