DISCLAMIER: Please read at the beginning of chapter one. Thank you for this commercial announcement. <VBEG>

by Kat

Chapter 19: (Because I do not hope to turn again. . .)

Early evening arrived, bringing with it the smell of rain. Michael and Steven had very graciously left the two lovers’ alone, content to spend some time with each other. Steven was due to escort a rather wealthy matron to a symphony concert, and Michael, of course, would be spending the evening transporting his sister to the production site and back.

Kate and Jessie spent the afternoon exploring each other’s physical landscape. Many times they made love, alternately satisfying, and being satisfied. Finally having truly exhausted themselves, they drifted back into a lovely warm dreamscape, occupied only by each other, and the growing bond that could only mean love.

As much as he hated to, Michael realized it was time to wake his sister, and have her begin getting ready for work. Knocking softly on Kate’s door, he called to them quietly, almost unwilling to break the spell that he knew surrounded them. Listening for a moment, he knocked again. This time he heard a muted reply, and then Kate’s deep struggling cough began again.

"<Cough> I hear you Michael, hang on, I’ll wake Jessie <Cough>." Kate struggled to untangle herself from Jessie’s embrace, her cough making it hard to breathe.

"Mpf. Where are you going? It can’t be time to get up, and I can’t go again right now. Just a few more minutes?" Jessie mumbled from somewhere under the covers.

Kate started hacking again, this time truly struggling to draw air into her lungs. Sitting up rapidly, the head rush almost knocked her to floor. Holding her sides, she bent her head towards the floor, coughing hard. Panicking, desperate to draw air into her chest, she failed to notice the strong arms wrapped around her, and the soothing words being whispered into her ear to calm her down. Switching her attention to Jessie, she started to breath through her nose, following the quiet instructions, finally gaining control over the nagging cough that had enclosed her in its grip.

"That’s it, breath through your nose, take it easy. I got ya. Looks like we pushed you a little too hard. Do you have anything for a cough in the house? Don’t talk; just nod your head yes or no. Good, I’ll go and rifle the medicine chest, and I’ll bring you the cough stuff and some water, okay?" Jessie did her very best to try and keep Kate calm. It sounded as though she might be getting a touch of bronchitis. Her face felt quite warm, Jessie wouldn’t be surprised if the fever had returned as well.

Propping Kate up with all the pillows on the bed, she headed for the bathroom in search of some cough syrup and a glass of water. Violet, the previously ignored cat, or so she thought so, took this as an opportunity to get to know her mother’s new mate better. Following her into the bathroom, she launched herself onto the edge of the sink, and immediately struck up a conversation.

"Meow! Mow wow wow mawow." Violet exclaimed.

Surprised, Jessie stopped her search for a moment. "So, decided to speak to me after all, huh? Well, what’s on your mind?"

"Mawow, mow birrrr mow meow." Violet was certain she was getting her point across. Perhaps this wasn’t your average stupid hu-man after all.

"Hmm, let’s see, yes I do love your mother, and I think she loves me. But right now she needs some extra special care. She doesn’t feel well, and needs some medicine. So, I apologize for cutting this conversation short, but really, I must go." Jessie petted her head, and scratched her ears.

Violet, satisfied that her mother’s mate indeed, truly had some redeeming qualities after all, honored Jessie with a full body brush, and a contented purr. This was her way of saying, "okay, even though you show favoritism to that overgrown pile of fur Corky, you love my mother and that’s what’s important." Satisfied that progress had been made, she jumped off the sink and returned to her place under the bed.

Thoroughly amazed at her encounter with the small feline, Jessie retrieved the bottle of cough syrup from the cabinet, and filled the glass on the sink with water. She grabbed an antibiotic and some un-aspirin as well. Returning to Kate’s side, she was dismayed to hear her caught in another bout of coughing.

"Wow, you keep that up, and you might just blow a lung. Do you want me to call Helen? I have her home number." Jessie tried to hold back her smile after the lung comment, but it was too hard.

Laughing in spite of her cough, Kate marveled at the feelings that Jessie stirred up inside of her. The afternoon was. . .marvelous. If only she didn’t have this damn cold. As her cough finally calmed down a moment, she quickly swallowed a good-sized swig of syrup from the bottle, and then sipped some water to wash the nasty tasting stuff down. Gagging, she quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and then said a quick prayer to keep the medicine down where it belonged.

After several minutes and no more coughing fits, Jessie stood, and kissing Kate on the forehead, turned to head back to the bathroom, this time to shower and dress for the final shoot of this week’s episode. As she reached the doorway, she noticed Kate out of the corner of her eye, getting out of bed to join her.

"Whoa there, where do you think you’re going?" Jessie put her hand out as a sign to stop.

"I’m taking a shower with you, and then we’re going to the studio." Kate knew she was in for an argument, and the way she felt, she wasn’t sure she wanted to win.

"Unh uh! You are not going to the studio, or anywhere else for that matter. You need to rest, and get over this virus. It could turn into pneumonia if you’re not careful, you know." Jessie made a funny picture, standing there naked with her hands on her hips tapping her foot.

Relieved at not having to put up much of a fight, Kate soon reached Jessie’s side, and laying her head on her shoulder, put her arms around her and squeezed tightly. "Thanks, I really don’t feel up to it, but I’m going to miss you. However, I still need a shower. After this afternoon, I think it’s probably necessary, don’t you?"

Pinching her nose shut, and making a funny face, Jessie nodded her head emphatically. "You betcha. For that, I will gladly assist in the process. Especially if it means that poor Corky will uncover her head when you’re done."

Looking in the direction that Jessie was indicating Kate almost started her coughing jag again with the bubble of laughter that burst forth. Corky was spread out on the foot of the bed, a roll of the blanket covering just her head, looking for all the world as if she were dead. Her tail switched back and forth lazily, sort of like a small furry fan moving the air away from her sensitive nose.

Taking Kate’s hand, the two moved into the bathroom, and worked their way through a short, thorough shower. Kate rapidly ran out of energy, her fever raising slightly with the setting sun, and aided by the hot water. Jessie quickly toweled her off, and then used the blow dryer to dry her hair. She didn’t want Kate to catch a chill from lying around with wet hair.

Glancing at the clock, she realized that she need to hurry or she would keep the rest of the crew waiting for her. Tucking Kate back into bed, she quickly dressed, and then sitting on the side of the bed, she touched her lips to Kate’s skin, and then had her take the antibiotic and the un-aspirin. Kate clung to Jessie for a moment, suddenly reluctant to let her go unprotected to the set. It never occurred to Kate that she would be alone in the house all evening.

"I don’t like the fact that there is no one to protect you, Jessie. You be very careful. Promise?" Kate’s voice broke slightly.

"I promise. Don’t worry. There is an entire security squad at the sight, ready to blow away anyone who threatens me. I’ll be fine. Its you I’m worried about. Don’t answer the door, and don’t go anywhere. You’re too sick, and I don’t want anyone hurting you. Do you think you’ll be safe here alone?" Jessie gripped Kate’s hand, almost too tightly.

Reaching into her nightstand drawer, Kate withdrew her stun gun. Never sure whether or not she could actually fire a real gun at another human being, she was definitely sure she could stun an assailant with the "stinger" as she called it.

Nodding her head, Jessie still was concerned, but conceded that Kate could probably protect herself better than anyone else she knew.

Promising to call at every break, Jessie kissed Kate deeply, and then rose reluctantly to leave for work. Reaching the door, she opened it solemnly, and still not quite able to leave, she returned to Kate’s side, and taking her in her arms, held her tightly for a few more moments.

"Hey, I miss you too. But if you don’t get a move on, they’ll fire me for holding you captive." Kissing her again, Kate half-heartedly gave her a shove towards the door.

"Fire you my ass. They’ll have to catch us first, won’t they." Jessie winked, and throwing her love a kiss, stepped out the doorway and was gone.

Kate watched the door for a long moment, wishing that it was all a joke, that Jessie didn’t really have to go to work, and that she really wasn’t going to be left behind, all alone. Sighing, she got out of bed long enough to grab the laptop, and prepare to hunt the Internet for Laura. She reached for the phone cord, and almost jumped when the phone rang.

"Hello? Holy cow Jessie, you almost scared the daylights out of me. I was just getting ready to plug in the laptop, when the phone rang. It made me jump." Kate giggled nervously.

"I’m sorry, but I needed to hear your voice again. I miss you already." Jessie sounded pouty.

"Have you even pulled away from the curb yet?" Kate smiled, tickled pink that someone cared about her enough to treat her in such a lovely way.

"Nope, Michael hasn’t even started the car yet. Oops, now he has. Want to talk for a while? Maybe I won’t miss you as much." Jessie’s mood perked up at the thought.

