43 comments/ 93723 views/ 55 favorites Hometown Hero By: DG Hear Not a lot of sex. As always, I want to thank my editors, LadyCibelle and Techsan, for making my story a much better read as well as their suggestions. Chapter 1 I was getting dressed to go to the Fourth of July party. I recently returned home from the service. I was asked to wear my uniform with my latest medals. You see, I was considered a hero in our town. I don't see myself as a hero; I just did what any soldier would have done in my situation. I'll try to explain exactly what happened. My squad was out looking for land mines and trying to help the citizens of the small village we were in. The terrorists had no problem killing their own people, let alone all the soldiers they could. I saw some kids playing in the street and noticed what looked like a land mine. It was the type that when you stood on it and then stepped off of it, it would go off. Just as one of the kids was about to step on it, I quickly pushed him aside and was laying on it myself. I knew it would go off when I moved to get off of it. I told all the kids to get away and as they ran I yelled for one of the other soldiers for help. Our plan was for them to put a steel mesh blanket over me and as I rolled off the small mine it would go off but I would be somewhat protected by the steel mesh blanket. As everyone moved back to a safe distance, I rolled quickly off the small land mine as it went off. I felt some shrapnel hit the blanket and it hurt like hell. Other than being bruised up I felt alright. Everyone cheered and the medic said I had a piece of shrapnel stuck in my thigh. He wrapped it and the lieutenant told me to take his jeep and go back over to the med-center which was in the next town over a few miles away. While I was driving I saw what seemed to be a terrorist group in jeeps and a tank approaching. I quickly pulled off the road behind a small hill. I needed to warn my squad. Apparently our lookouts were from the terrorist group and infiltrated as citizens out to help us. I wasn't sure what to do, so after they passed by me and were a good distance away, I headed back toward the small city right behind the terrorists. I needed to warn my squad. You need to know that I didn't feel like a hero. This was my family now; my squad, my fellow soldiers, my band of brothers. I needed to warn them but how? As the enemy was approaching the small town, I saw a man stand up with binoculars in the tank. I knew he was going to sight in on the town and do whatever damage he could. I took out my rifle and when I was within shooting distance, I aimed my rifle and shot the sight man in the back of the neck. As he slumped over the tank driver stopped his vehicle. I took out two hand grenades and drove up to the tank and threw them, one into the opening of the tank and the other at a nearby vehicle, putting it out of commission. I was being shot at but just kept driving toward the small town. The element of surprise was all that I had. The explosion of the grenades and the shooting of the rifles alerted my brothers and sisters in combat. By the time I made it to the town, they had the citizens in hiding and were prepared for combat. I didn't realize that my leg had started bleeding again because of all the movement. As I pulled into the town I must have blacked out from the loss of blood. When I came to, I was in the med-center and my leg was bandaged up and the shrapnel removed. My sergeant came in and said I was considered a hero. Because of my coming back and alerting the unit and the town about the terrorists, the town was saved. There was minimal damage. We had a reporter imbedded with our unit and he wrote to his newspaper about me. It was the start of the heroism thing, first about saving the kids and then alerting the town by putting my life on the line. I received a purple heart for the injury and the bronze star for saving the town. I have to tell you, I don't think I did anything that any other soldier wouldn't have done in the same circumstances. As I mentioned, we were family, we were a band of brothers. I would risk my life any day for these soldiers. As I drove to the Fourth of July celebration, I wondered if my old girlfriend would be there. We were a couple in our senior year of high school. After we graduated she was going off to college and I was headed into the service. I played football but wasn't good enough for a career in it, even though I could probably have played college ball. Sara, my old girlfriend, loved the limelight. She was a cheerleader and wanted to be around the jocks. I thought we would be together forever, I really did. We had this chemistry together. Before I left for boot camp, we made love. It was the first time for me and I gave it everything I had. I did everything that I could to make her come time and time again. For me it is something I will never forget. I headed off to boot camp thinking I had a girlfriend. She wrote to me at least once a week, telling me about the college life and how she couldn't wait to see me when I got home from boot camp. I came home for a couple of weeks but only got to see Sara one time since she was a college cheerleader and had games to go too and had to study the rest of the time. She did come home on the Sunday before I had to head back to camp. We made love again but it wasn't quite the fireworks of the last time, although it was still very good. Sara did seem a bit distant. I headed off to camp and to find out where I was being sent. I was being sent to another army base for more intense training. Our squad was being sent to Afghanistan. We had more months of training and then we headed out on our assignments. My letters from Sara were fewer and fewer. Then one day I received a Dear John, letter. At first it didn't seem different because my name was John and I expected a normal letter. Then I read the letter. Sara had found a boyfriend. She was pregnant with his child and they would be getting married. He was a senior and would be graduating soon. Of course he was a college jock and would be working in his father's business. It was some type of sales job. I really didn't give a shit what this guy did. I really did care about Sara. She said she was going to finish out the semester and then take a leave for a while until after the birth of their baby. It was the last letter I received from her until last year. My so-called heroism reached all the local and even some of the national papers. I received letters from a lot of people. It felt good to know that the people backed the troops. I was opening all this mail when I came across Sara's letter. She said how she was so happy and proud of me. She told me she had made a big mistake by marrying Ralph, and couldn't wait for me to get home so she could see me. I was stunned to read her letter. I spent two years getting over her and now I receive this letter. I didn't answer it: I had no idea what I was going to do if and when I saw her. I headed to the fairgrounds where the celebration was taking place. I couldn't believe it. There, strung over the entrance to the fairgrounds was a banner saying, "Welcome Home, John Davis!!! Our Hometown Hero." It brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea that this celebration was being held in my honor. At least in honor of the troops that fought and were still fighting this war. As I entered the gates, many people were lined up to greet me. The first in line was my crying and proud mother. Next to her was my step-father who raised me (more about my parents later). My two half-sisters and their families were there also. I have no idea how many people were there - hundreds, if not more, people at the festival. I walked around standing proud in my uniform saying 'hi' to everyone I saw. A lot of the people I knew and a lot more I didn't. It was good to see a lot of other men and women in uniform. In my book every person in uniform is a hero. They put their life in jeopardy every day to help protect others and do the best they can to keep our country safe. I ended up giving a little speech and told all of the crowd about the real heroes. "I am but one soldier fighting to help keep our country safe. I truly believe that each and every man and woman in uniform are heroes. They all deserve your adoration and praise. A lot of the true heroes never make it home. They gave the ultimate sacrifice to this country, their lives. They are the ultimate heroes. Thank you so much for turning out at this festival and supporting our troops. May God bless each and every one of you." I heard a lot of cheers and had tears in my eyes as I stepped down off the podium and decided it was time to get something to eat. As I sat down, I looked up and there stood Sara. She had tears streaming down her face. Behind her was a man pushing a stroller. It must have been her husband. I stood up and gave her a hug. The man just stood back with the little boy in the stroller. Sara said her hellos and said she was so glad to see me. She turned and introduced me to Ralph. He was a big strapping man and after hearing his first words, I knew I didn't like him. "Congratulations on becoming a hero. You might have gotten the medals, but I got the girl," he laughed. Sara turned to him and gave him an evil look. If looks could kill, Ralph would be dead. I figured Sara had told him we dated in high school. Sara then introduced me to her child, her son, Nathan. We talked for a few minutes but Ralph was getting jittery and so he told Sara that they had to get going. Sara said maybe she would see me later and off they went. She was still beautiful. I had little pangs of emotions but wasn't sure of what I was going to do. The waitress came up to take my order. "Hi, there Johnny. It's good to see you again." It was Mary, one of my classmates through high school. She sure turned into a looker. Why hadn't I noticed her before? I'd known her for years but never really noticed her till now. Must be my hormones acting up. "Mary, long time no see. What have you been up to?" "Right now I'm here to take your order," she smiled. "Okay, give me the burger and fries and a soda. You should be treating me nice; after all, I'm a hero." I smiled to let her know I was kidding. "Alright, Mr. Hero, I'll be right back with your order." When she came back with my order she looked at me and said, "Johnny, don't do it." I didn't know why I didn't object to her calling me Johnny. Only family called me that. Everyone else called me John. "Do what, Mary? Eat the food? Is it that bad?" I laughed. "Don't go back with Sara. Don't make the same mistake twice. You're too nice a guy to be taken twice." "I don't understand, Mary. Who said anything about Sara? Besides, she's married." "I can read it in your face, Johnny. I can tell you're thinking of going to her. I'm just saying, don't do it. I hate to tell you but Sara uses her men. She always has and probably always will. I just hate to see you get burned again." "What do you mean she used me, Mary? We were a couple and when I went into the service, she just found someone else." "John, she cheated on you while we were still in high school. She dated this Ralph guy before you even went off to boot camp. He was the college quarterback and she was dating him for awhile. Don't make the same mistake again. You're a hero now and you know she likes the limelight. She would probably dump her husband to be with you right now." I knew everything Mary was telling me was true. It was the way Sara was, a beautiful girl, now woman, who loved the attention. "Mary, why didn't we ever date, me and you?" "You were a jock and I was a geek. I worked to save money for college and studied hard. You barely made it through high school, not because of your lack of brains but because you were too busy with your sports and playing with your girlfriend." "So what did all that studying get you? Here you are serving me a burger and fries." Mary looked at me with a disdained look. "You are an idiot; I don't know why I ever liked you," she said as she left in a very huffy mood. As she walked away, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at me. Her mom Vivian came back later and asked me if I wanted anything else. "Mrs. Amore, I think I got Mary mad at me. I called her a waitress and she went away mad. I didn't mean any disrespect. Please tell her I'm sorry." Vivian started laughing. "She used to have a crush on you. She never dated much; she was too busy working as a waitress to help me out and saving up for college." "Mary went to college? Oh, man, no wonder she's mad at me. Why is she still a waitress? What did she take in college?" "John, listen to me. Mary is a nurse and a darn good one. She paid her way through college by being a waitress. I own a restaurant and I got the food concession for the celebration. I asked Mary if she would help me out today." "Oh, shit! I mean, oh, crap. I blew it big time. I'll go tell her I'm sorry myself. Thank you, Mrs. Amore, and I don't have anything against being a waitress, honest." I walked up to Mary. "I'm sorry. I was an idiot, you were right. Please accept my apology. Your mom told me how hard you worked and I guess I just didn't think. Can we still be friends?" Mary looked at me. "John, just remember what I said. I don't want to see you get hurt." "Thank you, Mary, I promise I'll heed your warning. Besides, there's another girl I have an interest in seeing. I'll just have to find out if she wants to go out with me." Mary gave me a slight smile and went out to wait on other customers. She had no idea that the woman I was interested in was her. I continued to walk around the fair grounds and enjoyed the entertainment. It was later in the evening when I ran into Sara by herself. She said her husband had enough of the festivities and took their son and went home. She told me she wanted to talk to me before she left. She had waited to see me alone. She grabbed my hand and walked with me over to one of the barns. They weren't being used during the celebration. As soon as we walked in the door, Sara turned around and kissed me. "I love you, John. I always have. I made a big mistake in getting married. I'm here for you now. I missed you so much." She pressed herself up against me. "Take me, John. Take me here and now. It's you I always dream about. It's you that I want making love to me." I was confused and mixed up. Part of me wanted to take her here and now, but I had to be a bigger person than that. I pushed her away and told her she had made her choice and to go home to her husband and family. It was extremely hard for me to push her away, but in life we have to make a lot of hard choices. She made hers and now I made mine. I decided to go see Mary. The concessions were beginning to close and the fairgrounds were getting ready for the fireworks. I headed back over to see Mary. She and her mom were cleaning things up when I asked Mary if she would like to watch the fireworks with me. She was getting ready to say she had to finish helping her mom when her dad said. "Go on ahead, Mary; we don't want to disappoint our hero." I said, "Thank you" to both Mr. and Mrs. Amore as I grabbed Mary's hand as we headed to the fireworks. Chapter 2: Mary speaks When I was a teenager growing up, I thought about boys. I guess I was like most girls and their fantasies and dreams. I dreamt of movie and rock stars, the nice houses and someday being a mom and having a loving husband and kids. I was a good girl but still had the thoughts of most teenagers. One day Mom came home from work early and caught Roy Williams and me kissing and doing a little