Kate only thought for a millisecond. "Sure, let me call you back on my cell phone, so I can still hook up the laptop. I can tell you if Laura got your message or not. Say, and then you can talk dirty to me for a while, okay?"

Kate’s last comment stunned Jessie into silence. She wasn’t sure how to proceed. Blushing, she smiled to herself, a warm tingle bringing back memories of the afternoon. Kate’s chuckle brought her back to reality.

"Oh, sorry, you caught me off guard. Um, what were you saying?" Jessie decided vagueness was a good response about now.

Hoping she hadn’t overstepped an invisible boundary, Kate was immediately embarrassed at herself. "Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know what got into me, I . . .anyway, let me call you. Just take a second."

Concerned that she made Kate feel bad, Jessie was quick to respond. "Oh, don’t worry, you can ask me for phone sex anytime. Glad to oblige. Talk to you in a minute." There, try to catch me off guard will you?

Kate spluttered, almost dropping the phone. Quickly reaching for her fanny pack, and searching for her cell phone, she barely found it before it started ringing.

"What’s the matter, cat got your tongue? Put her on the phone, and I’ll tell her to stop it." Jessie was completely enjoying her humorous streak.

"Very funny, here you want to talk to her so bad, go ahead." Shaking her head again, she laid the phone next to Corky’s now visible head.

Corky looked at her mother, and then began purring in earnest. While Corky occupied Jessie, Kate hooked up the laptop. She had another project in mind, before looking for Laura. Logging on the ‘net, she searched for a moment, and accessed her company E-mail. Sure enough, it was overflowing with letters, requests, and other related correspondence. Great! At least she won’t feel lazy lying around doing nothing.

Remembering Jessie, Kate laughed when she heard Corky meowing as though she really was talking on the phone. Grabbing the cell back, she put it to her ear in time to hear Jessie make some comment about the different flavors of cat food, and then expound on the virtues of being nice to her sister Violet.

"You know, I think you missed your calling. I think you should have been a pet psychiatrist." Kate stifled a giggle, and opted to cough instead.

"Very funny. Hey did you forget about me or what? I mean Corky is a brilliant conversationalist and all, but I would really rather talk to you." Jessie tried in vain to sound bummed out.

"Aww, I wasn’t ignoring you. I was hooking up so I could get some work done. I’m going to answer some letters, and do some work from the office. Alice sent me a ton of E-mail that I need to sort through. Oh, and by the way, that was absolutely the best surprise this afternoon. I have never seen anything like that, getting all of those designers and such to work together. I felt . . .special." Kate’s eyes began to tear up.

"Whoa, it’s okay. As far as I’m concerned, you deserve the very best. Heck, without Michael and Steven, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. They were the masterminds behind that show. Something about gay men, they have all of the right connections." Jessie was attempting humor to cheer Kate up.

"I know what you mean," Kate’s voice steadied, "I just can’t remember when anyone has done something so nice like that before. It was perfect. I . . . really appreciate it." Dammit! What am I waiting for, why can’t I tell her I love her? I guess because the phone is so impersonal. Soon…..

"I, uh yeah, I’m glad. You are very special to me; I want you to know that. Anyway, we’re about to pull into the site, and I can already see some of the staff members milling around waiting for me. I’ll call you as soon as I can, I promise." Jessie couldn’t help but sound disappointed. Of course I didn’t hear you saying anything either you boob!

Promising not to work too hard, Kate told she would be waiting impatiently to hear from her again. Both women were reluctant to hang up, but when the wardrobe captain opened the door, they knew that it was time. Jessie hung up first, while Kate listened to the buzz of the disconnect signal.

Addressing the cats, she sighed. "What is wrong with us. We spend the day together making love; mad passionate exciting love, but we can’t say the word around each other. Surely it can’t be fear still, can it? What do you guys think; does Jessica Ryan love me, as much as I love her? What about it, cat got your tongues, or should I say dog?" Kate chuckled rewarding them each with a pat on the head for having the good graces not to answer.

Kate settled into her pillows, and was about to begin working on her mail, when the phone rang again. "Wow, that was fast. I . . .oh sorry, I thought you were someone else. Hi Alice. Not doing as good as I had hoped." Kate blushed realizing she almost said something inappropriate to Alice, thinking it was Jessie.

"That’s a shame doll, you do sound a little rough around the edges. You better take care of that. Listen a huge envelope arrived today, with a ton of information about the awards show. I was wondering if I could send that over. I think you two need to go through it, and make sure that Jessie knows where and when, etc. It has all of the seating assignments, and rehearsal times and so on. Did she ever get a dress? I hope so, that would be one more worry off my plate." As ever, Alice was all business. Kate was sure that she never slept, or even ate very often. Alice was a driven woman.

"That would be great, Alice. I’m under strict orders not to leave the house anyway. Just have a courier drop it. I’ll read through it, and make sure I know the schedule first, so I can keep an eye on Jessie." Kate was looking forward to getting the package.

"That’s what I like to hear. Have I told you how perfect I think you are for Jessie? Keep up the good work kid. You’re the best thing for her." Alice smiled to herself, and said goodbye.

Just as Kate hung up the phone, her Internet Instant Messenger beeped signaling Laura’s arrival. It was unusual for Laura to be online on a Saturday night, but stranger things have happened. She smiled as she saw the beginnings of Laura’s message scroll across the screen.

Lady Knight: Hey there sugar! How the heck are you? You know, you keep having that gorgeously tall hunk-a hubba hubba woman writing to me, and I might just have to usurp your spot on the throne there. Man, it gives me the tingles every time I hear from her. April wants to come down there, and kick her butt.

PAK: Laura you are so funny! Jessie wrote to you, because she was getting jealous of you. You should tell April that, maybe she’ll change her mind about killing Jesse. J Say, your Radar Cow story made a great impression on her. She thinks you should write professionally. That was a cute story Laura.

Lady Knight: Aw Shucks! Thanks honey, and thank Jessie too. I don’t know about being a professional. There are so many good fan fiction writers. I’m nothing special. Heck, I can’t even get my new story reviewed. Besides, I’m too chicken to send it into the publisher. My fans still like me though. Say, have you been keeping up with the posts. I know you’ve been busy. <VBEG>

PAK: Okay, I’m guilty, and I’m blushing. No, the last chapter I read was 15 or 16 I think. Maybe I can catch up tonight or tomorrow. Jessie’s working, and I’m sick, so she made me stay home. A courier is bringing me an envelope full of stuff I need to go over for work. The awards ceremony is at the end of this week, and we just got our dresses.

Lady Knight: Wow, is she really going to take you to the ceremony? Ain’t you somethin’! I’ll have to tell my mom, she’ll be thrilled. She doesn’t watch "Kendra Knight" yet, but she does hit an awards show now and then. We’ll watch for you. If you see the camera pointed in your direction, wave. I’ll wave back. So tell me about your dress, and Jessie’s.

Kate and Laura talked for another half-hour or so about the awards ceremony, the surprise, and both lovers’ inability to say "I Love You". Laura assured her that it would come, that they were still a little afraid of each other. Laura thought it was hysterical that Jessie was pretty much living with Kate. She bet that Michael wasn’t looking that hard for an apartment. He sounded like an instigator to Laura, and Steve was the perfect partner in crime for him.

While they "talked" something very disturbing was going on outside their little world. Gregory and Star had visited the grocery store, for some supplies, including cigarettes and booze. Star had a special penchant for ice cream, especially when she was high, so Gregory gave in, and let her choose something. She picked a gallon of Rocky Road, with a can of peanuts, and some chocolate syrup. Gregory was amazed that anyone, who did as much speed as Star, could eat anything let alone ice cream.

Returning to the van, Gregory walked around it for the fourth time, admiring the "damage" work that Star had done on it. "Hey Star honey, you did a great job on this van. I can’t get over it. No one will figure out we lifted this, no one. Say, I got a great idea! Let’s test it out. I want to go for a ride to Glendale, to check up on a few things. Get in, I’ll drive."

Star reluctantly returned to the van. She had been hoping to find a way to escape, but to no avail. Gregory never left her side, and he was in such a good mood, she didn’t want to upset him. Settling in, she stared out the window, careful not to let him see her sadness. She smiled to her self a moment, remembering their visit to the market. Several people gave her a second look, and more than one outright stared at her. Star realized that she really did have a striking resemblance to Jessica Ryan. The kids especially were really cute. She almost wished they would have talked to her. She could practice her voice on them.

Gregory hit the freeway, and cruised along with the traffic. There was no hurry, and he didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. Ignoring Star, he was deep inside his own head, plotting his next moves. He was scheduled to pick up the envelope from the Northern California PI in the morning, and then meet with the "Demolition Man" in the afternoon. He could barely contain his excitement as his plans started to come together. This trip to Glendale was just a diversion. Curiosity more than anything. He wanted to see what the PA and her faggot friend were up to.