petting on the couch. She looked startled when she saw us. She told Roy to leave. He apologized to me and Mom and left rather hurriedly. I was afraid I was in big trouble now. I started to cry when Mom said we needed to talk. I was afraid that I would be grounded for life and I really didn't experience anything yet. Mom sat at the edge of the couch and said, "Mary, it's alright. I know what you're feeling. I was a teenager once too, you know. We really do need to talk. I have some things I need to tell you." Mom took my hand and we walked into the kitchen and she made us both a cup of hot tea. Mom looked at me with somewhat sad eyes and told me her story. "Mary, when I was a teenager I was rather stupid. My mom never talked to me about sex and things like that. I was a rather promiscuous girl. After I graduated I became a waitress in Vic's restaurant. I dated a lot of guys and had sex with a few of them. I didn't want my mother to know what I was doing so I wasn't on the pill. I made the men wear condoms. Every now and then a man didn't wear one. "I was nineteen when I became pregnant. I didn't know what to do. I was really scared. Vic, your father was one of the men I had sex with. He offered to marry me. I told him that the baby might not be his and that I didn't want him to marry me out of pity and be miserable the rest of his life. He told me he loved me and pity had nothing to do with it. I asked him if he wanted a test done to determine if he was the father and he said, 'No' that if I was going to be his wife then my child would be his also. Of course that child was you." "Mom, are you saying dad might not be my biological father?" "There is that possibility. He is your father though; he has been there for you your entire life and will always be there for you. He is ten years older than me and was more mature. I have really learned to love and respect him throughout the years. I have never and will never cheat on him." "Why are you telling me all this now, Mom?" "I don't want you to make the mistakes I made. I was lucky to have Vic in my life. You might not be as lucky. I just want you to know that all women go through the emotions you are going through. I don't want to see you get hurt. After all, you're my little girl." "Oh, Mom!" "Seriously, Honey, be careful. Don't put yourself in situations where you might get hurt. Above all you have a lifetime to have sex. The best sex is with someone you love. It's so much better. I wish I would have waited and only had sex with Vic. Mary, if you want, I'll even see you get birth control pills." "No pills, Mom. I know that if I take the pills there is a bigger chance of doing the wrong thing. I want to trust my instincts and find the right guy. If he comes along, I might take you up on the pill offer." I always considered Vic as my dad. I wouldn't want it any other way. I love him and I know he loves me as his own. It really takes a big man to step up to the plate like Vic did. He and mom have always treated each other with respect. I knew they had sex a lot because of the noises in their bedroom. I was a lucky girl to have such good parents. Mom did tell me not to tell Vic about our conversation. After all he was a man and accepted me as his daughter. I did have to wonder who the other possibilities were. It was something I knew better than to ask Mom. After my talk with Mom, I watched my actions with the boys. I still thought about them but no one got past second base. It's the touchy, feely thing. I didn't get a lot of second dates because I wouldn't go further with the boys, but those aren't the type of boys I wanted to be with anyway. I studied hard and got a scholarship for college. I worked as a waitress for my mom and dad to help save money for all the extras I needed at college. Books, food, the dorm and all the other things most young people don't think about. I did date a little at college. I let it go a little too far a couple of times and decided to take Mom up on the birth control pills. I was surprised that it didn't change my thinking. No guy ever got a home run. If it got that close I would think of the talk with my mom and know it wasn't worth it. I wanted to fully give myself to a man I truly loved, no matter what my age was. Hometown Hero I enjoyed life and friends. I was known as the happy nurse. I was told by many people that I was just fun to be around, always looking at the bright side of life. My girlfriends couldn't believe that I wasn't dating anyone exclusively yet. I explained to them that I would know when I saw that special person. I met two sisters with whom I became good friends. I went to nursing school with one of them. They began telling me about their older brother. He was in the service and became a hero. Everyday I was with them and found out more about their brother. I was really beginning to think about him when Barb mentioned the school he attended. He was an old classmate of mine. I remembered him as being dreamy and a pretty nice guy. He dated a cheerleader named Sara who dumped him while he was serving our country. I really hated the bitch. Oops, I shouldn't be swearing but this gal makes me mad. She had the nicest guy and treated him like shit. There I go cussing again. His only problem now according to his sisters was that he was still hung up on his old girlfriend. I knew she wasn't good for him. I decided I was the one who was meant to be his soul mate. I just had to get him to notice me. To be honest here, I liked him when we went to school. I was a little more withdrawn then I am now. I now had his sisters on my side and together we were going to make sure he knew who I was. I loved Barb and Bess; they were my best girlfriends and wanted me with their big brother. There was supposed to be a special celebration for the Fourth of July to honor our hometown hero. Mom asked me if I could get the day off from the clinic and help her at her concession. I agreed to do it and was glad I did. Johnny was the hometown hero who was being honored and I was going after him. Chapter 3: Going after Mary I apologized to her again about being an idiot. She smiled at me and let me know that everything was all right. As we were walking along headed for a good seat to see the fireworks, my sisters stopped us. "Hi, Bro. What's up? Going with your friend to see the fireworks?" "I'm sorry, Barb, Bess. This is my friend Mary." Barb then walked up to Mary and put her hands on her cheeks like she was going to kiss her. Mary started laughing, "I can't do it girls. You two are just too funny." "Party pooper," cried Bess. "I wanted to see what our big brother was going to say when we kissed you." I looked at the three women. "What's going on? I take it you two know Mary? Mary replied, "You have two of the coolest sisters. They are a couple of my best friends. They told me everything they know about you." "You know everything about me and are still willing to go watch the fireworks with me?" All three of the girls started laughing as we walked over to the chairs that they had reserved for us. I want to explain Mary to you, but it's going to be hard to do her justice. She's absolutely beautiful but doesn't realize it. She is funny, yet perky, smart but not self absorbed. To try and describe her in a word, I think I would use sassy. She reminds me so much of Olivia Newton-John when she did the movie 'Grease' which supposedly took place in the late fifties. The full skirts and the ponytail are trademark Mary. Her waitress and nurses uniforms were both the full skirts with button tops which showed ample cleavage. During the fireworks, we held hands and laughed together. I wasn't sure of what was coming over me, but I didn't want it to stop. After the fireworks, we said goodbye to my sisters and I walked Mary to her car. I asked her if I could see her the next day and after she said, "Yes," I kissed her. I couldn't believe I fell so quickly for a woman. After all, I just sent my former girlfriend packing just a few hours ago. When I got back to Mom and Dad's, they asked me how the evening went. I told them it was great, just great, everything about it was great and they were great. The fireworks were great. Dad started laughing and asked how the girl I was with was? "She's great too, Dad, and all I did was kiss her. I'm going to see her again tomorrow." My dad reminded me that I would only be home for a month. I had taken a job as an Army Recruiter starting next month. I would be moving to Columbus which was a little less than two hours away. I guess my parents were worried about me getting serious again and then moving away. For the next month, I spent as much time as I could with Mary. I enjoyed just being with her. Every day it seemed we became closer and closer. We kissed and she let me feel her body all over. Just putting my arms around her and holding her close felt so good. I was taking my time with her. I wanted to make love to her but I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get rejected. While Mary worked, I helped my dad in his store. He and Mom owned a sports store. Art - that's my stepdad - taught me everything about guns. Just so we don't get too confused about my dad I'll try to explain a little. My first dad's name was Joe. He left Mom and me shortly after I was born. I've only seen him a couple of times in my life. My second dad is Art. He's the one I consider my father. He married Mom after Joe left us. Art has always been there for me. He raised me and taught me how to handle rifles and guns. I can even shoot a pretty mean bow and arrow. Ever since I was a little kid, Art took me everywhere with him. In fact I carry his last name. After he married Mom, he adopted me. He went to Joe and had him sign away his paternal rights. So, as I have mentioned, Art is my dad. After I was born, Art and Mom had two daughters about a year apart. They are Barb and Bess. Even though they are only half sisters we never think of each other that way. I remember when they were younger they came to me, their big brother, for everything. I love these two sisters of mine. Together we make one big happy family. I should mention that Barb went to nursing school. That's where she met Mary. Both Barb and Bess are married to a couple of great guys. They both made me an uncle once, Barb having a little girl and Bess a little boy. Well, anyway to sum it up, when I speak of Dad or Art, you will know it's my adopted dad. Joe is just Joe the sperm donor. It's the only way I think of him. I was working with Dad and he mentioned Mary. I told him I really cared for her a lot. Dad had mentioned that she had been at the house a number of times before my sisters got married and Mom thought of her as a third daughter. Mary would always pitch in and help out. It made me feel pretty good that my parents cared for Mary. I don't think I ever cared for anyone the way I did for Mary. She was a little saddened when I explained my new recruiting job to her. It wasn't the job that bothered her. It was the distance the job put between us. I explained to her that if I knew I would have fallen for her that I wouldn't have re-upped for another three years. I told her that I would come home as often as possible and maybe she could come and see me also. I told her that I had to go to Columbus and find an apartment. It should be pretty easy since it's a big college town and there are always a lot of rentals available. She offered to go apartment hunting with me. Of course I said yes but later I found out she had an ulterior motive. It ended up making me laugh. As we checked apartment after apartment she would ask the landlords about the people in the other apartments. One rental had a big bosomed blond come out and get in the pool. "This looks like a nice place," I said, after seeing the blond. Mary looked at me and said she thought there were too many varmints on the premises. "Mary, you're the only woman I want. Just help me find an apartment, please!" We finally found one that didn't have any college girls in it. It cost more but it made Mary happy. Besides, it was within walking distance to my office. With the apartment thing settled, Mary and I had dinner at a swank restaurant and talked. I asked her how come she wasn't dating doctors or even married yet. She began to tell me that she did date a few doctors but none fit the profile she wanted in a long term relationship. She wanted a gentle but rugged man. He needn't be good looking but good looks was a plus. Honesty and respect for her were her two biggest points. She wanted a man that liked to have fun, not just sexual but liked museums and zoos, maybe even amusement parks. She told me she would do anything for the right man. She did mention that since she was an only child that she wanted a bigger family - three, four, maybe even five kids - and her husband had to love kids. Mary looked at me and asked, "What do you want in a woman, or even a wife?" I stared at her for a little bit and gave a very honest answer. "I want you, Mary. You are everything and more that I want in a woman." "How do you know that, Johnny? We haven't even made love all the way yet. How do you know if we will be any good together?" "Mary, I don't even need to have sex with you. I just want to be with you." After I said it, I knew it didn't come out right. "Wow, that's not much of an endorsement for wanting me sexually," she laughed. "Mary, you know that didn't come out right. I want to love you. I want to make love to you. I'm just saying I want to be with you regardless of the sex. I want you to be my girl exclusively." We kissed and we headed for home. We had one more week together before I had to leave for Columbus. I was now mad at myself for taking the position. I knew I would be missing Mary. I was still worried about her going out with other guys. I went to her house to pick her up for our last date before I had to leave. I asked to use the bathroom. My stomach was all tightened in nerves and I wanted to see if they had any antacids, like Tums. When I opened the medicine cabinet I got a couple of Tums out of the package. As I replaced them on the shelf, I noticed a package of birth control pills. I glanced at the name on them and knew they were Mary's. Does that mean she has been having sex? It would be understandable; after all, she was a beautiful grown woman of twenty four. It was just that I never thought of her with someone else. I figured whatever we did in our past we would leave in the past. It included me and Sara. Mary and I headed out to the theater to see a play. After that we were going out for a dinner and then back to my parents' home. They would be gone for the night and I was hoping for something special. We finally made it back to my parents' home and went into the extra bedroom which I stayed in when I was there. Mary came into my arms and we kissed time and time again. I slowly unbuttoned her blouse but left her bra on. I knew we were both hot and would have to take our time. I opened the zipper on the side of her skirt and gently pulled it off. There she was, a gorgeous woman with only her bra and matching panties on. I laid next to her in my jockey shorts. She was on her back and I was on my side rubbing her. This is the farthest the two of us had gone together. I rubbed her breasts as I kissed her. She was beginning to breathe hard as I took one hand and slid it down over her belly and under her panties. I ran my hand down though her mound and down to the crack of her love tunnel. Mary spoke quietly to me. "Johnny, be very gentle with me, This is my first time." "Aren't you on birth control?" I asked, not