Exiting off the freeway, they circled around for a bit, while Gregory tried to remember where Kate’s house was. Seeing the familiar stores, and then locating the court, they pulled up a few houses away, and parked. Watching for a few minutes, he couldn’t believe his luck. A courier vehicle was turning onto the street. It became immediately apparent that it was heading for Kate’s driveway.

"Quick, Star! Here’s your chance to be an actress. I want you to stop that guy, and tell him you’re Jessica Ryan, and you’re staying at Ms. McKenna’s house. You’ll be glad to deliver the package to her. Hurry, before he gets out of the van." Gregory’s forehead started to sweat he was so excited.

Nervous herself, Star quietly got out of the van. Pretending to say goodnight, she consciously lowered her voice, and then keeping to the shadows from the trees, approached the courier. Stopping short of the front porch, she waited until he stepped over to her.

"Hi there, can I help you?" She purred.

"Oh, uh, I have a package to deliver. Are you Kate McKenna?" He gulped, sure he recognized Kendra Knight standing in front of him.

"No, I’m not Kate, but I do live with her. My name is Jessica Ryan. I’d be happy to take the package to her." Enjoying her role, Star gave the boy a good strong squeeze with her hand. She threw in a wink for good measure.

Practically drooling, the courier handed to package over to Star. "Uh, thanks, uh could I have your autograph, uh, I mean your signature?"

Star smiled. This was great! "Sure, I’ll sign your book and anything else you want."

The courier boy was seriously star struck. He didn’t even realize that the longer you looked the less like Jessica the woman before him really was. She was too young, and too thin, and there was something tired and worn out about her eyes. And she had this annoying little sniff. Oh well, maybe she is just tired. They work a lot, or so I’ve heard.

Thanking her, the boy returned to his van, and drove away. Star quickly went back to their van, slipping in quietly next to Gregory. Handing him the package, she waited patiently for his response.

Giggling with excitement, he turned to package over and over, looking from some magical sign. It was addressed to Kate, and it showed the studio address as the return. Nothing remarkable. Curious as to why Kate was home alone on a Saturday night, he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. Handing the package back to Star, he instructed her to deliver it to Kate.

"Don’t use your Jessica Ryan voice, use your own. I want to see if she notices the resemblance. Take special care to notice if she is alone, and if there is any sign that Jessie might be staying with her. Get as much information as you can. Make small talk Star. Ask her about vacations, her health. Stay as long as you can without causing her to get suspicious. If you do this, I’ll do something nice for you. Go on now, do this for me." Gregory was almost babying Star. He didn’t want her to mess this up.

Nodding, more nervous than ever, Star left the van and went back to the front steps. Looking back at Gregory one more time she reached for the doorbell. A fleeting thought passed by her. She could warn Kate, and tell her it was Gregory waiting in the van. She could ask for Kate’s help, tell her where they were hiding. Yeah, and she could catch a bullet between her eyes, or worse yet get beaten, maybe even have her drugs taken away. Nope, not this time, Star!

Kate, hearing the doorbell, bid Laura to STANDBY. Extracting herself from the covers, she put her robe on, and then headed for the front door. At the last minute, she dashed back to her room and slipped the stunner into her pocket. She figures it was the delivery person, but she didn’t want to be stupid. Returning to the door, she peaked through the side curtain, and was startled to see Jessie’s tall form standing half-shadowed, turning a big mail envelope in her hands. Almost throwing the door open, she realized that it couldn’t possibly be Jessie. She was working, and she did not leave wearing that outfit. Spooked, she slipped the chain on the door before opening it.

"Yes, can I help you?" Kate was cautious, peeking through the crack in the door.

Star stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Oh, sorry, I was supposed to deliver this package to a Kate McKenna. Is that you?"

Realizing that this woman only sort of looked like Jessie, she marveled at the coincidence. Unchaining the door, she let the "courier" in. "Sorry, you look an awful lot like a friend that’s staying with me right now. In the shadows I thought you were her. She’s working now, and couldn’t possibly be home."

Stepping in, Star was feeling better now that Kate was more comfortable with her. Handing her the envelope, she decided to take a chance. "Yeah, my friends say I look a lot like Jessica Ryan. I don’t know though, I was thinking more like maybe Cher or something."

Kate gave her a closer look. "I dunno, you do look remarkably like Jessie. She’s older of course, but still, in the shadows it was hard to tell. Anyway, let me get a tip for you, I’ll be right back."

Going back into her bedroom, she grabbed her fanny pack, and pulled out a couple of dollars. Turning around, she was startled to see Star standing in her doorway.

"Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to follow you. I saw the cat come in here, and I really love cats. I wasn’t thinking." Absorbing as much of her surroundings as she could, she tried really hard to commit it to memory, so she could go back and tell Gregory.

Getting nervous, Kate decided she wanted this person to leave now. "Um, no problem, well, as you can see, I’m not feeling very well, so I’ll take my package and say goodnight."

"Oh, sure thing. And I am sorry. I don’t usually follow people around their houses, but I couldn’t help it, the cat looked so cute." Star knew she sounded lame, but she had to find someway to recover. She noticed that Kate was nervously twirling something in her pocket. Thinking it might be a gun, Star decided she needed to leave. Now!

Heading back to the door, she thanked Kate for the tip, apologized again, and then dashed down the walkway. Kate noticed that she wasn’t alone. That was unusual, normally couriers didn’t travel with another person, nor were they acting as passengers, but usually drove themselves. Of course, this was LA. Maybe that particular company had a thing about women making night deliveries alone.

Just to be sure, she locked the door, and put the chain on. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she checked to see if Laura was still there. Telling her the whole story, she waited for Laura to tell her what she thought.

Lady Knight: You know, that is really weird if you ask me. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I think I was being followed the other day myself. Some guy in a beat up sedan. I kept seeing him at all kinds of places. I was starting to get paranoid, especially when I think I saw him take pictures or something. I saw the flash of a reflection like a camera lens come from his car several times. I was thinking that maybe he was some sick stalker or something. Or maybe the IRS. Of course, I don’t owe them anything, but you never know. Oh well, I refuse to worry about it.

PAK: Laura! Have you told April? This is serious. Jeez, maybe someone might try to hurt you. Did you ever think of that? Do you have a stun gun or anything like it? Maybe I should send you one.

Lady Knight: No! I have not told April. I don’t want to upset her. She would never let me leave the house again, and especially not to drive 90 miles a day to go to work. I’ll be careful, I promise. And no guns, knives or stun guns. I couldn’t use one if I had to. I’ll bet it was harmless, just some pervert getting his yaya’s. Who knows, maybe he has a thing for 40ish lesbians.

PAK: Yeah, well, you be careful. I don’t like the sound of this. Especially when I get this strange visitor tonight. You know, I am so stupid. I never even signed anything for the package. For all I know, they could have killed the other courier, and left him in my bushes. And now they’re going to come for me. This is definitely not funny! I better call the detective right away. I’ll check back with you later.

Signing off, Kate picked up the cell phone, and dialed the special number the detective gave her. The answering service promised they would page him, and have him call her back. Nervous again, she couldn’t decide whether or not to stand, sit, or spin around in circles. The cell phone rang, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Hello, Detective?" Kate was breathless with fear.

"No honey, it’s me. Why are you waiting for a detective, what’s wrong?" Panic was rising rapidly in Jessie’s heart.

"Nothing really, at least I’m not sure." Kate explained the story about the woman, and the package including the man that was waiting for her in the van.

"Oh boy, this is not good. That may have been Gregory. After the last time they thought they had him at that motel, someone said that he was traveling with a woman. They just couldn’t remember what she looked like, but that she was somehow familiar." Jessie was greatly frightened. She was beginning to look for a way to escape the rest of the shoot. They were really done using her anyway; she was just hanging around in case they needed her for fill in or anything.

"Listen, I’m going to find Ted, and then I’m coming home. I don’t want you to be there by yourself anymore. They might come back. Besides, I miss you, and I want to be there with you." Jessie grabbed a staff runner, and told them to find Ted, immediately!

"Jess, I’m okay, and I’ve got protection. You don’t have to come home just because of me, I’ll be all right." Kate wasn’t sure she sounded convincing.

"Hang on a second." covering the phone, she told, not asked Ted that she was leaving. They could do any repairs during the editing. Apparently Ted was too afraid of her to disagree. "We’re done here, and I’m coming home now. If I could be there any sooner, I would have arrived an hour ago."

Running to the wardrobe tent, Jessie didn’t even take the time to change her clothes. She gathered up her things, and then ran straight for the car. Michael was napping in the front seat. Startled, he sat up quickly, banging his head on the steering wheel.

"Whassa madda?" He mumbled.

"Wake up, and take me to Kate’s I think Gregory was there. I don’t want her to be there alone any longer than I can help it." Jessie was frantic. She was almost tempted to push him over and drive the car herself.

Michael’s mind finally absorbed his sister’s message. Starting the car, he barely looked to see if anyone was in the way, before he shifted into reverse and shot backward out of his spot. Quickly turning the car, the two of the disappeared into a cloud of dust. Not concerned whether he got a ticket or not, Michael dodged in and out of traffic, Jessie sliding around in the seat behind him. Fortunately they were in the town car. If they had been in a full sized limousine, they never would have been able to drive like that.

Kate held the phone to her ear, not certain that Jessie had really hung up on her. Moments later it rang again. "Jessie? Oh, hi detective. Yes, I did. Yes, she was tall, long dark hair. Looked a lot like Jessie. No I didn’t get a good look at the van. I think it was a dark green or blue, but it was scuffed up, and they were parked in the shadows. No, I’m sorry. I couldn’t see the man at all. No, I haven’t called the courier service. I’m not even sure which one they sent. Okay, thank you. If I remember anything else, I’ll be sure to call you." Kate was furious at herself for being so stupid.

Down the block, Gregory and Star were sitting in the van, under a low hanging tree. "Wow, Star this is great. I am very pleased with you. You did a great job."

Pleased with herself, but still worried she might have done something wrong, Star chose to remain quiet. "Thanks, Gregory."

They sat for quite a while. Star worried sick about the ice cream melting, and Gregory promising to buy her tons of ice cream for doing such a good job. He was strangely pleased, even though they didn’t really find out that much. Just the fact that they were able to venture into the enemy camp virtually undetected. It made him feel powerful.

Finally Gregory was getting bored with sitting around. It was too dangerous, someone might spot them. He started the van, and prepared to pull away when a car caught his attention. Watching carefully, he was pleased to find that it was his beloved Jessica, and her sniveling little brother Michael. It never occurred to him that they would be driving a different car. He supposed he must have done quite a bit of damage to the limousine.

Considering doing them all in right away, he changed his mind. He would much rather wait and do things the way he had planned them. Continuing his observance, he almost burst into giggles, when Michael screeched the tires pulling up to the curb. Jessie literally jumped from the vehicle before it had come to a complete stop. Clapping his hands, he turned back to Star.

"Look baby. Must have scared the daylights out of Jessica’s little playmate. The reinforcements have arrived. We better beat it. Next thing you know the cops will be showing up. I want to be far from here when they do." He restarted the van, and pulled away from the curb, careful not to do anything to suddenly. He didn’t want to look suspicious.

Jessie bounded across the walkway, and up the steps. Trying the door, she remembered that she had told Kate to lock everything up tight. Ringing the doorbell, she waited every nerve in her body singing. Kate heard the bell, and approached the door cautiously. She knew it was probably Jessie and Michael, but she wasn’t going to be that stupid this time. Looking through the side curtain, she saw Jessie beginning to pace.

"Who is it?" Kate called out.

Good girl! Jessie thought. "It’s us, Jessie and Michael."

"How do I know it’s really you?" Kate realized she was pushing the envelope really hard now.

Jessie thought for a moment, and then pulling down the collar of her jumpsuit, flashed the almost faded hickey still present on her neck. Michael burst into huge guffaws of laughter. Punching his arm, Jessie scowled at him, and then addressing the door folded her arms and waited.

Kate decided she had better let her in, before she knocked the door down. Carefully she removed the chain, and then before she barely had the door pulled back, Jessie was across the threshold, and scooping Kate into her strong embrace. Burying her face in Kate’s hair, she held her tightly, until her own nervously shaking body calmed down.

"Hey, it’s okay. You can put me down. I’m okay." Kate softly ran her fingers through Jessie’s hair, trying to calm her.

Jessie stood very still, her heart pounding in her chest. "We can’t keep living like this. If they don’t catch him soon, I’m going to find him, and stop him myself. If he hurts you I’ll kill him!"

Kate placed two fingers on Jessie’s lips. "Shh, don’t say that. Nothing is going to happen to me. I just have to be more careful. I was stupid, I guess the fever is worse than I thought. Actually, forget it, that’s no excuse, I was just plain stupid."

Tears came unbidden to Kate’s eyes. She needlessly endangered herself. If she was that stupid, next time she might endanger Jessie. Jessie could almost hear Kate’s thoughts, they were so plainly written on her face. Holding her close again, she kissed her forehead, and then wiped away Kate’s tears.

"Please don’t cry. You had no reason to think that they would come over here. If you ask me, it was probably just a fluke. Gregory got bored, and decided to go for a joyride. I think if he had wanted to hurt you, he would have. Come on, we need to get something to eat. Let’s see what’s in the kitchen." Jessie put her arm around a reluctant Kate’s waist, leading her into the kitchen.

Michael was already ahead of them. He had made some sandwiches, and was pouring some tea when they joined them. He was unusually quiet. Jessie correctly surmised that his feelings were hurt, when she punched him on the arm. Rolling up his sleeve, she checked to make sure she didn’t leave a bruise.

"Oh, go on you big baby, I didn’t even leave a mark. I was just scared Michael, it was a gut reaction." Jessie tried to get him to look her in the eyes.

Pouting, he milked it for a minute or two longer, and then finally gave in. "Sometimes you can be so mean Jessie. I was just kidding."

"Well, sometimes you kid too much Michael. Now, let’s eat. I don’t have to work tomorrow, and my patient here needs some serious taking care of." Jessie pulled Kate into her lap.

Kate laid her head on Jessie’s shoulder, unwilling to eat anything, or speak anymore for that matter. Sighing, she closed her eyes, and tried to empty her mind. Her thoughts wandered back to Laura. She realized she needed to tell Jessie about Laura’s stalker.

Sitting up, she looked at Jessie, almost startled at her own excitement. "Jessie! I forgot to tell you, I was talking to Laura before they came to the house. She said someone is stalking her. He followed her to and from work, and he’s been taking pictures of her. She hasn’t told April, because she’s afraid that she will either get grounded, or April will hunt him down and pound him."

Jessie pondered this new information for a moment. "Honey, has this man attempted any direct contact with Laura, other than following her, or taking her picture?"

Kate shook her head no. "So far he hasn’t. Laura said she saw him constantly the first day or so, but he left abruptly this afternoon, and she hasn’t seen him since. He gave her the heebie jeebies, because she works alone at her boss’s house, and she was afraid he might try something. Of course, she has the two dogs with her, and they can be pretty loud, but for the most part, they are pretty useless."

"Next time you talk to her, tell her to be careful. I wouldn’t put it past Gregory, to threaten her for being involved with us, and helping us precipitate his capture in the first place. Tell her she should probably tell April. It’s not right to keep it a secret." Jessie pursed her lips, unconsciously pulling Kate closer.

They finished their meal in silence. Each person buried in his or her own thoughts. Steven came home, and without even asking knew there was something wrong. Michael joined him, and the two of them retired for the evening.

Jessie, feeling a little at a loss for what to do, picked Kate up in her arms, and carried her back to the bedroom. Laying her down, she carefully cleared away the computer, and all of the other stuff spread across the bed. She made note of the amount of work that Kate had been prepared to do, sick or not.

Changing into a T-shirt, and her underwear, she slipped under the covers next to Kate. Carefully she pulled Kate into her arms. "I just want you to be safe. That’s all, just safe. I need you with me."

Kate nodded her head, snuggling in as close to Jessie as she could get. Jessie tested her skin with her lips again. Still a little warm, Jessie reached for the non-aspirin bottle on the nightstand. Sitting up, she handed a couple to Kate, along with another antibiotic, and a swig of cough medicine for good measure. Satisfied that she had done all she could for the moment, she pulled Kate back into her arms, and shutting the light off, made a feeble attempt to get some sleep.

Kate fought sleep for a while, but she lost the battle. Slipping softly into a series of fitful dreams, she clung to Jessie desperately in her sleep, as though clinging to a life raft in a large a turbulent sea. Jessie hung on to her lover, content to stay awake and stand vigil against the storm that swirled around them.

********Charles Dickens********

Chapter 20: (Fafafafafafa, Fafafafafafafa, Fabulous . . .)

Kate stretched her arms spreading the movement down through the rest of her body. Her fever was gone, and the cough had been reduced to a nuisance more than anything else. Rolling over, she smiled, catching a glimpse of Jessie’s still sleeping face peeking out from under the edge of the blankets. She sat watching Jessie breathe, wondering how she could go from a basic mostly boring life, to sharing her home, life, and love with her absolute idol. Somehow scared, and exhilarated at the same time, she sat up, careful not to disturb her sleeping lover.