realizing what I had just said. It just came out. "How do you know I take the pill, Johnny?" she said as she pulled my arm out of her moist panties. "I saw them in your medicine cabinet. I went to get a couple...." "You went in my medicine cabinet without asking me. You looked through it till you found them. Johnny, how could you? Is that why you brought me here tonight? To bang the slut, get your jollies off. Johnny, take me home. Please take me home." "Mary, you're wrong. I want you. I was just surprised when I saw the pills. I did wonder if you were sexually active. What was I to think? I was going to forgive you for your past. I didn't know, I honestly didn't know." Mary spoke, "For the record, Johnny, I'm a virgin. I wanted to save myself for the right man, the man I loved and thought loved me. It was you, Johnny. Now I'm not sure. Please just take me home. I don't want to say anymore." We dressed and I took her home. She had tears in her eyes as she got out. "Mary, I do love you and I'm going to miss you." She didn't answer as she went into her house. I headed back to Mom and Dad's and began packing my stuff for my trip first thing in the morning. Damn, I hope I didn't blow it. I guess I just have to think before I talk. I might have lost the best thing that ever happened to me. I was extremely busy my first couple of days. I was glad because I didn't have time to think of my latest predicament. On Wednesday, I finally had a chance to call Mary. Her mom answered the phone. "Mrs. Amore, may I please speak to Mary?" "I'm sorry, John. She's been working late lately. I'll let her know you called. By the way, how's the new job?" "I'm busy learning how the Army wants things done. All in all it's just like working any other job. I do my job and then go home. Of course right now I'm putting in a lot of extra hours getting familiar with the place and what's expected of me. Mrs. Amore, I don't know if Mary told you but I screwed up again. I sure hope she doesn't hate me." "Yes, John, she told me. I hope it will all work out. She just needs time. She's a wonderful girl but she's bullheaded, as you well know. John, you were wrong in what you did. You did invade her privacy and were really wrong in doing so." "Mrs. Amore, I was wrong but I saw the pills by accident. I guess I should have kept my big mouth shut. I'm such an idiot, like Mary keeps telling me. Thank again for talking to me, Mrs. Amore. I'll try again later in the week to get in touch with Mary. I want to see her but I can't make it home this weekend. Please tell her I called and that I really miss her." "I'll tell her, John, and you take care. Bye for now." The next time I called was on Friday. Again, Mary wasn't home. Mrs. Amore said she went to see my sister so I said my thank you's and quickly called over to Barb's. Barb answered the phone. "Barb, this is John. Is Mary there?" "Yes, she's here. What you said to her was really stupid. Asking her about birth control pills was really bad, John. Why were you in her medicine cabinet anyway? It's almost as stupid admitting it." "I know, Barb. Please tell her I want to speak with her." "How's the new job going, Bro?" asked Barb. "Barb, please give the phone to Mary. The job is fine; now please give the phone to Mary." "Mary speaking. To whom am I speaking?" "Mary, please forgive me. I was a stupid person again. I love you, Mary, and want to be with you. Can you forgive me?" "Oh, it's you, Johnny." "Mary, please, can't we work this out? I can't come home this weekend but maybe we can get together next week?" "Johnny, it hurt me when you thought I'd slept around. I believe you when you said you took some TUMS for your tummy. You didn't put the lid back on right. I saved myself, Johnny. I saved myself all through college. I wanted to give myself to the man I loved and it was you, Johnny. Then I hear from your own lips that you would forgive me for doing something I didn't do. I'm not like your precious Sara and sleep with everyone. I'm more like the Virgin Mary. We both have the same name." I knew she was trying to be a little silly and at the least wanted me to acknowledge that I didn't like Sara anymore. "Mary, Sara means nothing to me anymore. I totally ended it with her at the celebration. You're the woman I want and care for. Now will you forgive me and maybe we can go out next weekend?" "I'll think about it and you can call me next week and I'll let you know." "Mary, I love you. Can you say you love me?" I asked her. "No, I'm not going to say it because I'm still mad at you," she replied. I knew that answer was as good as a yes. I was feeling better and finished saying my goodbyes. I had to do a school seminar this weekend and had to prepare for it. This was the first talk for me to give on a school's career night. I called early the following week but Mrs. Amore said that Mary was working late. I told her that I would try again later in the week. -------------------- It was now Friday and I was going to head home in a few hours. I thought I would give Mary a call to let her know I would be there. Mrs. Amore answered the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Amore. May I speak to Mary please?" "I'm sorry, John. Mary isn't here. She went away with friends for the weekend. She told me she didn't expect to be back till Monday. I'm sorry, she should have called you." After hanging up the phone I started thinking. Boy, was that ever a downer. I was expecting to see Mary and make things right with her. Instead, she goes away with friends for the weekend. It was hard getting back into my work. Thank God, I didn't have much to do. I was getting it all cleaned up so I could go home this weekend. The door opened and in walked three women. It was my sisters Barb and Bess, and behind them was Mary. "Mary, what are you doing here? I just talked to your mom and she said you were going away for the weekend with friends." My sister Bess spoke, "Hey, Bro, we're here to see you too. We have a problem. We are going to have a night out..." I interrupted Bess. "What about Bob and Charlie, surely they aren't letting you gals run loose in Columbus." "As I was saying, John, before you interrupted me is that we are having a night out on the town. Bob and Charlie are in the car waiting for us. The problem is..." Now Mary interrupted Bess, "The problem is, I don't have an escort for the weekend. We stopped in and wondered if you were free this weekend and could be my escort?" "Escort... me, you, weekend, together, together all weekend?" The girls all laughed. "Well, you got all the words right but I do have another problem," replied Mary while looking at me. "Barb and Bess got motel rooms for the next two nights. I forgot to make reservations and have nowhere to stay. Can you put me up for a couple of nights?" Mary was smiling so hard and trying to keep from laughing. I didn't even answer her; she knew my answer so I just told her how much I loved her. They told me that they would meet me at my apartment after work. I just smiled at Mary, went to her and kissed her. "I love you with all my heart, Mary." "I love you more than words can say, John, and I'll prove it to you tonight." Barb started smiling and said, "Oh, you two are going to do the nasty tonight." Mary just smiled at her and said, "Barb, don't say things like that." Then the girls left my office. I was on cloud nine after they left. I would have been on cloud ten if there was such a thing. I hurried and finished my work and went home to get ready. When I got there, everyone was ready. I excused myself and took a quick shower. Bess asked if I wanted Mary to wash my back. I heard Mary say, "Stop it, Bess. You're embarrassing me." I could tell she was smiling while saying it. Bob drove his van so we were all able to ride together. We started out with dinner at