Jessie was in a dream. She was lying on a sleeping bag near a lake, watching the stars. She was trying to find Orion’s Belt, but couldn’t seem to locate it. There was someone lying on a sleeping bag next to her. She couldn’t see who it was, but she knew that she was very much in love with this person. For some reason, her dream wouldn’t let her put Kate’s name to her dream companion. Slowly she reached for the mystery woman’s hand. Pulling her closer, she held her tightly, surrounded by her love.

Kate smiled again; realizing that Jessie was dreaming and was including her in that dream. Jessie was stroking her hair, and nuzzling her neck. Slowly she opened her eyes, and the whole dreamscape faded away. Kate lightly touched her face, brushing her hair from her eyes. Jessie smiled back, finally able to put a name to her dream lover.

Kate waited for a moment, until the last bit of sleep left Jessie. "Hi there sleepyhead, were you having a good dream?"

Jessie sat up a bit. "Yeah, I was. It was kind of strange, because you were with me. We were camping by a lake, and watching the stars. I knew it was you, but I couldn’t say your name. I went to hold you, and then I woke up, and I really was holding you. I like that, it felt . . . good."

"Still, I wonder why you couldn’t say my name. I mean, you knew it was me right? Hmm, that is so strange. There must be something in your subconscious that’s blocking you from recognizing me completely. Weird. . ." Kate pursed her lips, trying to figure out what it might be that would prevent Jessie from saying her name.

"Well, maybe it will come to me later on. Now, didn’t you have some schedules or something we needed to look at? Something that had to do with the award show?" Jessie tried to change the subject, not wanting it to upset Kate.

Frowning, Kate remembered her promise to Alice. Grudgingly she grabbed the envelope that had been delivered the night before. Suddenly, she remembered the night before, and a chill gripped her heart. Dropping the envelope, she shrank back, almost as though she were handling a snake.

"Honey, what’s wrong? You look as though you were holding something slimy, or gross." Jessie was immediately concerned.

"I was thinking about last night. Jessie, how much longer are we going to have to deal with this? I’m getting to the point, where I want to go out and find that SOB myself." Kate was starting to work into a really good round of anger.

"Please, promise me you won’t do that. There is something extremely wrong with Gregory. According to the report from the profiler to the detectives handling this case, he is starting to show extreme signs of dementia. He is dangerous, and unpredictable." Jessie was worried about her lover running off to play cowgirl.

"Well, he might be showing signs of dementia, but I’ll show him my Smith & Wesson." Kate was completely wound up now.

Jessie sighed, and then launched herself across the bed, effectively pinning Kate to the mattress. "Okay, you have forced me to take drastic measures. Either promise me you will not go after him, nor will you unnecessarily endanger yourself in any way regarding this matter."

"Jessie! Let me go, right now!" Kate struggled to free herself.

"No, not until you promise." Jessie pinned Kate’s arms to her side.

"Jessie, come on, you’re making me laugh, and its not funny. Let Me Go!" Kate started to giggle.

"Promise!" Jessie replied.

"Jessie, I have to go to the bathroom, NOW! LET ME GO!" Kate struggled harder, trying to shake her larger companion onto the floor.

"Promise." Jessie pleaded.

Kate noticed the change in the tone of Jessie’s voice. Jessie was dead serious, and near tears. Kate relented. "Jessie, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize . . ."

"What, that I was serious? Oh, yeah, way serious. He has stripped me of everything he possibly can, my self-esteem, my happiness, my money, everything. He’s already made it clear in my mind, that he wants to take you away from me as well. Gregory was always very thorough Kate. Once he starts a project, he researches it from every angle. He probably brought that girl here, to see how prepared you really were, and how careful. That gave him an advantage, and he will use that to its fullest potential." Jessie sat back, releasing Kate from her "trap".

"Gregory is psychotic, and he is obsessed with only one thing in life, and that is me. He truly wants to possess me. Complete ownership. The best way to do that is to eliminate you. There’s a small catch though. He likes to toy with people, mess with their minds, before he takes them down. Says it weakens them. Kind of like a cat with a mouse. He’ll threaten, and probably try to eliminate those people that are closest to you, so that he can make you suffer. Then he’ll try to take you." Jessie bowed her head, unable to continue.

Kate crawled to her, and taking Jessie in her arms, held her closely whispering apologies, and begging for forgiveness, for not taking the whole thing more seriously. Jessie clung to Kate, like a life preserver in a storm. She knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything happened to Kate. Judging by the previous evening, and the fact that Laura was being followed, led Jessie to believe that it may already be too late.

Jessie’s eyes were closed tightly. Kate stroked her face, trying to get her to look back at her. For some reason it was important that Jessie see her when she spoke to her again. Finally Jessie slowly opened her eyes. They were red, and watery, filled with tears from fear, and premature grief. Kate wiped the tears away with her thumbs, and then focused her complete attention on Jessie.

"Jessie, I promise you. I will not chase Gregory, or aggravate this situation any further. I will do everything I can to protect you, and to protect myself from being harmed in any way. And Jessie? I promise I won’t act like this again. I can’t take it when I make you cry. It’s way too painful. Okay? Believe me? I mean it, I promise you." Kate kissed Jessie’s forehead, hoping that Jessie believed her.

Jessie kissed her back on the lips, and then nodded, unable to speak at the moment. Her heart and mind were in turmoil. She wished there were someplace that she could take Kate to hide her away, until this was over with. Of course, Jessie knew without a doubt, that Kate would never go. She was too dedicated to her job, and way too enamored of Jessie, to leave her to deal with Gregory on her own. No, they would have to do this together.

Kate continued to stroke Jessie’s hair, and watch the emotions play across her beautiful features. She felt like she could almost read Jessie’s mind. She probably wants me to go away and hide somewhere, and leave her to fend for herself. Not on your life, my love. Whither thou goest, than so shall I. I love you Jessica Ryan. More than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. You are my soulmate, my everything. Don’t even try to make me abandon you. Not now, not ever! Funny thing, why can’t I say that out loud?

The two women lay like that in each other’s arms, content not to speak any further on the subject. Eventually Kate recovered the envelope with the awards ceremony schedules, and they both went through the packet, sorting the information into piles, and then reading each pile. It was noon before they finished, and their matching growling stomachs gave them both away.

"Say, what say we stop this nonsense, and catch a bite to eat?" Kate was the first to break the monotony.

Jessie laid down the papers she was holding, and considered Kate’s question. "Okay, what did you have in mind? Want to get out of here and go somewhere for a change?"

Surprised, Kate smiled. "Yeah, let’s. But where can we go? Or more importantly, where can you go?"

"Well, I can go just about anywhere I want. I just have to be prepared to deal with the public if I get recognized. Oh, and I hate that disguise business. It is so silly. Sometimes, if I just put my hair back, and wear some sunglasses or something, and leave the makeup off I do okay. So, what’s around here that’s good?" Jessie was starting to get excited about going out with Kate.

"Let’s see. There is a great Italian place, over near the Galleria. Its called Gianelli’s. Michael and Steven went there on their first date." Kate blushed, excitement beginning to build in her as well.

"Are you sure you’re feeling up to this? I mean, what with you being sick and all. And say, did you ever get those stitches out? I mean, I don’t remember seeing them anymore, and I surely don’t remember Helen taking them out for you." Jessie moved Kate’s hair out of the way, checking the spot that ironically enough sort of brought them together.

"Oh, that. Yes, I feel much better, thank you. Besides, I need to get out of here and be normal for a while. I am sick of being sick. Ah yes, and the stitches. Don’t get mad, but I took them out myself. You were sleeping, and I sat on the edge of the sink with some clippers and tweezers, and used a mirror. Took me forever, trying to organize all of that stuff, while I was looking backwards. I think I did okay though, don’t you?" Kate was proud of her achievement, even though she knew that Jessie would be upset that she did it herself.

Checking all of the angles, Jessie pursed her lips, and hemmed and hawed for a moment, drawing out the inspection as long as she could. Finally she smoothed Kate’s hair back into place, and made a big show of clearing her throat and "aheming" a lot.

"What? Did I miss something? What’s the problem?" Kate was immediately on the defensive.

Chuckling, Jessie squeezed her from behind. "No, you did a great job. But next time let me help you all right? Or better yet, no more next times."

Kate nodded her head in agreement, and then kissing Jessie on the lips, pinched her behind, and then ran for the shower. Moments later, Jessie joined her, and they managed to make up for all of the other "interrupted" lovemaking sessions they had missed before this.