The Olive Garden, then went to one of the Sheridan Inn's where we had drinks and danced. I couldn't be a happier man. It was good to see my sister and their husbands out having a good time too. Married couples have a tendency of not taking the time to really go out and enjoy each other. As our wonderful evening was coming to an end, Bob dropped off Mary and me at my apartment. We agreed to all meet up at nine the next morning at the local IHOP (The International House Of Pancakes). We all said our good-nights and Barb told us to make sure we got a lot of sleep. We would have a busy day the next day. We all were smiling as Mary and I went to my apartment. Hometown Hero I opened the door for Mary and turned around to lock it. When I turned back around, Mary was standing there in only her bra and panties. "I love you, Johnny Davis, and I'm going to prove it to you tonight. We walked into my bedroom and I turned on my mellow music station and went across the room and just turned one lamp on dim. Mary was lying in the middle of the bed. I quickly undressed and had on only my jockey shorts. I slipped into bed next to Mary and told her how much I loved her. There would be no mistakes tonight. I removed her bra and began with a gentle sucking of her nipples. I slid my hand down across her tummy and under her panties. I gently rubbed her mound and slid my fingers forward touching her clit. I heard an intake of breath as I slowly moved my finger in her valley. I felt her wetness as I pulled my fingers out of her panties and proceeded to remove them. I quickly removed my jockeys and knelt between her legs. She spread her legs wide for me. I began to rub my hard member against her opening. I looked at her face while she told me how much she loved me. As I entered her, I could see her biting her bottom lip. I pushed my member slowly into her till I felt her hymen. "I love you, John Davis. Please take me now," she said. I pushed hard into her and heard her squeal. I stopped when I was all the way into her. She smiled with tears in her eyes knowing she gave her virginity to me. I started slowly moving in and out till she was feeling better and began to work in a rhythm with me. I could see her turning red as she pumped harder and harder against me. "Oh, God, Johnny, it's beginning to feel so good. I love you, Johnny, I love you so much." She screamed out and pushed her butt up, pushing her pussy as hard and tight as she could against me. I pushed just as hard against her and I came deep within her virgin walls. We were both totally wet from sweating as we came. I stayed buried deep within her but rested on my arms to help take some of my weight off of her. I leaned forward and kissed her telling her how much I loved her. We didn't get much sleep that night. We made love, over and over again. We stopped to take a shower and started all over again. We made love till we both were drained and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up with my arms around Mary. It felt so good to be cuddling up to her butt. I felt her stir so I knew she must have woken up. My cock was hard against her butt and I lowered myself a little and got it near her vagina. Mary spoke, "Okay, one more time and then we have to get ready to go eat breakfast." She leaned forward as I pushed my cock deep into her from behind. It didn't take us long before we both reached another orgasm. We cleaned up and got dressed and headed for the IHOP. My sisters and their husbands were already at the table waiting for us. Barb looked at Mary. "Mary, you look so different today. Sleep must agree with you. It's given you a special glow." "Don't start, girls," she smiled. "Just to let you all know, I'm officially a woman of the world. Yes, I am no longer a virgin. Now can I order breakfast? I'm starving." Everyone began laughing. We ended up spending the day at the amusement park. We might have all been in our twenties but you would have thought we were all teenagers the way we were acting. At the end of the day, Bob dropped Mary and me off at the apartment. I told them that I wanted to spend some extra time with her and that I would drive her home Sunday evening. Saturday night was pretty much a repeat performance of the night before. We tried a couple of new things and played around figuring out what we both liked or disliked. We even took a shower together and decided if we actually wanted to get clean, we should shower alone. The weekend went by too quickly. It had to be the best weekend of my life. I drove Mary home and gave her a kiss goodnight on her front porch. Mrs. Amore opened the door and it startled me. "Oh, hi, John. I see you found Mary. Thank you for bringing her home safely." I kissed Mary one more time in front of her mother. Mrs. Amore just smiled and shook her head. Mary went in and I told her I would try and see her next weekend. I then got in my car and drove back to Columbus. It was worth the ride just to see her for that few extra hours. ------------------- The following week was a busy one. I did talk to Mary a couple of times. I wish we could be together. I figured when I went home on Friday, I would ask her to marry me. On Thursday, I had an interview to talk with a young man on the seedier side of town. After the interview, I went to a small diner to get a bite of lunch. As I was eating, a man approached me. I knew who it was. It was Joe, my sperm donor; far be it for me to call him dad. Leaving me when I was a mere child. Art had taken me to Columbus a few times and I had met Joe. I had nothing but disgust for him. He was standing there and asked if he could sit down. Before I even answered, he grabbed a chair. He looked thin and sickly since I had last seen him about six years ago. He looked like death warmed over. The waiter came over and I told him to bring Joe a bowl of soup. The man looked malnourished. "What do you want, Joe?" I asked. He looked and gave an eerie smile. "I heard you are dating Vivian Amore's daughter." "Say I am, what's it to you. When we get married, you won't be invited to the wedding. You know sure as Hell that I don't want you around." "Son, I have something..." "Don't you ever call me son, you son of a bitch. You were nothing but a sperm donor. I want nothing to do with you." Joe was grinning as he ate his soup. "I just thought that you might want your girlfriend to have a DNA test done before you marry her. After all, you don't want a bunch of deformed kids," he laughed out loud. He was a bastard but I needed to know what he was talking about. "What the hell are you talking about? What about Mary?" He gave me a shit eating grin. "Mary might be my daughter." "What? Your daughter! What the hell are you saying? You had relations with Vivian and Mary might be your daughter?" "You got it, sonny. Mary might be your sister, or at least, half-sister." "You fucking bastard. I ought to kill you right now, you inbred piece of shit. If you ever talk to Mary, I'll kill you. I swear it, I'll kill you." "Fuck, son, I'm dying of aids. Before you get married, I'll probably be dead anyway." He started coughing right there at the table. I got up, paid my bill and left. What was I going to do now? Should I believe this old bastard? Did he just want some kind of revenge on me? I didn't know, but I had to find out if there was any chance of it being true. Could Mary be my half sister? God, no! It can't be true. He can't be Mary's sperm donor. Chapter 5: The Conclusion. I took off work early Friday to go home and speak with Mrs. Amore. I knew it would be awkward but I had to know for sure. How could I just go up to Mary and ask her for a DNA test. I knew Mrs. Amore would tell me the truth; after all, it affects her daughter as much as me. I knocked on the Amore's door and Vivian opened it smiling at me. "Hi, John. It's so