Jessie provided Kate with her infamous human body sponge, effectively soaping both the front and back of her lover. Allowing her hands to roam freely, she marveled at the interesting texture soap and water added to her explorations. Trying hard not to get too involved herself, she concentrated entirely on bringing pleasure to Kate.

Small moans escaped Kate’s throat, leading Jessie to experiment further. Backing Kate against the wall of the shower, careful not to drown them both, Jessie placed her knee between Kate’s thighs. Slowly Kate began to move with her, increasing the friction between them, and lighting the fire that would soon engulf them both. Returning the attention she was receiving with her own hands, Kate soon brought Jessie along with her. So powerful was their mutual climax that both women almost slipped to the floor of the shower, their legs weakening for their efforts.

They held each other close, kissing, caressing, and supporting each other until their hearts calmed, and their legs regained their strength. The water began to cool down, and they realized that they had been in the shower for quite a long time. Jessie laughed out loud at the "pruning" of her fingertips. Experimenting, she brushed them across Kate’s sensitive breasts. Immediately she received an enthusiastic response. The water continued to cool down however, so much so that Kate almost began to shiver. Quickly they finished washing up, and then stepped out and began drying each other. It seemed to both of them, that showering together had to be one of the best moments in life.

Giggling like two children, they rifled through Kate’s closets, and came up with some warm clothes, and a couple of ski hats to wear. The weather was blustery, even for LA, so it was perfect for Jessie’s non-disguise. Kate recovered their winter coats, and gathering up her bag, cell phone, and her stun gun, the two of them headed out to do some adventuring.

Far on the other side of the land of LA, Gregory was positively dancing with joy. "See Star, its just like I told you, that little PA thinks she is so tough, but she is totally out of her league. Prepared my kiester. Hell, we could have waltzed right in there, and taken her out, and probably made our selves at home in the process. Man, I was so tempted, but no . . . I want to savor that moment. Just like "Baby Doll" is teaching me. Make it last."

Star just stared at him blankly. For her efforts, he gave her an extra half-gram of her regular mix. She vaguely heard him, but was unable to get her brain to engage in any meaningful conversation. She was content to stare at the wall, and contemplate the deeper meaning of nothingness. Before she went off the air though she thanked Gregory for letting her participate in his plans. She was very pleased with herself, for not ratting him out to the red-haired girl, and for not screwing things up. Of course, she could have saved herself, but this just felt much better . . .

Gregory shook his head, realizing he was talking to a mannequin. Star was so off the air, her eyes were rolling back into her head. No major, he had work to do, and it was just as well that she stay out of his way for a while. Reaching across the desk, he grabbed the envelope full of information about Kate’s friend Laura in Northern California. He was quite excited at being able to move on to the next step.

Opening the envelope, he dumped its contents on the table. Sifting through the pictures, he stacked them, and then analyzed them one by one. The first few were unremarkable. He couldn’t get a real good look at Laura, because she was seated in her car. The car was an older model red Honda CRX two-seater. She was wearing a Levi’s type shirt, and sunglasses. It was too shadowed inside the car to tell what color her hair was, or if it was long or short. The next batch of pictures were much better. She was getting out of the car on the side of the road, in a wooded area. She wore jeans that matched the shirt, and her hair was short, and dark brown, maybe with gray. She was slightly on the heavy side, but her arms looked like she could take care of herself in a fight.

Setting these aside for later perusal, Gregory picked up the last pile. They showed Laura in her home. She lived in a mobile home, nothing special. The first picture showed her walking up the back steps into the house. Fortunately for the photographer, there were curtains open, allowing him access to the interior of the house. The next picture showed Laura kissing her girlfriend hello. The third showed her picking up one of her two cats, and hugging it. The last must have been taken at the same time as the first group, because Laura was looking right at the photographer, and giving him the finger.

So, she’s not as stupid as she looks. Huh, wonder if she told anyone she was being followed. This is great, makes her more of a challenge. I love a good fight.

Gregory set aside the pictures, and then scanned the written report that was included. There were detailed descriptions of Laura, her girlfriend, and even the cats. The spy had even included a diary of her routine, and addresses of her job, and the local grocery store. The last page, was a synopsis of the photos. Funny thing though, he didn’t include any explanation for the last one. Gregory chuckled, thinking he probably hadn’t intended for anyone else to see it.

Returning everything to the envelope, he checked his watch, and realized he’d better hurry on to his next step. It was almost time for him to call the "Demolitions Expert". He had heard from a reliable source, that the custom limousine, KNIGHT 1 was to be released from the shop this afternoon. His plan was to have the explosive device installed, so that when Michael picked up the car to take Jessica to the awards ceremony. . . <poof> no more Michael.

Picking up the phone he dialed carefully. A low gruff voice answered the phone. "Speak your piece."

"Uh, yeah, this is GT. Shimada Junior gave me your number. He says you might be able to help me with a little project I have in mind." Gregory started to sweat.

"So? He said that did he? Well, maybe I can, and maybe I can’t. I don’t come cheap you know." The voice was acting sarcastic.

"Yeah, well, I got money, lots of money. And more to come. This is a pretty easy job; any chump can handle it. Are you sure you’re capable?" Gregory sneered.

"Look buddy, you called me. You want me to do this job or what? " The Demolition Man realized that he needed the money, and he had better not make this guy mad.

Gregory smiled GOTCHA! "Yeah, I do. I want this done by Friday AM. Listen carefully so I can give you all of the details."

He spent the next twenty minutes or so laying out locations, addresses, and times. The last thing they discussed was the money. He would have to press Shimada for another loan, just until he got Jessie back, and recovered some of his money. He knew Shimada would help him. He had to.

Kate pulled her car into the Galleria parking lot. Reaching over, she squeezed Jessie’s hand. "This is so exciting. I just wanted to touch you again, before we head out into public. I know, no PDA’s right?"

Jessie smiled at Kate’s excitement. "Right. The studio might be willing to put up with things they don’t know about, but if they see us in the papers holding hands or whatever, well, Justin just might have a coronary. Wouldn’t want to do that to him now would you?"

Shaking her head, Kate giggled. "Maybe just a small one? Okay, I was just kidding. Come on, let’s go. If we have time, we might be able to do something else, a show or something. Right now though I’m starving."

Popping her door open, Kate dashed around and made a big show of opening Jessie’s door. Catching on to the game, Jessie put on her "I am the Queen of England" airs, and stepped into the parking lot. She was a bit nervous, venturing out into someplace as huge as a mall. Kate was with her, and if she kept reminding herself to keep a low profile, she probably wouldn’t have any problems. She just didn’t make a regular habit of going to places where large numbers of people congregated, and there were not a lot of ways to escape.

Just do the best you can, Kate will protect you. I hope!

Jessie slouched, self-conscious of her height, and tried to look inconspicuous. Kate noticed her discomfort out of the corner of her eye. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I’ll understand. It can be scary going into a mall, even for me. I promise I’ll protect you. Actually, Gianelli’s entrance is outside the mall, so we don’t even have to go in there."

Jessie took a deep breath. "No, I’m okay. I just get a little nervous. So many people, so few ways to escape. Just don’t leave me okay? I might need you to help me out if something comes up."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side the whole time. Like I said, we don’t have to go into the mall. We can just go to Gianelli’s, have a nice meal, and then head back home. That way, the fewer people see you, the less likely will have any problems." Kate was disappointed, but not enough to risk Jessie’s safety.

Jessie nodded her head, not wanting to hurt Kate’s feelings. Straightening up a bit, she followed Kate into the darkened entry to the restaurant. The Maitre’d came up, and taking two menus, beckoned to them to follow him. Since they had arrived before the dinner rush, they had plenty of tables to choose from. He sat them at a table out of the main traffic area, but that still afforded them a glimpse of the people bustling back and forth in the mall.

Kate took her jacket off, and hung it on the back of her chair. Helping Jessie out of hers, she noticed a light sheen of sweat forming on her lover’s face. "Hey, calm down. So far, so good. He didn’t even notice you. Relax. It’s time to pig out, and have some fun. Are you with me?"

Jessie couldn’t seem to shake the uncomfortable feeling that had gripped her when they came into the restaurant. Once when the show first started, she had stopped at a small strip mall, and was mobbed by the customers shopping there. A young woman had spotted her in a gift shop, and had shouted to a friend waiting by their car. Everyone within earshot heard her, and came running over. The gift shop owner acted fast, and quickly locked the door, preventing anyone from getting in, but also preventing Jessie from getting out. They finally had to call the police to disperse the crowd, and Michael had to bring the car right to the door to pick her up. She signed some autographs, and had her picture taken with a few of the children, but the experience had really shaken her. Later she had sent a signed picture, and some collectible things from the show for the gift shop owner. The woman was very proud of her gifts, and made sure she put a very high price on them.