nice to see you. Please come in. Mary's still at the clinic. She won't be home for a few hours. What's the matter, John? You seem almost in distress. Is there a problem? Are you alright?" "Mrs Amore, I love Mary and want to ask her to marry me this weekend but I have a gigantic problem and have to ask you something very personal. It's about Mary's father." Vivian smiled, "Vic loves you, John. He was hoping the two of you would get together. He'll be so happy to hear this." "Vivian, I mean Mrs. Amore, I don't know a good way to ask you this. Is there any way possible that Joe Jackson could be Mary's biological father?" Vivian brought her hands up to her face. "Oh, my God, how do you know that evil man?" She was now crying. "Joe Jackson was my sperm donor dad. He left Mom and me shortly after I was born. Very few people know about it. I saw him in Columbus yesterday and he told me he might be Mary's biological dad and our kids might have deformities." "I can't lie to you, John. I was intimate with Joe many, many years ago. I don't know if he is Mary's biological father or not. It was so many years ago and I was a single girl. Please don't tell Mary, John. Besides, we don't know for sure and it would hurt Vic if after all these years he would have to take a test. Maybe there is some other way we can figure it out, John. Please don't mention it to Mary yet... It would break her heart." "Mrs. Amore, the last thing I would want to do is hurt Mary in anyway. If that bastard Joe is her sperm donor, then we can't take a chance of having kids. I would have to find a way to explain it to her. I would even have a vasectomy before I would hurt Mary. I need to talk to Mom and Dad and see if they have any suggestions. Damn that bastard, Joe." Vivian, had tears in her eyes when I left. I stopped and had a drink before going home. I needed something to calm me down. The woman I loved could be my half sister. What could I do, what could I do? I pulled up to Mom's house and she was waiting for me at the door. She could tell that I had been crying. "Everything will be alright, Johnny. Vivian just called me and everything will be all right." "How, Mom? How is everything alright? I love Mary so much and I want to marry her. Now that bastard Joe says he might have fathered Mary. What can I do, Mom, without Mary knowing all this. It would hurt her so much." "Johnny, come and sit here on the couch with me. We have to talk. Art will be here to join us in a minute." "What's this all about, Mom? How will this tell us who Mary's birth father is?" "It doesn't make any difference who's Mary's birth father is. You see, Joe was never really your father. Yes, we were married but he never impregnated me, so he was never the so-called sperm donor for you." "If Joe was never my father, then who was, Mom?" At that moment, Art walked into the room. "I'm your father, John. You are my son, both biologically and adopted. I think we owe you a big explanation." "I don't understand. Why did you adopt me if you were my father in the first place?" My mom looked at me and began the explanation. "Joe and Art were in the army together. When they got out of the service, I was dating Joe. Eventually he asked me to marry him and I did. I was young then and really wasn't thinking. Joe was a good looking guy and, before he went in the service, we went out a few times and got along fine. "After we got married, he changed. He seemed bitter at the world. He started staying out late and drinking a lot. I found out that he was having affairs. I didn't know any of the women. It really hurt that he would do this to me." Art said, "Joe was my best friend at one time. In fact I was the best man at his and your mom's wedding. I opened the sporting good store and Joe was selling farm implements. We hung out together once in awhile. I saw that he was cheating on Lucille, your mom. It really pissed me off; you see I had a crush on her too. I didn't go after her since she was Joe's woman. One day Joe told me he was going to Columbus and wouldn't be home that night because he had a heavy date. I asked him, 'What about Lucy?' and he just laughed at me and said, 'What she doesn't know won't hurt her.' "I went to see Lucy that night and she told me she knew Joe was cheating on her with a number of women and she started crying. I loved your mom so I held her gently while she cried. I told her how much I cared for her and one thing lead to another and we made love. We both felt bad about doing it under those circumstances and vowed never to do it again. We said we would never see each other alone so it wouldn't happen again." Mom took over where Art left off. "When your dad, I mean Joe, came home I tried to make it up to him. He didn't have any idea why I tried to make love to him. He just thought he was good at sex. When he found out I was pregnant, he got pissed off. He said he wasn't ready for any damned kids. He stopped making love to me. He said he didn't want to have sex with a fat pregnant woman." Mom started crying and Art put his arm around her to help calm her down. I just sat there listening to their explanation. Art began again, "I told your mom to divorce the son of a bitch and marry me. She said she wanted to try and make it work for your sake, the sake of the baby. After you were born, Joe didn't get any better. He and I broke it off as best friends and he headed out into a world of partying and drinking." Mom regained her composure and continued explaining, "You were only a couple of months old when Joe came home, what I thought was drunk. Instead he was on crack, the drug. I told him to get the hell out of my house or I would call the police on him. I wasn't going to have a crack addict around my son. To make a long story short, he left and we got divorced. He never sent me any money to help support you, so I asked Art for a job and he did more than just give me a job. He married me. "He went to Columbus to find Joe and had him sign papers to give up his rights to you. He told Joe if he didn't that he would turn him in for non-support. Of course Joe was glad to rid himself of me and you. He was now totally free to do his thing. Art put in adoption papers to adopt you and had your name changed to Davis. He raised you as his own. We never looked back." I had tears in my eyes, I loved Art as much as any kid loved his dad. "How did you know you were my dad Art." "We found out a few years later after all the paper work was done," Mom explained. "When you were around three years old, you became sick. You became jaundiced and diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. It's a rare condition that causes the liver to destroy itself. The doctors said you needed a liver transplant. They looked for weeks and couldn't find a matching donor. Unfortunately, another child would have to die in order for you to have their liver. The only other option was to find a matching donor, an adult and they could remove a part of an adult liver and you could survive. "We had a few people over to get checked to see if there would be a match. Of course I was, I was your mother but I was pregnant with your sister at the time and there was no way I could donate a part of my liver or the baby would die. Art thought about Joe and figured he'd find him and make him give part of his liver. Only problem was Joe's liver was half shot. He was a drug addict and a drunk. We were praying for help when the doctor came in and said they found a match. I asked who it was and he said Art was a perfect match. Art had gone and got tested hoping he could help. Art saved your life, Johnny." "I would have done it even if he wasn't my son. In fact that's when the doctors told me that it's good I wasn't a heavy drinker. He thought I was your dad all the time. I never told the doctor that I adopted you," Art