Realizing that no one was probably going to disturb them, Jessie calmed down finally, and concentrated on her menu. Kate was chattering good-naturedly, about her favorites, and how great everything on the menu was. She hadn’t personally tried everything, but she was certain it was all good. Jessie chose baked lasagna, with a green salad, and garlic bread. It was basic, but she had a craving that needed to be addressed. Kate selected the linguine with clams, and took the liberty of ordering the appetizer combo plate. It came with a mixed assortment of antipasto items, such as, marinated mushrooms, toscano salami, olives, etc.

As an added bonus, Kate ordered a bottle of Mirrasou Vineyards Chardonnay. She wasn’t that fond of Chardonnay, but red wines put her to sleep, and she’d had enough sleep over the last few days to last for a while. She was busy chattering about her past experiences with wine, when she noticed Jessie simply smiling at her.

"What? Don’t tell me you don’t like wine. Wait, we shared a bottle before. That crazy night at Momma’s. Did I say something wrong? Jessie?" Kate was perplexed.

Smiling broader, Jessie brushed Kate’s leg with the edge of her foot. "You’re doing fine. I just love to hear you so excited. I’m okay; I’m feeling better. Boy am I starved though."

No sooner than the words had left her mouth, and their waiter returned with their appetizers. Both women filled their small appetizer plates, and began the task of feeding their empty stomachs. Half way through the platter, Kate stopped and setting her fork down started to giggle.

"Now what? Do I have food on my face or something? What’s so funny?" Jessie scowled.

"No silly. I just think it’s hysterical that we haven’t said a word to each other since the food arrived. You would think we haven’t eaten for a week. Must be good, eh?" Kate settled back for a minute, letting her food settle down.

Jessie nodded her agreement. She realized that if she kept eating at that pace, two things would occur. First, she wouldn’t be able to eat the rest of her dinner, and second, she might just end up putting on some weight. Justin would have an absolute cow. She could hear him now, Jessica! What kind of world would this be with a fat super hero? Stop eating or else! Shaking her head to remove the thought, she decided that it would be a great world to have a "larger" super hero, or model, or whatever. Too much emphasis was placed on looks these days. Sure, she liked her looks okay, but if push came to shove, she much preferred looking at Kate.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the rest of their meal. After resting for a moment, and giving the waiter a chance to move away, they dug in with a renewed energy. Kate was right; the food at Gianelli’s was outstanding. Even though they were both starting to feel full, they couldn’t resist stuffing their faces. When both plates were clean, they sat back and looked at each other. Kate was so full; she loosened the top button of her jeans. Jessie stretched a few times; hoping that her overfull feeling would pass.

"You know, I think we are going to have to venture out into the mall. Maybe if we’re lucky, someone will chase us, and we can work of some of this meal. I’m beginning to think that I might just explode." Jessie puffed out her cheeks a few times, trying to get her body to settle down.

Kate yawned, the wine and the heavy Italian food doing their best to put her to sleep. "Are you sure you can handle that? What if the people corner us, or chase us? I don’t know if I can run right now. I’m way too full."

"Come on, don’t chicken out on me now. I finally get brave, and now you want to wuss one me. Let’s pay these people, and get moving. Oh, here’s my card. Alice gave it to me when I went by the studio the other day. They had to close my other account, because of Gregory." Jessie held the credit card out to Kate.

Waving it away, Kate rifled her wallet, and produced her own card. "I invited you out, and I’m paying for this. Remember? I don’t want to be a kept woman. We share from now on. Unless of course you get the urge to take me to the Bahamas, or New Zealand. Then we might have to renegotiate our deal."

Jessie returned her credit card to her fanny pack. Michael had showed up with the fanny pack a few days ago, when he noticed her admiring Kate’s. She thought it was a cool way to carry the few things she ever carried. It seemed that there was always someone around to take care of those things, Kate included. Jessie was determined to change things in her life though. She liked being out, and doing things with Kate. At least so far anyway.

The came and went, and then the two ventured to the doorway into the mall. They stood there for a few moments, watching the crowd hustle and bustle about their business.

"Are you sure you’re ready for this? We can go out the other door and be done with it right now if you want." Kate was starting to feel a little nervous herself.

Taking a deep breath, Jessie placed her hands on the door. "No, I’m ready. If something bad is going to happen, then its going to happen. We’ll deal with it then."

Pushing on the door, they were immediately assaulted with the noise, smells, and energy of a shopping mall on a Sunday afternoon. Kate led the way while they casually walked along window-shopping, and keeping a wary eye on the crowd.

It had been such a long time since Jessie had been inside such a huge place, she almost felt like she was on another planet. Everyone seemed to have someplace to go, and at least half of them were carrying either packages, or small children. Occasionally they would hear an exasperated mother saying no to her child’s request.

Jessie stopped for a moment, and listened to the conversation between a young boy and his mother over a pair of tennis shoes. "Honey, you know I can’t afford those shoes. You’re growing bigger every day, and before you know it, you won’t be able to wear them anymore. $180 is too much for a pair of shoes for a ten year old. I’m sorry, but we just have to be more practical."

"You just don’t love me anymore." The boy cried. "All my friends have these shoes. It’s not fair!"

"I know, honey, but you have to understand. With your dad getting laid off, and me working two jobs, its just too hard to buy all the extra things you want. Its not because I don’t love you. I just don’t have the money." A small tear escaped the mother’s eye.

Jessie went to step forward. She had every intention of buying the shoes for the young boy, and anything else he might want. Kate’s firm hand on her arm stopped her. Turning to find out why she was being prevented from doing something she by all means could afford, she was stopped by the look of sadness in Kate’s eyes.

"Jessie, I know you want to help, but you can’t. Look around you. There must be a thousand kids just like him, wanting more than anything to have the most expensive shoes, toys, clothes, you name it. Most of the stuff here is just plain out of reach for these kids. It’s our crummy society. The big marketing machine. Parents have to work harder, and the rift between them and their children grows wider. It’s a "No Win" situation. If you buy those shoes for that kid, then you have to but them for everyone around. Because the news will get out. Do yourself a favor. Work with a charity. One that can do something for a lot of kids, and not just one. I’m sorry." Kate bowed her head, feeling bad about hurting Jessie’s feelings.

Jessie placed her hand on Kate’s shoulder. "You’re right. Put that on your list of things I need to do this week. It’s important. I don’t know what I was thinking a moment ago. They just looked so sad. Come on; let’s keep moving. I’m starting to feel kinda sad right now."

Kate nodded her understanding, and the two of them continued their trek through the great mall. When they reached the end, Jessie noticed several people heading down a small staircase, all carrying gym bags. Stepping around the corner, she noticed a huge window looking out onto an ice skating rink. Hurrying back to Kate, she grabbed her arm, jumping up and down.

"I want to skate! I want to skate!" Jessie tugged on Kate’s arm, leading her to the stairway to the rink.

"You what? Jessie I don’t know how to skate. And what if someone recognizes you or you get hurt? Then what am I going to do? I don’t know Jess, this could be dangerous." Kate furrowed her brows, convinced that Jessie had lost her mind.

"Come on, I’m a great skater. I’ll teach you how." Successfully convincing Kate, at least partially anyway, they continued down the staircase, to the counter.

Renting skates, they sat side by side, and changed their shoes. Jessie was so excited, she was wiggling on the bench. Kate decided that she must be nuts letting her go through with this. Putting their unnecessary stuff into a locker, she pocketed the key, and wobbling on her skates, made her way to the entrance to the ice. Jessie was already zooming in and out of the crowd, her taller stature giving her an almost graceful appearance.

Shooting over to the railing, she grabbed Kate’s hands, and dragged her out on the ice. After a few wobbles, Kate managed to stand perfectly still. Jessie held her hands in front of her, and then slowly skated backwards, pulling Kate along with her. Kate decided that as long as she didn’t make any sudden moves, she should be okay.

All around them children, teenagers and adults were maneuvering themselves around the ring, with varying degrees of expertise. More than once someone would come by, lose their balance and land rear end first on the ice. Kate was determined that she would not be one of those people. Too late, she got brave enough to move her feet independently of each other, and somehow they tangle up and down she went.

"Oops! Are you okay?" Jessie tried hard not to laugh.

"Quit laughing! This is not funny. My butt is killing me!" Kate scowled at her crazy friend.

"Aww, come on, let me help you up." Jessie bent down to help Kate get up, just as a chain of women, old enough to know better, came giggling by. They were playing crack the whip. All of a sudden, someone in the middle lost her balance, and the entire group came crashing down. Bodies spun everywhere, and the end person, came careening right at Jessie. She tried to stop herself, but it was too late.