replied. "John," my mother said. "You know that big scar you have on your chest? Art has one just like it. It's from the liver transplant. Art was out of commission for about a month after that operation. You were getting better within a week or so. Barb was born about two months later." "Why didn't you guys ever tell me, Mom?" ""There was really no reason to, Johnny. Art adopted you and had always treated you like a son. You loved him as a father and he made sure you met Joe so you wouldn't go looking for him when you got older. No one knows, Johnny. Not Joe, not your sisters, not anyone. Well, Vivian knows now. So you see, you and Mary have no worries. Just so you know, Art never slept with Vivian and he is your sperm donor dad as you call it." "No, Mom, Art's a lot more than a sperm donor. He's my dad, my father, we share body parts and he's also my best friend." It was one of the few times I saw Art cry as he got up and hugged me. I was crying too. I said, "Mom, I'm going to ask Mary to marry me. I need to go buy an engagement ring." Mom told me to wait a minute and brought out my grandmother's engagement ring. She had passed away while I was serving overseas. "Give this to Mary; I'm sure she'll love it." I kissed my mom and hugged my dad, my real dad, and headed off to see Mary. When I got to Mary's house, she was sitting out there waiting for me. Full skirt, pony-tail and a very big smile. "I've been waiting all day to see you. God, I missed you," said Mary I looked up at the door and saw Vivian standing in the doorway. I asked her if she and Vic could step out on the porch for a minute. I know she wasn't sure what to make of it after our conversation earlier. She and Vic stood behind a sitting Mary. I reached in my pocket and knelt down on one knee and said, "Mary, I love you with all my heart and soul and, with your mom and dad as witnesses, I want to ask you to marry me and be my wife. I promise to always take care of you till death do us part." Mary and Vivian were in full fledged tears as Mary jumped into my arms and yelled, "Yes, yes, of course I will marry you." Vic stepped down and shook my hand and Vivian gave me a big hug and whispered, "Thank you," in my ear. I gave her a big smile. Her secret would always be safe with me. Mary commented on how pretty the ring was and I told her it belonged to my grandmother. We decided to get married in about six months. Mary was able to transfer and be a nurse at the University Hospital. We would live in our apartment till we started a family. My sisters and Mary plus the two mothers were planning everything. When Mary asked my opinion, I told her to do whatever she wanted, she was so bull headed that was the way it would be anyway. Art and I had a talk about Joe. He told me for some reason the war changed Joe. It makes some men better and makes others worse. Joe started the party life but once he got on the drugs, he couldn't stop. He became an addict and then a dealer in order to get the money to buy his own drugs. A few years back Joe was arrested for selling drugs. He did four years and when he got out he had AIDS. He probably wouldn't make it another three months. Art also told me that one of the reasons he didn't tell me about him and Mom was because he didn't want me to think less of her. They had a weak moment and then had to deal with it. He said my mom was always a good woman and he didn't want anyone downgrading her. I knew he really loved Mom. I told him I understood and I wouldn't tell anyone. I did suggest to him to ask Mom to tell my sisters. I wanted them to know I really was their brother. He told me he would speak with Mom. Epilogue: Things were happening at a fast pace. All the women were busy planning the wedding. It was fun to watch them all running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I'm a guy and I could have just gone to a judge and said, "I do," but this is what Mary wanted. On one of my visits home, Mary told me that my old slut girlfriend was in the clinic again. She was pregnant. I did see Sara and Ralph at the store one day. Ralph smiled when he saw that I looked at Sara's pregnant belly. I guess he still thought he was the big winner. I just told them both congratulations and that I was getting married myself, and was ready to start a family of my own. Sara's face became withdrawn; she knew for sure that it was completely over between us. I just smiled at the two of them and headed home. Art called me one day and told me that Joe was dying. They called him as a next of kin. I guess Joe didn't have any relatives or friends. Art said he was going to go say goodbye and wanted to know if I wanted to go with him. I walked in and Joe looked bad. Art talked to him a few minutes and then Joe looked at me. "You just had to say goodbye to the old man, didn't you? Did you tell your girlfriend I might be her dad too?" He was trying to laugh but was coughing too bad. Hometown Hero "Joe, I stopped by here so you wouldn't go to your grave not knowing the truth. You were not my dad, not even my sperm donor. You see, I had a test done and I come to find out that Art was my dad all the time. Just so you know, you aren't the sperm donor for Mary either. I guess you were shooting blanks with both women. Have a good life in Hell, Joe." I made up the part about him not being Mary's donor. We'll never know but it sure felt good telling him that. I turned around and walked out of the room. There stood Art smiling at me. "Son, I always wanted to tell him that but I just didn't have the balls of a hero," he laughed. Joe died that night. The wedding was fantastic. It was a major celebration. The whole town showed up. Mary made me wear my uniform. She told me I was her hero and she wanted to show me off. The only thing I asked for was for my dad to be my best man. Of course Mary had no problem with that. Our wedding night was as good as our first night together. Our love gets stronger and the sex, better and better. ------------------------------- A few months passed and we live in Columbus now. Mary works at the hospital and I set up my schedule to match hers. We get visitors all the time, either her parents or mine. My sisters come visit pretty often too. We go home to the old neighborhood at least once a month. Vivian and Vic named a burger after me. 'The hometown hero sandwich', they told me it's their best seller. It's loaded with all my favorite stuff. Mom and Dad are doing fine at the sports store. They have mine and Mary's wedding picture on the wall. They brag to everyone about us. Barb and Bess are great sisters. They bring the kids and see us as often as possible. We must have been to the zoo fifty times. We all bought season passes. They do treat Mary like their sister. They pulled me aside one day and told me that Mom had a talk with them and they know I'm their full brother but love me anyway. Mary came home from the hospital one evening beaming with joy. "Okay, what is it?" I asked. "You're going to be a daddy, daddy." "Daddy, daddy? What's is that supposed to mean?" "We're having twins!" exclaimed Mary. "When did you get off the pill?" "A week before our wedding. You're not mad are you?" "God, no, I'm happy. I'm going to be a father of twins. Boys, girls or one of each?" I asked Mary. "Boys, I think. We'll know for sure in a couple of months." It was boys and Mary told me I could name them. She did ask me not to get weird with the names though. "How does Art and Vic sound. I'd love to name them both after their grandfathers." Mary smiled at me. "Great, Honey, absolutely great." Then she kissed me. Well, readers that's the story of the hometown hero. Mary and I started our family and never looked back. As both Mom and Vivian said, "Things will work out." Thank you for reading my story Comments are always welcome DG Hear