Crashing into Jessie, she knocked her legs out from under her, and sent her into a belly flop flat onto the ice. Kate tried to grab her, before the rest of the crowd stepped on her in their travels. Digging in her skate blade into the ice, she shoved hard, and went sliding right for Jessie. Using the blade as a brake, she spun onto her knees, and lay across Jessie’s back, forming a larger barrier for people to go around. Fortunately everyone saw them and gave them a wide berth.

Several moments later the woman who crashed into Jessie joined Kate. Kneeling in front of Jessie she very carefully lifted her chin to check for bleeding, or neck injuries. Kate watched the gorgeous, tan, blue-eyed woman for a moment, and decided that was about enough of that. Settling back on her knees, she fixed the woman with a stare as cold as the ice they were sitting.

"I’ll take care of her from here, thanks for your help." Kate couldn’t help but sound a little angry.

The blond smoothed back Jessie’s hair, in a way too familiar gesture. "What are you, her body guard? No need to be defensive, it was an accident, I’m just concerned about whether or not I injured her."

Kate’s scowl deepened. "If it’s your business, yes I am her bodyguard, and I’ll thank you for not handling her anymore. Now, if you’ll back up, I’d like to check on her myself."

Raising her hands in surrender, the woman backed away. Kate took her place, and bending down, spoke softly to Jessie. "Hey, are you alright? Should I call an ambulance?"

Slowly, Jessie rolled over onto her back. "No, I’m okay. Just got the wind knocked out of me. I think I might have scraped my knees, and I know my hands are bruised. I’ll know more when I get off the ice. Help me up."

Kate managed to get herself into a standing position. Reaching down for Jessie, she was suddenly scooted aside. The offensive blond had replaced her, and was helping Jessie stand up. Jessie put her arm around the woman’s shoulders, and let herself be led off the ice. Kate stood there stunned, watching them head for the benches. Carefully working her way across the ice, she stepped over to stand nearby and listen. Far be it from me to interrupt the great Ms. Ryan!

The blond helped Jessie out of her skates, and then turned to address Kate. "If your going to stand there like that why don’t you do something useful. Go and get her jacket, and shoes. She does look cold to you, doesn’t she?"

Furious Kate looked at Jessie for some kind of support. Jessie was busy checking her knees, and oblivious to the exchange going on around her head. Kate turned and stormed over to the lockers. A deep level of jealousy was boiling inside of her. She was so tempted to zap this. . .slut with her stun gun.

Retrieving their things, she returned to the bench where she thought they would be waiting for her. When she got there, they were gone. Frantic, she looked up and down the bench area, trying to spot her tall lover in the crowd. After several minutes, the crowd cleared slightly, and she saw them. They were sitting in the coffee shop with hot steaming cups in front of them. Both women were laughing. Jessie seemed to not even notice that Kate was missing.

Sitting down, desperately trying to hold back her tears, Kate changed into her shoes, and then returned everything to the checkout counter, paying for their session while she was there. Walking slowly to the coffee shop, her heart started to pound, so loud she could almost hear it. Jessie still hadn’t shown any signs of noticing her, looking for her, or even missing her. Several of the other woman’s friends had gathered around their table. It was apparent they had recognized Jessie, and were caught up in awe over their idol being at the local mall.

Trying to be as invisible as possible, Kate slipped into the group and laying Jessie’s things on the table, turned to leave. A strong hand gripped her wrist, and pulled her back around. Her eyes met Jessie’s, and any uncertainties she had about where she fit into Jessie’s life dissolved immediately.

"Ladies, this is my Personal Assistant, and body guard, Kate McKenna. I gave you all the studios E-mail address, and if you mention the skating rink, Kate will be glad to send you all pictures. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I’ve had about enough excitement for one day. Ms. McKenna and I need to leave. We have a busy week ahead of us." Jessie bent down, and slipped her feet into her tennis shoes, not even bothering to tie them. Standing, she helped Kate gather their things, and hooking one hand around Kate’s elbow, steered her towards the door.

The blond tried vainly to catch Jessie’s attention again, but it soon became apparent that Jessie was plainly not interested. Kate risked a glance back at her momentary nemesis, and smiled ever so sweetly when they made eye contact. Receiving an extremely dark look in return, she stuck her tongue out at the woman, and then returned her attention to her lover.

Furious, the woman sat down. Never in her life had she ever been treated like that by anyone. Most women fell all over her, even straight women. Wondering what Jessie could possibly see in that redheaded bitch, Naomi made a mental note to do some investigating. She wasn’t the type to out someone, but she didn’t give up a challenge like this so easily either.

Kate and Jessie walked silently together. Kate could tell that Jessie was hurting, and could probably use a nice hot bath. She felt bad about not trusting Jessie. She couldn’t recall the last time she had been that jealous and angry over someone.

On the other hand, Jessie was smiling deep inside of herself. Sure, she ached all over, but Kate’s jealous rage more than made up for it. It left no shadow of a doubt as to who she loved, and who loved her. Thinking about that Naomi chick, and how her haughty self-confidence had turned to her own jealous rage, made Jessie laugh out loud. Kate merely looked at her, a question in her eyes. She was too embarrassed still to say anything.

"Oh, I was just thinking. You know, that woman really thought she was so much better than you were. I think she really thought that I might fall for her, like in an instant or something. Unfortunately, I have this deep streak of politeness in me, so I had to deal with that first. I know you were angry, and I know you were going to leave me here. I’m sorry I upset you." Jessie placed her cold scraped hand over the hand that held her arm.

Bowing her head, Kate smiled to herself. "There is no need for sorrow, Jess. That woman was so rude, and yet so beautiful. For a moment, I thought she had succeeded. When she pushed me out of the way, and then took you to the coffee shop while I was fetching our things, I was . . . hurt. But I should be the one that’s sorry. I feel like I didn’t trust you enough, to even remember I was alive. I’m the one that’s sorry."

Risking staring eyes, Jessie put her arm around Kate’s shoulder, and squeezed her as tight as her sore body would allow. She promised herself, that politeness be damned, she would never let something like this happen again. Now would be the perfect time to tell her you love her you idiot! Speak up!

Kate, conscious of the possibility of discovery, returned to her original position. She would have given anything to stay that way, with Jessie’s arm around her, but it was just too risky. Holy moly, Kate! Now is the perfect time to tell her that you love her. Why can’t you speak?

Jessie took a deep breath, and stopped Kate for a minute. Pulling her behind a stand of potted plants, she turned to face her, and was about to finally tell Kate that she loved her, when a loud screech came from the bustling crowd. Someone had recognized her, and the crowd was rapidly heading their way.

Quickly Kate grabbed Jessie’s hand, and started to slip along the wall towards the exit doors. Afraid that someone would grab Jessie from behind, Kate stopped suddenly, and pulled her in front. Pushing her to run faster, Kate could almost feel the heat of the crowd behind them. The noise was deafening. Fortunately, Jessie’s longer stride put her at the door, quite a ways ahead of the crowd. Slamming both hands into the door bar, she flung the doors wide and then reaching behind her grabbed Kate and pulled her through. The two of them made an all out mad dash for the car. Kate had already fumbled the keys out of her pocket. Gesturing to Jessie to duck behind the car, she opened the door, and then flicked the power locks open. By the time the crowd figured out where they were, they were pulling out of the driveway, and heading rapidly out of sight.

Breathing a sigh of relief, they both burst into a torrent of nervous giggles. There aborted "I Love You" forgotten for the moment as they hurried home, making sure that no one was following them.

After they arrived, Kate ran a warm bath for Jessie, and had her soak for a short time, to work the kinks out of her body. Carefully checking her hands and knees, she was satisfied that no permanent damage had been done. Jessie tried to get her to join her in the tub, but Kate was content to wash her lover from the outside. They talked quietly about their adventures, and decided that they would have to plan better, and be a lot more clever before they ever ventured to the mall again.

Later, they both settled into bed, to watch a little TV and wind down. They had an early call at the studio, and according to the director’s schedule, they could plan to be at the studio later than usual as well. Ted was going to try and shoot the entire episode in four days. Jessie’s obligation to the awards ceremony gave him the incentive to push every one into blowing out this thing pretty quickly. Only two more weeks and they could take a week’s vacation. That in itself was incentive enough for everyone. The sooner the better!

Jessie kissed Kate goodnight, and snuggling down, silently thanked whomever that might be listening, for making her the luckiest woman on the planet. Both slept peacefully, worn out from the previous day’s activities. It would be another week at least before they had any peace, or enough sleep. Holding on in their sleep, their souls said "I Love You", even though their conscious selves still couldn’t get with the program.

Continued in chapter 21 - 23.

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